6 More Weeks

Austin left this morning to go back to Phoenix. He left at about 10 am. The girls and I were late to church so that we could see Daddy off. I was so emotional at church I couldn't teach a lesson in my primary class. So my kids just talked and played. Then in sharing time I just cried. I hated coming home to an empty house. When I pulled up to the house I looked in the backyard and the furnace vent thingy had blown off the roof. Great!

Austin is going to be gone for twice as long as he was gone last time. I really need to pull it together and get focused again. But I just feel like crying and crawling into a dark hole and hybernating for 6 weeks.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

We spent Christmas Eve with the Bowens. Ariane had just had her wisdom teeth out and JaNel had two teeth pulled to make room for her teeth (she has braces). So we didn't get to go carroling (sp?) instead most of us sang Christmas songs together in the warmth of the house and then we read the true Christmas story together. It was nice. Then we went back to our house. We woke up Christmas morning and checked out our gifts. Austin got me an ipod and we spent hours putting music on it. He totally surprised me by getting me a gift. I told him a hundred times that all I wanted for Christmas was him. But I guess he gets a kick out of surprising me. Gosh I love him. I got him a small gift...just the first 4 seasons of American Idol on DVD and some Almond Joy candy bars.

6 Days of Christmas Bliss

Austin got home from Pilot School Dec 22nd around 2 am. We woke up Alayna so that he could hold her. She was so cute and shy. She was happy that her daddy was home. She could hardly believe her eyes, she kept rubbing them. We all went back to sleep and then later that morning India woke up to find that her Daddy was home too. When he was home we totally forgot that he had been gone for so long. It felt like normal. It was awesome.

India's 1st Snowman!

The Elliott Family

Austin's sister, Bethany, is a photographer and she took this picture of our little family and also the whole Elliott hoard!! I highly recommend her. She can do all types of effects to the pictures and she is a photoshop wiz. Call her at 801-897-1554.

Austin's Departure

Austin left last night for ATP (Airline Transport Professionals). He arrived in Pheonix this morning around 9 am. He was so brave and happy when he left. I thought I'd be an emotional mess but I'm not. I was a mess yesterday until Austin told me about how happy he was to be starting the rest of his life. He said "the future has arrived". I haven't cried since. I feel a slight heaviness in my heart from missing him but I have it together. I'm organized. I'm also excited for the future...and the near future...Christmas :) These are pictures we took in anticipation of him leaving.

Alayna's Tinkerbell Birthday Party

Alayna just turned One! She's trying to walk but India mostly gets in the way of her practicing.

Oooooo

Alayna learned how to make this funny little face not long ago. Here she is eating her pizza and Oooooing.

More Dinosaur pictures

India was so afraid of this fake shark!

Thanksgiving Point Dino Musuem

Feeding Alayna to the TRex




We spent a day at the Dinosaur Museum this week.

Wonder of Wonders...Miracles & Miracles

We never thought this day would come! Our little India can use the potty. She saw that her cousin can use the toilet and she realized that she could too. She hasn't had any accidents for a week now! Halleluiah! (however you spell it). She has princess, dora & tinker bell panties.

India Ariel

India was out playing on her daddy's bench and I couldn't resist taking a picture. I think she was pretending to be Ariel.

Feeding Problem Solved

Alayna is usually super messy whenever we feed her (see pictures below) and so I came up with a brilliant idea. I put her baby food in a bottle and cut a bigger hole in the top. She was never good with bottles but I guess the first time I tried this trick she was super hungry and figured out that you suck on a bottle and not chew on it. So now there is absolutely no mess and we get some snuggle time with our little 'layna

Halloween

Austin & I were Robin Hood & Maid Marian, Alayna was a bumble bee and of course India had to be super girl.

Camping Trip w/Bowens

We went camping for a few days with Rachael's family. Austin and India also went to Bear Lake and made sand castles and played in the "scary boat".

Messy Baby

Alayna is so messy when she eats. She likes to feel her food before she swallows so it gets all over. I give this little lady a bath at least twice a day! Oh, and the picture where she has a glob of baby food on her head was when I was going crazy and just plopped some on her head out of frustration. Most of the food was going on the walls instead of her mouth.

4th of July

On July 3rd we started taking antibiotics and by the 4th of July we were feeling much better.

Icky Sick

We were taking India to a daycare/school (she learned the alphabet song) and she brought home sickness after sickness. I thought we were all going to die from being so sick. We pulled her out of the school and are now enjoying good health again. Here's a picture of sick baby.

Angel Baby

I take Alayna with me to all of my appointments and she's always so good. I think she likes looking at houses.

Little Sisters

Mischief Maker

I can't turn my back for a second with this one. I put mascara in my purse and India (she calls herself Ee-da) found it and went to town with her beautiful lashes.

Baby Milestones

Alayna has been sitting up by herself. She also found her toes and likes to play with them. She's still as sweet as ever. She's getting better with eating rice cereal but still wakes up at least once in the night.