House swap

The adventure of a house swap was fun and exciting. It all started with me doing respite for a friend while their family was enjoying a family wedding in the tropics of Mexico. Since we would be staying at their house we opened our house our sister-in-law's sister's family to come visit them. What an experience!! I think living in someone else's house for a week allows for a different perspective into their lives. 8 bedrooms is alot of space but it also is a lot more to keep clean. The biggest challenge of a house swap of any kind is finding everything. I'm sure Wendy had fun finding things in my kitchen too! Ray and I both say we're not "dog people" and as you can see from the photo these were not small dogs that came with the house. I think Ray is more of a dog person than he wants to admit. Those dogs were waiting for him everyday to play with him. His "dog person" only comes out in short spurts though, and after a few licks he's done playing fetch. The kids loved the house full of different toys and especially enjoyed the toys outside and the trampoline. There is a kids pool in the front 'yard' that even I enjoyed being able to splash around with them. I say "yard" in brackets as the house is surrounded in concrete with newly lay ed patch of grass. Full time respite was a new experience and that went amazingly well. We both enjoyed it, it in our own house might be a very different feel. We are finally finished all of the interview stages of becoming respite/foster parent approved and wait now as the recommendation goes through. Our plan is to stick to respite for now but the process is the same.
From this adventure we headed straight onto a week of camping...

The Myra Canyon

A long awaited trip to the Myra Canyon was just as I had imagined. After living here for 3 years we finally took a trip up the mountain of the famous 16 trestles. The fires of 2003 had destroyed many of the trestles. After years of Restoration they opened up this summer. We took mom who just got back from her 5 mths China excursions. The views were incredible. I loved that we could walk for an hour and see so much - 8 trestles and a tunnel. If we took our bikes next time we would see more but it was great just to see it and take our time walking along the path. Amazing and highly recommended for hikers and bikers.

Our summer outdoors

Our summer has been filled with outside activities. Many hours at all the local parks and playgrounds. It has been my mission this summer to go to as many different parks/ playgrounds as possible. This challenge has forced me to really get to know this city better too. There are so many cool little hidden parks in different neighbourhoods I would not know of otherwise. Our backyard has been Ray's challenge this year. He really prides himself in details of the backyard. The garden has been both of us. I love the planting and weeding and he loves watering and watching it grow. He works on the grass, and killing the weeds (a huge undertaking alone). Kids have loads of fun there with all there toys if we're not at a park. For our anniversary Dad and Carolyn helped us get my dream come true 3 person swing. I love just sitting in the shade while the kids run through the slip and slide. The beach has been not as much as last year for some reason but we are often there at least for evenings and suppers.

I love camping

Our first camping trip of the season with our new tent trailer. I love how much more comfortable it is and just the idea of being off the floor. I love that my dishes and food is all organized and can be found easy. I love that we can play games inside if we are cold. I loved that it didn't rain when we were awake and what rain that did come was so little. I didn't love the fluff that seemed to get everywhere 'cause it looked like snow in June. I love that there is a stove inside and outside and that Ray loves to cook that much more when we're camping. I love that our bed is off limits therefore there was no sand in our bed. I love that family came out for supper for "father's day" on the Saturday. I love that Grandma has a freezer in their trailer so she could share popsicles with all of us. I love that our kids did so well on the hike and not only that, they were the ones encouraging us to keep going. I love that the kids played so well together. To say the least, we had a great time. I love that we have a few places we go to every year and the kids already have such fond memories of them all.

The hike was just about an hour and Mark was the tour guide keeping us moving...wanted little to no time at the rest stops, just enough to see the sight then keep going. Oh, he did want his picture take all along the way though. he was the best est hiker ever especially with his cool walking stick (like grandma's). many pictures were taken and thank goodness for digital camera's over half can be deleted. We counted all 283 stairs along the way. played in the beach sand building castles and at the park for a long time. There were huge tires the kids could hide inside of which was very for a long time. The big boys actually fit inside on the top side of the tire. Peek-a-boo!

The boys' played bocce for awhile and the kids tried too. I'm impressed kyla could even pick up the ball.

