Firstly, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Mitchell family — Elena, Keith, Alicia, Breanne, and Winston — for so generously opening their home to us and creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

With limited snowfall and an unpredictable cold-weather forecast, our hosts thoughtfully pivoted the event to a beautiful winter walk in Griffith Woods Park followed by a cozy backyard fire. We began with a peaceful walk through the forest near their home — and truly, what could be more Estonian than that?

Elena treated us to delicious homemade pea soup (hernesupp) and cream-filled buns (vastlakuklid). Many other wonderful potluck dishes were shared as well, along with plenty of Estonian candy for everyone to enjoy.

In total, 26 wonderful people joined us, ranging in age from just 3 years old and up! In addition to Calgary, we were delighted to welcome guests from Spruce Grove, Edmonton, Canmore, Airdrie, and Cochrane. It was especially lovely to see so many families and children taking part in the fun.

We truly had a wonderful time reconnecting, sharing stories, and speaking both Estonian and English together. Without a doubt, this was a very successful and heartwarming event.

Thank you to everyone who came and shared your time with us — we are so grateful for this special community.