Guys.

I have been super sucky at blogging, right?
Well, I have an excuse! My phone is doing this super annoying thing (ok, 10 super annoying things) where it won't bluetooth to my computer. Ok, it is probably my stupid computer that is in the wrong. So all my super awesome pictures on my phone can't get to the computer and can't get to the blog and so... I don't blog.
Also, I'm lazy. And have been reading a lot. And am lazy.
Also, Ellis is awake from his nap and I'm starving so I'm about done with this. But I promise to make Damon fix my phone/computer tonight so I can do this right!

BEHOLD! Pictures taken with my actual real life camera. Dudes, that never happens. Also, I didn't bother to edit them any, so right. sorry.
These are from Ellis' first swing ride among other fun things...

well this one is from when he snuck a sucker out of my purse.

Just orange hair, blowing in the wind!

and what the heck, why is this one sideways? the file isn't sideways when i upload it! grrr. blogger is also annoying. anyone know how to change it?

Ellis turnes the big 1-2 (months)!!!

Well, it happened.  Ellis decided to just turn 1 on Friday, no consultation with his boss. He seems so much more mature now!

We had a pretty fun day, which consisted of a 7:30 a.m. wake up (hey, thanks for the gift, dude!), a nice bottle of milk, a Happy Birthday phone call from his grandpa, opening of the gifts, eating of the eggs, then a nap, going to Party City to get some awesome helium-filled balloons... Going home and eating favorite meals (noodles),  taking another nap, then playing with dad when he got home from school.  From there we had a nice round of pizza for dinner and then our friends the Barrets came over and gave Ellis a cute little book that he loves flipping through, and we shared birthday cake!  Ellis ended his evening playing with all his fun gifts and going promptly to bed at 7:45, whilst the rest of us watched Breaking Dawn.

It was a pretty intense birthday.

On Saturday we took him to lunch at a Mongolian BBQ place - really, he wanted to go there! Where he feasted of course, on more noodles.  Then we made the trek to Petco so he could check out the weird little flying and swimming and crawling creatures they had- The Iowa-In-Winter Zoo!

Here are some pics from the day!

Breakfast and helping Dad use his awesome electric toothbrush!

Opening presents- a new toothbrush, legos, and a Thomas the Train set

 He's obsessed with this thing- best money we ever spent on a toy!

We went and got some balloons at Party City

He got a package in the mail from his Oma and Opa- 2 Disney movies and a new book!

Got to 'talk' to them on gchat

Blowing out candles with the Barrets

His other favorite 'toy'... This old little rocking chair, he loves to climb up on it all day long.

Mongolian BBQ on Saturday

At one, Ellis loves lots of things!
He loves the mobile above his crib,
watching videos of himself on our phones,
 fruit snacks, noodles, drinking out of his cups with straws,
playing in water, especially the bath,
 being thrown around by Dad, when Dad comes home, going to see Dad at school,
q-tips,
 handing me makeup while I get ready,
giving hugs,
 seeing animals outside,
 crawling crawling everywhere- especially new places,
 outlets and plugs,
 toothbrushes,
splashing in the toilet when we forget to close a bathroom door,
pulling all the tupperware out of the drawer,
opening cabinets,
playing with computers,
listening to dad's earphones while he studies,
shaking his head 'no', nodding his head 'yes',
eating stickers,
etc etc etc.

He's a busy kid! He is the sweetest little boy and loves to smile and laugh, and he has made the last year the funnest I've ever had! (and the most patience-trying, but right)
I can't wait to see him keep growing and see what kind of person he becomes, he's such a blessing to us and we love him so much!

This Chinese kid is not my friend, but I wish he was.





Those kids are my friends??? Austin, the one kissing the blonde girl (who he proposed to when they were hanging there mid-air) is the friend who came to Texas to play with us and cook for my wedding, and his brother Creighton is the first one in the video to jump. What a bunch a hooligans. Wish I could have been there, I'll just keep re-living all our Moab memories and pretend I am as adventurous and cool...

We still exist!

I know, dudes, it's been sooooo long! The thing is, we haven't really done much in the last month...
Ellis and I hang out around the house all day, most every day, with a sprinkling of playgroup, grocery store runs, and a few visits with friends thrown in.
It's not terribly exciting, I tell you!

Ellis is so fun right now, he is just hilarious and excited and crazy. He has the funniest facies and a loud laugh and he is very easy to make happy- but OH man, he can have an attitude!

He loves nodding (his new discovery), still shaking his head, growling, singing "oh na na" (the rhianna song!), jumping on the couch, eating stuff off the floor, among other interests.

Here are some pics/video from my phone lately!

A trip to the library includes climbing through shelves!

