Ben, Jeanelle & Kai

Our family photos

2010-01-27T19:08:00.018+11:00

I have been wanting to take some professional family photos for awhile. So here they are. Hope you enjoy. It was fun taking them.

Isn't she beautiful....

Gotta love those kissable lips.

He loves his little sis...not sure if the feeling is mutual yet. :-)

one of my fav pics of Kai

this really depicts the way he is now...always running

love it...nothing sexier

pretty handsome!

my beautiful lil' girl

Can you believe that Kai was throwing the biggest tantrum in this photo? He was...

love this photo

it's beautiful!

Presenting Baby no. 2 - It's a Girl

2009-12-18T22:02:00.008+11:00

Presenting...our little girl...still nameless...but beautiful nonetheless.

Lots of visitors

Shane(Ben's bro) and Ben's mom came to visit.

aaagghhh ...shucks...

Daddy put too much soap in her bath...but she was a good sport.

Kai making sure his sister is ready to go.

He always says - 'Mine' when referring to her.

Very cute!

the happy family

Halloween '09

2009-11-25T08:39:00.004+11:00

I know it's late... but here ya go... Sorry - for some reason I could turn it... but you can see the cuteness! Mommy forgot the pants/ tights. But he pulls it off with the nappy....
This was the first car he went to... wasn't too sure what to do...

but soon figured it out...

Kai with Daddy - yes our boot wasn't that well decorated-- for some reason we always run out of time and never can put the effort in that I want too. Oh well. there is always next year.

Trip to Alice Springs

2009-10-06T10:58:00.009+11:00

The sign Ben said was put up for me - in the middle of no where.

Ben made me get out of the car to pose next to the sign he thought was put there for me.

The rock wallabie we got to see...

Nice spot we found!

We had a stop over in Adelaide and made a run for Glen Elg and had fish n chips. Love Adelaide.

The bridal party! The bride looked beautiful! She made her own dress and cake.

Our pics of the dust storm

2009-09-23T09:05:00.000+10:00

So many of you heard that Sydney had a big dust storm yesterday. Ben woke me up, freaking out at the sight of it. He didn't know what was going on. Fortunately, after living in El Paso and seeing my share of dust storms - I could calm his fears. This was not the end of the world. Having said that, it was a spectacular sight! the street lamp in the front of the house
Looking out our back window

Kai loved it!

2009-04-03T14:45:00.007+11:00

So I am very behind in posting pictures. Here are just a few from our trip to the States and Mexico over Christmas. Kai's first birthday. We spent it in Mexico with family. Tio Licho made this pinata. Kai was really keen on hitting it.

Kai and his great uncle Licho. They were quite the pair. Tio Licho lost both of his legs due to diabetes and he is very independent and climbs the stairs using his hands to pull himself up and down. So Kai followed his lead. Quite the scene, both of them crawling up and down the stairs.

The family - don't we look like a bunch of tourists.

In the main plaza in Mexico D.F. Supposedly with the biggest outdoor ice skating rink in the world behind us.

Ben and I on top of one of the famous pyramids in Mexico D.F.

That's us climbing one of the pyramids. Good thing I wore an orange shirt. Easy to spot. Ben and my cousin Beto there too. We were a bit sneaky, see all of the masses of people climbing up, well there were heaps more on the ground waiting to climb it, so much so that it wrapped the pyramid(about a 40 min wait). We didn't want to wait, so Ben came up with the idea that we would go up the exit. So we did.

Some fun pictures

2008-12-02T11:40:00.005+11:00

So I am part of a mother's group that meets every Tuesday and occasionally we have a big shin-dig so that partners can come too. So we had one a couple of weeks ago and here are a few pictures. This is Kai with his friend Austin. I think Kai looks like such a big boy in this picture.

This is the race to get a present. Everyone brought a gift and we let all of the babies go and grab the one they wanted. See the little girl in stripe tights - she was born in the same week as Kai.

And while all of the other babies went after their gift - Kai sat there and cried. He was a very tired baby.

So we took the gift that was left - and it was the perfect gift for him - maracas and a tamborine. He loves anything musical. He plays with them all the time.

I just like this picture . . . I think he looks cute. He loves to be wherever I am and I always seem to be in the kitchen. And he loves being under the table - lots of different things to hold on to and climb up on. And of course, I love that cheesy grin.

I like this picture because Kai loves to follow daddy to the door whenever he leaves and he will watch him leave and wave bye-bye. This time - he sat there and just watched Ben mow the lawn. I just thought it was adorable. You can kind of see Ben in the background.

Bad hair day?

2008-12-02T11:11:00.004+11:00

Poor Kai has so much hair he doesn't know what to do with it. Every morning he wakes up with a new doo. It is very cute. Here are just a few snaps of his doos.

