Dylan gets vocal

He doesn't do a lot of talking, but when he does...he's serious about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tfm9DRCuL-s

For whatever reason, I can not post the video here. You'll have to check it out on utube.


He's got his coat and his hat...



Hanging out on the deck in November.



Going for a walk.

Happy Birthday Papa!

October 24th! Happy Birthday Ben!

The last few months have flown by. Dylan cracks us up everyday, he's such a happy baby and it is so fun to watch him learn and grow. We started him on solid food, it's taken a little while to catch on but he's getting the hang of it. I love watching him try to feed himself, he's at about a 50% success rate of getting the food in his mouth.

Our trip to California was changed from a VW bus ride to a trip with Westjet. Dylan traveled really well, the only rough bit was the first hour or so on the flight back...other than that he did great! The wedding we attended was so beautiful, the bride was gorgeous and the groom could not stop smiling. Seeing palm trees and the ocean every day was almost as fantastic as spending so much time with my family. We also came upon an amazing little secluded cove in Laguna Beach....we went for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the ocean, then walked down about 200 steps to Table Rock Beach. The waves were rough there though, definitely not a place to go swimming.

Here are a few photos, some from home, some from California...

Hmmm....no surprise...Dylan is a computer geek too.


Newport Beach, California. Dylan under his sunscreen.


Cousins at the beach house


Heading into the ocean


A little wrap nap at the Long Beach Aquarium


The beautiful bride and groom, along with the peanut gallery.


The stairs to Table Rock Beach


A stroll on the beach


First time in a pool.


Loving the new high chair

We have some great video of Dylan laughing and babbling...I'm having problems downloading them to blogger. I'll try to figure something out.

Dylan @ 6 months

I've been called out...I have not been updating the photos. We got a little busy.

Solids have been started, napping is getting under control (we went through a rough patch), Dylan is finding his voice and becoming quite the social butterfly. Here's a few pics:

@ S&T annual white party (all must wear white):


little frog butt


smiley face


Dylan & Papa...& the VW bus...


another close-up


"confused"




Next adventures...back to Winnipeg...shortly after that - off to California in the VW bus. Are we nuts?

Dylan @ 3 Months

Last Friday he weighed in at 12 lbs 15 oz, 23" long....growing like a Dillweed!

Dylan & Papa


This is a close-up.


Dr. Poopsie with a grin on his face.


So well behaved when he's asleep.


Tummy time


Fancy cloth diapers.

Dylan waking up.

This video is surely of no interest to the "bloggers"... just a few family members. It may remind Nan of her own daughter waking up.

The best day ever....

Most of you know...Ben & I got married on Saturday! It is hard to find words to describe what a wonderful day we had, all I can say is that it was fantastic, beautiful and so much fun.

As a little girl, I never created dream scenarios of what my wedding might me. Heck, I never really fantasized that I would even get married. So when Ben & I made the decision to tie the knot...we didn't know where to start. The most obvious location at the time was to find a place in Winnipeg. That is where we grew up and that is where we meet. We tentatively booked a date, a beautiful hall and a photographer. When the time came to cough up a down payment on one of the vendors, however, we looked at each other and said "Whose wedding is this?". It would have been lovely, but it would have been missing something...our personalities. With great discussion on how inconvenient it would be for our family and some of our friends, we decided that it had to be out at Emerald Lake. A place that we had only been to once, but had won our hearts long before the though of marriage.

A turn of the (20th) century lodge, on a crystal green, glacier fed lake, in the middle of the mountains. There isn't a person on earth who couldn't fall in love with this place, and we wanted to share it with our family and friends. We started imagining all of them having a drink in the lodge, sitting on the dock, hiking around the lake, and soaking in the hot tub...not just shaking hands and saying "pleased to meet you". We booked it for May 30th, knowing that it could be warm or it could be snowing. It didn't matter, Emerald Lake is stunning in the winter too.

The weekend happened exactly as we imagined. My family and friends spent time with Ben's family and friends. They got to know why we love them and why we spend our time with them. Some drank cocktails in the lounge. Some dipped into the hot tub. Some went for hikes around the lake... a moose sighting occurred. The sun was shinning, the temperature was perfect, Emerald Lake was at it's best. For Ben and I, it got even better.

The moment we saw each other was the most joyful experience of my life. Knowing that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together is an overwhelming sense of love, commitment, and happiness. Then to top it off, we hopped into a canoe with the photographer and her husband beside us. OK, that may seem strange, but imagine being in the middle of the lake surrounded by mountains and the quiet sounds of nature with the man you're about to marry. It was where I wanted to be. The photographer could not have been any more perfect too...calming, creative, respectful and a such a pleasure to be around. They were, without a doubt, part of our group as well. The only glitch was that the flowers almost didn't show, however they arrived in time for most of the photos (really something had to go wrong, otherwise it would have been way too perfect!). Getting ready with the girls was fun and relaxing. The ceremony was sweet, the food was great, the speeches were heartwarming and on the button. Cocktails and cupcakes were consumed, bodies were dancing, and the hot tub was the finishing touch at 4:00 am.

Five days newly wed, and we've been asked if it feels different. I'm not sure if we're both in the honeymooning stage, but it sure feels great. It's not all about a piece of paper that is legally binding. There is something to be said about gathering two families together and being supported by all your friends to declare your love for another person. It is a big deal, and those of you who know me well would never had pictured me saying that. Ben & I have really lucked out. Not only did we find each other, we have families that love us, and we have friends that we wouldn't trade for the world. Thanks again to everyone who was a part of the celebration, we are so glad that you were able to go out of your way to join us. Also, we received so many wonderful emails, phone calls and cards from those of you who could not make it...your skin & bones were missed but your enthusiasm made the distance!

Here is the link to the slide show that our ludicrously excellent photographer put together:

http://www.orangegirlphotographs.com/slideshows/NeiLeiBen/

I'll get back to postings of the house renos soon...

In Memorium

Sadly, last weekend we said goodbye to our Little Girl Cat. At 17 years old her kidneys failed. We remember her as a warm fuzzy friendly cat who loved to cuddle...so long as it was on her terms. She frequently bumped her head on the coffee table (as a sign of affection), and meowed like a tiny pterodactyl. Predeceased by her buddy, Odo Man, she wasn't sure of him at first but grew to love him as much as we did. Eventually, they would even curl up on the chair together for a grooming session and a nap. We will miss her dearly.


Picking out a toy.


Our loving Odo Man.