Crashed...Zonked....

This is how Courtney likes to fall asleep. Usually right beside me. This is her as her first evening of being 2.

Before her birthday (so still one!) of where she likes to sleep!

She is a funny little girl! Makes us laugh daily!

The last time...

Today, is the very last time I will ever have a one year old on my very own. I woke up this morning feeling really strange about it. I think this bothers me a lot. Cliff plopped her into bed this morning, and we snuggled and cuddled. I wonder just how many more mornings she will want to do this? Every morning it is less and less. I cherish every little snuggle I I can get with her. I know she will always be my baby, but when she is older I know this won't happen.

Tomorrow my baby girl turns TWO. Although I am very happy she is growing, and healthy it is very sad at the same time.

Tomorrow, at 5:34 p.m. we officially have a two year old. Our last two year old. Oh, I cannot wait to see what the next year brings!

Love you Courtney. xo

A is for Apple

We took a family trip to the Apple Barn in Abbotsford. Thanksgiving weekend. The weather was good. But cold. I had to borrow Cliff's sweatshirt.

The kids in the orchard picking a big 25 pound bag of apples. Some went straight into our stomach. Some went into two apple crisps for Thanksgiving dinner two days later. 

Courtney liked this little pumpkin. She is my little pumpkin.

Cliff putting back pumpkins with the kids. The apple picking was down the road. Down a steep road which we walked! When we were there last, we only had four kids I think. OK, nope. Make that five. Oops!

Here are photos from the last time we went in 2006!

Cameron

Claire  (I wish this wasn't blurry darn it)

Catie

Carly

Courtney eating a big huge tasty apple!

Miss Caroline

Cliff with the kids (well five of them, Carly didn't want her photo taken)

Big sister, and little sister together.

All of the kids running to find more apples

The kids with me (and me in Cliff's warm hoodie!!)

Let's try again (OK still didn't work LOL - Not looking, and Carly is atleast in behind this time LOL)

 (be sure to click on the images to see them bigger) 

P.S. All taken on a point and shoot. I have to be sure to take the time to photograph the kids and not try to get the best shots and then edit. Snapshots just for the memories here!

The Halloween Candy Count

So, we did our sorting and counting on Sunday afternoon. After taking down all of our spooky stuff. We actually started to put up our Christmas lights. They are not ON, but we are getting there!

(Click on the images to make them larger!)

The six kids and their bags of candy. Cameron didn't really T or T this year. Courtney, hardly got any treats in her bag. She was in her stroller most of the night.

Here is what is left after eating some on Halloween and the following day. 366 pieces of loot is a lot of stuff! Look at it all! 

And the sorting begins!

They had some treats after the learning lesson LOL

Counting by fives here. We did 1's, 2',s 3's and 4's too. It was fun this way!

Top 3:

Smarties - 37

Coffee Crisp - 32

Hershey - 20

And a few odd ball pieces. 7 to be exact. Like a few gum balls, and candy burgers etc.

I couldn't believe all of the FULL size treats the kids received as well. 

What is my favourite halloween treat? That would have to be a Mars bar. We received 7 in total. 3 small, and 4 full size. 

So there it was! It was good to do. Now, we have been sending treats with Cliff to the office. We certainly don't need all of it. Six of the bags now into two bags. And the bags were heavy. We weighed the treats as well. 15 pounds worth of treats collected. 2.5 pounds not handed out. Wowser!!

Happy November!

 I cannot believe that November is here, and soon my baby girl turns two. In less than two weeks! Where did those two years go? Really! Time moves too quickly!

Good Morning!

Claire's pumkin! Her design and help carving with Cliff (and Grandpa's old chisel set)

Cameron, and his design. I love how they are developing their skills and excitement for the season.

My crew!

Do not feel sad for the little girl in red. She was crying for more candy! You can see the stick in her right hand. She stopped when we fed her more LOL.

Here they are again.

Here you can get a peek at the decorating! It looks quite natural as the evening before we had high gusts of wind that blew our power out for almost 7 hours.

Halloween 2009

With this whole FALL BACK business means we are up bright and early around here. I prefer to SPRING FORWARD so that we can wake up at a better time. The kids were all up before 6:30 this morning instead of 7:30 on the weekends. I wish kids understood they could wake up 1 hour later.

Halloween was a lot of fun! We did our block, and then we drove to my parents house to surprise them with our six trick or treaters. It was nice. Then we came home around 8:30 p.m. and plunked them all in bed.

With six kids, there is A LOT of candy. Six bags of candy. So, I thought we would blog about that later. I will take a photo of all of the bags, and then we thought we would pile it all together take a photo, and then chart it all. See what we got the most of, and then the least of. And learn a bit while having the treats. And of course, Cliff and I will have to 'test' out the candy and treats to make sure they are safe.

