Caitlin started playschool this year!
She was pretty excited to go, especially because her cousin Hannah is in her class! She was definitely more "clingy" to me when I went to leave than Emma was though. But, classic Caitlin ... once I left she was grand!
We had our "Family Service" at Douglas Baptist. Larry & Joann Scheleen did the children's talk and asked for volunteers for part of the story ... we were shocked to watch Caitlin walk up to the front to participate!
And check out the "word" she was given to display ... we were laughing!
But seriously ... how cute is she up there!?
In September, we had a house guest arrive to stay with us for a couple of weeks. If you know him, this picture gives you a great clue as to who it was ...
The girls were thrilled with making their own pizzas!
Someone likes the pizza sauce!
And there is the "Master Pizza Maker" himself ... Lee Freace!
The girls enjoyed having "Uncle Glee" around. Especially since we got to have pizza and popcorn for dinner!
Pizza making however, seems to tire them out!
In September, Emma joined the local GAA club for under 8 girls. She loves gaelic football! She had maybe two practices and was invited to the "Blitz" that was being held in Passage West.
There was even a parade! Her club led all the visiting teams down the road to the pitches. There were clubs from all over Ireland there!
Even a "minion" showed up!
Joel and I hadn't quite expected the amount of the people that were there. It was quite the local event!
These are all the spectators watching the clubs come in to the pitches.
Emma's club leading the rest out onto the pitch for the "opening ceremony".
Emma and a teammate.
One of her matches.
There is a daddy supporting from the side ... and trying not to be too "competitive" ... yet!
We took Caitlin to the toilets, and met some Disney characters on the way back to watch Emma. Minnie Mouse is a favourite of Caitlin's (foreshadowing for her birthday!)
Peppa Pig was there.
And Doc McStuffins! Caitlin hugged every one!
October, 2014
October was an exciting month ... my parents arrived in Ireland for a visit! We hadn't seen them since our last home assignment in Canada, 2 years ago.
Emma made them a sign!
And she rushed over to greet them when they came through the security doors!
Caitlin was a little more reserved ... until they came home with us ;-)
Amma & Emma.
We went for a stroll to Curraghbinny Woods. Joel was having a youth wide game there and needed to check out where the boundaries for his game were going to be.
The girls even found a fairy door at the base of one of the trees!
October also brought the annual "Fancy Dress" day at St. Luke's School. Emma was "Elsa" from Frozen. My parents brought her costume, and Caitlin's over with them on the plane. I ordered online and had them delivered to them in Canada. Apparently, they came via "China Mail"!
Caitlin and Granpa!
On the 19th of October, we were thrilled to be able to attend our friends' wedding ... Eloi & Lais Ancheta.
The girls loved getting dressed up in their dresses and new coats.
Our family photo with the gorgeous bride and her groom :-)
Joel and I also loved the fact that we had "live-in child minders" for the girls while we went to the reception! (Thanks again Amma & Granpa!)
Amma & Granpa bought a pumpkin and the girls loved watching the whole carving process.
The tradition when I was growing up was that I would draw a picture of the pumpkin face I wanted, and my dad would carve it on the pumpkin. This year Emma did the drawing and Granpa did the carving!
Mr. Pumpkin
We put our pumpkin in the window, along with the decorations/art work the girls made in school.
Caitlin in her "Anna" costume.
My pretty princesses all ready to go trick or treating with Daddy and Granpa.
While the girls and the boys went trick or treating, my mom and I stayed home to hand out treats at the door and my mom made pumpkin seeds! I haven't had them in years. Emma was a big fan of them as well. We had over 100 trick or treaters! We had prepared about 75 bags, and we had to turn our light off after 40 minutes because we were completely out of anything resembling a "treat"! It was a sure a big change from our old estate in Douglas where we only got about 20-30 trick or treaters!
November, 2014
In November, Caitlin finally got to have her "Mouse Prize" Party! She had been excited for months about her Minnie Mouse birthday party!
At church, they sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and brought out her cake.
A "Minnie Mouse" cake of course!
Caitlin and her "Birthday Buddy" John!
