The Ripley Family

Keeping up with the Ripley's

2012-01-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sooooo....it's been a while.

Happy 4th of July, Memorial Day, NFL Lockout end, Labor Day, Halloween, NBA Lockout end, Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and New Year!

So instead of trying to recap it all, here's a brief update on everyone:

Sita

I'm still at eBay working in operations support for customer support. I've been there over 3 years now and still plan on being there for a while. I'm looking to get my first MMA fight in over 2 years (can't believe it's been that long). My weight as always is the biggest issue, but Shalie is actually holding me to my diet and workouts. Other than that I'm just loving being a daddy and hubby.

Shalie

Shay is still working as hard as ever as a momma. She ran the St. George Marathon back in October and finished in 4:01:37 hrs. While she was disappointed that she missed the sub 4hr mark by so little, we were all so proud of her. Shay was also the major driving force in planning our trip to Hawaii in March. Instead of standard presents this year, we decided to do a family trip. Shay truly keeps this household together with her hard work and motherly love.

Kalia

This Diva is still working it! Kalia turned 4 in July and is growing up too fast for us. While she definitely has her moments, she's taken some big steps in being a "big girl." She has really taken on the roll as big sister lately. She helps mom with cleaning from time to time as well as keeps a sharp eye on her little brother. Like all older siblings, she definitely loves to pest him, but for the most part she takes good care of her little buddy. She's also still a funny mix of super prissy and a little tomboy. She told us the other day that she was an "ultimate fighter ninja princess."

Vili

This little guy is getting into as much trouble as he possibly can. His favorite thing to do right now is to find something he shouldn't do, look around to make sure that someone's looking, and then start doing it until you physically make him stop. He thinks it's hilarious (I'm sure he's eying something in this picture). For those who don't know, he has food allergies to dairy, tomatoes, and beans. This has contributed to him still being such a little guy (50th percentile in height and 3rd percentile in weight). It doesn't however slow down his appetite. He does not stop eating. Also he's been walking since around Thanksgiving and has a couple words in his vocabulary. Dada and Football are his favorites.

There you have it. The update has been performed.

Hopefully it won't take another year for the next one.

Pictures

2011-04-25T06:18:00.010-06:00

I am totally slacking in this department. I need to take a lot more pictures and upload them to the blog more often. Poor second child, I guess what everyone says is true because I want to say he has 1/100 of the pictures we had of Kalia at this age. It doesn't mean we love you any less Vili, how could we? Look how adorable you are! I wish I could kiss those little cheeks all day.

He is such a smiley guy!

We can't forget the best big sister ever! I straightened her hair the other day and she thought she was pretty hot stuff!

Don't mind the "fro". These two cannot get enough of each other. They always seem to crack each other up.

The Steelers fans. The poor kids don't have a choice in the matter, but I do and that's why I'm not in the picture! :)

Seriously don't you want to squish and kiss on him!

Thanks for the cute outfit Heidi and Ryan! I should have taken the picture before he drooled all over it.

Hopefully I will get some more pictures up before Vili turns a year old, but I'm not making any promises.

He's Here!

2010-11-16T10:11:00.008-07:00

Viliamu Olsen Ripley

11.12.10
7 lbs 8.5 oz
21 in.

Wow I have so much to catch up on, but that will all have to wait. Here are some pics of our sweet baby boy.

Dress Up

2010-08-13T15:02:00.005-06:00

One of my sisters roommates and life long friends Marci dressed Ella up the other when we were over there visiting. Ella thought she looked so cool. I thought she looked adorable, and too grown up.

Thanksgiving Point

2010-08-13T14:53:00.004-06:00

One of Ella's very favorite things to do is ride horses, so they day before her birthday we took her to the farm at Thanksgiving Point. We have been there numerous times but it is always a big hit!

Happy 3rd Birthday Ella!

2010-08-13T14:25:00.006-06:00

Ella turned 3 on July 18th. We kept it simple with cake and ice cream with family and friends over at Aunt Nikki's house.

Disneyland

2010-08-13T13:27:00.008-06:00

We went to Disneyland and Newport Beach back in the beginning of June with all the Given side of my family. Ella has talked about it literally EVERY day since. The highlight of the trip for Ella was definitely the Princesses. Other favorites were the Tea Cups and It's a Small World. Sita enjoyed Tower of Terror and body surfing at the beach. My favorite part was spending time with family and relaxing.

Given Family Reunion

Our little family, with the one on the way!

Ella and Dad in front of her favorite princess Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Waiting to see the Princesses

Sita says he will be her only prince for a long time!

Ella and Sleeping Beauty

Ella and Belle

Ella and Tiana

Ella and Cinderella

Ella and Pluto

Ella and Mickey

Toon Town with Aunt Maggie

Lots of waiting in line (Sita sticks out like a sore thumb in my short family hahaha)

It's a Small World. Everyone had enough after one ride. Ella and I went 4 or 5 times. :)

I thought she would be scared. She LOVED it! She giggled the whole time.

Bugs Life 3D. Poor thing...I have never seen her so scared in her entire life.

I Got Bored

2010-08-13T13:08:00.005-06:00

I need to remember to think before I act when I'm bored. I decided to cut Ella some bangs one day. While they look as cute as can be, I should have thought about this a little more before I did it. With her super natural curly hair it wasn't my brightest idea. When she started to get hot and sweaty they curled right up and looked silly. We have been growing them out ever since.

Pregnancy Update

2010-07-21T10:11:00.002-06:00

First of all I need to apologize for not having any recent pictures. I can't find the cord to upload them anywhere. I am quite upset cause I have some cute ones from Disneyland and Ella's Birthday that I need to put up. When I say cute I mean of Ella and my family. I on the other hand am not looking so "cute" these days and try to avoid the camera at all costs. Anyway, here are the answers to some questions I am frequently asked.

How are you feeling?

Overall I would say I feel good. I have no major problems. I think just the normal things at this stage. I seem to be a lot more tired, I have a harder time falling asleep, and just feel big and uncomfortable sometimes.

Have you picked out a name?

I know a lot of people out there are timid about sharing the name before the baby is born for fear that others might "take" it. But I don't see a lot of you out there wanting to steal the name Viliamu. Hahaha As for now this is the name at the top of our list. My dad's full name is William Albert Given the 4th. The name was supposed to be carried on, but my dad had all girls, so that didn't happen. We have really been thinking about naming him the Samoan version of William in honor of my dad and grandfathers which is Viliamu.

How far along are you?

I am almost 23 weeks. Only 4 months to go!

Has this pregnancy been different than your first?

Yes, with Ella I never really felt pregnant until the very end. This time around, I got sick the first trimester. I never threw up, but felt sick to my stomach every day. I am just feeling more pregnant than I did the first time.

Have you had any weird cravings?

For some reason I can't get enough of anything sour.

Is your family excited to have a boy?

Like I said before my dad had all girls. Not only that, but he was the only boy, and neither of his parents had any brothers. Sita was the only boy in his family as well. So they are EXCITED to say the least. Both Sita and my dad are manly men. :) They already have all these plans for our son. What sports he is going to play, what position he will play, and what teams he will like. I can't wait for the day when he decides to take up ballet.

Does Ella understand what's going on?

I don't think Ella really understands what is going on. She will come up to my tummy and talk to her little brother, but sometimes she will surprise me with a smack on the belly as well. She knows she is not supposed to do that but she gets this evil little grin and does it anyway. She is already trying to steal the attention. :) She also tells me she has a baby in her tummy. The other day she had a tummy ache and she came up to me holding her tummy and told me her baby brother hurt. Hahaha She is going to be in for a BIG surprise!

In case you haven't heard...

2010-06-23T18:21:00.001-06:00

It's a

BOY!

Due November 22, 2010

Made Me Smile!

2010-05-03T20:18:00.004-06:00

It was 11:00 PM we got a flat tire on the freeway. I was sitting in the passenger's seat complaining to myself about the situation (mind you I didn't have to do a thing). When all of a sudden I look out the window at my husband on his hands and knees in the FREEZING cold rain changing the flat when I hear him start SINGING away. Really?!?...who just has a good ol' time changing a tire on the side of the freeway in the rain and cold at 11:00 at night?

One of the MANY reasons I love this guy. I hope our kids inherit his patience and positive attitude. I sure do love this guy!

Double Trouble

2010-04-06T22:13:00.003-06:00

I was looking at this old picture of my lil' baby. It made me realize how time flies and how short a time we have here and blah blah blah....yadda yadda yadda. Yeah. All that stuff.

I think one of the difficult things that I have gone through as a parent is wanting my baby to stay a baby. Yes, I love watching her mature. Yes, I love watching her mind develop and personality mold. Yes, I love seeing her learn things she shouldn't do, watch her try to do them, pretend I'm mad at her for doing them, and laughing about it where she can't see me. I love that part of parenting.

But I also loved when she fit perfectly in my forearm, when she just laid on her back and didn't make much noise, and when all her food was free because Shalie breast fed her.

Shalie and I both missed that.....

so we decided to have another one.

We found out that Shalie's pregnant and due sometime in November! We're so excited! Ella doesn't seem to understand, but we're saying that she's excited because that's what parents do: pretend their kids feel the same way they do until they physically say otherwise.

Here's to late nights and early mornings. Constant crying and tons of diapers. Teething and a jealous big sister.

Here's to the best thing about this life. Here's to family and to our newest lil' member!

Picture Vomit!

2010-03-22T22:57:00.009-06:00

Here are some pics I need on here for the record.

Some cute pics of Ella and her best buddy.Giving her daddy a "biiiiiiiiig kiss"!
I straightened Ella's hair for the first time the other day. She looked so cute, but I prefer the fro!
My little sis turned 23.She's gorgeous and single!Visiting auntie at work (The Garden Restaurant).

She loves to see the temple.

Our cute nephew Losepeli turned 8!

Sita was lucky enough to get to baptize him!I took Ella and my sister Maggie to Disney On Ice.
If you know Maggie it won't surprise you that she chose the Mater souvenir.
Ella of course chose Tinkerbell. Don't mind the snow cone all over her face.Nikki couldn't resist when I told her we were going.
Ella and I went to the Zoo last week. The weather was PERFECT!
Here we are on the train!The gorilla was sleeping with his butt in the air and Ella just kept saying "stinky poo".The Merry-Go-Round. Ella about choked me to death. She would not let go of my neck.Ella's favorite...the tigers!She loved the real ones, and apparently the fake ones too.She thought she was so brave.

She was mesmerized by the Mommy and Baby Elephants.I LOVE this picture!

A Small Observation

2010-03-15T23:52:00.006-06:00

The other day I needed to go out to the car to grab something. As I headed for the door, Ella stopped me and we had this conversation:

Ella: Dad, you going to eBay?
Me: No, honey. I'm just going to the car.
Ella: Ella go to eBay?
No: No honey. I'm just going to the car. I'll be right back.
Ella: oh, no eBay?
Me: No Bear. I'm just going to the car.
Ella: ok...ummm...I wanna...umm...hambuger....and umm...some milk and...umm
Me: Honey, I'm not going to the store. Just to the car.
Ella: Ok. Love you dad
Me: (laugh) Love you too Ella bear.

As I walked to the car and back, I thought about this little conversation. It was funny because it gave me a little window into my funny little girl's mind. More importantly, it reminded me that my actions--whether intended or not--are being monitored at all times.

From that conversation, I learned that my daughter is aware that when I leave, most of the time it's to go to where I work, eBay. I know she doesn't understand why I go to eBay, but she does understand that when I leave her, it's a good chance that eBay's where I'm going. I can also tell that she thinks eBay's somewhere I want to be. She always wants to come with me to eBay. She's come inside a couple times and loves it even though all she's ever done is sit with me at my desk while I grab a couple things.

I also learned that she thinks if I'm not going to eBay, the next most likely place is to get food. For those who might have been confused by what she was saying on the conversation above, let me explain. She was putting in an order. Like I said in the previous post, Shay and I love food. Obviously, by Ella's observation, I go out to get food a lot--whether it be groceries or fast food. Just like when I ask Shalie if she wants anything while I'm out, Ella puts in her order. If I'm not going to eBay, it must be to get food. That's got to be a statistic somewhere at some fat camp: If going to get food is in your top 2 reasons for leaving your house, you're probably fat.

While it may seem like a pretty simple conversation, it really opened my eyes to what those 2 beautiful, little eyes see everyday. It also made me want to be better. While she may not have all the "whys," she does have a great grasp of the "whats." Ella sees me leave everyday and she assumes that where I go is a good place. A place where people want to be. A place where she wants to be. She also assumes that if I'm not going to that place, that I'm going to go get food for our family; to provide for them. Ella assumes that I'm only in good places and doing good things. I'm productive. I'm on the right path. I'm taking advantage of life.

