"OH-NOOO!"

One of Elsie Anne's favorite songs... Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish, swimming through the water... OH-NOOO!  He got eaten by a... Red Lobster, Red Lobster swimming through the water... OH-NOOO!  The song continues through Octopus, Great White Shark, and Humongous Whale... and the Whale says, Yum-Yum!  She loves all the motions, but the "Oh-Noo" is definitely her favorite!!

Gunner...

...Elsie Anne will truly miss you!  Our favorite neighbors + dog moved out today.  Its a sad day for me knowing that EA has no idea she will never see Gunner again.  Megan, Kyle + Kevin have been so awesome, in a world where seasonal neighbors are not always the most pleasant.  And the fact that their dog was so well behaved and loved EA, meant so much to us!  Good Luck in your new adventures!  We'll miss you all :)

Work Boots!

Daddy got new WORK BOOTS + EA has to try them on!
So proud getting them laced up!   

Look at MEEEE!

Construction Lady!

There is something about 'Daddy's Little Girl'!  She KNOWS he hung the sun + moon, no two ways about it!  I love you Shawn for being such a fun Daddy:)

Monkey Moo!

Because of Elsie Anne's love of Georgia (her monkey she got from the zoo), it was inevitable she HAD to be a Monkey for Halloween!  So when I found this 3piece, tweed, monkey suit in the clearance section of the catalogue, I jumped on it!  Got the whole thing, shipped + all, for under $20!  We'll do some accessorizing for the big day, but we are happy w/ the quality + it's warmth!

It didn't even advertise the big bum!  Shawn + I thought it should be the SELLING POINT, we loved it!!  Not to mention the button-on tail, and snaps up the back!  The little booties with fingers, will fit over her shoes too!

Halloween is so much fun!!

Wisdom Teeth Weekend:(

My INCREDIBLE HUSBAND proved himself all over again, not that he needed to, but I am so thankful + proud of his daddying + nursing abilities!  I AM ONE LUCKY LADY (and so is EA)! 

I got my upper left and lower right wisdom teeth pulled on Friday afternoon.  And I did NOT get put under!  I had 3 valium before the surgery + 1 more during, b/c I freaked out when they had to stop + take another x-ray of the bottom tooth.  The tooth ended up being @ a funny angle + the x-ray was just precautionary, but it scared the crap out of me, + I of course started crying!  I thought the drilling/sawing noise was never going to end!!  Even w/ my headphones on, it was the worst noise + smell imaginable, yuuuck!

That's me w/ my puffy cheeks, ice packs + banana, peanut butter smoothy!  Its just about all I ate(drank) the entire weekend!

Shawn thoroughly enjoyed all of his Daddy, Elsie Anne time!  As soon as he had me all situated he'd swoop up his princess + go for an outing!  Saturday afternoon, he got to take EA to her best friend, Nadia's 2nd Birthday Party!  It was Nemo themed + even though EA has never seen the movie she came home w/ many Nemo items + talks about him all the time now:)

       Party Hats!                             Elsie Anne + Nadia...getty-up!!

Sunday morning they went to church!  This precious outfit is one of cousin Ashton's.  EA loves wearing her clothes, she says "Aaton" and points @ her dress!!

And we had a lovely, lazy Sunday afternoon!  EA chillin' in her 'camping chair'!

And Momma chillin' in hers!!  With ice packs, of course, heehee!

Thanks, my sweet family, for taking such wonderful care of me this weekend!!

BALLET!

I didn't realize the emotional impact this would have on me.  The sentimental feelings of my dancing days all spinning around in my head made the whole registration experience...surreal!  Our daughter... the one we bundled up like a burrito, who could barely lift her little head up, who squawked like a little bird, and pursed her teeny lips, and held her 'dainty pinky' out while squirming uncontrolably... that's the one we signed up for BALLET CLASS!!  It's the best feeling in the world, yet its hard for me to grasp. 

