A Very Merry Christmas

I can't believe that it is Christmas Eve. Bryan and I spent a fantastic day driving through the mountains and taking some time enjoying one of our favorite places in the world. Every time I get back to the mountains I wonder why I leave them. They are really stunning.

This last month has been very eventful. Between Bryan finishing up his Masters program, our little one trying to enter this world a little early, selling most of our possessions and packing up the rest to make the move to Calgary, we are enjoying the much needed rest during this Christmas season.

I was very sad to leave Halifax behind. It was a fantastic 15 months that gave us some much needed rest, healing and strength. I know that it will be a time of our life that we will look back on with fondness and wish that it didn't have to end. However there are new things in store for us and the call from Africa is too strong to ignore. In the process of packing and preparing to leave I found myself in preterm labor at 33 weeks. That was not in the plan! So off for a night in the hospital for some steroids to speed up baby's lung development and other drugs to stop the contractions to try and convince this little girl to stay a little longer. Thankfully they seemed to have worked and she is still hanging around and making me more uncomfortable each day. I have to remind myself that me being uncomfortable is the best thing for her and that I just need to suck it up and ask for another foot rub to somehow make me feel better. While this was all happening Bryan was finalizing his last few papers and presentations and somehow held it together and finished off his program very successfully. It's great to see all that he has accomplished and I am so proud of him for how hard he worked and stayed focused on getting the most out of this time. With Bryan trying to finish school and me trying not to go back into labor, my angel of a mother flew out to Halifax to finish our packing, clean the flat and help us get all our things on the plane to Calgary. We couldn't have done it without her. I like to think that I'm a strong independent person but I have to admit it was fantastic to be able to rely on her to get the work done. The move went strangely smooth with no complications or surprises. I kept waiting for something to fall apart but it didn't happen!

So now we are living out of trunks in my parents basement waiting for this little one to come - and this time we will let her. It has been hard to slow down and enjoy the last few weeks of quiet days and full nights of sleep. Bryan and I both want to get on with things and start life again. But I have to remind myself that this time also needs to be seen as a gift and to enjoy it for all it's worth. With just three weeks before my due date we are eager to meet this little girl and after all the hassle and worry of her trying to come so early she better not be late!

I hope that all of you are enjoying your Christmas with friends and family. I know some of you may be far away from your loved ones and are doing the best to make this season special. I hope that somehow you are able to create some memories that will make Christmas 2011 a fantastic one. Wishing you all the best!

My Pregnant Pause

Pregnant Pause - A pause that gives the impression that it will be followed by something significant.

I don't think I could explain this time of life any better than that. My job here in Halifax was a one year contract that ended on November 4 which worked out perfectly to give me a few weeks to relax and of course pack. Thankfully the weather has been beautiful so I have been able to get out and get some exercise with the luxury of returning home and

having a nap. Everyday the simplest things such as putting on my shoes or picking up a few groceries gets harder and more tiring. It's hard to believe that I still have eight weeks to go. It seems like a long time but when you consider how much is happening in those eight weeks I know they will go quickly. So I am anxious to see this time pass and nervous about all the changes however I realize that this may be the last few weeks of my life where my time is my own and I am trying to enjoy them.

Other than small errands and tasks that I assign myself each day I have been filling my time with a lot of knitting. It is a hobby that I picked up years ago and was sustained by my commitment to make each of my nieces a baby blanket. Little did I expect my sister to have four children so just making blankets has been my focus over the years. So now that it is my turn to have the baby I of course had to make a baby blanket for my little bundle of joy. However it didn't seem to stop there. Of course will all the left over yarn I have also completed a few hats, a sweater and a few pairs of booties. It has been fun to knit for this little one and I am eager so see her wear them. I love hand made stuff. In returning to Canada and battling the consumerism battle I have gained a new appreciation for things that can be made by hand rather than purchased. I think it makes you appreciate the value of items and the real cost of them. So I am trying to knit my little heart out to make sure that we have plenty of hand made items to choose from in our daughters wardrobe.

While I knit I have been watching the news and the story of the occupiers unfold all over North America. It is such an interesting situation and I really waffle on how I feel about the whole thing. The message of those that are protesting often seems unclear however I think I can agree with some aspects of their fight. I think that Canadians have to be careful that we are not complacent to how our government is operating and what interests they are protecting. We all find it very easy to sit back and enjoy a comfortable and safe lifestyle and question very little until we hit a bump in the road and then we start to wonder how we could have been so blind to what is really happening. This occupy movement is giving us all the opportunity to be more aware of what our government is representing and realizing that it is not always representing Canadian citizens. Sometimes I feel like we have become so focused on our economy and material wealth that we have become consumers rather than citizens. Is the health of our economy really to take priority over the holistic health of our community or family? Is a successful country really one that is wealthy no matter the cost to it's environment, it's future or it's friends? Sometimes thinking on such a large scale is hard to grasp however if you boil this down to an individual basis it's easier to really consider the direction Canada may be going. It is not uncommon to hear stories of people that had considerable wealth and were extremely successful in business however only a handful of people show up to their funeral when they die. Was their life really a success? That is kind of how I think about a country and the importance it puts on it's wealth. If we bow to the economy and run our country based on the desire to be wealthy and to have a strong economy what happens when all that wealth actually is the cause of our troubles? So when our drinking water is contaminated and our recent grads can't get jobs because we import all our goods but our economy stays strong is this really a country we would be proud of? As you can see I have more questions than answers but I do know that as Canadian citizens (not consumers) we need to be careful in the comfort that this country has provided for us so that future generations can also have access to these same comforts and freedoms and that we don't rob them of this due to our greed and short sightedness. As you can see I have more questions than answers and I realize I am not a great Canadian to be saying these things since I intend to live in another country but still, it has all made me ponder some of Canada's struggles.

