Happy Halloween!

Ella was a fairy this year for Halloween. She had so much fun this year. Our neighborhood had a party for the kids and then we walked around trick or treating. I'm pretty sure we've created a monster though - she LOVES candy. She walks around saying "ca ps" (her version of "candy please") - hey, at least she is polite about it!! :)

Women's Retreat at Lake Lure

Every year my friend, Michelle, invites me to go with her to her church's women's retreat at Lake Lure, and something has always gotten in the way of me going. Well, not this year! We went this past weekend and had so much fun! Being in the mountains really reminded me of home and made me miss it so much! It was just beautiful and so relaxing! I did really miss Isaac and Ella, though. I did a few things that I haven't done since being a kid - rode a zip line, jumped from a rope into the lake (well I attempted to anyway!); jumped off of a wooden tower into the lake; rode a crazy slide contraption into the lake; and, umm, relived the 80s!

Following in Daddy's footsteps???

I think we may have a future CPA on our hands....

Enjoying a good nap...

Ahhhh.... to be a kid again!!

Ella and Zoe

Welcome, Liam!

Our nephew was born 1:52 am (UK time) this morning. He was 6lbs 13oz and 19.5 inches long. We can't wait to meet you!! Congrats again, Ian and Lisa - we love you all!!

Ella's 1st Beach Trip!!

We took Ella to Hilton Head for a quick beach trip - also to celebrate our 7 year wedding anniversary :) Overall, we had a great time. Ella had a bit of trouble adjusting her sleeping and was sick (which we found out after we got back home); The last night there Isaac came down with a stomach flu or food poisoning, which made him pretty miserable. I know - you're thinking, "but you said that you had a great time". Take a look at the picture below - you can't help but have a great time when you see that smile!!


It really was such a joy to watch her experience new things and play...

Our trip to TN

We finally made a trip back to TN, where my mom and dad live as well as Isaac's mom. We haven't been there since Ella was born, mostly because people were coming to visit us pretty regularly AND because Ella hates long rides in the car. She has so much energy and wants to be free to do things, that it is really hard for her to stay still in her car seat. The 4 hour trip felt much more like an eternity because she was so miserable. With that said, we are going to brave another trip soon (we must be crazy!). We are taking Ella on her first beach trip this weekend - I'll post pictures when we get back. The trip back home was a quick one (just the weekend) - She really seemed to have a great time though. She spent most of her time walking around outdoors with her grandparents.

Happy 4th!!

Happy 4th of July!! We celebrated by having a cookout with friends and then enjoying lots of fireworks. Ella had so much fun waving the flag...

It wasn't me....

it was OTIS!!!!!! I was just helping him clean up before you saw, Mommy!

Our litte fish....

Ella absolutely LOVES going to the pool. I just wish that she would stay in it!! She is so happy walking in and around the kiddie pool area. I'm pretty impressed with her bravery - she walks right into the waterfall thing and seems fine after she goes underwater for a few seconds. She would stay there all day if we'd let her. She really is such a friendly little girl - she seems to always make friends to play with while we're there (and take their toys and run with them - never fails.... I can take a whole bucket of toys and she wants what is not hers).

Happy Father's Day!

We had a great day together at the park for Father's Day. Ella had so much fun on the swings and really enjoyed walking around checking everything out!

And She's Off!!!

Ella has been taking a few steps for several weeks now, but today she took off on her own! What a great Mother's Day gift (I think....... ).

Happy Mother's Day

I celebrated a wonderful Mother's Day with Isaac and Ella. We had my sister's wedding on Saturday and spent the night at the Morehead Inn, so we were able to have breakfast together at the Inn. Because of this, I was able to briefly see my mom on Mother's Day as well! It was a pretty low-key and relaxing day (which was just what I needed as we were all pretty tired from the wedding festivities!). Isaac had gotten me flowers and both he and Ella got me cards (I know, pretty impressive that Ella can do this at such an early age!!). We had dinner and spent the evening watching movies together.

Our Baby is 1!!

