King of The Skittles....

We left Petawawa bright and early this morning. I thought the kids might be a little blue about leaving Pet for the last time, but they never said a word. In fact, they were good as gold all day. Today was the longest part of our journey, seven hours to Uncle Gerry and Aunt Pat's house in London. We've been back in Ontario for four years, and haven't managed to visit them once, which is terrible. Every time we had a weekend planned, Dan ended up being away for work. We figured as we were driving right through London, we could finally get a visit in. Katherine has been saying for weeks this was the only part of the move she was looking forward to. I think that might have something to do with the fact Uncle Gerry is known for his stash of Skittles. And of course, the Skittle King did not disappoint, there was a large stash waiting for each of them when we arrived. And of course, he may have also had some cold beers waiting for Dan. We had a fantastic visit with them. We spent the afternoon visiting and catching up. And of course, Pat fed us one of her famously wonderful meals! We were so glad Geoff and John were able to come see us. And we finally got to meet Geoff's girlfriend Mehvish. What a sweety. The only downside of the day was the Penguins loss to the Red Wings, Connor was not amused. You'll be happy to know there were no tears today (from me or the kids). Hopefully the rest of the trip goes as well. Fingers crossed!

"Life isn't all beer and skittles, but beer and skittles, or something better of the same sort, must form a good part of every Englishman's education." - Thomas J Watson Sr.

I'll Be Seeing You....

We are officially homeless! Today was our last day in Petawawa. I don't know where the time has gone. It seems that three years flew by in the blink of an eye!!! It has been 10 years since we left Pet the first time, and what a difference 10 years makes.. the first time we left, I couldn't get out of here fast enough, this time, I really was in no hurry to leave. Who would have thunk it? Not me, I'll tell you that! We have had a wonderful three years in Pet. And yes, I really do mean that....even with Dan being gone for most of the first two years, and his illness after the Ironman. If there's one thing I can say about Army life, there are lots of ups and downs.. but it's those experiences that help us form the bonds and friendships we do, and they make us stronger and more resilient. Sometimes though, Army life plain sucks, like times like these when we have to say goodbye to our dearest friends. But as I told Elizabeth the other day when she was angry with the military because we are moving, if it weren't for the military, we wouldn't have been here in the first place, and we would never have made these wonderful friends we are so sad to say goodbye too!!

So, as is par for the course with us, nothing ever goes smoothly. Our last day in Pet started with the dishwasher breaking one hour before the home inspection. We turned it on to run through a cleaning cycle and ended up with water all over the floor. Needless to say, we were not happy, but there was nothing we could do about it, so we wrote a cheque for the new owners to replace the dishwasher. We just didn't want the hassle of repair bills, especially as we are leaving the country. After that excitement, I went out for lunch with the Sistas (God, I'm going to miss them!); and Dan and his BFF (Derek) had lunch together and played video games one last time. The rest of the day was spent running errands and then we had a lovely supper with the Gallaghers. After that it was back to the cottage, where we were joined by the Gallaghers and Crabbes. The kids hung out in the hot tub and then we had a nice campfire. It was a wonderful way to spend our last night in Pet.... the only thing that would have made it better were Jen's famous Smores!!! And then it was time for the dreaded goodbyes. I really hate saying goodbye. Have I mentioned that? I'm so proud of the kids.. they handled it all so well. Me not so much.. I sobbed like a baby for almost an hour after the kids went to bed. We have the best friends in the world, and we will miss them dearly! I wish we never had to say goodbye to any of them, but alas we do. But as is often the case in the military, we part knowing that someday, we will meet again! Today is done, and I am glad. Tomorrow is a new day..the beginning of the next chapter of the Bobbitt Adventures. I for one can't wait to see what happens next.

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." ~Richard Bach