It made me ask myself, " do I live up to those assumptions?"

All I could think of was, "you better."

Must be the universe talking to the Ripley's again. Leave it to a 2 year old to give you a better perspective on yourself. Children are like super clean, empty glasses, vacant of substance but so clean and innocent that all you can see is your own reflection. Life's full of irony.

Anyway, I was comforted by one thing. Then end of the conversation did bear one assumption that I can definitely admit to immediately:

Ella: Ok. Love you Dad

(Laugh)

Love you too Ella bear.

What's For Dinner and Are You Sure You Want to Eat It?

2010-03-10T22:30:00.006-07:00

There are two things the Ripley's love: Food and Documentaries. We have seen virtually every documentary at the video store--bar the few rated R films (I'll have to blog about our debate with Rated R movies another time). We also eat out WAY too much.

So when people started to make documentaries about the food industry, naturally, Shay and I were all over it. While we loved these movies, they definitely changed the way we think about our food. Shalie's seriously thinking about becoming a vegetarian and I am seriously thinking about getting diet Dr. Pepper instead of regular to go with my 3 big macs, 2 cherry pies, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Anyway, you may have seen these, but if you haven't, you definitely should check them out:

Super Size Me

This is probably the most famous of the 3 and most of you may have seen it, but it's still a good one. Super Size Me is one man's journey to cardiac arrest by way of a McDonald's diet. His one rule is that everything he eats for 30 days has to be from McDonalds. If he wants breakfast, it has to be off McDonald's menu. If he wants some fruit, it has to be off the McDonalds Menu. If he wants some water, it has to be from McDonalds. It's pretty amazing to see what a Big Mac and fries can do to you. Be sure to check out the special features on this one.

King Corn

This is the story of two young Documentarians who wanted to find out about Americas number one grain and its effect on American Society. The movie demonstrates how much corn we eat and--more specifically--how much of our food is corn. They also go into how much money can be made farming corn, how different "farming" is compared to what it's thought to be, and how much money you can make growing it. It's crop full of information.

Sorry. I know that was corny.

:)

Ok. I'll stop.

Food Inc.

This is probably our favorite of the three movies. Food Inc basically covers what both Super Size Me and King Corn cover, but also adds even more to the crazy situation in our society. It goes over the power of the multi-billion dollar food corporations, their shady practices, and the deadly effects of unregulated food distribution. And, yep, it's directly related to the government (jerks).

These are definitely some great choices and they may even change the way you live your life.

Food for thought.

Life, Liberty, and Property

2010-03-05T08:05:00.006-07:00

Some of you may have heard this phrase before. It was actually used in the Declaration of Colonial Rights which was created in 1774 to respond to what Americans called the Intolerable acts which were basically laws that England created to put the Americans further under the crown's control (don't worry this isn't going to be a history lesson).

What makes this phrase interesting is the much more well known phrase that was used 2 years later in our Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.

It's funny to think that at one time "property" was substituted for happiness. My first reaction to that was, "how materialistic of them."

But then I got thinking.

Shalie and I have recently been looking for a house to buy. Luckily, I recently received a promotion at eBay that put us in a position where we're financially able to get into a house. The best part is we found one! We're extremely excited and can't wait to move in!

This is our new home! It's in West Jordan and you can't tell from this picture, but it's got a gigantic yard. It's perfect for us right now. We got a good deal so that makes it even more exciting.

The entire time we've been married, we've always talked about owning our own home. It's definitely been at the top of our list of goals. For me personally, it's something I've wanted my entire life, mostly because it's actually something I've never had. I've never lived in a house that I or my family owned. We've always had someone on the other side of the wall. I've always been a renter. Never owned any property.

That's what made me think of this phrase. When the owner of the house accepted our offer, it felt like property and happiness were the same thing. No more need to turn down the game because of the neighbors. No more shoveling someone else's driveway. No more working to pay for someone else's property. No more lost dollars for someone else's responsibility.

In a sense, it's freedom. Freedom that I've dreamed about my entire life.

I know it sounds crazy, but I've always wanted to take care of my own yard. I hear a lot of people moan and groan about having to mow the lawn. Well, when you've never had one, you kind of feel left out. Shalie thinks I'm crazy( especially because our back yard is HUGE), but I honestly can't wait to take care of it: and the main reason is because it's mine. My property.

Now, I do want to clarify that I don't think property is happiness. It's still just material. Still temporary. What I am saying is that this particular property is a major landmark on The Ripley Family's pursuit to happiness. I can, to a point, see why they used the "property" phrase. I mean, in the end the pursuit of happiness is always about property--ownership of something. Whether you're trying to find who you are, the purpose of life, or your mansion in the sky, you're looking for property.

Maybe they weren't so far off.

The Bachelor: Making Booty-Call-Fairy Tales Happen

2010-03-01T23:30:00.012-07:00

"I don't know what it is, but something just doesn't feel right."

That was Jake's answer to Tenely.

Hmmm...

What didn't feel right?

Maybe we don't want to know.

The finale (which I didn't watch) apparently ended up with our Prince Charming choosing his princess Vienna.

"I have never had this much heat in a relationship," Jake said of Vienna. "It's like a fairy tale every day."

I mean, he does have a point. Fairly tales are about how passionate the bedroom is. Ariel would be some shriveled up vegetable thingy in Ursula's house if she hadn't been so forward trying to get Eric to kiss her all the time (He took like 3 days before he put out...whatev). I mean, Rapunzel let her prince pull her hair the first time he met her. Is this really what we're telling our children? If you want to end up like sleeping beauty, your booty needs to be on duty?

Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't sound right.

Anyway, I'm really happy the show ended this way. Mostly because it proves I'm right. What's funny is homeboy didn't even try to pretend why he chose her. He just said it.

With that said, I hope they live happily ever after...

for the next 8 months or so.

The Bachelor: On The Wings of Brain Washing

2010-02-24T22:04:00.004-07:00

The Bachelor. Simple concept. 1 eligible, good-looking bachelor. 25 women, who are looking for "true" love, compete to win him over. Only one can survive. Only one can remain on the island. It's an amazing race to see...um...what happens when you take 26 people and put them in one house...who will be the biggest loser?

err...something like that.

I guess if you've ever seen reality TV, you don't really need to know what the concept is as long as you know what the contestants are competing for.

While it may seem like this monotonous, played-out format would be to the Bachelor's disadvantage, it's actually (amazingly) one of the very root causes to its success. If women were to actually take a look at the show, they'd see that it's not really about love at all. It's actually fairly contradictory to what is generally told to be "love."

Don't believe me? Well, let's take a look.

Let's talk about the contestants; the people our audience is living vicariously through. Unsurprisingly, they're all relatively beautiful. I say "relatively beautiful" to emphasize a major attraction to the show: choosing who you like and don't like. I've seen many a facebook status update, read a blog post about, and listened to tons of conversations about "who really deserves it" and how "what's-her-face isn't even that pretty," as well as "she's just a better person." Everyone loves to be an expert and The Bachelor, like all reality TV, gives you an opportunity to make a judgment on who you think should win. You get little interviews mixed with collaged clips of their happenings in the show. This is supposed to give you the "real" them. You see how they "really" are, right? You see the real them. You know what they deserve. Right?

Back to the ladies. Many of them are successful business women who just haven't met that certain someone. Others are up and coming models or entertainers of some sort. Some do have basic jobs like secretary or waitress, but they all have one thing in common: they're hot! Now you may disagree for whatever reason, but they have to have a certain body type and their general appearance has to be of a specific quality. It's hard to know where they found all of these successful, beautiful women. Maybe this is where all of those strippers who were earning their way through college went? Maybe. The women definitely make the show. They are what's interesting. They cause all the action and the drama. Enough said.

Now that we have the base of the show, let's get into the "love" story that they're telling. The Bachelor is telling its audience that these contestants and this Bachelor are all in the search for true love. So what's their formula to find that answer? Again, let's take a look.

They take 25 women normal women of all walks of life and all shapes and sizes at complete random...wait...no. They take 25 women who are specifically chosen for the way they look, personalities, the specifics that the Bachelor gives, and their careers. Basically they are chosen for entertainment purposes. Will they be entertaining enough. Is that how Shakespeare cast Juliet before she met Romeo?

Speaking of Romeo, what about The Bachelor himself? They generally find a good looking, successful man who's a real man's man but knows how to dress and has that sensitive side and really listens while saving children from Africa and rebuilding orphanages in Haiti. I know he sounds too gay to be true, but he's "real" deal. He's that lame cliche of a man whom parents teach their daughters they deserve in life.

So you have your Romeo and your 25 Juliets and the rest is supposed to be a journey of love. The only thing that is confusing is what happens on the show. As all reality TV watchers know, there have to be challenges. On The Bachelor, these challenges are actually dates and are supposed to be ways for him to get to know the ladies. These can sometimes be up to 3 at a time. Doesn't that sound great? Taking 3 women out you've never met, who are competing with each other, and have personalities that scream for attention: specifically for the attention of millions of people? Of course it does. They're hot, right?

What about how many of the women the Bachelor ends up having sex with? There are always a couple womenvwho think that it's going to better the chances if they get in there early. You know, because having sex early in a relationship's totally going to get you more respect and closer to his heart, right? (It will get you closer to one of his body parts) I mean he takes the final 3 on an overnight vacation so he can choose his final 2. I just saw the last one (and I have to admit I've only seen 1 season and a couple of episodes since, but come on it's all the same) and he reads each of them a note that basically says, "I'm giving you one lucky night......to have sex.......with THIS GUY!" Oh and the kicker is all of them act like it's the most romantic moment ever! After he reads it to the 3rd girl and she accepted, they went up to the room and she said, " look how romantic this place is!" I couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking, "you should have seen the other 2 rooms."

This is obviously known by the contestants. I mean, this is the 14th season. They know what's up and they're totally fine with it. If Sleeping Beauty knew that Prince Charming had offered the castle sweet to Snow White and Cinderella, would she have been still singing the same tune? I think she and her animal friends would be keying Charming's horse carriage and then lighting it on fire.

It's just interesting that the love story is so not about love. It's about entertainment. For the fans and, frankly, for the Bachelor. I mean, he's the guy getting all the play! All he has to do is say, "oh, I really do care about her, but I'm so much more in love with these 8 other chicks." We can't blame him. He's just being fair by letting her go now because leading her on wouldn't be fair.

Who doesn't the bachelor lead on? Out of the 13 already finished Bachelors, none of them are still married( and most never got married). None. I think the record marriage length so far is 5 years. On the other hand, a couple of the contestants ended up on some other TV programs (dancing with the stars, the doctors) and even marrying other people who just "happened" to be in the entertainment industry. Oh, none of those worked out either. Maybe, The Bachelor is the American dream of getting to Hollywood?

It's very interesting that the Bachelor's success is based on the idea of the "happily ever after" fairy tale. They find the prince and he tries to place the glass slipper on the right foot. Unfortunately, they give him 25 Cinderellas who all seem to fit that slipper so, like all good princes, he weeds out the boring ones first, and then has sex with the rest to find out which one he'll date for 7-8 months before they realize that the camera's off and nobody is watching. There's nobody to entertain and the "real" people come out. Not so happy after all.

Maybe I'm just a cynic; a hater. I'm just not giving them a chance. Maybe, but after looking at the statistics (0% happily ever after) do you really think they have a chance? I may also just be an elitist. Someone hellbent on proving the classics are the true love story. I don't think so. I mean, I don't think all love stories need to end with Romeo and Juliet killing themselves.

On the other hand, I do think that the show would be way better if the bachelor and his choice ended up killing each other to prove their love. No not really....

ok, maybe.

Ella 's World

2010-02-21T20:32:00.005-07:00

Many may stare at the picture above and see a mass of junk. Some may see a mom who has been cleaning up the living room and has placed the remnants of a child's clutter on the table before she puts it all away--for the 4th time. Some may see a carefully placed arrangement of pieces that create an amazing artistic statement (ok, probably not, but work with me people). There are probably 1000s of things one could see when staring at this photo (maybe that's where they get the phrase a picture's worth a thousand words), but to me this says Ella Kalia Ripley.

