Here we go!!!!

Well here George goes!!!, He has got the job and signed contracts, handed his notice in at work AND will start his new job in Saskatoon on the 3rd January 2011. As the house hasn't sold we are going to reduce the price in February and try that if not we will look at renting and last resort auction but me and the kids will join him in May June time. Wardrop are paying his expenses at a hotel or apartment for 6 months and food, so it will give us a little grace!! He is also being flown home every 4 weeks for a week with us. So it will soon be all change,I have decided not to do anything until the new year as far as getting quotes for the animals transport, flights and removal companies! Lets get Christmas out of the way first, then I will get my teeth into this project.

I have started e baying everything in sight though as this house is a tar-dis, but we are really excited and feel a bit over whelmed by it all at the moment as this has been a long time coming.

Signing off a very happy Adele :)

A slow 2010!

Immigration went very well back in March with no problems at customs or with IO. The house here in the UK still hasnt sold though we have had a good few viewings a couple of weeks ago. I spent the summer in Spain with the kids at my dads house and relaxed whilst the kids spent every day for amonth in the pool!!! perfect!

Now we are back and have had some interesting news!! Wardrop have been in contact with George after a friend of ours went with them out to Saskatoon. They interviewed George and have asked for referees and a second interview this week, not sure how this week will pan out but we will have some serious decisions to make about how this will work if the house hasnt sold!! Fingers crossed x

We are landing in Toronto in March! yippee

We have booked flights for Easter to go to Toronto and pass through immigration. We are very excited, as this will mean we activated our PR and get our official PR cards. We have spoken to the relatives in Canada, who have offered us a place to stay and help with agencies etc, they have been wonderful, one cousin has even sorted a bank account out for us.

The trip is for two weeks and unfortunately we still need to return to the UK to sort out a few things but hopefully before the year is out, we will permanently be out in Canada.

Things are starting to pick up on the employment front as well, one company that interviewed George in Calgary in 2008 have been in contact and said they will have a position available in a few months so it may work out well. We have noticed alot more jobs being advertised as well. Fingers crossed.

So all looking very promising and we now have the ball rolling again. YAY me!

VISAS

Today we received our Visas via recorded delivery from CIC. Nearly swept the postman off his feet and kissed him (i said nearly) What a mixture of emotions, I smiled, then burst into tears, then phoned George!!! cried again!! cant believe it so happy but there I am crying, I think it has been mentally and emotionally draining!! the relief is immense, I know we still have to land and go through immigration but we are nearly there. WOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

PPR

We received a letter from CIC asking us to submit our passports for visas!! The letter is dated 23rd June and we got back from Spain on 28th to it. Monday 30th posted passports, more photos, updated form and a self-addressed envelope and mailed it right back to them!!!

Got all my fingers crossed for the next 2 weeks, cant wait.............

Confirmation of blood results

Well we received the confirmation of our blood results last week within 10 days of the medicals and everything was ok. This confirmed the fact that the med centre had posted the file etc to CIC so we inturn posted the RPRF on Tuesday to CIC, and we wait now for PPR. In the meantime a lot has happened over the last 6-8 weeks. Georges dad passed away in May and has devasted us all, we have had alot of trips up and down from Liverpool what with the funeral and sorting the house and other stuff. We have also had a Spanish girl with us for 8 weeks and have been teaching her english hopefully successfully!!! House viewings and cats and more work!!! we are exhausted, and in desperate need for a rest the immigration process alone is stressful but with everything else, anyway we have booked just 5 days in Spain at my mothers and fathers where they live and will hopefully get some sun and beach rest. Our heads are spinning!!!

We look forward to moving on in this process and we are positive that when visas come we will secure employment and hopefully sell the house soon if not rent it out and be away sooner rather than later.

Woo Hoo!!!

OMG we got med requests today!!! cant quite believe it but the brown envelope landed this PM and tho and behold with my heart beating at an astonishing level, as my hands frantically opened the envelope and expecting bad news or a request for further information, there in black and white were the two most beautiful boxes ticked .... Medical requests and please pay the final fee. Never have i been happier to pay such a lot of money hehehehehehehe....