So, time to go give the kids breakfast, but I will be back.

P.S. I hope my MOM posts some photos from last night with all the kids. I regret not taking one of all of the kids with my parents Duh.

Night before Halloween!

Well, here it is, the 30th of October already. Rainy, cold wet. I truthfully do not enjoy this season very much. I like it until it rains. I don't really like the rain. Well, DOWN POUR I don't like. The drizzle is OK. I cannot believe that I went to the Madonna concert one year ago already! Where did THAT year go?

All of the costumes are ready for the kids. Last night. Yes! Now, we just need to carve the pumpkins. Probably tomorrow morning. Maybe even tonight. We will see how crazy it gets. We are only carving three this year. Eight pumpkins a bit too much as we discovered last year.

Cameron - Hunchback

Claire - Alex Russo from "The Wizards of Waverly Place"

Carly - Mother Nature

Catie - Little Red Riding Hood

Caroline - Blue Fairy

Courtney - 'lil Devil (so cute)

I have to talk about the cost of these costumes. I spent for sure under $90 dollars.

Last night, I went to the fabric store because the 'cape' was missing from Catie's costume. I got her costume for only $7 dollars! I purchased four costumes new and all at half price. The fabric for the cape, I got for $3.10 and a large round button for $2.00! And, I walked in A HA! There was what I needed. Thankfully, because I didn't want to walk around for costumes for more than a minute.

Thankfully my Mom in Law sews and so from that fabric, she was actually able to make TWO capes LAST NIGHT. One for Catie, and one for Courtney. SO cute!

Today, Cameron dressed up in his costume. A stuffed backpack, and his old painting smock from Kindergarten!

Claire and Carly went in orange and black shirts from last year. I gave them pig tails and tied pretty orange ribbons over the elastics.

Catie, I dressed her up as this is her year of 'firsts' in Kindergarten. So, she had her basket, her ensemble, and her red lipstick. She looked so sweet and LITTLE! Perfect! She had her first playdate this week with girls from her class. And, today a very first school party. She is enjoying it so much! I know she gets to parade around the school to the bigger kids' classes. So, I guess she will go see Cameron, Claire and Carly. I love that!

Caroline. Not dressed up, but pig tails like her big sisters.

Courtney. As herself today. With a 'waterfall' in her hair.

Oh, and I got some candy treats to hand out tomorrow. I don't think Cameron wants to go trick or treating tomorrow? He is only 10! Let me see if he changes his mind when his sisters all go out.

I will take some photos of the front door tomorrow. The kids did it all this year and I LOVE it! We bought a blow up cat (not scary at all) and some orange lights. I love that they LOVE to help us out!

You might get scared...

But honey! I don't want to blend in with everybody else!

OK, this looks too real and freaky even for me!

OK, I'm a trouper!

Somebody needs some dental work and botox...and a lift!

Cheers to us honey! Yikes!

Tonight, we had some shopping to do, and we got a bit silly with each other. We were laughing, and taking photos of each other.

Enjoy!

A couple more from California

So, just a fun little fact, when I was shooting at the Jessica Claire workshop...the 'wedding' location was just across the street at a sweet little park...right across the street from The Real Housewives of Orange County!! This is their gated community! We drove up, but this is as close as we could get!

Some of the very neat Candy Corn in 'Candy Corn Acres' in the California Adventure park. I thought this was so festive and beautiful!

And of course, Cliff couldn't help but get a photo of this...this was also in the California Adventure side. It was really hot! But we loved it so much!

From my Birthday

P.S. I know one child is missing. She didn't want to be in the photos...and just you wait until I share the Apple Barn photos. Same story...LOL

38

Well, it happened. I turned 38 yesterday. I had a good day! I had my cousin Andrea over, and her sweet little man Evan over. She brought Starbucks for us. I made a sandwich for us all. She also brought me some gorgeous fall flowers. I am thankful her and my relationship. Although we are cousins, I feel that she is my older sister by 11 months. I just love her, and all that we can talk about. Sharing our true feelings and bouncing stuff off of one another. Truly a relationship that I love and cherish. My kids had a card for me, Cliff brought me flowers and a card.

I was actually able to get out for dinner with my Dad, Mom, Granny, The M family and Amy and Tyler. And, I took Cameron. Who totally deserved a night away. He has been working very hard at school this year, and I am so proud of him. So, he got to come along. Before we left, I blew out my 13 candles on my cake (thankfully not 38!) and then I served the cake to my kids. Had a lovely dinner, and of course cake for the 'triplets' which if you don't know are my Dad, myself and my Sister. We share the very same day. I love it!

