New Kitchen

fall

Fall is definately here. We had a great family day today - we went out first thing and got 2 loads of firewood, then came home, unloaded them - had a fire in the yard and raked leaves. Funny how it's the little things that make the best family memories!

Silence

Not too hard to tell that I haven't been too chatty lately. I feel like I am just on the other side of a fairly major stress breakdown. I had no way to anticipate that the transition to a new job in government would be so hard on me. Stress is a strange beast when you don't recognize it!

I am moving forward.. I am alive and well. Just thought I'd at least update that much. :)

AAhh, paid to surf the net

Well I just can't say enough about being paid to invigilate an exam at the college. 3 hours of paid time to surf the net on unsecured wireless networks. This new job is great!

The sun is finally out.. feels so much like spring here which is at least a month ahead of normal for here.

Collin is at his new (yes new again) job and things are good - he has been really happy, I am settling in to my new job - once all this training is over I will be glad. I have never been great at travelling around too much but this has been all a bit overwhelming for me... so I think next week will be the last of it for a little while.

Spring break is coming up - though we don't have any travel plans, it will still be nice to have a break from making lunches. Who knew that could be so exciting!

Things are really looking up

New job, new hair, new outlook on life.

Maybe it was just the shopping spree for some more super professional clothes, maybe it's that I am being spiritual for the first time in years (and this time it's my version of it.. not some watered down or hyped up "supposed to be" that I didn't quite fit, maybe it's that my husband is just so fantastic to me and as a father, maybe it's that my kids are so damn cute and getting so independent (and stylish), maybe it's the love of new friens and the laughter that I haven't had in a long time, maybe it's the new Rosewood's Diary album by Greg Ventin & the band, maybe it's how great and supportive my family is and has always been through my hardships.. I just don't know - OR maybe it's all that and I just finally feel blessed and fit and even ~m~a~y~b~e~ sexy.



I am lovin' the new job, how professional and purposeful that I feel.



*sigh* Life is good.

Here I am world.. the drugs must be making my world seem lovely!!

I am posting a picture of myself from today.. markedly one of the best days that I have had in the last 365.. blissfully spent material shopping and giggling with my mom & sister and family. It's been great. I am also 58lbs down and just all around feeling like a million buckaroonies.



Blessing to everyone.. have a drink, hug a friend!!!!

WAIT - NEW INSTALLMENT... craziness is making me see sexy hairdressers too... here's my new makeover hair.. I love it.. it's a little more funk...

New Year

Well things have been kind rocky lately, new job, lots of sickness, etc, etc. I am just getting out of the hospital today after a 3 night stay - not really going to divulge all the deets but, I am on the mend. My new supervisor is superb in understanding my need for a mit of rest time until I am back on my feet. It's a good job so far.. everyone is great and I know I am going to just love it.

Our Christmas was just fantastic. Collin's family was here, his Mom & Dad, older brother and his 3 kids.. it was SO much fun. I just love Collin's side of the family. Only ones missing were Jeff/Carley & the kids.

I have yet to download any new pictures, maybe later - then I will update you all. Hope you all had a great holiday and your new years are starting out just perfectly!

Love and hugs....

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!

It's been so long.. I forgot my password

*sigh, I don't even know if I have the energy to update what we've been up to!
RENO's + more RENO's mixed with a bit of camping and a trip to my second home... Summerland.
Was so great to see the Rogalls.. with the exception of the J/L crew. What a great vacay.. much needed!
Here's some pictures...

And as for us...

Well we've been quite busy as of late with the whole house move and what not. But we are finally in.. officially for the last 7 days we've been at our new place. It's so great to be there and get settled in. I thought it was time to show it off a bit so that you can all see what it looks like.. BEFORE all the renos!

*sigh.. I think I am actually starting to like renovating! So - here's the little slideshow of the house now..

We plan to:
Paint or replace the siding to a more modern color
A whole window package on the house
A lot of landscaping
Add a clothesline
Replace the railing on the existing deck
Possibly put in a lower deck
Re-do all the bathrooms
Re-paint the ENTIRE house on the inside
Take down a few walls to open up the space
Fix the patio block area
Add more raised beds to the garden
Put in a few sun tunnels to lighten up the bathroom and staircase
Replace all hardware in the kitchen, new countertops and backsplash tiling
New flooring in the basement

*PHEW.. I am tired already.. that's the list now.. guess we'll see if we have the energy to get it all done!

Thinking of my girlfriend Fernanda...

Of course I am certainly thinking of all my friends and family out there with this Swine Flu outbreak. Parts of me always think, well we are just in a small town, it's not likely that anything will happen to us - I think most people take the "it won't happen to us" approach or attitude. Yesterday we heard that there are 2 confirmed cases in PG which is a town only 100kms from here... kinda hit home a bit.

But even more so.. on my mind today is my friend Fernanda. She has two small kids (with existing health concerns), a husband who is a doctor.. and they live in MEXICO City. She is so concerned over the well being of her husband as he has been called into the hospital to care for those who are sick, as well she and the kids have been keeping themselves in isolation so that she can ensure they don't get infected. *sigh - I can't imagine the stress that she must be under.

So - I am definately sending happy & healing thoughts to her.

How are the rest of you doing out there with the thought of all this? I'd love to know.. I'm getting a little freaked out - I must say.. you????

Bought & Sold

Our house has sold - YIPEE! The last few weeks have been pretty intense around here as we have been looking and looking and looking for a new place to buy and WOW there's just isn't much out there.
But... we went back for a second look on a place that we'd seen before and thought - *if we can get this for the right place, we could take on another renovation project and it would be great!
So.. we did.
We will be moving partially May long weekend and then fully on the 23rd. FAST and FURIOUS which is great by me.. the waiting part is agonizing and so, we just have to pack our "hynnies" off and we'll be golden!

EVERYBODY HATES CANCER

These are the words of my oldest daughter Oaksana. One of my mom's closest friends just got the bad news. While they were waiting for her husband to get treatment advice for his prostate cancer diagnosis.. she realized that she had a lump in her breast. She's already had the masectomy done and has started her 15 month chemo treatment plan. Oaksana's teachers son (who is only in his early 20's) is battling this terrible disease as well.

So Oaksana decided to cut her hair in order to support them all. As long as I can remember, Oaksana has been VERY serious about having long hair. She won't even have a conversation if the words hair and scissors are in the same sentence. So I was amazed when she said that she wanted to do this.

I am really proud of her for making a personal sacrifice like that.. makes my heart just melt.

So.. here's her before shot...

And here's her after shot: