My little (big) bro

 

 

 

Cant believe this kid is a senior in high school. 

Finally finished going through the 1029380193 photos we took. 

It was nice to just be able to hang out with my brother, something I dont often get to do since 1. Im his sister and who likes to hang out with their sister, 2. I live like 22 hours away. 

but there you go. I sample of the of his senior pictures.  (dont worry mom Im putting them in the mail! sorry if took me a month) 

say cheese!

 I am horrible at posting pictures from my camera, actually for that matter, Ive been really horrible about taking real photos! It has just become too easy and convenient to shoot photos with my phone and call it good. 

But what fun is that. 

Ive had some time lately to reflect and think about a few things. Like my education and my time spend in Idaho. There are definitely a few things I would like to change, like finishing my degree, but I am glad that my life took the path it did. It may sound silly, but I feel like I am definitely a learn as you go type person, and school just gave me so much pressure that I think I didnt ever take it a seriously as I should have.

I wish I would have taken more art and photo classes. I really enjoy being creative and I (cant believe I'm actually putting this into print) dont give myself enough credit for how much I can do. 

Every once in a while I do something really cool like create awesome t-shirts for our friends reunion this summer, or take pictures of my jellie bean and I just get really excited because I feel like I still got it! Photography is for sure one of those things that if you dont use it you loose it, at least for me. It takes me a little bit to get back into the swing of things. 

I am going to take some senior pictures for my brother when I get home (hopefully they are good enough to actually use!) and I've been trying to get back into things and get myself used to the camera again. 

It definitely makes me miss it and makes me feel like I should be doing it a lot more! So if you need some photos... let me know ; ) 

Ellie and Dylan! she loves to play with big kids! He made her so happy!!

So I took a few fourth of july photos... but this was just too funny of Jonah to pass up! He wasn't exactly thrilled with me taking his photos! 

and that's all the photos from the fourth... oops

We took Ellie last weekend to a park on the east side of town that actually had grass! She didnt quite know what to do with the green stuff, she tried to eat it a few times. We snapped a few photos and I just cant get over how big she's getting! Crazy how time flies.

grass in toes!

She absolutely loves to be outside!

 so sweet, even when shes mad at me!

10 things on my mind

Updating again, craziness I know! 

Whenever I finally sit down to write on this thing I know I have like a million things to say, but I just can never seem to remember them. 

1. Im too lame to use buy good shampoo so I have been using Sauve professionals keratin infusion... and its actually really nice.  Leaves my hair super smooth, and my hair doesnt get as gross as fast. So two thumbs up please. 

2. My child is a complete mix of her father and me, he was a very hyperactive child and I was a little bit a diva child. Which honestly makes me wonder how I make it through some days. We get the days where she is so unbearably crabby and sassy, or the days where she is bouncing from wall to wall in this little apartment. 

But dont get me wrong, she is still very sweet! 

3. This weather lately here in El Paso has been so wonderful. Nice cool breeze, a little rain, some clouds. HEAVEN. Its been so great! I hope this lasts for a little while. Its great. 

4. Im going home for two weeks! Well Ellie and I are. We are so excited. We are going to hang out and relax and have fun with family. 

5. Grocery shopping gives me the same feeling as nails on a chalk board. I feel like I spend so much money and never really get a lot. 

6. Ellie can hold her own bottle. Even without her handle bars. Its a big time life saver sometimes. Its so nice to hand her a bottle and get things done while she is distracted and not trying to get into something. 

7. Zach decided he was going to start swimming again, which he goes to the pool before work three days a week. I am really proud of him for sticking with it and going at the you know what crack of dawn. 

Now I, on the other hand, am not that disciplined. I am not a morning person so waking up early to work out just sounds like about the worst thing ever. After Zach gets home from work and we have dinner and get Ellie fed the motivation has done left the building. So when do I get in a "workout"? 

Thats my problem, I dont know. Honestly I am to admit something, I dont really do it in the first place, I lost all my baby weight by just having a hyperactive child I guess. Which, dont get me wrong, Im NOT complaining about this one bit! But I did gain a lot  HUGE amount of weight when I was pregnant with Ellie. So now I have lots of extra skin and stuff that i need to tone up. 

But when and what do I do?

I went swimming last night and honestly, it felt good getting back into the water, but it felt like it took way more time than I think im willing to give up. I didnt get to get Ellie ready for bed or spend any time with Zach after he got home. We had do grocery shop (ughh) and then dinner, and then I went and swam while he spent time with Ellie and got her ready for bed and fed her a bottle, then I had to come home and shower off because chlorine makes me itchy... and yadda yadda yadda... 

It just seemed like it was a lot more work then I wanted to put in. Not to mention the fact that I dont feel the same in the water that I used to. Not saying that I was super good by any means. I just felt dizzy and uncoordinated in the water, something I never had issues with before... so long story short. I think swimming is fun every once in a while but I think I will be hanging up my goggles for a while. 

So now what should I do? I do have a gym at my apartment complex, but what do I do with Ellie, shes not exactly one of those babies that will just sit still and watch. I tried insanity--not my thing.

I really wish my Wii actually worked so I could do Zumba at home and not have to sign up for an expensive class! (maybe i should just buy a new one for myself for a birthday present?) 

