Ellie's Birthday Party

Ellie has so many wonderful friends that we do activities with here in Tucson so I decided that since we don't know where we will be next year, upon Steve's graduation, and with Ellie being so patient with us and Lila that she deserved to have her friends over to celebrate her birthday. Here are the highlights:

Invitation:

Cake (which is actually all cupcakes-nice for kids):

Birthday-Butterfly and Proud Parents:

We decorated bug boxes:

Then we read a book about a "Bug Safari" while bugs (plastic rings, edible gummy, and eraser bugs) were being hid in the yard for the kids to collect and put in their bug boxes.

Cake and Ice Cream . . . We had a little trouble keeping the candles lit with the breeze, but I think she was close to blowing them out this time and I love the picture on the right that shows how much she LOVES cake.

Last, but not least, Present Opening:
(everyone was very generous and knew just what a little girl would like:) )

I think we managed to keep the kids entertained, but most importantly Ellie had so much fun with all of her friends. A big THANK YOU to everyone involved!

Adventures of the Night

Last night in an attempt to get more sleep, I pumped and left a bottle for Steve to give to Lila. I went to bed at 9:30 p.m. and was unconscious by 9:35 p.m. When Steve brought Lila to me at 1:30 a.m. he said I missed quite the adventure that night. Here is his story. He had just settled onto the couch to sleep around 11 p.m. when he heard crying. He went down the hall to check on the girls and found Ellie holding Sushi's fish bowl sideways with only a small amount of water left (the picture above has double the amount of water found in the bowl--poor Sushi probably thought she was going to suffocate from air). Steve says it took him a while to process the scene, but he knew he needed to grab the bowl before all of it's contents were lost. He then found that all of the water had been dumped onto Ellie's bed and blankets and she had thrown her big blanket, dripping wet over her headboard. Steve kept asking Ellie what happened and she kept saying, "I don't know." He then came into our room to see if I was even remotely awake because he wanted another witness to the crazy events, but I did not budge as he hovered over me (what did you expect from a sleep deprived Mom with a month old baby). He then changed Ellie's sheets, got her new blankets, filled Sushi's bowl to the level you see it at now, and got Ellie settled back into bed. Even this morning Ellie is not for sure what happened last night. My attempt in explaining the events is that she fed Sushi right before bed last night which we usually do during the day and I think she was dreaming about Sushi and something happened because she was asleep when I checked in on her before going to bed at 9:30 p.m. The good news is Sushi II is okay (we don't need a Sushi III) and Steve was not too traumatized by the experience.

Lila One Month Old

Ellie's "Valentines"

Ellie loves to color, cut, and do crafts. Last Friday she got to pick out some new stickers and I had just finished cutting out coupons so she took my scraps and her stickers and made "valentines" that she left in the window sills all over the house for us to find (I think she combined valentine cards and easter egg hunting).

Today while we were getting ready for a nap I told her to put her milk in the fridge and then on her way back she could pick out a couple of books to read with her 'free' hands. She laughed and said, "Mom you are so silly. I don't have 'three' hands, but I think I can get books with my two hands."

Oh how I love Ellie and her patience with me as I learn to parent two terrific girls.

Look Alike . . .

 Lila - day she was born . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie - day she was born

baby Britney

Lila - 4 weeks old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie - 6 weeks old
















young Stephen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellie

Big Sister Anecdotes

When Ellie woke up on the 7th of April she was a little upset because she had an accident during the night and her sheets were wet. I told her it was okay and we could put on some clean sheets and then to cheer her up I told her that Mimi was on her way to visit us because I think the baby is coming today. She got the biggest smile on her face, clapped her hands and said, "Yay, the baby told you she is coming today." I guess in her own way she did with the contractions I had been having since 1 a.m. Ellie then spent a few hours at her friend Ben's house and all she talked about was Mimi and the baby coming today.

After we came home Mimi noticed that Lila might have a small dimple on her right side and she asked, "where did she get that from?" Ellie responded, "I think maybe Jesus."

