First stop: Edmonton to spend a day or two with the Im cousins. Apart from side adventures of walks in the park, church fellowship meeting, and setting off the home alarm, we also spent an afternoon at the West Edmonton Mall.
The first bit we were there just us - a rare and wonderful family time. It almost got spoiled from the start because Mommy was the driver for the rental van and rather stressed over driving it in a busy, full parking lot, but once parked and inside everyone calmed down (kids are so adept a picking up on parental stress and mirroring it!).
We stopped by to see the sea lion show -- from outside the seating arena so we couldn't hear properly, but we saw all the tricks. Grace's favorite bit was when the sea lion swam with a fin up to look like a shark and when it jumped out of the water like a dolphin. Jasmin liked when it dived from a high platform and then jumped up to hit a hanging buoy.
We took the girls to the Putt N Glow. It was good fun save for the need to pass a trying-to-sleep Aiden back and forth between turns as we weren't able to take a stroller in. Our scores were a bit of a laugh because a number of holes were on the top of raised boxes... the first one like this we counted up to 26 hits!
Then, we met up with the Im's to explore Galaxy Land. With a 2 for 1 coupon we got the girls bracelets so they could enjoy all the rides they wanted - indeed a rare occurrence! Of course, first on the list was the horse carousel...
helicopter flying..
And, once they had gained some confidence, the DragonWagon - a fairly tame, short roller coaster. This was the first ride that Dad couldn't go with them and it was the fastest they'd tried too, so it was a big step. When they came around the corner near us for the first time, Grace was hanging on with both hands and such a grim look of frightened endurance that we weren't sure what kind of kid we were going to get when it stopped. Jasmin was sitting with another girl and didn't seem to be very excited or scared. We asked them if they liked it. Grace had a quick emphatic "No!" but Jasmin surprized us with a pretty enthusiastic yes! But, asked if they'd like to go again, Jasmin was quick to join the no camp. All in all, a mighty special day.
Next stop: Calgary with the Fraser cousins. We didn't even manage to get into the house from the van before Zoe, Julena, Grace, and Jasmin were fast friends talking 10 to the dozen - about West Edmonton Mall, since they had been there this summer too. And that is how it was for the whole week - 4 parents had a wonderfully relaxing week as we hardly saw the 4 girls except for meals and bedtimes! Which unfortunately means that we have no pictures of our time there at all :o(
In Calgary we also got to spend some time with a family that we met in Manila. Grace and Jasmin really missed their son when they returned to Canada and we moved to Bangkok. It was pretty special for us all to meet again: Mom and Dad to be able to fulfill a promise made that we would bring Grace and Jasmin to meet Shinji in Canada, and for the girls to have the chance to remember and renew that friendship.
Next stop: Abbotsford, BC with the Kievits. Once again, we hardly saw the kids - 7 of them this time. I think we're going to have withdrawal once we get to Bangkok!
This is their oldest son, an excellent magician. He even is hired to do shows for kids' birthdays and things. He kept Jasmin entertained all afternoon one day with a handful of coins and a cup, pulling them out of thin air, making them disappear, finding them in the most unlikely places, etc.
Now we are in Langley, BC, our last stop before heading out to Bangkok. We are finding time to relax and reorganize so we are ready for the long haul flights ahead of us. So, despite leaving Ottawa feeling on the edge of stress already and now a day away from our "great departure" after many stops along the way, we actually feel more ready for this next chapter of our lives.
Something only God could accomplish, I'm sure.
Thank you God!
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