I know most parents know that in general, kids will play with anything. When it came time for Ella's first Christmas, I can't remember how many times I heard people reciting-- as if they were the original source-- "it doesn't matter what you get them. They'll love the box and paper more." Then we would pretend to laugh and have to hear about how children seem to intentionally only be interested in things that have little monetary value; as if we didn't understand their played out cliche. I always thought this was just one of those lame jokes that people used for small talk. You know, at first the kids only want to play with the wrapping, but in the end it's the toy that matters. I mean, how else would the toy industry get it's billions each year? (In 2005 the US spent 22.9 Billion dollars on toys. I tried to find a more recent statistic, but it's kind of late and I'm kind of very lazy). I just can't see kids wanting to play with crap, right?

Wrong.

These pictures are of someone's treasure--and that person is Ella Ripley.

While you may see some of what we may consider standard toys, most are not. There are some clear containers with white tops that used to hold sprinkles for food decoration. Now they're used as drinking cups for tea parties, salt and pepper shakers, and sometimes telephones. There's also a can of green beans and bottle of conditioner that I have no idea what she uses them for, but I have seen her talk to them quite a bit. There's also a deodorant stick that she uses as a microphone, an electric shaver, and even chap stick. Ella's imagination is very frugal and wants to squeeze out every possible use it can out of whatever treasure our little pack rat finds.

In this picture, Ella is sitting in a box that Shalie was given to hold her groceries from Costco. Ella uses it as a bath tub, a car, and a house. She's also holding in her right hand her sword that is actually that thingy (anyone know what it's called?) that opens an closes the blinds. In her left hand--in all its ghetto glory-- is a half-chewed piece of raw top-ramen ( I wonder if people will think Ella's homeless when they find out she plays in a cardboard box while eating uncooked noodles and talks to cans of green beans?)

If a picture says a thousand words, then the ones with your children in it say 1,000,000 reasons why you love them. I love how creative my daughter is! I love how meticulous her pack-ratting is! I love how careful she is with each and every "treasure" and how it should be played with! I love watching what she creates and sitting front row while she creates it! I love my little ghetto pirate as she sales the sea in her cardboard ship while rationing her ramen noodles! I love Ella's world...

because she's my everything. She's my world.

Back by Universal Demand

2010-02-19T00:29:00.003-07:00

A couple of nights ago, Shalie had picked me up from work and we were talking in the car. It was our usual rundown of the day, "How was work?" "How was your day?" "Was Ella good?" A pretty standard end-of-the-day quiz.

And then Shay got this look in her eye.

At first I thought it was, you know, the look to you know...I'm a guy. That's generally what I think of first. Sue me. Anyway, after realizing it wasn't that look (which is usually 90% of the time :( ), my ears actually tuned into what she was saying. She had received some strong vibes that I needed to start writing again. Really?

"Where are these vibes coming from?"

"The Universe."

Oh yeah....she went there.

Apparently, the Universe needs to hear my voice through rhetoric and out in the blog world. Luckily, my wife is so fine tuned to the universe that I received this message. I don't have that universal antenna. It must be a wife thing.

You see, I was done with the blog world. I had decided that my voice was not to be heard. Not to give my opinions on current events, my favorite TV shows, and recent trends that I find ridiculous. Nor to exaggerate how "wonderful" my family is or tell the insignificant details of average days to make my life sound interesting when it really isn't.

No more blog voice from Sita Ripley. Believe it or not.

And then...

The Universe sends "vibes" to Shalie to rekindle my writing career to the 20 or so who will read it and the 3 who will actually comment on it (1 comment will probably be someone who is just saying how excited they are that they found Shalie through "blogstalking" and will have nothing to do with this post).

Like a good boy, I'm going to listen to the universe (it's probably just something Shalie wants, but then again, she is my Universe). Who am I to deny the Universe? So I'll be writing more often on our family blog. That's all this post is saying. Sorry, if you expected more.

Here's to you Universe!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-21T20:03:00.003-07:00

Anyone that knows Ella will be SHOCKED by this photo. Yes, that is Ella sitting on Santa's lap. Never mind the look of terror, I was one proud momma!

So resourceful...

2009-11-25T17:24:00.003-07:00

This is how I found Ella the other day. What better way to watch Sleeping Beauty than kicked back on a bed made of paper towels with pretzels handy on the floor?

Happy Birthday To My Diva Sista!

2009-11-22T18:26:00.002-07:00

Isn't she GORGEOUS?! Happy 15th Birthday Sissy! Here are 15 things i love about you...

1. You are friends with everyone and make friends easily
2. You are such a good Auntie to Ella
3. You have a beautiful smile
4. You can pop that booty like nobody's business :)
5. You laugh at the most awkward times
6. You help me with my fashion sense or lack of
7. I can't beat you in an arm wrestle no matter how hard I try
8. You are shorter than me
9. You have big feet like me
10. You are a great little snuggler and kept me warm many nights growing up
11. You keep mom and dad on their toes
12. You "let" me drive you around St. George (I can't wait for next years b-day)
13. You set a good example for Maggie
14. Your little surprise texts or notes just to say you love me
15. You are one of the best sisters anyone could ever ask for

I LOVE YOU!

The Little Fairy

2009-11-03T11:31:00.002-07:00

We thought we were dressing Ella up as a fairy for Halloween, but she made it clear that we call her a "Futterfly" (butterfly) instead. Either way way she looks adorable and so do her cousins!

Pumpkins

2009-10-20T00:36:00.003-06:00

We decided to get artsy one night and paint/carve pumpkins. I think Sita and I had more fun than Ella. Sita stayed up till about midnight getting his Garfield just the way he wanted. I was pretty proud of his artistic ability. I think we did a good job without stenciles and just our creativity, wouldn't ya say?

Jerry

2009-09-14T21:39:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I bought this stupid little blow up doll at the D.I. thinking it was life size, and I was going to play this hilarious joke on Nikki. Well....when I got home and opened up the package it was about a foot tall. My plan was ruined, but Ella made a new best friend. No joke, she carried that ugly thing around all day calling him by name "Jerry" (it's on his name tag). I was cracking up. He even got kisses and was privileged enough to eat dinner with us. Unfortunately, Jerry passed away the next day due to a body slam that blew a hole in his back. RIP

Leftovers

2009-09-14T21:15:00.004-06:00

Okay just to warn you there are a ton of posts coming up due to lack of computer, lack of camera, and lack of energy. After all that posting there are still random pics left for me to post so here are the leftovers.

When Ella got out of the bath the other night she saw herself in the mirror all wrapped up in her towel and thought she looked cute so she said "Mom, picture!", so of course I obliged.

My family came to visit not too long ago. My sister Lacy was pro at getting Ella to sleep. I thought this was so cute when I came into the room and found them both fast asleep listening to the iPod.

Andrea, Mele, and I all got together for lunch before Andrea headed back to D.C. It was so fun to catch up. I hope Andrea and her husband can make it back here for good!

One of my best friends from my childhood got married! I was so happy I got to go the temple and luncheon. Her and her hubby are one gorgeous couple. Love you Katie, congrats!

Poor Sita the second he sits or lays down Ella is right on top of him. She treats him like a jungle gym.... jumping, climbing, wrestling. It was sweet when she finally decided to snuggle up to him and asked me to put her blankey on "them".

My Sissy's Back!

2009-09-14T20:59:00.006-06:00

Nikki is back in Salt Lake, and we could not be happier. I have missed her while she has been living in Logan and St. George. Now we only live a couple streets away from each other.

Do you think Ella loves her Aunty?

Sisters and Best Friends!

Quick Trip to Lagoon

2009-09-14T20:43:00.004-06:00

Sita's Mom got some tickets to Lagoon, so the five of us enjoyed a very short trip to Lagoon. Lets be realistic with two two year olds you can only stay so long.

They really are best buddies. This was how they rode all the way to farmington. So cute!

4th of July

2009-09-14T20:25:00.006-06:00

Sita had to work at night, so we partied it up during the day. Our neighborhood put on an awesome breakfast, parade, and carnival. Ella loved the parade and all the sweets! You can tell from the pics she wasn't ready to come home. :)

HAHAHAHA!

He loves it when I make him take pictures! :)

An Update on the Lil' Monster!

2009-06-13T21:12:00.005-06:00

This little girl is keeping us on our toes!

-Loves to wear her sunglasses
-Hates bugs, we hear "eeww bugga" multiple times a day about anything that resembles a bug
-Loves to pretend to do Kung Fu
-Obsessed with the movie Incredibles
-Loves to make "scary" faces
-Learned the phrase "shut up" and tries to say it quiet and see if she can get away with it
-Has a fake laugh that is a crack up
-Calls her dad Sita, which makes him mad so she does it even more cause she thinks it hilarious
-Is best friends with her cousin Shane
-Struts her stuff in my heels
-Has quite the vocabulary and loves to tell stories
-Never eats, but downs her vitamin D like nobody's business
-Is so dramatic, whether she is happy or mad, either way it is a production
-Loves to sing and dance or watch others do the same
-Hides in her room and shuts the door when she is getting into trouble
-Starting to play make believe and pretend
-Loves to run away from us and thinks she is so fast
-Always tells us when she "yikes something" or "lubs something"
-Calls letters abd's
-Still LOVES her pink silky blankey, she chews on it and makes a funny sound
-Nothing is better than playing outside
-Says the word "crap" and knows how to use it, this one is my bad
-Loves it when her toe nails are pretty (painted)
-Still takes long naps and loves to snuggle
-Can entertain herself for hours
-Refers to every thing as scary or not scary
-Likes to tickle and be tickled
-Is always asking us if things are hot
-Totally knows how to work her dad to the point that he some times refers to her as master
-She is our life, everything revolves around her, and we wouldn't want it any other way. We love her more than you could ever imagine!

Tulet

2009-05-30T11:02:00.002-06:00

Remember my cute best friend Mele that I posted about on her birthday? I told you she was
one of the most creative people I know. Well, this is her latest project. She is making classic hair pieces and veils. Check out her site at www.tulet.etsy.com If you want to look super classy and sexy, you should really look into purchasing one of these beauties!

The Biggest Loser!

2009-05-05T22:19:00.002-06:00

I am absolutely in love with this show. I gave up American Idol to become a dedicated fan, and don't regret it for a second. The people on the show are so inspiring. I think I cry at least once during every episode. I am amazed at what they can do in so little time. Trainer Bob isn't too bad to look at either. :) It gives me that extra motivation I need every week to try and be healthier. Anyway I really could go on and on, but I want to hear your opinions . Are there any other fans out there? If so, who are your favorites and who do you think will win next week?

Sunday Photo Shoot

2009-04-20T12:53:00.003-06:00

Mind you we had just woken up from our Sunday nap.

Ella and Daddy. We see this look a lot, like she is thinking, "seriously dad?".

I told Ella to make a funny face, and this is what she came up with. I think she might have got confused with funny and ticked off. :)

Hahahaha....you better get used to it Ella.

Twilight lovers read at your own discretion

2009-03-25T21:20:00.002-06:00

So I never really understood the whole Twilight phenomenon, and my husband just summed it up perfectly in a post on facebook. Since most of you aren't friends with him on facebook,I just had to share it here, it's too funny! It's a little long but I promise it's worth your time. :)

Written by Sita
So I gave it a chance--twice.
I actually tried reading the first book once. I'm pretty open minded and I enjoy a good book, so I thought, "why not?" I 'm comfortable enough with myself as a person--specifically as a man--that if I like something, I will stand behind it (ie. Muppet Babies is one of my favorite shows of all time).
The book started out fine. An average young-adult-demographic based book full of background informing, personality describing, and stage setting. Typical. Meyer definitely knows what she's doing. The story starts to pick up and Ol'Eddie boy is starting to be more than "The most beautiful creature" ever--he is faster than a speeding bullet and can stop out-of-control cars that are going to hit the main character of the story. Where the story goes down hill for me, is around page 200. The two of them start fighting over who loves who more. The conversation goes something like this:

What's her face: You don't really think you love me more than I love you
Vampire Super Model: Maybe
WHF: You know that's not true right?
White Vampire version of Tyson Beckford: It is true
Chick: No. I love you more
Dude: No. I love you more
chick: No you don't
Dude: yes I do
etc........

