How do you forget to take pictures on Christmas? I mean seriously, I take pictures of everything! I did manage to snap a few with my phone but of course they are all of miss Ellenor.

We started off the holiday on Friday by heading up to Boise to ride a holiday train with Cody's entire family. It was so fun to get all if his siblings an their families together. Watching the cousins all play and dance on a train was the highlight of the train ride. One of the servers knew how to make balloon shapes, there were a lot of swords and puppies. They served a turkey dinner and it was all decorated for Christmas. The next day we all exchanged gifts and read favorite Christmas stories and headed to explore the capital building.

Monday felt like a Saturday with reorganizing Ellie's closet and cleaning up the laundry/utility room. For Christmas Eve we invited Cody's parents over and made fondue. They had never had it before and it was fun to share one of my favorite family traditions with them. We watched Elf and I have decided it is so much better watching it with people who have never seen it before, their faces were priceless and we all laughed a lot. We also invited them over for an amazing Christmas dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes. Another tradition is drinking sparkling cider and it was interesting to learn that they had only ever had martinellis once before!

I have trouble with baking, especially bread and cinnamon rolls. For Christmas Cody got me a bread maker! I was really surprised and so excited that I made some that day, although I wouldn't recommend mashing potatoes right next to it because it will make it fall. Next time it will turn out perfect though.

We got Ellie a giant teddy bear and she got a play kitchen from grandma and grandpa. The awful thing about being in a time zone that is two hours later is that we can't FaceTime in the morning, I didn't think they wanted a call at 4:30 their time just to see her reaction. Kids stockings are much more fun to put together than adult ones. Her favorite thing was an electric toothbrush. She carries it around for half the day!

The day after Christmas we headed down to Utah for a short trip and by short I mean we left Wednesday morning and got back this morning (Friday). It was fun to get to see my sisters family, grandparents, and my aunts family visiting from Arizona.

My favorite part about this Christmas hasn't been about the presents, even though they are very much enjoyed and appreciated. My favorite part has been hearing from family. I miss my family and sometimes have a really hard time being so far away from everyone but I am so thankful to be able to communicate and keep in touch regularly. We got a Christmas card from my grandparents in Alaska that mentioned missing seeing us this Christmas and I bust into tears. We got a fun package from my mom that included books that we used to read at this time of the year. I think a lot has to do with the fact that my dad is retiring and my mom is starting to go through the house getting rid of things to move and won't be in Alaska anymore. I called her and told her I got her package and we both started crying on the phone, I swear there is something in our genes. Christmas just isn't the same without the whole family and maybe it won't ever really feel like a complete Christmas for a few years.

Last week Cody was in California all week for training. This week he had another training in Boise and miss Ellie and I decided to tag along so we could at least see him at night. We have been having a blast playing with cousins and hanging out.

Last night we decided to take Ellie to the aquarium and were pleasantly surprised at how much she really enjoyed it! She would laugh and talk to the fish as she was pointing at them. She would laugh and turn to look at us making sure we just saw whatever it was she was excited about. She puts her hands over her mouth when he laughs and it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Her favorite was probably the sea turtle, it would show off and swim right in front of us and of course she just squealed!

There was quite a few little tanks to be able to feel the different star fish and squishy tentacled sea creatures. One was in what looked like a boat. Cody called me over to come look at something. As I reach him he puts his arm around me and starts to pull me in close, at the same time I notice movement right next to me on the edge of the boat less than two feet away from me. Not sure exactly what it was I jump and freak out. It was a live iguana and I had seen t earlier thinking it was fake. Cody was laughing so hard, Ellie started crying and I was just glad I hadn't peed my pants and my heart rate was starting to slow down. Needless to say we had a blast and watching Ellie get so excited made it all worth it!

I've seen a lot of Christmas wish lists lately and because I have been having a difficult time putting one together for myself I thought I would write a different kind of wish list. A wish list for Ellie.

