House Owners in Gembrook!

Well, as of today, we are proud houseowners! Feels kinda unreal, given we haven't stepped foot in the place, but it's also very exciting, something we've talked about doing for a while. Exciting to try out living more rural, exciting to live close to our friends Jane, Steve, Caleb and Miri. Anyway, here's what Barry Plant had to say about it:

24 BEENAK EAST ROAD GEMBROOK
This is the ideal opportunity to enter the property market or extend your investment portfolio! Located in a great position with sealed road access, this brick home offers 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large lounge, separate dining area, plus single garage under roof line (ideal to extend to make another living room). Outside the 1672m2 block enjoys plenty of sun & a lovely outlook over the fields of gembrook. Water tanks provide plenty of water for the thriving veggie garden at the rear. Walking distance to town, transport & the school, this home could be your perfect start in the market, call us & inspect today! 54km to Melbourne (direct line)

Here's a few pics of our brick-box house!

Floor plan thanks to Jane and my dad. We don't know the exact measurements of the house - this info isn't provided to purchasers in Australia (not like in Canada) - but I'm sure we'll fit!
The view from the front yard, looking down the valley (were it not for the trees!). Lurve those wires!





Side of the house.

My favourite shot, of the massive backyard. Vege garden, here we come!

Looking forward to having a housewarming when we get back!

More shots of the Festival...

Rolling taffy - maple syrup is poured onto snow, cools slightly, and is then rolled around a stick.

Week 10

Inukshuk

However you say it, its the official mascot of the Vancouver Olympics, and for a few short days before the warming sun returned him to the snow, this friendly giant welocomed people to our house.

Also showed off the basics of human nature. I put this together around 10 in the morning - by early afternoon, someone had added an embelishment of a giant cucumber... I suppose getting the anatomy right was important to our anonymous contributor...

Missing picture

I don't know why Bec didn't include this in the pictures of our trip to the museum... looks like she has some Canadian in her ancestry after all - the similarities are uncanny... not quite missing link material, but close...

Week 9 - finally!

(Gord's cousin, Matt, has bought a place four doors down from Pat & Dar, so, very close to us! Moves in April 1.)


(We went to the museum in Winnipeg with Gary (Gord's older brother) Earlene and the kids a few weekends ago - Gary said this old polar bear was there when he last visited, when he was six or something!)

(Mason & Piper)

Piper's fourth birthday

Crazy! I sleep in this morning, and now I'm wired at 12.30am! I was lying in bed composing a post for this blog, which I haven't had energy to do lately, so I thought I'd get up and rave on a bit here and that might give me a bit of peace later! Life has felt pretty busy, this last week, but I think that's mainly because of Piper's birthday, rather than our life being systematically busy. (Man, am I making sense at this late hour??) What I mean is, Piper's birthday is over, I no longer have party games and a treasure hunt that I "have" to pull together, etc, so life should feel slower again soon! Actually, it does already, but I'm still recovering!

Piper's birthday was fun. On the actual day, we kept it pretty normal. Went to visit a friend, and Piper enjoyed playing with her kids. Went to story time at the library. In the evening, we got fish and chips and watched Dumbo together - current movie interest (above Nemo, Simba, Ariel, etc! Actually, Ariel is still way up there (and Melody, her daugher), and Mufasa gets a mention almost every day...!)

I made a twirly dancing skirt for Piper - got it done at the very last minute! She didn't say much when she opened it, but she put it on right away, and then wore it for four days straight, so I think she likes it!



Presents from Pippa and Poppa...



A family shot on Piper's birthday, courtesy of Darlene (and Photoshop!!)

On Saturday, we had all Gord's family over, and Pat, Dar and Jayden as well. Ten adults and ten kids exactly, except that Gary was sick, so he stayed home (and messed up that perfect symmetry!!). I'd left organising the treasure hunt to the last minute, not for want of thinking about it, but for want of thinking productively about it, despite an international brainstorm session with Anna! Anyway, an animal treasure hunt came together, but I was working from the time I got up to the time everyone went home!



Playing Pass the Parcel, which was less overwhelming for Piper than the treasure hunt (not being able to keep up with the big kids...)


Cupcakes seemed easier than the cougar/mountain goat/something else cake Piper wanted - yes she wanted three animals in one, and I tell ya, I'm good, but not that good!

We videoed us playing the donut game, where you have to eat a donut tied to a string without using your hands, so once I get the footage on my computer, I'll post it! You should see Gord's dad wolf it down!

Piper, Jasper famous!

Piper and Jasper made the front page of The Carillon, the local rag, on Piper's birthday, simply cos we turned up at storytime at the library (like we do every week). Check it out!

A post-breakfast story

Reading the Pippa & Poppa Biking Book...

Festival du Voyageur

Last Sunday we headed to the Festival du Voyageur, Winnipeg's 10-day annual winter festival, with Pat, Darlene and Jayden. According to Wikipedia: "Voyageur" refers to those who worked for a fur trading company and usually travelled by canoe. This event is held in Winnipeg's French Quarter, Saint-Boniface, and is Western Canada's largest winter festival. The event celebrates Canada's fur trading past and her unique French heritage and culture through entertainment, arts and crafts, music, exhibits and displays." It's partly a celebration of Louis Riel, leader of the Metis people and founder of Manitoba. (The Métis are descendants of marriages of Cree, Ojibway, Saulteaux, and Menominee aboriginals to French Canadians, Scots and English, and are one of three recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada.)

Snow sculptures were a highlight:






Gord and Dar had never been to the festival, mostly stemming from the fact that the Mennonites for years held themselves separate from the rest of the society around them, and old habits are hard to break.

Here's Piper posing beside her choice: some polar bears, of course!


Having fun sliding on the small ice rink...





Ice-climbing was on offer!


Taking a break in the warm food tent, enjoying the live music (lots of gigs and folky tunes). A highlight: rolling taffy! (Maple syrup poured onto snow and rolled around a stick.) I took some photos on Dar's camera, so will post them when I can...






A view of the Winnipeg skyline from the wall of Fort Gibraltar...



Gord below the North West Company flag. (The NWC erected the fort, and operated in direct competition with the Hudson's Bay Company).


Looking down into the courtyard:


Dar and I posing beside the wall of the fort...