Is this saying something about him? (li'le devil)

Don't Forget to Vote!

2008-11-04T22:07:00.002+11:00

I hope everyone is as excited as I am for this election! It doesn't matter who you are voting for, just make sure you go out and do it!

But if you are still not sure on who to vote for - my plug is for Obama.

As a 'Republican' - I have to say I am disappointed with the Republican party. I believe they have waved the 'We are for family values' and 'We are the patriotic party' flags for awhile now and once in office, have done contrary to those statements. I belive the Republican party is too big and too powerful for it's own good. I believe, ultimately, the Republican party is for big business/corporations and are only for family values and American patriotism when it's election time.

Being a PR person - I know a smart PR campaign when I see it. And 'they' (the Republican party) have built a great 'false' image that stirs the hearts of the voters. They know that those who believe in family values and believe in the country, are those most likely to vote. So they pull out these flags when election time comes around and viola . . . the voters turn out and they get elected.

Once in 'power', they push for policies that further big business' agendas and forget about the family values that put them in there. They forget about those families who are working hard and can not afford health insurance. Where are the family values in that? They forget about the sons and daughter, fathers and wives fighting over in Iraq- some coming home scarred for life (either physically or mentally), others never come home. What is the number up to these days? 4000??? And why is it we are over there for again?

And what about the Iraqi families - who have lost loved ones? Who live in a constant state of not knowing what the future brings for their families- where are the family values in that? Or do we not care - since they are part of a country that is deemed part of the 'axis of evil'.

What about Katrina? What about all of those families devestated and homeless after they lost everything? Where was the grand ol' party who believes in protecting families? Would the outcome have been different if those affected by the hurricane were more affluent? But then again, they would have been able to help themselves, right? Because of course, that's what we belive as republicans right? No socialism here . . . we believe it's not up to the government to help people, they must help themselves.

Now, having said all of this, I don't believe all Republican politicians beliefs or actions are in contrary to family values and American patriotism, but I do belive that in order to become president, you have to ultimately bow down to the power of the party. I belive McCain is a good man, who has served our country well. He probably deserves the presidency just as much as Obama, but I don't believe he will be able to stand against the party and what the party dictates.

Anyhow enough of my thoughts . . . just go out and vote!!!

Some pictures of my cutie

2008-11-04T10:37:00.003+11:00

I am so far behind in posting pictures . . . here are a couple. I remember loving to hide under the laundry basket when I was a kid and what-do-ya-know so does Kai.

Here is a picture of Kai with the beautiful flowers in our backyard. If you look at the September/ October blogs of last year - I took pictures with Kai in my belly. It's amazing how fast they grow.

The Giggling Hyena

2008-09-25T17:28:00.004+10:00

Isn't life grand when you can laugh at the simple things of life - like falling clothes pins?

Feeding Baby Bird

2008-09-25T17:09:00.004+10:00

Yea!!!! my first video upload. Too cute to resist. I told you Lauren is a good friend. (She is doing the feeding.)

Kai and Lauren

2008-09-22T17:15:00.007+10:00

So now that I have started working more, Kai has been spending more time with his little friend Lauren. (refer to Feb post for cute picture and to compare what they looked like then versus now.) She is such a great friend. She takes such good care of him. Everytime she sees him anywhere (including sacrament) she yells out 'Kais'. It is way cute! A funny story her mother told me - one night, while Lauren was fast asleep, she just randomly yells out 'kais'. She was dreaming about her real live doll. Very cute.

We thought this photo was funny because it looks like they are going to kiss.

I like Kai's face in this picture and the colours.

This shot is for grandma - 'fan since birth for the UTEP miners'. I don't know about that . . . especially when mommy is a cougar!!!

have to love the drool pics . . . looks a lot like grandpa, if you ask me.

Uncle Shane's visit

2008-08-31T15:45:00.014+10:00

Uncle Shane and Kai enjoying a sunny, warm moment.

So we took Uncle Shane up to the mountains. We hiked the Three Sisters hike - 1000 steps down. (Very hard on the knees, or are we just getting old?) This day was absolutely freezing. I was so worried about the little guy. He was so rosey. I wrapped him as well as I could. And the little man loved it. He is a big lover of the trees.

The boys . . .

The hooded family - everyone including Kai. Those are the three sisters behind us. It was very cold that day!!!!!! Did I mention that already?

The second day, we found the best hike ever in Mt. Victoria. (Close to Katoomba) I felt like we were in some Indiana Jones movie. Great views and a path that lead you to caves. It was amazing!

Uncle Shane doing his yoga on the mountain.

Our sleepy hiker....

The ladder we had to climb as part of the hike - to get to the caves.

The bigger of the two caves. The picture doesn't do it justice, but trust me it was amazing. I wish I had better pictures of the hike itself. You will just have to take my word for it.

