4.21.2009

not working right - 4/21

My laptop's card reader, that is. I can't get it to read any card I put in it, so, though I have pictures from Easter morning and videos from dance class yesterday, I can't get anything onto the computer.
Argh.
As much as I don't want to lose my computer, I might just have to take it in to Future Shop and get this fixed, I just need to dig out the receipt and papers and whatnot for it. Of course, I suppose it's better to have it done now rather than wait until it's been over a year since we bought it. I say this assuming that there's a year warranty on it... I sure hope there is! I'll know when I dig everything out.

4.16.2009

it's here! - 4/16

Josh finally got the trailer home last night. It was a very late night for the poor guy!

He got into Winnipeg, got the papers signed and money traded hands, then to the insurance broker to get that all done - paid taxes and insurance for the year - done! Or not quite.
The seller had a receiver and ball (for the hitch on the van)... but the receiver didn't fit in our hitch. And the guys (together) couldn't get the ball off their receiver (we actually had a receiver for our hitch in the back of the van). Off they went to Canadian Tire to get a new ball that would fit our receiver. Back to the seller's house, everything all fit. Yay!
But then the wiring harness wasn't long enough, and the extender Dodge gave us with the hitch was nowhere near long enough. And it was just after 9pm, so Canadian Tire was closed all ready. After fiddling with it for half an hour trying to make it fit, Josh finally called me to say things weren't working and he might have to leave the trailer there until the weekend. Which would be no big deal - it was ours, our plates on it, and we'd just all go in on Sunday and pick it up. But Josh really wanted to get it home last night, I could tell, so I suggested maybe Walmart might have something - Walmart being the only place I could think of that would be open after 9pm.

This was the last I heard from him last night, so the rest I heard this morning... when he woke after only a couple hours sleep to go to work!

He left the seller's house, using his GPS to find the "closest" Walmart... which the GPS told him was only 15km away... on the other side of Winnipeg! It took him an hour to get there and back. But he got the wiring stuff and made it plenty (way too) long - we'll shorten it later and make it look better!
Anyways, as he was driving back to the trailer, he couldn't make the first turn and had to go a block further and come back. On this little detour he saw... yup, WALMART... just a block or so away... ahem. I'm sure there were some lovely words said at this point.
By the time he got everything done and hooked up, after having to drive all over Winnipeg and back, he didn't leave there until after midnight.
He got home at 4am, and had to get the trailer off the van and in the yard (because I needed the van to get Ruth to school as it was raining). He borrowed a couple concrete blocks from the neighbours' yard to put by the wheels. It's not where we will sit it yet, and we'll need some blocks and whatnot to have it steady, but for now it's in our yard and home!

And, because it's rainy and gross, and because Josh is exhausted and will most likely come home from work and go to bed (!), getting the trailer set up and taking some pictures will have to wait for a bit. But we'll get them!
I must say, the trailer looks a lot smaller in our big yard than it did in the pictures online, sitting in the guy's short drive way and small yard! But I'm sure it'll work great for us. I'm very excited to get to use it this summer!

4.15.2009

a trailer! - 4/15

Josh is in Winnipeg right now (actually, he's most likely started on his way home by now) to pay for and pick up our new (to us) tent trailer!!!!
Yay!! And thank you so so much, Mom and Dad! We can't wait to drive out to see you this summer - only a few months away now!
I'm so excited to see it, and I'll be sure to take some pictures when we get it set up to check it out. The kids are very excited to be able to sleep and camp out, especially Zech - he doesn't like tents much at all... a lot like someone else I know! Our only problem will be keeping them out of the trailer until it's actually warm enough to use it! I foresee some front yard camp-outs, I think.

And that's about all I know right now. Pictures will definitely be taken and shared, the kids will be so happy, and Josh and I can relax a bit now.

Nothing much else happening - school for the kids, everyone's healthy and doing fine.
Well, except for Zech and his pants - he's started the "wear through the knees of every pair of pants we have" stage (Ruthie did this same thing, too, last year). Now this is most definitely annoying, because pants aren't free. But it's mostly annoying and totally impractical because this kid has the strangest body shape ever. No, I take that back. He's built just like my dad - or Mr. Bean. (ha!) He needs a size 5 (now) for length... but his waist could probably fit in a 24 month size pair. Thus, no pants in town really fit him. There is one place in Winnipeg that I have bought all his jeans at for the past few years, but it's in Winnipeg, not next door! I also need to check out "Old Navy" and see if their pants will fit him.
Anyways, the kid needs jeans, jogging pants, and pajamas - basically everything involving bottoms halves he needs. He has 12 pairs of pants (I counted!) and has 5 pair that still have knees... I've also patched the knees of 2 more pairs the other night. And he's outgrowing his pajamas, but I can't find ones to fit him in town either.
Obviously, we need to get in to Winnipeg at some point in time... soon... well, that or it's gotta get warm enough for shorts around here!

Other than that, we're all doing okay.

4.11.2009

pictures from BC - 4/11

We got the pictures from the trip to BC up yesterday, all ready to share!
A very few of my favorites...

Uncle Mat playing at the playground with the kids
All the kids watching a movie - Zech, Ruth, Malaki, Isaac, and Uncle Ben
Going for a walk with Grandpa, playing in puddles - Isaac, Ruth, Zech
There're plenty more on the other site, too!

4.09.2009

our spring break - 4/9

Well, we had a whirlwind of a spring break! Josh's mom and brother wanted to fly us out to BC to surprise his dad for his 60th birthday. We, of course, said we'd love to and were just super excited!
We had planned to drive to the city on Wed (25th) after school, leaving once Josh got home. But the weather decided to surprise us - Tuesday and Wednesday were both cancelled for Josh. Ruth and Zech still had school/preschool Wed morning, we got Ruthie early, at lunchtime, and left shortly after. It took us the better part of the afternoon to get to Winnipeg, the roads weren't the best, but we made it and had time to play and swim at the hotel.
Thursday morning we got up and headed to the airport, flew out at 10:30am. We flew about 2hrs to Calgary, had a 50 minute stop, and another hour flight to Kamloops. Ben, Mat, and Kendle met us at the airport - it was so good to see them again!!! Ruth and Zech remembered Kendle (she's visited us here with Patti and Ken), but this was the very first time the boys have ever met their uncles!
We got all our stuff packed up and drove to 100 Mile, to Ben and Crystal's house - where, by the way, we met out nephew for the very first time - I didn't really feel like an "auntie" before meeting Malaki. People started coming slowly, other family we haven't seen in 5 years!
Patti and Ken arrived, and was he ever surprised! He cried!! Very happy tears, though.

We had a great visit, it was awesome to be around family again, and the kids loved having aunts and uncles around to just be with. It was all just a ton of fun. I know I could go on and on, but I won't - it was just really nice and it always makes me happy to see our kids enjoying time with our family.
The only bad part about the whole visit was having to come home.
Ruthie was really upset, still gets sad thinking about being with everyone. Zech misses everyone too, though you can tell he's happy to be home and back to preschool. Isaac doesn't seem like he misses them, he seems happy, but when he gets sad at all he tells us he "wants to go home to grandma's house". So, yes, he misses everyone, too.

Josh has bucket loads of pictures from the visit - great shots of the kids with the family - he's working on them all and I'll upload them asap. I can't wait to share them!