At that moment, I closed the book and prayed for forgiveness, never to read anything about them again. Life goes on.
Then they make a movie. Long story short, I end up renting it because my sister-in-law is in town and needs to be entertained (she's 8) and I did kind of want to see if the movie was better, I'll admit. Long movie short, another two hours wasted.
So after sampling the book and the movie I have to ask: why?
For example, this story is supposedly a love story between Ed and Bella. Fine. I got no problem with love stories. Even a little cheesiness is allowable. I'll give you a couple "I love you forever" s and some "You are the love of my life"s, but in moderation of course. So that's not necessarily my complaint (even though I know the story was based in Washington so that they could eventually kiss in the rain). My question is based around the sub-question, how does this story make sense to anyone? This love story between Bella and Ed is ridiculous.
Basically she is in love with him because (in a 16-year-old-valley-girl voice) "he's like the hottest guy ever." All she ever talks about is his face and his eyes and how they make her feel. That's why she wants to spend eternity with him. He's hot. She's basically a common-wealth Paris Hilton, but awkard, bright and down-to-earth. That makes a lot of sense.
Also she's supposed to be witty and intelligent. You know, the stereo type brunette who is generally a downer and makes a lot of sarcastic statements? You know, the one that's supposed to be down-to-earth and relatable? The one that 13-25 year-old girls are supposed to sit back and say that's me. Yeah, that same plain-Jane representative wants to spend eternity with a vampire--an undead, blood sucking, people eating, never sleeping, frozen cold vampire. It's not uncommon to hear people who won't kiss smokers because of the awful smell/taste. What do you think Ed's blood soaked breath smells like in the morning? Also what woman is going to want to snuggle Ed in bed? He's freezing cold. It's the woman's job to put her freezing feet on the man at 2 am and wake him up. Oh but wait, he'll still be awake. Who doesn't want a guy who constantly looks at them while you sleep? But, you're right, I forgot; he's hot. Bella's character is so confusing. She's supposed to be an outcast--not really offically in the in-crowd. And yet she is the most popular person in town. Everyone loves her. Make up your mind.
Let's not leave Eddie out of the discussion. Let's talk about why he loves Bella. Being the Vampire that has everything, why would he want Bella? Because she smells good. That's his answer. He is attracted to her because she drives him wild with her tasty smell. She's his favorite food. Now while I can sympathize with a man who likes good food, I don't see my self risking my life over Steak--possibly injury--but not my life. Neither would I ever marry a steak. But maybe that's because I'm not a "vegetarian" like Ed. Maybe if I gave up the meat, it would attract me so much that I would want to live and love it instead of eat it. How romantic Meyer. I guess the true way to a man's heart is his stomach.
Let's not leave out the fact that Ed is also possibly the ultimate creepy guy ever. He stalked Bella for months before he had ever spoke to her-- and he did this iin her actual room. Let's also not forget that, technically, he's a pedophile. A 100 year old man with a 17 year old, but I guess statutory rape doesn't count if you're "way hot." Twilight: giving old creepy men hope since 2005.
Anyway, it just seems strange to me that a book whose demographic is primarily young women would be about a century old sex offender who drinks blood falls "in love" with his favorite meal which happens to be the most confusing character ever written. So please, explain away ye faithful fans.

The Zoo!

2009-03-23T17:32:00.005-06:00

My sister Maggie came to spend the weekend with us as part of her spring break. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and head to the zoo! Despite the wind, as you can tell from Ella's hair in all the pics, it was a perfect day at the zoo!

Getting ready for the train ride.

Merry-Go-Round

Maggie with her favorite Animal.

My little tigers!

Maggie though this was the coolest pic ever, cause I made it look like the monkey was in her hand. I am the best sister ever! Hahaha

But the worst mother ever! I had no idea Ella was so scared until I looked at the picture, but you have to admit it makes for a good picture.

The must have pic.

Ella and Maggie with Ella's favorite animal.

RRRAAAAARRRRRR!

Before we even made it out of the parking lot she was passed out!

Happy Birthday Best Friend

2009-02-04T18:47:00.004-07:00

She is the one on the right. You might think it's kind of funny that my best friend is also Polynesian. I promise I am not one of those people that worship Polynesians and try to be just like them, it just turned out this way. :) Mele and I have been best friends since high school. I love her like a sister. Here are some of my favorite things about her.

* She is so kind to everyone. Anyone that meets her, loves her!
* There is no one that can make me laugh as hard as her. She has brought me to tears many a time.
* She is so creative. I swear she is good at everything. Things just come naturally to her.
* I can be 100% myself around her. She can come over when my house is a disaster and I don't even care.
* As you can see she is gorgeous. She is really good at hair and make-up and has made me pretty many times.
* We can just look at each other in an awkward situation and tell what each other are thinking. This is not always good, because usually we start laughing at an inappropriate time.
* I love to stay updated on her life. Things happen to her that don't happen to regular people. hahaha
* She is always planning her next adventure. She has a lot of noble dreams and aspirations.

These are just a few of the reasons why I let her claim me has her best friend. :) Love You Mel Happy Birthday!

Just a Little Update

2009-02-03T18:14:00.002-07:00

My mother-in-law's Birthday was on the 19th of January. We got together and had dinner and cake and ice cream. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. I seriously have no complaints. She has so many qualities that I greatly admire.
Sita's mom wanted all the grand kids to come in their Raiders shirts that Sita's sister bought them, so we could get their picture taken. Believe it or not this was one of the better ones. It was hard to get everyone to cooperate. :)
I just had to throw this one in there. These are my two little snuggle bugs!

Ella got a new toddler bed. I think she likes it, what about you? She has switched over with no trouble at all. Lucky me!
Last but not least my best friend Mele through a little fondue party one Sunday night. It was fun to get together with the girls. Mele sure knows how to throw a classy party! :) She was such a great host, and not to mention the food was AMAZING! :)

Playing Xbox with Daddy

2009-01-19T14:51:00.005-07:00

Sita LOVES to play Madden on his Xbox. He is constantly yelling at his players or cheering them on. Everytime he starts to play Ella thinks she has to join in on the excitement. She goes and makes herslef comfortable right on his lap and looks at the TV and yells, "GO! GO! GO!". I think they look so cute, so I had to get a picture of this almost nightly occrance. Of course when Ella saw me taking pictures she had to run over and give me a pose, and then try to steal the camera.

WARNING: Picture Overload!

2009-01-05T11:34:00.007-07:00

We had such a fun holiday season! Ella was so much fun this year, because she was so excited about everything. Ella and I were in St. George for about two weeks, and Sita came down two different times. Its kind of bitter sweet to be back home. Here are some pics from our trip.

Picking up a few last minute gifts before we left town. I hate this tunnel at gateway it is always freeeeeezing!

Before we left with Nikki, Sita wanted to rock Ella and they both passed out while I was packing.

This pic makes me happy!

Christmas traditions gone bad! When we were younger we would get a porcelain doll every year for Christmas. Now my mom has them all shoved in a closet, and thought it would be funny to bring them all out. We were laughing so hard at the pictures.

My sisters and I before heading to the visitor center to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Ella opening her jammies Christmas Eve.

My Yia Yia and Grandpa gave her this adorable rocking horse. She loves it, and wants to ride it non stop!

Ella in a real bath tub! Our place only has a shower, so this was a treat!

Christmas Eve, before we left to annual party with the Givens.

What a lucky guy...my dad.

My Grandparents enjoying their first Christmas home from their mission.

Aunt Angie, Dad, and Me

Ella and Dada dancing at my cousin Brady's reception.

Me and Ella gettin jiggy with it!

I think she was done taking pictures.

Ella had a blast at her playdate with Easton and his cousins!

Braving the tunnel.

Hahaha I love her face in this one. She insisted on playing outside, so we would bundle her up, but she still froze.

Wow if you made it through all that congratulations!

Is it just me?

2008-12-19T22:38:00.002-07:00

Please help me convince Sita that this is RIDICULOUS! Sita usually works out once, if not twice a day (this is not the ridiculous part). He has soooooooo many workout clothes. I finally got tired of it and told him he can keep 10 t-shirts and 7 shorts. I am sick and tired of washing that many clothes, not to mention having to touch them and smell them before I put them in the washer. Wouldn't you agree that this folded stack, plus the load or two that need to be washed is a bit out of control? Keep in mind these are STRICTLY work out clothes. He still has his wear around the house t-shirts that are separate. Please help back me up on this one, so he doesn't think I am just being mean.

Not the best time for this...........

2008-12-19T21:58:00.004-07:00

So many of you know that we are having some crazy weather here in Salt Lake. When I stepped outside today the snow came up to my knees, mind you I'm on the short side, but still. Long story short, we got a flat tire the other night that wouldn't inflate. Sita took the car in the next morning and they didn't have our tire in stock (don't ever buy a car with low profile tires and expect to sail through a Salt Lake winter). So we have been driving around with this little beauty pictured above. Hahahaha I thought when Sita said we were going to have to drive on a spare for a few days it would be a little bigger than this. Needless to say, when I walked outside and saw the tire I started laughing. Normally this looks silly, but in this weather it just looks plain ridiculous! Anytime we have to go somewhere I hold my breath till we get there, and thank heaven that we arrived safely. Hopefully this nonsense will end tomorrow. Wish us luck! :)

Thanksgiving

2008-12-06T12:54:00.003-07:00

As you can tell I did not do a very good job at taking pictures this Thanksgiving. Ella and I had a great time spending a whole week in St. George. Sita came down on the weekend to celebrate the holiday with all of us. My grandparents came back from their mission to Hawaii just in time to get ready for Thanksgiving! The picture above is all the Given family at the airport welcoming them home. Sita had a bad infection in his mouth, that spread to his lymph nodes. He was in so much pain he couldn't even talk. Pay attention to this next part people it is not a typo, he didn't even eat Thanksgiving dinner(poor guy)! The rest of us enjoyed two wonderful dinners one on my mom's side and one on my dad's side. :) I was even more thankful than usual this week for my family, I don't know how I got so lucky! I love you all!

Disney on Ice!

2008-11-17T15:47:00.004-07:00

Ella and I went on a date Saturday night to see Disney on Ice! I was a little worried that she might be too young to really enjoy it, but boy was I wrong. I think she thought she had died and gone to heaven! It was hard to get any good pictures or video, but I tried. Sita was laughing so hard at the video, he said it looked like she was about to cry tears of joy. As you can see from the pictures and video we have a very expressive child. Wich is really fun when she is excited, but not so much fun when she is upset. She was glued to the show the full two hours. She said her ooooooos and ahhhhhhhs, clapped, laughed, and covered her mouth in amazement. I definitely want to make this a yearly tradition, it was so much fun!

Happy Anniversary Parentals!

2008-11-11T11:49:00.003-07:00

Today is my parents 25th anniversary! I know what your you're thinking they don't look that old and your right, they are a very good looking couple if I must say so myself. hahaha I love my Mom and Dad more than they will ever know. They have been through a lot together over the years, as I am sure most couples have after 25 years, and they still love each other. I am so grateful for the way they raised my sisters and I. I look up to them so much. I love you both and hope you have a wonderful day celebrating your 25 years of marriage!

Halloween

2008-10-31T21:38:00.003-06:00

We started off the day going trick or treating at eBay (Sita's work). They had a lot of fun activities for the kids and tons of candy. The real treat was seeing Sita dressed up as Polamalu. I am pretty sure only football fans understood his costume. I think Sita had more fun than Ella dressing up and prancing around. We spent the evening with Sita's mom, sister, and the kids. We went to their wards Halloween dinner and trunk or treat. Ella got really into it this time, and had a lot of fun. She would walk from trunk to trunk and say "dank ew" after every treat. Having a baby makes Halloween just that much more fun! Here are a couple picutres.

Trunk or Treat!

2008-10-27T17:58:00.004-06:00

Sita had work this past Saturday, so Ella and I decided to go to the ward trunk or treat. If you can't tell she is a lil' monster for Halloween. We couldn't pass it up when we saw it, because that's one of the things we call her all the time. I thought she was going to throw a fit when I put the costume on her, but she left the hood on the entire time. I am not sure if it was the warm weather, snuggly costume, tons of people, or sugar overload, but whatever it was Ella was Zoned out or overwheled. I thought she might want to get out of her stroller and walk around but she was content. She wouldn't even look at me or smile for the pictures. I think the picture of her and I says it all. There I am cheesin' it up, thinking she is doing the same and when I looked at the picture I had to laugh.

Liberty Park

2008-10-25T10:56:00.004-06:00

Sita's days off are now Thursday and Friday. We always try to go do a little something as a family on his days off. We love Liberty Park! If you live in the Salt Lake Area and have never been there, it is beautiful! It's a lot of fun in the summer too, because they have some fun water features the kids can play in. They also have a Ferris wheel and some other little rides in the summer. Ella loves the swings and the slides. Here are some pics!

Nothing too exciting

2008-10-23T11:26:00.004-06:00

The reason I haven't been posting, is because I have been really bad at remembering to take pictures lately. I know most people don't like to read posts without pictures. So these are the only pictures I have taken since I posted last. As you can see we have been kind of boring.