Our visit to Koala Park.

This was a special moment. We were looking at the sleepy koalas in the trees, when all of a sudden we spotted this mommy koala running past with her baby attached to her back. I was trying to get a picture of it, when it came up to me and started to climb on me. I was crouched down and didn't want to make any sudden movements. It was an amazing experience to be that close to a momma 'bear' and her cub.

Mister, as we call him, seems to always attract attention to himself. While we were visiting Koala Park, we went to see the sheep shearing 'show'. As we were waiting for the show to start, a girl from a Korean tour group caught sight of Kai. She said, 'So cute. Can I picture?' I said - ok. And then next thing we know, Kai is being passed around from person to person taking pictures with some tourist from Korea. The guy running the 'show' wasn't impressed. I thought it was funny. Agh, that little Mister, he is a cutie. Uncle Shane made him the blankie in the picture.

MIB -

2008-07-12T22:26:00.002+10:00

Yep that's us - don't we look cool? (that's a rhetorical question) We dressed up as MIB for a stake dance on Friday. I know, we are silly, but we had a lot of fun. They need more activities for marrieds.

Our First Family holiday - Pacific Palms Beach

2008-07-12T20:41:00.020+10:00

So it's school holidays over here and we took a few days and went north to the beach. I know, a bit cold for a swim, but we still had fun. Here are some pictures we (mostly I) took.
Kai had his favorite spot on the couch and chilling with his cuppie. There was a slight slump in the couch so he could sit up and not fall over. Very cute.
Every morning we woke to the cuckabarras' (i know i should know how to spell it - but no idea and at the moment to lazy to care). laughs - wonderful!
Kai in deep thought . . .wonder what he is thinking about . . .the next feed????
Ben and Kai having a conversation. (See - what did I tell you - he loved his little spot.)

Ben did a lot of running around with Kai and I snapped away. Kai loved it. And I loved hearing Kai giggle and squeal.
Kai's first time eating, I mean, playing with sand. To be fair, he only put sand in his mouth once and I think he learned from that and didn't do it again. But he sure looked cute with sand all over his face.
Kai chillin' with the sunnies . . .
Go team go . . .

Aaaggghhh the view. . .
Look at that kisser . . . very cute I tell ya.All for one and one for all . . .Our little familia

Taiwan lives on inside of us!

2008-06-23T10:53:00.004+10:00

So we decided to get a scooter for various reasons - petrol prices on the rise (about $6.50/ gallon here) and I need a car so I am not stuck at home.

So we found this guy selling them - brand new one with bike wheels so you feel like you are on a motorcycle. Ben has been loving it.

I still need to get my license so I can drive it. We loved having one in Taiwan.

Funny story - So Ben had to take some stuff to school for his class - they are building models about China and he said 'Jeanelle I am going to need the car because i have too much stuff to carry.' I said 'What are you talking about - don't you remember what we carried on our scooter in Taiwan? Freak - you can take a family of four and a dog on a scooter.' He said - 'Yeah your right - I have just forgotten.' I said 'You are going to have to show these Aussies how to do it Taiwanese style.' So he did - Picture below - and compared to what we saw in Taiwan this is nothing! oh the great memories.

What a cute li'le tigger

2008-06-23T10:26:00.004+10:00

So I bought this little tigger outfit before Kai was born and Ben has been really wanting to put Kai in it, but I kept saying he is still too little or it's too hot. Well I finally gave in and viola - he has almost out grown it. Silly mommy - doesn't know what she is talking about.

The little guy keeps growing!

2008-06-02T11:56:00.007+10:00

Okay, so I have been a bit slack in updating the blog. Apologies, I have been busy organising things and I just started my new job (only part-time), so that's my excuse and I am sticking to it.

And it has been really exciting here at the Walters house. Little Kai is growing so fast. About two weeks back, it seem to all hit at once. He started rolling over and holding his head up so high and wiggling on his belly. I was so excited, I snapped a few pics.

Then I noticed he started grabbing for his feet. It was so cute! And he started reacting to us when we called out for him. Of course, we always call him Mister, so he doesn't know his name just yet. And I read him stories and he listens and looks at the pictures.

And then I noticed he was showing all of the signs that he is ready for solids. He was chewing, etc. So I said what the heck and gave it a go. He loved it! I gave him some mashed potatos and then after a few days he had some sweet potato. So we decided he needed a chair in the kitchen, so we bought him a highchair. He loves sitting in it, although he looks so small in it. And he eats like a champ! And he likes grabbing the spoon and putting it into his mouth.

All of this before he is five months. (He will be five months tomorrow.) I knew they grew up fast, but not this fast! I keep telling him to slow down because I still want my little baby. And I am always telling him that he is not a baby anymore, he is my little boy. But he still likes to be held like my little baby. :-) And he loves to do spins in his cot. He is hilarious! He is constantly cracking up and making us laugh. He is a star!