So I am in the midst of my pause and realizing that many changes are upon us in the months to come. I am thankful for this time to enjoy the rolls and kicks of this little girl and to prepare for what is to come. I don't think I will ever be ready for this but it's going to all happen if I am or not. Calgary in 3 1/2 weeks!

So Thankful

There are so many things to be thankful for right now it made a perfect weekend to sit back and enjoy some of that wonderfulness and really appreciate the moment. One of my favorite things to be thankful for right now is this little person growing and developing inside me right now. It is so fun to feel how strong she is getting even if it is a little uncomfortable now and then. I can't wait to meet her and get to know her and learn all the things that create her character and personality. Oh and yes I am saying 'she' for a reason. We have learned that we are having a little girl! It was a bit of surprise to everyone as many were convinced that we were going to have a boy but we are super excited that we are having a sweet little girl. One thing I do know, is that she is going to be sweet if my cravings have any determining factor.

The other person I am so thankful for is my wonderful husband. The last three years have been such a roller coaster and sometimes a bit more adventurous than we had asked for but I have had a wonderful partner to keep me grounded and moving forward. We have taken risks together as we pursued our dreams and these risks seem to be paying off. Bryan was extremely tenacious in finding a job this summer that would continue to move us forward toward what we have felt would be our next step. It was a struggle to keep focused on what we thought was right and it didn't come without it's sacrifices. In the end a great opportunity came up for Bryan to take a three month position in Kenya with a company called Wildlife Works. The job and the company seemed like such a perfect fit and exactly the direction Bryan has been pursuing. With him taking this job it would mean that I had to stay here in Halifax while he went to Kenya. I'm not a fan of long distance marriage. I know we dated over skype but being married over skype brings a whole different set of challenges. But we decided that we could do the long distance and the three month separation may even make us stronger (which it did). The other sacrifice was finances. Due to the legalities of foreigners working in Kenya the company was unable to actually hire him and pay him a salary. So not only did we have to pay out of pocket all of his travel and living expenses but there would be no reimbursement cheque in the mail. The more we talked about it, the more more we felt like this was an opportunity that could not be passed up - no matter what the financial cost may be. So we took the leap and Bryan headed off to Tsavo, Kenya for 3 months. It was a fantastic experience for him as he learned about the carbon credit industry and more about Wildlife Works. The sacrifices paid off just in the last couple of weeks as we received a contract offer for us to move back to Kenya and for Bryan to take a full time position with Wildlife Works training to manage a large conservation area. So this means that we will be moving back to Kenya around the first of March! I am so thankful that my husband was determined to not take second best but to pursue his desires and stay focused on the dreams we have been building together.

As we drove through Nova Scotia this weekend from Halifax to Cape Breton to PEI and back to Halifax I have been reflecting on our time here in Canada. We have enjoyed living in Halifax and I feel that we have made the most of it. Even without having a vehicle we have been able to see much of the province and indulged in some of the best parts of it. We have learned how to enjoy the local produce and included in that has been canning and cooking classes for me and lots of fish filleting practice for Bryan. As the leaves change and I start to think about our temporary move to Calgary on December 14th, it's kind of sad to see the end of this phase of life. We have been able to actually set up a house and enjoy it to it's fullest. We have had many visitors (but never too many if you are thinking of heading our way before we leave) and a few great dinner parties where the house is alive with friends and great conversations. It's been great to see Halifax on foot and walk all over the city to the many pubs and restaurants that we have enjoyed over the last year. We have made some great friends and hopefully convinced a few of them to come and see us in Kenya. So as our time is quickly running out we are trying to squeeze as much time in with these wonderful people as possible.

One of the other things that I have been thankful for this weekend is for the time that we got to spend with Bryan's grandma. She is an amazing woman and she inspires me with her stories of how she overcame her many challenges of raising five children as a double amputee in countries like the Congo, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. Not only did she take care of her family in these environments but she also took the time to teach women and children how to read and write. She even

had the patience to teach Bryan how to read when he was young and I'm sure he was full of energy! She gives me the hope and strength that no matter what sort of challenges that we will face as we raise our children, that all these unseen mountains can be overcome. We had a wonderful day consisting of breakfast, a drive out to see Bryan's grandfather's grave and picking up some pumpkins on the way back. The sun was shining and the leaves literally started changing into brilliant colors overnight. It was a day I won't soon forget.

This thanksgiving has been a true time of thankfulness for me, there are so many things that I have been given and I am truly thankful for.