Last night Ellie was laying in bed waiting to fall asleep and Mimi went by to change Lila's diaper. Ellie asked what she was doing and after finding out that Lila had pooped in her diaper again she exclaimed, "AGAIN!?!? Oh my goodness."

We love our girls!!

Lila Update and More Pictures

Lila went to the doctor today for a weight check and she is doing really well. She has good color and is still 7lbs which is less than the average 10% weight loss--we think she likes the idea of the umbilical cord because if she had her way she would still be permanently attached to me just in a different location, she is a chomper.

The whole family looking at the new addition.

Is she more interested in the baby or the equipment? Ellie was a little hesitant during her first visit and a little more excited during her second visit. She is a very patient and loving big sister--Lila is very fortunate to have her looking out for her.

Mimi and Lila--we are so glad Mimi came to help us.

One Moore . . .

Lila Jane Moore
April 7, 2009
6:39 p.m.
7lbs 7oz
20 inches

Nesting and Decorating

Thanks to a patient and loving husband, today we finished my nesting/decorating projects. I don't know if it is because I'm not working and around the house more, but the nesting urge was sure a lot stronger this time around. It started about a month ago when Steve came home to find me on my hands and knees scrubbing our tile and grout--I then wrangled him in to helping finish the kitchen, the largest tiled area in our house, but hey I did two bathrooms and an entry way all by myself 7.5 months pregnant that counts for something right. The following Saturday we had the carpets cleaned and then I made him climb into the attic 2 or 3 times to get down baby stuff so I could wash it and organize.

At Christmas we had my family help us move the weight machine out of the guest bedroom and refinish a toddler bed Carole gave us and move it in with the guest bed. Then I decided to begin decorating the nursery and Ellie's room. I've always had ideas of what I wanted to do and had been purchasing things here and there, but never really finalized anything so with Ellie settled into her new room and the baby coming I was determined to complete the decorating. Today we hung the last items. Below are pictures of the nursery and Ellie's room.










I need to thank my friend Lori for letting us use her tools to complete some of the projects and for helping me with the lettering--THANKS!

Now let's play a game, one of these is not like the other. I bought these animals, but needed one more to complete my decorating so I drew a pattern, Steve cut it and I painted it. Can you guess which one? I'll give you a hint: it's green. Not bad, eh?


Ellie's Room:

She picked the color of the bed and loves her polka-dot sheets and Strawberry Shortcake pillowcase. (P.S. Steve taught me how to stitch these photos together in Photoshop. Click on them to enlarge--they look better bigger. Pretty cool!)

Independent Stool

Ellie realized a few weeks ago the stool that came with the art station Santa Claus brought is very portable and makes her tall enough to reach things or climb things. Steve and I have nicked-named it the "Independent Stool" and now we have to pay a little closer attention to what we leave around on the counters and within her+stool's reach (I don't think Santa Claus knew about this added feature).

Family Picture w/8 Weeks Left

I thought we should take a few pictures of me pregnant with our second girl. Do you have any idea how hard it is to coordinate a 2 year old and a dog? Not much more to say, but enjoy the picture.

Tucson Spring Gardening

For those of you who live in a colder climate, I hope this post does not upset you, but maybe encourage you to come and visit. :) We have had a pretty mild winter with next week's forecast in the lower 80s and when we went to Costco yesterday they had this beautiful lemon tree on sale. We have been needing to plant a new tree since we lost the peach tree last year, but never really got around to it so we decided now is the time. We planted the lemon tree and cut-back our bushes getting ready for spring growth. I even got so into the gardening mood that I determined in a couple of weeks I may plant some vegetables and fruit. Here are a couple of pictures of my gardening team.

Valentine's Day

Thanks to my parents always celebrating Valentine's Day as a family event, I have grown up thinking of Valentine's Day more as a day to show love for all of those around us rather than a romantic holiday (don't think Steve is completely off the hook-I still like flowers and chocolates). With this in mind we started a new family tradition this year--fondue! I thought it would be a fun and flirty dinner/dessert and yet family friendly. Note, I have never had fondue myself and here I was going to attempt to make it. Well I did some research and determined to combine a couple of recipes I found for a cheese fondue. We had cubed ham steak, asparagus, potatoes, cauliflower, and french bread for dipping and it was delicious! So good we had to take it over to the neighbors and let them try it and they raved about it and almost licked the bowl clean. We then had a chocolate fondue with bananas, strawberries, and angel food cake for dessert. YUM! YUM!

