Pictures Part 1

Here are some of the photos from the trip out here that we have been getting so many requests for: (note: the pictures taken in "bug house" couldn't truly capture it's disgusting essence... seriously, you had to be there...)


One of the many beautiful scenes on the drive in





I was trying to feed belle a brownie at our first stop just outside of Kamloops



The UHaul in all of its glory



Hey Enchanted forest in Revelstoke!! Remember us from 2 years ago on our anniversary??



Belle did so well sipping her water, shaking her rattle and having HUGE poops... I gave her prunes the day prior...







I didn't feed Brandon prunes, but he was still happy!



Hey!! That sign is going to be Brandons boss!!!

veiw from front door




 



Check out the new pine shelving that was installed (an odor eater) in the smelliest room in the house... also look at the enterance to the attic...

What is that right on the other side of the fence in our backyard honey?

Those are train tracks silly!!!

More pictures to come... stay tuned

the big move part 3

The obstacles between us and leaving the house were as follows: all of our stuff was in this house (so unless we wanted to leave that we would have to have someone else help us move it out), Brandon had signed the 6 month lease already (however I hadnt, so we werent sure of the legality surrounding leases), and lastly of all, if we left we would be homeless.
Not really sure what we were going to do we spent sunday out primarily at a starbucks where we had free wireless access, to look for different places and make phone calls. We also drove around a lot too, looking for possible for rent signs. The driving around bit was largely unsuccessful, and aside from learning more about calgary, we were no closer to finding a home. Meanwhile Belle did so great. With her routine thrown out the window and having to eat store bought food in addition to breastfeeding in the front seat of the car with the air conditioning on, she hardly even fussed.
We checked out a small town just west of calgary called Cochrane, walked around, and ate from the subway there. It was a cute town and there were a couple of nice apartments listed there from rent faster. Being Sunday, however, we were not hearing back from any of the people whom we contacted (aside from the people that were tring to scam us, "we are out of the country but need someone to take care of our home, send us 500 dollars and we will mail you the key." Thanks for trying to scam a young family! Have fun with that karma!)
So with no more ideas for the day we headed back to the "bug house" and said a quick prayer that we would not be thrown out that night. The manager would most surely be waiting for us to return to both get my signature on the lease as well as the money for the first months rent. Our assumptions were correct and as we pulled up he was strolling up to our car. I avoided him as I had Belle to tend to and Brandon explained to him that we were out looking for places and we would not be staying. He told Brandon that we should look for a place asap (really?). 
On Monday morning we headed out again and this time we went to Mcdonalds to, once again, use the free wifi. We were also in touch with Brandons sisters husbands cousin, who was very helpful in recommending places and telling us all about the different areas of calgary.
It was about noon and brandon got a call back! An apartment in Cochrane was having an open house! We were going that night at 530. Things were starting to look up! Just in case we werent going to get the place, or in case we didnt like it, we continued to look around.
Since it was clear by this point that we were for sure leaving the "bug house" we went back to make sure we were all organized, as well as to start packing up the UHaul once again. Once again as we arrived, the complex manager was out in the parking lot waiting for us. We were being kicked out. We had to get out that night even if we didnt have a place to stay. Honestly, I felt a little relieved that we werent going to be spending another night in that house. Even when we were away from it I could still smell mold and feel bugs crawling on my skin.
Our next obstacle arose from having a house filled with furniture and only two people to fill the 17 foot truck (well there were three of us but Brandons mom has a bad back and someone needed to care for Belle). Some great miracle in all of this was that my brother Trent and his family were on vacation in Calgary the exact same week we were moving there. We didnt plan the timing, but I think God did. I texted Trent and asked him if he could take some time out of his families vacation just to help with the couches (they are really heavy and I am too feeble a woman to effectively help Brandon with them). Well Trent and his family were over at the "bug house" to help us within 20 minutes and they didnt just help with the couches, they helped with everything. It was also just great to see people we loved there rather than strangers (no offense to the strangers). Then about 45 minutes after they showed up another family showed up who were family of family once removed (or something like that?). Never the less, everyone was a great help and a huge blessing, and by 8 oclock that night we were once again packed into the Uhaul. But this time without a home.
I booked us a night in the super 8 in cochrane because it was close to the apartment of interest. We loved it when we saw it (especially compared to the "bug house"). But the apartment was not a sure thing yet. And with the last place turning out to be so bad, and the other people trying to scam us, I wasnt in a hurry to get excited about it.
After a stop at Walmart and the drive out to cochrane and a very weepy Belle (she doesnt like to be in the car when it is dark), we were at the super 8. And we were all tired and in need of a nights sleep. (i showered, however, because my feet smelled really bad).
The next morning we ate our free waffles and fruit (included in the price), and left the super 8, with nowhere much to go.
Apparently the last tenant was leaving soon but still had some things to take away.  So we were about to all pile into the car and just lock up the uHaul until we needed it again, but then we accidently locked the keys in the uHaul... yay! Never a dull moment for the Sallenbachs!
Long story short (just trust me on this on.. alot happened) we got the keys out! (and learned how to break into a uHaul!)
And our second big break (no pun intended) through that day was that we got the keys to the place and the last guy moved his stuff out.
You remember this guy had to move a couch still right? Well the couch was conveniently placed on a cat pee stain. So that night we went out and rented a steam cleaner, moved half of our stuff in, steam cleaned all of the carpetting, and went grocery shopping.
I am currently checking my head for grey hairs, it just seems like it would make sense.

