The Scott Family

Houston Aquarium

2011-08-03T13:44:00.001-07:00

Jordan has been working in California for 7 weeks. He finally was able to come back to visit us for the weekend. Boy, it was nice to have him home. Jordan's law school friend, Preston, and his fiance came from San Antonio to visit us for the day. So we went to the Houston Aquarium. It was fun and the girls enjoyed loving all the fish. You can see the excitement in Ella's eyes. Both girls actually got to touch some fish and they thought it was cool. It was fun day to spend with the family. Now Jordan is back in Cali. I can't wait to visit him in a week!

Our family at the Houston Aquarium

Touching the fish with Daddy

Downtown Houston

Cinco Ranch Pools

2011-08-03T13:33:00.001-07:00

One of the things I love about Katy is that they have swimming pools galore. Cinco Ranch (a housing development) has 6 pools, a beach club, and 2 water parks. We have so much fun hopping from one pool to the next and its all FREE. These pics are from just a pool (not a water park). It has a 2 kiddie areas with mini slides for the kids. My girls LOVE it. They go down them over and over again. Every time McKenna goes down she says, "Again! Again! One more time!". It's so cute. Ella is getting more comfortable with the water and swam from one length of the pool to the other (with a padded life vest). That's a big accomplishment for her.

The kiddie area

sliding down the slides

Pump it up!!

2011-08-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

My Friend V came from Austin to visit us for a few days. While she was here we went to Memorial City Mall, ate at CPK, swam twice at the awesome Cinco Ranch pools, and went to Pump it up! We had blast. Here is a pic from pump it up. This is actually Itza my friend from Katy. V was taking the pic.

Ethan, Itza, Me, and McKenna

all of us going down the big slide

Austin Visit

2011-08-03T13:13:00.001-07:00

While Jordan has been working in California and me being alone with the girls, I decided to take a quick trip up to Austin to visit some friends. One of my friends was getting married and she was having a bachelorette party so I thought I would join in on the fun. While we were there, we also went on Lake Austin on my friend Heidi's boat. It was so much fun and made me miss Austin even more. The lake was gorgeous and the kids loved swimming in the water. It was Ella and McKenna's first boat ride too. They actually sat still. We love and miss Austin so much!

Look how cute we decorated the table.

Swimming in Lake Austin

Taking a break and eating a snack. She didn't want to take the tube ring off.

Getting ready to jump off the back

McKenna Turns 2!!!

2011-07-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

My little baby is now 2. I can't believe it. We celebrated her birthday a week early since we were going to be back in Texas for the actual day. My wonderful sister in-law made her cake and it was beautiful. She got a microwave with play food, a baby doll, baby doll bed, and a bike. She will also be getting a play house when we move to our new home but that is in the process. McKenna is so much fun. She talks, talks, and talks. She loves to do what her big sister wants to do. She loves to snuggle and sleeps like a champ. I love her curly hair and when she gives me open mouth kisses. She loves the pool and likes to jump off the diving board. We love her so much. Happy Birthday McKenna.

Our McKenna

The awesome cake

She actually blew out the candles

Opening presents

Giving Birthday Hugs

Marissa and Ella

Last Day in Cali

2011-07-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

As our 5 week long vacation came to an end, we spent the last day again in Laguna Beach. Wendy and the kids came with me and the tide was really high and the waves were sooo high and rough. It was really pretty to watch but we couldn't let the kids go in by themselves. It had this ring of cement that is always empty when we go. However since the tide was high, it was full of water. It looked like a pool. The kids had fun playing in it. It was a great day to end our vacation.

My McKenna

McKenna, Ella, and Marissa

Loving the beach

The cool pool.

Buddy and Ella hanging out

Palm Springs

2011-07-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Jordan's parents gave us a timeshare they were not going to use. So Jordan and I took advantage of it and spent our 4th of July in Palm Springs at the Westin Mission Hills Resort. It was so nice and HUGE. We had a jacuzzi in our room! It was a 2 bedroom place so my parents came out along with my mom's friend Brenda, Wendy and the kids, and my Aunt Diane and cousin Melissa. Jordan left on Monday and then we made it a girls week for the rest to the week. We had a blast. We swam during the day and played card games at night. It was really relaxing and fun. So glad we did it. Thanks Steve and Marjie for the timeshare.

Happy 4th of July

Waiting for the fireworks

My cute little girls

Swimming at the pool

The weather was sooo hot

McKenna and I going down the water slide

Cherry Hill

2011-07-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

This year we did our 4th annual camping trip at Cherry Hill. This took place in Utah. 45 people ending up coming. On the way up, we got a flat tire and it took us 14 hours to get there. My girls got to hang out with all their cousins. We of course did the water park one day and both the girls got to ride down the big dragon slides. We also celebrated my sister's 30th birthday. We had a surprise party and ate Baskin Robbins ice cream cake (my favorite).

Ella and Marissa

Ella and Kloe

Protecting the food from the rain

All the kids!

Cousins

Happy 30th Laurie

Buddy and McKenna

Aunt Sue's House

2011-07-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Aunt Sue has he most beautiful backyard I have ever seen. In the backyard they have this little playhouse. Uncle Bill cleaned the house out and placed play toys for the girls. They LOVED playing "house" in it. The wore little aprons and took turns giving everyone "play food". They still talk about that house and hope to have something like that when we have a real backyard.

The cutest little house

playing "house".

Swimming in the pool with daddy

Marcie's Bridal Shower

2011-07-27T19:01:00.001-07:00

While in the Bay Area, I was able to throw Marcie and bridal shower. I hosted it at Aunt Sue's home and it turned out wonderful. The colors for the shower where black, white and the Tiffany's blue. I had so much fun planning and hosting the shower. I look forward to standing in her wedding line.

The cupcake and favor table

Outside

The present and drink table

The wine glasses

I made chocolate dipped pretzels as the party favors

The yummy cupcakes

The food!

Opening presents. Ella had to help.

My little bride to be

Marcie and I

Santa Cruz

2011-07-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

While getting wedding plans finalized in Capitola for Marcie, we spent part of the day at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This place has many memories from Jordan and I's childhood. They had the same rides we rode when we were little. It was cool that our little girls could ride them too. They had a blast. We can't wait to go back in October!

Riding the whales!!! My favorite ride when I was little.

The famous Merry-go-round

Ella and her Auntie Marcie

Nosals

2011-07-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the bay area to visit Jordan's family. We also got to spend a few days with the Nosal family. We were spoiled and had a great time. The girls LOVED hanging out with Sally. Ella has been obsessed with convertibles and got to ride in Sally's Porsche for her first experience. She said it was "awesome". We love spending time with the Nosals and I'm so grateful we have kept in such great contact.

Giving a thumbs up for the ride

McKenna and her new mermaid fins

Ella and her mermaid fins

JD and Ella

Riding in the porsche

Mackenzie's Graduation

2011-07-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

We went down to Carlsbad to attend my cousin Mackenzie's high school graduation. Beside the 2 hour ceremony in bleachers with 2 kids, it was great seeing my family. My girls were the center of attention. It was great to see my cousins Mark and Melissa too.

McKenna

Ella

Melissa and I

Mark and Ella

Laguna Beach

2011-07-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

We landed landed in Orange County Airport , so we spent the afternoon at the beach. We went to Laguna Beach thinking we would not get in the water. The weather was beautiful and the kids begged us to let them go in. So we let them go in with just their clothes on. Yes, call us white trash but the kids loved it.

Beautiful Laguna Beach

Slip & Slide

2011-06-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day Weekend, we went to see the Crall family in San Antonio. We came on Saturday and left on Monday. We went out to eat, played on the slip and slide, went to a splash park, and had an awesome BBQ. We love the Crall family and Carter and Ella played really well together. I loved holding their 2 month old baby, Calab too. Ella still talks about going on a slip and slide. We might have to get her one.

