Tuesday 8 October 2013

International family

It's been fairly standard week of cooking, cleaning, and raising the next generation thereby guaranteeing the human race doesn't go extinct, but a few things have stood out and those have been visits to and from family.  Not our family, other people's, but then we're all one big happy family, when you think about it.

First off Florin's parents popped over.  They've been staying since his wedding, but until now had not been served the finest cappuccino in Walnut Creek.  I set them right by whipping up a few cups, and Peter got to practice his Romanian while Florin translated.  They're back home to Romania today, and their son and daughter-in-law get their bed back.

Then we made the trip to see a new family member, Genevieve.  Our baby was once as small as her but you forget this in his current happy developmental stage of pinching and falling on you.  Genevieve is gorgeous, Pete showed his love in a pinching fashion, and Lauren and Nate are doing well.  Nate's paternity leave is up today and he had to go back to work - just typing those words sends a shiver down my spine.

Finally, I met up with Ron and Iris (Ian's parents, Ellen's in-laws, Meg's grandparents) in SF.  They're on a tour around California and even managed to sneak into a closed-by-shutdown Yosemite.  Shhh!  I gave them what might be the last Davies NorCal Tour, taking in the old sites and bagging as much free Ghirardelli's chocolate as the greeter on the door would happily part with.

Last tour?  Yes, it seems that our long-fabled move to Canada might finally be happening.  We have to have a work permit interview at the border - no pressure! - and then come back to the USA, and various other complications, but it's getting close.  Go you Canucks!


With Florin's mum, and an improvised first words in Romanian book.


There were a lot of prayers said for kids at Florin and Sasha's wedding.


Little Gen!  Hannah shows she hasn't lost her touch.


Nate's a natural.


Happy family, though not quite chronologically possible.


Mother and (our) baby are doing well.



Ron and Iris on a trolley car.


I think I'm going to miss you most of all, Blue Bottle Coffee.


Decaf for Pete.


Not having a functioning government has finally affected us!  The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park has the best loos near Fisherman's Wharf.  We had to walk an extra three minutes to Ghirardelli Square, and I'm never voting Republican again.