Well its Posted

We have managed to post all our documents and received confirmation via Royal Mail track and trace that it was delivered to the High Commission on the 12 March 2009. Now we sit and wait !!! Well maybe not sit because we are both working flat out at the moment,I'm trying to declutter the house and get rid of some of our stuff!!! It has been up for sale since January and it looks like it could be a while yet, we dont mind because really I dont want to move into rented it would be nice for it all to fall into place, but we up for last minute changes and are prepared to amend our plans to suit whatever happens.

I have just taken on 8 hrs a week working for Bagpipecovers.com doing the general admin, accounting , orders etc its good work that i can do at home to fit in around everything else i do.

I have just advertised my new business dog walking and petsitting and have been surprised by the response. I have bookings over the next few months for pet sitting and have taken on quite a few regulars on the dog walking side of things. All good exercise!!

OMG 90 days nearly up!!!!!

Well after a stressful tearful 90 days we are nearly there, we are just waiting for my police certificate to come in hope fully early this coming week and thats it!!!! ~Its strange the pile is full and we may have to pull a few things out as not needed but my only small concern is the proof of funds thing and we have plenty in the house but will they accept that or will they come back and ask for the liquid funds speficified. I have heard conflicting advice on various forums and still not sure what to do for sure, we can at a push arrange for cash to arrive and in the building society account but would rather not have to arrange this transfer and rely on the funds in the house as sufficient!!!

Havent blogged for a long time, really feel that its tempting fate, and holding back but as the day draws close to deadline, feel that the sleepless nights are unbearable the not knowing and the thoughts if we get turned down now all hope has gone, the list is changing and the will no doubt dissappear during this year. Leaving the only option as job offer and TWP!!!! which in this current climate impossible!!!

DOOM and GLOOM i know but this was never going to be a quiet relaxing ride!!!!

On the upturn for my friend who was hoping to go to Nova Scotia, took our advise to visit Expos and has a job offer and will there for July this year, some people have all the luck eh!!!!!!???? They are however not going to Nova Scotia but Ontario and the area we were looking at!!! could spit with envy. I am really please for them but we have researched this for years and waited in the queue (I know not as long as some!!) but why is it that the people that dont really try or research or even take advice!! get to go just like that.,, This feels good i must try to blog on a regular basis from now on...........

90 day letter!!!!

We received our 90 day letter on xmas eve, quite a xmas present eh!!!! it was very unexpected as we were aware things had speeded up but still thought our 90 day lette rwould be Jan 2010. Well we quickly got to work and have most things now but need to sort it into order and await the final bits!!! Xmas was great we had a very nice quiet family xmas my sister and her husband that usually join couldnt this year as her hubbys brother died very suddenlyin December at the age of 46 leaving Gill with 4 ,a truly terrible time for them and my heart goes out to them, you are continually in my thoughts.

I got offered a job with the Inland Revenue but a full time post which i really cant do, i applied for part time, and they have noted my file that, when they start taking on part time they said they would call me. I have been very busy with the dog walking and pet sitting anyway so really secretly pleased. I am now walking three hours a day with dogs and losing a shed load of flab from having 4 kids in 6 years. Well its firming up anyway, who wants a warm sit in the office all day job anyway!!!

Our friends who were looking at Nova Scotia and had flights cancelled with Zoom have landed themselves a job in Pickering Ontario, lucky things and are going out in July to start the job, so jealous!!! this has happened very quick for them and they havent even visited Canada yet! Good things come to those who wait eh!!!! I can still keep beleiving in that!

Anyway the cats and kittens still come and go, we have had quite a few its great and they keep me smiling through all the stress and worry and sleepless nights.

I haven't blogged for while, George had an interview with a company and we were very patiently waiting for news. They have come back to us now saying they are being cautious in the current climate and will be in touch in the new year!! so the wait goes on, or maybe not!!! We were disheartened but have now moved on.

