Curls...

Elsie has been blessed with adorably curly hair! It gets super curly on the really humid days!
Her hair was starting to get a little frizzy...but I made some leave-in-conditioner to tame the frizz and show off those perfect ringlets!

Water Sprinkler...

Last week Elsie got to experience running through the sprinkler for the first time! (okay the first time this summer!) Here aunties we nice enough to hold her hand and slowly run through the sprinkler...the water was so cold it would startle Elsie every time and Marissa would have pick her up!
I think Elsie got more enjoyment out of watching the kids run through...a little too cold for her!

After awhile she got brave and touched the water with the help of auntie Missa...

Love this picture...looks like they were all having fun getting sprinkled with water!

The kids were trying to show Elsie how to open her mouth over the water to get a drink...I think just touching the water was enough for her!

Water Fun!

A few weeks ago we brought Elsie's little pool out for the first time...it is amazing to me how quickly kids catch on to things...Elsie seemed to instinctively know what I was talking about when I told her we were getting the little pool out! She kept chanting "Pool,Pool, Pool"!

A few bath tub toys made it fun...till Auntie Em and Missa came over for a visit...than imaginations took over and there was no need for toys...just a cup for pouring water!

Gotta love those little swimsuit wedgies! Elsie is getting good at pooping on the potty (not so well with peeing!) so we have been letting her run around with no swim diaper under her suit! What a big girl!

Flowers...

Last weekend we finally purchased some plants for the window box and planters and even a tomato plant! Elsie really loves the tomato plant...one day I found her with her cheek on the plant giving it a hug...I have heard that lots of love help a plant to grow big and hopefully produce lots of big tomatoes!
Elsie also loves to play in the dirt of the tomato plant...so maybe the plant won't even survive at all!

I love looking out at the flower garden in the front on the house...such lovely flowers!

We got my favorite flowers for the flower box and planters...red geraniums...I think they have such a nice cottage feel to them!

All the peonies are in bloom along the driveway...love peonies! I feel very blessed that we were ably to move into a home with so many lovely flowers all around...

A close up of one of the pink peonies...

Hot Weather...

How long has it been since my last post?! With the warm summer weather here we have been outside enjoying the wonderful weather...so I haven't had time for blogging! I have about 6 posts in my head to put up...so on the next rainy day I know what I will be doing! Last Monday Jon had the day off because we had our homestudy in the afternoon...it was a super hot and humid day! For dinner that evening we had our dinner outside on the deck...We pulled Elsie's vintage highchair up to the table and enjoyed hamburgers,fries and corn-on-the-cob!
We even had a vase of fresh cut Peonies on the table for decoration...we have to have a lovely set table!

Elsie and Daddy shared a big plate of fries...with lots of dip for Elsie!

After dinner we went down to the beach to walk in the water to cool off...Elsie thought the water was too cold...she had to slowly get used to the water!

Love this picture...the entire time we were at the beach she wore her glasses upside down...and she didn't mind one bit! Jon and I just smiled, snapped a few pictures and let her be...she is learning her independence!

She had to be holding either Jon's finger or mine the whole time!

After we got home I jumped in the shower and this is what I found when I got out...they must have both been wore out from playing at the beach!

Storm clouds from the overly humid day...I think the storms are my favorite part of humid days!

What a lovely summer day we had...

Shoes in the Tree...

My little sisters have a fun game they play while jumping on the trampoline..."lets see how high we can throw the shoes" is the game...as they jump they throw their flip-flops over the trampoline net and see how high they will go! For some reason they started throwing Elsie's shoes...and one got stuck...high... in the tree!
I stood way up on the ladder but still could not reach the shoes...it was very high up! The kids had to go in and get the broom so I could hit it out of the tree while standing up on the ladder! One good whack and out the shoe flew!

I think who-ever threw that shoe wins for height!

Wagon Rides...

All the kids were enjoying giving each other wagon rides...someone would sit in the wagon with Elsie and the others would push them down the hill...
Elsie has no fear of anything...so this was great fun for her!

I love that Elsie is learning about all the simple pleasures of summer fun with her aunties and uncle...

Summer Time...

Are these dirty feet...no they are just summer feet! Emma assures us that feet are supposed to be dirty in the summer...she refers to them as "summer feet!" More than once I heard Emma saying "but mom, I don't need a bath my feet are not dirty...they are just summer feet!" I guess she is right...dirty feet in the summer are lovely...they are proof of an active, creative and adventurous child...but I still do wash Elsie's feet every now and then! I will admit that tonight Elsie is sound asleep with summer feet in bed...she fell asleep before we got her washed up...Elsie is a true summer girl!

