It Seems We Have Finally Arrived!

Well, it's finally here! The city inspection passed and our occupancy permit was issued this morning.

The keys should be released to us within the hour. The house is finally going to be ours!

The walk through yesterday went very well. There were a number of outstanding issues that were being taken care of later yesterday or early today. They ordered us the wrong shower door, so we may have to wait a few days on that. Some of the screens needed to be put into the windows. Paint needed touching up, and the garage floor needed to be poured.

Those things aside, the house is amazing. I'm feeling more excited, and less resentful of what a horrible experience the build was. We will never build with Reid Homes again, nor will we recommend them to anyone we know, but at the end of the day the house is pretty much exactly what we wanted.

I took some photos at the walk through yesterday, and I promise more photos of the painting this weekend and next week. Click on any image to see it larger:

Master Bedroom


Master Ensuite Shower


Master Ensuite Bathtub


Master Ensuite


Kitchen


Family Room


Dining Room


Basement


Basement Bathroom


Kitchen Back Splash


Counter Top


Dining Room Floor


Carpet (It's really like a honey color)


Main Floor Tile (Also in out ensuite)


I hope you enjoy the photos! Sarah and I are hoping to start taping this afternoon and tomorrow, and then begin the painting tomorrow evening and continue through the weekend. It's going to be very nice to have her help with this project, and in exchange, I am going to help her tile her bathroom and re-paint some of her apartment. Seems like a great trade off for both of us.

Lincoln is home from school today with a bit of a cold, but I didn't think it would matter much if we took them to the new place for a bit. I'll plan to take the portable DVD player perhaps, so that they can watch movies while we haul in the paint supplies and the light fixtures.

The builder was supposed to put up the light fixtures we purchased on our own, but no one called us to bring them over and then they claimed that was our responsibility. So, I picked up a book on basic wiring at the hardware store, and I'm going to put them up myself. None of them are ceiling fans, so it should be pretty simple. Two connections and a ground, nothing complicated. Our site supervisor showed me where the master breaker switch is, which kills power to the entire house, so that way I don't have to worry about isolating specific switches. We will just shut off the entire house and do all of the fixtures in one swoop during daylight.

Tomorrow morning the water softener people are coming to install our water softener and reverse osmosis system in the house. Jay is certainly looking forward to that, since the seriously hard water in the rental here has caused his eczema to flare up like crazy. I think it's gotten so bad he might start driving over to the new place to shower in the morning before work (OK not seriously, but I know he can't wait to move).

I think I'll just be happy to get out of this cramped little townhouse and back into a space large enough for us to actually unpack more than a few boxes.

The phone call should be coming any time now, so I'm going to get the kids rounded up so we can go over and pick up the keys immediately! Wish me luck this weekend with the painting. I'll try to get updated photos posted early next week :)

We've Just About Made It!

This evening Jay and the kids and I drove into Toronto to sign all of the papers with the lawyer in regards to taking possession of the new house. The transaction will be completed on Thursday, after we do a walk-through tomorrow and the house has been deemed complete (or close enough to it that a permit of occupancy can be issued). As long as everything is taken care of, the funds will be released to the builder on Thursday, and they will turn over the keys to us.

Quite a thing really, the whole process.

One of my friends at the gym asked me if I was excited, and you know, I think I am just too tired of all the waiting and of the arguing with the builder. I mean, don't get me wrong, part of me is excited. I'll be relieved on Thursday, once it's all said and done and we can just put this horrid building experience behind us.

I bought paint for the main floor, the kids rooms, and our room this week. I'm actually really looking forward to painting, and my friend Sarah has offered to help me as much as possible. We're going to get started this weekend, and I'm hopeful we can get the main floor finished before Monday.

I'm going to take my camera to the walk-through tomorrow, so that I can update the pictures here and also to document anything that needs to be fixed/changed. I'll also take photos again as the new paint is going on, and after it's all finished!

We are really looking forward to my Mum and Grandma coming out next week. The kids have been excited and asking every day how many more sleeps until they visit. It will be lovely to have time to visit, and to have help with he kids while I finish anything that needs to be done at the new place and then packing stuff up over here at the townhouse.

In many ways, it's been such a long process that it's difficult to believe we're right down to the wire. Only 2 more sleeps until the house is ours.

A Little Of A, A Little Of B

You know, I really wouldn’t win any awards for consistency when it comes to this website. I want to apologise for the long absence. Jay and the kids and I are all wonderful, perhaps so much so, that I haven't had much time or inclination for writing.

January felt like a blur. We got home from our trip and it seems as though I didn't have time to catch my breath before February was upon us. Jay and I celebrated 6 years of marriage on January 19th. Sarah babysat the children so that he and I could go for sushi in Milton. We found an excellent sushi bar that also has some kid friendly options, so we ended up there last night for supper as it were, and the kids loved it. Who knew that they would be so fond of green tea and pork dumplings?

We had a pile of snow last month. I can't even tell you how many times we dug out of it. So much different than the winters we were used to in Calgary.



At the beginning of February we made a weekend trip up to Bobcaygeon to visit Jay's Aunt Vera and Uncle Elmer. They have a cabin in the country, near the lake, and it had snowed a whole bunch the days before we arrived. We spent most of the weekend outdoors, sledding and building snowmen!





























