2015 :: Year in Review :: September to December

September
In September we decided to start the process of purchasing a foreclosed half-duplex. We began by negotiating an initial bid with the bank. The process of buying a foreclosure was... a lot more difficult than I anticipated and this was partly due to our less-than-impressive real estate agent. I won't go into all the details about how she dropped the ball, but suffice to say I wasn't fond of her. The bank accepted our offer and a court date was set for the end of October.

We also made another trip the coast in September for a youth conference that we volunteered at. We had friends visit from up north and we enjoyed Erik's brief break from school. And I slowly packed up our house. Slowly.

We spent an extended weekend in Manning Park with Erik's brother and sister-in-law. We went on a couple hikes (one that nearly killed me), ate copious amounts of food, played countless games of Dominion, and laughed at Eliza.

October
Maelle and Elinor stayed over the first weekend in October and Eliza loved having older kids around -- she watched them play, followed them, and laughed at them. They kept her entertained the whole weekend.

My niece got married over Thanksgiving weekend so the whole family was in town again. She was married on the Friday, which was nice because we had the rest of the weekend to spend time together. I can't imagine how busy holidays will be in years to come when all the little ones have grown. I am thankful that Eliza has so many cousins near her age.

Our court date was October 29 and thankfully nobody else showed up so we got the half-duplex at our original bid! It was stressful having to have a second bid ready as we had to go in blind -- they don't tell you what other people put in as a bid so you just throw an offer in and hope that you aren't outbid and that you don't outbid someone else by something ridiculous like $15,000. We had a couple days to close and then we had possession and renovations to look forward to.

I was going to skip Halloween, but a friend invited us over so I ran out and got Eliza a costume and she was an adorable little ladybug. If you aren't picky about your kids costume (and don't mind squeezing them into something a little bit too small) Costco has them on sale for $5.00 the day of.

November
We moved in with my parents for November. We'd made the decision to do so before our court date because we had to be out of our place on October 31 and our court date was on the 29th. If we didn't get the duplex we were going to look for somewhere else to rent for December 1 and were going to stay with my parents anyway. If we got the house then we would live with them while we started renovating (floors, paint, furnace, windows).

I spent hours and hours painting the entire house. It was nice to be with my parents because they let me borrow their vehicle when Erik was at work so I could go to the house and because they would were home when Eliza went to bed at night so I could paint from 7pm-1am. My mom also helped me when she could which was much appreciated. Erik was busy working and finishing his quarter at school so he was a busy boy.

We made another trip to the coast for school at the beginning of the month. It was the last time I get to go with Erik as I will be working for the remainder of his academic career.

December
I continued painting our house in the beginning of December and we moved in on the tenth. Unpacking with an 11-month-old is not an easy task. It is especially difficult when your cupboard doors aren't on yet because you're painting them. Erik worked his last shift at his job on the eighteenth as he is going to be writing his thesis, doing his practicums, and taking care of Eliza while I'm at work in the new year.

We spent Christmas in Washington this year with Erik's family. We were able to stay for ten days because Erik had just quit his job and I wasn't back at work yet. It was fun to see Eliza interacting with that side of the family. She was a great age for such a gathering and she doesn't get stranger-danger or separation-anxiety so she was happy to be with whoever wanted to be with her. She was particularly fond of her grandma, which made me smile. It is fun having a baby who happily goes to others and I'm sure the "others" appreciate it too.

Eliza turned one! I know most parent says it, but woah, that year passed far too quickly. Eliza is such an easy going girl -- she makes being a mama easy. I know I am biased, but she really is the sweetest thing. We didn't have a party for her (I've always thought first birthday parties are a little silly) but she was surrounded by people who love her, as she will be every year on her birthday (a benefit of being born on Christmas Day).

We had a mini Christmas celebration with the Kelowna Jansens when we returned from Washington. We just had dinner and gave a few gifts to the kiddies. It was nice.

And that was a brief recap of 2015. I'm curious to see what 2016 brings...

2015 :: Year in Review :: May to August

May
For some reason May is often a month that I forget to document. It is one of my favourite months, despite this, and I imagine I enjoyed it as much as any other month. In May we headed to Vancouver again for Erik's schooling again. I loved that I was able to go with him all year as we got to visit with family and friends.

Eliza's love affair with spatulas and wooden spoons began in May and we were able to visit with family from Northern BC while they were in Kamloops for a soccer tournament.

June
We tried to make a point of going on some family hikes in June as the weather was nice and our babe was portable.

Erik went to Alaska for his fifteenth season of commercial fishing in the middle of June. Eliza and I packed ourselves up and spent a month on the coast bouncing between family and friends.

