It's been a crazy couple of weeks!

I think most of our family knows already, if not, sorry, and surprise! Last week Joe joined the Army. We've ..well really, I have been packing like crazy. The girls and I are going to live with my parents (to save $$ and my sanity) for the 9 weeks of boot camp and the 19 weeks of AIT.
After that we'll be stationed somewhere..
We leave for Oregon the week before Christmas!


Friday I got my first introduction to how the Army works. Joe had to be at MEPS all day Friday, they got him a hotel Thursday night. I knew sometime on Friday he would be sworn in, but no idea what time. Luckily my Mom was very set on me going to the swearing in so she called the recruiter and got the address of the building so I would at least know where to go if I got any notice at all about what time this would be happening. I map quested the address and stuck it in my purse then headed out with the girls and Cassie for lunch and shopping! At around 2:45 I got a call from Joe saying that they would be swearing him in at 3 (or thats what I thought he said)..So we ran out of the store loaded the girls in the car and luckily I had already printed the directions to get there. It was a fun/fast car ride which almost ended being squished by a cement truck! (haha cassie!) He called again on our way and said we needed to be in the building by 3:30, it was about 3:15 and we were close. The building was kind of tricky to find but we made it!
They had to wand us, checking for guns..we were both holding a baby and they said okay now spread your arms and legs. I think Cassie and I both just started laughing. But we spread one arm and our legs and they checked us. We got lots of free stuff while waiting for Joes turn. T-shirts and soft balls, Ella just wanted to take all the candy from the desks

Okay so here are some of the photos

That Army dude told me where to pose all the photos, he was pretty funny

Joe in front of the flags

The Army thingy

Being sworn in

Our family in front of the flags

Another flag one

My parents came to town for Thanksgiving, unfortunately I hardly took any pictures, my Mom took a bunch though so she'll have them on her blog. We packed a bunch while my parents were here because they could take some bigger stuff home with them. We fit both cribs and a bunch of clothes, oh and Ellas bike in their car.

We took a break from packing and bundled the girls up to go see Santa

Lily and Ella are total opposites.
Lily was fine to sit with Santa. Ella has always been terrified of him, even as a baby!

Waiting for our turn to see Santa..Ella already looks scared!
We get our picture back on Saturday so we'll see how it turned out!

My cute girls!

Ice Skating with the Fam

Dawn invited everyone to go ice skating tonight at the Gallivan center in SLC. It's an out door rink and it was freeeezing! We had fun watching them skate and just chatted with Joes parents for an hour and then headed home! Way too cold!!
Papa and Ella

Lily

Ella sitting by the fire pit thingy

Uncle Rob won the hokey pokey contest

Dawn, Boyfriend Phil, Richard, Bob, and some other people..

Just because she is so cuteEven with a messy face!

10 months already!

I looked at the calendar today and realized Lily was 10 months old yesterday! Lily is such a fun baby. She is pretty easy going, but has a very strong temper..Joe says its a Winona temper..haha..I don't know what he's talking about.. ;)

Lily in her cute dress from Grandma LynShe refuses to keep a bow in hair,
but loves to pick them up and put them on her head

Today was super saturday for our ward. This was the first one I have ever gone to, mostly because I was in charge of making the humanitarian quilts and had to go, but I'm really glad I went because I learned how to make these beauties...

They are wipe cases..cute huh

Pictures for Grandma Lyn

My Mom needed some new pictures of the girls and I thought their outfits were cute today!

New Moon

Last night, well early this morning, Libby, Mike, and I went to the premier of New Moon!! Libbys friend in the ward rents out the whole theater and has a party the hour before the showing. We didn't make it for much of the party, but we got our cool shirts and goodie bags which had some fun stuff in

My New Moon shirt..

It says Edward sparkles but Jacob never leaves

the little girls in the theater were deffinately pro Jacob, lots of screaming..haha

Libby Mike and Me!
These were part of our cool goodie bags!

Crazy Course Fun Run and a Party

This morning Joe and I ran a 5K. We got lucky and Libby was able to watch the girls for us so Joe didn't have to try and push the stroller in the snow and mud. We cut off about 3 min from the last 5K we ran so we were pretty happy!

Joe and I before running..
All that brown fluff is a tutu

I stole this picture from Jessicas blog, I look a little too happy...

I think I was freezing


Heres a better shot of the turkey costume..this is after we finished the race. Joe went home to get the girls because Libby had to leave for a dance competition in Provo. So Ella got to wear her Pocahontas outfit for a little while.
Joe and Ella, it was very VERY cold!

(I made Joes costume out of some left over halloween felt and a tshirt I got at a clothing exchange that Joe refused to wear..and his loin cloth is Lilys trick or treat bag! haha)

We won second place for best costume..the dude that won had a pumpkin on his head..but he didn't run with it on so I think he cheated..haha

Stan and Jessica, and a bunch of Jessicas family, ran today too.
Jessicas Dad won in his age category and got a turkey!

Our turkey shirts

And heres a few picutres of Lily just cuz she's so dang cute!

This afternoon Ella was invited to a birthday party at Boondocks. It was our first time there and it was pretty fun. Ella loved it!
Justin the birthday boy



Lily walked around this play area for hours smiling the whole time!

Joe had today off work and it was pretty warm so we got lunch and took the girls to the park for a picnic and of course...some pictures!

Joe and the girls

Lily was lovin running around everywhere!

And eating the bark

Going down the slide

Swingin

Lily's cheese face

I love these next two pictures of Ella.

She would run to the top of the hill and then roll down..she was having a blast!

Ella and I went to Disney on Ice with our friends tonight..we had good seats..really good seats!
Heres Ella(with a mouth full of pizza..nice!) aka Snow White and Nessa aka Belle

Here are way too many pictures from the show...

Ella after eating a ridiculously expensive snow cone...
those blue lips will be around for awhile!

It was fun to get to do something with just Ella,
Joe took Lily to a family birthday party so we got a girls night!

This is how close we were..Ella sat on the edge of her seat and got soo excited when something new started she would poke at Nessa and say LOOK LOOK! and Nessa would reply, I already know Ella..haha, Nessa is 4 almost 5

One of Ella's favorites is Sleeping Beauty

and her favorite was Snow White

Lily was pretty bummed all she got was the straw from ellas snow cone!
But her outfit was too cute not to take a picture!