We love you gram gram!
love, Jack & Gigi

p.s. Look how much we’ve grown in one tiny year!

Here’s hoping and praying and wishing that 2011 is the best year for all of our friends, family, neighbors, ex-boyfriends, co-workers, bloggie-friends, high-school-rival-marching-band members, and pets of the aformentioned.

so. many. good things.

elle.oh.vee.eee

Dear mr. awesome,

Has it really been three years that I’ve been calling you that? More, really- since I gave you that nickname the first week we were dating. I remember you rambling on and on our first date about all of your amazing qualities- how great you were at money management (I didn’t volunteer my track record…uh-hum), how smart you were, how awesome being a submariner was, and how good you were at designing hammocks and loft beds. We were having ice cream at Seaport Village. Then we got on your bike and rode down Harbor on your Honda Rebel, just like Maverick and Charlie in Top Gun.

You used to take Bruno out for a walk with me after our dates and it is somewhere on one of these walks, standing on the corner of fir and 4th in Banker’s Hill, that I first started callling you by this nickname. You were again discussing one of your wonderful qualities and I remarked that you really must be mr. awesome.

And, you are. I knew that marrying you after only knowing you a few months meant that there was a lot to learn, but I felt like I was giving myself a gift that I could open for years to come. You are more than I thought I was getting.

We are so far away from those days in sunny San Diego, flying around town on your motorcycle, staying up way too late everynight playing Guitar Hero in your apartment, and writing each other love notes at church. I still think that you are just as charming and handsome (if not more) and am so grateful that you’re mine. All mine.

We’ve still only just begun dude.

love you, love you, love you.
elle

ps. If we are only three years out and have doubled our family (almost) what does the next three years have in store for us?
pps. thanks for killing that cockroach last night- I never knew that cockroach killing was a skill that I would need in a husband, and I am so glad that you possess it.

My Dad. Who is better known as Daddio. Here’s a man who always has ice cream on hand and can hear Ding dongs calling to him. I remember him being the smartest, handsomest, and silliest man I knew growing up- all three are still true. He taught me to work hard and enjoy it. He would always jingle with a huge ring of keys when he came home from work, and supported all of my ambitions, even when my ambition was a college art degree. Now, as a granddaddio, he makes the best faces and gives the best tickles. I wish that we lived closer.

I love you Daddio.

My big brother Eric. Father of the two most beautiful girls you’ve ever seen. Computer-network-dude by day, family-man-who-can-rig-an-outdoor-movie-screen-out-of-pvc-and-muslin by night. He’s always been the first to do things in our family, and (despite what he tells you) has always done them well. You’re the best Ecky.

My little brother Joshua. Little only to me in age- in all of the things that matter, he is my elder. Father of three crazie kiddos, who all have crazie names that I love to tell people about. This man has been living in a small two bedroom apartment with his three kids and wife, while attending college full time and working in a bakery at insane early morning hours. And then he comes home and dances like a monkey and makes videos of their lives and keeps changing diapers. Joshua, you are crazie (your wife is correct on that point), and you’re also totally awesome.

My baby daddy Garth. The first thing Garth says to me when he gets home from work is, “how can I help you honey?” It’s usually asked before he even has his hat or his work boots off. Garth wakes up with Jack in the middle of the night and makes sure that he gets “tickle time” everyday. He is the designated certified nighttime storybook reader and has most of Jack’s favorites memorized. He teaches Jack all kinds of important things like the chicken dance, how to blow kisses, how to sneak up on people, and how to deal with water being poured on your head like a man. I married him because he’s genuine, talented, smart, witty, really cute, and hard working- but I had no idea that he was going to be such a stellar Dad. I love you Mr. Awesome- your little girl is on the way.

mucho xoxo’s to the amazing Dad’s out there!

elle

Happy Mother’s Day to all ya’ll, especially those whom I adore, double especially to my Mom who is the greatest and taught me all of the most important things that I know (doing my best, sewing darts, baking gingerbread and scones….).

