Decking the Condo!

We have FINALLY put up our Christmas tree! Yeay! Because Ella Ann and I were out of town last weekend, we waited to get our tree until this past Saturday. We tried to get it on Thursday, but the place was closed both times we went (no we're not stupid, we were there at the right time the second time around, but no one showed!), so we finally picked one out on Saturday! The tree we picked out is beautiful, but we again had to wait over 24 hours for the branches to fall so we could decorate it! Unfortunately, Ella Ann was unable to help us decorate last night because she had a temperature and was beyond fussy, so she went to bed early. No worries grandparents, she is MUCH better today! Spencer and I think it was just teething because she has been fussy for several days.

Anyway, as you can see from the pictures below, our tree is fabulous, and the lean gives it flare! ha! When Ella Ann woke up this morning, I went ahead and lit the tree so it would be ready for her. I sat her down in front of it and she was mesmorized. She loves touching the branches and the nonbreakable ornaments within reach. Now she attempts to say tree, but it comes out "breeeeeeeeee!" There is a small ornament of Santa's face that she can touch and each time she points at it I say, "Santa" and she repeats back to me, "Daaada", but it sounds somewhat like "Santa"! :) The "breeeeeeeeee" will be her entertainment for the next two weeks!

Our stockings.

Ou beautiful leaning tree!

I wanted all to see our Disney tree skirt, since it will be covered with presents from here on out!

Ella Ann admiring the tree this morning.

Ella Ann with her pointer ready! (The "Daada" ornament is behind her.)

Visiting Grandparents

Ella Ann and I took a trip up to Kentucky to visit both sets of grandparents for a long weekend. We stayed with my parents, but Ella Ann went to see her Nana on Sunday, while my parents and I went to Evansville to do some Christmas shopping. It was nice to be with just my Mom and Dad without having to shop and eat around naps, meals and bedtime! We actually enjoyed our long lunch and day of shopping! We even went to the movies that night and saw "Casino Royale"!! Wow! It was like before I had Ella Ann!! By the way, I highly recommend that movie. It was very, very good and I normally do not like action movies. Don't get me wrong, the three of us really missed her, but it was great to relax and have fun and Ella Ann got some much-needed time with her Nana!

On Friday, we went to a great Italian restaurant and had dinner. Since Ella Ann is walking, she doesn't really enjoy sitting at the dinner table at restaurants because she wants to walk around and explore. Our service was kind of slow, so when my parents and I got our food, we swallowed it whole in order to hurry up and leave! I think my tuna was stuck in my esophagus until Saturday morning!

We put up their Christmas tree on Saturday, which I haven't done with them since before I was married. It was just like old times! My parents broke down this year and bought a fake tree...such sell outs! However, after the massive, 9-footer was standing and decorated, I had to admit it was a beautiful fake tree! Ella Ann didn't know what to think of it. She was a little scared at first, but then started touching the ornaments and picking at the bows on the presents. Of course, she pointed to it no less than 500 times and each time we had to say, "tree", "yes, tree", over and over and over. It will be quite fun when we have our tree up in the living room this week! Ella Ann will have a field day with that!

It was a great trip to see our family, but I know Spencer is glad to have us home!

Ella Ann and I in the kitchen waiting to go to dinner on Friday.

Ella Ann and Mimi.

Ella Ann pointing at the tree that is ten times bigger than her!

Ella Ann and Dottie, my parent's cat, checking each other out. Ella Ann LOVES cats so she got to pet Dottie, who is very good with her.

Ella Ann playing with Grandpa by the Christmas tree.

Why is it sooooo cold in Kentucky??? Ella Ann learned how to say "burrrrrr" this weekend after I said it every time we left the house!

A Belated Thanksgiving

Ever since Spencer and I have been married, we've always spent Thanksgiving with my parents. The first two years we were married we went to Disney World, last year Ella Ann was born a week before and this year Spencer had to work so we couldn't go anywhere. Therefore, my parents drove down here again and I cooked our Thanksgiving feast. My Mom was unable to take off work on Friday, so we just skipped Thanksgiving Day and treated it as any other day. Spencer had both Thursday and Friday off, so we went to the park to enjoy some amazing spring-like weather. Spencer made me toss a football with him both days at the park and Ella Ann would sit in between us in the grass with one of her three singing Christmas ornaments. Yes, she has carried around one of three bug Christmas ornaments that "grunt" Christmas tunes that I found when I was unpacking some of our Christmas decorations this past week! It's hilarious because she will dance each time she pushes their bellies and they starting grunting "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". So if you will picture in your mind me trying to toss a football (for those of you who know me all too well you know how much I hate sports) so you can imagine how terrible I am and then there was Ella Ann walking back and forth between us pushing her singing ornament and dancing! I'm sure we were a sight for sore eyes!

Okay, so back on Thanksgiving, my parents came down Friday night and we ordered some fantastic pizza. Spencer had to work on Saturday, so my parents, Ella Ann and I went out to brunch and did some Christmas shopping. That afternoon, we had some appeptizers and Mom and I cooked until Spencer got home later that evening. Then we got to chow down on our belated Thanksgiving dinner! Finally! Next year, hopefully, we'll be back at Disney for the holiday!!!!

