Sweden Update!

I had my first official "Swedish" meeting last week. It was good because I actually know what I'll be doing over there. Myself, and 2 others will be preparing, and giving a presentation on the volunteer work we do at the VFC (Valcartier Family Centre). We're to act as spokes people to promote, explain and share the expertise of the VFC, as well as create and maintain good relationships with our Swedish counterparts. Pretty freaking cool.

So far our itinerary looks like this:

We leave Canada on Sunday, April 14th (which is new, since it was supposed to be fri-fri, now it's sun-sun). We arrive at the Stockholm Arlanda Airport in the afternoon, and then check into our hotel. Ersta Diakoni.
 

Monday is a meet and greet with our Swedish counterparts, and then we have some free time in the afternoon.

Tuesday morning we participate in some workshops, and make our presentation. Then, that afternoon me and the 2 other girls take a train to Skövde 2-3 hours away. Once there we'll be visiting a military garrison to participate in their day to day volunteer/community activities. We stay in Skövde until Thursday afternoon.

A zoomed out view of the map

Zoomed in view of our travels

 
Friday there is a wrap up, and then we have dinner at Karlsberg Slott - which in the meeting they told us was a castle, an hour and a half by boat from Stockholm. I googled it. It used to be a palace, but it's now a military building. Not AS exciting, but still cool ... I guess. Ha! 

Saturday is TBD right now, so hopefully it'll be a free day. And we come back on Sunday April 21st.

There is a lot of work involved, so it's going to keep me crazy busy for the next few months with everything else going on. But that's a good thing, because by the time the Swedish trip has come and gone, there will only be a few months left until Mike comes home. For good. He's coming home in March for his HLTA (mid-deployment break).

There's the latest and greatest!

2013

New year. And what?

My lovely bff Dayna came to mom and dad's last night with her fur baby to help me ring in the new year. I didn't want to be alone at 12. Dad stayed up with us. We watched Avatar and a bit of the Times Square coverage. Mom got home from work yesterday and wasn't feeling well. She was in bed at 4.

Not the NYE celebrations of years past, but a nice night. I was in bed by 12:15. I still partied it up with Thomas at 12:30, then again at 3:30. And both kids simultaneously woke up at 5:30.

I wish I had had the drinky fun night out to blame for my headache this morning. Unfortunately lack of sleep and a couple of kids are the culprits. C'est la vie.

This year I will carry on as a solo parent for another 6 months, I will meet my nephew Cooper for the first time, I'll have a few weeks with Mike. I will go to Sweden. My husband actually returns for good. I plan to visit my sister in Calgary. I will look into going back to work in the fall. Mike and I plan to take a trip down south at Christmas time. And we'll make the final decision on having a third baby.

Although Thomas is helping me make up my mind with that decision. He obviously does NOT want a younger sibling.