Poolside Summer - Well....sorta :)

Today I ventured out to our neighborhood park - a whopping 2 minute walk from my house - to take Ellinor over to the splash pad. We met up with Sherlyn and Deseret from the ward who brought their cute kiddos along. Ellinor loves to play with water in the sink, and you can hardly get her out of the bathtub, but I didn't know how she would react to the splash pad - in her world this might as well have been a giant water park! Haha. She was a bit hesitant at the beginning, as can be expected. After waddling around to check out the area she dove right in!

I thought she would stick to the little fountains that spurt small streams of water up from the ground, but instead she favored a much larger shower feature. She spent most of the time under that, filling a bucket and just getting soaked. Occasionally she checked out a few other areas but she favored that one specific corner.    Her cute little bestie Ellysze was there and a new friend named Mia. Ellinor LOVES having friends around. I'm pretty sure they all enjoyed each other's company.

I was trying to run around and play photographer. In the process I completely forgot about the random water shooting areas and found myself quite wet a few times. It was great! Made me want to be a kid again. I wish Ellinor had posed a little more for pictures, but she was understandably distracted with more exciting things. Here are a few that I was able to grab:

We will be doing this again real soon. I think I also need to invest in one of those kiddie pools so we can relax in our backyard on lazier days. Bry and I are going to pick up a swimsuit for her this weekend - obviously a onesie just doesn't cut it. :) Still in awe every day at how fast my little love is growing!!

Orange Juice and Forts

This last weekend I was crazy sick - it felt like I was pretty much dying, which of course is an exaggeration. What is not an exaggeration, however, is how wonderful my hubby is! While I was wasting away in bed Thursday night-most of Sunday, Bry was super hero dad with Ellinor. He's always such a great help with her, but when I'm out of commission he is just amazing! Bry and Ellinor are already best friends, but given hours of uninterrupted time together it is really cute to watch them. Occasionally I tried to join in the fun but was immediately reminded by my body that there was a reason I was just watching. Haha.

Bry and Ellinor were playing in our room Saturday morning while I vegged and somehow an impromptu fort was made with the end of our comforter. Ellinor crawled right in and didn't leave any time soon. It was ADORABLE! I love her so much! As she is getting older - at an extremely rapid pace I might add - we seem to have even more fun with her. Her interactions are hilarious! Here are some cute pics that I was able to snag real quick of the fort - Ellinor was not keen on lifting the cover at all, so I had to be stealthy. :)

Last night we did some shopping. Our first stop was Target so I could exchange some items. While I waited in line to take care of business, Ellinor wandered around the store picking out items that she was sure she needed - some boys socks, a bright pink tutu, randomness from the dollar bin section. She is definitely a shopper. Anyway, when we left the store and arrived back in Saratoga Springs to pick up some groceries, we realized Ellinor had only one sandal on. We searched the jeep but to no avail. Her brand new sandal had gone missing. Ellinor enjoyed the freedom of going barefoot in public again - that hasn't happened for months. But she did not enjoy being confined to the cart because of that same circumstance. Bry flew back over to Target after dropping baby and I off at home, but was unable to locate the sandal after a valiant search. It's a sad day to lose such a cute sandal. But I guess this is just another initiation into parenthood. Missing shoes galore await us in the future, I'm sure.

Last Wednesday I went to my neighbor Ana's house for a sewing and crafting day. She helped me sew a cute little outfit for Ellinor that I just love. It was exciting to sew something with a little more of a complex nature. Thank goodness Ana was there to assist! She really is amazing. My goal is start picking random sewing projects and just get going on them. That's the only way I will learn and it's not so scary once I start those first few stitches. I think curtains are the next idea. I will post pics of Ellinor's outfit tomorrow - if she will humor me for two minutes while she wears it so that I can snap a couple of glamour shots. :)

In one week Ellinor, Becca and I head to WA!! I am DYING to see my family! My parents informed me that they have found the teepee I used to play in as a little girl. It was the most beautiful teepee. White with pink polka dots and just perfect in every way. I can't wait for Ellinor to see it. Given her love of fort made from one comforter, I just know she's going to LOVE the teepee as much as I did. Gearing up for the road trip and trying to come up with ideas for keeping Ellinor entertained is what I'm up to this week. Yays!