Ella

Jordan

McKenna

Carter and Ella

Katy Fun Run!!

2011-06-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

We recently moved to the Houston Area so Jordan can start his new job. He is working as a Land Negotiator for an oil and gas company called Occidental Petroleum (aka OXY). He LOVES is new job. Anyways, we live in a suburb called Katy and we're already loving it. The ward is amazing and there are 19 sumbeams, and 2 nursery classes. The people are so friendly and we are excited to be here. The first week we were here, our family decided to participate in a stake/city 5k run. I pushed the girls the whole time in my double stroller for 3.1 miles. It was a good workout and I ended up placing 3rd in my age group (age 20-29) and I got a medal. I was proud of myself. The girls were good motivation. They kept saying,"Faster mommy! Faster!" After the race, they had a carnival with games, bounce houses, food, and fire truck tours. The girls loved hanging out there.

After the run pic. So lovely. It was hot and humid!

wearing the fireman's hat

McKenna loved the bounce house!

LLM Law School Graduation

2011-06-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Yes!! Jordan is officially finished with school!!! HOORAY!!! We weren't planning on going to the graduation until about the day before when Jordan decided he wanted to walk. So, we drove 2.5 hours to Austin from Houston to attend. I sat at his graduation alone with 2 little kids for over 3 hours! It was entertaining for all the people who sat around us. The cool thing about graduation, is that the girls got to walk on the stage with Jordan as he got awarded. The graduation was called a sunflower ceremony where the graduates wear black and white and are awarded sunflowers. The girls also received sunflowers too. It was worth the 3 hours of waiting to see my husband and girls walk together. I'm so proud of my husband and his accomplishments. He works so hard to support and make his family happy. We love him!

waiting for daddy to graduate

Waiting to walk on stage

Getting their sunflowers

The longhorn salute. Hook em Horns!!!

quick family pic

Ella in front of the Longhorn Stadium

Cali Trip!

2011-06-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

After Brittney's Wedding, the girls and I hitched a ride with my parents back to California. Beside the 9 hour drive home, it was a great trip. I got to see lots of my friends, ate some awesome real mexican food, shopped, went to the OC swap meet, Laguna Beach, Hollywood, Debbie's aerobics class. It felt like old times. We loved it. We look forward to going back in June!

Ella and her papa

Aunt Brittney and Ella in Hollywood

Ella and new Uncle Davey digging a hole

Laguna Beach with my girls

Utah/Easter

2011-06-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

Since Brittney and Davey's wedding was Easter weekend, we got to spend Easter with my family. We attended 3 easter egg hunts in one day. My girls loved it and got lots of candy. It was good spending lots of time with Laurie and Adam and their kids.

Easter morning, waiting to see what the Easter Bunny brought them.

Proud of all her eggs

Daddy helping

City egg hunt

Smiths grocery store egg hunt

Brittney's Wedding

2011-06-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

On April 22, 2011, My little sister Brittney got married! It was such a wonderful day. My whole family got to see her get married in the Mt Timpanogos Temple. We are so happy to have Davey part of our family. Ella and McKenna were both flower girls. They were pretty cute!

McKenna, Ella, and Abigail

Our Family Pic

My beautiful sister

Ella and Davey

My Parents with all their 17 grandchildren

Brit and Davey dancing at the reception. I love her dancing dress!

Half Marathon

2011-04-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Waiting for mommy to finish the race. Only in Texas do you get this kind of scenery.

At about mile 10

Finishing the race

Emily, Me, and Joanie

My girls supporting me!

Last Saturday, I ran my 1st half marathon! It was the Austin Zooma Half Marathon and it was challenging. The first 6.5 miles were hills which I was not really prepared for. I managed to get through that when I hit about mile 8 I kinda freaked out and told my friends to run ahead. The rest the of race was very challenging physically and mentally but I managed to finish the race in 2:03:47 which was a 9:27 mile pace. My friends kicked butt. One got 1:54 and the other 1:57. I'm so proud of all of us. This was a challenging accomplishment I hope to beat down the road. I was so happy my husband and girls came to cheer me on.

McKenna Children's Museum

2011-04-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

loved turning on and off the light

Shopping at the McKenna Grocery Store

Addie, Jaxson, and McKenna (notice none of them looking at the camera)

Last Friday, My friends, Joanie and Emily went to the McKenna Children's Museum. Yes, the museum is actually called McKenna Children's Museum. How awesome is that? Of course, I had to take a picture of McKenna in front of the entrance. The kids had lots of fun going to each exhibit. Ella enjoyed being a banker at the pretend bank and McKenna liked hanging out at the pretend grandma's home. The museum was a little small so we only stayed for a few hours. It was a good distracted for me before the half marathon and moving and the kids loved it.

Easter Egg Hunt 2011

2011-04-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, our ward playgroup had an Easter egg hunt. Before the hunt, we had potato sack races which were lots of fun. The girls loved the hunt. Ella found her 12 eggs pretty fast and then enjoyed helping McKenna find hers. Now my girls play Easter egg hunt at home. Ella hides the eggs and McKenna finds them. It's great!

She thinks the basket belongs on her head.

some of the kids trying to pose for the pic

helping each other

eating the candy

Dinosaur tracks

2011-03-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

the group!

Ella leading the hike

Hanging out on daddy's shoulders

Ella and Jackson

Ella's foot on the dinosaur tracks!

Yesterday, A few friends and us decided to take a hike to find dinosaur tracks. Our good friend is a geologist and said that he has seen dinosaur tracks nearby. So, we went to check them out. After a little short hike, we found them. Ella thought it was really cool. We walked around for a little bit and then headed back for pizza! It was a fun afternoon and we hope to do it again.

YMCA Soccer

2011-03-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Super excited!

playing the game

Upset the kids kept pushing her. McKenna enjoying the game.

High fives at the end!

Ella just started her first soccer experience. She is on the YMCA Bears team. It's a 4-5 yr old division so she is one of the youngest kids on the team. Yesterday, she had her 1st game. We had practiced a little with her and it was always just Jordan and I working with her. When she started the game, she was so upset because the other kids kept pushing her and taking the ball away from her. It was funny at how competitive she is at 4 yrs old. We look forward to the next 7 weeks of soccer. I can now say I'm a soccer mom. Where's my van???

Tubes

2011-03-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Waiting in the waiting room with Daddy.

Modeling her hospital gown!

A little nervous but she was a trooper!

About a week ago, Ella had to get tubes in her ears. After having many ear infections and a trip to the ENT specialist, we decided the surgery needed to be done. We arrived to the hospital at 6:45am. Ella was seen by the child life specialist, anesthesiologist, and doctor before the procedure was done. She was a little nervous and scared but the nurses were amazing. I also got the doctor to remove the skin tag on her ear too. The experience couldn't have been any better. We were out of the hospital at 8:30am. Our good friends, Emily and Darrin, watched McKenna so we can spend this special time with Ella. By 11:00am, Ella was completely back to her normal self and she says her ears don't her anymore.

Girls Night Out!

2011-03-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Heidi, Me, Joanie, Emily, Jodie, Vee, and Heidi's mom.

Last Thursday, we had girls night out. Once a month, girls in my ward get together and go to dinner or dessert. We get to relax and chat girl talk without our kids. I look forward to it every month. This last time, we went to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Joanie and Heidi's birthday. It was so nice to get out, I am so sad to be leaving them soon.

Swim Lessons

2011-03-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

For about a month and a half, Ella has been taking swim lessons at the YMCA. Before taking classes, she was afraid of putting her head in the water. I figured she needs many swim lessons to help her gain confidence and actually swim. So far, she has come a long way. I took these pics last Wednesday at her last lesson. She now can put her face in the water. I'm so proud of her. I know sometimes things are out of her comfort zone but she is really good at trying them. I plan to keep her in lessons until summer and hope she will be swimming.

