A Cleaning Resolution

So this is my New Years cleaning resolution. I found this online and my goal is to try to follow it all year. What I like most about it is that the bathroom tasks are split up, they always seem like such a daunting task, and there is no major cleaning on the weekend! I'm only on my second day, but I'm hoping since I've posted about it I will stick to it. So feel free to ask how it is going and here's to a cleaner new year!

First Birthday!

It's hard to believe it's been over a year since Rachel joined our family! We celebrated her birthday, November 7th, with a low key family day. We checked out an indoor playground in Ardrossan and Rachel loved the slide! Then we had a simple dinner with strawberry cupcakes for the birthday girl. She loved the icing!

 She got a pretty good haul. The unwrapped gifts were actually Macy's old toys that had  been in storage. Quite honestly I think they were Rachel's favorites!

 We got a great video of us singing to her, she loved every bit of it, too bad it is too large to post.

 Yummy cake!

 I just love that happy smile!

Rachel is now 13 months and still such a joy to have around. She loves laughing, and will just laugh and laugh at nothing really at all. She is cruising along the furniture, and climbing stairs, and I think walking is close. She still scoots around, but gets everywhere she wants and gets there fast! She is a curious monkey and loves to check out what is in all the cupboards and drawers, and loves to have a taste of anything. Speaking of tastes, she is a great eater and eats whatever we do. She eats the same, if not more than Macy, but she is in the 95th percentile for weight!

Happy Birthday Rachel! We're all excited for another years of firsts, and fun, and laughter with you!

Halloween!

We love Halloween around here. For Macy it basically means she gets to wear her dress-up clothes out, run around with friends, and eat candy. Who wouldn't love it!

 Here is Rachel a couple weeks before Halloween when we were checking out the costumes.

 A couple days before Halloween Grandma and Grandpa Lamont, Aunt Pam, Paisley, and Scarlett came over for dinner and pumpkin carving. Pam and I ended up doing all the work while the girls ran around playing!

 Macy had three different occasions to dress up. The first was a family Halloween party where she went as Cinderella. Second (below), was her preschool party where she chose to be a Barbie Fairy, and the third was actual Halloween Trick or Treating where she went as a Lady Bug. If you ask her what she was for Halloween though, she'll tell you a Lady Bug. (Note, these were all things we had on hand, so I didn't care what she went as..except I pressed for Lady Bug for trick or treating, since it fits well over a coat!)

 Macy and Chris did the trick or treating while Rachel and I stayed home to hand out candy.

 Nice glasses Dad!

 Macy trick or treated with neighbour pals, Lasha, William, and Max, and then went out a second time with just Dad. They got a great haul!

 Too much candy!

Hope you all had a great halloween!

Appetizer Night

Wings, nachos, potato wedges, quesidillas.... sometimes it's fun to just eat your favorite appie's!

Cute!

Two days till this cutie turns one!!

(pictures from about a month ago)

Some Fall Pictures

We had a great fall, lots of nice weather and sunny days. We enjoyed the Millcreek Fall Festival again this year, and spent most weekends finishing up projects around the house, like putting in 3 new bedroom windows!

 These two are pictures from the festival.

 Playing around in the backyard.

 No smiles from these two!

 An unobstructed view.

 I had fun knocking out the old window!

She's a Gymnast!

 Macy started a weekly class of gymnastics this fall. She is loving it. I think it is so great for the gymnastic part, but also teaching about following directions, listening to a coach, taking turns, being safe, and lots more. Every week I ask her what her favorite thing was, and it's always going on the trampoline!

Here she is excited for the first class!

And then because we have awesome neighbours who give us so many hand-me-downs, here's one in her fancy gym suit!