The Time Has Come....

Today has been an amazing day for our country. I have been in tears most of the morning. I think almost anyone will agree there is a different feeling about today.

On the night of November 4th, Drew and I had a conversation about our family and how we would like to raise our children. We discussed the importance of giving to others. Drew and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to own our own company. We discussed from the beginning, we would use the company as a platform to give back to others. This year, we sponsored our first annual Harvesters Food Drive. We raised enough to provide over 3000 meals for the people in our community. We hope in the years to come, we will be able to provide even more.

I believe today is the day we ALL need to stand up and state our pledge to our country. I challenge all of our family and friends to stand up and state out loud, your own pledge to the county. Lets say it out loud so we can all be held accountable!!! Our family pledges to Feed those Who are Hungry!!! Please, make your pledges. Email them to your loved ones, write a comment on this blog. Let's change our world for our children and our children's children. Today above all days, I am thankful to be an American. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!

Ella Plays

This is how Ella spent her weekend with Daddy!!!

Goofy Gal

Reading and Riding!!!

Yeehaw!!! Who doesn't like to read and ride their zebra!!!

Ella Reads

Ella loves "reading her books." I was cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast and peeked into the playroom to see Ella sitting in her rocking chair, reading her Turtle book!!! Such a big girl.

Watching MoMo

Ella's favorite thing to do in the morning is watch Sesame Street. She gets downstairs and heads straight for the remote!!! Here she is just hanging out watching MoMo!!! Thank goodness for MoMo!!

Thanksgiving Traditions

In the Moulis house, every thankgiving, my mom makes Carmel Pull Apart. So, this year, we were in KC without my family so it was my turn to make this for my family. It was awesome!!! My first attempt at it all by myself went well.

Lazy Sunday

After an awesome pancake breakfast that Drew made, we found Ella "hanging out" watching Mo Mo. She works so hard, poor baby!!!

Hanging out with Dad

Poor Ella

We have discovered the Ella likes cleaning. Drew put her to work on Saturday while I went and had a mani/pedi with Lindsay!!!

Ella has discovered how to open the can of formula on her own...lucky us. She likes to eat the formula dry...yuck.

Just hanging out in a basket...

She is definitely loving crawling into things. I keep magazines in this basket, well, I used to. It has now become her rocking basket. What an imagination!!!

A Perfect Fall Day

We had a couple of beautiful days last week, so Ella, Lily and I took advantage of them. Ella ran through the piles of leaves I was raking and threw them all over the place (very helpful!!) She loves being outside. She gets so upset when we let Lily out and we don't "let her out," too.

Baking Machine

This was my latest baking extravaganza for Drew's to use for marketing. Between my friend Lindsay and I, we baked 25 loaves of bread!!! It was a blast!!!

She Sleeps...

It is very very rare that Ella falls asleep in the car these days. The other day we were out running errands with Auntie Lindsay, when we realized we hadn't heard from Ella in a while...she had fallen asleep without making a peep. I, of course, had to take a picture of her sleeping in her car seat.

Meet Our Nephew!!!

Drew's sister, Leslee, just returned this evening from Rawanda with their son Nathan. He is absolutely precious. Leslee was in Rawanda/Ethiopia for the past two weeks. They were welcomed home tonight by all of Drew's family and all of Anthony's family. Sweet Nathan did such a great job with everyone. He was a little overwhelmed but he did awesome!!! Ella was so taken with him as well. They bonded!!! We can't wait to spend more time with our new nephew/cousin Nathan!!!

More Birthday Party Pictures

All worn out from all of the present opening!!!

She's an avid reader already, we'll work on reading right side up later on!!! Thanks Aunt Meg and Uncle Brian!!!

A new Abbey in Wonderland video. We had to watch if right away of course!!! Thanks Claire and Erin!!!

Lots of big smiles!!

Smooches for new monkey hand puppet/wash cloth!!!

The Birthday Bash

Not so sure what to think about the Elmo cake.

Great Marty, Nana, Aunt June and Aunt Susie, watching Ella's DVD of the first year. Drew was so proud of his handy work!!

Auntie Mimi and Ella.

Ella's Elmo cake, that I made. It took quite some time to ice, but it was totally worth it. She loved her Mo Mo cake so much, she wouldn't eat it, next year I'll make a cake that looks like something she doesn't love so much.

Drew's Parents, aka Olive Oil and Popeye!!!

More Birthday Pictures

Here are more pictures from Ella's actual first birthday. Here's Ella "reading" her birthday card from Grandma and Grandpa Moulis. They found a card that sings the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Ella can't get enough of it. I think they could have given her just that and she would have LOVED it!!!

Playing with you new gifts from Auntie Abbey Grace, Elmo of course!!!

Going down the slide at Chick-fil-a, she wanted to go over and over again.

Sliding with Daddy.

Dad, Ella and Mo Mo, is there anything better than that???

Ella Turns 1!!!!

Big birthday lunch at Ella's favorite restaurant...Chick-fil-a!!! I think this should be their next ad campaign!!!

Her new chair from grandma and grandpa Moulis. Snuggling with her favorite gift ever, MO MO!!!

Opening her gift from Aunt Mammy, a Fridge DJ. She is too funny, she walks around holding this and dancing. Thanks Mammy!!!

Loving TCBY fro-yo cake on her actual birthday.

Ok, I know I have been very very delayed in posting for the last month or so, I apologize. Its been a busy month getting ready for Ella's first birthday. I can hardly believe I have a 1 year old. It almost seems impossible. She has been so much fun this past year and it just seems to get better and better. Drew and I are so blessed to have such a sweet, funny, happy baby. Ella rocks our world!!! So, here are pictures from this past week of festivities. My parents came in town on Wednesday so they could be here for her actual birthday on Thursday. My sister came in on friday and two of my cousins drove up from St. Louis on Saturday to be here for the party. We had so much fun. Thank you all for making this such a special time for our family!!!