One man's rags.........

....is another man's riches

We have done lots and lots and lots of sorting and de-cluttering recently. We have almost emptied our shed and today went off to the local car boot and sold our rubbish. It obviously wasn't rubbish because we sold most of it. So that's the shed sorted.

We have been in the loft and cleared alot of stuff from up there ready to do another car boot. This will be after our Canada trip because hopefully by then we will know whether we are definitely going or not.

The expat rang us the other evening and gave us lots of really good advice. He thinks as long as we "embrace the snow" it actually doesn't seem that cold.    He said he was in London this year and it felt colder here than there.  Something to do with the wet I think. 

He said that Canadians in general are very welcoming of newcomers, especially English ones (they love our accent) because there are so many new people coming to Canada at the moment.

Schools are being newly built and as such are state of the art.  It's quite hard thinking about schools at the moment because Smallest is due to start school in September and I desperately want to get him settled in. He's so excited about being in the same school as Small. I hate to think we will then be unsettling him by taking him out of the country and starting a whole new different set of schooling. Everyone tells me he will be fine as he is so young, I'm sure they're right.

Anyway our expat has given us lots to think about and it was really good to get his opinion. The weirdest thing was that the place he was brought up in England, is about 1 mile away from where we live now.

Small world.

Seven Weeks???????

Seven weeks of summer holidays. I like the fact that it is a time to catch up with people I normally don't have time to see. Lots of picnics, fun days out. Trips to the park, cinema, farm, zoo, park, or just plain playing in the garden.

Today we went to our local Market town, had a coffee (well the kids had a gingerbread George), a trip to the library where I borrowed a book about Canada, picked up some sandwiches and a cake and picnicked by the stream. 

Ahhhh lovely. However there was also much arguing and fighting too (not from me, although I did have a word with two mums pushing buggies and taking all the path up, but that's another story!).

Smallest creating a bird bath
(I told him bird's don't have bubble baths)..........

Once we got home and out into the garden all calm was restored.

Flights are now booked for our short trip to suss things out. Many people have said that four days are far too few to go that far (seven hours I believe), but I feel guilty leaving the kids for any longer. They will be staying with my mum. I don't think we would get anything sorted if they came with us at this stage.

Expecting a call tonight from an expat who assures us he will give us unbiased advice. 

Will  be reading the book about Canada tonight too.

Can we have a bear, a moose and a beaver?

My Huffle has been trying to get a transfer to Canada with his current job. Unfortunately he has now been made redundant in the UK so it is now more important than ever that we get this relocation.

Lots of things have happened with interviews, meetings, etc but now Huffle and I are going to Canada for four days to 'check things out'.

This is a scary thing we are endeavouring to do, but to be honest we think it is the best possible thing to do for our two small boys.  When we asked Small (our seven year old) what he thought about moving he asked "Will we be able to have pets like a bear, a moose or a beaver?".

I checked with him later that he wasn't worried and he said "don't worry Mummy, there is a big lake where we can fish and our house is near a big city so you can go shopping whenever you like". In reality we have no house and we have no idea yet where we would live. But bless him for thinking in such a simplistic way.  Smallest (who is only 4 years old) was only worried about whether he would be able to take his scooter with him.

Staring out of the window today I thought of all the things we would miss.  Family, friends, Neighbours (the TV programme not our actual neighbours)  and our beautiful garden.  I am forever walking around with my camera at the moment, trying to capture everything.  Here are some I took today:-

I love Daisies and these are huge and spectacular

The Reddest Poppy we have ever grown

Beautiful Everlasting Sweet Pea

Clematis Seed Head

Our front garden with a quintessential English Village Church in the background - the bells ring every Friday - Small says he won't miss that!!

Nasturtium

More Daisies (don't know their name) but I was very pleased that Mr. Bee posed for me.

Hydrangea

........ and a tree full of Pears.  Now this is special because Huffle bought me this tree for our 1st Wedding Anniversary.

Hopefully I can use this blog as a diary, maybe as a sounding board for when things get a bit stressful and perhaps a way of recording things I don't want to forget.

Whatever happens, whether we stay in the UK or move out to Canada, things are gonna change round here ;0)