Bad News and Not Quite So Bad News

The really bad news yesterday was that the house sale has been delayed - the buyer's lender has done some last minute demanding of more paperwork, or something. It may be a week or more before the sale finally does go through, which unfortunately means our having to pay the extra mortgage payment this month as well as get by without the house sale proceeds we were expecting. Not happy-making, I tell you. I had about a half hour of silently repeating "I trust you, Lord, I trust you" in my head before I calmed down and got on with everyday life.

The not quite so bad news was that the movers coming to get Mom's stuff were delayed, delayed again, and delayed some more. They were originally supposed to be here at 1400, and ended up coming almost 5 hours later. Fortunately the condo manager is a sweetheart - he could have caused trouble because moves are supposed to be supervised and one of the two elevators must be reserved for the move, but instead he just let us borrow his elevator key for the evening. So the move did happen, and Mom has the great majority of her boxes and all of her furniture now. There were a few things we simply couldn't reach, but they will all fit into the van when we eventually uncover them.

Today was a much better day...no one dropped any bad news bombs on my head, and we enjoyed a lovely sunny day. We even explored a huge local park, the fields seemed to go on forever. The kids loved it - they ran and ran, especially Connor, despite his frequent stumbling and falling. I can't get over how much nicer the weather is down here, and what a glorious fall we're having.

Starting to Feel Like Home

I don't have a lot of time, but I thought I'd post quickly to say that things are settling out nicely here. Despite not having finished the boxes, we hit the farmers market today and got enough fresh tomatoes and peppers to make a winter's worth of salsa, as well as a big box (40 pounds) of ripe and juicy peaches. I couldn't resist the peaches - I'll probably use half or more to make spiced peach jam, and the rest I'll just peel, slice and freeze for baking in the winter. Having made my own jam and salsa for the last several years, I'm finding I really don't like the store-bought stuff at all (unless it's the expensive gourmet stuff). Trev won't eat store-bought salsa at all! So it's worth it to us to put things on hold for a week while I do the canning.

Otherwise, we've met a few of the neighbours and their children, all friendly folk. Adara starts her dance classes on Monday. We've made progress in making the rooms feel homier, though we're not done yet. So I would say things are going well. It's a bit lonely, of course, and I'm looking forward to beginning our search for a church family once Mom settles in and can watch the kids for us while we attend the various services. But overall Trev and I are both pleased with how well we're settling in.

Update on the Rigmarole of Moving In

My heavens, I'm tired. That could be my summary right there! *grin*

We're getting there, truly we are. And perhaps I'm expecting too much, as it hasn't been that long since we moved in. But the closer we get to making things look decent, the more I want to just get it done!

We (OK, Trev) finished assembling the last of the living room furniture today. The dining room is all done except for the bench we want that's out of stock, so our 6 person table currently only has 4 chairs. The 2 bar stools are done for the little breakfast bar in the kitchen. And we're steadily wading through the contents of boxes.

The boxes are taking longer now, because I'm unpacking them after the children are asleep. I do this for two reasons: the more obvious first reason is that this way the kids don't grab items and run away with them, depositing them who knows where, and the second reason is that Trev and I are seizing this opportunity to simplify our possessions, and it's easier to sort and cull when we're on our own. It'll get easier once my Mom moves out here next week, and we can deposit her share of the boxes in our garage into her lovely condo. Right now there's hardly space in there to turn around, and it's hard for Trev to sort anything.

As a happy side note, we've had some lovely visits this week; last Sunday we went down to Red Deer to visit friends, and this week, my little brother stopped by for a wonderful but regrettably short visit as he was in town for work-related reasons. I only wish Tom could have brought his lovely wife and their children...I know Adara was taken aback to see her uncle but not her beloved cousins. *chuckle* I'm so happy to be in a location where we can visit and be visited regularly by so many dear people; we'll have even more capacity to do that once the basement is finished.

