Tom, Emily and Elliana

Finding out...

2012-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

So my Sister-in-Law Heather put on a great party where we were able to find out the gender of our baby! It was a great idea and we had SO much fun! Tom and I had no clue what we were having, and we were so excited to find out with our families. The only people who knew what the baby was before we did were my sister in law Heather and my Mom...because she wanted to buy something for the baby....Enjoy the pictures!

Opening the box, we had no idea what was in it....just knew that it would tell us what the gender was.

It was such a great idea, she put balloons in the box, we were shocked! Elliana was SO excited!

They're pink! It's a girl!

Elliana with a knowing smile on her face, she knew all along that it was a sister! And sister's name is Phoebe. We don't have a middle name yet, but Phoebe is the first name!

November

2012-01-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind on blogging, this whole working, having a 2 year old and being a mom/wife thing is a LOT harder when you add a 2 year old to the mix!

We were able to spend Thanksgiving in Sandy with my family and we had a really great time! Tom and I contributed a Turkey (that we got for free from shopping at Winco). The deal was if you spent $100 you got a free turkey up to 25 lbs. So we decided to contribute it to the family. It was a great turkey and a wonderful meal! My parents were also able to come from Idaho Falls with Alexis and it was so nice to see them! We love spending time with Mimi and Papa Brian!

It's a.....

2011-12-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

Tom and I are very excited to announce it's a GIRL! Tom was VERY shocked, and I was a bit surprised....we had a great time with our party and are SO excited to welcome a cute little girl into our family!

Vote

2011-12-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

Hey friends and family! Make sure you put in your vote. Voting will go through Saturday at 12 noon, before I place the answer on the blog! We are finding out the gender this weekend and would love to hear what you all think we're having!

Tom thinks it's a boy...I am completely undecided and Elliana, well of course she thinks it's a girl! Right under the picture on the top of the blog is where you post your vote. The question won't show up, but you can see the answers, either Boy or Girl! Have fun! And I'll post the answer Saturday!

15 weeks 2 days

2011-11-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

I've had a few friends ask for baby bump pictures, so here you go. This is me at 15 weeks 2 days. I still haven't gained any weight, and I have a Dr. appointment tomorrow, I'm very anxious to see the baby. It's always a relief to see and hear the baby!

Our Trip to Idaho

2011-11-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

We went to Idaho Falls for a week and had so much fun! While we were there Elliana LOVED eating Gigi's homemade wheat bread and ate so much they had to make more! Here are a few pictures of them making bread. Elliana loves to help, and especially help her Gigi, they are buds!

They are pouring in the freshly ground wheat, Elliana even helped with that....or rather held on tight to Gigi, it was noisy!

Playing in the flour that spilled.

How do you not just love that face!

Showing off her pretty apron! She did not want to get messy! She hates being dirty!

Smiling for the camera!

Looking at the finished product in awe.

I didn't taste the bread, but heard it was just delicious!

My Aunt Leslie came to visit, and loves books, so she brought a few Halloween books to read to Elliana and Sammy! Elliana was in HEAVEN!

Getting ready for Boo at the Zoo with Telaine and Ryker! Elliana had so much fun! She was a pirate princess.

Being a ham again! We had lots of fun in Idaho but we were so excited to come home and see Tom (daddy). We were even able to surprise him and come home a day early! It was so nice to be back together again, and he had no idea we were coming, til I told him to get in the car to come pick us up!

Job

2011-11-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

I got the job! I am so excited, I was so nervous for my interview, but I did well and got a call the next morning! I start on Tuesday. I am so sad to be leaving Elliana at home, but with Tom in school full time, we just need some extra money before the baby comes.

I will be working in the Church Distribution part of the Deseret Book and I think for me right now that is a good change, because it will be a lot less stressful! I am very excited to start and will blog about my first day after it's over! :)

Interview

2011-10-24T21:56:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to share that I FINALLY have a job interview! I am very excited and can't wait. My job interview is on Halloween. Extra prayers on my behalf would be most appreciated! I'm very nervous, and it's been quite a few years since I've had an interview. Just wanted to share my exciting news!

Pictures

2011-10-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

I finally have a few pictures to upload! Elliana today was watching me as I was getting ready and insisted on having her hair like Mommies. So we decided to straighten her hair. It turned out adorable and makes her look SO grown up! She loved it and was turning her head and flipping her hair all day long!

Tomorrow at school they are having her Halloween party and so we needed to try on her costume to make sure it fit. She loves it and I think she looks pretty dang cute! She's going to be a pirate princess!

Hope you enjoyed the new pictures of our little princess! She's the light of our lives and we love her very much!

Baby

2011-10-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Tom and I went to the Dr. on Wednesday morning and all is well with the baby! I am 12 weeks today and finally starting to feel a little better most days. I definitely still have my moments of feeling very sick, but today is a good day! We heard the babies heart beat and it ranges from 155-160. We are so excited to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Neither of us have a clue what it is. I think the plan is for us to wait and find out what we're having on Christmas. So I think what we'll do is have the Dr. write down what we're having and put it in an envelope and mail it off to my sister-in-law Heather who will then get a gift for us for Christmas, either pink or blue so we'll know what we're having. I just don't know if I can wait that long....because the Dr. said that he'll tell me at my next appointment what it is, and that's in 3 1/2 weeks, and Christmas is a LONG time after that, so I just don't know if I can wait! We'll see.....

That's all for now; pictures to come soon!

BYU Football

2011-10-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Tom and I have some great friends across the street the Orme's! They have some extra tickets for the BYU Football game tonight, and we're going to go! We aren't going to take Elliana since the game is so late, but I am SO excited!

I've decided that it's SO nice to live close to family. Last night Tom was working late so Elliana and I got together with my cousin Ty and his wife and kids. It was so fun to go over and hang out, eat dinner and play games. They have a little girl Crystal who is close to Elliana's age and they are such good friends! I love living by family!

Hair Pictures

2011-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of my hair! I love it! It's so fun and easy to do!

Quick Trip

2011-10-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Tom and I decided to make a quick trip to Idaho Falls to see our families! It was SO fun to go home for the weekend! We were able to leave Thursday evening, and came home last night (Sunday) late. On Thursday, we played games with my family, and then went to bed. Friday we were able to see Tom's mom at work, then go see my mom at work. After that, Tom went to lunch with his brother Jared, while Elliana and I hit the hair salon. I DESPERATELY needed a hair cut and my Grandma was kind enough to fund it for me. Thanks Grandma! I don't have a picture, but will get one soon, it is SO cute, and I love it!!! After Tom had lunch he went to the library to study all afternoon and got home just in time to wake Elliana and I for dinner. We had pizza and watched the BYU vs. USU game. It was so fun to be able to watch the game with so much family!

Saturday we spent the day with Tom's family, chopping wood. It was hard work, but we got it all done, so his parents can have wood all winter. We finished our work and then we were able to play games.

Sunday we spent the day with my family watching conference and playing games again. I love being with family, I just wish I felt better so I would be more pleasant to be around, and not feel so sick all the time.

We're doing pretty good all around though, and can't complain too much. My dad had to work out of town all weekend, but we ended up stopping at a gas station on our way home and got to say hey for a second. It's always nice to see my dad! There's nothing like a daddy for a girl!

I loved listening to conference, and feel spiritually uplifted!

A baby.....

2011-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

So here's the story for those who want to know....

About 3 weeks ago, I was having lunch with my cousin Laura and told her how I felt like my stomach was growing, if you've never been pregnant, you won't know what I'm talking about, and you'll probably think I'm nuts like my husband. I said, I'm almost positive I'm pregnant, we were getting ready to go to Lagoon, and I decided to wait and take a pregnancy test. Thinking it's nothing, there's NO way I am pregnant. I'm not ready for a baby (thankfully you have 9 months to prepare).

A few days later, I took a test, it was positive....so of course, I took another one, it was positive too. I screamed, called Tom, and he was taken about, why was I crying. My hope was that Elliana would at least be sleeping consistently through the night. Tom is working with an OBGYN right now for his rotations, they take our insurance so we scheduled an appointment. Sure enough, there's a baby. I'm 8 weeks, so still really early, and the only reason I'm sharing so early is because a few people have had to know, because I'm SO SO SO sick!

Morning sickness, night sickness, day sickness....you name it, I have it. I've lost 13 lbs, and just feel SICK all the time. I have a really hard time getting up and going, and I spend a lot of time laying down. Zofran is my new best friend, and I take it religiously every 6 hours (that's an anti-nausea medication). It helped a LOT at first, now it just takes the edge off. Elliana is excited kind of, but yesterday we had another Dr. appointment and I told Elliana we were going to see the baby and she responded "no thanks Mom, I don't want the baby". At least she was polite?!?! I think she'll be a great big sister, and I'm hoping life will get a LOT better in the next few weeks if I can stop being sick.

I've had lots of people ask if I felt like this with Elliana, and the answer is no. I had a few sick days where I didn't feel well, but it was more towards the end. With her I was just really tired....could sleep all the time. This time, I'm not super tired (like more than usual), just sick.

So, there you have it. Baby Duncan 2 is on the way. My new due date I was informed last night by my husband is April 30. I do plan on having a VBac and my Dr. is VERY supportive of that, which is great, because not everyone here in Utah is.

Elliana has something to say...

