Sam at Castle Mountain

So, everday I check the Castle Mountain Resort webpage to see how much snow they had gotten in the past day. Yesterday as I pulled up the site I was thinking...hey, that looks like Sam on the picture of the day...low and behold! Someone had snapped his picture going over a table top and put it on the website!! It's in the archives as well.

Ella's 1st Birthday Celebrations

So as you know Ella turned 1 on Valentines Day. We had a great day with her. Nali was SO excited to decorate for her party. She quite enjoyed everyone coming over for her party. I was a little worried as she woke up like a bear in the morning which is quite unusual for her. She was a bear the whole day but right before the party she became quite pleasant. She just wandered around looking at everyone and going between Nali's room where Nali and her cousin Hailey were playing and the front room where everyone was visiting!
Here is the typical 1st piece of Birthday cake.

Wow... I can't believe they gave this to me...

Maybe I'll stick my finger in it....

Maybe I'll lick it...

This must be too good to be true...I must hurry before they take it away!

Yummo
Opening her presents!
We bought this horse for Nali and Ella for Valentines day! Ella HATED it but Nali LOVES it!!! She wanted it for Christmas...I said no way...I went to Wal-mart Monday night and they were titally clearancing them...about 66 percent off. BTW it neighs moves it head when you pet it and talk to it, wags it tail and makes trotting motions when you sit on it and slap it's rear....My mom with my nephew Chase.



Ella and her friend Isla.

2 baby blue eyed girls.
Please ignore the snot.

Happy Birthday Little One

Happy 1st Birthday Ella Renee. I love you and am so grateful for this past year!

Silly Girl

So Ella like most babies likes to try and put things on her head. She tries over and over again to try and get them on. It's really quite cute to watch.
I love that little scrunchy face.
here she is helping me with the laundry. She is trying to put a pair of Nali's undies on her head. That is also a pair of tights around her neck.
Still trying to put the undies on.
Too cute!

Artic Freeze Week

So this week was a little cool...to say the least. The temperature outside Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with wind chill was around -46 degrees Celsius...convert to farenheit you got about -40 degrees as well. Monday was great as it gave me the day to deep clean my house. With this cold it really cramps my morning run. Usually I'll run at 6:30 before Sam leaves for work. It's great, I love it. I usually set my temperature limit at -20...anything colder and I don't go...then I'll wake up and the temp will be -22...-30 with the windchill. I find it a challenge from Mother Nature and I say BRING IT ON! So I bundle up and head out for a 10km/7km or 5km depending on the schedule. It's invigorating...I love running down the road and getting the stares from the people in their equally cold cars that won't warm up until the pull into the parking lot. It's empowering to say the least. It lets me know that I'M in control of my life. SO...with this ARTIC freeze I've resorted to running on my mom's "death"mill. Really at -40 exposed skin can freeze in less then a minute...I'm not that insane. So Monday and Tuesday I ran 3 miles on the mill...seriously I rather run 6 miles outside then touch a treadmill. But I needed to run so I did it. I knew that Thursday was supposed to be warmer. I woke up at 5:10 with Ella...put her back to bed and checked the temp. It was a balmy -3! I was SO excited.I just laid in bed waiting to go running wondering if I'd be totally crazy to go at 5:15. Sam has started to run a little in the mornings. He had planned to in the morning and I'd go when he got home. He woke up at 6:00 I said "are you running?" He said "No, I don't feel well." I jumped out of bed and got my gear on. It was awesome. I was able to use me new GPS heart rate monitor as well. That was so cool. Sam got it for me as an early Valentines Day gift. It's super cool. Hopefully it'll help me run faster. So far so good. I've used it 3 times and each time my pace per mile as increased. It's cool to know how fast you're going or should I say how slow you're going. My goal is to do the Moonlight run in under 57 minutes. My real goal is to maintain a 9 minute mile over 6 miles. But my ultimate goal is be in control of life. I believe that that goal is achieved each morning as I throw my feet over the edge of the bed. I want to be healthy for my girls and set a good example for them. Every now and then Nali will ask to go running. So we get dressed up and run around the block a few times. It's awesome. Somehow she always beats me.

Lululemon

So for Christmas Sam spoiled me with 3 items for lululemon. I don't know if all of you have heard of it but they make the most amazing yoga wear. It might be the fact that it's a Canadian company that I love it so much or just how it feels on or both. Either way the price tag of $100 dollars on a pair of yoga pants and $100 hoodies seems to slip to the back of your mind when you put them on! Ok, and the service is AMAZING...seriously, you ask a worker a question and you get the whole nine yards. Plus free water, oranges and granola bars at a snack bar.

PS-I'm still seeking forgiveness from a friend who I somewhat mocked for spending such a ridiculous amount of money on a pair of yoga pants...I was sorely mistaken and now see the error of my ways and am now converting others to the lulu way.

A Few Random Pictures

Around Christmas Ella was digging around in the fridge and this is what she came up with. If you can't tell it's a piece of shrimp. She LOVED it!

On Boxing Day we took the girls toboganing. This was Ella's first time.
I don't think she was really into it...She just had this unimpressed look on her face.
Where as Nali thinks that it's great. She'll go down the hill by herself head first. The rule is if she goes down by herself she has to pull her on sled back up. We're trying to foster independance.

Sisters

One of the most common questions that I get is "How do they get along?" I have to respond that they play GREAT together. Nali and Ella are good friends and you can tell. They'll play together in a room for hours...well not quite that long but they're good. Ella likes to just kick it in Nali's room and watch what she does. She likes to get her fingers into things as well. Nali is quite patient with her. Mostly she'll pick her up and move her if she's annoyed. This is a video I took a few days ago it's cute to see their interactions...It looks like Ella is pushing the car but I think Nali is dragging her along.

A few Pictures of Christmas Day

Ella quite enjoyed her first Christmas.



Nali wanted this dinosaur SO bed...seriously. It was the one gift that somehow got opened/ripped a few days before Christmas. She calls it Rosie because it's eyes turn red.
Ella helping me unwrap my present.
She was loving helping her sister!

Nali trying not to look too excited...seriously if she knew how hard it was to find this gift....
Ella opening her gift from Santa. Nali helping her open her gift from Santa.
Ella VERY annoyed that big sister opened her present.

What a perfect gift...a sippy cup.
Nali admiring her Mulan doll.
Checking out the stocking stash. Nali got a Lippizaner horse...she said HOW DID SANTA KNOW???
Ella eating a hershey kiss...not such a good idea.

My Favorite Pictures!

So this was Christmas Eve. Ella had had a elastic in her hair and when I took it out this is what it looked like. So we thought that a picture would be good. Ella has problems keeping her eyes open for pictures...where do you think she gets it from????

Ahhh...BOTH have their eyes open! What a treat!! How stinking cute are these two?!

The Holidays

Ella's first ice-cream cone. At first she didn't know what to do with,
Cousin Hailey putting Ella in a Half-Nelson...Everytime I look at this picture I think that it's Nali...Her and Hailey look so much a like.
Ella with her cousin Chase.
Do you think they look a like?
Grandpa helping his girls open gifts Christmas Eve.