Wedding Bells

We finally got Cheriss and Chris married this past weekend! The wedding was greatly anticipated, especially by Ella, who couldn't wait to get dressed up in her fancy dress (made by Grandma Wyckhuyse) and see Daddy wear a pink tie! All of the brother in-laws were good sports, but Ella thought that seeing the boys wear pink was hilarious. The wedding took place in the morning at the Draper, Utah temple, and we all made it and on time too! The kids stayed home with a baby sitter and had a blast with her. Chad and I of course went down for the wedding and I can't remember seeing my sister so happy as when she walked into the beautiful sealing room with her soon-to-be husband. Now, one would think that an August 15th wedding (also my dad's birthday) would be more than warm, but if you look at the picture, you'll see that was not the case! It was freezing cold and pouring rain at several different times, but they were still able to get some good pictures. Afterwards, we got some lunch, ran home to get the kids, and went back down to Orem for the reception. The decorations were beautiful and the kids all looked great! The girls (Alexis, Ella, Lilly, and Gracie) all had matching dresses, and the boys (Spencer and Brock) looked great in their suit/tux. The kids had a great time eating chocolate covered strawberries, cake, drinking punch, and of course, dancing the night away! Ella's dancing especially, was entertainment for everyone! No one in our family was lucky enough to snag the bouquet (better luck next time!) and Brock and Spencer were both hoping for the garter, but that too was caught by someone else. Brock was disappointed, but he figures he has plenty of time still. Spencer (he will be 5 next month) on the other hand, was so disappointed, he cried! Anyway, we sent the newlyweds off on their honeymoon with all of our love and support for a strong, Christ-centered marriage. Now, we are now focused on trying to get our house packed up to move! We are so excited to have a good job after such a long time that we are not at all nervous about moving to a brand-new area. Some of Chad's colleagues were surprised at my willingness to move to a VERY small town that I have never even been to before. He just told them that I'm a very obedient wife....yeah right! We all got a good laugh over that one. We sure are going to miss everyone here in Bountiful, and we know that all sides of the family were hoping we would get closer to them, but we are looking forward to the excitement that a booming metropolis like Vernal will bring! Ha! Ella is doing well, excitedly looking forward to starting kindergarten on Sept. 2nd. Of course, she is a great help to me as always, and always has some fun "Ella-isms" to share! And if you haven't heard, she has some interesting ideas of what to name her baby sister. Brock is moving around the house like a little rocket, and constantly pulling himself up to furniture around the house. His newest trick is letting out a big roar when you ask him what a dinosaur says! Our baby girl is doing well too, just nameless for the time being. Hopefully we can take care of that over the next few weeks. We are open to any realistic suggestions (or fake ones for a good laugh I guess) but can't say that we'll be disclosing the decision until her birthday! Chad is definitely working hard at the new job and working a lot. Hopefully when we get moved out to Vernal, he will be able to find some time for us too! As for me, I am excited for the move and am disappointed that I have to take a break from school, but am now looking forward to having more time for my kids. So one final question about the last picture there...the two guys on the outside look a little goofy to me, but I think I've seen the hottie in the middle before, anyone know where I can find him?

So, when did we get a teenager?

