Moving Lynsey to Edmonton, and the new school year has begun!

I survived getting Lynsey moved into her new apartment! It was quite the momentous achievement, whew! Let me back up to before we left, we went out for dinner on Sunday as a family which was nice. Lynsey and I left Tuesday morning and drove to Valemount for our stopover. Everything went smoothly, I was a bit nervous that the border agent would have an issue with all the stuff we were bringing over the border but he did not blink an eye. We had a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant and took it easy. The next morning we left fairly early to get to Edmonton before 3. We checked into our hotel and relaxed a bit before heading to the apartment. Unfortunately we were a few minutes late because we didn't quite know where to go, and they stuck us in this room to wait for the property manager to do the move in inspection. She was apparently pulled off in another direction and didn't come get us until 4:10 (our appointment was at 3:30. I was pretty annoyed as I knew how much we had to do, but life happens. She was apologetic and we got the inspection done in about a half hour. We got the elevator locked for us and started moving stuff in! There was a loading zone so we were at least parked by the door, but it was no small feat to get everything up to the 4th floor. The couch in particular I was really worried about, but we got it! We had a few dollies and they were life savers, very glad we took those along.

After we moved all the stuff out of the van, we made our way to the storage unit to get Lynsey's stuff out. We had room so we also took some of August's stuff as well (I'm glad we did as they were able to get their stuff in only one load thanks to us doing this, happy we could help!). We didn't have the elevator locked for us anymore when we got back but it was fine, we just used a regular elevator and it didn't take much longer. After we got all that stuff inside we packed it in for the day and went to Moxie's for dinner (we were starving at this point!). Had a very relaxing evening and an early night, much needed.

The next morning we checked out of the room and went down to Ikea where we got a dresser, bookshelf and mirror. Our next stop was Staples where we found an office chair, and then the mattress store where we managed to fit a double mattress into the van. We had an elevator booked and were able to move that stuff into the apartment fairly painlessly. After that we got to work assembling stuff! Bed frame came first so we could get her bed set up (we were sleeping there that night) and then the dresser. I have to admit I was very much dreading this one, there were a lot of drawers. It took Lynsey and I 2 and a half hours to put it together, but we did it! After that a break was needed and we walked to a ramen place close by for supper. After dinner I put together the desk and the bookshelf and called it a night. Soo much furniture assembly!

Friday was dedicated to shopping. We went to Costco and got a bunch of stuff there (the folding chairs for the table was the big one there). We also went back to Ikea to get a bathroom cart, we didn't realize that she had the perfect space for one until we got a bit more organized. We managed to get everything upstairs, which is not an easy thing in an apartment, and were there to greet August and her mom as they just arrived from Whitehorse. We visited with them for a bit and then Lynsey's friends came by to visit. I put some more stuff together and they helped her put some stuff away in her room. Her friend Emersyn had found a buyer for the mini fridge which was really nice, so we all piled into the van and took the fridge and her friends to the dorm. Then we were off to Superstore to do a big grocery shop there. We got her set up with all the basics, and even got a bowl set since we spent so much money :-S. We got it all inside (no spots in the loading zone so I had to park in a passenger loading zone which was a bit sketchy, but we got away with it!) and by the time we had all the perishables put away, I was sooo ready to take a break and get supper. The four of us went out for dinner at this place right next door, El Furniture Warehouse, it was really good and very inexpensive! Nice combination! We went back to the apartment after dinner, I had brought some champagne so we could toast the new apartment. We had to celebrate this big milestone! 

Saturday morning I was off - it was time for Lynsey to fly all on her own! I had put everything together for her, she just still had some unpacking and organizing to do. I stopped in Clearwater for night, about 7 hours from Edmonton. It was actually not too bad making the long drive alone, I found the time passed fairly quickly since I was listening to podcasts. I relaxed at the hotel and had a pretty good dinner at the restaurant next door. Had a good breakfast the next morning and an early start - I was very anxious to get home! I made pretty good time until I got to Marysville, of course always a delay there, and then when I was almost at the 405 exit there was a sign saying the exit was closed! Argh! There was no one in the car to help me navigate the best way to get home, I could have gone down to the 520 but I was very suspicious this would not be the fastest way. I took a chance on the exit before the 405 and it was actually decent, only added about 6 minutes to the drive so I'll take it! Got home about 3:20, so glad to be home!

