Florida!!!

worn out from shopping!

Grandma and Grandpa watching the sunset...

hanging out with Ellie in the living room!

chillin' in my carseat...

hanging out with Grandpa Barry...

We're in Florida for a few days!!! It's SO nice to be here and get a little time to rest and unwind... Joel's parents have a timeshare down here in Destin, so they graciously invited us and Joel's sister and her husband to come and join them for a long weekend. We're having a great time together. The weather has been perfect and Ellie is loving every minute of it! She was quite the trooper on our way down here... She experienced her first TWO flights yesterday! I was so proud of her! She was a little angel about 98% if the time. She did have a little cry fit as we were descending on our first flight. I think it hurt her little ears and she has caught a little bit of the cold Joel and I have had :(... so all things considering...she did amazing!

We haven't taken her to the beach as of yet, but we're hoping to tomorrow! Until then, enjoy some of the pics we took today while shopping, out to dinner and just hanging around our little place on the beach... We're having a wonderful time! More pics to come...

A visit to New Sharon...

Sorry that I've been so slow at blogging recently. The days are just getting away from me... Watching Ellie grow by the day is such a reminder of how quickly time passes. I just wish I could hang on to each day. I don't want her to get big!!!

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This last weekend, Ellie and I made a roadtrip to Iowa for my Grandma Barb's 80th birthday!!! What a fun weekend, despite the fact that I had caught a nasty bug of some sort the day before we got to Iowa. My Mom and Dad were kind enough to meet Joel halfway to pick me up in Kansas City so I didn't have to make the trip with a two month old all alone! It made for some fun car time!

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Ellie had such a great time meeting her Great Grandma Barb and Great Grandma Surber... As you can see in the top picture, they unintentionally matched at the party! So cute! I guess 80 year old minds think alike. :) Ellie also got to meet some Great Aunts and Uncles, cousins, second-cousins, the works! She LOVED every minute of it! She got some great cuddle time with Grandma Becky and fun time playing with Grandpa Richard. Everyone was just taken with her, that's for sure! I can tell she got a little spoiled, as she's definitely wanted all of my attention since we've been back in Kansas. :)

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We're continuing to enjoy each day as she does new things almost constantly! She is so bright-eyed and so expressive! She LOVES to smile and laugh and coo. She and her Daddy have a secret language that is too cute. Joel will coo at her and she will coo back in response... I love to just sit and watch them.

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Being a Mommy is so much fun!

2 months old!

Our little beauty turned 2 months old yesterday! The days are just flying by... We got to celebrate all weekend. :) Saturday night, several of Ellie's "college friends" came over to play! We got to snap some pics. Everyone just loves our little Ellie and she is fitting in quite nicely with the college crowd. She is definitely her mother's daughter. She can't go to sleep when there is activity going on! She wouldn't want to miss a thing!!!

In my opinion, Ellie is looking more and more like Daddy everyday! I just love it!!! And he sure adores her... We had her 2 month Dr. appt. today...you know the one with LOTS of immunization shots. Well, Joel could hardly stand it. It just broke his heart to know that his little sweetie had to endure such pain. So, brave Mommy stepped in. :)

Ellie is growing like a weed! She was 12 lbs. 3 1/2 oz. (80th percentile!) and is 23 1/4 inches long. She's grown 2 inches since her 1 month appt. So, she is growing and flourishing and we are just enjoying everyday!!!

Wanted to share a couple of her 2 month pictures with you... I am obviously not too good with our new camera yet. I seemed to cut her head off a little in both pics.

Love you all. Thanks for checking in!

Sitting pretty...

I just couldn't help but post this short little video of Ellie... I was trying to get a picture of her "sitting up", which always entails me trying to sit her against a crack in the couch to "prop" her up for a moment. It was TOO FUNNY to watch her fall over in slow motion... I just had to catch it on tape and post it... I don't think she could be any cuter. :)

My first KSU Home Game!

Saturday was my first KSU home football game!!! Well, I didn't actually get to GO to the game cause it was cool and rainy out, but Mommy still put me in my PURPLE so I could cheer on the Wildcats. :) Mom and Dad got great tickets to the game from a friend... they sat on the 50 yard line in the 23rd row! Best seats they've ever had and it was so much fun, even with the rain! I got to stay home with our good friends Jena, Macie and Alissa... It was hard for Mommy to leave me, but I had a good time with the girls! Here is a picture of them with Mommy two days before I was born! :)

The Wildcat with Attitude,

Ellie Hope

Our little smiley girl!

Is this a cute face, or what? I absolutely LOVE waking up to these smiles! Ellie is one of the happiest babies... always smiling and content. Joel and I can't help but just stare at her all of the time. She really does bring us so much JOY... I am absolutely in love with my little girl...

first overnight trip!

Our little girl just turned 7 weeks old already! We spent her birthday in Kansas City... Her first overnight trip!!! It was our annual Labor Day Student Leader Retreat and Ellie was in on all the action! We didn't have to worry about her not getting any attention. :) The students were so sweet to want to hold her and ooo and ah over her... She's become our little mascot. :) It was a great "trial run" away from home. The biggest thing I'm going to have to get used to is all the STUFF it takes to take a baby away overnight! Whew!