Ella...

turned 1 on October 21st. I can't believe it has already been a year. It went by way too fast. She has grown so much and has such a fun personality.

Ella:

...loves to bang on our tv and gets a mischievous look on her face before she does it because she knows she isn't suppose to .

... is a great sleeper.... the last post about her not being a good sleeper was a phase, thank goodness.

...can walk, but still a little wobbly.

...knows how to growl like a bear and pant like a puppy.

...is such a happy baby.

...weighs 17 lbs 15 oz (7th percentile)

...enjoys throwing food on the floor when she is done eating.

...loves getting into our shoes.

...does not like her toothbrush in her mouth ( I hope she will overcome this soon)

...claps all the time (anytime I watch tv and someone claps she will join them)

...is funny (she gets it from her dad)

Ella's birthday was a lot of fun. My family was able to come celebrate with us. We missed Jonny and his family though. Here are a few pictures from her birthday.

Bad sleeping habits and babysitting

Ella has become extremely busy lately. She learned to crawl about a month ago. I was starting to worry because she was 10 months old and still not crawling. Now I wish she would just sit. Not only has crawling made it harder to clean and cook while she is awake, it has made for a bad sleeper. Ella used to take 3 naps a day and all I would have to do is lay her in the crib and she would fall asleep. It has become quite the task to get her to take one nap a day. James or I have to rock her, lay by her in our bed, or hold her while we watch a movie to get her to sleep. I never thought this day would come. What happened? Well I am hoping it is just a phase. I really think it is because of teething. I blame it on that but who knows. If any of you have any advice, please feel free to offer it.

Here is Ella's first attempt at crawling. You are better off muting the video.

I started watching a three year old a few weeks ago and it has been quite the adventure. He is a very busy boy and can't talk yet. He spends most of his time playing on the stairs. One of his favorite activities is taking the couch cushions off. The other day I saw him taking the cushions off and dragging them toward the stairs. I figured it wasn't hurting anything so I let him continue. A minute later he came and grabbed my hand and led me to the stairs where he had put all the cushions and pillows. I decided I would make him a little fort and hoped he would stay there for awhile. It only worked for a minute but hey, it gave me a minute to just sit.

I look forward to when Ella is older and decides to destroy everything even more then she does now, not. Ella is so fun at this stage even though she doesn't sleep well and won't hold still. I love watching her grow and learn. I am grateful to be at home with her all day.

She is learning to walk and is very proud. She loves to applaud herself.

Griffething and such

Not only was last week Rodeo weekend in Preston, it was also the big Griffeth reunion. James was able to take off work so we could attend. It was a fun and busy time in good ole Preston. We were able to see a lot of family on our little vacation. We spent most of our time with my dad's side of the family, which we like to refer to it as "Griffething."

Ella with Great Grandma and Grandpa Griffeth

The week was very eventful. We watched the parade, strolled along the sidewalk sales, attended a birthday party, and of course, went to the Famous Preston Night Rodeo where we enjoyed a delicious burger.

Tess was in the parade for Exec. She was kind enough to get off the float to bring us delicious otter pops.

Ella had a great time playing with her cousins and getting spoiled by her grandparents. She loves all the attention she receives from everyone.

Ella with her cousins Braden, Sophie, Tate, and Beckett

Ella playing with cousin Elsie. They are the best of friends.

We look forward to what Preston has to offer us the next time we visit.

Change

Our little family has been involved in a lot of change lately, and I have learned change isn't so bad after all.

We welcomed Ella Louise in October of 2010.

6 months old

We moved from Logan to Utah's Dixie at the end of May and have loved our time here so far. The weather has been an adjustment, but hasn't stopped us from enjoying the outdoors.

Hiking at Zion National Park

James will start school at Dixie State this Fall. He will be studying Communications with an emphasis in Organization and Leadership. There is finally an end in sight for his schooling, unless of course he decides to get a Masters Degree.

Ella is now 9 months old and full of vim. She and I entertain each other throughout the day while James works. Ella and I take trips to the pool at our complex, walk the isles at the grocery store, and on occasion stop at the Library. We are super excited for when the weather cools off so we can spend more time outside.

My goal is to post on this blog often. We will see about that. We welcome family and friends anytime to our home.

The James Hess family residence

Pregnant Me

Ok, I think it is about time I post something on this blog. I am horrible at keeping it updated. For those of you who have been dying to see pictures of my pregnant self here you go!!

I am 6 months pregnant here. Currently I am 28 weeks and feel pretty good most days. In case you aren't aware, I am having a girl and am due October 29th. James and I have decided at this point that she will be named Ella Louise. It is not set in stone because we have to meet her first to make sure the name fits. We both really liked Ella and realized it was a mix between my Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's names. We decided on the middle name Louise after James' Grandma Hess.

We are so excited to meet our little girl.

Birthday and such!

This year I had a great birthday. Thanks for all the gifts and birthday wishes. I have many wonderful family and friends.