It was a lot of fun spending the weekend up there, and we're looking forward to going back sometime soon. Hopefully we'll be able to go boating and fishing up there this summer with the kiddos. I think they would really like that!

We're on the count down to the house being finished. We are still on for February 28th closing date. They've sure been working on it steady, often through the weekends and there were even people there yesterday (which was Family Day here).

Only 9 days to go! I can hardly believe they will be done by then. I was in there over the weekend and took some photos:























March is going to be a very busy month! My mum and grandma are coming out to stay with us from the 5th to the 12th, to help with packing and to play with the kids while I do some painting at the new place. It will be really nice to have them out for a week, I am sure there will be time for some good visiting too.

Jay's mum and dad are coming out for Easter and staying for just about 2 weeks. We will do the remainder of the moving and begin the unpacking while they are here. It's going to be a lot, but I can hardly wait to have space again!

We had to cancel the trip to Ottawa we had planned for this past weekend. The forecast was for snow and rain, so we decided we would be smarter to wait until after we settle into the house. Perhaps in April or May we'll make it out to visit Tina again, and see more of Ottawa.

I've been going to the gym regularly again. Sarah and I have decided to be workout buddies, and so we do classes together 4 times a week. It feels good to be getting back into shape and I've already lost a few pounds! It's really nice to have someone to go with, and also since I know she is counting on me to show up, I don't skip going. The kids really like going to the childminding as well, since they get to play with all the other kids, so everyone is happy!

This post wasn't as thorough as I'd planned, but I have to dash off to pick up Lincoln and getting all of those photos sorted and put up took longer than I had anticipated. I promise it won't be long before the next update!

I hope all of you are healthy and happy! Keep your fingers crossed that the house is done on the closing day, with no outstanding issues!

Happy 2008!!!

Happy New Year!!! Another year behind us, a fresh new one laid out ahead, full of new possibilities and adventures.

Our trip to Alberta was wonderful, filled with family and friends. We spent our time in Edmonton and Rocky Mountain House, visiting and eating and getting caught up on all of the happenings. It was relaxing and laid back, which was just what I needed after the craziness of the house and Christmas and all that sort of thing. The kids adored all of the time they got to spend with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Jay and I got some much-needed time away from the kiddos, which we appreciated a great deal (Thank You SO much Mum & Dad D and Mum G).

Sydnie, who had a touch of the flu when we left, made a quick recovery. Her fever broke just after we boarded the plane to leave for Edmonton. She seemed right as rain from then on.

I had a bit of excitement while I was away. The photo I mentioned in this post, which was being considered for that Ottawa travel guide, was chosen for use. No, I won't make any money from it, but it's exciting none the less!

The gym where I volunteer also offered me a paid position there as the coordinator of the child minding. Basically the same job I was doing in Airdrie. As flattering as it was to get the offer, I decided to say no. I would have to take on more shifts, and I don't want the hassle of struggling to cover those when I need to take trips away. Also I enjoy the free time I have, and I don't enjoy working at the gym here as much as I did the one in Airdrie due to the fact that I am the only staff down there during my shift.

Yesterday the kids and I embarked on The Great Hamster Hunt Of '08. They were begging me all morning to do something about the empty cage sitting there, just waiting for a furry critter to occupy it. Finally I relented, loaded them up in the van, and headed to PetSmart. We were there for half an hour, waiting for someone to help us with hamster purchase. After having one of the clerks page twice, I was annoyed enough to leave a cart full of litter, hay, and toys and walk out with the kids. Off to a second location, not far away, in the hopes of more useful staff.

The second store was much better, the service was fast and friendly. Unfortunately they only had ONE hamster left, and it wasn't what we wanted (we were looking for a teddy bear hamster, since they are the friendliest). The older woman who was helping us felt bad, and quickly offered to call another store, to see if they had hamsters. They did, and off we went, now quite frustrated, but hell-bent on bringing home a pet regardless.

Finally, at the third store, a nice young man was quick to assist me in picking out, packaging, and purchasing an adorable little girl hamster. We were in and out in less than 20 minutes, our new addition scratching away in the cardboard carrier.

Lincoln wanted to name her Charlie, and who was I to argue? She is all kinds of cute, and has provided us much entertainment already. Although she's still a baby, and still pretty wild, she's good natured. She hasn't at all attempted to bite, despite me handling her quite a bit. The kids are in love with her, even though she's not quiet enough for them to hold her yet.







Jay and I have an anniversary coming up on January 19th. We will be married 6 years, which seems incredible, considering all that has happened in that time. I've asked Sarah to babysit for us that evening, so that we can go out to a movie or for food or something. We are looking forward to that.

We are also planning a trip to Ottawa in February, for the Family Day long weekend. It will be great to see Tina again, and it will be something to distract us from the lag of the house building.

Speaking of the house, it seems that they were insulating in our absence. We are going to take a peek inside it this weekend, and I'll take my camera. I'm looking forward to moving in there eventually, and doing my very best to avoid getting frustrated.

2008 is going to be a great year, I can just feel it!