A Day of Remembrance

 One of the best days of the year to be in the nation's capital, Remembrance Day holds a special place in all of our hearts. We attend the ceremony downtown every year, with thoughts of Great-Grandpa Jack and the late Uncle Roy always on our minds. We thank them for their dedicated service and for fighting for the freedom of theirs and future generations like Isabelle and Oliver. A beautiful sunny day made for a great ceremony and all the streets around the War Memorial were packed with proud Canadians wishing to pay their respects to the fallen and surviving veterans. In fact this was the first year that Canada does not have a surviving veteran from the First World War. Isabelle was the perfect red-clad patriot today, as quiet and patient as you will ever find a 4-year old. Without a good vantage point to see what was going on, she was happy to be there nonetheless, and paid her annual visit to the memorial after the proceedings ended. She visited the many wreaths and the Tomb and on our way out, she stopped for a photo in front of the cenotaph. Soon her Dad was joined by multiple other photographers wanting to take her picture. The paparazzi wouldn't let her go and she was loving the attention. One of the photographers even got a shot of her leaving her poppy and mentioned that it may be in tomorrow's local French newspaper. Surely Dad will need to buy a few dozen copies of that! It was a fabulous day, one to remember how just many people have made sacrifices for us. We love and appreciate you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

The Veterans Parade gets smaller year after year, but the crowds to honour them get larger

All manner of service men and women came to honour our forces

The traditional leaving of the poppy at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Red is the colour of the day

Remembrance Day waning in popularity?  Not in Ottawa!

Meeting up with old pals was the order of the day, for veterans and for little ones too!