Black and White Wednesday - "What a difference a year can make"

One year ago today - we saw this face for the first time.

(Milana's referral picture)

And today........

Just look at her!

This is the face that can take my breath away

(and sometimes knock that very breath out of me)!

;)

She certainly has added a lot of spice and laughter to our little family!

The icing on the cake.


Click on the button to join Lisa and all for some great photography!

Grade 1.....Done !!

Do you remember your last day in Grade One?

I do, even though it was 167 years ago (ahem)!

It's huge. You are no longer a baby, looking at that long hallway for the first time, wondering who the heck all these giants are.

You are a Grade One Graduate. Oh yeah....on your way to the

big

Grade TWO.

Really huge!

My big girl Dahlia....last Sept 2009 on the first day of school. Grade One.

(Sept 2009)

(Sept 2009)

And now.....June 2010....on the last day of Grade One!

(June 2010)

(June 2010)

(June 2010)

Her average for the year was in the 80's. But she got a 93 in music!

(Oh, her Nan would've been so proud.)

So much has happened for this little girl this year. Travelled back to China, got a little sister, broke her arm, learned how to read (in a day it seemed), played endlessly with her little sister.....

....and made her Mom and Dad so proud.

The last walk down the pathway to Grade One.

The whole world is ahead of you, sweet one!

But for now.....

bring on the Summer Holidays!

Black and White Wednesday - Daddy and his girls !!

No words needed really!

Black and White Wednesday....with a side of color.

OK....a lot of color !!

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into.

Henry Ward Beecher

What grows in the garden so lovely and rare? Roses and Dahlias and people grow there.

A Gardener's Library

If you pass by the color purple in a field and don't notice it, God gets real pissed off.

Alice Walker

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell so sweet.

Shakespeare

It is at the edge of a petal that love waits.

William Carlos Williams

There you have it. A tiny glimpse into my garden again. More to come in a little while.

The blooms are bustin' out all over!

Enjoy visiting all the great photography.

Happy Wednesday!

Playing catch-up......

....as if I could ever!

One of the things I can remember thinking about when we decided to have kiddos was going to the fair.

Not necessarily on the top of the list of important things to ponder but it was on the list. And not because I love to go catapolting through the air because I decidedly don't but going to the fair was kind of a highlight for me in my childhood. And I remember thinking how much fun it would be to re-visit those times through the eyes of my children.

Growing up, the fair passed through our town once a year, on Labor Day week. Now I can find a fair on most week-ends from May to October.

The highlight of a fair is the carousel - the merry-go-round. I still get on them and when someone tells me I'm too big to ride them - I smile politely - pretend I'm getting off and stay right on.

Usually works! (They haven't kicked me out yet.)

This was Dahlia's first carousel ride when she was 2 and a half (back in 2005). And that would be me , happily ride alongside.




A few years later in Disney World. What a beautiful carousel.

So, you can imagine my anticipation when we brought Milana to her very first fair. All week long I imagined that first moment. Would she be scared (not likely), thrilled or confused (by her mother's over-the-top excitement).
?
None of the above.

There was no carousel!

WHAT?!!? No carousel? What's a fair without a carousel? That's like an ice-cream cone without the ice-cream. Right? (or a margarita without the vodka tequila, right girls ;)

I almost walked away.....but couldn't do that to the kiddos.

So in we went anyway and Milana had her first taste of an activity we will re-visit again and again. (Next time with a carousel, if you please.)

Last week was Dahlia's 4th ballet recital. Only got a few snaps but when I look back at her first - I can hardly believe how fast my baby is growing up. Sniff!


And finally, a few more pics from our little trip last week-end to Mt. Tremblant.

(linking to Stephanie for this post)

One of my favourite things to do is follow these 2 around and catch them in a moment.

This is one of them.

I just snapped away. (All sooc.....but I'm guessing you could tell.)











And for a finale........

I present Miss "Happiest when airbourne"

and her side-kick

Miss "Wild-Thang"