Week #49 - Hello & Goodbye..

This weekend we said goodbye to Ariane. After spending three months with us she returned home to Quebec and her family. She was here on an exchange program that focused on giving youth an opportunity to learn English (or French) and experience life in another province! Our daughter will head to Quebec in February to live with Ariane's family for three months. 

This exchange program is one in a series of experiences that we as a family have engaged in over the past 20 years. We have hosted well over thirty people (mostly youth) and our children have had several opportunities to travel and experience other cultures that they otherwise would not likely have experienced. 

As I've written about previously, we have hosted so many folks from around the world in the interest of learning, growing and expanding our world without necessarily leaving the farm. And while I agree wholeheartedly with this and will continue to host... the goodbyes that are inevitable with any exchange program are challenging.....

The packing up, the airport drive, the hugs and tears, do not get easier with repetition. The commitment to return, to visit, to write are always there. Some do, some don't.... but all become part of our families collective heart, our history, our memories. Each one has taught us something.... 

Yuka taught us our first Japanese words....

Carwyn showed us how to judge sheep...

Haruka reminded us not to take ourselves to seriously....

Ricardo taught us to listen to the purr of every car engine differently...

..... and Ariane showed us the joy of a competitive spirit and the importance of seizing every opportunity! When Ariane was around it was impossible to be grumpy... it was also impossible to keep any candy in the house that she didn't eventually find! You will be missed, dear heart!

So while I am certain that we are all richer for the open door and the welcome we hold for those from afar, today my heart is a wee bit tender and needs some rest... 

...until we say Hello again.

Week #37 - Fresh starts, sad endings, and some new perspective

The first week of school... the last week of our CSA.... the first days of a new adventure. Now throw in a curveball and a tragic and sudden goodbye... week #37 has been full of the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Our kids all began school this week and Farmer Phil along with them (as he works at the highschool). The juggling of school, off farm work and farm work got a little bit crazier. 

Our oldest was pumped to be heading into his second year of University and a new line of study. So he (and all of us) didn't need the three broken bones in his foot the night before his first day. He is gaining fresh appreciation for why accessibility needs to be universal and woven into all building design. 

The first day of school for our two youngest kids (and Philip) was rocked by the tragic death of a long standing teacher on his way to school. While our children weren't taught by Mike Slobodian (Slobo as everyone called him), he was a much loved man who among other things took many highschool kids on annual canoe trips each year. Watching the school community come together to grieve, say goodbye and eventually to say goodbye has been sad yet rewarding. Rewarding to see how people reach out, help one another and look out for those that are struggling. The event certainly reminds you how quick lives can be altered and to remember to tell each other how much we mean to one another when we can. 

Ariane wasted no time taking Oakley for a test drive!

This weekend we welcomed Ariane into our home and hearts. She has come to stay with us for three months and we are so excited to get to know her and help her learn about our family, our community and our language. Once the three months have passed, our daughter will then go and stay with her for three months. Truly a life changing experience! 

We are looking ahead and preparing for our last CSA delivery as well as Open Farm Day next Sunday. We will once again be participating in this event this year. We, along with almost 50 other farms, will open our farms to visitors from across the Province for a day of learning and discovery. We will share our story and introduce visitors to everyone on the farm....both two legged and four! You can learn more about this event by visiting www.openfarmday.ca . We will be open from 11 am - 4 p.m. We will have a some veggies and some other treats for sale as well. Hope to see you there! 

Jet also came to stay on the farm this week! 

As we greet a new week tomorrow, please remember to be kind to each other and careful with our world. Show up, step up, speak up! 

Week #31 - A busy week!

Busy crazy week as most summer weeks are around here. We've had visitors all week from around the world! (quite literally). Today we are off to enjoy the corn maze with a crew of eight and have a party tonight with dear friends. So.. going to let pictures be my story this week! 

Got some fencing in! 

Beautiful geese in the morning sun!

The universal language of board games

Double rainbow after it rained again and again! 

Sunflowers are coming! 

Got some funky squash this year! 

Yuki caught a chicken

Our visitors feeding the pigs! 

Hope you have a wonderful week and your home and heart as a full as ours! 

Week #30 - Through a stranger's eyes

This week our first of several visitors arrived on the farm. Susanna from Finland has come to stay for three weeks as part of a 4-H exchange program. She is here to learn about agriculture in Canada to supplement her studies at home. On Friday, we will welcome Yuki from Japan as well.

Having visitors from afar is not new for our family. It is a yearly tradition that has greatly enriched our lives and grown our network of friends around the world. As farmers, leaving the farm can be tricky so we bring the world to us! Hosting has given us so many wonderful experiences and knowledge that we otherwise would not have experienced.

While often one thinks about the benefits of travelling to a foreign country, one shouldn't ignore the gifts that come with hosting a traveler! 

• See our world through the eyes of a stranger - we often take our home, family life, or country for granted. The reactions of our visitors often illustrate and clarify just how rare, precious and/or appreciated what we have is in the eyes of others. 
• Become a tourist again - Hosting visitors from afar means we spend time re-discovering our province and country. Creating wonderful memories and learning experiences for both us and our visitors. 
• Learn a bit of a new language, culture or traditions first hand - The appreciation of a culture or country is deepened significantly when we get the chance to talk and explore directly from our visitors. 
• Create a global network - Our children have grown up knowing people from all over the world. Each exchange has created lasting relationships that endure well after the visit. I like to think that should we finally launch on our world tour that we have many friends around the world to visit on our way! 

These reasons and many more cause us to open our home and hearts to people from all over the world each year. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. 

Ripple Effect

FFF Photo a Day - Day 47

Today was spent witnessing a dear friend become part of something I have taken for granted all my life. 

Eighteen years ago, we hosted an German exchange student for a year in our home. Who knew he would fall in love with a Canadian girl, make three beautiful babies and today swear his oath and became a Canadian citizen. 

A wonderful example of the ripple effect of one small decision. 

Congratulations and much love, Florian.