Caitlyn Grace

Another Snow Day

2012-01-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was another snow day for Seattle! So Caitlyn started off right with a snowy walk with Daddy to get doughnuts ... the best snow-days start with a treat :)

Then we went out and played for a while. We even built a snowman! The part that is not pictured (because the camera ran out of batteries) is when we told Caitlyn it was time to go home so she said "bye-bye snowman" and proceeded to knock it over. Once it was down she said "okay snowman all done" and we went inside for hot-chocolate and dinner.

Caitlyn also loves sledding. We thought we would post this one for all to see and to say hello to Auntie Kafferine who is in Mexico!

Hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are!

With love - the Bleeks

Snow, Snow, Snow

2012-01-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

We have our first snow in the "low-lands" of the season. Today was already a holiday so school wasn't "cancelled" but I did have the day off! We have had some fun in the snow as you can see from below. Caitlyn has slept great the last two days and nights as she has played HARD outside! Here are two quick pictures that made me laugh and then a few videos at the bottom. Love you all - hope you are enjoying winter!

Her favorite part is eating the snow, we made a rule that she can only eat snow in Daddy's Truck

Adorable

Video Number one ... she knows how to work her parents and just do the fun parts!

Video number two - after a long climb up she get the joy of going down!

Video number three - my little angel!

Christmas Christmas Time Is Here ...

2011-12-31T15:26:00.000-08:00

Caitlyn,

This was a wonderful Christmas season with you! You were a delight, it really reminded both your Daddy and I what the sheer joy of Christmas looks like. The verse in the Bible that says to have faith like a child - you showed us Joy like a child (thanks!).

I titled this post "Christmas Christmas Time Is Here ..." because this year you had a favorite song with your Daddy. It was funny and began that way; to be honest I never really liked it but it was fun to see your face light up when it came on - especially when they said something about Charlie Brown (you called it the song your Charlie Brown song).

Below are some of the pictures from Christmas, there were so many to choose from so I tried to pick some of my favorites. Your Grandma Hampton turns this blog into a book for you so I want to remind you how loved you are! This year we had the opportunity to celebrate with lots of old traditions and begin creating some of our own. We began with Beef Stew at Grandma and Grandpa Bleek's house. It was so fun, you got to sit at a table with Calla and Alex - and you loved the beef stew! After we opened gifts with everyone (you opened up gifts from Grandma and Grandpa) ... sadly we didn't have a memory card (for the camera) that night so there aren't any pictures. If you want to know about that evening we will be happy to share with you, two things that will stick with me are how much fun you had playing with your cousins and how big your smile was all night!

Next we opened gifts at our house Christmas morning. You slept until 7:30 ... your Daddy and I couldn't take it any more so we went and got you :) (we had been up since 5:30 getting ready for the day - we went to church and needed to make a potato dish for Auntie Shelly's house later in the day). When you got up you had breakfast on the couch with Mama and Daddy while watching a little Micky Mouse Club House (you asked to watch Micky Mouse). We then opened stockings, followed by gifts. One thing to keep in mind when you have a 2.5 year old only give them one gift because you didn't want to open anything after that :) We of course encouraged you to keep going!

Getting Ready To Open! One Tradition we thought we would try was to give you new jammies on Christmas Eve (in a very sparkly gold box). This year you were very interested in penguins so that is what we picked!

This was the "main gift" this year....(thank you Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Norm for allowing us to give this to our daughter - she hasn't stopped playing with it).

Here it is opened! A doll house - Caitlyn you love this gift (it also came with a motor-home)

When we finished opening gifts your Grandma and Grandpa Bleek came over and we all went to church. It was so fun, you did pretty well ... by the end Daddy took you out. We did take pictures at church but they didn't come out great (thus they are not pictured). From there you asked to ride with Grandma and Grandpa and we all went to the Freeman house! You were so excited to go play with Calla and Alex, and you guys played hard! So hard that you even took a nap in Auntie Shelly and Uncle Josh's bed!

Alex, Caitlyn and Calla in their "fancy" clothes

Reading a book with Grandma - you guys were all snuggled in there ... after this we headed home for bed

The next morning at 3:30 your Daddy and I got up to pack the "new" car for our trip to Bend. It was great - you slept in the car for 3 plus hours! We drove to Bend to meet the Hampton side for a Christmas celebration. When we got there you coined the term "house-cation" and it stuck for the trip.

Here you can see some of the fun gifts that were in Bend as you play with Auntie Katherine

Sledding with Emma. It was a flat parking lot but you LOVED being pulled around for hours! You even decided to put on your skis - you did great and walked around the parking lot for the longest time you have done yet :) I can't find that picture yet but I will keep looking and see if I can get in on another post.

Here is the "Hampton" crew and the snowman we built. We did a fun thing this year "Hampton Family Olympics" ... Unfortunately the Bleek Team didn't do great but when it came to snow we did great (almost everyone in this picture is wearing something from the Bleed family - thanks!)

As much as you liked the snow you LOVED the water! You my baby girl never wanted to get out of the water. You went swimming 3 different times in a 48 hour time span! Here you are with your Daddy for a little night swim ... just after this picture you had to come in as it was freezing!

Caitlyn this was a Christmas to remember. You received many wonderful things but nothing was better than the time you got to spend with both sides of the family. I had two weeks off and we packed as much in as we could. We spent time with the Bleek side and the Hampton side - it was great! We love you Baby Girl and can't wait to continue to watch you grow in 2012. You are the best gift we could ever imagine - thanks for being who God created you to be - we love you Caitlyn Grace Bleek!

Christmas Lights

2011-12-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

Auntie Katherine invited us to go to the Botanical Garden's Christmas lights ... WOW! They were amazing, I didn't really post too much of the lights because it was just so fun to watch her get so excited. I hope this becomes a family tradition.

Merry Christmas Caitlyn Grace Bleek

Christmas Break

2011-12-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas break is a wonderful time, we are having the opportunity to be together and to play with family and friends for two weeks! We began this Christmas break with a mini-vacay with Grandma and Grandpa Bleek. It was so fun to go spend a couple of nights at the condo and just play together. Here are a few pictures we got while up there. Caitlyn didn't love skiing on her own but she did think it was fun to ride on Daddy's! She also got a chance to play with Grandpa and Snickers (it was so fun to watch ... you don't see pictured here how long Grandma and Grandpa played Hungry Hungry Hippos). Caitlyn also got to do her first cookie cutter with Grandma (she loved it!), please note the wine bottle was used as a rolling pin :) Finally we did some sledding as well, both on the sled and just on our bottoms - she preferred going just on her bottom! It was a fun filled few days and we can't wait to bring her back up this winter!

We love you are little snow bunny!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Some of you might be surprised by this post ... as her Mama I was :) Brandon and his family went and sat with Santa every year for as long as he can remember. It is one of his family traditions, as we begin our traditions (merging can be tough) some are difficult to give up. We did do his tradition in "our way" ... we went to a place in Woodinville and they had many places to take family photos; one of which included Santa. Caitlyn didn't warm right up but after a while was willing to sit next to him while Brandon took a photo (with the agreement she could continue to hold the BIG candy). It was a fun day, there were many photos and memories passed from one generation to the next.

Brandon posted this picture and I have now added words (which might surprise him later). I am glad that he can share some of his happy childhood memories with our daughter. It is always interesting to merge traditions, we are finding compromise by sharing with Caitlyn the good works of Santa without the lie that he is coming to our house. We are working hard at parenting and finding balance ... some days are better than others and I imagine that will be true her whole life.

Caitlyn we love you and want the best of everything we can give you. You are blessed because you have two parents so generally we find balance and hopefully between the two of us we will figure this whole parenting thing out ... until then know we are doing our best.

love you Daddy and Mama

First "Gingerbread" house

2011-12-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

Look what I made at school today!

Caitlyn made a "gingerbread" house at school yesterday. What most impresse me is that she only ate 3 pieces of candy while making it. The girl has more self control than me. -- I almost raided the thing late last night when I was dealing with a sweet tooth!

Brandon

Christmas is Coming

2011-12-07T19:40:00.001-08:00

Caitlyn is getting ready for Christmas. She is getting to open up chocolates from an advent calendar (and share bites with her parents). We are lighting the advent wreath each night (well maybe not every night - but close) and talking about waiting for Jesus to come. She received a very cool nativity set from her Grandma and Grandpa Bleek that she plays with almost daily (it is adorable she often sings Happy Birthday to Jesus ... and one time all the people got time-out in the barn; clearly we are still learning the story).

With all of those things to help her prepare she also has some very cool jammies! Here is a series of shots taken of our little "helper" ... note the tu-tu does not get worn to bed :)

Decorating

Showing off her Jammies

Tired from all that dancing, decorating and showing off!

My Favorite Two People!

Jesus is coming, we hope you are getting ready too! Love you

three that haven't made the blog

2011-12-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

As I was getting ready to post again I ran across these two that never made the blog ... I like them (and if Grandma is still making books then I wanted them included).

