Christine & Steve's website

... and so little time!

This year has just flown by.  I can't believe it was March the last time I blogged.  So what have we been up to?  Well... lots!

May included a visit up to Wabamum to visit Grandma and Grandpa Wilson.  Ryan really enjoyed it as they have a huge back yard... full of dandilions ;-)  He learned how to make wishes and blow the dandilions - got some good photos of that.  He also got to wander around the back yard and check out the woods - we kept pretty close to him though - lots of wild life there... not all of it friendly.  And he got to hang out by a campfire.  Very nice long weekend up there!

June was taken up with a visit out to Victoria and on the work front, initial rumours of a job in the lower mainland for me, and for Steve, a decision to say good-bye to his.  Just way too much stress/too many long hours for not enough pay or even appreciation most of the time.  So he decided to give the stay-at-home dad thing a try!

July of course, is Steve's birthday month, so it was full of celebrations and presents for him.  Yes, I actually did post a couple of photos from that - our little postage stamp of a backyard full up with people.  Steve's main present was the huge barbeque you see in the photos... gas burners on one side and charcoal on the other.  He was in heaven with that :)  We also checked out the Stampede - Bob the Builder was there... hence Ryan and my photo with him.  Steve swears Bob was trying to pick me up ;-) hmmm... handyman or a chef... I'll take the chef every time!  We also went out to the Chestermere Water Festival (guy I work with organized the music for it).  Ryan absolutely loved seeing all the boats out on the lake, and of course loved grooving to the tunes.  Got quite a few good shots of him doing that, and a bit of video.  But they aren't as good as they should have been... I forgot my darn camera, so was reduced to taking photos/video with my phone :)

August was also incredibly busy.  Along with my actually applying for a position with Telus in Vancouver and Ryan's birthday, we also had Steve's parents come for a visit for most of the month.  The first week they spent here, then they headed up to Wabamum to visit with my Dad and Donna and check out the Edmonton area.  Then it was back down here, and we all headed out to Parksville to have our first official week at the Beach Resort as owners.  Too cool... boardwalk and the beach right outside out door! I still haven't got all the photos posted from that... but I will eventually get that sorted!  We have some great videos of Ryan chasing bubbles on the beach!  So glad we brought the big bubble wand! So, what else happened in August?  Well, I got a job offer for the Telus project management position in Vancouver!  With a partial relocation allowance!  So after a bit of discussion, we decided that now was indeed the time to move!  And so I accepted it!!!

So, on to September.  It actually was fairly relaxed for us all (except for loads of work on my end of things) for the first part of the month, nothing too exciting, other than waiting for the formal job offer.  Which came mid-month, and then the insanity began!  We had to get the house in shape for selling - which ended up not only having to have the painting inside finished off, but also meant a new kitchen floor.  Some of the old tiles were cracked and we couldn't get replacements, so it meant getting the whole floor ripped up and redone!  So Steve had to deal with all of that (and the mess and dust that created), while also trying to pack a few things away to declutter the house for showings.

October! Hey I'm caught up!  This month so far, we formally put the house on the market just this past week (Wednesday to be exact) and tomorrow we have two showings in the morning.  Gotta do some tidying up tonight so all we have to do is haul ourselves out of here tomorrow morning for awhile!  And we also have to figure out a time to visit Vancouver for househunting this month - combined with a business trip for me to see the new office and get acquainted with all the new projects I'll be taking care of!  We'll have to get a mortgage pre-approval in place that week along with squeezing in a few house showings... and maybe just maybe see something we want in the right area(s).  I so don't want to buy a place just because we can afford it, but then be stuck with a 1.5 hour commute [one way!] (which is what it is from the more affordable places in the lower mainland into the downtown).  Oh well, worse case scenario, we rent somewhere first and take our time finding somewhere to buy.  So many things to consider now, proximity to downtown/good transit, proximity to schools and parks, and community activities, a chef's kitchen, and so on!  I don't have to be in Vancouver working until the end of November so we've got a little time to sort things, but not that much!  Here's hoping the condo sells here quickly, and we find somethiing equally great in Vancouver equally quickly!!!

So TTFN... off to start tidying!

Christine, Stephen and Ryan xxxooo

Photo below: Ryan loves loves loves loves corn on the cob!

