Christmas has arrived!

Yesterday was one of the best days of the year! When Steve got home he said that there were packages on the doorstep. I brought them in and they were our presents from my Mom and Dad! So excited. I opened the boxes because me mom wraps all the presents individually in the boxes. It always makes me so happy to open their presents on Christmas when we don't get to see much of my family! So I get very giddy! My mom also sent me my birthday present since it is on the 29th (big 25!). So it was a happy night. It has made me excited for Christmas and actually makes me want to do my Christmas shopping since I haven't started yet and have not been wanting to with a crazy 2 year old. But now I am getting all organized!
I am also sending out Christmas cards this week. If I don't have your address, send it to me on here or at blondelola1331@hotmail.com and I will send you one. Now the presents are sitting under the tree and have managed to stay wrapped this far! I am not one to cheat and Ella so far hasn't realized what they are. As you can see in the picture she was more excited about the box and packing stuff then the presents.
The other pictures are of Ella with her cousins Blake and Brock from a couple of weeks ago. Merry Christmas!

Family Pictures

Last month we got some family pictures done. We really hadn't had any done since Ella was born so it was about time. They turned out so nice. Steve's sister-in-law did them and it is so exciting. I haven't decided which ones to use for our family picture and our Christmas cards but I definitely need to get on that!
So here are a couple that we really like. The one with me and Steve cracks me up because if you know my husband.....he will not take a cute normal picture. He will make fun of the situation somehow so this is what he was doing. I absolutely love the one where Ella is giving me a kiss. I can rarely get her to give me one but she is so cute.
We had a very nice thanksgiving at Steve's parents house. Some family couldn't be there so it was pretty small but we all had a good time. I made rolls for the first time and they were pretty good. We ate a ton!

The day has come....

I know I haven't updated in a while. I don't have any pictures to post. Oh well I can still give an update. I feel like October flew by and I don't know where it went. I think my head still thinks it is the middle of October. Where to begin...First off...Halloween. It didn't quite go as I expected. Ella decided not to wear her costume. When I tried to put it on for our Trunk or Treat she threw a massive fit! I bought her a pirate costume complete with a badana and hat and belt and boots. The only thing that made it on her was the dress. I settled for that and went. I didn't feel like a battle on Halloween so I didn't even try. So, no pictures of her in her cute costume. Maybe next year!
Besides that Ella continues to be very busy and very funny. Although she has started this new thing that drives me insane. She says "no" to everything! Not only does she say "no," she accompanies that with a shake of her head and then runs away. My little diva!
As my post is titled "The day has come" here is my story. This morning I checked on Ella at 8am and she was still sleeping. So I went back to bed to lay down as I have not been sleeping the best lately. At 8:15 I hear a loud thump followed by a top of the lungs scream! I run in her bedroom and she is laying on the floor in front of her crib. She climbed/fell out! I am not ready for this at all. So we removed her bumper pad so hopefully if she doesn't have that to help boost her she won't be able to get out. We shall see! She has a very nice bruise on her forehead though.

Lastly...a little shout out to my dad who won his 3rd election 70% to 30%. He may be the last remaining republican in Oregon! Congrats Dad!

Another Week...with a wannabe 2 yr. old!

So first off I have to tell a (funny now, but not then) story! Ella has progressed farther into this stage of throwing fits, not listening and all around being a stinker! This last week it definitely hit a new level. On friday I spent all morning with her giving her lots of attention and then she had her nap. After her nap we went and got the mail. The minute I started doing something and wasn't giving her attention she starts whining and complaining. So I ignore her and when I look up the trash is all over the kitchen floor...then I start looking for her and find her in my bathroom standing in the toilet fully clothed! She is soaking wet and when I look at her she tells me she is "going potty!" I just about died. If I wouldn't have been so mad I would have gotten a picture. Dang it!
Steve was really busy this week and was working a lot so Ella and I went to a pumpkin patch (Thanks Kimber!) with some friends and there was a petting zoo and stuff. Lots of fun but it was soooo hot that day. You can see in the pictures that Ella is a little glazed over and has pink cheeks and is attached to her paci. But we got a pretty cool pumpkin!
We also had family pictures on Saturday and I can't wait to see them and post some! I was really excited about our outfits and stressed for like 2 weeks on what to wear. But I think they will be great! It was quite the process with it being so hot and getting Ella to sit still. There was our week. I think this week will be a little calmer.

