10 years just like that!

I can hardly believe that we'll have been married 10 years this month. It went so fast. We visited the water wall where Brian (finally) proposed to me. I say "finally" because we were planning the wedding and were not as yet officially engaged. I didn't want an engagement ring, so he gave me a locket instead, made by a friend of ours who is a jeweler and also made our wedding rings. I'm wearing the locket in the pictures. Don't zoom up on it though. It's silver and I really should have polished it before wearing it. Maybe I was going for the antique look?

We took a ton of pictures there since we thought it'd be cool to get our family photo there too this year. That was not very easy. We had us, a tripod and camera with a timer. Last year, I put a balloon on the camera and had the kids smile at the balloon. This year I didn't have a balloon and we had a niagara falls sized mountain of water crashing around us and tons of people to distract the kids. We kept yelling "look at the flashing light on the camera" and when we'd check the outtake, Ivan was looking over his shoulder or sticking out his tongue. Dominique apparently lost her smile somewhere upon arrival. We did manage to get a cute pose, while not all the expressions were perfect- but I'm keeping the picture a secret until in the New Year... so you'll have something to look forward to I guess.

The tower Brian is beside was called the transco tower, but being so OLD, it has since changed names. It faces the water wall. The picture of us on the bench is the very spot where the proposal occured. When standing in the middle of the curved wall, it is very wet and if you look up, you can actually get dizzy with the effects of the crashing, moving, noisy water. It's pretty neat. You can hear how noisy it was in this video and I'm standing far away from it.



In other news... Brian saw our baby's foot. I've heard of people being able to tell a body part through their extended belly, but couldn't imagine how it was possible. The other night, I could feel some little hard part and told Brian to come check it out. All of a sudden, she pushed and he said he saw her foot's imprint. Of course I could see nothing from my vantage point, but he even told me which direction her foot was in and that the toes were facing up. I still can't picture how she is turned around in there.

Last night, we took the kids to the Christmas parade. I thought Dominique and Ivan were about to burst. I don't think anyone could have enjoyed the parade more than they did. Dominique kept saying "I see that!" Ivan still loves the "mighty street sweeper". There were lots of lights and music and candy (that they didn't need). They yelled "merry Christmas" to everyone and a lot of people made eye contact with them, especially Dominique. They gobbled it all up. They saw our grocery store mascot, which they were bonkers over- he's a paper back with food coming out the top. So I guess it doesn't take a whole lot to impress them, but horses, wagons, cars, lights, people, a big street party- what more can you ask for? We saw 6 people we know personally in the parade and others we know from places in town. I guess that's a sign you live in a small city.

Dominique keeps saying "I want my Christmas" and I'm not sure what she is asking for. I keep telling her Christmas is a season or day and not really a thing or place to go to. They don't really get it. They keep begging me to take them to the balloon festival and don't understand that it doesn't come back here until next year. How will we explain to them that Christmas is over come January? I guess we'll tell them now is the time for the baby's arrival.




So, what is your favorite part of a parade?

And if you've been proposed to, where was it? Have you been back there?