A CASE OF YOU

Last week, we celebrated our Canadian heritage - on July 1 to be precise! Well, not mine but, that of my dear husband and my little part-Canadians. There's no way we'd miss celebrating Canada Day and this year we did so with all the oomf and passion we could muster in the cold, wintery weather all the while reminding ourselves that "cold and wintery" is relative (you see, I did travel to and live in Canada for years and of course, my dear husband is Canadian).

Pine Trees all round helping to remind us of Canada....if only we could see them more clearly :)

Canada Day raises a tonne of emotions for us; emotions not confined to Canada Day. We feel so very grateful and lucky for all that has us living in Australia (and for this country in general) but we do miss Canada and our friends and family there. While we miss, we accept that choices we've made, namely the decision to have me at home while the kids are little, preclude a trip to Canada - for now. But it is always on our minds, always top of our list of priorities, always in our 'dreaming'. Somehow other things, like buying our first home then selling it and buying our second, the birth of our children and planning that they enter our school of choice and, of course, choosing to be a one-income family (for now) have meant that we haven't been to Canada since just before my first pregnancy. Such is life, such are the sacrifices one makes but, it will happen and when it does, oh what fun we'll have (and, it might just be very difficult to drag ourselves away)!

We listened to CBC Radio on Canada Day and plenty of Canadian music. Every time I listen to 'a case of you' I feel a deep longing for Canada (if you open the link, please ignore the 'daggy' visuals!). Friends in Vancouver sent us a CD of new Canadian music too. We also enjoyed a big Canadian-style brunch with my sister and her family (all Canadian citizens - and Aussie too), plenty of Canada-inspired crafting, our Canada-themed and authored kid's books and baking our little short-bread maple leaves, squirrels, moose and bears, which didn't last long. In the end, I think we celebrated sufficiently well!

Of course, we are every so grateful for all that has come our way since arriving back in Australia (I hope that's obvious!) but on Canada Day more so than others, we acknowledge what we've left behind. And for me, in addition to some very special friends, I miss being here, particularly here (market images). So much to miss, so much to celebrate. So much to love and be grateful for right here where we are...

My first issue of taproot arrived just as we were sitting to enjoy a Canada Day afternoon tea on what was Canada Day in Canada, and a day later here. And yes, an afternoon tea in their pyjamas, partially at least. Ah, holidays.