2011-09-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Elliana has something to say....watch the videos to see what it is. We couldn't pick which video was cuter, and I can't get them to turn the right way. I'll post the story later.

Preschool

2011-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it, but my baby started Preschool! My cousins wife is teaching preschool at her house in Provo and Elliana gets to go! She LOVES Preschool and asks every morning if she can go to school. I have a few pictures I'll share, but first a cute little story. On her first day (which was Tuesday) they were finger painting another girl in the class named McKall was finger painting first, Elliana was freaking out. So Laura (teacher) thinking Elli was upset it wasn't her turn said, it's okay Elliana you can go next. Elliana freaked out more, yelling, "No, I don't want to pain, I don't want to get messy"). Sounds just like Elliana!

Yes, she did pick out her awesome princess backpack ALL by herself!

So excited to go to school! Love her little hammy grin.

Picture with Daddy right before Daddy went to the hospital for work.

Picture with Mommy

Hope you all enjoyed the pictures of my little girl all growing up! Hopefully later today I'll get a chance to blog about Lagoon!

Raspberry Jam

2011-08-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Laura (my cousin) and Grandpa Cook (my cousins Grandpa) I made raspberry freezer jam for Tom! I only had to buy the pectin, and the jars to put it in, a cheap way to do it! Thanks Grandpa! Tom is in 7th heaven....he's kind of weird because he would rather eat store bought raspberry jam, than homemade strawberry jam. I know, CRAZY! We still have quite a bit of strawberry jam from last year, but now we'll have raspberry jam too! I'm pretty impressed with myself for doing it....I've helped my Grandma make jam before, but never done it by myself. It wasn't too hard, and I actually quite enjoyed myself, it makes me feel very domestic! Now, if I can only clean up the kitchen....

Nana's House

2011-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Nana is my grandmother, my Mom's mom. Elliana LOVES Nana, and LOVES going to Nana's house. Last night we drove up to Nana's house (she lives in South Jordan). Tom had a test at the U of U first thing this morning, so we decided to save him some drive time this morning.

I think it's adorable how much she loves Nana's house. There isn't really anything to play with....but she LOVES going there. We had KFC for dinner last night and Nana made cookies that Elliana loved, we even got to bring some home. Nana had to go to the grocery store and took Elliana and I with her, and let Elli pick out some candies. She woke up this morning and was SO sad because Nana was still sleeping. It was adorable.

Here's a cute new picture from Nana's house. Her hair is a mess, so don't look...but she's pretty adorable!

After we left Nana's, we went to the South Towne Mall and let Elliana ride the carousel, which she of course LOVED. It was so cute to see her as she saw the Merry Go Round from the car window, she started shaking she was SO excited!

Our New Home

2011-08-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

I'll lead you through a picture story of our house! Hope you can all come visit soon!

After trying to do this many times, I lost one of the pictures...Anyways, our front door, you walk down the stairs you see and enter a hallway, to the left (where we're going with the next picture) you find the living room and kitchen. To the right, you find the bedrooms, laundry and bathroom.

Our family room! It's quite spacious and we love the bright red wall! The TV is set in front of a working fireplace; but with Elliana in the house, there will be no wood burning fires in this house! We have a really nice dark wood floor that we LOVE!

Another view of the living room; looking a bit towards the dining room/kitchen!

I have to say, that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my kitchen! it is so nice, big, spacious with tons of storage space! And what you can't see is that I have a HUGE pantry. Next to the fridge which you see on the far left, there is a back door, where we can head outside to our back yard and grill. We also have a little storage area in the car port, where we are able to keep tools, strollers, scooters, and our freezer!

So we went to the right from the bottom of the stairs and the first room you run into, is ours....which there is no picture of yet. We're still getting it all put together and set up, it will come later. It's big and we are able to have our king size bed and our dresser and a bookcase. It's nice! Anyways, the above picture is Elliana's room. It's small, it fits her bed and toys, and her dresser, but it's a bit cramped! She thinks it is the perfect size and it's right next to our room.

If you keep heading down the hall to the left, you'll run into our 3rd bedroom. This is just a partial view of the room, but this is where Tom spends his time studying. In there we also have our guest room (with a queen size bed) and our exercise bike!

Just to the left of the 3rd bedroom you get to the bathroom. It's a small bathroom, and we're sad to only have one, having lived with 2 for the past year, but it works and we LOVE the cheap rent! Directly across the hall from the bathroom is our laundry room, nothing special, so I didn't take a picture. Hope you enjoyed a tour of our house!

The Help

2011-08-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago I read the book The Help. It was one of the most amazing and inspiring books I've ever read. The slavery issue is something that is so hard for me to comprehend having lived in such a highly populated African American population.

This book was SO well written and I believe a first novel for Kathyrn Stockett. http://www.kathrynstockett.com/ Visit her website here if you haven't read the book.

Since Elliana is gone Tom and I decided to use some movie passes we had and go see a movie. We, or rather I decided that I wanted to see The Help. Tom wanted to see it too, but it wasn't his first choice of movies.

It was the GREATEST movie. I highly recommend it. It was one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. Probably since The Blind Side....but I think it was even better than that. I laughed, I cried...I felt so much joy and such sadness. It truly was amazing and I would go see it again in a heartbeat! So inspiring. I hope if you haven't read the book you will, and if you haven't seen the movie, you will.

My Baby...

2011-08-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

My little sister Alexis came to stay with us for about a week and the day she was leaving she came to talk to me. She asked if I would let Elliana go home with her and my parents for a week. At first thought the answer was NO WAY! I would miss her way too much! I called my dad and he said, I'm fine with it if you are. After him further thinking it out he called me back to suggest I come up too since Elliana is such a mama's girl. That is probably the grossest understatement of the CENTURY! She is SUCH a mama's girl. I talked to Tom and we decided it would be good for her and me...that I would be able to accomplish so much and that it would be good for her to be away.

I am dismayed to say that she is having a blast and we're missing her terribly! She is loving it. I can't lie though, Tom and I are very much enjoying sleeping in and just having fun together, it's almost like we're newlyweds again. I have been able to get SO much done, and now the only really big thing I have left to do is change out all our electrical plugs. It's a major pain in the rear and I hate it, but hopefully I will get it all done this next week til I get Elliana back on Thursday.

I finally got Elliana signed up for Preschool and she is SO excited to start. She cried when I told her she couldn't go to school yet. She is going to go to my cousins wife's preschool. Her cousin Crystal will be in her class. We went backpack shopping together and of course the girls got the same backpacks. They have so much fun together and as mothers we love seeing them play together and have so much fun! I'm having a bit of a hard time letting her grow up. So much has happened in the last few months. I mean really... : potty training, big girl bed, riding a scooter, dressing herself, the "all by myself" stage, and now preschool! She's growing up so fast.

This one above is Tom's favorite!

I love the one above of her clapping, it just captures Elliana! So happy, and fun loving....The one below I love too, she was chasing Jessica and I with the squirt bottle, trying to get us wet. She had success.

I got back her pictures from her 2 year shoot and I wanted to share a few of our favorites! Hope you enjoy! I love you baby girl and miss you EVERY day!

YAHOO!

2011-07-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little post on my AMAZING husband Tom! We got results yesterday for his big, huge board exam and he passed! He did well and I am SO proud of him. He put in a lot of time and a lot of hard work, but it all paid off and now we can breath a sigh of relief! We haven't been able to really celebrate yet, but as soon as we get back to Utah I'm taking my wonderful hubby out for dinner! I love you Tom, and Elliana and I and your whole family are SO proud of you and all you have accomplished! Way to go Tom!

Getting There...

2011-07-28T20:27:00.001-07:00

I really am making progress and getting there in putting up pictures of the house on the blog! We made a trip to Idaho Falls and it has delayed me a bit! I promise next week they will be up! Keep looking back! Love to all!

Em

Lots of Pictures

2011-07-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have lots of pictures so please enjoy! They are from our last days in Parker, Elliana's 2nd Birthday Party and Elliana and Zharius playing with Jessica's jewelry. I was cleaning out Jessica's closet, with a little help from Jessica of course! : D

Zhar was trying to give Elli a love, instead the toppled over and landed in a heap laughing on the floor

Happy Birthday Elliana! Thanks to Amber Shaw my good friend in Denver for making Elliana's cake! It turned out so cute!

The kids ate on the floor, on a plastic table cloth so they didn't get chocolate cake all over my house!

Elliana LOVING her cake and ice cream!

This was our last night in Denver with the awesome McAllister family and her brother Jordan! We miss them all so much and hope to see them soon! Hope you enjoy the pictures! I'll be back in Utah and Wednesday and will get pictures of the house posted soon!

Goodbye's....

2011-06-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Goodbye's are always tough, but tonight I think I had the hardest one of all. There are no words to describe how sad I am to be leaving this friend behind. She has been my rock, my shoulder to cry on, my shopping pal, my babysitter, my photographer, my baby girls best friends Mommy, my best friend! She's like a sister to me, and saying goodbye to her tonight, was the hardest goodbye I think I have ever had in my life. It's funny how things happen, Jessica and I almost never met, and oh how I would have missed out on one of the coolest best people I know! We met at the swimming pool; and I was told some things about her that made me a little worried to meet her. And imagine, that now, we are best friends! We've taken the kids lots of places: Wildlife Experience, Zoo, Nature and Science Museum, Train Park, Royal Gorge, parks, pools, shopping, Chick-Fil-A, and of course McDonald's!

