Ella's 1st Big Earthquake

Yesterday, there was an 5.4 earthquake that hit the Los Angeles area. The center of it was in Chino Hills which is about 25 miles from our home. Boy, we could feel it. Ella had just woken up from her nap and I was holding her on the couch. She had just fallen back to sleep, and I started to fall asleep with her. Right when I fell asleep, everything started shaking. A few pictures fell off the wall and one broke. It freaked me out and my heart started pounding. I hadn't been in an earthquake that big since I was little. Thank goodness Ella was already in my arms and we ran under a doorway for shelter. It didn't really phase Ella much beside the fact that she got woken up from her nap. What sacred me the most was that all the phone lines including cell phones were down for 25 minutes after the quake and I couldn't get a hold of anyone. Jordan was at school and he was able to get a hold of me but not right away. It just made me realize that we need to always be prepared because you never know when a natural disaster might hit. Thank goodness this wasn't it but it was a good wake up call.
We are moving tomorrow to another apartment in the same city we live in. We are so excited it is a two bedroom and Ella will finally have her own room. HOORAY! We're also excited that we will have a 2 car garage right under our apartment. I'm trying to pack but Ella loves to help me unpack. She loves to climb in and out of the boxes. My mom is now watching her for the next couple of days while we move to our new home. Thank you mom!

On Monday, Ryan, Wendy, Maylan, Brandon, and Marissa came over to swim. Ella is getting more and more comfortable with the water. She now jumps into the pool (in my arms). Maylan and Brandon love to wear goggles, well so did Ella. She first picked them up and would try to put them on by herself. So I put them on her thinking she would take them off instantly, but she didn't. She liked wearing them and didn't want to take them off. She was a big girl like her cousins. She would walk around, play with the pool toys, thinking she was "hot stuff" wearing her own goggles. They were a little big on her. I thought she was cute.

More beach fun

Last Saturday Ella and I went to the beach with my parents and Ryan and Wendy. Jordan couldn't come because he was working on his write on competition for Law Review for school. We went to watch the National Surf Open in Huntington Beach. By the time we got to the beach the surfing part was over so we watched the biking event. They also had skateboarding and dirt bikes there too but we didn't stay for the shows. The weather at the beach was beautiful and Ella has no fear of the waves. She would keep running up letting the waves crash on her. I really have to watch her now. She is getting more and more independent. I love to see her interact with here cousins. She loves May May and Buddy and can now say their names.

She Loves Salad

I found out that Ella likes to eat salad. At first she used to just lick the dressing off and then spit out the lettuce but now she eats it all. This was her at The Olive Garden. Who doesn't love the salad there. She wanted the big bowl to herself. While she was there she also ate calamari. She is so not like her mom.

Yummy Doritos!

Ella with my cousin Paige


On Monday, We went to Corona Del Mar beach with my Dad's side of the family. We got there pretty late in the afternoon so Ella did not get in her swim suit. We had a fire going and I was worried Ella would touch it so the only thing that would make her sit in her chair was a bag of Doritos. That isn't all she ate but at least she stood still. She also had chicken and watermelon. We only stayed for a few hours but enjoyed seeing family and watching the beautiful sunset.

Last week Ella and I flew up to Utah to go on a camping trip with my mom and my sisters. We camped at Cherry Hill in Kaysville and had a blast. Cherry Hill had a water park, miniature golf, batting cages, play land, and more. There was always something to do. We camped Monday to Thursday and went to the water park on Tuesday. The water park was not very big but enough to keep us entertained. The best part about it was the water was warm and Ella could ride the water slides (even the big ones). I would just place her on my lap and down we went. She didn't even cry. You would ride on mats down the slides. My mom and I rode the slides together and it was quite a show. I didn't have my camera charger and my battery was dead the whole time so I had no pictures. The rest of the week we had fun hanging out with family, going out to dinner, walking to the ice cream shop, and sleeping in tents. Ella loved being with her cousins. She is in the busy stage so most of the time she was either climbing on the chairs and tables or getting into the food bins. We had so much fun and look forward to doing it again next year.

