The Whiteakers

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2009-11-01T15:29:00.005-07:00

ARGHHHH!!!!!!

Here are pictures I took during my fall break. We stayed in the house for two days!

This is the most snow we have seen while living here in Denver. Today just a few days later most of the snow in the sun is gone. Luckily the temp has been in the 5o s and 60s the last three days.

Halloween weekend

2009-11-01T15:26:00.007-07:00

These are the only pictures we got of the girls. Emmery was a ladybug. Ellice was a cowgirl.

We had a fun night. The weather was great.

Fall in Denver

2009-11-01T15:19:00.003-07:00

Fall in Denver is supposed to be one of the best times to be here. Last fall it was beautiful. This fall I wouldn't go straight to beautiful. We have had 4 snows this fall. This day was the pumpkin harvest at the Littleton Museum. It was freezing. We didn't stay long...just long enough to pick our pumpkins and take a quick look around. By the time we left Emmery was crying and Ellice was whining. We did get a few good pics.

2009-11-01T14:59:00.007-07:00

Ellice started soccer this fall she is on the polka dots. She plays for CO Storm. As you can see she is a full head taller than everyone on her team. We have heard a lot of "talk" reguarding her height and "how old is that girl????" She is oblivious of course and has a blast playing soccer. It is fun watching her play her games.

OK I know I am a blogger slacker. I had 3 days off during my fall break and didn't update it then so I am trying to do it on a Sunday afternoon while Ross watches football, Ellice paints a picture, and Emmery sleeps. We have had a wild and crazy fall. I started teaching in August and it has been non stop since. We moved last month to a house in denver. We like it very much but miss the neighbors we met at our old home.

Summer fun

2009-07-22T19:28:00.011-06:00

We have been able to do a few things this summer and are grateful for the time we get. Roger and Brenda came up for the 4th of July weekend and we had a great time. The very next weekend we met my mom, dad, and aunt & uncle in Canon City CO. We stayed at Yogi Bear's camp ground and visited the Royal Gorge. My aunt and uncle were entered in a home made ice cream contest. We had a great time tasting different home made ice cream and voting for (of course my aunt and uncle's) ice cream. We were also able to go camping this last weekend and had a great time (if you don't include using smelly bathrooms and sleeping on the ground...always the down side of camping.) The girls had a blast playing in the dirt, creek, and just enjoying the fresh air. The weather was perfect.

The girls and I also did VBS this week (which makes me miss FUMC Carlsbad very much) We were on a Safari and they did face panting during crafts. Ellice was a tiger and a cheetah.

McAllen at Missa's

2009-07-01T15:04:00.002-06:00

We also spent time with Melissa, Colin, and the girls while in McAllen. We had a great time. The girls played and even had a water balloon fight. We spent a lot of time in the sun and water. Thanks Melissa, Colin, and girls for a great week!

At the beach

2009-07-01T15:01:00.003-06:00

My dad and Bonnie took us down to South Padre Island while we were visiting. The girls had a blast. Thanks for the fun week dad!

Family Reunion

2009-07-01T14:51:00.005-06:00

Dickerson Reunion was short and sweet. We were at MO Ranch in Hunt TX and had a great time here are some pics.

Dickerson Cousins: Michelle, Melissa, Hallie, Kimberly, Chas, and Jaclyn.

Natalya, Ellice, Nonnie, Andrea, Emmery, and Daniella

Aunt Missa and Emmers

More Cousins...

Pool time!

Ellice and Hallie

Some summer time fun!

2009-07-01T14:42:00.002-06:00

Ellice took some classes at Bass Pro Shop. She earned badges on Insects, Camping, Hunting, Plants. Here she is posing with them. Such drama!

Ross and Ellice before the UP 3D ...I guess it was a good movie. Ellice asked if we could buy it when it comes out and Ross cried.

Ellice's big girl haircut!

2009-05-27T14:58:00.003-06:00

All her hair!!!

Ellice wanted a summer hair cut. She told us what she wanted and we took her to get it cut....she was much more brave than her daddy who kept asking "Ellice are you sure you want to cut that much hair?" After being annoyed by his questions he said okay and she got it cut. She looks like such a big girl! Here are the pics!

Van Soest Family comes to Denver!

2009-05-27T14:55:00.003-06:00

The Van Soest's came to visit us in Denver. We had a great time at Casa Bonita. Ellice was so excited to see Reagan but also very sad to see her go.

