I saw that they were doing this on all the major news networks so I thought that I would give it a try...


Caleb's 30th birthday in Las Vegas!


Losing my sweet Nana...but being thankful to have had so much time with her...even at the end.


Ella at the zoo!


Meeting our new good friends- Lindey & Ryan.


Teacher of the Year Dinner.


Mission Discovery.


Finding out that I am having a baby and my sister is too and we are due 11 days apart:)


Ella turns 2!


Happy Halloween!


10 year Reunion.


Christmas at Mom & Dad's. Silly Caleb.

My Papa was able to visit us from California. It was our first Christmas without Nana. What a huge blessing to get to have Papa. This picture was taken before the Candlelight service at the Lutheran church our family has attended since I was little.


Ella & her Shrek babies. P.S. If you have not seen "Shrek the Halls" Christmas special you are missing out.


Christmas Dinner.

How lucky were we? Diana and Scott both out of town= special time with little Ella. We went to the park (where she almost froze her nose off but loved every minute), Starbucks, and out to dinner. So fun! She even confessed her "sins" to Caleb, but that is another story...don't worry Ella, your secrets are safe. In the middle of the night Ella actually wanted to get in bed with us (a big no no in my book, but for one night...)...it was short lived...shortly after she rolled in between me and Caleb for 30 minutes she said, "I get in my bed." Good girl Ella.

Ella and I at Harmony Park.


I also got to fly my little Ella home. Here she is checking the safety feature of the Boeing Super 80...a girl after my own heart. Safety first!

I love Christmas time...just wanted to share some of our Christmas traditions... including but not limited to:
* Setting up the tree (Fraser fir is our favorite)...must be a real tree..it's just how I was raised.

Favorite ornament.

* Watching Little Women...love it, love it, love it....while setting up the living room...haven of Christmas in our home.

* Sending Christmas Cards.
* Eggnog anything (Breyers has a new ice cream that is awesome).
* Watching Home Alone 2:Lost in New York City. Can't explain this one except to say...I love NYC.

* Advent calendar- this is new for us this year. Caleb has taken on the task of filling each box with a Scripture on song verse anticipating the birth of Christ...so each day we have a verse to read.
* Christmas Carols...at all times.
* Making some kind of Christmas Cookie: Gingerbread men or sugar cookies. Also, my Nana's recipe for Finnish biscuit- a great breakfast bread with cardamom seeds.
* Nativity set- Caleb and I bought this for our 5th anniversary (actually not until February)...but we found it in San Diego. Caleb has made it his mission to find the perfect Nativity set and so when we found it in July...we decided to make it our 5th wedding anniversary gift. We buys gifts according to the year (1st- paper, 2nd- cotton, 3rd- leather, 4th- linen, 5th- wood).

Let me know your favorite Christmas traditions...

I was attending my last class of the semester at UNT. I was in a celebratory mood...ready for Christmas, ready for a week of no classes, ready for a break...

A girl sitting next to me interrupted my happy thoughts and said:

"Are you trying to lose weight?"
"No" (thought-...and why would you ask me this...rude)
"I was just wondering because your drink says, "Slenderize."

I was so embarassed. I had spent five minutes prior searching through the drinks at the cafeteria looking for Vitamin Water (my new favorite drink) and couldn't find it...so I grabbed the next best thing (Fuze)...and I wasn't going for the vitamins at that point, it was about the flavor. Who can resist Cran-rasberry? Little did I know this drink was full of a natural stimulant to get your metabolism jumping. My heart is still pounding though my skin. Sorry baby...truly an honest mistake.

Anyway...I felt like I had been caught smoking or drinking while being pregnant...like I should be wearing the Scarlet letter or something.

Okay, everyone in my class knows I am pregnant and for crying out loud...do pregnant women really think losing weight intentionally is even a possibility? Oh well....she was probably just trying to help...it was a little awkward though.

Here is a picture of me @ 23 weeks (5.75 months)...still not thinking in weeks...be nice (as my little Ella would say)! It was taken at a very special wedding..see the Iles blog. Much love to you...

The meal. Good gracious my posture is atrocious.


Ella decided to try on my mom's glasses. Now she really looks like Scott (see picture below).


Ella & Scott.


Ella & Aina pre-Bee Movie.


Ella post Bee-Movie...still trying to keep the magic of the movie alive by finishing off the popcorn.

Highlight: Watching Ella graze like cattle on candy and popcorn...also, the hilarity of Jerry Seinfeld... though the hilarity of Larry David is sorely missed!

Lowlight: Ella shouting "I have to try poo poo!" 2x in the middle of the movie. To her credit I did take her to the bathrooom and she did indeed do as she said.