Lightfoot's Life

IT's been a While :o(

2009-11-29T21:19:00.001-08:00

It's time to do better with this whole blogging thing. Has it really been since August that I've posted something??? Life has been great, crazy at times but great. September 12 we had the privilege of celebrating my Dad George's wedding to Mimi. It was a hot beautiful September afternoon.

On October 2nd we flew out to Ontario to visit with Aidan's side of the family and introduce Addysen. The other main reason for the timing of our visit was because Aidan's Aunt Daryll was visiting from England. This trip was her first and probably her only trip to Canada so it was important that we made it out to see her. It was such a fantastic trip!! Addysen slept both ways on the plane; Raeya was a little busy but not so bad Aidan couldn't handle :o) We celebrated Addy's 3 month birthday, enjoyed an authentic Greek supper with Steve's mom and Dad and had a delicious Thanksgiving supper with the family. Raeya and Nik had a great time playing together everywhere we went. It was so great to see Raeya play with her cousins, I wish we all lived closer together.

Raeya, Aunt Daryll, Adian

Lesley with her sister and Grand Daughters

Nana and her Grand kids

Addy and her 3 month picture with Maurice

During the fall Raeya had swimming lessons with Daddy. It has been so fun to watch them having fun in the water. Friday morning I have enjoyed our women's bible study where Raeya played with "friends" as she called all 22 of them and I had some great adult conversations with the other women from our church and community.

Happy Halloween....our Chicken and Egg rocked it this year. Raeya really got the hang of going to houses and saying "trick or treat". She still calls smarties trick or treats.

Our baby is now 2 !!!! November 18th has come and gone and Raeya celebrated her birthday with a TON of family and some really great friends.

Some fun family pictures

2009-08-18T21:12:00.001-07:00

Family Reunion

2009-08-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Every summer we (the McDonald family and friends) get together on Roset Island for some great times and fantastic food.

We started our weekend off right. While waiting for the ferry we hit a Starbucks and sat at the beach.

Down to the water we go. Raeya is having a little Auntie time as she hangs out on the dock.

Addysen only 3 weeks old sleeping on Alana

Andy and Drew getting the water ready for our seafood feast.

Great Grampa Alec and his newest great grand daughter Addysen.

Sisters

2009-07-14T16:36:00.001-07:00

Raeya loves her little sister Addysen.
She likes to give her some of her favorite blankets, stuffed animals and she insists on giving her kisses before bed.

Now holding Addysen is another story........

She's just not that comfortable....which I kind of think is ok because we don't have to worry about Raeya dropping Addysen, or trying to carry her around the house.

Passing time

2009-02-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Fashion Show

Great Grandma Hutchins knit Raeya a touque, jacket, mitts on a string and slippers. Here she is modeling the toque and jacket for the camera.

We think she looks so old in this picture.

Hey guys here I come.

so cute!!

Pony Tails,

After much determination I was able to get 2 little ponytails in Raeya's hair.

I'm not used to the thin hair, it kept slipping out of the elastics.

Cinderella, Cinderella night and day it's Cinderella.

Helping with the dishes

So much water on the floor but so much fun at the same time. Raeya was actually quite upset that we had no more dishes to clean and we were finished.

Overall it has been a great winter and we're finding lots to do to keep us busy. Aidan gets to take advantage of having Monday's off with Raeya, we have family days on Sundays and I get to enjoy my days with Raeya on Saturday. It's so crazy how fast time passes and how fast Raeya is growing. At 15 months Raeya is 21 lbs and 8o cm tall.

Our newest little peanut

2009-01-28T11:02:00.001-08:00

In the middle of October we were wondering and by the end of October we knew.....

Our second little peanut was on it's way.

This pregnancy has been great so far just like my pregnancy with Raeya. It has been a little different, feeling nauseous in the mornings of the first 3 months was a new one but still nothing to complain about. I'm quite a bit more food sensitive, things gross me out easily and have found supper isn't my most favorite meal of the day. I'm also liking salty (chips especially) instead of the sweet ice cream lover like I was with Raeya.

The baby's heart rate started out at 160 bpm, went to 155 bpm and at my ultrasound on January 21 was 148 bpm. The ultrasound was incredible and we were able to see things like the baby's brian. You could clearly see the 2 halves developed and continuing to develop. The spine and ribs continue to fascinate Aidan and I and who can resist loving the little tummy.

They've changed my due date a bit based on measurements of the baby and so we are expecting this little bundle of joy July 2nd ish.

Here are some pictures:

Here he/she is...

we were also able to see the baby swallowing during this ultasound.

The little feet...

This image probably isn't my favorite mainly because of the Alien look, but still amazing.

I'm in love!!!

These pictures will have to carry us through for the next couple of months but they'll do.

Did I mention that Raeya and the baby will be 19 1/2 months apart. Oh yeah were looking for maximum craziness in this house.

Until next time.........

Winter time fun

2008-12-28T21:23:00.001-08:00

This has been a record year for snowfall in the lower mainland and it has been SO much fun. We were pounded with snowstorm after snowstorm and had a white Christmas for the first time in a long time.

Getting ready to head out and play in the snow, Raeya gets really excited when you bring out her snow pants.

Christmas day we went for a walk and enjoyed the great weather and all the snow. The snow was actually up to just under Aidan's knee cap. CRAZY!!!

Ready, Set, Go! I think Raeya's a bit of a thrill seeker like her dad.

YAY!!!

Dad, I think you're loosing me.

Aidan made Raeya a slide for her sled....it was actually quite steep and she laughed the entire way down.

Weeeeeeeee!!

This picture was taken at daycare and Lori emailed it to me, it's our wallpaper for our computer.

Amidst all the stuck cars and shoveling more times than we can count. This snow was a blessing for us as we watched Raeya's eyes get huge with excitement every time we went to play in the snow. Her excited shrills as she wanted us to go faster and faster pulling her sled gets me smiling just as I write this.

1st Birthday

2008-12-28T21:07:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Raeya!!