I will miss Jessica and Zharius (you too Derek, but I don't see you much), so much it hurts my heart! You are the best friends a girl could ever ask for! The only thing saving me is, she'll be in Utah in two weeks so I can go say "hey"! Wish you were coming with us to Utah, or that we were staying here, thank-goodness for the internet! Love you Jess, and miss you already! ~Em

Pictures

2011-06-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

My awesome friend Jessica McAllister, whom I love very much, did Elliana's 2 year pictures today! Jessica also does amazing work and she is so fabulous! Here are just a few for a sneak peeks! Visit Jessica's blog here: http://flourishgallery.blogspot.com/

Here are a few pics:

Wow, it's really happening...

2011-06-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I met up with some great friends at a coffee shop, as I was leaving my friend Angie gave me a hug and said, "this is like a really bad friends finale". I couldn't agree more! I'm going to miss my friends here in Parker SO much! I love all my friends and am really sad to leave them behind, luckily it's not far to Denver and I will be back!!! Glad that I have my friends!

I can't believe we're really moving, it's happening. My house looks so empty, and there are boxes everywhere, we're really leaving Parker and going to Utah. In many ways I'm sad, but then I ask Elli if she wants to go to Provo and she freaks out EVERYTIME, because she's so excited to go to Provo, because she knows Mimi (my Mom) is going to be able to come visit and she is so happy to see my Mom. She lifts her arms high and the air and says, let's go to Provo!

I've gotten some really fun pictures of Elliana the last few days, with friends' camera's, so I will get them and post them soon. Probably won't post till next week, we move on Saturday! Please remember to keep Tom in your prayers, he takes his Board Exam on Friday and could definitely use ANY and ALL help he can get!

Our New Home

2011-06-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

We have FINALLY found a new home in the Provo area! We'll actually be in Springville, but are very excited! We didn't really want to be right in Provo, so we feel like we are in a great place! Our rent will be $775 which we feel is a steal, after living in Denver. It's the basement of a house, turned Duplex, and we were really hoping to get a house, but at this point, we are just glad to have found a place. I can't tell you the stress that is now out of my body and life! I have a few pictures that I will include, my brother Spencer has been awesome in helping us find a place, and I really appreciate all of his help, though he won't look at it blog! He's been so wonderful to go and look at places for us, and I know it's been a pain in the butt! And, we have a backyard! : D

The 3rd Bedroom that we will use for an office, we are SO excited to have 3 bedrooms, and a little sad to only have one bathroom, but beggars can't be choosers, and we are poor! Also, special thanks to my Mom and Dad for ALL of there help, and my Grandparents LaPray who have been so helpful as well! You'll never know what your support means to us!

The newly remodeled kitchen!

The newly remodeled bathroom!

The living room, with a fireplace! We are very excited, and will be moving to Provo somewhere around July 23rd! We are excited to start this new adventure in our lives, and any prayers on Tom's behalf before he takes boards in just less than 2 weeks! What a scary thing!

Also, on a separate note. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to us just over a week ago, with all this crazy moving I haven't had a chance to blog! I can't believe it's been 5 years! I love Tom more now than ever before, and am so happy I get to spend an Eternity with him and our family! Elliana's favorite thing to say is after I say, "we are a happy", family; she finishes it in the cutest little Elliana voice you can imagine! She's adorable and getting bigger each day!

Sippy Cups are for babies...

2011-06-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Tom and I have decided that it's time for the sippy cups to go away! Elliana has grown FAR too attached for her own good! So this morning, I decided was the time (after getting up 3 times last night, or was it 4, to fill up her sippy), that they were going away! This morning we had a little talk, with Daddy and we decided sippy cups are for babies, and Elliana is a big girl. We got a grocery sack and had her put them all in the bag, saying good-bye to her sippy cups. Then she threw them away (not really, I will get them out later, because they are SO pricey), and I thought she was good! Til, about 10 minutes ago when she threw the biggest fit because she wants a sippy cup, and says they're not for babies. Poor kid! She'll live and I know this will help all around, and hopefully it will help her sleep a little better, and eat better to, because she won't constantly have a sippy with milk. We've decided she can still keep her "drink" sippy, which is a clear sippy cup that she has Crystal Light in for a little while. Wish us luck, tonight is likely to be awful!

I can't lie, I cried a little as she was so excited to get rid of her sippy cups, what happened to my baby?!?! She is no longer a baby. She's getting so big and cracks me up EVERY day!

On to another topic.... We went swimming the other night, and while we were at the pool (hot tub) we were getting ready to leave and Tom asked Elliana to put on her sandals. She looked at him and in her sassy little 2 year old voice said, "dad, they're not sandals, DUH, they're flip flops". I'm sorry, hello what? Then, she was walking home, with her hooded towel around her head and holding it around her body and looks at me and says, "I'm so cool Mom". We love our little girl! To many more happy memories miss Elliana Mae!

Briggs Family

2011-05-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Please keep the Briggs Family in all of your prayers! Their daughter Bri was diagnosed with Leukemia today. It's the A.L.L. version for those of you who know what that means. I don't know much, just that they really need all the prayers and thoughts they can get. As soon as I know more, I will share more. You can check their blog for updates soon (after it is made public again, I will update it) at www.toryandlindsey.blogspot.com

Our love, thoughts and prayers are with you Tory and Lindsey! We're pulling for you!

Tom's Birthday

2011-05-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Tom had a birthday! He turned 27, and we had a great little party! We were both SO busy during the day that we actually didn't really see each other til that evening at 6. I did give him his present that morning. Elliana got him a game called Quidler...and I got him the movie Shallow Hal. We went really light on presents this year. Tom's parents got him some gift cards to restaurants, because that is exactly what he wanted! My parents got him some new shoes.

After we both met up again we got together with some friends for dinner at Famous Dave's; the food was not that great but the company was awesome! After dinner, our friends the Morfords came back to the house for games and dessert. Lauren made this wonderful peanut butter pie, it was AMAZING!

I hope you had a wonderful birthday Tom! I love you so much, and am so proud of all your accomplishments in Medical School! I'm excited for you to be done with this first 2 years so we can go on to the next part in our journey!

Elder Andrew LaPray

2011-05-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Every week we get a chance to write Andrew letters on Sunday night! It's one of Elliana's favorite things to do. This is how her letter went this week. Tom helped her, and he did a GREAT job!

Elder LaPray

ffffffffffjkkkj../';9ooooop0-;o7yuipo[[pp[erteeytriop[

'oiuiopoieiop[p[[p765432787678890-=\=-o786rsuytuytrffgjo

[pm ceru

It's Andrew. Sing sing sing! (there's music in the background) It's cookies! My fav (there are cookies in the background too) Sing sing sing! Now she is hu mmb in g) I push

I can sing

I can help! (that goes up with the humming fiasco)

That's my faaaaaaa (? no idea)

it's my cookies. and a smiley face

Myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. my, oh, there's my face! My face and the cookies. My face. My face! MY FACE!!!!!

HI Uncle Andrew. Where's Andrew. On his mission! it's my face!!! (there is a banner ad for cookie packages that lead to a happy face and it is making her so excited!!!) I miss you. luv you too andrew!

love,

Elli

"Alexander (Emily) and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day..."

2011-05-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

One of Elliana's new favorite books is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I really enjoy reading the book with her, and she thinks it is very funny! But today, I feel a lot like Alexander. I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! : (

It all started when Tom had to go to school (yes, on a Sunday). He has a mandatory Kaplan course going on right now, and he needs to be there, and he goes. I am glad he's going, I really am. But it just makes my Sunday's very long being in Sacrament with Elliana and then going to Primary to take care of 5, 4 year olds. I was stressed and the meeting went long, which meant singing time was cut short, which is bad for little ones, they need the singing time to unwind. Primary went off pretty well, but the kids were all pretty antsy.

Yesterday was a great day, I found the place where we want to rent! It is a house in Springville, about ten miles from Provo, and a single family house! 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, recently renovated! I was SO excited, Spencer (my little brother) went and looked at it and said, you should definitely get the house, it's great! I was thrilled, decided this is what I really wanted, and decided to fill out the application. Well, we aren't the only ones wanting it, and he's processing 3 other applications, and is showing it 5 times tomorrow! I just want to cry! This is where I want to live, I feel like it's the right place for us. But I feel like it's just going to fall through, and I dont' think I can handle the disappointment. I'm already pretty distraught about leaving Denver, because I really love it here! And then, to have this house slip from my grasp is really hard!

Today I just feel alone, I know I have my Father in Heaven who is always there for me, but I just wish I was closer to family, or had my best friends close by to talk to.

We all have a bad day every once in a while, luckily, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully a much better one!

Baseball Game and a Date

2011-05-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

We recently got a chance to go the Rockies game. We thought we were going to have to pay $5 a ticket, so Tom paid a friend who had gotten the tickets, turns out, we didn't have to buy the tickets, his school bought them (between a few different clubs) and we got $10 for food, so we got $20 basically "free" to spend at the game. We were able to come out exactly even by the time we paid for food and parking! We got a deal!!

The day after the Rockies Game Tom and I were able to go out on a date and see the movie "Water for Elephants" it was a good show, not something I would buy, but worth watching. Our friends Nate and Sarah and their son Dylan watched Elliana for us. It looks like she had fun with Mickey Mouse and Buzz Lightyear!

