Winter Olympics 2010

As a family, we spent most of our nights watching the Winter Olympics.

It was so exciting and it brought back memories. Four years ago, we remember watching the last winter Olympics in Minnesota with our brand new baby girl. We enjoyed it then too, but this time Cassidy enjoyed it with us and stayed up late to watch the exciting events. Our coffee table became our dinner table. There were moments of big cheer, times we shared tears with the athletes, felt heartache for those athletes who fell or got disqualified after training so hard for so long, and felt joy over their perseverance and the will not to give up.

We enjoyed watching Cassidy try to mimic the correct form of ski jumping and other events. Cassidy decided she wanted to be just like the ice skaters and dance just like them as long as she didn't have to dance on ice.

We enjoyed watching these games as a family for weeks. And now we are on Olympic withdrawals. Cassidy still begs me to watch the Olympics. Can the Summer games get here soon enough???? And maybe we should take a vacation to Canada, it's gorgeous!

THANKSGIVING...(I know a little late)

We were delighted to host a Thanksgiving Feast at our home for 15 additional family members. Unfortunately, not everyone could be with us. We sure missed you!!

We were able to show our family a good time by visiting The Olympic Training Center, Helen Hunt Falls, The North Pole, Garden of the Gods, the Zoo, getting up early to go on a walk at Sunrise, Playing Volleyball with friends vs. family, playing board games, eating dinner at Salt Grass, and of course eating lots of Turkey!

Grandma reading to Cassidy

Helen Hunt Falls (we all made it to the top)

My dad and I

Going to Church, BRRRR!!!

Zoo

Cool Lion Family

The Next Bobsled Stars
(My brother Derek, nephews Max, Phil, & Sam)

Looks like Phil got Gold, Sam Silver, and Max Bronze. If you look closely you can see Cassidy up above her cousins in the Green Olympic Ring

Trip to the North Pole

Santa's Workshop

Cassidy enjoyed the attention from her cousins especially from Austin & Max, and she was a little daredevil. She couldn't resist any of the rides.

Sunrise Stroll

Thanksgiving Feast

Garden of the Gods

Cassidy with cousin McKay

Dinner at Salt Grass Restuarant

Love notes we found from family after they left

We had a wonderful time with family! Thank you for coming to our home in Colorado and for visiting with us! Please come again soon! :) :)



Football at the Park. Mom was tough with the boys!

Valentine's Day

For Valentine's this year, Cassidy and I had a plan to "heart attack" Daddy's car at work. We were sneaky and Cassidy helped cover Derek's car with hearts just in time before his lunch break. And included Mounds candy bars. We parked out of sight and waited to catch the surprise in person. It couldn't have been more perfect. We had the chance to see all the action up close and loved seeing the smile on Daddy's face as soon as he realized what happened. I will never forget that fun experience and sharing the excitement with Cassidy. We kept laughing and Cassidy kept telling me to "Shhhh!" as if her daddy was going to hear our giggles. Of course then I immediately got a phone call from Derek and told him he can give us hugs in person since we were also in the parking lot. :)

When we got home we found that our front door was heart attacked while we were gone. It made us laugh! Thank you to whoever did that! We love you too! Also, Derek was surprised from the cute girls in his Sunday School class with some treats thanking him for being their teacher. It was so sweet of them. My friend and her kids offered to take care of Cassidy and feed her dinner so Derek and I could go out. We certainly felt the LOVE all weekend.

Derek bought me beautiful pink tulips (my favorite flowers) and took me to an Italian Restaurant. It was so tasty, especially since days prior I had food poisoning and didn't eat anything. Then on Sunday Cassidy received a gift from her parents-a crayon holder made out of fabric. She used it that day at church. It's sure cuter than a zip-loc bag. :)



We hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day too!

A Sweet Surprise

Cassidy has been sick these last couple of days with a runny nose and a bad cough. But today she has been surprised with a special basket of goodies from some good friends of ours. Thank you Tribett Family! We love you! It meant so much to us! :)

My Birthday (Back in November :0) )

For my birthday my sweet honey bought me one of my favorite movies: Pride and Prejudice. He knows what I like. My parents were also arriving from Arizona on my birthday to visit for a couple of weeks. I heard the doorbell ring and to my surprise I had a Birthday song from my Abuelita and my parents with a Birthday balloon. It was sweet!

Then they let me pick where I wanted to go out to eat for dinner. For some reason, I was craving seafood and since they just built a new Red Lobster down the street I thought why not. Of course it has been like 5 years since the last time I ate at Red Lobster.



