Take Ella on a walk

This spring break has been wonderful.  Joe and I have gotten so many projects done and I have spent a lot of time together.  We went on a walk today, which is on my live list.  Here are some little pictures from that trip.

Ella also took her first ride in the big stroller.  She doesn't quite fit but she was happier facing the world head on.

Ella also made a new friend today.  Her name is Kaitlynn and she lives in our complex.  Ella and she were holding hands, it was so cute.

She's such a social baby.

It's strange to think that one day I will have a daughter this age.

Ella was so cute in that stroller, I just had to take a million pictures.

Along the way, we had to stop and take pictures with the interesting sights.  I found it very poetic, that we were able to find objects that are so concrete within feet of objects of nature.

We also found a really cool tree house.

We also found a house, that with a little TLC, would be a perfect starter home.

I can't wait for the weather to continue to get warmer.  There will be many more walks to come.
Another really cute thing happened, when I was making dinner tonight, Kaitlynn came over and dropped off a letter for Ella: it read, "Ella is the cutest baby I ever saw in the whole world.  This is also for Cozzy, and Ella's Mom, and daddy."  So adorable.  I'm going to keep it forever so I can show Ella when she's older.

Living...Taking Ella to her first movie, "Alice in Wonderland."

I have never taken a baby to a movie before and everyone I've talked to said it is a bad idea.  Ella was perfect, she even received a compliment from a fellow movie-goer that, "she is the perfect baby."  As if we didn't already know. 

So I really lived today.  I can check of Taking Ella to her First Movie and seeing Alice in Wonderland.
By the way, the movie was awesome!!  I can't wait to purchase it for our collection.

Ella watched the whole movie, she only fell asleep during the last 15 minutes, during the fight scene, which she is far too young to watch.

The colors in the movie were amazing, I wish the world really looked like Tim Burton's vision.  The costumes were even more incredible than the colors.  I would wear everything Alice wears.  Fantastic. 

I can't believe how well Ella did, we went out to lunch, than to a movie, and not a single cry.  Joe and I were ecstatic.

Get my hands in the mud.

There is no better way to live, than to live in the sun.  This spring has been so extra exciting for me, as Joe and I, are trying our hand at gardening.  I love the earth.  I love watching nature grow and change and am so glad that this year I get to be a part of it.  

Not only do I get my hands in the mud but also I am giving back to the earth by growing pure, unadultered fruits and veggies.  It feels good.

Gardening also got the whole fam outside.

 

Come summer, we'll have onions, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, basil, chives, and rosemary.  Our little seedlings are already sprouting.

 

I can't wait to play in my little garden this summer and enjoy our little patio.

  

It's a work in progress and I can't wait until everything is finished and fully blooming.

Mission Mill Museum

It's not on my live list, but perhaps it should have been.  I love history and have been completely inspired by a book I'm reading "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher:" it is a true story about one of the first widely publicized murder cases in Victorian England.  Anyway, I wanted to seek out a fragment of that era, put myself back in that time, so Joe, Ella, and I went to the historic Mission Mill Museum.  We had a great tour guide named Bill.  Tour Guide Bill of Mission Mill. 

I love the old houses.  I would buy one and live in it forever.  The wood floors creak, the doorways are narrow, but they have such a charming quality (and I happen to love the creaky wood floors.) I love the antique furniture, the formal dining rooms, and the parlors.

It's like straight out of my imagination or perhaps it fuels it.
Every place has so much history, even little old Salem, is rich with a past full of tragedy and triumph.
The mill is a story of both sadness and happiness.  It brought a lot of jobs and helped settle the Salem area but with the creation of synthetic fibers, wool quickly fell out of demand and it had to close down in the 1950's.
The machines are really ornate and incredible.

The whole place smelled like old books, I loved it.

I really liked this little corridor and
I fell in love with the antique organs that adorned the parlors of the parish houses.

I especially loved this one, truly a product of the romantic era.
I wish we were able to touch the furniture but everything was roped off with sensors, but I couldn't help myself.

It was a really fun, educational, and rainy day; but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

I love this picture of Ella, she is totally cross-eyed.

Yeah for rainy days and historic places!

New Traditions and Ambitions

Joe and I decided to institute a family night.  We started this week by creating a sign to hang outside.

