Family Photos from Thanksgiving (Oops)

Here are some very late photos of the TEN of us from Thanksgiving 2012. Yes, you heard me, TEN! Baby J is about a 4 or 5 week embryo in Auntie Carly's belly, unbeknownst to all of us at the time :)

We had a great time and great food here in Toronto! We love crazy Grampy, and this whole famjam!

The Bunny Hop

We spent the Easter long weekend at Auntie Carly and Uncle Brent's house. Omi, Grampy, and Kiks were all there too (and Spencer and Rosie)! You were so happy to wake up and see everyone on Friday morning, you really love to be surrounded by your loved ones! This year we coloured chicken and duck eggs for the first time. You had a great time and made some beautiful eggs! Then we went to a local park for an Easter egg 'hunt' (more like scramble), and then had our own hunt in the backyard later. All in all it was an amazing weekend :)

Viva Mexico!

Here are some photos from our trip to Santa Ana Xalmimilulco, Mexico, to visit your papa's family. We were there from May 11 to June 9, 2011. I'll have to add the pictures from my iPhone later. We had a great time with everyone, especially your cousins Miriam and Andrecito. They could always make you laugh!!!

Here is some of the scenery near Tia Maria and Tio Andres' house. There were alot of horses, cows, sheeps, and dogs around there, and a pretty babbling brook right beside the road. They had a really great view of the two volcanos surrounding the town.

You always had a great time playing with your cousins. We saw them every day!

There were some beautiful skies there, there were many sudden thundershowers, especially at night, and the sky looked amazing before and after!

For some reason, I had the easiest time speaking Spanish with your cousing Miriam. She was a great teacher ;)

There were beautiful sunsets almost every day!

Tia Maria loved to hold you. She would take you down the street to the store and show you off!

I was just trying to take a picture with good 'bokeh', with the tree in focus and everything in the background blurry. Meh.

They tried to teach you how to ride Andrecito's bike but... I think you were a bit yound for that yet ;)!

On the morning of your baptism (June 4, 2011), your padrino and madrina dressed you up in your baptism outfit. You looked like a little pope, you were so so so adorable!

You were the best behaved baby in the whole church (mostly because I fed you and you fell asleep)!

Your primo Andrecito got baptized as well. Mama and papa were his padrino and madrina.

The ceremony was a bit crazy. There were probably about 10 babies and kids getting baptized on the same day, and after the mass, everybody kind of bum-rushed the priest and crowded around him like in a mosh pit. Mama didn't understand what the heck was going on and it honestly was over before I even knew it. I barely saw it because it happened so fast and I was still trying to press through the throng of people surrounding the baptismal font. Manuela and Tino took some pretty good pictures and video though!

I love this picture of your primo!

After the ceremony, we had a HUGE party at papa's house. So many of his family members helped out preparing all the food for everyone. Your papa bought three sheep, and his uncles (who are butchers) killed and prepared them for us. We cooked them in big barrels for almost a whole day! We had a DJ playing (blasting) salsa, cumbia, durangense, and ranchero music and after dinner everyone was dancing! It was a super fun time and everyone enjoyed themselves. Papa enjoyed himself a bit too much, with tequila ha ha! He was so proud of you and happy, that he was doing shots with everyone to celebrate.

Well my sweet boy, you spent your 6th month of life in Mexico, and all in all, I think we enjoyed it there. The people were all obsessed with you. Strangers in the street would stop just to admire your pretty eyes and everyone we passed would make some kind of comment about you! I was one proud Mama that's for sure. It was sad to leave, but we will be back every summer to visit!

Jamaica Mon! (Round 1 Photo Dump)

Finally! I've put together the photos from our trip to Jamaica for Auntie Carly and Uncle Brent's wedding in Jamaica from April 30th to May 7th 2011.

On our first day there, we swam first in the kid's pool. You were so cute in your shark towel! You really loved being in the water with Mama and Oma.

 Afterwards, you snuggled with Oma in the shade before joining the rest of the crew for lunch. Uncle Brent and Uncle Wayne were trying to put sunglasses on you but you weren't having any of it!

 In the afternoon, Mama took you for your first swim in the Carribean sea! Once again, you loved the water, especially licking the salt off of my skin!

 Before meeting the whole gang for our nightly dinners, I gave you a bath in your ducky tub. You looked so funny, like you were in your own personal jacuzzi. You looked so snazzy for dinner, everyone thought you were so adorable! Oma made it her mission to put you to sleep every night at dinner without me nursing you, and night one was a success!

 So, we laid you in your stroller and you snoozed while the rest of the group socialized.

 The next morning, you had your first taste of food - canteloupe! You loved it!

 Later that night you fell asleep as I nursed you at the table... you were soooo sweaty!!!

 On Wednesday, May 4th, Auntie Carly and Uncle Brent got married on a beautiful sunny day. You looked so cute in your polo, cargo shorts, and 'old man hat'. And you were very well behaved, all day and night, with very little sleep and extreme heat!

 Besides the newlyweds, you were the hit of the night! Everyone wanted to dance with you. We went to bed a bit early, so we missed it when Auntie and Uncle Brent jumped in the water to cool down :(

Mama gave you a faux-hawk for our dinner in the fancy restaurant! If it was even possible, you looked even more cute than usual!

 We took at big boat ride to some caves for snorkeling. You fell asleep on Auntie Nikki in a really awkward position!

 Here is our beautiful snorkeling location. You stayed on the boat with Uncle Wayne while Mama went snorkeling. You can really tell that Mama stayed in the shade for the whole trip... she looks white as a ghost - she probably scared all the fish! After snorkeling, the boat took us to Rick's cafe, where Mama swam with you in a pool overlooking the cliffs where people were jumping off into the water far below. Uncle Brent and his friend Matt were crazy enough to jump!

You peed on Uncle Brent at Rick's Cafe! Afterwards the boat took us back out into the sea where we stopped to watch the sunset. Mama nursed you and you fell asleep in her arms on the top of the boat while the sun sank into the sea. By the way, ALL of the staff was in love with you. They would always ask where you were. You also met a little British girlfriend named Maya!

 On our last day, we just spent time swimming in the ocean with Auntie Nikki and Uncle Wayne before we had to get on the bus for the long ride to the airport in Montego Bay. You were so good on this vacation and everyone who met you fell in love with you! Mama is sooooo proud of her sweet boy.

I LOVE YOU!