I wish that we were all gathered together today doing this. Love you momma!

xo
Laura. =)

It’s looking to be a sweet one for us. We will be at the Port City Market tomorrow enjoying the mid-70′s weather and Sunday will be filled with Easter Egg hunts, pastel madras pants, delicious breakfast food, and LDS general conference streaming right to our front porch. I hope all ya’ll are just as excited as we are.

xo
elle

ps. the illustration above is from a late 1940′s Easter card. More here.

happy birthday! It was just a year ago that we were preparing the house for you and awaiting your delayed arrival. You were not in a hurry to leave your comfortable home- but you arrived a mere 2 hours before your visiting grandparents had to leave to catch their return flight. You were such a teeny tiny thing then! You were born at Pensacola Naval hospital at 3:48 in the afternoon.

And since then you have grown.

And grown…

And now, you are a little man. You are expressing yourself more than ever. Besides saying “mama” and “dada”, we have also heard you say your own versions of dance, shoes, and toes. You also use the baby sign for “more” whenever you want anything- especially jelly beans. You are curious about what everything is called and we wander around the house or the neighborhood telling you the names of things as you point to them.

Your Father has spent the last two months modeling the chicken dance for you while humming the accompanying song. The rewards of his diligence can be seen a dozen times per day. You do the dance on cue when either of us hums the song. You do the dance when anyone says the word “dance”. You also use your sign for “more” and then do the dance- which is your way of requesting that we hum the song. The chicken dance has brought more joy to this household than any other polka tune I can think of.

You like to be chased and often wander off around the house just so that a concerned parent will follow. You love to open and close doors, and get so excited when your hands are held and you can walk- although if you really want to get somewhere, you’d rather crawl. You’re not too adventurous with food still- if something has a texture other than crunchy or pureed, you generally just push it right out of your mouth- cheese and bananas included. The mess you’ve been making when left to your own devices with a tray full of food and a spoon are exquisite. My next task is to teach you which end of the spoon we use for eating.

Sleepy time is still not your favorite thing, although most nights you’re ready for it when it comes. A few nights a week you still like to wake us several times a night to check to see if we’re still around- and it’s not uncommon for you to think that 3am is the perfect time to be awake. You get rather upset when we remind you in our sleep-walking state that it’s still night time. You just can’t believe that the whole world isn’t ready to play.

You are such a social little man. When we are out in public you often insist of waving to every person that walks by- starting from the point when you first see them, which could be dozens of yards away. You will try to get their attention by saying things too if they don’t notice your hand waving in the air. The majority of people out there can’t resist your little smile and will stop and say hello, which just makes your day. You love talking with and seeing people face to face.

You’ve been fascinated recently with light fixtures and fans. You want to touch them and watch the fans spin. You’ve also been fascinated with your toes, and continue to be curious about all manner of dangerous things. If there is anything within a 10 foot radius of you that can cut, smash, choke, or bite you- it’s the one thing that you want to play with. Your continued fixation with eating paper, and chewing on the bottoms of our flip flops, has me sighing on a regular basis.

And, you also could spend hours in the bathroom opening and closing the sliding shower doors. Last week I watched you crawl down the hall and by the time that I made my way down to find you, you had opened the shower door while your Dad was taking a shower, and you’d been soaked from the falling water.

We are so blessed to be your parents and get to be the ones to witness your sweet life. We can’t wait for all of the wonderful and challenging things to come.
xoxo
mama

Also- you share a birthday with your cousin Samantha Jane- happy 4th birthday girlie! We love and miss you!

Merry Christmas everyone, from a 3-year-old-me

And, from my not-quite-3-year-old little family.

Miss Kaitlyn like to take pictures. This summer she would borrow my camera regularly and snap photos of the family and the lovely time that we were having together. There are Uncles and cousins blurily waving at the camera and photos of feathers in the dirt and toes on the playground. My favorite photos were when Katie turned the camera on herself. They are so sweet and Katie-like and just plain honest.

Little Miss Kaitlyn is turning 5 years old today.
I can’t hardly believe that it was five years ago that we were all lounging in the hospital waiting room, eager to meet the newest member of our family.

We love you muches Kaitlyn. Hugs to you from Aunt Laura and Uncle Garth and slobbery kisses from cousin Jack

Our marriage is 731 days old today.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Awesome.