Wow! Where has this year gone? I can’t believe Christmas is only a few months away….eeeek!  I’m actually dreading Christmas this year.  Our minister and his family will be leaving Dec 29th, so it will be a sad Christmas.  For now, we are trying to spend as much time as we can with them.

I’m off Fri, Sat and Sun this weekend…woohoo!!! I was trying to think of something to do with the kids and i’ve decided to take them apple picking.  I’ve never taken them and I think they would really enjoy it.  There are hayrides and other activities, so hopefully it doesn’t rain.

I went to UFIT last night.  We had the other instructor, “S”.  Boy was he full of energy!  I was exhausted after class.   I am going again on Wed and then my other aerobic class on thurs.  The two classes compliment one another.  UFIT involves ALOT of cardio and then some toning and weights.  The Fall Fitness class is all about toning, weights, exercise ball and then some cardio.  So I’m getting really great workouts all around.  Here’s to living healthy!

I’ve been thinking alot about the soldiers overseas since my highschool friend called me from Bulgaria the other night.  While he is not fighting in the field at the moment, he has done two tours in afghanistan and thankfully has come home safe.  My son’s school sends packages to the soldiers thanking them for all they do.  I can not imagine spending months at a time away from my family in a foreign country.  Please take the time to remember these special individuals and the sacrifices they make.

Here is a letter to my son’s school principal thanking the students for the packages:

Greetings Principal D:

My name is Captain Terry Hunter and I am a native of Charlottetown now living in Ottawa.  I am currently on tour as an unarmed Canadian Peacekeeping Military Observer with the United Nations Mission in Sudan or UNMIS for short.  I am stationed in a remote teamsite near the village of Torit in the south of Sudan close to the Ugandan border.  There are two other Canadian United Nations Military Observers (UNMOs) stationed with me along with 18 UNMOs from various UN countries around the world.

It is our job to monitor the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement signed in by the North and South Sudan to end the civil war which started in 1956 (in our location of Torit) and has been ongoing until the signing of the peace agreement in 2005.  It has been a long terrible war for the people of Sudan with over 2 million civilians killed over the years. We are busy patrolling to villages in the area which take about 3- 4 hours to get there because of the state of the roads in the rainy season.  We do what is called “Village Profiles” to
determine what assistance the villagers require including schools and wells.  Everyday, we see Sudanese soldiers walking around carrying their AK-47 Assault Rifles.  It’s definitely not main street, Canada.

While undergoing two weeks of introductory training in Khartoum at the beginning of my tour this previous August, I received several packages directed through the Military Family Resource Centre in Charlottetown addressed to me.  The packages were dated June 30 by the Belleville, Ontario post office and were sent from  SIS. The packages contained several items such as gum, Crystal Light drink mix, soap, deodorant, reading materials, trail mix, Kraft Dinner, tooth brushes and toothpaste and other great items.  These items, easily obtained at home, are unavailable to us over here or difficult or expensive to purchase in the main city of Khartoum of which we are a two hour jet flight away.  I passed out packages to other Canadian UNMOs at our residence called Canada House in Khartoum and also to the other Canadian UNMOs in my teamsite.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks to your students for sending these packages as they are well appreciated by us.  Unlike the Canadian troops in Afghanistan, Canadian Peacekeepers in the the Sudan are responsible for providing their own food.  We do not have a mess hall or canteen.  Many of us shipped food packages over in late June or early July which we started consuming upon our arrival in Khartoum around August 2nd.  Most of my food consists of canned meat products such as Spam or Corned Beef commonly called “Bully Beef” by the Canadians during the First and Second World Wars. Other products that we previously shipped over (and are having shipped over) are rice, cereal, canned tuna and ham, condiments, spices, powdered milk and toiletries.

We are stationed in a UN camp located in the middle of the Jungle and there are no modern supermarkets to purchase food in the village.  The villagers live in mud huts called Tukul huts which are what you would see in a National Geographic magazine.  There is a small outdoor market where we can purchase flat pita style bread and some vegetables but that is about it.  There are some venders that sell goat meat and beef but it is sitting out in the hot sun all day and is usually covered with flies.  Because of sanitary conditons, we don’t purchase the meat - hence the reliability of canned meat from home.

Our food packages sent by our families from Canada must go to Belleville, Ontario to Canada House in Khartoum to Juba in the south and then by UN helicopter to our teamsite in Torit.  It takes about three to four weeks for this.  Our food packages, unfortunately, do not have priority on the UN aircraft so they may be delayed by a week or so.

So the packages sent by your school were much appreciated by us Canadian Peacekeepers overseas.  I’ve included a few pics of the myself with some of the children I met in the villages we have visited and even some of a typical meal we may eat over here (Bully beef and beans for example).

Best regards

Terry Hunter
Captain
Canadian Forces United Nations Military Observer
Teamsite Torit
United Nations Mission in Sudan

We received some very sad news today.  Our minister and his family are leaving our church and moving to N.S. in December.  He has been our minister for 12 years and he and his wife have been instrumental in bringing me closer to God.  He was the minister that married my husband and I and my husband thinks of him as one of his best friends.  Hubby has spent many a night there watching football and chowing down on home made donairs.  Our minister also has amazing superbowl parties and many of the congregation go even though most of them don’t enjoy sports.  We are all devastated.   They are two of the most wonderful people you will ever meet and they are both so caring and easy to talk to.  They will be making an official announcement on Sunday and I know there will be many tears shed.  We all knew they wouldn’t be there forever and it’s a given that minister’s have a calling.  I know he is struggling with leaving too.  They will truly be missed.