The Birthday Table
The snacks ... before :-)
The "Minnie Mouse" poster and "guest list" ;-)
Anne and Auntie Cary finishing the cupcakes for Mummy/
Tali!
The Birthday Table during ... :-)
Caitlin with her favourite girls ... Anne & Lais!
The men hiding in the sitting room! :-)
Caitlin & her cousin Hannah & her friend Tali!
Minnie Mouse Birthday Girl!
Lulu & Simi.
Granpa! Amma was there too, we just didn't catch her with the camera!
Minnie Mouse Party Girls!
My favourite Birthday Party helpers!
The short one is cute!
Birthday cupcake!
And cupcakes for all!
With mini oreos from England, delivered by Uncle Bryce and Auntie Cary after their trip to LEGOLAND :-)
Another Birthday Party helper!
Minnie Mouse "bows" ;-)
Pinata time!
I think Tali was the one who pulled the right ribbon ... on the first go! :-)
Me with two of the most gorgeous (inside & out) sisters that I know! :-)
A friend of mine from Passage (her grandson is in Emma's class) invited me to a "Christmas Gala" in Carrigaline, sponsored by the Flower & Garden Club. It was a flower arranging demonstration. The above picture is my favourite arrangement of the night ... made in a piece of driftwood!
I saw some gorgeous flowers & colours I had never heard of!
This one was her "Panto" inspired arrangement with all the vivid, bright colours.
This silver one was inspired by the "Aurora Borealis" the demonstrator saw in Norway on a trip with her husband. My friend won this one at the end of the night in the raffle :-)
The colour of the roses in this arrangement was gorgeous! I wish I could remember the names of some of the flowers she used ...
I was hoping to win this wreath in the raffle ... but, I didn't :-(
This was the first arrangement she did ... Big fans made out of Christmas wrapping paper which I'm still trying to decide if I like!?
I was laughing at the end when we were invited to take photos of all the displays ... all the women went up with their "smart phones" and started snapping photos ... I was the youngest one in the place, with the oldest "picture taking device" ... my Canon PowerShot SX210 :-)
On the 28th of November, our favourite girl Anne married our favourite fella Andrew! They asked Emma & Caitlin to be their flower girls, along with Anne's niece Adriana. Here is Anne with Emma at her house before going to the wedding venue.
Emma did a fantastic job! She absolutely loved being a flower girl, and she took her job very seriously ... especially throwing the flower petals! :-)
Here she is with the bride and groom. I love this photo! (photo credit to the wedding photographer Ann Thompson)
Here is the amazing wedding cake, made by Anne's mum Helen :-)
You may be wondering where Caitlin was for the wedding? Unfortunately, Caitlin did not get to be a flower girl for Anne & Andrew :-( She went into hospital that morning after being sent by our GP (family doctor).
She had a rough night the night before the wedding. In the morning, her breathing was pretty bad and Joel took her to the walk in clinic here in Passage to have our GP check her. She ended up in the Mercy Hospital for 3 nights with pneumonia :-(
She was such a good little patient though! Joel stayed in with her the first night (Friday) while I was at the wedding & reception with Emma.
I swapped with him on Saturday morning so that he could prepare for his sermon on Sunday morning and a puppet show he was doing on Sunday afternoon for a birthday party.
Thankfully, by Sunday night, she didn't need to have oxygen through the night, so we were able to bring her home on Monday. It was a scary experience for us as parents, but after following a friends' journey this year with her daughter having cancer, and my friend having to live in hospital with her daughter far away from her husband and son ... I believe I was much more grateful and full of less fear than if I hadn't been thinking of my friend, her daughter, and their family! Their journey and their faith through it all was such an inspiration to me at the time they were (and still are) going through it, and it helped so much to put our situation into perspective and to help me not to panic. Praise God, Caitlin is much better now, although it has taken awhile for her to come back from it (and a chest infection right before Christmas). We are so thankful for God's timing and His sovereign plan. Although she missed the wedding, it is amazing to see how He worked it out so that Joel was able to keep his commitments that weekend, we were both able to be in hospital with her at different points, and Emma was an amazing big sister and carried on eventhough plans and life changed unexpectedly that weekend!
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