My little garden

2008-06-02T09:59:00.007+10:00

So I promised some pictures of my garden. I am so proud of this little plot. It's my first ever attempt. And I am already seeing fruits of my labours. too bad the pictures aren't the best. I am happy because I am using recycled grey water to water the plants. I am trying to help the environment, even if it's in little ways.

My carrots have taken root.

My cabbage is surviving. I have had too pick a lot of worms off of it. Yuck! Guess I am not a real gardener yet.

Louder than Words

2008-05-15T08:53:00.004+10:00

Yet again I have devoured another book in about 5 hours. Louder than Words is such a well written book. And if you would have told me I would have enjoyed reading one of Jenny McCarthy books, I would have said no way - that obnoxious woman.

Funny thing is one day I was watching Oprah (yes, I like Oprah) and she was on. I thought to myself, man, what in the world are they interviewing this lady for. The only thing I knew about this woman was that she was a loud obnoxious lady that used to host some MTV thing and that now she is dating Jim Carrey.

But as she told Oprah her story about finding out her little boy had autism and her quest to find a cure for him, I was completely compelled by her story. I was in tears through most of the interview, with moments of laughter scattered throughout (she is a very funny lady). And as she described feelings she received from God (yes, those were her words), I don't know what came over me, but I knew I had to read her book. I felt connected to her story and I was impressed with her spirituality(which came totally unexpected).

Sure enough I went out the next day and bought her book. (I have never done this before - gone out and bought a book straight away after watching a promo.) The first page was beautiful - a dedication to her son. I was already in tears. The next page was her thank you's and guess who the last people was she thanked - the Mormons. I know, my jaw dropped too. Needless to say I was more intrigued to read on. The first third of the book I was in tears. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to go through what she did with her little boy. I am sure the man sitting next to me was thinking - what in the world is wrong with this lady (I was waiting for Ben outside of Westfield Shopping Centre). And then she gets to the part about the Mormons. I won't ruin it for you, but I really felt the Spirit testify that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that his priesthood authority is again on the earth. And I really felt privileged to have served a mission for Jesus Christ.

I highly recommend this book. It's a very informative book about autism and her beliefs of what causes it and what can 'cure' it. But mostly it's about a mother who loves her son and her strong belief that God has a purpose for everything; and her journey to fulfill this purpose.

Mothers' Day

2008-05-12T10:46:00.008+10:00

I had a great Mothers' Day. Ben made me breakfast and Kai gave me lots of cuddles, giggles and smiles. We dressed Kai up in his little suit that grandma gave him. He looked so cute and everyone at church commented on it. The suit has a tie and jacket too, but Kai was not keen on either. I love the tie and jacketless look, makes me think Kai has a bit of disco fever.
Some other pictures we took . . .

Never thought my baby would be so white. ha ha ha

Young Ambassadors visit Sydney

2008-05-10T22:46:00.002+10:00

It was great to have the YA stay with us a few nights. Boy did it bring back memories of touring with Living Legends (the good and the bad). The fireside was good, but I did have to chuckle a bit when the opening story was - none other than a BYU classic - Correction - I know your father. I know, I shouldn't have laughed (inside of course), but it brought back a flood of memories of BYU fireside, where I think each one somehow linked back to that part of the Lion King. I know, it is a good analogy and Ben had never heard it before. . . show a little bit of respect for the hallowed Lion King.

The show was great! Although I didn't see much of it. I spent more than half of it outside with little mister. But I got an idea of what the show was like from the monitors. Watching the performance, brought back a lot of good memories of dancing on stage. Man that was fun! The YA's director, Randy Booth, did most of the choreography for Light of the World (during the SLC Winter Olympics where YAs and Living Legends were asked to perform), which was fabulous! So it was good to see him again. (If anyone has the Light of the World DVD I am one of the icons to click on - talk about a great claim to fame. It's in the Special bits section. Can't remember which one, but I am the Mexican in the purple dress. There are a few close-ups of me too in the video bit.)

Anyways funny story about this guy (see below) - Graeme. Well Ben and I were addicted to watching So You Think You Can Dance Australia and this guy was one of the finalist (I know, it was on Sunday, but we have since repented). And the entire time we were watching it, I was like, I just wish they would vote this guy off(the one bleow). I thought he came across a bit full of himself.

Anyways, the time finally came when he was voted off (took long enough) and in his farewell speech he said something like, 'First I would like to thank my Heavenly Father . . . for the plan he has for me . . .etc.' Ben and I looked at each other going - what - is this dude mormon. (For those Australian LDS bloggers - I know I am really out of the loop.) Anyways at the YA show during intermission I went to the bathroom. I ran, of course, to beat everyone else because there are never enough stalls to get all of the women through before the end of intermission. And who do you think I saw on my way out . . . yep this guy - Graeme. It didn't hit me at first, I just looked at him wondering why this guy looked so familiar to me. Anyways - it clicked when everyone was congratulating him on a job well done on the show. So I joined in and said congrats - secretly repenting for all of the evil thoughts I had about him.