I Am A Child of God

2011-05-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Elli's new favorite song is I Am A Child of God. The other day in church, she decided she wanted to participate, and while people were bearing their testimonies, Elliana is singing I Am A Child of God. It's kind of hard to hear, but you get the gist of it. It's adorable in our opinion!

Pao de Queijo -Gluten Free

2011-05-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is my new FAVORITE thing to make! On the cheese, I use mozzarella and that is my FAVORITE!

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!

Prep Time: --- | Cook Time: --- | Servings: Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese. I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar. All great!
Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!} These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.

Celiac Disease

2011-05-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, really. Definitely a HARD pill to swallow, but I am so glad that the Dr's have finally figured out what is wrong with me! In lame man's terms, I'm allergic to flour, and wheat, barley, oats and gluten. Stressful, MOST DEFINITELY! Until you look at labels, you really have no idea how many things have wheat in them, or enriched flour, it's crazy! So essentially I have cut out all carbs; not a bad thing, hard, for sure. Bread, rolls, cookies, cakes, some ice creams, cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup, pasta (except rice pasta), some cheeses, mac and cheese, pizza (so sad to leave this behind).

But this is going to be a great change for our family, and yes I said our family. This is not an Emily's new life style/diet, this is going to be a family change. A lot of the materials I have read say not to do that, because your kids and family will resent you for doing so, but Elliana is young enough that she won't know the difference to be angry with me. It's not that they can't eat what they want to, it's that I will only cook and buy gluten free items. If they are out to eat, they can have whatever they like, but that's just the way it needs to be for our family. It's a very healthy life style and I've already lost 8 lbs in just over a week! I am feeling SO much better and feel happier most days. I still have my moments, who doesn't?

Tom's been a CHAMP about all of it and is being so supportive of me in this new endevour.

You can get lots more information here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/
and here:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-symptoms

Also, the Gluten Free Living for Dummies is awesome, as well as the Gluten Free Cooking for Dummies. Gotta love the Douglas County Libraries!

Moving

2011-04-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Tom and I received our rotation schedule about a week ago, and we are moving away from Denver. This brings VERY mixed feelings. We love living here, and love our ward and apartment. But it is so expensive to live here. Our 2 bedroom apartment here runs us $1,000 dollars a month, and utilities are just as outrageous! We are very sad to be leaving Parker and all our friends and "new family". I am especially sad to leave behind my good friend Jessica! At least she visits Utah often, I think that's the only thing that is keeping us from both having a breakdown! I will miss her VERY VERY much and Elliana and Zharius are going to have a rough time being apart I think.

House hunting while in Denver for a place in Provo is very stressful. Because I'm not there and I don't know where is a good area. And as spoiled as I am; it's hard, because I really want, I said want, not need, 2 bathrooms! Especially with Elliana potty trained, and having had 2 bathrooms for the last year, I don't know that I really want to go back to just having one bathroom.

I feel like I'm rambling, here's a picture of the library in our will be new hometown.

Easter Bunny

2011-04-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

We took Elliana to the mall to see the Easter Bunny! She loved the idea of it, and called him the Super Bunny, from her favorite show Max and Ruby! Here's a video we got of her at the mall! We think she's pretty adorable!

Diaper/Washer

2011-04-15T13:22:00.001-07:00

I am a little behind on laundry, but aren't all MOms ALWAYS behind on laundry? I don't think you can ever stay caught up, though I do pretty well doing a load a day. As I went to change the wash a few minutes ago, I opened my washer (it's a front load) and see little pellets...and think, that looks like diaper. Sure enough upon further investigation, there is a diaper in my washer. I had a little helper apparently and now I have diaper "slush" all in her clothes, and in my washer. I'm hoping that putting the clothes through the dryer will help and I think I got most of the "slush" out with a rag. Gotta love my 2 year old helper! She's the best! I love you Elliana Mae!

Idaho....Yes, Again.

2011-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to go home again just a few weeks ago and it was a great experience. Tom's little brother Michael got married and we were able to be there! It was wonderful to see family and spend time with them. It's the last time we will go home for a while (at least all of us), because of Tom's very random schedule! We are excited to keep moving forward in his schooling though!

Elliana's Birthday party was a huge success and she had a wonderful time with all her friends! Here are a few pictures from the wedding, and the dress that Elliana is wearing was a gift from our friends the Schreibers. She looked SO cute in it!

Tom and I had fun at the wedding....my sister-in-law Heather said, "haven't you always wanted to cake someone"...I replied, "yes!". Then I saw cake....so I decided to grab a slice and get Tom. I got him, but I think he got me better. I left the cake in my hand, and I definitely paid the price. :D I love you Tom, and it's been the best 5 years of my life! Can't wait for Eternity with you babe!

Potty Training Part 2

2011-03-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

We were struggling with the whole, pooping in the potty, but I must tell you, after having her look at our poop in the potty. (Yes, I know this is DISGUSTING)....she is now pooping in the potty too! We were out running errands for 3 hours this morning, and told me she had to go potty. She went twice in public! ONce pooping and once peeing. She also had a babysitter tonight, and had NO accidents even with the sitter! This is the greatest thing EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the program I used...you can find it here.

http://www.3daypottytraining.com/pages/help.htm?official

Love to all!

Potty Training

2011-03-16T21:33:00.001-07:00

Potty Training was a MAJOR success at this house! I did this great 3 day program that my friend Tammy told me about! Thanks Tam! It worked SO awesome...I was not expecting much and at the end of day 2, was thinking, there is NO way we can have success here. Think again, we have had success! She did awesome. At the end of day 3, we were still have accidents constantly. But then, no more accidents! Elliana had one accident yesterday...and one today. Both were our fault, she told us she needed to go potty, and we just couldn't get there fast enough! So potty training, CHECK! And, she is back to sleeping in her own room! YAHOO for Mommy and Elliana!

Repetition

2011-03-11T11:52:00.001-08:00

You know how kids go through phases...repeat repeat repeat! Elli is in a phase of eating. Yesterday I made scrambled eggs for the child 5 times. FIVE! She wants to eat nothing but eggs. We met Tom for lunch yesterday at Wendy's, I asked Elliana if she wanted chicken nuggets or a hamburger. She said, eggs. This went on for a good 2 or 3 minutes. Then she finally said, ok, I want ice cream. Little pill! I guess she's 2 and entitled. She has already asked for eggs 4 times this morning, and I have made them twice. Mind you friends and family it is not even 1 in the afternoon! I am sure eggs will be made at least twice more. I know that there are much worse things she could be asking for, so no need to remind you, but you're not the one that is cleaning up the eggs/stove and pan 3 to 5 times a day! Scrambled eggs are good, but really, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack, NO THANK YOU! At least she's adorable!

Breathing Treatments

2011-03-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

What a difference 18 months makes! Just look at the picture...I am LOVING it! Elli will now hold her own mask while doing her breathing treatment! We call it, breathing dragon air. She thinks it's pretty cool! She has grown up so much! More posts to come. My camera is broken... :( Love to all!

Shopping and Sick and a Party

2011-02-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

How crazy is this....we went to the grocery store tonight, and a friend told me that they had carts at King Soopers (like Smith's) that had little TV's in them where you could watch Disney. Sure enough, they were there...and we shopped with Elli peacefully in the cart watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! It was amazing!!!!!!!

Elli is sick....Elli has pink eye, poor baby! I feel so bad for her! Hopefully it will pass quickly!

Elliana is having a party, she will be two tomorrow and I can't believe it! Boy have the years FLOWN by! She is having her big party on Saturday and I will attach a copy of the invitation for all to see! It is adorable thanks to my awesome friend Jessica McAllister you can see her blog at www.djmcallister.blogspot.com Thanks Jess, you're the best!!!

Train Museum

2011-02-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Elliana and I went to the Train Museum! We went with our good friends Jessica and Zhar! They were SO adorable together and didn't want anything to do with the Moms, just wanted to play together, ride the train together and hold hands! They are SO cute!

You can visit their website...here:
http://www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org/

Also, if you want I can E-mail you a coupon so that you can get half price admission! Jessica and I got in with the kids for $10! Jessica has all the pictures, so when I get them, I will post them!

Love to all!

Em

Smarty Pants

2011-01-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

My hubby is a stud! He was SO worried about a test he had yesterday, and he got an 87%! I am SO proud of him! Way to go Tom! I love you!

Elli & Brigham

2011-01-22T15:59:00.000-08:00

We have a cousin Brigham who is very sick, we pray for him EVERY night and EVERY morning, and any other time we are praying. Elli loves to pray with us and she loves to pray for baby Bigham. We are praying and having faith that all will be right, because only Heavenly Father knows best. As hard as that is sometimes.

Elli is still really struggling with the whole sleeping all night thing, and I was just letting her cry (tough love) but we received a complaint that we were too noisy.... :( Any and all suggestions are welcome! Here is a picture of my baby girl! She will be 2 next month, I can't believe it!!!

Chuck E Cheese

2011-01-20T12:53:00.001-08:00

Elli loves Chuck E Cheese, it's one of her favorite places....why? Toys, tickets and most of all MONEY! She loves the tokens, even if she does nothing with them. The other day we went to Chuck E Cheese with our friends the McAllister's. We had SO much fun! The kids were so good, and Elli and Zhar love each other, it is SO cute! Here are a few pics to document the night!

