So if you’ve seen me anytime in the last three months, you’ve probably also seen my phone as we are never far apart.  As if I didn’t love it enough already, I am using it to write this post as I ride the 82 home from work.  This could be a very good thing for those of you who look forward to tales of the Serroul clan.  The 40 minutes it takes me is an excellent opportunity to fill you in on our adventures.  Now, if I can just figure out a way to make my thumbs smaller…

There are a few boxes left in the basement and we still lack curtains but in a lot of ways, it feels like we never left Halifax.  It just feels like home.  As Hurricane Igor sends some wicked wind our way, we’re nestled into our little place as if we’ve been here for a year, not a month.  The girls are starting up their Fall activities.  Rilla wanted to do drama (who’s shocked?) and Rilla liked everything so she’s in a singing/dancing/entertaining class.  I can’t imagine she’ll be successful

Anyway, all is well here.  We are waiting for season premieres, a visit from Nanny, and a stubborn baby boy who won’t come out.  We’ll update you on the progress of each next time.

It’s been almost a month since we got the keys to our place here and started settling in as a family.  It certainly hasn’t been easy but I think John would agree that it’s all been worth it.  The house is just about perfect for us.  It would be nice if the backyard was a little bigger but as that’s our only complaint, we’re not complaining.  The neighbourhood is nice, the neighbours are great and now that the boxes are almost all unpacked, it feels like home.  Granny and Grampy were up to visit for a few days until Earl sent them fleeing for safety.  Nanny is coming up in a another week for some quality time.  It’s great to be back in Nova Scotia!!

John and I have commented a few times on the differences between living in Ottawa and being back here.  First off, people are just more polite here.  Almost everyone holds the door for you and says thank you if you do the same for them.  People let you out into traffic instead of jamming up on the bumper of the car in front of them.  The bus drivers not only say hello, they make conversation with you.  They even give you enough time to get off the bus when it’s crowded (which it hardly ever is).  No one seems to be in a big rush because in general, no one is.  Our neighbours have volunteered helpful information and for that matter, we’ve met more of our neighbours in the month we’ve been here than in 5 years of living at our old place.  I don’t want to sound like we hated Ottawa because we didn’t (at least not most days).  It’s just that we are both very convinced that we are where we were meant to be.

As for the girls, they’ve mentioned friends and places from Ottawa a few times but they seem to be pretty happy to be here in Halifax too.  They’ve both met lots of kids at school and if they aren’t over playing with the girls next door, you can guarantee that all four of them are causing trouble in our rec room.  They were all snuggled up on the couch tonight enjoying “Marmaduke” and they’ll be at it again in the morning, no later than 10am would be my guess.  We’ve taken them to Peggy’s Cove, whale watching, apple picking and hurricane hunting.  The girls absolutely loved the wild waves and wind (watched from a safe distance of course).  They may have been born in Ontario but they have Maritime blood in their veins.  Who knows what adventures we’ll get up to this weekend?

John and I are both pretty happy with our jobs.  Whereas we were the only Capers in the bunch at our old schools, we seem to be a little more surrounded by them now.  That makes leaving behind the awesome colleagues we had a little easier.  Of course if any of our colleagues wanted to come east, we’d be happy to hook them up.  I get a bonus when I bring someone into the company so come on down to Nova Scotia.  We’ve even got a futon you can crash on

Now that the John and the girls are in school, we’re back to routine which is nice as well.  The summer is always fun but a regular bedtime is good too  The girls are asleep now and John and I are going to enjoy a movie and a snuggle, two of our favourite things.  I hope you’re having a wonderful Friday night too!!

ps.  There are probably a bunch more pictures lurking on our other cameras but I’ve uploaded a few photos to satisfy those of you who have been asking for them.  Once we’ve done our tidying up in the morning, we’ll take a few pictures of the house so you can visit us virtually if you can’t do so in person.

This was supposed to be a quick post to give everyone an update.  Two hours and a software upgrade later, it’s time for bed.  I promise to put an update on the site tomorrow.   In the meantime, all is well.

So we were told the movers would be here this morning but barely believed it until the movers called saying they’d be here by 9am.? 9am came and went but shortly thereafter, three guys from a moving company come rambling up our road.? Turns out, the semi couldn’t make the turn at the bottom of the road.? (As an aside, should you ever come to visit us, you will understand why!!)? There is another way in but they weren’t keen on trying that either as they weren’t sure they’d be able to get back out again.? What to do, what to do?!?!? Suddenly, after about an hour of hmming and hahing, one of them says if only we could get a cube van, they could unload theirs onto that one and ferry the stuff up the hill.? Thank heavens for 1-800 numbers.? I’m on the phone to UHaul and I’ve got a truck booked by the time I’ve hoofed it up the hill to our house.? Dash across the bridge with one of the movers, pick up the truck and dash back through oodles of construction (thank you stimulus spending).? So the guys start loading while John and I figure out what to do with the girls while all this is going on.? Convince Bronwyn to go watch a movie on the laptop while Rilla and I duck out for groceries (as at this point, all the the fridge contains is grapes, oranges and some New Waterford pizza).? By the time Rilla and I return (while narrowly missing running over a cat in the process – KEEP YOUR CATS INDOORS PEOPLE!!!), the movers are hauling our stuff in off the UHaul.? As I’m trying to make sense of the kitchen and the ever increasing number of boxes arriving in the kitchen, John announces that the house next door has two little girls, 6 years old and? 8 years old, who are wondering if there are any kids moving in.? HALLELUJAH!!!!!? So off go the girls for the afternoon to play with the neighbours whose parents come from Pictou County and Port Hawkesbury.? John and I ducked over a few times during the afternoon make sure the girls weren’t wearing out their welcome and were continually told that the four of them keeping themselves entertained was mutually beneficial!? Oh will wonders never cease?!?

So here it is almost 9pm.? The movers were done by about 5:30.? We brought the UHaul back (having to go the long way as the bridge that was half closed before is now fully closed).? We rewarded the girls for leaving us alone by taking them to a McDonalds with a playplace.? They are now asleep IN THEIR OWN BEDS and John and I are going to sit down and watch a movie on the computer.? Painters and tv/phone/internet installers come on Tuesday, the rest of our stuff (only a patio table and Barbie’s dream house) come Wednesday and we should be all settled in by the end of the week.? Did I mention the house is perfect?? I’m sure we’ll find a flaw or two eventually but I doubt we could have done any better if we had actually seen the place before we signed a lease.? Oh yeah, did I mention that the neighbour girls also go to the same school AND daycare as the girls??? Yup, we’re pretty content right now.? Tired, oh so tired, but content!