Dance Class

2011-03-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

learning new steps

She's in the center with the black skirt

McKenna wearing Ella's old ballet shoes that are way to big for her. She thinks she is part of the class.

Ella is part of a little dancers class at the YMCA. This class focuses on ballet and creative movement. Ella loves to dance. Her favorite part is the free dance at the end and she can dance around with wands her teacher Amy provides. McKenna thinks its her dance class too. She kind of wanders around the room attempting some of the moves. Most the time she doesn't bother the girls but sometimes I have to interfere. McKenna also loves the free dance at the end. She runs all around waving her magic wand. It's so cute!

Good Friends

2011-03-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Allie, McKenna, Ella, and Kailee

Last weekend, my friend Shannon came to visit the Austin area. She came from the Dallas area to visit some family and gave me a call. I met her at a park and we let the kids play while we caught up. Her little girls were so cute and I wish we lived closer because I think they would be good friends. Shannon and I were both in the elementary education program at BYU. We actually had our first baby girls a day apart and met up in the hospital to see each other while we were still recovering. We hope to make a trip up to the Dallas area soon to visit them.

Austin Zoo

2011-02-27T18:58:00.001-08:00

The group!

My cute little duck

Standing in front of a peacock

Feeding the goats

The goats would climb on the fence and lean over to get the food. My hair was crazy frizzy because of the humidity and mist. Something I don't like about Texas.

Feeding the goat all by herself.

On Wednesday, Emily, Joanie, and I headed to the Austin Zoo with our kids. The weather was very misty and humid. The Austin Zoo was kind of ghetto but you could get really close to the animals so the kids loved it. The animals were also really active too in there cages. They had areas where you can actually feed the animals. I thought my kids would be scared, but they had no fear sticking their fingers up to the goats and sheep's mouths. We had a great time but only spent about 2 hours there because it was small.

UT Basketball Game

2011-02-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

Emily and Darrin eating good deep fried food.

Joanie, Baby Jaxson, and Ryan eating yummy food too.

The girls hanging with Bevo the mascot.

Ella doing the "hook em horns" sign.

Daddy and McKenna

Mommy and McKenna

Go UT!!

The ladies

She was really asleep!

Last Tuesday, we went to the UT (University of Texas) Basketball game with the Burtons and Harbors. We first went downtown and ate at some local trailers that served some good deep fried food. We ate at the "Mighty Cone" trailer and I had deep fried chicken and avocado wrapped in a tortilla. Pretty good. Then we headed to the Iowa State vs. UT game. It was awesome! UT kicked booty. They are ranked in the top 5 so it was fun to see a really good team play. Ella loved to see all the Longhorn attire worn by others. She had so much fun that she fell asleep right at the very end.

Ella's Party

2011-02-20T19:54:00.001-08:00

I took this after the party but some of the decorations!

Decorating Valentine Hearts

Birthday girl

Waiting for cupcakes

Blowing out the candle

Our friends!

Pin the heart on the poster

Ella had a Valentine's day birthday party a few days after her birthday. There were about 15 kids and 9 adults in our small little apartment. It was crazy but Ella loved every minute of it. We served lunch to all kids and adults. We had heart shaped food and pink drinks. The kids enjoyed running around an playing games. It was exhausting but worth every effort to see how much Ella enjoyed it. Happy birthday Ella! We love you!

Ella Turned 4!

2011-02-20T19:41:00.001-08:00

She is 4!

Birthday celebration at preschool

Eating cupcakes at Inflatable Wonderland. Major sugar high!

McKenna thought the day was great too!

Birthday Girl!

Eating at Chick-fil-a

Present time!

For Ella's actual birthday, She first woke up to a visit from the birthday fairy. She then went to Preschool. I came at the very end with cupcakes. After preschool, a few friends met us at Inflatable Wonderland where the kids got to jump in bounce houses and enjoy more cupcakes. Then we ate dinner at her favorite place, Chick-fil-a, and then headed home to open presents. She enjoyed it so much she asked if everyday could be her birthday.

San Antonio Rodeo

2011-02-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

Ella and Carter

My Hubby and Me

Lorein, Carter, and Chris

Ella and Mommy

My happy girls

My cute cowgirl

Happy Birthday Ella

About a week ago, we were able to attend a real Texas rodeo. We went with our good friends from California, the Cralls, to the San Antonio Rodeo. It was awesome and Ella was excited to see some real cowboys. The rodeo actually entertained my girls allowing us to sit and relax for quite a while. After the Rodeo, we heard Easton Corbin in concert. He was really good. After all that, we went to Chris and Lorein's house and had dinner and a mini birthday party for Ella. We love hanging out with the Cralls.

Austin got Snow!!!

2011-02-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

A pipe busted right outside our apartment and left this. It was FREEZING!!!!!!

Right outside our apartment

Playing!

Rain boots turned into very good snow boots!

After a freezing week of single digit temperatures, we woke up to snow. They say it snows here about once every 5 years and and only for a few minutes. Not this year, Austin got an inch of snow that stuck to the ground. It was so rare that schools were cancelled including the University of Texas. It was pretty funny. By 2:00pm most of it was melted. We got to enjoy it early in the morning right when we woke up.

Cake

2011-02-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

On a cold afternoon while McKenna was sleeping, Ella was able to frost and decorate her very own cake. I let her do whatever she wanted to it. She put pink frosting on it along with rainbow spinkles. She had a great time and then her and I got to eat a piece. It was yummy! We love Ella and mommy bonding time.

Children's Museum in Austin

2011-02-20T19:01:00.001-08:00

Playing in the chicken hutch

shopping at the market

cute little construction workers

Addi and McKenna

My friend Emily and I went to the Austin Children's Museum. Every children's museum is unique and different and like to go to as many as we can. One thing cool about the museum, is that it was in downtown Austin. It was kind of small and geared toward little kids. My kids loved it. We spent a few hours there and then headed home. One more museum to check off my list.

Christmas in Portland

2011-02-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

Making cookies for Santa with Auntie Marcie

Excited on Christmas Morning!

It was all about the girls!

More presents

Minnie Mouse dress up!

Portland Children's Museum

Jeff and Marcie

Ella and Grammy

Our family in front of the Portland, Oregon Temple

Santa Brought Ella a purple princess bike for Christmas. She was so excited to actually get after we got home.

After going to Utah, we finally flew up Portland to spend Christmas with Jordan's family. We ended up staying 3 1/2 weeks. It was so nice just to kick back and relax. We did tons or shopping, eating, shopping, and eating. It was a blast. Marcie was able to be there for 2 weeks and her boyfriend was able to come up for a few days and celebrate New Years. Shortly after Marcie went home, she was proposed to. It was so fun to celebrate that with Jordan's parents. Can't wait for the wedding. I have been asked to be the maid of honor and my girls are the flower girls. We are so happy for Marcie and Jeff. They belong together.

Utah

2011-02-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hanging out

Everyone in the Blocker Family (except Marissa and now Davey) 31 people!

All 17 grandkids

3 youngest, Kloe, Landon, and McKenna

Temple square

Before we headed to Portland for actual Christmas, we made a short stop in Utah to attend my Grandpa Blocker's funeral. We got to see my whole family. After 14 hours in fights and layovers (holiday flying), it made us realize how far Texas is from everyone. We hung out, ate In-n-out, cafe rio, played ping, temple square, shopping. It was a quick trip, but so glad we went. I miss my family!

Grammy & Papa Visit!

