For Your New Year's Eve Viewing Pleasure...

Sofie first learned this song while we were in China.  Brandon & I would sing it to each other because by the end of our trip, we had lost so much weight our pants were literally falling to the ground.  Sofie soon learned it and now sings it to me whenever I am sans pants...


How will ring in this New Year?  Do you make resolutions?  I resolve to have more pants on the ground this year.  Brandon resolves to finally prove the existence of Sasquatch.

Sofie resolves to read the newspaper each day to keep up with current events...



We wish you all a safe, festive New Year's Eve...and lots of love, laughter and happiness in the year ahead!

Christmas Photos

Some images from our Christmas morning present extravaganza...we hope you enjoyed your holiday!

We tracked Santa's progress on Christmas Eve

Star of the show was the kitchen she has been asking for for months...

Stocking full of goodies

Instruments to make music

What's hiding back here...?

After she opened each present she would throw the wrapping in the air and say "surprise!"

Thanks to everyone for the lovely gifts...it was a great first Christmas for this little girl!

First Christmas

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5291656321/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5291155671/

Merry Christmas!

I may be back later with some Friday viewing pleasure...

New Friends

This past weekend we had the pleasure of spending time with Dan, Kim and their two precious daughters Maya and Sierra.  Sierra, the youngest, is from Inner Mongolia...just like Sofie.  She's been home with her family just a few months.

It was not easy getting these three to sit still for some photos...but we managed to get a few.





Kim - it was so great meeting you and spending time with you.  Your daughters are really amazing.  We look forward to seeing you again soon!

For Your Friday Viewing Pleasure...

This is Sofie's favorite new game.  She plays this up in her room several times a day.  Baba gets sucked in a few times a day and it always ends with his falling down "sick".  Then it's my turn to do the same...she always nurses us back to health.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5269105384/

Just Hanging Around...

Not too much happening around here lately.  We've been soaking up all the holiday spirit and waiting for Santa to come...and getting out and about in between rains.



We decorated the house a bit and let Sofie decorate a little fake (gasp! no offense fake tree lovers...I grew up on a ranch with live Christmas trees and this is THE first fake tree I have had...ever) tree we got for her...









Spending time with our friend Rudolph and reading lots of Christmas books...







We won't be traveling for the holidays this year, so will spend Christmas here in Yountville...just the three of us.  How about you?  How will you be spending the holidays this year?

For Your Friday Viewing Pleasure...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5242577697/

Santa!

Sofie is obsessed with Santa.  She has been practicing what she will tell him she wants for Christmas.  She talks about him, points out photos of him everywhere we go...loves to sing "Santa Claus is coming to town".  Our first encounter with Santa a few weeks back ended with Sofie hiding behind me and not wanting anything to do with him.  Ever since then she has been convinced he is "scwarewy".

We ran in to Santa over the weekend while out on our daily walk through town.  After about 10 minutes of negotiating and watching the other kids climb on to his lap, we were here.  It is blurry because she would not sit still...notice how she is not looking at him!



Then we followed him around for about 15 minutes, watching him take photos and chat with others and she ended up here...still wouldn't look...

Telling Santa what she wanted for Christmas...

Decided he was okay and she would show him her "jingle bell"...

Soon they were pals...

And we ended here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5239086253/

We hope you had a great weekend!

For Your Friday Viewing Pleasure...

Nope.  Nothing slows this kid down...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5229348687/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofieyan/5229356371/

The sun came out this morning and so did we.  We weren't the only ones enjoying to beautiful day...

The cows were nibbling on the fresh green grass

The birds were enjoying a little bath...

And about 1000 slugs were out to soak up some sun...Sofie was catching it all on film

A few of the other lovely scenes from our walk...

We hope you have a great weekend!

Good Things

I always enjoy sharing the source of good things I come across with my friends.  This is a new Etsy store (if you don't know what Etsy is...you must go there...immediately!) opened up by my talented friend Traci, who also happens to be Millie's Mom.  If you are on the hunt for some unique letterpress cards or invitations, look no further.  Traci's designs are so clean and sophisticated:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/45wall

She is giving away some lovely cards to celebrate her opening, so check out her design blog.  She will be picking the winners tomorrow afternoon!

http://45walldesign.blogspot.com/

Cheers!