Andy's Show

Andy is finishing up his year program at the University of Florida.  It has been a great experience for him and we really did have a great time out here in the sunshine state.

He had his big show tonight and it was great!  Ellie did pretty well, but I did spend a lot of time with her outside while Andy talked and mingled with people. 

I am so proud of him and how hard he works for our family.  He is a wonderful father, husband and provider, and just all around amazing.

Birthday Weekend

I turned 26 yesterday.  I feel the same way I did at 25, so there you go.

On Saturday we went down to Daytona Beach and met up with Paige and Ryan.  We had a great time!  The weather was perfect and the water felt amazing!

Ellie's attempt at a sand castle

Afterwards we all went to Texas Roadhouse and it was delicious, of coarse. 

Paige and Ryan spent the night and in the morning, on my actual birthday, Andy made everyone breakfast and then we all went to the La Chua trail, which is a great place to see alligators.  We saw full size, baby, and what we deemed, a teenager sized alligators.

Cuties

Andy and Ryan were willing to get a closer to the gators than Paige and I were

When we got home we all got ready and went to church, and after sacrament Paige and Ryan had to head home back to Georgia.
That evening we went over to the weekly potluck and I was so lucky to have not one, but two cakes!  Andy made one and the Grantos, who host the potluck, also had a cake for me. 
We are so blessed for the friends that we have made out here and how they have become our family.  I'm going to miss them so much!

So here's to 26, hopefully it is better than 25 was.

Things lately

Things have been really busy around here.

Last week I started working  for a woman in my ward who just had her third child.  Due to complications with her c-section, they've hired me to help around the house in the morning for a few weeks.  Its been a lot of work to get there by 8, with Ellie, and help get their daughter off to school and get their toddler ready for the day.  Ellie is only 6 months older than Eisen, so they have been playing together really well and entertaining each other while I clean the house.

 This past weekend we had General Conference, so we spent the weekend at home watching that.  It was nice that we didn't have plans because Andy and Ellie had a little bug, so we would have been staying home anyways.

Sickies

We are moving in three weeks (crazy) and I've been trying to use all the food we have, most importantly a 13 pound turkey that we had in our freezer.  Basically everything we eat this week will have some time of turkey in it.

Eat up Ellie

Sunday, after the last session of general conference, we headed over to a park for a unofficial ward activity.  We had a Cafe Rio night, and it was so delicious!  I just have to say that I love our ward so much.  I'm going to miss all these great people and I wish we could just move the ward with us back to Utah.

Ellie and Ella Grace

Also, drum roll please...Andy and I finished reading The Book of Mormon for the first time together! 

Girls Week

Andy was in Milwaukee for a conference, and Ellie and I were at home.  I tried to think of a bunch of fun things we could do to fill the time while we waited for Andy to get home.

Andy flew out Tampa, and so after we dropped him off at the airport we headed to Clearwater beach and spent the afternoon there playing in the sand, and dodging waves.

Saying good-bye to Daddy

This girl loves the beach!

On Wednesday we tried to go on a hike to the Devils Millhopper, which is a huge sinkhole, now turned into state park, but before we made it down 3 flights of stairs, there was a huge tree blocking the way.  So we ended up walking on the trail at the top a few times, and then went and I had the picnic I packed.  We finished the day with playing at the park.

Thursday we went to Ellie's music class and I enjoyed my first adult interaction in 2 days, besides being on the phone with Andy.  After nap time we went to Rogers farm and picked delicious strawberries that we had for dessert.  Such a plus for living in Florida is all the strawberries in season so early.  I love it!

Friday we had playgroup and went to Dairy Queen for dessert after dinner.

Saturday we went to the park and we had such a funny experience.  Ellie was getting ready to go down the slide and she was counting down and all of sudden screamed bloody murder!  She ran straight to me and was freaking out and I looked up by the slide and there was a frog.  I couldn't believe she acted like that, especially since she loves the lizards that live on our back porch so much.  Crazy girl!

I decided that it would be nice to go out for dinner, so we went to Red Robin and the highlight of the dinner was Ellie getting a balloon at the end.

Andy's flight didn't get in until 10:45 that night, and Tampa is 2 hours away.  Ellie fell asleep on the way down but was wide awake when we got the airport. 

Waiting for Daddy

We were so excited to see Andy!  I'm so glad he's home and that we are all together again.

 

Spring Break 2014

For Spring Break we went down to Disney and used our last pass.  We had decided to go to Animal Kingdom, even though I really wanted to go to Magic Kingdom for a second time, but Andy didn't want to.  I was actually pretty bummed about it, but I figured we would have fun no matter where we went.  The night before we left I was getting our stuff together and Andy walked into the room and said "Do you wan to hear a secret?  We are going to Magic Kingdom."  I was so excited!  He said he had decided he wanted to go to, but it kept it a secret.

We had an even better time there than the first, because we knew where everything was and what we did and didn't want to do.  Also we got a hotel room this room, and so we stayed until closing and it was so nice to not have to drive back to Gainesville that night.

The next day we drove down to Homestead, which is about 30 minutes outside of Miami.  Homestead is known for its fruit and plant life.  Andy needed to take pictures for a project he is working on, and we had a great time going to the botanical gardens.  Ellie wanted to break open a pineapple so bad, and was putting a ton of them into the stroller because she wanted to take them all home with her.

We drove out to Key Largo to watch the sunrise and for Andy to take pictures, and it was so beautiful.  On our way back home we stopped in Miami and went to the beach.  It was so AMAZING!  I loved being in the warm, clear ocean water.

We had such a nice trip and we love seeing all the beautiful places there are in Florida.

Firehouse Subs

Do you know what I love?  Free food.  It just tastes so much better when you aren't having to pay for it. 

Firehouse subs was giving away free sandwiches to promote their new healthy options menu, and so when Andy got home from work we hustled over there and miraculously were able to avoid the tremendous line that formed about 5 minutes later.

She LOVED the firefighters hats they gave out to kids

They were pretty good and since it was such a nice day, we enjoyed them outside away from the long line of people, or as Andy referred to them, the jackals waiting for their free sandwich.

how handsome is this guy?

Hollywood Studios

We went to Hollywood studios on Tuesday and had a blast!  Temperature wise it was totally opposite of the last trip we made to Disney.  When we went before it only got up to 50 degrees (and when you are used to Florida weather, that is dang cold!).  This time it got up to 85, in the afternoon it got to be a bit much, but that is why you go to shows and sit in air conditioning when it is the hottest.

We met up with Erica, (my moms best friends daughter, did you get that?) who lives in Jacksonville.  It was nice to have someone to go on rides with, because when its just me and Andy we take turns going on rides that Ellie can't.

Waiting for Daddy to get off Star Tours

"Honey We Shrunk the Kids" Playground

San Fran Cisco

We went to the Indiana stunt show, and it was so amazing!  Ellie loved it/ was scared of it at the same time.

 I already said it was hot that day, so we kept giving Ellie water so that she wouldn't be dehydrated.  I made sure to ask her if she needed to go potty, and I'd take even when she said she didn't just to be sure. 

We were standing in line for the movie experience ride when Ellie starts saying that she needs to go.  So I get out of line with her and take her to the bathroom.  We had 30 minutes to kill, because Andy and Erica were still in line and going on the ride.  I took Ellie to see Minnie Mouse, and she was so excited all day for this part.  She kept asking "wheres Minnie?", and when we were waiting in line she kept saying "seeing Minnie".  They opened the door to let us in and she ran in, saw Minnie and froze.  I guess it was just too much to see the person she loves so much.

We also played with bubbles  a cast member was blowing while waited

Then she fell asleep

Like I said Ellie had been drinking/going to the bathroom a lot.  She fell asleep and I was holding her while we stood in line for the Little Mermaid show, when all of sudden I start feeling liquid on my front.  She peed on me in her sleep.  So disgusting.  I thankfully had clothes for her, but none for me, so I had to stand there looking like I peed my pants.  At least it was hot outside and it dried quickly.  We finally got into the show, and about a minute into it she says that she has to go again!  Oh my gosh, pee body!  So we left while Andy and Erica finished the show.

After that I needed a bit of a break so Andy took Ellie to the Beauty and the Beast show and Erica and I went on Tower of Terror and the Rock n Roll roller coaster.  It was especially great because there was  no line for Tower of Terror so we went on it back to back.

Then we had dinner and finished out the day with Fantasmic. It was a fun day at Disney, and we are excited to go to Animal Kingdom next month.