Post #51 of personal project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer")
* My boys are completely crazy about their daddy. And they should be with a daddy so devoted to them. He always includes them in everything he does around the house. Whether he is busy cleaning up or mowing the lawn or building something, they are never far from him. Mattias asks every morning for daddy and is disappointed if he wakes up after Art has left for work. Noah looks forward to daddy-stay-home days (Saturday) and Sundays where he gets his quality time. I could not ask for a more devoted father to my children and husband to me. We love you!!!
* Pesto and Parm bread sticks. We enjoyed them but I think the next time I would use the Italian Bread Wedges Dough recipe which is my go to recipe for a great pizza dough, flat bread or calzones/stromboli.
* Finally planting the garden. This year we planted: 6 spinach, 2 mixed salad, 6 butter crunch salad, 3 tomatoes (different varieties), 1 cuke, 1 pepper. I also seeded some watermelon. I did a container full of herbs this year. The peppermint, sage and oregano came back from last year.
* Lilac growing on the bush.
* The tomatoes start out so small.
* Lilac in a vase.
* Mattias at the top of the ladder peeking through.
* Buttercups everywhere in our yard this year. I don’t remember the buttercups taking over this much in previous years. I don’t mind as much as with dandelions.
* Eyelashes.
Post #50 of personal project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer Personal Project 52 weeks")
* Minter Gardens for the day. This was the more formal English garden section.
* We were celebrating my parents 40th wedding anniversary with this lovely day outing. Happy anniversary Mom & Dad V.
* My parents were amazed how much energy the boys had. Amazed. Shocked. We laughed. Because yes, they have a lot of energy. But they were also wiped by the end of the day. Really wiped. They ran around Minter Gardens for about 3 hours. At some points we did strap Mattias into the stroller because he was just too much work to run after. It was one of the hottest days of the year. High 20s.
* Minter Gardens definitely has gorgeous grounds. We loved the water feature.
* Before heading to Minter, my father wanted to share his love for farming with the boys. It’s been a long time since my dad was a farmer but it’s something that is near and dear to his heart. So we headed to the Ecodairy farm owned by a family that my dad used to farm for when he first immigrated to Canada.
* The farm offered a tour of the facility. Here we are in the viewing room of the robotic milker. Noah and Mattias were completely engaged with the cow and robotic milker system. Cheering for the cows. Noah, a real milk lover, refused to try the milk at the taste test. We think that the whole cow producing milk concept was a little too much for him to swallow. I love this photo. Super low light. And I love their little faces learning something new.
* What is a day outing without a group shot taken on a self-timer?
* I’m shooting a wedding at Minter in August and am so happy to have visited first. There are so many possibilities. I can not wait!!!
* Water feature. They almost jumped in.
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Very nice post.
The real story about my relationship with the Van der Kooi’s is a bit more complexed.
In the Fall of 1965 I became Hank’s neighbour in Hazelmere Valley. We chummed around for a number of years. I moved away to the Otter district when the Hazelmere dairy sold its cows. Later, I became Hank’s relief milker while he went on weekend visits to see his girlfriend Henriette, now already his wife of over 40 years, in Sunnyside, Washington. I also was in his wedding party. We were also members of the same church.
When on a visit to the Netherlands in December 1967, I visited Hank’s family.
You are so right that my interest in farming remained strong. While living as an urbanite I have tried to keep in contact with old friends.
When I first visited Bakerview Eco Dairy in May, I was very amazed at the set up, and very impressed. The Van der Kooi’s are showcasing the farm in a suburb way and have thought of all sorts of imported details.
The way Noah and Mattias watched things during the tour was the biggest reward for this effort. Am glad you liked it too.
Post #49 of personal project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer")
* Times have changed. This too shall pass did pass. My “no pictures” toddler has grown into a preschooler with some really great suggestions on where to photograph him. Really. He jumps into long grass and says, “mom take my picture”. Okay.
* Hair cuts are still very painful. Lots of tears and bribery.
* Succulents in the backyard.
* Mattias is always ready with a big smile and laugh.
* He loves reading books and looking at pictures.
* I love this photo. Messy floor. Excess chairs strewn about the kitchen. Lego pieces can be found in every nook and cranny of our home. It’s a hopeless battle. This is the way we live.
* AIRPLANE he shouts every time he hears one. Mattias that is.
* Photo taken while swinging Mattias between us, on 1-2-3.
* Brothers.
Every time I think I want to specialize in wedding photography, a newborn comes along and steals my heart. Mr. James Elias did just that. Fingers and toes. Wrinkles and chubs. Furrowed brow and bright eyes. I particularly love his name. James was and is on our list. And Elias is our firstborn’s middle name as well.
This little guy slept for about 20 minutes at the beginning of the session. All sprawled out, arms above and under his head. He loved the newsboy cap, I’m sure of it.
.jpg "Abbotsford Newborn Photography")
After a little catnap, he wanted to eat a little, poop a little and snuggle a little with his dad and mom. Arenda and Jeremy are some of the most relaxed parents I’ve ever seen.
.jpg "Abbotsford Newborn Photographer")
Clearly they are enamored with the new addition to their family.
.jpg "Abbotsford Newborn Photographer")
The fabulous bedding you see above is made by Giggle Six Baby. Check out their great line of baby blankets plus their genius 3-in-1 blanket, carrier and cover.
Jeremy strummed while James nursed. I love those series of photos.
After quite some time — I’m not even going to tell you how long I stayed — James finally wanted his deep snooze. That’s when we captured these.
.jpg "Abbotsford Newborn Photographer")
Enjoy this miracle and gift. The newborn stage is so precious and fleeting. God bless.
Post #48 of personal project 52 weeks.
.jpg "Aldergrove Family Photographer")
* We eat salad almost every night. Lots of spinach salads and spring mixes. The ones with fruit and nuts and a sweet vinaigrette. Sometimes a hearty romaine with ranch or caesar for something a little more crunchy. We actually have to hide the salad until the kids finish their meat and starch (rice / pasta or potatoes). If given a choice, they would only eat the salad.
* Mattias and Duplo. It’s fun to watch him play.
* He likes to help himself. A bad habit was born when we allowed Mattias to sit on my lap while we ate dinner. Now it’s almost impossible to get him in his chair and keep him there. It’s a battle. We’re trying.
* He usually plays with Noah’s Lego (over Duplo). But Noah has a major break down if Mattias picks up one of his guys. My favorite is when Noah goes to the bathroom. He orchestrates a distraction for Mattias. Instructs me to keep Mattias away from his Lego. And while he is in the bathroom, asks me every 5 seconds if Mattias is touching his Lego. Usually, he will hop off the toilet and check for himself 2 or 3 times as well. Just to make sure. Clearly I am not to be trusted to keep his Lego safe. He’s a funny kid.
* This week was a taste test week as I tried all sorts of different recipes for hosting appies for our dine and dash. These bacon wrapped potato bites with a spicy sour cream dipping sauce didn’t make the cut. They were okay but kind of boring.
* Several times a day he can be found sitting somewhere and reading a book.
* Noah and the ipad. He loves to watch Lego stuff on youtube.com.
* Oma V over for a visit and Noah cuddled up and napping on her shoulder.
Alicia Louwerse - Your almost done!!