Summer 2007

Cool Slideshows!

All Systems A Go!

Whew, where is the summer going? Long time no blog, eh?

Well the past few months in the Klassen home have been incredibly busy. Naomi finished school, Lilah celebrated her third birthday, Myles is chatting up a storm, Joel FINALLY has our pool 99% finished and I just finished a month long course in Business Planning while starting my own business at the same time! So we're just coming up for air now and I'm getting a moment to update my bloggy friends.

So Naomi is now a "Senior" (kindergartener that is) and quite proud of it. Her reprot card was excellent and we are really proud of her. It's amazing to see our eldest growing up so fast. Naomi has been enjoying daycamp at Fellowship Baptist Church this month as well. I remember a day when it was hard to get Naomi to leave the house. Now it seems that she can't get enough of her friends, so they are either here or she's at their houses. Already a socialite!

Lilah had a blast celebrating her third birthday at the end of June. Pictured here with her posse, Lilah enjoyed a whale of a beach party with her friends. I can't believe that she is three years old! At times she seems so much older than that and then other times it seems like just yesterday we were in China adopting her. Lilah's three year old smarts are coming out more frequently too. While she LOVES anything Dora, she's recently discovered that Dora is not cool in the older crowd. Much to my chagrin, she's already being influenced!

Myles gets cuter by the day and is now demonstrating the attitude that goes along with cuteness. Words are coming fast and furious, along with a love for music, cars and anything that goes grrrrr. I think that Myles is going to be the musical one as he's got a real ear for anything with a tune. When my Ipod is on, he's dancing. When his music is playing, he's dancing. In fact yesterday we were hanging out on the hammock and he started strumming the ropes to make his own music.

Joel . . . well I think he's just so thrilled that the pool is pretty much finished. A few more sheets of lattice will finish off the job -- one which far exceeded both our level of expertise when it comes to being handy, and also one that far exceeded our timeline. One good note is that while the project was tough, it was WELL worth it. I think that there have only been three days in the past month that we've not used the pool. Myles is fearless (scary actually), Lilah is overcoming her fear of water and can now be found bobbing around with her waterwings, and Naomi is becoming quite the little swimmer - dog paddling around the pool for hours. I don't think we've ever been happier to see the end of a project though. Let me tell you that if someone offers you a free pool, make sure that you have handy friends or are handy yourself. It is a BIG project - but like I said, well worth it.

We have enjoyed the company of my longtime friends Sharon, Len and Dylan for a weekend in July. It was so much fun to reconnect with their family as we haven't seen each other in almost 2 years. Dismal when you consider that we've known each other since Sharon and I were 8 year old swimming buddies!

We've also been to Auntie Heather and Uncle John's place one weekend this summer. Naomi caught her first fish (pictured below) and Myles learned to drive the boat. All of us really enjoyed the lake and the hospitality that Heather and John always show us. It really is like a piece of heaven there!

And now for my big news. All Systems A Go is the title of this post, and also the name of my new business. I have dreamt of venturing out into the world of entrepreneurship for some time now. I love the idea of using my talents to build relationships with clients that are all my own, and I also love coaching others to acheive success. Being an organized person, this business idea really came together over the past few months. Then in April I heard about a program to assist in business planning and decided to apply. The timing has been perfect and I spent every morning for the month of July in a class designed to help me write my business plan. The course was intense, but really helped me to focus on my long term goals.

As a business consultant and Professional Organizer, I offer consulting, coaching, hands-on organizing and training for small/medium sized businesses and corporations. I help businesses identify areas of disorganization that are inhibiting growth, then create a plan to overcome these obstacles. Mostly my business will focus on helping businesses and individuals manage time, use technology, track projects and activities, organize workspace, design and organize filing systems and simplify paperwork/systems in an overall effort to improve productivity and meet organizational goals.

I already have signed a contract with Pfizer Animal Health and also have two other clients that I'm working with. Since each of my clients is in a different industry, I am really enjoying the diversity that running this business offers. It is very exciting and I am loving the feeling of more balance in life.

Onwards and upwards! So that's about what we've been up to in the past couple of months! I'm off to enjoy the last few days of summer before school starts again! Hope you all enjoy the new photos (and in a new format that I'm trying out).

Cheers,
Karen

Sweet Pea and the Brown Eyed Girls!

May 2007

We have been enjoying a few weeks of fun in the sun lately! The sunny weather has certainly been welcomed around here and the kids are outside for the majority of their waking hours.

