Halloween 2011

Kiku gets quite a scare from the pumpkin...

Apparently, it takes a drill and the creative use of a drill bit to create a "killer" jack-o-lantern.

Kiku-bee prefers the jack-o-lantern to the plain old pumpkin.

Are those halloween wolves we hear? You can just hear Kiku howl at around 30 seconds in.

Kikue walks!

We had quite a busy day yesterday!

Kikue turns one...a month ago

A little delayed, but here are some pictures of our little one-year-old! True to most toddlers, she seemed to like the wrapping more than the gifts...

...though she did take a little time out to play with (eat) her new sorting blocks. We're aiming for her first word to be "quatrefoil" or "trapezoid".

Mmmm....birthday banana cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

I think the neighbours take the cake for the best gifts this year! A wading pool, toys for the beach and a Spongebob bowling set!

Even a moose came out to wish her a happy day! We spotted this guy just around the corner from our home on our way to Dad's ultimate game that evening.

Kikue goes Down East

Kikue and I enjoyed a visit to the Hale Family in Smiths Falls. We were very excited to meet her new cousin, Sheldon. Here they are enjoying a little time in the sun.

Next, Aunt Val, Sidney, Sheldon, and the two of us went on a road trip to the east end of Toronto for a visit with Grandpa. It was a lovely day for a walk to the park.

Uncle Bill and Aunt Annemarie hosted a great barbeque at their lovely home in Oakville. It was such a pleasure to see everyone!

You can see James, Sidney, and Kikue were having a great time. There was even cake for all the June babies!

Next, we had a wonderful visit with The Grandmas in the Upper Beaches. We had beautiful weather for a trip to the beach, hanging out on the back porch, and just lazing about. I wish I got some decent pictures.

Thanks everyone for such a great time!

Wiener roast with Grandma and Grandpa

We've been treated to a visit by Paul's parents this past week. In addition to the wiener roast, we've had fun running around town, swimming, and lazy days at home with the dogs.

Dad and Grandpa getting the hotdog sticks and fire ready while Kiku and Grandma supervise.

Anticipating her first hot dog!

"Broccoli! What happened to the hotdog?"

Oh well, I'll just finish off Mom's beer instead.

Kiku meets Ella

You could say that the 2011 season was Boreal Birch Syrup's best yet. Not only did they produce a lot of syrup, they came out of it with a beautiful daughter born May 9th.

Here, Paul and Kikue say "hi" to baby Luella.

This is my almost failed attempt at a group shot. Ella was happy to stay put. Kiku...not so much. She's too busy trying to "play" with Ella.

Here are some funny pictures of Kiku eating a rice rusk. Food still equals fun.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a round baby!

Yup! At our recent doctor's appointment we learned our little girl is following the same path as her father: she's in the 90th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for height, just like Paul when he was a little one.

Here are some pictures I took of her yesterday after her bath.

Kikue visits the sugar bush

Welcome!

I'm hoping that this newly created blog will help me keep in touch with family and friends who are not close enough. My last 10 months and 9 days of motherhood have been filled with some of the most memorable moments and it is my hope that through Up West I'll more easily be able to share these moments with you. So, for all of you folks "down east" and the rest, thanks for visiting and happy viewing!

I thought I'd start things off by sharing with you our visit to the sugar bush last evening. Every spring Paul helps our friends Dave and Beth, owners of Boreal Birch Syrup, make the sweet stuff. You can see Beth on the right doing some dishes (rumour has it she's in labour at this moment!
Mary, Dave's mother, and Kikue share a laugh. Kikue battles mosquitos and the cold with a bandana and my mitts.