The last few months have been overwhelming and underwhelming all at the same time.
The off season was full of so many ups and downs. We had an amazing trip to Austria to visit my family. Showing Keith and Will the country which I'm from was an experience I'll treasure for ever. We had the shock of finding out that a new chapter was opening in our lives, which would take us to a new football team in Ottawa. I suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage at 13 weeks which was one of the darkest times I've ever been through in my life. We got to spend more time and birthday parties with our family in Alberta, something I'm looking forward to doing more of in future off seasons. And we spent so much time together just the three of us. Just us, playing on the floor, laughing, being goofy, and discovering the world all over again in the eyes of our wonderful son.
We are now in Ottawa.
It is warm here. And humid. And the whole city just oozes summer like I haven't quite experienced before. Everything is lush and green and sometimes I feel like I'm living in a jungle. Yesterday evening on our bike ride we came across a little turtle crossing the path and I screeched to a halt in my excitement, I've never before seen a wild turtle. See, jungle. Everyone rides bicycles everywhere. There are parks everywhere and just down the path from our place there is a little beach that is open every day, complete with life guards and sometimes even a DJ sets up and everything just has a festival vibe. We visited the Byward Market this weekend and amongst the Saturday hustle and bustle all of a sudden a spontaneous Brazilian parade burst out celebrating their latest FIFA win. Drums, horns, flags, and people doing the salsa down the street. The whole city just seems happy.
It helps ease the difficulty of leaving our home.
These little piggies.
It is so hot here compared to what we're used to. Will hasn't worn socks or shoes pretty much since we've gotten here.
The walking/bike paths are absolutely gorgeous.
Rarely did I get to see these alive at home. Nova killed them quick as a wink. But this little guy just hung out beside Will's stroller while I took pictures down by the river. Only once the camera was in his face a little too long did he slither away into the bushes.
We have had a lot of time with just the three of us, relishing our family time. We spent a few weeks apart for training camp, and are now all together in Ottawa and enjoying every minute of it. Watching Keith and Will play together just fills my heart in a way nothing else can, and I know that where ever we are all together, that is home.
Not to mention when this little man laughs it is positively the best thing in the world. Who could possibly feel anything but joy when this little face crinkles his nose and laughs?
It feels strange moving back into a city once you've worked so hard to get out. In a way everything seems small, simply because things are smaller. The yard is small, the houses are closer together, it's just the way things are in a city. But on the other hand it feels so big, so many people doing so many things, so many buildings, so many cars... it makes me feel like the small one and everything else is just big and busy around me. I definitely still feel more comfortable and more myself sitting in the middle of an empty field.
I have been trying my best to settle in and make things our own. The place that Keith found for us is absolutely gorgeous and right by the river, so I had a pretty good canvas to start with. I got a few flowers and tomatoes and herbs planted. It feels good to tinker outside. After having such a vast area to tinker on and a bazillion things to get done my little pots and little townhouse yard feels like it's all taken care of very fast. But that's ok too. I am very happy with what I have.
These guys are some of my favorites. However the ants seem to love them too and I am currently devising ways for them to meet their demise as they seem to want to make their residence the pots these flowers now live in.
My herb pot seems to have gone a little crazy now that they have some room and sunlight.
Nothing beats cooking with fresh herbs in the summer.
So sometimes I may feel like a small little country mouse living in a big city, but then we go for a bike ride, see people laughing and playing on the beach, watch street performers and buy flowers from the market, and life is pretty good.
I guess if I do have to live in a city, this one isn't too bad.