Since Ella has started walking, she thinks she is so big and tries to climb on everything. I will be in the other room and hear her start fussing. I go to see what's the matter and she is always stuck somewhere. This is where I found her the other day.

Nikki came to visit not to long ago. We love it when she comes and spends the weekend. She loves to hold Ella after her bath because she's so soft and smells so good.

Sita and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Sita's mom babysat for us while we went out to dinner at the Macaroni Grill. The food was yummy and I couldn't have asked for better company. :) I love you Sita! It's weird to think it's already been 3 years.

Sita's sister lives out in Massachusetts, so we don't get to see her very often. We were so excited when she came to visit for a week! We had fun spending time with the family, eating, and playing games. I love to see Sita interact with his sister's and his mom. They all get eachother laughing so hard, they are very entertaining to say the least.

TAG

2008-10-02T11:53:00.002-06:00

Thanks for tagging me Kim.

A- Attached or single: Attached :)
B- Best Friend: Besides family....Mele, but I pretty much consider her family too
C-Cake or Pie: Pie of any kind
D-Day: Saturday, because Sita doesn't have work, and we always try to do something fun
E- Essential Item: Diaper Bag
F- Favorite Color: Green
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: I don't like gummies, but if I had to choose it would be Worms
H-Home town: St. George
I- Indulgences: Applebee's Blondie mmmmmmm
J- January or July?: July, I love Summer
K-Kids: one beautiful daughter, Ella
L-Life is incomplete without: My Family
M- Marriage Date: October 8, 2005.....3 Anniversary is coming up
N- Number of Siblings: 3 younger sisters, who I love to death
O- Oranges or Apples: Oragnes, but I hate peeling them, so I usually eat more apples....LAZY
P- Phobias or Fears: Being home alone
Q- Quote: Not really a quote person
R- Reason To Smile: My family
S- Season: Anything but Winter
T- Tag: Mom and Katrina
U- Unknown fact about me: It's not a good idea to bother me when I'm sleeping, you will see a side of me that's not pretty
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I eat a little meat now and then
W- Worst Habit: Not answering my phone, I HATE talking on the phone
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds I guess
Y-Your favorite food: Mediterranean
Z: Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Game Night

2008-09-20T09:57:00.004-06:00

Thanks to my mother in law we were able to enjoy a night out with friends. We met up with some of the people I used to work with for a game night. We had so much fun laughing the night away, and eating way to much junk food!

Here is the group of us. I am so lucky I got to work with such fun crazy people. I hope we all stay friends for a long time.

Here are the lovely hosts and one of their sons. Thanks for letting us party at your house!

Funny story..... we were in the middle of one of our games, and we thought all the kids were asleep. Then all of a sudden the cute little boy pictured above comes walking through the living room, and into the kitchen. His dad was a little confused so he went to go check on him, and this is what he found. He was sleep walking and had opened one of the drawers and started peeing in it. I couldn't resist taking a picture. We all had a good laugh at the poor little guys expense.

These girls kept me laughing and entertained every day at work.

Yes Katrina my eyes are crossed on purpose. We played the funnest game ever called "Quelf" I drew a card that said I could not bend my arms or legs the whole game unless it was my turn. This was the only somewhat comfortable position I could find. Everyone thought it was so funny, they decided to take my picture. If you have a group of people that aren't afraid of looking stupid, I would highly recommend this game. I was laughing so hard I was crying at one point.

E-I-E-I-O

2008-09-16T18:47:00.005-06:00

Every time I saw this on someone's blog I thought Ella would love it. Well this past Saturday we finally got around to taking her and I was right, she LOVED it! If you are looking for something cheap and entertaining, you should take your kids to the barn/farm at Thanksgiving Point. I was so proud of her, so was so brave getting so close to some of the animal and even touching them. She definitely gets that from her dad. As you can tell from the pictures her favorite part was riding the little ponies! Who knows maybe we have a little cowgirl on our hands.

Picture Post

2008-09-12T15:28:00.009-06:00

We spent another fun week down in St. George, while Sita was at home enjoying his new job at eBay! He figured it probably wasn't a good idea to ask for time off when he just started. He was lucky enough to make it down for our family reunion that weekend.

We have to stop by the Pizza Factory at least once while we're there.

My friend Lacy had her little boy Easton come in to meet Ella. He kept trying to hug and kiss on her, and Ella was not having it. Sita was so proud!

Me and Ella enjoying our lunch!

Sita and my Dad are huge football fans and they have this ongoing argument about who's team is better and if Ella is going to be a Steeler's Fan or a Bears Fan, and bla bla bla. My poor baby gets stuck in the middle of it. :( My Dad got Ella all dressed up and asked me to take their picture so he could put it on the screen saver of the computer for when Sita came down. I can't wait until I have a boy, and then they can leave my little girl alone. But I have to admit they look pretty cute in this pic.
This is Ella at the reunion. I have never seen someone so little eat so much watermelon. She got so sticky she spent most the day in her diaper.
My poor little sister Maggie fell of the zipline at the reunion. Our cute little cousins were so worried about her.
My sister Lacy and cousin Rilee looking georgous as usuall.

We also had a fun night out with friends while my mom and dad babysat. Of course I forgot my camera. Heidi and Ryan were kind enough to host a little Labor Day party. We had a BBQ, went swimming, and played Rock Band way too late into the night.

These next pictures are not from St. George, they're from a couple nights ago. I got to meet up with some friends from high school and have dinner. We decided to do a photo shoot before we left for dinner. :)

Katie, Me, and Mikelle

Watch out Logan here she comes!

2008-08-24T16:18:00.005-06:00

So most people know that living in Salt Lake is a bit of a struggle for me. :) Lets just put it this way, I am definitely a family girl. I miss my immediate and extended family in St. George so much. One of the things that made it bearable was my best friend/sister Nikki. Then she decides she needs to get up and move to Logan. :( She left only yesterday and there have already been many a tear shed. Nikki has always been there, whether it was entertaining Ella, going shopping, going out to lunch, lending me her wardrobe, just listening, entertaining me with stories from her exciting single life. I am going to miss her more than she will ever know. I know you're all thinking Logan is not that far away, but it's just not the same. We have been sidekicks ever since we were little. I am so proud of her and excited for her future. I know she is going to have a blast up at Utah State. All I can say is Logan better be prepared for what lies ahead! I love you Nikki and miss you already!

Does blogging make you happy?

2008-08-20T14:49:00.005-06:00

I don't know about most of you, but every once in while I get a little depressed looking at other people's blogs. I see people with new houses, new cars, skinny moms, and the list could go on and on. I want to be a happy blogger. Today I read a post that inspired me to make a list of blogging rules for myself, many of which were taken from her post.

1. I will only read blogs that make me happy or inspire me. If I read a blog that makes me feel bad I will take it off my google reader.

2. I will be happy for other's success and remember that everyone is at a different stage and has different struggles. I will not compare myself with others.

3. I will limit the time on the computer. I will remember most of blogging life is fake, it will skew your vision of your real life and what's really important.

4. I will be myself when I blog, and remember that comments aren't important.

* If anyone has any other good ideas please share!

Cereal Killer

2008-08-05T14:17:00.003-06:00

No, this is not the cereal isle at your local grocery store. I debated whether I should do this post, frankly I am a little embarrassed and ashamed of my addiction. Sita referred to me in an earlier post as a cereal killer, and I must admit it is true. I can kill a box of cereal in a matter of days. I can eat cereal for every meal. My dad used to get so frustrated with me when I lived at home. He would make a nice meal and I would opt to eat my Cinnamon Life (my favorite cereal). Well needless to say you can imagine my delight when we stopped by Smiths to run in and grab some bread to feed the ducks and I saw a HUGE display of cereal and a sign that said 10 for $10! We started out by buying 10 boxes that day. Last night Sita came home with 10 more. I think he realized how good of a deal it was for how much I eat. The total savings for 20 boxes was around $60.00! And don't worry they don't expire for a whole year. So if there are any other cereal addicts out there, HURRY the sale ends today!

P.S. Don't worry Ella does not eat all this cereal, she is fed well balanced meals :).

All About My Man!

2008-07-29T10:43:00.006-06:00

He hates this picture, but I think it's cute!

This post is all about Sita! First off I wan to give him a big shout out for graduating. It's official now, he graduated from the U of U as an English Major. I am SOOOOO proud of him and all the time and hard work he put into his schooling. It finally paid off! Also, today is his 27th Birthday. I can't believe he is almost 30, that's just too weird. I consider myself to be the luckiest girl on the planet to be able to be married to Sita and here are 27 reasons why ( in no particular order)!

1. He is very nonjudgmental. He never judges someone of another's opinion. He gets to know people for himself. He always gives people the benefit of the doubt.
2. He makes everyone feel welcome. He never likes people to feel left out.
3. He loves to be the funny guy and make everybody laugh. He likes to be close to the center of attention.
4. He is adventurous. He loves to try new things, even if he's not very good at them.
5. He is very smart. He always seems to know something about everything, and loves to tell you about it.
6. He is the best Daddy ever! He loves Ella so much. He is so proud of every little thing she does, and loves to show her of to anyone and everyone.
7. He is also the best husband anyone could ask for. What can I say if he can put up with me, he's got to be.
8. He is very likeable. Anyone that meets him loves him, and considers him a friend after one encounter.
9. He lets me put my freezing cold feet on him every night to warm them up.
10. He is ULTRA competitive, which makes for some fun game nights at our house. And some fun sports conversations between him and my dad.
11. He is such a good son to his mother. He loves her so much, is always worried about her, and is always there when she needs him.
12. He is a good listener. After being home with a 1 year old all day, he is good to come home and listen to me jabber away for a while.
13. He is very laid back. He is always the calm one in stressful situations. He always looks at the positive.
14. He is very dedicated. Whenever he decides he is going to do something he does it. I guess you could also call him stubborn.
15. He's hot what more can I say.
16. This one goes with number 15. He will be embarrassed I put this one, but he's got really big muscles. :) Everywhere we go people are always asking him to move and lift things. hahaha
17. He is one of the most patient people I have ever met. He is very hard to irritate or bother (believe me I try).
18. He is very confident not prideful, but confident. I really admire that.
19. He is a very loyal person. I would say that all of his friends agree.
20. He loves me no matter what. I can be myself 100% around him, and he is still there when I wake up.
21. He loves to snuggle. One of my all time favorite things to do is snuggle. I know it sounds cheesy, but he makes me feel so safe and warm.
22. he is an excellent provider for our family. he works so hard so that I can stay home with our baby. I appreciate that more than he will ever know.
23. He is very supportive. He is always encouraging me to try new things. If I ever want to do something he will back me up.
24. He is the biggest tease out there. It's fun to a point, but he needs to learn where to draw the line. Ask my sisters and they will vouch.
25. He is very sincere and genuine. When he tells you something he means it. He does not do anything for show.
26. He loves to debate. He thrives on people who disagree with him, or agree with him but for a different reason. He enjoys proving his point. :)
27. Last he is my very best friend. I love him with all my heart, and can't wait for the years to come!

Doctor's Apointment and 1 Year Pictures!

2008-07-24T13:44:00.004-06:00

So I took Ella to get her pictures done today. The photographer put some of the pictures up on her blog so I copied and pasted a few of my favorites. She did pretty well considering she had her one year check up and got five shots just two days ago. I think they turned out adorable! I know I'm her mother and all, but she really is the cutest thing I've ever seen! Here are her one year stats Weight: 20.6 lbs (42%) and Height: 29.5 in. (63%).

My Baby's 1!

2008-07-20T21:35:00.005-06:00

I have mixed emotions about my little Ella turning one. She has her own little personality now, and she gets more and more fun every day. At the same time I cannot believe it has already been a year. She just needs to slow down and take it easy, she is growing up way too fast. I am trying to cherish every little moment.

The one year old birthday is quite a big deal in the Polynesian culture, so everyone was expecting us to have a huge birthday bash, but the funds just weren't there. We kept it simple with just a few family and friends, but we had a ball. Swimming is Ella's absolute favorite thing to do, so Sita, Ella, and I started out the day with a splash at the Fairmont pool. Later that evening we got together at Sita's Aunt's house and had a little party. We had pizza, cake, and ice cream. Ella is obsessed with Barney, so I really wanted to find her a Barney cake. I called every bakery in Salt Lake, and no one makes such a cake. So my Aunt Athena made the CUTEST Barney cake for her. Ella just loved it! She got a whole new wardrobe and a couple fun new toys. Thanks to everyone who came and made Ella's day special, it really meant a lot!

Screaming with joy

She thought she was such a big girl, and tried to be everybody's friend.
It's sad when your 1 year old daughter is tanner then you.

