What We've Been Up To

Life in Calgary has been keeping us busy, as you can tell from the lack of posts! But here's what we've been doing lately...this picture is of December playing with bubbles at my friend Justyne's place

Justyne has kindly watched December while Brad and I go off to our worship team practices -- she's especially kind to do it, because it means that December is with Justyne until 10:30pm at the earliest!

Two cell phones...what could be better?!?

Exploring the rocky terrain

December and I hanging out in Grampie and Grammie's play room.

December with Justyne (or as December calls her, Auntie 'Tine)

Helping Justyne make banana bread. December LOVES to help with baking (and pretty much anything that you're doing). I have a feeling she's going to try to be a big helper with the new baby, which is great!

We went to the mall a few weeks ago with Justyne, and we stopped in to see the pet store (one of December's most favorite places to go). I've grabbed a cockatiel out of its cage, and December is petting it.

This mall also has a kids' play area, and December had the time of her life as she climbed on all of the toys! It was a good mall day for her.

Debbie threw Erin and I a joint baby shower, and my friends from the area were able to come to it. It was really fun! Here's Brad and I opening gifts, with Erin and December watching.

Brad and I before we started opening gifts.

Brad loves baby showers! :o)

Auntie Tarena got December her very first pair of roller skates, with a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads, too. December is trying them out, with Daddy's help.

Taking a break. Learning how to roller skate is hard work!

She actually did pretty well and got better and better the longer she did it. She'll be a champ in no time!

Since these pictures were taken, we've moved into a new place. We are now living in Brad's sister's fiance's parents' house (I'm very impressed if you could follow that), while they are in Europe for a few weeks. We are taking care of Watson, their enormous English sheepdog (think of the movie The Big Shaggy Dog), which is taller than December and could probably eat her for dinner if he so chose. But he's a good-natured, lazy kind of dog and plays outside most of the time.


It's hard to imagine, but we will be leaving Calgary next week. That means that this Sunday is Brad's last Sunday to preach (and we will be playing with the worship team again), and this week is his last week preparing a sermon for Sunday! He's really enjoyed being at the church, and we've all really enjoyed being in Calgary! I can't believe how quickly these months have gone by...

Farm Day!

On Friday, my sister-in-law Kim took Erin, Caden, December, and I out to her parents' farm. We all had such a great time! December got her very first ride on a horse!

December absolutely loved it. She begged to go back on the horse and ride all of the other horses and even wanted to ride on the donkey, too.

I was impressed with her courageousness. Summit is a very tall horse for such a little girl!

We took a little walk around the farm...it's beautiful country out there!

Simba the cat...cats are December's favorite animal by far!

This was Caden's favorite part of the farm!

The kids got to play inside of it, and they even figured out how to honk the horn at some point.

Driving the bobcat.

Kim's parents have a brand new black lab puppy, and he was completely adorable!

The kids liked Remmy the puppy, but he was a bit too exciteable for them. He liked to play tug-of-war with anything he could put his mouth on, and he liked to tackle them, too. That was a bit too much puppy roughness for December!

Here he is, playing tug-of-war with my sock (which was slightly painful as he kept on biting my foot in the process!)

Kim with the puppy. I understand my brother Karl just got a puppy that's exactly this old, too!! Only what he got was a yellow lab...I can imagine that Karl's puppy is acting very similar to this one. Labs are the cutest little puppies ever!

After we finished exploring at the farm, we drove to the park to eat a picnic lunch.

Right next to where we ate lunch was a little mountain stream, where Caden and December had fun playing. The water was ice cold, straight from the mountains, so December could only stay in for thirty-second incriments before bursting into tears about her frozen feet ("Too cold! Too cold!"). I was impressed with Caden's ability to stay in the water for forever, without complaining once about his feet that turned red from the cold. He's a true Canadian! My little California daughter is a bit of a softie! :o)

After lunch, we took a walk into the woods.

A beautiful wild rose in the woods.

December and Caden going out exploring.

As we walked along the path in the woods, we passed by some beautiful waterfalls.

Here we all are -- we had such a fun day!

In the evening, Brad, December, and I went out for dinner with Mike & Kim...yum yum!

Happy December

Mike & Kim. We love hanging out with them!

At the Park

Last week December and I went to my friend Justyne's place for brunch (which was extremely yummy) and to the park (which December thought was extremely fun). Here they are on the slide together.

This is a dress that December's Uncle Matt and almost-Auntie Tarena got her, which both she and I love! In just a couple of weeks, December will be the flower girl in their wedding and will wear a simply gorgeous dress for that!

December, trying to throw herself off the edge of the playset

December "hiding." If you know December, you know that when she says, "I go hide!" it means that she needs to go find a quiet corner and do her dirty business. This is working well for potty training, because I just tell her to "go hide" in the bathroom, and while she's in there, she may as well sit on the potty and do her dirty work there. It's very nice that way!

Later that day, we went to December's Uncle Mike and Auntie Kim's for some tasty pie!

Auntie Kim was very kind and let December help her water the garden. Kim is GREAT with December, and December loves her a ton!

Morning and Evening

In the mornings, we sometimes just let December play in her bedroom for a while after she wakes up, so that Brad and I can lay in bed for a few extra minutes. Here's what December does with her free time!

Lately she's been emptying her drawers and climbing up into them. It's really not a safe practice, though, and I think she finally learned that after the dresser tipped while she was in it. She didn't get hurt, but I think it scared her enough to not do it anymore!

Oh -- and she strips her pajamas off. I think this is in preparation for the dress she will certainly put on as soon as she can. She refuses to wear ANYTHING but dresses, and has done this since we've arrived in Calgary.

Brad grilling our dinner! He's really good at it, and I like it when he does it.

December, Daddy's little helper. Brad strapped an apron on her, too, and they looked really cute, both out there grilling together.