This wonderful, curly haired girl is one of my most favorite people in the whole wide world. By birth, her name is Lesley Ann Wilson, then along came her husband Curtis, so she became Lesley Banda. But really, she'd answer to Celesley Filsonanda if you called her that and she probably wouldn't mind it one little bit. Lesley and her family live in Moose Jaw, which isn't too far away, but it truly isn't close enough, either. Not close enough for my liking, anyways. Despite the distance, and thanks to technology, we are able to connect on a pretty much daily basis. Usually multiple times a day. And night (ok, especially at night, when we really should be sleeping!) We've been through a lot together, including recently becoming Grandmas, so a good chunk of our communication is now spent ohhhhing and awwwwing over each other's grandbabies.
This is Lesley & Curtis' oldest son Brett, his girlfriend, Callie and Lesley & Curtis' first grandchild, the ever lovable, always silly, 100% adorable, Jace. Their little family is growing!
And this is their youngest son, Evan and his girlfriend, Dailyn and their comical banter just cracks me up. I wish I had been half as smart and witty at their age.
And this is the immediate Wilson family. Then the years went by and Darcey became a Fischer and Lesley became a Banda, hence, the moniker, "Filsonanda" was born. They have a family cabin at Christoper Lake with a sign that says it's a thing, so it's totally legit. And yes, they LOVE to group hug. Like, every chance they get. Well, ok, maybe not. But they did it at my request, it turned out pretty cute and that's all that matters.
This is her brother Tracy's beautiful family.
And this is her sister Darcey's gorgeous group.
This stunning Mommy of four is Chantel. She's actually the one who got the whole ball rolling on having this family session, which was followed by a family bbq and pool party. What a perfect way to spend a hot summer day. (and it was hot. So hot. But we got through it!)
They lost Great Grandma this past year and it's left a huge void in all of their hearts. What Chantel wanted, more then anything, were pictures to document their family and the love they share. I can not express enough how sweet, caring and mature beyond her years Chantel is. These four little ones are truly blessed to have her as their Mommy.
And that fantastic quilt you see? It was made years ago; especially for Lesley, with love, by her dear Grandmother. It's one her most cherished possessions and I'm thrilled that we got to use it. It just added that special touch and made the images even more meaningful. Please excuse me now while I go grab a tissue.
Until next time, my sweet Bandaloos.
