Family farewells

Last night was our chance to say goodbye to our families. We had a lovely evening at Pinocchio's restaurant in Bournemouth. The whole family got together for the first time in ages and everyone had a really good time. Lots of holidays to Canada were planned for 2009 and Jake and Jasmine had a whale of a time with the cameras taking shots of everyone.

An evening of goodbyes

Last night was our leaving party in Swindon. It was a chance for us to say farewell and to thank all our friends for being so fantastic. Since we moved to Swindon 15 years ago, we've met so many wonderful people and there's no doubt that one of the hardest things about emigrating is leaving them behind.
A good night was had by all and there were very few tears - which was our main aim! It was a chance to celebrate friendship and have some fun. We sincerely hope that just because we are moving a few thousand miles away, we will carry these friendships with us and keep them alive in the years ahead. So many have promised to visit us - we can only hope that they keep their promises! We would love our friends to see the beauty of Canada through our eyes, and hopefully understand what has made us decide to make it our new home.

Last day at work

Well, it's the end of an era. After nearly 13 years at Brook Field Primary School, I've finally left! I never really thought the day would come.
I've been so tired over the last few weeks, not helped by rampant insomnia as my brain ticks over with my 'to do' list. I've been longing to finish, just so I can focus on the move....however...when it came down to it, it was one of the hardest days of my life.
I went through every emotion possible yesterday, and used up a whole pack of tissues! However, I didn't cry quite as much as I thought and was quite proud of myself for not becoming a jibbering wreck!
Now, I'm still looking around for work to do. I've never been in a situation where I've not had school stuff to do and it's really weird. I keep looking at my school bag, only to realise that there are no books in it to mark, or planning to sort out, or assessments to do. Weird...but nice weird!
In spite of emotions running high, it felt really good to have so many lovely messages of support and know that I will be missed, and that I have made a difference to some young peoples lives. You put in so much to a teaching career - your heart and soul, your time, dedication, everything - it's a good feeling to know that some of it is appreciated and valued.
However, now it's time for ME! I'm really looking forward to some family time, a chance to say yes when Jake or Jaz want me to do something with them, like play cards or make stuff, instead of my usual answer of 'in a minute, Mummy's busy with this', or 'maybe tomorrow, I've got to do this work for school first'. That's a good feeling!