November 16th was her party and November 18 was her actual birthday.

We waited until Raeya's first birthday before she had cake and sugar for the most part. This picture is worth a thousand words....she likes cake.

Testing out her new rocking chair from the St.Laurent family. She loves rocking in it.

Mom, it's kind of messy, how do you attack something like this?

I was determined to make lady bug cakes and I think they turned out great.

Yay balloons, I think that was her favorite part of the party.

Raeya woke up from her nap to a house full of people, she's still waking up with Aidan.

Our "love bug"

2008-12-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

This halloween Raeya was a love bug thanks to Nana Lesley buying Raeya her first costume

Our first stop...Pastor Keith and Ms Melissa's house.

Too much fun, Ms Melissa let Raeya take her pick of the candy bowl.

mmmmm....smarties. Actually she really liked them because they made noise.

Our "love bug" loves to read.

Nana Hughy drove out from Chilliwack to enjoy Raeya's first halloween with us.

Overall it was a great night.

long time no blog

2008-10-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging. Life has been busy in the Lightfoot household over the past 2 months and in the next couple of days I'll try and get you back up to speed.

After 3 long months of being on the market, our Condo finally sold and for a little bit more than what we were asking thanks to a last minute bidding war. (kind of) We were able to sell our Condo and move into a new house on September 13th. Our condo was great but with only 2 bedrooms and 810sq ft it was getting a little too tiny.

Welcome to our new home at 6723 194th street.

Aidan, myself and Raeya own and live in the top half of the house and my sister Kortni and her husband Joel own and live in the basement.

Well we've been here for almost 2 months and we're loving every minute of it. The space is awesome and we have a park 2 blocks down the road to the west and another park with a "lake" six houses (empty lots) down to the north. This is a fantastic young family neighborhood that we're all happy to be a part of. We even have a spare bedroom now for anyone stopping by, we'd love to have you.

Kayaking

2008-08-20T10:01:00.001-07:00

While were on Roset Island for our family reunion, we took Raeya kayaking and she loved it.

Getting ready to head onto the boat.

9 Months

2008-08-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Nine months already!!!!

Raeya finally has a tooth coming through, as soon as it's a bit more visible I will get a picture.

According to Sears this is a major milestone.....I think they say that so they can make more money from you :o)

Chilling with Maurice for her 9 month picture

Raeya's latest word is "kitty." Emma and Raeya have become the best of buds. Raeya likes to chase Emma around the house and Emma will wave her tail in Raeya's face so she'll laugh. It's great.
How many cats look this relaxed while a baby is crawling all over them?

Here's some fun pictures of the month so far:

Raeya crawled into the bottom of her exersauser and got herself a little stuck :o)

Peek-A-Boo

Keliegh and Raeya hanging out at Cloverdale's Blueberry Festival.

Little stinker loves to hang out at the sliding glass door.

She hasn't managed to get over the door jam yet.

Sleeping with her bum in the air....the new comfortable possition apparently.

Grampa George stopped by for a visit

Here I come.

The famous yoga pose that Raeya does often.

Raeya and her pancake

2008-08-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Raeya trying pancake for the first time.

We would say she likes it!!!

Camping in Tofino

2008-07-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

This year, like every year we went camping in Tofino for a little getaway. This year Mom and Bob were able to join us and we had a great time.

Mom was able to take a great family picture of us.
Raeya played with the tarp while Aidan and I set up the tent.

Once the tent was up Raeya came in and couldn't keep her eyes open anymore after a long day of travelling.

Playing in her playpen in the tent...it only lasted one night. It was REALLY cold out.

Mackenzie Beach...in our opinion it's the best one to stay at because there is no public access. Sandy beaches for as far as the eye can see.

Just relaxing on the beach in Raeya's beach tent. It was a little windy so the tent was perfect.

Too much fun!!

Raeya enjoying her first fire with Daddy.

Yeah....Nana and Bob get to camp with us!!!

I love my Nana

It was chilly out, Raeya was in her touque most of the trip as you'll see :o)

So hungry....must eat....can't move.

All ready to head to the windy beach.

Just enjoying the view and the fresh air.

Ok...she was a little tired of the carrier so Aidan decided to carry her.

The first night was so cold, Raeya and I got to sleep in the truck for the rest of our trip. It was nice and toasty warm.

I let Aidan sleep until 7 and then it was his turn to hangout with Raeya in the morning. Really what else do you do with an 8 month old at 6am when you're camping so you don't wake up your neighbours.

All ready for breakfast

Raeya's first pancake. Nana made it for her.

Overall it was a fantastic trip, a little cold but fantastic none the less. It's amazing how all the stress you may be carring dissappears the minute you step foot on the beach. Camping with a baby adds a new dynamic and a bit of an adjustment when it comes to nap time but we can't wait until next years trip.

8 Months...We can't believe it !!

2008-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been pretty jam packed for us and a little disrupting with selling our condo. It seems that people love to do viewings at Raeya's bed time. Numerous nights we would get her all bathed up and ready for bed and then go for a walk in the stroller. We'll be happy when the process is finally over.

Updates on Raeya....

She loves to army crawl around the livingroom
Still no teeth yet (I'm fine with that)
Still not even close to sleeping through the night (I'm not so fine with that)
She likes to clap to music
Like always she has an eye for the camera and will always give a great smile.

ON TO THE PICTURES

Raeya and Maurice posing for their 8 month photo, they're the best of friends.

"Gentle"....

Raeya practicing her petting skills on Maurice.

The cat's aren't really liking the hitting and hair pulling so much.

Raeya is getting much better though.

UNCLE TYLER!!!!

We finally got to see Uncle Ty for a quick lunch in Richmond while he was on his break. It was so great to catch up and just enjoy a great visit.

*side note* Ty has had a great recovery after breaking his back. If you want to see something inspirational check out his video on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIz70IeIzec

Well with 8 months comes a new carseat. Grampa George and Gramma Mimi picked up this deluxe carseat for Raeya seeing as she was no longer fitting in her bucket seat. It's a convertible, right now it's still rear facing in the truck but when she hits 20lbs she'll turn to forward facing.

Do you think she's excited??

She looks so tiny in such a huge seat but we won't have to buy another one which is GREAT!!

Another hot day in the pool...this time we're tring out the Dora the Explorer bikini that Nana Lesley's friends bought her.

Well the busy month is ending with a bang....we're off to go camping in Tofino tomorrow with Mom and Bob. Yup tenting it with an 8 month old. After that it's up to Campbell River to the family Reunion...we'll keep you posted when we get home.

Playtime at the Petkau's House

2008-07-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun filled day in Chilliwack at Naomi and Erich's place. It's been far too long since we've been out for a visit and we needed our fix.

We also hadn't met Calvin yet.

All 4 kids sitting together grinning...Naomi and I are pros.

Mister cute man himself....Calvin.

He's such a great mix, overall he looks like Konrad did when he was little but now he's getting Ava's cheeks/jowels.

Playing nicely on the floor not needing to be entertained by me, it was a real treat.

Konrad doing a great job keeping Raeya busy.

I walked around the corner and saw this...how do you not take a picture.

It was such a great day and now that Raeya can play with the kids I think we'll find ourselves out there a little more often. We love our friends, they're such a blessing.

HOT HOT HOT

2008-06-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Good bye Junuary Hello Summer.

After two incredibly hot days, I decided to go to Wal-Mart and pick Raeya up a little pool to put on our deck. She loved it. It was a great little cool down before her nap this afternoon.

Who needs toys when you have ziplock containers :o)

The sun doesn't hit our deck until late afternoon which is great for staying shaded while playing in the pool.

mmm....Alligator eyes

Something caught her eye while playing in the pool

7 Months

2008-06-26T09:03:00.001-07:00

7 months and growing like a weed.

Raeya's biggest accomplishment is sitting on her own. She loves to sit and play with her toys now with the occasional flop to her stomach if a toy has gotten out of reach. She also loves to grab 2 plastic toys and bang them together to make some noise.

Sitting with Maurice...I was going to sit her with Maurice every month but I think I've only got the first couple weeks, the fourth month and the seventh month. Oh well, you can still see how much she's growing.

"Hold on Maurice, you have something on your ear. I think it's a tag."

"sit still and I'll read it for you."

Meeting Andrew

2008-06-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

At Fathers Day Pancake breakfast we were able to meet the newest additon to the McDonald Family....Andrew Cash Pederson. He is soooo sweet and we're excited that Raeya has a cousin 6 month younger than her to play with when we go to the Island.

Our latest word with Raeya is "gentle". She's a little crazy with the arm flinging and grabbing.

I don't think Andrew's too sure about this cousin of his :o)

Proud and BEAUTIFUL mom...Christina

Brandon with his Brother....he's such a great big brother.

Grandpa with his 2 newest Great Grandkids.

The count is now at 9 Great Grandkids

Weekend Getaway

2008-06-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy in the Lightfoot household. Aidan has been crazy with work and more renovations. They have added a Nevada Bob's Golf store inside his Sport Chek/Coast Mountain Sports complex. Needless to say he's been crazy with hiring, training and merchandizing the new store.

At home we have been busy making the house viewable almost every day....de-clutter, try to get rid of as much of the baby stuff we can, hide things in cupboards, you name it. After all the cleaning is done then it's time to get out so the tours can happen.

After all the craziness we decided to take off for a couple of days to the Island...our oasis.

First stop...BP with uncle Don (he's the best)

at least that's what he was tring to get Raeya to say :o)

And then off to the pier for some ice cream

A good visit with Auntie Bonni

Escaping to the shelter for some warmth with Auntie Sandy

Life jacket on and ready for her first trip to Roset Island

Ready to go in the African Queen

Waking up with toys and Veggie Tales

Taking a trip with Daddy down to the dock

Posing on the Range Rover...she actually loved the ride up and down from Morgan's Cove.

It was such a beautiful day out, we had lunch outside.

Relaxing down on the dock

Time to head home...Raeya had just had a long nap so we had to get creative when it came to entertaining her.

BONUS...we got to ride a new ferry home and it only cost us $30.30 instead of the normal $68. Good ol' fare saver route.

Father's Day

2008-06-20T09:44:00.001-07:00

For Aidan's first Father's Day we wanted to do something special.

I was feeling brave so we went out and bought some finger paint (washable) and easle paper.

Raeya is creating her first masterpiece...we used it to wrap Aidan's present.

getting a little close to the carpet....crisis was diverted.

During Raeya's bathtime Aidan thought her legs were covered in bruises, I guess I didn't wipe the evidence (blue paint) off very well.

We were able to enjoy Father's Day on the Island this year and join the McDonald family for Pancake breakfast with Grandpa...a yearly tradition.

After breakfast we headed back out to Roset Island for an afternoon of fun.

What a Father's Day....who could ask for anything more.

6 Months

2008-05-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Raeya is now 6 months today.

It seems like just yesterday she was born and at the same time both

Aidan and I can't even remember what life was like without her.

Babies are such a blessing!!

With the sun shining we decided to go outside our condo

and take a couple of 6 month pictures.

Sitting on her own....she's doing pretty good but she's not totally there yet.
Hanging with Eddie the Elephant

Her first experience with grass....not her favorite yet.
I'm in love with this dress that Nana Audrey gave her when we were in Ontario.

Mommy and Raeya....enjoying the fresh air.
My favorite picture!!!!

Mom Mom Mom

2008-05-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Mother's Day....Raeya has decided that her first word is Mom!!!

Now whether or not she knows what she's saying is another thing :o)

Bouncing Baby

2008-05-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

Call it laziness but I only just put together the Jolly Jumper for Raeya.

Better late than never I say.....she loves it!!!

Cute little feet.

Here's a video of Raeya's second time in the Jolly Jumper.

