Dress Fitting

Well, this was just a rush fitting job to size up the crinoline situation (which seems fine). We have Kenna's flower girl dress for Lauryn's wedding, and it will probably need some alterations...but maybe not. It's a size 2 and she is mostly all in 24 months already, so hopefully it will be exactly the right size come March. It's very pretty though, and she looks so cute in it. The flowers at the waist are removable, and I am thinking of adding a few pale brown ones (very pale and shimmery...basically a darker ivory) to it and see how that looks, just to give it some dimension, and tie in the wedding colours. Can always take them off if it doesn't look good. She even has little heels on her shoes, which she seems to have no trouble tromping around in, even though they are about a 1/2 size too big.

Blast from the past

Wow, this pic was taken in Chicago in the winter of 1998/99. Crazy eh! I still had bangs back then...pictured with two of my friends, Julie and Audra.

And can you spot Brian...he looks so different with the short hair...not to mention younger (and thinner, if that were possible). Not sure when this one was taken, likely in 1999 sometime.

Merry Christmas!

Well I don't have tons of pics from yesterday, because we were taking video. I will have to get some clips on here soon, I did take these at 'lunch'...we got up and opened gifts, then had a big brunch with Lauren & Crystal...and I wasn't hungry 'til the evening, but the kids needed an afternoon snack. Kenna got some big girl pony tail holders and so we put her hair back quickly. The front part is still not quite long enough to reach to the back, but it really made her look a lot older even still. Fun side note - we were done opening all our gifts and about to start breakfast when there was a knock at the door. The postman!! With a package from Alberta...it arrived literally in the knick of time. I was astonished "you deliver on Christmas?!" I said. He said yes, this is the second year they have done this. Wow. So we got to open more presents!

Big girl hair do. She is eating from her stocking stuffer...Christmas dishes! (well these are Brooks', hers are green)

Brooks stuffing his face with Cheerios!

Chillin' with Mom

Brian is working today, and Kenna is napping...so Brooks and I are hanging out. I am watching one of my fave shows, Jon & Kate Plus Eight, and feeding him his carrots and blueberries (yucky combo, I know:-) Anyway, I stood him up on is little walker/car thingy, and he loved it. Standing is his new thing, but he can't always get up, but if you help him, he's a pro. Me thinks we might have another early walker!

And then there was LIGHT!

It has literally been around a year since we have had light in the den. We tore out the old fixture to replace it, and discovered nothing in that room was grounded...etc, etc, etc, you know how everything goes wrong. And when your husband works on building other peoples houses, sometimes your own gets put on the bottom of the list. Well as of tonight, we have 4 very bright pot lights all working! As well as 10 almost working ones in the livingroom! Hallelujah. It was a really big project, but I'm so glad it's almost done!

There is no more door connecting the den to the kitchen! This room was plagued with problems...main entry door from livingroom, door to kitchen, door to closet, door to outside and a built in bookshelf! By eliminating 1 door and the bookshelf, we have made the room much more practical, and now it could be considered a real bedroom, as it does not attach to the kitchen...but it still goes outside:-)

Our house was built in 1954 I think, and there has obviously been some settling...as you notice the ceiling is a bit bowed!

All the faces

Kenna woke up from her nap and was cuddling me on the couch. I haven't taken a picture of her in a week at least, so I thought I would try to capture a few cute faces. I was asking her to smile, and show me her teeth...basically that's what I got, a good tooth shot...

...then I said, no! smile big!...she's a real ham!

Do Not Send Cash

I just thought it was pretty funny that my destroyed mail arrived today in a bag...we care. We care that we ruined your Christmas card, oops, sorry. You didn't want to see them anyway, right? I guess that's why they say don't send cash!

Brooks' Dedication

Last Sunday we had Brooks dedicated, this Sunday I got a copy of the pictures that were taken. Here's Brooks looking at the congregation, while trying to grab the lapel mic with his other hand, creating all sorts of racket during the prayer.

Meg & Brooks

This is one I forgot to post with the others, Auntie Meghan with her adorable nephew!

World's Largest...

Underwear! We had the jr youth Christmas Party last night, and this was a gift someone gave/got in the white elephant exchange. Huuuge!

Brian, with the other two men that help with the youth group, Sam & Josh

The junior jr youth! Sarah, Libby, Gracie and Kenna

Bolger Christmas

These are from a few days ago when Brian's family was here for Christmas. The night before the left we all went to Red Robin for dinner. It's an awesome 'specialty' burger place, for those that don't know about it, and it's one of Brian's faves...I got a Chicken bruschetta burger, it was sooo good!

Booey with Poppa

Kenna was very happy with her blue balloon from the restaurant

This is the only family shot that was taken on my camera. Obviously it's not very good of anyone. I will have to wait for someone to email a better shot.

Christmas Letter 2007

To read our Christmas Update, please click on the image to see the letter. Merry Christmas, we love you all!

Cuddle Bug

My men, snoring.

Demolition

Since Ben and Dad Bolger are here, we decided it would be a good time to re-wire the den, and get rid of the paneling in there. They wrecked it up on Saturday, and are putting it back together today (hopefully!).

Family Photo Shoot

The pictures, especially the ones of the kids turned out amazing!





In every family shot, someone is doing something weird, as usual. I think this is the best one all around, even though it looks like I am shouting or something:-)

Things Kenna Says

She'll be 21 months on Dec 15th. Here is a list of some of her famous sayings. R's, S's, L's and Y's seem to be no trouble at all for our little talker!

