3 months!! Until our house is ready!!
78 days!! Until Steph's last day of work!!
42 days!! Approx work days left for Steph.
28 days!! until Kat's last day of school!
19 days!! until Mama & Papa arrive!!
Not that we are keeping count or anything. LOL
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Proud Owners....
Of our hole.
Our basement floor is looking good. Cement will probably be poured this week.
Support for the front steps.
Our beautiful downstairs bathroom. Isn't it just lovely.
Thanks to Jacques our house scout for these pictures. :)
Our basement floor is looking good. Cement will probably be poured this week. 
Support for the front steps. 
Our beautiful downstairs bathroom. Isn't it just lovely.
Thanks to Jacques our house scout for these pictures. :)
Friday, May 23, 2008
It must have been really bad...
Those that know Steph know how stubborn he can be. I found out on our first Halloween together (about 3 months after we met and started dating). That was the day he busted his knee, and yet, because we had a date that night, he still drove the 30 minutes from the hospital, crutches in tow, to pick me up. Just a wee bit stubborn.
To get him to go to a doctor to get checked out during a sickness is almost painful.
So he must have been in a lot of pain to send me an email yesterday saying that he would be going to the walk in clinic after work. He woke yesterday with half of his nose, part of his cheek and park of his upper lip numb - he described it as "asleep".
Diagnosis : Acute Sinusitis. *sigh*
Treatment : Antibiotics, nasal spray, advil, gargling with warm salt water, and patience.
He should be feeling better within the next day or so.
To get him to go to a doctor to get checked out during a sickness is almost painful.
So he must have been in a lot of pain to send me an email yesterday saying that he would be going to the walk in clinic after work. He woke yesterday with half of his nose, part of his cheek and park of his upper lip numb - he described it as "asleep".
Diagnosis : Acute Sinusitis. *sigh*
Treatment : Antibiotics, nasal spray, advil, gargling with warm salt water, and patience.
He should be feeling better within the next day or so.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Name that Bird (Round 2)
We went to visit the ducks for the first time this spring. Not many there, and seeing as it was the holiday Monday, they weren't that hungry. But there was an interesting little duck there. Not sure if it was a duck, or just a wannabe duck.
But s/he is the subject of round 2 of Name that Bird.
(you should be able to click the image to see it full size).
Thanks for playing. :)
But s/he is the subject of round 2 of Name that Bird.
(you should be able to click the image to see it full size).
Thanks for playing. :)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Iceberg.. Dead ahead!!
We went iceberg hunting yesterday. We were going to stick pretty close to St. John's, covering places like Middle Cove, Flat Rock, Pouch Cove, and some of Conception Bay. It was a beautiful day. The highest temp that we saw in the car was +20C! Plus it only started to get cloudy right at the end. An absolute perfect spring day (which is quite rare around here it seems).
To say that we were fearful that we would spend the day going from cove to cove and not see anything is an understatement. We had the iceberg finder website open for the 24 hours before and not a single iceberg was listed close to St. John's. I had made posts requesting help from people around St. John's. But we still weren't too clear if we would see anything.
We headed down Marine Dr, towards Middle Cove (the beach where the girls saw the ocean for the first time). And as we rounded a bend, through a clearing between the trees, sure enough, ICEBERG! Just saw the tip of it, but it was there.
We stopped at the lookout point first, so i could take some pictures of it. Man, never seen anything so cool before. We have all seen pictures of icebergs before, but seeing it in person is just amazing.
And this would be a good point to say a big thank you to my hubby for my big fancy lens so i was able to zoom right up to them.
We headed down to the beach with 2 very excited girls (the third.. well she could have cared less about the icebergs). And if seeing them way out in the ocean wasn't cool enough for them, there was chunks of iceberg on the beach. Kat was our Ice Queen. She loved them.
Ellie wasn't brave enough to hold the iceberg though. She gingerly touched it. Dani, well, she cried at it.
Ellie took her usual spot at the ocean - by the edge, throwing rocks in.
If our day was done after that one stop, it's pretty safe to say that we would all have been thrilled with it. But we continued on... Next stop was Flat Rock. Without checking a map, not sure if it's a cove or not.
At Flat Rock, there was a huge iceberg. And surprisingly enough, it was a flat iceberg. Besides the iceberg, we watched a lobster boat get its crates on board and then drive off into the ocean.
