Lots of Family and Lots of Fun! 3/15-24/2013

During Bodhi's Birthday week, we had a house filled with family, friends, and love!

3-15 Grandma and Papa arrived from California to celebrate Bodhi's Birthday Week

3-16: Bodhi brought Mama T, Grandma and Papa to Green Genes to have lunch and visit with Mommy.

March 17, St Patrick's Day, Bodhi donned his green, and we spent a good chunk of the day preparing for his Birthday on the 18th.

Chef Grandma and Sous Chef Papa made a great team in the kitchen, working on his first Birthday cake.

No cake making adventure would be complete without the obligatory tasting of the frosting. 
Bodhi was quite the fan!

While the bakers did their work in the kitchen, Mama T and Bodhi dove into a pile of books, while Mommy H started working on Bodhi's Birthday shirt for the next day.

 March 18, Bodhi's First Birthday! But there's a whole blog post dedicated to that...

March 19, I worked, but was able to sneak away for a delicious sushi lunch with mom and dad.

Really, is there ever such a thing as too much sushi. I think not.

March 20,  Mama T's sister, Aunt Yaya Anna, arrived just in time to celebrate her birthday. 

Early morning with Papa and Grandma. Bodhi loves looking out the window to see the neighborhood  birds, cars, and people out walking their pups. 

Anna and Tina, sisters long overdue for a one-on-one relaxing visit and catch up time :)

So much love for Auntie Yaya Anna on her Birthday 

Bodhi exploring his new tunnel from Grandma and Papa

Happy Birthday Auntie Yaya! Bodhi says "YES! more cake!"

Even on Anna's Birthday, Bodhi still had some gifts to open from his birthday. He received a dump truck and puzzles from his cousin, Ashton.  And, all the way from the Craiks in Australia, he received a kangaroo backpack and some lovely storybooks. 
He was quite enthralled by it all!


March 22, the day before Bodhi's big party, was spent with family, engaged in
more pre-party activities.

We were all impressed with Grandma's cake-making skills. This larger one was made for Bodhi's Birthday party the following day. Rawr!

Bodhi and Papa

 

                                                 

                                                 Auntie Yaya adding to the delicious cake varieties

                                 

Lunch Date!

 Tina, Auntie Yaya, and Auntie Paulette keeping Heather company while working on a huge animal wall hanging for Bodhi's party.

And of course, Bodhi helped out as well.

March 23 was Bodhi's Birthday Party with delicious treats and fantastic guests

 

Bodhi's Christening in Massachusetts July 28-31 2012

    

On July 27, cousin Ashton and his mom and dad moved to California. The next day, our little family hopped on a plane, Bodhi's first trip, to go to Massachusetts to meet all his cousins and relatives there. And for his Christening, of course.

Bodhi was, as they say, "an excellent baby" on the plane. He slept most of the time, and if not sleeping, he had a bright-eyed smile for everyone around him.

The first stop upon landing was Yaya and Papu's house, the home where Mama T grew up in Worcester. Linda, technically his cousin, but more appropriately Aunt, and soon to be Godmother, "Ginkamar," was there with her munchkins, Adrianna and Nicholas, who we'll consider cousins.

Both Yaya and Bodhi were pretty excited to meet one another. The youngest grandchild, besides Bodhi, is his cousin, Jon, who is 16 years old. While Yaya has two, and soon three, great-grandchildren, Bodhi is her 4th grandchild.

                  Linda meets a snoozing Bodhi.                   
 Nicholas and Adrianna were so happy to meet "Baby Bodhi!"

Tina, surrounded by the munchkins!

July 29th ~ Bodhi's Christening

Relaxing the morning of his Christening.

Bodhi was Christened in the same church as quite a few of his cousins and other relatives. 

Bodhi with his cousin, Mine.                 Bodhi with his great Aunt, Aka.

With Mommy H and Gunkahar (godfather) Alex

After the Christening, family and friends gathered at a local Japanese restaurant to celebrate, and share lots of hugs and laughter.

July 30 ~ perfect day to play outside and climb trees!

July 31~Bodhi's first post-Christening bath

When it comes to the first bath after a Christening, it is tradition for the Gunkamar (godmother), Linda to administer the bath. Family gathers, putting coins into the bath water to symbolize wishes and blessings for the baby.  The coins are kept among the child's special treasures for good luck, and the bath water, filled with holy oils, is poured under a tree.

After bath time, we moved on to a celebration of Birthdays, Heather (7/27) and Paulette (7/28). Per usual, we had a delicious feast, good laughs, and tasty cake! 

Alex, Jon, Paulette and Anna



An Assortment of July 2012

 Some July fashion highlights and sweet moments.

 

Clockwise-ish from top left:

Mr B in his Paul Frank pirate romper, accessorized with his monogrammed pillow, a gift from Heather's cousin, Jenny; Mama H cradling his sweet baby toes; Oh, those big brown eyes!;

 

During one of our early morning hang-out times, a summer storm rolled in. The temperature was beautiful and we cracked the window, and sat in the rocking chair, watching and listening to the rain, and wiggling our toes in the breeze. It was one of those moments, where I thought "this is what it's all about." Then a woodpecker started knocking on the tree outside the window, winding it's way around the trunk. I'm not sure if Bodhi could see it through the foliage, but he seemed fascinated by the rhythmic noise. He continues to be such a curious baby, taking in every thing around him.

 

Sporting a shark onesie from family friend, Jean; Looking handsome in a striped romper; the absolute highlight of any given workday is when my guys come to visit me at the shop. Love them so much!; Bodhi's really starting to get a kick out of his reflection, staring intently at the face staring back; this mushroom patterned romper was purchased before Bodhi ever arrived. It's from of our vendors at the store, and I knew that my kiddo, boy or girl, would absolutely "need" that romper :)

 



Visiting family 6-8-12

We'd recently found out that Auntie Ashley, Uncle John and cousin, Ashton would be moving to California; John was offered an excellent job opportunity. 

Before they left, we made it a point to spend as much quality time hanging out as possible.