What else? We got library cards (hurray!) and are figuring out where the nearby rec centres and such are, for swimming and other possible activities. We also placed our order for Adara's Sonlight curriculum, and are looking forward to that arriving. We figured this year is a good year to give it a try and see whether it works for us.

Going back to being tired, I think I need to hit the hay. So many boxes, so little time! *grin*

A New Home

We've arrived, and are settling in nicely. The house is absolutely lovely. Trev was so worried about whether I would like it or not (which was sweet) but his worries have evaporated since it's so obvious I'm happy here. Mind you, I'll be happier when we have a dining room set and some living room furniture. Eating on the floor is wearing on me.*grin*

I've been working very hard to conquer my natural inclination of unpacking everything right away and not stopping till it's all done. My goal has been to try to tackle a room a day if I can. So far the kids' rooms, my part of our bedroom (Trev's part will have to wait until the poor man gets enough time to unpack anything), our bathroom, the kids' bathroom, the kitchen and the toy room have been conquered, at least as much as I could find the boxes for. You see, some of our boxes are in the garage, all mixed together, and we haven't sorted them all out yet. But what I had in the house for those rooms, I've unpacked. The living room and dining room stuff will have to wait until we've got furniture set up, which will hopefully happen at least in part this weekend.

Good news on the house-selling front - it seems we have two bidders, one of which has already upped their offer to our full asking price (hoping to outdo the other, I assume). After a long stint of nothing at all, this happens all at once! Trev is up in Fort Mac today and tomorrow, sprucing the place up and helping Mom clean up the mess we left. She gets possession of her condo at the beginning of September, so she has opted to stay in the now fully furnished suite with her pup until then.

The kids seem to be handling things well. There's a nice play set in the fenced backyard as well as a small enclosed trampoline (the kind meant for 3-7 year olds, not the big kind), so they're loving that, and there's a nice playground about a 5 minute walk away. We've been to the Zoo three times already (since we have the annual passes and the parking is free, it only costs gas to go) and are having fun picking out which continent we want to visit (that's how the Zoo is divided up) and which animals we want to learn about that day. Adara has been pushing boundaries pretty hard, but is slowly learning that she can't get away with acting up. That's pretty natural in my opinion, and I'm not taking it personally. Things have been chaotic enough over the last 6 weeks or so that it will take some time for her to feel secure again.

I've rambled on enough for tonight. I'm going to go grab some sleep...both of the kids are coming down with colds, and the extra whininess and clinginess demands extra patience (and therefore extra rest) on my part.

Gathering Speed

We're getting there. Trev has been working so very hard to line everything up on the Calgary end...getting a steam cleaner in before he heads up here (the previous owners had 2 cats) and getting the locks changed, transferring utilities, phone, Internet, and home insurance, and of course getting all of the legal stuff done. He should be receiving the keys at noon on Wednesday. Hurrah!

On this end, I've been taking all the pictures down, emptying and defrosting the big freezer, packing bags of the clothes and things we'll need for the next few weeks, sorting out papers I'll need, ordering enough contacts for the next 6 months, getting haircuts so that we'll have some breathing room before finding a new stylist, returning all the library books, getting rid of anything I don't want moved, and of course trying to entertain and not stress out the kids. I only have until tomorrow night, really, to get it all together, and then on Wednesday morning the packers will descend in force and I'll mostly be trying to keep the children and myself out of their way for two days.

Even with all of this going on, I'm still excited about moving to a new home, and exploring a new city. The excitement is just shoved to the back for now. *grin*

Almost Ready to Launch

The packers are coming next Wednesday and Thursday, and the movers will be carting everything away on Friday. Yes, that's next week. And we found out yesterday afternoon. To add some excitement to the mix, Trev has to work this weekend, and will only be able to get here next Thursday. Needless to say, there's a lot to do and not much time to do it in.

On the plus side, we'll be in our new home very soon - I'm so excited about finally seeing the inside! We'll be leaving a bunch of our furniture here to furnish the downstairs suite, so we'll be getting new living room furniture and a dining room set...likely at IKEA. Love that place.

