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Ellie's first time in the hot tub... The water was 90 degrees--perfect for a swim on a warm day.

She kicked like crazy in her little tube & had a great time! Gavin's fever was gone when he woke up today, and he was hungry! For lunch he requested an apple, swiss cheese (he ate 3 slices), and popcorn (he ate 2 full popcorn cups)!

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Poor Gav woke up with a 101.9° temperature this morning. He went back to bed and slept until after noon. Here he is, putting on a brave face, eating his afternoon breakfast of milk, apples & Corn Chex.

We missed Darin's talk in Sacrament meeting, and Gavin's quote of the day was, "Well, I guess I get to keep Elder Right a little longer!" I'd questioned the sanitary-ness of a stuffed animal getting passed around from child to child week to week... I hope "Elder Right" wasn't the one who got him sick!

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She's really crawling now!

Yesterday she was soooo close, and today it's like she's been doing it her whole life!

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Ellie really enjoys baths, now that she can sit on her own. She likes to gather the bath toys.

We're always close at hand though, for those times when she over-estimates her reach!

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The year's not even half over... is Gavin tired of daily photos already? I guess it should have been Ellie today, since she turned seven months old today... but this picture is too funny.

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This morning, for the first time, Ellie was just sitting in her crib when I came in to get her. Same thing happened after her morning nap, and again (pictured) after her afternoon nap! Three times a charm!

There's no turning back... we should probably think about lowering the mattress soon.

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Ellie is 30 weeks old today... and she's standing up!

Ok, not really. But she is soooo close to just taking off in a full crawl.

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Darin & I came downstairs just after 10pm for a snack, and I realized we hadn't taken a picture all day... Luckily, Gavin had left this little dinosaur herd on his favorite bench at the island. Perfect! I'd overheard him playing with them earlier, and he said, very ominously, "Come... to the dark side..."

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Gavin got to bring "Elder Right" home from Primary today. He's a missionary puppy that travels (with his journal) to the home of a different Primary child each week. The child who has him is supposed to make an entry in his journal at the end of the week talking about what they did, missionary moments, where they want to go on a mission, etc. Gavin has been anxious for his turn, and it finally came!

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We did a little spring cleaning today... vacuumed for the first time since Mom & Dad left, Shark steamed the tile floor, shook out the rugs, etc. Whenever I clean the sliding glass door, Gavin always wants to help, so today I put him on the task solo! He did a good job & took it very seriously--look at that focus! 

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This girl loves to watch Gavin jump on the trampoline... she reluctantly took a break for a photo.

Her newest accomplishment is squirming OUT of the Bumbo. She's a regular Houdini! We had been putting her in it on the table while we eat dinner, but that may soon be a thing of the past.

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Gavin had great fun playing in the water today... Later, he asked, "Mom, is there only one sun?" "Yep, only one," I answered... Then he said, "and it lights up EVERYWHERE at the SAME TIME?" We then had a little discussion about the Earth, how it rotates, etc. Amazing to see those wheels turning!

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The girls got haircuts today! Ellie got about 6 or 7 hairs trimmed in her bangs, and I got about 6 or 7 inches chopped off. My last haircut was in January 2009, so I was due! We're ready for summer!

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Ellie had her "six month" check-up today (she's actually 6 months + 3 weeks). She weighed 14 lbs. 13 oz. and was 25 3/4 inches long. That's the 25th percentile for weight & 50th for length. Poor girl also got 4 shots, hence the bandaid. Her thighs were tender this afternoon, but she managed plenty of smiles! 

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Cute cousins! We met Patty & the boys at Paseo Verde Park today. It was perfect park weather--

about 76 degrees with a little breeze. There was plenty of climbing, sliding & swinging to be had!

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Gavin wasn't in the picture-taking mood today, so Ellie gets center stage for the Sunday photo of the day!

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Ellie perfected sitting up while Grandma & Grandpa were here, and now she seems so much older!

(She's actually 200 days old today!)... She was loving playing in the tent with Gavin this morning.

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Time to say goodbye... Gavin was definitely spoiled by Grandma & Grandpa, who had come bearing gifts. He had fun playing and entertaining them, while Ellie smiled and showed them all her tricks.

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Ellie got some one-on-one time with Grandpa too! Precious... Snapped this picture on the iPhone.

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Grandma & Grandpa Bishop came for a few days on their way from Tucson to Delta, UT for the summer. Ellie has grown just a bit since they were here last November on the reverse trip!

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Ellie was playing on the quilt, and I went to my room for a minute. When I came back, here she was!

She uses a series of rolls, pushing up on her knees and lunging forward to get where she wants to go!

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Patty came over today with the boys, and we went to the park! It had been fenced off for weeks while they replaced the sand with a new blue soft top. Got lots of good pictures, but I really like this close-up of Gavin that shows his new freckles.

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A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I'm so grateful to be a mom... period. And I'm especially lucky to have these two beautiful children, not to mention, their wonderful dad! On top of that, we both were blessed with wonderful mothers who raised us in the Gospel, took care of us and loved us, and continue to love us, unconditionally.

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Darin & Gavin went on a Fathers & Sons campout last night up on Mt. Charleston. They never could find the ward's campsite, so they ended up camping at a different campground, just the two of them, and had a great time! They even built their own campfire, made smores and got to play in the snow!

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Cute girl, wearing another loaner outfit from the Williams. Nice that this one comes with a matching bib... a necessary accessory for Ellie these days thanks to all that drool!

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Gavin was munching on a carrot while we were cooking, and I said, "What's up, Doc?"

He smiled, gave me a strange look and said, "What language are you speaking?"

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It was a beautiful day, so we thought we'd get some pictures of Ellie in the grass. Turns out the grass is too poky for her--she was not a fan. Once we put the blanket down, she was her happy self! She's wearing her little bracelet from Natalie Shaw and this dress from Aunt Chrissie for the first time today.

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Gavin desperately wanted me to jump with him. When my jumping made him fall, he wanted me off! But not too far away... he still needed me to watch him jump. Love that little guy!

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We visited Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary today on the northwest side of town. They had lots of birds including ostriches, peacocks, swans, geese, ducks, tons of other parrot type birds in individual cages plus goats, llamas, donkeys & turtles. They also have a pick-your-own apple orchard which wasn't open yet for the season, but that sounded like fun to do sometime!

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We had Stake Conference today. Ellie was in a chatty mood right from the start, so Darin took her out to the foyer & let her kick around on her blanket for awhile, while Gavin kept busy with his books. They did great! We had fun with the Skidmores later when they came over for dinner. 

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This girl's been having all sorts of fun sitting in the boppy and rolling to & fro.

Sometimes she ends up in an unexpected position!