Isn’t he adorable?! He also happens to be my cousin’s little guy! I am so happy for her family. He was so good through out the entire session…sleeping, smiling, and cuddling. He’s perfect.

Along with the smiles, he also has a serious side…

As I was taking this photo, Knox reached up and grasped his Daddy’s hands. Heart melt!

Congratulations, and thank you so much for letting me play with Knox. He’s so cute!

Christine

And now, Hailey is One! To celebrate her first birthday, she smashed a cake (with a little help from her big sis)!

She has such a sweet and gentle personality. Isn’t she a doll?

Hailey is one lucky little girl to have such an amazing Mom. I love that she asked if they could have a birthday picture together.

Her big sister is her little caretaker, they are so close.

Onto the cake smashing…

The beautiful cake was made by Annie Cakes in Leduc.

As Hailey enjoyed her cake, her big sister waited for the word that she could join in the fun, it wasn’t that long ago that she was here to smash her own 1st birthday cake! Every 30 seconds or so she would ask “My turn? Please, is it my turn?”  She was so patient and well-mannered and let out a squeal of excitement when she was asked if she wanted some cake too.

Oh my, these sweet sisters are too cute for words…

Happy Birthday Hailey!  Thank you for the fun morning, you are such a joy.

Merry Christmas,

Christine

They also happen to be a family that I love so much! I first met them soon after we moved to the Edmonton area. They had also recently moved from B.C. and not long after we met, Tawny approached me to take their family photos. Click HERE to peek back to 2008.  It’s funny looking back to that blog post, because I clearly remember that while I was taking those photos, I wished I knew this family better. They had this amazing connection within their family that was full of warmth, acceptance, love, and fun. Little did I know then, that years later Tawny would make a profound and amazing impact on my life.

I consider myself very blessed to count her as a close friend who knows me better than

I know myself.  She supports, loves, and gives with a generous heart, and she has this uncanny way of knowing exactly what to say at the exact moment I need to hear it.  I’m so thankful that our roads to a new place met…even if embracing the snow in Alberta is tough (although snow seems to show up in symbolic ways). She has a selfless and beautiful Spirit: http://christinehopaluk.com/blog/2010/01/17/tawnys-spirit/

If you have the pleasure of spending any amount of time with this fun family, count yourself lucky! They always give more than they take (and they rarely take).  They are the gatherers of friends for special occasions, opening their home with an endless supply of love, acceptance, and a whole lot of laughter.

Simply put: They. Are. Amazing.

Jay has a huge heart, and he’s growing his Moustache out for Movember in support of Men’s health. http://ca.movember.com/mospace/990704

This photo seems only fitting! Happy Movember

Now, I have to end by saying that even though I love them to death, there is one ‘lil annoying, competitive, and at times aggressive part of our friendship. This Oiler Girl has to put up with this during Hockey Season….

Thank you for meeting me for photos! Love you!

xoxo,

Christine