While Lori remained in Savannah I returned home on Dec 7th.
Jim had hip surgery Dec 9th and all went really well. It was fabulous to be home, helping Jim recuperate and getting everything organized for Christmas. I had done lots of shopping in the U.S. and had sent a lot of it home so I just needed to do some wrapping and had very little running around. Extremely relaxing.
One must-do however was getting a Christmas tree. I went and picked it out and had it loaded into Jim’s truck. When I got home I realized I needed help to get it into the stand. Luke came over and helped me. Fantastic! I decorated and voila we were ready!
Now the biggest adjustment for me was the weather. On Dec 4th I was swimming outdoors in Savannah. Dec 11th the snow was falling in Burlington and we were doing light shovelling. By Christmas we had lots of snow. Luke and Vanessa had gone away to Hawaii and were having a blast. At least until they were due to fly home for Christmas and, thanks to severe winter storms, had their flights cancelled. It was a really tough time for them sitting on airport floors for hours and then paying an enormous amount for a hotel close to the airport that was essentially a dive, as all other hotels were booked. They didn’t get back home in time for Christmas. So it was a quieter Christmas Day for sure as we waited for news of their return. Several days later we were able to get together and celebrate with a traditional dinner and gifts.
Lori’s car was stored at Jim’s place and her brother Brad wanted to borrow it, so Jim’s first outing post surgery was to help me bring Lori’s car home on Dec. 26th. Of course snow was once again a challenge. Both Brad and Scott came to our place to pick it up which was really nice as we had time for a coffee and relaxed a bit before Brad had to make his trip back home to Sudbury.
Our big news was that Luke and Vanessa were expecting in March. Super exciting to celebrate as our family grows. Michelle and I had planned a Jack and Jill shower. Much of that Michelle did while I was away. And of course, like any event, the days leading up to it are always hectic. Pictures below capture the night before as we are blowing up balloons and getting decorations ready. Some hilarious moments that night for sure!
I stayed in Burlington well into January to enjoy the shower and to make sure Jim was cleared to drive and had his independence back before I returned south. It was great to be home for an extended period to enjoy everyone. I was also very excited to get back to the warmth and join Lori on our continued journey!