She had a ball playing in front of the mirrors, and took it all in w/ Daddy.  She completely understood that this is where she will be wearing her ballet clothes + dancing in front of all the mirrors.  I just can't wait for Monday, September 13th, her first day of dance class!  I have a feeling Daddy might take off that morning too:)

Gym Class

Elsie Anne loves going to her "dym cass" on Monday mornings!  And I love seeing her so interested!  Each time I tell her we're going, she immediately says "Lilly"!  Its so cute that she knows her 'gym class' friends, even though we've only seen Lilly twice!

EA w/ Ms. Linsey, the instructor!  Linsey + I used to work @ Little Red School House together back in the day, so its really nice catching up w/ her now.  She is 'Sports & Special Events Coordinator' for Breck Rec Center, she has certainly moved up in the working world:)

That is our growing little pig-tailed girl!  We feel like we can see her growing right before our eyes, every day she looks bigger!  I can't wait to see how tall she is @ her 18mo check up in 2wks!

Elsie Anne had a ball 'showing off' for her Daddy!  It was such a treat having him there + he loved seeing her in action!  Too bad her little friend Lilly wasn't there.

TRACTORS...

...another obsession of Elsie Anne's!  She cannot get enough!  It was so nice of 'Uncle Donnie' to invite Shawn + EA to his work for a special tour of all the tractors.  She thoroughly enjoyed it + loved wearing her 'worker lady' helmet!

Driving the mini excavator.

She was so serious about her job.

Driving the Skid-Steer!  "coop, dum" (scoop,dump)

Playing in the Dump-Truck!

Thanks Donnie, that's why EA loves you so much:)

Sibling Love!

Many times I wish I could have an older child for Elsie Anne, instead of a baby.  She adores her best bud, Henry.  Their interactions now melt me, + I can only imagine the feeling when they're both your own... they talk together, play make-believe together + are so caring for each other.  I'm so proud of their relationship + hope she's as sweet w/ her own siblings some day!!

We had a great time w/ you this weekend Henry!  Thanks for being such a great friend to our daughter:)

Last...

...Concert In The Park, Frisco, Colorado 2010.  We enjoyed this evening event through-out the summer, and will miss this special family time we shared!

Elsie Anne loved rolling down the hill!

She found this yellow aspen leaf + decided it was a candle!  She made us sing 'Happy Birthday' + blow it out, over + over + OVER!  I love her little toddler mind!

So proud of herself!

First...

...FIRE of the fall-whaaaat??!  Yes, we got rained out of our last concert...the temperature dropped to the 40*s + began to down-pour, + didn't let up until well into the night.  Shawn decided this called for a cozy night @ home w/ his girls:)  I must say this got me excited for the fall!

Our "cayon" queen!  She has an obsession:)

PREPARED!

One thing I can say we are COMPLETELY PREPARED for is... DANCE CLASS!!  I have spent the last few weeks shopping around for dance clothes...itsy-bitsy size!  It was more of a challenge than I thought!  But we did it!  pink leotard, tutu (purple+pink), tights (white,pink,black), ballet slippers!  And I have to add that Elsie Anne is PUMPED to put her "nuuu tutu" + 'dance clothes' on!

Here she is doing her 'jump-spin' + watching in the mirror!  She has incredible balance + coordination, I can't wait to see what this class will do for her!

And this is her 'ballerina walk' on tipee-toes!  She says "Rina Waal" 

I am so proud of our BALLERINA + think she's well prepared for her big day!  I've been prepping her w/ 'ballet vocab'... she does these on command... pirouette (spin), plie (bend @ knees), releve (tipee-toes)!

Rocky Mountain National Forest

Easy hike in a meadow of the Rocky Mountains!  Elsie Anne's favorite new perch...on anyone's shoulders!  There was no real reason to bring B.O.B. along, other than to hold our picnic supplies:)

We got to explore the settler's quaters from the late 1800's.  Pretty crazy to see how they used to live.  I can't imagine these winters w/ the conditions they lived in?!  I got to teach Elsie Anne how to use the lasso (like I know how to do it, ha!).  She remembered the Rodeo we went to + was saying "yeehaaa"!

