Eliza Learns to Hug and Walk! (Well almost :)

This post is mainly for my mother, who seems to like getting updates on her granddaughter almost as much as we like giving them. I think it is also fun to save this for posterity. I look forward to the day when I can tell Eliza's future boyfriend that he is replaceable because, after all, Eliza hugged a sock monkey long before he came along.

Attached below are videos of Eliza showing of her new found skills of hugging on command and walking while only holding one of Mommy's hands. (She's not confident enough to attempt any steps without holding on to something.)



And the walking:

Month of May; Mostly

Since moving to California, a lot has happened. Ryan has done a fantastic job of writing fun new things, while I have been not so good. I will try to be as brief as possible by using mostly pictures and movies rather than words.

Mothers Day:

Ryan made me the traditional omelet, with sausage and bacon inside, for breakfast. It was AMAZING!!! The Elder's Quorum provided all sorts of goodies for the sisters in our ward for after church. Relief Society was supposed to get out 15 minutes before the end of church so we could enjoy our snacks. While in reality, we got out late and the Primary children were immensely enjoying the treats while waiting for their mothers. So funny!



One of Eliza's new favorite games is to clear off the bookshelves. She sees me clearing off the desk, table, and counters, so she figures she will help.


Eliza outgrew her baby carrier and now has a big girl car seat. Amazon Mom is AMAZING! Thanks to Jennette for the suggestion of which car seat to get.

Ryan's brother Woody and his wife, Jill, came to stay with us for a weekend. Though they weren't here for long we did head up to the Hollywood sign and even got to go to The Queen Mary, one of the most luxurious cruise-liners in her day. Thanks for coming out-laws!




Our city Torrance had an Armed Forces Celebration for a weekend. Eliza got her face painted, a balloon, a dog tag, sat in an Apache helicopter, saw a live hawk and owl, and had a blast looking at all the fun people everywhere.




Since moving here Eliza has:

Been in 10 different States
Lived in 3 different States
Learned to crawl
Learned to pull her self up
Learned to walk along furniture and walls
Has to be holding something in her hand
Learned how to crawl up stairs
Loves playing at the park
Loves swinging
Hates the beach, mostly the waves. She likes the sand. She's fine if she can't see the water.
Gotten 1 (almost 2) tooth/teeth
Has enough hair to do pig-tales
Can give high fives
Can give Mommy and her stuffed monkey hugs
Loves to Skype
Loves chasing kids and being chased.
And is still the sweetest baby girl I could every ask for.

Tricking Eliza into Eating

As many of you may know, we have a petite baby who just finds many things in life more interesting than food. (She obviously did not get this trait from her father.) To keep her interested we have tried various antics, below is a video of one of my favorites.

The Crazy Planter Box Part 2

So here is the planter box as it is completed:


And here is Eliza playing with the fruits of our labor:

The Crazy Planter Box

Jessie really wanted a planter box so that we could take advantage of the year round growing season of Los Angeles. We couldn't find a pre-made planter box that was big enough for what we wanted to do, so we bought wood at Home Depot to make our own.

The trick came when we wanted to transport those long boards back home. As you can see, construction work is fun for the whole family


We eventually made it home safely and we will shortly post pictures of our new garden.

Eliza's fixations

Doors and tongues.




Don't we all just love this Little Liza?!

For my mom

Last weekend Ryan, Eliza and I took a trip down to LA county to look for an apartment. While there we found one that we both really liked and luckily we got it. My mom has been begging to see some pictures so here they are.

The Great and Spacious Kitchen

The Dining Room

The Living Room, or part of it

After looking at several apartments and turning in several applications, Ryan wanted to show me his mission. It was great day driving all over South Bay. We went to this cool Korean park, where a bell, given as a token of friendship from South Korea to the US, is displayed. The park also overlooks the ocean and Catalina Island.


Eliza loved chasing the seagulls.

We also drove through the Palos Verdes Hills, Beverly Hills, Hollywood and visited the Los Angeles Temple. It was a great weekend.

Eliza on the Olive Tree at the Temple

Yesterday our ward held a swap meet. It is basically a chance to get rid of all your DI items and things you just don't want and to grab anything you do want...for free. I was excited for this years swap meet because I had a lot of things to get rid of due to moving soon. I wasn't expecting to pick anything up. Then I fell in love.



It is small and needs some work but I am excited to learn the ways of the master and follow in my mother's footsteps while refinishing it.

And for kicks, here is a quick video of Eliza chasing the seagulls. You can hear her squeal with excitement.