Sigh....... I can't believe how fast the time flew by! I know people say that all of the time, but it really takes a different and true meaning when referring to one's child. It is so bittersweet - she is growing and doing so well! She was a bit sick on her birthday, which kept her from enjoying the party fully. We had quite a turnout - family and friends came to help us celebrate her big day. She really enjoyed the cake, mostly feeding it to everyone else though. She was pooped by the end of the day, but it didn't stop her from trying out all of her new toys!

Happy Easter!

While it wasn't officially Ella's first Easter, it felt like it. Last year we brought Ella home from the hospital on Easter Sunday. My mom had cooked an Easter lunch for us when we got home, but I was quite dazed and overwhelmed with the present the Easter bunny had brought us, that it didn't really feel like Easter. Ella has really enjoyed playing with the goodies in her baskets and has had a great day. The week has been hectic, but it has been so good to see family. I believe my sister now has most things settled for the wedding, so I'm sure she feels much better. Ella really enjoyed being with my parents and Jill and Dolf (I must say that I am a little worried that she will bored with just me at home now that everyone has left!). She really is such a joy of a baby!!!

Ella's first "big girl" shoes

We took Ella to the store to get her fitted for a pair of shoes. We haven't really put shoes on her that much, mostly because I hate to wear them myself, so I have a hard time putting them on her. She has been "cruising" for several months now, and has recently started taking a couple of steps on her own, so we figured it was time. I must say, it hurt a little to pay more for a tiny pair of shoes that I hear won't last more than 3 months, than either Isaac or myself would pay for our own shoes. This is what being a parent is, I suppose :) Anyway, they took a picture of the experience (which I thought was so nice! Ella, however, doesn't seem impressed), so here it is!

Hot Rod Baby!

OK - I know that to those who are not from the south, this may seem a bit odd, but in my defense, we are at the end of a cul de sac. Ella absolutely loves her walker and loves to chase our dogs, Otis and Zoe, around the house in it. Since it was so beautiful outside, we decided to take her outside and let her have a go at it. I didn't think I was ever going to get her back in - she LOVED it! She was laughing hysterically with her arms in the air just wheeling around. I did learn, once again, how out of shape I now am and that next time, I will have to do a better job of keeping her in the circle as our street is at a slight incline and she (of course) enjoyed flying down the incline as opposed to climbing back up. Those nice new shoes that I mentioned earlier - well, they're not so nice anymore! Anyway, it was a great time and I wanted to share a picture of her having fun with it!

Where does the time go???

First let me say that I can't believe that I have done such a poor job of keeping the blog updated (sorry for that).

I also can't believe that our baby Ella will soon be 1 year old! It truly seems like just yesterday when we found out that we were pregnant. I have to say that this past year has really taught me what life and love is all about! She has kept us quite busy lately. She is into EVERYTHING!! She loves to crawl around and pull up on things. She seems to experience true joy as she crawls around laughing. I do think she will be walking soon, as she tries so hard cruising around furniture. We bought her first pair of real shoes over the weekend. It took her a few steps to adjust to them, but she seems to be doing well with them. She loves to touch them. We have finally finished Ella's playroom (except for a few things left to hang on the wall) and she loves it! I've attached a few pics below.

Ella helping Papa get her new space ready
Checking things out...
Master artist!!

The next couple of months will be busy ones for us, but in a very good way! My parents will come in for a visit and my sister and Dolf will arrive Saturday and then we have their wedding shower on Sunday. They will be staying for a week and I'm excited to get to spend some fun time with her (I can't wait to see her in her wedding dress for her fitting!). I'm sure they will not believe how much Ella has grown, physically and developmentally. It also will be nice having them here to celebrate Easter. Then in April, we will be celebrating Ella's 1st birthday; then in May Jill and Dolf will be getting married here in Charlotte!

Better Late than Never....

We have finally created a way to keep all of our family and friends around the world updated on our lives. Now that Ella is almost one year old and keeping me busier than ever, it is getting harder and harder to find time to post pictures as often as I used to. Hopefully I will do better at sharing a couple of pictures at a time and also a quick summary of what is going on in our lives. Wish us luck and stay tuned! Love and miss you all!