Still no condo for Mom, so to prevent Zoe from having to stay in a kennel for weeks, and to avoid being bored and living in our spare room for weeks, Mom will be staying up here for a while. Her stuff will travel via the movers with ours, but since the basement suite is going to be furnished, she doesn't need much other than a suitcase of clothes. Once we have papers signed for a condo purchase, she'll look at picking a date to come down to Calgary.

It's been very warm these last few days, and there's no air-conditioning. The kids are hot, cranky, and confused by all the moving preparations. I'll be glad when we can leave for Calgary (the new house has air-conditioning too!).

Falling Into Place

The little things are starting to come together with regards to planning for life in Calgary. I've been finding all sorts of interesting things to see, do, and/or get involved in.

First off, I've found a neat homeschooling co-op that meets once a week to do activities that are hard to do solo or are simply more fun or more economical in groups. Parents are expected to stay at the facility and help out in some way, something I really like, rather than it being a drop-off situation. There is a playgroup for siblings under four, and they have a preschooler group (4-5 year olds) that meets from 9 to 12 each week. This fall they'll have an art class, story time, and an 'open gym' time in those three hours. Parents are expected to contribute in whatever way suits them best, from teaching to organizing to cleaning to whatever. I was very happy to learn that they needed someone to help with the preschoolers, that's something I know I can do well at and it will help Adara to have me close by. Mom has offered to either watch Connor for me or alternately to bring him to the facility but stay with him in the playgroup, as I would be unwilling to leave him there alone. In between this co-op, dance class, and whatever activities will be run by the church we will choose, Adara will have lots of opportunities to meet and play with other children, which I know my little extrovert will love.

Another co-op I'm looking at buys fruit and vegetables in bulk to save money; a 40-45 pound box of seasonal fruits and veggies once a month would cost me a grand total of $25. In between that and going back to buying our beef and chicken in bulk from local ranchers, we should be able to cut down on grocery trips, and also save money. I'm hoping that a trip to Costco and then maybe a health food store once every two weeks will do it. We'll see how it works out.

The Calgary Symphony Orchestra has a special series of symphonies for children 4-12, four of them over the course of the fall and winter. It's on Saturday afternoons, and they even have a "musical petting zoo" for the hour beforehand, where kids can try out the instruments and talk to the musicians. How cool is that! Best part is that a family pass (2 adults and up to 2 children) for all four costs only about one and a half times what it would cost two adults to go to one regular performance. Mom, Adara and I are going to have a blast.

I've even managed to find a stained glass supply place in the north end that has classes and also rents out studio space. If all goes well, I will be able to resume my favourite hobby without worrying about shards of glass being all over the house and endangering the children. I can't even describe how excited I am about the possibility!!

So needless to say, there are a lot of exciting things coming up. All is not roses, however. The movers still haven't told us when we'll be moving, which is driving me slightly batty. Even worse, attempts at securing a condo for Mom keep falling through. We've had two places that both looked perfect slip through our fingers. Trev is our scout, but even if he finds something perfect on his next trip to see condos on Tuesday and they write an offer that night, it will still be at least three weeks until possession, which means Mom will be in limbo for a time and poor Zoe will be in a kennel. Hopefully something comes up soon.

Moving is always such a whirlwind of activity - some people hate it, but I really enjoy it.

First Showing

We had the first showing of our house today. Even though the wall downstairs is only mudded, the realtor had one set of clients that really, really wanted to see it, so he let them. I guess they are looking for EXACTLY what we have: a nice house with a rental suite to offset mortgage costs, in a quiet family neighbourhood with a large lot. Our realtor has high hopes, and it doesn't hurt that he'd get the whole commission this way, either. *grin* They know that no one else will be seeing the house until Wednesday, so I wasn't surprised that they didn't make a decision right away, but I'm hoping and praying that they loved the place and make a decent offer tomorrow. This is Fort McMurray after all, and good properties move very quickly. I do have reason to believe they were impressed - they were still there 40 minutes after the showing started, and Trev says the realtor called him on his cell with a couple of specific questions about fireplaces and heaters and such.

