The Ryan family coming to Halifax was the most anticipated event of the summer. The kids could not wait! It had been almost two years since we had last all seen each other and we were beyond excited to come together again. In preparation we made a welcome sign, made beds and made plans. And on the day they arrived we were ready for the fun to begin.
One of the best things about having visitors is making so much of the time you have together. We stayed busy but with time in between for swimming and playing, meeting friends, eating together and catching up. The day after everyone arrived was a Sunday and my 34th birthday and it made for a lovely slower day of catch ups and playing, some light sightseeing and just being together. After church and some lunch we made our way to the public gardens in Halifax. A lovely place for a Sunday stroll, meandering through the flowers and watching the resident goose and squirrels. We made our way to the iconic Public Garden gate, which I love then took our leave and headed to the Titantic graveyard which really is a lovely, peaceful place. The kids were wonderful then and through the whole trip, just being together was so much fun for them all. We headed home for dinner and cake and presents all around. The Ryan's had bought gifts for the kids, a bey blade for Finley and an Australia shirt, unicorn swimmers and a top for Prim which she was thrilled about. Levi gave me a beautiful jewelry box and the Ryan's shouted Levi and I a night out. It was such a lovey birthday for me, everyone together, summer time and so much fun to come.
Monday marked our first of many big days. We started with blueberry picking at my favourite farm. The kids ate them by the handfuls, something you'd never be able to do in Australia at the price they are. Here we were free to eat and roam and fill our buckets, which we did. Tate was the funniest of all, determined to only pick the perfect berries, he surveyed and test tasted each bush and took a loooong time filling his bucket. So funny. I can never get enough berries, in the end I think we had over 20 pounds which kept us going for the next week. It's amazing how fast they can go when you are taking handfuls at a time! From the farm we made our way to the Shubenacadie wildlife reserve, which is a wonderful park with all the Canadian animals you could hope to see. After some lunch and a play in the trees we headed in. With the heat of the day many of the animals were sleepy but we did see the famous groundhog Shebenacadie Sam who for the first time I had been there was out and about, as well as a beaver who would usually be hiding too. Seeing the Sable Island horses up close was a highlight for me. Every time I am there I see something different. That night we had Josh Blakeney over for dinner, we lit a fire and had marshmallows and spent the rest of the night chatting away.
A wonderful and full first two days together.
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