Moving!!!!!

I have found that once I went back to work, blogging pretty much ended!  I have made time today (aka - procrastinating something else- packing) so I can send an update.

We are MOVING!

Within Lloydminster, so not a huge change... but a change none-the-less!

I love moving!!!!!  Really!  Those who know me can vouch for me!  I have moved around 20 times in my life.  I am not really an adventureous person (sorry Ian).  I don't have great plans to travel the world or try extreme sports like bungee jumping.  Going on Amazing Race is pretty much my worst nightmare but I do LOVE MOVING!

We weren't looking to move this summer specifically.  Just within the next year to be close enough to an elementary school so Hailey can walk when she starts kindergarten in 2014.  Ian randomly sent me a message with a house listing that I fell in love with.  We went to check it out and found there was already an offer in place:(  We weren't prepared to submit our own offer since we hadn't even planned on moving and had none of the wonderful prep-work involved when looking to move.  So with a little sadness we let that one go.  This sparked a fire in me though and we continued to look at other houses.  Within a couple weeks we found out that the purchase had fallen through on the first house we loved.  Thankfully we had started some of the preparations and went to look at the house again.  We slept on it over the weekend and made an offer on the house that was accepted after a couple counter offers.  YAY!!!!!

We are just waiting for an appraisal tomorrow and everything should be finalized.

We set our possession date as July 10th which was super fast but still possible.  The house was already empty and we have holidays booked for August so we couldn't have moved at the end of July.  It made things a bit more stressful, especially since we didn't even have our house listed for sale.

We spent a week after we put our offer in doing some small upgrades and staging on our house.  We officially listed right at the end of the day on Monday and have had a showing everyday (3 days on market = 3 showings).  Not bad.  The second is this evening and the third tomorrow.  We hope to have some good news this week about an offer on our home.

We have loved it here and had great memories, but luckily we get to keep those memories (along with the zillions of photos and videos).  It was the home we brought both of our babies home to.  Where they learned to walk and talk!  I am not sad though but excited as we move forward to a new home.  We are looking forward to many more happy memories!!!!

*just had another call for a 4th showing



We have been so blessed and we never forget to thank our Father in heaven for everything we have :)

Current House

New House

New Kitchen

New Living Room

 Now I get to pack... and then my FAVOURITE, unpack and set up a whole new house :)

So who is helping us move on July 13th?

I promise I am very organized!

The time has come!!!!!!!!!!

YAY! Moving time! We get possession of our house tomorrow and the move is Wednesday evening. We wanted an extra couple days to clean our new place before we move into it. It wasn't super dirty or anything... I just have issues and need to KNOW that it is truly clean (to my ever so high standard). I am truly disappointed that my mom can't come help me clean cause she taught me everything I know and is my cleanliness soulmate! I will have to do the best I can in her absence.

So we have been packing the last couple weeks... here is a nice stack of some of the boxes (at least the ones that are finished) so far. Also my handy dandy list for those wonderful souls that are helping us move. I have sticker-dotted everybox with a certain colour for a specific room so all they have to do is check the dot on the box, check the chart and then take it to that room. This hopefully will limit the amount of box moving around we have to do after.... especially since I shouldn't be lifting the heavy stuff (my back is already a little sore from some quick lifts). Now no one is allowed to mock the chart and the organization. Try it once when you move and I am sure you will see how helpful it can be!!!!!





This week is going to be a crazy one for me as I try to fit in cleaning, planning, teaching, moving and then cleaning the apartment after we move out of it. I also have a big YW event coming up that needs attention. Of course it all happens at the same time. Luckily Ian was able to take the week off and my Dad will come up to help one day this week. Also we have such great, helpful friends ;) There will be pizza to tempt any others that want to come help move at 5:30 on Wednesday evening!!!!

Most of all I am just totally super excited and am almost getting nervous thinking about sleeping in a new house with weird noises to keep me up at night... not to mention the paranoia of worrying about the old owner sneaking back in with his key. Is re-keying the locks obsessive?!?

What's Happening...

No cute Easter pictures to show as I didn't take my camera to Edmonton but this is what Ian and I have been up to this holiday:

I got a job teaching grade 2 for the rest of the year
Ian's cousin had a baby girl (born to Jen and Brent Garner)
Ian had scout camp with our branch and loved it
I went to Edmonton to see family while he was gone (including my sisters new bf and sister)
Got my hair cut (yes must be spring)
Baby is 21 weeks along and I am feeling it move daily
Ian has left for Prince Albert again for 7 days (will come back on his birthday the 20th)
It is spring break so I am spending the week packing to move and planning for school
14 Days until we get possession of our house
and the weather has been so beautiful!

I can't wait to have a yard to work in and a deck to enjoy the wonderful sun! It was great to hear about all your exciting holidays and to see the pictures of your adorable families. Keep writing cause I stalk you all daily!

