Alan's Break from School!

 We celebrated Alan's birthday when we went to St. Louis for his break! We actually took Ella Wednesday evening to stay with his parents and then we came down on Friday evening. It was nice to get things done without Ella around, but I missed her so much! There were times during the day that I would just cry because I didn't know what to do with myself.  She is my little buddy I hang out with all day long.  I managed to run a lot of errands, do some shopping for myself, Alan's birthday and receive a massage at Briar Cliff. It was nice but I don't think I will ever do it again! 

 I got this idea off of pinterest for Alan's birthday. I bought him a tool belt at home depot and inside the pockets put the following: a tag that said, "I hope this gift measures up." with a tape measure and the gift was a watch, a tag that said, "Next time your not too busy let's ply a game." for pliers and the game was pictionary, a tag that said, "I hope I nailed it with your favorite candy", which he loves twizzlers, a tag that said, "Have you saw all the good movies this year", with a gift card to AMC theater, and the last tag said, "Lets hammer out the details and go out to eat", and I bought him a gift card to Five Guys because he loves his burgers! We love Alan and he is such a good Daddy and Husband! We hope he had a great birthday! Happy 31st!

 Ella and I being silly! I love this kid! 

 The best zoo I have ever been to, is St. Louis Zoo! They finally completed their Sea Lion Exhibit. It is way worth going to. They created this glass tunnel you walk through and the sea lions swim over you and the Sea Lion Exhibit is beautiful. They even had a sea lion show that was fun to see as well! 

 Ella with her monkey (chimpanzee). He was definitely eating something! It is really neat how they get so close to the glass! Her favorite show is "Curious George". 

In the glass tunnel at the Sea Lion Exhibit! 

Zoo fun with some Neighbors!

Gray, Boston, Ella and Ella!

Ella on the carousel! 

Summer Fun!

 Going to the Kansas City Zoo! 

 Ella playing with Mommy's Sun Glasses on Mommy and Daddy's bed! She is showing a little shoulder and then some!

 Ella enjoying the Edge (gymnastices place) just down the street! She is running out of the foam pit onto the tramp. We are so lucky to live where we are in Riverside, MO. We really are in a great location to everything! 

Our garden this year we grew: tomatoes, cucumbers like crazy, peppers, rasberry bush, peas, onions and I have to say that Alan has devoted his time and effort in making a successful garden. I hardly did a thing. He set up  a soaker hose with timer so that our plants get watered on a regular basis. He has also done a great job fertilizing and pulling weeds. We now are still growing peppers, some tomatoes, and after our peas were done we planted some beans that are producing well. We can't wait to move and get some land to grow our very own big garden some day. 

 Ella and Daddy at the Splash Pad at the YMCA. Ella is such a big girl going down the slide by herself!

 Typical Ella in the backyard. We go outside at least 3 times a day, for my own sanity and because Ella loves it. She also loves her pop-cicles. 

 I sewed these burp clothes and bibs for a neighbor's baby shower. I love doing crafts when I have the time! 

I love this picture, for two reasons: Alan looks cute to me, and Ella looks so adorable and silly! A great friend from Alan's ward: Sister Bankhead embroidered Ella's name in this adorable bath towel. Alan's Mom now has an embroider sewing machine and has embroidered a few things for Ella, Alan, and I. We are so lucky to have good friends and family! Sorry it's so blurry she wouldn't stop moving!

What have we been up to!

 Making Mother's Day Gifts

 Ella after we went swimming at the YMCA!

 Ella painting with water colors. I know she is just in her diaper and shirt, but all of you can relate if you have a wiggly child that kicks and screams every time you change her diaper. We're lucky she has a diaper on!

 Ella on Easter Morning! In her Easter dress!

 Ells in the backyard! She loves to play with her water table and draw chalk all over her picnic table and of course the ground, oh and did I mention bubbles! I finally made her homemade bubbles with water, cornstarch, and dawn soap.

 Ells and I in the backyard after she went swimming in her kiddy pool. She is wearing her 12 month bathing suit from last year. It's a little snug, but I wanted to see if it still fits.

Ells favorite thing to do when we come outside is to grab a pea pod or two from the garden. We love our Ells, she is growing up so fast! She has her moments, and we send her to her room and shut the door. But then she can be pretty sweet too! Her favorite things to say right now, are: I stuck...I know, I-pad, Butterfly, Harmonica because Grandma Hess gave her one, nasty feet because the poor girl and her Mommy and Daddy got the hand, foot, mouth virus and she loves to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star as best as she can!

Trip To California!

 Parents at Herst Castle! We took a little trip with them along Hwy. 1, which is the coastal drive starting from Morro Bay to Pebble Beach in Monterey and back to Merced, California.

 This is Mr. Herst's outdoor swimming pool, pretty fancy, his indoor swimming pool was made out of hand layed square tiles. The view from his castle was amazing.

 Grandpa and Ella along the beach, starting out coastal drive.

 Grandma and Ella playing in the sand. She sure loved the beach. This is Pebble Beach, know for it's Pebble Beach golf course.

 Morro Bay close to sunset. This was really neat because that rock out their was huge, it was basically a huge cliff or mountain made from a volcano many years back. You could drive at there and walk around it.

