It’s not what you may be thinking . . . it’s just a visit, and by only two of the ten members of the expatriate Feenstra family. Unexpectedly, it’s Mom Anneesa and son Wesley who have made the long trek back to their lifetime home in Saskatchewan, Canada, to surprise Anneesa’s parents.

After an exhausting journey, changing flights in Turkey, they arrived somewhere in Canada — presumably at the Saskatoon Airport — where they were met by the previously mysterious oldest son, whose name we now know is Ben, and who was in on the big secret.

Then there was a long drive through the still-wintry countryside with a stop for lunch, and a drive-through at “something Russia doesn’t have” (Anneesa’s words): one of Tim Horton’s chain of famous coffee shops. They also made time to drop by a sporting goods store, where they looked at jeans and other clothing items, and Wesley showed off his new sneakers. It made me wonder if they’d thought to get those hard-to-find size 15s for Arend . . . but they didn’t mention it.

Needless to say, the reunion was a loud and emotional one with Anneesa’s parents, and at some point the filming stopped to allow everyone to catch up, and finally to get some much-needed sleep.

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The second installment began a day or two later, with brothers Ben and Wesley renovating a bathroom at their grandparents’ farmhouse. We finally learn that the main reason for the trip is that the older couple are preparing to sell their farm and make a “life change” — presumably retiring to a less strenuous lifestyle — and Anneesa wanted desperately to see one more time the home in which she had grown up, and to help her folks with the transition.

Filming time has been limited since their arrival as Anneesa frankly admits she is not used to being the one in front of the camera . . . not to mention the fact that they’ve been busy just being together. But taking a little time out, the grandparents did treat everyone to a local hockey game.

We next are introduced to other members of the family: Anneesa’s two older sisters, who similarly had no idea she was coming to visit but had arrived for what they thought was a routine visit to their parents’ home. And for me, a comment by one of the women, as she hugged her baby sister for the first time in over a year, perfectly answers a question that has been in my mind since the day the Feenstras arrived in Moscow: What about the family they’ve left behind? And that sister’s comment was:

Second only to the overriding issue of what the future holds for the eight children now living in Russia, the most baffling question has been how they could leave their two families (including their eldest son) behind, not knowing whether they would ever see each other again. And, observing the obvious closeness of this family, I still don’t know the answer.

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Thus far, there has been no indication as to how long Anneesa and Wesley will be staying in Canada, and I’m hoping there will be more details soon, or at least when they return to Russia and recap their adventure.

In the meantime, I remain curious — and more than a little surprised — as to how this trip was possible at all. The Feenstras’ legal status in Russia is still that of “temporary residency,” and I would have thought . . . although admittedly I don’t know for sure . . . that they would be under some out-of-country travel restrictions. Perhaps their celebrity standing, and the fact that they were leaving eight members in Russia to ensure their return, had something to do with it.

As with Arend’s trip to Georgia with daughters Cora and Ariana last month, this is great propaganda for the Russian government . . . a visible sign to the world that emigrating there might not be such a bad idea after all. Nevertheless, I’m happy that this reunion was possible for them.

I do have to wonder — although another person’s financial situation would normally be none of my business — who covered their travel costs. The cheapest flight I found for a round-trip from Moscow to Saskatoon via Turkish Airlines was $2,800 per person.

Still, I’m glad that Anneesa was able to see her parents and sisters once more, and I wish them a great visit and safe return. Looking forward to the next installments, I am, as always . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/9/25