Go Seahawks!

Loni and I got tickets to go the Seahawks game last Saturday night, and my parents were kind enough to babysit, so we made a date of it. It was a preseason game but the stadium was packed and the seats we got were great: club level right up from the 50 yard line. It was a fun night and I am glad I was able to get out with Loni. It was an enjoyable night - plus the Seahawks ended up winning in OT! GO HAWKS! (they are the only Seattle team I like).

Random Ellis Pics

Since I know the reason the five of you that look at my blog, look, is to find out about Ellis, I have compiled a slideshow of her over the past two months. The activities contained in the spectacle you are about to observe include:

- The new Southcenter children's play area: this is a great place to bring her to burn off some of that toddler energy. She absolutely loves the padded stools that look like frogs.

- Pants on head: One night she decided to put some pants on her head and it made her look hilarious. She just kept running around the house with these pants on her head and wouldn't let me get a good picture so these are my attempts.

- Chillin' in her sleep: Since she was little, whenever she is totally relaxed, she has put her hands behind her head. Loni and I call it her chillin' pose. One night I went in and she had actually fallen asleep like that.

- Playing in the pool: Last weekend it was crazy hot (in the '90's) so I went to Fred Meyer hoping they had some kiddie pools left and they did. That $7 pool provided us with hours of entertainment that day. All she wanted to do was have me keep pouring water on her.

She is absolutely the joy of my life and it is crazy to look back and see how much she has grown and change - I love her!

My Proudest Moment

So we were driving one day and Ellis was pretty quiet in the back seat. Anyone with children who are awake knows that quiet = trouble. So I turn around to look at her and what do I find? She is digging for gold! I can tell you it was not one of my proudest moments as a mother, but what did I do? I took a picture, of course! This will be great for blackmail when she gets older! Here are the pics for the whole world to see!

She thought this was all funny!

She was deep in there too!
I don't really think she was actually picking her nose, but rather had found a hole on her body she didn't realize was there before. Whatever the reason it was still great to get these pictures!

Piggy Tails

Ellis' hair is finally getting long enough to style - thank goodness! It seems like it has taken her forever to grow hair. One day I decided to wrestle her to the ground and try putting piggy-tails in her hair - it turned out pretty cute but the struggle was not worth it, so I am going to leave her hair to its own for now. Any time I try and do her hair she puts up the biggest fuss and either I will give up or Loni will come hold her head straight for me (she HATES that too). Her life is so hard. Maybe I will try when she is a bit older.

Alexandria's Birthday Party

Back in July our friends Aaron and Val Eastman celebrated their daughter, Alexandria's, first birthday. It was a wonderful party - good foods, friends we hadn't seen in a while and a beautiful day. Val did a great job of putting it together - plus I can't believe their daughter is one already. It seems like just yesterday we were visiting them at the hospital!

The Loughran's were there as well and it was great to see them - I grew up with Ashley but they live out in Tacoma now so we never see them. Their little girls are adorable. They have a little girl who is one month younger than Ellis (named Ella - funny, huh?!). Ellis really enjoyed meeting some other girls - most of her cousins around here are boys, so it is always nice to get some girlys together.

Coulon Fun

I absolutely love Seattle in the summer time. It is so incredibly gorgeous and it is so nice to live so close to water where we can play all day at the beach if we want. Since selling the jet ski, Coulon has been our beach of choice on hot days. It has a great playground for the kids and a nice beach that is family friendly. Here is a slide show of some fun we have had:

Kent Cornucopia Days!

So I know this post is a little overdue but better late than never. In July, a city here in Washington puts on a little festival called Kent Cornucopia Days and they have street vendors, food, rides, etc. This year we decided to check it out, plus we found out they have a fountain area for the kids to play at. It turned out to be a blast - we met Amber and her family out there, Pasha and her family came and Lanae and Gary came too. It was a beautiful day - very hot - so the fountains were a nice treat for the kids. Ellis and Donnie played in the water long past sun down. It was a nice night.

WaterPark Fun!

The other night it was incredibly muggy and the waterpark that is down on Maple Valley Highway does discounted rates on M W & F nights, so we decided to go. Loni, Ellis and I had gone a couple weeks ago, but it ended up being way too cold and we left after 1/2 an hour. But this night was a blast - Ellis really is a water baby. She would probably spend all day playing in the water if we would let her. The park is great - they have a section for babies, a wave pool, a lazy river, water slides and even a regular pool for the adults. It was a lot of fun; Pasha, Staci, Donnie, Joe, Feki, Gary, Lanae and our family all went. And as you can guess, the kids loved it. In the family restrooms, they have these warm showers so we were all able to warm up before we left. Here are some pics from the day. We made it just about an hour before she got cold so we count it as a win!

Gotta love the closed eyes on Loni
Pasha, Staci and (hidden) Donnie
Donnie loved the water as well.
This is my favorite picture, though Lanae hates it!


Daddy & Ellis!

In the lazy river