Eliza learned to sit the day Erik left (I finally sat her up and she didn't fall over. Ever.). We visited my in-laws for about a week and then made our way north to the Lower Mainland to visit with my siblings.

July
We spent the beginning of July "camping" with my sister and her family in Monroe, WA. On the fourth of July my brother called to inform us that he had a son! Anthony Carter Keith arrive three weeks ahead of schedule and healthy as can be.

I spent some time visiting with some aunties and cousins before Erik came home too. It was so nice to spend considerable amount of time with everyone as we usually feel rushed while we are in town. I felt as though I was able to invest in the people around me and have them get to know Eliza instead of us frantically trying to squeeze a few visits in.

While Erik was in Alaska our landlords informed us that they were unexpectedly moving back to Kelowna years earlier than anticipated and we needed to move in few months. I was so sad about this as I loved our home and had been looking forward to living there for at least a few more years. We started the discussion of whether to continue renting or if we should look into purchasing a home of our own.

August
My mom's side of the family has Family Camp every August and we make it a priority to attend as it is always a good time. We meet at Timothy Lake near 100 Mile House and spend an extended weekend eating, playing games, reading, swimming, and talking. We were fortunate to stay in a cabin that we shared with my sister-in-law and nephew.

 We started looking at houses a little more seriously in August -- Erik was trying to convince me that buying one was a good idea, but I still wasn't so sure.

We had plenty of dinners and games nights with friends as well, which isn't abnormal for us, but I was really sad about leaving our house so we did it more often than we usually do. I was trying to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of the space we had.

My cousin got married in Kelowna at the end of the month. His wedding was so much fun and many of my extended family was able to make it so I was able to see people I haven't seen in a while. It was nice to attend a family wedding that didn't involve an immediate family member as no one was pre-occupied with wedding responsibilities and we just got to enjoy ourselves.

I start work this Thursday so I hope to finish off the Year in Review as soon as possible! I'm feeling panicked to tie up loose ends before heading back to the hospital.

2015 :: Year in Review :: January to April

January
I spent most of January nursing and getting to know Eliza Jane. She got a bad cold when she was only a few days old and we spent much of the month steaming, suctioning, and making sure she could breathe.

The transition to parenthood was easier than we anticipated. Being parents and having a dependent human being felt normal and wonderful. Eliza was an easy going newborn who only fussed when she needed to sleep or when she wanted to be put down. I learned early on that she wasn't particularly fond of being held, which would have been even more mind-boggling if I didn't have a niece who was the same.

February
We took our first trip to the coast in February and we were able to introduce Eliza to some of our extended families. Erik had a week-long residency in Vancouver for his Master's program so Eliza and I tagged along and stayed with various family members for the week. It was lovely to actually have time to visit with people as we are usually only down for a weekend and have way too much to cram into that time.

My friend, Heidi, came to visit from Manitoba. It may sound awful, but my favourite thing about her visit (aside from the yummy cupcakes she made) was that Heidi would rock Eliza to sleep in the evening when she was fussy and Erik and I would go to bed. Then she would sneak into our room and put Eliza to bed while we slept. It was wonderful to go to sleep without having to think about the baby waking up or not settling. And it was great to see Heidi.

Eliza was also baptized in February. My mom made her baptism gown and my brother did the baptism, which made the day even more special. Eliza was in fine form and screamed the entire service.

March
I don't recall much of March. Erik was busy with work and school and I enjoyed staying home with the babe. I do remember spending plenty of time rocking Eliza to sleep. She hated going to sleep and would put up a mighty fight. I was thankful she fell asleep easy at night because she would struggle with it during the day.

We made another trip to the coast to visit Erik's family in Washington as Erik's sister was visiting from Minnesota. A nasty bug was unfortunately being passed around when we arrived so the visit wasn't what we were expecting and we had to quarantine Eliza so she wouldn't catch the virus.

We had thankfully planned to sleep in a tent, but poor Eliza was forced to nap out on the deck sheltered from the elements by jackets, bags, and umbrellas depending on the weather.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it felt different sharing Eliza with Erik's family. It seems ridiculous but I felt almost surprised that they loved her as my family does. Of course they did! Why wouldn't they? Eliza's cousins were finally healthy enough to play with her the day before we left. We were down for a week and only got to spend one day snuggled up together! Ugh!

April
After our time in Stanwood we headed north to the Lower Mainland to spend Easter with my family. We also celebrated Erik and my brother Jonathan's 30th birthdays with a hockey party and lunch with our extended family. We rented what I believe was a practice rink and my siblings, cousins, and an aunt, and my uncles played 3-on-3 hockey. 

