Off to Glacier with Curt & Kara!

We had some pretty awesome houseguests arrive on the train from Chicago last Friday! Curt & Kara made a trip out to visit us, and while they were here, we were all able to get away to Glacier National Park for 4 days. After a trip to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, we packed up the car and headed up to Glacier. We were able to do some hiking, and for the first time since we've lived in MT, The Going to the Sun Road was actually open while we were there (probably the most major attraction in Glacier, but is only open about 2.5-3 months of the year due to snow and reconstruction). We all enjoyed the scenery that the pass provided and it was fun to do a couple new trails that haven't been open to us in the past.

My particular favorite hike was Hidden Lake trail which took us up a hill and gave a beautiful overlook of a prairie full of wildflowers and we also got to see quite a few mountain goats and big horn sheep. At the end, you reach a great view of the lake - Kara and I almost missed the view as we thought we had found the hidden lake a bit before the actual lake. But after the guys found the lake, they started back down the trail with Ellie while Kara and I continued the rest of the trail to see the view. We decided that our picture would make a great Christmas photo - we'll just have to photoshop the other 3 into it!

Although this was my favorite hike, I also really enjoyed a stop on another hike that we did in Many Glacier. Although the hike was a bit more elevation than we were expecting, it did have a pretty waterfall that we enjoyed on the way back down and I'm sure Ellie enjoyed the sound of the water rushing while she enjoyed a nice meal (it was probably the most serene place to nurse a baby).

We stayed at the East Glacier Lodge - an almost 100 year old hotel located just outside the park, and while I really enjoyed staying at the hotel, I have decided that when you have a 3 month old infant, I prefer the amenities like a sink large enough to wash a bottle, a bathtub, a door that blocks out the atrium noise, and air conditioning (I'll even settle for a fan that fits in the window!) that are offered at places like the Holiday Inn! :) Seriously, though, we had a wonderful time, and despite Ellie's sleep-deprived screams in the car (sorry, Curt & Kara!) and a few blow-out diapers, we all managed to have a fantastic trip.

When we got back from Glacier, Nick unfortunately had to go back to work, but we did meet him for lunch on Thursday. The rest of the time was pretty lazy as I tried to get Ellie back into somewhat of a normal schedule, but Curt & Kara did get a tour of Great Falls. Better yet, Thursday night, we all headed out to the ballpark to take in a Voyagers game - it was some pretty serious baseball in which we lost 1-5. ;)

We feel very blessed to have such great houseguests and look forward to having them again someday! Until then, our guestroom is open again and awaiting it's next visitors!

She's a water-bug!

We took Eliana to the warm pool at our gym down the street last Saturday. She LOVED it! She was totally relaxed in the pool, though to be honest, it was like taking a bath because the water was so nice and warm. Nick and I had a lot of fun with her and decided it's a good thing we're getting her used to the water early, since we'll be moving back to the Land of 10,000 Lakes in a year! Boy, was she exhausted when we were done, though. She fell asleep in her towel and slept on the walk home.

Eliana is 3 months old!

Today marks Ellie's 3 month birthday! How this babe has grown! She is approximately 12.5 lbs now and around 25.5 inches long! She is just starting to move into her 3-6 month clothes, though about half of her 0-3 still fit (so long as they don't have feet, as she's far too long for those!).

Things that are new with Ellie this month:
She is starting to respond to her name. She still hates tummy time, but will tolerate it as long as she can chew or lick the blanket. She won't lift her head off the blanket yet (so stubborn!), but she can hold it up pretty well if she's sitting up. She has two teeth buds appearing in her mouth and is constantly chewing on her hands, but we think it might be awhile before they actually cut through. She is learning that she can use her hands to grab at toys - where they immediately get put into her mouth (and uses her feet to kick at them). She loves watching herself in the mirror. She's losing some of her hair, but has little baby hairs growing back in. She looks more and more like her daddy everyday (though she still has her mommy's blue eyes, button nose, and ears). She's been sleeping in her own room in her crib for the last 2 weeks and is doing well! Although, she prefers to take her naps where she can be close to mommy during the day. She's enjoying her new "big kid" toys - her Bumbo chair and her exer-saucer, but only lasts a little while as her head just gets too heavy! She likes spending time with mommy during the day, but has her daddy time on Tuesday nights (when mommy goes to Bingo) and Saturday mornings when daddy takes her to the Farmer's Market. (He gets lots of attention there!) She experienced her first illness during the last month - a double ear infection. She's a very happy little girl who shares her smiles freely. She's just starting to giggle when she gets really excited!

Here are some new photos of Ellie:

















PS. Ellie received a wonderful gift (a LeapFrog musical toy) on Monday from Target.com, but the packing receipt had fallen out of the box and we have no idea who it's from! And Target can't tell us unless they have the Target tracking number, which of course is included on the packing receipt. If it was from you, thank you so much and please let us know so that we can thank you properly! Thanks!

July 6th, 2002 (7 years ago!)

It is hard to believe that we have been married 7 years as of today. The time has flown by far too quickly. But it has been a great 11.5 years together, 7 years of marriage, and we're still going strong! I love you, Nick, and am looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together!

Junior Prom 1998








Our Wedding Day - July 6th, 2002











May 2009

Banff National Park, Canada

Happy Independence Day, USA! Nick and I enjoyed the holiday in Banff National Park, Canada (yes, we realize we weren't being very patriotic, but it was one of the few times we were able to make the trip without taking extra vacation days). We stayed in Canmore, which is just outside the park (on the border of Alberta and British Columbia) and it was about a 6 hour drive for us from home. The Canadian Rockies were absolutely beautiful! We got to see some wildlife and even managed to do several easier hikes with Ellie. Some highlights of the trip included a walk around Lake Louise, Mistaya Canyon hike, Lake Hector hike, and a gondola ride up to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. Banff, itself, is an adorable little town located inside the park. It has lots of shops, lodges, and a bunch of really great restaurants. It is definitely a sight to see and we recommend the trip! The only downfall to our weekend was that we discovered the day we got home that Eliana had a double ear infection (the altitude changes probably didn't help!). But she seems to be doing better! Here are some photos from our trip: