(last Friday's post!) news and new house

I’m finally writing! We have had such a great summer so far (it’s not over yet!) and I thought I’d finally make it a priority to get a post written and posted - there has been so much going on. 

Thanks to Steve’s parents - and some good timing with meetings - we went camping! We spent four nights in Rondeau Provincial Park and the kids LOVED it. Days were spent outside on the beach, outside eating, outside cooking, outside doing light shows (with dollar store glow sticks)... it was fantastic. Steve, Jordan and Hendrik bunked up in the tent, and Alana and I stayed in the tent trailer with Grandma and Gramps. We had great meals (as usual), fun-filled days of swimming and playing in the sand, and, for the most part, good sleeps - everyone was tired! There were some crazy rainstorms in the evenings, but the last day was all clear… good for a sendoff back home. 

The biggest deal of the summer, without a doubt, is the new house. Possession date was supposed to be the 15th but because the previous owner’s family worked so hard to get things ready for their move, we were able to get in on the 2nd. I’ll post some photos of before, because the after sure is coming along. We lucked out and found an electrician who was able to start almost immediately (to replace the knob and tube) and then attacked the wallpaper. Even the kids were enthusiastic about helping, so they put in several hours of work in two of the three rooms. Hendrik’s room was covered in four layers of wallpaper (grey stripes, antique boats, teapots and cakes, brown and orange flowers), our room had just the one pink layer (to match the pink carpet and pink curtains), and Alana and Jordan’s room had two layers. We found plumbers to come replace the antique and sparsely used pipes, a plaster guy to skim coat and sand the walls, and carpet goes in later today. Steve and his dad have done SO much work there - priming, painting, replacing things, ripping up flooring - and replacing an entire wall in the front red shag carpet room. And Steve’s mom and aunt (Tante Sis) have been crazy hard at work too - painting, cleaning, cooking and childminding. We get a moving truck on Sunday, so between now (Friday afternoon) and then many things have to happen, including clean up (and packing - !). Anyways, the kids have been loving the pool, and we are excited for more space. I will definitely miss our house and our neighbours but at least we’re only a block away.

some of the main floor spaces

bedrooms and upstairs bathroom

so much wallpaper!

helpers

I’ve been in Toronto coaching all week (something I committed to long long ago), and it’s been great. I love being in the gym, but I’m excited to get home and see the kids. I stayed with Val, a teammate from the World Masters Games team, and that has also been fantastic; we’ve had some great meals and good chats, hurrrrray! I’m sure, as always, that there’s more to write about but I’ll try to get this posted before times gets away on me again.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer!