Home is where your story begins

 Tomorrow the new owners take possession of Hunter House. As I lock the doors for one final time, twenty eight years of wonderful memory's while living in the house on Hunter ave. comes with me.

 Tear down committee 

And now add water

Dad's sidewalk builders

 We had 2 boys, and twin girls, and another baby due. The little house we were living in was feeling very tiny and so the hunt for a bigger house was on! I gave our real estate agent/friend

Old deck gone!

at the time the list of what we required...mostly just more square footage and near Heritage Elem. School.
 When we found Hunter House, it didn't really have everything I wanted...like a back entry so the kids could take off their wet and muddy shoes .... it had a backyard that we could gate. We thought that this house would be a stepping stone to a larger bigger dream Pedde home. But life happens and you live life and carry on. 

Tracey, "wanna play"

Hunter House was just not a house, it became a home as soon as we started to unpack and then getting ready for the baby. We ( my friend Joan and I) {Don and kids were at a family reunion in Chilliwack BC} brought Tracey 'home' from the hospital.

Dog pile on Dad

The neighborhood was filled with kids riding bikes up and down the street (all before the street became part of the bus route). There were giant neighborhood water fights that even the children's Aunt Kathy, who flew in especially for a family summer turkey dinner, had participated in the epic battle ! Out of all the water fighters she was the only one with road rash!  Over the years, I did had have fun

bike riding on Hunter

picking out the sand,grit out of gums, knees,

Soaking

elbows, ...and the constant supply of band aides and trips to the e.r.
 It was nice to enjoy those many
lazy summer evenings sitting on Mrs.Coppins front steps drinking coolers while our kids played street hockey or joined a giant neighborhood hide and go seek! 

GG Toop

The kids loved Halloween and sometimes they would find items around the house and try and decorate the front yard...like the huge black garbage bag spider that they put on the roof. The trick or treaters liked that we would blare music from Tracey's bedroom window..songs like Thriller, Monster Mash and the theme from Ghost busters! 

Trick or Treat

Come winter, I don't think the kids cared much for shoveling the snow..especially our drive way that goes all the way to the back fence.They wanted me to buy a snow blower..instead I bought 5 snow shovels! So we all could go out and so do major snow removal..and have hot chocolate when we were done.
  We were always thrilled and pleased when we would come home from Judo or other events and find our drive way was done! Thank you to Ed, Nick, & Mel?!? 

Merry Christmas

 Almost every weekend there seemed to be a sleep over!  There would be wall to wall bodies....watching movies, or playing Nintendo or Xbox, and many trips to the fridge. If the kids were not at home, they were nearby, across the street, down the street or just around the corner, it was a safe place to hang out.

Judo

I think that is what I really wanted,was to have a safe place for my children to come home, with their friends. I always say, that my coffee pot is on, there is a bottle of wine ready...my door is always open.
 We were thrilled to have family, friends come and stay with us, or just doing a  Pit Stop At Peddes! The visitors came from Fort St.John, Greenwood, Grand Forks, Beaverdell, Chilliwack, Vancouver, Chetwyn, Sundrie, Airdrie, New Zealand, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Munich, Whitehorse,Johannesburg S.Africa & Prince George. We always try to be hospitable, with a BBQ, large family dinners, home made pizza feast, or a simple cup of coffee!

living the life

I think one the best dinner parties was my mom's 79th birthday turkey dinner in the back yard..no paper plates..all good dishes...linen's.
 We celebrated Tracey's baptism in the front yard, and we had Nathan and Grace's wedding in the back yard. Each child had a gradation BBQ complete with family and friends! 

Caitlin & Kim

Grandpa Arno at the Grad. BBQ

4 Generations of Pedde's

Nathan & Grace's wedding

Tracey Grad

Aunty Karen with Nathan and Grace

 One winter, as a treat we rented a hot tub!

I think we lived in there, making sure we got our monies worth. The kids invited friends, and so did I, from Lisanne, Karen, Mary...oh my friend Mary! (I smile and chuckle even today!) she arrived at the house with water wings, life saver, life jacket, over her bathing suit complete with red lipstick..she had the whole Pedde Fleet in stitches..(yes I did take a photo!) I think we all sat in the hot tub talking, laughing,

One of Ashton's visits

until Lisanne yelled from across the street that we will look permanently like prunes!
There was also that time at Andrews grad.BBQ sitting in the hot tub with my sister in laws Kathy, Karen &  Lynn when the RCMP arrived...another story for another time!!!!

Phase 1 of  yard reno

 As the children finished high school and left home, I enjoyed the quieter side of life, puttering in my flower beds and garden, having family, friends and grand kids  come to visit. Sometimes I just like to sit by  the fire pit with a glass of wine enjoying life.

Phase 2 of yard reno

 


I know the house was small, it was filled with family, friends, memories, fun, laughter, tears but lots of love. 

4 generations of Hennig's 

Audrey, Ashton, Donnie, Aleah 

Donnie helping to blow out candles
one of the many dinner parties 

Easter Egg Hunt

Last Easter Egg Hunter at Hunter House

I hope you have your home filled with love & laughter, and that you are as lucky as we were to live in a neighborhood like we did. 
 
And this is for The Pedde Fleet! 
  Home is where ever your momma is baking Cinnamon Buns! 

Thank you Hunter Ave….Cheers! 

 So,today starts a new set of adventures!

 Coffee is on, and I have wine!

Until Next time