Eden is driving!!!

Well, I guess it had to happen eventually.  Eden is our first child to be on the road!!  Ottawa has less public transport than London did so Eden is pretty excited to be working towards her license.  She asks to drive at every opportunity!!  She is learning well and doing a good job.  She is looking forward to getting her full license and it will be nice for us to have another taxi driver in the house!!

Friends 4 Dinner

During the Christmas season we had the privilege of hosting some Moroccan students for a Christmas meal.  It was a fun event for all of us.  We are already looking forward to the next time we can have them over!!

Building a house in Kindergarten!

Zachariah building a Gingerbread house!

Perspective is a wonderful thing, although often lacking in the stories told by the little ones.  Zachariah came home from school very excited about us coming into his classroom to help him build a house.... a house we asked, that seems like a pretty big project for one morning in Kindergarten.    We were informed with great assurance that this would be enough time as the house is only for one person so not as big as a normal family home.

It didn't take a lot of guessing for us to be pretty sure we were coming in to make Gingerbread houses.  With great excitement on the day we showed up ready to build our house!  I looked at the supplies we were given and asked Zachariah who exactly he was planning to have live in this house? The classroom Elf he said with surprise that I wouldn't know such an obvious answer.   When my facial expression still didn't look to be that of one with all the knowledge he proceeded to explain to me that the Elf in the classroom looked like a toy but in reality was a real elf that played in the classroom when all the children went home!!  it looks like THE ELF ON THE SHELF really lives in Ottawa!!

Unfortunately, the elf is still looking for a new home.  We may have eaten the one we made for him!!

Ottawa fun... a taste of normal!

The move to Ottawa has been interesting as I am sure anyone who has moved countries would admit is normal.  The move is the easy part, the transition is somewhat harder and takes a longer time.  We have now been here for three months and are honestly feeling settled (or at least appropriately settled for the amount of time we have been here).  There are so many things we miss about our friends, family and home in the UK.  Life runs differently here and we have to relearn what that looks like.  We are so thankful for the bursts of NORMAL that go beyond our expectations.  Last Sunday Eden and I (Eileen) went downtown to stroll, have lunch and just relax with two friends and their daughters who are both Edens age.  A simple gesture of friendship from them that spoke Life for us.  The idea that slowly normal was returning... 

The First Snow

Zachariah & Jeremiah with their snowman.

The first snow came this weekend and the kids were pretty excited. 

Waking up on a Sunday morning to a blanket of white is idealistic for your first winter.  

We will have a lot of snow this summer and the kids will enjoy it but we are sure as the winter goes on there will be more snow than even children can be excited for so today....  we are enjoying it!!

Ottawa!!!

We've done it!!!  

We are now moved!  It takes a while to feel settled and there are lots of new things to get used to and learn how things work.  At this point we can say that we are doing well and settling in.  We are no where near settled, but that is something only time can do. 

The kids are enjoying their schools, at least as much as kids can enjoy School. 

Thankful!

Thanksgiving day pumpkin pie in Canada!
(made by Eden)

 These last few months have been busy, maybe hectic would be the better term.  Not the type of hectic we normally talk about but instead the hectic that has your emotions up and down so fast you find yourself asking “hmmm... that was an interesting reaction”.  The process of moving had been simple in some ways, difficult in others, traumatic even at times but through it all there has been times of fun, relaxing and even enjoyment.