Happy Thanksgiving

Our trip to California to visit the Chapman's was great, but did not go exactly as planned. We arrived on Thursday just in time to enjoy my sister Bethany's delicious meal and then we all went for a walk and let the kids play at a local toddler playground. On Friday our scheduled departure for Monteray Bay Aquarium was 8:30am and after an actual departure of 10:30am the hour drive went quickly and although the aquarium was packed, it was awesome and we had a wonderful time. We ate dinner at a local restaurant (I think Louie Linguini's) and then walked around Monteray Bay and enjoyed the Christmas celebration. Apparently Louie's did not sit well with my parents because they got SICK on Friday evening and were down and out for the rest of the trip. We didn't even see them again!!!

Since Mom and Dad were incapacitated on Saturday, we headed with the Chapman's to some wineries around Santa Cruz including Ridge Vineyard and Picchetti Winery. We had a lovely picnic and the kids enjoying running around while the adults took turns with wine tastings. On Saturday evening we met up again with the Chapmans for dinner at NoLa which was a fun New Orleans style restaurant where the kids enjoyed the mardi gras beads and dancing around our table.

Then on Sunday Bethany was sick and Samuel had a bad cold. Grant and I wanted to keep dodging the sickness so we steered clear to hopefully avoid sick babies while traveling. We didn't end up seeing the Chapman's again!!! :( We had hoped to spend time with the Chapmans exploring San Franscico, but we forged on ahead leaving sick people in our wake.

We had a great time in San Franscico and our adventures included:

• Staying at the super fun and kid-friendly Hotel del Sol (totally recommend it)
• Dinner, dancing, rain showers and steering the boat at the Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel
• Cadie and Dad visiting Alcatraz
• Harbor cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge
• Light hike through Muir Woods with the simply incredible 1,000-year-old redwoods
• Browsing around Pier 39
• Sourdough bread bowls at Fisherman's Wharf
• Driving on the crazy streets (Cadie loved it)

Cadie loved riding the boat under the Golden Gate Bridge



Mom, Jack Ranger, and Cadie on cruise under Golden Gate Bridge

Bay Cruise (with Alcatraz in the background)

Cadie loved the Tonga Room, complete with an island band playing on a boat in the middle of the old swimming pool. This old ship's wheel was right by our table, so Cadie liked "driving" us during dinner.

Cadie got to experience a tropical mock-tail in a coconut!

The Tonga Room has an indoor thunderstorm in the middle of the restaurant every 30 minutes...so Cadie used the little umbrella to keep her head dry :)

The Hotel del Sol has a quaint courtyard with some hammocks between some palm trees. After dinner, Dad chill-axed with the kiddos.



I think this is the only picture of the kids together from the whole trip. They all enjoyed the balcony at the aquarium.

Grant and Cadie at Monteray Bay Aquarium.

Grandma Nina took the kids to see the Christmas celebration...complete with "toy soldiers" playing music at Monteray Bay, CA.

Papa Ron with crazy Cadie.

Incredible view at the Ridge Vineyard.

Cadie bonked her head and needed some cuddles to recover. This is a very common occurance.

Cadence and Samuel climbed around the old structures at Picchetti Vineyard and Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains

We really enjoyed hiking on the trail through Muir Woods. Some of the giant redwoods were over 1000 years old!



Cadence liked seeing all of the rings in this cut-out from one of the giant redwoods. This one was about 1500 years old when it fell.

Mom showed the kids the famous cable cars...but we did not take a ride because it was going to cost $24 for us to ride one-way!!! So we decided to just take a picture :)

We visited the original Boudin sourdough bakery on Fisherman's Wharf, where Cadie was amused to find an aligator-shaped loaf.

Dad and Cadence took a night tour of Alcatraz Island.



This is the view of "Broadway" - the innmost walk between Cell Blocks B and C in the Alcatraz cell house.

Dad warned Cadie that bad girls could end up in prison cages like this...for the rest of the tour she kept telling me she was going to always be a good girl. She is holding onto her little Snow White doll. Poor sweet baby. Not sure we will win the parents of the year award for this one.



Grant said the night tour was really spectacular...small crowds, dark and eerie cell blocks, and gorgeous views of the city across the water.



Santa Who?

Our first attempt at pictures with Santa at the Snider Plaza Christmas Tree lighting were unsuccessful. Are we very bad parents for telling Cadie she might not get what she wants for Christmas because she was so naughty and whiny when she met Santa?

Busy Busy

I haven't had much time to blog lately. We have been so busy doing important things like playing with the big yellow ball Daddy won for us at Gattiland, putting curlers in our hair, taking night-time walks to look at the moon and stars, jumping in pillow piles and pretending to be cats. Cadie is Yo Yo Cat and Jack Ranger is Fuzzy Cat. We are not sure why Jack Ranger's cat name is Fuzzy, but Cadie assures us that is his cat name.

