The Munchkin's first Halloween

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  7 months and 24 days

Family,

"I'm picking up a baby bumblebee..."

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull has just finish bottle washing, making, and labeling.  And before tucking into dinner, I thought I'd try to get caught up on what was a GREAT week for team Taylor, highlighted by another first for the rug rat - Kaitlyn's first Halloween!!!

Monday through Wednesday were a blur, as I was down in Santiago with work, abandoning wife muffin and the munchkin here in the QC.  As usual, Jenny was a rock star, and she made it all work by herself (K - you have NO IDEA how lucky you are and how much your mommy loves you!), and by Thursday when I touched down in Miami International at 4:27 AM, all I could think about was getting back to my girls.

Luckily all flights were on time, which was important for 2 reasons.  Not only did I want to make it back for my ladies, but Team Taylor had a BIG activity slated for 12:30 PM - selling our condo!  That's right, sports fans, it's official - as of last week, Team Taylor no longer owns "the Way Station."  Now I have no lie to tell - we are THRILLED to have it off the books - the debt, the hassle of being a landlord, the stress of something happening to the unit - all of it was rapidly taking a toll on me.  That being said, there is a twinge of sadness to know that Jenny and I will never again set foot in the 994 square feet that was our first home and the first place we returned to as a married couple from our honeymoon.  That place helped make our dreams of living abroad a reality, and I will hold nothing but the fondest memories of it in my heart all my days.  Congrats to the buyers, and we wish them all the best - it was a special place for us, and we hope the same will be true for you.

K's first "school picture" - annual portrait from Primrose.  I mean...HOW.  CUTE.  IS.  SHE?

Christmas Card Pic - Sneak Peak #1

And #2 - I mean...ANGELIC.  And in case you're curious - wardrobe courtesy of Alice Taylor!

The closing was SUPER easy (so easy, in fact, that we didn't need to be there, as we'd already signed everything), and there was much to celebrate on Thursday (not the least of which was being reunited with my girls.  Jenny and I had always promised that, once the condo was off the books, we would crack open the bottle of Artesia that Kim and Matt had brought us back from Napa.  However, as the Bull had just had 2 overnight flights in 4 days and the Striker had been full-time with both work and the Munch, the LAST thing either of us wanted was booze.  Consequently, it was an AFD, and the bottle is still awaiting consumption!  Not a bad problem to have, really...

The munch gearing up for her 1st Halloween.

A modern day Addams Family...

The highlight of the day was not just the closing, however, as we also had K's first Halloween Costume  Parade at Primrose.  Family, this was just TOO CUTE.  So awhile back, Mom/Grammie had called us, telling us that, if it was ok, she'd gone ahead and purchased K's first Halloween costume.  As it's all about the Benjamins with us, we said "FINE AND DANDY," and the following week the CUTEST little bumblebee costume landed on our doorstep.  Well, we didn't try it on her beforehand, and so when we showed up at daycare for the parade, we had no idea what to expect.  In a word - HILARITY.

"Wow - all my aunts have yummy hair..."

So picture a little black and yellow diving bell in the arms of a witch walking out into the parking lot.  The diving bell looks quite comfortable and was later described as "a big ball of puffaluffiness."  Everything SWALLOWS her - especially the hood.  It was just TOO FUNNY.  And K looked, well, less than amused.  She didn't cry at all - it was more the look of "what on EARTH have you put me in?"

We put her in it again later in the evening during the annual Halloween cul-de-sac party, and I gotta admit - she could NOT have been cuter!  But we had no idea how tricky that thing was to put on - I'm pretty sure I almost suffocated her 11 times.  And needless to say - she was NOT impressed with my (lack of) skills.

"Um, dad - is that what you're gonna look like at 65?  Ouch."

The weekend itself was terrific.  It was my birthday weekend, and so Pattie, Dad, and Alice all came down for a visit.  Everyone arrived Friday, and we had 36 wonderful hours of hanging out, eating plenty, watching football, and outsourcing yard maintenance (dad was INSISTENT that the yard needed to be mowed a final time and the leaves raked.  As I didn't share his passion, I just let him have at it.  The way I see it - everybody won. :-)).

And one more for good measure...

Sunday rolled around too quickly, leaving me 1 year older (36 now in case anyone's counting) and my family pulling out of the driveway heavy a few bottles of wine from 201 Central.  But hey, this guy wasn't complaining.  And then Jenny's folks rolled over, allowing JT and I to have a date night (we hit 201 C for a pint before having din din at the Eastfield Grill - that place is GREAT!) whilst they bonded with the munchkin.

For my part, I couldn't possibly have asked for a better birthday - especially knowing that I've got mom coming this week.  I am married to THE MOST wonderful, beautiful person on the planet (both inside and out), I have the absolute CUTEST baby girl, and I am blessed beyond measure.  To say that my cup runneth over doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how I feel.  But if I had to sum it up in 3 words, I'd just say "Life is good." :-)

Okay, that's it for this guy.  Sorry for the whirlwind tour through the week (oh, and did I mention that K tried peaches for the first time on Saturday?  She ate them, but peas and green beans remain the 2 faves!), but I wanted to get this committed to the server before chaos ensues later in the week (meaning in 48 hours when Grammie arrives!).

Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny