2nd Annual Tucson Anniversary Trip

Yeah for our anniversary - 11 happy years!  Aaron and I don't feel that old - but we celebrate anyway with a weekend trip to Tucson.  Elayna came too of course.

For the second straight year, we enjoyed a few days in Tucson.  It's slightly cooler there - especially up in the mountains where we stay.  We eat good Mexican food, we swim in the pool, and we usually take naps (although that didn't really happen this year).

On Saturday, we visited with our friends Bryan and Kim Nickel.  Bryan and Aaron were roommates in college and although we live 2 hours apart, we rarely see each-other.  The just had their second boy - a healthy 7-lb sweetheart named Samuel Grant.  It was so fun to meet Sam and Elayna had a great time playing with Ben Nickel, their almost 2-year old.  We had lunch at McDonalds and played, played, played.

  Elayna and Ben

Our little family

In the Pool!!

It was a fun weekend.  Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!  I love you!

Thanks, Aunt Allyson!

Aaron's sister Allyson has just spent the last year in Vladivostok Russia and has recently moved to NYC.  She's had a lot of adventures - far more than I can do justice to here - but she always buys great gifts and spoils Elayna rotten!

We just received our box from Vladivostok!  Everything is Cheburashka themed, a popular cartoon character in Russia:  a stuffed animal, matryoshka, and DVD! 

Elayna already loves it ... she's trying to figure out the matryoshka (I only let her play with the largest nesting doll) and she gave the stuffed animal a kiss tonight!!

Thanks Aunt Allyson!!!

Because you can never have enough pictures

I took Elayna into Sears last Friday for 16-month birthday pictures.  I realize 16-months is not a huge-momentus occasion, but Sears has a good deal on a 'one-pose package' and it scratches the picture-taking itch for mom.

The dress was a gift from my mom, Grandma Missy.  We gave her a hard time in Montana because Grandma Missy loves to buy Elayna fancy dresses - so beautiful she can only wear them to weddings, cocktail parties, and movie premiers.  Since we have none of those coming up soon, we'll wear it for pictures instead.  (Note:  there is another dress in the closet being saved for Christmas.) 

 

Happy 16 Month Birthday, baby girl!!

Happy, happy, happy birthday to our gorgeous little Elayna.  

To celebrate - as all kids should do on this very big milestone birthday - we set a bouncy house up in our living room.  And we had a little party with Elayna's best friend, the Bear!

Thanks to our friends Dan and Deb for letting us borrow the house for a week.  Elayna loves it and is now sleeping soundly after wrestling the bear into submission.  What a fun, indoor way to wear out some energy!!