Loving: Little Pieces Of Canada Around Our Home

Joining in with Meghan and all the other things people are loving.








We came home from our trip in July on a loose two year plan. Inevitably, as it has been on each  of our previous trips, we had fallen just a tiny bit more in love with Canada.

There are so many things around our house that remind us  of the people and places we love on the other side of the world. Like this beautiful cushion in Millie's room that her Nana made for her. Every time I see if I remember the night she gave it to us and it reminds us of her...

Our plan was hatched on hot balmy summer evenings, on sunny afternoon walks past pretty houses with even prettier gardens. John and I played a little Chose your own Adventure, does anyone else remember those books from their childhood? The kind where you could chose which path you were going to take in the story. I was such a naughty reader of these books, I would hedge my bets, peak ahead at the alternative path, learning that in almost every case, which ever path you took, the story would end the same.

And the lingering last of our Canadian fare in the snack basket, I was devastated this week when we used our last sachet of Carnation Hot Chocolate, so bad but so good

Our Chose Your Own Adventure centered around our imagined Canadian life. Twelve years ago almost to the day of our trip, I had rendezvoused with John in Hamilton, intent on finding a job.  John had already found us a house and we had firm plans, the firm kind that never eventuated, we ended up back in New Zealand and the rest is history. But on our trip musings we spent  a lot of time wondering how things might have been if we had  stayed there? I like to think it would be a Chose your Own Adventure ending, we would end up with the same ending, husband and wife,  three children, just in a different place.

My bright and cherry Ikea hand towel in the bathroom, reminding me of a manic 3 hour shop and Swedish meatballs with Millie in the Ikea dining hall

While away we were so seduced by our perception of the superiority of Canada. If we moved before Millie stared Grade One she could be in French immersion..... John's home town just happens to be the very epicenter of Pediatric Occupational and Physiotherapy, McMaster University, the learning opportunities for me would be phenomenal. We would have all of our family close by, the housing market is  much more affordable there, and the houses are beautiful. The cost of living is lower, the wages are much higher.....

And the cheap and cheerful Ikea chair pads that brighten up the boys room

We came home as negative Nellie's regarding anything to do with New Zealand. We both felt really down, we missed Canada, everything  here irritated  us. But as the months have passed we have inevitably settled  again.

And a cupboard full of pretty spice tins, so run of the mill there but exotic and colorful on my kitchen shelf

I am finding more and more contentment here, the boys have such a wonderful school, and good friends abound for them and us. I understand the education system here, I know how to steer them to university . And did we forget? we have family here too. A good life, my job that I love, John has a job that he does not love so much, but there are many benefits to it, for our family.

And a little boy who was gifted his cousins old Soccer shirts and he wears them in rotation, one on, one off, and they are pretty much the only shirts he will ever wear now....

One night a few weeks ago John said to me "we are not moving to Canada are we" I think I already knew that the answer to that question was , " no, we are not, not right now".  It is so very difficult split between two sides of the world. Not a day goes by when at least one of my children asks me when we are going back to Canada, talk of our Canadian family is daily.  This week I have a taken stock of all the little pieces of Canada around our home, some that have been gifted to us, others that when I look upon them I remember the events of the day that they were purchased on and it is inevitably a good or at least amusing memory! Canada and our Canadian family is so intricately weaved into the fabric of our home. Even though we are here for now,  I know we are lucky that we feel so connected, although it is impossible to be in two places at once, a little piece of all of our hearts lives on the other side of the world and I love the things we have that remind us of that.