Carmen and Michael new farm. I love this pack.

Marina met a little furry friend. The lot is frequently visited by foxes (mostly because of the chickens), but not all of them are very friendly. However this particular red fox seemed to like Marina enough, and even accepted to eat some food inside!

Carmen got some kind of jungle disease while exploring. Luckily she managed to get the antidote at Puerto LLamante. She also made scrapbook collages of pictures she took in the jungle...

Diego comes to visit Marina once a week. He always comes alone, never accompanied by Debbie. Marina hasn't seen her stepsister Jennyfer since she left Sulani, and that was a year ago now. Diego tries to be the mediator, but there are only so many excuses he can find for his "wife"'s behavior.

Marina doesn't care as much anymore, she's okay with her father visiting her and staying the whole day with her. She always has so much to tell him! And Diego is happy to see her daughter's mood improving. Things are okay.

Life away from his father wasn't easy for Marina at first, and it still isn't some times. Her grandma, on the other hand, has reborn in Henford! She visited Finchwick frequently when she was young, but never lived in town. Life is full, yet relaxing! If only there weren't as many foxes trying to steal her eggs and chickens...

Winterfest and some winter activites.

just some cute pics of Maple, who's a very good girl. <3

Some rooms of Carmen and Marina's new home in henford. Should have posted them before, but I forgot! The house is a renovated version of 1 Cobblebottom Street in Finchwick. Marina's room is upstairs.

Family reunion: Carmen meets Claudia and Matthew in Cobblebottom Street! Henford is pretty small, after all! Claudia is so happy to see Carmen back in town; but Carmen can't help to notice how rough Claudia looks. Working full time at the farm does that, but at least Claudia seems happy with her country life. Incredible to think she is a Landgraab! And Matthew is now fully grown, sporting a brand new hairstyle and a beard. He looks nice and clean, and Carmen is very proud of her grandson. She wonders tho', if Matthew is inclined to run the farm or if he has other plans for the future... Anyway it's nice catching up!

Some months passed, and Marina has fully moved to Henford-on-Bagley with her grandma Carmen. Of course they couldn't stay at the old Morosa-Bell farm, where Marina's uncle is still living along with his wife, son and animals (and Michael Bell's ghost). But Carmen has much money on her pockets thanks to her fame as expert archaeologist, so she was more than able to buy an almost fully furnished house in Cobblebottom Street. She even has chickens!

Carmen comes up with an idea. A temporary one, hopefully. But first she has to ask his son Diego. His son is not thrilled: Carmen proposes to take care of Marina herself, back in Henford-on-Bagley. This means his own daughter will grow up far from home, away from him. However he has noticed that Marina has grown kinda... wild, even rude (if you ask Debbie), definitely not the sweet child he knew before. Perhaps a temporary distancing from Debbie and the hearty, honest people of Henford could do Marina some good...

It's been a couple days since the horrible news. Marina now knows that Debbie can't love anyone, not even her child. She seems attached to her father, but that's it. Debbie'll never see her as part of the family. As every day, she tries to find comfort at her mother's tomb. Surprisingly Debbie hasn't said anything about that... yet. Her grandmother Carmen comes too. She is disheartened by her son's behaviour: Diego used to be very different, but now he seems obsessed by this woman. The only possible explanation is that the loss of his wife must have hit him harder than Carmen thought. "Come, Marina, I know now everything seems bad..." "Grandma!" cries Marina "She doesn't even love her own daughter! She literally said 'Out of sight, out of mind'!" Carmen reflects. While it's true that she can't change Debbie, she knows her son will still treat their lovechild better than Debbie herself. However the house is getting smaller. "Perhaps I should leave..." says Carmen. Marina looks desperate at the suggestion: "No, grandma! If you go, what will happen to me??" "Oh, Marina, there's still your daddy..." "Dad only talks to me to scold me, he only had eyes for Debbie, and now for the new baby!" the child cries harder. "Please grandma, promise me that if you'll leave you'll take me with you!"

Some time has passed and Debbie has finally given birth to a healthy babygirl named Jennyfer. Now Jennyfer gets all the attentions around the house (as it should be for now), and young Marina even had to give away her room for her little stepsister. "Why, thank you Marina for sleeping with your grandmother in the attic! Your old room is just perfect!" "I don't mind sleeping with granny, upstairs." replies Marina to a very cheerful Debbie. Lately, or rather since Jennyfer's birth, Debbie has been strangely polite with Marina; so much so that the child does not know how to act around her. Today she finally moved her last box of stuff up in the attic. It's a bit crammed up there, with grandma's things too, but it's okay.

Debbie continues as talking to herself: "Of course for the time being this will be a great place for Jennyfer's crib…" "What?" asks Marina "What do you mean for the time being?" "… but as soon as she learns how to walk I think she'll be very happy to follow you upstairs!" adds Debbie. She is definitely very happy with hersel. "I know your grandma Carmen is already crazy about her, so she won't mind!" Marina is furious. "What are you talking about?? There's no more room in the attic, and I gave up this room because YOU told me there was no other room for Jennyfer!" "Oh, my!" exclaims Debbie. She is not even phased by Marina's rage. "Children do not understand that adults have special needs and NEED some time alone! This room will be perfect for me and your father: we'll add a bar, a new tv, some neon lights here and there…" This can't be right! Marina is speechless. And what's worse is that her father seems to be okay with this terrible idea...

"Cottage living" at its best!

Carmen has been smelling love in the air. Her son Diego has been seeing Debbie Seaweed a lot and Carmen took Marina aside to talk about it properly: "Your father is still young, it's normal for him to look for company! Don't be mean to Miss Seaweed, got it?" "Oh, but she is so... insufferable!"

Diego met someone today. Her name is Debbie Seaweed and she clearly isn't native of Sulani either. It appears she was born and raised in shimmering Del Sol Valley...