Another year has flown by…faster every year. Once again, we’ve had lots of change & excitement. The kids are busy in a variety of pursuits and increasingly drive our schedule. Weekday evenings are full and supper is a quick event to fit in between homework & activities. Although we all enjoy the extra things that we are involved in, we will relish the break from the schedule that drives us all along. Leslie’s sister & brother-in-law from Saskatchewan will be joining us for the holidays. We’ll have lots of family time, play lots of games, drink lots of egg nog and generally indulge ourselves in good food and good company.

Hugh & Annabel’s new home near Deep River This spring, Leslie’s parents began construction of their new home just five minutes west of Deep River. They will continue to spend summers at their cottage at Lac LaRonge, SK. They arrived in Deep River to stay in October and are impatiently awaiting the completion of their house. The finishing details are coming together with painters, carpeting, the kitchen installation, etc. They are planning to move in before Christmas whatever its state.

As we eagerly anticipated the start of house construction, Leslie’s brother Mike became a local celebrity. The town of Deep River was quick to embrace him as a native son when his company, Alias, won a technical Oscar for their animation software, Maya. Mike & his wife, Lisa, attended the Academy Awards along with others from his company. Mike enjoys working at his Toronto job from his home near Deep River where he is just a few steps away from his new baby (see below). Lisa also works from home as a free lance tech writer.

To add to the general excitement of the new house and the Oscar, Mike & Lisa, produced a new baby cousin, Eva, on July 16th. The kids really enjoy having family just five minutes away and Leslie’s mom is soaking up every moment with her new granddaughter. Mike & Lisa also have two older boys, Sean & Matt, ages 12& 10. We have quite a noisy mob when we all get together.

We enjoyed our usual summer vacation at Leslie’s parents’ cottage on Lac LaRonge in northern Saskatchewan. It’s the most relaxing holiday plan we’ve ever come up with. The cottage is alone on an island with no TV, no computer, and no ringing phone. The kids get lots of beach time and we all enjoy swimming, kayaking, tubing and scuba diving. Andrew gets into cooking, along with Leslie’s sister & brother-in-law. The food is great…and the grownups outnumber the kids for a change. The photo below was taken from the kayak one evening.

In other summer news, we put a screen porch, complete with a tile floor, onto the back of our house, all by ourselves! It was a very satisfying project creating a beautiful new summer room where we can enjoy being outside without the company of the mosquitoes and blackflies.

Busy as we are, we enjoy our life in Deep River. Andrew works hard at his job as Director of Reactor Safety with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL). He travels frequently to Toronto, Washington and overseas. Leslie is enjoying having the extra support from her parents when he is gone. It has been necessary for her to do some of the cooking, so she has acquired a crock-pot and is working her way through her crock-pot recipe book one page/day at a time.

Leslie is substitute teaching again this year. She likes the flexibility of casual work, the lack of additional responsibility, and the ability to say ‘no thanks’ when she doesn’t want to go to work.

Both of us are finding time for our favourite volunteer work. Andrew has graduated from Beavers to Scouts this year, where he’s enjoying the older kids. Leslie continues her work with La Leche League supporting breastfeeding mothers.

May your days be merry & bright, and all your little elves happy & healthy! We hope all is well with you and yours as the holiday season approaches. Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.