Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes....2012 was another year of change in our family.

Invigorated by the freedom of the empty nest, we celebrated Valentine's Day by running off to Ethiopia again. We did another expedition with Canadian Humanitarian during which we reunited with some old friends and made some new ones, followed by another 8 days of traipsing around the countryside with our good friend and guide, Gebeyhu. This time, we saw a little more of the countryside north east of Addis, including the fabulous walled city of Harar and the camel market at Babile, and then travelled south to enjoy the lakes and national parks. Ethiopia is a great place for a little adventure. The capital city, Addis Ababa, is recommended as one of Lonely Planet's top ten cities to travel to in 2013.    - - Our Ethiopia Album

On our way home from Ethiopia in mid-March, we enjoyed a week in Washington DC as Andrew had a conference to attend. Leslie enjoyed the museums of the Smithsonian, in addition to the flowering trees, while Andrew went to work. Due to the oddly early spring this year, the magnolia trees were in full bloom and the cherries were beginning to open up. Fortunately, Andrew was able to snag a little time to join Leslie for walks through various famous parks and monuments. Washington is a fabulous and fascinating city, especially for anyone who enjoys walking as we do.    - - Our Washington Album

Sadly, just two days before we were to leave Washington, we got word that Andrew's father, John, had suffered a massive stroke. This was the beginning of the end. He continued to deteriorate and passed away about three weeks later. John had been in a nursing home for a couple of years as he was feeling the effects of several TIAs and a previous stroke after surgery. He had been doing quite well and was a well loved and respected at Wyndham Manor, as was clear from the staff response to his death. He was a lovely man and a tremendous role model for his sons and grandchildren. He will be missed.    - - John's page

Not long after John's funeral, our nest began to fill back up. Meghan arrived home for the summer having completed her first, very successful year at McGill University in Montreal studying math & physics. Meghan is a fortunate gal for having a strong sense of direction. Watching other 'kids' grapple with the question of "what do you love enough to do for the rest of your life", we understand that this is not typical. She's been trying to understand quantum mechanics since she was about ten. (Check out her comments in our 2003 letter if you don't believe us). She's taken on a challenging program but is well-motivated by her love of the subject matter. She is currently back in Montreal doing her second year. She's planning to take her third year abroad, perhaps in Edinburgh. (We are encouraging her as it will give us an excuse to revisit that beautiful city).

Lauren came next. We used the completion of her Rotary Exchange Youth Exchange year abroad as an excuse to travel to Croatia to see a little bit of the country and get re-acquainted. She enjoyed a wonderful year, with two excellent host families (thank you so very much, Svjetlana, Dorja & Goga) and many new friends among the inbound international students and her local Croatian classmates. The country is very beautiful and we enjoyed touring around Zagreb (city of endless street cafes), the coast (one UNESCO heritage site after another) and Plitvice Lakes which is a breathtaking natural marvel. Since we arrived back home with her in mid-July, she's been making the re-adjustment home, diving back into real school with expectations of achievement, and planning her future. She is planning to apply to CEGEP in Montreal rather than complete final year of high school in Deep River.    
- - Our Croatia Album

We have seen less of the boys as they are both living independently away from home. We blame that for our lamentable lack of photos. Unlike Meghan, both are unsure of their life plans going forward which means that they are looking for opportunities and changing course from time to time.

We haven't actually seen Biniyam since he was home last Christmas. He continues to live in Prince Albert where he has been working, first in restaurants, then in construction, and currently at Canadian Tire (great place for an employee discount). He is getting a pretty good idea of what he doesn't want to do and is narrowing the field of what he might want to do. He seems likely to move in the direction of a skilled trade, but exactly what remains to be seen.

David left Cambrian College in Sudbury in the spring, completing just his first semester. He wasn't able to find a steady job in Sudbury so moved to Ottawa in September. Although he hasn't had much luck at the time of writing, he is actively searching and getting interviews so something should turn up soon!

As in many recent years, we added to our family with a Rotary International Exchange student. This year, until Christmas time, we are hosting Amalie Winkel from Denmark. A lovely gal who has dived right into her Deep River life with confidence and enthusiasm. We will be sorry to give her up to her next family at the end of the month.

And now the biggest change: Andrew has retired. Well technically, he has been on leave since the end of October and will be officially retired as of January 3. He passed the 30 year mark with AECL in July. We held a retirement party in early November at which he was thoroughly lauded and roasted, thanks to our good friend, Brock Sanderson, as MC. What next? Well at the moment, lots of projects around the house that he hasn't had time for, including a new cedar closet in the basement. Beyond that, some kind of work, perhaps overseas. There are a number of possibilities that he is looking into. Stay tuned. No doubt, there are further adventures ahead.

Leslie continues as before, quilting when she can find time, life being busier with 'kids' in the house again. She continues with The Valley Artisans' Coop, No big changes here and no complaints. Daily life on our peaceful little section of the Ottawa River is quite lovely. We enjoy the occasional encounter with the wildlife, such as the moose that climbed out of the river and up our 90' bluff one morning and the infant racoons that were stashed on our doorstep on another morning. If anything, it can be tough to get motivated to action, as we feel as though we are on permanent vacation.