My Blog Nightmare!

2008-05-10T22:43:00.002+10:00

Okay, so I know, blogging is not supposed to be complicated. Some how I have complicated it. Everything started out okay, but then went haywire somewhere along the way. I used to have the comments thingy available, but one day it disappeared. Then I had a friend look at it and she fixed it, but then all of my 'friends' disappeared. Then when I added my 'friends' back, the comments bit disappeared again. Oh woe's me. Anybody have any suggestions????

Oh Nakita, Nakita wherefore art thou Nakita!

2008-05-06T09:32:00.006+10:00

The other day Kai and I went to 'Solids' class (so mommy could learn how to feed this little man). And as I was sitting there, this lady and her little girl came and sat down next to us. Next thing I know, Kai and this beautiful Indian baby girl, Nakita, made eye contact. After that there was no stopping them. They were smiling and giggling at each other. Kai was talking his little heart out and Nakita would have this gigantic smile on her face. It was simple magic. (Although pretty disruptive for the rest of the class.) Two little hearts connecting.

Nakita's mom says she has never seen her do that before and to tell you the truth, Kai's never been this connected to another baby. The cool thing I found out was she was born on 2 Jan and due on the 3 Jan and Kai was born on 3 Jan due on 2 Jan. Interesting, no? Maybe love at first sight? Maybe they knew each other in the pre-exsistence?

And now I am hitting myself because I didn't get Nakita's mom's number (or that I didn't have my camera). Have I somehow changed the course of destiny?????

Ben graduates

2008-04-30T14:49:00.004+10:00

Who would have ever thought this day would arrive? But it did. And it was a joyous occasion! On 22 April 2008, Ben walked across the stage and received his diplomas - education and international studies. The great thing was, he was able to do it with his friends right beside him and his wife and son cheering him on from the audience.

Ben was dying to throw his hat!

And Kai was dying to try it on. Our future grad!

(Wonder how much that is going to cost us?)

This was the best we could do to get a smile out of Kai. The little guy was tired and hungry. (and probably a bit bored, but don't tell his daddy that)

The familia . . .

My sick boys

2008-04-30T14:37:00.002+10:00

I always like pictures of Kai in our bed. I don't know why, but I think he looks so small and cute in our bed. Ben had two weeks off for school holidays and ended up sick. So you guessed it, I got sick and then little Kai got sick. I have to wonder about Ben's timing though, rather convenient if you ask me. I had a whole list of things to be done during this time period. Oh well, at least it was crap weather for the entire two weeks, so I didn't feel like we were missing out on too much.

Ben and Kai Got Talent????

2008-04-21T20:27:00.010+10:00

Ben was asked by his former uni professor if he and Kai would pose for her art class. So they did, and I was impressed by the students' work. Kai was fabulous too. He sat still for over 40 minutes. He is a talented little bugger. And have I mentioned, a cute one too? our little star

this one was my favourite

And a nice family photo to end the day.

Hello Mr. Walters

2008-04-21T20:06:00.004+10:00

Finally, I have taken a picture of Mr. Walter's classroom. I have been really wanting a photo of it, but everytime I have been there, there have been kids in the class. And there is some rule that says teachers are not allowed to take pictures of students. I know it's for the children's safety, but geese . . .it's a shame the world has gotten to this point where a teacher can't even take pictures of his class for memory sake. Oh well . . . so here's his office. . . studentless.

Ben at his desk

His classroom

The Fam, together, in the office.

My little laundry helper

2008-04-16T22:01:00.002+10:00

I completely agree with Kai - I hate folding laundry. But the cool thing about this day was that I sat Kai up against the blue pillow and he started pulling himself up off the pillow and rolling down the right side. Man this little guy does not want to slow down - he just wants to grow too quickly.

Learning more about his hands

2008-04-15T17:09:00.000+10:00

Another shot of Kai using his new found hands to grab at things. It really is neat to see this little tyke grow!

The Road

2008-04-09T16:41:00.004+10:00

So I just finished this book, The Road, today. It took me about 6 hrs total to read. What an amazingly thought provoking book. As sad as the storyline is, it was really difficult for me to put the book down. The book has made me reflect on the importance of relationships, family, humanity, love, faith, hope and of course food storage. I am glad I read this book after having little Kai. I think it helped me understand the above themes better. It's an 'easy' read and I highly recommend it.

