Our Extended Family

We are blessed to have an extraordinary extended family. Ray is the youngest of a family of 4. He has 2 brothers and a sister. His eldest brother unfortunately past way 20 years ago in an accident but his other brother and his sister are both in a relationship and each have a daughter aged 1 and 3 respectively. Helene is the third child of the family and has 5 sisters and 1 brother and most have kids for a total of 12 cousins! The age range is anywhere between 1 and 18 years old. So your child will have plenty of cousins to play with!

Picnic in Canada with Our Extended Family

Since they all live in Canada, we meet with them at least twice a year as we spend the summer and Christmas holidays at our house in Canada. Helene and Lili spend the whole summer at the lake while Ray travels back and forth from Europe and takes his summer holidays with the whole family. We regularly have big family gatherings at the lake house featuring water skiing, tube riding (behind the boat!), big family dinners, and all sorts of tournaments. Fun games like boys vs. girls at Pictionnary are common and we end the evening with a big campfire on the beach with sausages and marshmallows over the fire. These are priceless moments and great souvenirs for the adults and kids alike. Lili loves it and always wants to go back. We are convinced your child will feel the same and develop a strong sense of family and family values.

Our Lakeside House

We just bought a wonderful Victorian era maisonette in London with a lovely garden that leads onto a huge (4 acres!) communal park that is totally secluded and secure. It is basically like having the neighborhood park in your own backyard! Picture a bird's eye view of a triangle with attached houses forming the triangle and vast green open spaces in the middle.

Backyard Playground and Slide

There are dozens of young families leaving around the communal grounds and a strong sense of community transpires. There are regular events for the kids (bouncy castles, fireworks, clowns, Trick or Treating around the communal park on Halloween, etc) and they all play together moving from one house to another. It is a haven for kids and the best London private schools are either walking distance or a 10 minutes drive away. Close to our house are little shops and cafes with outside space that gives the neighborhood a village feel even though we live is Europe's largest city. We get the best of both worlds and we are a short drive from some of the best museums on the planet.