My parents pool is up and running. Ella and Kevin have been enjoying it these last few days. Ella seems to be pretty brave in the pool. My goal is to teach her to swim this year, we will see if this happens. Roc enjoyed it for a few minutes, but did not last that long. The water may have been too cold. We will keep trying and I am sure it will soon be more fun for him.
Ella woke up to these gifts waiting for her in the playroom. 
A Bitty Baby umbrella stroller, Changing Table and Diaper Bag. She was quite thrilled to say the least. She also received many phone calls wishing her a happy birthday and a suprise visit from Uncle Mike, who was in town for a few days. Then we met Kevin at Red Robin for her free birthday dinner. She got the chicken strips and ate a few bites, but was more interested in looking around and everything and putting salt/pepper/red robin seasoning on her food and asking us if we wanted some more.. and some more...Then they brought her a sundae and sang Happy Birthday to her, I am not sure she really understood what was going on but she did love the sundae. 
All in all it was a good third birthday.
Happy Birthday to my sweet little Ella girl. I love you so much and am so blessed to have you for a daughter.
More details to come, but now Roc and I are just waiting for her to wake up and discover her birthday gifts that are waiting for her.
Pictures are Ella's birthday,
Ella's First B-day party
, Second B-day Party
and Third B-day party
. (i can't get them to line up how I want, but you get the idea)
Ella's actual birthday is on Thursday, but I had her party on Monday. For some reason Ella got it into her head that she was having her party at my Mom's house. Well she wouldn't let it go and mentioned it every time I-or anyone else- talked to her about her party. So we had it at my mom's. We decorated cupcakes, colored Ella the Elegant Elephant pictures, blew bubbles, opened gifts and had lots of playing. I just invited her cousins and Grandma Ruby this year, but may branch out and invite friends next year? Ella blew out all her candles in one blow! She got some wonderful gifts from her cousins, my parents and Grandma Ruby-Thank you!!. Thank you to all who came and make this party so special for Ella. I am waiting for her actual birthday to give her the gifts from us, this is the first year we have really gotten her more than a small gift. Now that she is older and understands it I decided it was time for more gifts. Here are a few pictures from the day. 
My sister Abby has just gotten word that they have a little boy waiting for them in Haiti. They have been in the process of adopting from there and just today found out they have a child. Please see this for more details! Congratulations to the Hoefers . We can't wait to meet this little guy and have him be a part of our family.
This may have been a you had to have been there moment, but I thought it was funny. Kevin was changing his clothes when he got home from work tonight and Ella told me she was going to go help him. Then I hear her say, in one of her excited voices, "Daddy can I help you take off your stinky socks?" Oh the life of a child.
Well sorta... So back when I used to drive Ella around to take a nap I discovered this hiking trail way at the end of Scenic Road and have been wanting to check it out, so finally this weekend we headed up there. It was fun, but was actually pretty rocky and the trail got thinner and thinner and I had visions of us losing the stroller down the hill so we decided to turn around. This walk does take you down to a creek so sometime we may try to do this again and make it all the way to the creek and hang out there for a while. Ella was a trooper, but I did end up carrying her a lot of the way. Roc did great in the stroller and had fun looking around at all the sights. If anyone is into walking for exercise this would be a great place for a power walk-as long as you don't mind a little roughness and hills. But I don't recommend going alone as it is pretty isolated.
The other day Ella was pretending to talk on the phone and I heard her say, I gotta go now I have to get dressed. I asked her who she was talking to and she said "Rachael"! Later she said to me Rachael is my favorite Rachy! Well Rachael came into town for a visit and we got to see her a few times. I tried to get a good picture of her with the kiddos, but they were more interested in playing than posing for pictures, so we will go with what we have. Rachael is a very kind and loving person and in one week is heading out for a six week missions trip to Honduras. So please keep her in your prayers that she will be safe!
Is growing so fast, I can't believe he will be a year in about six weeks. I love him so much! He is very energetic and into everything! Every day he walks more and is getting faster! His latest favorite thing is to crawl into drawers- the dresser drawers, the entertainment center drawer and most of all the drawer below the stove- it is so fun to throw out the lids and watch them spin on the floor! (actually Ella loved to do this with pan lids too!). He also loves to climb on my elliptical.
Kevin went to the Mariners game last week and picked up a hat for him, he won't wear it for very long, but when he does he looks so cute and also more like a little boy and not a baby.
He is getting better at eating, but does not have the patience to sit in the high chair for very long-and somehow this morning he got to standing in the high chair!-see video below.
Here are a few cute pictures from the last few days.
The new little one officially has a name. Audrey Elizabeth. What a beautiful name for a beautiful baby!
This morning Katie and Josh welcomed their new little (actually not so little) baby into the world. She weighed in at 8 bls 14 oz and is 20 in long. Josh said she will have a name by the time they leave the hospital tomorrow, but it will not be Jasmine (which is what her big sister Sadie has been calling her). Ella and I stopped by for a quick visit and Grandma Ruby was there as well. She is absolutely adorable and Katie even let Ella hold her. Ella was thrilled and kept saying she is so adorable. Here are a few pictures of the newest addition to our family.
Roc has been working on his walking, a little more each day. Crawling is still faster, but I think he will be running around before we know it.
