A very Hardy Christmas

Dog-sitting at Christmas time was definitely a first for us! Here's Jonathan (who joined us for turkey dinner on the 25th) helping Hardy open the stocking that Penny, Ainslie and James left for their spirited (cocker spaniel) pooch (they generously left gifts for all of our family as well!)...Clever Santa found us at our friends' lovely home (designed and built by James, the architect who did our new house plans--note that we've stopped referring to it as a renovation!)... no question about it: our Christmas wish for 2011 is to be back in our own home!

On site

We're standing on the floor of the room that will someday be the "retreat" adjoining the master bedroom here. Steve has been working tirelessly (not true, he says, "I am tired!") and will take a well-deserved mini-break for Christmas. As for me, turning 45 on the 21st, I've never felt better (ha!)...

Miranda's school concert

...She's the one with the blue antlers! (click on photo for a closer view)

It's a wrap!

Aurora and I headed off to the post office to mail our parcels back east--quite a production! Great to have a little "Santa's helper"... Miranda, meanwhile, is headed into her last week of school before Christmas holidays. We're settled at my friend Penny's hilltop eyrie with stunning views of mountains and sea; will be there until the end of the month. Parking is more than a little tricky for a novice driver like me, but good practice I guess. A true sense of hard-won satisfaction each time I negotiate the driveway. Ho ho hoooooo!

Night on the town

Mom's friend John (holding Aurora in this pic) hosted us gals for a wonderful evening in Vancouver, including a craft fair and Christmas carol service at St Andrew's-Wesley Church, a chicken dinner and sleepover at his lovely West End apartment. A great beginning to Advent for us all!

Snowtime!

Record-breaking snowfall in November this year in BC, as evidenced here. Miranda's snowsuit from Mountain Equipment Co-op still fits--we bought a size six last year (which then turned out to be one of the mildest winters on record...) Just as the power went out and the pipes froze at the cabin this week, we began the first of two house-sitting gigs: we're at Kat and Rodney's place at Isleview Lane for a couple weeks, dog-sitting Kona in comfort and luxury. Let the season begin!

Adam and Steve

Ravenhurst ReGenesis! The framing begins...

Northern Light

Nanny Lorna took this illuminating photo of Aurora, whose smile lights up her face--and those of all around her these days. Good thing, too--it's otherwise a cold and dark BC November on our island. Her latest triumph, as she approaches the half-year mark and her first winter? Starting to eat some real food: applesauce, mashed carrots, and even a little pasta. Yeah, baby! Now, time for a nice little haircut before the snow flies?

Family Photo

For all who've been requesting a recent photo of the four of us...here it is!

HalloWings!

Miranda with her batfriends; Aurora as a chicken... Steve and I dressed up for a couple of parties on the weekend as well (photos, mercifully, not shown).

Timberrrrr....!

This photo is from mid-way through the final demolition day. We've made the momentous decision to take down the rest of our original structure and rebuild from the ground up; this will actually be cheaper, simpler, and faster than trying to marry the old and new parts. Ironically, we'll end up with a new house that looks like a renovation!

Thanksgiving 2010

These images attest to the richness of our holiday weekend: visit from Jennifer and girls (from North Van); family dinner with three generations; baby and her new same-size playmate in the double sink... Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bear country

Yes, that reclusive celebrity, the local black bear finally made an appearance in our own yard--he's opening our garbage can here, about to have a feast. Steve was just sitting down to lunch when we heard a noise outside: "Oh my God, it's the f&*$%ing bear" was his profane response to this great photo opportunity! The school bus driver told us there are also reports of a cougar in the area. Grrrrrreat...

Swimmingly in October

I ventured into the icy waters for my first-ever dip in the month of October (although I did the polar bear swim in Vancouver in 1999). Faithful friend Richard gets the photo credit here (that's Jada with Miranda on the shore) as well as my thanks for staying on the beach with the baby while I indulged this last-ray-of-summer whimsical swim.

Country Girls

Alexandra took this great photo of baby and mama on the front steps of the cabin (Alex is scoping out the islands for possible future habitation). We took her pooch, Chance, for a lovely walk through the woods; met Miranda and Ellie (visiting from the Cove) at the bus stop, and even squeezed in an inspection of the job site (as we now call Raven's Nest). We love visitors at the cabin (hence the happy expression on my face and the tranquil one on Aurora's): y'all come back now! Here!

Rebarbative!

Here is the rebar that goes in the concrete that strengthens the foundation that's under the house that Steve built. Well, the verb tenses need some work, but I think we have the makings of a wonderful new nursery rhyme... or maybe I've just been reading too many of them lately (despite my best efforts to keep up with our local book club), and trying to combine all of our family interests and activities! We took a break from it all on the weekend as "Unka" Dave Forster visited from Ottawa--our highlight was a trip to the Aquarium--prefaced by lunch at (no, not the famous Rebar restaurant--we'll have to do that sometime, though--I love their cookbook) the Taphouse...we can go there again when it's time to take a break from plumbing!?!