8. I love soda wayyy more than I really should. Its a problem. Lame, I know.

9. I really would like a closet make over. Most of my clothes no long fit. Which I am totally not complaining about, please dont get me wrong. Its just not exactly fun to not have too many clothes that fit properly. But again, not complaining about loosing the weight. 

10. 

Getting new things in the etsy that Im really excited about. So please check it out if you can. And a big thank you to those who have supported the shop! 

I believe that is all I can squeeze out of my head at the moment. 

I probably have way more to complain/talk/bore you with but Ill leave those for another time. 

terrible.. 9 months?...

I promised that I would be better about blogging, so if my topics come out a little lame. Just put up with me please. 

I have been having a hard time lately with my little peanut. Shes such a sweet cute little girl, but she is just a little terror sometimes and lets be honest I really don't think I can blame this all on teething. She has gotten so sassy lately and I am really not sure what to do, its not like a 9 month old will listen to reason. And I seriously think the word no is never going to stick with her.

She has taken a liking to tags: like tags on clothing, or tags on toys, or just basically anything that she is really not suppose to have. She clings to non-toys and doesn't exactly do well when you take them away.. like full fledged big girl meltdown, like bucks her head back and throws a fit with alligator tears rolling down her checks. I don't know what the heck I am suppose to do.

Like right now for instance. She is in her crib screaming at me.. because she wouldnt drink her bottle and kept reaching for things that shes not suppose to like: wii remote, tv remote, blinds, my glasses, climbing up me and pulling my hair... you know the usual, instead of eating. 

Its been slightly challenging to go anywhere or do anything with the two of us. Because she gets a little moody and pushing a cart or stroller while carrying her is just do much fun.

I have tried really hard to stay positive, but sometimes I just feel like staying in and not going anywhere. (sorry friends) Its a lot easier and a lot cooler, this El Paso heat doesn't make having a cranky baby any easier. I'm really hoping that when her teeth come in (all four top teeth at once, ugh!!) that she will become a little more well mannered.

check me out

Ellie will be 9 months old on July 4th! I really cant believe how fast time has gone. my pregnancy seemed to last way longer than this 9 months has. 

She is getting so big! 

Shes stands up for around 10 seconds or so all on her own. She walks across the living room with her walker toy. 

She eats like a champ. Shes up to 8 oz bottles. Loves to eat her little puff treats. Her favorite foods are anything with bananas in it, sweet potatoes, and chicken noodle! (all baby food of course) Im still kind of scared to start on real people food. She has tried a few things, but im just really nervous. 

She started saying baaaa baaaa baaaa baaa.. its so cute... and repetitive..  : )

She is still sleeping through the night, and no matter what time she goes to bed, she wakes up at 7. 

She has to sleep with her crochet blanket and her glow baby, aka glow worm which looks more like a baby then a worm if you ask me. 

 

Shes a little swimming cutie! She loves to frog kick her legs and splash mommy! We have even taken the huge step in going under the water. I was so scared the first time, but after some convincing on the part of my experienced mommy swimming buddies we took the plunge. literally. She did so so great!

 Of course she had to have her own pool for off days. 

shes so cute!

Forgot again... Oops

So blogging apparently isnt going so well for me. But it is so much easier to post on instagram and facebook, then trying to come up with witty and funny things to say... ha.. ha.. jokes.

But seriously, I feel bad I have been slacking on my blog. Are there any avid readers still out there..?

For those still reading, life in Texas is going alright. Its really hot here, and sometimes its a little unbearable to leave the house. So we go to the pool lots. We have had a really great groupof friends with littles around Ellies age that all get together twice a week and swim! Ellie is actually starting to like splashing around in the pool! 

Zach is working hard and doing well at his new job. He also got into Tulane for grad school! Go starting in August he will be going to school online and working full time. 

Ellie started crawling in April and now goes and does pretty much whatever she wants! She stands up to everything she can and walks behind her walker toy. We have even caught her standing on her own for a good ten seconds or so. She's a gutsy little thing, I blame her dads genes. 

We are so excited for the rest of the summer! We have all kinds of fun planned. The 4th is right around the corner which seems so crazy and so fast! This year has flown by! Ellie and I are going home for two weeks! We get to see new baby Harper and go to the state fair! I'm so excited!!! Then when we get back all three of us are going to California to see Sam and Jake! We are so excited to get to spend a few days with them and have some much needed fun time! 

Tada!!!

Holy cow
Remember that one time when I said I would updated more, yeah well I'm sorry life got in the way.. That usually tends to happen. Let me update you a little...

Zachary graduated from BYU-Idaho
We packed up our entire apartment and sent it with abf who then moved it to El Paso.
Ellie Karen mike and I got on a plan and headed to Iowa! I was so nervous but Ellie did great!
Zachary joined us a few days later after he and his brother drove our cars to Texas.
We had a great time at home for Christmas.
Then moved to Texas!
It's taken us some time to get everything unpacked, and lets be honest it's still not totally done. But it's starting to feel more like home.

Ellie will be four months old tomorrow, which seems so crazy to me! She's getting so big! She is making all kinds of funny noises and smiling all the time. She's such a cutie!