2010-11-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

The famous Alamo in San Antonio

Our Family at the famous Riverwalk

Ella and Grammy

Ella and her Papa

Train ride at Zilker Park

Last weekend, Jordan's parents came to visit us from Portland, OR. They arrived on Thursday and left on Tuesday. While they were there, we went to Zilker park and rode the train, saw downtown Austin, shopping galore, date night without kids, the Riverwalk and Alamo in San Antonio, and eating at some awesome restaurants. We were so spoiled. We loved visiting with them, and we keep trying to convince them to retire here because Austin is awesome! Thanks Steve and Marjie for a wonderful weekend. Can't wait until Christmas!

Pony Rides

2010-11-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

1st pony ride!

Addi, McKenna, and Riley

For playgroup, we went to someone's backyard where they have pony rides and a petting zoo. Ella got to ride her first official pony. She loved it. McKenna could care less. She tried to pet the bunnies but kept stepping on them so we just let her watch from the stroller. She's at that fun stage. Ella thought she was pretty cool and keeps asking to go back.

Bosie

2010-11-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

All the kiddos before the Trunk or Treat party

My little Bumble Bee

I loved her stinger!

The bumble bee and Tinkerbell

She loved trick or treating!

Fun at Chuck E Cheeses

Emma, McKenna, Ashley, Landon, and Lauren at McDonalds

The cousin bunch

In October, the girls and I had the opportunity to fly Boise, ID to watch my sister Lisa's kids for 9 days while she went on a cruise. She has 5 kids ages 1-10. I had her kids along with my 2 kids so I was busy and tired. My mom flew out 3 days into the week to also help. It was still crazy. We had 4 kids ages 3 and under. It was a good experience for me because I got to spend time with my nieces and nephews. Halloween was during that time so Ella got to celebrate it with her cousins. After my sister Lisa came home, the next day I had my wisdom teeth pulled by my brother-in-law. I rested a few days and then flew home. The 8 hours in flights and lay overs while on major pain killers made that day a nightmare. So glad to be home.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-21T19:54:00.000-08:00

The playgroup girls

Ella, Me, and McKenna

Ella and Mr. William

Riding the tractor

For playgroup, we went to the pumpkin patch. Now in Texas, the pumpkin patches are real things. They don't have any rides or bounce houses and you have to travel an hour to get to any. The kids had a blast. Ella got to go in a kids corn maze and we also got to go on a tractor ride. The weather was hot so we picked 2 pumpkins, and went home.

Ella's 1st Dance Class

2010-11-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

Ella got to experience her first dance class. It is a combination tap and ballet class. Her favorite part is tap. She loves her teacher Megan along with her new little friends. She now can show 1st and 2nd position in ballet. Its like the cutest thing to watch.

The Smith Family

2010-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

While living here, we have met some of the best people. There is a law school couple we have become good friends. They have 2 little girls around the same age as Ella and McKenna. Alyssa is Ella's friend. We went to a BYU vs Texas soccer game. Of course we sported our BYU gear. It was raining so the girls were dancing in the rain. We also went to princess night at Chick-fil-a and if you dressed like a princess, you got a free kids meal. Ella enjoys playing with Alyssa and can't wait until they both get to be in the same preschool class together in January.

Austin Bats

2010-11-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Standing on the Congress Bridge in downtown Austin waiting until sunset.

Everyone waiting

The beautiful sunset

One of the things to do in Austin is to watch the bats come out from underneath the Congress bridge. So for Labor day we decided to go check it out. Our friends Jackson and Natasha, who also just moved here, joined us. At sunset, over a million bats come out under a bridge. It sounds cool but not like we expected. Yes, there were a lot of bats but it was kind of hard to see. The girls seemed to enjoy it and now we can say we did it.

We moved to Texas!

2010-09-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

Yes we moved to Austin, Texas. Jordan is attending the University of Texas doing a LLM program. He is getting an advanced law degree in global energy and oil and gas. We have been here for about a month and a half and in the short time that we have been here, we really have enjoyed it. Everyone is so friendly and our church ward is great. Jordan loves school and currently looking for internships and job positions. My life is busy with joy school, dance class, storytime, play group, and College Football. I look forward to every Saturday to watch football. I miss California a lot, especially my family. The weather is HOT and HUMID but I'm already adjusting to it. We feel this was the right move for us and we look forward to spending the next year exploring Austin.

Excited for Texas!

All the wonderful people who cared about us!

We love the Red Hill ward!

Tired from a long day of moving! Oh yeah, we celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary the day we moved. Happy Anniversary to us!

Final days!

2010-09-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

The last few days we spent in California before we moved to Texas, we decided to spend at the place we would miss the most, the beach. We went to Huntington Beach with my parents and Ryan and Wendy. It was a gorgeous day and the weather was perfect. We also spent time at the US open of surfing. McKenna loved the water and had no fear of it. We got to spend some good quality time with family. We miss them soo much!

The Nosal Family

2010-09-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

While in the Bay Area, we visited the Nosals for 2 days. We had fun just hanging out, laying out at the pool, eating out, riding in sweet cars, and just spending time with them. We got to see JD before he went off to college, along with some of the old neighborhood gang. Sally had so many toys and puzzles for Ella that she thought she was at a toy store. She still talks about going back there. She LOVES Sally and grandma too and we hope to visit again soon.

The girls and JD

Staying up late having a pajama party!

McKenna was really comfortable with Danny. She just sat in his lap happy as can be.

Ella hanging out with Grandma

Heather's wedding!

2010-09-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

Right before we moved to Texas, we got to make one last trip up to the Bay Area for Heather's wedding. Ella was honored to be the flower girl and loved every minute of it. She would twirl around in her dress and flirt with all the groomsmen (no joke). The wedding went until about 11:00 and she danced her little heart out till the end. Jordan was studying for the Bar so he couldn't come but decided to take a last minute flight and cab that brought him to the wedding only minutes before the ceremony. His special appearance made the bride Heather cry. One thing that was fun about the wedding, is that Jordan and I had our wedding reception there so it brought back many memories.

Heather and Ella

The beautiful flower girl

Ella and Marcie

The wedding party

So happy he came!

Ella loves her Papa and Grammy

she stole a groomsman's shades

McKenna worn out

Jordan and his cousin Heather

Dancing all night!

Cousin's Camp 2010

2010-09-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

In July, we had our 3rd annual Cousin's Camp at Cherry Hill. The girls in our family left their husbands and camped for 4 nights with their kids. Sounds crazy but it was really fun. The cousins loved playing with each other and every activity was geared toward the kids. While we were there, we celebrated McKenna's 1st Birthday which was great. We also visited my grandpa too.

Abba Dabba and Ella Bella

Showing off the Cousin's Camp shirt

Great group picture

The Blocker Girls

Me and my girls. Love them to death!

Birthday Girl!

Newport Beach

2010-08-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

This year for the 4th of July, we spent a week down in Newport Beach with Jordan's family. We had a blast. The weather was terrible and I think we saw about 6 hours of sun the whole week. We did lots of shopping and ate several nice restaurants and lived the luxury life. We wished we did more swimming but it was too cold. Who would have thought it would be freezing at the beach in July. The best part of the trip was spending time with Jordan's family before we moved to Texas. We had a great time and look forward to spending the 4th next year in Newport again as it is a start of a family tradition.

Sisters!

Ella getting drawn but the caricaturist.

McKenna got drawn too! (not mommy)

Painting her flower box she ended up putting her sea shells in.

Modeling her hat she made

The best family picture we could get.

Watching the fireworks from the resort.

Ella and Marcie

1st birthday dinner right on the beach.

Morning walks on the beach. Most favorite part of each day.

Catching sand crabs. so proud!

Update

2010-04-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

Things have been quite busy here. Here are a few pics of some of the things we have been up to.

Wearing their Easter dresses!

