Just about home again...

What a whirlwind trip it has been! Well, it hasn't been that fast...after all we have been here since the middle if August. But now, looking back on it, it weeks to have flown by.  It is Monday night, our bags are packed and we fly back tomorrow with mixed feelings and many memories.
On one hand, it will be wonderful to be on our own house again, to cook our own food and to host people in our house instead of us being hosted. We have met SO many interesting people across both Canada and the States. We have seen many amazing sites, National Parks, and experienced many different cultures as we have travelled. Do you realise just how far we have gone? I was comparing, just for fun, and to drive from us in Klaus in Austria to Blagowashensk on the Russia-China border is just shy of 10,000km! That means that we could have driven there and back again one and a half times! Or we could have driven to Australia and almost all the way back again. Well, we arrived safely back at my parents, where we started the driving trip, and we could have kept on touring.  It is alright in one place but it was wonderful just being together.
Jonathan writes:
"We arived in Brockville just in time for supper. We were happy when we could eat and then sleep. The next day we went to church in Westport and then had lunch at Shelley and Peter's. The next week went to church in Brockville and we went to Swiss Chalet for lunch. That day we just slept and relaxed."

Since coming back we have finished up schoolwork, visited our old church in Westport and then gone back to go Christmas carolling with them, and the kids have visited with friends.  We experienced our first Canadian Christmas in 12 years, the only one here in the forseeable future.
Having arrived in Brockville Rebecca was able to finish the quilt than she started in Alberta. She then decided to give it to Elena as a Christmas present!

Dominik took the four oldest kids and they drove up to our property, to cut down our own Christmas tree. The road in the last 3km is just a three-season road and the tired on the van aren't special snow tires so they had to hike in from the mill. They had a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies, making it a perfect day for their outing. They fired up the gas stove and made soup for lunch and they even tried out the old snowboard that we have at our cabin on a very little hill.  Then they cut down the tree and hiked out, dragging the tree the 3+ km back to the car. Even Jeremiah managed it all, although his legs were sore that night!

After Christmas, where the kids enjoyed the leisurely opening of gifts on Christmas morning, Dominik and Jonathan drove again up to out cabin on Boxing Day to stay there overnight. The weather had warmed up quite a bit so the timing was great. We also have a woodstove there so the boys were warm and toasty!

We've taken the kids out individually here too, for finishing their math or just to have some time together. Fortunately they all requested different things so we had some variety! A Canadian breakfast from the Tincap Restaurant for Jonathan and I, a smoothie with Rebecca, Tim Horton's with Jeremiah and Elena and Dominik went to the kids play area at McDonald's!

Today I was treated to a pedicure at a spa (a great present!) and when I left it I discovered the headquarters of ISIS across the road! Well, honestly, there IS a shop there with that name but it sells fancy dresses for women! Talk about being completely different! But really, I wonder that the owner if the shop hadn't changed it's name!
Now it's time to sleep! The bags are mostly packed and we have said our good-byes to our friends. Soon we will be back and celebrating the New Year with friends who are meeting us at our flat in Klaus! We wish you all a Happy New Year too!!! See you in 2015!