So I guess we'll have to see. But the sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned. Trying to get the house in show-worthy condition with two active kids isn't easy, and I'd like to do it as few times as possible. *smile*

Moving On

The house is quieter today. I keep expecting the patter of little paws, a little fuzzy body coming to leap into my lap. It's hard to remember that she's not here anymore - eight years is a long time, and I miss our Bitsy very much. I remind myself regularly that she isn't suffering any more, and that helps, but only somewhat.

We dropped off the carrier, litter box, extra litter, extra food, and the big cat tree at the SPCA today. They were glad to have it, and it comforted us to think it will be of use to some other little cats. We've decided that we won't be getting another cat for a few years at least. Not only is Trevor allergic to cats (while he was able to live with Bitsy, she did aggravate his allergies), we have several people who we hope will come to visit us that are also allergic: Jeannette, Trev's brother's wife, as well as our close friends in Red Deer, one of which is so sensitive to pet dander that he couldn't even stay in our home for an hour while we had Bitsy. While I'll miss having a furry pet, I can't see making people I care for uncomfortable (or even ill) just so that I can have what I want. And if we still want to head overseas for a few years after a stint in Calgary, then it makes sense to avoid getting a new pet for now. *sad sigh*

In other news, the crack in the wall downstairs has been repaired, and new drywall has been put in. The workmen will be stopping in for a few minutes tomorrow and the next day for mudding and sanding, and then they hope to paint on Tuesday. Our realtor is looking forward to showing the house - he has one set of clients that have been looking for exactly what we have, and then 3 other people who have already asked to see the house. I hope this set of showings is faster and easier than the showings we had for the townhouse...we had 24 sets of people come through before it sold. I have a feeling it will go quickly, and I hope I'm right.

Trev and I have done most of the big work around the house now, so I'm working at cleaning up the little nooks and crannies. Reorganizing kitchen cupboards and closets, and getting rid of old stuff or things we simply don't need or use. I love moving because it gives me the motivation to go through everything and simplify...and give things that we don't use to people who will use them.

I've started looking into fall activities for the kids. Adara is very interested in ballet, so I've found a preschool "intro to dance" course that runs just a 5 minute drive from our new home. Their registration is the week after we get possession - God is so good to us, even in the tiny details. And there's a YMCA with a pool about a 10 minute drive away, and they have a "Climb and Splash" program for kids Connor's age (parented), where they play in an indoor gym for a while and then play in the pool for a while. He'll love that. I'm not sure what Mom's plans are in terms of what she wants to get involved with in Calgary, but I'm hoping that she and Adara can make that hour a week their special time together, so we all have fun. We'll have to see. There's also a home school co-op group that meets on Tuesdays, and I'm hoping to go there with the kids too. All of these possibilities are very exciting!

We're examining which churches are nearby, too. It's amazing, just about every church has a website, listing their beliefs, services, sometimes even recorded sermons so you can get a feel for what they're like. There's nothing we feel comfortable with in our little subdivision, but there are a few options that are (I think) only about 15 minutes away. We'll start the serious 'church-shopping' once we get there...a website can only tell you so much, after all.

So much on the go, my brain's in a whirl. I'd best get some sleep!

Torn

I'm fluctuating between being thrilled and grieving tonight - an odd combination, and quite unexpected. I got some very, very good news today: Trev put in an offer on the house he has liked all along, and they have accepted, after some dickering back and forth, for a price we can afford. Providing the home inspection next week shows no major defects, and providing our financing goes through as it should, we will be able to take possession August 13. I'm so happy and relieved that the house-hunting part is done, and that we have a new home to go to soon. That's the thrilled part.