Monday was the first day of school for the boys, so far everything seems to be going well! Adam has a new teacher, although she was a para for him last year so not completely new to him. Nathan seems to be figuring things out at the high school. I hope they both have the best year!

This week I've just been getting back to the gym and trying to catch up on some cleaning and organizing. Since we gave Lynsey that couch in the front room, I decided to revamp that corner into a reading corner. I ordered some stuff today, will post pictures of the finished product. Hope it looks nice and is functional!

 

Summer marches on, Lynsey leaving soon

This might be a first for me in all my years of blogging. We did not take one single picture in the last few weeks, unless you count pictures of mole traps and mole hills (we are fighting an epic battle right now lol). We truly did slow down this August and literally nothing has been happening! Lynsey has been working hard, last shift is tomorrow, Brian is working away and learning his new job, Nathan has had a few outings with friends but mostly just hanging out at home, and I have been taking it quite easy as well. I did figure out a bunch of stuff with our cruise in December, it's actually surprising how much time and research that needs. I also got Lynsey's flights home all booked for this year (except the one in December since I don't know what day her last exam is yet). I also took Lynsey and Nathan shopping yesterday, I should have taken a few pictures of that:-/.

On Tuesday, Lynsey and I will leave for Alberta to get her moved in to her apartment. Brian and I just packed up the van and it's not actually as full as I thought. There is still room for our suitcases and a few odds and ends thankfully. We will drive as far as Valemount the first day and go the rest of the way Wednesday. I'm a bit nervous about all the moving and shopping we have to do, but also excited to help her get settled in her new apartment. There will also be a lot of furniture to put together when we're there. I actually was only going to stay until Friday morning but decided to stay until Saturday so I had an extra day to help her out. I will be sure to take some pictures so my next blog post is more interesting:-S.

School starts in just over a week! Nathan is going to the high school, it feels a bit like we're in the home stretch now! No more middle school, just high school and college. Exciting times!

Fun times in Alberta!

We are back from our trip to Alberta! I'll start with the trip down there. We left last Thursday (the 23rd) and stayed in Salmon Arm for the night. We got there around supper time and got BP's takeout to eat in the room. Kendra picked me up and we went downtown to a wine bar type place to hang out and catch up, always great to catch up with old friends! AND I ran into Omar, Brian's old roommate and the officiant at our wedding - so random and fun to see him there, he lives in Edmonton and was just there vacationing with his family! The next day we drove the rest of the way to the family campout at Salem Acres Bible Camp. We had a great weekend with my family, even got to the do the canoe trip with the 4 of us while Adam (and Jasper) stayed behind at the camp. I wasn't sure he would be okay with staying behind but he did not seem to care one bit. Glad we all got to do it this time!

We drove to Calgary on Sunday after the campout wrapped up and hung out there until Thursday morning. It was very laid back, Mike and Annie were camping so we didn't get to see them. We hung out with Bobbi and Jer a few times which was fun as always, and I had lunch with Larissa on Wednesday. Thursday morning we drove to Coeur D'Alene for the night before heading home Friday. We actually had a pretty nice dinner at a restaurant (with a patio of course due to Jasper) but I didn't take any photos since we all looked so fried from all the travel :-S. Got home in the afternoon Friday and I spent the rest of the day unpacking, doing laundry, even got a gym workout in! 

Saturday was the first day of club volleyball tryouts. I was able to finally nail down the team I'm coaching, it's going to be the U16 team this year. I'm excited for the older age group but also a bit nervous to have older kids again, more pressure to win lol. I'm up to it, we got some good girls signed so I'm optimistic about the season. The tryouts were Sunday as well, I was helping out with the U15s as well. A lot of my girls came back which was good to see, happy they want to keep playing! That's always my goal as a coach, to be the kind of coach that make girls want to keep playing. Not everyone signed with Prism but a lot of them did, I hope they have a great season with their new coach:-).

