Summer Fun

June was mainly spent writing a research paper for my Governance class at Athabasca University. Ellie and I had our weekly swim class - which was great - but otherwise we did not get out a whole lot. On the 26th, I decided that it was time we had a good break and we went for a picnic with Auntie Megan and cousins Finley & Rhys.

After our picnic (a wonderful lunch from McDonald's) and walk in the park, we found a playground and there, Ellie got to go in the swings for the very first time. I didn't think she would be able to go in the swings this year as she's still small, but she fit fine and had a wonderful time swinging beside Rhys.

It was a fun day for us all!

How Time Flies

It is difficult to believe that it has been 4 months since I last blogged - we have been kept quite busy with new achievements and activities that Ellie has done, that I look back and wonder where the time has gone.

I won't bore you with a lot of sentiment, but here are some hi-lights over the last few months.
- March 9 - first meal of rice cereal - Ellie didn't think too highly of it, but now she's like her Dad and will eat whatever I put in front of her!
- March 20-27 - Grammie Butterton came for a visit and Ellie rolled from her tummy to her back in the presence of Grammie, Mommy and Daddy!
- April 10 - Easter egg decorating party at Auntie Julie's!
- April 12 - first trip to Heritage Park for a special birthday celebration of cousin Caleb and Grandma Ratzlaff.
- April 22 - our first Stars n' Strollers movie with friends Gina & Ariane.
- April 29 - Mom & Baby Aqua-size class at the VRRI - Ellie LOVES playing in the water in her little floatation device while I work-out around her. The other mom's continuously comment on her cute rolls.
- May 6 - Ellie slept over at Grandma & Grandpa Ratzlaff's for the first time. I had a final exam the next morning and enjoyed an uninterrupted nights sleep!
- May 9 - 17 - Jasper vacation shared with Grandma & Grandpa Ratzlaff!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's difficult to believe it's been almost two months since I've blogged - guess that goes to show how fast time does fly!

We had a wonderful Christmas, enjoying visits from Grandma Ratzlaff and cousin Kim and her family over the Holidays, as well as my family and Mark's family from Calgary and Cranbrook. It was a nostalgic time for Mark and I as we watched our little baby coo-ing and chatting to us with amazing smiles.

January passed very quickly. We all came down with colds, so there was a week where Ellie and I didn't leave the house, we just slept and ate. Unfortunately, Mark came down with a mild version of our cold at the end of the week, so we were all pretty mellow for a few days.

On February 4, we made our 3rd Annual trip to Radium. We enjoyed a lovely drive by moonlight through the mountains on the way out, with a quiet, sleeping baby! Ellie traveled amazingly well, and didn't experience any issues with new surroundings and sleeping arrangements. It was a much-needed getaway for all, especially Mark, as work has been very crazy for him since October. We had planned on taking Ellie to the Hot Springs, but since she wasn't completely over her cold, we opted to save that for another trip. My parents were able to come out one night and they babysat while Mark and I went to the Hot Springs - a lovely treat for us!

Ellie had her 5-month birthday this week and her new milestones are: chewing on everything (I think teeth are close); first stages of rolling (moving her head and shoulders); smiling and flirting at anything that moves (ceiling fans included); loving it when her Daddy comes home from work.

Getting Ready for Christmas

One of our Christmas traditions has been having our nephew Caleb over to help decorate the tree and house. This started back in 2001 when it was just Caleb and myself. Caleb has graciously made room for Mark, and now Ellie as well. We got the house all ready on Saturday evening, enjoying pizza, dorito's, pop and a couple rounds of Mario Kart on the Wii.

Thanks to Ellie's cousin Emmarae, who was born at a similar time of year, Ellie has an extremely adorable Christmas-themed wardrobe. Mark, Ellie and I read the Christmas story in church on Sunday, and she was decked out in her "Mrs. Claus" outfit - I don't think anyone in the service was listening to me, nor do I think they even knew Mark was holding Ellie. She was very, very cute.

We are looking forward to spending our first Christmas as a family, with our extended family and Grandma Ratzlaff who is coming to spend it with us.

More pictures

September 21










December 2

Baby Dedication

With the support of our family and church family, we dedicated Ellie to the Lord on Sunday, November 16th. It was a very special event for Mark and I, made more so by the presence of our family members that were able to come.

We were given a beautiful dress by one of the ladies at church that Ellie wore that day. This dress had been used for her children, and we were honoured to have it given to us. I had been looking for a little dress for Ellie to wear to her dedication, but since she is still rather small it wasn't easy, so having one given to us was a real blessing.

Church Baby Shower

On Saturday, November 15th, Ellie and I went to our 3rd baby shower - this one put on by the church ladies. It was a brunch shower and the food was so very yummy! My Mom was able to come to the shower and brought Ellie and I corsage's to wear.

We were blessed with many wonderful gifts - lots of books, some new outfits, two little bathing suits, and our next car seat! I was able to visit with most of the ladies that had come, and Ellie was shared and passed around the room, sleeping for most of the time.

It was a wonderful morning spent with great friends.