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.

Our trip to Oregon and Washington

Last week Jordan, Ella, and I went to visit Jordan's parents. We had a blast. Ella and I flew up on Monday and Jordan met us on Thursday. Our week was filled with lots of shopping, field trips, and relaxation. We went down to Newport Beach (in Oregon, not California) and stayed in a hotel right on the beach. It was Gorgeous! The weather was freezing when we got there, but then it got warm and sunny. While we were there, we went to the aquarium. Ella loved the fishes.
We also went to the Portland Zoo. Ella was so fascinated with the animals and had no fear of them went they got close to her. We did lots and lots of shopping. Jordan pretty much got a whole new wardrobe along with Ella and me. We also did some relaxing by getting 1 1/2 hour professional massages. Thank you soooo much Steve and Marjie for spoiling us. We are still full from all the eating out. We miss you.

Portland Zoo

Newport Beach, Oregon

Disneyland Fun!

Our Family on the Winnie the Pooh ride
Ella is soo close for riding the Matterhorn. She is about 2 inches short. Crazy!
As our Disneyland passes are about to expire, we decide to get some more trips in. This was when we went about 2 1/2 weeks ago (Yes, I'm behind on my blogging). The weather was perfect and it wasn't really crowded. We waited no more than 10-15 mins for the rides. Ella is really starting to like the rides. She really enjoyed the Winnie the Pooh ride because of all the bright colors. We had lots of fun. This week, Ella and I went on Tuesday with Rachel and her kids. We wanted to ride the Toy Story Mania ride because it was the grand opening but it was a 3 1/2 hour wait. Yikes! Since it was 100 degrees outside we decided to ride it in August when our passes work again. I'm sure it will be 100 degrees then too but we hope the wait won't be as long.

Ella is almost 16 months and is growing up so fast. This week she started to say more words and said her first sentence "It's my birthday." It is so cute and fun to hear her talk. She got that sentence from me. I always say it to her and now she copies me. I better watch what I say because she does listen. She also knows how to say and identify doggy. Her vocabulary is growing and Jordan and I can't wait for her to actually talk. She understands what we say to her and she started to sign "drink". We are so proud of her accomplishments. She is at a busy age but very fun. She loves to go to the park and we seem to go pretty much everyday. She loves to climb up the stairs and swing on the swings. It is funny because if we are in the car and we drive by the park, she points and yells. She doesn't say park but it's the same jabber tone so we assume she is trying to say it. She knows how to say, Mama, Daddy, what's that, I do, it's my birthday, doggy, ma (grandma), and hi. She also can identify her ears, hands, toes, nose, and belly button. We are working on the other body parts. She is so wonderful and such a joy in our lives. It's so nice to have Jordan around because now he sees how much fun she is.

Ella vs.The Turtle

Today we went to a Owen's birthday party. It was a reptile birthday and a man came and showed some crazy reptiles. One of the reptiles was a 43 lb turtle. The man let the HUGE turtle walk around and it didn't seem to bother Ella. In fact she didn't mind touching it all by herself. She is fearless.

Sweet Baby Marissa

Marissa Kate arrived into this world on Thursday May 29. She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz (same as Ella). I picked up Brandon and Maylan from school and took them to the hospital. We got to see Marissa when she was less than 2 hours old. She is so cute and so tiny. She has a ton of hair too. Its so hard to believe that Ella was that size 15 months ago. We enjoyed holding her and watching the nurse give her a bath. We are so excited Marrisa is here and we love to hold her.