From the Mountains to the Sea: Part 2

Well, we are here. I'm not going to go into details, but the move went smoothly thanks mainly to my wonderful in-laws who paid for the greater part of actual professional movers to do all the dirty work. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! It was such a relief.

James found us a great little three bedroom townhouse in a nice part of town. It's a little smaller then we are used to, but I find it quite cozy. And it's right next to a school with a great playground that we walk to everyday. And our place has a DISHWASHER! I am in heaven!

I forgot what else I was going to say. Here's some pictures.

Watching our plane come in at the Cranbrook airport.

The last glimpse of the Rockies at sunset. I will miss those peaks and clear skies.

We stayed with Ama and Papa for a week while our stuff was in transit.

Gwen approves of Papa's new path.

Stomping leaves is awesome by the way.

I know, nudie baby shot, but how could I not? Mali is Gwen's favourite woof.

Finally reunited with Daddy after three long weeks!

Taking a break from unpacking at the beach by the marina in our new town of Port McNeill.

Gwen is a little tired here, but she approved of her first ocean beach experience.

Gwen with the "baby" (all whales are babies, belugas or otherwise :)

Grama (Ama) Sawatsky teaching Gwen an essential life lesson: How to use power tools.

From the Mountains to the Sea: Part 1

Edit: Ok, just so you know, I started this post about two weeks ago and am only posting it now. I'll update will current info soon.

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Well, we are moving. Again.

It seems we have some sort of annual migration pattern because this is the 6th time is 7 years that we have moved either across the province, across the Fraser Valley or across some expanse of water. This time, we are doing all three and moving from Kimberley in the Rocky Mountains of south-eastern BC, to Port Mcneill on the north-eastern end of Vancouver Island.

I am excited and saddened by this move. As I am with all my moves it seems. I'm bloody sick of moving, but at the same time to move back to the Island makes it all better. I like small towns (pop 2600) but I'm also a little afraid of having to make all new friends and not knowing anyone. Again. I was just feeling like I was settling in here in Kimberley, I was enjoying getting to know my neighbours, and having trusted baby sitters right next door, and having friends with babies that Gwen got along with really well. So I'm sad to leave all that behind and worried I won't find it again.

On the other hand, it's the Island! And we'll be living so close to wilds and all the amazing things the Island has to offer. We will be closer to our families, not to mention James is going to be working for a better company and doing the kind of forestry that he loves in the climate that he loves. Which is of course, why we are moving. We wouldn't be for anything less. And I can only hope that this is the last move in a long time.

So, in the meantime, we still need to find an actual place to live, and I'm still stuck here in Kimberley without a car in a half packed house just waiting till that happeneds while hubby dear starts his new job and hunts for rentals.

Yes, it's a little lonely, but the weather is lovely and we are actually getting a beautiful start to Autumn (last year Winter gave Fall a miss and snowed all over Summer). So Gwen I have been enjoying the cool days and going for lots of walks.

She is walking all over the place now. No more knee walking for this girl! And she loves going outside. Twice a day now she will bring me her boots and jacket and then bring me my boots and and then go to the door and yell "Wa!! Wa!" (walk) until we go outside. Then she will stomp all over the yard and street in her gum boots and throw gravel in the puddle on the road. Good thing we live at a dead end.

Sorry for the long winded post. I'll say the rest with photos.

A few pics of our trip out to Abbotsford at the end of August.

This was the weekend that Gwen decided she was going to start walking.

Devil's Lake behind Mission

Feeding the birds at Oso Negro in Nelosn

Enjoying the ferry across Kootenay Lake.

Big News and Summer Fun

I'm sure most of you know this already, but for the few who do not (sorry, I am terrible at spreading news and usually leave it to my more then willing mother), yes, we are expecting baby #2.

The due date is January 7th, 2011. So that makes two January babies for us :p We may even find out the sex this time around, but still have not decided.