Caitlyn we love you so much. We are so proud of you and the person you are becoming. We love your joyful spirit, your ability to make others laugh, your inquisitive mind (so many questions), your desire to figure things out, your constant "can-do" attitude, your willingness to help, your excitement to see people, your prayers and your smile. We praise God daily for the gift you are in our lives. We love you Baby Girl!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Week(end)

2011-11-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week(end). Sadly we rarely found ourselves holding the camera ... if more pictures get sent our way we will post them but for now we thought we would share what we have.

We began the holiday season by celebrating with the Bleek side of the family. We all gathered with Brandon's cousins, aunts and uncles at Shelly's house. It was wonderful, Shelly just finished her remodel and everyone had a great time (and ate a little too much!).

Next we made our way down to Portland to see the Hampton side of the family and to celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday! We were so glad to see him (it had been two years) and to see him play with Caitlyn. They are both real characters (as you can see by their faces below).

After Portland we headed home to get our house ready for Christmas ... I am not sure if you can tell in the picture below but Caitlyn hung the ornaments this year (all just over her right shoulder) - later we spread them out a bit :)

After that it was back to the grind - thankfully we have a great helper at home so after a long day a work Caitlyn does the dishes! And always with a smile if there are bubbles :)

Lastly this week Grandma and Grandpa Bleek headed to Atlanta for a visit but not before giving Caitlyn some new window stickers (she loves them). The picture is not great (it is hard with a window behind you) but you can see them all stuck to the window ... she did it "all by myself"

We love you all and hope that as advent has begun you too are finding the joy in this season!

Cindy - Lu - Who ...

2011-11-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

Well as we enter the holiday season we thought this picture appropriate to post! We are always laughing at our house, sometimes with Caitlyn and sometimes when she is not looking (so as to not encourage a few behaviors). We are thankful for such a joyful child!

Love the Bleeks

Thanksgiving

2011-11-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

We were very blessed to have a great nanny for the first two years of Caitlyn's life. Cindy was wonderful, she loved Caitlyn so much and Caitlyn loved her. They did many things together over the course of two years (including learning to go to sleep, trips to the park, coloring, reading, and trips to Starbucks to name a few).

Caitlyn now goes to a daycare. This was difficult for me at first (some might say very difficult) ... I was unsure if Caitlyn would get the attention that she liked (and to be honest that I liked). I also loved having one-on-one care because then I still had some (alot) of control over the day. Well as many of you know Caitlyn LOVES daycare (we call it school). She gets so excited to go to Mrs. Diane's house for school. She has learned tons by having the opportunity to interact daily with other kids. Some of what she learns we love and there are a few habits we don't love but that is the way it works at school :)

We are so thankful for all the childcare that Caitlyn has had in her life - we know that God has watched out for our family and has given us the best situations for our little girls.

Here is a picture of Caitlyn with a turkey hat that she made at Mrs. Diane's ... One great thing about school is that they do all the things the Mama doesn't love (for example arts and crafts - we have a wall of beautiful things Caitlyn has created this year, feel free to stop by and see her work).

As we begin this Thanksgiving season we are starting off by being thankful for the care that Caitlyn has received in her short life! There are many things to be thankful for ... as the season continues we hope that you will find all of the blessings too.

love you!

Wedding Reception

2011-11-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

Recently we went to our friend Vonja's wedding reception. She was married in Serbia and then had a few receptions in the States ... one of which was in Seattle. It was so fun to see her so happy and fun to be with some old friends who we don't see very often. Caitlyn was also excited because she was invited! She got to wear her "fancy dress" and her "fancy shoes" to go to a "fancy party" ... she loved it. We thought while we were all dressed nicely we should take a quick family shot.

Congratulations Vonja and thanks for giving us a good reason to wear our "fancy" clothes!

Time for New Pictures ...

2011-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a little while since we have up-dated the blog. Sorry, between busy lives, a busy two year old and the need for some sleep it has been difficult to find time to be on the computer :)

Here are a few pictures from the last two weeks that we thought you would enjoy!

This is Caitlyn and Daddy getting ready for the US soccer game ... beverages ready, chairs ready, feet up and most importantly Jammies on as Caitlyn is only going to see kick off and then it is time for bed!

Here she is in her jammies, drinking coffee, working on her computer and sitting on her new Huskies Pad (from the old stadium)! How do they grow up so fast???!!!

The fall is so exciting!

I am not sure if this picture needs words - she is adorable and knows how to work a camera (and her parents) :)

love you!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Grandma Hampton and Auntie Katherine for the pumpkin! We had lots of fun carving it and lighting it up!

1st, take out all the seeds.

2nd, make a face (we learned that knifes and 2-year-olds can be hazardous for a father's fingers!)

3rd, show off our creation!

4th, light it up!

Lastly, blow out the candle and say "night, night"!

Not sure if there are words for these pictures ...

2011-10-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

We love you Caitlyn Grace Bleek!

Friends and Fish

2011-10-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Bethany and George's house for dinner and then to see the salmon jump up the fish ladder. It was so fun. When we got there George and Caitlyn played and she laughed so hard, Bethany made this awesome chicken and macaroni-cupcakes, we went and saw huge fish ... Caitlyn loved every second and slept hard all night!

Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Caitlyn asked to ride with Bethany

look at all those fish!

Thanks for taking me here Mama!

Behind us are lots of fish jumping

Singing!

2011-09-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

We think Caitlyn is a laugh a minute ... and so we captured her singing one of her favorite songs. The funniest part (not shown in the video) is that she had all of us take turns singing and do the motions to the song :)

Enjoy - we love you!

Fun Weekend!

2011-09-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn had quite the fun weekend. She began on Friday night with a celebration of her ... she finally took a nap at "school" so we made a big deal of the evening. She had pizza and then got to bake cookies with Mama. The whole time with her parents saying "you get to do this because you stayed on your cot and went to sleep at school" - it was great! She was happy, we were happy and it was a fun evening (sorry no pictures).

Then on Saturday night Auntie Kelly came to babysit while Mama and Daddy went to the Sounder's Game. She had a blast; and even asked where Auntie Kelly was the next morning :) (again sorry there weren't pictures of that ... although I hear there might be some on Kelly's photo booth).

Today we went to church where it was our fall kick off so we got to have lunch with our friends! She loved eating with everyone and just getting to run all over with "the boys" (for those of you who don't know Caitlyn is one of like 3 little girls at church). Following church cousins Calla and Alex came over for the afternoon. It was great, the two younger ones took a nap while we hung-out with Calla and then we did everything from soccer, to whip-cream in the mouth, to jumping on the bed and then ended with a little movie.

All that to say while we didn't take tons of pictures it was a great weekend; here are a few from today. Love you guys!

Check out my shopping outfit!

Jumping together is so fun ... and amazingly no one got hurt

We are all ready for bed ... what a great day

Go Hawks!

2011-09-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

For her birthday Grandma and Grandpa Bleek gave her this adorable Hawks cheer-leading outfit ... today she wore it to church :)

Please notice the "fancy shoes" ... she wears them every week to church :)

Happy Football (or in Caitlyn's words "fumble-ball")

Summer Fun

2011-09-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn summer has come to an end. It was a wonderful summer we have done so much together and how I long for summer to continue forever! We spent time at the beach, camping, with family, with friends, we spent time playing "kitchen", we did fun things during the day and truly just enjoyed being together. I love you baby girl - I hate going back to work. This year you are going to Miss. Diane's house for "school" ... for the first two years of your life you had a wonderful nanny named Cindy and this year you will go to a home daycare. She is a lovely woman with 5 kids in her daycare ... sadly this I fear is harder for your Mama then it is for you. I am trying to put on a brave face as I know you will love spending time everyday with other kids but mostly I just want to wake up with you everyday and watch you learn and grow. Being a teacher though has taught me that you sometimes you learn different things from other people and so this might be great for you. Also being a teacher does allow me quality time with you in the afternoons and on "vacations" ... I love you!

Caitlyn we are so proud of you and how you are growing up; you could work a little more on sharing (and possibly on your table manners) but for the most part you are a great little 2 year old! You are happy and live life to the fullest. You my little blond wonder bring life to a room and remind many of what true joy looks like. Thank you for all your love - I can't imagine life without you!

Here are a few last pictures of the summer -

Going Potty OUTSIDE ... this was a highlight of camping :)

Adorable

ROCKS

At the zoo with Aiden (a friend of mine from work)...they look like siblings

It is 80 degrees outside ... guess who dressed herself ??? :)

A full shot of Caitlyn's outfit

This is the face that gets what she wants :)

Love you all - Thanks for all the summer fun ... here is looking forward to our next "vacation"

Camping!

