Well Calgary watch out! The Winters Family has arrived!  Officially we arrived yesterday but we start exploring today….

Elizabeth Catherine Hebert (nee Park)  & always in my heart Aunty Betty.

October 23 1921 to 23 June 2008

your already missed more than you can imagine. Love you.

Yes you might be checking this space daily and no you’re not missing things when you find a post has been made and the date was last week or a few days before… I’m just slowly getting back to blogging and I am trying to save a bit each day to return later and finish as some days I am so very tired I can hardly keep my eyes open after getting the children to bed and other days I don’t have access to the computer as my sister or her husband are using it and as it is THEIR’S, I think I should not complain.

We are starting to gather (read me) things for the new house as we will be starting all over again with nothing, but that’s okay.  We’ll get there.  Once we get to Calgary we’ll be without a computer for a wee while, but once again that will come too.  There wil be lots to do that I’m sure we’lln ot miss it  …. much, for a while.

Mr Christie you make good cookies.

after having read my previous entry about the not so nice tasting Oreo’s in Ireland, my Middle Oldest Sister bought these for me.  Yep they taste like Oreo’s the real Oreo’s not the fake ones they apparently sell in Ireland.

in Calgary

The Front:

the kitchen…

view of back garden from kitchen bay window…

view from kitchen into dining and front living room …

girls bedroom…

Healthy Weighty Wee Man’s bedroom….

yes that is me standing in the one pic, I’m talking to the land lord while The Husband runs giddily about the house snapping pictures.  It’s not as large as our last house but there is a completed basement that we will be able to use and I have the feeling that The Husband will soon see the need of it once we get moved in.  Right now he is not able to cool down and the place he is staying at isn’t air conditioned OR has a basement.  We will also have a two car garage that we will actually be able to park cars in not like in Ireland where the garage barely fit a car never mind other garage “things”.  I’m looking forward to b eing able to start some new ventures of my own that I had wanted to start in Ireland but was unable as the resources just weren’t there.  Our new landlords seem lovely and we all hope that this is a good mix for all.

well we made it to Canada.

it was an adventure.  first I was severely let down and devastated by the words from a family member ~ but in the best interest of blogging etiquette I’ll not go in to detail as that is not couth… she knows what she said.

Our flight was delayed by two hours which was okay as it gave us time to run the kids out and get something to eat before getting on the plane.  The flight it self was uneventful but very long as I a had gotten very little sleep the night before and was still very emotionally raw from the previously mentioned conversation

We arrived in Vancouver and proceeded to “voluntary Compliance” in Immigration figuring it would be the better option, it had no queue.  So we went there and they looked at everything and with in a few minutes took us to the “regular” Immigration section where we were asked numerous questions and gave numerous answers and waited.  And waited. 

And waited.

And waited.

Then all hope seemed it might be lost.  Four hours in to our waiting, the second Immigration Officer that we were dealing with came over and said it looked like it was going to be along time as they were looking in to stuff that they found was not easy to find.  To this I replied, I know what you’re going through and I feel the pain, now you know what we had to endure trying to make the decision to come when we did.  Anyhow, she asked did I have somewhere to stay and did I want to take the children there while Paul remained behind and waited to find out how they were going to let him in to Canada, as a visitor or as a worker.  Officer Chahal said she would be back in a couple minutes and to get my self and the children sorted.  So I went about gathering up the carry on bags that had a change of clothes for everyone and waking CHloe & Gabrielle, who had fallen asleep on the seats, it was after all 6am by their little body clocks and they hadn’t had much sleep on the plane.

Ten minutes later……

Officer Chahal arrives back to us and says to me, “Mrs Winters you might want to wait for your husband, we are granting the work permit.”  I could have kissed her.  Full on.  Away Paul went to get his permit and passport stamped and I gathered the herd together and tried to console a small blonde hilo monster that was wakened when she didn’t want to be.

Out of Immigration we went to the hotel that was booked after the above mentioned conversation with the family member.  Only to find out once we checked in and got to our room that we had to leave again the next morning on a 8am flight to Edmonton which was the ultimate destination at the start of this journey. (it was graciously booked for us before we had an inkling we would be so long in Immigration)   Yeah we missed it.  But not for lack of trying.  So we got a later flight and arrived eventually. 

However Nana got to meet and spend a few hours with some new grand children and one she hadn’t seen in four years while we waited for the next flight.

too much left to do! 

Missed getting the stuff to charity that was is to go. Will have to get it there Monday AM in between getting my hair done, going to the bank, the post office and other loose ends that haven’t been cleared up as life got in the way.

last years pic…

What you might not be able to see …. the stiching where the wash machine ate the jumper, the top of her pinfore in the v of the jumper, the bagged out shape of the jumper as it was an expensive “cheap” one… the small cut on her forehead that was trying to be hidden and prevented a “proper” pony tail that day….

Insane Mother of Three:  why is Ryan missing a chunk of hair on his forehead? (looking knowingly at The Husband)

The Husband: What chunk of hair?

IMT: This one right here. (pullling child over to TH to show area of missing hair)

TH: I dunno …. I don’t see missing hair are you sure that his hair just doesn’t grow that way?

IMT: Yes, I am sure. Feel this, its been shaved.  Did you let him at your razor when you were shaving recently?

TH: No, he’s always been sleeping when shave lately.  ***thinking***   I know what that is….. He got to the hair shavers the other day when he follwed me upstairs.  He got them plugged in and just turned on when I got to him.  I didn’t think he got anything though.

TH: (turning to child) Get yer hair cut Son?

Healthy Weighty Wee Man: YEAH!!!!

this day week 36 minutes ago we will be departing Dublin for Vancouver. 

Paul’s work permit has not arrived yet, but we can’t wait in limbo any longer.

One small step for the day, one GIANT LEAP for the rest of our lives!