Emmery 16 months

2009-05-08T16:08:00.003-06:00

Emmery is 16 months today she is growing into such a beautiful little girl. We can't decide who she looks like. Some days we see Ellice other days we see Melissa. Mostly we just see Emmery. She is becoming more independent, she doesn't like the highchair so we have put her on a booster at the table, she wants to do everything "sis sis" does. If Ellice is outside she wants to be outside, if Ellice is playing with dolls or her puppies (Sarah and Lucy) Emmery wants to play too. Ellice is pretty good at taking care of her little sister but gets annoyed occasionally.

She eats everything we eat. She, like her sister, is not crazy about meat but they eat those veggies and dairy! We see more and more of her personality everyday. Ross was telling me just last night how she teases him by pushing away with her feet when he is changing her diaper.

Her vocabulary has blossomed the last month and she can say: Mama, Dada, sis sis, keys, wash, Ellice, ball, uh-oh, cracker, wa-wa (water), juice, thank to (thank you), more, MINE, uh-huh (yes), uh-uh (no), bye bye, eat, hat, eyes, nose, walk, baby, book, ball, shoes, Papa, Nonnie, Pops, Nanny, boon (balloon), baa tim (bath time), teeth, gocks (socks), quack, boo, goggie (doggie), hi, helwoow (hello), ouch, owie, biaper (diaper), toes, and tickle tickle (she does a really cute thing with her tongue when she says tickle tickle.)

It seems each day she says a new word and can repeat so many things. We love to watch her learn. She understands so much it is funny and sad how much you forget with your first. As hard as we try to remember to keep those precious things they do we lose it. Somewhere in the midst of our daily lives we forget the things they did and didn't do. I can remember rocking Ellice thinking I never want to forget how this feels and yet I can only remember how it feels to hold her now. I know years from now I will try to remember what it was like when she let me hold her at all.

I want to remember what if feels like to hold Emmers and how she snuggles into my neck. The way she smells, and the things she does and says.

16 months I can't believe how time flies by...."Like sand through the hour glass so are the days of our lives"...I don't watch that soap opera I did for a while in college so I thought I would leave you with a smile and a cheesy quote! (I am laughing at myself right now...so you can too!)

2009-04-16T12:30:00.002-06:00

Here is a video of Ellie sledding just down the street from our home. Hope you have as much fun watching this as we do.

He has risen indeed!

2009-04-16T10:39:00.004-06:00

I have decided it is impossible to get a picture with the girls together. Emmery just won't stay still! Easter Sunday was a good day. The weather did not permit us to hunt eggs but we were able the day before. It was cold and rainy. The girls looked great in their dresses. Thanks to my mom (Nonnie) for making them. They were the talk of the nursery. Emmery got LOTS of looks and comments on our way out of church. We missed our family but overall we had a great day as we celebrated the resurrection of our LORD!

Ellice crashed on the couch after our yummy lunch. So did the rest of the family!

2009-04-16T10:29:00.002-06:00

We had an Easter Egg hunt Saturday evening with our small group at church. Here are the girls with all the boys and their lute. This is the only time we will ever get a picture with all of them still! It was a beautiful day...unlike Easter.

Ellice was such a good big sister. She helped her sister find eggs and gave her some of hers too!

Emmers and Ellie

2009-04-16T10:21:00.002-06:00

Getting dressed can be tricky work!

Emmery plays so hard with her sister that this day she sat in her chair and fell asleep. So cute we couldn't move her.

Welcome Spring!????

2009-03-31T10:13:00.003-06:00

We have been told that March is usually the month Denver gets the most snow. Most of March has been nice but here is a little of that snow we have heard so much about. We are ready for warm weather!

Some how Ross has become the neighbor all the kids want to play with. He is helping them build a fort for a snowball fight. I stayed inside and baked cookies for them.

2009-03-16T09:46:00.003-06:00

One of the free things we like to do is go to the wild life refuge. It is 25 square miles of protected prairie lands and wild life in the middle of the city, literally 13 miles from downtown. Ellice found 6 of the wild life on her list yesterday. We hiked, had a picnic, and did a craft at the visitors cent

er. It was a great day with great weather.

Playing hard is dirty work

2009-03-16T09:30:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures of Ellice after playing outside with boys...she smelled like one too!

