Canadian Christmas

We had a very Merry Christmas with the O'Mahoney family at my parents home! We celebrated with both sides of our family - except for Dan's sister Kylie and her family as they live in BC and are expecting a new family member any moment! There were 22 of us for a turkey and ham dinner with ALL of the trimmings (thanks Mom for all of your hard work and preparation)! The O'Mahoney family is wonderful! Priscilla and Dominic are so friendly and willing to share about life in Australia. The children Bella, Emily and Tom are friendly like their parents and excited to try out boot hockey, sledding, ice fishing and snowmobiling - all of which we did that day! They were amazed by the frozen water and how slippery the ice can be. Tom loved the snowmachine and rode all over the lake - even tried a 360! Emily, Priscilla and Bella tried out boot hockey and were shooting like pros before we knew it and Dominic raced to a tip-up to try to bring in a fish - I'm sure it was a good one that got away.
Once the sun sunk below the tree line, it cooled down quickly and we all came inside to have a few drinks and to share stories and food. The conversation was rich and lively and it was as though we were all part of one big family. The children all played together as though they had known each other for years. It made me a bit sad that we won't be here to continue developing our friendship with the O'Mahoney's, here in Kenora but I can see that they will be in good hands. I'm sure our time in Australia will also be filled with new friends and experiences!
This memorable and wonderful Christmas day made me feel excited to start our adventure ... only 5 more sleeps!

Australia Comes to Canada

We are still days from leaving but I feel as though the adventure has already begun! On December 22, Dan and I picked up our new Australian friends at Winnipeg Airport. After their long travel, I think they were tired, yet excited to finally be in the country they will call home for the next year. We made our introductions and then piled their luggage into the van and made our way back to Kenora. It was a mild but dreary day and the scenery east of Winnipeg was flat and white. By the time we reached the Canadian shield, it was quickly becoming dark but we promised that they would wake up the next morning to a beautiful winter wonderland!
We arrived at our home and when they stepped out of the car onto the snow, they stopped and commented to one another "Listen to it crunch!" as they moved their feet. We were captivated by their wonder as they touched the fluffy snow with their fingers and giggled. It made us reflect on how we take the snow and cold for granted - even are annoyed by it at times.
We showed them around our home and then left for the night - THAT was a strange feeling. We knew that we could no longer just saunter into our home without knocking or calling. It was now their home for the next 365 days. We left, now homeless and headed out to my parents where we will stay until January 1.

Christmas Greetings!

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Countdown

The days are winding down and my stomach is tightening up! The excitement is building and the boys are packing up their bedrooms to make them ready for our exchange partners. There is still so much to do and so little time left to do it in. We have been busy cleaning and purging and soon we will begin packing. How do you pack for a family of five for a year in 5, 50lb suitcases?

I am looking forward to the summer season in Australia and to travelling a bit before settling into our new "home" and lifestyle. We are also excited to pick up our Australian Exchange partners at the airport in about a week. We are going to try to give them a real "Canadian Christmas" before heading off on New Year's Day. We have a real tree up in our house and the scent of pine fills the air. A big Christmas feast is planned along with ice fishing, skating and sledding. It should be a great time.
T.