The big move part 2

Well, as I left the last entry as a bit of a cliff hanger I guess it would be a good idea to get right back to it. As the order I discovered things is a little unclear in my mind, I am just going to list off all of the wonderful things about the place. Lets organize my discoveries using the senses. First, smell... the house smelled horribly like mold and cigarette smoke. Second, touch... i made the mistake of walking up the main enterance of stairs in bare feet and i got nails poking through the "new" carpetting into my foot. There is not much i can say for taste since  I wasnt in a hurry to lick the walls, which now that we are on the subject had black smoke stains on them (nice "fresh paint job"). What could we have possibly heard? You are probably going to guess "The neighbors." Well if you guessed that you are wrong. Surprisingly enough we could hear the train 10 to 15 paces out our back door. And a train went through about 5 times a night.  Lastly, sight (Well thats only if you are not a believer in The 6th Sense). I saw my first ever stink bug in the bathroom! Then I saw my second stink bug and third stink bug... i saw a stink bug whenever i walked into the bathroom. Also, we saw many  wonderful ants. I discovered that there was old flooring from the 70's and chipped floor boards despite the fact that the ad online had said "new flooring and floorboards throughout".
Trying to see the silver lining in all of these we drove around the area a bit. It turns out there was more new and exciting stuff to see that I really had not seen anywhere but the downtown eastside in Vancouver BC. Only with slight differences. Not as many homeless people, but just as many, if not more, prostitutes. Also it was quite obvious that there were a couple of drug pushers right on our street. They would walk up and down the street in broad daylight. 
So as we stood in our living room in disbelief, Brandon speechless, me crying, Belle laughing, and Tami thinking, we all knew there were more obstacles than one between us and leaving the "bug house." We didnt know what was going to happen, but it was clear we would be having a sleepless night.