To Ellenor,
-I wish that you can look back at pictures of this first year with us and can see how much your dad and I love you.
- If you only learn one thing from me I wish that would be that you know you are a daughter of a God that loves you so very much.
- I wish in 15 years that you can still look in the mirror and smile as big as you do now.
-I wish that we can always have open communication and that you will always feel welcome to rest your head on my shoulder as easily as you do now.
- I wish you never lose your spunky personality. You are constantly laughing and smiling and I hope that you can continue to always be happy.
- I wish that you will continue to enjoy our nights alone without dad home. A picnic in the living room, beauty and the beast, and snuggling was exactly what I needed the other night and it was perfect. I hope nights with mom will be something you look forward to.
- I wish that you never stop being excited to see your dad come home. He is the best dad any girl could have and he loves you more than you could ever imagine.
- I wish you never stop being excited about the Christmas tree and the holidays. It is an amazing time of the year.
- I wish that you will continue to like vegetables because they are good for you and I won't force you to eat Brussels sprouts if you still like broccoli in a few years.
- I wish you will never stop being curious. You love to explore new things and always have to know what's going on, it will be annoying but you will learn so much.
- I wish that you will always love to read. I didn't learn to live it until many years after I should have and I missed out in so many great books and lessons.
- I wish that you will continue to be friendly to strangers and smile at those in need. You always brighten someone's day when you acknowledge them, especially the ones I don't notice.
- I wish that you will still let me dress you in what I think is cute for at least a few more years.
- I wish you will keep your love of babies and other kids. Watching you hold and cuddle your teddy bear or baby doll make me excited to see how you will love a little brother or sister someday.
- I wish you will still remind me that spending time with is the most important. The dishes and laundry can always wait and you help remind me of what is of most importance to me.
I love you Ellenor and I am so excited to continue to watch you grow and learn. I hope you never doubt how much we love you.

This kiddo turned one a week and a half ago. I'm still in denial that it has been a full year already. She is so funny and is constantly making us laugh. Today for example, my friend Kayla came over for lunch (Cody and I bought stuff for fondue on Saturday and didn't make it and now he's in California and I needed help eating it) and she helped Ellie with her fake laugh, she thinks she is pretty funny. Ellie hasn't stopped doing it yet.

Her actual birthday wasn't anything too special, just errands and normal Saturday stuff like watching a movie on the coach with dad. Sunday we had a small family birthday. We got her a doll and little stroller (because she loves to push things around) and a wooden puzzle. They were both perfect and I'm glad we didn't buy a lot of presents. She is great at pulling all the puzzle pieces out and has actually started to be able to put them completely in the hole where they go. She likes her doll and will cuddle it and pat its head, that motherly instinct starts young I guess. We didn't do anything grand with a cake either, just picked one up from the store (it was a crazy busy weekend with no time for baking) and gave her a piece. She laughed and pointed to her cousins if they were being silly at the table. It was just perfect for her. I think she would have been overwhelmed by much else and it was just right. She will only get a few small gifts for Christmas and I am already thinking that 3 might be too many.

I'm so glad that Ellenor is who she is. She is independent and can sit and read by herself but also loves to play with me. She loves to explore and is quite intelligent. Especially if it involves finding where we hid the remotes. She loves people and does really well with strangers and friends. She loves other kids and especially loves to watch babies. She is the perfect daughter for our family and we are so excited to watch her grow and learn new things over the next year.

I may be partial to this time of year because of the opportunity to celebrate some of my favorite people's birthdays. But it really is my favorite time of year. To make it absolutely perfect we need a few feet of snow on the ground and the northern lights and we'd be set.

This past weekend we set up our Christmas tree and decorations. I love how simple they all are and the memories that they bring. We bought our tree two years ago when we were poor and living in Rexburg. I was so disappointed about not being able to have a Christmas tree and it had me down for a few days. I think it was a Christmas bonus from work that was unexpected and Cody let me but a decent size tree and pick out matching ornaments. I always loved plain trees with silver and red because of what the colors represent and it helps focus on what the tree is really a reminder of. And a giant red bow just looks amazing at the top of the tree!

Growing up my mom had soooo many nativities! One year we counted over 150 and not all the boxes were even out of the garage!!! I love that each one has a different story and they are from all over the world! I still think the one from Mexico with pins sticking out of their heads is a little odd... As each of us get married we get to choose one of her nativities to display in our homes. I chose the olive wood from the Middle East and I love it! I love that it is all wood but also that they don't have faces because it allows you to imagine the expression of joy that would have been on their faces as they greeted the Christ child for the very first time. The nativity on the top shelf is one that Cody made when he was in scouts as a wee little lad!

We took Ellenor to the festival of trees and to my surprise were greeted with a Santa! He was so nice and Ellie really didn't mind at all. I like Santas that are nice and old and actually are happy to be there. We have such a friendly daughter and she is always so nice to everyone... Well so far at least.

The holidays are already so much more fun this year now that we can involve Ellie more and more. It is a little obnoxious to keep a constant eye out for the trees safety but I can't help but love that she gets so excited to see it all lit up first thing in the morning. I am excited to be able to teach her about the Christ spirit that fills this time of year and about service. Nothing makes the season more meaningful than serving others and I am so grateful to be able to repay kindness in even the smallest of ways.