2011-08-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

We went on our first family camping trip. It was the best way to camp ... we were with our friends from church and so Caitlyn had her buddies, we had our buddies and we did all our meals as one big group. We enjoyed playing soccer, riding bikes, going on a hike, having smore's (for dessert and breakfast), and Caitlyn's favorite part; throwing rocks in the water (we were on a river). It was such a great trip; we were there for two nights and by night number two Caitlyn was asleep before we could zip up the tent :)

We sadly were having so much fun that we failed to take many pictures but here are a few -

a morning snuggle ...

Caitlyn was the only girl - she knew when to walk away :)

One of the older boys (Nathan) helping her ride bikes

adorable

She loves the water ... even when it is freezing cold!

We love you all and are so sad summer is coming to an end. I (Shannon) start back to work next week and Caitlyn will begin going to a home-daycare near by. We are sure she will love it (she will love being with other kids) but it will be an adjustment for our family.

Funny Moments

2011-08-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

I truly love being at home all summer. People often ask what I will do with my summer and I respond the same every time "be a mom"... It is the joy of my life!

There have been many funny moments this summer, some caught on film and some that I thought I would share with you in writing. Feel free to read and possibly laugh with me (or at me) or just check out the pictures from this week below.

This summer Kim and the kids came to visit and were here for a month. Shane came at the end of the trip for a week. Caitlyn loved being with her cousins and really got to know them... however when Shane arrived the first thing he said to her was, "what pretty hair you have." For the rest of the visit (and even now when she sees a picture of him) she calls him "uncle pretty hair".
Caitlyn takes a while to fall asleep (for those of you wondering no matter what time we put her down it takes 20-30 min.). We have a video monitor... if you have every watched my daughter fall asleep (both in the crib and in her "big-girl bed") she runs around, sings, talks etc. Today she did that for almost 45 minutes then laid down and never moved again for 2 hours. As we send her to daycare I wonder how her sleep will change...
We live in a condo building with many different people. One family who has children (one 2 weeks younger than Caitlyn) is Hispanic. Caitlyn calls their whole family "hola". For example: "Hola is home" or "Hola's car over there" - clearly teaching her to say "hola" to our neighbor Jose was not our best move - next time we will teach the whole phrase; "hola (insert name)".
Recently we went to the track at the school by our house. Brandon needed to get a run in and so we thought Caitlyn could play on the grass. Turns out in the same time Brandon ran 2 miles Caitlyn ran a half of a mile around the track... we are going to the Olympics!
Caitlyn has never really been into blankets - when she was smaller she would throw them out of her crib and then lay down to go to sleep. When she got the new bed and sheet set it came with a pillow sham. I thought what in the world - who puts a pillow sham on a kids bed??? Turns out she sleeps with it every night... we just weren't giving her the "right" blanket :)
This next one I am sure is a total coincidence, but the other day I was spelling the word "Park" to Brandon (suggesting he could take her and I could put my feet up) and she heard me spell it P-A-R-K (yep I got that one right for those of you who know me) and she immediately said "Caitlyn go to PARK"... seriously how smart is she???? BTW we have not had a repeat performance of that.
Caitlyn has also been going poop on the potty (I would say 5 out of 7 days a week) - she then gets a "special treat" (a sweet-tart). I recently also used the bathroom (she invited herself in) and then insisted that I too get a "special treat"... I had to laugh but being the good mom I am I ate one.
For some reason (likely the mom's fault...) Caitlyn is particular about her sleep wear. She likes it to have a zipper in the front and have feet. Thankfully our summer has not been too warm (well for this case thankfully) - however I think I have finally gotten her to sleep in other types of sleep wear (see picture below). Do note, however, it then takes longer for her to fall asleep.
Caitlyn gets very excited to go to church. She even knows the way (or at least the hills we take) and on the way she always names all of the kids in her class - and then a few other people as well (if you go to Creekside I am just going to let you believe you are one of the people). When we were at my parents and went to my dad's church she really struggled to understand why her friends weren't there - finally I said "you will have new friends today. Later when she talked to Brandon on the phone all she could say was "new friends" ... God is Good!

She picked her own outfit (I thought it was adorable) - "Pretty dress - Church"

The other day we were going to a park so I thought we should try a new park ... I put park in the GPS and we ended up at a park with a beach ... too bad I didn't have the right "gear" - we still had fun!

Looking at the water trying to decide what to do ....

She found a whole - looks like sand for the car

what is it about dirt that attracts kids???

Waking up from her nap - in shorts!

We love you all - it has been a wonderful summer. I have one week left and plan to live it to the fullest!

Sounders Game!

2011-08-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today we took Caitlyn to a Sounders game...it turned out to be very fun. She loved going and didn't seem to mind skipping her nap (I however think she is headed for an early bedtime). Here are some pictures from the day - it really was a great day and a fun family memory (sadly we tied).

Getting Ready to go - Sounders Gear (check), Tickets (check), extra "unders" (just in case - check), lots of snacks (check) ... looks like Daddy's girls are ready to go!

Pre-Game meal (outside the stadium) ... she loved it even if the picture is a little distracted (she is saying "cheese")

Our family by the big soccer ball - it is difficult to have her look when a stranger calls her name :)

Photo opportunity on our way to our seats :)

My personal favorite of the day ... the three of us in our two seats!

Love you - GO SOUNDERS

A Few Pictures On the Camera

2011-08-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

We are having a great summer and here are a few pictures to show that - I have not been so diligent in taking pictures as I have just been trying to "live in the moment" instead of worrying about "capturing the moment" :)

Baking with Mama

Fire Truck!

Who Me???? No way I am too Cute :)

Sliding with Grandma

I love tunnel slides ... they do so much for my hair!

Reading with Grand-daddy before be(a)d

I am so grown up with my big-girl ponytail reading by myself in my room

Our girl ... the best of both worlds - so adorable and always with sports equipment!

Love you!

Reflecting on a Chesney song...

2011-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn and I got in the car to go to the trail yesterday. Shannon had the country station on. Well, this song was on. It made me look in the rearview mirror and just thank God for the little blonde staring back at me from her car seat:

All he could think about was I'm too young for this.
Got my whole life ahead.
Hell I'm just a kid myself.
How'm I gonna raise one.

All he could see were his dreams goin' up in smoke.
So much for ditchin' this town and hangin' out on the coast.
Oh well, those plans are long gone.

[Chorus:]
And he said,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
Might as well kiss it all good-bye.
There goes my life.......

A couple years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later.
That mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator.
Oh yeah..........he loves that little girl.

Momma's waiting to tuck her in,
As she fumbles up those stairs.
She smiles back at him dragging that teddy bear.
Sleep tight, blue eyes and bouncin' curls.

[Chorus:]
He smiles.....
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you, daddy good-night.
There goes my life.

She had that Honda loaded down.
With Abercrombie clothes and 15 pairs of shoes and his American Express.
He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said you're good to go.
She hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast.

[Chorus:]
And he cried,
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you.
Baby good-bye.

There goes my life.
There goes my life.
Baby good-bye.

I love you Caitlyn, (but would rather not see you take off in your Honda!)
Daddy

Someone to look up to...

2011-07-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn, I've been meaning to post this for awhile. So, the U.S. women's team lost in PK's in the final of the World Cup last week. It was one of the most heart-rending games of soccer I have ever watched. It was like a roller-coaster of emotions. Anyway, we lost (while you were napping) and it was VERY disappointing. But something caught my eye soon after the loss. Abby Wambach, our star striker wrote the following on Twitter. For such a competitor and fighter like she is, I thought it showed immense grace and perspective. I hope this is another woman you can look up to as you strive to be a woman of character too. Love, Dad.

Well, not exactly what we had planned. Congrats to Japan on a tremendous #WWC2011. So proud to be a part of this team and to represent #USA

@abbywambach 17 Jul via Echofon

Mother's Day ... Still Celebrating!

2011-07-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day at church Caitlyn planted a strawberry plant for me! It was so fun and she decorated the pot - when we got home Brandon helped her to re-plant it in a bigger pot so it would grow. They have watered the strawberries often together (it is wonderful to have something special with your Daddy). Tonight when we got home from the cousin birthday party there were red strawberries!!! We stopped bed-time (even though it was late) to take a quick picture.

Look at my strawberries!

I love my Daddy!

Thanks Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Norm for the plant and for giving us the gift of great family time - Caitlyn loves going out with Daddy to water the strawberries. Not only that but in the next few days she can taste her hard work :)

love you - Shannon

Cousin Birthday Fun!

2011-07-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight we celebrated Carter, Calla and Alex (who turned/are turning 5, 4, and 2). Being at a party and not being the one to open gifts is very challenging for a two year old ... especially one who loves presents and having her picture taken! We did everything we could to help her understand that it was not her birthday - she helped pick the presents, wrap the presents and then we had her hand them off to the cousins. For the most part she did great, it also helped that Auntie Kim brought a birthday gift for Caitlyn as well (pictured below) - all the kids did great and then shared nicely ... so fun to see them interact tonight.