My mom, sister in law, cousin Marybeth, and I signed up to take a sewing class. I attended last week and learned a lot. I made some cute coasters and feel I actually know how to run a sewing machine now. The class goes for two more weeks. Hopefully with all I learn I will be able to make many great creations.

James and I decided to buy a tent for our birthdays. We ventured out camping yesterday. The spot we went to was perfect. We had a fabulous time. It rained for quite sometime, but luckily our tent was completely waterproof so we stayed dry. We are excited to experience many more camping trips this summer.

Good News!!!

James and I went on a vacation to Florida at the beginning of May. While we were there I got a call from the elementary school in Preston. I had applied for a teaching job and they were calling to set up an interview. They wanted me to interview on a Thursday, but we weren't going to be home until Saturday. Luckily, they were able to schedule me in on the following Monday. That interview was great. I had another interview two days later where I found out I will be teaching in Preston. I wasn't sure what grade, but just knew I had a job. I am going to be teaching 2nd grade. I am thrilled and nervous at the same time. I'm not quite sure what to expect other than I will be busy with correcting papers and planning. I signed my contract today. I am excited to get my classroom ready this summer. I'll post pictures when it is ready.

I'll post about our vacation to Florida sometime soon.

SEATTLE

We welcome the newest member of the Hess family, KENDAL!!!

This past weekend James, Bracken, and I ventured to Washington for Ben and Kendal's wedding. We left early Friday morning and drove for a very long 12 hours. We returned home Sunday at 11 P.M. For the majority of the weekend we spent driving from place to place. Overall I think we spent over 31 hours in the car in three days.

The happy couple

We had a lot of fun and it was well worth the drive. Seattle is

a beautiful place. Although the drive was long, I have to admit it didn't seem to bad because of the amazing scenery once we got out of Idaho. Oregon and Washington were so green and luscious.

We ate delicious food, went to a wonderful wedding ceremony, saw the Space Needle, and drove, drove, and drove some more.

We found a neat place amongst the trees.

We were all a little disappointed when we arrived at the Space Needle. It was about 10 P.M. by the time we parked. We were hoping to go up and see the wonderful view, but unfortunately we couldn't. I don't know if it was because it was going to close in 15 minutes or if we had to have reservations. We did however get pictures.

At the Space Needle

My nephew Jack and I. Notice the beautiful Seattle Temple grounds.

The amazing scenery. There is a weird glare, oops.

New Schedule

I am very happy to say my schedule is much more exciting these days. I work five times a week now. :) I no longer get to watch the Price is Right most mornings. I'm ok with it though because I actually get a lot accomplished instead of wasting my time sleeping and watching tv.

I now work out at the Boys Ranch my dad partially owns. I am currently one of the teachers of the ten boys between the ages of 12-17. I started two weeks ago.

Last week the other teacher went on vacation which left me to teach all the boys. That was very interesting. I knew a lot about their personalities but not a whole lot about their academic levels. I am slowly getting a hang of how to manage each boy. This is not an easy task for those of you who might know how these boys act. They are at the ranch because they are low functioning and in custody of the state. Although it is hard work, I find it extremely rewarding.

I'm not going to lie. The third day I was there I about had a break down. This experience is much different than teaching in a public school. I am learning a whole lot each day. My patience is tried everyday which isn't always the easiest to deal with. (Christina you know just what I'm talking about).

This is where James has worked since December. I get to see him much more now because I am at the ranch with him. When I get done teaching for the day I usually stay for a few extra hours just to be with James and help out. It's quite enjoyable!!!

Life is great and full of many adventures!!

Typical Day!

Here is what happens most days at the Hess home.
James wakes up and gets ready for school.
I wake up to take James to school.
I come home and turn on the Price is Right.
Then I either fall back asleep or take a shower and clean the house.
Most days I choose to fall back asleep.
Wake up just in time to shower and leave to pick up James from school.
We make lunch then James leaves for work.
I either ride with him to visit my family or stay at the house and clean, relax, and relax some more.
When I ride with him I stay and hangout with my family all night.
James picks me up around 10:30 and we drive home.
When we arrive home, James decides to get his homework done because he has had no other time to do it.
We then go to bed.

On rare occasions I sub at the Elementary school. When that happens the schedule changes quite a bit.

Now you know how exciting my life is right now. Very laid back and wonderful!!! I can't complain at all. For once in my life I don't ever have HOMEWORK and it is the best feeling. Poor James has homework everyday though. Been there, done that.

Time to get back to the routine for the day!!!

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day and it has been great. Yesterday, however was when we celebrated. We decided not to give each other gifts but instead make dinner, cookies, and spend quality time together. We had a blast. I subbed in a third grade class yesterday. The kids were out of control which was expected. It was fun but very stressful. When I came home from school James had a rose sitting on the bed with a note. He got me something even when we agreed we were going to go without presents. He is always so thoughtful. I'm grateful I was able to spend Valentine's Day with him this year. I love him so much!!! He is amazing. I hope everyone had a wonderful day today. 