I have been sick and tired, and am very sick and tired of being so. Thankfully I have been taking something for the nausea because it has been horrid. I feel like all I have been doing is sleeping and feeling tired and guilty for not getting anything done. Housework, cooking and my Etsy store has been neglected along with all my other internet haunts. But I think I am finally getting my energy back as I go into the second trimester. Here's hoping anyway.

In other news, Gwen is growing like a weed. Gone is my dear little baby girl, for now she is a little toddler. She's even 18 months now! Where does the time go!?

She is doing so many things, and saying so many words, most of which we can't understand. Those that we can consist of Mom (mumum), Dad (dadada or just dad) Cecil (the cat (Sheesee or sseessss)), soother (sssusu), baby (beebee), bath (ba!), frog (fog), squirrel (quirl), crow (ko) and many more I can't recall at this time. She can also bark like a dog, howl like a wolf and meow like a cat among other things.

She is still not walking, as she prefers to walk round on her knees. She would walk if she really wanted to and she walks around holding on to our fingers when we coax her into it, but she just has better things to do apparently.

So in the meantime we are trying to enjoy our summer when I'm not feeling too tired. Here are some pics. Enjoy :)

Practicing her walking. She walked all the way across the living room all by herself!

Sharing her apple with Cecil

Showing off her new shades

Playing in her hand-me-down Ikea play tent that the neighbour kids gave her.

Getting dirty in the sand box. Before we got her that she played in the planter.

Sand is so much easier to clean off then dirt :p

We went camping for the first time this summer up at Lazy Lake. A beautiful little lake at the very base of the Rockies. It's small enough to warm up nicely for swimming.

We had brought our canoe but Little hates her life jacket so that didn't work out so well. I think we need to get her a smaller one for next time.

The perfect place for an evening bath :)

Hope you are all having a great summer!

Crazy Times

Every time I write a blog I always think 'hey, this is pretty easy, I will totally start doing this more often!' Yeah, sure. Who am I kidding? I always have such good intentions that never come to be so we may just have to live with this quarterly blog post. Which I'm sure is not a huge surprise to anyone who knows me.

Moving right along then, these past few weeks have been a little crazy to say the least. For anyone who doesn't know, my sister Lesha had to go in for emergency brain surgery to remove a tumor that has been hanging in her frontal cortex for a good few years. Who knew! She had been having really intense migraines for a few weeks before hand that were so bad she was throwing up. Our first thought was that she was pregnant because that seems to be happening a lot lately. But nope, it was a brain tumor. So she had it removed this past week and seems to be doing quite well all things considered. They expect her to be home today or tomorrow I believe.

So needless to say James and I and the Little headed down to the Valley to see it through and be with the family. It was actually kind of nice to have a little family time, as stressful as it has been. James could only afford to take a week off so Gwen and I stayed an extra week to wait for the surgery to happen and flew back home on Friday.

It has been some crazy times and now I am exhausted so I'm looking forward to just spending some quiet time at home and enjoying the Spring that has finally arrived up here in the Kootenays.

Here are some pics of the past few weeks adventures.

Gassing up in Revelstoke. Gwen's turn to drive

Everyone hanging out with Lesha on the grass outside the hospital. Pre surgery.

City lights

Not quite sure what to make of her first Pirate Pack

First time using crayons!

Gwen got to visit the Aquarium for the first time. We went with Jenna, it was lots of fun even thought we only got there and hour before it closed.

Out for dinner with the in-laws at the Greek Islands. Gwen sure loves tzatziki!

Taking a much needed break on the drive home from the Calgary airport

Pretty mountains in Banff.

Stirring

So according to the Elves there are six seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Fading, Winter and Stirring. Well we are in Stirring right now up here in the mountains. The weather is beautiful, the rising sun is slowly climbing higher up the ridge to the east and I heard the Spring Bird (as I call it) the other morning. You know the one with the two note song, a high note followed by a lower note. Can anyone tell me what that bird is called?

It has still been pretty cold in the morning, sometimes as low as -10, but the sun is so warm, and it comes in my south facing windows all day long. Everything seems to be stirring. The squirrels are scampering about the still naked tree branches, the deer are sunning themselves in the front yard and I'm sure the bears are awake by now. Most of the snow has yet to melt, but the sun will see to that.

