A Very Happy Birthday

Ellie had a BLAST with her family and friends on Sunday! Thank you to everyone who came to "Elmoland" to celebrate her special day. Below is a picture of her with three of her best friends. :) We really couldn't ask for better families and friends.

Showing off our new umbrella and boots!



Rub a Dub Dub!

Rub a Dub Dub, we love playing with Jada in the tub!!

First Slumberparty

Tonight is Ella's first official slumber party....... with Jada! They have been chasing each other and screaming like little girls all night. We pretty much let them have the back yard, toy room, and upstairs all to themselves. They love the air matress on Ella's bedroom floor, too.  I remember having hundreds of slumber parties in the Boevers house growing up.... lots of fun childhood memories!!

Party Preparations

As we approach Ella's 2nd birthday party, we are starting to create one big "birthday" pile in a corner. Of all of the things strewn about.... presents, Elmo decorations, groceries, etc..... Ella could not keep her hands off of one item.  She knows exactly what is inside this box. Haha.

Growing Up Too Fast

I can't believe Ella will be 2 next week! I am amazed every day at how fast she is growing up.

She is already stealing her mama's shoes!

 She is already stealing money from Dad! (Note: cute baby courtesy of the Conners)

 She is already drafting her own fantasy football team!

Ooopie!

Funny little vocabulary update: Ella yells "Ooopie!" everytime she spills something or sees me drop something. I think she's trying to say "oopsies," but not quite! Oh well, it always makes me smile.

Pucker Up!

Ella has had a blast playing on our swingset with neighbors Hunter and Carter. They all play so well together, and the boys do a good job looking out for her. Carter is 2 just like Ella, and they are so cute together! Our last goodbye included a big ole' smooch!

Personal Bubble

The other night, Ella was grazing off of my plate. (Mommy's food is always better, didn't you know?).She was playing on the floor and I was enjoying a late supper on the couch.  It just so happened we were having corn on the cob. Normally, she receives it in a pile of kernals on her plate, which is what she received a half an hour prior. Evidently, she thought it looked more fun to eat it from the cob! There I was, mid-bite, and the little squirt latched on to the other side of my cob! We were literally nose-to-nose, staring into each others eyes laughing as we ate our corn. What a goofy girl! It has occurred to me that any personal bubble I thought I still had is looooooong gone.

Missing Daddy

Derek has been away for a couple days on a business trip, so Ella hasn't seen him since Monday night.

Today, it was very evident that she misses her Daddy. She was talking about him non-stop. When I picked her up from the sitter's, she charged toward me yelling "Daddy!" Soon after we got home this afternoon, she waited near the window waiting for his car to pull up.  She also yelled "Daddy" at anyone who walked in our house. Poor little broken heart.

I've been keeping her busy with our swingset, some visitors, trying to teach her colors, and reading "No More Monkeys Jumpin on the Bed." We have been enjoying our girl time, but she will be SO excited to see him tomorrow!!!

11th Commandment

Though shall not haul long boards in a 2 door GrandAm!
(It might go through the window at a stoplight.)



Birthday Fun!

This weekend, we went to one of our favorite parks to celebrate our friend, Evelyn's birthday in Dubuque! She really enjoyed being outside with her buddies. She played hard and fell asleep before we even left the park. (Not surprising since she still wasn't feeling 100%!)

Sweet little Evelyn turning 3!!

New Swingset

I am happy to report we have a swingset! This beauty came from my sister's yard since her kids have outgrown it. The Meiers and Grandma and Grandpa G were so awesome helping us haul and assemble it!!

Quick Update

We are having a rough patch this week with Ella having croup. We hope she starts feeling better. She is generally in good spirits but sounds terrible, has a lot of wheezing, and is exhausted. It is so out of character seeing her lay on the couch and the carpet, she is usually a busy little bee! The doctor loaded us up with medicine and we hope she'll be good as new after a few days. 

I couldn't help but share Derek's "harvest" tonight, yum!

"Cute!"

Just this weekend, Ella has started calling everything "cute." At first I thought this was so sweet whenever she would pick up a picture frame and shout "cute!" across the house....but she's said it so much today, I almost get the sense she's mocking my decor.

....which lead to me google "how early do kids develop sarcasm."

Boo-Boo

It is quite common in this house to kiss "boo-boos." It seems like we are constantly wiping tears from falls, scratches, and pinches.

Tonight, Ella accidentally smacked her head against my forehead while we were snuggling. To my surprise, she leaned over and kissed my forehead! Then my lips. Then my finger. Haha! She's takin care of her Mama.

Home Improvement

I am very thankful for my husband this week! Derek made me two tables out of leftover countertop. One table went to our "laundry station," which makes things a little easier. He also brought down some leftover carpet for that small area so it would seem a little warmer!

There are two things I could never do on the main floor: wrap gifts (without a toddler or cat laying on the paper) and go through photo albums (without E wanting to snatch them from me). The second table went up to our attic. We are using the room to store all of my photobooks and craft stuff. And for anyone who remembers, the tacky cheetah print curtain is finally in the trash where it belongs. Haha!