After my vacation in Utah I got home to find that Jeremy had done some great work in the yard! The grass was pretty much grown in and he had raised the (future) flower beds and put down some bark!
The best present was that he had made a patio table for me while I was gone! (A belated mothers day present!)
On June 15th, Ellia started preschool. My mom always had the hardest time getting me out of bed and ready in the morning and sadly I don't think that is a trait that skipped a generation in Ellia's case!
She thinks she is so grown up all the sudden. She has to eat her breakfast with the morning "paper."
Getting ready for pictures....she was practicing her smiles.
I am not a green thumb by any means, but I definitely try. Here is an actual success! Plumeria, Lilies and some random annuals.
We decided to get away one weekend and hike around the sequoia's. Here is our little hiker wearing her first pair of shoes and socks in months...she LOVED them and made quite the scene stomping around.
She also loved hiking the trail and was hard to keep on pace. She was either running or standing in one spot watching a bug cross the trail.
Practicing her smiles again
Finally we captured some animal noises on film!
I gave her a walking stick to entertain her toward the end of the trip...now I know why parents have to take them home so often.
Daddy eventually had to carry her, but was handsomely rewarded!
She is also very into dressing herself. Luckily we didn't have any where to go this day.
For fathers day we went camping and fishing. The stream we found was so pretty!
Ellia loved playing in the water, picking up and throwing rocks. When she picked up tiny ones she would use a high squeaky voice because they were "baby" rocks.
Dad trying to help her throw them in a little more vigorously.
She was really good around the fire and loved helping cook the s'mores
In the morning Jeremy took her fishing while I got to relax in camp (being pregnant and sleeping on the ground is not something I'd recommend for a good nights sleep, but it makes for a good fathers day sacrifice)
In July we headed back to Utah to celebrate Ellia's 2nd birthday. Jeremy spent a few nights in the Boulder Mountains fishing with his family.
Ellia had it rough one morning. First she burned her thumb on my flat iron so we taught her how to hold ice on her new owie. A bit later she wasn't paying attention and ran straight into a wall. When we got back into the car with the ice and gave it to her for her thumb I said, "put it on your owie" and here's what she did.
Obviously she's no dummy! We have a penny jar tradition in my family. On your birthday you get to stick your hand in a jar filled with money and whatever you can get out you get to keep (for the younger kids ok) We told Ellia, " whatever you can get out of the jar you can keep." So she dumped out the entire jar. Like I said, she's no dummy.
Showing us she is 2. It takes both hands with her pointer fingers up, and resting on both cheeks.
We were very spoiled celebrating with tons of family which meant lots of gifts. Ellia was generous enough to sign "thank you" after each gift - with a little prompting of course.
Collings cousins
We happened to dress somewhat alike so I took the opportunity for quick family photo session...I decided it would be several months before I want to be seen in any pictures again. Until after November that is.
Back in cali there were a few more gifts, and boy did she get excited about one in particular...What a spoiled girl. If this continues we'll have to quit taking our kids to Utah for birthdays...yikes!
I found a bike at a yard sale but realized later it was a titch big...she enjoys helping her dolly ride though!
Taking away the binky - attempt gone wrong.
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One night on a walk I kicked what I thought was a rock, but I happenned to look down and it was a turtle! So we brought him home.