Picture

2011-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick picture to brighten your day...I hope! It brightens mine...our internet is FREAKING out...has been all day, so please forgive me for such a short post, but I don't want to lose all I write. Love to all! Nor can I get this picture to upload properly, I give up today...g'night!

Budget

2011-01-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends,

Working on a budget tonight, but on my list tomorrow is to update this blog! Life has been so crazy with us traveling so much! Love to all!

Emily

playing with her cousin

2010-12-06T14:33:00.000-08:00

This is Elliana playing with her cousin (well my cousin, actually) Sammy! Sammy got a new car, and Elliana thought it was HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!

New Addition - Elli's New Room

2010-11-15T21:57:00.000-08:00

We have a new addition! Well, not one, 4! Don't jump too far ahead there, it's Elli's new fish! She loves them!

We have big news, Elliana is no longer in a crib, she has a big girl bed! Her room looks SO empty now! She is loving having all her toys in her room, and so is Mommy! She does much better cleaning up back there for some reason too! Enjoy the pictures!

Napping Video

2010-11-10T12:18:00.001-08:00

The quality is not great; but someone is supposed to be napping....little turkey! Instead, I find her in her bathroom, sitting on the potty, reading books!

Proud Mommy Moment

2010-11-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

Today as a Mommy was a good day! Elli got new clothes and shoes this weekend (some little "UGGS"; and was adorable today). Today she wore some leggings and uggs and pretty much looked adorable! We had to go shopping and I got SO many compliments on how cute she looked and how perfect her outfit was, and did I have her in modeling, because she was so darling. I will post pics tomorrow!

I was talking to Tom earlier today, and I had just laid down with Elli to nap, after I got her sleeping (because she refuses to sleep in her crib)....I said, it's so interesting, I let her roll around to try and go to sleep on her own, but the instant I tell her it's time to close her eyes and go nigh night, she comes and lays by me. I put my forehead to hers and she is asleep almost instantly. The reason I say this, is because I feel like I have some AWESOME mommy power, because when I laid her down tonight, the same thing happened! SO cool!

Today, I am proud to be a Mom, and even more proud to be a wife to my amazing husband Tom! He is my EVERYTHING! I love my little family, and wouldn't change my life for anything today!

Sick

2010-11-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately we have all been a bit sick. :( Elli got it by far the worst and she was SO sick! She was throwing up all night on Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon she was getting worse and Tom suggested we take her to the doctor. Her office was closed, so I took her to Urgent Care. The doctor there said she was pretty dehydrated and wanted to give her IV fluids, because she was not getting enough. They tried to put in her IV, and were unsuccessful. We were then sent to Parker Adventist Children's Hospital. They took GREAT care of Elli and after fluids and some tests, she is doing LOTS better. In fact, back to her good old self today! She was SO upset because of her IV. I got a picture so you can all see what happened. She was not in prime picture mode though....

Unfortunately, we passed our yuckyness onto the McAllister family. Sorry Zhar! Feel better soon!

Fall with Bri and Peyttie

2010-11-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Elli has some great friends named Bri and Peyttie! She LOVES playing with these girls. They get along so well and we had a play date the other day and got to go on a walk and find leaves! The girls thought it was a blast! Thanks for the pictures Linds!

Halloween

2010-11-04T20:16:00.001-07:00

Elliana didn't really enjoy Halloween much...she didn't know what was going, and did not want to say hello to people. She was a Lady Bug and was the cutest one I saw! Here are some fun pictures! She even got to play with her friend Zhar.

New Words

2010-11-04T18:56:00.001-07:00

Elliana is starting to talk NON stop! She is getting to be such a fun age; and sassier by the minute! She no longer makes LOUD noisy kisses, since watching Tom and I, she kisses quietly!

blocks
elephant
Elli
cookie
nummy num
candy
snack
fishes
grammy
i miss you
see ya
buzz ball (bu ee)
buzz
max (her new favorite show is Max and Ruby)
outside
Bri Bri (her best girl friend, who lives really close)
sippy cup cup cup
cheese
where did it go
why
book
car
plane
Peyttie (her friend)
hummy (hungry)
arthur
woody
diaper
potty
poop poo
wipes
clean up
bow (always wants a bow in)
teeth
brush
pretty
chalk
mmm hum
scary
jump
basket ball
pumpkin
stinky (she thinks pumpkins are stinky)
Duncan
Elli
now will say how old she is
step
home
keys
pocket
moneys
pig (where she puts her monies)
water
ice cream
sticker

A lot of posts....

2010-11-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

A few things I will blog about today....
*new words
*sick
*fall fun
*Halloween
*New Calling
*Mission Call
*Thanksgiving

So this first post I will talk about the last three items just listed, because these things I don't have pictures for!

Tom and I have a calling in our new ward and we LOVE it! We are Sunbeam leaders. We have 6 little kids and we have never been in Primary before. The kids are great and we love teaching them! Ever tried teaching 3 year olds a lesson....? Good luck! We take lots of little breaks, and play lots of duck duck goose! Last week we even played a little version of pictionary! The kids thought that was a blast!

My little brother Andrew got his Mission Call! I am so proud of him and he will be serving in the Guatemala City North Mission; I do believe! Funny little tid bit, my aunts step son Colton got his mission call the same day as Andrew and it turns out they are both going to the same mission, entering the MTC the same day! If that is not crazy!!!

Because Andrew got his call; he is going to be taking out his Endowment during the Thanksgiving break. I am SO excited that my parents are going to be helping us get home for this wonderful occasion! Two weeks and counting to go home!

Visitors

2010-10-25T07:24:00.001-07:00

We had visitors! It was so great for Mom and Dad Duncan to come out and see us for a very fun filled weekend! We did lots of fun things! They came in town on a Thursday evening and we just went to dinner. Friday Tom had class and I had a Dr appointment so they came with me then we met up with Tom at Chuck E Cheese for lunch where Elli had a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it's her new love. Friday night we went to the Nuggets game which was also SO much fun! Then Saturday we headed out to Boulder to eat at The Buff and walk around at the Pearl Street Mall! It was too short of a stay as always, but it was so great to have them! Here are a few pics to outline our fun time!

Zumba

2010-10-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Megan Jorgensen for introducing me to the WONDERFUL world of Zumba!

Now, I will be honest here. I signed up for the class thinking I would be having a couple friends there to go with me. I am not in shape and didn't want to show up all alone and be the idiot there (not that my friends are idiots, but at least I can laugh with them when everyone is making fun of me). My friends ended up not being able to do the class. So I called the Rec center where I was going to take the class to see if they could refund the class since I didn't want to go alone. The lady I needed to talk to wasn't there and wouldn't be til the next day, after the first class I was supposed to be in. As I was getting ready to leave the message I thought to myself, how lame am I; that I can't go to the Rec Center and have a blast doing a fitness class and get in shape at the same time! I ended up not leaving the message and going out of my comfort zone to attend the class and........it was THE BEST THING I have done in a long time! I had so much fun and it was a great workout. In fact there is a Friday afternoon class I think I am going to go attend, because it was so awesome! I also checked out a DVD from the library! Thanks Megan!

Test

2010-10-19T20:47:00.001-07:00

This is a test to see if I have figured out my computer glitch of not being able to upload pictures!

Tagged

2010-10-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

1- watch show do you secretly love to watch but wouldn't want anyone to know? :)

Desperate Housewives; oh my gosh did I just say that, seriously???

2- Which of the five senses would you get rid of if you had to choose one?

Smell....as a mom there are always yucky smells floating around!

3-get into the third folder and go to the tenth picture and post it and tell us the story behind it. if you don't have ten pictures in that folder go to the next and count to the number you had left from counting the last one... does that make sense?

4-who is your favorite family member in law style!!! :) haha good luck

My sister-in-law Heather! :D

5-what are you most excited for this christmas?

Giving Elliana her Kitchen that we just bought! I am SO excited!

6-if you had to choose between having 12+ kids or only being able to have one which would you choose?

Probably just one...twelve is a lot.

7- To get ready for halloween, name one of your biggest fears?

I am terrified of moths.

8- if you only had a few words to describe me what would they be? :) hehe had to throw one in about me of course :) hehe

amazing vocals; His Hands.

I tag

Ilez
Stephanie L
Jen Duncan
Kari
Rebecca G
Lindsey B
Jessica M
Mara C

1 - What is your favorite food?
2- Least favorite household chore?
3- Favorite movie of all time?
4- How do you sleep? (Stomach, Side, Back)
5- Favorite season and why?
6- TV show you don't want people to know you watch?
7- Favorite date activity?
8- Ice cream or cheesecake?

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I need serious HELP! I don't know what to do friends and family! Elliana is getting up no later than 5:15 every morning! It doesn't matter what time I put her to bed, she still wakes up that early! I don't know what to do; please help me! I can't handle this lack of sleep any more!

Love,

Losing It Mommy!

Info

2010-09-09T20:17:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

It has been a long time, we are finally getting all settled in the new place and are LOVING it! Our new ward is amazing and we love it! I have yet to find my camera, so this will just be a post without pics. Hope to find it tomorrow!

Elli is getting so much bigger and is talking SO much! She is so funny, if we drive by Tom's school, she knows....and says Dad where are you? Also, when we drive by her friend Zhar's house, Zhar, where are you?