The Big Move part 1

well we seemed to have started another adventure without first being sure with our audience that you were okay if we did. For that we are sorry. With that apology now out of the way however, i can now begin to tell you all exactly what adventure it is that I am referring to.
It all started a couple of months ago when Brandon got a job at PCL in Calgary. We decided that he should probably take the job as they were to offer him a carpentry apprenticeship, and also that we should probably move to Calgary as the commute from Chilliwack might get a little overwhelming. So, excitedly we began to look for homes online as well as to find out how we were going to bring all of our stuff with us (people can't go places without their stuff- it is a fact). So as the day of the move came closer we got busier and busier with packing and finding out more and more about what was involved in moving to a different province.
Finally the day came to pack the truck up. We got a 17 foot UHaul. It was a good thing we had chosen a 17 footer because our stuff barely fit. We had such generous people helping us in packing and unpacking the truck . For the first part of our move we had Grandpa Ted, Glen, Tami, and the chilliwack missionaries helping us. It was a huge blessing.
The next morning  our household woke up at quarter to five to get last things in the truck. Our plan was to leave right at six. So naturally, as seven am rolled around we left Chilliwack, our return date unknown.
The trip to Calgary made me slightly nervous. Belle had never been on a car ride for longer than a few hours and i didnt know how she was going to handle the mountain passes and sitting in a car seat all day. There was also the whole issue with brandon travelling in the truck and weighed down with everything we owned to consider. We knew that we werent going to get to Calgary in record speed.
Well aside from stopping when one or all of us were hungry and or when one of us had to pee (in belles case she had already peed.... and the other thing), we made pretty darn good time. As Brandon was driving the Uhaul and i was driving the civic Brandons mom Tami (aka Tamika) had come along to both help with belle and (wound up being) suport for us as well.
It was a beautiful drive and we got some great pictures of scenery along the way. It wasnt until we got nearer and nearer to where we were to live that the scenery began to change for the worse.
It was about 7 oclock when we pulled into calgary. Belle was beginning to get cranky for the first time in the whole day. We had directions that i had printed off from the night before and when we were about 10 minutes away from "home" my stomach began to sink. The nice homes were beginning to get a little more worn looking. The pedestrians lining the streets were beginning to get a little more... (looking for a nice pollitically correct way of saying what i want)... addicted to a hard substance known as crack cocaine and doing ANYTHING they could to be able to pay their dealers-looking. And- oh look- there is that dealer now.
So I had made a very big mistake. I moved my family to a small ghetto in calgary. My hopes rose for about 30 seconds on that drive as i thought outloud, " it doesnt mean our home is going to be bad" but then what seemed like 10 seconds later we were pulling up to this place that looked nothing like what i had seen pictures of on the internet and there were men from our new church waiting to move us in.
Before I even had a chance to look inside, the Uhaul truck was open and there were people quickly running and getting things into our house. I got Belle out of her car seat and just sort of floated through this place without being able to think anything but, "we have to go back home right now."
Well that concludes part one of the moving story. Stay tuned for part 2 and pictures!

Springtime Update

Well as time is flying past we find our Belle almost 6 months old already! It seems like just yesterday I was asking people what there predictions were for a due date. 

Belle is doing so well, she is making us a very proud Mom and Dad. Or for now "the one that feeds me" and "the fun one".

lip biting

She is rolling all around on the floor now and I am sure she will be crawling any day. She also becomes acquainted with new people by trying to force their hands in her mouth. She then proceeds to bite them to see if she likes them or not (she likes almost everybody). We are quite confident that this will be a temporary habit. If she still does it at the age of... 24, we will have a sit down with her. 

We are also sure she will be getting one or more teeth soon. Her gum's are bumpy and in the center bottom there is a bump with white on the peak. I do believe this is a tooth trying to get through (has been trying for a few months), and she will soon  have a toothy little grin.

sleeping rocks!

watching my feet!!

We are suspecting she will be trying her first bit of baby cereal soon. She is sitting up in a high chair on her own and trying to grab food from us just recently (it makes it a little tougher to have her on our laps for meal times.

She is also laughing a lot more now. Brandon and I are finding out what makes a Belle laugh and it is quite funny what sorts of things amuse her. Then when she is tired just about anything works. One of her favorites that is sure to get a reaction is when I kiss her tummy. She laughs so hard for that, especially on her sides. One of her most favorite parts of the day is when Brandon gets home from work and I hold her by the window so that she can watch him walk up the driveway. When he gets close to the door and gives her a big smile she always returns a big smile. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

small business in chilliwack makes big difference to us

As Belle is now 4 months we are for sure getting much more comfortable with the parenting business so far. I still text my sister-in-laws about way too minor things and panic over nothing, but that is insignificant. Belle is doing great on the whole. A bit of a plugged up nose and still teething, but she is rolling from her tummy to her back- alot. And her back to her tummy a little. She is laughing and smiling and loves all of her bright and colorful toys. One of the things she loves the most at this moment in time is her wonderfully cute reflection. A crying belletron almost always smiles in the mirror and a happy belletron just gets happier. Her favorite parts of the day are the morning and when Daddy gets home from work. The other day I was lying beside her and when she awoke around 9am from her beauty sleep she grabbed the hair on either side of my head, pulled me towards her and bit my nose. I opened my eyes (which were watering because I was in a bit of pain) and she was smiling up at me.
Today our family took a small outing together where we stopped at two of our favorite local businesses. We have five in total. And we thought we would take the opportunity to share them with the world...

