Still want 4?

Yesterday, I watched Kylie for Casey & Meygan while they started the process of moving in with her mom. Mike was able to help them out too. I had so much fun with Kylie & Ella. The girls are way too cute together. Wow! Two kids with one totally mobile, kept me hopping. But, surprisingly it actually was a little easier than I thought. Two kids together are able to play together & entertain one another, rather than me being the only playmate. So, in answer to the question I always seem to get, Yes, I still want four little kiddos.

Kylie having fun looking at herself! I fed Kylie, although she enjoyed eating ella's toy bumble bee more

Both girls got hungry.... and sleepy...at the same time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a fun day celebrating Thanksgiving with Mike's Mom and Jeff. Ella loved sitting at the "big table" and watching us eat :) Thanks Grandma for my cool new high chair, bib and toys! Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family, we are thankful for you! Thank you God for all the blessings (especially Ella) throughout this year.

p.s. my parents were so busy eating, i finally learned how to hold my own bottle!

Turkey Time!

Tonight, Mike really wanted to go above and beyond the norm of bringing pumpkin pie to his parent's for Thanksgiving...so, I thought back to my kindergarten teacher days, and decided we'd make turkeys! Ella had a blast sitting on the table, playing with the baking utensils & spoons, and trying to grab the cookie dough, just like her daddy! Happy Turkey Day!

Pink Bow Playdate

Ella & I, Meygan & Kylie were invited to spend the early afternoon with Alissa & Katelyn at her in-laws beautiful Corona del Mar Beach home. The 3 girls had a blast playing on the floor together, stealing each other's toys, and showing off their latest milestones...Kylie pulling herself to the standing position, Ella's near crawl, and Katelyn's strong willed tummy time :) Thanks Alissa for a fun afternoon.
Baby Belle in a Box

Alissa just hanging with Katelyn & Kylie

The view from the beach house...beautiful!

Ella's semi-crawl

Meygan breaking up the water bottle brawl :)

The Flu Bug!

Poor Grandma Maureen! Last night Mike & I had our last Bible study small group. We really wanted to go, but, with Ella's fussy behavior & cold, she couldn't go to the church nursery. So, I called Maureen and asked her to come and watch Ella, last minute. Shortly after we left, Grandma got a not-so-fun surprise all over her dress....Ella threw up all over her! We got the call and hurried hom ~ Mike a little calmer than myself. We got up several times last night to give her pedialyte to keep her hydrated and I took her to the doctor this morning. She has her first flu bug, I guess it is really going around. The doctor said we're doing everything right to care for her, but it's hard to watch her go through it. Thank you Maureen for being there for her & us last night. Happy belated birthday to you & Jeff too!

p.s. this photo was taken before the night's "festivities"!

Cookie ~ Monster

Today, in an effort to calm my fussy, runny nose, still-trying-to-break-her-first-teeth baby, I gave her a teething cookie. Oh my goodness, she loved it! My little girl is a cookie monster just like me. I can't wait to make her chocolate chip cookies one day. Her life will never be the same.

Showering Sarah

Yesterday Ella & I drove down to San Diego to my friend Sarah's Shower for the two little girls she is adopting this January. The little girls are coming from Ethiopia and their names are going to be Eden and Junia...too cute! It was great to hang out with my friends for the afternoon. The best surprise was getting to see my friend Leah & her daughter Abby (the first baby out of all our friends) and her getting to meet Ella for the first time. Ella had fun playing with the gigantic bottle full of cotton balls that was part of a game...she is a bottle-baby now!

Babysitting Kylie

Kylie Rae came over on Friday for a babysitting play date with Ella. It was really good for me to see what my life will be like in just 6 weeks. Kylie is completely mobile! She is crawling like crazy and pulling herself up to a standing position to get into all kinds of fun things, remote controls, DVDs, candles, keys, sunglasses, etc. Ella had fun watching her, I had fun chasing her, and Rain had "fun" running from her :)

A Trip Home

Ella and I flew up north this past week to visit my mom for her birthday and the rest of my family. They hadn't seen her since she was 3 months old ~ now she's 7 months! It was such a fun trip just hanging out, walking to Starbucks with my sister's, visiting my brother, seeing my dad and his horse, Austin, going out to eat, making chocolate chip cookies (my mom's recipe is the bEST), and watching the Country Music Awards together. Ella had another wonderful flight, even after both of us getting frisked for high security (we were late). The flight attendant on JetBlue made my day after the nightmare we went through to get on the plane, by coming over and saying, "That is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen in my whole life!". I agree :)My mom & Ella on her birthday Aunt Melissa & Ella
Uncle Jeremiah, my brother & Ella

Bundled up for a walk to Starbucks..brr, it's cold here!

Grandpa, Ella & Austin the horse, starting this country baby girl early!

Autie Lizzie feeding Ella Bella

I love my sisters!

Emily turns one!

Happy Birthday Emily Johnson! Ella & I went to Emily's Minnie Mouse 1st birthday last Saturday. Ella had fun playing with the toys and watching the "big" kids play in the mini bounce-ball house. It was super fun to watch Emily try her first bit of something sweet ~ a minnie mouse chocolate cupcake! Her life will never be the same :) Jenn & Emily, Ella & Mommy
Emily & her cupcake

No cupcake for Ella, just H2O!

Love is Patient, Love is Kind...

Mike and I were asked by our friends Phil & Kirsten to read the Bible verses in their wedding last Saturday night for being an example to them. We read the " love verse" from 1 Corinthians 13 and another verse in Romans 12. The verses and the wedding were a great reminder to us about what a true Godly marriage should be like. We had the same verse read in our wedding over 2 years ago. It is so easy to forget or simply overlook the importance of how God wants us to treat our spouse. Mike and I like to say we are constantly "learning how to love" each other more.

Phil & Kirsten, the happy couple!

Justin Sogoian, the pastor that married us, meeting Ella and...

falling in love with her!

A Kid Again

I think one of the greatest things about being a parent, is the opportunity to be a kid again! Mike and I have the BEST time (it's actually my favorite part of the day) just getting on the floor with our little Ella Bella and playing. Mike is the greatest block tower builder on the West Coast :) He loves making little "tempting towers" to encourage Ella to try to crawl. She is getting so close! We can't wait until she does. I love my husband and his ability to "play" with our daughter.