As everyone who has moved knows, it is SO expensive. There are so many little things you have to get, but all those little things just keep adding up. I don't even want to think about how much money we have spent moving here. Because of the hard wood floors, we had to get an area rug. Our table broke right before we moved, so we had to get a table and chairs. Tom got a grill for his B-day, so we had to get a propane tank. Elli's crib is still not super functioning, so we are moving her to a big girl bed....so we moved our queen to her room, (for when guests come; our air mattress broke) and got us a king size bed, which is SO much better for us. We had to buy another book case, our books don't fit on the 3 we already own. With a second bathroom, come seconds of cleaning supplies, towels, rugs, etc. Anyways, the list could go on and on. I will stop there though!

Tom has had to spend a lot of time at the school; so I have been home with Elli. She just craves attention from her daddy! We met him for dinner tonight and she loves to push buttons (ie...the handicap buttons to open doors), she did that tonight, and wasn't paying much attention and walked right into the glass right next to the door. She fell flat on her hinney, it was SO funny! Tom and I just laughed and laughed!

This weekend we are going to the Airforce vs BYU football game in Colorado Springs! We can't wait and are SO excited!!! Pictures to come soon!

I feel like I just keep rambling, so I will post again soon, hopefully with pics!

Last Post

2010-08-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

This will be the last post for a while. We move tomorrow and we won't have internet for a few days. :(

We ran into some MAJOR problems or run ins today and I thought I was going to lose it. Sorry Tom, you got the brunt of my lash out. We called the apartment to see if we could go and measure a few things before we got there tomorrow with all our stuff. After being put on hold for 15 minutes, they asked if they could call us back. Knowing this was not a good sign, we started freaking out! Ok, I started freaking out! They called us back and said, our apartment wasn't ready...and wouldn't be for awhile, so could we stay in our apartment for a few more days. Uh, NO, we have to be out by Thursday at 5 p.m. After some issues being worked out...and talked about, we have discovered they had yet to clean the carpets, paint or do the cleaning. Holy cow! Freaking out, I have a baby, where are we going to stay???? What are we going to do? After talking some more, we realized we are in a GREAT apartment, quite newly renovated; the floors anyways. We have hardwoods throughout, and carpet only in the bedrooms! For the inconvenience they are giving us a gift card to Target for $100. It could have been anywhere, but we LOVE Target.

Thanks to all my friends who are giving me a hand in helping with Elliana tomorrow! Can't wait to post pictures of the new place!

Words, Packing

2010-08-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

As you might have caught from recent posts, we are moving. We move in less than 2 weeks, and I am just starting to pack! Needless to say, I am a little stressed! It shouldn't be too bad, since we are just moving across town, about 5.5 miles!

We just had a fun family date at the zoo on Monday! Tom finished his test and we decided to head out and get a one year zoo pass! Elli LOVED the zoo, and I am excited to be able to go back anytime I want! The pass was 70 dollars, and it would have cost us $26 to get in that day...so I feel like we got a great deal! Also, a bunch of my friends have zoo passes so it will make it so we can go for our playdates there!

Now, a list of Elli's words:

help
please
thank you
welcome
swimming
zhar (friend)
jessica (friend)
car/vroom
ball
baby
pray
papa (grandpa)
gigi (great grandma)
nana (great grandma and banana)
no
don't
stop
potty
butt (belly button)
plane
pretties (necklace and earrings)
nack (snack)
down
up
walk
shoes
mimi (grandma Janet)
grandma

She is getting smarter everyday and KILLS me with the things she says! Sorry this was kind of a long post, and with no pictures, but I lost my camera in the mess of my packing.

Movie Night!

2010-08-09T20:33:00.001-07:00

Tom didn't have to study too much tonight, so we decided to have a movie night! We just finished watching Dirty Rotten Scoundrels! If you have not seen this movie, it is seriously a MUST! It is SO SO SO funny! Another post tomorrow...did lots of fun things over the weekend!

Single Mommy

2010-08-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my first real night back as a single Mommy! It wasn't easy that's for sure! In fact as I sit here, I am crying. I don't know how mom's do this all the time, because it is so hard! By 7 I was just ready to be done for the day. Elli was driving me nuts, I had run all day long...and I was/am very tired! Tom has been studying all week this week, but tonight is the first night that he stayed late at the school; we met him for dinner and grabbed a subway sandwich. It is going to be a hard adjustment, not only for me, but for Elli. She stands at the stairs and just cries for her daddy.

We enjoyed having Tom home for the summer, but are glad he is back at school, doing what he loves! Can't wait till this part of school is over so he can do the hands on stuff! More of an 8-5 type deal...not a 7-midnight. ;)

On a side note...
We are dealing with HORRIBLE problems with Health and Welfare at the Castlerock office. Yesterday I went to pick up some medications, only to find out I don't have insurance...hello what? If that isn't bad enough, it gets worse. Because we are full time students, and I unable to work...we get Food Stamps. They never sent in or did our recertification paperwork that I turned in, in MAY!!!!!!!! It's now August people! So we haven't been able to buy food (without using our money) since June. It's SO stressful, and I know I was not a great Mommy to Elli today because I was just stressed and not so nice. So, my Love Bug, Mommy is very sorry! Please forgive and know that tomorrow will be a better day!

Because of what we are dealing with there...and their lack of not accomplishing anything, I asked to talk to someone higher up. They said to call the Governor's Office, so I did, hopefully we can get some help for someone before we have to use too much of our money. We live on such a tight budget!

Tomorrow is going to be a better day...I need to start packing, we move in less than 3 weeks and I have not packed a SINGLE box!

Potty

2010-08-05T19:57:00.001-07:00

Elli got a new potty today! She LOVES it! She keeps telling me she needs a new diapey and brings it to me. Tells me when she goes poop and goes to the bathroom to squat. I had contemplated waiting til we moved, and might wish I had by the end of this....but our carpets are NASTY already so we might as well get it going here! I am so glad my girlfriend Jessica was here when this happened, she got some great photos! Thanks Jess! Also, on a quick side note, Elli loves Jessica and even said her name tonight! Not just once, but 3 times, and it was a definite Jessica!
Getting ready to go...(don't know why my font won't stay the same)...sorry!
Mommy and Elli after the momentous occasion!

We are learning to wipe...the purple holder is for her own roll of toilet paper! She had the potty sing her a song when she went pee-pee and was SO excited!
Flushing her potty! Good job Elli bug! Mommy and Daddy love you so much! You're a big girl now!

New old table

2010-08-01T05:45:00.001-07:00

We just got a great deal on a kitchen table! We got it from a girl that goes to Tom's Medical School. Our table served us VERY well from our friends the Kington's. But it had seen better days and was on it's last leg. Almost literally! So we got this table, and 4 chairs for $85 dollars!

Long Hair

2010-08-01T05:42:00.001-07:00

This is a cute little video, Elli has discovered her long hair, and how it will swish around her head. She loves to feel it flip from side to side!

Lots of pictures

2010-08-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

This was our first little bit home, we stopped in Salt Lake to visit my Grandparents...Elli's Nana and Great Papa.
Elli loved playing the piano with Nana, and wanted to watch her play. How cute is that?

Looking over at her Uncle Andrew! She was listening to him play music

Eating watermelon with Auntie Lexi
Daddy and Elli making cookies for friends when we got home to Denver. I think Elli may have shared a few germs.

This was a little bridge in Boulder called the "Little Bug Bridge"....how appropriate!
Good enough now Mom, I'm smiling! Little ham.
Eating breakfast at The Buff, in Boulder yesterday! We had such a great day! Walked around the Pearl Street mall, and had breakfast together! Now we just need to get packing, we move in 3 1/2 weeks! Yikes...I have not done anything yet!

C, M, S

2010-07-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

As Tom and I were just talking about the blog post I just wrote, he said we should change a few letters....

C- Climbing, my crazy child has figured out how to climb onto the sofa and our ottoman! OH NO! Watch out....I was hoping this day would never come!

C- Clock, my Grandmother (Elli's GIGI) has a grandfather clock that sings music on the hour and has dancing numbers, Elli loves it! Every hour Elli would squeal with excitement and RUN to the clock to dance. You know the "stake dance" turn in a circle....Elli at 16 month has it MASTERED! :D

M- Music, Elli LOVES music of any kind. She dances to any music that starts by booty dancing, or side stepping!

S- Singing/Songs- another thing Elli loves. She loves to sing songs, and woofs during How Much Is That Doggy and makes eating noises for the Dinosaur song (Tom's family song), and snaps with the Monkey Crocodile song. I will try to get this on video soon.

A-Z again....

2010-07-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Since I have been out of the "tech" world for about two months now on vacation, the easiest way to give a quick update is an A-Z.

