The first two rides are my boat (look for the yellow helmet). Unfortunately they didn’t catch our big wipe outs. The next couple are from other people on my Uganda Missions team. By the way, I love the company’s tagline: Probably the best rafting in the world.
Ellie says Dadda. sighhhhhh I have worked on “Mama” since she was born but she is not even hinting at making an mmmmmm sound. She does sing, yell, and scream Da-da-dud though. sigh, sigh. We don’t think she knows that it means Joel though. For now, everything is da-da or da or dud.
Also new…she wants to be on the move. When on all fours, she rocks and rocks. She has gotten the courage to move a hand or two but then gets frustrated. She can sometimes get from laying into sitting position by pushing herself up. She gets very mad at me when I leave the room without her. I don’t think it will be long before she figures out she can follow me.
“What do I do next?”
“Think, think, think! I moved one hand, now what?”
Do these two look alike or what?
Daddies make a great jungle gym!
“Gotcha!”
You gotta watch out for those kisses though!
“Daddy, you are so fun!”
Not too long until Joel’s baby sister gets hitched! We held a bridal shower for her recently and decided we wanted things to be different. Since most bridal showers are something like a Sunday afternoon tea, we decided we would be a little more edgy with a Friday night girls night. The theme was hot pink and black and it was a blast! My own baby sister came to town for the party and helped me with a lot of the details.
My sister-in-law, Lora, and I worked to create the atmosphere. The centerpiece of the evening was this gorgeous cake. No, we didn’t make it but we were as proud as if we had!
Each guest came dressed in all black and was welcomed with a hot pink boa! Weh-woo! (that was a whistle)
Mickey the dog wanted in on the action too!
Naughty doggy!
The favors I made didn’t exactly come out as I would have hoped. Oh well, still cute. (Rice Krispy treats in the shape of a hand, dipped in white chocolate and decorated with an engagement ring.)
Gifts for the bride, of course!
We showered Amanda with all sorts of fun things!
The girls in our family! (My mom-in-law and sisters-in-law)
Lil’ Manda’s Posse in Pink!
Amanda is all showered - now we are just waiting for the main event. We can’t wait to grow our family!
Oh, and I happened to turn 29 the day after this shin-dig. The big 3-0 is on my doorstep. ha. My sis took me to breakfast, my hubby took me out on a date, and I got a girls night to the movies. Fun!
Ella went “back to school” last week as we jumped back into our routine after some time off. She and her cousins had some serious play time on Labor Day before they had to get back into the groove.
Ellie’s cousins just might have a secret identity as superheroes. I really love that the kids always find creative ways to entertain themselves. They also started another massage and carwashing business - a great combination if you ask me! Ella babysitting is even included!
Ella has so much fun with her cousins. We are always so touched by the way they love on her. I tell them that it will only be a few years before they are annoyed that she follows them everywhere. The good news is that they will probably hit dating years right when she is old enough to spy! Ha! But, for now, they love having her around.
Sammy entertained Ella in the shade. He really is the most hilarious kid. No wonder she cracks up at him. He makes us laugh too!
The crew…
