Well, we made it this far! Despite arriving 26 March 2009 and then our passports and PR visas getting lost in the mail till May!!

We'd promised ourselves we'd give it till now to decide whether or not to stay or go back to the UK. The jury's out but the verdict looks favourable

The first year or two was terrible - minimum wage jobs (because, in spite of all our experience, education and training, we didn't have 'Canadian Experience'!!) OH unable to get a permanent job (he's still only 'casual' in a full-time job he's now had for 2 1/2 years!) homesick children who needed me to be home (but I had to work because we were unable to sell our house!). We ended up with tenants who defaulted and trashed the house before we could get them out, leaving us with a £7000 legal bill and £3000 of repairs; a prospective tenant who 'borrowed' the key to look round, then used it to steal anything the tenants hadn't already sold!

Our luck had to turn at some point and early in 2010 I was able to get a better paid job - albeit with a commute to Calgary (in some of the worst weather I've ever experienced!) but fate hadn't quite finished with us yet.

We were renting a nice house (nothing's cheap here, but we'd counted on having the rent we were expecting to get from our UK home) but after 6 months, the landlord went bankrupt so the house was repossessed and we were about to be evicted by the bank!

Eventually, with days to spare, and with the help of the 'bank of mum and dad' to find the deposit and son & d-i-l helping get those magic mortgage figures, we managed to buy a house. The kids now have their own rooms we could decorate the way they wanted, a great family room for all their games & tv, spare room for visitors and a wonderful view of the Rockies

It wasn't all bad that first year or so - we made good friends with our neighbours and met others through work and a local group we joined, bought a tent and went camping a few times, discovered the salvage centre here in Okotoks - with that and the auction house in Calgary, we managed to get almost everything we needed and even some things off the 'wanted list'. Friends come over for visits and we take them places we want to see too

I keep telling myself we're 'pioneers' - but so much better off than the original pioneers who opened up the west - we do have medical care, good roads, schools (although the quality of teaching and support in some leave a lot to be desired!) shopping facilities and a good phone service.

So now all we have to do is cope with two kids who have become teenagers - complete with raging hormones - and deal with the underage sex, drugs and surfing the internet for porn

Wow - sounds like quite a ride you have had there.

Good on you for sticking with it and coming out the other side....

Its great that things have all come together for you!

Hi Geordie Lass

Many thanks for your kind words
Yes, it's certainly been a roller-coaster of a ride - i didn't dare write all the awful stuff that happened - everybody would think I was making it all up!! Honestly, I'd think that myself if I hadn't known better

As you say, we've come out the other end and onto a straight stretch - just time to get our breath back before life takes us round another loop-the-loop
As they say back in rainy old Yorkshire - we'll keep gooin' wit' yed dewn

Your really not setting your kids a good example at all here..you need to cut out the drugs tut tut.

oh go on dish the dirt - we want the whole story! LOL

Wow, you guys really have been through it haven't you! Glad you've stuck with it and didn't give up at the first hurdle and that things are now falling into place for you. May it continue to get better from here!

All the best!

Sorry cheekymoney can't do that - I need them to keep my blood pressure down to normal levels

Well done for sticking it out.

Renting our house in the UK is something I considered, but the thought of having a long distance rental scared the crap out of me. And as you've shown, for good reason.

I think I'd rather sell the house cheap if we have to, and not have that worry any more, then when we move over we can start afresh.

Good luck for the future, hope things don't get too mental for you

Soo good to hear a positive story,congratulations x