Happy Halloween Preview!

Today I dressed Cait up in her costume and took some pictures. It is much easier to get good pics of one of my kids when the rest are not there. Caleb decided he wanted to put on his costume and get a photo too.

Caleb's cousin Ethan loaned us this cool tiger costume.

Caleb was "wishing to be a tiger for hal-da-ween"!

What is she, you ask?

Hmm... you could call her a watermelon or a melon-fairy princess...I just call her CUTE!!

I Loved Her First

I rarely turn on the radio these days but Caleb fell asleep in the van this afternoon so I took my opportunity. The song that was playing was so beautiful, before I knew it I was in puddles balling my eyes out as I was driving. Somewhere between understanding my Dad a bit better and imagining Mike one day with our girls I just fell apart.

If you know me at all, you know I already have folders on my computer for future slideshows of the kids, ie; graduation, wedding... I am thinking I need a folder of good father daughter songs too!

Here is the song with the video. I just googled it this evening and when I watched the video I had another little cry:)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXhJ3oCg3K8

Do you have a favorite father/daughter dance song? I have two others stored away in my memory but I need FOUR!!!!! hee hee.

6 months today!

Caitlyn is half a year old today. I can not believe it. What a little sweetie she is. We are so excited about all the new things she is doing; she sits all by herself, she eats solid food, she signs "milk" with her little hand, she put her arms up when we say "how big is Caitlyn?", she gets on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth and can even get one knee moved forward a bit, she can fake a cry when she does not like something, she just tried swinging at the park and loved it, and she has a little tooth popping through her gums just today!! What a big girl!

Pumpkin Time!

This weekend was a pumpkin weekend. We went to the pumpkin patch and carved our pumpkins as well. This is quite the accomplishment according to my kids who informed me today that they have "never" carved pumpkins before. HA! I have pictures to prove otherwise! They are not entirely wrong though, their memories only go back so far and we have not carved pumpkins for a few years.

Enough typing...here are the photos!

The family shot! Can you see Cait? she is Mike's kangaroo baby in the pouch!

She slept through most of the pumpkin patch visit.

Our little pumpkin is almost 6 months old! Awe, first trip to the patch!

My 5 wonderful (sometimes cranky, messy, rude and gripey) kiddos!
Imperfect just like me, I love them all so much!!

Pumpkin carving is done best in the semi-nude apparently.

finished products!

Happy Birthday Mailee!

My little Mailee is 8 today! Happy birthday sweet girl! Here are some photos from her shopping party this last Friday...

4 fabulous girls ready to shop

Too much fun!!!

Singing happy birthday!

Wow, time is flying by. I can not believe this little girl is 8 already!

Learning To Sip

Here are some photos of Cait learning to use her sippy cup.

Tonight In Banmanland

Mikayla and Caleb measuring who is taller...they call this "standing bum to bum"

Mailee is catching up to Mikayla!

Here's my little boy in a pose that he made up all by himself!

And here he is "doing the jumping one"

Mailee giving Cait some quality time!

Sitting Like a Pro!

Look at our little Caiter-Gater...she is a sitter! We still have to be close by in case she goes tipsy on us but we are so proud of her big girl sitting!

Sitting with dolly.

Holding dolly's hand.

Dolly goes up.

Kisses for dolly.

Looking at dolly.

Pretty sitting girl at 5 months and 3 weeks!

"So Big"

Could she be old enough? Could it be true? We were all shocked tonight. Are we biased? What do you think? I think she is doing it! What a big girl!!!

This Is Where We Live!

After having visitors the last two weekends, I am addicted. I hope more of our family and friends will come join us in this beautiful place that we live. We might even take you here...

Knox Mountain is 20 minutes from our house and a beautiful walk along the gorgeous Lake Okanagan. We decided to get outside this weekend and enjoyed an awesome afternoon together.

Our little guy..what a cutie.

There's our crew!

Mike and the kidlers. I'm already planning to go back with an "extra" to get this exact view in a photo with me in it...



This is the girls at the end of the walk...this is SO them!

Laughing Girls

Maddie got Caitlyn laughing tonight. They were so cute!

Please notice Cait's excellent "pre crawling" movements...she has all the tools, the bent knees, the push up with her hands, the rocking motions...she just needs to put them together in a forward motion!!!

Cait Cait's New Crib

Cait has outgrown the cradle and moved into her big girl crib. Here are the before and after shots....

Here's my big girl in her little bed not looking too comfy in there...

Oh My! So unhappy!

Ahhh...here she is, little sleeping beauty with lots of room to grow!

I had big plans to make a new crib set for Cait but I kept this pretty set that was Maddie's and decided it would do just fine :)

A Great Visit

We had a fabulous 6 days with my Aunt Barbara (Dad's sister) and my Grammie (Dad's mom). They live in California and we make a point to visit whenever we go down but it was such a treat
to have them up here in our little world! At 92, my Grammie is quite the trooper. I was shocked and thrilled when I heard that she had renewed her passport and was planning a trip to see us. Honestly, every visit I have with her is precious and I try to make the most and soak up as much love, as many stories and take as many pictures as I can because I am not sure how many more times we will have together! Here are the highlights of this visit...

Maddie showing the ladies her Kindergarten classroom. Grammie met and chatted with all the girls' teachers.

I had the whole family over for dinner. I loved having everyone together. This is Mike with his Grandma and her husband and Me with my Grandma and aunt. This is the first time both of our Grandmas have been in the same place at the same time...ever.

Lots of swimming at the hotel..Best Western on the Westside rocks!!!

KLO apple orchard tour

I was so honored to have the ladies make the trip up here. It was a great visit!

A Little Cuteness

Special Visitors

My Aunt Barbara and my 92 year old Grammie are here visiting! What a treat! More pics to come :)