Thanks to a new camera - which Ryan bought me for my birthday (okay... it was Steve's bank account that got depleted), I am back on the photo taking side of life.  My old camera was on its last legs, I didn't have the right media ports on my old laptop to download things directly, and the camera-computer download app was malfunctioning - those are all my excuses for not really posting any photos since September... and I'm sticking by them!  Anyway, the new camera is great and I've started taking photos again which are significantly less grainy than those few I've sent out from my cell phone :)

It's been a busy month for all of us. 

Steve was busy sous-chefing on his own for a week - normally there are two them sharing the load, but the other sous-chef was on vacation. So Steve was working his butt off... and did rather well I do believe... the Executive Chef did comment on his job well done at any rate...

I've been busy as well at my new job.  Lots of activity going on as the transition phase is coming to an end and operational trials are starting.  Lots of meetings to make sure everything is prepared, and some minor panic over some things.  But I figure we're in pretty good shape - just some minor issues that can be addressed a little later.  I'm actually enjoying the change from the standard engineering work I was doing before...

Ryan has been busy too... mastering the stairs (going down forwards on his bum - I still cringe...), learning a few words, and babbling away in babytalk... he tells such expressive stories - I just wish there was translator for them!  He's also starting to show a bit of interest in the potty.  He actually did poop in it the other day - the world's smallest poop mind you, but he was very pleased with it!  He hasn't repeated that feat since, but we keep encouraging him :)

We're looking forward to August as well, as we've booked the Parksville condo for the last week in August.  Steve's parents are coming for a visit then so we thought we'd show them the place!  It's going to be so much fun being right on the beach.  I think Ryan will love that it's only a 5 min walk (run) to the playground as well :)

So check out the new photo album on the Photos page here, and talk at ya later!!!

Love

Christine, Stephen and Ryan xxx ooo

PS Below - Ryan showing off his artwork!  Sure glad crayons are washable ;-)

Well, not really, but he is 18 months old now and getting to be a little terror!  He's running around, scrambling up and down the stairs and getting into everything!  The kitchen cupboards with all the pots and pans are infinitely more fascinating than the toys strewn about the family room!  Well, the musical ball popper is a close second, but it is still second to kitchen utensils ;-)

I am way behind in posting photos as well.  I really have to sit down this week and do that... or not... We'll see...

Steve is enjoying his new status as an official sous-chef at the Parkerhouse... better hours and a raise!  Gotta like that!

And I'm enjoying the change that came with switching jobs as well.  Yup, after 11 years at GD, I've moved on, and while it's been a bit scary, it is proving to be quite fun and a good challenge as well.  Suncor is a huge corporation, as is Telus, so it is interesting seeing how they operate.

Well, that's about it for now... it's late (11 pm) and I need to head to bed so I'm fresh for work tomorrow morning!  Man, it comes early sometimes!!

Christine

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't blogged since September!  Lots of things happening of course, and I just haven't thought about updating things on here.

Steve?  Well, he's working a lot!  As usual, at least 10 hours a day, usually a bit more.  I don't know how he does it.  I'm tired thinking about it.  Of course, a lot of times he ends up taking a taxi home from work rather than the c-train just so he can get home in time to tuck Ryan into bed.  Rather bad on the pocketbook, but at least his son still recognizes him ;-)

Ryan?  Well, he had a great Hallowe'en... dressed up as a monkey (yeah, I really need to download photos... another day perhaps...).  Steve and Ryan went around to a few houses in the neighbourhood, and collected a few treats.  Of course, Ryan didn't really get much of the treats - we're still making sure he doesn't have much refined sugar, but hey, Steve and I are enjoying the loot :)  Ryan also has lots of teeth now - including molars.  It makes brushing his teeth in the morning lots of fun.  He's in a refusal stage so once I get the brush in there he often clamps down and I can't move the thing!  Or better yet, if I use the finger brush, he chomps on me! Ouch!  He has also decided that walking and running are fun things.  Before he used his walker to get around, but a few weeks ago he all but abandoned that and is tottering all over the place.  If he doesn't think about it he gets quite a distance before sitting down and crawling.  I definitely have to keep the gate closed at the stairs as he is almost moving faster than me.  I still usually beat him to the gate though :)  If 'Gina Cat is around and then runs out of the family room, he beetles right after her!  He loves chasing her and if he actually catches her, he loves shrieking at her and then petting her (well, pulling her hair most of the time).  She's remarkably patient with him though.  She hasn't hissed at all and will actually sit there for up to 30 seconds while he pokes and prods her.  Amazing for such an ill-tempered beastie.  She must be mellowing in her old age.  She still resents Steve though... Hmmm, what else, well, Ryan is quite a little talker.  Not too many recognizable words yet aside from Mum, Dad, Ya (in response to one of us saying No...), and Cat!  But he does babble away when you speak to him or when he opens a book - he loves to tell us the story.  Guess the night-time ritual of us reading stories to him inspires him to tell some to us too :)

