Visiting

So we just got back from visiting Manitoba yesterday. R and I were there since the previous Monday - the 14th - and DH came late in the evening on the 16th. R and I went to the Steinbach area (Ste. Anne and Blumenort included). Some of my family on my dad's side live there. My cousins, L and J and their kids, used to live in Brandon at the same time as us and then here in Calgary at the same time, before they moved back to MB last year. R and I stayed with them for 3 days and nights before they delivered us to Winnipeg where my friend M picked us up to take us to Brandon. DH stayed with Mark and Jobina overnight Wednesday and I got to visit a bit on Thursday with them. From Thursday to Monday we were in Brandon and stayed overnight on Monday with our friends B and A. It was a very busy time, full of visiting with family and friends. It's very neat how we have kept up with everyone who was close to us in Manitoba, in spite of being gone for 4 years now. I love going and showing off R, :) as well as catching up with people and being a part of their lives in spite of time and distance. At times it feels as if we never left.
Unfortunately R got another ear infection while we were in Ste. Anne, so that was a wee bit stressful and he got off in his routine, between that and being up late visiting and early mornings with R we arrived home quite a bit more tired then we left. Other than that and him being around other little people constantly and not being used to it, he did wonderfully!
We went to a wedding on Saturday, our friend K got married. She was formerly in our youth group and it is quite interesting to go to a wedding of someone that you knew as a 10 year old. Makes me feel ancient! :) DH was the M.C. for the reception and we did the toast to the bride. He did so well. It was a wonderful wedding - the gentleman who married them was a mentor to them at the Capenwray that they went to and met at. He did an interesting thing during the wedding where he had all the men for D, then ladies for K, who would be a part of their lives stand up and he gave us to be a charge to support them in any way we could, etc. and then had the couple look at the people who they could go to when they were needed help and/or support. It was really cool! M (my friend, not the DH) and I both had tears in our eyes, in fact I did for a lot of the ceremony! :) What can I say, I am emotional when it comes to "my girls." At the reception they were brave enough to have an open mike, and it was pretty good. Only a couple of ones that were iffy, the rest were great and a lot of people shared. They are going to be working with the youth at the church we used to be at. It's neat to see the students that we used to minister to now ministering to others. I am so thankful that K found a man to share her life with who obviously loves her and God and wants to serve God together with her.
It is funny, on the way to the wedding I said to M that I was ready to go and get lots of hugs. That's one of the things I love most about Brandon - tons of hugs! I love hugs and most of the girls that were in our youth hug me all the time. It's so great!
Well, I should go for now and will write more later - R is pushing on the laptop top to get my attention.