Yesterday I started going through my kitchen stuff to see what I can give Lynsey for her new apartment. I'm so excited for her to start this new chapter of apartment living! We are driving down in three weeks, I can't believe it's so soon! Still have some things to gather but we've got a pretty good start. 

 

Baseball and Orcas Island with Kyle and Jenna, camping at Deception Pass

It's been a full few weeks since we got back from Oregon! We had a few days at home to get ready for Kyle and Jenna's visit, and on Friday they arrived for dinner. We went to the Mariners/Blue Jays game on Saturday (the 4th, very American activity on Independence Day:-D). Kyle and Jenna's kids wanted to get to the stadium early because they were giving bucket hats to the first 10,000 fans, so Nathan and I went down there with them around 11:20 (we got the hats, phew!). We got some food, walked around the stadium - it was the first Mariners game for all of us so it was fun to explore. Brian, Lynsey and Adam came later, right as the game started since we didn't think Adam would last the whole game. It turns out he did great! He was quite happy to sit there and have his snacks and the occasional wander on the concourse. We got very fortunate with the weather as it was sunny but not too hot (and our section was in the shade fairly early on in the game, too). It was a really fun experience, although the Blue Jays fans in our crew weren't too happy with the 11-0 blowout by the Mariners:-I. That's sports for you! You never know if your team is going to perform! I think they still had fun, in spite of the result!

Sunday Kyle and Jenna went to the game again but we didn't go this time - one baseball game is enough for this family! They were back for dinner and we took a walk to the Hartman Park afterwards, those kids seem to have endless energy! Monday we drove to Anacortes and took the ferry to Orcas Island. We had packed a lunch to eat at a waterfront park in Eastsound, the park wasn't as nice as I was hoping but we just hung out by the water for a bit before heading up to Mount Constitution. It was a bit hazy unfortunately so the views weren't as clear as I've seen at other times, but it was still really nice. We drove down to Obstruction State Park and walked down to the beach there for a bit before heading back to the ferry terminal. We had time to have a snack and a drink at the shop right there, and the Knelsen kids went to the gift shop. We went to a Thai place for dinner in Anacortes after we got off the ferry, a nice dinner to cap off our time with Kyle and Jenna. They got up at 5 the next morning and drove the whole way home, very ambitious of them! We had a great time with them and hope they come again, maybe next time the Blue Jays will show up a bit better for them (they unfortunately lost the Sunday game, too:-/).

Tuesday was spent getting ready to go camping on Wednesday. The camping trip actually went pretty well - I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Brian had taken the boys camping last summer but I hadn't gone since our last big trip with the big group before Andy and Kristy moved back to Australia, so summer of 2022. I had been having some back trouble as well so I was just not looking forward to sleeping in the tent on top of all the work that goes into getting ready for camping. We had good weather, mostly sunny although not as warm as I would have liked. Everything went fairly smoothly and Deception Pass is just a beautiful campground with numerous beaches you can walk to and one that we drove to on Thursday morning that has tide pools, Rosario Beach. Unfortunately low tide was at 6:30am so we didn't get to see the best stuff by the time we got there at 10:30. It was still a cool beach. 

We got back yesterday and spent the afternoon doing laundry and getting everything cleaned up to put back in the shed for next year. I actually think I will go again next year, I slept much better than I thought I would. I have a cot with a memory foam mattress (known by the rest of the family as "the queen's bed") and I was fairly comfortable - I have definitely slept worse camping. The key for us is to only camp for 2 nights, even though it is a lot of work to set everything up for that short amount of time. It's still essential for my enjoyment for it to only be 2 nights vs the 3 nights we always did when we went with the big group.

Brian starts his new job on Monday! He is a bit nervous but I'm sure he will do great, it's always hard to start a new job. Hopefully he gets settled in and becomes comfortable quickly and he enjoys the new position. He has to travel to Virginia next week for a few days before we make our drive to Alberta, hopefully that all works out okay. I am happy to have nothing really going on for the family until our drive to Alberta on the 23rd! It's been a fun three and a half weeks, but I am ready for a bit of down time now before our next adventure:-D.