Cash's 2nd Birthday!

Cash turned 2 yesterday. Wow! We have been sick all week, so we didn't do much. In fact, Cash had little energy to eat even half of his ice cream cone cupcake. After opening one present, he just laid down on the floor. It was so sad. He refused to smile at the camera, too. Here are a few pictures from yesterday:

Blowing out his candles:

Frosting-lover Mommy showing Cash how to really get at the frosting.

Auntie Larissa sent Cash a music kit. He loved drumming on the box and was so excited that there was an actual drum in there!

Great-Grandma Betty got Cash a trike! We can't wait to take him outside on it---and it hasn't snowed for a while so that could be soon!

Sicky Cash and I trying on his new hats.


Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Coco's Giggle Fit

I know, I know---More gratuitous mommy footage! You love it, though, right?

Cosette started having giggle fits a few weeks ago. She was just relaxing in her bouncy seat one day, and out of nowhere, she started giggling. It was too cute. It has happened a few times since then, and I finally caught it on video. Of course, this one was a little prompted. Here's Cosette laughing with Auntie Kelsy on Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from Coco:

And Cash!

Cosette's Blessing

Cosette Reimi Ellis was blessed on Sunday, February 1. She wore her mommy's (and aunties and cousin's) blessing dress and was so beautiful! We were so happy that Larissa and Shay, Dave and Amber, and Charlie and his family could come for the blessing. We had such a great time with all of them. Thank you for all of your support!

Home at Last!

On the 16th, Fox, Kels, the kids, and I started our drive to Pleasant Grove to visit Dave and Amber. Our van started making a crazy grinding noise in rush hour Friday night traffic in downtown Salt Lake City. Ouch. We made it off the freeway and tried to figure out what was going on. Long story short, our van was towed to a place near Dave's. Turns out we needed a new engine! Argh. And that the new engine wouldn't be ready until the next Friday! Double Argh! In actuality, the car wasn't ready until Tuesday evening. So, after Fox and Kels found a ride back up to Logan on the 19th, I hung out with David and Amber until the 28th. Yep. It was really fun hanging out but definitely a challenge being away from the help we rely on, like Fox and Cash's toys. Dave and Amber are so fun and cute and wonderful, though! They really got a taste of what having two kids under age 2 is like!

Finally, I drove us home in our "fixed" van today and got home around noon. After having the kids by myself for 10 days, I was looking forward to going to my weekly sewing class this afternoon.

And then the van wouldn't start.

Triple Arrrrgh.

There is something up with the ignition or battery or something. The place that worked on it wants to tow it back down to Orem to take a look. That's over 2 hours away. Hmm.

Despite all this trouble, I'm so grateful to be back up with Fox in Logan. I am also incredibly lucky that the roads were clear today as I drove home. I also drove straight through, which is a blessing, because the car wouldn't have started again had I stopped somewhere.

We'll see what happens!

Daddy's Girl

Cosette is now 8 weeks old and is already proving to be a Daddy's girl. She doesn't go down for the night until 11 pm and then sleeps in, just like her Daddy!
Here she is looking freakishly like Fox:

Being cute:

Still getting loved on by big brother. He loves to lay next to her and hold her hand.

I guess technically she looks most like Rebecca, my mother-in-law, who is also very tall. I have a feeling Cosette will have the height, too. Fox is already planning her career in professional volleyball.

Watch, Read, and Listen

I have cute pictures of the kids, I do! I really hate to make blog posts without pictures, but I can't find my camera cord! Here's what I've been enjoying lately, though.


Watch

Fox and I finally got a date night! We left a restless Cosette and a sleeping Cash with Kelsy so we could go see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Fox and I always like to see movies that get Oscar buzz, because we are really huge fans of watching the Academy Awards (although some, including myself, would argue that the awards are not indicators of movie greatness). The movie was almost 3 hours long and a little melodramatic. However, the message of the movie is really sweet, and the music was wonderful. My date had to remove his glasses to wipe his tears. I would definitely see it (once).

Read


Santa left "The Road" in my stocking, and I couldn't put it down. It is the story of a man and his son trying to survive in a world that is almost at its end. It won the Pulitzer and will be a movie later this year. It is a huge reminder to have food storage or who knows what you'll have to eat when the world is at its end.

Listen

Technically, this is a "watch" but the songs are so catchy that I count it as a "listen". This is a 42 minute musical about an evil villain (who isn't too evil) trying to get into the "Evil League of Evil", while at the same time trying to deal with unrequited love. It's hilarious, and you can watch it for free at hulu.com