A- All is well! We arrived back home on Monday at about 7 a.m. after driving all night...we had fun but it's always nice to be back home!
B- Bass, we have a new neighbor upstairs, I think he will drive me NUTS before we move in a month!
C- Charity! We received so much from Tom's brother Jared and his family!
D- Duncan Family Reunion, we had one...with Tom's family in Utah, it's our annual SLC trip. We had a lot of fun, going to Lagoon, the Children's Museum, The Mayan etc.
E- Eat, we ate way too much, and gained a few unwanted pounds, but we are working them off....
F- Friends, it was SO great to get together with friends while we were home, especially Gus and Mara. It's so funny how when you live close, you don't realize how nice it is, till you're gone.
G- Girls...Elliana is definitely a girl...she loves to wear my high heels (I will post a pic soon), and drag around my purse. Always pointing out her pretties (necklace) and her bows.
H- Hello, one of Elli's new favorite words, she grabs the phone and says, "ello".
I - Ice cold in Idaho! Holy cow, we had to borrow clothes from Gus and Mara for Elli because it was SO cold!!!
J- Joke, what a joke to be gone for two months....never again friends, never again!
K- Kind, though we were gone two months, we were blessed with family to take care of us!
L- Laughs, we had so many fun times and gut busting experiences!
M- Movies, we LOVED being able to go to the movies, with no sitter fee!
N- No....one of Elli's other favorite words, NO Mom! Yes, she's sassy, and my mom says I deserve it!
O- Oh...the fireworks were GREAT in IF this year, and OH is all Elli could say! They are said to be the #2 fireworks in the Nation, Philly being number1
P- Potty, we are going to start potty training soon, after Tom goes back to school and we get settled in our new home.
Q- Question; am I crazy to be moving across town? I hope not! We are moving to almost 1300 square feet for 30 dollars more a month!
R- Relaxation, is what we will be doing here for the next month til Tom starts school!
S- Swimming, is something we do often here! Elli loves it, and the pool is SO close! I will get pictures and post them soon.
T- Tom...I love you babe! So glad to spend our summer together!
U- Umbrella, we need one here in Denver, it rains almost nightly! Apparently it's....normal?
V- Very sad...Elli was very sad to leave her new friend Nathan (NA NA)...she balled when we made her leave the house!
W- Watch out world, we have a spoiled toddler in the house!
X- Xnay on nap time....NOT, well, Elli thinks it is time for no more naps, but Mommy, she still needs her nap. Hopefully it's just a "short" phase....
Y-You, hopefully you enjoyed reading this!
Z- Zoo...is a place Elli loves to be. She loves animals, especially Cows, and Dogs.

Pictures to come soon! Back to my weekly updates now that I'm back home! Love you all!

Home, Family, Sick

2010-05-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

We have arrived home as most of you probably know...it's been SO great to see family. Elli really took to her Nana (my Grandmother Jeannie) and that was so nice to see! She really loved being held and cuddled by her. She got to play with horses, Charro and Jax (post pictures soon). We stayed in Salt Lake for just over a day and saw lots of people!

We have made it to Idaho Falls as of Friday afternoon...and Elli was so excited to see her Gigi (my Grandmother Carolyn). She leaped right in her arms and snuggled her! Elli had a good evening on Friday, though she didn't get to bed till very late and slept pretty well. Poor baby doesn't know where she is; too many location changes and she is CONFUSED! Saturday, she was quite fussy and I couldn't figure it out...noticed a little rash on her, but didn't think anything of it.

Sunday Elli woke up and was running a high fever, she had that ear infection though, so I just figured the antibiotic wasn't working and we would just have the doc call in something else. Called the Doctor and they said I need to take her in to the ER, just to be sure. We ended up taking her in last night, and he said her ears were looking better, not worse. :S Know, I am peeved, confused and sad because my baby is sick and I can't help her. He said to keep pushing the Tylenol and Motrin, which we were and are doing. This morning Elli woke up early, and had a rough night sleeping, changed her diaper and she had 4 poopie diapers in a two hour stretch...this is quite abnormal for my child. I again noticed the rash, that was now little red spots, kept looking and there were more. I called my Mom and said I think we have the case solved...she came home from work, and sure enough, Elli has the Chicken Pox! She had the vaccine, and will likely just have a small case...but seriously, Chicken Pox? Aren't we on vacation?!?!

Pray for my poor baby...who is just miserable! Love you all! Pics to come soon! This picture above is not Elli, she is not in prime picture mode! :D

Really???

2010-05-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

So yesterday Elli was having a VERY rough day, and just not acting herself. She also had a bad night and didn't sleep well and only napped for less than an hour! SO not like my Elliana. So I decided to call the doctor; they of course had no appointments till this afternoon at noon. I thought she and I might both pull our hair out before then so I decided to take her to Urgent Care, almost positive the poor baby had an ear infection! We got to Urgent Care they looked and the doctor says, oh she definitely has an ear infection, it looks awful. I'm thinking, k awesome, let's get some antibiotics so we can get better before we come home. He looks at her again, and says, but I'm not going to write her a prescription, and walks out. I sit there dumbfounded for a few moments and leave...no nurses in the front area, because I probably would have said, I want a prescription. So I left.

Ended up having to stop at Target for a few things and talked to the Pharmacy there, because they know us very well! They said they have heard lots of complaints about the doc I saw. And they suggested I call the on call Doc. I did and she called in an antibiotic but wanted to see Elliana this morning. We went in and she thought the Doc was crazy to not write her a prescription and said, keep going on it, that's is one VERY bad infection! Luckily Elliana had a better night last night, still not great, and hopefully she'll keep getting better! Sometimes Doctors just kill me! No offense Tom and Dad! :D Feel better baby doll!

Playdate and Books

2010-05-15T20:01:00.001-07:00

Did you know that at the museum in the murals there are leprechauns hidden....can you find him?
Our playdate group...Aiden (sp?) who's Mom is my new friend Destri (sp?), Zhar (Jessica), Elli and Easton (sp?) who's Mom is my friend Niki. We had SO much fun and the kids were really good!
They have a kids zone where there are lots of toys for the kids to play with, Elli LOVED getting dirty, and was right in the middle of everything, here she is talking to Zhar.
Elli and Aiden
And Elli's new love of books! She must get it from her Mommy and Daddy! She loves to pull the books off her shelf and just sit in her room and read!

New Love

2010-05-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Elliana has a new love for hamburgers! She loves them...no more chicken nuggets for this baby, only hamburgers. She wants to be a big girl like mommy and daddy. One week and counting till I see my Mom! I can't wait!!!!!!!

Wrong...

2010-05-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Something is wrong my friends! Anyone who might know, please help!

I have been doing SO good; going to exercise with Tom every night, the last few nights though, when I am walking/running on the treadmill, my feet go numb and hurt. What's wrong with me? Please help! This is not fun, I'm just getting in my groove, and now my body is deciding to freak out on me.

A Mom

2010-05-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

It's days like today that I'm glad to be a mom. I don't know why, I didn't have the greatest of days, felt yucky all day, but I have had the best time with my little Elliana! She just makes me smile! She is in this new "book" stage and loves to come up to me with her book and tug on my pants til I pick her up and we read the book, cover to cover at least twice!

I love our bonding time when it's just the two of us....no interruptions, especially during our nap time that we have each afternoon! Yes, I do in fact love my baby girl with all my heart! You're the love of my life miss Elli Mae!

Love, Mommy

Easter

2010-04-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

This year for Easter we were here in Denver. We had a great time! We had lunch with a bunch of friends from the Med school and the kids had an Easter Egg Hunt. We didn't think Elli would really care much, but she LOVED it. The excitement on her face was classic, wish I would have taken the video camera it was so cute. She had a great time playing with her eggs with her friend Zhar. We got a few cute pictures thanks to Jessica! I will post them now!

Visitors, and sick...

2010-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Spring Break is already almost over, it went by WAY too fast, probably because we spent most of it very very sick. :(

Tom's parents arrived Friday night and we just hung out. We went sight seeing on Saturday, however Saturday night, Tom's mom got sick. Tom ended up getting it on Monday (the night my sister got to Denver)...and he passed it on to me. It was not a friendly illness, but is any? No, not really, but it was BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luckily Elliana did not get it, which is a blessing, because I am sure she would have ended up in the hospital.

I feel totally awful, because Alexis was here, and I didn't even really get to see her or hang out, because I was so ill. She was just here, and well, babysitting! I hope she'll come back!

As of now, we're just getting ready for Gigi and Papa to come visit and are SO excited to have them come and join us!

Elli got a great and exciting toy for Easter, she got a little outdoor sand/water toy; she LOVES to play outside, and I think this will be perfect! I will post pictures by Monday for sure!

Elli is going to go through withdrawls, when Tom goes back to school...she loves her daddy and will be sad to have him gone all day, and then to not have family here, after having so many people around for weeks, I think she may have a rough time; but we'll take it as it comes!

Till the pictures....

Tomorrow

2010-03-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

In less than 24 hours, a great thing will happen! I will finally have a husband back at home for more than a week! I can hardly stand to wait, it has been so long since I last saw Tom...I mean, yes I see him every day, for a few minutes here and there, but I don't really see him. And Sundays are always so busy with church, callings and naps of course!

I think tomorrow is going to be a long day waiting for Tom to finish with his tests...so everyone please pray for him!

Snow Day

2010-03-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is not from today, but this is what I wish we were doing...instead Tom is studying! :(

Today is a snow day....today the roads are closed. Today, I will be stuck inside all day, when I really needed to go to the store to get some groceries for dinner. Instead we will have to have something else. Today, I will be taking a nap (well, I do that most days)...Today, I need to find a babysitter.

My thoughts today, turn to my Mother. I love my Mom with all my heart! I wish I was in Idaho Falls, to give her my support today...all days really, but especially today! I am feeling kind of homesick, wanting to see my family, and play games...not cook dinner, but call my Mom and ask whats for dinner and tell her I'll be over in 5. Luckily we will have family here for the next two weeks so that will be nice. We're going to do lots of fun things....

