The Okoti Family Update

Cousins...a year later...

2010-12-24T15:21:00.001-08:00

So, we didn't get time to take pictures with Christmas outfits this year, so we figured birthday suits would have to do.

Little Rascals
Priceless!

Was going to put some cute little captions, but really, is there anything more to be said here? Clearly one doesn't need another sibling around when they have a cousin the same age...

So much sun, So little time...

2010-05-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

So again I have been slacking on the blog updates. This will be remedied the moment I finish all the photography work that is still pending on my computer. I hope to finish up soon, and then I'll be posting some photos from the last few months, as well as some recent shots as we've been out taking advantage of the great weather.

Until next time!

Welcome Baby Tuzo Musonge

2010-02-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

This has been a long time coming, have had many other things on my plate, so the pictures took a backseat. But, in any event, here they are. Congratulations to Charles and Juliette again! And thank you so much for allowing me to support you as a Doula - it was a privilege!

November 05, 2009

Cousins

2009-12-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

And, just when you think they can't get any cuter...They DO!

My Poor Children!

2009-12-11T02:30:00.000-08:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking... the truth comes out...this is what they live with...

Welcome Baby Elijah Marc

2009-10-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jacenta and Michael on their new baby boy! What a blessing!
Born October 8, 2009 6lbs 12oz
Bonding time with Papa
The happy family
Jael enjoying her new cousin
Caleb teaching his cousin what he is all about
Auntie Lavonne getting in some cuddle time
Nana with grandchild number 7

Iahara @ 2.5 Weeks

2009-09-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

Just had to post a few on my own blog, but have to give thanks to my longtime friend, Anita from Perfect Moments Photography. We sometimes swap photo ops with our families... so this is just another of those. May add some more later if I get a chance to edit them...kinda low on the editing priority list ;-)

Introducing Baby Ishara Violet Owichi Okoti

2009-08-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

7lbs 7oz Aug. 27, 2009 2:44am

4 Generations
Great Grandma Kay - Nana Lynn - Mama Tamara - Daughter Jael - Daughter Ishara

Great Grandma Kay and Ishara

Dino Town - Here We Are!

2009-07-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

2008-12-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

Fall Photos

2008-12-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

Just a few fall pictures taken by my friend Anita Chapman (prefect moments photography) while the leaves were out...

Hallowe'en Pumpkin Patch Fair

2008-10-31T22:26:00.000-07:00

The princess and the dragon rider...

Pouting and Posing

2008-05-08T01:57:00.000-07:00

All I have to say is that she's almost as good as her mama! Her aunties and uncles can be the final judges!

My Little Baby Duck and a Pajama Party ;-)

2008-05-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Cheesy Posers!

Jael's braids

2008-04-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

Tried to get some pictures of Jael's hair before I took them out, but I couldn't get her to stay still for very long :-)

Grandpa and Jael just chillin'

Mama's bad hair day...but at least you can sorta see how it's cut now.

A Two Year Old perspective on God

2008-03-18T02:15:00.000-07:00

So the other day, Ezra sent Caleb to his room for a time out. Upon peeking through the crack in the door, he heard Caleb talking out loud. "God, papa told me to go to my room because I was not listening. Could you go to the living room to tell him that I am a good boy?" As he twists his hand under the neckline of his shirt.

Ezra asked him about it upon entering the room a short while later. Caleb responds by showing Ezra that "I just take God out of my heart and I put him right there and talk to Him."

Tamara talks to Caleb the next day.

Mama - So Caleb, I heard you were talking to God yesterday in your room.

Caleb - Yes Mama. See? I just take Him out of my heart and put Him right there and talk to Him. I asked God to go in the living room and tell Papa that I was a good boy, but He came back and told me that I was not a good boy because I wasn't listening. See mama? He's right there and He can just walk around, and when I'm done talking I just put Him right back here in my heart."

Mama - Caleb, did someone tell you that that is how you can talk to God?

Caleb - Yes, mama, God did.

Mama - Are you sure that no one told you that you have to take God out of your heart and put Him in front of you so that you can talk to Him?

Caleb - Yes, mama, I TOLD YOU ALREADY - GOD DID!

This and That from 2007

2008-03-16T00:56:00.001-07:00

Jael at auntie Lavonne's house.

Totally lovin' the hot tub!

My two water babies.

Caleb got to go see a big rig with Papa and Uncle Rob.

Jael in the backyard.

Jael and Caleb at the Calgary zoo in August. Caleb is trying to be a kangaroo, I think?

Crazy kid!

Even in a box, I'm still a great poser!

