Growing Up SO Fast!!!

I know I'm long overdue for a post...but as is typical for everyone, especially in summer, our lives have been crazy this month! Kallie and I just got back from a week long vacation in Winnipeg with my family (and lots of friends:), so I do have lots of pics to post. While I have a spare minute though, I thought I'd write a quick update on how much Kallie is changing!



While we were in Winnipeg, Kallie had a major 'language burst'. Before we went, she knew about 5 words (hi, bye, mom, dad, banana...I'm sure there were a few more, but they weren't very frequent). While we were in Winnipeg she learned TONS of new words! Just to clarify, she's probably said or mimicked almost all of these, but she finally started saying them on her own: Sock, toes, baby, eye, nose, go, away, shoe, help, please, and she strung words together: daddy go bye-bye, daddy go, daddy go away, bye daddy (can you tell that she missed her daddy just a little bit? It was constant all week:), help please, oh no! And since we've been back, she's learned the words bib, kitty, and fan.

I am just so amazed at how quickly she's changed, her understanding has totally developed too. She understands almost everything we say without any clarifying, which makes things easier and also a little tricky:) I have no idea whether she's early, normal, or late in these developments (and I don't really care:) but I'm just so proud of her and thrilled at all she's learning! I love love love this age, it really is incredible seeing her become a little girl!

Hopefully I'll get a post up in the next couple of days with pictures and a bit about our trip. It really was a wonderful time, I got to relax (thank you mom!) and visit with all my close friends, cuddle TWO newborn babies, and it was just the right amount of time: I was sad to leave, but more than ready to come home to my husband and house:) And my house, by the way, has one more room almost complete! Lyndon was hard at work while we were gone, putting in all the hardwood in our master bedroom and painting, and I'm just in love with it!

Cutie Pie

I love putting pigtails in Kallie's hair! So fun and adorable:)

We went to a family BBQ this past weekend and she was obsessed with the watermelon! She usually likes it, but she had about 6 slices (her size) and could have kept going!:) I was very impressed by how well she ate it with the 'skin' attached, as opposed to little pieces cut up by mom and dad...our baby girl is growing up:)

My Husband, The Chef

Our wonderful meal, complete with the flowers that Lyndon picked fresh that day!

Over the past few years, a talent and passion that we have both discovered in Lyndon, is cooking! Lyndon absolutely LOVES trying new recipes, reading cook books, watching the Food Network (thrilling for me, let me tell ya:), and just making really good food. I do all the cooking during the week, but usually on the weekends and anytime we have company, it's all him. And I definitely reap the rewards:) It is such a blessing to have a husband who loves cooking so much, and is just so talented at it! No matter how hard I try, I just am not naturally gifted in that area (but I work at it), so it's a real treat to see him enjoy it so much, and to eat the unique, delicious food he creates. We're trying to eat locally and organic as much as possible, so Lyndon has been doing a lot of his grocery shopping at the farmer's market, which just makes everything taste that much better! I took some pics of the meal he made for us this weekend...all the recipes were from one of Jamie Oliver's cook books, he's Lyndon's favorite chef:)

Enjoy!

Not the most aesthetically pleasing dish, but by far my favorite!!! A delicious puree of summer peas, mint, olive oil and pecchorino cheese, topped with fresh mozzarella and some parmesan, served on toasted organic feta&oregano bread

Our main course: A perfectly cooked chicken thigh with chipotle seasoning, wrapped in smoked bacon (fresh from the deli), with garlic scapes (AMAZING!) and the best salad I've ever had. A creamy lemon-dill potato salad with capers

Summer Fun

We've been enjoying some really beautiful weather lately, and it's been awesome! I've had the kids outside for most of the day, everyday, and it's fun for everyone:) My photography skills aren't the best, and for some reason, Kallie does not like getting her picture taken outside, so these are my best attempts:)

Daddy's Girl

So serious;)

Not the best picture of Lyndon, but Kallie was having so much fun!:)

Kisses!

Lyndon and Kallie share such a special bond, I feel so blessed watching the two of them together:) At least a couple times a week, Lyndon makes a point of taking Kallie out somewhere, just the two of them, so that they can share time alone together(or I get out of the house). Because I spend so much time alone with her, I'm really thankful that Lyndon makes the effort to do the same as much as possible (but not all the time, b/c I still need to see him too:)!

Kallie loves her daddy so much:)

UH-OH!

The result of leaving Kallie in her room...unsupervised...for oh, five minutes!We keep cornstarch in her room for her diaper rash, and she obviously found it:) What was I thinking?!?!? I couldn't get her to smile for the camera, but when I walked in...she was ALL smiles:

The Aftermath

Her footprints from trying to make a quick escape:)

Kat's Visit

On our way to Grand Marais!

The first weekend in July, one of my best friends flew out here from Calgary to pay us a visit. Kat was our very first guest in our new house! We got to visit with 'auntie' Kat when Kallie and I flew to Calgary this past winter, and Kat also came Tbay about a month after Kallie was born, so she's seen Kallie grow in leaps and bounds:)!! It was such a wonderful visit, we had so much fun together, Kallie got in some good quality time with her auntie Kat, and we had some really great talks (and late nights! oh I am not 18 anymore:)!!

We also took a trip across the border to Grand Marais MN for the 4th of July fireworks. It was such a great trip, Lyndon's mom and his best friend Mark also came. We had a wonderful evening with a picnic dinner, walking around the town, and of course, enjoying the fireworks. They were Kallie's first ones, and she didn't seem too impressed:) It was a little late though...

Our little people watcher...something is very interesting:) Waiting for the fireworks...And there they are! It was quite an impressive show, especially considering how small Grand Marais actually is!Beautiful Grand Marais

Mark and Lyndon...Lyndon is at least half a foot taller, this is just some fancy staging:)

We also got to spend lots of time with our friend Sheena, which was such a good time:)!

Overall, it was a great visit, we were so sad to say good-bye last week! We love you and miss you lots Kat, come back soon!!!