Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Life has been busy and even the weekends are usually filled, although I can’t say we’ve had much opportunity to explore the area.  Our first weekend once treatment started was rainy and so we went to West Edmonton Mall to have a look at what was there … just so we could say “been there”.  With kids that are easily exhausted and dizzy at least I didn’t have to worry about them wanting to be able to say “been there, done that” as rollercoasters and waterslides are just not their thing right now.

Weekend #2 was Marietta’s birthday and she wanted to go to a beach and just lay out in the sun and hear the water.  We advised her that beaches here are not like Ontario beaches, but she still wanted to go ahead with it.   Unfortunately it was only 15C on her birthday and rainy … change of plans.  She decided to go shopping by herself since Rebecca did not have any energy and Matthew obviously doesn’t want to go to the mall … this was to my advantage as I could finally check out the various stores in the area to try find some foods to fit our new very restrictive diet. 

Weekend #3 saw us travel to Coaldale.  On our trip up to Edmonton we had already been through Coaldale and at that time we had a look at the school and the churches.  Since arriving in Edmonton the ongoing question has been “Where are we going in September??” For weeks we talked in circles – Edmonton, Coaldale, Carman, and occasionally Ontario would reappear in the mix.  We know Alberta is dry.  Manitoba is not quite as dry, but is it dry enough?  Is it necessary to move out of Ontario and its humidity?    Would the kids not do better just by being in a different house in Ontario?  How much is mold really the factor in their illnesses and how much is everyone’s illness and the mold in our home just a coincidence? The same vicious questions over and over.

With the end of July coming we had to make a decision and stop the circle talking.  The kids have been strongly promoting Coaldale/Taber since they realized the chances of us returning to Ontario were very slim.  Or should I say mostly Marietta and Matthew were doing the promoting, Rebecca remains silent most of the time and the only thing we can get out of her is “I don’t know” when we try get her opinion.  I think one of the biggest reasons for promoting that area is the fact that they met some kids while there and they hit it off and so it feels like a warm and welcoming area … it helped that they already knew someone from the area who was able to introduce them to others. Marietta has wanted to move to Alberta since our road trip out west two summers ago, and she said this place felt like home - the country style living. In order to settle our circle talk once and for all we had to make a trip back to the school for the kids to do a building test and see how they felt inside the school for a more extended period of time.  This was done last Saturday and after a bit more circle talk we conclude that we would move to the Coaldale/Taber area.

On Monday we made the decision and knew that our next challenge would be to find a place to live.  I was not looking forward to the idea of sifting through houses to rent and making weekend trips to figure this part out (6 hours one way) … but Rob made one phone call on Tuesday morning and by Tuesday afternoon we had a house lined up in the Taber area

. God is so good. The only catch is that it is for sale and if it sells we have to move, but at least it gets us on the ground in the area and from there we can work on our next plan of action. Now hopefully it won’t sell before we get there in September.  The house has been for sale for a bit … and for Ontario people – the market does not move fast here like in our area, so here’s to hoping it works out. The LORD has opened doors continually throughout this summer and we trust He’ll continue to provide.

As for employment, Rob is flying out for a job interview on August 18 and if that doesn’t work he’s not too concerned as we hear there are plenty of jobs in the area.  With his experience as a farmer, mechanic and truck driver I’m sure he’ll be able to find something to keep himself busy until the right thing comes along.

And now we’re at Weekend #4.  Tomorrow is moving day again as we pack up from our current location and move to our next house sitting location. Matthew is a bit sad to be moving on, he made a buddy while staying here and it was always something to look forward to at the end of his day that he could go off and play with Pierce for a while.  Its surprising Matthew continued to want to move to the Coaldale area when he has made a couple pretty good friends from church while staying here. Tomorrow we move in to his other buddies house, but since Tristan is on holidays that means he won’t actually have his buddy to play with for a couple weeks.

Meanwhile back in Ontario, tomorrow brings the beginning of the roof repairs.  The monster tarp is purchased and ready to do its job, scaffolding has been put up and tomorrow they will be ripping the shingles, plywood, second layer of rotten plywood and insulation off.  And then we’ll find out what other surprises there are waiting for us.  Yesterday Rob started doing some prep work, only to find that the vented soffits were all stuffed full of insulation  😮 … not sure what the person though vents were for … is it any surprise the roof is full of mold?  The insulation guy is supposed to come on Friday, which means the roof has to be stripped and treated for the mold before then. Next Saturday the hope is to be able to redo the roof – putting down fresh plywood and reshingling … so if anyone is looking for something to do with their free time *cough, cough*  😉 on the long weekend feel free to contact Rob 😀.   Praying there are no big surprises and things will go smoothly so the our home can soon be put on the market and our family united again under one roof.

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of 

the LORD that will stand." Proverbs 19:21

Road Trip time ... off to Coaldale for the weekend

Alberta is a beautiful province with so much to see:  flat areas, rolling areas, coulees and mountains. 
Coaldale area is only a little over an hour from the mountains and since I love the mountains I'm excited about the opportunity to live so close to them.