Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Home Again

In my last post I shared that I was off to Ontario. The trip was very successful. It started with 2 weeks in the big city of Toronto. There I took a course on Language basics called PLANTS. Highlights of this course were meeting with other missionaries from all over going all over, spending 10 hours learning Swahili, and learning different methods of learning outside of language school.

The timing in Toronto also coincided with a visit my brother was taking to Ontario with his family. I was able to connect with them and meet my newest niece. It was great to see them again. My nephew was quite jealous as I got to take the train to meet them.
My Niece

My weekend in Toronto was spent exploring with a few other course participants. We went out for Dim Sum and saw Chinatown, Kensington Market and headed out to Queens Quay to explore there.  This involved taking streetcars which as a small town girl I found rather fun; it's the small things in life. After spending the first week in the dorms I spent the second week with my cousin's family in Toronto. I got the full Toronto experience as I stood in the crowded subway to and from my course each day. It was also great to reconnect with her and her family.



The tourists, CN tower in the background
Kensington Market


Downtown Toronto at night

From Toronto I spent a week visiting my extended family. It was great to catch up with most of the Ontario relatives. The holiday ended with camping on the shores of Lake Huron. This is an annual weekend and a one day picnic that is attended by most of the aunts and Uncles and cousins. I shared a campsite with my cousins the Pots, they have 4 beautiful daughters, 2 of which have special needs. I enjoyed spending a few days getting to know them all better and lending a hand. You can read about it on on their blog http://thepotfamily.blogspot.ca/2012/09/we-camped.html

It was great to reconnect with so many people in such a short time, I also enjoyed swimming in lake Huron, Alberta doesn't have beaches and lakes like that. 
Sunset over lake Huron
After all the fun of traveling it is good to be back home in my own bed. Now its back to work for 2 more months after which I will hit the road again.