The Momentous Journey

Some seasons of life can be so exhausting.  This summer has been that overall.  First a crazy trip to Granisle the day after school let out to stay in a camper with three very sick kids (ear infection, bronchitis and the start of pneumonia).  Despite that and the rain, cold and mosquitoes, I still really enjoyed being back "home" with special friends there.

Then there was the job interview for S and all the discerning of what to do, weighing pros and cons of going to Winnipeg, etc.  Accepting the job toward the end of July meant S starting August 15th.  It was an intense time of him wrapping things up, preparing, farewells, then flying to Winnipeg together to house hunt.  With no rental options (in relatively decent places), we were scrambling to get a mortgage and house over a weekend.  I returned on Tuesday, August 16th, gathered my happy, overtired kids from their wonderful caregivers and late at night learned we'd lost out on a wonderful character home by $6000.  Winnipeg is all about bidding wars on real estate (the desirable places, anyway).  Ug.

Enjoying a break from house hunting down by the Assiniboine River

A casual dinner out at The Forks

I forced myself not to cry and carried on the week solo-parenting, while trying to pack and house-hunt via the internet.  I've experienced stress many times in my life, but this week came pretty close to record-breaking.  The emotions were very, very close under the skin and made their way out a few times.  It became my week of a new bedtime - somewhere between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. until the moving truck rolled away.  It  was the only time I had to concentrate on getting all the things I needed to get done, done!

Fun for kids mixed into the stress for me -
playing trains with boxes

Playing with Anna while mommy, Julie, and friend, Miriam
helped me pack up my kitchen and entertain kids!

Stop pushing over my box!

Crazy playtime with Patti, who took them to the park, gave them amazing gifts to help entertain them
on the road trip and stayed with me Sunday and Monday after work to help me through a rough time!  
Thank you, Patti!

Let's make mud while Mommy's too busy to notice!

"Yeth - let's drive Mommy crazy!"

I'm so cute - you can't be upset with me!

Fortunately, we had a home purchase by Tuesday, August 23rd - a week before the moving truck was to arrive.  I was so relieved and thankful to have somewhere to unload my family and belongings.  And while its a little more pricey than our first choice and not so cute, it is also a wonderful home and we look forward to moving into it.  Originally built in 1894, it has been extensively re-done over the past 2 years to make it into a modern living space.  Which for S and I, who are not in to renovating, is great.  It also has 4 bedrooms - something hugely important to us after a year of kids sharing rooms.  (I lost my sweet Ai as a result, as he became constantly overtired.  Like me, he likes to stay up later and sleep in, which is opposite of the girls!  Not something I get to do anyway, but in an ideal world . . . )  The downfall is that this house has no real yard and is next to a restaurant.  Oh well.  Can't have it all :).

A glimpse of our future house (porch roof still being rebuilt)

Dining Room area - not that it will ever look so nice once we move in!

A beautiful new kitchen - hooray!

Thanks to a few fantastic friends, wonderful siblings and parents (in-laws included in both those categories), I managed to get everything on to the moving truck.  We were on the road by Wednesday, August 31st with the help of my parents who have gone over and above.   Dad drove the very packed U-Haul with my van in tow behind it, Mom and Ai as his happy side-kicks.  The girls and I followed in my parents' car with the portable DVD as a necessity.  Overall, they all did really well - especially since none of them are car sleepers.  We managed to get a few short naps out of Iz by the end of the trip, one from Ai.  They've all been this way, even as young infants:  no sleeping in the car, even if its a 14 hour drive!  Crazy.  To top off the move, we had a number of kind Winnipegers who helped out all of Sunday afternoon.  We felt very thankful, if very, very tired.  

Departure time later than hoped - 5:00.  Was a long drive to Kamloops for our first stay.

We were having too much fun to leave on time!

Besides, saying 'goodbye' is such a hard think to do.

A dinner stop in Hinton, AB

Vegreville, AB is home of the world's largest pysanka and a great place to picnic . . .

It has a fantastic playground if you're ever passing through!

On the other hand, Davidson, SK doesn't have much at all, except a Subway.  After we ate, it warmed my heart to see
Ai grab Iz's hand in an attempt to protect her from cars and puddles.  A took her other hand and I savoured the moment as she looked lovingly at each one, "Aw, my brudder, my sister."  For me, it helped erase how crazy they had been in the restaurant and transformed them back into sweet children. Not sure it did the same for my Dad, though! 

The over-riding feeling that trumped exhaustion for me, particularly through the last week of preparing to move, was one of feeling very loved.  It really felt great to have such amazing help, some of it so unexpected.  Thanks to each of you who were part of that in some way!  We made it!  I'll just need a few months to recover . . .  Oh wait, then I get to move again.