Since our arrival in Victoria, we have had the opportunity to go back to Vancouver and visit some good friends. In November, Mark, Clara and I enjoyed catching up with Heidi, Graeme and their lovely son Eamon. Eamon is a very friendly little boy, and the two little people were hugging each other and sharing toys by the end of our visit!

















Here the two children are discussing the state of the environmental consulting industry:















We dropped in on Dean and Robyn and their twin boys Nate & Jonah. The boys look very well, and keep mom and dad busy!















It was a busy weekend, and Clara's sleeping schedule was thrown off. Here she is trying to catch up on some sleep while driving through Vancouver.

















Our last stop of our whirl-wind weekend were our friends Martin and Vetina. It was great to catch up with them, and wonderful to all be in the same spot at the same time!

















Life in Victoria has been a whole lot of fun! We have adjusted to a more independent life, and enjoy the little adventures that every day brings. I'm never *quite* sure what each day will bring...and certainly didn't expect to see THIS particular ensemble walk around the corner one morning!
















We have been enjoying going outdoors to walk to the park, or do local errands while pushing Clara in the stroller. We bundle up nice and warm, and visit the local cats, birds, and shops as we complete our "to do" list.

















We recently went to visit Mark's parents in Campbell River to help them celebrate their 40th anniversary. While there we were able to catch up with Mark's brother (David, Kristi and their son Jacob), as well as his Uncle Ray & Auntie Jean. We enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship, and were regaled with entertaining stories by Uncle Ray, and Gran & Grandad's wedding photo album. Clara enjoyed herself, and looked lovely in a very special dress given by her Aunt Patty in Dhaka.


















This was Clara's first Christmas in Canada. We had a wonderful, unique experience in Malaysia last year, but it was great to spend it in a familiar feeling country, albeit a new city. She was quite enthralled with wrapping paper, and also enjoyed the contents! In this photo you can almost hear her oooohhh and aaaahhhh as she points to the nose, eyes & ears of the soft bunny.
















Mark's company hosted an evening for families with young children. There was food, crafts, movies and Santa! Most of the small children were frightened of this strange, big man in the red suit, and Clara was no exception! She warmed up to him with a little time, but was still very cautious.

















Mark's parents came on Christmas Eve to spend the holiday season with us. We had a lovely time together eating, chatting, playing, and eating. I really like this photo of Gran and Clara looking at the ornaments on the tree.

















We continued our visiting & catching up with friends after Christmas. We headed up to Squamish to visit Alex, Emilie and their beautiful daughter Sophie. It was amazing to see such a wee baby! Mark and I were reminded that 'babies come in small'! We had a terrific time and loved Alex's lattes! mmmmmmm
















That same weekend we went down to UBC to visit Steve and Rosemary. Once again we enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of good friends. We had a long, leisurely chat while Clara slept away the evening. Clara must have had very active dreams because the next morning she thoroughly savoured the waffles that Rosemary made!














Steve & Rosemary generously opened their house to a whole herd of people that we had yet to catch up with since returning from Bangladesh. So we were able to visit with Ryan & Jamilla, Dylan & Carl, Tara & Sasha - it was a Sunday morning brunch that felt a little bit like the house parties of old...it was great fun!

Here's a quick photo of Steve, Rosemary & the happy wanderers!

















A big hug to all of our dear friends whom we were able to catch up with these past couple of months. When we see you again, it seems like only yesterday that we last saw you, and it feels like we are picking up a conversation where we last left off!

Thank you all for your love and generosity, and we look forward to seeing you more frequently now that we are back in the province.

Love and hugs,
Brenda, Mark & Clara