Ellice 4 1/2 years

2009-03-16T09:15:00.002-06:00

Ellice is 4 1/2 years old and doesn't miss the opportunity to tell people. She continues to grow and change. Lately her big thing is being "fancy" she wants to pick out her own clothes and what to put in her hair. Some days it looks good other days...well...its developing her style. I have to get over her looking just right and allow her to do things on her own. Most of the time she does a good job and I am just glad she is able to do things on her own.

We have her signed up for spring soccer. The soccer association we have her signed up in just introduces the basics one hour on Saturday mornings. It is not really a game the team (all girls) just plays games that introduce skills and towards the end they usually play 3 on 3. It is fun to watch. We have also signed up (through parks and rec) for both the girls to go to gymnastics. Ellice is looking forward to doing gymnastics again. She liked it very much in Carlsbad. The nice thing about living in a city are all the opportunities the kids have to do things that don't cost too much.

Emmery 14 months!

2009-03-16T09:04:00.002-06:00

Emmery is 14 months. She is walking, talking, and showing us just what a big girl she is. She watches Ellice and wants to do things that she does. When Ellice is outside playing with the neighbors she stands at the back door crying, or waving and saying "hi". She has (unfortunately) found that a drink (or "ink") with a straw is usually better than her milk or water. We sing a bath time song and she loves to sing over and over "bat ti doo doo doo." She knows what she wants is pretty vocal about when she wants it...hopefully this is just the stage that all babies go through and not a sign of what is to come.

Emmery's one year Birthday

2009-01-29T19:13:00.003-07:00

We celebrated Emmery's birthday this month and she had a ball. We had pizza, cake, and ice cream. She actually ate her cake and made a mess! I can't believe how much things have changed in just a year! We have a different life here in Denver and miss many things that we had back home...but we like many things here too.

Emmery is walking...some...she could do it all the time if she wanted but she still crawls most of the time. She says many words and mimics a lot of sounds she hears us make. She watches Ellice for clues on how to act and what to do! We love watching her learn and grow!

2009-01-29T19:10:00.002-07:00

The warm weather in Carlsbad at Christmas meant Ellice was able to play outside, play with cousins, and eat a Snow to Go snow cone.

2009-01-29T19:03:00.002-07:00

Ellice was able to go out to Bill and Cindy Travelstead's home and ride a horse while we were home at Christmas.

She had a blast and told her daddy that she wants a horse when he gets out of school...I am hoping she forgets before he is done.

Christmas photos

2009-01-29T18:54:00.003-07:00

I know its late...really late ...but better late than never.

Emmery's One Year Photo

2009-01-20T20:31:00.003-07:00

I had some pictures of Emmery taken for her one year birthday.

Here they are!

Gingerbread House

2008-12-14T19:21:00.003-07:00

We worked on a gingerbread house. Ellice had fun and ate a lot of icing and gum drops!

Cherry Creek

2008-12-14T19:15:00.003-07:00

Here are some pictures of Cherry Creek, which is close to our house. It is not frozen but looks very pretty right now.

sledding

2008-12-14T18:56:00.007-07:00

Today Ross and Ellice went sledding. The temperature was a warm and cozy 3 degrees! Ellice had a grand time and even said words like"Wee Haa" and "Yee Haa!" Emmery and I stayed in the truck. She slept and I looked over some lessons plans (I start a long term sub job tomorrow). Ross and Ellice would come warm up in the truck and then go out to play again. They had a great time. Here are some videos...enjoy!

Emmery 11 months

2008-12-08T11:20:00.003-07:00

Emmery is 11 months old today. I can not believe she is growing so fast. I think I say that every month but it is true. She has two teeth (working on three), trying to stand on her own, and saying things...not always sure what they are but definitely starting to communicate. She points to everything new and says "whasdat" we think she is asking "what's that?" She holds the phone and says "HI" over and over. She loves people and any time we go somewhere she gets all the attention. She smiles, waves, says hi, and sometimes blows kisses especially to older men and women. On our way home last week she even got a kiss from a lady. I am still surprised when people feel comfortable enough to kiss a child they don't know but it happened with Ellice and now Emmery. She was kind and even said "God bless you" after she kissed her.