Aromatica Fine Teas

This place is rad to get your tea fix at. They know a bunch about tea and actually enjoy what they do. That helps a lot. They love tea. Just go in there and sample some tea and talk about tea and learn about tea. You will love the experience. Because after all, tea isn't just a drink, it's an experience. It is located in the Minter Gardens on Young rd. And don't worry, just because it is located there does not mean that their costs are sky high... (I'm sorry Brian Minter, a plastic watering can is not worth $12.99) the tea shop is really reasonable.
www.myaromatica.com/


Nuggets Used Books

Locally owned by a super nice family. We do realize that the Bookman has got a bigger selection of books. But Nuggets has a really big selection AND we are greeted with a warm and friendly smile every time. That makes a big difference. Prices are really good. The book exchange is pretty swell if you are an avid reader that needs to unload some old books and walking through that book store and reading is what got me through a good portion of my labor.
The shop is located on Vedder Road right near the railroad tracks.

Peggis Donair

Peggis Donair is a super great price for the ginormous amount of veggies and delicious meat and sweet sauce that we can get filled up on. They are usually busy but move pretty darn quickly and they are very friendly. Brandon and I get a large Donair and share it by getting it put in two separate. The donairs are NEVER dry. They have been consistently good for us every time for the last two years.
They are located on Vedder near to Freds Tackle.

Studio 103

This guy named Reg started his own business within the last 5 years or so and he is awesome. He has his own salon in his house where he and his wife live and they are both super happy and super friendly outgoing people. He has been in hair forever (sorry Reg... but you're still vibrant), and has kept up with current fashion and trends. One of the nice parts about a visit to Reg (other than the fact that you can sit down and not worry about your hair and have a few laughs) is that it won't empty your bank account. I have gotten really good deals going to him for foils with long hair (that can be expensive). He also did our hair for our wedding and I can't imagine using anyone else. 

Wisbeys Produce

Located on number 3 road I guess technically it may be Yarrow and not Chilliwack, I am not sure. Brandon and I always shop here for produce when they are open (they are closed for winter and part of spring) but it is so nice to shop for yummy homegrown veggies and leave with a few bags full for less than 20 bucks. When this place is open it is wayyyy worth it not to pay those crazy high prices at a place like save-on foods (rip job!) or superstore even.

So those are the 5 local businesses that we endorse and we hope that you check them out. We also wish that the businesses would give us some sort of discount for endorsing them on the internet. But they don't have to in order to keep us coming back... but it doesn't mean we wouldn't like it...

coming soon... more pictures and a video of our sweety laughing at me...
 

Learning about newborns

So far we have learned a lot about babies.

They love to sleep and cuddle

They love to smile and stay awake

They love to sit in vibrating chairs and sleep

They can sleep through an entire clothing change

It is very tough to adjust to a life of looking out for oneself (and even a husband too. To looking out for a miniature person plus oneself (and even a husband too)... Or at least it has been for me. It is getting better each day. Easier in some ways. There is nothing I could have read to prepare for this. And quite honestly the best thing I have had to fall back on is prayer. Every single book I have read, and person I have talked to say things slightly different. When I have had a question I pray about things and I will usually feel good about doing something a certain way. That is the best way I have been able to function.
One thing no book can prepare you for, for sure, is how much love one can feel for such a small life form. She speaks in alien tongues to us, she moves her extremities around in nonsensical ways, and her hair is always spiking up at different angles. She is a mystery, and we have an eternity to figure her out.