happy happy birthday, ella dear

We wanted Ella's first birthday to be really special.



Checking out the pony


Giddy-up!


Chillin' with the pig



She's afraid the camel might spit on her


Aunt Jamie flew in for the occasion






picking the right duck is a tough decision


her "mean mom" wouldn't let her have flavoring in the snow cone. she didn't mind.


Popcorn poppin



presents




There was also a climbing wall, cotton candy, a fish pond, bingo, a cake walk, face painting, a rockin' live band, mini golf and hot dogs. What a party. She had the time of her life.


{maybe we didn't go to all this effort for her party. maybe we joined in on the fun of the Toll Canyon Ward party that grandpa was in charge of. maybe. but don't tell ella. she thinks it was all for her.}

post-bath

i swear she was making these funny faces for the camera. what a crack-up.

{aaron: she is in her skivvies because she had just gotten out of the bath. we do clothe her most of the time. promise.}

got toys?

Ella has been a little bit of a terror lately. I blame this partly on the 3 teeth (2 of which are molars) that are coming in. But I also think she is a little bored. I haven't bought her many toys and I think she is tired of the tupperware and baby toys we've got lying around. But what to buy? Speak and Say? Crayons? Leap Frog? I feel a little overwhelmed.


What's the best thing you've found to entertain your one year old?

Update

On Friday night I found myself without a husband or a baby. Ryan had gone up to Park City to spend the night before his 1000 Warriors ride {which he ROCKED, by the way. Just finishing this thing would have been impressive, but he ended up on the podium!} Ella went with him because she was chilling with grandma and grandpa Saturday morning. I didn't join in the fun because I was on call and PC is too far away from the hospital.

I had the night to myself. What did I do, you ask? I cleaned up a bit, made a bite of food, watched the tele, chatted with friends, crafted, and...I drove to Alpine to see the previously mentioned house with the apparently very salvageable kitchen. By the time I got there (it took way longer than I anticipated) it was getting dark and I didn't have a great view of the home. But I knew that I did not like it.

I drove disappointed for many reasons: 1) Alpine is faaaar away, but really wonderful 2) The neighborhood was no good, and the house wasn't what I expected, and 3) I spent a good deal of my night off in the car. When I got home I couldn't believe how different the house looked from the picture. So I checked the website again and after comparing the street view to the posted pictures I realized that I'd been duped. The address on the listing was wrong. The house at 922 Creekside Way was NOT the one I fell in love with.

My trip did convince me that Alpine is too far for my liking. And that I am content with my status quo.

Even if it is a good time to buy.

thoughts and ramblers

Every few months or so I have to dump out the truckload of thoughts swirling around in my head or else I fixate on them and can't move on. So sorry, virtual world. Here's what's on my mind:

• Should we buy a new house? It is a good market to buy, and in four or five years we are going to outgrow our current casa. But should we stretch our budget now for a good deal, or wait until we really need it and pay more $?
• If we were to buy a new house, could I salvage this kitchen

to have this house

with this view?

• If we were to move, where do I want to be??? I finally feel a part of this neighborhood, and do I really want to start over? But should we do it now so Ella can make friends that she will go to school with?
• Why do I fret so much?
• I was going through my purse the other day and I found 28 gift cards. I love gift cards. I love it when you find the perfect necklace at Anthro but can't stomach the $42 price tag and then you remember you have a gift card and all is well. But because I love the above mentioned scenario so much I don't like to use the treasured cards for every day purchases. This leads to having a separate wallet with 28 gift cards in it. Some were wedding gifts, making them at least 8 years old. Myer and Frank is now out of business. And on some of them you lose $1 a month after a certain period of inactivity. These things I know, yet I still hoard them. So if you are shopping with me anytime soon, ask me if I have a gift card before I slap down my AmEx.
• I have a really great husband.
• Has Camie had her baby?
• You can't really taste the zucchini in zucchini brownies, but they're not all that good.
• I can't find my Garmin, and I really don't want to run without it. When did I become the person who only enjoys running when she knows how far and how fast?
  
• I am currently reading four books. Each book gets about 5 pages a week. Not finishing these any time soon.

You've been saved from further ramblings by an awake Ella. Thanks for tuning in.

Big Kid

Doesn't she look grown up?

First Steps

Last night Ella decided she could walk and took her first steps. As any good first time parents would, we tried to capture it on camera. Of course, this attempt wasn't as good as her first, and now we forever remember that she has a very full diaper.

Before last night I thought "first steps" was a little cliche, something for silly sentimental moms to get excited over. But I must be more sentimental than I realized because it was so sweet and I was so proud that I teared up. Silly mom.

Mark Your Calendar

And by us I mean me. Ella has no clue and Ryan thinks it is silly to celebrate a one-year-old's birthday. But you're invited, and it's going to be fun. Promise.

Videos

For the past week or two I have been trying to capture one of Ella's latest tricks. She says "mmm" after eating something she likes. While I never really captured it (a surprised, happy, delightful "mmmm") we did document a few other fun things that she does:

• "mom," loud and clear
  
• so excited I pant like I'm a dog
• head tilt (is she trying to be cute? Is she tired? I can't figure it out--she does this frequently, often putting her hand up to her ear with a "I am an 80s pop star" look...)
• real cough followed by the fake cough (Grandma Sue's favorite)
• no, no, no
  
• attempting to eat with a spoon

This next video is from when we were in Minnesota a few weeks ago.

Good Deal

Restaurant.com is have a sale right now where you can get a $25 gift certificate for $2. Most of the places require that you buy 2 entrees, or spend $35, but still a pretty good deal. Use the code "portion" at the checkout.

LiveStrong

Check out what graced the roads of the Tour this year thanks to the ChalkBot.

Very, very, cool.

Self Portraits

For the first time, Ella was excited to play with the camera. I know she doesn't totally get it, but it was fun to take the picture, show it to her, and then take another. Whatever gets her to smile.