Annual Leave

This two-week annual leave was spent driving from Calgary to Michigan (three full days) in crazy wind and snow/blizzard warnings. We spent a lot of time in the car, but Sophie was amazing, pretty much as always. The only time(s) she was fussy was when she needed her diaper changed.
































We went from Calgary, to North Dakota, through Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The only way to get to the Lower Peninsula is to cross the 5-mile Mackinaw Bridge. The wind was so gusty, trucks were banned from crossing. We decided to stop for dinner, and as we sat down we saw a line of trucks go past the restaurant. They were allowed to cross, but only going 20 mph.


















So that's why we didn't see any in Banff.









We made it to Mt Pleasant later that night, and had a wonderful time catching up with Jim's parents, professors and even getting a chance to swing dance! Sophie and Grandpa shared a special time looking at the big band, listening to the music, and dancing of course!




































We also went to the CMU football game to see and hear the Marching Chips play Lady Gaga and South Park! HA! It was pretty awesome and the band looked and sounded great! They had Sophie's full attention as soon as they started playing until the very last note. We were bummed we missed a tailgate hang put on by my brother- and sister-in law (and our nephew Brett, since he attends CMU now) because Sophie was sleeping, but Jim got to go so that was a plus. He said both the food and the conversation were excellent. I think the team lost, but I admit I don't go to games for the actual games. The marching band was playing that day, and there just happened to be a bunch of guys there that like to get in two lines and fall down for a while.

The next day, we drove to Lowell where we were welcomed by my parents and my relatives, many who have never met Sophie. We seem to never be in Michigan on the weekends, so it could never be arranged. It was fantastically loud and chaotic, but I'm so grateful that so many made the trek just for us, and especially for my parents who hosted the fête. And the food wasn't bad either!























Sophie and her cousin Eve, who happened to be a puppy dog that afternoon.















My cousin Stacy, with her two kids Alex and Abby (the little one) with my nieces Ivy and Eve.










By far Sophie's favorite part of Lowell would have to be the dogs! They L-O-V-E her!





Cuh-laaaaay













Stella Bella




















And Grandma and Grandpa too, of course!














Here is some randomly random cuteness.




































































Yup. Let's Go Red Wings!



















Playing the drums like a natural!










After that, it was two days to Chattanooga to spend time with Jon, Tina and Erin. Then another two days to Miami. So far so good. The apartments are nice, and the view isn't bad. We had a friend, Angie, from Blast! visit. She just left this morning, so now I can focus on getting this thing caught up! Here's the view from our balcony, overlooking Bay Biscayne.

Sophie singing 'Twinkle Twinkle'...sort of

Almost... and mini update

Happy 23 months, little princess!

Sophie is talking up a storm! In fact, the only time she ever

doesn't talk is when she's sleeping. :] She's quite the little tape recorder. She repeats literally EVERYTHING anyone says. Her vocabulary consists of hundreds of words, too many to count. She can spell her name, count to ten, identify all of her body parts and colors. I'll post a video soon. She thoroughly enjoys songs and books and requests them often. She has too many favorites to mention. Every week it rotates.

She no longer says 'wabee' for water (Who knows where the heck that came from?) and 'nunny' for bunny. She says 'water' and 'rabbit' now.

She still gets 'spoon' and 'fork' mixed up, but I suppose we can forgive her.

She's quite the girly-girl too! She loves bows in her hair, necklaces, rings and those fairy wings that go on your arms. She's a bit hesitant at first, but put her in front of a mirror, and she's convinced!

She also takes dance class with Miss Nastia and a few other girls her age. Last week in a hotel, I took off my shoes and socks and laid down on the bed. She came and physically moved my toes while saying "point" and "flex." It caught me off guard but it was so unbelievably CUTE! She's going to be a teacher someday just like her Mommy! Speaking of being just like me, one of her favorite toys is a baby stroller. She can push her baby (or anything else that just happens to be there) around for hours. She also gives her stuffed animals puffs, water, her paci, etc. and loves to do 'pattycake' with them too! She's such a wonderful child! She's just a funny girl. I literally laugh a thousand times a day at the things she says or does. She's such a joy and we're so blessed!

Anyway, just a (sort of) mini update for now. We just arrived in Miami and I'm planning on posting a transfer week post soon.

Happy 22 months!

Happy birthday to my favorite Sophie in the whole world!

So sorry about the delay! My computer is still being repaired and I'm forced to use Jim's pretty, shiny, sparkling MacBook Pro. Sucks for me! Anyway, I'll post more when/if I ever get my computer back. And PS She loves blueberries, even if the frozen ones stain anything and everything within a 10-foot radius. Please enjoy the photographic proof above.

Banff: A great place to visit, and a fun word to say...

Last week before the hustle and bustle of premier week (especially for Jim, who took over for Seth as Music Director), we decided to use our free time and drive to Banff National Park. We stopped at Lake Minnewanka to stretch our legs and have a look-see. It was pretty gorgeous, but, like Calgary, a bit chilly.





























We were hungry so we drove a little bit more to Banff and we spotted a little hotel restaurant named "The Meatball." I got the margherita pizza to split with Sophie, and Jim got the homestyle macaroni and cheese. Both were super spicy and I'm glad I remembered to pack extra snacks that day, as Sophie didn't really like it either. The bartender was super nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for the food. We decided to drive through the village of Banff, and it was a cute, quaint little ski town. It almost reminded me of Frankenmuth in Michigan, but with mountains and junk. We went to the falls and took a few pictures. There was a [drunk] wedding party there taking pictures, climbing up the rocks, and yelling in Russian. Here are a few pictures of what it looked like. The falls, not the drunk Russians.










You can see the bride in the corner, so I kinda lied...











































We then went to the gondola to go to the top of the mountain. It was chilly so we put on Sophie's new winter coat. She didn't really like that, but she didn't really have a say either.



































Notice the impressive beard growth. On Jim, not me!







We went outside to look around and to look for any wildlife. Apparently they all got the memo that we were coming that day and to stay home.











We did see a chipmunquirrel running around. Sophie kept yelling "HI!" at it, but it still wouldn't let Sophie give it a hug. His loss!















We noticed the clouds were getting grayer and grayer, so we decided to head to Tim Horton's for a hot chocolate and then home before the rain got us.














When we got inside to take the gondola down, I wanted to take Sophie's jacket off, but she wouldn't have that either. And the Taiwanese tourists were very taken with Sophie! They couldn't keep their hands off of her! We drove home, missing the rain and savoring the rest of our break. It was a good day!

Life lesson #642

Remember when Mama told you the light was hot and not to touch it?


















Yup.
But you did get extra snuggles and extra books to take your mind off the nasty blister on your finger. Ah, the trials and tribulations of being headstrong and stubborn! We love you anyway.

Happy 21 months!

Today is moving day! We're off to Calgary this morning. We're sure going to miss Vancouver! Oh and Happy 21 months babygirl! Your magic and love fill us up completely. Thank you for making us smile.