She has begun to win the hearts of the women in the church nursery because she is so happy. Ross went to pick her up in the nursery and teased him by reaching for him and turning back to the lady in the nursery and putting her head on her shoulder. She did this to him a couple of times before she finally reached for him for good.

Emmery enjoying daddy's egg nog ice cream.

"The Nutcracker" Colorado Ballet

2008-12-08T11:09:00.002-07:00

Ellice and I waiting for the light rail (the train system)

Ellice at the ballet with her ballerina "Sally"

Ellice, Cassidy, and Jamie

Cassidy is the daughter of a friend and team mate of Deb Bennett's, Jamie is the daughter of Deb's. We all went to the ballet together. We rode the light rail downtown, had lunch, watched the ballet, stopped by to see Santa (Ellice did not want to talk to him), and had hot chocolate and coffee. We had a great day! Ellice used her best manners and showed me just how big she can be.

The ballet was a matinee and was filled with little girls in Christmas dresses and their moms and grandmothers. There were a few men and little boys dispersed through the crowd but the majority were females. The whole experience was great and very kid friendly...I heard the staff talking to several girls (including Ellice) complementing them on their dresses and how pretty they looked.

Denver Light Parade

2008-12-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Court house

2008-12-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

Ellice waving to Santa

The big guy and the last float!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

For family that want to see how (and where) I decorated for Christmas.

Yes that is a REAL fire that I started (with out Ross' help!)

Leg lamp. Yes it is like the one from "The Christmas Story" I have Roger and Brenda to thank for this beauty. Ross loves it...me not so much...maybe it will get broken while I am cleaning :)! Only kidding...sort of...

Thanksgiving weekend

2008-12-08T10:48:00.001-07:00

Pops and Emmery

Nonnie and Emmery

The only pictures I got the whole weekend...I know....I should have taken more. I guess we were to busy.

Blue Marker

2008-12-08T10:44:00.002-07:00

Emmery found Ellice's blue marker, got the lid off, and managed to eat it while I went down stairs to change the laundry! Thankfully they were non-toxic.

A few more pics...

2008-11-14T11:39:00.005-07:00

Peek A Boo!

She loves her walker. She pushes it until something gets in her way and she has to stop.

Ellice in her "club house" right outside our door.

Emmery fell asleep in her high chair after breakfast one morning. I was so excited to get a picture like this. Ellice never fell asleep in her high chair.

First Denver Snow

2008-11-14T11:19:00.003-07:00

We woke up to snow this morning, not much but enough for Ellice and Ross to have a snow ball "fight" and play hide and seek. Apparently it is pretty late in the season for the first snow. It of course feels early to us. Ellice wanted to watch a Christmas movie this morning and said its "Christmas time! I guess we just skipped over Thanksgiving."

By noon most of the snow will be gone and it will be in the 60s this weekend. Sounds like the weather we have in New Mexico...not Denver.

Emmery 10 months

2008-11-14T11:13:00.003-07:00

Emmery is 10 m0nths old and doing new things everyday. In addition to mama and dada she has started saying "sis sis" when she sees Ellice and last night she said "bth" (bath) over and over in the bath tub.

Halloween

2008-10-31T22:20:00.004-06:00

We went to the Children's Museum for the "Trick or Treat Street" The had candy houses (houses set up with volunteers handing out candy and healthy snacks), art projects, games, and a lot of fun things kids can explore and touch. We had a good time and Ellice loved it. We came home and Ellice went trick or treating around the house. She came home with a TON (not literally) of candy, most of which she received in our neighborhood. I think people were winding down and giving out handfuls of candy. I will have to get rid of some when she is not looking or Ross and I will end up eating it. The girls were adorable. Emmery was a flower and Ellice was a fairy. Here are some pics.

Girls Weekend

2008-10-31T22:01:00.003-06:00

The girls and I met my mom, sister, Whitney (my friend since childhood) and her girls Mylie and Coley, and Jo (Whitney's mom and my mom's friend) at Jo's home in Albuquerque. We had a good time talking and catching up. It was great just spending time with friends and family. The moms even let us go shopping...Whitney and I were tired after a while and we came home...I know it is pathetic...but we had a good time anyway.

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

2008-10-17T22:01:00.002-06:00

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

2008-10-17T21:36:00.004-06:00

Bobbing for apples...the germ free way!
Hay Ride

All five cousins (getting a picture is harder than you might think!)
On the train with cousins is so much fun.

Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Lucy, Ellice, and Charlie...Snoopy was taking a break...
Emmery outside the most sincere pumpkin patch

We met Ross' brother and family down in Durango. We took a train ride to the most sincere pumpkin patch. Everything was geared to kids and their families. They gave the kids a bag to "trick or treat" for candy, had games, activities, and a pumpkin for every child. They even played the story "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" We had a great time and were sad to leave.

Emmery 9 months

2008-10-17T21:22:00.003-06:00

Emmery is growing. Before we know it we will be celebrating her 1st birthday. She is crawling, pulling up, into everything and putting it in her mouth. She has started waving and (we think) she says "ha da da" translation...hi dad da. Ross and I have caught her more than once eating left over yogurt out of the carton which has been in the trash. Ross has lovingly named her our junk yard dog.

This is her nine month photo. We celebrated with shots for both girls (Ellice got 4, Emmery 1), and Ross' truck breaking down and towing it to a shop. Both vehicles have been in the shop...this last week both at the same time. The car has been in twice in the last month. All is back to normal and Ellice said that it felt better to have everything back to normal. Now we should be good to go!

Farm House

2008-10-17T21:08:00.003-06:00

BAAAAAD BOY
1860 Farm house
School House
1890 School House

We try to find fun and free things to do with the girls, luckily there are lots of options in the area. Ellice likes this museum so much we have been three times. There is a farm houses (1860 and a 1890), school house, ice house, garden, black smith shop, and barn. Ellice often plays Little House on the prairie. She is Laura and sometimes Mary, Emmery is baby Carrie, Ross is Pa, and I am Ma of course. We went today, they were pressing apples and making apple cider the kid friendly and the adult friendly. Ellice tried the apple cider and loved it. It was quite tasty!

2008-09-28T22:29:00.000-06:00

Fall in the Rockies

2008-09-28T22:20:00.003-06:00

We went on a little drive to see the leaves changing color. It was beautiful. This is Boreas Pass. The aspens were a vibrant yellow. The weather has been perfect the last week and everyone says now is the best time to see the colors. I am still a little partial to a hike in McKittrick Canyon.

Where is Emmery?

2008-09-28T22:15:00.003-06:00

Emmery doesn't play in the exer-saucer anymore...but she she crawled under it...She is growing fast and her hair is growing too. Now if she would start sleeping through the night again we would be in good shape.

2008-09-17T17:46:00.014-06:00

Here are a few reasons why Ross can adjust to Colorado. I took the first pic. I got him to look at me by doing a "cow call" (for those who are not elk savvy a cow is a female elk. I made a cow call by making a noise that sounds like a cow elk) Are you impressed??? I wouldn't be either!

Ross took the others. He was less than 20 feet away from them. Ellice thought it was pretty cool!

Emmery and I stayed in the car.

2008-09-17T17:46:00.013-06:00

We took a "short" trip to the mountains. Estes Park is about 1 1/2 hours from the house. We drove around a lot that day (I am not fond of mountain roads) and Ross was in the mood to see where this road leads...needless to say we drove around a good part of the day. I packed a picnic lunch and we stopped to eat. All in all it was a good day. We did stop in Estes Park and had some ice cream before we went home.

2008-09-17T17:46:00.008-06:00

Emmery has been crawling for a couple of weeks. We are just now getting video...I know we are bad...it pretty much coincided with the move. Glad our new place has brand new carpet. It is amazing how much better she gets with each new day. Today she crawled into the bathroom while I was in the shower...she wanted in too! When do moms get privacy??? I guess I will wait until the girls are gone ...or too embarrassed to come in. By then I might think privacy is overrated.

2008-09-17T17:46:00.004-06:00

Silly faces after the picnic. It was Ellice's idea to make silly faces and take pics...I am sure Ross will appreciate me sharing his pic with you....I didn't share mine hehehe!!!

wrong goal...but it's still a gooooal!

2008-09-09T18:40:00.004-06:00

The coaches had the kids play some little games (foxes and hairs, etc) and then the kids played 1 on 1. Ellice was almost beside herself with excitement when they lined up for 1 on 1. As you can see the other little girl didn't quite know what was going on. Ellice decided she didn't want to quit so she kept the ball and took it back to her goal. It was great fun.

