Fall

Well, fall has been pretty wonderful so far. Like so many other people, I love fall. The weather is beautiful, the trees are beautiful, we get to spend time outdoors since it isn't too hot or too cold, and I know that the holidays are just around the corner. Oh, and don't forget the batch of pumpkin bars I made last week. The cream cheese frosting and the yummy cinnamon and nutmeg. It was spectaular.
Things are going quite well for our little family. Ellie is getting bigger everyday. She crawls everywhere and just got her first tooth last Wednesday. She is so quick to smile and I love to cuddle with her. She is very independent until big Walter walks in the door. She will not cry all day but as soon as he walks in she cries until he picks her up. And he had better not just walk past her. That is pretty much a sin in her book. She is cute and fluffy and we love her.
No, I did not plan the baby plumber's crack in this picture. She was just playing the part of daddy's little plumbing helper.


Little Walter is awesome. I just love that kid. He makes me laught all the time. He LOVES his little sister. He rolls around on the floor with her and still makes sure to give her a kiss every night. He loves to help me with just about everything I do, including chores. Now, if I can just teach him how to do the chores properly we might be on to something. He had a great time at the ward Halloween party even though he wouldn't wear his costume until the party was over. Not a big deal except that he was cookie monster and the rest of us were chocolate chip cookies. Without the cookie monster we just looked like spotted cows. It happens, I guess.


We are still working on the bathroom remodel. It is so pretty and so worth the work. I just wish someone would give us a few more hours in the day so that we could do more work. We have done a lot since I last blogged but nothing stands out as being the coolest thing to blog about so I guess I will finish.
For good measure, here are a few cute pics of the kids together and on of Walter and I to show that we are still in existence.

Decision

Well, I think we've decided to keep this one. She is awful cute and I sure do love her a lot.

Slip-n-Slide

Little Walter got a Slip-n-slide (sp? slip & slide?) for his birthday. We (meaning not me) took it outside and played for a bit. I am pretty much anti-watersports so I was the picture taker while the boys played.

Can you tell that he loved it?





This guy enjoyed it too and I just know that he will love me for posting this picture.

Oh, and yes, I am aware that we have the moveable sprinkler spraying the slide. The water tube part had a hole and sometimes we just can't control our hick-ish ways.

Bobby's Home

I think the biggest thing that has happened around here lately is Bobby's return from his mission in Argentina. I can't imagine the culture shock he is going thru (and the shock of seeing how all the little one's have grown) but we are really glad to have him home.

Little Walter is especially glad because he knows that once Uncle Bobby comes home we can get ready to go to the beach. That little guy isn't self-serving or anything.

Little Walter is 3

I can't believe that my little baby is 3. Sure, he was born a long time ago and I have had another baby since then, but three years just doesn't seem right.
He was really starting to understand the idea of a birthday party this time around so I thought it would be fun to have his friends over for a BBQ and some play time. There were about 35 people total and it was a lot of fun. The kids ran themselves ragged and were a bunch of big sweat balls by the end of the party. Walter went to sleep very easily that night.
I am grateful for everyone that shared in the fun with us. We love you all.


It isn't a party unless you stick a kid in a garbage can. In this case it was Kobe. Poor kid.

Some of the party-goers in the back yard.

This is community candle-blowing. It's very popular around these parts.

Oh My Goodness

I don't often write about the conversations that I have with Little Walter, but this one was a winner.
He is standing on his chair in the living room spinning around in a circle with his arms in the air.

LW: I'm spinning like a man! I'm spinning like a man!
Me: You're spinning like a man?
LW: Yes, I am spinning like a man.
Me: (laughing hysterically)
LW: What's so funny about it?
Me: Nothing. I just think you're cute.
LW: (gives me a confused look) I just spin like a man.

Where did I find this kid? And, why is there never anyone around when this stuff happens?

P.S. Three new posts in one day? I rule.

Feasting Upon the Word

I left Ellie alone on her floor mat to play while I did the dishes. She was quiet for a good long time and I was thrilled. That was until I discovered this. That is the copy of the Ensign that I had left on the floor. I had never thought she would take the term "feasting upon the word" quite so literally.

P.S. Make sure you read the post below this one. It is new too.

Just Stuff

We all know that I am not the best at this blog updating thing. Well, now there is too much to catch up on so I will add a few pictures and try to tell you about them if I remember what they are.
Little Walter took swimming lessons at BC. He had a great time but all he really wanted to do was this. He was technically too young to attend the lessons but I neglected to mention that when I signed him up. Oops. Bad Stefanie. That could be why he was a total spaz during most of the lessons. Oh well, we will try lessons again next year and see how that goes.