Lately I have found myself comparing my life to others and usually it isn't so bad but lately I have noticed it has been negatively effecting me. A lot. One thing I have been extremely aware of is everyone getting new cameras. I know it sounds so silly but I have been drooling over a specific camera for over a year now and it is hard for me to see others who have never really played with a camera go straight for the big guns. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for them and think its a great hobby/skill. I just get a little envious that what took me years of practicing and reading and failing they are able to accomplish within a few days or weeks if having their cameras. It all just sounds so silly, I know. But I am grateful for these feelings because they help me to recognize what I really have been blessed with. I take pictures to document how our life really is and what is really taking place. I don't have to edit out the scratch mark from Ellie's head or only take pictures when my house is spotless. I love that I always have my camera handy and don't care if you can see an enormous wreck behind Ellie's dang cute smile. I'm grateful for a great camera and the chance that I have had to really get to know how to use it so I don't have to spend hours editing a single picture, I rarely edit at all (unless it was a paid shoot).

I was uploading a few pictures from today, it was 50 degrees so we ran outside for a few minutes. I was getting frustrated that she wouldn't even look at me for one decent picture but I kept snapping away. And do you know what? I love them! They are just of her exploring, talking, and experiencing new things like mushrooms for the first time. That is our real life. Our life isn't a posed and perfectly in order. It's the little moments that truly matter and I am grateful for the most amazing family to share then with every single day.

This week has been very interesting to say the least. On Saturday we were supposed to attend an adult only work party and afterwards we were going to do some Christmas/birthday shopping. Instead I spent the whole day keeping Ellie away from her dad who was sick on the couch.

Monday night I had an economics test in town. As I was leaving Cody called telling me to get home fast because Ellie had just thrown up all over. By the time I got home he had it cleaned up off the floor and was working on getting himself cleaned up. Poor thing!

We were hesitant about leaving for thanksgiving because we didn't want to spread this flu bug. We decided we would probably be safe and left for my grandparents on Tuesday night in Utah. Wednesday was going great until about 4:30 in the afternoon. We were at target getting Ellie her birthday present and a new carseat when my stomach really started to turn. We were headed to the checkout line when I realized that I wasn't going to hold in lunch for much longer. I practically ran to the bathroom as fast as I could get there. A woman was coming out as I pushed my way threw, don't worry she gave me a nice dirty look but I think she would have rather me speed past her than throw up on her. I barely made it to the stall when I let loose. I found an available lady at the customer service counter and have never had a more awkward conversation. "Um I just got sick..." "Oh you poor thing!" I could tell by her expression that she was not excited to hear where this mess could be! "I made it to the toilet but it splashed on the walls and floor and I just don't want it to stink." I never thought I would be having one of those kinds of conversations. She was really nice about it and we booked it out of there.

I was hovered over the toilet every hour until 4:30 am when Ellie woke up with puke all over her. It was definitely not how I had planned to spend thanksgiving. I finally stopped throwing up by the afternoon and was at least able to eat a roll and some mashed potatoes. Cody has been amazing taking care of Ellie and I, especially because we weren't home. My grandparents are amazing and are the best hosts, even when you are sick.

We are finally all feeling better today, thank heavens! Ellie has been loving spending time with her great grandpa. It might be because he is really fun or because there is always an iPad or a remote near him but she sure does like him a lot. Even though we haven't been feeling the best we have still had a blast. There is nothing better than being in the company of family.

That moment when time seems to stand still as if someone has pushed the pause button. There is nothing on your mind or the to do list but what you are doing in that moment. Nothing else seems to matter. I had one of these moments this morning, one that I wish could have lasted forever but I would have settled for just all day.

When the darling girl woke up this morning we put her between us with her bottle. She has been sick and that makes her extra cuddly. We laid and played in bed with our sweet girl for half an hour. It was absolutely perfect. A happy kid with a silly dad to play with and make her let out those first giggles of the morning. I can't help but be extremely thankful today for my family. An amazing father to our daughter who does anything to help make our day easier, even if its just a quick call to say hello. A daughter who is so sweet and sassy that just loves to play all day. This is as close to heaven as I think you can possibly get!

I've officially ran out of image space. Curse you blogger!

The past few days Ellenor has been teething and running some nasty fevers. Today we watched a lot of curious George. I am teaching her how to sound like a monkey when she wants to watch it. She has gotten the hooo part down already.

I love how much Cody and Ellie get along. He stepped right into his awesome dad shoes- turned on beauty and the beast, grabbed a bottle and snuggled with his little girl. He must have some magical powers (let's call it magic to make him feel better instead of telling him about the drugs) and not even half an hour later she is starting to act like get happy self again. She even let me teach her how to brush her teddy bears head and she did it perfectly!

I love productive days, where I get everything on my to do list done in the morning and the house is spotless. But I believe you need those lazy day in between. This morning I just felt off and I couldn't exactly figure out why. And it took me until 11 to figure out that it was because I wasn't at all productive. And by not at all productive I mean we watched gilmore girls all morning and just snuggled.