We had a really good time together this weekend and it was an easy goodbye for my parents today because Ella Ann and I will be seeing them again in a few days!

Ella Ann playing with her Mimi.

What a happy kid!

Ella Ann giving Grandpa a big kiss!

Ella Ann with her Grandpa and singing ornament!

Our Thanksgiving spread!

Ella Ann had already eaten dinner before we sat down for ours. She sat with us, though, and ate some puffs because she wouldn't touch the turkey!

Ella Ann and her Cheerios

Now that Ella Ann doesn't drink bottles four times a day, I give her two snacks a day along with her meals. One is usually fruit and the other is many, many Cheerios. She doesn't like bread and is picky with meat, so Cheerios and oatmeal, which she eats for breakfast, are my best bet! For her snack this morning, I put a bowl of Cheerios on the floor with her water and she just dove in them and shoved as many in her mouth as humanly possible and then proceeded to keep shoveling handfuls in her mouth, even if her mouth had met it's maximum Cheerio capacity! I had to take a picture because Spencer and I were laughing at her, which made her laugh, so they just keep falling out of her mouth. It was great! Most of you all know what a big eater we have on our hands (she eats adult-size portions for her 3 meals) so I'm sure if I gave her an entire box of Cheerios she would eat the whole thing! I think she has a wooden leg! Ohhh and I'd like to mention that not only is she a big eater, she's an expensive one! I tried giving her generic brand cereal and she wouldn't have it. It was Cheerios or nothing at all! Hmmmm...I wonder where she gets that from??

She points out her next move.....

then she shovels them in her mouth with one hand while the other hand grabs the next bite....

then Ella Ann decides that dumping them all on the floor would be much easier, which is when Daddy interceds and begins rationing them out to her!

Birthday Girl

Today is Ella Ann's first birthday! Yeay! Spencer took the day off today, so we are just going to relax and play. I thought I would post a few pictures I took this morning of her playing with her barn that Grandpa and Mimi gave her for her birthday. She's carrying around the sheep in the last picture...she loves it's fuzzy head!

If you'll look closely, she has a cut on her head. It's her very first walking injury! I was sitting at the kitchen table last night and she was carrying a book to me and tripped over our rug and hit her head on my birthday present, i.e., my new bench for my table. Yes, she screamed her head off! :)

We have playgroup today, so Ella Ann will get to see some of her friends on her birthday!

Let's P-A-R-T-Y!!!!

We celebrated Ella Ann's 1st birthday this past Saturday!! Wow, it's hard to believe she's 1!!! This year has gone by so fast, and I cannot believe our little baby is no longer a baby. She is up on two feet now and walking everywhere and cannot be considered a baby anymore. It is bittersweet because I miss her being so small and sitting in my lap forever and ever, but it is really fun now to watch her explore all things new, understand what we are saying most of the time, drink real milk, and dance her little tail off! She loves to dance and showed off her skills at the drop of a hat, or should I say a commerical with music, to her adoring fans this weekend!

All of our family came in town for the big celebration. We really enjoyed having everyone here and were sad to see them leave. Ella Ann racked it in as far as gifts goes and received enough new toys to last her at least until Christmas! ha! :) We ate a lot of food and had "Pretty In Pink" cupcakes, i.e., strawberry cupcakes, for dessert; however, Ella Ann had her own special cake that we had gotten her. If you will notice in the last few pictures she absolutely hated her cake and wouldn't have anything to do with it! We thought as much as she loves food she would literally dive into a cake but that certainly did not happen! She sucked on her fingers that had a little bit of icing on them, but that was it!

Ella Ann has been busy today playing with all her new toys! Her Uncle Craig and Aunt Kasey got her a magnetic barn with animals that sticks to our fridge and that has been her favorite so far. She pulls it off the fridge and takes it, as it plays "Old McDonald", over to Spencer in the living room and then will go back and get the animals. It's so funny! At least I can get some cooking done now without Ella Ann attached to my leg!

Thank you to all of you that came and to those that sent gifts and sweet cards. Spencer and I appreciated all of your help with what you brought and for helping out in the kitchen! It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again next year! Maybe I should start trading Ella Ann's brussel sprouts and beans for cake so she'll learn to eat it by then! :)

Ella Ann with her Nana

Ella Ann is trying to figure out why Minnie Mouse looks so familiar!

Taking a break from opening all her gifts!

The bows were a big hit too!

Ohhh YEAY it's the magnetic barn!!!

Ella Ann helping Mommy open some gifts.

Ohhh nooooo I don't know about this sticky icing thing! Yuck!

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to!"

Ella Ann dancing in her "My Daddy Loves Me" t-shirt!

Striking a pose this afternoon in her new bunny slippers! She also enjoys chewing on them too!

