Visit from Toronto via Munich

When I was 17 years old, I went to my aunt's wedding in Canada.  Sitting on the end of a pew during the service, a lady snuck in late and sat beside me.  We got chatting, and clicked so well, that I missed the family photos because we were nattering away!  We stayed in touch and the next year when I went back to visit family, we met up a few times - even travelling to Montreal with a couple others on a weekend trip.  Towards the end of my 6 weeks there, Karen (as she is called) told me that her cousin Owen would be going to the University of Birmingham to study for his master's and would I like to come to his leaving party and meet him? As I was going to study at Aston University in Birmingham, she thought we could stay in touch. I thought, why not.....

And the rest, as they say, is history........

I remember going to meet him at the airport, helping him lug his enormous, lead-heavy cases up the long, narrow flight of strairs to his 1st floor campus accommodation.   Helping him to sort through the random selection of manky pots, plates and cutlery (left behind by other students) that they allowed the international students to have, trying to find the least yucky ones.  Cooking him chicken and pasta for his first night's meal, and a year of drinking at the Graduates bar (cheap, cheap booze!), getting chips and scallops (of the potato kind, not shellfish) with cheap mayo and ketchup from John's chippy at 3am in the morning, playing pool at the Black Horse pub just off campus, of him sneaking me and Joss into the Business School computer rooms late at night,  me serving him half pints (he actually meant for me to charge for a half and fill up a full, but I got the wrong end of the stick!) at the Students Union bar where I worked for a while..... and many other great, fun memories......

Since he graduated, I have visited him a few times in Canada, but he has never been back to England......now he has no excuse.  He has recently moved to Munich on a 3 year secondment, and within a month of arriving there, he was on a plane to see us!

And we had a GREAT weekend!  Jasmine, in particular, really took to him (the last time he saw the kids, she was just 18months old), and spent as much time glued to him as possible.....

Here Owen is helping Jas with her school reading book.  Only problem is, he had her pronouncing 'Ball' as "Barl" in the canadian way - too funny!

Owen bought Ben a little stamping set from Monsoon/Accessorize and Jasmine picked out a set of five little rings with cute little animal faces on them.  Owen made her promise to look after them as, other than his wife, she is the only girl he has ever given a ring to!!!  And she has looked after them, they are all safely in their case by her bedside table.  Ahhhhh

As it was also Nick's birthday, we had Sienna round and I cooked an indian feast.....

The kids got to stay up reeeeaaaallly late.......

Jasmine got so over excited.......after rolling about on the floor for a bit, she went on to run laps around the blue rug for 10 mins solid....I kid you not!

The next day, we had a mini reunion.  My best friend and flat mate at uni, Joss, came to visit, and, as it turns out,Owen's flat mate from halls, Jenni (whom we all got to know pretty well too), now lives in Abingdon.  So she came along too.....

from l-r, Joss, Owen, Jenni, me :-)

Jasmine, in her favourite Scooby costume, being over-excited by Joss and Jenni.......like she needs any encouragement!

Come back soon Owen!!! (I know you are reading this :-)  )