45 minutes later - Ellie is asleep.

Oh, my children.

I am laying in the hallway between my two kids bedrooms writing this. Ellie is going through this phase where she insists on going to bed with a bottle. I say "no", she cries, and cries, and cries, and so on.

As she cries; Ethan stays awake - not used to having to fall asleep to the sound of a screaming baby.

So here I lay on the floor going back and forth from room to room trying to use my mind powers to get Ellie to stop crying and together Ethan to magically drift off to sleep.

It's not working - just in case you were wondering.

Jacob and I went and saw the new Harry Potter yesterday. We went to the 3:45 show. Not just because it was much less busy then but because that's when Grandma was available! It was good. I don't think I have ever seen a movie that fully lived up to the book - but it was good. I defintely will not be letting Ethan see it any time soon. A little too dark for him.

Jacob is getting so excited for his trip to Whistler on the 27th. Him and Phillip even have a date on Sunday to go over the details. Though I am excited for him, I am not so excited to be home by myself with two children for a while week. I'll have to buy me something pretty to help keep my sanity!

So if any of you are nearby and bored at the end of the month - think of me!

I can print!...I think.

I just wanted to let everyone out there know how mad I am at my printer. Somehow back in October of last year the software for the printer got removed from our computer. I couldn't find the CD and our computer was having a meltdown when I tried to download the software from HP.com. So being pregnant and ornery, I promptly gave up and have being using on older, not nearly as nice printer that my mom was going to get ride of. Finally last night after 2 hours of searching I found our nice all-in-one printer cables so I could try again.

I get online and it won't recognize the device. After five hours of on-line chat session with three different hp help support people my printer finally works! I can print! No more going to my mom's house when ever Ethan runs out of Mickey Mouse coloring pages! I pick my document to print and wait ever so patiently as a plain white page comes out my beautiful printer...that has no ink.

Hurry over to http://simplychicstitches.com and register as a member so that you can be automatically entered in our competition to win a free tote!

We are going to be at the Ogden Craft Show on

Saturday, July 25 from 10-8

so come and check us out.

It is at the Ogden Marriot. We will have all of product there but we will also be doing

custom vinyl orders there. You can order at the show and then take it home with you! No waiting or shipping!

So much!

Ellie is 6 months old...well back on June 12 anyway!

She is such a little sweetheart that I can barely stand it! She weighed in at a skinny 14 lb. 15 oz. and 27 inches tall. That makes her tall and skinny! She is still wearing 0-3 month clothes - which is sometimes nice because then I don't have to buy her new ones for a while!

I love her cute little rosy cheeks. I have to try really hard to resist pinching them all day long. She is the cutest girl i know!

I love these bows too - they have a color to go with every outfit you could possibly imagine.

Ethan's new favorite thing to do is help me feed Ellie. I have to watch him very carefully when she is eating her rice puffs. If I turn around for one second, Ethan has shoved 10 in her mouth and her little cheeks are full!

Ellie really doesn't mind Ethan feeding her until her shoves the spoon too far into her mouth. Then Mama takes over. Ethan makes an absolute mess but it is fun for the both of them. Ellie laughs at her big brother all the time and it is the sweetest sound.

Grandma Great and Papa Pow came up on their way through to Yellowstone. The stayed for the 4th and then went on their way. While they were here we took them fishing in Wellsville. It is so pretty there and is the perfect place for Ethan to go fishing. There are toys nearby when he gets tired of fishing. There is shade for me and Ellie. And we always catch something while we are there!

Ethan has started to ask to go fishing these days. We have been going once a week lately and he is still not tired of it. He likes to eat the fish too. He hasn't seen Jacob gut them yet but he does know that he is eating fish for dinner!

He loves his little "Cars" pole that we bought for him. He reels them in right and left on that little 1 1/2 foot pole. He is very proud of himself and always has to carry them around in the fishing net for a while.

We tie the fish to a pole where we fish and as soon as we catch one he spends to the rest of the day pulling the fish out of the water to see it. Poor fish!

Ellie enjoys fishing too! We bring a blanket and her toys and she watches all the fun go down. She loves it outside and we have to do everything in our power to keep her from eating the grass!

The 4th was so much fun with two little kids! Ethan loved seeing all his family and especially his great grandparents that we don't get to see too often. Him and Papa Pow became very good friends while they were here.

Ethan spent most of the holidays trying to ride his bike. He is still trying to learn how to use the pedals but we are working on it. We plan to buy him a "big boy" bike for Christmas or his birthday with some training wheels. For now Mama's old tricycle from the olden days will have to do!

And does that face say mischievous or what!


Ellie was very patriotic in her summer dress. She loved being passed around and adored by anyone who would hold her!

Grandma Youngberg bought some fireworks to add to our collection. These were some things where you pull on the string and a bunch of confetti would pop out everywhere. He loved them and would yell "POW!" as he pulled on the string.

Next we lit some that shot a parachuter up in the air. I swear that parachute went 30 feet in the air. They were so loud and he would just sit with Auntie Melissa and laugh and laugh.

Oh my goodness! If that face doesn't say how much he loved them,

then I don't know what does!



Him and Grandpa Great had a good time watching more parachutes on the other side of the house too. I don't know how looks like they are having more fun?

the fireworks were so fun. I was worried that Ellie would be scared but she played there and kicked at them all night long. I put cotton balls in her ears hoping that would help.



I love the 4th of July. It has always been my favorite holiday and it is just getting more and more fun as our little family grows.