Ella and her DaDa.

She wasn't sure if she was allowed to touch the presents.
Some of the party attenders.

The beautiful cake maker.

Getting ready to dig in.This was about the extent of the "dig in" she was a little unsure.

Fourth of July

2008-07-11T21:35:00.005-06:00

We celebrated another Fourth of July in Hatch, Utah. For those of you who don't know where Hatch is, it's a little teeny tiny town about 15 min. from Panguitch. The wonderful Walter's Family invites us to come to their HUGE ranch every year. They put on quite a party. It took us about five hours to get there, but we made some fun stops along the way. When we arrived Sita and I both rode a mechanical bull, which was quite a site to see I'm sure. The picture of me is awful, but it was too funny not to post. Sita also participated in a skeet shooting contest, and did very well. My dad and Sita were supposed to help kick but in the water relay by paddling a canoe, but it tipped over the second they got in, and then when they finally got in the canoe sank! Needless to say, everybody was peeing their pants from laughing so hard. I don't know who's bright idea it was to put the two biggest guys in a tiny canoe. Ella loved watching the fireworks, and enjoyed all the dogs and horses. We all enjoyed the yummy food and wonderful company. We can't wait for next year!

Long Time No See

2008-07-01T22:45:00.002-06:00

I am going to use the same excuse as everybody else....it's summer time. We have had a fun summer so far. I really should do an individual post for each thing we've done, but procrastination has caused me to have to lump them into one. Except for the Father's Day post that follows this one. I think that one deserves its own. I will try to do better in the future. Here are a few pics of what we've been up to.

I got to catch up with some old friends from high school, who I haven't seen in who knows how long.

We spent a week down in St. George. We went down to help my Yia Yia and Grandpa celebrate their 50th Wedding anniversary! While we were there we did a lot of swimming. Ella cannot get enough of the water.

My sister Maggie came back up with us and stayed for almost a week. We took her to a concert of her favorite band the Mollies. Sita was nice enough to help her make a pretty awesome T-shirt. I missed her so much when she left.

We went to a Luau and Tahitian competition, and of course I was too involved in what was going on and forgot to take pictures. I love attending these events, and it is important to me that Ella is involved in her culture. She was shaking her hips right along with all the dancers. It really amazes me that she can have rhythm at such a young age. I chose this picture because she looks pretty amazed as well.

We just recently took Ella to a little splash park, and she had the time of her life. Sita was taking her under the big water falls, and she looked petrified, but the second she came out she was smiling and wanted more. I think I was scared more for her than she was. She gets her courage from her Father thats for sure!

We are off this weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July in Hatch, Utah. I will do my best to do a post when we return.

Best Daddies Ever!

2008-07-01T22:08:00.003-06:00

I cannot believe that I put this post off, there are no excuses. I am 100% ashamed. But like they always say....better late than never.

I want to start off by telling my dad how much I love and appreciate him. He has always worked hard for our family. One thing I have always admired about my dad is how nonjudgmental he is. I have never heard my dad speak bad about anyone. He is so kind to everyone he comes in contact with regardless of their situation. He makes everyone feel welcome. Some of my favorite memories with my dad include sports. Growing up he was always there to support me and give me advice in whatever sport I was playing, whether I wanted it or not :) To this day I love watching the Jazz games with my dad. I love my dad, and look up to him so much. He has been such a great grandpa to Ella as well. She adores him! Her favorite thing to do is slow dance with him, while he sings to her. It is the cutest thing ever! She holds perfectly still and enjoys every minute of it. Thanks for everything dad I LOVE YOU!

This is obviously an older picture, but I love it. Sita has got to be the best dad out there. He adores Ella so much. She has got him wrapped around her finger. He cracks me up the way he loves to show her off. Sometimes he has me get her all dressed up, just so he can take her out and show her off to anyone and everyone. He wants the very best for her, and works so hard to make that happen. These two are best buddies. It kind of freaks me out sometimes just how alike they really are. They can play for hours, and I just hear them cracking each other up. Ella is lucky to have such a wonderful father she can look up to for the rest of her life. Thanks for being such a great dad!

Curly Sue

2008-05-29T15:22:00.005-06:00

Everyone is always talking about how much Ella looks, and acts like Sita. In a weird way it makes me sort of sad when people think she looks nothing like me, and wonder if she is even mine, cause she's so cute. :) Well there is one thing she got from her mommy, and that's her curly hair. Now that her hair is a little thicker I have started doing her hair curly more often, or maybe it's my secret cry to the world to show them, "see she really is mine". It's sort of funny that the trait she got from me is her curly hair, cause I have never been totally in love with my curly hair, but I always wanted my kids to have it. I think she looks so cute, and it fits her little personality. It's fun to be able to change it up a bit.

New Favorites

2008-05-22T14:01:00.004-06:00

Ella has some new favorite things.

The first picture is of her and her daddy. Everyone says how much she looks like him, but if they only knew how much she acts like him. Ella loves to make everybody laugh.......sound familiar? I was taking their picture the other day and they wouldn't give me a nice smile. They would pull these crazy faces and the two of them would just crack each other up.

The second picture is after her first bite of dinner. She thinks it's hilarious to get a mouth full of food, stick her tongue out, and spit it everywhere. I on the other don't think it is so hilarious. By the time she is finished, her and I are both covered with a pureed chicken dinner. YUCK! This is the reason she's eating dinner in her diaper.

You might think her third favorite thing is lipstick, but your wrong.....It's chocolate! We were out to dinner with my family, and Ella's auntie Nikki snuck her some chocolate cake. Nikki knows how I feel about this so she tried to hide it, but the evidence was all over Ella's face. She threw a FIT when it was all gone.

The fourth picture is of Ella and her auntie Maggie. My family came up to visit last weekend, and Ella couldn't get enough of Maggie. They were best buddies. Maggie kept her laughing and entertained the entire time. When Ella realized she was gone she was so sad.

This little girl keeps us so entertained, we can't seem to get enough!

I can't wait!

2008-05-13T13:11:00.009-06:00

My grandparents (my dad's parents) were lucky enough to get called to serve a mission in Hawaii. We were all very excited for them, but at the same time very sad they were leaving us. I have always been very close to my grandparents on both sides of my family. Growing up I think we would see all of them at least once a week, if not more. They all have done so much for me and I have looked up to all of them for as long as I can remember. I remember feeling this same excitement when my mom's parents returned home from their mission to Adam-ondi-Ahman. I literally could not wait to see them, I missed them sooooo much. Now my other grandparents are coming home in one week! Sita, Nikki, Ella, and I are going to be the first to see them. They have a four hour layover here in Salt Lake City. They have never seen Ella in person, and I can't wait for them to meet each other. We are going to go out to eat and visit for hours. I am so EXCITED! I have been counting down the days. I love you Yia Yia and Grandpa and CANNOT wait to see you. :)

P.S. Don't they look adorable in their PCC missionary attire? :)

Two Lovely Ladies

2008-05-11T10:36:00.004-06:00

First I wanted to tell my mom how much I love and appreciate her. I know everyone thinks their mom is the greatest, sorry to break it to you all, but mine really is. My mom is the type of person that everyone loves. She is kind to everyone she comes in contact with. She is always there when I need someone to talk to, even when it's like three times a day. :) She is my very best friend. She is a wonderful Grandmother. She has always made me feel special. Growing up she showed us how to work hard. She showed us the importance of the gospel. She showed us the importance of family. She showed us how to love unconditionally. She helped me understand that what others think is not the most important thing. She has always set a great example for me to follow. I really hope that I can become half the mother she has been to me and my three sisters. Thanks for EVERYTHING! We love you mom!

Second I wanted to thank my mother in law. I think I scored big time in this department. My mother in law is the best! She is one of the sweetest ladies I know. She always has a beautiful smile on her face. She is always willing to help us out in any way she can. She is literally one of the most unselfish people I know. She is a very strong hardworking individual. She has always made the best of her circumstances. She is a wonderful grandmother to all five grandchildren. She is always welcoming when I need to get out of the house and take a break. I am most grateful to her for raising such a wonderful son, that I could marry. :) Thank you for EVERYTHING you do! We love you!

Fun With Grandpa!

2008-05-08T16:10:00.004-06:00

My Dad came up last weekend to help with the grand opening of a new Harmon's in Draper. It was so fun to get to spend some time with him. Usually the whole family comes up, so it was nice just spend some one on one time with my Dad. Sita, Nikki, Ella, and I all got to go to an open house type thing, before the store was open to the public. You could pretty much sample anything you wanted in the store. I think Sita thought he had died and gone to heaven. I never thought I would say this about a grocery store, but that place was amazing. It really was way more than a grocery store. :) They are opening one up in Santa Clara within the next year, so everybody should go check it out. If anyone knows my Dad, he is a huge Jazz fan. One night while he was up here the Jazz were playing so we all headed down to his hotel to watch the game. Before the game we all went for a swim. All the swimming wore Ella out so we all got to enjoy the game while she slept. Thanks for the fun weekend Dad. I love you so much, and appreciate everything you do.

Sita's Blog

2008-05-01T12:24:00.005-06:00

For those who are interested, Sita has started a separate blog. He wanted a place to go write about things that interest him. Here is a link to it:

http://sripleybion.blogspot.com/

Notice: What Sita has to say in no way reflects the opinion or beliefs of his lovely wife or cute little daughter.

To go private....or not to go private?

2008-04-25T18:04:00.002-06:00

So going private is all the rage right now. I have seriously been debating whether I should join the club. I would love to hear everyones reasons for going private, or not going private. Is it a safety issue or what? I always get frustrated when I find someone I know and I go to click on their blog and it is private, and I don't have their email address. I would hate to miss out on all those times when an old friend finds my blog and we get keep in touch. Please, whether I know you or not I would love to hear your reasoning. Thanks!

Maggie's Baptism

2008-04-17T18:55:00.006-06:00

This past weekend was my little sister Maggie's baptism, so we got to spend another fun weekend down in St. George. My Dad did a great job with the baptism and confirmation. Lacy gave a nice talk, and Maggie bore her sweet little testimony. Everyone was invited to a BBQ and swimming party later that afternoon. It was Ella's first time swimming, and she loved it! I think she would have stayed in there until she shriveled up if we would have let her. We spent a lot of time outside enjoying the nice weather! I don't even want to mention what we came home to....... SNOW! :( We had a great time and are so proud of you Maggie!

Wouldn't you be scared?

2008-04-11T15:59:00.003-06:00

I ran across this picture today, and just had to post it. For those of you that really know my sister Nikki this pic won't surprise you. You might not be able to tell from this picture, but Nikki really is one of Ella's favorite people. Whenever she walks through the door Ella gets so excited, and so do I. Nikki is always there when I need a "break". She will come over and play with Ella while I clean my house, or even pick us up to go shopping. I am so grateful for everything she does. She is one of my best friends, and I love her(scary faces and all)!

Easter.......Finally!

2008-04-02T11:25:00.001-06:00

We had so much fun spending Easter weekend in St. George. We surprised most the family by going down. They were so happy and so were we! Saturday we went to the neighborhood easter egg hunt at the park and had a yummy breakfast. We also went to one of my cousins rodeos, which was really fun. I was a little worried how the "city boy" (Sita) would handle that, but I think he quite enjoyed it. Sunday we went to church and had my Grandma Houston over for dinner, which was nice. I always enjoy visiting with her. We spent the rest of the night with the Given's over at my Aunt Angie's. Here are just a few of the pictures from our travels. We had a very happy Easter!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T17:15:00.000-06:00

Hippology

2008-03-08T09:35:00.004-07:00

My mom is the cute lady on the far right. To be honest, I have no idea what this commercial is for; all I know is that my momma is in it--shaking her thang.

Do Yo Thang Boy

2008-02-27T09:54:00.003-07:00

David Archuleta was born to sing.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-21T11:51:00.008-07:00

Here are a few pics from Valentine's Day. We spent most of it with our little valentine Ella. She got all dressed up to go out with us, doesn't she look so cute? My sister was nice enough to watch her for a little while we went out to dinner. It was nice to have some one on one time with Sita. I love him so much! I am so lucky we found each other, he is just what I needed. I am so grateful for both my Valentines!

Roots

2008-02-15T09:39:00.005-07:00

"The oldest trees often bear the sweetest fruit." -- German Proverb

My grandma took me, Shay, and the chubber out to dinner earlier this week. My grandma isn't that old in comparison to many (she's 78), but her mind seems to be slipping away. Apparently, Alzheimer's runs on that side of the family. She invited us the day before, forgot about it, then remembered, then forgot what we were doing, and finally was excited that we wanted to go out to eat with her.