After 1 on 1 they devided up for 3 on 3. Ellice and another girl were competing for the ball the whole time. They were on the same team and Ellice took the ball from the other girl several times. We will have to teach her about passing the ball.

soccer stance...

2008-09-06T12:04:00.002-06:00

It is fall in Denver! And a little chilly in the morning (50 degrees this morning). The leaves are starting to change too. Here is Emmery covered up in a blanket. She just woke up from a little nap.

Ellice is holding her ball in place.

Soccer

2008-09-06T11:54:00.004-06:00

Ellice had her first soccer "game" Saturday morning. She is in the Grasshopper group...all girls...They had a blast. The coach let them play games and then they played 3 on 3. She scored twice...once in the wrong goal...once in the right goal. She met a little friend right away and her parents were very friendly and we exchanged numbers. A great day...

Home sweet home

2008-09-06T11:36:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics of our new home. We were not able to move into the family housing on campus ( long story) so Ross and I got on Craig's list and found this townhome. It has two bedrooms upstairs and a basement down. Ellice is starting out great. She is outside having a puppet show on our back porch with 6 kids from the neighborhood!!!

4th of July FUN

2008-07-11T20:00:00.002-06:00

4th July

2008-07-11T19:34:00.002-06:00

Singing Happy Birthday to Matthew!
Fun with sparklers and fireworks.

4th of July means hamburgers, hot dogs, homemade ice cream, lemonade, fireworks, homemade ice cream, playing in the water, homemade ice cream, and family.

2008-07-11T19:24:00.003-06:00

Here Ellice is helping at the merry-go-round/teeter totter. She doesn't get on anymore...she flew off early this spring. She kept telling her daddy to go faster until it was too fast and she went flying off horizontal to the ground...mouth and nose full of dirt and scrapes from head to toe.

ROCKET SLIDE

2008-07-11T19:15:00.003-06:00

Here are the girls growling like Maggie the bear

Here's Maggie...terribly frightened by their growling...
Daddy time, Uncle Ross time, and Cross time. Hallie use to call Ross "Cross" she no longer does that but we still think it's cute.

2008-07-11T19:12:00.001-06:00

"Baby Emmery" got lots of attention

A week with family

2008-07-11T19:09:00.002-06:00

Melissa, Colin and the girls came to town. Here are the girls playing in the water.

Sitting alone!

2008-06-28T16:27:00.002-06:00

Sitting alone!!! Already??? I can't believe how quick time is going.

Aunt Missa, Colin, and the girls came to town this week and Aunt Missa is getting her baby love...

Elitch Amusement Park

2008-06-28T16:16:00.003-06:00

Some more pics from our vacation. On our way to the amusement park we passed the Bronco stadium (the hated rivals of the KC Chiefs) and Ross and Ellice did the Tomahawk Chop as we passed....he is training her early!

Denver Zoo

2008-06-28T16:07:00.003-06:00

We went to look at a Seminary in Denver and did a little vacation stuff too! Looks Like Ross will be attending Iliff Seminary in September. He really liked the school and the people there. I will be looking for a job too. Keep us in your prayers as we begin to make this journey!

Here are some pics of us at the Denver Zoo. The weather was GREAT! We had a good time. Ellice was most impressed with the Giraffes.

Princess Emmery

2008-06-28T16:04:00.000-06:00

A visit from the Hicks

2008-06-28T15:38:00.004-06:00

Whitney, Mylie, and Coley stopped in Carlsbad for a visit. We all had a good time and Ellice got to play with "Mylers". They enjoyed playing in the water and eating gold fish while "watching" a movie. We had a great time and I was sad to say goodbye.

2008-06-09T18:57:00.000-06:00

more pics of the girls.

2008-06-09T18:47:00.003-06:00

Summer time for us in the land of dusty roads means...100 degree plus temps, late nights, busy days, daddy gone, and playing in the water. Ellice loves playing outside but only when she can get cooled off with some water!

2008-06-09T17:44:00.003-06:00

Emmery is 5 months old. I can't believe she is growing so fast. She has really started interacting with us. She loves her big sister and any time Ellice is around she is watching every move she makes. Ellice can also make her laugh the hardest.

She is mimicking sounds, reaching and getting things, laughing, rolling over, and we are seeing the beginnings of her trying to sit alone. She likes to stand (with our help of course) and look in the mirror. She recognizes people she knows and she knows her name. She is getting big and has started eating baby food. She is such a good baby and a blessing from God. He has blessed us with such wonderful little girls.