*Going to the Olympic Training Center

*Hopefully going to the Colorado Springs Zoo

*Going to Casa Bonita (supposedly a great restaraunt here)

*Going to the US Mint

*Going to Old Chicago
*Playing LOTS and LOTS of games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Friday, the day after tomorrow, Tom's parents will be here til Tuesday. Then on Monday night my little sister Alexis flies in to spend almost a week. We will have a 4 day break and then my Grandparents will be here for just over a week! I'm so excited!

I am addicted to the show Desperate Housewives....it's ridiculous really. I saw a friend on FaceBook say how good it was, and I decided I had LOTS of alone time, with Tom always studying that I would try it out. I have finished almost 4 seasons in less than a month! It's really crazy, but it's so good, and it gives me something to do. Which is good....

Anyways, I feel like I've gone on forever, so now I will go. Miss everyone tons! Hope to see everyone soon!

Mary Poppins

2010-03-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

This past week, I went and saw Mary Poppins. I had a blast with these ladies! We went to dinner, the show and then got cheesecake afterwards! Thanks for a great time girls!

Peanut Butter

2010-03-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was busy making dinner and Elli was getting in the way, we have a VERY small kitchen, so I decided to give her some celery and peanut butter. She finished it all, and LOVED it, but was a bit messy! At least she enjoyed it!

1 Year Photos

2010-03-11T10:51:00.001-08:00

Best of Elli's 1 Year Photos are posted on my girlfriends blog.

www.flourishgallery.blogspot.com

Check them out!

A great friend...

2010-03-10T12:24:00.001-08:00

Once in a while a great friend comes along in life. I have a great friend, a best friend, a once in a lifetime friend in my friend Mara! Today I got to have a lovely chat with this great friend, and even though we are a long ways apart, it's like no time has passed since we last talked, and we can share our innermost thoughts, and there are no judgements passed, just respect for the other person and what they are going through. So, a blog post, to my once in a lifetime friend Mara! You're the best!

Zoo lights...

2010-03-10T12:23:00.003-08:00

Unfortunately I can not get my zoo lights pictures uploaded to my computer, so that will have to wait for another time....

Family Pictures

2010-03-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

This one above is my FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!

These were all done by my AMAZING friend Jessica! You can check out all of her stuff at flourishgallery.blogspot.com She is great!

Birthday!!!

2010-03-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Oh Mom....maybe this getting messy thing isn't so bad afterall. It is eve good!
Inspecting, Elli hates to get her hands dirty!
Me trying to show her, it's yummy and she should eat it!
Her own special "big girl" cake! I can't believe my baby is 1!
Tom and I got Elli a computer, so she doesn't keep trying to play with Tom's. She loves to type just like daddy!
Elli got a couple of dresses from our friends Angie and Russell and their boys.
Elli got a camera from her friend Zhar; she LOVES to say cheese.
Elli got some stacking toys that sing from her friend Tanner.
Elli got a bubble blower from her friend Mila and Bryn.
Elli got a gift certificate from her friend Krystal and Leandro and she got a shirt and some bath toys with her certificate. She also got some money from them and was able to get some blocks.

Thanks for everyone who came! We had a blast!

All backwards...

2010-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the photos that was taken today on Elli's 1st year Photo Shoot! My internet is on the fritz, so the other posts might not be til tomorrow, but will include: Birthday Party, Family Pics, Zoo Lights and more....keep looking back!

Birthday Girl

2010-02-18T15:38:00.001-08:00

Wow! I can't believe a year has come and gone! Here are some of Elli's accomplishments/milestones/and troubles...

*Pnemonia (2 times)
*RSV (2 time/hoping to avoid three right now)
*4 teeth
*ear pierced
*first flight
*curly hair
*attitude
*acid reflux
*enema for blocked intestines
*tubes put in ears (no infections since) :)
*won't sleep without her "woobie" little blankie that is flannel on one side and silk on the other, this started at like 3 months old.
*hates the car....refused to sit in her carrying car seat after like 9 months
*loves sphagettios
*loves vegetables; way more than fruit
*loves her daddy
*sat up at 4 1/2 months old
*rolled over starting at not quite 8 months
*crawling at 9 1/2 months (like a weirdo with her right leg in front of her, kind of like a monkey)
*walking at 11 months
*loves other babies
*words she says: daddy, hi, moma, buh bye, baba (bottle), thank you (signs), more, done, no, don't.
*loves to give kisses
*Had her first Upper GI ( a test to determine reflux).

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Elliana throughout the year! You are a joy to have around Elliana, and I can't imagine my life without you! I love you!
PS...Mara haven't had her party yet, will post pics! Don't worry!

Build A Bear, Rodizio, TV, Taxes

2010-02-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, so pictures first, then the explanations!

So, we went to the Rodizio, a glorious, wonderful restraunt! It was outstanding, below is a list of things you can eat! The appetizers are amazing, the meats are amazing, and let's be honest, who's going to eat salad at a place like this! But they are good!

Elli's Build A Bear Bunny Pinkie, from Grandpa B and Grandma J! Elliana loves this Bunny and insists on taking it with us everywhere we go! In the car, Pinkie comes, in the store, she comes...otherwise we have a tantrum, and lets be honest, we'd rather have her happy then throwing a tantrum!

Tom and I did our taxes while my Dad was here and we decided that it was time for a new TV...not a used one, or one that was SUPER old ,but something nice and new and pretty! Behold, our lovely 42 inch LCD flat panel 1080 P TV. It is wonderful! It took us awhile to get one that would work properly, but we now have it and it's awesome! The TV we got, when turned off had no sound. You had to restart the TV and cable box in order to get sound. We returned it (after much guff from the store, Sam's because we aren't on my parents membership)...got TV 2, believe it or not, SAME problem, by this time I am VERY upset!!! Go looking for a new TV alone while Elli is home sleeping and Tom is studying. I find that no one has ever heard of such a problem and am made to look like an idiot, which I'm not. Decide that we'll try another of the same TV, and WAHLA; it works and it's wonderful! We spoiled ourselves, and now we need to pay the bills.... :(

Meats

As a result of our slow roasting and seasoning process, our rotisserie grilled meats melt in your mouth, satisfying even the most discriminating taste bud. We cut thin for tenderness and flavor.

BEEF

Picanha (Pea-con-yah) Top Sirloin, a very lean, juicy cut

Picanha Com Alho (Pea-con-yah com Al-yo) Top Sirloin basted in garlic seasonings

Fraldinha (Frall-ding-yah) Beef Tender, our most flavorful and tender cut of beef

Assado (Ah-saw-dough) Brazilian Pot Roast served with potatoes, carrots and onions

Alcatra (Al-cah-tra) Chef's Special - Rotisserie grilled Whole Sirloin.

POULTRY

Peru Com Bacon (Pay-roo com Bacon) Lean, juicy turkey breast wrapped in bacon

Sobre Coxa (So-bree Co-shah) Marinated & Seasoned Chicken Thighs

Coracão (Ko-da-son) Tender chicken hearts seasoned and grilled…a Brazilian favorite

Frango Agri-Doce (Frango Awh-gree Do-see) Sweet and spicy chicken covered in a flavorful sauce.

PORK

Linguiça (Ling-we-sah) A very mild and flavorful Brazilian sausage

Lombo (Lome-bow) Marinated Pork Loin

Presunto (Pray-zoon-toe) A lean cut of Ham grilled to perfection

Grandma J and Grandpa B come to visit!

2010-02-15T08:28:00.001-08:00

Elli got to celebrate her birthday a little early, we got this amazing cake from Costco, a Red Velvet Cream Cheese cake, it cost $20, but man was it good! Elli was not so sure she wanted to touch it, she hates to get her hands dirty, but after a bit, she learned, oh wow, this is good!

Elli got spoiled with presents from Grandma and Grandpa, and her Great Grandparents too! She is a lucky girl to have so many people who love her!
The amazing, spectacular twenty dollar cake before we eat it! :D
This was a Christmas present (above) from her Grandma J and Grandpa B! She is just getting big enough to enjoy it, and have the chance to drive me nuts with the music! Thanks Mom and Dad!

I think we wore Grandpa right out...he had only been here a couple of hours, and he was out like a light! This is the night my parents got her, and Elli is loving all the attention! She also got this cute little tails quiet book that she LOVES! Thanks for coming Mom and Dad, it was great to have you!

Christmas 2...

2010-02-15T08:23:00.001-08:00

These are our adventures Christmas day at the Duncan household! They LOVE to get freezing cold and go sledding! This is not my favorite activity; but I am trying to learn so that my daughter can enjoy it! Elli wasn't SUPER fond of the time, but loved being with her daddy...shocker, I know! Overall it was fun, plus when we got done Mom made us all homemade hot chocolate that was TO DIE for! This is the end of our Christmas of 2009!

Christmas...yes, I know it's a little late

2010-02-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

This is at my families Christmas Eve party, the 2 dollar gift exchange! Elli got some cute little stuffed animal magnets for the fridge! She loves them....but hates them on the fridge!

This is Elli Christmas morning in her new Christmas jammies and yes, her hair is done! We honestly do nothing unless our hair is done!!! :D This is being retared....okay, so the picture to the left is my Mom and Elli. Don't kill me Mom, you look GREAT! :D Elli was spoiled rotten as you can imagine and she got this adorable Cabbage Patch doll. Betty Katherine I believe is her name! She LOVES that doll.

New post, since these pictures are being dumb!