Happy Hallowe'en!

Yesterday was one of the worst weather days we've had since we arrived here - lots of blowing/falling snow, high winds and it was dark and gloomy. There were parts of the road that you couldn't see in front of you because the snow was so strong. I tried to take some pictures and a quick video but my hands got so cold and shaky that nothing was coming out. That, plus we've used up our internet for the month and it doesn't get reset until tomorrow, so even loading this page took forever - let alone trying to upload some media.

Funnily, everyone kept telling me this was "nothing" compared to what I'd be seeing. Ummm....eek??

Committed

When I was in high school, my friends and I used to joke that you weren't in a committed relationship until you hit the 3 month mark - anything prior to that, either party had the ability to walk away and it wasn't serious. I was just thinking that we are a few days shy of being in Baker Lake for 3 months, so I guess it means we're committed to this relationship. We've survived the transitional hump of getting settled, and from here on out it's just...every day life. I'd say we're still in the honeymoon phase of figuring it out, but in an enjoyable way. So far so good.

Wish List

We're blessed to have so many awesome people in our lives who care about us and are looking out for us, and we appreciate every single one of you!

Quite a few people have asked us to post what sorts of things we would like/could use in a care package if one was being put together, so here is a list of things that we can always use/need/would like/miss from home (we will likely add to/edit the post as time goes on):

Cold Shock

Winter looks to have reached Baker Lake, and I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. The snow that showed up a couple of weeks ago has stuck around and although there have been snow falls here and there, nothing new seems to be sticking to the ground.

It has been crazy cold though, and it scares me to think that this is only October so we're looking at about 8 more months of this progressively getting worse! The other day it was -22 with the wind chill when I was heading into work, and the sun had barely risen over the horizon (it rises later and later every day, and sets earlier and earlier each evening). There is a also a lot of wind here, and I know I've mentioned it before, but I don't think I'll ever get used to feeling the house move when the wind is blowing strong.

We have also been getting a lot of freezing rain in the mornings - that doesn't help on roads that don't get salted/sanded. There's an intersection at the bottom of the hill from my work that has stop signs for people going up/down the hill, but not for traffic going left/right...unfortunately it's one of the more slippery areas in town and there have been many cars who slide right through the stop sign (while praying no traffic is coming). I'm overly cautious when I'm driving, and the ABS on the truck still kicks into gear as I'm coming down that hill. Extremely scary!

Be Careful

Living in an isolated community, there are a lot of things that we have to be mindful of that we never would have thought about at home. Not to say we were wasteful or extravagant in our habits, but there are just certain things you take for granted living in the South that you have to really think about here.

Sicky McSickerton(s)

We've both been battling a pretty hefty cold/flu this past week, so it's been quiet on the home front (aside from the sneezing, coughing, sniffling, etc.) . It knocked me out for most of Tuesday through Thursday and it started hitting Jeff on Wednesday and he's really suffering today. It's one of those viruses that any movement of your body takes all your willpower, so it's been tough to get going every day.

The upside is that it doesn't seem to last too long as I'm finally starting to feel better today - so I told Jeff there's light at the end of the tunnel! Lots of tea, soup and sleep has been on our agenda for the past few days...we're sick of being sick, let me tell you.

It's definitely one of those weeks where you're thankful it's Friday and we get a couple of days to be in our pajamas. I anticipate much rest in our near future.

-L

Flying in the North

The last thing you want after a very long week, is to hear that your flight's been delayed or cancelled. So we were pretty happy when our last day in Iqaluit looked pretty clear and our flight was scheduled to leave on time. Jeff, being miles away in Winnipeg, also had a clear go-ahead for his flight home and it looked like everything was going to work out for us to be home in time to have dinner together. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that everything is going to go as planned - as we both soon found out!

Quick Iqaluit Tour

The last day of my Iqaluit visit was comprised of a driving tour and some shopping - I was very excited to get balsamic vinegar, specialty chocolate and some warm mittens. It obviously doesn't take much to make me happy! I took a couple pictures to share:

Long Week

Still in Iqaluit, but  I'm ready to go home. It's been a good trip and the training that I came here for has been really informative, but I miss being around my stuff and seeing my husband every day! We actually figured that we will likely run into each other at the airport in Rankin, so it will be nice to see each other even before we get home!

As I'm writing this on Thursday night, I still haven't gone on my tour yet so I don't really have much to share (being in training all day, every day, kind of limits that). I'll try to share what's been going on for the past couple of days as best I can and hopefully not bore you too much! :)

Duty Travel

I had to travel a fair amount for my last job, so it's been nice that I've been able to stay home for my current job for the past while. However, I was excited when I knew I'd be doing a bit of travel here and there because it's always nice to get out and meet new people/see different places. Here, they call it "duty travel" - sounds so official. Both Jeff and myself are traveling for work this week; Jeff left for training in Winnipeg yesterday and I left for Iqaluit on Monday. It worked out really well because we're both home on Friday within a half hour of each other, so neither of us has to be home alone.

Home Sweet Home

Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Canadians!!
This year we are thankful for our lovely new home! Come on in for the tour. :)

Rumour has it...

Rumour has it that it's a very special little boy's 3rd birthday today!! Happy birthday to Liam, the best Godson I could ever ask for (and a handsome ring boy to boot!). We wish we were there to smother you with hugs and kisses, and you can show off all your cool toys. Skype tonight will have to do, but be forewarned that whether you're 3 or 23 - you will be showered with kisses each time I physically see you. xo

Rumour has it that we're getting our furniture delivered today! The barge dropped it off last week sometime, but there hasn't been anyone to sort through the inventory and arrange for delivery. Hoping today will be the day! It will be so nice to finally be able to say we're not waiting for anything else to come and we can make it our own.

Taking in a Show

On Friday, the students in town put on a play for the community and we were invited to come watch. Jeff was out of town, but I thought it'd be nice to do something different so I went to the school with our neighbour for the one-night-only performance of The Secret Garden.

Annually, an organization out of the US (I'm sorry, I forgot their name) travels around the world and helps students put on a play for their community. The group provides everything from direction to costumes and the set - the community just has to provide willing and eager students. Baker Lake did not disappoint, as there were a group of probably 40 students in the play, ranging from kindergarten to grade 12.