Among her many repetitions, she told me a lot about my heritage that I didn't know. Apparently my great grandma was British. That's three generations of interracial couples!(My grandpa was dutch) We're so PC. He was a manger of a major supermarket. That's probably why I like Walmart so much. My grandpa met my grandma on his way to a bar while she was on her way to church. Kind of like me and shay except I think Shay was just going to the store for beer (duh Shay they know I'm kidding.) He liked her so much that a few weeks later he quit smoking "cold turkey" and went with her to church that day.

Nice to get in touch with my roots.

Thanks grandma.
Thanks grandma. (I wrote it twice in case you forget.)

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings." -- Hodding Carter

While Ella was out with her momma and aunty Nikki, she tapped into one of her roots: dancing. Ella's grandma Lu danced for the Polynesian Culture Center during her college years and performed Polynesian luaus for over 30 years. Her papa was also known for his break dancing skills in Jr. High and High School. Her mom.... well.... Ella loves her mom.

They were all in Old Navy and Shay and Nikki were looking at some stuff and turned around to catch Ella swaying side to side to the beat. They thought it might be a fluke, but once another song came on Ella did it again. She was sitting in the cart like she is in the picture above. We will try and get it on video, but she seems to get some shyness from her mom.

Freakin Tagged

2008-02-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Shalie: So, we've been tagged...
Sita: Hmmph... how dum...
Shalie: SITA! Anyway...
Sita: Tags are for taggots...get it?
Shalie: ANYWAY, Here are 10 random things about us:

10. Shalie is a Cereal Killer. Shay can kill a whole box of cereal in one day. Some of her preferred cereals are Cinnamon Life and Peanut Butter Captain Crunch.

9. Sita Has Eaten an Entire Turkey Before. Sita was so hungry that he ate an entire 8lb turkey when he was 13 years old. He thinks he was going through a growth spurt.

8. Shay is a Hater...Of Movies. Shalie doesn't like going to the movies nor does she like to rent them. Sita spent a lot of money on movies that Shalie never saw because she falls asleep during the previews.

7. Sita Has Completed the Gallon Challenge and the Cinnamon Challenge. The Gallon challenge requires a participant to drink an entire gallon of milk in one hour. "The last part sucked. I got really cold and it felt like I had cottage cheese in my belly, " says Sita. The Cinnamon Challenge requires the participant to swallow a table spoon of cinnamon in less than 20 minutes. "The cinnamon challenge was 100 times worse than the Gallon challenge. Cinnamon got into my sinuses and it burnt like [heck]," recalls Sita.

6. Shay is Terrified of Roller Coasters. Well, more that she hates the "butterflies in her tummy" feeling. The Puff the magic Dragon ride(yeah the one that 3 year olds ride) ended Shay's Roller-coaster Riding career.

5. Sita Has to Clean His Ears Out Every Day. Sita has to constantly "clean" out his ears. He uses about 4-6 Q-tips a day.

4. Shay Grooms like a Monkey. If she isn't messing with Sita's hair, she is trying to pick his zits. Shalie won't let Sita cut his own fingernails or toenails. She also pleads to give him manicures, to give him pedicures, and to pluck his eyebrows.

3. Sita Hates to be Groomed. Sita hates it when people rub his feet or pick at him. Sita doesn't do manicures, pedicures, or eyebrow plucking.

2. As a Team, We Have Never Lost in the Game "Cranium". That's right. NEVER.

1. We Have The Cutest Little Baby That Has Ever Existed. We know; we we're surprised too.

Workin it

2008-01-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Peeps,

This is a sample of my shoot in Salt Lake. I really felt like I got into the groove towards the end. The photographer was a doll. She really helped me get into character. I love her SO much! Anywho, I just wanted to give y'all a taste of a true Diva.

Hugs and kisses.

Ella

"The Diva Look"

"Surprise"

"Fun Loving"

"Sophisticated"

"Concern"

Yummy!

2008-01-03T13:19:00.001-07:00

While we were in St. George, we decided to feed Ella cereal for the first time. These pictures crack me up. She looks disgusted, but I think she really liked it, cause she just kept on eating. I loved the way her little chubby hand was grasping the bowl.

The Luck Vegas Bowl

2007-12-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Luck is a funny thing. It is a sadistic god. Luck gives you its blessing and with the same hand back hands you into submission. My Father, In-Law William Albert The Fourth, was lucky enough to receive a phone call from William Albert the Third sometime last week that indicated we had a way into the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl. We didn't have tickets, but Grandpa Given knows a guy (Marty, he's part of the event staff) who would sneak us in. Cool huh? While luck seemed to be smiling on us, being the bi-polar butcher that it is, it started to mess with us. While it normally takes about 15-20 mins to get through the Gorge, due to construction and a car accident, it took well over an hour to get through. The geniuses who are working on the Gorge decided that it would be a good idea to do some construction on a holiday weekend with a bowl game in Las Vegas. Idiots. Luckily, we had planned to get something to eat before the game and had left 3 hours earlier than the game. Once we got through the Gorge, it felt like free sailing from there. We were wrong. The delay had put us behind schedule, but right on time for rush hour. I am not saying that I agree with road rage, but after running into that I began to consider carrying a gun in the car as well. Luckily, our driver Donnel knew Vegas' ins and outs so we were able to find another route. Unfortunately, a couple thousand other people seem to know the same things. By the time we got near the stadium we only had half an hour before kick off. Unfortunately, we had to drop off this girl( Shalie's cousin Colby came with us and his friend is from Vegas and she hitched a ride with us. We didn't have a problem because we were going to be there so much earlier). Luckily Billy came up with a plan to have her mom come get her. We finally got there, parked, and ran to the stadium to get there before kick off. We had only one obstacle left; getting in. Last year, Billy, Donnel, Grampa Given, and I did the same thing, but it went much smoother. No problems. Unfortunately, there was an overzealous security guard. Luckily, Marty has some power and got us in. We made it! It was funny because as Marty ushered us illegal immagrants in, he ushered two other stow-aways off the field. Bad luck, I guess. The game itself was the same story. It seemed like BYU was going to lose, but just then Manumaleuna blocked the kick. Just our luck, I guess. Go cougs.

SNOW

2007-12-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

So we had our first big storm. The winter time is when I really start to miss St. George. I think I complain to my husband all winter long, like it is his fault it's snowing. I would never admit this to him, but this day I enjoyed the snow. It looked so beautiful on all the trees and houses. It made me even more excited for the holidays. Ella and I had big plans this day to run some errands. As I looked outside I thought I better bundle her up good. She didn't quite know what to think of the wet cold stuff falling on her face, as you can tell by the picture. So after a long day of trudging through the snow caring a car seat , we were finally home. As I took Ella out of her seat I realized I might have bundled her up a little too much, because her back was all sweaty. Woops! Next time I think two or three layers should be enough. :)

Why the Y?

2007-11-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Late November brings so many great things. There is Thanksgiving that brings families to the table to eat and reacquaint themselves with one another. There is the chilly temperature that gives us(especially Shay) an excuse to snuggle for some warmth.

And, of course there is football; specifically rivalry week.

BYU and Utah had another barn-burner of a game with BYU coming out on top...again...for the second year in a row. Last year's game was the best game I have been to in a long time. Unfortunately, I had to work this year so all I could do is watch the scores refresh on my phone. Intense, but not the same. It will be another year of trash talking and over-confidence for Cougar fans. The best thing is that next year is the leap year so instead of 365 days, we get 366. Every day counts.

This rivalry has taken a strange turn, though, in my life. Why, you might ask? Because I am a student at the U. I have been at the U for the last year and a half. So why the Y?

I have always been a BYU fan. My mom went to the Y and has always cheered for the Cougs. Being that I am my mom's biggest fan, I became one of the Y's biggest fans. There was a time that I did cheer for the U, but it was a very short time. The first collegiate game I had ever attended was with my mom's friend. It was a Utah game. I liked them because my mom's friend liked them and she bought me whatever I wanted to eat. All I had to do was cheer for the U. Done. My mom of course brought me back to the blue by doing the same thing. Took me to a game and offered food. Done. I'm a Cougar now.

Cougar Loyalty. A big pet peeve I have is disinterested "fans". I'll admit that U fans can be outright obnoxious, unreasonable, belligerent, illiterate, and sloppy drunk, but, for the most part they are very loyal and supportive. BYU fans have been notorious for being fair-weather fans. I have never heard the Utes boo a quarter back for missing a pass and yet it's happened in Lavell Edwards one too many times. On more than one occasion, while nervous because it was the final drive of the 4th and we only had one shot, I have had to listen about so and so getting married to this guy, Plugs for relief society parties, and homework study groups. The worst, though, is fans leaving because we're down two touchdowns in the middle of the 3rd! ARE YOU SERIOUS? Show some faith, ya' lousy Mormons. I have to admit fans have gotten a bit better, but that's because the Cougs are doing well. We'll see what happens when things get rocky.

Not really all that excited about being a UTE. When I moved back to Salt Lake to go to the U, I was already married. I haven't joined any Frats or clubs. I don't go to any Ute pep rallies or activities. I just go to school there. I'll admit that it is quite difficult to hate the Utes anymore. I am always checking to see if they win and hope they do well. I just can't cheer against the Cougars when it comes to Rivalry week.

Things may change when I graduate, but only time will tell. For now, I am just going to get ready to talk a lot of trash to my UTE Fan co-workers. 17-10 all day with a little bit of 33-31. Go Cougs.

Thanks-Given

2007-11-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today is supposed to be the day that we look back on the fruits that have been reaped from the yearly harvest and offer up our gratitude to God. I actually took the time to sit and think about for what it is I am grateful. I have been given much this year:

10: Wake up call. Life comes at you real fast. Becoming a daddy has definitely forced me to prioritize my life decisions and in turn helped me begin to gain the qualities and standards that I had been lacking.

9: Something to say. I feel like I have become more at peace with who I am and what I believe. On most issues in any situation, I use to really sit-the-fence and play it passive. I feel that I am comfortable enough with my own personal principles and beliefs to really take a stand for what I believe.

8: Hunger for knowledge. I have probably grown more in this past year intellectually than ever before. I have been exposed to some really great books and ideas. While I don't agree with the majority of what is being said, I have learned a great deal and want more.

7: A gut check. Do I really want it? I have some pretty lofty goals and I have had to face this question constantly. Do I really want it? Anything seems ideal when you leave out the work involved. Society seems hell-bent on finding the easy way out. Is there an American Idol for changing the world? Do I really want it? Yes. Yes, I do.

6:Humility. For those who don't know, I am a Mixed Martial Arts Fighter or in layman's terms a "cage fighter". I am still at the amateur level, but I've had 8 fights so far. I lost my last fight in June because I didn't take the fight seriously. I wasn't prepared and I ended up in the hospital with some stitches, a sore head, and a bruised ego. Be prepared. Always.

5: Work. Through all my trials I have learned as long as I keep moving, they can't keep me down.

4: Hope. How do the bills get paid? I don't know; I work at Jimmy John's(913 E. Ft. Union BLVD subs so fast you'll freak). How am I an English Major? Me doesn't know. How did I end up with Shalie? You got me. If I took the pessimistic side, I don't think I'd get anything done. Things are never smooth, but they always seem to work out when there's hope.

3: Judge righteously. I feel like I hear the term "don't judge" all the time. I feel that "not judging" someone causes separation. I feel as human beings we need to make the effort to understand each other. We can't do that if we segregate ourselves by being so passive. Taking the time to hear people out and being respectful of their views will give a much deeper understanding than merely not judging them and leaving them be. We make judgments about everyone regardless if we want to admit it or not. We just need to take the time to make the right ones.

2: An appreciation for parents. I never realized how much my mother sacrificed for Me and my sisters. I wish I were a better son. Love is all my mom has ever given and with little in return. You're my hero, mom. I can't mention parents' help without mentioning my in-laws. Ol' Willard and Sammy have supported us from the get go. I can't explain their love any better than a fierce sincerity. I love you guys.

1. Shalie and Ella. God gave David Courage. He gave Solomon wisdom. He gave the world a savior. He gave me my family. Shay keeps me in line while Ella spreads sunshine. Of the many things I have received; the best was a Given: Shalie Given.

4 Months!

2007-11-20T09:46:00.001-07:00

Three posts in one day, I know it may seem like I am a little post happy, but I had a lot of catching up to do. Yesterday was Ella's 4 month check-up. Ella weighed in at 14 lbs 12 oz and is 25.3 in long. For starting out at 5 lbs 6 oz, she has come a long way! She is above average in both height and weight. Along with the measurements came the shots :( which made for quite a long day, but she is back to her cheery self today THANK GOODNESS!