Ellie Growing

You can probably tell by the pictures being posted that Ellie is growing so fast. I keep squeezing her tight and telling her that she needs to stop growing so fast, but she then resoundly replies, "I'm going to be a big sister and I need to grow big." What can you say to that. :)

Tucson Snow

So believe it or not Tucson is home to the most southern ski resort in the Northern Hemisphere. I have been wanting to take Ellie up Mount Lemon to play in the snow, but with the 80 degree weather we have been having there hasn't really been an opportunity. Well today's weather provided an almost snow like experience with a hailstorm which Ellie thought was snow when she saw it all over the grass outside. So we bundled her up in our Tucson Winter clothes and let her go outside to play in the "snow". She loved it and didn't want to come in an hour later to take a bath. I think Ellie has seen more snow here in Tucson than at Grandpa and Mimi's in Idaho. And who says Tucson doesn't have seasons?



























January 2007 we received over 2 inches of snow at our house. This was Ellie's first encounter with snow. I love that the snowman has oranges off of our tree for his buttons and is scratching his head like what is happening here. And look at the cactus in the background with the snow on top. CRAZY!

Ellie's Park and Rec Classes

Since I have been staying home with Ellie we have been taking classes through the local Park and Recreation Program with our friends. We took a Tumble class in the fall that all the kids loved because they got to run around and climb and Ellie learned to do somersaults and to jump like a frog. Starting a couple of weeks ago we started and Art class. The first week they beaded necklaces and snakes. This week they painted--and it was a hit. To quote my friend Lori, "Ellie painting...WOW does that girl know how to paint. She doesn't leave one inch of the paper white. Got to love it!!!" It's true she knows how to make good use of her resources. :)
She started off using her fingers which was fun, but then when the other kids got paint brushes she needed one too.

One of the final masterpieces:

 .

Ellie's friends Ben and Megan.

Pizza Making

Ellie always loves to help me make cookies. She cracks the eggs and stirs for a little while and then becomes distracted with the task of eating the dough. After we made cookies this afternoon for 'Family Movie Night' I started rolling out dough for pizza and she wanted to make her own so I gave her a piece of dough and she rolled it with her little rolling pin and then folded it like Mommy to put it on the pan (she had her own pan) and then we began adding toppings. It started out beautifully a little sauce, three pepperonis perfectly placed and some cheese--I thought she was a pro. Then the craze began more of everything and before I knew it her pizza was more of a tower of cheese and toppings. It all melted and cooked pretty evenly and she ate most of it. Here is my little chef and her creation. :)

Happy New Year!

As many of you may know, Britney is not a late night person so we tend to celebrate New Year's on January 1st. We have started a tradition of making Aebleskivers (a Danish pancake in the shape of a sphere. They are cooked in a special cast iron pan as pictured below). Steve's family has been making them for years and his sister Debbie gave us a pan when we got married so we enjoy them from time-to-time, but are certain to make them on New Year's Day. They are usually cooked and then coated with powdered sugar and then you can spread jam or honeybutter in the middle--delicious! This year I made a few with sweetened cinamon apples cooked into the center--also delicious (they tasted like a mini apple pie)! Ellie wanted to have a picnic so we made a transportable lunch and enjoyed the lovely wheather in our backyard. We wish you all the best this 2009!

Christmas 2008

When we returned from our anniversary trip our Christmas visitors had already arrived. Mimi was happy to see Grandpa after spending a week apart and Ellie was excited to have Jakey here for Christmas (although, thanks to Mimi, Ellie began calling him by his biblical name Jacob which was very frustrating for Uncle Jakey). The weary travelers had driven all Friday night to arrive early Saturday morning and Ellie did not understand why they were too tired to play with her. After they rested we had a wonderful week with them and were sad and a little bored when they left. Below are a few highlights from our Christmas.