It's not complete yet, it needs to dry, and I plan on adding something to it, to punch it up.

We picked green and white thinking it would look great with the garden we plan on planting and the bench we plan on putting in.

 Something like this, but with a back, perhaps?

The garden brings me to the next part of this blog, the ambitions-

Joe and I plan on planting an herb garden with tomatoes, carrots, and possibly peppers.  I also plan on planting roses, all red, and variations of red, snap dragons, and other flowers.  

We came to this decision after watching Food Inc., a documentary about the food industry, and the truth about the food we eat and where it comes from.  It is a powerful movie.  I recommend that everyone watch it, and think carefully about the choices they make regarding food. After watching it, Joe and I decided we would only eat organic foods-life without pesticides, artificial and genetically engineered produce and meats, and locally grown the old fashioned way-we also decided we would grow our own vegetables, and join Fairy Godmother's Garden, which provides local people with fresh produce through the harvest for a small fee.  Finally, we decided we would try to shop at the Farmer's Market when it begins in April.  We also thought, how amazing would it be for Ella to never eat foods that were ripened by chemicals or eat meat that contained ammonia in order to kill e-coli and other bacteria.  She hasn't so far.  She eats organic baby food and cereal.  We've eaten only organic for the last three days and I feel great about it.  I feel like I am getting more in touch with mother earth, which has always been important to me. 

Here is the trailer for Food Inc. for anyone interested.

My next endeavor, is creating Ella's baby book.  I thought it would be great to personalize it with my own creativity rather than give her a store bought one.  I started a few days ago.

I am very excited to continue.  I love creating beautiful things.  I can't believe how much of a girl I really am; i love lots of glitter, fairy tales, and anything shiny.

I have also started my spring cleaning project.  Today I did all the laundry in the house and cleaned out the pantry. I can't believe how much crap we had stocked up.

That's only half of it.  It feels so good to get rid of stuff.  We are 

donating a bunch to the local food drive. 

Our good deed for the day.

Finally, Ella is the cutest baby in the world.  Here is the proof.

I put it on myself and she gave me the most puzzled look.  So I put it on her and this was the result.

Cheers our first MAJOR outing with Ella: The Oregon Zoo

Today was a wonderful day.  Joe, Ella, and I visited the Oregon Zoo, Ella took her first ride on a school bus, and Ella even fell asleep in her stroller amongst the myriads of screaming children. 

Not only was it Ella's first trip to the zoo, but it was also her six-month birthday!!!  And she wanted to celebrate.

She cooed at every little kid she saw, I think she thought they would respond like her cousins, some did, some didn't know what to think of such a social little baby.  The adults just loved her: a couple of other mothers cooed right back at her.

My favorite animal at the zoo is always the big cats.  They have a new predators of Africa exhibit; they now have African Wild dogs, cheetahs, and my favorite: the lion.

Also in Africa, Ella got cozy with a snake.

(not a real one, but you guessed that, didn't you)

Joe was most fond of the polar bears, and we both agreed they were the most active.

There were actually a lot of bears at the zoo.

The Malayan Sun Bear

 The polar bear (see above) and 

 a bear that I can't seem to remember its name

oh! the Brieanna Bear, very scary.

We saw a lot of other animals: zebras, cougars, a rhino, hippopotamus'(i), penguins, a meerkat, and my other favorite animal, the wolf.

I couldn't help noting the similarity between this wolf and Cosmo

By the end of the day, Joe and I were pooped, my feet were covered with dirt, and Ella smelled like pickles(note to self, never give pickles to a baby). But we were all very happy.

Joe and I learned some things today also:

1. Bring more than one sweater in case baby gets pickle juice all over herself.

2. Bring more than one blanket and a burp rag.

3. Get a smaller stroller.

4. Taking a baby anywhere requires lots of equipment.

5. Have a sense of humor about everything.

We had to get on a shuttle with Ella's stroller, car seat, diaper bag, and Ella; it required a lot of maneuvering, and definitely a sense of humor.

I am so glad that we went to the Zoo today, we all really needed to get out of the house, and do something different. I loved walking around, hand in hand with Joe, while Ella slept soundly in her stroller, it was such a wonderful, strengthening experience for our little family.

I love my husband! My little Ella Ainsley! And my life!!!

A few more pictures that I liked:

Thank goodness for sunny days and a beautiful family.