Maya, Carter, Calla, Alyssa, Caitlyn and Alex (from left to right)

HUMMMMM

All that wrapping and it is over so quick!

Look at what good waiting brings!
I love the stroller Auntie Kim - pushing things around is one of my favorite activities!

We LOVE our family!

New Sweater ...

2011-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

My Auntie Stacy is a master at knitting! She makes the most adorable things for Caitlyn - we are so lucky! Today she is wearing this cute pink sweater (perfect for Seattle) to church. Thank you Auntie Stacy for keeping us in fashion and for giving me a good reason for a new post on the blog!

We LOVE YOU AUNTIE STACY :)

Bye-Bye Crib ... Hello Big Girl Bed!

2011-07-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last night we transitioned Caitlyn into a "big-girl bed" ... this turned out to be surprisingly very difficult for me. She is growing up so fast! Many people told me that years would fly bye and to enjoy every second but wow this is REALLY FAST! I am not sure why this was so difficult for me; I spent a few minutes (Brandon might say more) crying as we let go of the last thing she has as a "baby". My baby girl is now really my little girl - although I think just like I will always be my Daddy's Baby Girl she will always be my Baby Girl :)

Here are some pictures of her "before" and "after"... she loved her bed last night - a HUGE thanks to Janie Stuart who gave us the new bed and frame. She was put into bed and much to my surprise stayed there! I am not sure I slept very much as I was expecting her to walk into our room or cry ... long about 4 am I went to go check on her (for like the 5th time) and she was on the floor. I didn't hear her cry and thanks to the couch cushions (on the floor) she didn't even notice. Brandon put her back in bed and she didn't wake up until 7:40 (her normal time!). I guess she was ready - is this what parenting is like from here on out???? The kids are ready for the next step in life and the parents want to hold on to the last step???? Funny thing is that I do want her to grow up and impact our world for Christ BUT it felt like I just mastered the last step ... not sure I was quite ready for the next one :)

bye-bye crib

Look at my new bed! I picked the green sheets & butterfly blanket

Baby Girl

Caitlyn I love you and I will do my best to help you reach your goals throughout life, to help you grow in the knowledge of Christ and to grow into the woman of God you were created to be. I will do my best to remember the last step and not hold you there - thank goodness your dad takes pictures for us. I love you my baby girl.

Here is hoping for a good nap and that this transition will be as easy as it was last night forever!

Love - Shannon

Family Trip ... Both Sides of the Family in ONE Week!

2011-07-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing vacation! We went to Hood Canal with Brandon's family. We stayed in Auntie Shelly's beach house (well the neighbors as there was alot of people), we were able to play in the water, go on boats, run with the cousins, ride bikes, catch crab and so much more. Then we went to my families down in Portland (Beaverton) to stay with my parents, brother and sister. It was also tons of fun and we got to the Sounders/Timber's game (well the boys went), play in the pool, go to fountains, ride motorcycles and run in the backyard. It was really difficult to pick what pictures to put on the blog ... I suspect that there will be more after this post - not sure but we shall see.

The kids loved to go back and forth between the little boat and the shore

Walking with Grandpa and Alex

Carter and Calla looking and seriously discussing something on the beach

Just soaking my feet .... in Ice water!

The we took all the kids crabbing - Calla said if they were male or female, Carter measured them .... the rest of the kids are two so we just tried to watch their fingers and toes :)

Exploring on the beach with my frog boots

Kayaking with my Daddy

They are almost all looking!

Grandma and Grandpa got the kids all bright matching shirts ... fun for a picture and GREAT for finding kids!

Caitlyn's favorite part of Kayaking is touching the water (Lauder)

Wow Grandma this water is way warmer than at the beach! So fun to swim and not turn purple after 10 minutes :)

Going down the slide into the pool ....

Got to the bottom and loved it ....

SO FUN ... I love splashing around in the pool

Caitlyn and Granddaddy having one last "tea-party" before we got in the car

Grandma this motorcycle is so cool - I love all the noise it makes ... Grandaddy when are you getting one?

Matching shirts on this side of the family too ... alot easier to get everyone looking :)

It was so relaxing and so fun to see Caitlyn interact with everyone - we are truly blessed to be apart of a great family! (on both sides).

Love you - Brandon, Shannon and Caitlyn

4th of July!

2011-07-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July this year. We went down to Cascades Camp and Conference Center (for the salmon BBQ). It was so fun and Caitlyn rode her first "pony" (although it looked like a full grown horse to us).

This is so exciting - and I LOVE wearing helmets!

First pony ride

Here are two videos of Caitlyn riding the pony ... they are almost the same but the second one ends with a smile :)

We also had "fireworks" with her cousins (on the actual 4th of July). Here are a few shots of the evening - truth be told we could have saved money and just let them throw rocks all night (especially because all were asleep before it was even dark) :)

Carter, Maya, Alyssa, Caitlyn ... all looking at the same time!

throwing rocks is WAY BETTER than those loud fireworks! We could do this all night :)

stepping on the pop-its that didn't pop earlier

Always time for a quick picture

All American Family .... or at least the right colors :)

Love - the Bleeks

Videos

2011-06-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few videos that we have captured recently. Enjoy - they are funny because it looks like Catilyn is really riding her bike AND the second one is her first carousel ride (what you don't see is the first 5 times around that she looked scared - but then she loved the last few turns!).

Love you all!

Random Pictures - Fun Times

2011-06-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Summer has started and it has been so fun to be home with Caitlyn! I am loving every second (well almost all of them). Here are a few random pictures from the first week...

It is an understatement to say that Caitlyn loves her Daddy - Here she is cheering him on during the Rock N' Roll (half) Marathon

For her birthday Caitlyn received some side-walk-chalk and LOVES sharing and coloring with the neighbors (the youngest was born 3 weeks after Caitlyn)

Who wouldn't want to play soccer in a tu-tu ???!!!

Caitlyn also got a shopping cart for her birthday and fills it with everything she passes in our house - then just pushes it around and around and around ...

Today she was "helping" vacuum - please notice the outfit she picked out this morning :)

Hope you are enjoying life as much as our little two year old!

Family Party

2011-06-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (June 19) was a great day - we celebrated Caitlyn's birthday and Father's Day. Originally I thought that Father's Day would get more "time" but Caitlyn dominated the day ...
She received many wonderful gifts; from bubbles, to a Seahawks cheer-leading outfit, to a shopping cart (naturally full of food) to PJ's (which fit perfectly), to a new chair (she LOVES sitting at the table), to a new bike to bath toys and new ways to drink (she LOVES cups/water bottles). We got pictures some things but to be honest it was just so fun to open that we tore through a number of items - some however were captured on film (there are also some shots from the rest of the family that may surface and be on a later post).

I LOVE having a Birthday!

New Bike!

Brandon's Father's Day Gift (and a gift for Mama when they go on Saturday morning :))

Look everyone fits ... at least for the picture

This is great to have someone do the work while I just ride

Sweet - there is room for everyone

Look at my new chair - now I can sit at the big table

Shopping is so fun ... watch out Daddy

Great cupcakes Grandma Bleek - and look at me at the big table!

Opening gifts is so fun ... what is inside???!!!???

Look at me go - with Grandaddy's help of course!

Alex you are great at pushing - who knows where we could go if they turn their heads :)

Emma in another year you can have this bike!

I have a whole cupcake in my mouth but can I please have more?

It was such a fun afternoon that Caitlyn couldn't fall asleep for hours ... she just laid in bed talking about her day ... and reliving every moment! Thank you for all the special gifts but mostly for the gift of family. Brandon and I feel so blessed to have our blood family and our faith family supporting us in this adventure of raising a child. It takes a village ... and we are beyond thankful for the people in our village!

love you all! Happy Birthday Caitlyn Grace - we are praying you through your third year of life!

June 13

2011-06-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

As you read in the last post by Brandon we spend Monday afternoons and if we are lucky Monday evenings with our friends Beth and Arron ... and Caitlyn spends them with her "friends" Nathan and Josh. Monday June 13 was no different; we love our Mondays and so stayed for a Birthday Dinner with our friends! It was a fun evening of pizza, balloons, and gifts. Here are some of the pictures Beth took of Caitlyn on her actual birthday; a little note is that Caitlyn rarely has balloons because I don't like to hear them pop so they are not often in our house - apparently though she loves them!

New Helmet!

Check me out on this balloon - so fun!

Less fun...but at least I am wearing my new bike helmet

Really Fun - I Love Having Daddy's Help

Wow COOKIES (another thing she doesn't have often)

Hold on I am 2 ... and I am not supposed to be by fire ...

We are looking forward to celebrating with family this weekend! (we are doing a birthday/father's day combo on Sunday and will have both sides of the family to our house).

Happy Birthday Caitlyn Grace!

A Birthday Letter

2011-06-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn Grace,
Well, today was a big day. Today you turned two. Now, I know that my words aren't something that you can completely grasp right now. So instead of attempting to do the impossible task of sitting you down to tell you some birthday stuff I thought that I'd write it down for you instead. That way you can go back to it later, once you can read.

