June is here already, and it seems to be speeding through the first week before I have even looked at the garden.

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We had studied hard and quizzed each other mercilessly on all things Canadian. On Monday 31st May we sat the citizenship exam and we had mixed feelings about the experience. Mainly because Gemma and I had one paper (easier one by far) and Jules and Kathryn had the 'OH MY GOD, WE DIDNT STUDY THAT' paper.  You are given 30 minutes to answer 20 multiple choice questions. In order to pass you need 75% correct, and there are 4 that you must answer correctly. Gemma and I finished 12-15 minutes and poor Jules and Kathryn probably came out at 25 minutes.... We didn’t realise they had two different papers.

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After the test we had a relatively informal interview (as a group) and the immigration officer reviewed our applications. You have to get your entry and exit dates correct (for any out of country trips). We didn’t have an initial landing form, and she said it was ok but we would need it to claim the Canadian pension.

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Next steps is typical, they send it all away to be marked and evaluated. Then we will be notified of the result and if we have passed there will be an oath of allegiance ceremony in Fredericton.  The oath is:

"I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada. Her heirs and successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen"

This is very similar to the oath of allegiance I swore when I joined the Army back in 1974.

"I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors and that I will as in duty bound honestly and faithfully defend Her Majesty, her heirs and successors in person, crown and dignity against all enemies and will observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty, her heirs and successors and of the generals and officers set over me"

Anyway, that covers the Citizenship exam. The promotion bit next, this week I was appointed as the Director of Project Management for the New Brunswick Internal Services Agency(NBISA). Not a real surprise as I was the Project Director for the programme to establish NBISA.

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Even so it is a promotion and I'm happy with it.

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I was thinking about the whole emigration project, its effect on our family; and when the I hear the girls saying they do not want to go back to live in the UK, because they love living here. Also Julie expressing she is happy,  slowly building up her own business and developing her skills. Plus she loves gardening (and boy do we have a big garden to let her explore that passion).

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Then I think about the journey we have been on, from my perspective considering we arrived November 5th 2005 with no job and no house, started employment 21st November 2005, purchased our house and moved in Dec 17th 2005, promoted several times in my first company (xwave), then applied for the Project Director role Sept 2009, and now a senior manager in a new Government Agency... all in all a successful emigration project.  

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Here are some photos by Gemma:

Jules and me walking around Mactaquac beaver pond trail

Sundew plant (carnivore) native to NB

Exploration of Black and White Photography a fern from the flowerbed

Humming bird in the back yard

One taken by me on the Beaver Pond trail