So, as you can tell, we have quite a busy schedule. In other news:
- Jack Ranger has given up the bottle this week! I am so glad to pack away all the bottles, sterilizer, bottle rack, etc. Yea to more counter space.
- On one of our recent night-time walks were were passing under a tree with large acorns when a breeze knocked off a lot of big acorns that dropped near us. Cadie shouted, "Mom, God almost poo'd on us!" I almost peed myself laughing so hard.
- My work is going well and I finally feel like I have some space to breath. It has been 10 months since I started at PepsiCo and it is nice to feel my feet back underneath me.

Daddy Date

Last Saturday night Daddy took Cadie on a date! They went to a production of Cinderella at Plano West Theater and Grant said Cadie sat perfectly through the whole production and then was so excited to meet Cinderella afterwards. On the way home they stopped at a carnival and rode rides and ate funnel cake! They didn't get home until 11:30! The next day I asked Cadie if she had a fun time on her adventure with Dad and she said, "It wasn't an adventure. It was a date to the theater!" OK Fancy Nancy.

It was also awesome for me because I hung with Jack Ranger and then scrapbooked all night after he went to bed. I finished up his scrapbook this past week!

Cadie was excited to meet Cinderella after the show...she even got to see the glass slippers up close.

On the way home from the musical, we stopped at a traveling carnival and had fun on the rides together.

Cadie wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel first.

She liked it when the Ferris Wheel stopped with us at the top so she could look down at all the other rides and plan which ones to ride next...

Top of the Ferris Wheel.

Funnel Cake helped replinish Cadie's energy for more rides!

"Can we have funnel cakes every day, Daddy?"



Cadie loved the kiddie coaster called Orient Express.

Cadie loved spinning in the Tea Cups, but Dad's knees did not.



We ended the night with a classic Merry Go Round ride. As always, Cadie picked the Zebra.

3 yr. and 1 yr. Stats

I took both Cadence and Jack Ranger to the doctor on Monday 10/31/11. Cadence had her 3 yr. checkup and Jack Ranger had his 1 yr. Not sure I will be taking them together again. It was a lot to have them both get their checkups, both have blood taken, Jack Ranger got 4 shots and Cadence did a urine sample. We made it through, but it was a long 2 hours at the doctor!

Cadence Stats
Weight: 36.4 lbs which is 90th percentile
Height: 39.5 inches which is also 90th percentile (tall, beautiful girl!)

Jack Ranger Stats
Weight: 21.5 lbs. which is 25th percentile (sweet little peanut)
Height: 30.75 inches which is 75th percentile - the doctor actually thought the nurse probably measured him incorrectly because this is quite a jump from his 9 mo. appointment where he was 28.5 inches.
Head circumference: 18 inches which is 25th percentile



These two little ones are just the sweetest and I love that they are playing more together and as they get older we can do a bit more together out and about.

Happy Halloween

The kids had a great halloween weekend! Cadie was Snow White and Jack Ranger was the most adorable little dino.

On Saturday afternoon we went to the Moss Haven Elementary school carnival and Cadie loved riding on the pony with the pink hair. The horse even had purple sparkle toenails. We did a few little activities, shared some snacks, played on the playground and then walked home as it started to get dark. We have a wonderful neighborhood.

On Monday evening we attended the Fall Festival at our church, Highland Park Presbyterian Church, and the kids loved the bounce houses the best. The festival had lots of cute little games, but the kids didn't seem to be too interested in the games. They mostly wanted to run around in the gym and play in the bounce houses. We went and did trick-or-treating at a few houses on the walk back to the Walsh's house after the festival.

Our plan was then to come home and get the kids in bed, but as soon as we got home Cadie spotted Avery and the neighborhood crew trick-or-treating. Dad stayed home and put Jack Ranger to bed and Cadie and I went up and down the street with the Grays, Rothwells, Gaffords, Monetas and Feathers. We had a great time and Cadie only tripped a handful of times while running in her snow white skirt. We are managing to spread out the Cadie rations and Cadie is currently working her way through a package of skittles.

Uncle Eric and Anna are Engaged!

My little brother is getting married!!! I am so happy for him and Anna. I haven't had the chance to meet Anna yet, but my family all loves her and it sounds like he is marrying up. They live in Washington and she is a float plane pilot and in the winter does ski patrol which is how she and Eric met at Crystal Mountain. Such an adorable couple!! I LOVE weddings and can't wait for another family wedding. They are a laid-back couple, but I hope they get to planning.

- Mom: "Cadie! Guess what! Uncle Eric proposed to Anna and now we will have a new aunt - Aunt Anna!"
- Cadie: "I don't want Aunt Anna!"
- Mom: "Why not?" (Note: I have realized that most of the things she says that sound mean are really because of language or understanding so I try to ask why now before responding)
- Cadie: "Because I want to keep Uncle Eric" (sounding so sad I thought she was going to cry)
- Mom: "It isn't a swap baby girl! We get to keep Uncle Erin AND now we also have Aunt Anna."
- Cadie: "That is fine then. I can have Aunt Anna."