Naomi has decided that at the ripe old age of 4, she should be riding her bike without training wheels. Mom spent an entire afternoon running up and down the 190ft laneway while Naomi tried to gain control over her balance. Then a friend showed us how to bend the training wheels up so that she could learn to balance without us running alongside. Thank goodness for friends!

Lilah has become quite proficient at riding her trike too - though she thinks that she's ready for the Dora two wheeler that she spotted at Zellers the other day. Since her birthday is just over a month away, we picked it up for her. Can't wait to see her face when she opens it up at the end of June!

Myles, who has discovered the freedom of walking in the past three weeks, wakes up in the morning and points to the patio doors. He would live outside if we'd allow it! Unfortunately his new found walking skills are still a little rusty and he's constantly sporting a new badge of honor. Two weeks ago he got his first black eye, then just as that was fading he tripped on the driveway. His forehead and nose are a mess of roadrash - poor kid! The good news is that he's learning body parts from all the boo boo cream on his nose and cheeks and forehead.

The other good news is that he was boo boo free for a recent photoshoot at my favorite photographer's studio. We had wanted to get 1 year old photos done and thought it would be fun to capture some of the girls as well. Turns out Myles didn't really want the focus on him anyhow, but a few goldfish later and the charmer returned so that we could get a few shots of the three kids. The end result was spectacular, as you can see from the photos below. I think my favorite thing about getting Gerri to take my kid's photos is that she always captures who they are in the pictures. From the special bond between two sisters, to the charming but active toddler, she knows how to document their personalities, quirks and nuances in a beautiful way!

So life with three crazy kids continues on. What suprises me is how quickly I forget the "age and stage" stuff that they go through even though our kids are all relatively close together in age. For example, I know that I shouldn't be suprised that at 13 months Myles is frustrated. After all, when nobody in your family understands that you ARE the KING of the house - that's gotta be frustrating! But I chuckle to suddenly recall that both Naomi and Lilah went through the exact same thing - and I had forgotten all about it.

Even more heartwarming is to listen to Lilah's vocabulary develop. Today's word of the day was "ponsible" as in, "Mom, you are (res)ponsible so you can find my shoes and get me some juice". Yeah, cute -- heh heh (sense some sarcasm here). :) And to think that Myles is right behind her and then I'll have THREE "ponsibilities" telling me what to do!

We are currently in a state of outdoor renovations. Papa Tom helped us two weekends ago with a Pergola on our backdeck. Our backyard faces northwest - so it gets pretty hot and sunny on our deck in the summer. The new pergola gives us some much needed shade. We are also working on redesigning our backyard to add a pool. Our friend Sara's parents have decided that they no longer want their pool, and are passing it on to us! Hooray for friends!

In preparation, we've enrolled the kids in swimming lessons and they are doing fantastic. After only one 8-week session, Naomi is now able to do the front crawl for a short distance and Lilah is overcoming her fear of being on her own in the water. This morning I saw her do a star float without reminding her teacher to not let go of her. Both girls have come a long way in a few short weeks. Myles loves the water and is no less of a daredevil in the pool than he is on land.

Hoppy Easter

This year we decided to make the trekk north for Easter, spending the weekend with Auntie Heather and Uncle John. As always, we had a fantastic time visiting with the rest of the Klassen clan and enjoying the peaceful setting. And of course, mommy's team beat daddy and grandpa's team at Taboo AGAIN.

We awoke Easter morning - happy to see that the Easter Bunny remembered we weren't at home this year.

Naomi and Lilah quickly dove into action to search out the eggs that they had decorated the day earlier. Even Myles got busy - though we think he much preferred the eggs with the foil!

Once the hunt was over, it was time to crack into the bootie and then the sugar high started. Between that and the gas produced by eating hard boiled eggs, I'm quite certain that we
needed very little fuel to get to the Millen family

function in Teeswater later in the day!

We spent the afternoon visiting with the Millen side of our family. Since Naomi is raising money for "Jump Rope for Heart" - it was excellent timing and good practice in asking for sponsorships. Nothing like a huge family to make raising money easy! Thanks to Aunt Theresa's taking Naomi under her wing, none of the relatives escaped the wrath of a cute smile. By the end of the afternoon, Naomi was well on her way to her $350 goal (which she did meet last week) and was more familiar with Papa Tom's 7 brother's and sisters, as well as my (too many to count) cousins and their families.


Uncle Dave was hosting this year and he thrilled the girls with a tractor ride and visit to the barn to see the new calves. I think that was the highlight of the day for Naomi and Lilah - being that they are such animal lovers!

