Well, hello again :)

Did ya miss me?? Or is anyone even still reading since I went on such a long blog hiatus?! I don't really have an excuse...time, I guess. I don't have any :) Ha! It's definitely not lack of content. I feel like our 1st eight weeks here in NC have been so busy that they have absolutely flown by. Do I say that a lot? Maybe I just feel like life is flying by at the moment. I look at my sweet daughter and wonder how she is almost 2 years old. I think about having another baby in 5 months and I'm just in shock! I try so hard to savor every moment, but sometimes I feel like they speed by so quickly that my moments seem like milliseconds. Do y'all feel that way, too? Any tips on how to slow it down?!

Let's see...where do I even begin?? Well, we decided that once we got settled in, one of the first things that we wanted to do was enroll E in Mother's Day Out. The thought was that it would give her a chance to interact with lots of other kids, and would give me a little chance to catch up on mommy things.

Here she is on her first day of "school":

She LOVES it! We chose a really well known program that is run through a local church. We love Ms. Karen, her teacher, and feel very blessed that there was a place for Elli there. I; however, haven't left E there for the full 4 hours yet!! I just can't seem to do it...weird, I know. I thought I would relish the "alone time", but truth be told...I just miss her!

Next up...Easter!! What a fun one we had this year! Had I not left the Easter eggs out all morning to be filled with ants by the time the kiddo's picked them up, it would have been a total success! Ha! Luckily, they weren't biting ants...and as soon as I realized the issue, we promptly ended the "hunt" :) I just gotta say...it's so typical of me!

My girl and I on the BEST holiday of the year. He is RISEN!!!

Elli in her Easter dress and bonnet...I just love little girls in Easter bonnets. Oh, and her daddy picked out the dress! Great job, if you ask me :)

And E hugging her friend Myla. Elli might be the hugging-est little girl I have ever seen. She LOVES a good hug! Just liker her Mama :)

Shortly after Easter, my little brother came out to visit us and we had a GREAT time just hanging out together. I think by the end of his trip he was a little overwhelmed at how tiring a toddler can be :)

Here we are at the Kinston Indians baseball game:

It was E's first one, and she was a big fan (especially of the hot dogs, ice cream & french fries!).

Over the week that Travis was here, Elli also got to go to her very first birthday party :) Happy birthday, Asher!! **She loved the bounce house until the boys wanted to play, too!**

We also went to UNC...a gorgeous campus, and a great day!

And finally, we celebrated Travis's 23rd birthday. I just love him...especially because he didn't mind that I put the candles in his birthday brownies before they had cooled. Ooops :)

So I guess that's it for March & April. I'll pick up in May...hopefully sometime soon :)

PaPa's Visit

The older I get, the more I long to be with family. My dad came out for a visit 2 weekends ago, and I had such a great time being with him. Just being. We didn't plan anything special, just spent time catching up & soaking in the gorgeous weather. He taught Chris and I how to play 42, and Texas Hold 'Em, & we finally played Mexican Train by the rules...no small feat when you play in our family :) But the best part was just relaxing, talking, and watching him with Elli. That part truly warmed my heart. She loves her PaPa, and no matter how many miles may be between them, it's a bond that runs deep.

They tested out just about every park in our little town, attempted to feed the ducks (complete with duck calls & everything...to no avail!), walked up and down the hill on our street at least 10 times, and drove E's little barbie car until the batteries nearly quit! He was able to hug her good-night, and give her kisses every morning. And it was wonderful. Truly.

When he left, I cried. Might not be a shocker to those who know me, but I don't usually cry-cry when people leave...just mist up a bit. What can I say, I'm a softy! But this time, I cried. I don't know if it was because it will be the last time he visits us in this house, or that I'm nervous that it won't be as easy for our families to visit at our next base, or that I just hated to see such a great weekend end. But whatever it was, it pricked my heart.

The older I get, the more I long to be with family. To tell them how much I love them, how much they mean to me, and how thankful I am for them. To hug them as often as possible, and to spend quiet moments together. To experience Elli's life with them, and capture the memories that will buoy her until the next visit. To just be.

Where's Miss E???

I haven't been posting very many pics of my sweet thing lately...don't have an excuse, just haven't really had time to sit down and wait for Blogger to upload them. Does it take a crazy long time for everyone else, or is it just me? It's okay, you can tell me that I'm technically challenged...I'm used to it :) Anyway, I thought I'd remedy the situation by showing you some of the random things that Elli has been doing lately! We have so much fun together, she's like my little mini-me.

Where's Miss E??

Oh, there she is in the basket! Why wouldn't she be in the basket??

And there she is hanging out with her puppy and my comb...yes, I have my camera with me at all times just so that I can capture moments like these :) This is what she does while waiting for me to get ready in the morning if I accidentally pushed the snooze button on my alarm a few (10!) times.

One of her favorite things to do. She loves her baby dolls, and is so cuddly. She wants to give everyone hugs and kisses when she sees them...strangers and all!

(We're working on that!)

And here she is reading a book at the library! She's a genius, I tell ya! Ha :) Honestly, I think she liked the swivel chair more than she liked the book!

And here she is dipping her french fries in ketchup, her daddy's greatest achievement! She is a dipping pro! And no, before you gasp, we don't feed her french fries, goldfish & fried chicken all the time...these were my leftovers (minus the goldfish) from the night before and so she got a special treat :)

And finally, Elli rocking her sunglasses! She LOVES them...and I think she's just adorable :)

Christmas Picture Overload!

The whole family in Colorado for Christmas! Such a fun time :)

I just love this girl!!

Feeding Daddy some snow :)

Our Snow Bunny!

The Colorado Cabin Christmas Tree!!

Sledding is so fun!

Loving her new Barbie ATV from PaPa :)

Do a little dance...

Telling PaPa a story :)

Cousin Kisses

Playing the big girl piano...she's going to be a pro!

About to ride the train w/ Nana

And Elli sandwich with Aunt Stephie & Uncle Trav

Ohhh, I LOVE my new "Elli"Chair!!

One of E's all-time favorite activities...riding in her wagon!

She liked her presents, but she liked this box even more!

Yay for Christmas!!!

Happy Fall, Y'all!!

YAY for Fall Weather!!!

"Ruff, Ruff!!" I think I hear some puppies!!

I KNEW I heard some puppies barking!!

Trying to give them kisses...but Mommy spoiled my fun :)

What a GORGEOUS Day!

I've been really trying to let Elli play outside more, especially now that the weather is so wonderful here. I feel like I kept her cooped up all summer b/c I absolutely hate the heat, and I'm trying to make up for it with a little bit of sunshine! I'm proud to say that I've taken her on a long walk for the past 7 days straight...and she loves it! She really likes riding in her wagon, especially when I run down the hills pulling her :) And if we see a dog along the way, well...that's just an added bonus! Today, we strolled around base w/ a friend and I tried to point out all the airplanes (again, she really hasn't seen very many since her Mother of the Year over here was afraid of melting this summer). And wouldn't you know it, when we got home and heard an airplane, she pointed at the sky! Her daddy would be so proud :)

Here are a few pics from today when we got home. She loves to chase this ball around while practicing her walking. I'm so proud of how well she's doing :)