A side note, I saw Oprah's interview with the author, and apparently he was inspired to write this story as he gazed out of his hotel room looking out over the city of El Paso. I know. Glad to know my home town inspires people to think about the end of the world. Apparently, Hollywood is making a movie this year based on this book. That will be interesting and confronting

Kai hangs out with the big boys!

2008-04-09T10:59:00.002+10:00

Kai had fun this past weekend hanging out with the big boys. The BIG one is Tim and the littler Big one is Jack. Jack was very keen to talk with Kai. He kept asking him, 'Are you cute?' I thought Jack was cute for asking.

What are these?

2008-04-01T22:53:00.000+11:00

Little Kai is discovering his hands. He has always sucked on his fist, so I think on one level he always knew his hands were there. But now he is really looking and studying his hands as if to say - what in the world are these and what do I do with them. He has already started experimenting with them by grabbing at objects, he especially likes my hair. Gosh, I am sure every mom goes through this, but I am really loving watching this little guy grow. He does new things every day!

Kai's new game

2008-04-01T22:47:00.000+11:00

It's hard to believe how fast these little ones grow. We are always delighted by Kai's new discoveries or accomplishments. This game is one Kai loves to play with his daddy. Daddy puts him at the top of his chest and he slides down. Boy does this make Kai giggle.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-04-01T16:48:00.000+11:00

All Grandma wanted for her birthday was a picture of Kai with his wrist and feet rattles holding a big heart saying happy birthday. But momma went crazy and made a day of it. Momma became a photographer. Poor Kai - his photo shoot consisted of wardrobe changes, set changes, mood lighting, props - the works. For the most part he enjoyed it. Happy Birthday Grandma! Now you have several photos you can choose from.

Poor Kai - he lost his patience with his mommy. He was tired of posing. But gosh - he is even cute when he cries (which isn't often).

The photo shoot commenced again after Kai's nap. Man - I love that smile and now that it comes with a real giggle - it's simply irresitable.

I never thought you could love a little squirt so much! He really is a blessing from heaven.

Ben turns 29!

2008-03-31T16:33:00.000+11:00

We had a fun time on 13 March for Ben's birthday. His uni friends came over to celebrate with our, then new, BBQ. About the BBQ - I asked Ben to go out and buy a new charcoal BBQ and sure enough I get a phone call from Ben while he is at the shop. He says - Jeanelle for just a hundred dollars more I can get a BBQ with a sink! I said what do we need a sink for? Needless to say we got the BBQ with the sink the night before his birthday BBQ and my dad spent the whole next day putting it together. But we love it now and are using it heaps. And that's right - we have yet to use the sink.

Gandpa's visit

2008-03-27T10:04:00.000+11:00

Granpa came to visit us for 3 weeks. We got to do a lot of stuff around the house. I put in my garden and the yard is looking great. My dad said he hasn't done this much work in ages because he is retired, but I told him he was too young to be retired.

This is a skip. We filled this container with all of the branches, leaves and the dreaded ferns that we pulled up. It was a lot of work, mostly done by Grandpa, but Kai did keep him company.

Grandpa also helped out with bath time . . .

...and with snooze time

(although I think it was Grandpa that was snoozing here)

and play time . . .

(Grandpa was always thinking of new ways to entertain himself, oh I mean, Kai)

We had a field trip to see and pet koalas . . .

and the wombats.

We even went to our favourite pie place (pot pies), Harry's.

Kai is down on the floor near Daddy's feet. He had the best view in the house.

Harry's is located near the warf where the sailor come in. Grandpa was really keen to get a picture of the boat.

Kai gave Grandpa a tour of the city by ferry.

We figured out where Kai gets his dimple.

The big night at the hotel

2008-03-26T22:03:00.000+11:00

After our lengthy visit with Uncle Gilbert, we were all too pooped to make the trip back from the city to Hornsby, so Uncle Gilbert let us stay at the big fancy hotel in the city. Kai was so exhausted from the days activities that he crashed out for 6 hrs straight (the first time he had ever done that) and only woke up because mommy woke him up to go home.

Kai visits Bondi

2008-03-26T22:00:00.000+11:00

We took Glibert to the famous Bondi Beach. I know, what's so famous about it, looks like every other beach. Anyways it was Kai's first time at the beach.

A visitor from Taiwan

2008-03-26T21:53:00.000+11:00

Gilbert came to visit us in February. Kai had a great time visiting with him.

Can you feel the love?

2008-02-14T15:18:00.000+11:00

From Kai with lots of love - wishing you the best Valentine's Day!

The Sleeping Angel

2008-02-14T15:07:00.000+11:00

You know one of the hardest things about being a parent is that 'they' (all of the experts) say you have to teach your baby how to sleep on their own and to self sooth. What a concept! Teaching them to sleep. And who, may I ask, teaches the parents how to teach the baby to sleep without 'accidentally parenting' them? (for those familiar with the baby whisperer)

And 'they' tell you that if you don't manage to get this right - you can some how cause permanent damage - like hyperactivity, obesity, serial killers (just joking, that was my addition).

