Monday October 27

I'm back after an uncomfortable absence from all things web.  Since it's been a while, I'll fill youz all in via point form - that's easier for me and negates the need for eloquent prose, so here goes:

• moved into the house - it's wonderful, but needs lots of little things like reinstalling a few fixtures and patching the odd hole here and there, but overall it's great and was ready to move into with minimal effort and/or cleaning
• for the first time I sat in my own basement and watched a hockey game on my own TV.  Wow!  what we've been missing!  I hope none of you take it for granted - this Canadian thing rocks!
• The town continues to impress us with its friendliness and hospitality.  Here's a quick example:  one of our neighbours brought us dishes, a toaster, table, chairs, cups, pots and pans for us to use while we wait for our shipment - she also brings us a pot of coffee many mornings.
• Amy and Erin play daily with a brother and sister down the street.  The boy is in Erin's class and the girl is one year older than Amy.  They're lovely.  
• We've made friends with the young couple who sold us the house and have been hanging out with them.  They've got four young kids who our girls are getting to know, and have been most helpful in helping us with the house and getting us settled here in Peace River.
• It's been pretty busy around here lately:  plumber, furnace guy, gas company, landscapers, trucks of earth, home inspector, and lots of others making our place a bustling one.
• There are deer all over the place  - they leave tracks in our lawn and apparently like the berries on the bush in front of our house.  There's also a wolf - no kidding!  I saw it today - a huge white and grey tame wolf that runs around the neighbourhood sometimes.  It's beautiful.
• Mus qua means bear in Cree
• We've been having unseasonably mild weather lately - I'm still going out in a t shirt on most days
• no movers yet - hoping they come before Halloween so the girls can use our costumes and we won't have to buy new ones.
• Sherrie's been travelling a lot - she was away on an overnight last week, is going for four more this week and then on another in a week or so... it's going to be interesting getting used to having such a jet-setting mom (or should I say Cessna setting?)
• Erin loves school, and loves french immersion.  Amy's finding it quite challenging, but doesn't want to give up and does her homework every night.  She's such a hard worker.
• Still no sign of Sasquatch, but I'm keeping my eyes on the window.

That ought to do it for now, will be putting up pictures later this week - we've just got our home internet today, so feel free to write to me!

Steve

Sunday October 12 2008

Amy and Erin are gone to see Beverly Hills Chuhuahua with Sherrie, and I'm back at the hotel while Sadie has her nap.  We went up for a lovely walk in the hills after breakfast today, and got a good look at the town and the scenery.  It's really beautiful, and not even near how cold the news was saying - not yet, anyway.  I spent a lot of the time in just a t-shirt, as it was too warm for my sweater.  

Here are some pictures:

October 2008: Peace River Diary

Amy and Erin helping the lady at the check - in

On the coolest teeter-totter we've ever seen!

We've been here four nights now and are enjoying Peace River immensley.  What a nice place!  One of our bags was misdirected to Halifax, but other than that it was a very enjoyable trip.  The drive was a great experience too - The first things we noticed driving up from Edmonton were:

• The huge amount of bugs hitting our windshield
• The size and deluxeness of the farms and barns
• The number of pickup trucks on the road - big ones too
• (happily) how Canadian it all was!  It's the least alien place we've ever moved to!  Lovely.  

Peace River itself is in a valley, and so there's this thick fog every morning which takes getting used to.  It's quite spectacualr when it's rising.

We're staying in a hotel with two bedrooms, but it's still not much space and it's costing a lot.  We spent days two and three looking at houses (Sherrie set up the appointments before we arrived) and after seeing ten or so houses, there were no more to look at in our price range.  The good news is that we've found one that we really love and are excited about.  The outside is kind of boring looking and the yard needs some landscaping, but the inside is deluxe and spacious, with newly made kitchen and renovated throughout.  I don't have a photo yet, but will get one up soon.  The owners accepted our second offer so it's just up to the inspection and stuff and then we'll be moving in after a week or two.  

It's a short walk from a nice playground and it's in a nice neighbourhood with friendly people all around.   It's about a ten to twelve minute drive to work and school (actually about as far as possible in this town from there!)

Amy's first day of school was yesterday, and Erin's is today.  They're both in French immersion at Sprinfield Elementary School.  It's very nice!  

Well, I've got to go get the girls ready for school now.  Will write more soon