Could it get any worse?

Last week Ella was sick. I mean SICK. We took to the doctor. The doctor diagnosed her with an ear infection, an bladder infection, and strep throat. Along with that, she came down with a 5 day virus and Pinkeye. Joy! I felt so bad for her. She was miserable. Her fever was an average of 103.5 and got up to 104.9 and was taking 10 doses of medication per day. I don't know how she got soooo sick. I feel terrible. She has been really sick twice in the last 6 weeks. She is getting better and is pretty much almost back to normal now. I hope she doesn't get sick for a long time.

4th of July Bash!

The three men jumping off the waterfall. There was a big splash.
Kaden down the water slide
Waiting for the fireworks show to start

For the 4th, we went to the Stewart's friend's house in Fontana. The friend was not there so we got the pool to ourselves. The pool was awesome. It had a huge waterfall that you can swim under and jump off of along with a water slide. The kids had a blast. Ella was really sick and only stayed for a little bit until Jordan took her home. I felt so bad for her. She did not get to see the fireworks. She probably would have freaked out anyway. Kaden, Kyle, and I stayed for the show. Wyatt and Creighton did a great job with the show. Since the house was in Fontana, we were allowed to light off fireworks (it was illegal in our city). After swimming, eating, being in the hot sun, watching fireworks, we were pretty exhausted. Thank you Andrea and Wyatt for inviting us to come.

Kyle's 3rd Birthday

My sister Laurie, Adam, Kaden, and Kyle came down from Utah to visit for 2 weeks. While they were here, Kyle and Laurie celebrated their birthdays. We had a little party for them at our pool. We swam, cooked on the the BBQ, and had cake. We had so much fun when they came down. Laurie and Adam went on a Cruise with my mom and dad while Jordan and I watched their boys. That weekend was filled with boy things. We had lots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles parties. Jordan really enjoyed having boys around because it seems like he is always doing girly things with Ella and I. It's always fun having family around. Ella and I are excited to see them next week.

Our Beach Babe!

Can't go to the beach without Ella eating the sand and having it all over her face.


Ella with her Grandpa Blocker.
Last Saturday we went to Huntington Beach with Ryan, Wendy, Laurie, and my parents. My sister Laurie, Kaden, and Kyle came in town for 2 weeks and we have been spending time with them. As we got to the beach, we noticed we left the most important bag at home leaving us with no sunscreen. We borrowed some for Ella but didn't think about ourselves. Jordan got pretty red and was hurting for a couple days (poor thing). Ella is getting more fun at the beach. She is starting to enjoy the sand. Besides the fact that she likes to eat it, she will walk in it now and not be so afraid. She really likes the water. She loves when the waves brush up on her legs. When the waves would go back in, she would run toward the ocean so she could get wet again. It's weird because she is scared of the swimming pool but not the ocean. I guess she is a beach babe!

Daddy watching Ella

Jordan and I went to Victoria Gardens to go shopping and return some things. We made our way to Gymboree (of course) and right by it were fountains were kids could run in and out of. Jordan and Ella were tired of shopping so I told Jordan to go and SHOW Ella the water. As I walked out of Gymboree this is what I saw. I was a little upset that my daughter is soaking wet in her clothes but she was having so much fun playing in the water. It was 107 degrees that day so by the time we got back to the car she was pretty much dry.

Taylor and Ella

In the last month, we have had our friends Matt, Mari, and Taylor come up to visit us from San Diego 3 times. Matt is getting ready for dental school so he had to take classes at UCLA. While he was there, Mari and Taylor spent the afternoons with Ella and I. After our husbands got home from work and school, we would go out to dinner or BBQ by our pool. We had so much fun when they came. We also got them hooked on the Office. Taylor is 3 weeks younger than Ella and is about half the size as you can see. The girls loved to play each other. They would also copy one another. It was cute. While Taylor was here, she picked up some of Ella's sign language. We had a blast while they were here and next time we will visit them in San Diego.