P.S. There have been some comments about the lack of pictures of my husband! 1. He hates having his picture taken 2. I am always taking pictures so we never get any of us together! 3. My husband is so supremely hot! (just ask the girls in our ward) I really don't want anyone to feel bad 4. I am majorly anti-cheese and a very personal person. Anything public makes me very uncomfortable. Just know I love him very much and I will try and incorporate him more.

Funny Girls!

Last friday I was watching my neice Sidney and then my friend Alisa had Physical Therapy so she dropped off Morgan. The 3 girls together were really fun! Ella is getting to the age where she wants to play. If we go to a park she always is going up to the other kids and trying to play. I feel bad sometimes. So they all had lots of fun with each other!

Bubba the Kitten!

If you know me at all....you know I am not a big animal person. I think they are cute and fun but way too much for me to take care of. So on monday I kept hearing this little meow all day coming from my back yard. After about 8 hours of it meowing I finally go outside to see where it is coming from. Behind one of our plants is this little tiny kitten. He is crouched down in the only piece of shade he could find and just panting. I felt so bad for him but I didn't want a kitten. I called Steve and my MIL (who is a big animal lover) and they told me to go to the pet store and get it some formula. I am definately not an animal person but I didn't want it to die. I would have felt really bad! So I put it in a box and loaded Ella up and we went to the pet store. We got some formula and a little bottle that it eats from. It was pretty clean for a stray and about 14 days old. On Tuesday, I have to go to work so my MIL normally watches Ella and offered to watch Bubba (that is what I named it). Having this kitten is like having another baby. He has to be fed every couple of hours and I have Ella who is saying she is hungry and this kitten meowing at me that he is hungry. I started losing my mind. So when I get to my MIL's I tell her I have to take it to a shelter. I am stressing out and don't know how to take care of this little thing. Ella is trying to step on it or suffocate it most of the time. My MIL wants it! but my FIL has told her no more pets. But that is up to them. I have offered to find a place for the kitty but she is having way too much fun with the little guy and doesn't want him to go. So that is our random adventure this week!

A Fun Saturday!

Once again I don't think there was one night this week that Steve and I were home together. Between work and callings there is always something and we just seem to take turns. So by today (Saturday) we were in desperate need of some family fun time. We went to an earlish dinner and then over to the Goodyear Park that has a bunch of playgrounds and a splash pad. Weren't really planning on the splash pad as you can see but it was still a fun time. Steve still is having Kidney issues so he was trying to take it easy but he was bearing it so we could get Ella out. We put her in the swing and she started shaking. She didn't like it one bit! Maybe next time.

Randoms!

The other day Steve came home and made this tent for Ella. She loved it. They sat in it and watched 'Enchanted' (which is her favorite movie. She loves it!) on his PSP. I thought this picture was cute of them.

The other picture is from the other day too when I met some friends for lunch with their little girls. One of Ella's friends, Morgan showed up with the same shirt on as Ella and I thought it was funny so I took a picture. Totally accidental. Didn't buy the shirts together or anything.

Hanging out with my cute kid!

So it has been a while since I have updated...thanks Nat for the bust at church! Anyways, I was super sick one week and last week was just a crazy blur of life. But I think things are finally back to normal. So last night Steve was having a kidney attack so he was in bed and Ella and I were just hanging out and I painted her toes for the first time. She loved it. She kept saying "Pretty toes" and walking around just staring at her feet. Also, our camera hasn't been working but I found out it was recalled for the specific problem and we just got it back and it now works! So I took some fun pictures of us hanging out and painting our toes! I love this new stage she is in. It is sooo fun! She went to nursery on sunday and she has these little conversations with me each morning when she wakes up and it makes me smile and super proud of her. She has the coolest personality (my husband thinks I should thank him for that!).

The Woes of Children's Sleep

As I am writing this I can hear my daughter talking in her room. It is 10 o'clock! What is going on? I can tell this will be a fun one. Has anyone ever heard of 18 mo. sleep regression? Apparently around 18 mo. your child will start sleeping opposite of how they normally do. So my normally good sleeper has decided she wants to stay up until 10! At least that means that she takes more naps. I think as soon as I start thinking that I have this down and her sleep is figured out she changes it on me! Ugh! Oh well. I guess these little challenges are good birth control!

I GIVE IN!

So after much pressure from everyone who has a blog, I am giving in and starting one. I am now part of the cool people who all have blogs. My friend Meaghan finally got me to do it by saying that my family would like to read it. So since all of my dear sisters and mom live far away, I am doing this as a way for them to stay involved in my life. Enjoy!