I'm terrible at this!

Hello! I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since we have posted anything. Even our family blog has been suffering quite a bit! I was wondering what you thought about this blog idea... One idea that was brought up to us again and something that we have talked about before was updating this blog once a month around the same time. I think it would be good for us:
1-so I remember to do it
2-so that I have more photos to work with and post
3-we wanted to up date a lot when Leah was little because she was changing so much, now that the little weed has slowed down at least a little we're not taking as many photos as we were when she was tiny.
We can update on things we have done and also where she is in progress. As of now she is talking like crazy and is putting multiple words together like a champ! She is fearless of heights and is always up for a good adventure outside. I'm excited to take her to the dr next month to get stats. I honestly have no idea where she is anymore. At 17 months she still wears a lot of 12 month clothes, has size 5 shoes (they are plenty big) and has quite the head of hair. I'm contemplating cutting it (the mullet off the back that is) but can't quite bring myself to do it! We had an amazing trip to the middle east, that I would love to talk to you about in person. She flew like a pro and everyone was amazed with her-like I always am. Her favorite word is "nope" and she sure knows how to us it. She's in a "Wanting to hit" stage if you will. When she doesn't get her way she's quick to throw up the hands and swipe, but in the few days it's been happening, it's already getting lots better. She starts nursery in 3 weeks so hopefully we'll be out of the hitting stage so she doesn't deck some poor little kid. We'll see! =) I would love to share anything with anyone if you will leave a comment and request anything. Comments I know are hard but, it really lets us know who is interested and reading! I think we'll try the once a month posts and see how it goes! Let me know if anyone has any other ideas, we are happy to try anything~

What we've been up to

We've been up to some pretty fun activities lately. We've decided every day Mike has a day off we are going to try to do something really fun as a family. It makes days together really count. No cleaning, no laundry just fun! Here are some of the things we've been up to.

The Living Planet Aquarium!

-our review=We LOVED LOVED It! I was very impressed
(we bought a family pass and will be visiting often) They did such a great job. The information was great, the set up was super and the murals/walls were adorable! Elleah didn't want to leave.



Touching Bat Rays! Elle was super excited to touch them until she actually did-
I think their soft slippery texture threw her off.

Celebrating Mikes birthday in Springville. This was the first time Elleah really got into the cake and wanted to eat it. I guess she's a woman after my own heart=it's all about the Chocolate cake
The Bean Museum!

I was worried how she would do here, but she turned out loving it. She was a little nervous when we first walked in but by the end she was saying "touch" to everything.

Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge

She loved seeing the elk. Her face was more fun to watch than the actual elk.

words words words

So many words!

Miss Elleah, in the past 3 weeks you have become quite a chatter box! You come up to me, look me straight in the eyes say "mama" and start babbling as fast as you can go! You jibber in your own special language and try to repeat every word I say! Your new found favorite word is "TA DA". You announce when you do something important for everyone to hear. Perfect strangers think you're hilarious (which you are)! You wake up and I hear= "ta da", we finish reading a book and "ta da", Daddy comes home it's a big "ta da!". It adds a little excitement to my everyday activities. At times I feel like your my very own assistant in my "great house cleaning magic show" = Ta Da!! You also love to say "oh no" and "I don't know". You hold out your hands and shrug your itty bitty shoulders. Once again- hilarious! You made us all gasp in excitement when I held the phone up to talk to dad and you said "hi dada". You, my little one are getting so big!

manners!

After having a Tea Party ALL DAY LONG the fun didn't stop in the tub!

would you like a spot of tea? Yes please!

the tea pot makes bubbly/water noises when it's poured, and you think it's so funny



I love that it sings songs about nice manners (and has a British accent!) Elleah, you can sign please and thank you, and you are working hard on the actual words. Please comes out "pa p P" and thank you is just "you" it's really quite darling! Good work my little tea pot!

first time sledding!

Our family has a tradition of going sledding @ Rock canyon the day r two after Christmas. Elleah loved it. Her first time down the hill she held on real tight and didn't open her eyes. At the end I stood her up and said "what did you think?" She gave me her biggest smile and clapped. We marched right back up and did it over and over!

Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We had such an amazing holiday and we hope you all did also! Miss Elle was completely overwhelmed by presents, but has a good day. She would open one present and want to look at it play with it and hold it for a long time, not caring that there was an enormous stack piling up in front of her. She looked at ever toy carefully and wanted to play with all of it. I ended up packing almost all of it back in the boxes and will bring out a new toy every few weeks or as needed throughout this long indoor winter! Thank you so much everyone for your thoughtful gifts. It was really unnecessary, but I know one day she will just delight knowing where all these great things have come from! Thanks!

Elleah was big enough to participate in the family nativity! She was the cutest angel ever!



She loved this baby doll and still carries it around everywhere. She rocks it and feeds it a bottle!

"Santa baby...
I've been an angel all year"





Mike and I are having a ball trying to do Christmas for this little monkey!
I can see how easy it is for parents to get carried away and spoil rotten their children. You just want to give them EVERYTHING!
although after yesterdays biting episode
(where I might add she bit me on the collar bone and drew blood!)
She might be on Santa's naughty list!