Elli's Latest

Here are some funny moments brought to you by my 2 yr. old, you gotta love toddlers!
Rocky Balboa Impression
Driving back from Idaho




trying to eat a cupcake, while scratching nose (well, let's hope that's what she's doing)

This is the result of me taking a teensy little nap on the couch the other day. She had found a bottle top & used it to stop the sink up & fill it with water. She then pulled a chair over to the sink, shed her diaper, & got in. She said she was taking a shower.

I Love Harry Potter

Yes, I admit it. I am one of the many obsessed fans out there who just can't get enough. We saw "The Order of the Phoenix" last night. Fantastic movie! It stayed very true to the book with only a few minor changes to the story. The special effects were great & the score was beautiful. It definitely helps if you read the books beforehand. I don't want to give too much away if you don't know the story, but my favorite scenes were at the end with Fred & George and then when everyone is at The Department of Mysteries. Imelda Staunton played Umbridge perfectly, in my opinion & Evanna Lynch did a great job as Luna, especially for having no prior acting experience. You should definitely go see this movie, even if you're not into the whole Potter mania. It's still a very entertaining movie, definitely the scariest though. There were a few kids in front of us that got quite frightened at the end. Anyway, now I'm just waiting for The Deathly Hallows to come out next Saturday (the final book). We have pre-ordered 2, so that we can read them at the same time. Yeah I know, we're nerds. I am quite sad that the series is ending. At least I have 2 more movies to look forward to though.

Emma's 1st Birthday!

Emma turned one on Saturday (7/7/07, kind of a cool b-day!) Here is a video clip & some pictures, followed by an update on Emma...

This has become a tradition now for 1st Birthday's, we blow up a bunch of balloons & put them on the floor. Both girls had so much fun chasing them around.

Dan came home from his soccer game with some really cute Winnie the Pooh balloons for Emma. Then we had to give a few to Eliška because she kept begging for some.
This is Emma's pre-birthday in Idaho @ Grandma & Grandpa Kondel's

Emma didn't like the cupcake too much, just squished it a lot
little sister Emma

After the cupcake...

the girls playing with one of the toys Emma got from Grandma Bond

One of Emma's favorite pastimes, tearing up napkinsI forgot we had signed up for the Toys R' Us Birthday club. She got a little call from Geoffrey the Giraffe & a card w/ a giftcard to the store. Also we are supposed to come into the store for a special thing (I'm guessing a balloon or something). Anyway, it's cute & free to sign up. Eliška kept playing the phone message over & over.

Today we had Emma's 1 yr. check-up & shots. She is really tiny! 16 pounds and I think 27 inches (I can't quite remember). She was born 6 1/2 pounds & has gained a pound since her 9 month check-up. She's in the 3rd percentile on the growth chart. The doctor said it's fine & normal for a breastfeeding baby & she's so active now. She did so well for her 4 shots & stopped crying as soon as I picked her up. Then we went to Jamba Juice (as tradition) since it's right by our doctor's office.

She is still not walking, but cruising a lot. It is strange for me since Eliška was walking @ 10 months! But, I think she will soon, every baby is different I guess. I'm trying to stop nursing, much to Emma's dislike. It is proving harder than I planned, but she will drink a sippy cup with whole milk occasionally throughout the day. She is still extremely clingy to me & will not go to anyone else or let me leave her, which is very hard on me. I'm hoping she will become a bit more independent as the months go on. All in all, she is a very sweet baby & we all love her to pieces.

Summertime Update

We have been busy enjoying the summer here. We had a great 4th. Our neighborhood had a big BBQ at a nearby park & an orchestra played patriotic songs & shot off some canons. Afterward they played "Night at the Museum" on a big screen outside. Of course we had to leave just as the movie was getting good because the girls were cranky & tired. We gave them naps before we went though, so we were able to stay out till 11 (pretty good I thought). Eliška loved doing the snaps that you throw on the ground and some party poppers that shoot streamers. We also did some smoke bombs and we still need to do the sparklers that we got.

We had a lot of fun with my parents who stayed with us 2 different times in June, once just my dad came out for business. I really can't wait for them to live here in Utah soon! And not just for the free baby-sitting!

We finally were able to drop off a bunch of toys, clothes, etc. to our local D.I. (that's charity for all you non-utahns). We had over 10 huge bags of stuff that I've been wanting to drop off for months now. Some of you know how many toys we had, it looks a lot better now! When my dad was here last, he said it looked like I run a daycare. What can I say, I'm a kid at heart & I love toys!

We also went to Idaho to visit Dan's parents & go to his High School Reunion (class of 97'). They had a family picnic which the kids enjoyed & then a nice dinner for the adults.

I realized that my kids are terrible travelers! They turn into little monsters when they don't nap or sleep in their own beds. We did have fun though & the drive was much easier than to California! We didn't even have to stop, it was nice. This is the Idaho Falls LDS temple, it is beautiful with the falls in front of it.
We finally went to the new Ikea in Utah. The crowds have died down a little so it was nice. The kids play area was full though. I didn't realize it was like a kid daycare while you shop. I guess Eliška can't go in it until she's potty-trained. The prices are great, I'm gonna have to go back & get the kid's wooden table & chair set that I saw. I've been looking for a set for the girls' room & they had one for $20. Most I've seen are around $100. They had a few different sets that you could paint or stain yourself. I like this one for $40.

We were going to eat at the restaurant, but Eliška had a messy diaper that leaked through her pants. We had diapers, but no extra pants. I tried convincing Dan to put her in the stroller with a blanket on her, he said no way. So we will have to go back. Life is so chaotic & unpredictable with kids, but it keeps things interesting! Hope you're all enjoying your summer!

make-up

Eliška had fun the other day when she found the make-up kit she got from Grandma Kondel for Christmas. I had put it away since she was a bit young, but she was actually really good while I did her nails. She was very excited to show daddy when he got home. He was quite shocked to see his little girl with lipstick and eye shadow, something he thought he didn't have to worry about till she was a teenager!

Our Wedding Pictures (finally)

Well it only took me 4 years! Dan finished scanning our pictures, yay! I know a lot of you have never seen any pictures, so here you go! There are quite a few more, but these are some of my favorite ones. The pictures take place at the LDS temple in Salt Lake City and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where the reception was held.

Twins

It may be cheesy, but I love dressing the girls in matching outfits! Don't worry, I don't do it every day. It's so fun having the girls so close in age. They're really starting to play with each other more, which makes my job a little easier!

She knows how to get what she wants