Ella & I

Ella & I on my birthday.  Doesn't she look excited to take a picture?!?

The 33rd Year

Well, 33 years old! My hair is showing more greys and I swear I'm getting a sun spot on my cheek!  But so it goes. People are having babies at 45 these days so I'm not freaking out (yet).
I had great bday weekend full of shopping with my mom & sister. Kaila made me a sweet bday cake! She's really talented with the cake decorating.  She made it to look like a Dooney & Burke purse.  The picture really doesn't account for all of the different icing colors and detail that she did.  And it was delicious! Yes, I am an adult and I requested funfetti cake!
Hoping you can see the picture in this post. This is my first attempt at mobile blogging!
I have a few pics of Ella to share but of course the camera battery is dead!
.More soon.

Halloween Night

Ella had her first Halloween trick-or-treating experience last night.  She did great and had a lot of fun.  When we started out, I asked her what she was supposed to say when we got to the door (i.e. Trick or Treat).  Ella said (as serious as can be): CHEESEBURGER!  HA!  No, Ella, that's your costume!  It was funny.  She got the hang of it and said Thank you after every house.  We were only out about 20 minutes or so and then we handed out candy at home, where Ella started to say to the kids "Have fun!" as they were leaving.  Too cute!  Yet again, she wasn't in the mood for pictures, but I got a shot of her & Jay walking up to the very first house.

 And after we got home, she played with her trick-or-treat sized Playdoh!

Halloween 2011

A few pics of our pumpkin carving and the Halloween Walk Friday night.  Ella got lots of compliments on her Cheeseburger costume and her fries treat bag.  Although we weren't very successful in getting good pictures because she kept looking away!!

Before carving pumpkins

Ella & Jay with their first carved pumpkin

Ella & I with the last carved pumpkin (it took HOURS to carve pumpkins)

The finished product



House Party

I'm having a house party.  A grown-up one.  My first time ever hosting a shopping party!  My sassy friend Andrea recently starting selling products by Willow House - Fabulous (with a capital F) home products that they say are a mash of Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.  I LOVE IT!  So I decided to take the adult leap - host a party up in here.  Granted, we don't have a lot of space....lots of toys will be tossed (to the garage?) to make way for ladies, Willow House products and some yummy treats!  I'm excited.  If you read this blog and you weren't invited by evite, you may want to buy something, or even just check out what Willow House has to offer.  You can peruse the look book online and be sure to check out the "outlet" section - I was searching through that last night and there are all kinds of great items and the prices are wonderful!  Great gift ideas to be found....go look!  http://andreaseifert.willowhouse.com

If you want to come to the party - please do!  11/6/11 2 p.m.

Ella in the pumpkin patch

Apple Orchard

This past weekend we headed out to enjoy the weather and get some apples.  We hit the Minnesota Harvest orchard and also Jim's Apple Farm (the big yellow barn off of 169).  It was soooo busy because the weather was perfect for spending time outside.  Ella didn't think it was that fun though - I think she was too caught up in all the people!  I've made my first apple pie of the season - YUM!

Later in the day, Ella & I went to pick out our pumpkins.  We headed to a little farm stand in Farmington that has baby farm animals.  Ella had a BLAST!  She's obsessed with those baby animals.  I got a few pictures, but I think a video would have been better.  She had so many funny things to say to the animals.

First things first - waving hello to the cows.  :)

Talking with the piggies.  These were her favorites that day, we spent a lot of time watching them eat their corn.

Ella on her way to see the goats.  When she reached the goat, she said Hi Goat - I Ella - HA! See the picture below where she's talking with the goat (I love how she gets crouched down to talk face to face!)

She wouldn't stand still for a picture with the pumpkins....

Happy pumpkin picking!