It was fun to have extra family to celebrate with. Unfortunately, our waitress wasn't very nice. And of course they had to run out of Mahi Mahi right before I ordered the dish. The sad thing is...that happened 5 years ago too. I still have not had my Mahi Mahi at Red Lobster! :(

But watching my daughter have a lobster experience was all worth it. You see Cassidy is always asking to visit the lobster tank at Walmart when we go. So Derek asked the hostess if Cassidy could see the lobsters. The hostess was so nice and actually took out a lobster from the tank and let Cassidy get close and personal with this new friend.



She enjoyed the Lobster experience until Grandma ordered a lobster dinner and the Lobster dish was right across from her. We had to explain to Cassidy why we eat some of the creatures we call "our friends." She seemed to be sad a little bit but got over it quick. Then before we left the restaurant she asked me, "Mom, do we eat giraffes?" I had to ease her mind and say "No!" I hope she doesn't think we're going to eat our dog next. Just kidding!



The best part of the evening was the COMPANY, good laughs, and my Chocolate Cookie dessert! Thanks family for making my birthday fun!

Colorado Christmas

(picture I took in Sedona, AZ at a light display)

We've been fortunate to have been surrounded by both our families for Thanksgiving and a week in December before Christmas (which I still need to blog about).

This year for Christmas we had a quiet, just the 3 of us, Colorado Christmas. Derek and I had fun inventing new family traditions. We also had the chance to enjoy the Christmas Spirit through our daughter's eyes.

Here are some activities we did during the week of Christmas:


Driving around neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights. We found some amazing homes that did an amazing job! Then we learned of the local First Nazarene Church doing some kind of light show. We went to check it out. It was awesome! They had it all set up throughout their huge parking lot. They had their own radio station to broadcast Christmas music that danced with the tree lights. It was beautiful! Then of course they put a magnet sign on our car that read Cassidy's name so throughout the whole drive-thru they would wish Cassidy a Merry Christmas knowing her name: Santa and Mrs. Claus, the helping elves, the 3 Wise Men, other helpers dressed up for the season made it personal to her. It was magical! At the end was the best part, a live Nativity scene of Mary and Joseph. We were definitely impressed!



Mommy and Cassidy going to the Ceramic Shop to make our home-made gifts for daddy. A family tradition every year. Cassidy painted a mug and with her fingerprints made some snowmen art on the mug. I designed a mosaic frame for Derek to put on his desk at work. It was fun! This was our 2nd time to the Ceramic shop and we really enjoy it, I think it will be our little mommy/daughter tradition!

Cassidy's Christmas Dress

One night, Derek took Cassidy Christmas shopping for Mommy. It was sweet! They always come home with adventures to share. We also had fun going to friend's homes for Christmas parties. We also had a fun Enrichment Activity at the Church. We held our 2nd annual "Service Auction" and had a Mexican Buffet for dinner. I'm so grateful for the sisters I serve with and couldn't do it without my Enrichment Committee.

CHRISTMAS EVE

On Christmas Eve Derek wanted to take Cassidy to see the movie "Princess and the Frog. " I thought it was a perfect idea! Especially since that evening she would be opening her ONE Christmas Eve gift from her daddy, a beautiful pajama gown of Princess Tiana.

We invited our friends Jamie and Tyler to come too. Cassidy was so excited to have received our invitation to see the movie (invitation idea from my friend Shauna).





We then were able to get plates of goodies together to deliver to some friends. Cassidy LOVED helping and delivering the goodies.


CHRISTMAS MORNING (after we all slept in):

"Merry Christmas Daddy! Now wake up!"

"Wow, Santa ate all his cookies and drank his milk!"

"Gasp! Santa left some surprises!"

Cassidy's New Lil House

Daddy built us instruments out of Cassidy's new legos for our family band

Daddy's Mug from Cassidy

Cassidy picked out some bright pink PJ's with butterflies for me. They make me happy!

My new Belgian Waffle Maker

Oakley got a yummy cookie biscuit in his stocking

Cassidy invited us over to read books in her new home

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Yummy Waffles the next morning using my new waffle maker

Throughout the month, friends would ask what we were doing for Christmas. I would tell them we're having a "quiet" Christmas at home. Well I didn't think anything of it, until one day Cassidy said to me, "Mom, I don't want to have a quiet Christmas I want to have a loud Christmas!" It was funny! But after all said and done I don't think it bothered her one bit!

We had a Special White Family Christmas!