The Twins Baptism

2007-11-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sita was lucky enough to baptize his beautiful twin nieces on November 3rd. He loves his nieces so much, and was so grateful they asked him to preform the baptism. One of them was very excited while the other was a little more timid, but in the end they both did a great job. We are so proud of them and their decision to be baptized. We love you Veti and Terrina!

Ella's First Halloween

2007-11-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

Let me just start out by saying I know this post is long overdue. But I need to post it for the record. Well I didn't think Ella's first Halloween was all that bad until I looked at these pictures. It's as if she is thinking, what's so cool about me wearing a pumpkin suit. I thought she looked pretty cute. We started out our day by going over to Aunt Nikki's. We were right in the middle of moving so Nikki was kind enough to dress up as a cat and take her to visit her Auntie Great (her Great Aunt Athena) at work. She got a few treats from the girls at the office that her Mom seemed to eat right up :) Later that night we went over to Grandma Philipoom's to visit Ella's cousins. The last picture is of Ella and her cousin Shane. It is my favorite picture. Two little chubby babies in furry costumes, it can't get any cuter. Ella was a pooped little pumpkin by the time we got home.

I'm Digital

2007-11-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my mother-in-law, I received two brand new video games about a week ago. I am not a "gamer" so I don't have any of the newer systems, just the good ol' X-Box. Am I that old that the X-Box is now vintage? Anyway, the games were NBA Live 2007 and Fight Night: Round 3. On the former, I am happy to say that the Jazz are doing well and are undefeated so far in their first season. It is because of the later, however, that I am making this post. Shay has come to hate video games because they take up "her" time. What I have come to discover, however, is that "her" time is really an excuse she made up to complain to me so that I can not enjoy playing video games. I really am conservative with my game playing. Really. Back to the game. Luckily, Fight Night: Round 3 provides us both with entertainment. The game allows you to create your own boxer and it is very detailed. You can adjust the eyes, nose, skull, jaw, cheek bones, body type, etc. Shay was having more fun watching me create a digital me than I do playing the game. So here is my boxer, let me know if you think he looks like me.

My Little Helper

2007-11-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

I had such a fun weekend! My little sister Maggie came to visit. She is such a good auntie to Ella . She watched Ella while I showered and got ready. It was so nice to have the extra help for the weekend. Maggie is always so fun and entertaining. I just wanted to tell her thanks! She is such a sweetheart!

#1 Granny!

2007-10-23T13:30:00.000-06:00

Okay I know two posts in one day is a little much, but it has been a while. I think my mom qualifies as the best granny ever, and not to mention the cutest! My mom HATES getting her picture taken so these were the only two I could find. I feel so bad because we live four hours apart and it breaks my mom's heart that she can't see her only grandbaby every day. There have been plenty of times my mom has called me crying because she misses Ella (funny how she doesn't mention me). Everytime those two see eachother they are on cloud nine. My mom has helped me so much since I have had the baby, and I wanted to thank her. There is no way I could have done it without her. Every time she comes to visit she takes care of Ella, cleans my house, and feeds my husband (which is not an easy task). She is always there day or night when I need someone to talk to, or have any questions. Thanks you so much for EVERYTHING mom! We love you and miss you!

Two Years!

2007-10-23T13:11:00.001-06:00

So during this blog drout on October 8th Sita and I celebrated our Second anniversary! We celebrated with a traditional date, dinner and a movie. My sister was kind enogh to babysit and took these pictures before we left. These were taken at her house so don't ask what that guy is doing in the background. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank Sita for two wonderful years! Sita works so hard to provide for our little family. I feel so lucky to have such a great husband. He keeps me laughing and helps to remind me what is most important in life. Thanks for everything Sita. I LOVE YOU!

The Way I Am

2007-10-02T12:23:00.000-06:00

Have you guys seen that Old Navy Commercial with that addicting little ditty about sweaters? Shalie pointed it out to me and now I can't get the song out of my head when I see anything Old Navy. I feel like one of Pavlov's dogs with the exception that I only salivate at the sound of this indie-mocha-late jingle. I guess Shay has a way of doing that to me. When ever she has me listen to something or notice it, regardless if I like it or not, I can't get it out of my head. She has me so well conditioned. It might sound like she has me rapped around her finger, but that isn't how it works. For example, when Shay says, "Sita, will you get such and such from the store?" I have been conditioned to forget the moment I get there what she wanted and buy whatever I see that is interesting. Sometimes she will say, "Stop doing that." This is answered with more of whatever I am supposed to be stopping. There are many things that are to her advantage though. There are times when all Shay has to do is merely give her evil- yet beautiful- look and I will stop or start whatever it is she wants me to do. Other times she won't do anything at all or, more specifically, one thing and I will do whatever she wants. I guess that's how marriage works; learning how to respond at the right time to the right things with hopefully the right answer, yet being forgiving and helpful when you're wrong. Take a listen to this song and see if you like it. It seems to be stuck in my head like my wife is in my heart......is that the right answer, honey?

Daddy's Little Lamb

2007-09-17T20:13:00.001-06:00

The other night, Ella started getting fussy so I picked her up out of her swing. As I picked up my little darling, I noticed her shirt was soaked with spit up. I took it off and let her roam free in her diaper. Clothing seems to be more of a restriction than anything else to little Ms. Ripley. Ella took some deep sighs of relief and satisfaction as she laid on the floor while I tried not to be too girly about how giddy it made me to hear these sweet tones. Ella suddenly gave a little shiver and I decided to get her a onesie. When I tried to pull it over her head, I noticed that it wasn't going to fit. Then it hit me. My little girl is growing up or at least she is getting bigger. I have only been a father for two months now and time hasn't really seemed to be doing anything but stand still. Ella was just a little thing that never needed new clothes because she didn't seem to be growing. Due to the long nights, it seems more like the past two months were more like one really long day. The only reason to take any notice of time was to know when to feed. I guess what I'm getting at is that time with family, specifically my two favorite girls, is timeless. Families really are forever or at least they are in my world. At first I got way ahead of my self and started thinking about how fast she is growing and how soon she'll be walking and talking. It kind of escalated into thoughts of her first day of school, her first date, all the boys I would have to screen and possibly knock out. Finally, I came to my senses and remembered that I need to enjoy these little moments.
Also, while I was having this epiphany, I noticed that Ella looked like a little lamb. What really helped the lamb effect is that when she got made about the onesie being stuck on her head, her cry kind of sounded like a baaaahhh. My baby is so cute. Shalie thinks I'm rude for putting up this picture. She says it's torture. I say it's timeless.

Date Night!

2007-09-13T20:20:00.000-06:00

Sita and I had our first night out alone since Ella was born, thanks to my sister Nikki. I had her take a couple of pictures before we left. It felt so good to shower and get ready for a night out on the town. It is a rare occurance now, so I thought we better take some pictures. We started our night out by going to Christopher's Steak House. I am pretty picky about my food, and I must say it was amazing. We then went to the Gateway and made our way over to the Chocolate Factory for some ice cream. We ended our night with a movie. We went and saw Bourne Ultimatum. I am not really a movie fan, but I really enjoyed it. I had so much fun spending some one on one time with my hubby, I think he was feeling neglected :). It might sound crazy, but on our way home I started to get butterflies, because I was so excited to see my baby. I just couldn't stop smiling. Sita thought I was crazy, but I actually missed her.

These are a few of her favorite things....

2007-09-05T20:26:00.000-06:00

I wanted to post some more pictures of Ella. So these are a few of her favorite things. She loves her bath time. After every bath I give her a little massage with her baby lotion, and she thinks she's in heaven. Ella loves it when her daddy gets home from work or school and they get to visit about their days. She likes to go for walks down to her Aunt Nikki's. She also likes to take naps and make cute poses. Ella loves to have her little piggies painted. And last, but not least Ella loves to fall asleep in her swing.

Ella's Blessing Day

2007-09-03T21:57:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures from Ella's blessing on Sunday September 2nd. Sita gave her a beautiful blessing. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband. It was so fun to have most of our family there. I was so glad that my Grandma Houston could make it. My Mom and Grandma helped me a lot with Ella over the weekend, it was nice to have a little break.

Are you a blog stalker?

2007-08-22T16:04:00.000-06:00

This whole world of Blogging is quite new to me and Shalie...well, technically I am greener than Shay. Shalie was the instigator of our desire to create a blog for the family. You see Shay ( she'll probably kill me when she reads this) was very familiar with the Blog scene, yet, she herself did not have a blog. She would, how do I put this, follow or observe people's blogs persistently almost out of obsession. In other words; she was stalking. Apparently, she is not the only one. She was introduced into her guilty little secret by other blog stalkers. It's kind of a community of people who want to know what's going on in other people's lives. Not that it matters, but the majority of them are women. I found that typical...I mean interesting. I merely dismissed it and thought it was a phase she was going through, but, alas, it was one of the few mistakes I rarely make. I found this out when we ran into a group of friends that are part of the stalking community. They started spouting out statistics about such-and-such's child and so-and-so's new hair cut. Bewildered by the amount of time they all had invested into their stealthy pursuit, I wondered how many people partake in this obsession. So for any brave souls who would like to use this moment to share their addiction, please let us know. I will volunteer the first one, "Hi, my name is Shalie and I'm a blog stalker........that felt so good!" Thank you for sharing Shay.

Can you spoil a newborn?

2007-08-18T20:07:00.001-06:00

Ever since Ella has been born she has been held, I think she has been laid down a total of five times. Every night after I get her to sleep I go to lay her down in her crib, and it never fails she wakes up and starts crying. I need some advice. She will sleep for hours in my arms, but not in her crib. Just look at her cute little face, I can't stand to just let her cry. My husband thinks she is just spoiled, but I always thought you couldn't spoil a newborn. I have been sleeping with her in the recliner at night, and am not getting much sleep. I don't care if you are a mother or not, if you have any advice I would love to hear it.

Reuinons and Departures

2007-08-11T10:20:00.000-06:00

Time with loved ones always seems too short; especially when that time ends so abruptly. Last week Shalie got the idea that maybe she and Ella would take a trip down to St. George for a week and a half. Shay's cousin Lex would be getting married the next weekend (today) and I could come down the next weekend and pick them up. Little did I know how sad and lonely I would be. No little cries or funny noises for daddy. No waking up in the morning to my beautiful wife's kisses. I didn't really want to hang out with my single friends because they wanted to do "single-people" things, but I didn't want to hang out with married friends because it reminded me that I was alone. Even worse...we don't even have cable so no ESPN or comedy central to cheer me up. The time definitely made me appreciate my girls that much more. Needless to say it was a happy day when I got to head down to the St. Geezy. I was just outside of Beaver with hopes of happy hugs and sweet kisses of reunion when I received a voicemail from Shay. Her voice not only had a sound of urgency, but it was obvious she had been crying. My heart dropped and I sat on it while I waited for service to call her back (I hate sprint). Unfortunatley, our time on earth with Grampa Clark Houston had run out and he was called back to his father's side just an hour or so earlier. Time really does seem so short sometimes. I feel like I was robbed. I might be the one to know Grampa Clark the least being that I am married into the Houston family and we have had only a few encounters and was looking forward to many more, but I'll have to wait. Grampa Clark had a way with people(I'm sure that will come in handy up there) that made him so endearing. Among his hundreds of children, grandchildren, and great grand children, he never forgot my name. He knew my interests and made it a point to talk about them when he saw me. I'll never forget his great sense of humor and loving nature. My favorite story that he tells ends with the punchline, " If I wasn't in my Sunday best, I would have taken ya." Well here's to you Grampa Clark; we love you and miss you. Keep a seat warm for us up there.

Finally some pictures of our Princess!

2007-07-30T14:12:00.000-06:00

Ms. Ella Ripley

We took a picture of her next to a loaf of bread to show how tiny she is.

Big Papa Sita and his baby girl

Ella is just like her mommy...very sleepy.

Sleepy face.

Still Sleeping.

Finally! Here are a couple pictues of our little Ella. I am not sure how to do a picture collage yet so this will have to do for now. Ella was born on July 18th at around 1:30 pm. She weighed in at a hefty 5 lb. 12 oz. and was 19 in. long. Everyone was shocked that she was so tiny, because her dad is well...... not so tiny. We took a picture of her next to a loaf of bread to show how tiny she is. We can't decide who she looks like, we just know that she is the cutest thing we've ever seen!