Happy Birthday Ella! 2 years old!

It doesn't seem possible that Ella is already 2 years old. I thought that her first year zipped by, but I think that this past year has gone by even faster. Even though time is flying by, I take time every day to express my gratitude that she is a part of our family.

I hope you enjoy these shots of her birthday celebration.

SNOW!

The past several days have been clear skies and hence, very cold. Then last evening, it started snowing! Because it had been cool and dry for long enough it even stuck around. Landon took Ella out to play last night, and she loved it so much that we had to go out again this morning after breakfast. It really wasn't much as far as accumulation is concerned, but it was enough!

Ice Skating

Ella is amazing! I know I might be only slightly prejudice, but you have to admit, she's one of a kind. We all went ice skating with the YM & YW and had a great time. Ella really did try to keep her feet pointing forward while we were circling the ice. On occasion she would even try to move her feet just like Momma and Daddy. When she wasn't on the ice, she could stand and walk on her own! Amazing for a one-year-old (that's technically true, even though her birthday is less than two weeks away)!

Family Resolutions

I'm not one for new-year resolutions, and I wouldn't really consider this as one. It just happens that we began something on New Years Day that is a family resolution; something that Landon has been aching to do as a family. Landon finally found and purchased a mountain bike for me that we couldn't pass up, and we began our inaugural family mountain biking excursion at about 11:00 on Tuesday, January 1, 2008. It was a short ride, we were only out for an hour, but we all had fun. Ella rode in her backpack (which really is a backpack) with her daddy. This is something that we didn't intend to do, but as it turns out, we need a special attachment for the bike trailer to mount it to our bikes. And because it was New Years Day, we couldn't find a bike shop open to purchase the part. Ella, however, loved the birds-eye view of everything. There were little waterfalls and streams everywhere. She kept calling out, "Water!" "Beautiful!" "Birdies!" "Oooo!" We are all excited to get out again.

Frosty the Snowman

It's a must to go and enjoy some snow when it's Christmas-time. I don't know if this is really true, or if it's just a need that we native Idahoan's have. Either way, that's what we did, enjoyed some snow!

Two days after Christmas, Landon and I packed the car (Pathfinder rather . . . after all, we had to have that 4-wheel drive!) and headed up the closest mountain - Mary's Peak! Ella had an absolute ball.
Ella and Daddy rounded up (no pun intended) enough snow to make a snowman. Ella was an enormous help. Without her patting, as seen here, I don't know if Frosty would have made it.
Everybody smiles for the camera, even Frosty.

Christmas Morning

Santa was very good to us this year. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had some yummy cookies to eat.

On Christmas Eve, the three of us made some cookies for a few families we know and some for Santa. When it was time for bed, Landon and I got out the Santa plate for the cookies. As we had Ella help us get the cookies, she really wanted to eat them. So we had to have a little lesson on the arrival of Santa. After we had explained to Ella that Santa would need a snack when he came to leave her a surprise, she gaurded that plate with vigor. Any time Landon or I came to close to the plate Ella would cover the plate with her hands and say, "No! Santa's cookies!"

Santa must have been pleased with Ella, because he not only ate all the cookies, but he left a special note for her to thank her for the delicious snack.

Surprise Ella! Merry Christmas!

Ella loves her new doll house and little people. Especially the nursery, because there is a crib in that room that when you press on it you can hear the baby say, "Mama, Mama." She gets the biggest grin on her face.

Even Landon had a joyous morning.

The star of the day was definately the baby stroller, or "backpack" as Ella calls it.