The grieving part...well, Trev and I have concluded that we will have to put our little cat Bitsy to sleep, and we've booked it for this Friday. While there are a number of health issues involved, some of which have been going on a long time, the final straw was that the poor little thing simply hasn't adjusted to having all of her top teeth out, which we had to have done several months ago because they had become too rotten to save. She doesn't like the soft food (we've tried many kinds), only picks at it, and won't eat it at all after it has sat in the bowl for more than 10 minutes. She's making herself sick trying to eat whatever else she can find on the floors. We've tried for months now, but she's getting thinner and more stressed and angrier every day...our passive, easy-going little cat is actually starting to bite and swat us, just for walking by her. Given that a move would be an additional huge stressor for her, we've decided that the kindest and most responsible thing we can do is to end her unhappy little life, much as it hurts us to do so. She's been a part of our family for 8 years now, and it's hard to say goodbye. The kids adore her, too, which makes it that much harder.

So here I sit, going back and forth. And I thank the Lord that I don't need to make any big decisions tonight - who knows what the result would be!

Repairs Update

We're having someone in to fix the basement next Tuesday. Hurray! The first fellow we had in gave us quite a fright, told us he'd have to repair it from the outside (digging up the driveway on the side of our house in the process). While having the folks come by and mark out where the utilities are on the side of the house, we had a second gentleman come by, and he reassured us that he could do all the work from the inside. This guy has a better reputation and seemed much more competent too, so he'll be doing the work for us next week. Trev has to remove the drywall on a big section of one wall this weekend to get it all ready for him.

After much discussion, we decided not to put in an offer on the house Trev liked in Calgary. A few of the features Trev thought were big selling points for me turned out not to be exciting for me at all, and a few of the features I was hoping would be in the house weren't. So Trev is now heading off on Monday with a revised list of criteria, and we'll see what turns up.

The First Attempt

The week has just flown by without Trevor here - the kids have been up very early in the morning (between 0545 and 0630) so by the time I've had everything cleaned up after they're asleep, I've been too beat to blog.

He's home now though, praise the Lord, and we're very much enjoying our time with him. There's an awful lot of things to get done (fixing the basement leak, small repairs to spruce the house up, setting up the sale of our house here, etc) but at least we can work together to do it.

Trev has found a very nice house that he's going to put a bid in on, probably on Tuesday, but he's warned me not to get attached yet as the sellers are asking far too much and may not be willing to accept what he's willing to pay. Our realtor agrees that the price is inflated, and says that while comparable houses did sell for what they're asking three or four months ago, prices have since dropped. So we'll see what they say...Trev tells me that there are plenty more houses just as nice out there, so he'll walk away if the sellers aren't willing to see reason.

We had a funny sort of discussion today, made me realize that we are just not average in very many ways. Our house will likely be bought by someone wanting to invest in a rental property, so Trev asked whether I would consider selling the house with all (or at least almost all) of the furniture in it. I didn't really have to think about it much at all...there are about three pieces of furniture I'm attached to for sentimental reasons, but the rest I would quite happily replace. We're just not into "stuff" that way. Not boasting or anything, just kind of bemused about it.

Must get back to work...chores and lists call!

Positive Progress

Trev reports that his first two days at his new job have gone well, which is wonderful. He's having real trouble adjusting to the idea that people come in at 0730 and leave at 1630 (not to mention have a lunch break), but I'm confident he'll get used to it eventually. *grin*

It looks like we may be selling this house up here after all instead of renting it out. Negotiations with property management companies have not produced the results we were expecting, and it looks like it might be better financially to sell (not to mention less complicated).

The kids and I have survived our first two days sans Trev, despite colds that seem to get worse hourly. We've splurged a bit, bought a new toddler pool (with a little roof and UV protection for our little white-skinned, non-tanning, redheaded son) as well as aquasocks/water sandals to make playing in the pool fun despite the caterpillars. Mom's got the day off tomorrow, so we'll try to do a day trip to a nearby lake with a beach. Trying hard to make this fun.