Wow! What a whirlwind of activities we have had the past few weeks. May and June were very rainy weeks and we enjoyed every minute of it, including a BBQ in the rain! Brock was bundled up so tight in an adorable hoodie that was way too big (we didn't have a jacket to fit him, thinking, who would need a jacket in the summer, right?) and Ella and the rest of the kids rode their bikes in their rain coats. Of course, Ella was drenched by the time the evening was over, but we had a blast. A few days later, we had some great surprise visitors...the Farfans! We were not expecting them, and they didn't get to stay long at all, but we had such a good time with the kids! We got some pictures taken of all 9 Wyckhuyse grandkids (which I still haven't seen, by the way, hint! hint!) and of course, no one could resist the opportunity to give me a hard time about the picture only being valid till January. I just keep blaming it on Chad! Anyway, after the picture, we had ice cream, Ella, Kaylie and Brandy got their picture taken with Hello Kitty, and they spent the rest of the weekend prancing around Grandma and Grandpa Wyckhuyse's calling themselves Team Kitty and doing little cheers together. It was cute! Not too long after that, we were able to make it up to Washington, thanks to Nancy, Carl, and Pat. We even were able to extend the trip a few extra days thanks to Loyal and Valerie. We are so lucky to have so many people that love us and want to take care of us. The weather was on and off rainy while we were there, so the swimming suits we brought stayed in our suitcases the whole time, but we still found things to do for fun. We went down to the park one day with Nancy, Cobe, Johni, and Harper where the kids fed the ducks, we got treats to eat, and we rode the carousel. We went to three of Cobe's baseball games and enjoyed watching him play. He had some good hits too! After the games we would go over to Russ and Johni's house for some food and to visit some more...well, we always enjoyed it, but Brock and Harper struggled a bit. Brock needed to borrow a few things of Harper's for a bit, like his high chair, and his walker, but Harper wasn't so sure he liked the idea. He tried to show us he was unhappy by pushing Brock across the kitchen...Brock on the other hand, was not at all offended, but thought it was fun! While Harper screamed in protest at his temporary replacement, Brock laughed hysterically. It was quite funny and so of course, we couldn't resist snapping some pictures. We had lots of dinners with our Brock family and friends and Ella had fun running around with all the bulldogs and loved to feed them treats. They discovered very quickly that a good place to sit at dinner was near Ella and Brock. They gobbled up quite a bit of bread and several graham crackers that had been dropped on the floor! We went out to the cemetery to visit Ella's Mommy Kirsten's "remembering stone" and she got to choose a bouquet of flowers to leave. When we got there, we told her to just set the bouquet down, but that wasn't good enough for her. She wanted to pull the bouquet apart so that she could lay them her own way and "make it pretty." We felt like this was an okay thing since it was coming from her heart and it was very sweet. Not too long after we got back from Washington, we had a chance to take Ella on her first camping trip. We left Brock with my parents overnight (no, I didn't cry...almost, but I didn't) and went up to Hobble Creek Canyon. Ella had a great time and she was such good helper with setting up the tent and sleeping bags. The creek ran right along our campsite and so we went down to it several times to play and stick our feet in. We did a puzzle, played a game, cooked dinner, and of course, made s'mores! She didn't fall asleep till about 11:30 that night but was up by 6:30 the next morning, climbing in between Chad and I, jumping on us, trying to tickle-fight, and more than ready to be awake (of course, she fell asleep pretty quick on our way back to my parents though!). So we got up and had breakfast, took a few more walks, and got packed up to head back. As we were leaving, the campground manager came over to talk with us, and come to find out, there was a bear in the campground the evening before! We never saw or heard it, but we heard what turned out to be the gunshot of the manager shooting it. Some adults tried to scare it off by yelling at it and throwing rocks at it, but it was not afraid and started to charge at the campground manager. So, unfortunately, he had no choice. But fortunately for us, we knew nothing about it! All in all, we enjoyed our trip and we will try to do it again next year. I'm not sure if we'll take Brock on that one either, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. So maybe now, you're wondering why I choose the title that I did for this post. If you take a look at the Ella-isms, you won't wonder as much anymore. All of a sudden, our Ella has turned into this teeny-bopper! She's been watching all of these "big-girl" movies like Princess Protection Program and Princess Diaries, she can't get enough of Hannah Montanna or the Jonas Brothers. She has a Hannah Montanna flashlight, jammies, and vitamins. Of course we draw the line there and refuse to buy her anything Jonas Brothers, especially clothes. Sorry, I'm just not ready for my five-year-old to be wearing a boyband t-shirt! That didn't stop her from begging and she even told me that she would even put back the pony shirt she had already picked out if she could just have the Jonas Brothers one. Still, the answer was no, and as we walked away, she couldn't help but grab the bottom of the shirt and give it a kiss. One word: Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! We were slightly horrified. And of course, every day we get at least a taste (and sometimes a feast) of the good ol' Ella attitude. You know, hands on hips, rolling eyes, and disghusted sigh followed by a "Daaaaaaaaad!" or "Moooooooooom!" Brock is growing too of course and just this week he showed us that he can clap his hands and give high fives! He is very proud of himself and we are proud of him too! Ella just adores him and almost always cries that she doesn't want Brock to take a nap. She wants him to stay up so that she can play with him instead. They are our joy, day after day and can't wait for the love in our family to grow with the addition of the next one. Speaking of, my belly is growing, although it's still hard for people to tell. Those darn 20 lbs Brock left me with are not being very kind. The things we do for our children! I have another appointment in about a week and a half, and after that one, we will have a date for when we will find out if it's a boy or a girl. We will be sure to let everyone know as soon as we do!

