I'm home! Well, for about a month anyway. Mike & I arrived on January 28th, at around 1:30 am, phew!

The flight was great for me (I was asleep for most of it, lol)...poor Mike had to listen to about 25 crying little girls from China. At least they didn't cry all at once, but they seemed to each take their turn. He said there were a couple who cried for two hours straight.

My first day back from China was nice. I walked from Mike's parents' place to just up from McAllister Place before Mike picked me up. I just wanted to be out, walking in the snow & cold, and to see what I've been missing. Snow! Nature! um, did I say Snow!? Mike picked me up there, then drove me the rest of the way to my mom's place. I spent the afternoon & evening with Mom talking, eating, giving China presents and catching up on every moment I've missed since I left in July. The last 6-7 months have gone fast, but there've been so many things that have happened in Canada since I went back to China. My mom's cat being put down, her broken leg, the fire at my old apartment building...plus other stuff, like changes in Saint John, Canadian gov't, life, etc. I feel so out of it sometimes being so far away :S

I thought I was doing okay with the jetlag (I thought it had passed me by)...but no, it hit me as soon as my afternoon at SJB/KE was over. I spent Monday afternoon at my old school visiting all the kids and the friends I worked with. I didn't realize just how much I missed them. Being away and missing how much they've grown really got to me. I'm not sure how much longer I'll stay away...I hadn't seen the kids since June 2005...it was getting close to two years. Time has slipped away on me :S



Jessie moved on to high school last fall, but Adrian arranged for her to be at the school for my visit :) I was sad last June when I wasn't there to say goodbye to her, so this was a very special and sweet thing that they arranged for me. Just like old times (except that she's almost taller than me! lol!) Matt & I got to play our old games ("Matte! Matte! Kirten! Kirten! hey baby, welcome dear, Kirsten no China!") Murray went and practically grew into a football player on me and has become an even more amazing student, Kiera's got so much to say, and most of them have become teenagers! Kyle, Murray, Craig & Peter...they're all turning into young adults!

Rose & I compared ourselves the second we saw each other, lol! We used to both weigh more, but we've now morphed into these skinny people! Vegetarianism & the gall bladder do amazing things :> I'll have to search for before & after pictures of us to share...



After my visit with the kids, jetlag became my best friend, grrrr! I slept for the entire day on Tuesday. Mike woke me up at around 5pm and said "did you forget that your mom's coming for dinner? get up!"...oops

So what have I accomplished to far? Um, some visiting, but I still haven't talked to Cindy & Cathy yet! Wednesday will be a talking on the phone day...plus maybe a road trip to Moncton since Mike's dad is stranded (he chose the wrong car to go to work with, lol).