Christmas time again. It seems like we just finished last year's letter, however another 365 days have hurtled by, and it has been quite an eventful series of days for us. As we head into Christmas, we are in a different place, literally, than we were last year.

Where to start? We'll tell you about our adventures in sequence, as they occurred.

In February, we had the family trip of a lifetime, three weeks in Ethiopia. With the boys reaching adulthood, it seemed like the perfect time to do something we've wanted to do for years. We signed up for an expedition with Canadian Humanitarian, a small Canadian NGO that is a spin off of the adoption agency that we used to adopt the boys. They take volunteers on several expeditions each year to provide medical care and community support through education based projects with partner NGOs in Ethiopia. It was a wonderful way to get there, to see the countryside well off the tourist track, and to meet a host of wonderful people and really, really cute kids. It wasn't all work and no play, as we (Andrew & Leslie) took an additional week to travel with a really terrific personal guide, Gebeyhu Gezahgne, who we now count as good friend. He toured us around the historical cities of Bahir Dar, Gondar, and Axum, as well as a side trip with the kids to Lalibela at the end where we had the additional privilege of visiting our Plan Canada foster child and his family.  We cannot say enough about the wonders of this trip, the fun we had together and the good work Canadian Humanitarian is doing. In fact we had such a great time that we (Andrew & Leslie) are going back for another trip in February. For anyone looking for a little adventure, Ethiopia is a great travel destination especially in the winter when the skies are blue & sunny and the temperatures hover around the mid-20's. If you want to have a look at ALL our pictures, click here.

The next great change was the exit of all the kids....got that....ALL the kids...over a five day period in late August, so not only are we happily tucked into our new home, we are also empty-nesters (temporarily) which is an even greater change. "Where did they all go?" you may ask. Well:

Meghan graduated from high school in June and is now at McGill University in Montreal where she is studying math and physics (now where would that come from?). She seems to be enjoying everything about her new life, her classes, new friends and of course, Montreal. We are expecting her back for the summer.

David also graduated from high school in June and is now attending Cambrian College in Sudbury studying chemical engineering technology. He's been having an absolutely wonderful time in residence...which is reflected in his grades. He intends to finish this year (hopefully with a little more academic dedication) and is considering a year off to work, travel, and consider his options as he is really not yet sure what he wants to do.

Biniyam moved too! He had been living with Leslie's sister Andrea in Prince Albert SK, but has hopped out of that nest and struck out on his own. He is completing grade twelve, working at Tim Horton's (having decided the army reserves were not for him), self-supporting, and sharing a basement apartment with his friend in his friend's parents' basement. We got out to P.A. in October for a visit and were pleased to see that he seems to be doing very well. Last time we talked he was excited about the high school wrestling season starting up...his latest sports passion. You will see from the pictures below that his very generous Auntie Andrea took him to New Zealand after Christmas to visit his Uncle Mike Taylor and family, who moved there in autumn 2010 (or spring depending on which hemisphere you are in).

Lauren is having a big adventure year as she is living in Zagreb, Croatia on a Rotary International Student Exchange. This is the same program that saw Meghan spend a year in Eastern Russia. She has been very fortunate to land a really good first host family. Svjetlana & Dorja (and their dog, Dolly) have been taking wonderful care of her. She's made new friends, seen some beautiful sights, is learning to speak Croatian, and is enjoying weekend trips to places like Salzburg! She will move to a new family in early January, another nice mom she assures me, although she will be sorry to leave her current family. If you want to see a bit more of Lauren's adventures, click here. 

So, this letter finds us living quietly on the Ottawa River, childless, kept company by the dog and some fish, appreciating the modern technologies that allow us to stay in close and regular contact with kids in distant places. Andrew continues with AECL and with the NRU vessel repair and licencing behind him, hopes for a calmer period ahead. Leslie continues with the Valley Artisan's Co-op as a quilter & webmaster, has just purchased a new sewing machine (Sweet Sixteen Sit-down Quilter for anyone who cares) to replace her troublesome Pfaff, and hopes there are many quilts ahead. Aside from that we fill our time with cycling and skiing, and seem to have no end of little things to do around the house.