And from the other side, you could see another iceberg in the distance.
And very neat to see the iceberg under the water.
Next stop was Pouch Cove. No beach there. Just a small town. But a cute town. Also there was the East Coast Trail starting from Pouch Cove. If we were prepared for a hike, it would have been a perfect day to do that. Maybe this summer we will go back for a hike there.
Just as we stopped, Steph saw a piece of this iceberg fall off. Would have been neat to catch that on camera.
We headed down the Conception bay coastline after that. Not an iceberg to be seen over there. We watched the ferry take off from Portugal Cove to go to Bell Island (another stop to be made this summer). Again, not an iceberg to be seen around there.
So instead of following more of that coast, we headed straight back to St. John's. A quick pee break at home (which turned into a "how can we bribe Dani back into the car"), we then headed to Cape Spear. We were a little surprised that there were none in the *big* ocean view, but there were two between Cape Spear and Signal hill. (no, we didn't see them on Friday when we were at Signal hill. LOL)
You can see the start of the Narrows at the right side of the picture, so Signal hill is just off the picture on that hill.
So a quick (very quick) walk at Cape Spear. It was amazing how quickly the temp dropped. At the bottom of the road leading to Cape Spear it was about 18C.. At Cape Spear, it was maybe 4. Brrr.
We did a quick detour to Signal hill. And besides the two that we saw from Cape Spear, there was another further in the ocean, and several little chunks floating around there.
It was a fantastic day. :)
For more iceberg pictures (a nice selection of the 250 pics we took), visit here.
To say that we were fearful that we would spend the day going from cove to cove and not see anything is an understatement. We had the iceberg finder website open for the 24 hours before and not a single iceberg was listed close to St. John's. I had made posts requesting help from people around St. John's. But we still weren't too clear if we would see anything.
We headed down Marine Dr, towards Middle Cove (the beach where the girls saw the ocean for the first time). And as we rounded a bend, through a clearing between the trees, sure enough, ICEBERG! Just saw the tip of it, but it was there.
We stopped at the lookout point first, so i could take some pictures of it. Man, never seen anything so cool before. We have all seen pictures of icebergs before, but seeing it in person is just amazing.
And this would be a good point to say a big thank you to my hubby for my big fancy lens so i was able to zoom right up to them.
We headed down to the beach with 2 very excited girls (the third.. well she could have cared less about the icebergs). And if seeing them way out in the ocean wasn't cool enough for them, there was chunks of iceberg on the beach. Kat was our Ice Queen. She loved them.
Ellie wasn't brave enough to hold the iceberg though. She gingerly touched it. Dani, well, she cried at it.
Ellie took her usual spot at the ocean - by the edge, throwing rocks in.
If our day was done after that one stop, it's pretty safe to say that we would all have been thrilled with it. But we continued on... Next stop was Flat Rock. Without checking a map, not sure if it's a cove or not.
At Flat Rock, there was a huge iceberg. And surprisingly enough, it was a flat iceberg. Besides the iceberg, we watched a lobster boat get its crates on board and then drive off into the ocean.
And from the other side, you could see another iceberg in the distance.
And very neat to see the iceberg under the water.
Next stop was Pouch Cove. No beach there. Just a small town. But a cute town. Also there was the East Coast Trail starting from Pouch Cove. If we were prepared for a hike, it would have been a perfect day to do that. Maybe this summer we will go back for a hike there.
Just as we stopped, Steph saw a piece of this iceberg fall off. Would have been neat to catch that on camera.
We headed down the Conception bay coastline after that. Not an iceberg to be seen over there. We watched the ferry take off from Portugal Cove to go to Bell Island (another stop to be made this summer). Again, not an iceberg to be seen around there.
So instead of following more of that coast, we headed straight back to St. John's. A quick pee break at home (which turned into a "how can we bribe Dani back into the car"), we then headed to Cape Spear. We were a little surprised that there were none in the *big* ocean view, but there were two between Cape Spear and Signal hill. (no, we didn't see them on Friday when we were at Signal hill. LOL)
You can see the start of the Narrows at the right side of the picture, so Signal hill is just off the picture on that hill.
