With a young year and a young marriage, it seemed like a good time to begin a new blog.
It will explain a little bit more at

What Kady Did

Enjoy! Thank you for reading and I love you all :)
I'm glad to have friends in person and over the screen who are welcoming and read this.
Keep in touch!

Love,
Cait

we got married 'last year'

The day before Christmas Eve, Joel and I went to the Dubai Mall (one of my favorites - here there are so many malls that you have to have a favorite) to our favorite restaurant (Vapiano). Many of our gifts were stuck in America with a friend because of the backed up flights through England, and Joel wanted to do some Christmas shopping. I hid in the enormous bookstore while he ran his errands. We jumped at the sight of a beautiful old perfume boutique called Penhaligon, an English company from the 1870s. Since becoming interested in the scent industry and knowing more about it, it was fun to look at the beautiful old style bottles and smell half their products.
On Christmas Eve our newlywed friends came over for lunch after church. Chris and Nicky were a blessing at our wedding and we were able to do the music at theirs in November. Since becoming engaged in the same week, we've made better and better friends.
Joel and I had a quiet Christmas Eve dinner by ourselves.
The morning was slow and relaxed and lovely, an absolutely perfect first Christmas together. And lo and behold, there was my favorite Penhaligon scent from two days before! The night before I'd put together a chocolate-laden breakfast cake, a tradition in my mom's family; and let it rise and bake in the morning.

In the afternoon we drove over to my family's house, bearing gifts and prepared for fondu. My parents thoroughly spoiled us with a coffee machine and grinder (I cracked our French press and it's not very practical for company).

My youngest sister, Candace, got to pick out a hamster, and when we arrived we heard the tale of buying Duffy, who was discovered on the ride home to only have three legs! They decided to keep him after realizing how hilarious his habits were, and he is completely healthy. Candace is enamored, of course.
Happy New Year to all :)
Joel and I have been so blessed in the past year, as you can see in the previous post. It's an exciting (though always unexpected) prospect to see what else will have grown and changed by next Christmas. You can probably guess one of our wishes, but we're treasuring every day at a time :)

In the next week we have a little surprise for you!

love,
Cait

I want to share some real little peeks into our flat soon, but these pictures were taken by my sister Kyleigh on my family's first dinner with us. I love our house so much :) we are very thankful to have such a comfortable place! (Though I was telling my friend Hannah last night, if we ever live in another apartment again I want to be as close to the ground floor as possible, even though we'd forgo the pretty city lights at night. That's a story for another day!) By the way, that beautiful crocheted afghan was a wedding gift from Kyleigh that we found when we returned from St. Petersburg. Everyone would have been amazed if she'd unveiled it at the shower, but she quietly put it on our couch. We use it every day!


Six days until Christmas, and I hope to find the last of Joel's gifts before grocery shopping today, apart from perhaps some homemade ones :) For two days this week we will stay with my siblings in my old house (it always feels strange to say 'my family's house' and not 'our house') while my mom flies with dad. I'm looking forward to the special time with my siblings, and maybe we will make ice cream (another soon-post!).

Do you have any advent traditions?

Love,
Cait

our first thanksgiving

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Joel and I hosted our very own first Thanksgiving. I loved the busy day in the kitchen, and it didn't seem hard to get everything together. We invited some good friends from Russia with their new baby Bogdan (the star, see above ;) and new Kazakh friends. They seemed to enjoy all the dishes and had never had a thanksgiving before so if something had gone wrong, no one would have guessed! I said it before, but this really made our house feel cozy and homelike. It already was to the two of us, but that feeling simply quadrupled with a full room.

We learned about Russian New Year salad, Kazakh food and horse meat (they promised to invite us over but I might have to play sick), Grandpa Frost, and other traditions, as well as exchanging stories and reading together.
We had our Christmas tree up, and Yelena made the lights flash to entertain Bogdan.
Joel and I were so happy.

Love,
Cait

this is my husband (I love saying that), singing me a silly song off the top of his head and being the rockstar that he is.

we can't believe Christmas is so soon! I still need some more ideas for Joel - it's hard; and he just had a birthday too!

How are you choosing, buying, making, and wrapping gifts this year?

It is difficult to pick up where you left off, or to write an emailed reply, when there has been a gap of time or life has moved and changes considerably. I'm been content not to be on here (and regrettably neglecting emails) and so much has happened.
Little special days - one month of marriage, one year since our courtship (november 12th), two years since our meeting (november 21st), two months of marriage. We bought a table, hung pictures, bought a Christmas tree (and put it up).
We had our first married Thanksgiving with my parents, and last night had our first Thanksgiving in our own home. Denis, Zhanara, Marat, Yelena, and baby Bogdan came over for their first Thanksgiving ever. I had a lovely time making everything! (Though two little chickens substituted the turkey, since one wouldn't fit in our tiny, pretty oven) We've had guests before but it was amazing to see our table almost full, and to feel our house homey and warm. And one told me, "I like your house, I feel comfortable here." That is what we want, and what its goal is. Warm, comfortable, inviting, something that says home (and is also very colorful). And lots of talking (which also happened).
I love grocery shopping. And cooking, baking, making ice cream, curtains, keeping the cat happy. We got fish (tentatively named Miss Scarlet and Mrs. Peacock) and they need protecting.
These pictures are from our first morning in our apartment, after coming home from Russia. Boxes for tables and boxes everywhere :) It was very happy. And then reading cards a few days later, after going to my family's house (with it not being my home) for the first time to open gifts.

Have a lovely day; I'm going to get to the Thanksgiving dishes. See you sooner again!
Love,
Cait

dear friends,

we have been happily married for over three weeks, and home from St. Petersburg for nearly two.

Russia (Joel told me in the taxi on the way to the airport) was beautiful, and we loved it.
We saw the Kirov do Swan Lake at their Marinsky theatre, and it was Joel's first ballet (perfectly fitting that it would be the best company and ballet in the world, and on our honeymoon :).
The food was delicious, the air cold; love blissful.

Our eight days there were marvelous, but it was thrilling to come back to our home, and life here has been peaceful and joyous. (We've declared the year our honeymoon, even though Joel is back at work)

The wedding was perfect, and we were amazed. All thanks to God who ordained it, and the myriads of loving, skillful people who ran it!

More soon; love,
Cait Kady :) :) :)