New city, new haircut, new adventures...

It is a time of change for us Isackson's. We are settling nicely into our new apartment in Lloydminster. Ian has been working like a dog (the last 10 days straight, about 12 hour days) surveying the Husky pipeline in the city. He is now officially a Party Chief and is excited about the responsibilities that the position entails. Callings are coming our way in the next couple weeks but it is all very hush, hush so I will have to let you know later.

I also felt I was in desperate need of some attention to my hair and chopped a good portion of it off and am having fun with the new look (it is so sad that this is the exciting event in my life). I do admit that I am already getting bored in my summer holidays. Around week 3 is when it usually happens and I am determined to make use of my free time by working on some sewing projects, scrapbooking our wedding (finally) and applying for substitute teaching here in the fall.

I really don't have much time left this summer as we will be gone for the first 3 weeks of August on some real adventures. First we are off to Ian's hometown for a family reunion in Lillooet, BC for a very short weekend and then we rush back to Edmonton to fly straight to Switzerland to see my sister and brother-in-law. We are super psyched for this trip. We plan to see some of Germany, Switzerland and Italy while we are there. I can't wait to share the pictures and stories with you all.

That is about all that is happening right now but I will keep you updated on life with the Isackson's.

Sad day.....But great friends...

The day came too soon when Ian and I had to pack up and leave Calgary. It was a good year and a half for me living in this crazy city. There were some things I loved and some things I hated. We were very sad to leave our friends, our ward and the beautiful mountains (I actually realized as I was moving our snowboards that we didn't go once while we lived there... tragic). We were also saddened to leave our family there and hope that they may occasionally make the trek to Lloydminster to see us, as we hope to visit Calgary when we can.

Things I won't miss about Calgary... wait, let me start a list

1. The traffic
2. The traffic
3. How everyone feels a need to mock Edmontonians on morning radio
4. The Flames
5. The Stampeders (that is what they are called right? Football is so not my sport)
6. The traffic

I am sitting down to write this after a 2 hour nap from an exhausting weekend. Moving in one city is difficult enough but to move to almost another province, is quite another. We had a whole bunch of great friends come out to help us load the truck in Calgary. A huge thank you goes out to Regan, Bruce, Phil, Alan and his boys as well as the Seidel's. We couldn't have done it without you, especially so quickly.





This is how we felt after packing and loading up in Calgary... it was so much worse after doing it all again in Lloyd. Ian was so great and worked so hard, he is my hero! The Seidel's also stuck it out to the very end helping us clean and say goodbye to our first home together. It was sad but there was no time to ponder on the loss. I wish I had a moment to reflect back with Ian before we left the building. Perhaps it was a good thing however, as it saved me some tears.



These are our wonderful friends Allison an DJ. We had so much fun with these guys playing games and hanging out together. We really, really, really, really wished we could have had more time with our bosom buddies before we moved on. Ian and I will really miss them as we meshed together so easily right from the moment we met. Their laugh is contagious, they are so crazy and we had so much in common. I am still trying to convince them to move to Lloyd...Life won't be the same without them. This picture totally portrays their personality, I love how DJ totally pretends to be disgusted with his wife (he is such a faker and we were so cool taking pictures and hanging out in Dairy Queen).



Single tear.....



Ian and DJ have a 'special' relationship!



I love this face, Allison totally makes it all the time! And yes, we did have fun taking pictures with our U-Haul. It was a great truck and our faith in U-Haul started to be rebuilt with this new model that was gutsy and very reliable.



This was the FUNNIEST thing ever... I didn't catch the picture when it was most perfect but...

On our 6 hour trip to Lloyd we drove through back country as a shortcut. When we were almost to Lloydminster Ian flagged me down to pull over as he thought I was falling asleep (apparently I was a little swervy on the road). We used this opportunity to get out of our vehicles and move around as I was going crazy driving and just couldn't handle it anymore. Ian used the opportunity to go to the bathroom (right out in the open) beside this cow pasture. As he was doing his business, no joke, the cows all lined up in a PERFECT ROW facing Ian as he went to the bathroom. It was the STRANGEST things ever. Dirty Peeping Tom cows!



We are so happy to be done the most difficult part and I now face the joys of unpacking it all and trying to find a space to put everything. I can't wait till we move into something larger (hopefully not too soon though). We made it here safe with no casualties (except something glass that is sounding broken in a box that is yet to be unpacked). Thank you, thank you, thank you again to everyone who helped us get here safely. We love you all and wish you the best. Please keep in touch, we would love to talk to you.

Is it summer yet?!?

I am so ready for the school year to be over. Ian has one week left of exams and then he is on his summer break... well I guess he doesn't really have a break anymore because now he is finished university and will be working. Nonetheless, I still wish I was done with him. I don't want to be left behind as Ian moves to Lloydminster without me. It makes me sad thinking of the lonely weeks ahead.