I LOVE CAMPING AND ALL THE COMES WITH IT!!

tent trailer

I haven't blogged in awhile but it's about time to do another update. We are looking forward to our summer as we adventure out into the wild. We started our camping experience off this year with a huge success. We went camping in our tent with friends and family at our traditional may long weekend get-a-way. I love that Ray grew up with a traditional spot where friends and family have years of memories. When we moved back it was Ray's determination to start that tradition again. Three years in the making we are slowly gathering more and more people back into going as well as bringing newbies along the way. As word got out to people who missed out, there sounds to be like more coming next year!
Our great news since the may long weekend is that we bought our first tent trailer. YEAH FOR US!! Ray and I both grew up with camping in trailers so it's not new. We love tenting and we love the outdoors but come on people, with little feet running around, the disorganized back of our van trying to find lost cutlery/ food. And we won't even talk about peeing on my bed before the weekend begins, there is much to be said about a tent trailer. Our bed is off limits - you have your own to put sand in if you wish!! There are cupboards to put food and dishes away in that can be relocated at ease. And most importantly there is a roof over our heads if the rain comes and we don't have to get wet. We are looking forward to trying out this new toy this coming weekend. We figured since we have 6 straight nights booked for the summer holidays we should at least try it out for a night or two close by. Learning to hitch it to our van, pulling it, setting up and taking down. What we will need to remember on our long trip, ect.... it's like a real trail run! It's also father's day so where else would Ray rather be??? oh, maybe golfing but that's where he is right now and not really a family thing to do!!
Our first week with the trailer the kids invited their neighbour friends and cousins for a "picnic" in the trailer. Oh the joys of five children and two adults crammed into a trailer for lunch parked in the driveway only 10 steps away to a comfortable dinning room table. Want to join us next time??? just kidding. The kids loved it. They loved it even more when we had company last weekend and the trailer acted as the "guest" room. That was a hoot. not only was it a guest room it was our family who was sleeping out there. Since the kids are too little to sleep out there by themselves, our guests had the whole house to themselves!! It was fun and we didn't mind. So we are no longer hard core campers of the past (h-core) as some call it. We are not 3 star campers. Can't say we moved up to 5 star as Grandma and Grandpa are camping with us and they have the works including the microwave...... on that note really, what do you call those crazy campers that have everything ???? can't say it's really camping then can you?? They're the ones that make me think of my friend... I have to quote my friend the non-camper whose response to me when I asked her to camp with us was...
why? I pay a mortgage. I have everything I need under my roof. Why would I choose to do that???


BECAUSE WE LOVE THE OUTDOORS AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY STUFF!!!

Learning another culture

Many of our friends and family have had the privilege to visit other cultures or even live elsewhere to learn about other cultures. Although I have had a brief glimpse into the UK or even shorter time in Cuba I think I have learned the most through missions fests or missions weeks at church over the years. Not to say that I haven't loved living in a country where we are becoming a minority. There is a lot more to be said about learning a culture through immersion but cultural awareness is very much eye opening too. We are curently learning about China as Grandma is there right now, and we have learned about India through Grandpa and Grandma going two years ago.

This last week was missions week across our city (5 major churches involved). I really enjoyed the concerts and speakers but the biggest impact on me was going to the Sikh temple - seeing, learning and participating in a grand opening and memorial service. Friday we also went to a Sat Sung put on by our church. It was fun to get dressed up in a Punjab cur ta(spelling???). We listened to classical Punjab music in a christian worship setting. Aradia did an amazing job. Crossing two cultures together.

The food was a great way to end the night with a Indian restaurant providing the samosas and sweets.

The vine

This week Mark's sermon used the verses in John 15. It seems even more fitting that my sister Marianne and I went to the Mission winery for a tour while she was visiting for the weekend. We came up as a family and it was a beautiful day but Marianne and I came back for the tour as it was too much for the kids. Living in wine country it doesn't take long to drive to a vinyard and see the vines. They are just showing new growth at this stage but as the season changes it will be covered with beautiful fruit.

John 15:2 "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."...vs4 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." ...vs16&17 "You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

Angel

Every day we need to look into the mirror and see ourselves as God sees us!!

Spring Time

The flowers are budding and there is green almost everywhere. I love the sounds of birds and it's hard to believe it's only the first week of April. We remember the days of snow till May and phone family members to hear about snow storms still brewing but grateful for our warmer weather here. Since this spring we have just moved, I will have to enjoy our beautiful gardens from the other side of the fence. We were lucky enough to have the previous renters plant some tulips, and roses and a few other plants that we will appreciate in the front bed. At this point it looks like a dirt bed with plants scattered throughout. We also cut down the cedars so there is another empty dirt bed right in front of the house. I hope to put a bistro table or bench there and add some grass to the front yard making it less of a parking lot out front.