There are so many people I know suffering from depression.  It can be very debilitating and it’s awful to see someone you care about suffer.  I have a Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a form of depression.  I have a terrible time in the fall, but medication makes things a little easier.  I’m thankful that the symptoms are usually manageable.  My cousin whom I am very close to has a terrible time with depression.  She is going through a bad spell right now and it just kills me to see her suffer.  I’ve was there for her when she lost someone close to her a few years ago and it was awful.  She couldn’t eat or leave the house for months.  She was very frail at the end.  Thank goodness she was able to come out of it eventually.  I am heading in to visit her for a bit before I go to work.  I’ve always been very concerned and protective of her for some reason.  I think of myself as a “big sister” more than a cousin.  I’m praying she will get better soon.

Today, Rafael and I celebrate 7 wonderful years of marriage.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 7 years.  I couldn’t stop shaking the day he proposed.  It was a total surprise and I was so excited.  I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without him.  He is an amazing man, a wonderful father and husband.  Happy Anniversary hon! Love you lots!!

What an amazing weekend we had in Cape Breton!  We arrived friday afternoon around 3pm at the Silver Dart Lodge in Baddeck, N.S.  The view is amazing.  You can look out at the Bras D’or Lakes while enjoying a meal in the dining room.  Once we checked in and unpacked, we headed to Sydney to visit Tracey aka “angeloftheisland”.  On the drive to Sydney, you have to drive over a mountain which by some sort of coincidence was named  “Kelly”.  Go figure!

Me on Kelly’s Mountain

We had a wonderful evening with Tracey, Mike and Marcus.  Matthew had gone for a sleep-over at grammie’s.   After dinner, Tracey surprised Rafael and I with a cake wishing us a “Happy Anniversary”.  Awwwww!!!!!!  Isn’t she just the sweetest!!!!!

Gabby associates cakes with birthdays, so of course she was looking for a candle to blow out.   Tracey was sweet enough to find a tea light for Gabby to blow out.

Tracey, Marcus, Gabby and Myself

The next morning we woke up bright and early to have breakfast and then head out for a day on the Cabot Trail.   Here is a view from the top of the lodge. The Bras D’or Lakes are in the background.

We started the Trail at Ingonish, cut through the Cape Breton Highland Park and then ended our journey in Cheticamp.  It took us a little over 8 hrs and 305 km.  Here are some pics of our journey.  Honestly, pictures do not come close to capturing the beauty and amazing views we experienced along the Trail.  There are several different “trails” to follow and we are already discussing the route we want to do next year!

One of my favorite pics

on top of Cape Smokey 

one of the many beaches in the Highland park

gabby and upsy daisy

Lakies Head

waterfall at one of the beaches

Someone must have been thinking of me when they invented these.  YUMMMM!  My dieting buddy gave me one this week (thanks sharon!) and I went right out and bought a box for myself.  They are only 100 calories and very small yet still big enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Now if I can just keep the kids out of them!

I started my pickles last night.  It’s quite a process so I have to be in the mood.  Hubby helped me peel all the cucumbers and then I cut them up and soaked them overnight.  Today when I got home from work, I started sterilizing bottles and cooking the pickles.  They turned out great!  I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad batch.  I was able to get 10 bottles from this batch.  Now I have to start the process all over again for a second batch.  Oh well, it’s worth it!  Can’t wait to enjoy them tomorrow with some new potatoes and fresh veggies.

soaking the first batch and cucumbers 

for my second batch

(thanks for the cuks aunt raye!)

the cooking process

all done! 10 bottles later and on to the next batch

Barf! My nerves are shot!  I don’t think I slept at all last night anticipating Grace’s first day of school.  I’m not worried about her going into grade one.  It’s the fact she has to switch buses to and from school and I’m afraid she will miss a bus.  Braeden doesn’t take the same bus, so he can’t keep an eye on her.  So this morning, in the pouring rain, I followed the bus to her first stop and waited with her to catch her 2nd bus.  Did I mention it was pouring rain?  After she met her bus driver (he’s such a nice man!) and boarded the bus, I headed to her school to meet her there.  She was so excited and had so much fun.  They grow up way too quickly!  Note to self: BUY an umbrella!

 first day of school outfit

someone else NOT so happy about

going back to school (he-he!)

catching the 1st bus (beautiful new bus I might add)

waiting for the 2nd bus

arriving at school

in her classroom (check out the neat little

pouches on the back of the chairs…very cool!

the pouring rain

My daughter is probably one of the most persistent individuals I know.  If she asks to do something and is told “no”, she will ask another ten times in the hopes I will eventually give in to her.  Sometimes it can be so frustrating, but I know this is who she is and I have to be patient with her.  Yesterday, she was hovering around me asking me repeatedly to put the spy kids movie in for her.  She’s only watched it 20 times or more so far.  After about the 5th request I told her not to be such a “pain in the butt” (my exact words).  Her response?  “Mom, I am not a pain and I am not a butt.  I am a person!”  And you know what? She’s absolutely right!  Being such a spirited child doesn’t make me love her any less.  Oh she can be difficult, there is no doubt about that.  But she is also determined, very direct and will stand up for herself.  Qualities I wish I had when I was her age.  I was terrified the first day of school.  I think I cried for most of the day and wanted to go home.  Grace?  She has been begging to go to school for the past 2 years and has no fear of riding the bus to and from school.

Having a spirited child can be very challenging at times.  But you take the good with the bad.  If anything, I’m learning to be more patient.  Something I really need to work on.  And when I really think about it, being “spirited” is not that bad.   There is nothing I would change about my daughter’s personality.  It’s who she is and why I love her.

clowning around

trying to look like her big brother

learning to blow bubbles