(note: the first half of the letter is mostly about the house and might be a repeat for you, so just scroll down to the rest of the letter)~From the Gilbank Family~
Greetings to you all, from the Gilbank Family in the Okanagan!
As most of you already know, our biggest news of this year is moving to Vernon!
The big day was May 31st. Caroline's mom drove her, Justin and Ashleigh. Chris drove our Pathfinder and his dad drover Chris' company van. We rented a “big steel box” to move our stuff and it arrived on the afternoon of June 1st.
It was HOT!!! We sure got our taste of the “dry” heat RIGHT away!
We moved to a cute little two bedroom house. It was like our “Summer Home” and just 2 blocks from a beautiful park with a wading pool! We put in many hot afternoons at that pool. There were HUGE trees, which provided much shade, more than at our home, and the pool was SO refreshing.
Not long after getting settled in to our new little abode (a week), we began looking for a townhouse to buy. Housing prices are a bit cheaper here than the lower mainland, so we wanted to get in to the market as soon as we could.
We looked at 2 townhouses. The first one was ok, but the parking wasn't that great and the yard was a little square cement pad. The second place we looked at was EVERYTHING that we needed and wanted AND cheaper than the first townhouse. The yard pretty much sold Chris and I both (17 'wide X 75' long). I looked at it and placed an offer while Chris was in Vancouver for training!
All of the subjects were removed quickly. We were approved for a mortgage and set to take possesion on July 13th. July 26th we started sleeping here and by the 28th, we were all out of the rental. We moved everything with just our own vehicle and my mom helped with the beds.
In the time we had both places and before we moved in, Chris painted the bedrooms and living room. We had fun coming over here to eat while Chris was working. It was kind of like camping. Ah yes, and both houses had ice cream and freezies well stocked :0)
So we now own a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom townhouse in a “four-plex” (4 townhouses side-by-side). It's 3 levels and NO STRATA! Wahoo! Our neighbor's within our four-plex are great and we got to know them more as the guys helped Chris re-roof the place at the end of August and us gals worked together creating meals for the hungry men.
Just recently we took down a wall that divided a hallway from the kitchen, and there are many more ideas in store.
Chris' new job as a service technician for grocery stores is going good. He fixes and maintains printers, scales and meat slicers in various departments in grocery stores all over the Okanogan. He loves the independence, company van and gas card as well as cell phone. Well, let me make a correction, the cell phone is lacking on the old fashioned style, but hopefully he'll be getting a more modern one soon. We're in the midst of creating a work area in the basement for him to create and invent things. Another hobby he has picked up is making beer. He bottled his first batch just last night (Nov. 3rd).
I continue to keep busy with Justin and Ashleigh and maintaing the household. Each morning, we sing the days of the week and the months of the year as well as count to the days date. Something new we added in the last couple of months is learning to say the days and months and counting in French and Spanish.
Justin and Ashleigh earn stickers for playing the “Laundry Game” (putting cltohes away) and when their chart is full, they (and I) are rewarded with an “Ice Cream Treat” from Purdy's Chocolates!
Mondays we have “Musical Instrument Monday! It is something we started last year when we sold our second vehicle and were at home more. Tuesdays we go to Story Time at the Library and twice a week we do 15 minutes of “Work Books” (basic phonics and thinking skills). Some days we try to go the park or have a play date with friends. It is such a blessing that I can have the vehicle and Chris has his company van, no more taking the bus on a regular basis. We have once since moving to Vernon, just because Justin and Ashleigh kept asking. When we downsized to one vehicle in Maple Ridge, we started venturing out on the bus once a month and then gradually led to one to two times a week! A good experience for us all.
I keep in good shape with all the flights of stairs in this house that I climb daily! I try to get our for a morning walk too. In September, I escaped for the weekend and went camping with my sister. It was for one night, but I was gone 2 full days. We had so much fun! It was my first “get-away” and being gone over night since before Justin was born!
They survived without me (our neighbour Chris took them quadding)!
We're also working on making more space in the laundry room for my little work/hobby area.
Justin is doing great and growing so fast, learning new things each day. He is currently enrolled in “Wee College” which is a bible based program where he is learning memory verses, songs, etc. He has currently memorized 4 verses and many new songs. One memorable phrase he said just after moving to Vernon was,”hey mom! my belly button is in Vernon! Is your belly button in Vernon?!” Justin turns 5 at the beginning of January.
Ashleigh is growing fast too also learning new things each day. I think it's safe to say that she is officially potty trained now! Wahoo! While Justin is at his “Wee College”, she and I go to a drop in called “Strong Start”, where we paint, do crafts, play with dolls and blocks, listen to a story and sing some songs. It's great to have the “one-on-one” time with her. I was pleased to find something that co-incided well with Justin's Wee College. One memorable phrase she has said in the last month was: when asked where her manners are, she replied with “in my mouf” (mouth). Ashleigh turned 3 at the end of September.
Well, that about wraps up our year. We hope you all have had a great 2007 and all the best in 2008!
Love,
Chris, Justin,
Caroline, Ashleigh
G I L B A N K
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