She's our little river dancer

Major Milestones.....

2008-05-09T10:50:00.001-07:00

THE BOTTLE AND THE SOOTHER!!!

For the first 5 months of her life, Raeya was not at all interested in a bottle or a soother. In fact it would make her incredibly angry if we even tried.

While we were in Ontario Aunty Becky helped us out...and it worked. The good ol' Playtex drop in liner bottle was the trick. Becky had a hard time getting Nik to take a bottle and this one worked for her so we were hoping it would work for us.

On her own terms!!

She's cool with the bottle now as long as she can hold it. I'm OK with that :o)

For the past couple of weeks Raeya's been playing with a soother but in the last week she's learned how to suck it. When I give it to her she usually spits it out right before she falls asleep but this time I was able to take a picture while she was sleeping with it in.

Now that she's become a little more independant...Aidan and I are thinking we might be able to get a round or two of golf in TOGETHER this summer while Aunty Kortni babysits. YIPPPEEEE

Raeya and her cousins

2008-05-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Owen's Baptism.....

On April 13 we were able suprise Aidan's step sister Ashley and her family by showing up to owen's baptism.

Alex Dovas, Raeya, Kaley, Anika and Owen

Raeya and Owen. Owen was born almost a month after Raeya.

Nikolas doing a good job of keeping Raeya occupied.

Raeya and her big cousin Drew

Hanging out with Alex on the couch.

Alex was such a big help playing with Raeya and reading her stories.

We already can't wait for the next visit....we don't know when it will be but whenever it is, it won't be soon enough.

Photo Shoot

2008-05-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

On the last evening in Ontario we all went down to the river to take a couple

pictures with the family.....here they are.

Nana, Grandad and their 4 grandkids

4 generations

Nana Audrey and her 4 Canadain Great Grandkids

Cousins

Just us girls....

The wild guys

We've been home for 2 weeks now and I'm still going through a bit of withdrawl....distance sucks.

Biker Baby

2008-05-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

Diva in the Sun

2008-04-20T05:14:00.001-07:00

We packed for Winter and Summer came early !!!!

When we arrived in Cornwall on April 7th the snow banks were 3ft high and it was chilly. On April 17 the snow banks were almost completely gone and it was 26 degrees. Nana Audrey bought Raeya a sundress that came with a little sun hat, we were able to get a lot of use out of it for the last part of our visit.

Slap on the kids 50 spf and outside here we come!!

Thanks to Nana's friends Laurie and Bonnie, Raeya became a little diva sporting some pretty stylish Dora sunglasses.

Raeya's serious face.

Playing with Nana and Derrik the Dragon Fly

Cheese !!!!!

Family, Fun & Sun in Ontario Part 1

2008-04-20T04:42:00.000-07:00

Waiting in the Vancouver airport for our flight to Ottawa.

Raeya did great on her first flight, she slept, ate and played. I couldn't have asked for a better baby and especially since Aidan wasn't flying with us. He met up with us in Cornwall after his manager conference in Huntsville.

This is the animated face of Raeya when she's telling us stories. She's also teething so she likes to rub her gums together.

YEAH!!!!! Visiting with Nana and Great Nana Audrey

Playing cards with Aunty Becky

Shopping with Nana Audrey (phew...we need a break)

Raeya playing with her cousin Nikolas

4 months old

2008-03-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

4 months old...it's amazing how fast time flies by.

Raeya's 4 month pictures with Maurice her gorilla

I'm hoping to look back on all the "Raeya and Maurice" pictures

to see how much Raeya has grown

So big, she's trying to sit up on her own. She likes sitting like this because she can eat her toes when she's not wearing socks and shoes.

Loving bath time like always

Something new the this last week. Raeya has discovered her feet and toes. She loves to hold on to them when she's lying on her back. Especially when we're trying to change her diaper, just to make it more interesting.

chilling out on mom's leg :o)

Story time with Aunty. This book can put a smile on her face no matter the situation. Aidan and I even find ourselves reciting it in the car to keep her happy.

Swimming, Swimming in the Swimming Pool

2008-03-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

First time Swimming.

We were out in Chilliwack visiting Nana and decided to bring our swimming gear because the pool is really fun out there.

We've been waiting for Raeya to get to 16lbs so she could fit into the little swimmers diapers and finally we just couldn't wait any longer. She's not 16 lbs but she fit the little swimmers just fine. Here she is all dressed and ready to hit the pool.

Hanging out with daddy in the "warm" tub. There is another HOT tub but this one is so you can take the kids.

Look Daddy, I'm swimming :o)

Toes in the air.....Raeya was having so much fun !!!!

Raeya enjoyed playing in the cooler kiddy pool more than the warm tub, there was more to look at and we went in the lazy river.

We had such a great time, we're going to check out the pools closer to home and make this a great family time activity.

Faces of the week

2008-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

These two pictures were taken the day before Raeya turned 3 months

hanging out in her crib watching the birds on her mobile.

playing on her mat talking away and giving me some pretty good smiles

Aidan started a game with Raeya when he's getting her ready for her bath, he sticks out his lip and she mimicks him. I've continued on the game and say "show me your lips" and she makes some hilarious faces.

And my favorite......

Sunshine at last

2008-02-14T17:57:00.001-08:00

Finally after what seems like an eternity of rain snow and wind we got a sunny day.

Kortni was over for a visit and we were doing homework on wedding venues but the sun was calling us for a walk. We bundled up and went to get some groceries.

Unfortunately in order to get Raeya to go along with our plan we had to get her to sleep first. She loves the trip once she's moving but it's getting going that takes a bit.

On our way home LOADED with groceries, cat food and a starbucks for Kort and I

Not every picture can have Raeya smiling or sleeping, it just wouldn't be realistic

The Weekend of Firsts

2008-02-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we packed up and went on a trip to Vancouver Island for a visit. This is the first time Raeya has slept anywhere but at home in her cradle at night. She did awesome !!!!! She actually slept a little better in her play pen at Aunty Bonni's than she does at home.