Halloween with Minnie Mouse

Tonight was Ella Ann's first Halloween and she went dressed as Minnie Mouse! She looked hilarious in her costume and every time we put it on her we would die laughing! The costume had a hood on it, so I was proud of Ella Ann that she kept it up the entire time!

On Sunday, Spencer and I took her to Goblins in the Garden at the Botanical Gardens. It was kind of like a fall festival and to our disappointment, was lacking in the candy department! We didn't want to pet earthworms, we wanted some treats!!! It was a blast, though, and it was a perfect day to get out and enjoy one of our city's hot spots. We had never been to the Botanical Garden's and we really, really liked it. They had two other exhibits going on, which were different kinds of sculptures, as you can see below, and another was a display of scarecrows that poked fun of celebrities or were characters from movies, i.e., the dead version of Marie Antoinette. It was great!

Tonight we went to a neighborhood that is close to where we live and went trick-or-treating. Every single house we went to sat on a hill and had a zillion steps leading up to the front door so I would have to get Ella Ann out of her stroller and drag her up the steps to each house! It was quite a marathon and I think I wore the poor girl out! By about the twentith house she started moaning when I pulled her out as if to say, "not again"! She was quite a trooper, though, and kept her game face on. She was a very stoic Minnie Mouse; she wouldn't smile or toss up a wave for anyone!

At one point we went to a "haunted" house and the witch that answered the door told us to come in and when Ella Ann saw the skeleton laying in a coffin in the living room she completely flipped and started screaming and crawling up my neck! Needless to say, we left immediatly! Poor kid!

Unfortunately, Ella Ann was super tired both Sunday and tonight so I couldn't get her to smile for the camera, but I think she had a good time because she was lavished with so much attention! :)

Our very tired goblin!

Ella Ann and I in front of one of the sculptures in the festival area.

Ella Ann atop one of the sculptures in the orchid garden. She was staring at the people saying hi and waving to her, but they couldn't illicit a response!

I just wanted to include this picture because it was so beautiful. The Botanical Gardens are definitily an oasis in the city.

I couldn't resist having our picture taken with the Pirates of the Carribean scarecrow! It was only fitting since it's Disney!

Ella Ann's trick-or-treating face on Halloween night!

Trick-or-Treat!

Sprucing Up Ella Ann's Room

I recently ordered some wall decorations online for Ella Ann's room. Spencer's cousin's wife told me about these wall stickers because she had ordered some for her son's room. I got them yesterday and immediately put them all over Ella Ann's room. They are great because they just peel off the paper, stick to the wall and then you can remove them just as easily as they were put on. Soooo, when we move I can take them with me or I can rearrange them as I would like on her walls! They are great! Ella Ann really likes them too. She sat in the room and followed me around on the stepstool as I put them up. Afterwards, she just sat in the room and pointed to all the dots over and over and over!

I also included a couple of pictures of Miss Priss! I took these this morning as she was walking, yes I said walking, to me with her blanket!! Ella Ann started walking last night! Her first trip was into her Daddy's arms.....awwwwwww! :) Her preferred mode of travel, though, is still crawling.

Ella Ann's Dottilicious Wall Art!

Now she can carry her blanket wherever she goes!

Wedding Getaway

This past weekend, I went to Kentucky to be a part of a friend's wedding. I left on Thursday and came home on Sunday and the entire time I was without Ella Ann! Her Nana and Papa came down to keep her while Spencer worked Thursday and Friday. It was nice for Ella Ann and Spencer to be able to spend four days with his parents, and I don't think they minded tooooo much spending so much time with their granddaughter! :)

I had a really good time with just my girlfriends from my sorority. I haven't gotten to spend this much time with my best friends in years, so we had a blast catching up and doing all kinds of fun things. We went to a shower for Laura on Thursday night and had her bachlorette party too. I think we all slept for a couple of hours, and that's about it! She had a bridesmaid luncheon for us on Friday and then Saturday was the big day. I think us girls gained a good 5 pounds because she fed us such good food and a ton of it!

Laura looked soooooo beautiful on her wedding day! I totally forgot to take a picture of her in her dress, so you'll just have to take my word for it! Thanks, Laura, for taking care of us and for all the good times! I miss everyone all ready!

I really, really missed Ella Ann and Spencer so I was very happy to see them when I got back! I think Ella Ann forgot who I was! ha! She remembered pretty quickly, though, and reattached herself to her normal position........which is wrapped around my neck! :) Thank you again, Gary and Gayla, for coming down here and taking such good care of Ella Ann. I cannot thank you enough!

The bride-to-be, Laura, before we went out on the town for her bachlorette party. I was proud of her, she wore all that the entire time!

Katie, Emily, Laura, Me and Andrea

These are my four best friends from college.

Me, Emily and Katie

Laura with her bridesmaids Friday at the luncheon.

Me, Andrea, Katie and Emily before the wedding.

Luckily, I got to spend a little time with my parents too, since they were up for the wedding.

Katie, Emily and Emily's husband, Paul, getting ready to stuff their faces at the reception! The food was sooooooo good!

Andrea and I at the reception.