Let's start with today: Today, June 13th 2011, is a Monday. It was a rainy, windy day this morning but the grey turned in to sun in the afternoon. Your grandma was here over the weekend and stayed today to watch you. Even though the planned tripped to the zoo with Emma and her grandma were rained out you guys still had fun. Then you went over to Nathan and Josh's house for the normal Monday afternoon fun time. Mom met you there and, eventually, me too. We had some Papa Murphy's and Mrs. Beth bought you some pink frosted cookies that she stuck a candle in. For fun you bounced on a "Happy Birthday" balloon and ended up popping it. But, being my little one, you went back for more! (Way to go chica!) You got a few presents too; a bike helmet, a real putter that's your size and some pink golf balls, a sand castle builder, a tambourine, some bracelets, an outfit, and a few other things...whew! (You really are spoiled) And then we came home, talked to some family on the phone, and then - true to form - spent two hours trying to get you to go to sleep.

Really, other than the presents, today wasn't all that different a day than you usually have. Believe me, you just played and played, not really noticing and difference at all. But for me and your mom it was really different. I won't list out all the ways you are different than on this day last year. That would take way too long. But I'll tell you one thing that's different. Me and your mom! Now, she doesn't know I'm writing this... so maybe let's keep it a secret for a while. But Caitlyn, your good for both of us. Your good for your mom because now she picks up in the living room and even cooks a bit more! :) And you're good for me... well, because you've taught me to be different.

I'll try to explain: See, I had a crazy dream last night! (This could sound weird but you'll understand once you start having wild dreams too.) In the dream I was being chased by some top secret guys and their guards dogs or something. I have no idea why. All I know is that there was snow everywhere, and trees, and it was just plain crazy! But in my arms the whole time was you. At one point I was running so fast that we ended up on this frozen lake. I don't know if it was starting to crack or something but I fell and ended up on my back, sliding rapidly across the ice. I was so scared we were going to go through the ice or something that I was zipping along on my back, holding you as high up in the air as possible. Well we got away eventually. And I know it sounds crazy but that image of sliding across the lake, solely focused on saving you, has stuck with me all day.

Caitlyn, in risk of sounding completely and utterly cliche, I would do anything to protect you first. Your mom could tell you better than I that I have a hard time getting out of my own head. I think about myself a lot. But, simply put, your beautiful presence is teaching me that living and thinking that way is something I no longer want. You, princess, are changing this father's heart. Your infectious smile, your tight little curls, and your ever-exploring eyes are daily transforming my heart and mind into a man who wants more to love than to try to be loved.

And in doing so, you've taught me so much more about how God, the Father, feels about me. Thank you.

So Caitlyn, Happy Birthday, and thanks for choosing me as your dad.

Love always,
Daddy

Poo-Poo In The Potty!

2011-06-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Potty training is a funny thing - Caitlyn was interested and so has done very well with going pee-pee (#1); whenever she goes she gets a chocolate chip. Tonight also went poo-poo so got a special treat (her first slurpee)! It was an exciting night -

We love you Caitlyn Grace and are so proud of you and how you are growing up!
Love Mama & Daddy

A Few Fun Ones

2011-06-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to believe that in one week from now my "baby girl" will be two years old!!! Where does the time go???!! I have often heard parents say it goes by so fast so enjoy your time - wow they are right!

Here are a few fun pictures from this last week -

I love you Grandma Bleek

Like this Daddy? Is this the "athletic stance" I should have?

Swinging with the "big boys"

Hey what are you doing down there?

Caitlyn picked matching $1 flip-flops with Mama

This just came back from some friends of ours - she climbed in and thought she was so funny

Love you all - next week Caitlyn Grace Bleek will be TWO!

Summer Is Here ... Well The Idea of Summer ...

2011-05-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

It is so fun to start having summer things - corn on the cob, picnics, camping, outdoor adventures and so much more!

This weekend Caitlyn had corn on the cob (last year we did this too and it didn't go nearly as well) - this year she has "tended" (pretend for those of you who don't speak Caitlyn) with her corn in the kitchen and so was a pro! Auntie Kim you will be happy to know she eats corn just like you - one random bite at a time :)

We also had the chance to go visit Grandma and Grandpa Bleek at their camp site this weekend. They have been camp hosts near Chehalis Washington for the past 2 months. This was their last weekend so the Washington grandkids went down to play for the day ... what a day it was! The kids played and played - it was so fun to watch them together and enjoying the outdoors. None of them took a nap; despite our efforts but they all did really well even with no nap. Our lovely daughter even managed to say awake the whole 2.5 hours home ... when she doesn't want to sleep she doesn't want to sleep :)

Lunch with Grandpa Bleek

She threw rocks for so long but our daughter always has a moment to pose for a picture!

Calla and Caitlyn by the lake

DADDY'S GIRL

WE WILL NOT NAP

Playing in the woods

Calla I will follow you wherever you go ... I got the bucket!

Thanks for a great hike Calla!

We love you all and hope that you had a great long weekend too ... back to the grind for 23 more days and then summer officially starts!

Fun Pictures

2011-05-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's sunny!

You're a very healthy patient little girl!

Mothers and Daughters

2011-05-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

So recently I emailed my mom to ask what I was like when I was two years old (Caitlyn is almost 2 now). There were alot of funny exchanges between my mom and me ... needless to say "what come around - goes around" :)

Being a parent is wonderful - there are so many joys that we get to be apart of with Caitlyn and we are constantly amazed by what she does. It is also exhausting; our daughter is full of energy and never stops talking (many of you are smiling now). All that to say we are feeling so blessed as we believe that she might have gotten the best part of both of us - Brandon's adventurous spirit and my love of people! My mom had more to say when comparing us but then summed it up with a few photos ... take a look

This is an older one of Caitlyn around 18 months...

This is me around the same time ...

Recently my mom took Caitlyn for a walk where she stopped to talk to the kitty ...

This is me around the same time on a walk (with my grandma) stopping to talk to the kitty ...

love you all - thanks for your constant support and encouragement as we do our best to navigate being the best parents we can be for our little girl.

love Shannon

New Pictures Finally

2011-05-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Well life has been very full for us lately and so we have been lacking in time to post anything. We had a wonderful Mother's Day! Caitlyn (and Brandon) did a wonderful job of appreciating me as a mother and wife - I got lots of hugs, a home-made card (That is what I requested), new shoes and a salad spinner ... everything I wanted and more! Brandon and I are so thankful for the moms we had growing up - what a great example they are to us and we so enjoy every moment we have with them.

I don't have any pictures from Mother's Day but also that weekend we went to a conference and so Caitlyn had a slumber-party with cousin Emma! Here are some shots from her weekend (thanks family for taking some and sending them to us - she had a great time) ...

They didn't actually sleep together but what a funny morning picture!

Walking over the bridge with Auntie Katherine

Those of you who know the story of crossing guards at the Hampton house should like this one for how hard Grandma Marci is laughing ... oh the memories!

Here are some other random pictures that we have taken over the last couple of weeks - enjoy!

no words for this one

A little Bible Study before I hit the sack

Check out my new beach shoes! I thought I would get some practice with them in the tub

"FUNNY" is what she was saying as she played in the bath with her new suit on

She is growing and changing every day - she keeps us on our toes and keeps our abs tight as we continue to laugh and chase her around.

Love you all!

Happy Easter

2011-04-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter! We (Brandon and I) were in the church nursery and Caitlyn got moved up for the day - she went with the big kids and did great!

After church we had our family over for Easter dinner. It was so fun as Caitlyn stood by the window repeating every one's name over and over and over (and if you know her add a few more "and overs"). She was so excited to have people come to her house - and she did a pretty good job of sharing (well as good as any almost 2 year old can do).

Sadly it was not a beautiful day as it had been the day before so we didn't take many pictures but here are a few.

WOW ... Look at what Grandma and Grandpa Bleek got me!

Life doesn't get better than sitting on my own pink chair with my shades eating stars!

Caitlyn and Alex sat at "the kids table" and thought it was the greatest thing ever ... not much eating but lots of fun!

Happy Easter ... Christ is Risen!

Daddy When Is Summer Going to Arrive ... or Spring?

2011-04-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Brandon is home and he spent the day with Caitlyn - they had so much fun together ... oh father-daughter time I think that is so important and good for everyone! Brandon clearly loves his daughter - he even spent his REI dividend on her!

Check out her new shoes - she is ready for summer!

I have Daddy's water bottle and my new shoes I am ready to go!

I just went on the potty ... I am cool and I am not afraid to show it!

CHEESE

All Done ...

We love you all and are so thankful for everyone's support!

Daddy's home and sports are back in the air!