Packed up and ready to hit the road. First stop Pac Center to pick up Daddy.

This was trip was a chance to meet a bunch of family for the first time. Auntie Michele, All the Sumner second cousins, Great Grandma and Grandpa Hutchins, Great Grandpa Alec and Grandma Marie and Great Grandma Joy

Enjoying her visit with Great Grandma Hutchins

Visiting with Great Grandpa Alec

Visiting with Great Grandma Joy and checking out her new house.

Waiting for the Ferry in Nanimo

All the Firsts that happened this weekend:

Ferry ride
Sleep over
Rolled over for the first time (tummy to back)
Went to a restaurant (Boston Pizza) with Uncle Don and Graeme

Raeya did fantastic this past weekend and we're looking forward to our trip to Ontario in April.

January

2008-01-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some January updates...........

The family Cradle

On Christmas Day Aidan started feeling a little sick. With Raeya still sleeping in our bed we decided that it was time for her to sleep in the cradle at night, mainly so she wouldn't get sick and but it was also time for us to stop a potentially bad habit. This cradle was my cradle when I was a baby and all of us cousins on the McDonald side of the family along with some family friends have used it. It's over 30 years old.

Without shoes the socks just don't stay on.

Raeya just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore after a fun filled night at Aunty Beulah and Uncle Jeff's house.

Little miss hanging out with Nana

Raeya sporting her cute overalls that Greg and Vanessa bought her

Assume the position.

This is a familiar sight every time the Canucks are playing.

Soooooo tired

Chilling with one of her most favorite people in the whole world....Aunty Kortni

We decided to venture out one night to watch one of Greg's soccer games.

We lasted 25 minutes

Christmas Time

2008-01-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

Where to put a Christmas Tree?

Well this year we were a little tight on space so we had to improvise when it came to putting up a Chrsitmas Tree. Our moose Gordo has a Christmas tree with him and so this year that was our Christmas Tree.

Raeya got a leaf shaped tummy time mat with a flower pillow from Grampa George and Mimi. This is her trying it out for the first time.

Nana, grandpa and Raeya hanging out on the couch watching the boys play Guitar Hero.

It snowed on Christmas Day !!!!! It was so fun to see white on Christmas Day in the lower mainland.

Raeya is showing off her new Christmas dress that Nana sent her from Ontario. She looked like a little santa baby.

Christmas dinner was a little small this year, only 25 for supper at Aunty Beulah and Uncle Jeff's house. It just meant more tomato salad and pumpkin pie for me :o)

Raeya just hanging out with Uncle Jeff, being attacked by the paparazi. Flashes were going off like crazy.

Party Time

2007-12-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

A pre-christmas party at Aunty Beulah and Uncle Jeff's had us dress in our best...and so we could get a good family picture.

The party was for Aunty Gail and Scott visiting from Oklahoma, we can't wait until they move back to Vancouver Island in the summer.

Baby Life

2007-12-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of updated pictures since last I posted.

Raeya with Maurice her gorilla at 2 weeks. Thanks to a couple of girls from Sport Chek Park Royal, Raeya now has a gigantic stuffed best friend.

It's so fun to see them grow, she looks like such a little person here.

Hanging out with Nana on one of the Thursday visits.

Raeya and Maurice at 4 weeks.

If Raeya is ever fussy all we have to do is lay her on her change table and we get immediate smiles.

Bath time....always a favorite until we have to get dressed again.

Ummm dad...I think you forgot my armpit.

On December 19th we had decided that the cabin fever was getting to us and we needed some fresh air so we bundled up and went for a walk. As soon as we got outside the skies opened up and it started pouring...good thing I had a waterproof jacket and a rain cover for the stroller. No amount of rain was going to stop us.

This picture reminds me of a Robert Munch book. Raeya is still a little to small for it, her arms were beside her body because they didn't really fit in the sleves.

Baptism

2007-12-16T14:54:00.001-08:00

On December 9th, 2007 Aidan decided to deepen his relationship with God by being baptized. For baptism you generally get up in front of the church and give your life story on how you came into relationship with God and why you have chosen to be baptized. Aidan, not being much of a public speaker, wasn't really up for baptism because of the simple fact that you had to speak in front of a crowd. Jericho Ridge, a church very accomodating for people's comfort levels, sent Pastor Brad and Keith to our house and did Aidan's testimony (life story) on video.

My response in support of Aidan's decision. I think I was crying before I even made it up on stage. I blame it on crazy emotions with having a baby :o)

What a privledge it was to stand by my husbands side with our daughter and support him while he took this next step in deepening his relationship with God.

The First Two Weeks Of Life

2007-12-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

Things are going well in the Lightfoot house hold. Raeya is training us on what she wants and when she wants it and as we get some of the ques right, she rewards us with sleeping longer. In the first week Raeya continued to loose weight, down to 7lbs 9oz but last friday we celebrated her reaching her birth weight yippee. The little chunker went from 7lbs 9oz to 8lbs 4oz in a week.

Here are some pictures of our past 2 weeks together.

So peacefull sleeping in her I love Daddy shirt, This is Aidan's favorite

Our second day at home and admiring our precious little gift.

Bath time...Raeya is incredibly strong and likes to stand on her legs if we give her the chance. Despite the look on her face, bathtime is one of her favorite times of the day.

Nothing like a good ol' head massage as Aidan gets her head dry before we bath her.

On December 1st we went to Vincent's baby shower. Raeya is 3 days older than Vincent. Unfortunately Raeya really didn't want her picture taken at this moment, she was an angel all day but was really hungry and didn't care for the photo opp. Vincent's mom Christine worked with Jeneah at Coast Mountain Sports in Langley.

Half an hour later she was fast asleep in her carseat. The touque was made for her by a family friend, Patty. I think it's adorable.

Emma, the furry baby, didn't want to be left out and is trying to figure out how she can still cuddle without stepping on Raeya.

Check out those bright eyes trying to figure out this new world.