Cousins wearing their Easter clothes. My sister Lisa came to visit us for a week. It was lots of fun!

McKenna hanging out in the infant area at the Children's Museum in Las Vegas!

Spring Break in Las Vegas! We didn't stay on the strip! Thank goodness! There were 14 kids and about 6 adults and things were crazy! The hotel guests LOVED all of us but the kids enjoyed hanging out with their cousins.

Playing at the Children's Museum in Las Vegas!

Sisterly Love!

McKenna at 8 months

Ella's visit at Mickey Mouse's house at Disneyland.

So Happy!

In gymnastics, Ella jumped off the tall table into the foam pit. That was a BIG accomplishment for her.

Ella finished another session of gymnastics! We are so proud of our gymnast!

Our little Mckenna

We picked oranges in La Verne. It was soo cool and the oranges were delicious!

Ella moved up to a big girl car seat! It so much easier to get her in and out of the car and she thinks she is a big kid now!

Pinkalicious Party

2010-02-17T23:41:00.000-08:00

For Ella's 3rd birthday, I threw her an all girls Pinkalicious Party where everything was PINK. The idea is based off the book. I had so much fun planning it. I told the girls to come in their most pinkalicious outfit. I made each girl a pink tutu and magic wand. We played games, made crafts and played around. Thank you to those who came and joined us. We had a blast!

All the girls dressed up in PINK!

the table that had the magic wands and goodie bags.

The PINK cupcake table with PINK lemonade and PINK candies. Wendy made the cupcakes. The were awesome.

The girls (and Buddy) waiting for their cupcakes.

We had mini PINK cupcakes for the girls and big PINK cupcakes for the adults.

Opening presents from her friends

Playing "put the cherry on the cupcake"

Ella's 3rd Birthday Weekend

2010-02-17T23:08:00.000-08:00

Ella turned 3 on February 8. The whole weekend was filled with activities about her. First, Jordan's parents and Marcie came down to celebrate with us. It rained pretty much the whole time so everything we did was indoors (there is not much to do in Southern California when it rains). We spent lots of time shopping, eating, and spending time together (I guess thats what we usually do when they visit). The pictures are in random order because I can't seem to move them around.

I took Ella to the doctor for her 3 year check-up and she is 38 inches tall and weighs 37 lbs. She gained only 2 lbs last year. She is starting to to really slim down. Meanwhile, we found out that McKenna had phemonia.

The yummy Baskin Robbins ice cream cake (my favorite). She looks so old in this picture.

We had dinner at my parents house on Sunday night.

Dinner at the Magic Lamp Restaurant on Saturday night

Marjie, Ella, McKenna, and Marcie

Marcie took Ella to Build-a-Bear for her birthday. She got to pick out whatever animal she wanted. She picked a multicolored teddy bear and named her Candy. Ella loved it!

Giving her bear a heart.

Cleaning her bear.

McKenna's first time in a high chair at a restaurant. She thought she was "hot stuff".

Dinner at Benihanas. Ella thought it was fun watching her food be cooked right in front of her.

It was a fun but exhausting weekend for some people!

Little Kickers!

2010-01-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

For Ella's preschool, we went on a field trip to the Upland Area to have a soccer activity. Ella had a blast kicking the ball around. She also loved being part of a team. We hope to go back there soon.

My Birthday!

2010-01-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

We first celebrated by going to Disneyland on Friday night. We were surprised at how not crowed it was since it was the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I wanted to see the fireworks show since we haven't seen it since we have had our passes. While we were there, we met up with our friends the Holbrooks and we rode a few rides. We weather was also perfect it was a great way to start my birthday.

The next day, Jordan watched our girls while I went for a morning run all by myself. Then he arranged for me to receive a 1 hour massage at Massage Envy which was awesome. Then I met up with my mom and Wendy for lunch at P.F. Changs, followed by some shopping. On Sunday, We had a nice dinner at my parents house and on Monday, I went more shopping and had dinner at the Macaroni Grill. We was a fun and relaxing birthday.

solid foods

2010-01-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

McKenna has started on solids about a month ago and she loves it! My next challenge is getting her to take a bottle. She will not take it for anything. Any suggestions?

McKenna's New Toy

2010-01-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

I bought this jumper for McKenna on craigslist yesterday. I wasn't going to buy her one but noticed how much it would keep her entertained so I bought it when she is almost 6 months old. I wish I would have bought it 2 months ago. Oh well. She is very amused by it so far and I'm so happy I made the purchase.

My little baby looks soo old.

Disneyland with daddy!

2010-01-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

Jordan is still on his Christmas break so this week we went to Disneyland. It was not crowded so we pretty much waited 5-10 min for each ride. Jordan starts on Monday (Jan 11) so we took advantage of the free time he has until he gets busy again.

Jordan and Ella riding the Matterhorn. Ella loves roller coasters like her aunt Marcie.

Riding Small World.

McKenna was so amused while Ella sang pretty much the whole time.

Plane Ride Home

2010-01-09T22:24:00.000-08:00

Our flight home was one fun flight. Jordan and I got our own row so we had more space. Ella watched Care Bears the first leg of the flight and slept the second. McKenna talked the first leg and slept the second. Jordan slept the first leg in his own row. How nice would that be? He was exhausted because he had to carry 6 of our bags weighing between 47-50 lbs through the airport. I was too cheap to check them at the curb.

McKenna's first flight home.

New Years Eve

2010-01-09T22:19:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve, we did some shopping during the day and then spent the night in. We had a lovely dinner followed by these popper toys that you break and they give you a crown and a toy of some sort. We put the girls down and spent the evening playing games, talking, and watching TV.

Aunt Marcie bought Ella this sucker at the mall. I thought it would keep her occupied for a while but she chowed it down in 3 minutes and wanted another. My break didn't last long.

McKenna slept most of the time. She is such a good baby.

Grammy and Ella

The Scott Clan

Girls Day Out

2010-01-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

We had a girls day out and spent the day in Downtown Portland. We first got our hair done at this really cute salon. Then we went to lunch at this Italian cafe followed by some shopping. We took advantage of the no sales tax because we were in Oregon. It was a fun relaxing day. Ella stayed home with Jordan, and his dad, so I got a little break. Thanks Marjie for the great day.

McKenna experienced her first snow. We had to take a picture.

Fun in the Snow

2010-01-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

While we were in Portland, Ella got to experience snow. It was not her first time seeing snow but the first time in a year. She loved it. We bundled her up and went went out at night. She ran around with Penny (Marcie's dog). She looked like Ralphie on "Christmas Story". The snow only stayed for a day and was washed away with the rain but we had fun it while it was here.

Penny was covered in chunks of snow.

Hanging out after playing!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we spent with Jordan's Family in Portland, OR. We have had a Blast and have been spoiled rotten as usual. Our Christmas was wonderful. Ella and Mckenna got everything they wanted including a Dora Talking Backpack which was what Ella wanted from Santa. It was so fun watching the excitement in Ella's eyes with each present she opened. She loved it. We are still up here enjoying every minute being with family. We go home on Monday and look forward to the warmer weather. I'll post mor pics later pf our wonderful trip. This picture was actually taken on Thanksgiving. I thought it looked cute.

Posing in their Christmas dresses.

Picking out a Christmas tree to cut down. That's how they do it up here. They ended up chopping down a 10 1/2 ft tree. It reminded me of the movie Christmas Vacation.

McKenna smiling in front of the tree

My girls!

Our fam!

McKenna opening her gift with the help from her big sister.

Ella and Daddy

Ella excited to get a doll house from her Aunt Marcie.

Ella with her Aunt Marcie

Marcie and Jordan eating Prime Rib for Christmas Dinner!

