So far I've been really enjoying visiting with friends and family in NB and the time is moving ridiculously fast. It feels like as soon as we've gotten settled in we're going to have to head back to Toronto. I haven't really been doing too much of the typical touristy things while here – just taking my time and soaking in my surroundings.
Donnie seems to have adjusted well to being in a new place with people who are less familiar to him. He's been giving little kisses to his Aunt Jillian (my sister), Grammie and Great Grammie who we've been staying with. Donnie has even been trying more at walking! At one point he walked from one end of the living room to the other without any help at all! So pleased with my boy!
It's been great weather here for the most part except for the rain pouring down the last couple of days. Don't take that as a complaint though because for me it's so relaxing to listen to the thunder, lightening and pitter-patter of the rain hitting the roof top of my Grandmother's old house. I barely ever have a chance to enjoy just the simple sound of the rain alone when I'm in Toronto since it's difficult to separate it from noisiness of the city. That's one of the things I always notice when I'm back home in the good ol' Maritimes – it's the lack of sounds and the quietness of the country and of nature. At night after everyone's gone to sleep I can't even hear the hum of electricity in the house – and it's wonderful. Looking back this is one of the simple things I took for granted when I grew up here.
Every year when I come back to visit New Brunswick – I'm so thankful and blessed to be able to spend time with my grandmother. It's just so unbelievable for me that she'll be turning 87 years old later this month. She's been like another mother to me and I've always felt so close to her. As a child, when my mother was ill, my grandmother did a great deal of mothering of my sister and I and I will always be grateful for how much she has given of herself to make sure others are happy and cared for. The kindness and love she shows others is really something to aspire to.
It's absolutely adorable how much my little boy has shown affection for my grandmother and he's warmed up to her quickly. Whenever my Grammie sits in her rocking chair in the living room Donnie goes over to his chair and sits right next to her. He's also crawled into her lap and stayed happily there with her when anyone else here including me just doesn't suit him. Grammie loves him so much and it warms my heart to see how happy he makes her.
I have about 7 days left here for my vacation before I head back home to the big city. Every time I have to leave to go back to Toronto I'm reminded of how much miss this place and of how much I took being a country girl for granted while growing up. While I like living in Toronto and I know there are advantages to living in the city a piece of me will always be in New Brunswick.