Happy GOTCHA Day Lilah!

Yup, it is hard to believe that two years ago we were traveling in China, meeting Lilah for the first time and becoming a family of four. Though it seems like just yesterday, at the same time it seems like she’s been with us forever. We celebrated Lilah’s Gotcha day by making Chinese food and the cake pictured in this photo. Lilah was quite pleased to get to blow out her two candles as we marked the 2nd anniversary of the day that she was first put into our arms.

"Oh Happy Adoption Day"!

Happy Birthday Myles!

Isn't it unbelievable how quickly a year goes by?? Looking at this picture, I find it difficult to imagine that one year ago this little boy was a newborn baby! Those two hour feedings, sleepless nights, projectile poops and first smiles seem like just yesterday. Yet Myles is no longer a baby, and we've progressed to a picky eater, temper tantrums, weird poops, first steps and first words! Yes folks, he's now a toddler.

We celebrated Myles' birthday twice this year, to accomodate our trip to Florida (which happened the week of Myles' actual birthdate). The first party, was on the fourth of March with our family and a few friends. We visited, played, ate cake and skated our hearts out.






Cousin Venrick was probably the most enthusiastic of the skaters, as you can see from the photos below. We are so proud of him. Having just arrived in Canada in November, we are amazed at how quickly he has absorbed so much Canadiana. I know, there is more to Canada than hockey . . . but in our house, it's close to number 1! Joel found out that Venrick didn't have a hockey stick, so he went down to the depths of the Klassen sports store and sent him home sporting a shiny new stick. But not before he gave him a few lessons on how to use it. For me, watching Venrick and Joel was a reminder of the winter before Naomi arrived. It was the first year we had a rink and I remember Joel barking out drills as I skated around windshield washer containers. It was also a prelude of days to come -- Joel and the kids doing drills!


Myles' first foray into chocolate birthday cake was a little slow to start. But the end result looked like this! When it came time to open birthday presents he had lots of help!

March 8th we started the long drive to Kissimee Florida. Our three day journey meant that the kids got to watch a LOT of television and play tons of video games. I have no idea what folks did before the evolution of DVD players, but we are sure thankful that we had one! Overall the kids did really well with the long drive.

When we arrived in Kissimmee, they were eager for some time in the pool, and that was pretty much where they spent the next 7 days. Naomi quickly gained confidence in the water and was soon bobbing around like a fish. Lilah was a little more timid and preferred her daddy's arms. She has always been a little more cautious about things, and swimming is no different. So she and Myles spent more time in the shallow waters of the hot tub for most of the week, but we did see lots of progress as the week went on.

On the 15th, Joel's parents drove up from their campsite in Punta Gorda to help us celebrate Myles' first birthday. We enjoyed a relaxing day with them around the pool and in the condo, then headed out to an all you can eat seafood buffet for dinner. We headed back to the condo for cake, where Myles had lots of help devouring it.

You will notice our friends Leevi and Simon in the photos helping to teach Myles the finer art of cake eating. In fact, they and their parents (Janet and Darryn) shared our condo for the week.

By Wednesday night Janet and I had decided that communal living really has it's benefits, and we had voted Joel off the island at least twice! Darryn had so much fun that he spent the latter part of the night sleeping beside the toilet -- or perhaps he was sick with fear of being voted off as well! Needless to say, we had a very enjoyable vacation and are looking forward to a return visit next year.

We returned home to bitter cold temperatures, but within a few days the Florida weather followed us home and SPRING arrived. It is so refreshing to be able to enjoy the outdoors! All three kids have been speeding up and down the driveway, either by bike, trike or pushing a walker. The kids have also rediscovered driveway chalk and are decorating all over the place! Myles of course, had to learn the hard way that chalk is not for eating - note the little blob of yellow on his chin!

And so I end this post with a new toddler in the house. Since our trip to Florida, Myles has learned all the typical toddler behaviours. It's startling how that happens overnight! Yesterday, Myles was heading down the laneway pushing his walker. At the end of the lane there is a rope that we've taught the girls not to cross on their bikes. The wise toddler in our home got to the rope and I tried to turn him around to head back to the house. Unfortunately he didn't seem to like that message. My actions were met with some serious squawking and a huff as he swung his walker back around and headed for the line. In the end - and after three attempts to teach him the rules, I ended up resorting to picking him up and carrying him to the house. Again met with squawking, but the score still stands with mom leading the game! Probably not for long though! Then again, I'm used to that!