Sassy Savannah

How cute is she??

Too bad her sister was crying during this photo shoot. We'll have to redo it sometime before they grow out of these dresses!

Grandma Turtle turns 95

In an effort to get half-way caught up with blogging, here are some pictures of our trip to CA for Rob's Grandma Turtle's 95th birthday extravaganza.  

The trip was a quick one for us; we flew into LAX Saturday morning, the party was Saturday night, and we were at the airport again Sunday afternoon.  Even though traveling with two little ones turned out to be quite the production, we couldn't miss being in this picture:

All of Grandma Turtle's descendents: 4 kids, 12 grandkids, and 22 great-grandkids

KK did an amazing job organizing everyone.  Super efficient and organized Grandma + group photo = ZERO crying kiddies!  The picture-taking was over before anyone had time to get cranky!  She's got serious skillz.  

Some other pictures of the dinner, awesome talent show, and dancing:

Grandma Turtle (Marguerite) with Joy and Mauri (also Marguerite)

The Park Family comedy troupe

The Linkous Family singers

The Mark & Aup Family actors

The John & Brian Song & Dance routine

Christa & Rachel enjoying their role as spectators

A happy Grandma KK with Baby Tennyson

The Star of the evening: Grandma Turtle being presented with 2 turtle birthday cakes

95 years young! 

It was a busy 48 hours, but we were so so so happy to have been there. We love you Grandma!

All Hail, All Hail to Old Klein High

All 3 of the Ellis girls (me and the babies) experienced a first when Rob's boss invited us to the last Klein High School football game of the season. 

Me w/ Lily & Patti

We had a great time watching the football game, the cheerleaders, the marching band, the stand leaders, and the flag girls - TX high school football is big-time - in the (finally) cool November weather. 

No wonder Rob thought my CT high school stadium was tiny--he was comparing it to this!

The babies did great during the game, and Patti and Paul just laughed at the "Oh, your little grandchildren are so sweet!" comments they kept getting.  I told them the surrogate-grandparent spot was wide open if they were interested, but I think they want to focus on getting their own kids out of high school first!  :) 

Paul, Savannah, Rob

Unfortunately the Bearcats got demolished by Klein Oak Panthers, but the Ellises had a great time and can't wait for next season.

Best Halloween Ever

First, in a continuation of our pumpkin carving tradition, I'd like you to meet the most recent members of the club:

Jack & Jill by day

and by night: Yikes!

The real reason this Halloween was the best one yet is because we finally have little kiddies to dress up and show off!

Our sister-in-law, Laura, gave us these awesome "Thing One and Thing Two" onesie-costumes. 

I thought they looked adorably ghetto-fabulous in their thug skull caps...

...but Rob thought they should look slightly more feminine, so we got some huge white bows to complete the outfit. 

They weren't too thrilled...

...but their father sure was!

I can't wait until next year...the girls will be old enough for costumes AND candy!   

Month #3 is in the Bag!

The girls are officially 3 months old now!  YAHOOOOO!  I feel like the last 3 months have been the hardest, most overwhelming months of my life, but have been so, so worth it.  The babies are smiling, cooing, kicking, sleeping (some--we're still working on it), and are fat enough that I finally don't feel like I'm going to break them. 

Life has settled into a rhythm and last night before going to bed I realized that this was the first night I didn't feel like the start of a new week was such a totally overwhelmingly monumental challenge that I may or may not survive.  It's a welcome feeling to be sure that even though you'll be exhausted at the end of the day, you will in fact MAKE it to the end of the day.  That is something I won't take for granted again soon... :)

So here are a few (or a lot...) of pictures from the last month for anyone who wants to see the two cutest babies in my world. 

Sweet Mama KK came for a week and was such a great help!

Lily with a game of Settlers of Catan in the background

Babies in their Sunday best

This is what inevitably happens whenever they are within arms reach of each other--and they actually don't seem to mind!

Savannah flirting with the camera

Lily, not sure what she thinks about Dad's big, black camera

A typical Savannah smile, usually accompanied by a lot of cooing and squealing

Sisters, just hanging out on a Sunday afternoon

A typical worried Lily face

And finally, a smile!

 

I am SO PROUD of us!!  Bring on the next 3 months!  

For My Mom:

This picture captures the results of (some) of my Mom's 6+ weeks of hard work while she was here in Houston:

• An adorable wall-hanging that matches the quilts in the nursery (it's really a trophy for me to someday look back and fondly remember these crazy days)
• 2 happy, rapidly chunkifying babies, both alive and well.  
• Not shown: Me, also still alive (and trying to de-chunkify myself), and learning to be a Mom from the world's greatest example. 

Thanks, Mom!   Love you! 

PS.  COME BACK SOON!   :)

(seriously...)

Baby Blessings

Warning: Many, many pictures ahead...

On the first Sunday in September we had lots and lots of family come into town to be with us when Savannah and Lily (and cousin Kate) were blessed at church.

One of our wonderful friends at church offered to make their blessing dresses, and when I saw them I could not believe how beautifully they turned out!  The next time they get to wear dresses like this will probably be their weddings....yikes!  (Hopefully they'll have a little more hair by then.)

Savannah practicing being reverent

Lily, exhausted by all of the picture-taking

Proud Grandparents (and parents)

Adoring Grandmas, KK (Kathryn) and Laura

Grandpa Kurt and Grandma Laura

Great Grandma Emma

Great Grandparents Ada and Bob

Rob's brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Natalie, welcomed baby Kate into their family about 3 weeks after Lily and Savannah were born.  They came down from Dallas to bless Kate so the whole family could be together. 

Can't you tell they're going to be the best of friends?  ;)

Monday morning, before Matt and Natalie drove home, Kate came over for a newborn photo shoot. 

Sleeping in the flowers

Then we had to squeeze in one more photo-op while we had the chance.  We broke out some of our adorable little dresses and snapped away. 

It's a pretty tight fit in there!

And one more sister shot:

Thanks Auntie Lola for the CUTE dresses! :)

We're so blessed to have these little ones in our family!

Time Flies

Here are some more pictures we took when Lily and Savannah were 2 weeks old.  One benefit of living in Houston during the hottest August on record is that you can take newborn pictures of your babies outside and not worry for a second that they are cold.  :)

I already can't believe how little they were....

In a full-fledged milk coma

My favorite shot

In a little Moses basket