Wow! Talk about stress. Who knew that not sleeping properly could screw your kid up for life. And that if I could somehow manage to teach Kai this 'simple skill', this act alone could possibly be one of my greatest accomplishments in life and my greatest contribution to society! :-) (Well, wish us luck, we are still working on mastering this world saving skill.)

The clean one

2008-02-14T14:59:00.000+11:00

I like it when we wrap Kai up in his blue towel that Grandpa Gary and Carol gave him. I think he looks a little like Mother Tereasa, well a nun at least. (I hope that's not offensive to anyone.)

Kai's first girlfriend

2008-02-14T14:49:00.000+11:00

This is Kai's first girlfriend - Lauren. Lauren was absolutely in love with little Kai. She constantly wanted to hold him, give him her dummy and pat his head. She even looked for him when she heard him cry.

Australia Day

2008-02-14T12:21:00.000+11:00

Happy Australia Day! The ward had a family breakfast picnic at a local park. Kai gave me 5 hrs sleep - so we decided to go. Kai was the star of the picnic, no one wanted to put him down. And he stayed awake to entertain the crowd.

Ben gets a new doo

2008-02-14T08:59:00.000+11:00

For our anniversary - Jan 23 - Ben decided to celebrate by chopping his hair. It was a sad moment for all of us, but he looks good. I told him he wasn't allowed to get rid of the facial hair. That would just be too much hair loss for me.

Grandma goes home

2008-01-26T12:53:00.000+11:00

It was a sad day when we all said goodbye to Grandma. Kai especailly missed grandma's voice. And I missed having a security blanket around to tell me what to do. Now, I have to figure out motherhood all by myself. Grandma was blessed for all of her hard work while she was here. She got an upgrade to business class all the way home. She definitely deserved it!

Kai's blessing

2008-01-26T12:45:00.000+11:00

Kai was blessed on 13 Jan 2008. Grandma made his little outfit, hat, 'dress', and booties. The outfit has little froggie buttons. Very cute, although some people thought Kai was a girl.

Mom and Kai have a precious moment

2008-01-26T12:23:00.000+11:00

I love the moments when he just curls up on my chest and I can just hold him. When he sleeps like this it reminds me of the Anne Getty photos.

He is such a silly little guy

2008-01-25T14:46:00.000+11:00

Kai is such a funny guy. We love all of the faces he makes. He loves to smile and has the cutest dimple on his right cheek. He also cracks us up when he is sleeping and something is going on in the room and he doesn't know if it's worth opening his eyes for, so he opens one eye and has a little look around. And then if it's worth it, he will raise both of his eyebrows as if pulling his eyes open. He is a character already. Must get it from his dad.

Like Father like son

2008-01-25T14:38:00.000+11:00

I love this picture. Ben was crashed out in the hospital after having to take care of me and little Kai. Double duty. He was knackered! I think Kai definitely looks like dad!

Kai be jammin'

2008-01-25T14:28:00.000+11:00

I think Kai looks so cute with the earphones on to get his hearing tested. He is just chilln' and relaxing. He passed with flying colours.

Grandma with Kai

2008-01-11T20:32:00.000+11:00

Grandma thinks he is going to have olive eyes. Olive eyes????

Introducing Kai Benjamin Walters

2008-01-11T19:49:00.000+11:00

Kai was born on 3 Jan 2008, 2.78 kilos (6.12 lbs) and 48 cm long. Ben teased me because the first thing I said when he was born was 'He is so small.' He is a tiny little guy, but my mom thinks he is going to be tall. Must be some genes in the family that go way back.

Baby Kai arrives at Hornsby Hospital

2008-01-11T19:27:00.000+11:00

So, things didn't go as planned. (As I guess they always do when a baby is involved.) My body didn't like the induction medication and I had to have an emergency c-section. All went well and everyone was safe and healthy. Modern medicine - it's a miracle.

2008-01-11T19:14:00.000+11:00

Yes, I know, yet another flattering photo of me. This is us entering the hospital so the doctor could induce me. They didn't know the cause of the rash and felt it was better just to get baby out and maybe that would clear it up. Hence, the very sexy attire. The rash made clothing quite unbearable. And yes, the rash mysteriously left after Kai came out. This rash made me quite popular in the hopsital. Nearly every baby doctor came by to see 'me' and every nurse who came in to attend me said - wow that's an impressive rash. Oh well, at least I will be remembered at Hornsby hospital.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-11T18:58:00.000+11:00

Yes, I know, not the most flattering photo of me, but hey, I was 2 days away from my due date, covered in an enormously itchy rash, which no one had any cures or ideas of cause. So, needless to say, the smile was a bit forced.

