the most amazing surprise EVER!!

So, my surprise? Instead of a Saturday afternoon trip-launch, the most amazing surprise/in-depth covert operation was sprung on me. I was totally fooled and completely surprised. We went out for a few drinks on Friday night, and got dropped off chez nous around 1:30. Soonafter, the doorbell rang - Steve: "Ooooh maybe Pascal forgot something" (Pascal = ride home); I, under a cloud of heavy confusion, walked to and opened the door to see a suitcase with a present propped on top of it - and milliseconds later, out jump three screaming sisters from behind the garage... AGGggghhh! Surprise!! Steve had orchestrated all three of my sisters to come to Winnipeg for the weekend - a sister reunion. The most amazing present EVER! I was in total shock - good shock mind you... but my eyes couldn't reallllly believe what they were seeing for, well, almost the entire weekend. Sarah came from Vancouver, Claire from Calgary and Karin from Denver ... and it was soooooooo so so so fun!!! It's been a while since we've been able to get together at all really (I was going to say on a regular basis) - we were together last summer when Karin got married but there was so much going on... so it was awesome for all four of us to be together, and for everyone to see our place and our life in Winnipeg. !!!! I am still on a bit of a high... it was great. It was/is the most thoughtful and amazing present ever.

So... Friday night we stayed up until all hours talking and drinking and opening presents... so so fun! Saturday we went to the fair - as Sarah said, interesting human experiment - so many different people, and different in so many ways. We went on some rides - the swings, a mini water rollercoaster, had icky fair food - you know, did the whole exhibition thing. The weather was amazing all weekend - we've had a great run of sun for the past week or so, so that was great too. What else... came back here Saturday, enjoyed some drinks and a yummy meal... then some more drinks and more yummy food THEN... took Winnipeg by storm - sister storm. Well, not really. But we drank and ate and danced and got home too late and you know the deal. On Sunday we went to The Forks, (which are way cooler than I thought they were) - Winnipeg's main tourist attraction, where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet. There's a market and restaurants and cafes and all sorts of neat park things... so that was cool. We also went to Assiniboine Park, had gelato on Corydon, did a little bit of shopping... It was one of those weekends that seemed to last forever - a five day weekend; full and long and fantastic. SO! Sneaky Steve - he came up with the idea in Russia, and has been planning it ever since. So so sososososososo sneaky. AND! He kept talking about the surprise that we were going on on Saturday - how he'd need my help packing, and that it took a while to get there... it was a bit of a drive - then he'd stop and say he didn't want to give anything away. AGH! So, it was great. Have I already said that a million times? Okay... here are some pics!


Right after my surprise arrived! Steve and his surprise...



Sissies at the fair...


At The Forks ")