I got the details for Adara's "final soccer tournament" (she calls it her "soccer predicament", which may be more appropriate): it consists of two games, one at 9AM and one at 2PM. Not much of a tournament, really, but any more would be crazy for 4 year olds. The second game is to be followed by hot dogs and the opportunity to pick up her team pictures. I'm glad she'll be able to be here for the whole time, she's really enjoyed herself.

That's all the progress I know of, and I'd best go get some sleep so that my cold doesn't 'progress' any further.

Lean On Me

In the last 72 hours, the following issues have reared their ugly heads:

• We have water seeping into our basement, into our (carpeted and drywalled) rec room. Both of the 'experts' we've had in agreed that we have several cracks in the foundation, and that the wall will have to be opened up to assess the severity of the damage. Once the cracks are repaired, we'll need new drywall, new baseboards, and new carpeting. This will all have to occur before we can rent the house out or sell it.
• My fourth wisdom tooth appears to be coming in, 18 years after the first three. It hurts.
• Our cat is ill, eating very little and being sick to her stomach. The only appointment I could get for her was next Monday...45 minutes after my appointment for Connor's 18 month vaccinations. Won't THAT be fun.
• Today, Trev found out that the realtor that has been highly recommended to him in Calgary is booked up all the first week he's in town - except for Saturday, when she's free all day. She promised that she could spend the whole day showing him houses, so he could do in one day what would take a whole week of evening visits. So instead of going down for just a few days and then back for the weekend, he'll be gone for a week and a half.

I'm tempted to look at this list and feel sorry for myself...and go have a good cry and maybe eat something chocolaty. But I can't help but feel like the Lord is delivering a message. You see, I have a very bad habit of trying to get through things on my own strength. I figure what He's done here, piling issue upon issue right before Trevor's departure, is to make it clear that I can't do this on my own. I have to lean on Him and trust Him to get me (and us) through. He's doing His job as a shepherd: some sheep just need a gentle nudge in the right direction, some need a smack upside the head. I guess this is further confirmation that I fall in the latter category.

Calgary, Here We Come!

On the 9th, Trevor went down to Calgary for a general interview with the Major Projects division of Suncor. Last Friday he went down for another interview with them, this time for a specific job. Today he got a job offer from them, and it's a job he wants. So he has accepted, and his present and future bosses have haggled out a starting date for his new position. It's a lot earlier than he expected - June 18th. That's right, only a week and a half after we come back from Ontario. I had a feeling that when things happened, they would happen fast, and I was right.

Unless the perfect house in Calgary happens to fall into our laps between now and then, it looks like Trev will be commuting. The company will put him up in temporary accommodations in Calgary, and he'll come home on weekends on the Sunjet. He'll have weekday evenings to look at potential new homes, and hopefully things will resolve themselves quickly. If we manage to sell or rent out our home here quickly, Suncor will put our whole family up in temporary accommodations for up to three months in Calgary, although I hope it doesn't come to that.

Hard to believe that we could be out of here at the end of June. It feels like we've been standing on the edge of a cliff for months, and now we've finally jumped. Hurray! I love the excitement and energy that comes with moving, and the fun of getting to know a new city. We told Adara today, and she's very excited about the Calgary Zoo. She's looking forward to family being able to visit us in our new home too. This will probably be the first move she actually remembers in the long term, so I'm going to try extra hard to make it as fun as possible.

Onward!

We had our realtor over this weekend to look the place over, give us a general idea of what we could get for the house, and point out things we should focus on fixing up before we show it. He, being an excellent realtor despite raising my hackles every time we meet, brought up another possibility...he said that with rents being so high, we should consider keeping the house and renting it out through a management company. This is especially attractive to us because if Trevor stays with Suncor long-term, eventually we'll be coming back up here for another couple of years.

We're not sure if it's even financially feasible, keeping this house on top of buying another in Calgary, but it's an intriguing possibility. And it's very exciting to be making the first small moves towards heading south. The waiting is starting to make me cranky, despite the lovely weather and the perennials coming up so nicely.