2011-04-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Dad is back from his staff training and the retreat that he lead, and we have been having fun! So far we watched the AWESOME Sounders come back that dad recorded from last night (I only caught the end because I was having nap time...), then we pulled out the stroller and went for a run, and now we're getting ready for dinner and Sunday night baseball! I sure do like to do fun stuff with dad!

- Love, Caitlyn

"I put on Daddy's Mariner's cap on today to welcome him home. Pretty cute, if I do say so myself."

"And this wasn't today... but I remembered when we watched the national anthem on opening day last week and thought I'd show you all how good a baseball fan I really am!"

New Kitchen!

2011-04-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well we seem to be on a roll of putting up pictures ... it is so great to take a week off and just have fun! Today Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Norm gave Caitlyn a kitchen. This is so appropriate as I used to go to Lynn and Norm's every week for dinner (and still try to get there when I can) :)

Caitlyn loves it so much - it was difficult to get her to turn around but here are the best pictures we could get ... she has cried every time we have had to stop playing (for example when we were having dinner). Thanks Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Norm (and the grand-kids who gave this wonderful toy up) - we will have hours of fun!

This microwave is talking to me ... "ready"

This is so fun to make toast - it even pops out when it is done! "funny"

Well this might actually be our last post (of the week) as spring break is coming to an end but we will put things up as they happen. Love you all!

Little Miss Incredible

2011-04-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Just waking up

Okay now I am ready to fly

New Clothes / Spring Break / Daddy is Home! (not in order of importance)

2011-03-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well life is full this week at our house. I am on spring break so am able to enjoy just being a mom with what I believe to be one of the most adorable 1 and 1/2 year olds I know (for those of you who count in months she is almost 22 month olds)! Brandon is home which is so great for me to have help/balance/adult conversations and is so wonderful for Caitlyn as she truly missed him while he was away. This week we have done a few things one of which has been to see friends and family. While Brandon was gone I was able to see some of my family, then this week we have seen Brandon's family as well as some friends from work and church. Being able to connect with people is very life-giving for me! Caitlyn and I had fun with Scott, Kelly and Emma - pictures of that are on their blog (I didn't bring a camera) - thanks for hanging with us two weekends in a row! (http://hamptonlife.wordpress.com/)

While with Brandon's family Shelly gave us some new clothes (we love getting the clothes that Calla has worn as they are so cute) ... Caitlyn instantly loved the pink sweatsuit so clearly it was time for a trip to the gym! Thanks Shelly for the clothes (especially the bathing suits ... those will be perfect this summer), and thanks Jan and Richard for the gym lessons - she is still loving every second!

Here are a few shots from today before gym class and at the class ... today was also anther big "first" for us as I managed to pull her hair into pigtails! I don't think that will be a regular hair-do for a while but it was cute for today (it was pulled very tight to fit - but we loved it).

All in pink and holding a volleyball - clearly my daughter!

WOW

Getting ready for a cart-wheel ... or maybe she just finished one - you decide :)

So funny to fall on a trampoline

Admiring the older kids - maybe this is her future....

Ready or not here I come - I have my tongue out - 1 2 3 GO

All done - don't worry Daddy I'll go get the car

Love you all - hopefully more before my break is over ... we shall see, the rest of this time is going to be spent getting "tasks" done so I am not sure what photo opportunities we will have :)

Sunny Days In Seattle (Kirkland)

2011-03-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

For anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest they already know this but for those of you who don't live here ... if the sun even starts to peak out from behind the clouds you have to take advantage ASAP. Today was a beautiful day ... until like 6:00 pm - thankfully Caitlyn has a wonderful nanny ("Ci Ci" or as the adults know her Cindy). Cindy decided it would be a great idea to have a picnic today ... the first outdoor picnic of the season! Here are a few pictures she took; I have to say Caitlyn looks so grown up!

Look at me eating my salmon salad sandwich - what a big girl!

She looks so sweet in this picture - the mom in me wonders how many times she has run away during this meal :)

Brandon hurry home our little girl is changing fast! We love you and thought you would enjoy a few more shots of her before we see you on Sunday.

love the Bleek Girls :)

Da Da ... DR

2011-03-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

Brandon is in the DR this week - this has been a very difficult concept to explain to Caitlyn. She finally now says Da Da ... DR. I am still not convinced she has any idea what she is talking about but it is a cute new "trick"

While he is away it is nice for him to see new pictures on the blog...however single parenting is taking it all out of me and Caitlyn doesn't want to be "bothered" with pictures these days. The photo opportunities eat up too much play time :) Here are a few though...

Caitlyn got a new stool from my mom ... for the first few days/weeks she thought it was a chair

She is also loves pockets (paw-paws) ... it is very important that somewhere on her outfit there is at least one pocket

We went to the park today - she chased a remote control car for 20 plus minutes - I know what I want for mother's day!

Brandon we love you and miss you! We are both so proud of the work you are doing and are happy that you are in a place you love so much. Please say hello to all of our Dominican Friends - we wish we could be there too!

love you!

Growing Up ...

2011-03-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Wow it is true what they say about kids growing up - it happens FAST! Tonight for the first time Caitlyn went "potty" on the potty! While we realize that it won't happen consistently for a long time it is a good start and was very exciting for us ... we can't wait to stop buying diapers :)

That being said here are a few "growing" up pictures - it is amazing how big she is getting.

Here she is reading with our friend Bethany ... and the baby she made Bethany hold the whole day

She has just finished feeding the baby a bottle .... now they are clapping

We had an in-door picnic and Caitlyn ate a sub sandwich .... and only lost a little on the sheet

Already college bound ...

Dressed in her "rain-gear" to go check the mail with DaDa

Showing off her pink dress and boots - check out those curls!

We love you Caitlyn and you are just the joy of our lives! You are growing up to be a such a fun little lady ... we can't wait to see what you will do next!

More Snow Pictures

2011-03-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

While it hasn't snowed any more ... and surprisingly there have been no more "snow days" for Shannon there are a few more "snow pictures" that we thought we would share. We had so much fun in the snow, the most exciting part though was that Caitlyn is really starting to know what type of weather is outside.

dancing in the snow!

I love having my picture taken :)

Playing in the truck ... all the snow is right here at my finger tips!

These gloves aren't letting me make a snowball ...

trying to catch snow on our tongues ... or just sticking them out at each other ...

It was a good few days in the snow but we are now looking forward to spring and the new adventures that will bring ... but we wanted to post these as we promised a few "truck" pictures (these were the best we had).

love you all!

Happy snow day!

2011-02-24T20:05:00.000-08:00

When mom's away....

2011-02-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

Just another epic father-daughter dinner!

Snow and Skiing

2011-01-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

One of the things Brandon remembers from his childhood is skiing on the weekends with his family. He has been so excited to take Caitlyn skiing! While she thought skiing was alright she sure did love the snow ... she was so excited shouting snow over and over again as we drove up on Saturday morning. Here are some pictures of her skiing with her cousins!

Go Calla! (these two are taking a lesson from Calla)

Look at me go ... you guys are next!

I am ready Uncle Josh let me go ...

Look Daddy I made it with a smile the whole way

Alright I am ready to go ski towards Uncle B

Wow this is way easier to just ride with Daddy ... I like this idea

So fast ... "one more ... peees"

Here is another quick picture, we just received new clothes from our cousin Calla and this ADORABLE sweater dress was in the bag!

Can you believe I am wearing 2T??!!

It was a very fun day - although a tough weekend of no naps ... hopefully she goes back to sleeping tomorrow! Love you all.

Fun times!

2011-01-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Caitlyn got an awesome sweatshirt from her auntie Katherine last night..that she just couldn't stop modeling. She love hoodies! She also got a late Christmas present...a car seat to go to gymnastics with Cindy! And celebrated with burritos for dinner. :)

Go Hawks!

2011-01-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

Today is game day ... Caitlyn and Daddy are ready for the big game - if everything goes according to Mommy's plan Caitlyn will only see the second half :)

I'm ready coach put me in!

I got my game face on now ... look at that stink eye!

Coloring

2011-01-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

We feel very blessed to have Cindy come and care for Caitlyn every day! It is wonderful to have that one-on-one attention (and if you know Caitlyn she loves the attention). Cindy, just before Christmas break, introduced Caitlyn to coloring - she loves it! So for Christmas we got her a coloring book ... she asks to color all the time (in her language). So we have had her at our dinning room table - not ideal. This week (at the IKEA sale) we picked up a little table and chair set. Brandon assembled it tonight and Caitlyn would not leave the table. It is so fun to be at a table that is the correct height. Here are some pictures of Caitlyn coloring at her new table. Thanks Cindy for opening her up to a new artistic world ... who knows maybe this will be her claim to fame one day!

so happy

Mommy is a little big but I love having someone at my table with me!

Christmas Round 3

2011-01-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well I have to say it has been a great Christmas season. Caitlyn has fully celebrated and while I can't be sure she totally understands what is happening I do know she has loved being with everyone. I also know that during this break she has learned to pray before meals (she can be quiet) and say amen with everyone before eating!