Here's some pics of our kids spring photo shoot.

Mark turns 5

I thought turning 30 was a big deal but having your son turn 5 somehow makes things feel older. That number seems so grown up for a kid. Life changes huge for them or at least it seems like it. Mark had 5 friends at his 5Th party and had a hard time deciding if it should be pirates, batman or spider man. Finally it just became all three themes at a bowling alley. The kids were all asked to dress up in costumes. Three girls and Kyla all were princesses and there was a Knight, a Spider man and Mark was Batman. All very fun. Bowling with 4-5 year old was fun to watch. One of them had never done it before and one is in a league bowling on a weekly basis. The skill level was all over the board, but I was totally impressed with Mark and he actually won (no cheating either for the birthday boy). He got some great gifts and loves the computer games, many spider man toys, Nerf gun (smaller version of Joel and Josh's) and hot wheel cars.

We had got him a baseball bat and t-ball set and a batman toy car.

Thanks to Auntie Mel and Uncle Don and J&J for the cool cars and nice sweater

Thanks to Grandpa Ernie and Grandma Carolyn for the Sorry game and CD player to listen to music and stories on CD. I think we've played the Sorry game 4 times this week already. He loves it! Even Kyla can count so she plays too.

Grandma Joan had got him a jump before leaving for China and Mark was very excited. He asked for it last year and we said no your only 4. At Christmas we said no again - too much snow and he only mentioned it once just a day or two before his birthday when he saw his buddy with one.

From Marianne and Mark he picked out a very cool new helmet and a Tonka truck set. (sorry no picture yet)

Man this kid got blessed this year!!

my BIG birthday

Turning 30 for some reason was a big deal for me. I've been dropping hints for a few months that I wanted something big for a celebration but Ray was adamit that he doesn't do big birthday parties. I had ideas or was willing to plan my own party but everything was no,no, no. I actually believed him even up until the evening of my birthday. The girls that I craft with monthly had thrown a small surprise birthday party which was super nice but even than I belived Ray was going to put it off. Along he said we were too busy and with the reno's and all we could celebrate later.... The night of my birthday I was so mad we were not doing anything I went to excercise with some girlfriends and was totally planning on going out some where with them. Some how Ray convinced me to come home for cake with the kids so I did. Ray actually baked the cake himself and Mark and him iced it together. We couldn't find candles with 3-0 so Mark went looking everywhere and ended up having 3 tall candles, and the #3 and the respite girl I look after put on the # 1 and 2 other candles. In otherwords there was tons of candles on my cake and it was funny...I walked into a house full of family and friends. Man they totally got me. I'm obviously not a good one for surprise parties as I was sooooo grumpy but EXTREMELY happy they pulled it off. I think that will be the last surprise birthday Ray will put on for me for awhile - I had to appoligize huge. Thanks to everyone who pulled it off.

before and after

bathroom downstairs was all green with a lot of tile on the walls. Now light blue wall and ceilings with bright fresh white is nice and calming.

livingroom now without a wall from diningroom makes the room much bigger

upstairs bathroom went from brown and green to dark red

Kitchen lost the closed in look to an open bright white with bold blue back walls and a much larger fridge (not shown in pic) and 1 1/2 times the counter width on the island.

moving day

I need to applogize that it has taken so many days for me to get back on here and update. How rude hey. I lead up to the big event with days of posts then forget to get back on and let you know how it all went. Obviously it's March and we are all moved in. The actually day of moving went well. We had dad and ray, mom and dad peters, and our friend Dan. Each person played a vital role in the whole day and we couldn't have done it with out each of them. We didn't actually start moving until noon as Ray worked in the morning. Wally and Dad were putting together some final touches before stuff came in. All the big stuff was moved that day and Thursday there was some small stuff that needed to be moved and cleaned up. I was blessed by my dad with a cleaning lady (a friend of mine) which made a huge difference to my week. Thanks Dad. The nice thing about moving next door is that you pick something up and it goes right into the house. We took out the middle step of going onto and off of a truck.

This is Mark. He was also a helper as he took apart most of his bunkbed himself.

This is Ray after the two weeks of working and the day of moving. He fell fast asleep on the couch