Since we were last there...

A rundown of events since the last time we all together in Nova Scotia (2009):

My sister Tawny gave birth to our beautiful Clara.  The last time we were all together she was only a few months pregnant.

(Can't wait for to create more memories like these...)

Stacy has gone from this:

to this:

  (How awesome is she?)

Our sister from another mister (Dawn, aka Longbottom) has moved into her own home and gotten engaged to the love of her life;

My brother John has written and recorded an album - can't wait to go and listen to him debut it next Friday night.

Alex has made Andy and I grandparents, something we were not best pleased about at first but you get over a shock pretty quickly when this is the gorgeous result:  

  

And how could we all have had any inkling that early the following year my mother would have to face the greatest obstacle of her life? We all had no idea of the mountain she was going to have to climb, or how absolutely frightening it would be, but climb it she did.  My mother faced down cancer and came out on top - and we hope with all our hearts she stays there.

A lot has happened since the last time we were all home together in 2009 (much that I haven't mentioned but that doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you...) 

Alex now has a family of his own he so he won't be joining us this time and we will miss him - perhaps just a little, but we will. To make up for his absence we have the added joy of bringing our good friends with us and we are so looking forward to showing off my homeland, family and friends. 

We want more good time photos like this:

.

 Sunday morning can't come soon enough