It's about time!!

Ok, so I am WAY overdue! Thanks Rachel for reminding me!

Where do I begin...

We've spend many weekends this summer enjoying the lake house. Ellie is getting more and more confident with her "swimming" in the lake. She has been jumping off the pier and walking around without help. The water can get a little rough when the boats are out and it is easy for her to get knocked off her feet. We have also been enjoying doing all the MOMS Club activities. Playgroups are a given and we try to do most everything else, just doesn't always happen, but most of the time it does.

Ellie is really into knowing people's names. And now she wants to know last names. And lately she has been asking me what time it is. I don't know why...I don't usually refer to time with her. She is starting to learn how to spell her name. She knows the E-L-L part and the rest gets a little jumbled.

We finally, after about 18 months, seem to be over the separation anxiety. She doesn't cry and just kisses me goodbye when she is left at Grandma's or Miss Heidi's house. So far those are the only places she has stayed without mom or dad. Miss Heidi has the best toys and Grandma has been making cookies with her, so she has been liking that.

We have been home all month and it has been nice. We are trying to catch up on house projects, get our pre-winter projects done and get ready for baby Shelby. Yes, that is her name. Most of you probably know that by now. September is going to be a crazy month for us and that only leaves about 6-7 weeks. So, we've got to get moving!

Today was the MOMS Club family picnic. I think there were 7 family's there and it was a good time. The kids loved the park and the weather was perfect. I enjoyed meeting the familys and spending time with some of the moms I don't see very often.

Ok, no promises on posting more often...but I will try!

Busy! Busy!

It's been a while since I've posted, so here is a little catch up. Today marks 3 weeks since we stopped using diapers and Ellie is doing great. I almost gave up last week and then something just clicked and she is having more days without accidents then with them and she is ok with pooping on the potty (that took a while and was not fun to clean up). Today was a no accident day! Yeah! What a big girl!

We spent the weekend at the lake with some friends and had a great time! It has been too long since we have seen them and Jeff was able to relalx and not do house projects for his mom. Ellie LOVED going on the boats and driving the speed boat. We went in circles, but she was having fun.

We bought a bike trailer and went for our first ride Sunday night and then the tires on my bike gave out (it has been at least 7 or 8 years since it has been riden). So, we got new tubes today and we all went out again tonight! She loved it and it felt great to get some exercise after eating supper.

Out latest venture was to find Ellie some new Crocs. Those are the only shoes she will wear. Having a hard time finding some her size we resorted to calling Grandma Hilly. She lives in St. Croix and there were plenty. So, they are in the mail! Yeah, Grandma Hilly!!

Garage sale great finds!

Ellie got a couple of great things this past weekend at garage sales. Got to love this! My friend Heather found this Little Tikes playhouse for $20 for us and we got Ellie her first bike from Peyton...thanks Peyton!

In other news...we stopped using diapers except for naps and overnight. Today was day 2 and Ellie is doing great. We went to out for 2 hours yesterday...no accidents. Went to Lenawee's Child and then to the park. One accident. What a big girl. We are looking forward to a long weekend at the lake. Hope the weather holds up nice!

Big Girl!

2 nights and 2 naps later, Ellie is loving her new big bed. She doesn't fight going down and sleeps great. I still check on her more often. Since I have pregnancy blaldder and get up 1-2 times during the night, I have been checking on her. All is good. She doesn't even get out when she wakes up, she just calls for us. She is doing great, what a big girl! Time to make her new room in to a little girl's room and not just a room with a bed!

Little girl, big bed!

Ellie asked to sleep in her new bed last night. Her room is not put together by any means, but there is a bed. So, we thought we'd see how it would go! She did great! Slept all night! Glad we have the guard rail though, at one point when I went in there to check on her (which I did quite a few times I will say), her head was pushed up against the mesh! She is growing up! We are potty training right now too! And she is doing great with that too! What a big girl!

A new post, finally!

I'm not sure how much longer I will be posting. I just can't seem to keep up with it. I haven't downloaded pictures for 3 weeks, so no new ones tonight either.

Last week was really busy. We had a MOMS Club activity everyday, except Wednesday, which was Park Day bt gor rained out. One of these days the weather will cooperate for a Park Day. Friday we went to the petting zoo. Ellie is still talking about it. She LOVED feeding the goats. She was so tired from running around I thought for sure she would pass out for a good long nap. No such luck, b ut she slept good that night. It was good that she did because Saturday she went with Dad, Grandma and Puck to the lake. That's right, mom got the day to her self. I have to admit I was a little sad at first...ok, I cried...but that is definately the hormones taking over! It was really weird having such a quiet house. After working in the yard and cleaning out the garage I spent the afternoon and evening with Heidi shopping and eating in Ann Arbor. Now that is what I call a nice day. No stops at the play place, no diapers to change and no crayons and squirmmy kids at supper. I did miss my family though.

Today Jeff and Ellie took Grandma and I to brunch at the Henry Ford Museum. What a treat!! Ellie was such a little lady and loved all the food to choose from. After that we walked around Greenfield Village. It was a really great Mothers Day! I am lucky to have such a wonderful family. Hope all of you had a great day too!

Keeping busy!

We are just keeping busy! The warm weather finds us outside most of the time. We are getting ready for a house full of family coming in town for my big 4-0!! Ellie has been telling me "happy birthday mommy" all week! Too cute! Jeff is tilling Grandma's garden so that Ellie and I can plant our veggies. We need to go get flowers for the pots outside. My Tulips are blooming!! YEAH!! Ellie loves to smell the flowers and I think she will like helping me water too. She is trying to learn how to peddle her trike. She puts her feet on and says "peddle, peddle" as I push. She can't quite reach on the down. She is talking more and more each day and she always seems to amaze me. I love watching her grow up!

My, how Ellie has grown!

We went to the doctor yesterday for Ellie's 2 year checkup. She is doing great! At birth, Ellie was 4 lbs. 1 oz., today she is 23 lbs. When she was born, she was 17-3/4" long, now she is 33-1/2" tall! WOW! What a big girl! Look how she has grown!

The Party!

Ellie's 2nd birthday party was today! It turned out great...very simple! We had cake and ice cream, the kids had an easter egg hunt and then the presents! Just like Christmas, there were too many to open at one time. So, she got through some and there are still some unopened...and she is down for the night. Ellie's friends Virginia, Liam, Ashton and Connor came to celebrate, along with their parents, and the Walker's and Grandma came too. Lots of fun, Ellie is a lucky girl to have such great friends and family. Tomorrow is her birthday and we are headed down to the lake to spend Easter with the extended family. Happy Easter!

Great vacation!

Well, we are back from a week long vacation in St. Croix with temps in the 80's every day. When we got on the plane yesterday it was around 85 when we got off the plane in Toledo it was 29! OUCH! Ellie had so much fun playing outside all week. The good news is that she is so tired from trying to keep up with her cousins (Jake, 6, and Ben, 5) that she is happy hanging in the house today. She stayed in her jammies all day! And took a 3 hour nap! YEAH, mom got a nap too!

The last time we were at the beach was last summer and Ellie didn't really like it. This time she LOVED it! She just played and played. She went in the water as long as mom or dad was holding her. She loved the pool too! We went to an outdoor buffet at a hotel that it on a little island (just a few minute boat ferry over) and the entertainment was a Mocko Jumbie. Here are some pictures. Ellie is still talking about it. She says "Ellie scared, he's dancing, funny". She clapped for him once he left.