We will update again with the many pictures we continue to take. Thank you for sharing in our new found love and we hope you enjoy the pictures.

The Ultimate Canucks Fan

2007-11-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

Every year the Vancouver Canucks have a contest with "The Ultimate Canucks Fan." I think that we should enter Raeya. So far at 5 1/2 days old, Raeya has watched 4 Canucks games. 2 wins, 1 loss in a shootout and 1 regulation time loss. Even at just a couple hours old, we rented the TV in the hospital and watched the game. Thanks to her cousin Alana, Raeya has another Canucks outfit to wear when she gets a little bigger. I can't wait until she's ready for a Jersey.

Her first game with us, a beat down of the Calgary Flames in true fashion.

Our first home game. This was a stomping of the Minnesota Wild :)

It was a tough loss to handle against the St Louis Blues, so she decided to take a nap and forget about it.

She has Arrived

2007-11-19T23:32:00.000-08:00

At 7:18am Sunday November 18th weighing 8lb 1oz and 22 inches long, Raeya Jane Lightfoot finally graced us with her prescence. Thanks to the Langley Hospital nurses and my support team of Aidan and Mom, the delivery went really well. We went to the hospital at 1am and we were holding her by 7:30, probably sooner but it's all still a bit of a blur.
Laying in her heated box getting all checked out and cleaned up by the nurses.
Long day and night but well worth all of it. First of many family photos. Happy yet tired parents :)
Daddy's Little Girl
Oh no the whisker burn already starts, sorry sweetie.
And our family begins.

Was their any doubt about her club of choice. Her first day on earth she got to enjoy a Canucks victory, GO CANUCKS GO!
Proud and beautiful mom.
Raeya keeps her eyes open for the first time. Taking in this brave new world of hers.
Nappy time.

Week 37 and still feeling great :o)

2007-10-23T13:00:00.001-07:00

I don't really have any complaints, but I sure am getting anxious waiting for this little bundle to join us. I'm on week #2 of being off work and finding it very relaxing (boring) however I am finding little things to fill my day.

The baby pool is almost at the cut off point, as of November 1st there will be no more enteries. So far every date from November 8 - 23 is spoken for except for the 11, 15 (which is our official due date), 21 & 22. There are numerous people on the same date but it will come down to the closest weight without going over (like the Price is Right). Who will be the lucky winner????

#1 Canucks Fans

2007-10-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that this is a Canucks house hold but I think the best picture is with Aidan and Konrad. A couple of friday's ago, Aidan and I took a trip out to Chilliwack for games night at Erich and Naomi's house. Games night turned into watching the game night because the Canucks were playing. Konrad greeted us at the door with his Canucks T-Shirt.

It was a fun-filled evening with the cutest kids around. It makes us both excited for ours to come into this world. Notice the monkey in Konrads hand, when you throw it like a sling shot is screams. It's hilarious, well it's hilarious to us. Sorry Naomi.

We were playing with our new camera and took some great pictures of both Konrad and Ava. If our baby can be half as well behaved as these two kids, Aidan and I will be greatful

Finally Finished

2007-10-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well seeing as the end of October is upon us and we're due to have this baby in less than a month....we finally finished the baby's room. What was thought to be a small adventure and only take a weekend ended up being weeks on end due to the ordering of the wallpaper. A small note to everyone out there wanting to wallpaper.....don't order just enough to the square inch because what we found out was there is A LOT of wastage that goes on. When you have to match up patterns you throw tons of wallpaper out. So after 3 separate ordering adventures taking a month and a couple of weeks, the baby's room is finished.

Here's a picture of the bedding, we're doing a bug theme and I think it's working out perfect. Even the sheets match and have little bugs on them :o)

The dresser is from our room and we ended up getting a new one for us. As much as a change table would have been nice, we just don't have the room and we both think that this will work out just right.
Here is a pictures of one of the bugs above the dresser. When we were picking out paint and wallpaper I fell in love with these bugs. They were in a roll of wallpaper so I bought a roll and cut them out. Note to self and anyone else that cares, floating frames only come in black, brown and silver, if you want white you have to spraypaint them yourself.

With less than a month to go, I think we are set. The room's set up and our bags are packed.

Baby's Room

2007-09-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

Well seeing as we are only 2 months away from having a family of 3 we decided to start on the baby's room. It's a work in progress and is taking longer than the weekend we set aside for it before Aidan started his new job but non the less we are tackling it.

This is our blank canvas to work with. Thanks to our interior decorator/designer, Aunty Beulah we were able to spend an hour at Benjamin Moore and come away with a plan.

Step 1. Paint the top of the walls green. I'm not going to lie, seeing the green paint with builders beige did not appeal to me one bit.

Ahhhh, the wallpaper. Now things are looking like they fit together a little better.

Note to all of you out there thinking about wallpapering......Don't Do It, or least make sure you really want to do it. Because wallpaper is so expensive we measured every inch of the wall we wanted to paper so we didn't have waste any money. Guess what......you end up wasting a lot of wallpaper because the pattern matches up every 8 feet, so we had to order more paper :o( Then we realized we still didn't order enough so we ordered some more and it's going to take 3 weeks to come in.

Joel came and put up the moulding between the paint and paper. He also framed in the window and I think it looks awesome.

The mouldings and baseboards still need a coat of white paint as well as we need to paint the window, door and closet door. I will continue to blog the progress of this room we thought would take a weekend and is now going to take us a couple of weeks.

A Time for Change

2007-09-05T11:33:00.001-07:00

In the crazy time of getting ready to welcome a new addition to our family we have made one more significant change to our lives and what we would consider comfortable living.

After 8 years of service with Sport Chek, we now feel that it is time to move on and continue growing within the retail industry. As of September 9th Aidan will no longer be employed with the Forzani Group Ltd. Sport Chek is the company that Aidan started off as a part-timer and through hard work and determination became one of the most successful general managers in BC and Canada. It is because of the Forzani Group (Sport Chek and Coast Mountain Sports) that Aidan and I met. The company means more to us than just a place to go to every day and make a pay cheque.