Christmas with Freemans and Bleeks was very fun. Everyone came out to our house which was very special for us - we had dinner, opened gifts and played. It was great! Sadly we didn't take very many pictures (with 3 kids, a dog and 6 adults in our apartment there wasn't alot of room to pose) :)

Here are the few we took (some the next day).

Calla and Uncle B doing the dishes - had I known Calla was going to help I would have saved more for her!

Calla wanted to pretend to be in a car ... under the table ... clearly they needed a driver so Uncle B/Daddy came to chauffeur

This is the computer that Shelly and Kim got for Caitlyn ... the next morning it is the first thing she wanted - check out that hair, to me this looks like Christmas morning

I know we put a crying picture of Caitlyn in this adorable snowman hat (made by the Great Auntie Stacy) but I thought I would put one more with her smiling so you could see how cute the hat is ... and how cute my daughter can be

Love you all and were glad to celebrate with everyone! We look forward what 2011 will bring and the many gatherings that we will be able to be envolved with - love the Bleeks!

Christmas Round 2

2010-12-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

We have returned from a wonderful celebration with the Hampton side of the family. We were down at Grandma and Grandaddy Hampton's house for a few days. We did so many fun things ... from just spending time together, to opening gifts, church, making ginger-bread houses (not pictured - they are on a different camera) to the Children's museum! It was a great time - we are so blessed to have such great family.

Grandma Heaven on Christmas Morning

Check out my new snow pants ... I can't wait to go outside and play

We gave Emma a "ball machine" ... by the end of the weekend it was obvious we should have gotten one for Caitlyn - she struggled to "give" it to Emma

Santa filled up Caitlyn's stocking - she got her favorite short films to watch with her Daddy

Our daughter never stops talking so we got her a phone that talks back and teaches the alphabet at the same time

Ribs and Crab - this is good eatin'

Caitlyn's favorite place at the Children's museum might have been the water part - wow did she have fun

Her other favorite thing was shopping ... and hearing the "beep" when she was checked out of the store by Auntie Katherine - look at that proud Grandma on the left hand side - I think Caitlyn followed the list!

Granddaddy and his girls on a boat at the museum ... we are so glad he is here and recovering so he can play with all the kids - including his own!

Next we will have Christmas with Shelly and her family ... well we will trade a few gifts for the kids and then have dinner :) - Round 3 should be pretty low-key.

love you all!

Christmas Round 1

2010-12-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

Here she is getting ready for Christmas by warming up her dance skills ... try to ignore the first few seconds of "NO" it gets better. Sadly "no" has recently become her default word - that I hear is a stage too - however not our favorite stage so far.

The next day we went to Grandma and Grandpa Bleek's for a Christmas celebration. It was so fun - here are some shots where she is interested in the gifts; truth be told she was also very concerned that every piece of wrapping paper go into the recycle bin. It was a great celebration and everyone had a wonderful time. We are looking forward to seeing Grandma and Grandpa Bleek again next week for gym class!

Opening gifts with Grandma ... so fun!

Look at this Disney plate from Auntie Kim

Look at this cool video - it goes with my new book!

Grandpa what is in the huge bag??? Oh how cool a singing vacuum cleaner - now I can help my parents

This was a great Christmas Round 1 - we are off today to go to Grandma and Grandpa Hampton's house - it should be really fun once we get out of the car! Maybe Caitlyn will give her parents an early gift and sleep for a few hours :) Love you all and hope you are having as much fun celebrating as we are this year, we feel so blessed to be able to celebrate with both sides of the family instead of just one! How wonderful for Caitlyn to know both sets of Grandparents - and how wonderful for us to see both of our parents!

Christmas Time is Here!

2010-12-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pictures from the weekend. We were able to babysit cousin Emma this weekend (so fun). These are a few pictures from the weekend ... the captions say it all.

Ready for bed ... and holding hands

Look at me in my new pretty dress! It has so many layers

CHEESE ... I love having my picture taken!

so cute

We let Emma play in the crib ... mostly to protect her from Caitlyn

Auntie Stacy my new hat is so cute - I love it!

I am all done - I said it like 5 times why do you keep making me sit here! (someone recently said that they wondered if Caitlyn ever cried because she is always smiling on the blog ... she does)

This one just made me laugh ... to me it looks like she is singing into a fake mic

Well there will be many more pictures to come during this holiday season - one more week of school and then all 3 of us will have two weeks to just play! Love you all

Snow and Sleep

2010-12-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Recently as you know we had some snow ... which offered us tons of time to play together! Here are a few pictures from our snow day and one at the end after she took a nap (man I wish I were "cute" with that bed-head!)

Brandon got Caitlyn her first sled ...

Funny she wanted off the sled and wanted to swing!

(snow) ANGELS

I love the snow!

What a great nap ... look at my sweaty head and wild hair - and yet still cute with that smile

Two Funny Pictures

2010-11-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for Thanksgiving!


Caitlyn is all set for the power-outage after the snow storm! (thankfully we still have power)

We are enjoying the snow day as a family and so thought that we would put up a few pictures that just made us laugh so we thought we would share! Love you all -

Daddy, I need warmer mittens!

2010-11-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Enjoying some Pacific Northwest snow!

A little hike...

2010-11-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

We went on a hike the other day. Had a blast! Love, Caitlyn

A few more things ...

2010-11-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had the chance to see some of my Aunts and Uncles! It was very fun and so fun to introduce them to Caitlyn. Here is a big table shot - Caitlyn even turned around (she loves a camera).


To write all the names is way too much but there was alot of love at that table!

Here is a cute picture of Caitlyn that Cindy our wonderful Nanny took the other day -


she loves to read

Last here is a quick video of how much Caitlyn loves to talk - Brandon is always hearing from his girls

Love you all!

Pumpkins!

2010-11-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well earlier we posted a picture of Caitlyn in her giraffe costume - she constantly said "off, off, off" when it was on. Needless to say it was not her favorite thing - however we did have her wear it to church (and everyone thought it was so cute).

Here are pumpkin pictures (she liked this part of Halloween much more) - some at the patch ...

Playing with Auntie Katherine

Pumpkins with posing with a cute Giraffe!

Trying to get a picture with these two both looking and happy ... what a challenge - but man are they cute!

Adorable!

running and playing = dirt

always on the move

wheelbarrow

playing on the bridge - glad she is not in the water


the cute little giraffe is heading home

Here she is carving her pumpkin with her Daddy (a few days later) -

wow that is a new feeling!

so fun


my pumpkin looks just like the one on the book from Grandma Bleek!

All in all it was a great Halloween ... Caitlyn spent it with Grandma Bleek while Brandon and I went to the Sounders game (while it as a sad game it was fun to have a date)!

2010-10-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Fall pictures

2010-10-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Yay! Fall is back and it's time for vest weather!

Caitlyn likes her vest...


And mommy's vest...


And even daddy's! Though his was sweaty from running back and forth to the camera! :)

Recent photos:

2010-10-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Photos by Bryce Covey

Halloween, Fish and Everything Inbetween

2010-09-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner and so Caitlyn is trying on one option. While I think it is so cute ... she didn't love having something over her head. We shall see when October rolls around. Here is a quick look at Caitlyn as a giraffe:

We also went with our friends Bethany and George to see the salmon run in Issaquah. It was something that we thought she would love ... turns out we loved it, we loved being with friends and she just loved being outside with 4 adults paying attention to her!

Just checking out the water ... the fish are over here Caitlyn

Is that a FISH ... Is that why we came???? Wow!

Here is a fun video ... it is her version of "I Love You"

One more video - playing on a box - toys are everywhere you just need to look .... at the end though she is obviously done!

We love all of you - and we are enjoying being parents, thanks for taking this journey with us!

Family Weekend...and Learning

2010-09-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend of laying around, watching sports and seeing some family (sadly no pictures of that). We went to the Maxwell house to play with Calla and watch the Huskie game (well the first half) - it was so fun Caitlyn LOVED playing with her new friend Calla and I enjoyed learning from Sarah some new signs and about some great things they have for Calla, specifically the learning tower! We also had Grandma and Grandpa Bleek come up for dinner. We loved having them come and it was another good celebration for Brandon's birthday. We went to the park and had BBQ. Sunday and Monday we enjoyed just being together; here are a few pictures from our long weekend.

This is Caitlyn in her rain jacket (a little big still) - so cute! Thanks Olive (Scott and Kelly's friend)

She is so funny - we just laugh all the time ... not sure what she is yelling about in this picture

So fun to kick back, relax, watch a game and enjoy your favorite beverage with your Daddy!

Caitlyn also learned some new things ... She learned how to "cheers" and how to cheer for football -

Acouple new pictures...

2010-09-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

All the grandkids...

Always up for a picture!

Photo Shoot....

2010-08-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Here are a couple pics from some practicing we did today for daddy's class!

