As you can see it has been some time
since I up dated my blog!
The year has gone by in a blur.
Upon Arriving home from Africa/Europe,
it was time to get the taxes done,
but that was mixed with the final touches
to a building plan, getting the building
permit, and finally starting the building
by the beginning of May.
At the same time,
Ronald had made plans to return to
mainland US from the Island of Saipan.
He asked us to buy him a car.
We found what he wanted
(the blue Ford Focus Wagon)
about 50 miles north of Kelowna.
We picked the car up on a trip to
Revelstoke(my dad's home town)
there we meet up with some family
from Holland who had come again
to visit our 102.5 year old aunt.
Our first adventure in Revelstoke was to
drive to the top of the new ski mountain
above our hotel,
to view the valley and the village.
Left to Right:
Anneke, Luc,
Beth, Hector,
Lo, Hettie, Royce.
After that we picked up Aunt Ebba,
& went to her favorite restaurant
for a mid-afternoon meal.
(She is on the right
between my cousin Hettie and I)
The rest of the summer was consumed
with building a house on the property
we first owned (and lived at for 5 years)
when we moved to Kelowna,
(before Mai-Rhea was born).
This picture shows the beautiful hedge
surrounding our "estate".
It was probably the selling point for us,
we have always loved the hedge.
When the kids were small,
I was comfortable allowing them to
play in the fully fenced yard, that
was secluded from the eye of passers.
The house being only 2 steps
above the yard, made it easy
to supervise their play!
Our Cozy Charming Little House!!
Spring Time.
Winter Time.
The old house was sitting
on the middle of the lot,
and it is a lot that is big enough
to be sub-divided, and each lot
can have either a duplex,
or 2 houses on it.
So in order to proceed,
we had to remove the old house.
But we didn't start that process until
the new house was almost complete.
When we needed to disconnect
the utilities from the old house
in order to move them to the
new house, the renters lived in our
motorhome for the month of
September till the utilities were
reconnected and we got the
occupancy permit.
See progress pictures below.
Hector tamping the backfill
preparing to pour the cement slab floor.
Floor poured, garage still left to pour.
Just like magic, a house appears!!!
Stopping up all the traffic on Taylor Rd.
While the utility crews were working.
Then the north part of the old house
had to come down, so the underground
utilities ditch could be dug.
We left the bedroom end so the renters
were still able to store most of their stuff,
until actually able to move.
To all Realtor's...
This is how you really do an
"Open House"!
Here you can see the trench pretty much
going through where the living room,
and kitchen used to be.
The finished product,
landscaping
will have to be done in the spring.
Back to the year as it happened:
In July Hector and I went to Florida
for a week to celebrate Wailu's
(his oldest brother) 70th birthday.
Ronald and Tiffany had also come
for the celebration, while there,
friends sponsored
a baby shower for them.
We rented this neat red vehicle,
we had the choice between navy and red,
how hard could that be?!!
And with the stroke of a computer key
was able to change it into a brand new
Chimney Sweep Vehicle for Hector!!!
September Trip
My cousin's daughter got married
on the long weekend,
I drove for 4 hours,
Kelowna to Wenatchee Washington,
there I met Mai-Rhea, who had driven
4 hours from Vancouver, I left my car
in the parking lot of the SDA Church,
and with Mai and my cousin Carmela,
we drove another 4 hours
to Walla Walla Washington.
Jaqui Toews & Andrew Hellie
The cousins of Jaqui's mother Sharryl,
Left to Right:
Carmela Steinke Theroux,
Beth Versteegh Odiyar,
Karen Bannister Mathiesen,
Gladys Steinke Wentland,
Darla Ritchey McCarty,
Jaqui & Andrew,
Sharryl Ritchey Toews (bride's mom),
Rod Schafer.
Jaqui's first & second cousins
Left to Right:
Kelley McCarty,
Sonia Toews (bride's sister),
Allen McCarty, Mai-rhea Odiyar,
Kevin McCarthy,
Derrick Alikin
That same weekend we celebrated the
80th Birthday of
Leatha Steinke Ritchey
(my mom's youngest sister,
& grandmother of the Bride).
We also visited the wife
of one of my mom's cousins,
Grace Streifling
They had at one time lived in Kelowna
while her husband Gus was principal
of our Okanaga Adventist Academy.
Summer of 1960 they left as Missionaries
to Nigeria. We have stayed in touch,
and it was nice to see her.
Jadon Thomas Armogan Odiyar
We visited him at his home in Nebraska
when he was 10 days old,
and stayed for a week.
I am going to manage my own gift money!
Jadon with his mommy: Tiffany
Pete & Verna Blankenship,
Beth & Hector Odiyar,
Tiffany & Ronald Odiyar,
Jadon
Two months later we returned, on Dec 18
with Uncle Royce, and Auntie Mai-Rhea.
While there Santa actually visited us...
...and he brought Jadon, his first
Vancouver Canooks, (hockey) Jersey,
which came from his "auntie" Kelley
(my cousin's daughter, who like Mai,
had no sister, so they grew up very close).
Jadon, needed curtians for his room,
so his 2 grandma's went shopping.
Verna bought the material,
and I sewed them.
Brown may seem a little dark for
a baby's room, but it matches up with the
brown trunk on the tree, the blue trim is
leopard print and matches the walls!
the small blue dots you see are an
assortment of blue buttons.
Well Folks... that's it for 2011
Happy 2012 to all of you!!