Surprise!

Well, we've had another few weeks of one event after another! Ella had graduation programs from both of her schools where we got to see her sing and dance, which of course is always a lot of fun. She did so well and we know that she is going to do very well when she starts kindergarten in the fall. We are so proud of her! Brock is doing well, he is just such a happy little boy! He's been teething recently, so he's had a rough time with that, but we're getting through it. Something else pretty big has surfaced over the past few weeks and it has definitely caught us by surprise! Sometime after the first of the year, we are going to add child number 3 to our family! Yes, if you haven't heard yet, we are pregnant again, due on January 10th. This puts Brock and our new baby a little less than fifteen months apart. Yikes! Of course, we are very excited, shocked, but excited. Ella could not be happier and is hoping that we get a girl this time. Her reasoning is that she wants the girls to be winning, not the boys. Brock is voting for a little brother though so that he will have a partner in crime. Chad doesn't care what we get, he's just proud of himself, and me? I'm just praying that God will bless me with patience, sanity, a self-cleaning house, and a baby that sleeps through the night from day one! Of course, this does mean that we'll have to adjust some of our plans a bit, such as moving to a little bit bigger place, and I'll have to take a break from school after this fall semester. We're not quite sure when I'll go back, I'm hoping for fall 2010, but we'll just have to see how it all goes! I've added of course a new poll to our blog as well as a new section I have called "Ella-isms." These are just funny things that Ella has said to us during different daily activities. She's a hoot and I'm sure she will teach her siblings some great things!

Ella the Honeybee

Just a quick update to start off with: my sister's twins are doing great and are home now! They got to go home last night and so far are doing very well. Of course, the night was a little bit longer than usual for Shelene and Eric, but I think they'll get through it. So this means that we can finally get pictures of Ella and Brock with the twins (all they were able to do at the hospital was look through the window) and we will be sure to get down to see them as soon as Chad and I work through our colds. If you are interrested in seeing some more recent pictures of the girls and their family, just check out the link to the right (Westover). They're adorable!
Well, we had a fun but busy day yesterday! Ella had field day in the morning at preschool and even got to take a sack lunch. She felt so very grown up and I was so proud to hear that she shared some of her crackers and one of her cookies with a friend who had no lunch. That afternoon while Brock was napping, I made her lay down with me and take a nap as well. Of course she protested over and over again, reminding me, "I'm NOT a baby!" but I still made her. She had her ballet recital later that night, and I knew if we wanted to be able to get through it with a smile, she would need a little extra rest. Her recital went great! Grandma Wyckhuyse was able to come up for it and we were so impressed with her precision! She is the absolute best at finding her correct spot once they get out on the stage. It was a lot of fun and she was excited. You know, we really appreciate the ballet school for allowing her to continue to come right now. We were going to have her quit to save some money but they told us that she was welcome to come anyway and she sure does enjoy it! She even gets to add a jazz class this summer, which we know she will LOVE! The picture with the older ballerina is the student teacher that has helped out in Ella's class all year long. Ella loves her! And sorry the picture of our family is a little cropped! There was so much going on that Brock was easily distracted and mom had to snap the picture quickly when he was looking!
As for everything else, we are doing pretty well. Chad enjoys getting to the gym as often as he can and spending extra time with the kids. And of course, we love it too. He sure did put up with a lot a few weeks ago when I was dealing with finals! Let's just say I was a little on the cranky side! But he's such a good sport and a great husband, he never once complained about it! He's the best! I am picking up running again and have decided to shoot for a half-marathon in October and a marathon in November. Any takers? It sounds so far like my mom is going to join me in the half but we would love some more company! If I can do it, anyone can! Ella is looking forward to "graduation" this week and then she cannot wait to start kindergarten in the fall! We already had kindergarten round-up where we met her teacher and she did great! When they announced that they were going to take the kids to go see the kindergarten classroom, Ella was the first one to jump up and follow. She is so ready! And of course, Brock is learning and growing everyday! He is rolling over a lot more and I'm nervous for the arrival of mobility! AHHHHHH! He loves to give kisses now (they are very slobbery) and occasionally he will even give them without being asked to. It's cute! Be sure to vote on the poll! It's another fun one!

