Ella at 11 months...

Four generations here...oh and there's Mike too. (Grandma M, Aunt Irma, me and Ella)

E and Brigette sporting their camo

Pushing the tire swing on the farm

Party Girls

Ella going strong late in the evening.

Listening to Karaoke

Ella and her fans :)

September 18th- just one month until she turns the big 1. The custom tutu I ordered came in the mail. I plan to use this for part of her 1 year pictures. I was thrilled on how it turned out, thanks to my friend Erin Phillips!! She did a great job. If anyone is interested in one for your little girl, let me know....she custom makes tutus of all sizes and colors!!

Ella just sprouted her EIGHTH TOOTH this past weekend. Maybe she can be Baby Jaws for Halloween. haha. Speaking of Halloween, we are hard at work on costume ideas.

This past weekend we had a lot of fun. We traveled to Fort Wayne to visit Brigette (who is in town from California) and her entire family before Bart (Brigette's brother) leaves on his mission to Afghanistan. Everyone was wearing camoflauge to show their support. Even Ella sported camo. I joked it was the last time Baby Ella would ever wear camo. She did it just for Bart. It was quite a party they had for him. Kareokee, lots of food, and dancing. And Brigette's nieces adore Ella. They are always a big help by holding and entertaining Ella.
It was good to see everyone again on this trip. Brigette grew up on her family's farm, so it's a completely different environment for Ella. There is so much for Ella to absorb when we visit the farm. Mike and Ella looked for barn cats in the barn...and found one black cat. Then, they checked the rain gauge for water...it hadn't rained too much. Then they looked at all the big farm equipment. Our trip to Fort Wayne is always adventurous.
The next day, Sunday we were due in Crown Point for a family dinner hosted by my Aunt Barb and Uncle Robert. We drove from Fort Wayne straight to Crown Point. What a busy day! We had a great time there too and enjoyed seeing everyone on my mom's side. My great Aunt Irma (Ella's great great aunt) loved seeing Ella again.

It's a beautiful day and Ella and I are off for a stroll!!

Summer Wrap Up

Watch out! - clear the road (and sidewalks)

Taking the keys...nice day for a ride

How she loves her Elmo. Really, really, really loves him.

Ella playing with her block while Sadie supervises.

"Hi Sadie" or "hi deedee" as ella says

Hanging out with Grandpa Martin

Enough of the horse, I want the Elmo car!

Dinnertime, mom!

Ipod= her favorite "toy"

Let's go Elmo!!

Practicing reverse....checking mirrors :) Intense concentration on her face

Well, it feels like summer is closing in on us. Cool evenings will turn into colder days. Looking at the calendar we are headed for Autumn soon! Ella will be 11 months old soon and I don't know where time is going. E now says, "all done" after she is finished eating. So sweet! This past summer flew by but we really enjoyed our schedule. Mike was home with Ella and I, and we had a great time.
For those of you who don't know it yet, I just wanted to inform you that we are on the move!! We have moved out of Beverly Shores and are in the process of extensively renovating our Valpo home. It is coming along smoothly with the help of our contractors. Can't wait to experience the end result!

We wait to be in a more kid friendly neighborhood and have ammenities closer such as grocery stores, shops, and our much desired SIDEWALKS (which we lacked in Beverly Shores).
Mike and I have such fond memories of the Valpo home. We have never lived there together, but have many memories of Valpo from when we first met and were dating. We feel our lives will have come full circle in a way when we bring Baby Ella "home" to Valpo. :) Although we purchased our Crown Point home with the intention of staying for awhile, we always missed "the cottage" as we referred to our house in Valpo.

As we await completion of the construction we are back in the Long Beach house for a bit. Mike and I moved here in 07 and didn't realize how much we missed LB when we lived in Beverly Shores. We are so happy to be back in such a place that feels so alive. There are actually flowers and manicured lawns here. Not to mention the friendlier people. Ella likes to point out the birds as the wind blows on her face on the beach.

There seems to be a lot less mosquitoes so we can enjoy the outdoors. (The "environmental enthusiasts" of Bev. Shores didn't believe in spraying for mosquitoes). We are loving it here and enjoying the weather while it lasts. It seems Old Man Winter will be at our doorstep again in no time.

Sabrina and I took Ella to the Lighthouse Mall. She loves the Elmo car there (as you can tell by the pictures). She screams when she sees that thing! So, I had to share with you her excitement (in the pics). It is a blast to take her there. She makes me laugh by dancing to the music on the speakers outside (at the mall) and waving to everyone.

Hope everyone is enjoying the rest of their summer!