Yes, I'm finally sitting down to contribute my own update on life in Smithers. It's hard to believe tomorrow marks the completion of our first month in this house! Wow!
We have felt warmly welcomed so far here. Within a couple of days of moving in, Curtis was cutting the grass and met one of our neighbours, got talking about what he does, and within minutes heard of a potential client. That client (our neighbour's co-worker) called the next day and set up an appointment to meet Curtis, after which he was hired to photograph her wedding , which will happen next weekend.
Just a few minutes ago, other potential clients just left, after discussing their wedding needs for the end of the month. Curtis has also made contact with several businesses here in town, and is doing a brochure for one, has some of his cards in a couple of others, and also has his business cards in a couple of places for potential wedding clients. I'm glad God has provided these opportunities for him. Thanks for your prayers!
As Curtis has mentioned, I am back in the working world, doing what I did before Isaac came along - taking care of seniors in a facility setting. I toyed with the idea of trying Home Support, but I would need to use our vehicle to get to the different clients' residences, and since we only have one vehicle, I thought it would be best to work at a place I can walk or bike to if Curtis needs the van. (To be honest, so far I've been driving to work, as my bike is out of order, and walking early in the morning or late at night hasn't appealed to either of us. I hope to get my bike fixed soon, though.) I just finished my 3rd week at the Lodge - the first two for orientation, and last week I picked up several short shifts, as well as a full night shift. Curtis has been really good about either going out for the morning or somehow keeping Isaac quiet while I sleep after a night shift. This coming week I have a block of evening shifts, and then my parents and brother are coming up next weekend to help us rebuild/replace the back steps and landing, which we plan to enlarge.
A lot of you are probably wondering how I'm settling in to a small town, having grown up in the Fraser Valley. So far, I think I'm doing quite well. I'm getting more exercise, despite not making it to Curves as often as I did there, and am never without something to keep me busy. Thankfully most of the boxes are unpacked, pictures hung, and, as Curtis mentioned, some improvements have been made to his office space and the adjoining bathroom - with a little help from Isaac. I have been concentrating on the upstairs spaces, while Curtis has concentrated on the downstairs. We've all helped with the yard work- Curtis does the lawns, and I do the gardens, and Isaac contributes his efforts all over. We need to get his sandbox built so that maybe he'll stop digging in my gardens!
We've had a couple of invitations to visit people already, and stopped by unexpectedly at the home of a couple we know in Telkwa yesterday who invited us in for coffee. We had a birthday dinner for Curtis' brother Michael and his friend Randy the week after we moved in, which motivated us to get the house in order, and this last week we had in the couple we bought the house from for dinner. They seemed impressed with how we decorated (I said it helps when your husband is an artist and you can hang his works all over the house!)
Isaac is also settling in much better than I expected, but then he has so much space to play in, inside and out! He absolutely loves following Curtis around when he's cutting the grass, and keeps saying "I think the grass is too long - we need to cut it". Part of the attraction, I think, is that we invested in a brand new red lawnmower from Sears. He will tell anyone who will listen that it "has a pull cord to start the engine". I'm hoping to get him into a preschool program for the fall, but it hasn't been at the top of my priority list yet, so other than being told of a few options, we haven't actively pursued registering him. Isaac was getting to know some of the kids in Curtis' parents neighbourhood when we were staying with them in June, but he hasn't met any neighbourhood kids here in Smithers yet.
We keep being told that this isn't a typical summer - firstly because of the rain (Curtis claims we brought it with us), secondly because of the amount of mosquitoes (due to aforementioned rain and spring flooding), and the cool temperatures. The gardens my mother-in-law planted for me are doing fairly well, though. The potato plants are huge, and we've been enjoying fresh lettuce, spinach and beet greens, tomatoes, and will soon have peas, I think. The carrots are a little slower, as are the cucumbers , beans, and zucchini. The kohlrabi are starting to develop. I don't think I'll get any strawberries. and very few raspberries this year, but the rhubarb is doing okay in the front yard, I think. I made a rhubarb crisp the other night.
I forgot to mention how much Isaac enjoys living close to the train tracks - we're only a street away, and a lane. Hardly a meal goes by when he doesn't stand on his chair and announce "the trains are moving, the trains are moving!" We can see them from our dining room and kitchen windows, between the houses behind us.
Well, that should pretty much catch you up for now. Wishing you God's blessings, and thanks to those who have been keeping in touch!
Glad you are enjoying your new home.
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