Baby Bella is 2

happy birthday to you

happy birthday to you

happy birthday dear Isabelle

happy birthday to you

We love you very much!
Daddy, Mommy & Owen
xoxoxo

Happy Birthday Dad.

happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday dear papa
happy birthday to you

we love you!
owen & isabelle

jennifer & adrian

xoxoxo

A new day.

"In this election - in this moment

let us reach for what we know is possible.

A nation healed.

A world repaired.

An America that believes again."

Barack Obama

A new day has begun...YES WE CAN!

Cooler Weather

The weather has started to get much cooler in these parts and with that comes hats, sweaters, scarves...such wonderful stuff. Here are a few pics of the kids walking to school. Isabelle is wearing a fantastic coat that nana & papa got for her birthday...she looks so cute and gets so many compliments. Owen has on my favourite brown wooly sweater and a cool striped hat that we bought in England last year.
I am not sure what I love about fall more...the colours of the leaves or the clothing!

Traditions

Getting ready for Christmas early this year. Instead of being disappointed that we missed out on certain crafts or traditions, I sat down and made a long list of everything that I wanted to accomplish. It is quite a list...movies to watch (Grinch, Elf & The Polar Express topping the list), games to play, goodies to bake (cookies with Grandma, nuts n bolts), crafts to make with the kids, crafts to make on my own, events (sprinkling reindeer food on Christmas eve, visiting Santa at the mall...)...and on and on and on. I was getting a little stressed looking at the list, then I gave the list to mom and she helped me to make it more manageable…thanks mom…what would I do without you?

So we have started Christmas Craft #1. I love watching the kids little hands at work. So focused on the task at hand, trying so hard to make their fingers to what they want...and the results...fantastic!

Inbetween helping the kids, I started to do one of my own. Mine is mostly browns, creams and green with a little red thrown in...looking forward to having this somewhere in the house come December.
Owen started work on 2 – one in all red and one with multi colours. He found that he especially likes the ones with a shank on the back that he can use to attach - rather than the ones with 2-4 holes. The former make a nice rattling noise when you shake the tree...apparently this is a very important quality. I love his creativity, he has such a different way of seeing things.

Isabelle stuck in a few buttons, but had more fun sorting and playing with the buttons and was generally thrilled to be involved in the project...she is usually in bed when any crafts of this magnitude happen. So...Nana...Nana & Papa...Grandma...this is a sneak preview of what will be under the tree for you this year. xoxo

Bella the Butterfly

Our almost 2 year old is still so much a baby...and so grown up at the same time. She started off with her soother or NUKIE as it is called in our house, then moved to a chocolate-goat milk bottle.

I figured that Isabelle would be pretty oblivious to all of the night’s events, but not so. She and I walked hand in hand most of the night, skipped a few homes when we were catching up with the big kids...but she knew it was all about the candy. She happily carried her pumpkin bag and said "trick or treat" and “thank you” when prompted…but mostly she just wanted to eat candy. She would ask “can-ee now mama?” after each house. Then she would look into her bag to see what new goodies were there.

We were not in the house for 2 minutes when she had stripped part of the costume off and helped herself to some candy…my little sweetie has quite a sweet tooth...at least she shared with friend Sydney.

Saturday is for Swimming

Owen loves the water and we have enrolled him in swimming lessons for the past several years. I brought my camera today to document his time there.
First – get changed a la Superman:

Wait for class to start:

Jump in, swim & have fun!



Owen, I love to watch you in the water, you put your face in, you kick with all your might, you float on your front, you struggle with back floats, you can swim underwater, you are learning to swim at the surface, you jump, you splash, you try so hard. Owen, I am so proud of you and your swimming! ~mama~

Batman eats eggs

for breakfast and then goes to school all dressed up.

The kids had a wonderful time last night. Owen helped me to decorate the house and then we met up with friends for trick-or-treating.

Owen had a great idea to make one of the pumpkins look like it was being sick...he laughed so hard and was so proud showing it to all the friends and neighbours.

The Miles Drive Gang

Happy Halloween!

Spooktacular

We were quite lucky to snag tickets on a Halloween train last weekend. Adrian had to work late and could not make it, so I took Owen’s friend Jackson. The kids got all dressed up and had a blast. We met up with Andrea, Madison and Cameron. We all had a spooky good time!

BELLA BUTTERFLY

BATMAN OWEN

GROUP SHOT

nothing better...

Nothing better…than waking up in my own bed surrounded by my family…all four of us snugged right in under warm covers but feeling the cool air from the open window on my face.

Nothing better…than listening to Owen's imaginary conversations as he plays with his lego.

Nothing better…than a shorter commute to work since my office moved a few weeks ago.

Nothing better…than hearing Isabelle say “I uv you too mama”.

Nothing better...than starting a new book.

Nothing better…than getting a package in the mail full of wonderful new scrapbook supplies.

Nothing better...than texting with Kaitlin to keep in touch. We had a great conversation last night and it reminded me how much I miss my sister.

Nothing better…than the first snowfall of the season yesterday and the delight in the kids eyes as they look out at the falling flakes.

Nothing better…than a mid-week date with my hubby tonight. We are going to The Who concert in Hamilton.

Nothing better...than logging into my brother's blog and seeing a new post with pics of the kids. Arizona is so very far away. xo to all 6 of you.

Nothing better…than a planned weekend trip to a pumpkin farm for hay rides and corn mazes and face painting…oh the memories we will create!

Nothing better…than watching my two pj clad kids scooched together on the couch giggling as they watched the garbage truck this morning.

Nothing better…than free lunch at work…salad and baked chicken today…yummy.

Nothing better…than Adrian getting a little bit of good news at work yesterday after so much uncertainty and worry.

Nothing better...than seeing Owen get it. We have sponsored a child the same age as Owen in Zimbabwe as part of celebrating his birthday and he is very interested in what Butho's life is like, what he eats, who he plays with...and to see the empathy and concern on his face as he grasps some of the differences in his own life and that of Butho's…seriously there is nothing better!