Anniversary

On July 23rd, Jody and I celebrated 9 years of marriage.  

We took Cadence to lunch to celebrate as a family.  She loves fresh flowers and manages to find and pick them wherever we go.  She spent most of the meal using sea shells to  crush the flowers just like the women here would use a mortar and pestle to grind fresh herbs for a meal.

We had 4 college girls with us from the US for two months this summer.  They were so sweet to offer to keep Cadence over night so that Jody and I could get away.  We stayed at a little dive spot, 1 hour down the beach from us, where Jody used his morning off to go diving, where he saw sea horses for the first time.  I used my morning off more wisely...to sleep in!  Cadence had a blast with the "Big Girls" as you can see from the chocolate on her face.

First day of Preschool

In an effort to raise a bilingual child, we decided to enroll Cadence in a local preschool where she would not hear English for 2.5 hours per day, six days a week.  We ordered her uniform and told her that she could not wear it until she turned 4.  So on the morning of her birthday she came out in her uniform.  School started the following week.

On the first day of school we ate cinnamon rolls with pink frosting!  The school was gracious in allowing the parents to attend school with their student for the first week, if we wanted to do so.  This helped Cadence adjust as she was hearing a lot of new language.

She got a new backpack for the occasion and was so proud of it.  

On Monday and Wednesday, she wears this uniform.  Tuesday and Thursday she wears the red plaid.  The other kids wear sneakers, but she insists that her pink sparkly shoes look better.  Friday she has to wear gym clothes.  I don't have a picture of her in gym clothes yet because every Friday she is crying on the way to school, begging me not to make her go "dressed like a boy."

Either I take her in the car at 7:30, or Jody takes her on his bike.  We are one of the very few families from her school who even own a car.  Most families here just own a motor bike and it serves as a family vehicle.

Then on Saturday, she gets to pick her own outfit.  All schools here go 6 days a week, but Saturday is the fun day when students get to do extra activities.  It may be the swimming lessons, or local dance lessons, but I think that the reason Saturday is Cadence's favorite day of the week is because she can wear whatever she wants.

Of course, as soon as she gets home, she has to take off her uniform so that it doesn't get dirty and she usually spends the rest of the day like this!

Miss Independence

Cadence's sweet friend Alana came to visit at the end of June.

They loved dressing up.  You can see how petite Cadence is, but still running circles around everyone else her age.

And of course we celebrated with another tea party.

For her birthday, Cadence enjoyed opening gifts.

She even talked Daddy into wearing stick-on earrings for the occasion.

She is becoming a master artist.

The college students took her shopping to pick out her own "Princess Dress".

We invited all of the Americans that we could find to help us celebrate the Forth of July!            

Cadence got a princess cake that took me days to make!

It was yummy!

I can't believe that my little Princess is FOUR YEARS OLD!

Tea Party

I hope that everyone had a nice summer!  Ours was wonderful, full of friends and memories and parties!  We kicked it off with a visit from another American friend whose parents also live overseas and the perfect Tea Party!

Princess Cadence 

Princess Dakota

 

There was a visit from Miss Manners herself to talk about proper table etiquette!

And a spot of tea for the ladies from Butler Blanton!

It was such a fun event in our busy summer and will not quickly be forgotten!

The end of Spring

These are the final pictures from spring.  I will post them here before we take a summer break from blogging.  Our college students arrive this week and I've decided that my family needs me this summer more than my blog does, so we will see you again in August!  Hope you have a great summer.

Can you spot BOTH babies in the stroller?

Cinderella is such a good little friend!

Cadence discovered on her own a new use for pipe cleaners...a crown for Cinderella!

We either dress up or down in this house...no every day clothes!

We enjoyed getting to spend time with friends over Easter.

We had lots of Easter Egg Hunts 

Passover meal with friends

We attended a "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" where Cadence made her own hat!

Catching butterflies

Finishing the easter candy

Dance lessons

Princess 

Practiced flying

Decided it was better to wear our helmet until we got the hang of how to use our wings!