3AM

It seems as though this is the only time I have lately to be on the internet, when my daughter refuses to go back to bed and, subconsequensly, neither does my son. I thought I would let you all know what we have been up to.

The Move Back...
I think the week before we moved was one of my hardest weeks for me. Saying goodbye to all our family in Regina, leaving the first home that Dana and I completely renovated on our own (with the loving hands of friends and family), and saying so-long to a church that meant so much to us. I wept. We had a lovely dinner with the Dalsin/ Black family the Sunday before we left. Steve and Chels arrived on the Monday and the whole week seemed to go by too fast. Basically packed and cleaned the two days they were here, and left early on the Wednesday. Spent two days driving in the car wasn't the highlight, but I have to say the kids did pretty amazing. Of course we had our share of stops, screams and tears, but all in all, they did well. We arrived in Summerland in time for dinner on Thursday. A big shout out to Steve and Chels for putting up with us and really being amazing friends. Who else would willing drive for 16 hours with two kids and a moving truck???

Being Back...
It was been a little surreal. I love being back with family.... most days. It is a little like being back in the chaos. The difference being that Dana and I are different people. So we are handling everything very different. Relationships seem to be stronger. And it is such a blessing to see the kids reconnect with everyone who missed them here. As amazing as it is to be back, my heart still breaks a little for those we left in Regina. Today I would have been at MOPS, and I was sad thinking about how much I miss the girls, the nursery workers, the kids. We visited the Alliance Church here in Summerland last week, and it was good. The pastor had a guest speaker so we didn't get to see him, but it still was a great service. The only downfall is that they didn't have a real nursery. The ladies in the pre-school section still let me leave Ava with them; however, it wasn't a normal thing. And Ava will not sit through a sermon. So the hunt is still on. We are looking into Penticton churches. But apart of me is comparing everything we experience to Rosewood, and it is hard to let go of the feeling and the people we had there. It's got to speak volumes to those who attend Rosewood of what an impact they made on our lives. I have never felt that kind of connection to any other church or organisation before in my life. So I miss it. We are trying to get our little piece of my parents home put together. We still have a wall to put up to create a bedroom for Dana and I, the kids are adjusting to sleeping in the same room, and Dana needs to run a cable line for us to hook up our TV (a necessity first thing in the morning with a 5 am early bird). I also would like to do some painting, but our lives are crazy enough as it is so that is on the back burner.

Our Busy Schedule...
So far since we've been back we have had several family dinners welcoming us home (Thanks mom and Carleen), we've celebrated a Birthday, traveled to Phoenix and Las Vegas, attended a wedding shower, a staggette- all while working part time. It may not sounds like a lot, but Dana and I have only been back for two weeks. Over the next few more weeks we have a Girls Night I am volunteering with, Ava's 1st Birthday, Doctors appointments, my birthday, a wedding and all related wedding events, Jaia's Birthday, Friends coming to visit (yay! so excited), and launching most of my work on a website. A few weeks after all that we are heading to the coast for Dana's family reunion. Needless to say, it is chaotic.

Building a House...
I thought I touch on the progress on our house hunt. Or lot hunt. We were contacted two nights ago about our favorite lot saying that it will be going up for sale soon and seller would like to give us first dibs so that is positive. We are looking into a few other options, but the next few weeks should produce something. Amazing Al, who is building our house for us, has been talking to us a little about layout and timelines, but nothing really solid. And that's it...

My job..
Some have asked about this job I keep mentioning so here it is. Just before we moved I was contacted by a non-profit organisation I use to volunteer with when I worked at my previous job. They were wanting to plan a provincial Symposium and asked if I would head it up. So I am working from home as Symposium Coordinator. Sounds fancy, but really I get to stay at home and do two things I love to do- Organise and Plan events. The organisation that I am working for promotes positive youth development to community initiatives across the province. Check out the website www.youthbc.ca!

Well, that's it. For now. Hopefully I can get on here soon so I can upload some pictures so my blog doesn't turn into one of those boring wordy sites. LOL. Miss all of you in Regina. I am thinking about you often. And a big thank you to our family here in Summerland who have so lovingly welcomed us back.