Thanksgiving Point

One night we were kind of going crazy so we decided to ride with my mom and sister to a wedding they had to go to at Thanksgiving Point. We walked around the grounds for a little while trying to keep ourselves entertained but it didn't last long. We finally noticed they were through the line so we went in and sat by them while they ate, which turned into Ella eating all of Grandma's food so we just went and got our own! (The reception was almost over and I overheard some workers telling people to take as much as they want because they had a lot left and they would have to throw it out if it wasn't eaten.) It was nice to get out of the house and do something a little different plus the flowers all around the grounds are so pretty!

Little Chair

One night while in Utah I had a chance to go with my kids and my sister up to my Grandparents home. My grandma went to find Ella some dolls to play with and came back with these dolls and chairs they were on. Ella thought the chairs were the best part! She would sit in them and move them over and over again! They may have been designed for dolls but they fit her perfectly!

Easton found the construction set to play with and was content as ever as long as Ella was leaving him alone!

Piano

Ella is my little sister Katy's shadow! She LOVES Katy! She walks around all day saying "Katy, Where's Katy?" I tell her she is at Grandma's house and she replies back "Katy with Grandma." I don't know how she developed such an obsession with her other then she learned her name first so that is why? The whole time we were gone she had to constantly know where she was and on our car ride across the country was lucky enough to sit by Katy and say Katy over and over and over again! Anyways one day I could here them playing the piano and singing together and this is the shot I got! I love how they are looking at each other and Ella just looks like she is in love! Thanks Katy for putting up with her and may you never forget your name :)

Lunch with the Bibo's!!!

We were able to go and see Andrew's mom and his sisters a few times after he left. One afternoon we went to lunch with them and then hung out at Grandma's for the afternoon. They are always so nice and have gifts for my kids every time we see them. Andrew's mom caught on to Andrew's complaining that Easton only has girl toys so she bought him boy toys, a hammer and a wrench! They are his favorite things now! Thanks for letting us spend the day with you!

Aunt Deb was so nice to color with Ella!

Father's Day

Father's Day this year wasn't the same! We put Andrew on a plane that afternoon to head back to Mississippi without us. So in my defense this is a Father's day post without any pictures of the Father's in our lives!

My mom had her family over for dinner. This is Hannah my cousin's little girl who is 3 and Ella playing together. It took Ella the whole day to warm up to her!

Dahlia and Easton - she is my cousin Molly's little girl and she is a month older then Easton

All the kids that were present - the great grand kids

Caleb, Dahlia, Hannah, Easton, and Ella

REAL Soccer Game

The night before Andrew left we had an opportunity to go to a REAL Salt Lake game. My sister Emily and her husband Brent have season tickets and so does Brent's parents. His parents are currently on a mission so there tickets were up for grabs so they offered them to us! It was a lot of fun! We were on the fourth row. It was a nice cool night and we enjoyed going! They ended up in a tie, a bad call was made otherwise they would have won! Thanks Brent and Emily for taking us! My favorite drunk comment of the night was a guy who said he used to drink beer as a child because it was cheaper for his parents to buy (he was comparing it to bottled water and how expensive it is).

I look like I am about to click my tongue, who knows why?!

They pass this giant flag around the stadium, kind of claustrophobic if you ask me!

Utah Week One!!

Tuesday June 14th we flew out of Memphis to Salt Lake. We were on the 7 am flight and it was direct (I decided that is the only way to go with little kids!) so between that and the time difference we were in Salt Lake by 9 AM!

Easton quickly found the crib and crashed for hours! Apparently waking up at 4:30 in the morning isn't his thing!

Later that night we got together with the Bibo Family! We had some family pictures taken and then had dinner together! It was a perfect way to spend time together and the weather was perfect to sit outside and enjoy one another's company

Andrew's Mom with Easton

Andrew's little sister Anna

Ella playing with Becky and her cousins! She had way to much fun!

A couple days later we went and watched my little sister Sarah cheer. They had camp that week and wanted to show all the families what they had learned.

She is on the top left!

Somehow this one got mixed with the others but this is Andrew's older brother with Easton. Easton really liked him and was so relaxed with him!

We found the car and slide at my mom's and got them out! Now I guess we will have to invest in some ourselves. Ella kept herself occupied forever! She got in and out of the car at least a hundred times for over an hour the first morning she played with them! Also this day I was able to get her hair all up in a ponytail! She gets more hair everyday!

Somehow this one got mixed in with the car pictures! This was watching the cheerleaders! Ella was in heaven dancing right along!

Blessed

With Ella's red hair we get stopped a lot in stores and everyone has to tell us about all the red heads they know. Then they notice that I have two little ones and they usually all tell me either 1. I have my hands full or 2. I must be tired or something along those lines! Yesterday while meandering through Target (which happens all to often!) I was stopped by a Grandma. She reminded me of my own Grandma Duzett. She looked like her and her voice reminded me of her. She stopped and said "oh what beautiful children you have, you are so BLESSED." It caught me off guard. I am used to getting the opposite reaction - the hands full tired reaction. She told me I just glowed (the exact word she used!) with love for my children. It made me feel good because two days before I was the exact opposite. She really made me feel good! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it! I am so blessed, and even though we have our rough days we are truly blessed to have these sweet spirits in our home! She told me how much she loved children and that she was a Kindergarten teacher. I told her that Kindergarten teachers are the best because my mom, sister, and mother-in-law are or were kindergarten teachers! I remember last summer thinking how on earth am I going to handle two babies, I was not really all that excited and it took me a while to be ok with it but now I wouldn't change it for anything! I hope I can always remember her words even on hard days that Heavenly Father has truly blessed me with such awesome children!

Six Months Old!!

Easton turned six months on the 1st. I say this all the time but he is growing up to fast! He needs to stay a baby a long time! He is such a joy in our family! I took him for his checkup and shots yesterday. He is growing a lot faster then Ella. He weighs 16 lbs 10 oz, is 27 in, and his head is 17 1/2 in (what Ella's was a mere three weeks ago at her appt.). He is in about the 40th percentile for most. He loves to bounce in his exersaucer, he is loving sitting up and entertaining himself for longer periods of time. He has tried all vegetables and most fruits and so far loves them all! I love his toothy grin! He is just so fun to have around!

And it has begun, Easton picking on his sister! He loves to grab at her if she is close and she hates it! Ha ha she better get used to it!

She had to be held down to get the first few pictures of just Easton she wanted in so bad, so we had to let her in a few! And for the record I put her on the scale at the doctors yesterday for fun and she weighed 21 lbs and 9 oz! She has gained a pound in three weeks! She has never gained weight that quickly!