Happy Anniversary

It has been a year. It was October 31st, 2008 when we got possession and moved into our current house. We had just enough time to throw down mattresses on the living room floor to crash on when we returned and assemble Halloween costumes before heading out the door to trick or treat. A year ago this weekend.
In many ways it doesn't feel like it has been a year. We talk about our friends from 'down south' around the dinner table like we saw them yesterday. I find myself describing our family to other people as 'new to the area'. While we have explored and adventured to many places I feel like we are just scratching the surface of what there is to tap into here in terms of activities, sights and community connections. I am surprised at how long it has taken to feel connected. A part of something bigger. But I can see that starting. The beginning.
We sat down as a family after dinner yesterday with paper, crayons and markers. We started off randomly drawing. As we chatted about this anniversary and what this past year has been for us as individuals and as a family. It has been a crazy year. A roller coaster like I have never experienced before. But above all else I feel thankful, amazed and blessed to have journeyed with such amazing people; my family. There have been challenges, serious and trivial ones. We touched on these but it was the joys that we focused.
There was stories of all the different animals we have cherished seeing in their home, or visiting ours. Moose, bears, deer, turkeys, fox, falcons, raccoons, Fischer, pileated woodpeckers, hawks, muskrat, beaver, quail, pheasants. There have been the new and favorite things we have tried; ATVing, tapping and making maple syrup, raising chickens (and all that comes with that, the good, the bad and the ugly), fort building, ditch digging, snow shoeing, the countless fires, lake skating, dock diving on a daily basis, fishing, canoeing. The power outages, coping through dial-up, having town and country clothes, learning a new sense of distance. The beautiful scenery, our scary and intriguing pond, a forest to call our own imaginary land, lakes, lakes and more lakes, provincial parks at our door steps.
There have visits from family and friends we have cherished. We cooked Christmas dinner together by headlight on the barbecue during an outage, were thrilled when the snowstorm meant an impromptu sleep over, to build a chicken coop, surprise use with tapping supplies, to enjoy our new home and explore with us. Packages sent, filled with letters keeping us up to date, surprises and love. Emails to shorten the distance.
There are the new people we have met. Friends who have welcomed us into their homes, met us weekly for playtime, shared their favorite beach and their famous burgers. Friends who have tapped us into the network of wants going on, shared where the Christmas trees can be found (for next year), take me out for breakfast or said yes when I invited them to a book club. Friends around the corner.
What a year. I can't even imagine what the next holds. I am not even going to try.