hallo papa...

visiting oma at riverview.

a few weeks ago, oma had a stroke. she is staying at riverview rehabilitation centre now, working every day at improving her speaking & movement. it is often very frustrating for her, & for those who love her, who come to visit but find it difficult to understand her. each visit has smiles & tears, especially when babies come along.

oma, in good spirits

happy generations of kampens

renate & mateo

uroma & mateo getting reacquainted.

mateo tries to be helpful.

wir haben dich lieb, oma!

helping uroma.

tulips, coffee & under the table adventures

helping omi in the kitchen.

visiting with the rempels

making friends with hillary.

stephanie the rona queen.

reading.

chair walking.

tea & friends.

angela.

camera face.

die welt ist elefantastisch!

here's what a certain small person & i have been watching lately. check it out! vielleicht lernst du ja was!

redecorating.

we are redecorating a little bit right now. david is busy redoing m's room while m & i are here in winnipeg, unable to upend paint cans and make messes too big to clean up. we're still finding our way in our new little home, & one of the things i have started doing is collecting prints & affordable original art on etsy (my all-time favourite online marketplace). one of my favourites right now is children inspire design, the brainchild of rebecca peragine. she makes lovely collages with bright, vibrant colours. i'm trying for a bird theme in our living room, & i think her colour schemes will bring some cheery memories of summer into our home in the grey days of winter. maybe my favourite thing she does, though, is make wallcards for kids... in german!

manly bbq.

supervising.

goofing around with auntie anna

giggles.

ou est la lampe?

wo ist die lampe?

here is mateo's very favourite thing about omi & opa's place...

landscape of toys.

dress up.

at the park.

the sun was shining. opa & m went to the park.

swinging.

sliding.

smiling.

abschied.

rike is leaving canada... continuing her studies in heidelberg. she has been living in toronto while her fiancee (!), karin, has been studying in my program in waterloo. dave's guitar lived with her in toronto, & even made it to some open mic nights... more action than it's gotten for a while. we will miss rike: her infectious laugh, tenderness for mateo, & affection for white wine ;). aufWIEDERsehen liebe rike!

susie.

susie came today. she brought gifts of fresh biscotti & sony voice recorders. happy thesis writing! winnipeg & field work... here we come!

m likes biscotti that ryan makes

one of m's "auntie winnipeg"s