Who needs a trampoline when they have a little sister?

Caleb takes a picture of his sister being tickled. Not bad for a two year old photographer!

Jael checks to see if her toes still taste as good as she remembers them...

And Caleb is not to be outdone!

Havin' a blast at the Vancouver aquarium.

Ok, maybe not the whole time was fun?!

The various Jael stare-downs

1. The death stare - this is the one we get when she is in the middle of a temper tantrum.

2. The drugged up Huh???!

3. The Classic Frown - She really loves this one and will do it until you do it back to her, and then she cracks a grin.

4. Need I say more?

And here we have Caleb trying to look all innocent.

Sleeping on Mama - favourite past-time number one.

Being tickled - Favourite past-time number two!

In case you are wondering - Yes, Jael is an aspiring Mad Scientist and Proud of it!

She'll minor in teaching daddies and grandpas how to take care of babies.

And Caleb will not give up his dream of being an engine driver one day.

Guilty as Charged!

2008-03-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, so I said that I would update this site more frequently than a website. Then I got distracted by Facebook and the ease of updating pictures and info there. I hope to be able to be a better girl this year and update my blog properly. To start, I'll just post a few random pics from the year to update you all on what has truly been happening in our busy little home.

Caleb's 2nd Birthday Party

2007-06-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Again, I've made photo albums in facebook which are much easier for me to upload, so I'll just put the links here. You don't have to have a facebook account to see the pictures. Thank you to all who made it out and endured the cramped quarters indoors. We had a blast anyway, and Caleb LOVED his party!

Album 1 of 2

Album 2 of 2

The Invite Part 2

2007-06-01T01:19:00.000-07:00

I was much later in getting this one together. Couldn't decide on any one pictures, so I put a few.
Caleb will be turning 2 on June 9th, and we are able to have his party on the day. He didn't get a huge bash last year because of the new baby in the house, so we thought we'd give him a good one this year.

Please join us for a "Cars" themed party. Hopefully we can be outdoors, but the weather report calls for rain, so cross your fingers! We'll have the BBQ on with lots of food, so come hungry!

Jael's 1st Birthday Party

2007-05-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

There are too many pictures from Jael's party to post here, so I'll just put in links to the albums. Thank you to all of you who were able to make it out and make Jael's first birthday special!

Album 1 of 2

Album 2 of 2

The Invite

2007-04-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

Jael will be a 1 year old on May 2nd, so we're having an early birthday party for her before Ezra leaves for Romania. In case you are family or friend and never got this invitation in your e-mail, the details are here and you are welcome to join us. For anyone who can't make it, we'll be having a birthday party for Caleb on June 9th, when he turns two, so you'll have another chance (I'll try to have a little more fun stuff for the kids to do then too.)

April Fun

2007-04-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos just hanging out in the backyard.

Quick News

2007-03-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

Just announcing the latest accomplishments of our two cuties, after all, doesn't BLOG stand for Brag Log??? ;-)

Anyway, about mid-march (somewhere in the week of the 11-17th ish) Jael started walking. She wasted no time in taking that skill to the extreme, and can now be seen attempting to jump without holding onto anything as she claps and dances to music. Jael also walks around the house now saying "nane tisa" because she hears Caleb counting a lot, and she also says her version of "Clap Clap" when you tell her to, and a pretty good "Auntie" if you catch her in a good mood.

Around that same time, we are proud to say that Caleb actually potty-trained! We still take no chances for accidents (because when he tells us he has to go, he usually means in the next few seconds) and use a diaper when we go out, but he's still good at telling us even then. He's very proud of this accomplishment, and mommy is extra happy because she hasn't had to change a dirty diaper for him in a couple weeks now! Caleb can tell you all his basic shapes: circle, square, triangle (his favourite), star, heart, oval, and rectangle, and today, out of the blue, he asked Ezra to draw a hexagon on a paper (something he must have learned from Grandpa or something). Also, he can tell you a slightly choppy version of the alphabet. This one he learned on his own, either from a toy or from TV, haven't quite figured it out yet, but he just started rattling it off one day. He just gets mixed up between J and P... the usual tricky part, I think. :-)

Hello to Okoti Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents

2007-03-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

Caleb loves talking on the computer. This day we made a video to say hello to the family we have in Kenya, however Caleb was a little distracted. We ended up counting in two languages, though, and if you look closely, Jael is busy causing havoc in the background.

Crazy Jael

2007-03-03T02:46:00.000-08:00

I think these ones speak for themselves... I'm sure many of you have been given this snorting look before too...

Haircuts Again...

