Moving - Phase IV (the Final Phase!!!)

Ahhh - this is a long move!!!  Anyway, this is the way the family room looked for a long time.  See that door in the back corner?  It's the door opening with a piece of plywood on the outside to keep the animals out!

As the days started getting colder, we knew it was time to start getting the real door in place.  So first of all, Fred and the big yellow machine had to . . .

. . . dig a big hole so we could actually access more than half the door from the outside.

Then Richie got to work with footings and stuff like that.

Weeping tile, rebar, cement, insulation, spectators . . .

When we had torrential rains for a few days in the fall, we did get a leak through our plywood door.  Lucky for us the river made a pathway around all our boxes and stuff that was on the floor - not a thing got wet except the cement.  But it was a bit of a shock to come down in the morning and see that we had an indoor lake!  Glad it was only cement floors!!!

Whoa - lookee here - the doorway is open!!!

Notice toys starting to creep into the construction mess!

A view from inside.

Looking good - what's next?

Obviously gravel is next - after Richie built the stair frame.  (So convenient to have your own dump trailer!!!)  Oh, and did you notice the walls - we had someone come and do that part!

Oh what fun to play in cement!  That upside down bucket is over the drain pipe.

So once the stairs were completed and dried, we actually had a new entrance to the house.  And it's become our main entrance.  Check out this sidewalk . . .

. . . we're literally walking the plank!!!
I hauled in most of the boxes - all those things that weren't essential to the initial move in - like books, games, decorations, Christmas stuff.
On the weekend when people were around, we brought in all the stuff that required more than just me and my little muscles!

This is a wider sidewalk to fit the dolly - it's not the usual plank we walk!

Obviously I'm on a very short break to snap a few photos!

So now our family room is partially set up.  We laid a carpet remnant down on one end with the TV and couches and it's where we 'hang' - so cozy with the infloor heating!

These pics are just after Christmas - still got a puzzle on the coffee table (only got three puzzles done this year!)

There's the doorway!!!  And pathway through the not unpacked boxes.  But look - the tool section is getting smaller and smaller - down to two tables now!  And there's the treadmill in the corner - starting to be used again by some people.  I hear it works well!!!

It's delightful to get our home more and more set up.  The other day Carlee said, "I'm starting to like our house now!"  (She missed her old house!)  I'm delighted that it's feeling more like home to the young'uns.  Can you imagine how homey it will feel when we actually have stairs to our front door?

 

Our Tumblers

Meet Katia - she's six and is one of the best cartwheelers around!!!

When we were getting the family room cleaned up, and before the furniture was moved in, this big empty area rug provided Katia with the perfect cartwheeling place.

If you scroll down fast enough, you might even be able to see her moving!

Fabulous, simply fabulous!!!

Now,

meet Mackenzie - she's two and is one of the best summer-saulters around!!!

In other words, if she see's her sisters doing something, she has to try it too!

Superb, simply superb!!!

And my favourite shot . . .

. . . here we go!!!

It's so delightful to watch little people develop their talents and learn what their bodies are capable of.  Especially when we remember that two years ago Mackenzie was just a baby with absolutely no self-mastery of her body at all.  Amazing all that she's learned in two years. 

Our bodies are delightful things!!!

Hannah's Wedding

Our niece Hannah married Devin in November!!!

Aren't they adorable?

Hannah really did look like a princess, who'd just married her handsome prince!

The Bride's family.

And the sisters!!!

Our beautiful nieces!!!

I delight in weddings - I really do!!!  And not just family weddings!  I enjoy looking at weddings of people I don't even know!  Sure I like to check out the clothes and flowers and colours and decorations, but I think it's because they are such happy events (unless it's an arranged marriage like in the movie Ever After!).  

Don't we all find delight in happy events?

Volleyball

We had three girls playing volleyball this season - Jas on the Varsity team, Jordyn on the Grade 9 team, and Carlee on the Grade 8 team.

Look at those fabulous moves!!!

Let's check out Jas . . .

She is so ready to get that ball!  Here she is playing libero (see how her shirt is the reversed colours of the other players on the team).  She also played Right Side for half the season.  They didn't have an amazing year as far as winning, but they had fun.

Jas with her end of season loot - they give this to all the seniors on the last home game.

And now for Jordyn . . .

. . . she played libero too.  That's why she's sitting off - libero gets subbed in to the back row to do all the digging.  We were proud of Jordyn for making the team this year.  She didn't play in grade 7 or 8, but worked hard through the year to improve her skills, and made the team!!!

Their team was very successful - hardly lost any games all season, won divisionals and all sorts of tournaments, even while dealing with the tragic death of their setter.

She got lots of  medals and t-shirts.

Carlee played setter - 1 of 3 as they are all learning skills at this level.

She's so cute there under the net in the red gym.

Their season started off slow and they weren't doing too well, but near the end of the season - wow!  Suddenly they started figuring things out!  Next year will be great!!!

Ended the season winning a tournament and earning silver at Divisionals.

 

We love our Volleyball players!!!

I delight in watching my children develop their talents and have great, and not-so-great experiences.  Being part of a team has it's ups and down, challenges and frustrations, and joys.

I delight in the coaches who give of their time to help my children, and teach them things that I can't, both on and off the floor.

Another Birthday

We had another birthday in October.  But we didn't take any pictures, and therefore I can't remember much that we did to celebrate Jasmine turning 17.  Though I seem to recall the game Statego being involved.

Without birthday pictures, I just searched for random pictures of Jas so we can analyze her.

She's a very smart gal as you can tell from the studious glasses (although usually she wears contacts).  And she's a very hard worker as you can tell from the work hoodie she's wearing.

She's always the first to reach out and lend a helping hand when needed. 

You can always depend on Jas!!!

She cleans up nicely too . . .

 . . . trying on a grad dress. 

 (It's okay, I can post these pictures because it's not her actual grad dress!)

Every girl needs to put on a beautiful dress once in a while!!!

Our Princess Jasmine!!!

Jas was actually named after Disney Princesses - Jasmine and Belle.  Belle is also her Great Grandma's name and means 'beauty'.  She truly is a beautiful child of royal birth!

I just looked at my calendar and now I remember why we didn't take any pictures on Jasmine's birthday.  Her birthday was on a Sunday.  On the Friday and Saturday she had been away at an overnight volleyball tournament.  Sunday morning we woke up to the news that four teens in our town had been killed overnight in a car accident.  None were in Jas's grade, but one was in her Young Women's group.  And of course she knew all of them.  So it was a very sad day, all of us walking around in shock and sorrow.  Didn't feel much like celebrating.

But, I delight in my Jassy Waz.  I keep trying to  make her promise to never leave home, but so far she hasn't.  She is a great leader and peacemaker and all around considerate person.  Every family needs a Jasmine!!!

Love ya Jas!  You're delightful!

Welcome Teenager No. 4

Carlee turned 13 - so that gave us a 19, 16, 14 and 13 year old!!!  Count em - four teenagers!!!  But that's not a problem because our girls improve with age!!!

Carlee has the distinction of being the first person in the family to celebrate a birthday in the new house.  And we got really fancy with the cake!!!

But truthfully, this is the remnant of a cake that Gramma and Grampa had to celebrate their grandson's sealing.  But hey, it tasted exactly the same as it would have if it would have had all the rest of it there too!  Cake is cake!

Not only did she have cake - she had presents to open too!  Lucky kid!!! 

What's that you're holding Carlee?

Why it's . . .  

. . . a fishbowl - with a fish!!!  We welcomed Kennee to the family, until his passing about 9 days later.  Now she wants a refill!

You can tell they're growing up when they start wanting things for their birthdays like hair styling instruments, sports bags, fishy crackers . . . !

It's a delight to have a daughter like Carlee.  She's a beautiful, smart and talented girl with the craziest laugh ever.  She's fun-loving and full of life and makes our home happy!

Love ya Barlee Bone!!!