School daze

Miranda (surrounded by friends and family members, in her favourite plaid dress and white "overjacket") starts kindergarten this week--what a rush! Congratulations, superkid!

Habit(at) forming

Steve's been making great progress with the forming stage of the foundation prep, as seen here, with the help of Jonathan and Adam. Building the forms has been particularly challenging due to the unevenness of the terrain, but it's all good! Now if only the weather will hold for awhile before the fall season sets in...

Bowfest 2010

The whole family attended this local lollapalooza and danced up a storm! We were smart this year, and went home for a break in the middle of the day, so we were able to continue merrymaking into the evening to the tune of live jazz and rock by local musicians. As the song goes...wasn't that a party?!!

Doggone it!

We are dog-sitting with Kona near beautiful Crayola beach; Kat and Rodney's lovely home is a bit of a contrast (!!!) from the rustic cabin we have become accustomed to, and we've been trekking down to the water for some of the Island's best swimming. Baby Aurora has stayed in so many different places over the last three months, she probably thinks she's a gypsy--and wait till she discovers we don't get to keep the puppy!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Steve got lots of work done while we gals were away! The back half of Raven's Nest, shall we say the a**-end of the Raven, is now totally gone with the wind, revealing the colourful rocky outcrop beneath--I suggested a glass floor in the new structure, so we could continue to admire it all, but Steve had already considered and rejected this possibility, alas! Next comes the concrete forming for the new part of the foundation...I'm sure (as an English teacher, albeit on mat leave) that all of this is fraught with metaphorical significance, but I can't for the life of me figure it all out just yet. Onward!

Travelin' ON

The final phase of our journey was a visit in Ottawa with Steve's family (yes folks, I visited my in-laws without my spouse, which would be excessively brave--or foolish--were it not for Steve's not entirely ill-founded conviction that they actually like me better than him!)... And yet more hardy souls trekked to see us at "The Hundred Acre Wood" (definitely rivals "Raven's Nest" as a property nickname)--thanks again, all! And, as always, we truly were treated like royalty, pampered and spoiled where'er we went. Princesses' progress--jiggedy-jig!

Merry-Times!

Gals road trip! Miranda, Aurora & I set out for the Maritimes with light hearts and a sense of adventure, hooking up with cousins and friends at Murray Corner and Fall River. The little girls were a breeze to travel with, the baby sleeping (with minimal spit-ups) through most of her flight time, and even through the majority of the NB/NS car-rides. A sincere thanks to all who put us up, and put up with us!

Trippin' down memory lane

The girls and I visited my old haunts at the hallowed halls of UBC last week; we were warmly greeted by the old gang--Herbert (photo credit), Amanda, Ramona, Vera, Estella, Francis, and Judith--at the Writing Centre. Recent visits to the island by Betty Anne and Angela also reminded me of those heady summers (largely spent playing Scrabble) in my youth...Those past 20 years are truly blurring into misty memory--a pleasant sidetrip from my current world of milky mammary!

Showered with love

Baby Aurora's arrival was celebrated in style with some 30 admirers in our old neighbourhood on Melmore at Deb and Rik Stringfellow's place. Friends brought lovely food and gifts, and we happily spilled out into a sunny afternoon in the garden, where the younger set enjoyed the goldfish pond and jungle plants. A wild party in the sunlit rainforest for our little monkey!

Either the (yellow) wallpaper goes, or I do!

Love this photo (taken by Nanny Lorna on one of her visits to the rustic little cabin in the woods, a.k.a. graveyard of the fallen ants): the wee girls look so grown up and serious (they haven't entered fully into the spirit of ant-killing, as I have), with their devoted yet scatterbrained (doesn't "pregnancy brain" self-correct after pregnancy?) Mom grinning naively from present chaos back at the past and into the future. Meanwhile, creamy, flaky, yellowy-white drywall is raining down at the big house, along with what Jonathan (now helping Steve daily with the renovations, along with co-worker Adam) refers to as "significant evidence of rodent infestation." I'm not sure if I have that quote exactly right, but you get the idea (if I haven't corrupted my sentence structures with too many brackets--oops! I did it again! It's the way I think these days, you see...) Gosh, when I think of all I planned to accomplish while "on leave"... On any given day, it seems as much as I can manage (sometimes more) to get the dishes and the laundry done. Oh well! The girls and I are planning a trip to Ontario and New Brunswick at the end of July -early August to get away from it all. Smile!?! Click.

'Sssssss Canada Day, 2010!

Yes folks, that's Miranda "chickenheart" Forster cuddling a snake!!!! at the annual Canada Day festivities at Bowen Island's Crippen Park. Aurora slept elegantly (click on the photo to see the tiny maple leaves on her outfit) through it all--live band and interactive reptile display notwithstanding. She did wake up to watch the rest of us consume a fabulous chicken dinner at Carmen and Peter's later in the day; Wilson (transformed from a spirited runaround to the world's most articulate--and patient--eight-year-old) read his old favourite stories aloud to both girls, and we got to take the books home with us for keeps. Canada Day just gets better every year, as Miranda observed! (though I don't know how we'll top the snake experience, in 2011)...

