Accepted Offer

Well, we did it. We made an offer on a house in Ruston. We thought better to buy than to rent. We wanted an investment and to get back into the market again.
Hard to believe we are buying a house some place other than back home in Victoria!!
Our offer has been accepted. Everything closes on Friday.
It is a duplex, so we can rent it out and get income, which will help so much.
It's an old house, but a good investment. The property is large about 16,000 sqf. A great yard for the kids to play.
We will hold onto the house when we go back to Victoria.
Jeff is getting excited about fixing it up a bit. I can hear the happiness back in his voice.
He can't wait to get his hands on the house!
Next weekend will be busy – Halloween party for the kids, tricker treating, moving into our new place and I start at the centre on Monday! So much excitement!
Miss you all back home!
hugs

Getting up at 6 am!

Yikes 6 am is much too early to get up!
October 22
Went to look at two duplexes today in Ruston. Asking around $75,000. Would be great investment opportunity and a way to live in Ruston. There is much truth to southern hospitality. Everyone is so welcoming. 70 degrees today and raining.

October 21, 2009,
We just picked up Rhys from school. It was his fourth day. He is starting to get used to it. He is doing his homework with dad on the trailer table. Has to write three words that end in the letter "P".
He had hamburger, fries and ketchup and cake with icing for lunch. My goodness!
Trailer is very small for all of us. Hard to keep things in order and keep it clean not to mention can't find any time to yourself.

Jeff and I have been looking for possible properties to buy in Ruston. Would like to get an investment property, maybe a duplex to rent out and keep when we go back home.
You can get a shack that looks like a barn outside of Ruston in the country on one acre for $40,000. But we want to get something in Ruston. An average house is going for about $100,000 in Ruston, close to $200,000 for a really ice house.

Rents are relatively high, not much cheaper than in Victoria.
We will see how it goes.

Marsh mellows

Finally a sunny day in Ruston LA. Kids are outside by the camp fire roasting marsh mellows. Came home to ants in our trailer yesterday! yuck
Rhys had his second day of kindergarten. Actually had a reading test. Yikes. A bit intense. But seems to be enjoying school. Maybe it's harder on me! He gets homework next week!
I start at the training centre at the beginning of November. Can't wait. There are blind people all over the city. I've never been to a place where blindness isn't a big deal. I go into a store and the clerk talks to me like I am a normal person. Like I am in a different dimension where everyone's educated about blind people!

starting kindergarten

My son starts kindergarten tomorrow. Early start, 7:30 am to 2:40 PM a full day. They have uniforms. We shopped for this today. Cackie or black pants and polo shirts, either red, black or white.
My little boy looks so handsome all dressed up. Hard to believe. The school even has a cafeteria and provides lunches.

Thunder

Thunder today. Rain doesn't stop, pelting down. Did our laundry at the laundry mat in Ruston. Got Rhys registered at school. Will be so good when he starts. He needs to be with other children. We are going to look for rental housing tomorrow. I will be living at the centre apartments during the week days and at our family house on weekends. Drove by the centre apartments today. They are very nice, like town houses, not far from the centre. Crickets are loud tonight, now the rain has stopped. Finally got the kids to sleep.

Happy Thanks Giving from Ruston

Dear friends!

We are staying at a camp site called Antique Village about 10 minutes from the city of Ruston. Weather has been poring rain for the last few days. We were 20 KM away from a twister the other day. WE have been settling in. Finally got a cell phone so we can stay in touch with everyone back home.
Working on getting Rhys in Kindergarten and will be starting my training at the center at the beginning of November.
Had a wonderful turkey dinner to night in celebration of the Canadian thanks giving!
Miss you all.
Love
From the Lalondes.

--
End of September, 2009

The boys, Jeff and I left on our big adventure to Ruston Louisiana on Friday. We drove through Washington State, Oregon and now we are in Idaho. Staying tonight at an RV site with goats. Boys have been giving the goats bread. We are all well.
Very hot here. Feels like a dream. Reading Harry Potter as we drive! Great to lose myself in a book again! Drove by "Moon Crater today / touched real lava from volcano.

October 3, 2009
Reached Oklahoma yesterday. Today we are in Checotah. We drove for hours the last few days to escape the terrible icy winds in Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas.
Couldn't believe how cold it was. So glad I brought our winter coats.

One site in Kansas had an organic garden. Jeff and the boys picked tomatoes and a pumpkin, which is ripening in the back of the truck.

Don't always have a payphone to use and sometimes, if there is wireless at the camp sites, the connection is weak. So difficult to stay in touch with people back home.
We don't have a cell phone yet to use in the States. Will wait till we get to Louisiana.
The weather here is much nicer than when we were crossing the high Plaines; it is about 70 degrees in the evening. Starting to feel more like the south, a pungent, sweet smell in the air – a playground for the kids and even a pool!
We will stay here two nights as we desperately need a break from driving. The kids have been so good, but it is hard to travel for so long and to sit so much. Our backseat looks like it has been hit by a tornado – books, crumbs, empty cd holders litter the seat and floor.

We often lose our tempers, crowded in the truck or trailer for long periods, but we manage to rejuvenate ourselves between bouts and laugh and feel excitement about the great adventure we are on.

We're Here

Hello everyone,
We've made it to Ruston. I'll write more very soon.