New Bike

2008-04-15T11:38:00.003-06:00

Ellice got a new bike! She was too big for her old one so she picked this one out. It is hot pink and "rides fast". She also got a new helmet. She even tried it out by banging her head on the sidewalk..."see it keeps my head from getting hurt"!

3 months

2008-04-15T11:10:00.003-06:00

Emmery's 3 month photo.

She is growing so quickly. She is laughing, smiling, and showing a little of her personality!

2008-04-03T13:54:00.003-06:00

Easter was cold and misty in Carlsbad so we didn't get many good pics. We didn't even hunt eggs! I have also included some pics from Palm Sunday. Ellice sang in church and they had a palm processional. She was very cute.

2008-02-24T10:59:00.002-07:00

For Marsha...
with love

2008-02-21T19:21:00.005-07:00

These pictures are Emmery's one month photo. Our friend Brad Trone came to our home and took all of them. I don't have one favorite I love them all. Emmery is growing so quickly and I will be going back to work in a couple of weeks. Ellice is learning new things all the time and is getting the hang of being a big sister.

sisters

2008-01-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Sisters have a special bond. I look forward to the girls loving and protecting one another. I love my sister and cherish the times we spend together. The picture of the girls looking at each other is something I hope I never forget...at one point the were both sucking their thumbs and looking at each other...precious.

2008-01-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Emmery was born on January 08, 2008. 8:33 AM

7lbs, 10 oz

19 3/4 inches long.

The big day was exciting. Ross and I had to be at the hospital at 7am to prep me for the C-Section. When Emmery was born and being taken up to OB the whole family was waiting and got to see her. The Dr. asked if Ellice would like to touch her...Ellie said "no I've been sucking my thumb" ( we had been talking about hygiene with a new baby) She ended up giving her little sister a kiss. I wish I could have been there. I was being stitched up and waiting in recovery.

It was a great day. God blessed us with another precious little girl. My heart over flows with joy.

2007-12-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple of opportunities to show off our singing skills this Christmas season. We first went to Landsun homes and sang with the Adult choir at church. We also had a Christmas Program at Church and her preschool program. We have been busy! She has been learning new songs for each. I think one of her favorites is "HE IS HERE!"

2007-12-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

A cool stroll through the Living Desert Friday program. Ellice was posing for the camera as we left that morning. She got the chance to lead the song during the circle time. We took a long walk that morning and daddy ended up carrying her part way. We love our Fridays off with her!

Fall Fun

2007-11-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Fall was a very busy time for us this year. Here are some pics of Ellice at the pumpkin patch. She picked out her Jack O Lantern Pumpkin. When we carved her pumpkin she cried because she didn't like the gooey stuff. When daddy told her he would get out all the "yucky" stuff she cheered up and had a great time. We also made a "from scratch" pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and used one of the pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.
Ellice wanted to be a witch for Halloween...she was the cutest we had ever seen.

2007-10-16T12:51:00.000-06:00

On Friday's we take Ellice to the Preschool Program at The Living Desert Zoo. The have a group time and sing songs, read books, have puppet shows, and other really fun things. Ellice recently memorized a song about the great state of NM. She sings " I'm from the land of dusty roads, rattlesnakes, and horny toads...it never rains, it never snows, but the wind it always blows...New Mexico we love you so, we love you so New Mexico.

After the group time the take us through certain parts of the park. We usually look at animals that we learned about. Her friend Reagan goes too and they have a great time.

After the tour through the park they have a craft. Here is Ellice coloring...I love her concentration face!

2007-10-16T12:44:00.000-06:00

One of Ellice's favorite places is the Public Library. As you can see from the picture above she gets her reading skills from me!

Daddy Mountain is one she always finds to check out!

Circus Fun with friends

2007-09-13T10:25:00.000-06:00

Ellice, Ross, and I were invited to go to the Circus

with her friend Regan and her parents, Greg and Delaina. We went

to Pizza Inn and had pizza before we went. The girls were so excited I don't think they ate a whole piece between the two of them! The girls had the whole "experience" they rode the ponies and the the elephant, ate cotton candy, and stayed up way to late on a "school night"! Not to mention mom and dad spending way too much money on all those things :) ! We had fun and we love the time we can spend with her and her precious friend Regan! Ross and I pray for her friends and that they would be ordained by him, God is already answering that prayer, Regan, Greg, and Delaina are wonderful God loving people!