Show Mommy show? Yay! Show-ee! (when she wants to watch tv or a movie)
I get you Daddy (as she takes off running, it's her favourite 'chasing' game)
I no poopy Mommy (when she definitely IS:-)
Um um um um Mommy? (usually followed by a request of some sort)
Weeeeetherrrrrt (Sweetheart, a fave word in a fave song - Yankee Doodle)
Up hill, waterrrrrrrr, down, aa-terrrr (can you tell what song that is? She hits all the key points)
I did it Mommy, I did it (followed by clapping for herself)
Babble..haha, I funny guys, I funny, Babble babble (she is funny...we wish we knew what she was saying!)
Dat's silly Mommy
Hi girl or Hi boy or it's Baby (to other children in grocery carts at various stores. She can really tell the difference between girls and boys)
See ya laaaterrrr
Ringers (fingers)
ahm (arm)
Hold me Mommy, hold me (when she wants to be picked up)
Treat or snacky or juicy
I cared, or it's carey (when she is scared, either for real, or for fake)
C-yeen Up (clean up)
Jack's Big Music Show!!
I kickle you (tickles, of course)
shhhh, Booey leepin' (sleeping:-)
I loww you
It's yellow one Mommy? (she can tell yellow, blue and green apart, hit and miss on everything else. She knows Nat Nat's cup is green, hers is blue. Heaven forbid she ever drink from any green cup "no, it's Nat Nat's")
Teen, teen, teen, teen (when counting to twenty, everything over ten is just teen)
I sink so (she has a lot of deep thoughts, this girl)
I goose or hi goose (Daddy calls her his goose, sometimes when he comes home from work she turns the tables and says "hi goose" to him)
Foie Grah (I know, I know, it's really duck liver, but I think it sounds funny, and told her that was the word for Frog -sounds like Frog-rah a little bit- and that's what she says every time we see a Geico gekko on a billboard:-)
mehcine? (when she wants a vitamin from the cupboard)
mint? (when she wants a mint or gum)

She can pretty much say everything now, or tries to. She gets her point across, that's for sure! We have a lot of fun with her expanding vocabulary:-)

My Crazy Life

Well, I know I really am due for an update here. The past week my simple (haha) life suddenly got a lot crazier! There are parties to attend, and parties to plan. I have Natalie a little more often because of the holiday work schedule. Brian's friend Ben (he was in our wedding) came to visit last Tuesday, and will be here until Dec 23rd. Also, that same day the Bolger's arrived from New York. Surprise! We had a few hours warning as it is a 9 hour drive:-) Actually, only Mom B and Meghan came, Dad B and Ann will probably come this coming weekend. And I think we will get Brooks dedicated on that Sunday, since they will all be here. We are also getting our family Christmas picture taken on Sunday. Yesterday I was able to get the tree set up. On Sunday we went to pick up the real tree, but decided to get a real wreath instead and stick with our fake-o one. I have it all done, mostly, I still have to select and hang the unbreakable ornaments near the bottom of the tree. Right now it's a little bare. This tree has a remote control for the lights, which Kenna loves to see come on "for no reason". She says "Wow! Tree Mommy Tree!!"

ok, it's getting bad...I MUST get it cleared off today. One of about 1000 goals in my day...I should take a pic of the rest of the house, so you see what I mean!!

Gingerbread Tree

I can't claim this one as an original idea. I saw it somewhere last year, and thought it would be easy to do. It turned out really cute!

Best Posts of 2007

If you want to see the essential information and don't want to wade through the hundreds of posts, check out some of these links, which are basically just the most important posts or events that took place this year. Click on each link to see some of the highlights of 2007!
Kenna is One!
Brooks is born
Kenna's first major "oowie"
Brooks is one month old
Family Update - Spring 2007
Kenna can count
Lauryn is engaged
Mommy & Kenna
Kennedy boys
Kennedy girls
Brent is engaged
Mommy & BrooksThanksgiving 2007
Kenna's words
Brooks' Dedication
Christmas pictures 2007
Christmas letter 2007

Quote Archive 2007

I've always loved quotes, and have quite a collection of them. I love to share one per month on my blog.

"I have gathered a posie of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own" John Bartlett

Yea Lord we greet Thee, born this happy morning. Jesus to Thee be glory given! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. - Edward Everett Hale

I would rather see you unlettered and unnoticed, if virtuous in practice as well as in theory, than to see you the equal in glory to the great Washington. - Henry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, to his sons

God often takes a course for accomplishing His purposes directly contrary to what our narrow views would prescribe. He brings a death upon our feelings, wishes, and prospects when He is about to give us the desire of our hearts - John Newton

If the praise of others elates me and their blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love. - Amy Carmichael

"You READ?!!"
"Yah, well, not excessively"
Disney's Ratatouille

It left us speechless, quite speechless I tell you, and we have not stopped talking of it since - Miss Bates (Emma, Jane Austen)

Outside of unavoidable sadness, my life has been one continuous round of enjoyment made up of failure and disappointments, and dark, stormy clouds which have been completely trampled out of existence by success, that in every case exceeded my expectations, and has caused the sun to shine so brightly that it has illuminated my path clear up to the great divide and given me an imaginary glimpse of the beautiful beyond. - Jack Miner

As far as I'm concerned, if something is so complicated that you can't explain it in ten seconds, then it's probably not worth knowing anyway - Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)

How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child's table. It is like an aged man reclining under the shadow of an oak he had planted. - Sir Walter Scott

Said Mrs. Browning, the poet, to Charles Kingsley, the novelist, "What is the secret of your life? Tell me, that I may make mine beautiful also." Thinking a moment the beloved old author replied, "I had a friend."