I feel like I am out of steam and I don't feel like I can deal with 21 teenagers everyday anymore. The students have started to turn into junior high-ers already. They don't confide in me as much and don't seem to like me as much. I miss hearing "Mrs. Isackson, you are the coolest teacher ever!". They are currently unaware of the fact that I am moving and will not be their teacher next year (at my school the teacher stays with her class from gr 1-9). I am breaking the news to them next week. I don't think they will be too upset though (at least not many of them).

41 Days of school left and in these next 41 days I have to do the following:

• Arrange probably 2 parent meetings about field trips, events, new teacher, ect.
• Field trip to Lloyd's Roller Rink
• Plan and arrange a Medieval Feast
• Attend a grade 6/7 overnight trip (3 days)
• Carry out 4 more pizza days
• Attend 9 more staff meetings
• Interview potential new students/families
• Plan, prepare and teach Government, Trees and Forests, Evidence and Investigation. Review Ancient Greece, prepare the student for provincial exams, write the 6 exams, finish a novel study, teach how to write a business letter and a newspaper article. Complete fractions with operations, teach statistics and probability, number theory, coordinates and motion geometry, and integers.
• Mark everything associated with teaching these topics and complete report cards

Now that is just my teacher life. I also have to:

• Pack and move my husband
• Travel most weekends to see Ian
• Celebrate our first anniversary
• Deal with all things Young Womens
• Celebrate Ian's Graduation with family coming
• and move everything to Lloydminster

... I am thinking now I shouldn't have written this all down because now it seems so much more overwhelming. I do not ask for pitty though. I chose my career. This is a warning to all you pre-teachers out there... you will never be more busy in your entire life than your first years of teaching. It will remain that busy too if you are switching grades each year. So here is the future plan... find a nice, quiet public school where no one expects too much from you... teach grade 4 (not a provincial exam year -TRUST ME)... and keep teaching grade four until you retire. Good luck to you all!

Our Lloyd Apartment

Talk about the WORST weekend to go traveling! Ian and I left Calgary on Friday afternoon just as the snow storm was getting started. Luckily we only had 40 min of bad road conditions then it was smooth sailing to Edmonton.

Saturday morning we set off early to Lloydminster to look at apartments and decide where we were going to live. The first two apartments we looked at were a little scary. I admit that it caused me anxiety thinking about having to live there for any amount of time (no matter how short). If no other option was available I am sure I would have survived and would have felt a lot more comfortable once our stuff was moved in.... but of course I can easily say that now cause our last appointment brought us to a newly renovated building that was perfect. It is in really good shape and most importantly the bathroom wasn't disgusting. So right then and there we signed a lease and gave our damage deposit and rent. It was a great relief to know that we have somewhere to move to.

The weather was still okay as we left Lloydminster but once we got close to Edmonton it started to get bad. We stopped just outside of Elk Island park to get some gas where I foolishly put in the expensive stuff instead of the regular. Man was I ticked off. The labels were very unclear about what I was actually putting into it. I didn't feel it was right for the company to trick people into paying 1.27/L so I went in to tell them just that. After I explained that they needed to change the labels on the pumps so that you could tell what type of gas you were putting in your car I went back and filled the rest of the tank with the good ol' "cheap" stuff (1.15/L is now cheap?) After that ordeal we braved the nasty weather to get back to my parents house.

This morning we woke to the continued nasty weather that put a bit of a damper on Ian's 28th Birthday! We had the privilege of attending the YSA ward where my father is the Bishop and enjoyed the quiet meeting. After celebrating Ian's birthday with my family we grudgingly began our trek home. That was a terrible drive, over what seemed at times, a skating rink. I thank Ian for doing so much driving this weekend as I don't do well with icy roads. We survived past the stupid drivers who continually pressed their breaks on the ice, the crazy semi trucks that sped past in the left lane and the numerous cars in the ditch. We even saw one car right in front of us spin out and go into the ditch (no injuries). I thank the Lord for keeping us safe on our journey.

It is back now to the work week and exams for Ian. In just a couple weeks we have to pack up Ian and take him to Lloyd. I hope there is no snow on the ground then!!!!!!



Hallway leading to large room, bathroom and storage room



Larger bedroom (oh look, it has a fan)



The bathroom looks brand new (thankfully)



Part of the kitchen. It has older appliances and the cupboards are a little old school but the floors are nice, walls painted and is in great shape.



The rest of the kitchen space which also has a fan

I accidentally erased the pictures of the 2nd bedroom and the living room. The whole place is probably not much bigger than our current place just with 2 bedrooms. We love it though and are excited that we don't have to live in a dump until we buy a home next year.