3rd Birthday

2007-09-13T10:16:00.000-06:00

Ellice's 3rd Birthday was a lot of fun. She had a Hello Kitty Party and her cousins Ashton, Rylee, and Taryn were in town. She had loads of gifts including the surprise swing set daddy put together all day the day of her party...up until the time everyone started arriving! We had all the men out there at the last minute putting it together. They got it put up before she arrived with Nonnie. I think it was the hottest day of the summer too! It was 108 degrees! I was in a panic because the icing was melting off the cake...but I stuck it in the refrigerator and all was well. It was a crazy day but all in all we had a blast and we pulled it off without a hitch!

Sea World Summer Vacation

2007-08-22T11:39:00.000-06:00

Our Sea World summer vacation was so much fun...with the exception of the bout of sickness both Ellice and Ross had...

We started out riding some rides. Ellice and Ross rode the Shamu Express...her first roller coaster! She loved it. She was a little hesitant at first but jumped right in and loved it. She takes after her mom and dad...we love roller coasters too!

We watched the Shamu show. She was waiting for something exciting to happen but after Shamu jumped out of the water a couple of times and splashed the people sitting in the "splash zone" she was ready to go.

We fed the dolphins and she thought it was fun to see them up close and personal!

We had some lunch and she picked out a lollipop (nearly the size of her face) at the candy store. We had several comments and smiles as they watched her licking her lollipop and getting blue sticky stuff ALL OVER HER FACE.

We had fun and she is still talking about Sea World...she is ready to go back...

2007-08-09T11:33:00.000-06:00

The 4th of July! Ellice set off fireworks and we watched the firework show that night. She Loved the "snapper" fireworks that she could step on and would make noise.

Wedding Weekend

2007-07-02T12:08:00.000-06:00

Wedding Weekend with Mom, Ellice, Missa, Whitney, and Mylie. We had a busy but great time. We even found time to make bows for our girls! Ellice loved being at Whitney's house with "Mylers" and even wanted to "go back to Whitney's house." I told her we couldn't go back right now but we will see Whitney and Mylie soon...and we can't wait.

2007-07-02T12:00:00.000-06:00

Mother's Day Picture by Brad Trone. I love these pictures of her!

2007-07-02T11:49:00.000-06:00

Our friend Brad took these pictures of Ellice. I thought he did a great job. Ross surprised me with these pictures of Ellie for Mother's Day.

2007-04-11T11:50:00.000-06:00

"Missa" cleaning Ellice's teeth. We weren't sure how she would do but she did perfectly! Missa showed her some toys she could pick from after she cleaned her teeth. Needless to say Ellice was eager to get her teeth cleaned and pick out her toy. Melissa said she opened wide and let her clean, polish, and do the fluoride treatment.

2007-04-11T11:45:00.000-06:00

Ellice was a flower girl. She looked so beautiful and did a wonderful job.

2007-04-11T11:34:00.000-06:00

Picking up Easter Eggs!

Easter

2007-04-09T14:56:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed our Easter together. It was cold outside but we had a great Easter. She was into taking pictures. "Lets take one more." Here is our best silly face. We talked to Ellie about why we celebrate Easter and that Jesus is alive and he lives in our hearts. Now when we ask her where Jesus lives she says "in my heart, and in mommy's heart, and in daddy's heart!"She is such a blessing.

2007-02-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

We saw Grandpa in January at "Missa's" house in Lubbock. The weather was bad..ice storm..but we spent time with each other and had fun. Grandpa gave Ellice "mad money" now when she sees a dollar bill she asks "is this my mad money? my Ganpa gave me mad money."

Christmas 2006

2007-02-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2006! Ellice was very excited and as you can see quite a ham. Christmas morning she said "Jesus made the sun come up!" When asked if she wanted to go see what Santa had brought her she said no...she wanted to watch tv. That of course changed as soon as we walked into the living room!

2007-02-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

Asleep in daddy's back pack.

Fall Hiking

2007-02-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

We went hiking in McKittrick Canyon in late October. We packed a lunch and hiked about 4 miles. It was beautiful. We had a great time and loved seeing the beautiful colors. Ellice walked some but mostly rode on Ross' back in the back pack.