There are definitely some Graham/Strickland genes in that profile!  EA got to sit ON the table during our picnic + couldn't have been more proud of her spot:)

Some afternoon lovin' before EA + I had to drive back to Breck.  Its always hard leaving my Momma, especially when we don't have our next visit planned. 

Thank you for our wonderful visit... EA's special Memoo mornings (while I slept in), delicious home cooking, shopping sprees, wine on the deck (every evening), motherly advice, and the all around warmth I feel w/ family around!  I love you, until next time...

Water World! Denver,CO

We were so fortunate that our yearly visit to Water World was during Mom's visit!!  That meant Shawn + I got to have a whole lot more fun:)  Our best friend from Breck, Donnie, + best friend in Denver, Laurie, met us there for an action packed day!

Elsie Anne got to sport her new bathing suit!  I was excited to find this bathing shirt on sale + clearance @ the Carter's outlet!!!  I paid close to nothing for it + it looks too cute on her little hiney:)

EA enjoyed her kiddie slide w/ the "tuub" (tube)!

We didn't know there would be so much for EA to do!  I look pretty silly w/ Laurie's sunglasses on my head, but cute family pic!

EA was exhausted + fell asleep in Memoo's lap...

...we brought her pack-n-play + lovies for a cozy nap!

During her 1 1/2hr nap, Donnie, Shawn, Laurie + I ran around the park going on as many rides as we could.  We then scooped Memoo + EA up to go on a 'family ride' w/ a huge tube that went through a tunnel.  EA talked about it for days:)

Kremmling Rodeo!

Our first Rodeo as a family!  Believe it or not, after all the years we've lived here, Shawn & I had never been to a rodeo!  We were excited when it came up in the plans, & knew Elsie Anne would love seeing all the animals!

BigDaddy & EA

We had no idea there would be seperate barns for each animal!  This was EA's dream come true!  Petting the long-eared goat w/ "DeDa"!

'Oinking' w/ Daddy!

'Mooing' @ the big black cow!  It snorted & puffed out snot on them, it was hilarious to see both thier astonished looks!

Chicken Coop... I got grossed out w/ everything she was stepping on, in her new tennis shoes, so we switched her into her rain boots... she was happy w/ the decision!  She stomped around proudly the rest of the afternoon!

Watching a real rodeo was not too captivating for a 17mo old... we all took turns walking her around!

Calming down w/ BigDaddy & having her nightly milk "baba".  He taught her to rub his head (taught me the same thing), & enjoyed this sweet encounter as much as I did!!  Its his last night, so its a bitter/sweet moment.

A quick family shot before EA was off to bed.  Until September BigDaddy; EA can't wait for more 'mustache sugar'!!

Golfing w/ the Guys!

Elsie Anne & I were so happy that we got to ride along w/ the guys while they played golf @ beautiful Grand Elk Golf Course!  It was the perfect gorgeous mountain day, cool breeze w/ blazing sunshine.  EA cruised on the lush green grass & cruised in the golf cart!

She cheered the boys on while putting, & yes they were the best sports about her voice volume... :)

...and got to play in the "san baa" (sand box)!!  Mommy got the fun job of raking the entire thing!

We stayed the entire first 9 holes, then went home in perfect timing for EA's afternoon nap.  By the time the guys got home, everyone was ready for a drink on the deck!  And there was no shortage of entertainment... Shawn brought his skateboard & EA got to ride it!!

Elsie Anne enjoying some wine (not really) w/ 'Aiya' & 'Memoo'.  She liked the "hanle" (handle) of the wine glass!  'Aiya'(Susan Shelfer) is my Mom's best friend & has 4 grandchildren of her own.  Needless to say, EA was super spoiled w/ 2 grandmas around!!