Woodn't it be nice...

Here's the new woodshed on our old homestead, before and after stacking and stocking. Steve and Jonathan whipped up this cunning little shelter, as we continue to await the completion and submission to the municipality ("the muni" as Steve calls it, perhaps bespeaking a kind of insider intimacy that would guarantee instant approval) of all the architectural/engineering drawings required for the building permit (yes, this is the same permit Steve hoped to have in place by May 15th) for Raven's Nest. It really looks more like Raven's Mess lately (with the exception of the fine structure you see here)... The renovation drawings of the house should be finalized later this week (or early next): someday our prints will come!

Happy Father's Day 2010!

This is Steve's first Dad's Day with TWO girls (Cousin Janie"s photo, taken the day Aurora was born--almost three weeks ago already!)... A prince among papas!

Aurora Lily at the lily pond

Friends Kat, Rodney, and Jon (the photographer, hence not in this pic) joined us for a festive outdoor BBQ lunch at the cabin (while Miranda happily escaped for a playdate at Ainslie's house). The pond is around back--apparently becomes a skating rink most winters. Temperatures are significantly colder this part of the island (i.e. more snow and ice come January) due to being inland and at a higher altitude. Maybe that's why the king of the woods (the bear) likes it here, even in the summer...Fortunately, we had Rod & Kat's dog Kona to ward him off, temporarily at least!

Fair ladies

Ainslie and Miranda (photo by Penny, Ainslie's mom, who accompanied these lovely socialites) spent a fun afternoon at the Family Place annual country fair here on the island. I had good intentions of getting some housework done while the baby slept, but couldn't resist the chance of reading and napping on the couch for a few hours!

Sleeping Beauty arrives in style

Name: Aurora Lily Forster

DOB: May 31, 2010 @ 0816 hrs.

Vital Stats: 7.1 lbs., 20 inches long

Birth: at BC Women's Hospital, scheduled c-section

Arrival Home: June 2, 2010

Favourite Place to Sleep: her "bathinette" (our innovation of a plastic bathtub with suitable padding and blankets--we have two of the more traditional kind, but of course she does not prefer them!)

Favourite Saying (this is what she seems to be saying when she cries):
"A lie! A lie!"

e.g.
Dad: "You seem to be a little tired, sweetie. Maybe you'd like a cuddle with Daddy."
Aurora: "A lie! A lie!"

Miranda: "You are such a cute little sister."
Aurora: "A lie!"

Mom (hopefully, desperately): "A little milk drink will calm you down, I think."
Aurora: "A lie!"

The Truth: she doesn't cry much--knock on wood--we just like to tease her 'cause she's so darn cute.

Bye, bye, blackbird...

Raven's Nest a.k.a. Huckleberry Hill is a home on hiatus: most of our stuff is pretty much moved over to the cabin, and we've settled into our home-away-from-home, with some final details to work on before heading into Vancouver on Sunday night for Monday morning's major op. Our house will also be undergoing major surgery: all rather nerve-wracking but a big adventure, too!

Side view

Excavation has revealed the rocky (a very appropriate word in both senses) underpinnings of our home. Thank goodness we didn't have any seismic events as the foundationless part of the house rested on an eclectic combination of cement, bedrock, and tree stumps--yes, tree stumps... yet further confirmation (as if we needed it) that we've made the right decision to do a major overhaul of the structure. Can you dig it? We sure can!

Transplanting ourselves

Below is a tulip--actually a "Miranda" tulip--from our side garden. We don't usually cut flowers from our yard, but the grounds of old Huck Hill are seriously compromised by construction these days, so we thought we might as well salvage what beauty we can... and this variety is a little top-heavy anyway, so the stems were all bent over. Still in the process of packing up and relocating, we hope to be settled at the cabin next week--with all our house plants, of course--and whatever will survive in outdoor planters!

Stumped!?

Pictured here is one of the massive stumps removed from our back yard in preparation for new construction. Note that we are still in the "prep" phase: we have not yet moved into the cabin or started the renovation... and the clock is ticking (less than 3 weeks until my c-section)! However, I just take one day at a time and try to be philosophical about it all. Time to pack up a few boxes before my nap...

Demolition derby: from burnin' wood to "That's insane!"

Tearing down the walls and tearing up the lawn: these are pictures of the house and grounds being "timely" ripped apart as we start to make some major changes around here (we're doing everything that's permissible so far, as we await a building permit). The woodshed and side deck are now history (some of the wood is burning in the fireplace as we speak, thanks to a dip in temperature and a power outage); the new septic system is a reality, duly certified ready for the new construction. If baby decides to make an early appearance, we're in biiiiiiiig trouble (or at the very least our lives will become much more complicated--which is bound to occur in any case) : our friends all think we're crazy to be so ambitious as to be doing all this at the same time. Lay on, Macduff (or, in this case, Steve's new buddy Nelson, the guy with the digger)! And damn'd be him that first cries, Hold, enough!