Voyageurs Are Back Home....

Jeanette, Ginette and Easton returned to the land of green after a week in snowy Alberta.  To say they were happy to get back to the coast is an understatement.

At Deni and Courtney's home in Edmonton, Alberta.

Their first stop away was an overnight visit with our son, Deni, and his wife, Courtney, who live in Edmonton.  A nice visit was enjoyed!

Brother and sister catch up while Easton quenches his thirst.

The next day had Jeanette, Ginette and Easton drive 160 km east from Edmonton to visit Jeanette's mom who resides in a long term care facility.

Baba Mary, Jeanette, Ginette and Easton

That's four generations!  To have the time to visit with her mom is quite special for Jeanette.  They had a lot of laughs. Jeanette brought this special present along.  It is a photo blanket she had ordered for Baba's bed.  What a great idea!

Beautiful photo blanket.

To spend time with Easton means so much to Baba Mary.  She does receive a lot of photos but nothing can replace the special one on one time with him.  She bought Easton that nice little reindeer seen in the photo below.  It's cheeks glow red when the right button is pushed.

'....hanging out with my great Baba'

Jeanette and sister Darlene got into the Christmas spirit and, along with their mom, chose to decorate her room.  Nice work of that.  The room has a definitive Christmas feel to it now!

Busy decorating.

Sister Darlene (right) joined in for this photo

It's always a treat to take Jeanette's mom out to the family farm for a visit.  Every visit recalls past memories for Mary.  It's always touching for her to see the place they worked, built and raised their family.

Dressed in true Christmas colours, don't you think?

Winter photos are lovely to look at.  However, we don't miss not living there.  Having moved to the Vancouver, British Columbia area, well over 30 years ago, Jeanette and I are true  west coasters.  As nice as it is to spend time visiting in these wintery conditions, it's always nice to return to the green west coast.  We'll take rain over snow any time!!!

Looking south from the entrance to the farm yard.

A few days later, the travelers drove the 4.5 hours south to the southern Alberta city of Calgary.  They spent the balance of their visit with Jeanette's sister, Deb, and husband, Bob. 

Deb is ready to take Easton our for a stroll in the snow.

They took advantage to surprise Jeanette with a 60th birthday cake.....one of many she has had this past month.

Easton is always interested in seeing candles lit up.

The travelers spent some time contributing to the Calgary economy.  They went shopping and, from the weight of their travel bags upon return to the coast, they did make several purchases.

Shopping in a Christmas store.

Bob is either telling Easton something or Easton is trying to communicate something.  They seem to be enjoying their time together though!

One last photo before the travelers depart Calgary for the flight back to the west coast.

Not long after Jeanette was back home from the airport, a knock on the door revealed a courier with a large poinsettia plant.  It was a birthday gift from Jeanette's mom and sister Darlene, from Alberta.  Good timing!!!

A few minutes later, the telephone rang and our long time former neighbours (Al and Joan) called to ask if we had seen a little surprise package near our front entrance. Because we always enter the house from the garage, we had not checked the front entrance.  Well....there - in a lovely cloth cover - sat a very nice bottle of Pinot Grigio (Jeanette's favourite white wine).  They had dropped by our home earlier - while I was waiting at the airport - to deliver the present.  Good thing they called to tell us about the wine because we would not have discovered it till the next morning when I open the front door to collect my Vancouver Sun newspaper. 

A photo was taken with the poinsettia and the bottle of wine, for posterity.

When the travelers exited their flight, I asked how Easton fared on the plane.  Well, as it turns out, he entertained the passengers with his customary smile and he relished the attention in return.  Although only seven months old, this little fella has now flown three times.  He never squawks or complains.  That's a gift for any traveling mother.

Happy go lucky little fella!

Jeanette stated that most passengers around them were business people.  They thrilled in getting smiles from Easton and were quick to return smiles right back at him.  Several commented about how nice it was to share the flight with the little fella.  One father to be spoke of his hope for an easy flyer with their new baby.

With the travelers back home, it's back to the routine of life for everyone, for the time being.

Easton - along with his mom and dad - are booked to fly to Phoenix, AZ, to spend a week with us in the Gold Canyon area, this coming February.  We already look forward to that.  We're sure they are looking forward to that holiday too!

Deni and Courtney have plans to fly to the Palm Springs area this mid-March, 2013, where we will be and where Courtney's mom, Barb, and her friend, Doug, will be too.  We look forward to that visit.

Before that trip though, the recently wed couple (this past September, 2012) will be enjoying their official honeymoon on one of the Hawaiian Islands, beginning this December 30th.  Following a quick Christmas visit here with us, Barb and Doug, they'll be jetting off for some R&R in surf, sand and sun!

Looking forward to having the big wheels rolling south!

Only one month to go before the RV Voyageurs fly the west coast coop for the sunnier climes of southern California and Arizona.  In anticipation of that, I fired up our RV generator yesterday and exercised it before changing out the oil.  Tire pressure checks and other last minute checks will wait till we are packed and ready to roll out.

Thanks for dropping by.