Chalyse's Lullaby

Yesterday, Chalyse's doll was tired, so Chalyse put her to sleep. She sang her own little lullaby:

Rock-a-by
Rock-a-by
See all the pretty colors

Right now, her doll is getting a "bath" and her diaper changed.

Summer...Relaxation?

Ellora took her first steps a couple of weeks before we came home, but we didn't tell anyone because we wanted it to be a surprise. She's made really gradual progress with walking, and now is very good, as you can see from the video (we're sorry if she damaged your speakers with her shrill scream).

Since coming home, we've been running like crazy, but it seems to be slowing down finally. We've really enjoyed the "warm" weather, and even the rain. It's probably best that it's been unseasonably cool and wet this year. We're probably going to melt in the next few days as it gets into the 80s.

The girls have adjusted to the time change. The first three nights after getting back were...unpleasant. Ellora had a hard time with the time change, but Chalyse took the prize for "Biggest Grump at Bedtime." She woke up all three nights with night terrors.

We finally have our house put together and are on a more or less regular schedule. It's fun to see so many friends and family.

We Survived!

I wasn't sure I'd make it through my first year teaching with my sanity, but I think I did. Then again, we're planning on coming back up to Alaska next year, so maybe I didn't. We are so excited to see grass, trees, flowers, and pretty much everything that isn't white or gray. It's gotten up to the 40s a couple of times here, but we're excited for REAL warmth. We are ready for a vacation!

Amazing Baby

Ellora is now 9 months old. For Easter the girls got playground balls that are just smaller than a basketball. Yesterday I found Ellora sitting on one of them and bouncing up and down. I was astonished at her ability to balance and couldn't imagine how she had even sat down on it without it falling out from under her. She has been standing in the middle of the floor a lot lately so perhaps she was standing and just accidently sat right on it. I caught her a little while later trying to sit on it again but she couldn't get it right in the middle and slid right off.

Ellora loves to sit on Chalyse's scoot car and does really well even though she is just big enough to reach the top of the wheels to rest her feet on them (it is several more inches to the floor) In the past she has gotten herself down and I couldn't figure out how but yesterday I caught her. She brings her left foot up to the seat so that it is under her bum, then she stands up straight on that one foot on top of the seat so she can move her right foot off the wheels and over the floor. Then she lets her self down until she falls off the seat onto her right foot and brings her left foot down beside it, sill standing. (I think baby's do all kinds of amazing things when we are not looking.)

Powder Puff Wrestling

We heard Ellora and Chalyse giggling and looked down the hall to find this.

Nora

Chalyse has trouble with her L's and as a result she calls her sister Nora. It seems to fit her well. We sill call her Ellora most of the time and Ella every once in a while but like "Nora." It is a little more unique than Ella but still classic and like I siad it seems to fit her well. Also one of my favorite singers is Nora Jones.



She has the same bright blue eyes as her dad and sister. It makes me feel like a minority having green.

Good Morning

Tonight, Chalyse was being so cute. We put her to bed, but she kept on getting up saying she was hungry and wanted breakfast. We weren't too worried about her because she had eaten pretty well at dinner, but we eventually gave her a piece of bread and milk. As she ate, she kept telling us that she woke up and that it was morning. She even gave us her own version of "Good Morning," from "Singin' in the Rain." "Morning, morning, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you." We kept telling her that she hadn't gone to sleep yet and that it was night time. She would parrot that back to us, then go on saying how she had woken up and that she was eating breakfast. This whole thing was so cute, Camille and I couldn't help but laugh.

Chalyse eventually woke her sister. It's not so cute anymore.

Shark Baby

For the longest time (about 3 months), Ellora only had her two bottom teeth. She looked like a little mouse. Finally, this past week she cut...(drum roll, please)...not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR new teeth on top. It's been an interesting week for us, but all things considered, she was a pretty good sport.

Today was our stake conference. One of the speakers said something really interesting. He was speaking about blessings and trials and said, "Some people are blessed with great riches, and some people are cursed by them. Some people are cursed with poor health, but some people are blessed with it." Our blessings and trials will help us to improve inasmuch as we are humble, patient, and faithful.