1. Anissa’s last day of her first year of preschool, which ended with a lovely surprise farewell picnic.
2. A very-early birthday party for Anissa (which was actually more of a farewell bash) at the Children’s Museum of Portsmouth. She had a blast with all the wonderful little friends she’s made in New Hampshire during our 20-month stay there.
3. Packing up and moving out of our home in Newmarket, only 10 months after we had moved in. Goodbye Ladyslipper Drive, farewell NH and all the friends we made there - you’ve been very good to us!
4. A fun-packed visit to Montreal where the girls got spoiled by Mama Jo, Uncle Aziz and Aunty Eolie, and we got to hang out with our "old" gang. It felt like we had never left.
5. A crazy real-estate-hunting frenzy in Calgary, while camping out in Memere and Pepere’s camper trailer, during which I found and bought a house before Mehdi had even arrived. Once the moving truck with our car in it all the way from across the continent arrived, we packed up and headed up north to Wandering River.
6. Living the country life out on my parents’ farm. In the 10 days we’ve been here, Anissa has been golfing, gardening, driving tractor, feeding buffalo, quading, and frolicking (and even had her first sleep-over) with her cousins. Elianne has been getting more than her fair share of lovin’ from everyone, and is no longer a newborn (over 3 months old!). We’ll all be busy driving my parents, brother, sister-in-law and their kids crazy until we get possession of our house in Calgary at the end of June.
For anyone who didn’t know yet, Mehdi has a job at the University of Calgary which starts in July. So after 11 years away from Alberta, I’m back in the prairies, family in tow. The first week here, I kept saying things like, "The girls will just get used to the time change and it will be time to go back." It’s slowly starting to sink in that this is home again, after all those years. The East was wonderful and will always hold a huge place in my heart, but it feels so very good to have come back home.
(Someday, when I’m not blogging using my parents’ dial-up connection, I will make the effort to learn how to make a slide-show. For now, here’s some shots of the last few weeks…)
The (not quite yet) birthday girl.
One final playdate with her best neighborhood buddy, Aubrey.
Mama Jo et ses filles.
Reunion with Mariella.
Calgary Zoo.
First time on the greens (Elianne is sleeping in the car seat in the cart).
Elianne during one of the rare moments not in someone's arms.
