Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Big Changes and New Opportunities!

Tomorrow, our daughter, her husband and their family (our grandchildren) are moving to British Columbia!  They'll be living in Abbotsford, just far enough east of Vancouver to have reasonable house prices.

Yours truly (a particularly photogenic 30 year-old picture) with the 3 kids
 at the Calgary Zoo Prehistoric Park, 1986,

I think it probably started for our daughter when we took the kids on five camping trips across the country, starting in 1986 when our daughter was 2.  Three big trips through the mountains of B.C. out to the ocean, and as far north as the Yukon and Alaska meant they all fell in love with the west.

 The family outside the Tea House at Lake Agnes, high above Lake Louise 
in Banff National Park. 

The trips west certainly cemented William's love of the mountains, and he spent much of his flying career in B.C.  Our daughter and her husband fell in love with the mountains anew last fall when we went to Alberta and B.C. for Will's memorial services.  She has stayed in touch with a couple of Will's friends who live in or near Abbotsford since then.

Three of us on the many switch-backed very steep trail above Lake Agnes, 
headed for the lookout on top of the Beehive - 1990, when our daughter was 6.

And so the talk of moving west started last fall, new job opportunities were checked out, and a trip west to investigate where to live was organized.  Then suddenly it happened; they bought a house there and sold their house here, and now off they go!  The past five days have been some of the most intensive in our retired life, helping them pack, and then having our daughter and the grands here for 3 days while her husband drove the car west.  She will fly tomorrow.  As you can imagine, there are some mixed emotions, but we are thrilled for them and hope they love their new life in the mountains and near the ocean.

The last trip, in 1994, when the kids were noticeably older, 
at the Arctic Circle on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon.

And what are the new opportunities for us?  Well of course a very big incentive to spend some time travelling in B.C., and perhaps all up and down the west from Arizona to Alaska.  There are national, state and provincial parks galore all the way through Canada and the U.S.A., with some of the best scenery in the world!  There are many in Canada we want to revisit; and parts of the U.S. we've never seen.  So it's a big change in our lives; cross your fingers for us that it will all work out well.  I may have to change the name of my blog 'cause we'll be spending more time away from the valley.  "Furry Gnome's Adventures" has been suggested!

Dug out my little-used laptop for tonight's post; an older and slower laptop is doing much better than the newer and faster desktop tonight!

15 comments:

  1. I well understand your families love for the west. I too fell in love with the mountains when I first saw them and so much so I moved from Ontario to B.C.'s Okanagan Valley (Vernon) in the early 70's and stayed for 3 years. Yes a big adjustment for you now that family members are moving but I do like your traveling plan ideas. Good for you guys in getting out there going places and doing things.

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  2. It's always sad when children (and grandchildren) move so far away, but of course, you're happy for them and the new opportunities they will have. I'm sure there will be many more trips west in the future.

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  3. Congrats to your daughter and family on their new move... I know it's hard for you since they will be far away. BUT---I'm sure there will be some good traveling for you in the future....

    Great pictures when the children were young... Lots of memories I'm sure.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. Your daughter moving west just means you'll need to come out and visit! And what a great place she'll be living.

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  5. I admit that when my daughter moved to Chicago, I didn't have any mixed emotions. I was very shook up as I knew I WOULD SEE HER ONCE A YEAR INSTEAD OF EVERY DAY.

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  6. I can only imagine the big changes this move will mean for you and your daughter's family. I am happy for them British Columbia is such a beautiful place. I'm so glad this has all come together so well for them.

    Come to Colorado. We will show you around.

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  7. Thanks for sharing those old photos. Best wishes to your daughter on this move.

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  8. Moving west for the family and travel p[lans for you sound wonderful. Nothing like seeing new places, new faces and different scenery.

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  9. The family photos are great! You only have yourself to blame for your daughter's move ;) but who can resist such beautiful scenery. My family took a trip across Canada in '67 and I still remember the mystical feeling of Vancouver. My Dad started his life in Canada in Vancouver, and my brother has lived in Victoria for 20 years now. It's hard to say goodbye, but such a good excuse to travel that way! Best of luck to your daughter and her family in this new venture.

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  10. Congrats to you daughter and her family. It is a pretty area to live, the parks are awesome. I am sure you will be visiting often! Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

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  11. I could have sworn I already commented on this, but I don't see it. Anyway, congratulations on the move to my part of the world, daughter. Maybe when you come to visit we can have coffee somewhere close by. :-)

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  12. Changes. We must adapt and it appears that you have that balance going on. I wish them the best on their new adventure. We oldies have done this and now it is their time.

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  13. Congrats to your family on their courage to make the move, some sadness for you, but there will be so many opportunities now to travel further. Maybe a new laptop that will be one made for travel, and for Mrs F.G. so many new fabric shops to visit. Love those family photos, what memories of you together.

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  14. Just so you don't get lost in the wilds of BC and take your blog with you. We have friends whose kids live in Vancouver and Seattle and so they regularly fly out from northcentral Pennsylvania. That's certainly beautiful country, they should be very happy and it will give you some new opportunities.

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  15. Congratulations, sea and mountains it doesn't get much better! I hope they have a good move and everything works out. Think of all the new photo and travel opportunities:)

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