Me?  Well, I've gotten back into the swing of things workwise.  I've still got lots of extra vacation so I'm still only working 3 days a week.  Well, it's usually a bit more than 3 days a week just because people always come up with things that need to be done on my days off, but that's okay - I've been able to do much of that from home.  I'm looking into getting some additional dayhome hours in the new year, and possibly working 4 days a week - and eventually 5 days a week.  It's Friday's that are the hard ones to find dayhomes for.  A lot of dayhomes don't open on Fridays because they are run by moms with schoolage children themselves and well, schools take a lot of Fridays for professional days...  Anyway, working on it. 

So what else are we up to?  Well, we're sticking around here for Christmas - very hard for chefs to get any time off near Christmas.  Although Steve did manage to get a couple days off - well, next week - in exchange for working this Monday and next Monday, so that we can have a little pre-Christmas visit in Victoria.  Oh shoot, now that I've realized that it's coming up so quickly, I've got to drag the wrapping paper out of hiding and get the Christmas presents sorted for people.  Might as well take them with us rather than mail them off.  We also have to sit down this weekend and figure out what we want from some on-line shops and send our list to Steve's parents.  Ahh, 'tis the season.

Well, time to go - Ryan is smelling rather ripe ;-)

Christine, Steve & Ryan

I can't believe how fast September has flown by.  Things have been very busy. 

Ryan is almost walking.  He doesn't quite have his balance yet, but he constantly stands and furniture cruises.  Every so often he forgets to hang on, and is actually free-standing... then something distracts him and down he goes!  Makes for lots of bumps and bruises these days, but remarkably little crying about it!  He's also continued to go great guns on the sprouting teeth front.  He's now got 8 in various stages of eruption... well 9 if you count a left bicuspid that has been threatening to burst through forever.  He's got his two lower front teeth of course, four front uppers, a left upper molar (just peeking through), and a right lower bicuspid, also just peeking through.  And he's been pretty good about those too... he never seems to be too much out of sorts.  I just happen upon them when I'm brushing his teeth :)

Steve is still working like a dog. He works some very long hours at times.  Poor guy only gets to see Ryan for about half an hour at night when he's working :(  But he seems to be fully recovered from the operation these days, and he's developed a taste for sushi recently.  On Tuesdays we pretty much make it a thing to order in (his first work day during the week as he has Sunday and Monday off these days), so he's a bit tired, and well, I'm always a bit uninspired ;-)  At any rate, the last few weeks, he's actually said to me "why don't we get sushi?"  Hee hee, I converted him :)

Me?  Well, work at GD is ticking along.  I've got lots of stuff to do, both on the MHP project and on BOWMAN.  More than enough to keep me busy for my current 3 day work week.  And I'm having fun with my part-time Usborne venture as well.  It gets me out a couple evenings or days a month to do my thing and talk about books... oh my, figure the odds... me liking to talk about books... Yup, little miss bookworm is still and always will be, only now I get to pass that love onto my little guy, and hopefully inspire other people to instill that love of books in their children!

Us?  Hmm, should I blab here?  Sure why not!?!  We are thinking about a vacation property in BC (in Parksville on Vancouver Island).  We went out there a couple of weeks ago to check out a few sites.  Very promising, and we might be putting in an offer in the next little while on a quartershare.  Wish us luck!

That's about it for now,

Take care,

Christine, Steve & Ryan

PS  Just added some photos, so flip over there and check them out.  Some of Ryan for Aug and Sep, and a few of Parksville and the place we're considering!