6 Months

Again, I'm late posting Eloise's monthly photo.   I think I'm a little reluctant each month to admit she's getting older.  How quickly time is passing!  Eloise was very somber during this photo shoot.  Perhaps it was because she was fighting a cold or because her mother dressed her in serious colors... or perhaps she's trying to affect the type of somber dignity expected for a woman of her age.  Anyway, we couldn't get her to smile- until she was certain the camera was off.

16.5 ounces

25 inches

Eloise has brought so much joy to our lives!  Delightful new facets of her personality emerge each day.  She is sweet and engaging; patient while still very opinionated.  At her 6 month appointment she stunned the pediatrician with her ability to string consonants together (maybe she'll be an early talker like her mom) and with her ability to sit completely by herself (hands and wobble free) on the examination table. 

We feel so blessed to be her parents!

Pumpkin Patch Pictorial

As promised, here is a documentation of our delightful day at a pumpkin patch.  We were so happy that Grandma KL and Grandpa Smith joined us on this outing.  This will surely become an Autumn tradition!

Arrival.  Oh so much to see!

This picture CRACKS ME UP.  Sometimes when Eloise smiles really big and pulls her chin back... she looks like Jabba the Hut.  Lovely.

Eloise loved the petting "zoo."

This picture captures some of my anxieties about it.   

 And now, for the grand finale: With a little help from her assistants Eloise will transform into...

 Drumroll please!

 [Sustained drum roll] Is the suspense killing you?

A Jack-o-Lantern!

Wait.  A French Jack-o-Lantern?!

It was a wonderful day!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch Preview

We had a delightful visit to a pumpkin patch today.  Can you guess which pumpkin we took home?  A full event pictorial to come.  Stay tuned...

More Idaho Fun

The night before Oktoberfest, Rhonda hosted a lovely dinner and pool party.  It's so fun to be with family!  

Putnam Clan

Bonding with Buddy

Chester

She loved the swimming!  

Eloise enjoyed Buddy's guitar playing

And the crowd grew bigger...

It was such a wonderful night!

Oktoberfest

We travelled to Idaho a couple of weeks ago to attend Oktoberfest 2010.  This annual celebration started 35 years ago as a modest Family Home Evening (honoring Germany where my father served his mission) and has grown to become a large gathering of family and friends, many of whom travel long distances to enjoy the magnificent feast.  I think we had 35 attendees this year!

A few of these pictures are borrowed from my Aunt Joan and Aunt Pam (thanks!!).  They took some great shots of the set-up and food.  Hansen and I were too busy cooking schnitzel to document the whole evening.

These plates won't be empty for long!

Hansen on schnitzel duty

 

My favorite dish: Rohtkohl

The menu included: Schnitzel, Rotkohl, Wurst, Spaetzle, Lemon Meatballs, Rouladen, Potatoes, Pickled Veggies, and Sauerkraut.  It was DELICIOUS.

The Founder with two long-time attendees, lovely sisters Pam and Joan

Eloise and Joan

Blake likes Chester

Grandma Jeanie and the Babies

3 Generations of Oktoberfesters

After dinner, enjoying one another's company.  Except for Jasmine--Hansen said we should forgive her since she's obviously got GREAT taste in literature.  

Temple Day

Last Saturday, my dear friend Leslie went to the temple.  I had the honor of being her Escort.  Leslie joined the church a little over a year ago and it's been beautiful to witness her conversion, baptism, and growth over the past year.  She has been a great example to me, and a support to our family.  My Mom and Dad have gotten to know Leslie over the past couple of years so they flew in from Idaho after Oktoberfest (post detailing that event to come soon) to support her in this special event.  It was a beautiful day!

It was also a personal milestone, as it was the first time I've been away from Eloise for that long (5 hours!!).  She was in the loving hands of Grandma KL and Grandpa Smith.  I'm grateful for such a loving, supportive family.  

By the way, Leslie is gorgeous (obviously), intelligent, successful, etc. and also happens to be single.  Just throwin' it out there...  

5 Months

I'm a couple weeks late in getting this posted, but here is Eloise's 5-month photo.  Our lovely lady is getting so big!  This month brought many happy memories: starting solid foods, beginning to propel herself forward (pre-crawling), beginning to sit unassisted (as you can see) and her first swim are among the highlights. 

Love at First Bite

I've been a little behind in posting memories from the last weeks.  Here's a BIG event I need to document on the blog: Eloise's 1st Cereal Meal, September 24, 2010.  It was a great milestone for all of us. She wasn't sure what to think at first, but gave it a try.  By the end, she seemed to like it!

First Bite

Happy Eater

Happy Mom

 "I want to do it myself!"

All done!  All down the shirt.

Sister Visit

Ali and Emelia came to visit a couple of weeks ago.  It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend full of much-needed sister time.  It was so fun to see the young cousins, Eloise and Emelia, together.  We didn't take many pictures because most of our time was spent chatting, eating and watching movies (not much to document there).  But we did manage to snap a few shots of the babies. Thank you for coming, Ali!

Cousins

Eloise likes to hold hands

Me, Emelia, and the Ladybug quilt I made for her