Luckily I have to make a trip to the post office again today so it's a wonderful excuse to walk into town. Not that I need one, but I like my walks to have a point. Not sure why, I guess it just makes them more meaningful and I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something.

Speaking of accomplishing things I had my best sale yet at my etsy store on Sunday (hence the post office trip). I sold my lovely green velvet elvish shrug along with a pair of cuffs.

I'm very happy and slightly surprised at how well my etsy shop is doing in the two months I've been actively working on it. I can't seem to keep my new listings up with my sales. I should make that my new goal.

We had a great last few weeks as well. The hubby's family came for a visit last weekend and that was great fun. It's good for Gwen to have her grandparents and uncle around for a while, and they miss her so much. I really wish they could all live closer for that reason. I loved growing up close to my grandparents and it makes me sad to think she may not have that.

This past weekend we went to the local dog sled races with our friends. There were lots of crazy, hyper, barking dogs and Gwen thought it was great. Anything to do with animals she loves. And the weather was beautiful of course, so it was nice to get out in the sun and soak up that vitamin D.

I haven't been taking many photos lately, so I must remedy that soon, but enjoy these few.

Go doggies, go!

A woodpecker going crazy on the hydro pole outside

Gwen learning to stand. She is practicing so hard. I'm so proud of her :)

Belated Holiday Post

Ok, I can't even remember what has been going on since the last time I posted on here. I'd better go check...

All right, so I never even updated Christmas, so here goes.

If we are still up here in Kimberley by next Christmas (I really hope so) I think we will stay home. Not that I don't love seeing everyone and catching up, but Christmas time is hard enough for me as it is, just adding in all the running around, the gatherings, the parties, the trying to visit everyone of the face of the planet within the time of 8 - 10 days is just crazy! And then adding a 1 year old into the mix just makes it even more exhausting. So next year, we are staying home and anyone is welcome to come visit us and spend Christmas in our beautiful little mountain winter wonderland where Christmases are always white ^_^

So, needless to say Christmas was fun, but equally exhausting and we all came home with colds. Poor little Gwen had to spend her first Christmas with a cold. But it was lots of fun too, I just wish it could have been fun and restful. Oh well.

It was great to see most of you of course! And meet all the new babies. That was great. I'm really looking forward to maybe heading back in the summer to spend more time with the family in good weather.

Gwen had her birthday last Saturday, and it was very low key. We had a party for her just after Christmas with all the gramma's and grampas so we felt like we had already done all those rituals of cake and presents. So for her actual birthday we just went out for breakfast, and she got her very own order of toast and fruit. And then we went swimming which was lots of fun as always. She had a little mini party with her baby friends on Monday so that was fun as well.

It's a little odd to think of her as one year old, but then it's been one very eventful year. Even though it feels like it has gone fast, I look back and realize how much has happened and how far we have all come as a family. I love being a family, it feels so right for us. Makes me want a bigger family, but that can wait a bit :p

Gwen and her cousin Karma

Gwen being eaten by Georgia

All the Ratzlaff great grandchildren

Georgia, Gwen, Jacob, Robbie and Ben

Gwendalyn's chocolate vegan banana cake with tofu and maple syrup frosting

She loved it, but it wasn't quite messy enough :P

Gwen with her birthday toys

-------Fast forward to a week later. I think I'd better just post this thing before I forget again :P

This next pics are from when we are back in Kimberley after Christmas.

Eating her first Christmas orange. It was very messy. And there were lots of silly faces.

Talking a walk on Wasa Lake

Our new Rav4!

Yes, we are leasing a brand new 2010 Toyota Rav4. I always said I would never buy or lease a brand new vehicle because its usually a waist of money. But even if we got one a few years old it would have only cost about two grand less. So when you are already paying over 20 grand you may as well get a new one with all the warranties. Yay for Toyotas!

Gwen had a little birthday party with her friends Amelie and Jack.

Of course they like to help her open her presents :)