It's About Time

2009-11-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

I know it has been forever since I blogged. Our internet stunk until we just upgraded and got a wireless router so I can blog while I'm with my kids. I hope I get better at dong it. Time has flown by soo fast. I can't believe Mckenna is already 4 months old. She is huge! I just took her to the doctor and she weighs 15 lbs 14 oz (90%) and is 16.25 in (97%) long. She is following her sister's footsteps. It is soo much fun having her in our family. She is a great sleeper and loves to eat. i just started her in rice cereal about a week ago. Her sweet spirit brings soo much joy to our family.

Ella is now potty trained (we are still working on #2) and she is enrolled in a Mommy and Me Preschool. She loves it. She also just completed her 3rd session of gymnastics. She has soo much energy and love her little sister. She loves to help me take care of her.

Jordan is finishing up this semester of school. He has only one more left before he graduates. I can't believe he's almost done. He seems soo busy all the time between school, clinic work, externship, job hunting, church calling, and studying. Its crazy, but he's doing an awesome job at it.

I'm busy being a mom of two but I love it!

WARNING: Picture and Posting Overload!!!

Here are some pictures of McKenna in her first 4 months of life. She is growing up too fast.

4 months

3 months

2 month check up (over 90 percentile in everything)

6 weeks

2 1/2 weeks

8 days old

2 days old

Newport Beach

2009-11-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Jordan's parents came down to visit us for a week in November. They have a timeshare in Newport Beach and we spent the week with them. Marcie came down too. We went to Disneyland and Ella loved it. It was the first time she has gone since she was a baby. Her favorite rides are Pirates of the Caribbean and Dumbo. We got annual passes so we now get to go as much as we want. Thanks Steve and Marjie!

McKenna's Blessing

2009-11-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

We Blessed McKenna on November 8th, 2009. It was a wonderful day. Jordan's parents and sister came in town for it along with Ryan and Wendy, Chris and Amanda Jones, Brenda Larson, and my dad. She was sooo happy and we are glad that our family could be a part of it.

Jordan's family

Halloween 2009

2009-11-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween, Ella was a princess ballerina and McKenna was a pink butterfly. We missed our ward trunk or treat because we went to the BYU game so we crashed the Terra Vista ward's one. For Halloween, we went to my brothers house, cooked hot dogs, and trick or treated in his neighborhood. The Schows from out ward came too. Ella loved it and McKenna slept in Chad's arms pretty much the whole time. We had a great night and the weather was awesome!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-30T17:25:00.001-08:00

We went to the pumpkin patch in Oak Glen with Ella's mommy and me preschool class. We first went on a tractor ride around the big pumpkin field and then we hit the petting zoo. She enjoyed feeding the goats. Then she got to pick out 2 pumpkins, one for her and McKenna. My mom came and watched McKenna so I could spend some time with just me and Ella. She loved it!

BYU vs. San Diego State

2009-11-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

Jordan, McKenna, and I went to the BYU vs. San Diego State football game in San Diego on October 17, 2009. We went with our friends Chris and Amanda Jones, and some people in our ward. It was awesome! I made McKenna's shirt and I had a matching one too. We expected BYU to play better than they did but they still won 38-28.

GO BYU!!!!

San Diego Zoo

2009-11-30T17:11:00.001-08:00

In October, Wendy, her kids, my mom, my aunt Diane, and cousin Megan, my girls, and I went to the San Diego Zoo. That is the coolest Zoo ever! It's HUGE!!! We rode double decker buses and the Skyfari to see everything in the park. Ella loved to see the elephants and riding the bus on the top. she thought she was soo big.

Steve and Marjie

2009-11-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

Shortly after McKenna was born, Steve and Marjie came to meet her. While they were here, we did lots of outings. In the first 6 weeks of McKenna's life, she had been to the beach 4 times, the aquarium, Knotts Berry Farm twice, the Orange County Fair, the LA County Fair, the mall (several times, can't count), and up to the Bay Area and back. As you can tell, I don't like to be at home. We enjoyed spending time with our family and friends that came to visit.

Ella and her Papa eating at The Yard House

McKenna meeting her Papa for the first time.

All of us at the the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach

Riding the pony at the OC fair

Michael Hock, Houston, McKenna, and Jordan

Our first Family photo at the beach

McKenna's Photoshoot

2009-11-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

These are McKenna's newborn pictures she had taken when she was only 2 weeks old. My friend Rachel Kirk took them and did an awesome job. She also made my baby announcements.

Ella's Photoshoot

2009-11-29T22:43:00.000-08:00

While we got McKenna's newborn pictures taken, Ella had her 2 1/2 year old pictures done too. She was quite entertaining.

McKenna's Announcement

2009-08-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

McKenna Grace Scott

2009-07-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome to this world....

McKenna Grace Scott

July 16th, 2009

11:40 am

7 lbs 6oz

19 1/12 inches long

The day before I had her

Seconds after she was born

Minutes after she was born

Pointing to her litter sister. She is finally here!She is sooo excited!Our 1st family pictureElla with her MommyA quick shot of her sleeping.
More Pictures to follow........

My Baby Shower

2009-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

The one pregnant shot of me. Everyone says I'm small for 33 weeks. Enjoy!
The wonderful food
The beautiful cake Wendy made. She is soo talented.

Playing games
Me, my mom, and Wendy. We all wore PINK which wasn't planned. My mom and Wendy actually wore the same shirt. It was pretty funny.

Last week, Wendy and my mom threw me a beautiful baby shower. We had lots of people there along with lots of food. I received a ton of clothes and enjoyed visiting with friends. I'm soo excited for my little girl to come so I can dress her all up cute. We also finished the girls room and we are anxiously waiting for her arrival. I have been officially put off bed rest and the baby girl looks very healthy. The specialist said there is a 90% chance I will make it full term (37 weeks). I feel great and I'm super happy I have made it this far. Lets hope I make it full term.

Bay Area

2009-06-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

Marcie, Jeff, and Auntie Val at The Cheesecake Factory

My wonderful Mother-in-law and Me

Ella swinging with her Grammy and Auntie

Ella loves her Grammy

Jessica, Colby, Brent, Sarah, Josh, Ella, and Jordan

Silly Face!

Memorial Day weekend, we headed up for last minute trip to the Bay Area. Jordan's Grandma Jean had recently passed away and family was coming into town. I got permission from my OB and with an hour to pack and leave, we were on our way. We stayed with our wonderful friends Josh and Sarah who were soo sweet to lets sleep there, especially on short notice. While we were there, we visited family and a few friends, along with a little shopping of course. We enjoyed spending time with his family espcially when we surprised Ella's Grammy!

Summer time is here

2009-06-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ella has always been afraid of the water and didn't like to be in it. She used to scream when we put her in the pool. This year is different, she loves the water. We got her a life jacket and she feels comfortable and secure. The last time we went to the pool, Jordan got her to move her hands across the edge. She moved around the whole pool all by herself. She thought she was soo big and it gave her a lot of confidence. We signed her up for swim lessons and she will be starting in a week. Maybe she will be swimming by the end of summer. We'll see.

Marcie, Jeff, and Drew

2009-06-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Drew, Ella, and Marcie at Little Corona (Corona Del Mar beach)

Drew pulling Ella on the Boogie Board. She thought she was "hot stuff"

Playing in in the sand

The gang hanging out in the morning

Marcie, Jeff, and Drew came down to visit us for the weekend. While they were here, we went to the beach. It was supposed to be really hot where we live which is inland, so we thought it would be a nice sunny day at the beach. It turned out to be FREEZING! The sun did not shine the whole time. We stayed at the beach for a few hours. The boys went boogie boarding while the girls sat all bundled up. we still had fun. We left the beach and visited the time share in Newport where they had a pool and spa. We warmed up in the spa however, I could only put my feet in but it was better than the freezing beach.

