Good times

We have still been looking for a place. My mom has made 4 or 5 trips to Redding and looked at numerous houses, but no luck. We got close on one but she said forget it if Nicole didn't have a job, and another, but we need a co-signer. Our dream spot is Burney, it is where we want to settle, and is where we want to move to now... but it isn't happening due to a few snafu's and mis communications. We will both be coming up soon (we will see if Nikki can handle it) to check out places together. Hopefully within the next two-4 weeks. We have been debating on bringing Ella but are leaning towards leaving her with Grandma and Grandpa for a couple of days. We think it would be too hard on Ella to travel 12 hours on a train two ways, just to be there for a day. She will be comfy here, in her own space with what she knows.

So many places we have tried calling says we both need to be there in person to show our I.D's and sign the applications. Who knew moving back to my home turf would be 5 times harder than moving down here?? But otherwise it's been a really great month- Jenni

On another note, things here have been well. We can't believe Ella is already 13 months. She is still tiny, but so smart. She has two new baby dolls, and she's too cute with them. She will push them around in her toy walker/stroller and stop to give the baby kisses, and then continue to walk. Her favorite toys are her books. She will grab one of her books, find a lap, and settle in, turning the pages herself. She has recently fallen in love with a purple stuffed cow, and the matching lovey cow, and sleeps with either one every night.

She is getting a little more daring with food, but still funny with certain foods. She did have her first ever taste of ezekial (gound wheat) bread, and seemed to have no reaction, so it's something we can add to her list of foods.

Jen had two of her artworks on display at her school art show, I was honestly shocked she didn't get even an honorable mention, as they were so good, and they were getting good reactions to the people who saw them at the show. But it's still great that they were chosen to be displayed!! At the art show, Ella had a blast outside playing in the grass and picking up leaves for us, she's so giving!

- Nikki

Ella's first day of pigtails, she actually leaves them alone, and OH so cute!

Waiting for her breakfast, she looks happy no?

April

A busy month! We have been house hunting to no avail, and I have been busy with finishing up my art class. We have been having a lot of fun with Ella though, her birthday, the zoo, the aquarium and Aaron's birthday parties.

Ella's birthday party was held on the 27th, so on her real birthday, the 29th, we took her to the ocean. She has been to the ocean once before and didn't like it, but she had a bit more fun this time. She wasn't terrified and actually stood on the sand for a bit. She walked almost the whole length of the pier and got very upset when we were finished.

To celebrate Nicole and Ella's birthday's, we decided to go to the zoo. Since it was such a big hit with her and Aaron before, we thought she would like it again. Nicole's mom took the day off of work and we made a day of it.

We had a pretty quiet Easter. We had brunch at church, and then just hung out with Beth and Aaron at their place since Aaron's asthma was acting up. Ella had ham for the first time and loved it! She's starting to become such a good little eater.

To wrap up the month, we went to the Long Beach Aquarium. Ella had a blast! She was tracking everything, and was thrilled to be around all the kids there. We then ate at the Bubba Gump Shrimp co.

Walking!!!!

Ella is now officially walking!!!!! She's been stepping for a while now, from Jenni, to me and back again. But now she is pushing herself off the couch walking the whole length of the living room rug! As happy and excited this makes both of us, it's nerve racking and scary at the same time!

Either way, I'm so proud of our tiny stepper, and she seems pretty damn proud of herself as well!!

Computer troubles

We have the net back now, yay, but the grey laptop with all of the recent pics will not connect to the internet. It has pictures from her birthday to now and her birthday story that is saved to word pad. This blog will be updated once we can get all of that onto the internet.

Fairwell for now, take care,

Jen

Updates to come!

Our internet has been shut off as we are switching providers. I didn't realize the date was so soon, so didn't post the pictures to her birthday party. We went to the harbor for her real birthday to have dinner with friends and take her to the carousel. Busy today, but will post pictures and update tonight. Ella is a happy one year old, which is good to see :). More to come!

Jen

Ella's first birthday party!

Clockwise: Nicole, Beth and Salina and Roddy catching up.

Beth and Aaron, he is so cute.

Ella had a good time with Grandma before opening her presents and eating her cake.

Nikki and I's cake with the "hugs and stitches" theme from her party.

Her cheesecake. No bake no egg cheesecake with a no wheat flour etc. crust. It was a pain for nikki trying so many different ideas and recipe's leading up to her birthday, but it was worth every minute. Ella wasn't sure at first and kept putting out her tongue after she put a bite in her mouth, but Nicole gave her a little bit of crust, and it was like wahbow! She was all about the cake after, cheesecake and all, and loved it.

She was so good at un wrapping, it was surprising because we weren't sure she would know what to do, but was a pro.

This shows how windy it was at the park. I have never felt it this windy here before when it wasn't santa anas. I think because the park was on the beach it made it especially so, but salina's umbrella went inside out and almost flew away!

She liked bags more then presents, easy acccess.

She LOVES this book from Grandma. it lights up and sings when you turn the pages. Any time we read it, her head bops and she claps.

Elmo from Grandma

Elmo phone from Yvonne, Dave and Amber. She had fun with Aaron.

Aaron was more excited about this gears gadget then Ella, he played with it for the rest of the time, cute!

Playing with cousin Aaron

So close!

Everyone loves a head scratch :)

Walking into the non-sunset with Beth.

Disorganized recent March photo's

Eating after her pics on the 24th. The balloons kept her very entertained, she loved all of them.

March 19th at the grocery store. She kept giving a guy mixes signals.. her "cheaser smile" when he was looking away or semi- paying attention.. a big scoul and grunts when he waved at her.. poor guy didn't know what to think.

Her and her favorite pass time, her straps.

A column for her cake, we saw it at michaels and got clear mini mosaic pieces and butterfly/ bug/ glitter buttons to fill them, that way we have stuff to go in her scrap book etc for keepsakes. Wish us luck! we got a lot of work to do tomorow!

Cake supply shopping tired her out!

Ok.. so.. I really need to explain these pics...

It all started when I was eating some M&M's cause I was starving.. so.. I had my bag and was talking to Nikki while Ella played, and I looked over and her hand was in her mouth.. for some reason, me being me, panicked as I thought she had some how gotten an M&M and was eating it! So, what do I do?? I open her hand to look at it.. and as I am doing that, she grabs my bag with her other with lightning speed and PSHHHHHHH go's the big bag (we are piggies so got the Big bag of dark choclate hershey M&M things) of candy, all over her lap. Well, now I was really shocked because she didn't have One candy, she had 50!, all within her reach!! I said ooooooooooooh and I looked as she gave me this face. It was soo sad. I had picked them all up and had them in my hand but was kind of stuck on what to do, if I moved I would spill them back into her lap (curse my small hands), so I sat there saying, it's ok ella, it's ok.. and would touch her cheek to no avail.. every word I spoke and touch I gave got a lip quiver in response. Her eyes were welled up and she just stared at me. Luckily we were 4 or 5 minutes from home.. any longer and I couldn't have looked at her saddness. I have never seen this face before and hope to not again. It was heart breaking!

Note.. I still had to take a picture when I got an available hand.. it was so sad, but so cute at the same time.

These are from Ella's bath tonite, they aren't the best and are blurred because the words Ella, Still, and Camera on phone, do not go well together.. but I still love them <3

This is the new "cheaser" face that I was talking about before. I had never seen it until I came back from Burney.. All you have to do is wrinkle your nose in Ella's direction, and you get

this face 5 or 6 times, it's adorable xxx.

Good night! It is wayy past my bedtime! We got a lot of cake decorating and party planning a head, more pics to come!