I have thrown myself into my volunteer work and as our current Rainbow leader is off around the world, have found myself running the full show whilst shes away. It good fun but very busy and the night flies past so quick, we have 17 rainbows aged between 5 and 7 yrs they then leave us to go to Brownies.

My other volunteer project at the moment is fostering and home checking work for the local Cat Protection unit which I am totally loving! its very hard not to get attached but with Canada in site the cost of shipping animals is such that our current 4 pooches is enough to keep me from wanting any more!!! This week Jess and Shadow left us for a lovely home nearby in Maryport to a very nice lady in a very big house, and its when you see them go somewhere good that makes it worth while though saying goodbye was very hard. I quickly recruited two more tiny kittens to keep me occupied and they are soooo cute! They will need alot of care as they have never been outside their cage and are very timid, so this project will be good for me and them.

I have also applied for a job with a view to returning to work now Thomas is in nursery, it will take a little adjustment for everyone but the money will come in very handy and it will give me a chance to have some adult conversation. My current job dog walking is great and good exercise but is very dependent on bookings and can change from week to week. If the interview does not go well next week I think I will advertise the dog walking more and try to get some more customers.

A family wedding!!

Well this weekend saw our neice Lesley get married, so we went off to Liverpool for a Trotter wedding! It was nice catching up with the family and the kids loved it, as for most of them this was the first wedding they had been to.

It was a welcome relief for us, as we have been on tender hooks for a few weeks awaiting a response for a job offer!!! My husband had a phone interview just over three weeks ago and we have been waiting their response, we had an email on Thursday to say that they had plans for my husband and were just sorting out a few details and time scales etc and would be in touch with us as soon as they were finalised. What this means we dont no but it wasn't a definate no!!! so we go on waiting!!! and hoping!!! The same company has offered a work collegue of Georges
a job and they are off to Saskatoon in 12 weeks, lucky peeps! they are in a better position than us though they are in rented accom at the mo and only have one baby so move could be less complicated.

Nightmare!!!!

My friends were heading out to Nova Scotia on a holiday of a lifetime this October 14th, the same day we went last year to Ontario. They had booked with Zoom!!!!!!!! and now have to wait 12 weeks for refund, they are gutted, this trip meant everything to them, they have had thoughts of emigrating and were checking out Halifax and surrounding areas, but now they are left in limbo, as with no funds they cannot rebook their trip!! They had been planning this all year.

I feel bad for them but I'm sure they will pick themselves up and sort out a future trip.

We on the other hand are still waiting!!!!! and waiting!!!!

Putting the house on the market this week though, but not a good time for selling !! Lets hope our house is a must have!

I have started something big!!! We have for sometime wanted to leave the country and after a move to Cumbria in June 2004 we made a pact that the next move would be to emigrate! I had always had sights on Canada and George my long suffering husband quite fancied New Zealand! so started our journey to choose which country would suit us the best and had the best opportunities for our ever growing family.

After much homework, research and many discussions, we decided to take a trip to Canada and visit George's Aunt and Uncle in Spencerville Ontario. We went to Ottawa, Algonquin National Park, Toronto and Niagara in a huge RV, we had a great time we took in some sights, visited countless cousins! and fell in love with Canada!

We have four children all very young and we are wanting to get out to Canada as soon as possible! My eldest daughter will start senior school in September 2010, we made this our goal, after filing our simplified application in February this year 2008, we set about job hunting but also wondering what Alberta was like!!! We visited George's other cousin this year in Drayton Valley and also loved this though both provinces were different we liked them for these differences and decided that we could live in either, so where ever a job became available we would go for it!

We have been to 2 emigrate show and the London Expo this year. The expo was a little more interesting as a few companies were interested in my husband and have been in touch recently. We have fingers crossed that something happens from this as we really went out on a limb to get the London Expo.

The pictures posted here are from our first trip to Ontario. We hired an RV (huge!!!) and travelled around, stayed at Algonquin National Park, it was great! Some wonderful scenery and good camping!