Recents

I know some of you have been wondering if I fell off the face of the earth. I am not so good at keeping up with this blog...I know. :)
Hopefully with the Summer being over and the routine of Fall settling in I will do a better job.

Our Summer was incredibly busy (surprise, huh?). We enjoyed visits with family, a Heistand Family reunion (with folks on my mother's side), going to the NC mountains, an Anniversary trip to Asheville, a trip to Virginia Beach to see Auntie Jess and Temple, a Mommy and Daddy only trip to California for a green building training for Nathan, and a visit with the Harlans in West Virginia.

Miss Ella Grace is...well not so little anymore. She is almost 14 months old and is growing into her own little person...with her own personality, independence, and interests. She weighs about 23 lbs and LOVES to eat. I mean this girl can put food down! I'm not sure if she always knows when to stop. ;)
Thankfully, she has still been quite healthy since birth. We realize that this is definitely not a given and it is something we praise God for.
Ella Grace is just starting to take her first steps. She would rather crawl most places though because its way easier. :)
She LOVES to sing and dance and is quite the talker. She just loves to tell us what's on her mind and uses such inflection and intonation when she speaks. Her favorite words are "mama", "uh-oh", "hi", "baby girl", and "bobby sue". I have no idea who Bobby Sue is and where she came from but she is very popular at the Mitten house!
Ella Grace's favorite foods are edamame, yogurt, bananas, and cheerios.

We have really been itching for Fall to arrive in Charlotte as it's been sweltering in the 90's for MONTHS! We visited an apple orchard in South Carolina in hopes of welcoming in the new season. Unfortunately, it was 95 degrees but we had a great time with friends Jon, Sarah, and Claire picking apples while perspiring.
Here are a few shots from our excursion...

Happy Dada Day!

Ella Grace quite possibly has the best daddy in the whole world! Though EG was sick over the weekend, (with her first fever), we had fun celebrating our daddy guy.
It definitely makes my heart melt to watch her little face light up and her whole body jump when that daddy guy walks through the door. This must mean that he has found a very special place in her heart. <3


Some of their favorite things to do are:
to go flying ....anywhere
play pattycake
take walks
have Ella Grace crawl all over daddy
laugh
share ice cream

I am thankful for the example that Nathan is to Ella Grace and for the ways that he cares for and loves her. Happy Father's Day!!





Also, a very special Happy Father's Day to my daddy and daddy in law. Thank you for all of the love you have shown us throughout our lives! We love you soo much!!

Grandpa Hollinger
Poppy Mitten

Thankful For Each Mommy Moment

Some days I find myself going through the routine and schedule I set before myself and not taking the time to step back and thankfully enjoy my time with my baby. I can hardly believe Ella Grace is almost 9 months and sometimes I ask myself "where has the time gone??? How is our baby growing so fast??" I remind myself to soak in each moment of being a mommy- the fun and the tiring times; the sweet moments along with the aggravating ones. I want to be thankful for the gift God has blessed us with and not go through life so quickly that I look back and wished I would have lived more in the moment that God had placed me in.
Our Ella Grace is most certainly a gift from above...

She's crawling!!

Hey friends! It has been way too long since our last post but today is the perfect day for an update. This morning Ella Grace decided to crawl for the first time at Kelly's house! Here is a video of the action...

More updates to come!

Saying Goodbye to Our Ming and Poo

Today is the big day that my beloved sister, Daphne, and brother in law, Ryan, leave for Cambodia. It has been exciting to watch how this opportunity evolved and we are soo eager to see what God has in store for them there. They will be traveling to the capital city of Phnom Penh and will stay there for a while till they head to the provincial town of Prey Veng where they will reside.

Please pray for safety, wisdom, and confidence as they venture to a new place, experience new culture and people, and attempt to learn the language. If you are interested in learning more about what they will be doing stay tuned to their blog: http://ryandaphne.typepad.com/

"Ming" is the word for Aunt in Cambodian and "Poo" is what they use for Uncle. Ella Grace loves her Ming and Poo so much and will be sending monthly updates and photos to them for the three years that they are there. Ella Grace and I were able to take a last minute surprise trip to see them. Here are some photos of our time together...


The big surprise. They were having a goodbye party with some friends when we arrived on the scene. Ming's face is priceless...
Disbelief
Ella Grace got scared because there were so many people she had never seen before and everyone gasped. Ming made everything better.She was mesmerized by the fire with Poo.
Piano lessons with Ming
Helping to get a few last minute things before the trip.

We will miss you and love you more than words can express!

Flippin' Momma

Ella Grace thinks her Mama's gymnastics is funny...

6 Months Old Already!

We aren't sure where the time has gone but Ella Grace is already half a year old (hard to believe!). The past few weeks have been filled with meeting great grandpa Wilfong ("Papa") in Orlando, celebrating Daddy Guy's 28th birthday (yikes.....we are awfully close to 30!), helping out in a kindergarten classroom at a nearby school, and going to our 6 month check up. She now weighs 18 lbs (90th %) and is 25 inches long (50th %). Here are some of the latest pictures...

Playing with mommy and daddy....

tripod over baby.....the newest skill I've mastered
Handstand over baby...
Handstand push-ups. She is cheering me on.
Daddy's sweatshirt is cozy!!
After bath time

Dancing with daddy...