Once I got the house in order and showered I felt much better and don't feel guilty about the fact that the only things on the afternoon to do list is play with Ellenor, read history, and take a walk.

Apparently I never paid much attention to babies before Ellie. She is so full of life and has such a spastic personality. She loves to give a big cheesy grin, be shy when she wants to, smile with her tongue sticking out and scream an excited scream whenever she feels it is too quiet in the house. She can stack her blocks, put them away, and stack all the rings back onto the pole in the correct order. She loves to put her pacifier in other people's mouths. She loves to flip through books and is constantly moving around. She's getting the hang of walking really well but still wants to hold your hand if you are near. She plays great by herself while I read homework across the room, reads herself stories, and will randomly look up from whatever she is doing just to give a giant toothed grin, squinty eyes and all. She loves to give high fives and kisses.

I'm in denial that this little ball of crazy, sweet, and spunk is almost a year old. But it has been the absolute best!

Because its November and thanksgiving is fast approaching I thought I would jot down a few things that I am thankful for today.

- Costco sized grapes. Because those little bags are never big enough.

- Clean bathrooms. It is a painful 20 minutes but when it's all said and do e it is an amazing feeling.

- Ellie's squeals which has become a very familiar noise regardless of where you are. The grocery store and hardware store are no exceptions. But the best are garages and any place that has an echo.

- Car washes in the winter. My car has been tan for far to long and in desperate need of its white glow again. In thankful I am not the one standing outside in 35 degree weather drying off my car. I'm also glad that they are so fast because the little one strapped in the car seat let out quite a few alligator size tears. And loud screams that don't mix well in small spaces.

- Manufactured clothes. I've been reading about the early 20th century for me history class and I am so glad I don't have to spend a majority of my day making necessary clothing items for 3 people.

- The holidays. Nothing says Christmas more than poinsettias (ok maybe one or two things). They are ordered and should be coming directly following thanksgiving! They aren't the traditional red either! They are pink and creme! So excited!

These next few weeks will be busy but they will be very fun. We have both Cody and Ellenor's birthdays, an adult work party for Cody's work, the Boise temple open house, thanksgiving with my grandparents (we are the only one not going to my sisters in Iowa), Christmas shopping, decorating, and music to listen to. There is no other time more busy an joyous than this time of year. I love it!

And because I didn't post any pictures of Halloween in my last post. Ellie was the cutest Zebra! Ok, Ok! Hailey, the cousin who happened to have the same exact costume that both my sister and I bought way back in August, made an adorable zebra as well! 

Just a few thoughts for today.

1. Being in a car with teenage girls is interesting. Topics such as who the best looking member of One Direction is and who is the cutest boy at chitchat make for a long ride.

2. After the youth temple trip this morning we grabbed some food at sizzler. The booth next to us, also some of our girls, decided a fight was in order. A spit wad landing in my hair was the highlight. But only because the men at the other table were giving us all the eye. Definitely felt like a kid again. And I am still laughing about the reaction.

3. 60 degree weather AND no wind?! A miracle! Perfect night for a family bike ride!

4. Ice cream will always taste better with a brownie underneath and the top smothered with caramel and hot fudge. Always.

5. Halloween really never is anything exciting. I made Amazing beef stew for the ward party. Ellie loved walking around screaming at the top of her lungs because she was walking and people were talking to her. Not to mention there were loud kids everywhere and you could hardly hear the person standing next to you. She played a few games and then decided she was done. We didn't even stay for trunk or treat. We were in comfy clothes on the couch with a sleeping baby by 8 pm. Loved it!

6. I took Ellenor to the pumpkin patch and she absolutely loved it! She could hit as many giant orange balls as she wanted and attempted to eat all the rocks she could find. Of course she threw a fit when it was time to leave. I know where we will be multiple times next year.

Life according to my phone my seem boring to some because it is filled with pictures and videos of Ellenor. But I love being able to document how she is changing everyday.

This past weekend we went to a Halloween party and had a blast. We got way too much candy and treats. We came home with a bag of candy, a plate of cookies and fudge, cupcakes, and a container of homemade chicken noodle soup. Sunday I ate about half of the plate of fudge (in my defense it was a small paper plate) and I discovered that walnuts don't agree with my mouth as well as they do my stomach. I currently have 15 canker sores left under my tongue which is surprisingly a lot more comfortable than yesterday when it was double that amount.

Ellenor is going to be one in less than a month!!! I am in denial! She is getting so big! At the Halloween party her cousin Tessley (they are only a few weeks apart and are already great at playing together) showed us how good she is getting at walking. Ellie must have been paying real close attention because she started walking a lot more yesterday! She has been taking two to three steps at a time for the past month and yesterday she took the plunge. She is still a little weary of where she walks but can make it across the room in no time! We are some proud parents.