Padres Game

2009-06-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Our only Family pic. Ella looks silly

John, Christy, and baby Abby

Jordan and John

Our awesome seats!

A while back ago (end of April), We visited some friends John, Christy, and Abby Vanderwerken that were in town from Texas. John and Jordan were mission companions and they went to BYU together. In fact we stayed at their place when were were only married for 2 weeks waiting to move into our place. Christy's from San Diego, so we made a quick day trip down there to visit them. While we were there, We attended the Padres game. We had lots of fun and our seats were really good. Too bad they lost and it was soooo crowded that you had to wait an hour to get some some food. We ended up leaving a little early and ate some good Mexican food elsewhere. We had lots of Fun!

Pepperdine University

2009-04-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

Jordan got accepted to Pepperdine University School of Law for their Masters program in Dispute Resolution. Pepperdine is in Malibu and looks right over the ocean. It's a beautiful campus. We are soooo proud of him. Pepperdine has the #1 ranked dispute resolution program in the nation. He starts the end of May. I know you might be thinking, isn't he still in law school? Yes, he still has 1 year left, but he plans to attend both schools at the same time. Yeah, I know, he is crazy, especially since we will have a new baby soon, but I know he can do it. He is very excited about this. He plans to complete law school a year from this May and his master's by the end of next year. Then let's hope he can get a good job to help pay off our loans.

Princess Party

2009-04-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Ella and I went to a Princess Party. A ward in my Mom's stake was doing a girls camp fundraiser and threw a princess party for kids. It was very cute and well planned. They had a great turnout, too. The girls had modest costumes of all the Princesses along with face painting, dinner and a show. Brandon and Maylan also went with us. They had Jack Sparrow there for the boys. We had lots of fun and we were glad to be part of it.

Knott's Bubble Farm

2009-04-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, Ella and I went with my mom, Wendy, Brandon, and Marissa to Knott's Berry Farm in the morning. I was able to go, but I needed to walk short distances while taking several breaks, and I couldn't ride anything. They had a Spring Safari exhibit going on with a bubble area. The kids got to play with bubbles that covered their whole bodies. Ella and Buddy thought it was pretty cool and were soaked when they were finished. I thought they would be sticky after but they weren't. We had lots of fun hanging out in Camp Snoopy.

Newport Beach

2009-04-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

The family after spending the afternoon in Laguna Beach. It was the only picture of all of us. Climbing the Rocks
Riding the Merry-go-round in Fashion Island with Grammy.
They had a giant chess board on the pool ground. Ella had fun moving all the pieces around.

Over Easter weekend, Jordan's parents came down to visit us. We spent the majority of the time in Newport Beach. We stayed at the Marriott Coast Villas Resort. It was soooo nice and relaxing. Jordan's parents liked it so much that they bought a time share there so now we will be able to visit the resort for a week every 4th of July. The Resort had soo many things to do, including swimming (4 pools), golfing, children activities, arcades, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and it looks right over the ocean. It is the perfect place for a family vacation and we are so excited to spend our future 4th of July's there.

While we were there, we spent a day in Fashion Island, which is a huge outdoor mall, and a day at Laguna Beach at the tide pools. Ella and Jordan enjoyed climbing on the rocks. We ate at very nice restaurants and the weather was beautiful. It was a perfect weekend. Thank you Steve and Marjie for spoiling us!

Easter

2009-04-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

We were in Newport Beach with Jordan's parents for Easter. We had a little Easter egg hunt for Ella in our hotel room. She loved it because all the attention was on her. She got a lot of Dora the Explorer items since she loves Dora. Her Papa and Grammy got her a Webkin's Lamb and a magic wand that she also found on her egg hunt. She thought she was hot stuff and loved being with her Papa and Grammy.

Friend Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hannah, Ella, and Aidan
A few days before Easter, we had a little Easter egg hunt with some friends in our ward. Ella loved hanging out with her friends and eating the candy from the eggs. This Easter is very different from the last one because she knew exactly what to do and she found the eggs fast. She also knew they all had treats in them. It seemed like she found all 12 eggs in about a minute so I could only snap a few pictures.

Bye bye High Chair

2009-03-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ella has graduated from her high chair and has officially moved to a booster seat. I can't believe how big she is now and how tiny she was when we first put her in it. I can't lift her so she would have to climb on the chair, then the table, and then into the high chair. It was a pain and dangerous. Plus, we need to have it in good condition for the next little one. I will miss these moments of her in the high chair but it will make my life more easy. I wanted to potty train her but because of my circumstances, I can't lift her so we put that on hold until the baby is born.

Ella's 1st trip to the Dentist

2009-03-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

While Jordan was on his spring break, him and my mom took Ella to the to dentist for her first check up. Prior to the dentist, we would ask Ella, "What do you do for the dentist?". She would open her mouth really wide and and say "ahhhh". It was really cute because she had no idea what the dentist was like. When the arrived at the office, she was freaked out and when we asked her the dentist question, she kept her mouth closed as tight as possible. After warming up to her surroundings, she ended up opening her mouth enough for them to see her teeth. Both Jordan and Ella had no cavities. Hooray! They didn't clean her teeth because they didn't want to scare her on her first visit so she will be back in a couple months after the baby is born so I can take her.

My Sweet Deal!

2009-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

I got $195 worth of diapers for $74. I got 15 packs.

That's 598 diapers at 12 cents a piece

A week ago, Walgreen's was running a deal that if you spend $25 on Huggies diapers that you get a $10 gift card to use at the store. Meanwhile, the Huggies diapers were also on sale at $10 for a jumbo pack. I then went on coupons.com and printed off $5 off coupons and $3 off coupons for Huggies diapers. I could print as many copies as needed so I printed a bunch . I went in and bought 3 packs of diapers for $30 and then used my coupons getting them for $18. Because I spent over $25, I got the $10 gift card. Then I went and bought 2 more packs and used my $5 off coupons for each and only spent $2 all together (I had to pay the tax). So I ended up getting 5 packs of diapers for about $20. I went and did it 2 more times ending up with 15 packs for $74. the reason why it was a little more is because I bought out all the diapers in the store so I bought some pull ups for Ella and they were a little more but I still got an awesome deal.

Great Grandpa Blocker

2009-03-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa Blocker came down to visit my parents from Utah. Ella and I were already staying there so we got to spend lots of time with him. Beside all the many hours of sleeping he did, Ella loved spending time with him. She liked to push him down the hallway in his wheelchair and when he was sleeping she liked to be pushed around really fast by her Papa. It was fun visiting him and hearing all his funny stories.

Pregnancy Update

2009-03-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Okay so I went in for an ultrasound a few weeks ago and the doctor said he thought everything was okay and that my placenta looked good and the tear was healed. We were thrilled! A few days later I went to see my OB, I was still bleeding so she decided to send me to a perinatal specialist to make sure everything was okay. She thought I was fine and told me to start doing light strenuous activities. Last Wednesday, I went to see the perinatal specialist and found out that I'm not okay. He found a subchronic tear (8 cm) in my placenta however, it wasn't in the normal spot they usually occur in which is why the other doctor didn't catch it. He seemed very concerned and told me that he guarantees that I will go into preterm labor. He said he doesn't know when but I could go into labor as early as 24 weeks. Of course, I'm freaked out that I could have this baby in a few weeks with the high risk of serious complications and low survival rate. The reason I'll go into preterm labor is that my placenta will eventually tear completely off the uterus wall causing placental abruption. This is even more serious because it is harmful the the baby and to myself. There is no treatment for this but to hope the placenta hangs on as long as possible. The specialist put me on a progesterone hormone that could help calm my uterus and maybe allow the placenta to heal. It has not been diagnosed as a treatment but it has helped some women in the past and I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Our goal is to have our baby girl sometime after June 8 (34 weeks) because the risk of complications aren't as high. Lets keep our fingers crossed. As for me, I have been put on strict bed rest until I see the specialist next week. I will be seeing him for the rest of my pregnancy along with OB. I have moved into my parents house so my mom can take care of Ella and me. It has been a blessing. She and Jordan pamper me as I lay in bed or on the couch. This experience has be extremely hard for me but I seem to be coping very well. I can't wait to get back to normal but it looks like I'll be on bed rest until our little bundle of joy is here with us.

