An Amazing Life

It's been a while... sorry folks.  November - we were all sick for most of it. In the middle of it, Sally turned 6! My parents visited for 5 days while the girls were at their sickest, so while it was nice to have extra hands to help, it wasn't the visit we imagined. Oh... and we got a puppy... Pickles, our black lab. Sally had wanted a dog for ages and this was her 6th birthday gift. December was filled with holidays stuff, another birthday and so much work. I finished working for WJ at the end of December and honestly, it's been one of the better decisions we've made. I also had some contact work during the Christmas holidays so it was busy. January we started homeschooling Sally again. She wasn't feeling school and we hated to send her on the 45 min bus ride (each way) and 6.5 hour school day. We also didnt really like the school either. She is an eager learner and likes learning so she makes it easier on me than most kids, I feel. February was winter - gloomy an...

We have a drive way people!!! We have driven on our peoperty with our car!!! A few days worth of heavy equipment operating and numerous truck loads of fill and we have a culvert and driveway. We can't explain how excited we are!! Jed, the heavy equipment operator, did an amazing job pulling the stumps and everything that got in the way of flattening the earth. Then, he flattened the earth! We have a property ready for development!!!!!!!!!!!! There are not enough exclamation marks in the world. Hahaha. (The pile of stumps and roots, etc) (our flat property, ready for us!!!) We also had a hurricane - which didn't impact us very much - windy and rainy for a couple days. We kept power and no damage so we were lucky. Many communities weren't as lucky and PEI just got power to some places just today so... we are really lucky and thankful!  We also went to Halifax for a night. It was nice to get away. We had a hotel with an awesome p...

We are settling into our new schedule. It's been for the better as the girls are quicker to sleep - perhaps we should have switched up the timing sooner!?  Progress is the name of the game right now... we have progress on our property. An excavator spent the day picking stumps and all manner of stuff off the ground and a dozer is going to come in behind it and level it all off. Things are happening - we will soon have a driveway! This all and the culvert is expected on Monday - or when ever it is a little dryer. A hurricane has threatened our progress this weekend. Who knows what will happen with the weather... I do know that the land we have looks incredible. It seems now, in Spring we will have a building going up.... it is all very exciting!! I have managed to get some relish made this past week also - yeah for expanding and learning new skills. Harvest has continued and we have herbs drying, garlic cured and cucumbers to last us another week or so. We just discovere...

Sallys first week of school has come and gone. Our schedule has shifted and now we prepare for fall. I can't get over how fast summer went - it FLEW by.  (our large Maple, Justin pruned it and it looks amazing) Sally's first day of school went well, she made friends and has found the transition easy. She is such an easy kid that way, no change seems to throw her for long. She goes on the big yellow bus that picks her up from the end of our driveway. She seems too small and the bus too big, but it all works out. I took it harder and am still trying to get used to days without my thoughtful, gentle Sally around as is Ruby who walked around the house that first day calling for "Yaya". Time waits for no man and it marches on, and so must we. She is doing well and enjoys her days so we are thankful.  The garden is still producing all manner of gifts. Last night we had corn that we grew... We never imagined we would have corn our first year without struggle but ...

We have been spending days at the beach, time watering our garden and trying to soak in as much summer as we can... Summer is in full bloom here and its wonderful! (The girls and Justin in the water) At the end of July, beginning of August, we went to Alberta for a week for my family reunion. We saw all my aunts and uncles and introduced Ruby to them all. It was such a quick visit but was nice to see everyone. (All the girl grand children) Since we've been home, we have had a visit from our friends in Grand Etang. They brought their motor home and stayed a few days. We spent some serious time on the beach and really got to know them much better. They are wonderful people and I look forward to many more visits like this one throughout the years.  This week has been fun filled as the fair is in town and also, it is the villages annual celebration, Judique on the Floor. This comes with a ball tourney, a parade, a kids fair and BBQ. Its always a blast and people...

We have officially landed a year ago. We began this journey long ago but finally realized the first step of moving here... how has it been a year already? Its hard to believe how much has changed! Sally and Ruby are both older, stronger, smarter and more lovely than when we started. We have watched them bloom here. Fostering their love for the outdoors and in the summer, their love for the ocean. They have gotten so big and my heart swells at the beautiful people they are becoming. Justin has laboured, sweat, swore, bled and worked tirelessly to clear our space so that we have enough room for not only a driveway and a home one day, but a shed, our garden, a lumber yard. One day we hope to have an Alaskan Woodshed to store our burning wood, our wood splitter, and our wood chipper. Also on our minds are more garden beds and a green house as well as a cottage. We have the materials for the most part as Justin has been diligent at collecting and storing materials to...