Two Weeks

We have been in Coquitlam for two weeks now. Much has changed in our lives: our routines, our flexibility, our perceptions. It's still taking some getting used, but I think living here is going to be very good for our family.

Tomorrow our last 2 summer missionaries, a brother and sister duo-Chris andShannon, arrive from Kansas City. Shannon will stay with us and Chris will bunk with Conrad and our other summer missionary, Wilson. In July, our "daughter" from Germany is coming to visit for two weeks. I can't wait to see Hayden's reaction to Pia after not seeing her now for 18 months. Pia was our exchange student for 5 months. She fit with our family perfectly.

With so much rain lately, it's been hard to do much outdoors. We've gone to parks when we can, and IKEA has been our best friend. Hayden gets to play free for an hour in this awesome, secure playplace and we can wander through a 2 story, economical housing store and/or have a snack/drink in the cafeteria. You can get a drink for $1 (unheard of!) with FREE refills (even more unheard of!!) in the cafeteria. Hayden gets energy out and we get to actually talk to one another.

Canada Day is next Sunday. I'll do my best to take pictures. It's Canada's version of the 4th of July. The Common Place will have a part at LaFarge Lake--popcorn, ice cream, and a bounce house. Great way to meet our neighbors and those in our community since we're still a few steps away from getting anything up and running. Still praying through activities/opportunities and trying to meet our neighbors.

I'm going to try to make Sundays my official blog time. That way I can just catch up on the previous week on a day that should be fairly restful. Please pray that we'll make solid friendships soon. David and I have been on one 'date'-out to eat alone. Most of our outings will consist of free activites as there is so much to do outside. Tim Horton's is a coffee chain found everywhere. They are super cheap and another great way to meet locals. Have a great week! It's 5:30 here and we still have a solid 4 hours of sunshine ahead!

Sticker Shock

When David and I were in Vancouver/Coquitlam in December, we did make it a priority to swing through a few grocery stores and take note of grocery prices as compared to the Gulf Coast. However, it's definitely not the same as living here and trying to cook for a larger group.

I just thought prices were high on the Gulf Coast. Don't get me wrong--groceries have definitely gone up at "home." We do have Wal-Mart but even prices there are higher. For example, gummy snacks (10 packs) are approximately $3.87; a 3-pack of popcorn is roughly $2.00. That may not seem high to some of you across the US, but my child is a growing hoss! Oh, and taco seasoning! We were paying $.67 at Wal-Mart in Ocean Springs; add a dollar to that here.

It's just that, as you know, things add up! This summer (for the next 10 weeks) I am cooking for approximately 6 people. Hayden eats what we do, and he can sometimes out-eat me. (They say you can double a boy's height at age 3 to see how tall he'll be when he's older. If this holds true, Hayden should be between 6'8"-7'0"! My dad said he's rather clothe him than feed him!)

David and I sat down today and came up with approximately 2 weeks of meals that can be made cheaply for larger groups. Once it's back to the 3 of us, I have a few things I'll throw into the rotation. We're trying to be smart with our money. Eating out will definitely be a treat, not the norm. I miss things like Chick-fil-A and the dollar menu at McD's. Geez, that makes me sound like I eat out all the time! But you get the idea of where I'm going with all of this.

If you're interested in sending a box :) we have honestly been making a list of stuff that is just outrageous here (or that we can't get).

We hit 70 degrees here today, and you should have seen the kids at the sprinkler park! I know our friends and family at home are sweltering. I hate that, but we finally have a day of sunshine in the ten we've been here. Happy summer!

Tired

To have half the space of our former house, I sure am tired. Unpacking is hard work! I want to write a longer post later, but just know Hayden has grown up overnight. The stuff he says! We got through the border fairly easily and just have a few links to work out. Hayden loves to stand on our balcony and introduce himself to everyone who walks by! We have a Canadian bank account and cell phones. We haven't done much exploring on foot yet because I wanted home set up. I miss my ceiling fans and sweet tea! We get internet on Monday so I'll write next week. Until then!

City Livin'

We're here! I'll update with how everything went at the border and what our new place looks like once my stuff I here and put up. We do have Internet already and we made a quick trip to Walmart last night so we can function until Monday. Have a great weekend!

Slowly ripping off the bandaid

This week has felt like I've been slowly pulling off a bandaid. I admittedly had a meltdown the other night but very few people would understand the specific reason why. I am better now. Change, especially of this magnitude, takes some adjustment. David will be in Boise tonight. Everything really is packed; I have a few things to wrap up but overall, we're ready. It's been taxing repeatedly saying goodbye to people. We've eaten fairly poorly and we're exhausted. Since David left on Saturday, I've been able to say, "I just have to get that done by Wednesday night. I still have time." Well, that time runs out tomorrow. I don't necessarily want to go anywhere but I don't want to stay home. Make sense? I know we're hitting the ground running in Canada, so I feel like there's no rest or complete relaxation in our future. I'm at the point I cry at random stuff at the weirdest times. It's just exhaustion and change. Plus, I know I'm anxious about our flights on Thursday. Hayden has been a pill at times because he can sense everything, too. Once we're settled, I want to hide for a few days!