We are having a....

2009-02-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Yes we are blessed to be having a sweet little girl! I am 18 1/2 weeks pregnant and due sometime around July 16th. This pregnancy has been really hard for me. At 13 weeks I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma which means that part of the placenta was torn from the uterus wall causing very heavy bleeding. This is not very common and only happens in 1.3 % of pregnancies. Most subchorionic hematomas are usually between 1-2 cm in size but mine is 10 cm (4 inches) putting me at a high risk of miscarriage. Scary!

The first time it happened, we were flying home from New Years in Portland on an airplane and I had an extremely large gush of blood come out causing them to stop the plane (luckily it hadn't taken off in the air) and me being rushed to the hospital in Sacramento. It was terrible and so embarrassing! From then on till now, I have been put on bed rest, had meals brought in, lots of babysitting, several ultrasounds, many trips to the ER, and fear of my baby's survival. The doctors said there isn't anything to do except wait to see it the placenta will reattach to the uterus wall.

So I have been on bed rest for 5 1/2 weeks. It has been the hardest thing for me especially since I love to go and I have a 2 year old that I can't lift. My husband has been amazing! He cooks, cleans, grocery shops, and changes Ella's poopy diapers. I also am blessed to live by my mom, who takes care of me during the week when Jordan is at school. I usually stay with her Monday- Thursday and then I go home on the weekends.

Last Friday I had an ultrasound and they found that my placenta had moved up the uterus wall correctly since it was placenta previa which means it was covering my cervix. The doctor said that he couldn't find a tear anymore which means the placenta has attached. HOORAY! I am still bleeding so I am still on bed rest until I see my OB next Thursday. Just because it attached doesn't mean it will stay attached so I still have to take it really easy. I hope when I go in on Thursday, it will be good news.

All the ultrasounds I have had, our little girl has been measuring big (just like her sister) which is a good sign that the placenta is working properly and she is getting nutrients. What a blessing! I am soo grateful to be having this little girl. I guess you really don't appreciate a healthy pregnancy until something goes wrong. I was so lucky to carry Ella perfectly and hope the rest of my pregnancy will go better and will carry her full term. I can't wait until July when I can see her. Lets hope there is more good news to follow. I'll keep you posted!

Ella Turns 2!

2009-02-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ella celebrated her 2nd birthday last Sunday. We can"t believe our little girl is two. She has grown up soo much and is an official toddler. This girl talks soo much and has so much personality. She understands what we say to her and follows directions if she pleases. She is fun and full of lots of energy. She can recite the majority of the alphabet and count to 10. Her favorite songs to sing are ABC's and Ring Around the Rosies and sings them all day long. When she is not singing, she talks and there are no longer quiet cars rides because she always has something to say. She loves to go, and her favorite things to do are sing, go to the park, color anything she can get a hold of, play with her cousins Maylan and Brandon, push her baby around in the stroller, and read books. she is soo much fun to be around except when she throws her fits. We took her to the doctor this week for her 2 year old check up and she 34 1/2 lbs (97 percentile) and 35 inches (80 percentile). She finally made it under the 100 percentile for her age since she has always been off the charts. We love her soo much and are so blessed to have a beautiful healthy girl. I was going to have a birthday party for her with all her friends but because of my circumstances of being on bed rest it had to be cancelled. I was crushed but Ella had no clue. All she seemed to care about was presents and she got plenty of them. We had my parents for over for dinner on Sunday and we had the family party on Monday. Ryan and Wendy came over with there kids. We had homemade tacos for dinner followed by an awesome caterpillar cake made by Wendy. It was soo cute. Ella's favorite part was opening presents especially since they were all for her. Thanks Mom and Wendy for doing the party. We loved it!

Knott's Berry Farm

2009-02-15T10:09:00.001-08:00

Ella and Daddy on the "Zoom Zoom Cars"

Instead of Disneyland passes for the year we got Knott's Berry Farm Pass from my parents for Christmas. So far we have only been once, but Ella loved it. There is a section in the Park dedicated to little kids called Camp Snoopy. It was filled with little rides and attractions. It is perfect for Ella. She thought she was "hot stuff'" going ride to ride but with her daddy by her side. That day we just hung out in Camp Snoopy and didn't adventure out to the big rides. We hope to go soon.

Christmas in Boise

2009-01-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ella in front of all the presents she thinks are all for her.

The kids put in a nativity play for the adults on Christmas Eve. Ella was a shepard but she acted more like a wandering sheep with her cousin Preston because they were all over.

Ella opening up a baby Elmo doll from her Grandma and Grandpa Blocker.

This Holiday season we spent in many places. For Christmas we were in Boise at my sister Lisa's house. We drove up there with my parents and because it was such a long drive we stopped in Utah for 2 days. We got to visit with my sister Laurie and her family. We finally met baby Kloe. She is sooo cute and belongs perfectly in the family. We left Christmas Eve to Boise and spent 6 days there. We were there with Lisa and Ryan, Laurie and Adam, Brittney and my parents. Christmas was soo fun. Ella loved opening presents and liked her toys along with all her cousin's toys especially her younger cousin Preston. She thought they were all for her (typical for an almost two year old). We had lots of fun spending time with family, playing in the snow, eating wonderful food, and playing the Wii. After 6 days of Idaho fun, we hopped on and airplane to Portland for New Years with Jordan's parents.

Thanksgiving in Portland

2008-12-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Jordan and his mom at Cannon Beach

Marcie and Ella on Mt. Hood

For Thanksgiving this year we went to visit Jordan's parents in Oregon/Washington. We went up on Tuesday and left on Monday so we got to spend some good time with family. Marcie and her boyfriend Jeff were also there. We spent lots of time eating, sleeping, and shopping. We also went up to Mt. Hood and visited the ski resort and ate lunch at the lodge. It was beautiful and FREEZING! We also spent some time in Cannon Beach. The weather was rainy so we didn't walk on the beach but did a little shopping in the cute town. Ella of course got a new wardrobe because she is sooo spoiled and we enjoyed relaxing in their beautiful home surrounded by green trees. We look forward to visiting again for New Years.

Ella's 1st Gymnastics Class

2008-11-12T22:09:00.000-08:00

Ella and Daddy in the foam pit

This fall, we enrolled Ella into her first gymnastics class at Precision Gymnastics. It's a mommy and me class she started when she was 18 months and I know she might seem sooo young to be in gymnastics but it has made her grow in a lot of areas. Her physical developmental skills have improved by balancing on the balance beam, climbing a ladder, and jumping on a trampoline. She loves doing somersaults (with help from her mom) and log rolls. Her coordination skills have improved along with her confidence. This girl thinks she can do whatever any big kid can do. She is more confident at the park and doesn't like when I try to spot her when she starts climbing. She make me nervous but so far she hasn't fallen.

Ella loves going to gymnastics! At the end of her class, she always gets a stamp and a sticker. That is probably her favorite part. When we walk in, she always says, "sticker!". She LOVES stickers! We are so proud of her accomplishments. This last week Jordan didn't have class so he came to watch us and take pictures. He was impressed at how much Ella could do. His favorite part was the giant foam pit. Ella loved jumping to him. The class is ending in 2 weeks and we hope to continue enrolling for another session this winter.