Our family also welcomed a new nephew in April! Cruz Kingston Black was born on April 28 to my brother, Joel, and his wife.

And our friends from Fort St. John came down for a visit to the coast. It was fun to finally have a baby of my own to add to the mess of children playing in the backyard and it was great to spend time together. I was there when all the wee ones in the photo below were born.
Next installment (hopefully) coming shortly.

2012 in Review: July to December

Much of July was spent waiting for the twins. Lindsey was becoming less mobile as her babies and her belly grew so I often went to visit her at her place. Erik was in Alaska for the greater part of the month so I spent my time at home, in the garden, at water parks, having sleepover's with my little people and working. My parent's sold their house and made plans to move to Kelowna at the end of the month. We also went to Washington for my brother, Joel's. And Little Miss Maelle turned two at the end of July.

My nieces were born on August 1 -- Peyton Ashley and Avery Sharlene. Many hours were spent at Lindsey's snuggling those sweet babes (as you can imagine). We also attended a family reunion near 100 Mile House and made a trip to the coast (with the twins) for Zachary's 30th birthday and my niece's profession of faith. Lynn also came to Kelowna for a visit!! That was wonderful.

In September my mom, sister, the girls, and I made another trip to the coast for my Oma's birthday. My Oma was not expecting us and when we walked into the house she got down on her hands and knees and admired Peyton and Avery with tears in her eyes. Erik and I took advantage of the nice weather and spent a few afternoons cruising on his motorcycle. We were knee deep in trip planning, but still made time for our friends and the little people we love. My niece, Jessica, moved in with us in September as she started attending the local university and my parent's gained possession of their house here in Kelowna.

October seems to have been a relatively uneventful month. I donated my hair for the second time, had sleepovers with the girls, and started thinking about packing up our house. We spent Thanksgiving at my parent's house and many of my sibling's made their way to Kelowna to spend the weekend with us. Kaden, Sawyer, Henry and Sylvia joined us for Thanksgiving dinner. Kevin and Mandi hosted a Murder Mystery at the beginning of the month.

I remember November just being crazy. Every spare moment was spent packing up our house or making final preparations for our Grand Adventure. I managed to squeeze in a girl's weekend with Mandi and Milena at my parent's Bed & Breakfast and Erik and I headed off to Mexico with the Jansen Clan for a week. Both of those were incredibly amazing!

And finally December. I had the pleasure of witnessing the birth of Elinor Alida Joy -- my friend, Milena's, daughter. I didn't have much time to spend with her as we left Kelowna just 12 days after she was born, but I took advantage of the few days we did have. The beginning of December was more ridiculous than November, but those moments spent with Little Nori Joy were so peaceful and refreshing and they really helped me make it through the rest of the mayhem we were experiencing. We had a "Last Supper" with family and friends and then we headed off on our Grand Adventure, starting in Peru.

And that, my friends, briefly highlights the events of 2012.

2012 in Review: January to June.

It's that time of year again -- the very beginning. The beginning of a new year always provides a lovely excuse to reflect on the year that has just come to a close. Erik and I were going through the months and there were many that seemed to pass by in a bit of a blur. The only reason I have any recollection of anything is because of this here blog... my memory seems to fail me at times.

I sadly won't have pictures to accompany this post as my computer is far from Cusco, Peru, but I will try to briefly sum up the main events of each month.

January. January was a babyful month for me (aren't they all?) as my dear friend, Mandi, gave birth to Kaden John at 33+6 weeks gestation. I was thankful to be there to support Mandi and her husband during the labour and delivery and spent many days and nights afterwards cuddling with the little fella and helping Mandi out whenever I could. I also learned that my sister, Lindsey, was expecting not one, but two babies.

Sadly I cannot recall much of February. I will assume I spent it with tiny people and with patients. It was at the end of February that I was offered my full-time position at the hospital though my line didn't start until the beginning of April.

In March we made a trip down to Washington to visit Erik's family as his sister was in town with her three boys. We camped out in my in-law's backyard for the duration of the visit. We also bought our camera in March -- a very momentous occasion.

In April I got to see my sister's future offspring for the first time. I accompanied Lindsey to a few of her ultrasounds and learned that she was most likely having two girls. I swear they were the cutest little blobs I have ever seen and Bronco (Avery) even did somersaults when I came into the room. Erik and I planted our garden (which ended up being awesome!) and my Little Sawybean turned two!