Love,

Caitlyn

Trying my best to pose like I'm on the cover of an outdoor sports magazine!

Gett'n some love from my mom!

Are we rock stars or what?

A Few Photos ...

2010-08-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun to have the summer off and to be able to spend time with Caitlyn! I'm only sad that it is quickly coming to an end - however very happy to report that Cindy will be taking care of our little girl again this school year; God is so good to us!

Here are a few funny photos -

In this one she has just woken up and is getting herself out of her sleepsack!

Here she has just had a nice plate of pasta ... wow did any of it get into your mouth?

And finally her first official pony-tail!

Hope you are all enjoying your week and your summers - here at the Bleek house we are indeed!

love you - Shannon, Brandon and Caitlyn

Fun at the Zoo

2010-07-31T11:25:00.001-07:00

We went to the zoo yesterday with Auntie Kim, the cousins and Grandma and Grandpa Bleek. It was so fun - we also had burgers at Red Mill (turns out that place was more fun before our little girl could walk around). It was a great day for the zoo - here are some pictures of the day.

Caitlyn and Mommy sitting on the hippo - she was so excited to climb and be out of the stroller

WOW look at that! Can you believe it??!! Life is so exciting - I love the zoo!

After wrestling the kids to eat we went across the street to "work off dinner" - it is so fun to watch Cailtyn learn every day. It is also so fun to have her play with her cousins and see her want to be just like the big kids - what great examples she has to follow. Eventually she did make it up on the rock and she was so proud!

Woops look who found the milkshake ... mmmm good

It was so fun at the zoo. Love you all!

Bath time ... Check out my hair

2010-07-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn loves playing in the water - here she is showing off her beautiful smile and really long hair!

Fun at Grandma and Granddaddy's new house

2010-07-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Brandon is in the DR with our church so Caitlyn and I decided to head South to Hillsboro to visit the Grands ... here she is loving being the center of all attention

Grandma made a special rocking chair for the kids - and Caitlyn can get on and off all by herself! She loves it and is so proud to not need any help!

She also got to go swimming in her very own pool (Emma she will share if you come down) ... no diaper what a treat!

We miss you Daddy but are so glad for the work you are doing - see you soon! Love your girls

Walking Video

2010-07-10T19:49:00.001-07:00

We were at the park today and got this cute video of Caitlyn walking ... notice the nice hug she gives her Daddy when she finishes (no sound on this one)!

Fun in the sun ... It is FINALLY summer in Seattle!

2010-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks ...

We went to Cascades Camp and Conference Center for the salmon BBQ on the 4th of July ... it was so fun. We sadly didn't take any pictures while we were there but I thought it would be good to take a picture of how much fun she had - yep she slept in the car!

Caitlyn and I also had lunch with Grandma Bleek and Grandma Hampton ... so fun to be with the girls!

We have also had some fun at the beach with the warm water! Two days in a row we went to the beach

Here is just another shot of our sassy little girl ... she knows how to work a camera!

Here she is just walking into the "sunset" with her Daddy ...

Summer Fun

2010-07-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

We have had another fun week of summer ... even if the weather has not been the best!

Here is Caitlyn playing with her new toy from Grandma and Grandpa Bleek - she loves it and is learning while she plays ... what a great toy!

We also took a family hike (it was about 2 miles round trip ... so a short hike) - here is Caitlyn and Daddy hugging the biggest tree in King County and Caitlyn and Mommy by Lake Washington

And finally while this is summer the weather has been more like fall ... Caitlyn and Daddy were going out for a walk and she looked like such a big girl I had to take her picture!

Love you all!

Weekend Fun With the Bleeks!

2010-06-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was very fun for us - we saw Grandma and Grandpa Bleek AND Auntie Shelly and Uncle Josh on Friday night (Caitlyn loved seeing everyone at her house and showing off her toys and tricks). Then on Saturday morning Daddy and Auntie Shelly ran a half marathon (WOW!) then we went down to Grandma and Grandpa Bleek's for dinner. When we were at Grandma and Grandpa Bleek's we celebrated Caitlyn's birthday ... it was great but sadly Caitlyn still didn't like the cupcakes. It was a fun filled weekend! Here are some of the pictures from this weekend -

Catilyn is looking for her Da Da Da to cheer him across the finish line

Yeah Da Da Da and Auntie Shelly made it ... now we can all go home and take naps!

Here are a few of the kids opening presents - Caitlyn and Alex got similar (almost matching) gifts for their first birthdays and Calla helped both of them open up the surprises.

Later we set up Cousin Alex's new toy and everyone was having so much fun!

Caitlyn sat with Grandpa as she tried to blow out the candle on her special cupcake ... good thing Grandpa was there to help!

Here she is "eating" her cupcake from Grandma Bleek - she is very good at moving the food around and eating non of it :)

Love you all!

It has been a busy start to my second year of life!

2010-06-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Lots has happened since I turned one ... The US soccer team made it to the "sweet 16" - not only that but they won their group with an amazing goal in stoppage time! Along with that Auntie Katherine, Grandma and Granddady Hampton came to visit AND my cousin Emma was born! Here are some pictures of the start to my second year of life ...

Auntie Katherine put a clip in my hair ... Mommy didn't like the headbands (they give me a headache so I assumed they would give her one as well) BUT she LOVES the clip!

Here is Caitlyn in her US scarf getting ready for the big game ... she clapped many times - she loves to cheer!

Here is a few Caitlyn with Emma in the hospital - the first one is with the Grands and the second is giving a kiss good-bye to her cousin.

Today we went to Scott and Kelly's house to visit ... you can see that Caitlyn tried to take pictures with Emma but unlike Emma Caitlyn would not hold still (if you know her you could have predicted that). She struggled a little ... and possibly gave Emma her first bruise. Maybe we will try again later when Caitlyn understands a little more and/or Emma has a stronger neck (or can fight back).

After all that with her cousin Emma took a little rest with her Uncle B

One more just for a classic Caitlyn ...

Summer has started and we have had so much fun so far! Auntie Katherine introduced us to clips in our hair, we played with the Hampton family this week and now this weekend we are looking forward to playing with the Bleek family. Looking forward to a fun filled summer! We will keep you posted as best as we can! Love you all!

Caitlyn's First Birthday (many celebrations to follow)

2010-06-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Caitlyn turned one on Sunday. I have to say we sat for quite a bit of time this weekend reflecting on the year ... everyone told us that it would go by fast - but wow it was so fast! I can remember when she couldn't even stay awake to nurse without being totally naked; now sometimes we feed her naked but that is just so clean-up is easier. I can remember when we could set her down and she wouldn't even roll over, now once she is down don't blink or you can't find her. I can remember cleaning out our things to make room for her new things and now I don't even remember what we got rid of (clearly we can live with "less"). I can remember thinking some of the clothes were so big and they would never fit and now we are in 12-18 month things! I can remember putting extra towels in her car seat because she was too small and now she is in her "big girl" car seat (which could be facing forward soon). I can remember wondering why she was crying (when everyone said there are different cries ... I didn't understand) and now I not only know her cries but she communicates with some signs! It is just amazing to see the changes that take place in a year - we are loving every moment of the adventure and trying not to miss anything. We look forward to another great year as a family! Here are a few pictures from her first celebration but we look forward to celebrating with both sets of grandparents in the coming weeks -

Caitlyn is very good at taking things out of bags ... she has practiced with Mommy's purse!

Look she found a book from her Daddy - how appropriate during the World Cup to get a soccer book!

Here are two of her other gifts - a soccer jersey and a package specially decorated by Carter! (she also loved what was inside the package)

Bring on the cake ... I am ready ... or at least I think I am ready! (thanks Marilyn for the cute bib!)

Wow that was some good cake Beth ... thanks for the ladybugs! While I didn't eat too much cake I loved the frosting :)

We loved going to Shelly's and celebrating with family - we look forward to also celebrating with both sets of grandparents in the coming weeks. Thanks to everyone who made this a special day. She is one - it is amazing and we can't wait to see how God will continue to grow and develop her in the coming years ... wonder what next year will bring and how she will change, grow and keep us on our toes.

Love you -

First Swim!

2010-06-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go celebrate my cousin's wedding! It was very fun, Andy and Erin had a beautiful wedding and we were thrilled to be apart of the celebration. When we arrived home however we realized we had only taken pictures of Caitlyn on her first swim ... and she looked so cute for the wedding (guess she can wear that dress again because there are no pictures :)). Here are some fun ones by the pool and in the pool -

First she sat in the sun with Grandma Hampton ... well as much as she ever sits!

Caitlyn sitting with Auntie Katherine after a fun swim ...

This is the same picture we have of me being thrown in the air by my dad ... it was fun to see her in the same "pose" as me from my childhood -

She probably had some of the most fun on the steps where she could touch and splash!

The whole weekend was fun - thank you to everyone who helped out ... as they say it takes a village!

Weekend at the beach...

2010-06-01T20:34:00.001-07:00