So a quick (very quick) walk at Cape Spear. It was amazing how quickly the temp dropped. At the bottom of the road leading to Cape Spear it was about 18C.. At Cape Spear, it was maybe 4. Brrr.
We did a quick detour to Signal hill. And besides the two that we saw from Cape Spear, there was another further in the ocean, and several little chunks floating around there.
It was a fantastic day. :)
For more iceberg pictures (a nice selection of the 250 pics we took), visit here.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A trip to Signal Hill... we think...
The last time we went to Signal Hill was the fall. It was a beautiful sunny day, but extremely windy. Yesterday, we got invited to go to the Information center (a little museum) by a work friend of Steph's. Since we were going up there, we decided to go a little further and check out the top.
The tower was there...
Oh... There it is.. kind of..
Signal hill is well known for its views of the ocean, and the narrows on one side, and views of St. John's and the harbour on the other side. This picture is looking out over the ocean. Seriously! We could hear boats down there, but there was no seeing them.
To see more of the fog, Visit here
But it was fun, even if we couldn't see anything. The museum was really neat. The history of Signal Hill from the past 300 years. There is also a 20 minute movie about the history. Dani was not thrilled with any of it, but Kat and Ellie really enjoyed it.
The tower was there...
Oh... There it is.. kind of..
Signal hill is well known for its views of the ocean, and the narrows on one side, and views of St. John's and the harbour on the other side. This picture is looking out over the ocean. Seriously! We could hear boats down there, but there was no seeing them.
To see more of the fog, Visit here
But it was fun, even if we couldn't see anything. The museum was really neat. The history of Signal Hill from the past 300 years. There is also a 20 minute movie about the history. Dani was not thrilled with any of it, but Kat and Ellie really enjoyed it.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Bravo Kat!
The kindergarten classes had their spring concert last night. They were so cute. They sang alot of songs in both French and English.
Kat's solo line was : "Pour vous, nous allons nous presenter"
She said it perfectly.
And because another student was absent, she was called to do another line on the spot, which again, she said wonderfully. "Voici les mois d'ete; Juin, Juillet et Aout"
The teachers taught them some fancy dance moves. The wiggle is shown below. ;)
But of course you have to smile big.
Singing "O Canada"
Graduating class of '08
And of course stars always have to make an exit..
And we bought the DVD of the concert (which also includes the Christmas concert), so we will be able to share it, and enjoy it for a long time.
Kat's solo line was : "Pour vous, nous allons nous presenter"
She said it perfectly.
And because another student was absent, she was called to do another line on the spot, which again, she said wonderfully. "Voici les mois d'ete; Juin, Juillet et Aout"
The teachers taught them some fancy dance moves. The wiggle is shown below. ;)
But of course you have to smile big.
Singing "O Canada"
Graduating class of '08
And of course stars always have to make an exit..
And we bought the DVD of the concert (which also includes the Christmas concert), so we will be able to share it, and enjoy it for a long time.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
I got it.
[One of Steph's rare postings]
I got it.
It isn't official yet, papers need to be signed (and signed, and initialled in 14 places, etc.) but I received word yesterday that CRA had agreed to a deal with Service Canada to let me go work for them.
From what I read in the e-mail (an incredibly long one), negotiations had been going on for a week between the two departments, to figure out who would pay for what, and how this would be completed, but they came to an agreement, which is all that matters. Now it just needs to be signed off on by the Assistant Commissioner of CRA and the Assistant Deputy Minister of Service Canada. (Ya, I know. Getting these high-ranking officials involved for little old me seems odd, but also quite nice to know my name is going to be on their desk! LOL)
The job itself is going to be an awesome growth position. I'll be working in the Official Languages directorate, focusing on improving service delivery in minority-language (Francophones outside of Quebec, Anglophones in Quebec) communities across Canada, and help coordinate Service Canada's involvement in community groups in those areas. I guess I made a good enough impression on the Director I met a few weeks ago that she understood how important an issue it is for me, and how much in-depth knowledge I have of the subject (made sure to mention it all, including the first-hand stuff I've seen when travelling). The group is made up of Project Officers and Analysts, so pretty high-level folks, and I'll be part of the Management Team for the Directorate. Quite the step up.
