Boxes, toys and tanks.

We've been Oromocto-ites (I don't know if that's a word) for 8 days now and we're settling in. It's been a week of boxes, packing paper and mess but the house is coming together nicely. Our personal effects from storage arrived last Friday and as I've heard so many times before from other northerners, most of it is junk and destined for goodwill or the dump. After four years without it, you probably don't need it. We did however come across quite a few things I forgot we had which where nice surprises. Our Pangnirtung boxes got here on Saturday which has got to be a world record. And what's even more shocking? Nothing was damaged. Except the treadmill... but that was because it was dropped by the movers in our garage.

With everything that has to be done around here I've barely left the house in a week. That's the way I work best though- nose to the grindstone till I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I saw a glimmer yesterday and took the opportunity to get out and do a little shopping in the big city. It's exactly 12 minutes from my house to the mall in Fredericton which is such a big change. Even before I lived north any type of shopping establishment was over an hour away so 12 minutes is like next door. Dangerous though. Nick's got me on a tight leash till I get a job.

The kids are settling in to the house and our new lives as well. They are both eating and sleeping like normal and are loving seeing the grandma's more often. Oliver has commented many  times how he likes the new house more than our old one because it's so much bigger. While I agree with him, the extra square footage means more space for toys to accumulate and extra noise from their favorite pass time, dump truck races in the hallway. I'm not going to complain though. The beauty of this house is that there is enough room in their bedrooms that the toys live in there and I get a toy free living room. Or at least once I clean and put everything away I do. 


Erik came to visit us today and is our first overnight visitor. They spent the afternoon bouncing on Oliver's new queen size bed and making lots and lots of noise. When I was at Sobey's earlier I saw this in the front of the store and had to bring them to see it.

The tank is the centerpiece for a yet unfinished valentines day display that they were building. Apparently there is a contest between stores that 'Newfoundland always wins' as per the Sobey's employee. Their theme is Love is a Battlefield. Appropriate enough in a military town for sure. I saw them bring in the tank and it was being carried by six camo clad soldiers. I keep joking that it feels like we're in an occupied state. I think all of our neighbours are military families and at 5pm all you see is guys in fatigues. I don't mind though, I love a guy in uniform.

The mini tank went over so well that I thought they might enjoy seeing this too.

Sherman tank used by the Canadian Army in WW2 and Korea.

This tank is at the main gate of the CFB Gagetown. They were thrilled to get up close to it but were a little worried that it was going to drive away with them on it. We then took a drive around the base and they got to see a helicopter and all sorts of big guns and army trucks. It's like a little boys dream place.

On a side note: I've had a few requests for pictures of the house but you'll have to wait. I want to paint and get stuff up on the walls before I post any. It's not going to be a real before and after thing since the house is only 3 years old and is painted pretty nicely, we just want to make it our own.