Like a duck to water!

Dan took Millie on her first horse ride today.

Wow, is she ever a natural! 2020 Olympics, here we come! (Note: the "party dress" with the brown pants and the blue boots is not IOC approved, but somehow Millie makes it work!)

Check out the pictures and the video below....and the riding lesson was only 40 minutes long.

Got to pick a pumpkin or two

Some picks from our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.
Happy Hallowe'en!

A horse named Hughie

For Millie's 4th birthday, her uncle Mark wanted to treat her to a horse and carriage ride around Victoria. What a lovely gift! Mark couldn't go, so Dan, Millie and Max and I all got to go. Wow! Do we live in a great little city!

Here are some pictures of us enjoying a brisk fall morning. The kids had a ball!...and so did the big kids.

Thanks Uncle Mark!

Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey

It's been a long and sticky week here at the del Villano house. The counters were covered in honey! The table was covered in honey! The children we covered in honey. How we survived is a wonder.

Dan was forced into the quick extracting of the honey from his four lovingly tended bee hives in order to have his yearly donation to Millie's preschool fundraiser. Each year, he donates some of his delicious honey. If there is anything left over, Dan is more than happy to give it away (to people he likes) or to sell it (to people who insist) or to use it to "pay off" various people who tolerate the antics of his wife and children.

These pictures below will give you an idea of the action.

And by the way, the honey, was a very popular item at the silent auction. It didn't go for the highest price, but it did have the greatest number of bids. Yay, Dan's bees!

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Millie Turns 4 and Dad turn 69!!

I always think of the fall as "Birthday Season". So many friends and family members have their birthday's in the fall. It makes things busy, but fun!! Last Friday we celebrated Millie and Dad's shared birthday with a family dinner at chez del Villano. Then, on Saturday Millie had a "Princess Party" with a few of her friends. Here are a few pictures...

Dad and Millie

Dan helping Millie into her new princess dress


Max and Idyn...Max, apparently is still in shock from the drop in the Stock Market... or perhaps he is considering the fact that the McCain/Palin slate might actually win, or that Harper might achieve a majority ...OY!


Ta-daaa!


Mark and Gary

Millie striking a pose


Princess making crowns


Cake time...Millie just can't wait!

Trip to Roche Harbor, USA

Last Sunday we all had a great time. Headed out on Rob and Ladan's boat for an afternoon of fun on the water. Ended up at Roche Harbour on San Juan Island about 35 minutes out of Sidney BC. Everyone had a ball (though Rob was perhaps slightly stressed at having to get the dodgy del Villanos through US Customs Maritime Style.)

What a wonderful day! Here are some pics!!

Dan, Dan the boating man!

Ladan and Idyn, Millie and Aunanleigh

Dan Heather and Max

Max and Idyn

Aunaleigh and Millie


Dan and Heather

Note: For those of you that don't know, Aunaleigh and Idyn are cousins. They are the children of my fourth and late addition brother, Rob and the gorgeous Ladan. So blessed we are with such a great family!!

Max and Millie Go Fishing

Dan admits can't be trusted in Walmart by himself.

He went in for garbage bags and light bulbs and came out with booster seats, assorted gardening implements, snacks and a Dora the Explorer fishing rod for Millie. He said he really wanted to teach her how to fish so they could have some time together - which I agreed was a great idea. We decided to save it until the weekend to give it to her so that M wouldn't get TOO excited before she got to use her new toy.

When we finally gave it too her, she was THRILLED .... and so was Max. And Max wondered where his fishing rod was. Oops. Back to Walmart for a turtle fishing rod for the young man, and then off to the lake. Millie loved fishing because there was a 'big girl' there, and Max was a complete natural....he even caught a fish! And in true fisherman fashion, he says it was THIIIIS big (with arms out side to side).

Looking forward to going fishing again.