Happy Thanksgiving!

We are so very blessed... it is the season for giving thanks! The big spread was at Evan & Dana's house and they did a fantastic job. So much food we all stuffed ourselves! Traditional food of turkey, potatoes & gravy, rolls, veggies (various types), candied yams, cranberries, sparkling cider, etc. Kelley's family tradition is lots of treats - golden graham s'mores, "those" brownies, magic cookie bars, fudge, and caramels made the menu this year. Don't forget the typical desserts of cheesecake and lots of pies. Plus lots of visiting and a hilarious game of 'Apples to Apples'! Love food, love family, love friends! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving like we did :)

 

(Evan, Dana, Trevin, Amanda, & Ella; Curtis, Shelley, Cole, Ty, & Gracie; David; Dale; Ruth; Sherril; Mindee; Kelley, Seoul, & I (we missed Ashley who was sick and Jerry, Earlene, David & Isaac who couldn't make it from Utah because of the crazy weather)

Baby Sprinkle for Sydney

Our good friend, Brittany, was kind enough to throw a "baby sprinkle" for me (think smaller scale "baby shower" - get it??) It was a great time and we appreciate it! People are so kind and generous! The food was delicious... I LOVE desserts :) We played a game "How well do you know children's literature" and for as much as we read I didn't know a lot of the classics - oops! Seoul had a ball running around, soaking up all the attention. She has now claimed the stuffed animal and hair clips for herself - poor Sydney! Kelley went out with Nhat, Randy & Randy Jr. What a fun night spent with friends and family!

Thanks Brittany - you're the best!!

One Year Anniversary

I have to note that it was one year ago today that we moved here to our new house! We love it! It was a week of bad weather last year so we bumped up the move-in date. These days Seoul dances in our mounds of leaves, but also helps daddy battle them.

We love it... feeling home, the neighborhood, our yard, homeowner tasks... it's all fabulous!

Seoul's Friends

Seoul is making all kinds of friends these days. Granted, a friend at this age is someone who is there but interaction doesn't always happen. The little girl next door, Halzie, is just 6 days older than she is so it is fun to watch them grow up together. Seoul also loves Halzie's older sister, Kylee. Hayden is a brother in between the girls but I don't have pictures of him.

Grace and Isaac are also good friends. We get to see them on a weekly basis. Funny enough Seoul seems to get more excited to see Isaac but maybe one day that will change.

Blake's mom, Jennie, is one of my greatest friends. He instigated Seoul's first... and second... kiss! His little sister, Caitlyn, is Seoul's new friend also. She asks for "baby Jennie" and both times we've seen them she has loved holding her. She even declined a frosty and playing on the playground just so she could sit and hold her.

This is one of Seoul's earliest friends, Randy Jr. They were really starting to play together before we moved away. No kissing between these two, but yes, they were in bed together!

We laugh (but worry a bit) that Seoul seems to appreciate the "men" in her life more than the ladies but I'm sure that will change... right?? (Otherwise Kelley really better worry! Especially with another little girl on the way!)

Family Beach Trip

We spent a weekend in Seaside with my family - Mom, Evan, Dana, Trevin, Amanda, & Ella, David & Ashley, Mindee, Kelley, Seoul, and I. It was a bit rainy but a good time all together. We hit the beach once and the pool multiple times! Of course you can't go wrong with the arcade and there was even a family round of bumper cars. Seoul's favorite was the carousel - first ride was with Amanda and second was on her own horse. All she could say was "more horse, more horse!" Unfortunately David didn't feel well this weekend but he was a sport and joined in with some of the activities. One evening we had a "kumbaya" night telling stories about my grandpa (we all miss him!). It was nice to reminisce a bit. Then we played the game 'Apples to Apples' and it was pretty funny. Another evening we even played 'Truth or Dare' - good times :)

(Sorry, didn't get many pictures of anyone but the kids obviously :) Also, Kelley had a work emergency so he didn't make it up until Saturday so Seoul & I had an interesting time "roughing it" without our baggage - haha!)

My Hero!

I. Hate. Bees. So when our nieces discovered a HUGE bees nest high up in the tree I was a little perturbed to say the least. Kelley scoped the situation, we called a landscaper who said it would be a few hundred dollars to have it professionally removed, then Kelley took action. (Love those homeowner duties!!) With all the neighbors standing around discussing it with him, he made a plan to take it down himself that night. The neighbors all said it was the hugest one they had ever seen not in the country. EW.

So picture this: 8:00 PM. It's cold. It's raining. Kelley and our two friends/neighbors are out there with flashlights and a tree trimmer. The course of action was to cut down the branch... then RUN. So here goes... Kelley cuts down the branch and it falls. Bzzz... out come some HORNETS. So they smash it with the trimmer and some other tool. More hornets take off, but there is no running involved. They watch, then leave it until morning on the ground. Kelley disposes of it first thing in the morning.

I am watching this from inside the screen door for my own safety (again, I HATE bees). I tried to get pictures but no luck, sorry. I'm proud of Kelley and I'm so glad it's gone!!

(I believe I portrayed the events accurately but Kelley can correct anything I missed)

I Love to See the Temple...

Seoul loves the temple and Moroni and remembers the reflection pond. She first loved the Salt Lake Temple and now knows the Portland Temple. Her favorite thing is to reach up and "tickle" Moroni. Kelley and I sing the primary song "I Love to See the Temple" on a daily basis... for me, it's more like 3-4 times a day. The October Ensign was a special Temples edition and it occupied Seoul for many days... looking at temples, finding Moroni, and finding Jesus. It was super cute and I love that she recognizes church stuff. Now whenever we're in the area we at least go in the driveway.



Happy Halloween!

Seoul loves "the mermaid one" (The Little Mermaid) so she was Ariel for Halloween. She loved her costume and wants to wear it every day. She mastered saying "trick or treat" and knowing she gets candy when she says it. However, she quickly learned she wouldn't get candy from mom every time she said it.

Ready to go!

I'm such a cute Little Mermaid! (notice the pose: hip sticking out with bucket held up a little)

Having fun taking her headband on and off, enjoying daddy carrying her.

Saturday night we went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat where she was a little leery of all the costumes but soon adjusted. Then she had a ball walking around with the cousins trick-or-treating and holding out her pink halloween bucket. She got so excited each time someone gave her candy.

Absorbed in watching everybody... what are these people wearing??

Seoul's friends, Grace and Isaac, as adorable Oompa Loompas.

It really was so fun having a little kid get into the spirit of Halloween, but she doesn't understand the scary parts yet. We have a candy bowl that has a skeleton hand come out and touch you when you reach in for candy. Seoul hates it, to put it mildly. For days afterward she would say "hand hurt... all gone" (after I put it away in our Halloween bin in the garage).

Fittingly, Kelley dressed as a San Francisco Giants fan and I was a pregnant Asian woman. Ha!