Thanksgiving

My mom and dad came into town for Ella's birthday party, and I thought it would be a great idea if we celebrated Thanksgiving at the same time. Since Ella's Birthday is only a week before Thanksgiving, why not? My mom, Candice and I, prepared the usual feast in my little apartment kitchen before Ella's birthday party. It cooked while we had the party, and keep making the dinner after the party was over! That is a lot of work in one day for one meal! I love Thanksgiving food, but there is no wonder why people do it only once a year!! Candice and Brian came down form LA and My parents were here from Utah. Dan, I and Ella made up our Thanksgiving party! Thanks Mom for teaching me how to cook, you know I need all the help I can get! Love you guys!

Ella loved having Grandma Lola and Grandpa Allen, come and visit her for her Birthday and Thanksgiving! Come back soon and see us again! Thanks so much for Ella presents and the yummy meal!

Ella's 1st Brithday!!

My sweet baby girl is one years old!! I can't believe how fast it's gone by! We had a birthday princess party with lots of pink and lots of sparkles! We had pizza, salad, pink cupcakes and ice cream. Ella was very spoiled, by all who love her, for her special day! My Mom and Dad came from Utah to celebrate with Ella. She loves to see her Grandma and Grandpa! My sister and her hubby Bryan were there from LA, along with Dan's brother Mathew, my friend Brianne and her brother Christan, Some of my Cali girlfriends, Amberlyn and her Baby, Val, and Julie and her baby, Peterson (Ella's good buddies) And of course her Mommy and Daddy! We ate, sang songs, had a bubble machine, opened presents (thank you to everyone) and watched Ella "dive" into her cake! It was a super fun 'Birthday Princess Party'!

I thought Ella would totally "dive" into her cake! She doesn't mind getting dirty and she LOVES sweets, so why not, right? No such luck, She didn't like they way the frosting felt on her hands, and took one little bite and was like, get this stuff off me! What she did LOVE was all the attention she was getting from everyone watching her! Everyone was trying to encourage her to eat her cake. And all she wanted to do was to smile and laugh at everyone. She likes to be the spotlight. I wonder where she gets that from??

And She's Off!!

Ella-Bean's Cali Uncle's

Mathew and Aaron are Dan's brothers that live up in Oceanside. They're Ella's uncles that she loves to visit, who both are avid surfers, that live right on the beach! We go up to Oceanside a lot since we moved here, to hang out with Dan's brothers.They have been so great by helping us settle into the San Diego lifestyle. It is so nice to have some family close, when you move far from home. Plus you can't beat living right by the beach! Love you guys.

2nd Time is the Charm!

I bought this adorable coat for Ella, before she was born. To wear during the cold winter months in Utah. It was labeled 0-3 months, so naturally I thought it would fit her when she was tiny. I was so wrong!! And being a new mom and all, I had no clue. I realize now after she was born, that newborns don't wear bulky coats. They wear lots of really soft blankets. So I was sad it didn't fit, and She was never going to wear it. Until it finally did fit (when she was a year old! Who labels these things??) At the time, we ironically lived in sunny, San Diego, and probably would never use such a heavy coat! Well, I wanted to take some pictures in it at least. Lucky for me, I just found out that we are going to Utah for Christmas, and I'm very excited (for many reasons!) One being, that she gets to finally wear her cute little winter coat! I guess, 2nd time is the charm!