I got a new camera in June so I spent (and still spend) a lot of time taking pictures of my kids. I tend to find some pose/thing/person that I want to photograph and then take about 11 million pictures of it. Everyone else would find my photo albums annoying but I find them, well, I find them a little annoying too. But that is just because I don't know what I am doing so all of my 11 million pictures are all a little off. Anyway, here are a few pictures from some of the photo shoots with the young'ns






We went to northern California for a dual wedding weekend of Jari & Kevin Doran and Tori & Dustin Garrett. They are my friend Michelle's mom and sister and I have known them since I was 11. Here is a pic of Tori and Dustin. I didn't get a pic of Jari and Kevin because a torrential downpour started in the middle of the reception and we had to leave (since all of our things were getting soaked in the bed of the truck) and I didn't get a chance to get pictures.

In case anyone was wondering my kids do like each other, sometimes.

Ellie now eats solid food. She is five months old and she's pretty cute if I do say so myself. At her last doctor appointment she weight 14 lbs. 10 oz. and was 26.5inches long. Of course this was a month ago so I am sure she is bigger now.

In addition to eating solid food she also likes to eat her feet. I hear this is a delicacy in some parts of the world.

This kid turns three years old in a week. Can you believe that? My little baby is going to be three. Weird. He is so handsome and he is a good helper. He loves to help me bake and he is always right at his daddy's side when he is doing projects around the house. He makes me laugh and he makes sure to tell me that he loves me "a million-billion fishy crackers".

Here is that husband of mine. He is such a good dad and I am quite fond of him. He is currently on his way up to Girls' camp to spend Bishopric Night with the girls. Our Bishop is out of town so Walter is stepping in. He is also the lucky guy who gets to tow the trailer that is full of camping equipment. In addition to his camping he is also still knee-deep in bathroom remodel projects. It has started to move along again but things like Girls' camp keep pulling him away from working. Oh well. It will get done and we will love it.




Wow, that was a lot of pictures. Until next time...

Other Pics

Little Walter playing with Ellie on her play mat.

Another cute picture from the father and sons' camp out.

She is doing pretty well with her tummy time. I can even get her to smile during the tummy time occasionally.

She was a little sleepy and really didn't care where I laid her down.

Little Walter is such a good big brother. The batteries had died on Ellie's swing so he decided to lay on the floor and use his foot to push her while he watched something on tv.

Father & Sons

I can hardly believe it, my little baby went on his first camp out. I can not believe that my boy is old enough and grown up enough to go camping without his mommy. Of course I am not a camper so if he is ever going to go it will have to be without me. The Walter's joined our ward for a father and sons/priesthood commemoration camp out. I was afraid that he wouldn't do well with going to sleep or being out in the dirt, but he did wonderfully. His friend Wyatt came and they had a good time running around the hiking trails and climbing on things. And we did discover, no surprise here, that he loves s'mores. That's my boy.


The boys getting ready to leave.

Walter and Wyatt running away.

Okay, is it just me or does Little Walter look like a clone of his daddy in this picture. I love that their mouths are held the same.

Kelsie and Cameron came into town for the weekend so Cam was able to go with the boys on their campout.

Two Month Check-up

Ellie had her check-up on Monday 4/27. She did really well. Of course she waited until we got to the waiting room to have a slight diaper blow out. Typical. She got four shots and one oral vaccination. I hated to hear her cry but she was better within minutes.

Here are her stats:
Height-23 3/4 inches
Weight-11lbs. 8 oz.
Head circumference-16 inches

She is in the 80th percentile of height and head and 50th percentile for weight. I was so excited that at this point my daughter is not a big beast like Little Walter was (he has always been in at least the 95th percentil for height and head).

They'll hate me for this.

Someday she will despise the fact that I made these gigantic bows and made her wear them.

Today he hates me a little because we took him to the dermatologist's office so that they could start treatments to get rid of his molluscum contagiosum (that link will tell you a little about it). They put a compound on it that is made from the goo of a blister beetle. I don't know what kind of goo a blister beetle secretes but apparently it is something that gets rid of the molluscum. It will solve the problem but it irritates his skin a bit. Thus you see he is a bit frustrated and crying.

Stavros Flatly = Hilarious

If you need a good laugh, check this out. Side-splitting hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gHvATmUsSg

Blessing/Easter/Misc. Pics

The Walters coloring Easter eggs.



Our little family after Easter egg coloring.



The great egg hunt of 2009. We had about 100 eggs for two kids. Overkill? Yeah, I think so.



Ellie, in her pretty blessing dress, being held by Grandpa Ray (a.k.a. Grandpa Jumping).



This is Ellie's "I'm going to eat you" face.



Isn't her smile cute.



Okay, this has nothing to do with my family, kids, etc. but it is still cool. The boys in our ward won the stake young men's basketball tournament. We still aren't sure how they managed it but we are proud.