Gymnastics!!!

This is what Ella does at gymnastics.....
Aren't you supposed to be tumbling or something?! : )

She climbed in and out of this thing about 20 times.

Taking a rest after her run...

Jumping on the big trampoline


Running down the long trampoline (notice she is going the wrong way!)
With Auntie on the rings

Being home on Fridays means that I can take Ella to gymnastics!!! It's fun to watch her run around and climb all over everything. The only hard part is that she is ready to be done after about 40 minutes. The class is right around her nap time. She got fussy today, but we made it through, and then she just fell asleep on our run.

Ella Is Very Smart : )

Pushing things around on a stool is one of her new favorite things to do.

She runs over to the fridge whenever she hears the door open.

She found the wine!!!



Life at home is wonderful!!! I had my interview with unemployment this week, so hopefully I'll be getting a check soon! I guess since I'm in school I have to assure them that I am able to work a full-time job.... Weird since I've never even worked full-time in my life! Whatever it takes to get a check though.

Ella is starting to understand what I'm asking or telling her these days. I ask her if she wants to take a bath and she will run to the bathroom. The other night I asked her if she wanted to go to bed because she was being fussy, and she ran to her room. I tucked her in and she went right to sleep! I was shocked! When she sees a diaper she lays down on the ground ready to be changed. And when she needs her shoes or socks on she sits on the ground with one foot in the air. I guess I just thought she couldn't understand since she can't talk yet, but she is proving me wrong! I can't wait until she really starts talking.

I think that she is having a growth spurt because she is sleeping lots and eating us out of house and home!! Spending time with Ella has been the greatest gift I've ever received. What a blessing. So much stress has been lifted off my shoulders. For now anyway...

Lots of New Pictures!

The dogs were begging, but she was sleeping! Sorry girls!

Ella wanted to wear her shoes, but they wouldn't fit over her sleeper. So here's Super Ella!

She drools just like her momma!
My family : )
I'm finally feeling better after an emotional weekend. I had a great birthday dinner with my family. I feel blessed to have so many people that love me. The weather was gorgeous to boot! I'm excited to spend more time with Ella over these next few weeks. It's kind of a relief to not be so rushed. I can actually sit back and just be with my family. It's wonderful.

Changes...

Well, something really unexpected happened to me this week... I got laid off from the job I've been at for almost the last 3 years. It really shook me up to say the least. I did not see that coming whatsoever. I've been trying to understand why it hurts me so much, and I think I've come to the conclusion that I love the people I worked with. They (well most of them...) were really like my extended family that I enjoyed seeing everyday that I came to work. That's what I'll miss so much. The lay off couldn't have come at a worse time... I've got a month left in the semester, so I am just going to try to hang out until the semester is over. Otherwise I will have to find a job that will work around that schedule for a month. Then this summer I hope to work for Sage and try to make up for the month of no work. And most importantly, it happened the day before my 24th birthday. Definitely a birthday I will NEVER forget... I just feel like I let Charley down. We were talking about trying to buy a house in town so we could be closer to work and everything else. I guess that was God's way of telling us that this is not the time! I know there is something so much better for me out there, but it's hard to move on after such a long time at that company. This is actually the second time I've been laid off by the same company, but this time I was there twice as long. I worked there for about 4 1/2 years altogether. I guess it's just time to move on... It's amazing how your life can change so quickly without warning. This morning as I was folding the laundry the song "irreplaceable" by Beyonce came on and I began to think about my old job. I know the song is about a breakup, but that's kind of how I feel about what happened to me. Anyway, this is the verse that expresses my feelings:

You must not know about me
You must not know about me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking you're irreplaceable

And On To Another Week...

Momma and her girl

Ella dancing
Ella loving on Sadie

Well, another week has come and gone. It ended with an awesome 10 mile run today. It's crazy to think how easy it is for me to run such a long distance. I love it! Hopefully this week will go by quickly because I am really not looking forward to it being Monday... Ella has been behaving herself for the most part. She is really into climbing onto the dining table chairs and then onto the table. She doesn't understand the safety issue quite yet. She has been eating really good lately. She must be growing again! It's weird how they go through phases of eating nothing to eating everything. Every day is a new adventure with that girl.