Our Ottawa Adventure

At the beginning of the month we headed to Ottawa to visit family. My Grandpa hasn't been feeling very well lately and we wanted to visit with him. It was the longest car ride we had taken with Maelyn -- but she surprised me and handled the trip really well. It could be that Paul sat in the back with her for the entire trip -- that man has the patience of a saint! :)

We stayed with my Aunt Elaine and Uncle Eric and we were able to visit with many of our cousins. It was wonderful being able to introduce her to our extended family. Auntie Kara, Uncle Cam and Jake were also in Ottawa with us -- Maelyn had a blast playing with them for the entire weekend.

Kealey and Maelyn...

Auntie Kara, Jake and Maelyn playing in the backyard...

Maelyn and Uncle Cam reading the morning paper...

One of the highlights of our visit was being able to introduce Maelyn to Coby, Kealey's son. He is three and a half and we were excited about the kids being able to spend time together.

Another highlight of our trip was being able to visit with my cousin, Craig, and his four kids. I have always loved visiting with their family and it was so nice to be able to introduce them to our little girl. They were wonderful with her, sharing their toys with her, introducing her to their horses, and even playing on their trampoline.

Visits to Ottawa were always an important part of my childhood. The fact that my family can share in the joy that is Maelyn is something that is hard to describe -- a lifelong dream fulfilled.



Fun Times...

The past few days have been busy, but a ton of fun!

Julia stayed with us overnight, which meant huge amounts of excitement for Maelyn. We weren't even out of the car to pick her up at school and Maelyn was already calling out for her Julia. The two of them giggled and danced to the music all the way home.

After homework, making Julia's lunch, dinner, and then bathing, the girls were ready for a night of fun!

Paul, Julia and Maelyn played flashlight hide and seek...I have no idea how that game is played -- I was at Zumba class and Paul apparently invented the game. When I got home, we put the girls to bed. Maelyn desperately wanted to stay with Julia and tried her best to convince us that she could stay with her -- even pretending that she was asleep!

Today, after we dropped Julia off at school, Maelyn and I tackled a baking project together. I wanted to make some apple desserts to use up some of the apples we had picked.

 Maelyn grabbed the apple I had peeled and started munching...

Helping Mama clean up...

 Ready to be baked...

 Okay -- I set off the alarm....apparently these muffins are BIG ones...ooops!!

Oh well....they were still pretty tasty!

Once we were done baking and tidying, Maelyn found her bin of winter wear and decided to try on every single thing....and then chose a hat to wear during lunch...

What a great way to spend the past few days -- with friends and a little one I love dearly.

Giving Thanks

I have been really excited about the holiday season starting -- Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas! This year is especially exciting as it is our first holiday season in our new home and as a family of three.

Anyone who really knows me knows how much I LOVE any kind of holiday and the traditions that go along with it -- including the decorating. The only problem with wanting to go all out this year is not having the budget to support it -- being off on adoption leave is a delicate balance between wants and needs. So...I kept the decorating for Thanksgiving low-key. I love the way in which the forest behind our house drops beautiful leaves on the ground and adds to the fall look around our house -- all for free! :)

This year Paul and I hosted my Mom's side of the family for Thanksgiving dinner -- our first big holiday gathering. We planned out the meal ahead of time and felt completely on top of things -- but didn't realize how difficult it would be to look after Maelyn and cook at the same time. Thankfully, my sister and brother-in-law were there to make sure that she was entertained and fed. Even more importantly, they made sure that she was comfortable in the crowd of people we had over.

Normally the 'kids' are relegated to the smaller table, but this year the 'kids' outnumbered the parents -- the balance of power has shifted!

Spending quality time with siblings and cousins...

Although we try to take the time to appreciate how lucky we are, this year we are especially thankful for the people in our lives. Our family and friends have shown us a tremendous amount of love and support over the past year -- the likes of which we could have never imagined. You all need to know how much we love you and are grateful for your presence in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just because....