Ellie telling Santa Claus that she wants him to bring her "presents". After we left she didn't understand why she didn't get her presents. We had to explain that Santa delivers all of his toys on Christmas Eve. She had fun visiting his workshop in the mall and was very patient in waiting for her "presents" to arrive.



Left: Ellie enjoying her present from Santa Claus. Once she found the markers in her stocking she began drawing and had to be talked into opening more presents, which seemed to be the trend for the whole morning--each present brought 20 minutes of entertainment before she could be coaxed into opening the next present.
Right: Jakey searching for his present, an 8GB micro SD card among all the packing peanuts.


Ellie feeding Sushi her new pet goldfish from Uncle Jakey. (P.S. We had to upgrade to a Beta Goldfish named Sushi II when Sushi didn't wake up New Year's Eve. They say beta goldfish are more resilient--I guess we'll find out.)

Side Notes: We enjoyed reading a story about Jesus every day and then Ellie would move Mary & Joseph closer to the manager on our advent calendar. The second day she was a little discouraged by the distance that Mary & Joseph had to cover and she said, "Mom they needed a car not a donkey."

One of the stories we talked about was when Jesus was on the cross and he asked John to look after his mother, Mary. Ellie asked where was Joseph? Good question. After a little research we discovered that nobody really knows but it is thought that he had passed away years earlier.

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

With the 5 Year milestone drawing near and Britney finally starting to feel better we decided to plan a trip for the two of us to Orlando. Mimi was nice enough to come and babysit for us (and even begin the potty training process for us--maybe we'll have to make this a tradition every time one of our children needs to be potty trained :) ). Our trip was wonderful! We spent a day at the Kennedy Space Station on Cape Canveral, a day at Disney's Epcot Center, we shopped around Downtown Disney, went to the Orlando Temple, and spent a day relaxing by the pool. We missed Ellie, but it was nice to be able to sleep in and not have to worry about what to make for breakfast as our hotel had a hot breakfast buffet every morning. Here's to another 5 and another 5 and another 5 . . . .!!!




































Above: Steve in front of a Transformer built entirely out of Legos at Downtown Disney.

2008 Season's Greetings!

Dearest Friends, We hope this season finds you well. It has been a wonderful year for us full of adventures and blessings. We are still here in Tucson and enjoying the lovely weather this time of year. Steve is making progress on his research at the University and we hope to graduate by the end of next summer (keep us in your prayers because there is a lot to do between now and then--like write a dissertation). In Steve's spare time (which he doesn't have much of thanks to the research, Church callings, and the honey-do list which was fairly lengthy the last few months) he likes to work on the Datsun Roadster. He recently got the rebuilt engine in and is waiting to purchase a new battery before he starts it up. Ellie loves to spend time with Dad in the garage. One Saturday as Steve was getting dressed Ellie asked, "Dad are you going to work?" His reply was, "No I don't have to work on Saturday." "Are you going to scouts?" "No I don't have any scouts today." With excitement in her voice, "Dad are you going to the garage? Can I come?" Steve generously shares his screwdrivers and wrenches with her and he has to ask if needs to use one of them and you had better believe she knows how many of each and what color and size they all are.

As for me, I took a leave of absence from work starting the beginning of August to be home with Ellie. I love being here with Ellie and finding fun projects for us to do: we took a Tumbling class through the Parks & Rec program, we love story-time at the library, lunch-bunch where we share food and recipes with friends, and taking care of Daddy. A few days after my departure I found out I was pregnant and became quite ill with baby#2 (hence the long honey-do list for Steve). The baby is due April 18 so after the holidays I believe my life will be filled with preparation for another young one. As for the gender of the baby, Ellie was certain of a little brother. No matter how you phrased the question she would say boy or little brother. At our last ultrasound the doctor says she is 90% sure it is a girl which we are all excited about. I told Ellie that her and her little sister could play dolls together and she thought that would be "neat". I asked her what we should call the new baby girl and she said "Little Brother". I guess some answers never change. :)

We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and send you the warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas!

Love,
Steve, Britney, & Ellie Moore