On the home stretch

After a long three months without Bryan, we had a fantastic reunion in Kenya and I'm really enjoying having him back home now that we are back in Halifax and heading into Bryan's last term of school. While in Kenya we had a great time catching up with friends. I miss having such great friends around. You know the kind, the ones that you catch up right where you left off even if it's been over a year since you've seen each other. I also got to make some new ones. We got to spend a few days where Bryan spent the summer so I got to meet all the great people that he has been working with and see the beautiful area that he got to enjoy for a few months. It was wonderful. It was so nice to be in the bush again and enjoy all the birds and wildlife that make the Kenyan bush so fantastic. I was amazed at how tall the elephants were in this area. They are massive! It was a whole new part of Kenya for me and I really enjoyed being introduced to it.

We also spent a few nights at a great resort on a small island called Chale Island. I couldn't have asked for more in a romantic getaway with my husband. They put us in our own little banda just steps away from the most beautiful beach with warm, clear ocean water to jump into to cool off a bit.

We had a few more days relaxing at Bryan's parent's cabin on the little piece of land that we own with them. Mom & Dad have been working hard and doing a fantastic job of building a small cabin on the land so we took full advantage of the place while we were there.

Our Little Traveller

Bryan and I are looking forward to our little traveller joining us and is expected to arrived January 16! Yes it is true, we are pregnant! So this is the real inspiration behind the blog revival. Our life is about to be completely rearranged and I know there are a few of you out there that are curious as to how we are going to handle it - so stay tuned.

The first few months of adjusting to the fact that we have a baby on the way has been exciting, emotional (ok mainly it's been me that has been emotional), dreamy, some anxiety and lots of unanswered questions. But of course preparing for this change in life can't be done the regular way. As per tradition we have to do it over skype. Bryan took a three month position in Kenya with Wildlife Works as part of his Master's program. He left Halifax May 1 and thought he was just having to leave his wife behind. But a few weeks later when I realized something was a little off with me, I did the test and yes it was positive! It took a while to set in that it was really positive. I had to put the test down and walk away and then come back to make sure that it was still telling me that a little one was on the way. But it didn't change and I finally realized that I had to tell my husband the fantastic news. So how do you even go about telling someone that they are going to be a father when they are on the opposite side of the world?

So I took a few pictures with my camera and finally got one that would tell the story. However as I went to put the picture on my computer so I could send it off in an email, I realized that our card reader to take the pictures off the camera was tucked safely in Bryan's camera case, which was in Kenya. Well I guess the next best thing is trusty photo booth on my mac. So it took a few tries with the best lighting possible and I thought I got a shot that would share my excitement.

All prepared to send my picture to tell my story, I woke up the next morning and logged into skype ready to type away and Bryan unexpectedly calls and turns on the video. Usually we video skype on the weekends when we don't have to sort out the time difference and work schedules but on weekdays it's usually the trusty chatting that keeps us communicating. For some reason Bryan had an off work day that freed him up to call and talk to me 'face to face'. Well as soon as he saw me and I said that I had something to tell him, that was enough for him to guess. So all my pictures and technology frustration was no longer necessary because my husband is just too smart.

Usually this is the time where expecting mom and dad get to dream and share the excitement between the two of them until things are far enough along to safely share the news. However with limited talk time it's hard to keep all that excitement to ourselves. So our families got to hear of our news much sooner than we had ever planned to tell them. It was just too exciting to keep in. It was very wise of Bryan to be on a different continent for the first few months. He got to miss the mood swings, the nausea and the sleepy grumpy wife trimester. At 14 weeks into our pregnancy, we are still two weeks away from being reunited and actually getting to share the excitement of this little traveller that is quickly growing inside of me.

The Blog Revival

So I was inspired to start writing again. I looked at this blog that I used to do a fairly good job of keeping up to date, and then suddenly it died. I'm not really sure why I stopped but I think after getting married and having someone around that will listen to my stories I guess I didn't feel the need to write them down anymore. Yes I know, it's a lame excuse but that's what I'm sticking to. So here is my attempt to revive it a bit. To go into any detail about the last three years is just too much for me to tackle to here is the bullet point version in pictures.

After almost a year in Kenya we headed back to Darfur.





We took a few vacations during our time in Darfur. They were all fantastic but I really loved Sri Lanka.




Then I got stuck waiting for a visa to get back into Sudan which means that I got to visit with some fantastic friends in Uganda,



and got to meet up with Bryan and our good friend in Oxford while he was doing a course.



Of course we had to fit in another safari in Kenya at a magical place called Sarara.




We made the most out of the limited resources we had in Sudan and somehow made a little home in the middle of the desert.




We even got to meet up with some friends in Northern Mozambique.




Then our final vacation to Turkey was fantastic. To keep it simple we spent our time in Istanbul and walked all the little streets to discover all that it had to offer.




Then our time in Sudan was over and we headed to Calgary to enjoy the summer with friends and family.




Then it was the big move to Halifax. We found a fantastic place to live and Bryan jumped into school with both feet. We have enjoyed our time here even though Africa keeps calling to ask where we are.