7.25.2014

Love, Lace and Laughter


My little sister is getting married!


This past weekend I enjoyed a lovely afternoon with the girls doing all sorts of engagement and wedding related activities. I was so nice to catch up with my sister and peruse all the latest bridal fashions. Strapless or cap sleeves? Empire or sheath? Batiste or chiffon? Silk or shantung? The options were endless. We joked with our Grandma (92 years young) that she would get to try on the next round of dresses. I'm pretty sure she was up for it too!

Can you pick grapes in that one, Kelly?

7.16.2014

Nine Months: Teeth, Trips and Summer Fun


Mr. Man you are nine months old! 

It has been a fun month of changes and it has been really neat seeing Max continually grow and develop. The most noticeable (and probably most painful) change was on July 8th when Max's first two teeth decided to emerge within 90minutes of each other! It was not a fun day but I'm so glad they finally cut through. I don't know who was more relieved, Max or myself.  Seems like more are on the horizon, as they should be. All the better to chomp down on that variety food Max has been loving lately. Kid eats pretty much anything and everything now apart from that evil rice cereal, oatmeal or avocado which inevitably induces dramatic gags.

Our little mover seems to be slimming down a bit. Definitely have to watch him like a hawk now that he is so mobile. He likes to make his way across the room either with a reverse army crawl or a series of rolls to fetch whatever object has caught his interest. This object is more often than not whatever Ben is playing with. Fortunately the boys seem to be buddies more than enemies, but I suppose that depends on the hour of the day. He also still loves his bouncer and when we 'walk' with him around the house he usually bounces as often as he puts one foot in front of the other. He can pull himself up quite well and is pretty steady standing on his feet providing he has something to hold onto. Another adorable motor milestone is clapping his hands. Something about the sound of his little pudgy hands slapping together. So cute.

With all of these changes, it is nice to see some things remain the same. Max still has the little white hair at the back of his head that he's worn proudly pretty much ever since birth. He still has a little scrunchy nose whenever he smiles (yay!) and he still has a good death grip on your triceps whenever you hold him (ouch!). He's still a very happy-go-lucky, giggly little guy who hates sleeping more than two hours at a time, cries during car trips and loves to be included in everything. We love him so much!

This month has been a fun one chalk full of requisite summer activities. We've gone on a few day trips to visit our friend's cottage in the Rocky Mountains and enjoyed playing at Grandma B's house with family. My parents came to town and took the boys to a family BBQ while Danny and I attended a wedding. We waved at the marching horses and policemen as we watched a Stampede Parade.  Daily progress reports have been logged as we watch our yard transform from mud pit to backyard retreat (just a few more weeks!) We've gone on many walks and park adventures in our neighbourhood, hit up the zoo with Great Grandma Clara and enjoyed a pool date at our Recreation Centre with our cousins. Birthday parties have been attended, new babies welcomed and lots of cake has been eaten. Just recently, we took a little road trip and headed to the Royal Tyrell Museum to check out the dinosaurs and the badlands. Boys had a blast. 

So many wonderful memories and many more to be had in the weeks to come! What a great time to be nine months old.



* For some reason my images appear way different on the blog than they do on any other interface (too much contrast and the white balance is way off) but I don't have the time/energy to fix it right now so these will have to do for now.

7.09.2014

Mexico

Playing a bit of catch up here today but that's mostly because we're doing our best to enjoy the beautiful summer weather while we've got it! Last month, however, we escaped to Mexico (our first ever trip) for some relaxing family time. It was fantastic! Sun, surf, and sand - what more could we ask for?


Such a great kick off to a fun-filled summer.

7.04.2014

Summer Citrus Salad

Preface Number One:  I'm not a vegetable lover. Apart from the occasional beet, carrot or cob of corn, I usually turn my nose up at the stuff. Now that I'm a parent I am especially aware that I must lead by example if I'm gonna get any veggies down my boys' gullets so I have to suck it up and pretend they're sooooo delicious!!!

Preface Number Two: I totally eat with my eyes. If something looks pretty I'm waaaaay more likely to try it. I also think that if a picture of food is beautiful that I'll magically become a domestic goddess and will create an exact replica of the dish, and it will be wonderful, and the dishes will magically clean themselves, and we'll all be doing a dance party in the kitchen whilst eating copious amounts of said delicious food.

So, with all that out of the way, feast your eyes on this!

Source

Source
Summer Citrus Salad
2 red beets
3 golden beets
2 grapefruit
2 lemons
1 fennel bulb
1/4 red onion
Walnut oil
Sea salt and pepper
1 bunch cilantro
1 head butter lettuce

Now lets pretend I actually made this salad instead of just salivating over the pictures and call it a day. I feel healthier already.

Okay, if you're really interested in making it, preparation instructions can be found here. 

Oh the cilantro!