Weekend Away!

Last weekend David and I got the opportunity to get away for the weekend, which is the first time we have done so since Ella was born 18 months ago. To make this possible, my parents drove down from Erie to watch Ella while we were gone. This was a tremendous blessing for us and it was a great time for both Ella and my parents to bond. It was also great not to have to worry about her the whole weekend, which surprisingly was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. It is amazing how fast you can revert back to the "before kids" way of life. Needless to say we had a great weekend and knew that Ella was in loving hands and that we were free to enjoy ourselves and have a good time.

So, I'm sure you are all asking....where did you go? Well, we drove down to Cincinnati to attend a marriage conference. I know I know, you're wondering why we would spend our first weekend away with hundreds of other couples, at a marriage conference. However, it actually turned out to be the best way to spend our weekend. With kids, jobs, housework and everything else that takes up time and effort in our lives, sometimes it is hard to remember that you still need to work on your marriage. I'll admit that David and I were in this place in our marriage. We started to forget to really love, respect and care for each other. Throughout the weekend it was great to just have the time to remember each other and talk to each other like we had not done in awhile. I honestly believe that because of that conference David and I will have a much better marriage. We learned new ways to communicate more effectively with each other and most of all we just got a reminder of how important it is to put our marriage first, above all else (including our child).

So, I just want to take this opportunity to tell everyone about Family Life and their Weekend to remember conferences. These conferences are held on different weekends, in different cities all across the country. No matter where you live, I'm sure you can find one near you. Even if you think you have a perfect marriage and do not need any help or if you think there is no hope left in your marriage, I believe this conference is for everyone.

If you want more information or to find a conference near you, go to www.familylife.com/weekend

Playing in the snow, or at least trying to!

We have taken Ella out to play in the snow a couple of times this winter, but have yet to get her to enjoy herself. These first 2 pictures were from our first attempt over Christmas at my parent's house. She did have fun going down the hill a few times on the sled, but didn't really like the whole experience that much.


I love this picture. She looks so cute all bundled up and ready to go down the hill with the help of her cousin, Leah.

Our second attempt was at home and didn't really go over any better than the first. She just seems really indifferent about the whole experience. What you see in the above picture is about all she did. She just stood there and watched David, Mocha and I play and try to play with her. Hopefully next year she will appreciate the snow a little more.

David took this picture after his mom had walked Ella over to Kris's house to play with her cousins. I though it was so cute that I had to post it. Those cute little footsteps in the snow are so adorable!

Swimming in February?

We took Ella swimming last weekend for the first time since we moved to Dayton. When we lived in San Antonio she was in the pool almost everyday, so, needless to say, it had been awhile since she had gone swimming. David and I did not want her to go too long without being in a "big pool" because we don't want her to be afraid of the water. Therefore, we decided to take advantage of the base indoor pool, and the fact that they have open swim every Sat. morning.

I didnt' think I would have to buy a new bathing suit for Ella until this summer, but since her old one from last summer was to small, I guess I was wrong. However, since I love to go shopping for new clothes for Ella, I was not that upset. Doesn't she look absolutely adorable in her new suit!!!


Here is a video of Ella and me in the pool. She is such a good swimmer already and most of the time wants to try to swim on her own. As soon as she is old enough, we are definitely putting her in swimming lessons.

18-month Appointment

David and I took Ella to her 18-month appointment today. Her doctor was very pleased with how well she is doing and is right on track with her physical and mental development. She currently is weighing in at 24 lbs. and is 31 inches tall. The only bad part about the appointment was that she had to get 4 shots. Ella was a trooper though, and although she did cry a lot while they were sticking her, she calmed right down as soon as they were done and I was able to hold her. She really is a tough kid! Luckily she will not have to get anymore shots (except the seasonal flu shot) until she is 4 years old.

Ella's New Toy

I bought this Dora playhouse and tunnel toy last week at Once Upon a Child and Ella has been playing with it non-stop since we set it up. As you can see from the picture above, she even dragged her dolls and puzzle inside to play with.


David decided to lay in the tunnel to see if Ella would crawl through on top of him. Of course she did and then gave him a big hug while laying on top of him. It was really cute and I was so excited I had the camera out and ready!


Ella loves crawling thru the tunnel.

Ya's Visit

David's Mom came to visit us for 2 weeks the beginning of Feb. It was great having her here and Ella loved getting to spend time with her Ya (for those who don't know, Ya is Thai for grandma).

It was wonderful for Ella to get to see her Ya for a whole 2 weeks. She spent 1 week with us at our house and 1 week with Kris & Erinn (who live right down the street). However, she bounced back and forth throughout the day to see everyone, so we got to spend time with her every day.

It was really nice having another set of hand and eyes around to help out with Ella. And of course I have to mention all the delicious Thai food she made for us while she was here. I love it when she comes to visit because Ella not only gets to spend time with her grandmother, but we also get to eat Thai food almost everyday. And this time I got to learn how to make some more as well. All in all it was a great visit and we will be looking forward to her coming back up sometime this summer.

New Blog Layout

It's finally done! Our blog officially has a new look and I hope you all like it. Krystyn from Krizzy Designs did a fantastic job on our new blog layout. If you are thinking about updating your blog layout and would like someone to give it a new look, please click on her link at the bottom of this page. She is great to work with and I'm sure she can give you exactly what you are looking for.

So with our new layout finally in place, my goal is to keep the blog posts updated as well. As I'm sure you can tell, I have not been doing so well keeping the posts up to date. My goal is to do a post a week (even if nothing exciting happens). So, check back often for some new pictures of Ella and to learn what we have been up to.