A Little Holiday

Hey Everybody! Just wanted to let you know that Rob and I have decided to take a month off internet to see what life is like without it. So it'll be mighty quiet on this page for a little while. Feel free to leave comments or email (robnjax09@hotmail.com) or message on facebook, as I will still be checking in now and again from my parents' house. Here's a few fall photos of our pumpkin to leave you with. (p.s. Patrick and Cheryl...I will still check your page faithfully to find out when your princess #2 is born!!! Can hardly wait!!)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Once upon a time, about 19 months ago, I met the most amazing person - my Daddy.

Now, I know there are a lot of really great dads in the world, but I think my Daddy is just the BEST one that could ever have been made for me. He really loves spending time with me and we have so much fun together that it always puts a smile on Mommy's face. Tomorrow's his 27th birthday, so thought I'd share some of my favorite Daddy memories from this month with you all.

Daddy and I read books together every day.

My favoritest part is when he does the crazy elephant noises!

He's taught me to do them pretty good!

One day I found a book on puppets and made Daddy read it to me. I think it inspired him...

...because he actually sewed me his own sock puppet! It didn't look quite like the ones in the book. But I liked it anyways. :)
On another day it was really rainy, so Daddy took me outside to help me look for worms. I just love worms. Worms go 'ssss', like snakes.

He even let me hold one!!

We got really wet but had a BLAST!

Here Daddy was making me giggle hysterically with a monkey puppet. He also chases me around the house like a lion a lot. I just love that. I laugh and I laugh...

Once in a while Mommy lets Daddy do my hair.
I think he does a beautiful job!

So as you can see, this Dad of mine is pretty neat. I wouldn't trade him for the world!
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
Lots of love,
Ellie
xoxoxo

Hooked on cheese...

It's gotten a bit more difficult lately to capture life in the Balfour household. We thought it was cute when we first taught Ellie to say 'cheese' for the camera. Now we get pictures of little else. If we actually manage to pull the camera out quietly enough that Ellie doesn't notice, she will always at least hear the flash popping up...and that second is the second she runs up to the camera, gives us her toothiest smile, says 'cheeeeeese' and almost before a person can snap the button, she's running around the other side of the camera to see what she looked like. I suppose that IS life in the Balfour household then, isn't it. Well then. Here's to cheese!

Turtle-necked cheese.

Shirtless cheese.

Tomato-covered cheese.

Black and white cheese.

Mommy-daughter-duo cheese.

Thankfulness

This thanksgiving I feel really really thankful. Sounds like a cliche, but this isn't always totally true for me. Yeah, it's always pretty easy to come up with some good things I'm thankful for when we share around the family dinner table - after all, we do live in North America....but this is different. It's like, bubbling in and maybe even over the edges of my heart. I am full to overflowing. May I get quite personal and share a few of these thankfulness 'bubbles' that are threatening to overflow? I'm thankful for...
1. A God who is faithful and committed to me and my little imperfect family.
2. A husband who sees beauty in me on my ugliest days (moodwise and otherwise :). The struggles, the triumphs, and the JOYS of marriage.
3. Our sweet and happy little girl. The gift of motherhood.
4. This little lively baby pummeling my ribcage. The miracle of pregnancy.
5. Hardships. They keep bringing us closer to God and each other.
6. My job at Hallmark...getting to see so many different types of people, and learning to love the difficult ones.
7. My parents. Watching them grandparent. Knowing the rich inheritance (metaphorically speaking :) that they are passing down to me and my children.
8. Daily bread...that we're in a place in life where we never have too much, and we never have too little. (Keeps us trusting in Someone other than ourselves.)
9. Colder weather. An overheating pregnant lady's dream come true. :)
10. That we own a Toyota. What a reliable piece of machinery!
11. Our apartment. Sure, we don't own a house yet like many of our friends, but it's definitely home (or "ham!", as Ellie calls it with glee) and there's no brighter, more peaceful place to be.
12. Books, music, crayons, playdough, blankies, disposable diapers, hot showers, donuts...I could go on, but maybe I'll save the rest for my journal. :)

Anyhow, it felt like a bit of a shame to be thankful and not share it with someone. I pray you all have a wonderful, thankful Thanksgiving weekend!