Europe Countdown

On Friday, Dad, Tara, Mark and I are heading to Europe. The four of us will be spending 10 days in Hungary exploring some of my Dad's heritage. I'm really looking forward to seeing the sights, as every person I mention the trip to, has stories about how amazing Budapest is, and how much we're going to love it.

We'll spend most of our time in Budapest, but will travel to two small towns (one where my Grandma lived, and one in Slovakia where my Grandpa lived), and hopefully spend some time at Lake Balaton (a resort area).

We haven't planned out exactly what we're going to do each day, but have booked tickets on RiverRide for our first full day in Budapest. It's a bus that turns into a boat! So, we'll get a great driving tour of downtown Budapest, as well as a boat cruise down the Danube. Should be a blast.

Boat? Bus? Either way, it looks like fun!

I'll be taking lots of pictures, so will post an update when we return!

On our way home, Mark and I will be stopping in Northern Ireland to visit family and go to a friend's wedding. It'll be my first British wedding, and I don't have a hat or a fascinator - uh oh! Hopefully, they'll let the lady with no hat and a strange accent in. Cheerio!

Mother's Day

This Sunday will mark the first Mother's Day since my Mom passed away. On September 25, 2010, my wonderful Mom lost her 13 year battle with kidney disease. She was (and still is) my hero. The battle she fought was not an easy one. For 13 years she underwent four peritoneal dialysis exchanges each and every day. Due to the disease, she had to have open heart surgery, lost most of her eye sight and hearing, and in her last few years, had little energy and significant mobility issues. However, she did not complain - not once. My Mom was a tiny little lady (5 feet tall, and less than 100 pounds) but had a massive heart and a high level of perspective that never once wavered. Though most people would feel sorry for themselves and be angry that they had to live this way, my Mom was constantly thankful for all of the good things in her life. Every single day I strive to find just an ounce of the perspective that Mom had. She honestly was the most positive, kind, caring, selfless, beautiful person I have ever met. I am so very fortunate to be her daughter. I can only hope that I can be half the woman that she was.

Tara, Mom and I

In the days since she passed, I often feel sorry for myself and wonder why I had to lose my Mom at such a young age; but then I hear her voice in my head reminding me of all the amazing things I have in my life that I should be thankful for. While losing her will surely be the biggest 'rip off' of my life, having her as my Mom was my greatest blessing. 

On my wedding day - just 6 weeks before she passed

This Sunday I will take some special time to myself to remember her. I will remember her warm smile, her soft skin and beautiful blue eyes, her soothing voice and all of the wonderful time we spent together. In 31 short years, I shared more with my Mom than most daughters do in a long and healthy life. For that, I will be forever thankful.  

  

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I miss and love you.

A Wee Break for the Annetts

Mark and I decided to get away for a couple of days and head down to the Niagara region. Since we've moved here, the pull to continually work on house tasks (unpacking, organizing, gardening, paperwork, etc.) has been overwhelming, and we both were in serious need of a break!

The Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls

I've been lucky enough to see Niagara Falls three times before, but Mark the world traveler, surprisingly has never been. Over the last few years it seems that Niagara Falls has turned into a bit of a mini Las Vegas, so we decided to make the most of it and tried out a few of the tacky tourist activities (arcade games, glow in the dark bowling, a giant Ferris wheel), as well as taking in the main attraction.

 

 

Mark enjoying the scenery

We also took some time to drive around the region, and ended up in Niagara on the Lake. Both Mark and I loved the look and feel of this quaint little town... so much so that as soon as we got home, we called to book a night there in July. Looking forward to it already!

Main Street - Niagara on the Lake

Next break... a real vacation to Hungary and Northern Ireland. Less than 3 weeks until we leave. Mark has definitely infected me with the travel bug. Love, love, love it!

Hello from Markham

Well, it's been a long time since I last posted and lots has happened. Mark and I purchased a lovely home in Markham and moved in a month ago (the snow in the picture is from January when we purchased). We're still getting used to our new surroundings but spring has sprung and Mark is enjoying having a yard and garden to look after. We have met a lot of our neighbours, and they are all lovely. It's very strange to be living in a new place; however, so far, so good (other than the mounds of red tape that we are working through - insurance, license plates, health care, etc... in order to live in the exact same country - ugh).

I have been hired by BBW International - haven't started yet, but will be working part time assisting with conferences, trade shows and other events. The hours are very flexible, which will allow me to travel lots (with my hubby) and back to Calgary to see Dad and Tara. I'll also be working the upcoming federal election as a polling clerk. Should be interesting. Don't forget to vote!

Dad, Tara, Mark and I will be leaving for a trip to Hungary in May. Dad has always dreamed of going to see the country where his parents were both born and raised. When Mom passed away in September, we decided that we needed to help him make this dream come true! Thankfully, Dad speaks Hungarian, so hopefully the trip will go smoothly.

Mark and I will be heading to Northern Ireland for a few days on our way home from Hungary. We are looking forward to seeing lots of our friends and family. Unfortunately, it's a short trip, but we're going again in October, so we'll just count this as a bonus. Surely, it'll be some powerful craic.

Cheers, for now.

The Adventure Begins...

I've decided to say hello to the world of blogging, as Mark will be starting a new role in Toronto on February 21; which means we'll be moving across the country! My hope in creating this blog, is to keep friends and family up to speed with what's going on in the world of the newest Mr. and Mrs. Annett.

Now, all we need to do is sell our condo, find and buy a house in Toronto, and move across the country! No big deal, really. Ha. We'll be leaving tomorrow to spend a week in Toronto, house hunting. I've been looking at listings online, and have my fingers crossed that we'll find something quickly, so we can enjoy some time getting to know the city we'll soon call home (for a while).

The last six months have been filled with more change (both good and bad) than I often feel I can handle, and while I'm sad to leave my family and friends behind, I do truly believe Mark and I will enjoy the adventure we are about to embark upon.

Stay tuned... it's going to be a wild ride!