 Ellis is starting to enjoy flipping through books, I'm excited for him to finally take an interest in reading...

If Damon is around, Ellis will sit with him and quietly watch TV or play with a watch... He would never do this with me. (my phone has been messing up pictures)

 New passion- exploring the fridge, turning the light off and on, throwing all the food out...

Other passion- splashing toilet water. My phone messed this one up too, but if Ellis ever goes quietly missing, it's only seconds before I hear splashing and realize one of the bathrooms was left open.

MMMM, green smoothies!

The mesmerizing spinning wheel at the mall playplace.

Ellis other hobbies include taking q-tips out of the box one by one, and scattering laundry and makeup all over our room/bathroom.

His first time baking with me, kept trying to stick his hand in the kitchenaid, which never went well.

He loooooves his dad!

Since Ellis loves to climb all over the couch, it is a pain to have to sit there with him gaurding him from falling off it... Tonight Damon found a fun game to help encourage him to learn to get down on his own.

SHOOT people say.

perhaps you've seen the sudden tidal wave of videos hitting the internet- the sh*t people say ones? yeah, there's a swear word in there (actually, they all don't actually spell ouuuuttt, the word... anyways)... some of them are hilarious. here are a few of my faves...

Sh*t Mom Bloggers Say:


The one that started them all, Sh*t Girls Say:


My favorite, Sh*t Austinites Say:


Sh*z Mormons say (yup, the New Spice guy)





SH** People Say to Breastfeeding Mothers. I've heard many of these. It amazes me that people are so weird about this, but these are so dead on, had to share this one even though it's not the greatest quality. Also, it has a weird word in it. You'll hear it, I apologize, kinda.

Sorting laundry

Last night, we had a tooooonnn of laundry to sort, so we brought it all and threw it in a huge pile in the living room. then we both sat and sorted it, throwing clothes into piles around us. Ellis must have been really paying attention, because this is what he has been doing ever since:

2012

New year, new post.
Finally right?
I don't think many people actually read this anymore anyways, but it's been a nice break to not have to worry about blogging this last month.

But
I'm going to try to be better.

This is going to be a big year, I just know. I want to do so many things, and we have to do so many things... IE, Damon has to take the boards at the end of June. horray. We want to go on a fun trip somewhere when he's done, somewhere far away and glamorous (or not glamorous- hostels and street food are my style)

Ellis will be 1 next month, whattheheck? Dude is so funny right now, he popped another tooth and he's all smiles now that it's out.

I have a big little project I'm starting, hopefully it all goes well, I'm a little nervous about how much work it could potentially become, but I look forward to it, and hopefully I'll have something more to share about it soon...

New year's resolutions? I don't really make them, because I know I won't keep them. I did find this awesome calander, a 'declutter 2012' thing, and have started it and it is fabulous. It's one small thing each day, to simplify, organize, clean, declutter.  For instance, yesterday's assignment was to go through the freezer and toss any old freezer-burned food. Today's was the question "what 5 values do you want to explore this year?"... Sundays are rest/contemplation days, the others are work!
You can download it HERE

We are also going to be trying to cook and eat healthier, more whole foods, real food. I skimmed through the book In Defense of Food, and highly recommend it to anybody.  The basic concept is to eat lots of plants, and lots of real food. Meaning unprocessed, natural form, food.

I also want to serve others more, alone and as a family.  I would love for us to spend more time giving to others and helping, becoming more charitable.

I'd love to start writing letters, real handwritten, mailed ones. Email and Facebook shouldn't be my only means of communicating with friends. Anybody want a pen pal?

Do you have any goals for the year?

Here are some pics/video of our break, off my phone of course. That's another one, I'd like to start using my real camera more, or sell it.

 Texas, feeding the chickens and enjoying 70+ degrees

 Texas, Ellis' first Freebird burrito.

 Texas. Jake was so helpful to open all of Ellis' Christmas gifts for him

 Texas. Ellis was stunned at all the toys

 Washington. This is how people park in Spokane. You should have seen BMW's face when he got to his car and was completely confused, and wondering how to get out.

 Ellis and Finley on Christmas, best pals!

 Ellis was spoiled having all those 40-something cousins around. He especially loved playing the piano with Hilary

 Julia, I found her alone in the kitchen, tearing apart a turkey leg. 

 Ellis slept about 13 hours a night in Washington, so he usually woke up super happy.

 Dockside cultural presentation

Costa Vida. Best meal I've had since the last time I was in Utah. I would just die to have another one right now.

Back in Texas, we went to Salt Lick for some tasty meat.

Ellis ate lots and lots the whole trip, he probably gained a whole quarter-pound!

Ellis and his uncle Jake