My nephews came over in May and stayed with Erik and I for the long weekend. We went fishing, had picnics, and they camped out in the backyard. They were "bored" the entire time, but ended up saying the visit was awesome! May brought many barbecues with friends as it usually does due to the warming weather. And, Erik and I went to the coast to hike the Chief and stay at Howe Sound Brewery (where my brother, Zachary, and his wife, Heather, joined us) to celebrate his April birthday.

And Erik headed off to Alaska in June as is customary. I probably did a whole lot of nothing while he was gone. My parent's put their house up for sale at the end of June as well.

Next instalment to follow shortly. Erik and I have a day to plan.

2011 in Review: July to December

Much of my spare time was spent at the beach in July. With it being a mere 5 minute walk from my house, where else would I want to be? I didn't actually spend a lot of time there because I didn't have much time spare. I started my job in July -- scary! I was (and still am) surprised at how seamlessly I transitioned from being a nursing student to being a registered nurse. I felt well prepared to take on my role when the time came (what a relief!).

Sawyer ventured to Washington with me in mid-July to collect Erik when he returned from Alaska. And my Little Miss took her first steps (at my house) and promptly turned one.

A few free evenings in July (and August) were spent at our friend's cabin about a 25 minute drive away from home. It provided a lovely little getaway -- a staycation, if you will.

August was fairly dull -- I worked. My first solo shift was in August and my patient decided to have a small heart attack on me. I hardly got to play in August... we had a few evening meals with friends, but not much else. Oh, we celebrated our third anniversary. Woop woop.

A trip to Minnesota/Iowa was definitely the highlight of September. I was not a fan of being the sole driver (Erik allowed his license to expire), but it was definitely an awesome trip. I had the opportunity to meet Erik's extended family, hang out at the Sodi-pop farm, and visit my niece in Iowa.

We also got to spend a lot of time with these little munchkins. It's too bad a lot is never enough -- I'm praying for a day when they migrate to the west coast.

Most of October was spent knitting. Knit-knit-knitting. Lots and lots of knitting. I made four baby vests, two dresses, two pairs of wrist warmers, a couple toques, and some dishcloths. We also went to Valemount to celebrate a friend's birthday with a hiking trip.

November - work, play, my girls and their babes. That about sums it up. My friend Charisa came for Remembrance Day weekend while our husbands hiked in Manning Park. Yup, that's about it.

And December. In good 'ol December we celebrated the addition of two members to the Jansen family -- Rachael, my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, and Jordyn, my newest niece.

I had Sawyer and Maelle for our first tandem sleepover. They slept in the same room and Sawy slept like a rock. Little Miss needed some TLC throughout the night, but we made it!

Erik and I made our way to Washington to have an early Christmas with his family and then we went to Lindsey's on Christmas Day for dinner and prezzies after I got off work.

And that, my friends, is a quick look at the past year.

2011 in Review: January to June

It always amazes me how quickly years seem to have passed once you're on the other end of them. I thought life would maybe slow down once school was done and I was "settled" into my career, but it just seems to continue flying by.

In January I started the final semester of my nursing degree. School was not the focus of the month, however, as I spent most of my time packing and preparing for my trip to Africa. We welcomed our nephew, Jamie Sterling, into the family in January last year as well. I can't believe he turns one tomorrow!!!

February and most of March were spent in the wonderful country of Ghana. I would go back to Africa tomorrow if I had the chance. The experience was nothing I expected it to be, but it was absolutely wonderful. Even with the skin infection I managed to pick up while I was there.

In the middle of March I was reunited with my husband and my girls. Erik treated me to two nights at Harrison Hot Springs and we went to my in-laws to visit with my SIL who was visiting from the midwest. It should also be noted that I wrote my last exam for school this month.

 

April wasn't too exciting. My skin infection finally disappeared, I wrote my last paper, and I started my final practicum. Sawyer Dawn turned one and I spent all of my spare time studying for my CRNE, hanging out with my girls, and working.

Erik and I moved into a little house in May -- just four doors down from our basement suite. We are still loving it. We had many after-church gatherings in our front yard with our friends throughout the summer, but they started in May.

May also marked the beginning of our hiking season and the little Sawybean learned how to walk (at my house).

June was momentous in the Olson household. The month began with me writing the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam, which I thankfully passed, and I was rewarded by having Sawyer over for a week while her parents went on a motorcycle trip to California. Even Erik loved having Sawyer around -- she is wonderful!

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in June as well -- an occasion that my parents, my brother, Anthony, and his family, and all my relatively local in-laws came out for. Soon after graduating I was offered a job as a casual (on-call) nurse at the local hospital. And Erik went to Alaska.

Thus concludes the first installment of my year in review. Stay tuned for more!