2007-03-02T02:12:00.000-08:00

This time we went really short with Caleb's hair, so it was photo-worthy, and we had to cut Jael's too because it was only growing in certain areas. No more ponytails for a while.

Jac, have a look at that one eyebrow, she's getting good practice with "the look"

Caleb, Jael, and Mama at the Computer

2007-02-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

I 'm just testing out another way to post video. This one looks a little better than dropshots. Anyway, it's just Caleb counting in Swahili and saying his name etc... on the webcam at our computer.

Dedication Day - Caleb and Jael

2007-02-03T01:49:00.000-08:00

We decided to have Caleb and Jael dedicated together this year instead of individually as babies. I wasn't able to get any pictures of the ceremony, but I took these when we came home later.

Missing photos

2007-01-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

Just added a few new posts from November and December, so you'll want to check a little farther back to see some of the newer images.

Our Family Photos

2006-12-28T02:30:00.000-08:00

These ones didn't quite make it into the cards this year, but they were definitely worthy of a blog space.

If one wishes to know how our pictures really went... this should say enough.

Caleb and his Chocolate Christmas Decorations

2006-12-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

Someone looks a lot like his papa when thinks he's in trouble...

Christmas Day

2006-12-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Opening presents etc...

Christmas Eve

2006-12-24T21:58:00.000-08:00

Do we have a reindeer on the loose?

2006-12-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Caleb Clowning around...

Nov. 25 - Our 1st Big Snow

2006-11-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

And a very big snow it was!

Here is the snowman we made with Nana and Yash with the first bit of snow, soon to be followed by snow that reached Caleb's waist in height.

Caleb doesn't like the snowman very much...

So he keeps a fair distance...after all, they are pretty much the same size...who knows what a snowman can do?!

Jael's got the giggles...

2006-11-25T18:39:00.000-08:00

Watch out Mommy, I can almost crawl!

Secret Twins

2006-11-24T02:10:00.000-08:00

Sorry to post Jael's pictures again, but I couldn't resist this. Have a look at the first two pictures. They were both taken when the kids were about 6 months old. Notice anything? Somehow, by total fluke, my mom is wearing the exact same outfit one year later.

Not only that, but if you notice in the next two pictures, the setup is also the same. White towel, pink clip, blue chair, there is a black cape draped over the right arm of the chair, a pink one draped over the left side, and that same crazy old shirt hanging in the background.

Could they really be twins???

Jael's First Haircut

2006-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Jael is 6.5 months old and in desperate need of a trim (so that she looks a little less like a mad scientist!)

Here goes!

All done!

Hungry?

2006-11-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

What you lookin' at??? Want some?

Princess Jael and her Ponytail

2006-10-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Are you looking at me???

What? You want me to smile?

And just who do you think you are?!

Excuse me?!

Caleb is growing up...

2006-10-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Teeth brushing is a learned art...

I think I'm a big boy now!

Just lounging at Nana and Grandpa's.

Cousins

2006-10-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

Caleb, Jael, and their cousins Mikaela, Dylan, and Isabelle

The 3 girls...

why is Jael the only one looking???

Celebrations by Barbeque

2006-09-24T02:46:00.000-07:00

Finally got a chance to add a few more to this post.

Jael (complete with drool)

What great test subjects!
(Juma and Nadine Oliech)

Sanaa Musonge

Okello Oliech

Oliech 3

Matias Cheny

Amani Shigali

Keeping busy

2006-09-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Food always comes first...

Then comes the next best thing!

Jael at 4 Months...

There's that tongue again!

What can I say?

Lounging...

2006-08-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Jael's 3 month foot
vs.
Caleb's 14 month foot

Grandpa and Jael enjoy an afternoon nap.

Family Matters

2006-07-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Nana and Grandpa...

Auntie Jacenta with Jael...

Mom and Auntie Jacenta
(they can both look bad together)...

Caleb @ 14 Months

2006-07-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Caleb loves electronics...

and his soother...

but sometimes he'll smile for the occasional shot :-)

Jael doesn't think much of the whole thing!

Jael @ 3 Months Old

2006-07-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Jael knows how to goof around.

Caleb stops to smell the flowers.

2006-05-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

With Grandpa's help, of course...

Watch out for Jael's Papa!

2006-05-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Ezra is planning to start a gun club early...

2 Weeks Old and a Happy Family

2006-05-16T02:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos taken by Duncan from DLT Photographic when Jael was 2 weeks old.

More new baby snapshots...

2006-05-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much a day in the life of Jael.

Jael Ahono - the newest addition to our family

2006-05-02T02:38:00.000-07:00