Home Sweet Homestead

It's been ten days since we arrived in Dawson Creek and it is starting to feel like home. We have been blessed by each and every interaction with new friends (those in our church community, neighbours, and even grocery store clerks!). The people here are so friendly, welcoming, and willing to help, and as a result our primary emotion would be gratitude.  

Our house was cleaned top to bottom by some lovely ladies at North Peace MB Church so that it was spic and span for our arrival. They also left meals and snacks in our fridge!

We have been invited to dinners where our kids have quickly made new friends while the adults enjoyed hours around the table sharing stories and laughing like old companions. We have been sent home from these dinners with armfuls of leftovers, new house plants, and very full bellies and hearts. 

People we've never met have dropped by with beautiful handmade gifts, eager to welcome us to the community. 

Our neighbours have walked us through the history of our farm and are willing to help when it comes time to harvest the hay and prepare for livestock. They have also taken the time to show us how our water filter is supposed to work and what to expect during each season, where to find the best firewood trees, what to do during the flooding of run-off in the spring, when to plant a garden, and much more. 

In some ways it feels like we have moved to a different part of the world; the language is the same, but the landscape, climate, flora and fauna are much different. And yet love covers all these differences and as such, our transition has been smooth and pleasant. 

We are so grateful. Praise God!


Our pets are pretty content!

We see deer, elk, moose and a variety of birds here all the time. The best time to view them is just as the sun rises and sets.

We have had blue skies every day since we moved!

Just some gorgeous angus cows at our friend's ranch

Marmalade likes to sleep directly beneath our bird feeders

"Mom, I'm winter kayaking!" ~ Judah

We got to visit our friends' sawmill in Bay Tree, Alberta

The creek running through our land gets high during this time of year

Judah helping his new buddy feed cattle 

Papa and Judah making good use of the burn barrel

Home sweet home!

A riveting game of Scrabble


Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 30, 2022 at 1:23 PM

    What's a Hildebrand blog post without a board game photo to cap it all off! Glad to see you guys are settling in so well!

    The Zhuangs

    ReplyDelete
  2. KellyApril 5, 2022 at 7:49 PM

    So happy to hear you have been warmly welcomed! Our loss is DC's gain :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Friends were here (but not really)

Image
2 February 2022 Our family has been sick with one thing (*cough*, Covid) or another (*ugh*, Norovirus) for over two weeks now. Everyone is on the mend but there are some lingering symptoms that have meant we have been canceling and postponing events. Inasmuch as I dislike “losing” two weeks that could have been spent visiting with precious friends and family members, it has been a blessing to have so much time as a family of five. The kids and I are together All. The. Time (I passionately adore my job as a homeschooling stay-at-home mom–I wouldn’t trade it for anything!) and we love our rhythms, but it’s been a very busy season for David as he wraps up ministry at Northview and transitions to working on the Creekside Fellowship church plant, so we have been feeling the lack of Daddy Time.  Gross symptoms aside, none of us minded having so much forced down time where we bonded over playing board games, reading books, watching movies, taking very short (and slow paced) walks when the...
Read more

These past few weeks

Image
Judah is pretty pumped that he found a moose skeleton " Awesome friends with awesome horses Zamaya and "Oatmeal" Aria and Natalia (best swim coach ever!) at the kids' first swim event. Aria says, "I only cried a little bit." The snow melt has resulted in a new river of water snaking through our fields. When life gives you water, make boats! This was our Sabbath day, hence the PJs ;)  At our dear friends' wedding. I like this guy a lot! Judah and "Muesli" Thrilled to be swimming with his new buddy from church Bacon, Waffles, Pancakes, Oatmeal, Muesli, Cheerios, Omelette, PopTart, Fruit Loops, Eggo and Toast! Aria and Little Joe "Eggo" and Zamaya (and her new teeth!) Patiently waiting for her 10 caterpillars to transform into pupa Apparently swim goggles work for many things! Proof that David finds the puppies endearing, even though he puts on a tough front Aria and "Cheerios" "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases...
Read more