Ramdom Play...

My Mom took lots of pictures with my camera since I was lacking energy...This is just a little peek at the random-ness of the children's play...The kids showed Elsie how to play "Ring-Around-The Rosie" last week...Elsie caught on right away...a new favorite song...
Wearing the Auntie Missa's shoes...maybe just a little big...but it won't be too long...

Elsie has started to be a little stinker with the kids...she gets them so wild! She loves to play wild! One day she would tap Emma while running by and yell out " get me!!" She wanted Emma to chase her around! Emma and Elsie can get so loud with laughter and playful screams...crazy kids! I think Grandma had to put both Emma and Elsie in "time out" more then once this week just so they would settle down!

Lisa asked if she could paint Elsie's toes...I told her "yes but only with the colour pink"...Elsie had other plans...She insisted that Lisa use "boo" (blue) on her toes...to which Lisa obliged on every other toe...now Elsie proudly says "boo" and points to her toes! Maybe Elsie has a new favorite colour...or maybe she just knows I really can't stand other colours on toes then pink...

This photo is a rare moment...Elsie sitting still and all alone...I think she was probably watching the kids in the trampoline...

Popsicles...

I think Elsie and I spent all of this past week at my parents house...My flu/cold is finally getting better so maybe we will stay home a little this coming week! Elsie loves to play with her aunties and uncle...so she was in seventh heaven all week! One day as a special treat Elsie and brought over some Popsicles to share with all the kids...
These were Elsie's 1st Popsicles of the summer...She LOVED them...even if I did have to get the sugar-free kind!

Love how she walked around eating this...her little pinkie out! Just a note...my Mom took most of these pictures...

The kids always have share licks of each others Popsicles...

Sometimes someone (normally Elsie) will get wise and take a little bite of someone else's Popsicle instead of licking it!

In one afternoon Elsie managed to eat 3 Popsicles...then Grandpa came home with a treat of licorice...what a healthy day... Grandma and Grandpa payed for feeding Elsie junk...she pooped a poopie-diaper blowout all over the white carpeting in the living room!

What a fun day...

Cure of the Cough...

For the last several days I have been feeling rather icky...I had the flu that turned into a terrible cough...I was awake coughing most of last night! Not wanted a repeat of last night I asked my mom what I should do about trying to not cough!? She told me to try an Onion Pack/poultice! So I got out the onions...
My Mom came over to help me apply the poultice...she warmed the onions in olive oil on the stove until they were nice and warm...

She then wrapped the hot onions in an old towel and layed it on my chest...It felt so good! It instantly started to break up phlem...

When the onions cooled I layed the onions directly on my chest...Elsie had a few issues with this...she kept wanting to take them off me!

The poultice should help to stop the cough so I can sleep better tonight...so far so good...I have coughed some but not "big, bad coughs" like before! I also took a nice warm bath tonight with fresh, frozen ginger floating in the tub...I was told that was supposed to bring my fever down...(not sure I really had one but I wanted to try anyhow!) Fresh ginger tea is also known to help ease coughing...So I will be putting a cup beside the bed tonight just in case! Now...I have every intention of waking up in the morning feeling tip-top so I can go buy some flowers for the window box!

Thanks,mom for coming over to help me...and the girls for watching Elsie so I could relax in the tub...I think my parents and sisters have taken care of Elsie for me all week! What would Jon and I do without any of you?

Summer Fun...

Yesterday Elsie and I spent all afternoon playing at grandma and grandpa's house...Elsie is always discovering and learning something new there every time we go there...yesterday she learned about tents! Uncle Colter set the little tent outside to play in...Elsie started saying"tent" as soon as she realized what they were doing...
They played Uno in the tent...and I am certain that Elsie followed the rules quite well!

Maybe she just made up new rules...

I think her aunties and uncle realy just played the game around her while she sat in the middle enjoying her own made up game with her stack of uno cards...at least she has a good imagination and is easily entertained!

Later in the afternoon Elsie layed down in the tent...we thought she was so tired that she just might fall asleep...but I think she was just putting her baby down for a nap..she is such a good mommy!

Auntie Ceara let the kids play dress up with some of her big bracelets...Elsie had so much fun with these...she would put the bracelets on than take them off...again and again! This kept her very occupied for a long time!

She would put one on her left arm than one her right arm...back and forth until she had all the bracelets on...than she would take them off and do it again...I always wonder what she must be thinking while playing so intently on something...

What a fun and busy afternoon...she never did have a nap...but who needs a nap when its summer!?