I'm getting in trouble from family members for not updating. Seems they knew more of what was going on in my life when I was 3 time zones away than they do now.
We are all well and I am amazed at how adaptable we are. Richard is up early everyday and off to work. It still surprises me a bit that he isn't around anymore during the day. Matthew asked every morning for the first month whether daddy was home. I am still doing a bit of schooling with the kids. Jenna and Catherine are finishing their math books and they are reading books over the summer. Matthew is just starting to read so I don't want to stop and have him lose all his momentum. So, our mornings are full and our afternoons are spent rediscovering Abbotsford and getting together with friends.
Richard got a job with Acosta which is a food brokerage company. His office is in Langley so he is very thankful that he doesn't have to cross the bridge and get stuck in rush hour traffic. It takes him 20-30 minutes to get to the office. He enjoys his work but I think he feels the same as me in thinking that real life can never be what it was before our trip. We are caught up in the busyness but we both know how quickly and effortlessly we could jump off the track and do something adventurous again (not that we have anything planned).
The kids and I spent a week at our favorite camp in the middle of June. We managed to get spaces at Camp Homewood on Quadra Island for a homeschool family camp. Unfortunately it wasn't the same without Richard but we managed to have a good time regardless. This camp offers horesback riding, canoeing, sailing, riflery, archery, crafts and many more activities. The kids had lots of fun reconnecting with friends. I would see Jenna and Catherine briefly in the morning and at night. The rest of the day they were off with friends doing activities. While on the way to camp I was able to stop and visit a friend in Campbell River. Richard spent the week moping around the house.
So now the hot weather has finally hit and it is starting to feel like summer. Time to think about going to the lake. We have had lots of cold, wet weather. I think all of us have lost our tans.
So, you are all wondering. What has this trip done for us, how has it changed our lives? Firstly, I think it has brought us much closer as a family. The kids have formed a close bond with both Richard and I and with each other. We will have fond memories to share with each other over and over in the years to come. I also feel a bond with North America. Newfoundland, Key West, Miami, Texas are no longer exotic sounding places, out of reach, unfathomable. They are real and immediate to us, filled with memories. I feel a bond with those places now. There is no more mystic. Secondly, we look at life in terms of opportunities, not assets. Life is so short and yet all we have energy for is accumulating assets....for what. I think we feel a freedom now that if a great opportunity comes along we will jump at it. We did it once and now it is easier to contemplate doing it again. So, like I said, real life isn't real anymore to us, we have this great experience that will continue to colour our tomorrow.
Our new real life involves me getting back into the work force. I have accepted a position with Heritage Christian Online School based in Kelowna. I will be working with homeschool mothers, ensuring that they meet the Provincial Learning Outcomes for particular grades. This is an easy way for me to step back into working without changing our homeschool lifestyle.
So there you go, now you are all updated. I will try to get some pictures posted....but don't hold your breath, it took me 2 months to do this.
My sister, my mom and I in Toronto
My niece Heather and my nephew Nathan (he's not the groom)
Catherine going down the enema slide.
This photo shows the enema slides to the right and the Valley of Fear on the left.
Matthew, Rachel and I going on the Valley of Fear.
