family, home, goodbyes and hellos

First off, I feel an apology is in order for the quietness around here. Life has been busy and I've been enjoying my little vacation away from home. As you may or may not know, I have been away from home now for nearly a month and soon it will be time to head back to reality, our life in Whitehorse.
This visit has been more than awesome in so many ways. Visits with friends and family, a trip to Montreal, going into my favourite Ottawa joints, doing fun things like skating on the canal...it's been lovely. It's given us a really good chance for Noah and I to catch up with our family. A chance for family to have some quality time with Noah, something that I know they all miss when we are away....but I think I am ready to head home now. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and alas my dear husband is waiting for us on the other end.
They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder and boy does that ever seem to be true for me. On top of missing Winslow oh so very much, I've really missed our life in Whitehorse. The day to day routines. The simple acts of looking through our pantry before I go grocery shopping. The familiar walk down the street to visit our friends. The feeling of security and ease that each day brings.
Before I left for Ottawa, I'm not quite sure I knew just how much I loved our life in Whitehorse. Being away from our home has helped me to have an appreciation for the simple, easy, stress free life that we lead there. More and more I am learning that the less is more mentality of living in the North is exactly what I need and I'm not sure that I could live any other way ever again.
But while I am still here in Ottawa (a city that is so very different from the one that I now call home), I will make the most of it by ticking a few more things off my Ottawa wish list. Things like having gelato in the Market (even though it's frickin' cold here!) and getting in every last second with my family. A big family supper is planned for Saturday, a final meal that we will all enjoy together before my sister and her family head back to NWT and before Noah and I head back to Whitehorse.
And so it maybe a bit more quiet in these parts as I get ready to say goodbye to one home and get ready to say hello to our other one. I'm hoping that all of you dear friends are doing well and are enjoying these winter days.
xox
ps. I will leave you with a few pics of me enjoying a delicious bubble tea in Chinatown. That was one of my Ottawa "must-dos"