Friends and New Skills

This is a video from the Thanksgiving weekend.  Cadence LOVES Yi!  In fact, we went to a baptism last weekend where there was an Asian guy in attendance and I guess Cadence thought he was just like Yi because she kept walking over to him with a cute, hey-pick-me-up look. :)

This is her new skill, stacking rings!

Christmas Picture(s)

I can't pick just one picture to be our Christmas card.  So I'll post both of them here and you can claim which ever one you'd like to be the one we posted for you! :)  We had a lot of fun making these!

A little bit traditional...

A little bit crazy!

And I was getting a little ornament happy too.  I love this subtle texture from Kim Klassen!  It was a freebie!  All you have to do is sign up for her newsletter and she sends a free texture (or two) every Friday.

I'm really loving the starbursts around the lights!

By George, I Think She's Got It!

It's taken a while, but I think she's finally figured out what a sippy cup's for! She's not totally off bottles yet, but this is a major step forward!!  Yay Cadence!

Mmm, yum!

Hey, what are you looking at!

I did it Mom!

I drank out of my sippy cup for real! :)

Snowy Day

It snowed a lot last night and during the day today.  So much that we couldn't get out of our neighborhood.  I know, lame right?  Cadence was so cute outside this afternoon!  She kept running around the truck, looking at the snow and watching Derek shovel snow.  She'd sit down every now and then to check out the snow--that's how her bum got all dirty--but only slipped once.  I think it freaked her out more than hurt her.

Here's some pictures!

Exploring the snow

Watching Daddy shoveling

Daddy's only a little weird...

Love those chubby cheeks!

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend this year!  Derek was able to get the jobs he was working on finished by Tuesday and he had Thursday and Friday mornings off from his delivery job so he was practically a free man!  

We are so glad that our friends, Yi and Sarah, spent five days with us and brought one of their friends who didn't have anywhere to go for the holiday.  He sort of kept to himself, but when he did come out to hang out with everyone, Cadence LOVED him!  Every time she saw him, she walked right up to him with her arms up.  I joked with him that if Derek and I died, we would give her to him because she liked him so much! :)  They had some sort of unspoken bond!

Top Ten Thanksgiving List

1. Having Yi and Sarah here for FIVE DAYS!!
2. Crockpot Thanksgiving turkey legs (Thank you to everyone who lent us a crock pot!) along with the rest of Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a total success!
3. Playing Wii Wheel of Fortune and Sets & Runs
4. Derek and Yi making Yi's knife block
5. Having free time with Derek
6. Buying and setting up our Christmas tree and front door Christmas wreath.
7. Chinese Hot Pot dinner with family and friends (We had 12 people around our table!)
8. Seeing Harry Potter #7
9. Staying up late with friends
10. Yi and Sarah making it here and back home safely through TWO blizzards!

Both Derek and I are wishing that the holiday weekend could have been a bit longer.  It's going to be difficult going back to regular life, but it has to be done!

Sweet Shot Tuesday

Cadence has decided that hanging out with us on the couch is pretty cool. If we're sitting on it, she's sitting on it. And on this day she was being extra cute and doing all kinds of fun poses!

My favorite part of the photo is her static hair!

And as always, this photo was edited with Everyday Action's fabulous actions!!

I Love My Backyard

Behind our yard is a common area. There are a few throughout the neighborhood, but the one behind our house is the best. 

Beyond the common area are quite a few empty lots. The lots are full of weeds but in certain lights, they look kind of pretty! 

Behind that is beautiful blue sky with trees on the horizon! 

I'm really hoping that it's a long time before people buy those lots and build.  I don't want to loose any of that sky!