So what does this all mean? It means I'll be in a position that will be challenging, but also a job I'm passionate about, and one I'll be in for a long-time (at least that's what I'm anticipating). No more 1 year assignments (or moves). I'll actually be able to print business cards and use them before they're out-of-date. It also means some nice raises over the next 2 years, with a possibility of ending up in the PM-06 category, which is part of the Executive group.
This is a HUGE step. One I wasn't sure I could make happen, but one I kept hoping for. Now all the stars seem to have aligned themselves. Just need to finalize the paperwork to make it official.
Wow! :)
I got it.
It isn't official yet, papers need to be signed (and signed, and initialled in 14 places, etc.) but I received word yesterday that CRA had agreed to a deal with Service Canada to let me go work for them.
From what I read in the e-mail (an incredibly long one), negotiations had been going on for a week between the two departments, to figure out who would pay for what, and how this would be completed, but they came to an agreement, which is all that matters. Now it just needs to be signed off on by the Assistant Commissioner of CRA and the Assistant Deputy Minister of Service Canada. (Ya, I know. Getting these high-ranking officials involved for little old me seems odd, but also quite nice to know my name is going to be on their desk! LOL)
The job itself is going to be an awesome growth position. I'll be working in the Official Languages directorate, focusing on improving service delivery in minority-language (Francophones outside of Quebec, Anglophones in Quebec) communities across Canada, and help coordinate Service Canada's involvement in community groups in those areas. I guess I made a good enough impression on the Director I met a few weeks ago that she understood how important an issue it is for me, and how much in-depth knowledge I have of the subject (made sure to mention it all, including the first-hand stuff I've seen when travelling). The group is made up of Project Officers and Analysts, so pretty high-level folks, and I'll be part of the Management Team for the Directorate. Quite the step up.
So what does this all mean? It means I'll be in a position that will be challenging, but also a job I'm passionate about, and one I'll be in for a long-time (at least that's what I'm anticipating). No more 1 year assignments (or moves). I'll actually be able to print business cards and use them before they're out-of-date. It also means some nice raises over the next 2 years, with a possibility of ending up in the PM-06 category, which is part of the Executive group.
This is a HUGE step. One I wasn't sure I could make happen, but one I kept hoping for. Now all the stars seem to have aligned themselves. Just need to finalize the paperwork to make it official.
Wow! :)
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Update of the sickies
We are all slowly recovering here. Steph is back at work (as of yesterday) - he only made it into work for about 3 hours on Thursday and Friday last week, and even then it was pushing it. Ellie's ER visit was like a dream.. Her coughing never went back to a scary level, and her cold itself never got all that bad. Kat and Dani are in the recovery phase. Kat stayed home from school on Monday, but back at it on Tuesday - though she may have over done it a little outside after school. Dani is slowly getting there. Her cold has completely knocked her on her butt and she slept in Tuesday morning until 930am, and then had an hour nap mid afternoon, and went to sleep for the night at 730pm. For those that know Dani well - this sleep pattern is NOT her in the least. She does not sleep in. She does not nap. And she does not go to bed before her normal 815 bedtime. So all three of them happening on the same day means that she is most definitely sick. But other than a runny nose, a slight cough, a poor appetite and the need for sleep, she hasn't been too bad. It could always be worse.
As for me. With a recovering husband, and 3 sick children, I wasn't really allowed to get sick to the full extent - which I suppose is a good thing, but I know I will have the side effects of this cold/flu for a while yet because it never got to fully infect me. I had a rough day on Sunday with two naps, but Monday I was back in charge, and didn't have time to wallow in my sickness. So other than being tired, and having a nagging cough and sore throat I'm doing quite well. :)
No new updates to give on the house or the job situations. The only thing I can add is we have to pick out our colours for the exterior by the weekend for the house. If the timing is going as planned, we are proud owners of a big hole by now. ;)
As for me. With a recovering husband, and 3 sick children, I wasn't really allowed to get sick to the full extent - which I suppose is a good thing, but I know I will have the side effects of this cold/flu for a while yet because it never got to fully infect me. I had a rough day on Sunday with two naps, but Monday I was back in charge, and didn't have time to wallow in my sickness. So other than being tired, and having a nagging cough and sore throat I'm doing quite well. :)
No new updates to give on the house or the job situations. The only thing I can add is we have to pick out our colours for the exterior by the weekend for the house. If the timing is going as planned, we are proud owners of a big hole by now. ;)
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