Happy Birthday Grace Elizabeth and Lillian Jane!

So if you haven't heard already, my sister's twins arrived today! They were delivered by C-section at 1:13 and 1:15 this afternoon, and each are 16 1/2 inches long. One is 4 lbs 6 oz and the other is 4 lbs 8 oz, but I don't remember which is which! Sorry! But they are both beautiful! They both have very dark brown hair and I think it's more than what Brock has now! I went down to see them tonight and they are beautiful! Because they are in the NICU, Brock and Ella are not allowed to see them, so just I went down. I was the last visitor for the night, but I got to be the first (besides Eric and Shelene, of course) to hold them! Horray! They are beautiful and of course, so tiny! I took some "measurements" so I would have something to show Chad and Ella. So from the top of their heads to their chin, is about the size of my middle finger...thier eyes are about the size of my thumbnail, and from their elbow to wrist is about the size of my pinky! But they are doing so very well, and so is Shelene. Shelene should be home on Monday or so, but the babies will be a bit longer. Before they go home, they have to learn how to eat on their own and that is a process much easier said than done! The first two pictures are of Gracie and the second two are of Lilly, and the last picture is of the kids on Easter Sunday. Once we get to see the girls a little bit more and Ella and Brock get to see them, I will post some more pictures. By the way, select carefully when you vote on the poll or you might have a few people after you!

A New Adventure Every Day!

With two these two kids, life is never dull! Chad and I know we have th best and cutest kids around and we could not imagine life without them! Ella is the greatest big sister, always wanting to help give Brock a bottle, read to him, hold him, and play with him. She also likes to play baby every now and then, which usually involves climbing in Brock's car seat and crying. Ella loves going to school, making art projects and she has recently discovered photography. She likes to take pictures of her stuffed animals, me, Chad, Brock, and yes, herself! Nice self-portrait, huh? We think it's a winner! She recently discovered a new talent: playing the trumpet! While at my mom and dad's Aunt Brittany got out her trumpet and had taught Ella how to make some noise on it. She was doing pretty well! Aunt Brittany even gave her an extra mouthpiece to practice on at home. She loves it and we are looking forward to the day when she can start some lessons! Ella looks forward to American Idol each week and is not at all shy about expressing her thoughts on the singers. It is never a dull moment with her and we love it! Brock is also doing well, growing bigger every day and thickening up a bit now that he's getting enough to eat. Funny how that works! He had his first "haircut" a few weeks ago, which was actually more of a trim. He had a bit of mullet action going on so we took care of it. I did the holding, Chad did the trimming, and Ella did the photography! Not bad huh? Brock is also starting to enjoy his bath time a little bit more, especially since his Aunt Monica and Uncle Ian bought him his duck tub! He loves it and gets rather impatient if he sees it getting set up for a bath and I take too long to get him in. Brock also goes with me to babysit once a week while Ella is in school. The twins we babysit, Tessie and Tamry, just adore him! When we arrived just last Thursday, they saw us pull up, came running to the door, and started jumping up and down shouting, "Lel-la! Bock! Lel-la! Bock! Lel-la! Bock!" They just love to get crazy with Ella and help take care of Brock. We sure do have fun with them! We are certainly looking forward to a lot of upcoming visitors over the next few months like my Uncle and his family, Chad's brother and his family, Grandma and Grandpa Stites, and of course, the big arrival of the Westover twins! I'll be sure to post more then! In the mean time, we hope everyone is doing well. Be sure to check out Ella's poll and vote!