Christmas Day - 2007

2008-01-11T18:42:00.000+11:00

We celebrated by having a few people over and opening the traditional Christmas crackers. And then everyone has to wear these silly paper crowns. It was a lot of fun.

Christmas Eve at the Walters'

2008-01-11T18:34:00.000+11:00

We finally had time to decorate for Christmas, 2 days before!

Our pot of gold

2008-01-11T14:50:00.000+11:00

Believe it or not this tree was the cause of quite a fuss here during Christmas. We learned that this tree is the Australian Christmas bush and, I think due to a really wet summer this year, was in full bloom this year for Christmas. We had several people comment on it. I just thought it was a nice looking tree. And then we went to the mall and saw that people were selling it for $8 a branch. When we got home Ben stood outside looking at the bush - saying who knew we had gold growing in our front yard. He and my mom were talking about cutting branches down and setting up on the side of the road. I wasn't all that keen on the idea. We also had a man knock on our door and offer, free of charge, to trim this bush. I was thinking - yeah right - how stupid do you think I am. Some people.

2008-01-11T14:40:00.000+11:00

My mom arrived in Sydney on the 13th for the big day. We took advantage of the time we had before Kai arrived to go to the Opera House to hear Handels Messiah. It was a fun night out. It was interesting to feel Kai's movements during the performance. He seems to be a real big fan.

Yes Jeanelle has a bit of a crafty side . . . but only a bit.

2008-01-11T13:38:00.000+11:00

My first ever gingerbread house attempt. And I thought I did a pretty good job. It was a lot of fun to make it and I did nibble on a few pieces of gingerbread. Funnily enough, when we cracked into it on Chrstmas Day - it was way too sweet to eat. So now we have a one roof sided gingerbread house and we don't have the heart to throw out the rest. Hmmm . . . I wonder if it would last until next year???

Ben's big day!

2007-11-13T11:00:00.000+11:00

It was a big day in the Walters household. This was Ben's first day as a 'real teacher' and he also got his full license. (For those in the states - it's a different system - takes about 4 years to get it. And until you get it, you have to drive around with P plates on your car.) So we went out to eat and had a cutting of the P plates ceremony.

Me - popping out!

2007-11-13T10:48:00.000+11:00

Me - popping out - 32 weeks. Only 8 weeks to go. However, I think Kai is anxious to get out sooner. He is always moving around in there.

Ben's creative side

2007-11-13T10:41:00.000+11:00

This is a shot of the trees in our backyard - Ben had an art assignment for uni. I thought it was quite nice.

A night visitor

2007-11-13T10:32:00.001+11:00

One night, after I came home from work, late as always, Ben and I were walking into the house and I didn't have my glasses on, but I saw this white blob on the electric wire outside of our house. And I said to Ben - hey what's that? He said it was a cuckaburro and I said, I don't think so. Do you have owls in Australia? And he said, that's not an owl. And sure enough, the picture proves who was right? We stayed outside looking at this beautiful bird for a good while, while he looked at us.

It's amazing the birds you see here in Sydney. We are so lucky. And we have a friendly bat that comes to our front tree every night. Haven't captured a picture of him yet.

The big 30!

2007-11-13T10:26:00.000+11:00

Ben and Kai took me out for a nice meal for my 30th! We went to a greek cafe type place and then went to see Miss Siagon. It was a great night.

Flowers from mom

2007-11-13T10:09:00.000+11:00

Beautiful flowers from mom for my 30th!

Jeanelle turns 30!

2007-11-13T09:57:00.000+11:00

Suzi, from church made me a tasty cake for my birthday! Kai thought it was tasty too!

Spring is here!

2007-09-23T09:57:00.000+10:00

Spring is here and everything is in full bloom! It's amazing, when you walk out of the back door, it just smells absolutely devine!

Spring is here!

2007-09-23T09:52:00.000+10:00

A family outing in the backyard. Showing little Kai all the beautiful flowers!

Everything is in bloom . . .

2007-09-23T09:48:00.000+10:00

Including me!

One gala

2007-09-23T09:43:00.000+10:00

I love the beautiful birds here in Australia - they even come in pink!

Kai in the Merc

2007-09-23T09:35:00.000+10:00

Kai took a spin in the Merc too.

Jeanelle and Ben in the Merc

2007-09-23T09:30:00.000+10:00

Just cruising around in the Merc.

Ben babysitting the Merc

2007-09-23T09:22:00.000+10:00

What's going on with Jeanelle's belly????

2007-08-26T18:40:00.000+10:00

Ben (father) singing a duet with Kirsti (mother) about leaving Nauvoo

2007-08-26T18:25:00.001+10:00

Ben Singing Fiddler - Pioneer Style

2007-08-26T18:21:00.000+10:00