The first two weeks with Elaine "Ellie" Marie

The first two weeks with Ellie have been packed full of exciting adventures and wonderful memories. She is such a doll. As you can see in the above picture Ellie is hardly without someone holding her, kissing her, patting her, and sometimes smothering her...But she loves it all.

The girls are doing wonderfully with Ellie; they help out a lot and are my runners (up the stairs) for many items. The above picture was taken today, post kool-aid...notice the red mustaches?
We were so fortunate to have Grandma Lou visit us. We took advantage of the time to visit the beach last Sunday between conference sessions. This was also Katelyn's 7th Birthday! Happy Birthday to my oldest baby...(still can't believe she's 7!!!)

We took Grandma to see Harbour Town--this coming week you can see Harbour Town on TV during the Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament. Look for Brandon and Katelyn also, they are planning on going either Wednesday or Saturday. We contemplated also sending Anna but figured if Brandon took Anna you'd for sure see them on TV, because Anna would be retrieving every golf ball for daddy's collection...she can run fast!


Grandma was such a great sport while she was here. After she fell the day Ellie was born she felt horrible but still did so much. When she returned home to Utah and saw her regular physician, they re-read the X-Rays and discovered she has two BROKEN RIBS. Feel better soon Grandma!!

We feel so fortunate to have such wonderful daughters. These pictures were taken today (Easter Sunday). On this Easter I am particularly thankful for the resurrection of our Savior, because these 3 girls you see are ours for eternity!!! What an incredible blessing.

This is Ellie's first trip to the beach. She was 10 days old and slept the whole time. She'll have many more visits in her future! I'm sure she'll be a regular beach bum like the rest of us.

So Precious!

Our Sweet Ellie Marie...Easter 2009

Words cannot express what a wonderful husband and father Brandon is. You can sense a small part of his incredible talent as a father in this picture of him with Ellie. He is so caring, so sweet and so loving to all his girls, me included. I know I could not live my life without him. He is the love of my life.

I have to continue to brag on him because yesterday he took Katelyn and Anna to Island Playground, out to lunch, to his haircut, on a much needed shoe shopping trip and then returned home and watched all 3 girls for 2 hours so I could get the grocery shopping done. He is truly amazing! I love him so much!

And here is Anna and her "baby Ells" She no longer refers to the baby as Ellie, she is just "baby Ells." Katelyn has preferred to call her "Ellie" at home, but whenever she writes in her journal at school or home she calls her "Elaine." I just call her whichever of the girls names comes out first, whether it be, "Anna, Ellie, or Katelyn." I swore I'd never do that to my children..sorry girls!