I got it...

I know.. that was a long time that I made you wait to hear the details of my new job.. things are still in the works so I was keeping things on the down low. I have accepted a position with Service BC, I will be the "Senior Client Service Representative" that will be my new title. Rather lengthy.. I'll have to come up with something a little flashier!
I will be supervising and have an enormous budget - I will also be acting as the Government agent for Vanderhoof. If all y'all want to know what I will be doing there.. click here (trust me, I'll have to research it too!!)
It is vastly different from what I am doing and have been doing for the last ba-zillion years but.. I think the change will be good. I will need to up my wardrobe so that I have a bit more proffesional stuff to choose from.. poor me.. I have to shop. :)

JOB INTERVIEW

Yikesy.. I have a job interview in 45 minutes and I am kinda freakin' out. I am trying to stay all Z~E~N and tell myself that I will do fine.. so .. this will distract me if only for a moment!

This job is one that I hadn't considered because I didn't know that it was vacant - but of course like anything.. once you know it's there - you start really seeing yourself in it and wonder what would I do if I don't get it?? I've already imagined my life with it. Does this make sense?

It's funny though because a week ago I didn't even know it existed!

Anyhow - I will try to post and update how it went afterwards so that you all can know that I didn't die from an anxiety attack!!!

We had a great thanksgiving this year... we decided to take a break from reality and spend this thanksgiving in Kitimat with Collin’s Aunt and Uncle. We have never been there and neither had the kids so it was a great opportunity to have an adventure.
Even the drive there was so pretty.. this time of year as well as a lot of historic towns on the way.. Here’s us in Moricetown at the falls..

As soon as we had arrived, we went out for lunch on the Douglas Channel, went beach combing, went to MK Bay Marina to buy prawns for supper and sightseeing around the town. Including hiking up a tiny trail to a nice waterfall.
The next day we decided to head out to LakeElse Lake for a picnic lunch, we hiked up a mountain/rock climbing area to the top, it was hard but so much fun. Then on the way home we went mushroom picking. We were quite successful – we found slippery jacks, king bolete’s, and chanterells. YUMMY YUM!
Of course the next day we did the whole church + turkey day.. and it was great too. We had such a fun time there.. can’t wait to do it again!

Work Force Adjustments

WOW.. I know it's been much too long since I posted so.. I don't know if I can cover off everything. The most important or at least the most prevelant in our life right now is JOBS. Sept. 2, I got called into a meeting room and told that my job is REDUNDANT. Government is making cut backs and I happen to be one of them. SUCKY SHIT is what I thought.. I was totally shocked and blindsided because all the months of talks about cut backs, etc and there was never any indication that it could have or would have been me. So I have 90 days working notice until the end. *sigh, now that is stress.

Collin's job causes him a load of stress because he has a boss that is the type that blames all his own mistakes on everyone else and tops it off with some verbal abuse -- Collin is really not happy at his job. And hasn't been for about 18 months. He had been looking elsewhere for work and put his resume in at another place.. just waiting, waiting to see. So Monday he got the call that he got the other job and he gave his 2 weeks notice at this one. It's a lot to be going on right now with all the worry about my job and the change in his but.. WOW what a difference in Collins happiness. SO worth it. It's nice to have him come home and say that the is looking forward to things again.

So as for my job, I am still hoping that I will be able to utilize the union that I pay so dearly for and be able to get placed or bump someone so that I can keep a job here in Vanderhoof. I will keep you all posted.. it will most likely be a long road until I find out. I am keeping my chin up and staying positive.. I know something will work out!

The playhouse

We have all had fun with this project! The girls wanted to have a playhouse in the backyard so we converted an ill-used lean-to to being their new and oh so fantastic PLAYHOUSE. It is not yet painted (their intention is to do pink & purple stripes) but that will come later. The girls helped us with the building and screwing & nailing and holding up boards here and there.. it's been great. They even sanded their own window sills for the inside for plants. Here area few pictures along the way!

My baby is 8

Last week, Millie turned 8. Was a great party.. man.. where has the time gone?

The list

Well the reno’s are still a go-ing.. and what’s great is that we still don’t seem to have tired of them. We have accomplished a lot in the few months that we have been here; here’s the list

• Painted the living room, hallways, dining room, massage room, laundry room, kids rooms, house exterior.
• Replaced all the windows in the entire house.
• New garden door in dining room
• Replaced all outside light fixtures
• Replaced majority of interior light fixtures
• Um, yeah – took off and cleaned behind all baseboard trim. (I know, seems like this shouldn’t be on this list cause it’s just cleaning.. but if you only knew how disgusting it was behind those boards.. bleck, icky.. yuck – you’d understand that this was a major undertaking)
• Repainted cold air return grates
• New trim around windows and doorways
• Cut a 6 foot doorway into the dining room/hallway wall to create better flow/open floor plan.
• Built a coat rack
• Built a custom mirror
• Painted the kids room trim
• Installed new curtain rods & curtains upstairs.
• Yard work.. took out crappy woodpile & planted grass, pruned the mayday, the birch, the mountain ash, & the ornamental crab, extracted (by quad) the hedge of cedars, an enormous rose bush, and another mammoth cedar, cleaned up flower & garden beds, created new flower beds at the front of the house.
• Built & painted new gate to allow for quad width to drive through
• Organized the impressive cold storage room.. it’s about 5’ by 20’ ((NICE))+ (why do previous owners always leave old paint and canning? Like I want to eat the “who knows what” jam from 1997!)
• New main bathroom tap (this is phase 1 of the bath reno.. still to come!)

We still want to do the kitchen, the bathrooms, new attic insulation, new shingles and paint the basement walls – then perhaps we will relax.
Phew.. seems like so much when you write it down. We are now trying to focus on building the kids a playhouse. They have been so patient through all this.. they deserve a little something. We have the area all cleaned up and ready for building – we just need to get some supplies and get things started. I will try to take pictures along the way so that I can share them.
Hope all of you out there are doing well, I’d love to hear from you!!!!

A-hem..

Now would you just look at this:
I know, sometimes I can really be an activist.. a serious womans lib-er... but there is something to be said about 100% domesticated, fresh from the oven, I baked it myself, with my own two hands.. BREAD! And.. it's wheat free at that. And for any of you who have ever baked with flours that are non-wheat, you will appreciate that it's not the shape of a hockey puck!
It actually rose, and looks beautiful. (Well at least one looks beautiful) So the loaf on the left is a spelt bread (thanks to my gf gillian - and my ma, who kept the recipe all these years), and the loaf on the left is a mixed flour flaxy bread which (though ugly) tastes great and will make good toast.
I am so happy and MAN did my house ever smell great. Home cooking.. at it's best. OMA - you would be so proud!