Say BOO, no I mean MOO!

MOO! Happy Halloween!

Moo Cow with her treat bag!

Moo Cow up close!

"It's the GREAT PUMPKIN, Charlie Brown!"

Sitting outside at our house!

Ella, the Moo Cow and Eloise, the Butterfly!

Handing out treat bags Mommy and Ella put together for Ella's friends...

Ella's little pumpkin (now a little jack-o-latern!) from our garden on the right!

Ella celebrated her first Halloween this year! She was the cutest Moo Cow we've ever seen! We traveled to three porch parties in our neighborhood and handed out candy to many trick-or-treaters. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Caught in the Act!

Look who is trying to steal Buddy's bed away from him--little devil with a smile!!

First Birthday Present

Our wonderful friends, the Kim Family, gave Ella her first birthday present this past weekend. Ella had a ball opening up her gift--Mommy LOVED Ella's new coat, and Ella LOVED the box, tissue paper, ribbon and wrapping paper it came in--so much so, that is all we have been playing with this week...

Taking Care of Our (Four) Teeth

Soooo, Ella has become quite good at brushing her FOUR teeth. We brush in the morning, noon and night--and I have to say, "we" are a little excited about it--we sometimes take an hour to brush--we start brushing in the bathroom, but when it's time to stop, well, "we" are not ready, so "our" wonderful toothbrush is carried through the house, through many excursions and then ultimately left near "our" toys--when of course something else distracts "us"--like a Cheerio left on the floor.

Jack-O-Latern Fun

We carved pumpkins this evening for Halloween. This year we decided to go a little artsy and make designs rather than faces--so, after being inspired by Martha, we decided to do Swiss cheese with mice sticking out of the holes (now, everyone say ohhh, ahhh!). Ella wasn't too sure about the "guts" of the pumpkins, but had a fun time anyway poking away and feeding buddy pumpkin seeds.

Oh Brother, Brother!

Ella will be a big sister to a baby boy in March! We are thrilled to be welcoming a son/brother/friend to our beautiful family! Due date: March 26, 2009!

Ella & Thomas

Up waaaaay before sunrise to play...!

Way too active to pose for a picture!

Ella and Thomas met for the first time this past weekend and they had a blast playing together for three whole days! Ella and Thomas share the same birthday, November 13th! Ella's dad & Thomas' dad (Steve Housh) have been great friends since their college days.

The Zoo

Ella and I went to the National Zoo today with our friends, Ann-Marie and Gia. We had so much fun walking around the Zoo looking at all the different animals. The orangutans were out on their cables swinging above us as we walked down the path--it was amazing! The small mammals exhibit was one of Ella's favorite--partly because they were at her eye level, and partly because there are so many little mammals in one window for her to see. We look forward to our next visit--we hope to see the pandas and the elephants soon!

Go Navy!

Daddy & Ella cheering on the Navy team!


Claire & Ella

Ella & Mommy

Uncle Anthony, Auntie Melany & Ella

Go Navy...get beaten down by Pitt! We experienced our first Navy football game of the season this past Saturday. Sadly, Navy lost, but we had a fantastic time tailgating with family and friends at the stadium. Angelo and I put together a full spread of delicious food and beverages and enjoyed ourselves greatly as we mingled with others. Ella was a trooper to say the least! She ate her very first hot dog, attended her first football game and was in good spirits the entire day--such a pleasant, happy baby! We will be repeating Saturday's events next weekend as it will be Angelo's 10 year college reunion--pictures to come...!

Hood Gathering

My friends from Hood College and I gather a few times a year to catch up on life's happenings. This past weekend we ALL met at Jaime's Appenzeller's parent's lovely home in Fulton--husbands and children included! It was a beautiful fall day and time flew by too quickly--long gone are our days of lounging around chatting without distraction--most of us never finish conversations started because of some little person's need for us, so the yearn for future gatherings is always there... We are a growing clique with five of us expecting in the winter/early spring. It's a Hood baby boom! I vote for a baby-husband free, "let's drink some more vino" for the next gathering!

Larriland Farm Fun

We went to Larriland Farm in Lisbon this past Saturday. Larriland is a huge farm full of fun activities for families. We picked apples and then headed over to the pumpkin patch. It was a great fall afternoon!

5K Junior League of Annapolis Volunteer Run/Walk

Just before the race started...

And, just as we finished...

Here are some pictures of us pre-race and post-race. Ella was awake for mile 1, cried for mile 2 and slept for mile 3! It was a great morning for a great cause!

Zoom Buggy...

Ella and Tucker zooming around the classroom!

Ella and her teacher!

Every Friday Ella and I take a Kindermusik class at Maryland Hall. One of Ella's favorite activities during this class is when the babies take tums "zooming" around the classroom in a towel filled laundry basket, otherwise known as the zoom buggy! We sing " A Zooming" while the children have a ton of fun cruising in their buggy!