After dinner, and some goodbyes. We headed to Best Buy to pick an iPhone up for me. So, thank you Cliff for my birthday gift! I just love it and now trying hard to learn it all! So far so good! I picked white, to match my MacBook. Yay!

So with turning 38, I am trying to get used to it. I find it takes a while to grow into that number. Especially now that the big 40 is only two years away for me now.

This morning I felt exhausted, my hips have been aching. I am tired, as per usual I fell asleep on the couch exhausted. When I woke up off the couch, our littlest one was already in our bed. Asleep. So, I had an extra bed mate as well. She is adorable to cuddle, and now that she has the next birthday in our house (2) in November I take it where I can get it. I just love that little girl so much. She is my baby after all.

I will not lie, at times I think we have made a mistake by not having more kids. People can poo poo that statement all they want, but it is my blog :D

But, I am happy with my family. Just extra sad realizing that that 'baby' stage is leaving my house. And I am growing older. But, hey! Two more babies entering the family in December and April! So, hopefully holding that wee baby will give me peace. Or make me feel like I need to have more.

Today, I am dreading a meeting with a teacher. One of my older daughters has been stealing...so....I feel like I am in trouble. And my children are a reflection of Cliff and I so, of course that hurts. And, I wish that I didn't have to go. But hey, this is what motherhood is all about! So...

Also, I have been sad over friendships lately. What I thought to be friendships, seemingly over. Very sad. I read a lovely quote and this is what it said:

"friends are like stars, they come and they go but the ones that stay are the ones that glow"

So, for weeks I have this bad sense of uncomfortable-ness. This un-easiness that follows me around. In person, online and in other friendships that inter-twine. And truthfully this is hurting me quite deeply. But, I guess I move on from here. And stick with the friends "that glow!"

I will continue to be me, and just be the best me I can be. And, if that is not good enough then I guess they were not really my true friends now were they? So, in chatting with others who have been in this situation I know what I have to do. Where I have to go. It sucks, but this is life.

I don't want this part of life to feel like I am in a catty high school drama! Time to move on! Time to connect with true friends. So, I guess I have to press the delete button. So hard to do! I have spent too much emotional energy on this. I need to focus that energy elsewhere!

So, today I let them go.

Thank you to my dear friends who remain, and stand by me and love me. I am so thankful for you all.

This weekend we celebrate our Thanksgiving with all of our family. The WHOLE family! It is going to be a bit hectic, and very loud. But this is what life is made of! Memories! Thank you Granny for having us ALL over to your place.

I am thankful for so much in my life. Thank you all for listening to me today.

Cathy xo

A week in photos...

. Can you believe this is a mall? There was a carousel and and a ferris wheel at this mall. It was called Irvine Spectrum. I have more photos of this mall if you want to see them. Let me know in the comments.

After the workshop, and a special lunch with another photographer (someone I very much admire and look up to) we headed on the big old I5 towards Anaheim. To check into our next hotel (which was across from Disneyland and California Adventure Park) A nice lady offered to take our photo together which was great! We also went into the second largest Disney store in the world. Conveniently located in Downtown Disney!

A glimpe of what the I5 looked like. Most times, eight lanes across...sometimes MORE!

I just love all of the different types of palm trees. Some tall, some small. Some skinny, some wide. Just like people...

One of just me, of course in a C. I look forward to having a photo here with all of my C's!

A quick glimpse on our GPS on just how crazy the lanes were!

I was able to FINALLY meet up with my friend Michele. She lives in San Diego. We have been chatting online for over six years. When we were pregnant with our "September Stars" on babycenter.com (She is also a photographer and she has been a great mentor to me) and it was one of the best evenings I have had in a long time. We felt as if we have known each other foerever. Almost like sisters! Or something like that. It was a connection I just cannot explain! Cliff came along for dinner too, and we sat in California Pizza Kitchen (oh so yummy!) for almost three hours talking away. We had some nice California wine there too. Much love to you Michele! I am so glad we finally could meet! xo

A view of our first hotel in Mission Viejo (a community that we are both in love with! Much like Osoyoos just a lot larger!)

When I was at my all day wedding workshop, Cliff stayed here. And enjoyed the California sunshine. They were having a heatwave when we were there! Amazing!

OK, so I am not so good at posing myself LOL

And outside of the Pirates of the Carribean at Disneyland. We thought of our kids.

Top back left, Cliff and I on the "California Screamin'" I got Cliff on here, and finally he decided he loved rollercoasters! YES!!

Me on the backlot in California Adventure Park. Before riding the "Tower of Terror" one of our new faves.

Thank you to the kindness of strangers who took a photo of us together!

And, a photo with MM!

(Mickey was busy somewhere else!)


Do you want more? :D

Cathy xo