Ella has gotten a couple birthday packages in the mail, since we live so far away from family now. She loves opening presents! Thank you so much everyone for sending them!
This is the package Grandma & Grandpa Thompson sent her.
Nanna Christie also sent her a package a couple weeks ago, filled with lots of candy, books, p.j.'s, cinderella phone and magna-doodle.
This was her biggest present this year.
She loves to do her make-up and hair infront of the mirror... just like mommy!
After we had pizza and cupcakes, Chucky came out to visit and say hello to everyone. I brought Ella over there to take a picture with her, but she was so scared of him she was seriously shaking! After that she was scared to go on rides by herself.
So, mommy and daddy ended up playing the games for tickets... and we won Ella 84 tickets to trade in for stickers and these pink clip-on earings she absolutely loves!
Happy 2nd Birthday Ella!
Here Scotty is walking in to be seated with the rest of his class while they play the ceremony music...
They each announced their name and where they were from... amazing that only a handful of students were out of state and two were international, and about half were female.
Here's the big moment, of putting on the white coat....
Now he's Dr. Thompson to you! j/k
For the 4th of July we had some friends in our new ward invite us over for pizza and fireworks! Ella had a lot of fun playing with the boys.
Ella was having a great time until she was given a sparkler ... and a spark flew on her hand and got scared. I didn't even know it until the next day, but that spark left a little burn on her finger, poor girl.
So, for the rest of the night she just watched but didn't want to get too close.
Over the weekend Scott and I went furniture shopping and bought a new family room couch as well as Ella's big girl twin bed. I'm scared she'll fall off and hurt herself so we've started her with just the mattress on the floor. She hasn't figured out the trick of sleeping in it right, since this is the way she always slept in her crib. I'll find her either like this or on the floor, and Scott will move her up on top of the mattress. So, how do they figure out how to sleep in it right, or how long does it take for them to figure it out on ther own? Any suggestions?
This is the park that's in walking distance in our subdivision. We spent a couple afternoons here while Scott was away on his Alaskan fishing trip. In the 2nd pic she is laughing so hard...(click on the pic to view larger).
Scott took a well deserved trip before he started his 4-yr dental school career, and went to Anchorage with some buddies from Boise.
They could catch 3 salmon a day, and here they all are holding their 3. Scott is the one on the far right if you couldn't recognize him with the full beard. He had to grow it to be as rugged as he could possibly be.
Scott and Mark
Here Scott is, just about to filet his fish up on this table here and throw the rest of the fish guts back into the water.
They went deep sea fishing one day for halibut, and you could catch 2/day, and he caught both of his within the last 1/2 hour!
Here Scotty is back home slicing up his halibut and putting all the filets in individual bags, ideal for freezing.
Then we went to Liberty Jail to see where the prophet Joseph Smith stayed for 4-5 months through the brutal winter and received revelation for D&C 121-123. The picture below is dark, but there's Joseph Smith on the left writing by candlelight, Hyrum Smith and others there, one who had to sit since he was 6"2' and the ceiling was only 6" high, or something like that.
Then we went to Far West to see the four cornerstones of the temple to be built there someday. It was really a beautiful place here.
Then we went to Adam-Ondi-Amen to see the beautiful countryside where many things will happen in the 2nd coming.
This picture is dark, but Scott is standing on the same rock Joseph Smith stood when giving lessons or meetings there .
Then we made it to Carthage, Illinois to see Carthage Jail where the prophet Joseph Smith was mardered.
This statue and visitors center are on the same grounds as Carthage Jail.
Here is the jail cell where Joseph was imprisoned, but because of his good behavior, Hyrum and Joseph were mostly kept in the room next door.
Here is the front door of the jail, and the mob that one night broke through it and ran up these stairs to kill Joseph and Hyrum.
Here is one of the bullets that went through the door by the mobs.
Here is the window where Joseph was next to, and when shot fell out of and landed on the ground below.
Then we made it to beautiful Nauvoo, Illinois. The temple there just takes your breath away, it is so beautiful inside and out.
After a couple days in Nauvoo, we finally made it to Indianapolis, Indiana! Here's a picture of our house (the market out here is really cheap, for all those who are wondering how we can afford this during dental school).
And yes, I broke down and let Scotty get me a Dodge Caravan. The thought of getting another small car was just so clastrophobic to me, thinking I'd have 2 kids soon. So, actually it was my idea, even though I said I would never ever ever drive a minivan!
But I really do love driving it with all the space.
So, anytime you are in the area, ya know... oh, and you all know what Indy is famous for! So, to all those NASCAR fans: stop by... we have a guest room all set up and ready for those who want to come and visit us here!