So as Aidan says goodbye to a long and successfull carreer with Sport Chek, he says Hello on September 11 to a new challenge and bright future with Best Buy as an assistant manager in training.

To all of you who know Aidan, if it's not a sports retailer the only other retailer that would fit his interests and personality would be something that had to do with electronics. We feel this will be a great fit for him and another avenue to continue his successful growth as a manager in the retail industry.

No Complaints

2007-09-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

7 months and still feeling like a million bucks.

After 7 months the pregnant some symptoms I feel are:

1. My body is growing (mixed feelings for sure on this one)

It's all for the good I know. I love feeling her move

around every moment of every day. She kicked Aidan

in the stomach the other day when he was giving

me a hug.

2. My brain has decided to not work as well. I've heard it's

called CRAFT brain (Can't Remember A Freak'in Thing)

3. I'm having a harder time tying up my shoes. My stomach

gets in the way :o)

4. I can't sleep on my stomach anymore :(

5. I finally know how heart burn feels but I found a remedy -

ICE CREAM !!!!!!

Moose tracks has been my #1 go to ice cream

Chocolate ice cream with fudge and peanut butter cups

mmmmmmm!!!

That's about it....all in all I think I've had a pretty easy time so I think she's either going to be a handful during delivery or she's going to be like me growing up. Please pray for us now :o)

I promise I will update a little more often than 6 months later, please accept our appologies. I have 27 actually work days left until I take a year and a bit break from work. October 13 is my official last day of work and the baby isn't due until November 15th, with all that time on my hands I'm sure I'll become a better blogger.

Summer Fun

2007-09-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since we have blogged the commings and goings of the Lightfoot household. Despite the rather inclimate weather in the lowermainland this year we were able to have some great vacations with family.

Our summer started out with Aidan's sister and our nephew coming out for a visit from Ontario. This was Becky's first time to BC so we went straight into tour guide mode. Our Lowermainland tour included a trip to the aquarium, checking our Fort Langley and gathering pamphlets for Drew (just in case he needs to do a research project this year). We spent a day in Whislter and 4 days on the Island at one of our favorite vacationing spots, Long Beach.

Becky and Drew at the shore line of Stanley Park with the Lions Gate Bridge in the background.

The newest additons to the canadian bobsled team.

Time passed by in the evenings at home playing Wii, boxing and tennis were the #1 favorites.

The guys taking some time out of their busy skimboarding and boogie boarding days to pose for the camera.

Aidan and I checking out the Big surf at longbeach, before we all head home after a very relaxing time on the island.

I appoligize for the lack of pictures of myself, I was purposly avoiding the camera by being the photographer :o)

Comming Soon........

2007-05-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well we haven't posted for a while because it's hard to post anything when you are excited about something else. It didn't feel like anything was happening in our life except for this and we wanted to wait just a little while.

We are excited, in November we will be ready to welcome a new addition to our family, it has no name and we have no idea if it's a boy or a girl but we are excited. Mark it on your calendars, November 15th is looking like the official date but I think it will join us a couple days before that.

This was our first ultra-sound at 9 weeks 2 days. At this point it was our little blob that has a crazy heart beat and threw a couple punches while we were watching.

I'm sorry about the crumpled picture, but this one is 12 weeks and 2 days. This one was the real one for us, you can see the distinct facial features, it's little belly and bum.

In 6 more weeks we will be going for yet another ultra-sound and we will be sure to post another picture.

Second Vehicle

2007-03-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

We're selling the scoot.

We bought our "second vehicle", the scoot last september so Aidan could get to and from work. With me driving into West Vancouver, I usually leave for work 2 or more hours before Aidan and I'm rarely home before he gets home. We didn't need anything wild and crazy so the $32 a month for insurance and $2.50 to fill it up every 2 weeks was a huge selling feature.

The stories are great when Aidan gets home from work from his adventures on the scoot. It would make his day when he would get the wave from a fellow "biker". Other highlights were racing a semi off the line and a little kid rolling down his window giving Aidan the thumbs up while yelling, " cool bike" out the window.

Rain or Shine, the scoot was great in everything except snow :) However, the sunshine was easily the best conditions to be riding in. As long as you have a great pair of waterproof pants and a waterproof jacket, your laughing. Me working at Coast Mountain Sports has its advantages for that type of clothing for sure.

It's sad really, selling the scoot. It's just not feesable anymore. Aidan joined a hockey league and plays for the Coquitlam Hitman in Langley every Saturday night and I make it to the rink just in time to see the puck drop. Getting hockey equipment to the rink on a scooter just doesn't work. We did get another vehicle that suits our lifestyle a little more. We bought a 2006 Nissan X-trail. It's awesome. We bought it on a Saturday and on the Sunday we took it on it's first road trip to Kelowna for a couple days, I love the civic, but the x-trial was awesome travelling on the Coquahalla. We were able to cram 4 adults, all of our ski/snowboard equipment and head up to Big White for a couple days

If anybody is interested in buying the scoot, just let me know.

Furnished house

2007-02-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

Well it's been 3 months since I've done the blogging thing, I love seeing how everyone elses lives are doing and I forget to do ours. Before I forget, here is a couple pictures of our livingroom furnished. A new place is so fun, pretty much each piece of furniture is new and bought for it's specific location in the livingroom.

Our bookshelf and lamp were the last additions to the livingroom, I'm finding it so fun to "nest".

The top shelf above the tv now has a couple more decorations on it, one being a Canuks vintage plaque. For any of you who know Aidan, it's something that represents him well. As our friend Drew says, " it makes it look that you had a little say and your wife didn't decorate Everything." The elephant on the window ledge is the one I brought home from India in my backpack covered in a blanket, It brings back great memories every time I look at it. The final touch will happen in the next couple of months, PAINT. We're kind of sick of the builder's biege. Aunty Beulah was over (our decorating specialist) and we've decided on three colours from Benjamin Moore: Capilano Bridge, Stanley Park and Beach Glass.

With Aidan and I working in retail, our crazy busy lives are back to a normal level with a great christmas season at work and more importantly with our families. In November I moved stores within the company, I was at the Langley Coast Mountain Sports that was litteraly 1.2 km from our house and I'm now at Park Royal Sport Chek/ Coast Mountain Sports, it's a combo store in West Vancouver 120km away from our house. In good trafic like and afternoon shift or a Saturday my commute is 45min each way but on a normal day to bad traffic my commute is an hour and a half to 2 and a half hours. A little crazy I know and I really feel it when the commute is bad but I'm having a lot of fun with the challenge, it's giving me the opportunity to run my own store kind of, I take care of the Coast Mountain Sports side of the business. It's not forever, that is for sure.

New Years was another great holiday unwinding from the busy christmas season, We were able to spend it this year again with 2 Aunt's, my Uncle, Cousins and Sister and her boyfriend at Camp Homewood. We spent it playing cards, horseback riding, watching movies and visiting. It was our second opportunity to spend New Years like this and have decided that it is going to be a family tradition.

With the calming in the stores Aidan and I were able to spend a couple days in Whistler with friends at their place. Aidan is in the process of teaching our friends 5 year old how to snowboard. We were also able to make our annual February trip to Kelowna to see Aidan's best friend Scott and fiancee Krista. It's so fun that she is now his Fiancee, they've been dating longer than Aidan and I have been together. The location of their wedding has been anounced and Hawaii here we come, we just don't know when. I'm so excited.

Well I don't want to overload you all with all the happenings of the Lightfoot household, I'll give it to you in bite sized pieces, but I will now be on the blogging bandwagon again :)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2006-11-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Our Winter Wonderland view. First annual snowfall in the Lower Mainland. The local mountains have been getting dumped on for the last month and it finally came down here.

Don't think people will be sitting out in the court yard today:)

However, anyone wanting lodging to come and enjoy an epic alpine season give us a call.

Grampa's tree is standing strong through all kinds of weather.

A Long Awaited Visit Part I

2006-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

On October 20th we flew out to Ontario for our much needed vacation. It had been two years since our last visit and we had 5 new members of the family to meet.

Our first stop was to the Toronto area for our friends Mike and Marta's wedding. Their wedding was a cultural first for both Aidan and I. Mike and Marta are Polish so their entire wedding and reception was in Polish, even the live band at the reception sang in Polish, it was fantastic and a wedding we wouldn't miss for the world. I felt as if were in "my big fat greek wedding" only Polish style.

While in the Toronto area we stayed at Aidan's sister Chris and her boyfriend Logan's place. This is where we were able to meet the first 2 members of the family that we hadn't met yet. Somehow we made it home without a picture of Chris and Logan but we did get pictures of Lexi and Stanley, the new additions.

Both Lexi and Stanley are very small parrots, they are both incredibly smart and you have to be carefull with what you say because they do copy you. Lexi is the blue one, she entertained us for quite a while on the kitchen table playing with her ball and attacking a pencil. Stan is a little more outgoing and social, as much as Chris and Logan are training him, I think Stan has done a great job in acutally training them, it's great. Between the two birds they have more toys than an average child, there is nothing wrong with spoiling your animals.

After our visit we were on our way to Cornwall, where the rest of Aidan's family lives. Our time was spent the best way possible, with family. We decided that this visit we wouldn't do a lot of sight seeing, instead we spent more time visiting.

The Dream is ALIVE

2006-10-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Some background to the picutures we posted yesterday.

March 2005, Aidan and I purchased a condo. A new house to call our own and take the next step in life, a mortgage. Apparently building Condo's takes a long time because there are 74 miniature houses in the one major complex. The due date of completion was between February and June of 2006, the builders gave themselves a 5 month buffer.

As most people can attest to when building a house, it's actual completion date is always late. It's been even worse in the lower mainland with the shortage of trades people and the multitudes of houses, townhouses and condos going up all over. Gone are the days of driving past a farm or an empty field.

4.5 months past the June due date, our dream is coming alive. On Thursday September 28 Aidan and I did our walk through to note any deficiencies. We brought an army, My Aunty Beulah, Uncle Jeff, Cousin Greg, Aidan's boss Drew, Aidan and myself did the walk through. Most spots were merely cosmetic. We did however have a really ugly pipe sticking out of the celing; it was a sprinkler pipe with the sprinkler uninstalled. They'll fix that one for sure.

Our official move in date is October 26th, however we will be in Ontario for a long awaited vacation, so we'll move when we get back October 31 at 9 pm. Due to us renting and not getting back in time to move out and clean, Aidan and I will be moving our stuff into storage and then into our new place when we get back. The cats will stay at the house because it doesn't take much to move them out in time.

So please, now when you look at our last post and see the pictures of our walk through; envision that space only a couple of weeks away from being transformed into our house and a place for Aidan and I to call our own.

Lightfoot's Mansion

2006-10-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Unit 211,
our humble abode.

Please enter.

Picture comfy couches,
hot coffee, a book and a warm
fire.
The kitchen awaits
taming.

Our Family

2006-08-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

We would like to introduce you to our girls, Abby is 3 1/2 and Emma will be 2 in the middle of October. To our mom's, they don't have any grandkids from us but they do have 2 beautiful grandkitties.

This is a typical Abby pose for the camera, chilling out and relaxing. Abby has taken on the role as queen with her sister and can usually be found in her bed watching over the house. You can score big brownie points by offering her treats when you go to the kitchen.

Emma, is our crazy cat who lives for attention. Her greatest attention getter is playing fetch with the rubber wrist bands (the livestrong kind). Emma's the cuddly one that loves when new people come to visit.

Another Ferry Ride

2006-08-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

A Visit out West

2006-08-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day at Shannon Falls, Squamish, BC with mum & Dave on our trip to Whistler. Just one of the picturesque days we had during their visit.