Ella chasing the seagulls after feeding them her potato chips. This kid loves animals.

Nelson-Atkins Museum

Yesterday, which was Saturday, Alan and I decided to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum. We have been wanting to go there ever since we moved to Kansas City. We finally did it this weekend and took Ella with us. It was nice that it was free. It is a really cool art museum and well lets just say I wouldn't recommend taking your children. But it had some really cool paintings and Egyptian tombs which I am fascinated by. This next picture their is a birdie in the back ground which is part of the outdoor art. An artist illustrated the museum as a bad minton net and had four of these huge birdies that were located in the lawn on opposite sides of the museum. Alan managed to get a picture of it with Ella. Daddy took some more pictures of Ella outside the museum. I love the one above where we are walking through all the trees.

Cousin Addi's Baby Blessing!

Jen and Brian had their baby blessing in St. Louis. So Alan and I made a quick trip and left last Saturday to be there for it it and got back the next day on Sunday. Surprisingly Ella did really well in the car. Jen was so sweet to make Ella a ladybug birthday cake at the luncheon after the blessing.
Alan's Grandma, Dad, Mom, Brother, baby Addi, wife Jen, and sister Steph were all their for the blessing.

Mommy, Baby Addi, and Ella! Addi is such a great baby and she is so cute! She literally slept the whole time!

Ella and her Great Grandma Ella Pearl Hicks!

Ella' first Birthday Party!

Our sweet Ella turned 1 years old on November 4th. She just devoured her cupcake. We threw her a Owl Birthday Party! We also invited a few of her friends that were close to her in age. We sent out some owl invitations, ate owl cupcakes, had lime sherbet with sprite as our punch, pink six lets to give the table some color, catelope, and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. We love our Ella, she is such a sweet girl. She finally sleeps through the night. She goes to bed at 8pm. and doesn't get up until 6pm. When she wakes up in the morning we watch our sesame street snuggled up on the couch, which I love. This kid gives so many kisses and hugs during the day and I can't complain, I love it. She waves to everyone and even blows kisses to strangers. She says, Momma, Datty, ball, Hi, and oohhh ohhh, the sound an owl makes. She is such a blessing in our home and we adore her. She went to the Doctor last Friday and was 50% on her head, 60% on her height and 5% on her weight. Our doctor wants to fatten her up by giving her instant breakfast packets in her milk and extra butter in her veggies and whatever we give her. She weights 17lbs. and 10 ounces. We have to go back for a follow up check up in 4 weeks to see if her weight is consistent. I think it's more hereditary then anything. I thinks she eats a lot. We love our Ella, she really is a good kid!

Ella eating her first cupcake ever, well her first whole cupcake.

A banner I made for Ella with my cricut.

Ella's owl cupcakes that her Daddy made for me, so easy and fast!

Ella got a hippo that spits out balls and makes them jump up and down for her birthday. She tries so hard to keep all the balls inside the hippo. She also got a phone, that counts and sings songs, one of those see and says that points to the animal and makes a sound, a pretty dress, from Grandma Hess. She is so lucky to have her grandparents and be so loved by them.

Some of Ella's decorations.

Another banner I made for Ella, well my Mom made for Ella! She put it all together, she is super!

The table after our guests left. We were running a little late on setting everything up and well decided to take picture after the party. But you get the idea!

Daddy taking Pictures of Ella at Night!

Alan captured a picture of Ella and I and our silhouettes at sunset.
Ella playing in the leaves at night. I actually through some leaves at her.

Happy Halloween!

My wonderful and pretty Mom came out for Ella's first birthday. Here is Ella and her Grandma Hess in the front of our yard. My Mom was wonderful when she came to visit. We would go on walks together, shopping, and working on Ella's birthday party. She helped me out so much, especially with Ella's party and making the banners and decorations for me. She is the best and we miss her already! She would even make Ella giggle, it was so cute!
Ella playing outside with the tea lights to our pumpkins.
Ella crawling on the sidewalk, because the darn kid won't walk yet. But we still love her!
This year for Halloween I decided to be a tooth and Ella would be the tooth fairy. Daddy who is taking this picture was himself, the dentist.

My super neighbor Aimee and her son Lincoln. I love my neighbor Aimee. She is always making cookies and bringing me over some. So delicious! Especially chocolate oatmeal cookies, my favorite. So I think Aimee and I are like cousins some where down the line. One day I was at her house and noticed she had this family history book of her Great Grandma and her Great Grandma's last name is Neville. I looked at her and said, " My Grandma's last name is Neville." Aimee then said, "Well, my maiden name is Neville." I said, "My Mom's maiden name is Neville. I have never met another Neville in my life." Aimee said, "Me neither, we must be related." Well it turns out that our hometowns in Cali are a half in hour from each other. The Nevilles grew up in Utah and then moved to Cali. Also really crazy story, her Dad is an Oncologist, someone who diagnosis cancer. Her Dad, worked on my Uncle Keith who had down syndrome and was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a few years back, and my Mom remembers Aimee's dad, Dr. Neville telling my Uncle Keith that they are related. I guess you could say that it's a small world after all! hehe!