Wedding Pictures

Here are a few wedding pictures. Our wedding was wonderful. Thanks to all of you who helped and came. :)

The wedding book. My sister-in-law made it and did a fabulous job.

Mark (One of James' mission companions), James, and Sam (James friend from high school)

The table decorations. 

Mollie, Allison, Me, and Tiffany (cousin)

Mollie took all of our pictures and did such a wonderful job. 

THANKS MOLLIE!!!

The cake was delicious. James step sister made it for us. We are so lucky to have talented friends and family who were willing to help out. 

James family. (There were a few step brothers missing)

My family.

All the people that stayed for pictures. 

Sean, Tess, Me, and Jonny (siblings)

Coming out of the Logan temple. 

We got married in October and were grateful it waited to snow until after the pictures were taken. We have been married for a little over three months. It has been a blast!!! I love being married.

MACBOOK!!!

James and I recently purchased a macbook. We are so excited to finally have one. James gets to enjoy it the most because he has homework everyday. My computer is so slow and he deserves to use the nice computer. We got a refund from USU and used that money to buy the new computer. Tess and I have already made up a song on garage band. The mac is great!!!

I subbed today for a fifth grade class. I was sad when I walked them to rotation and realized they are all pretty much as tall or taller than me. I knew I was short but now it is really confirmed. Being short hasn't been all that bad. The worst part would be having to use a chair or kneel on the counter to reach for items placed in the high cupboards. I have learned to deal with it though and am grateful I'm at least 5'4".

I now need to retire to bed. I will post pictures when I am using the mac!!!

Officially Bad at Blogging

I have decided I am the worst blogger. I thought it would be so fun to keep everyone updated. Well, the problem is I never find time to do it. Of course, now that I am graduated I have plenty of time. I just use my time for other activities.

An update:
I did my student teaching in Preston last semseter. I loved it. I planned a wedding in my first block which I thought would be more stressful then it was. I had amazing cooperating teachers who helped me immensly. I learned a great deal from both of them. I did my first block in a third grade class. They were very talkative but enjoyable. The fourth grade class I was in for the second block were hilarious. They constantly brought me gifts which brightened my days. Both classes had their moments of cauos. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The best part was knowing something new was going to happen each day.

I got married on October 11 in Logan. I decided not to have a reception which was the best decision I could have made. My wedding was perfect. James and I love being married. James is now working at Academy Ranches and is attending USU. We love our apartment and ward.

Here are a few of our Bridals and Groomals taken a few weeks before our wedding. The actual wedding pictures will be another day.

As many of you know I graduated in Elementary Education in December. I have been subbing and interviewing for jobs. After my first interview, I got offered a job. I accepted it and will be starting around April or May teaching 4th grade at the West Side Elementary School. I will continue teaching 4th grade for the next contract year which will start in August. I am so excited to have my own classroom.

James and I have only been to our ward in Logan around 6 times. I already have a calling and am enjoying for the most part. I am the Relief Society Chorister. I didn't think it would be too bad. I found out yesterday all the responsibilities I have and I was surprised at the many tasks I am required to do. Hopefully it will get better each week.

Until next time, which could be in four months. I will try to be better at updating and keeping everyone posted on life happenings.

Update

Well, yesterday I finally got my hair done. It looks so much better. I don't look like I'm wearing a witch wig anymore. HAPPY DAY! I don't have a picture to post yet but I will soon. 

James will be coming home in 19 days and I am so excited. He gets home the day I start student teaching. I can't believe its almost been 2 years since I have seen him. CRAZY!!!

I only have 10 more days working as a nanny. Its going to be so sad leaving the kids because I have grown so attached to them. I have loved being a nanny. It is so rewarding although it can be very difficult at times. 

I am in the process of cleaning my room at home. My bedroom is a disaster. I moved out of my apartment at the beginning of this week. I have been so busy that I haven't had much of a chance to clean. I never knew how much stuff I really had until I moved it all home. Its going to take a lot of work to get everything organized again. I have been sleeping on the couch this last week and am excited to sleep in my bed again. 

I finally finished my online class. It is such a relief to be done taking classes. All that is left is student teaching. I thought I was going to fail my class but surprisingly I pulled off a B-. Wahoo! I never thought I would be so happy to get a B-.

I can't believe the summer is almost over. It has definitely been a great one. It has been full of adventure and fun and I will be sad to see it end. 

Slacking

I have been slacking big time with my blog so I apologize. A lot has been going on lately. In my last post I mentioned how I dyed my hair. I decided it was time to tell the story. So here it goes...

When I was visiting Megan almost a month ago I decided to dye my hair. I had been wanting it a shade or two darker for a while but just never got an appointment with my hair stylist.

While Megan and I were shopping at Target we looked at all the hair coloring boxes. There were quite a few that looked good. I sat pondering which one I was going to purchase. They were cheap and I figured everything would turn out great because I have done it a few times in the past and never had a problem. Well, I'm stupid enough to have picked the darkest brown color. The box must have been deceiving or I was just too blind to notice how "DARK BROWN" it must have been.

That night I was all excited to have a new hair color. When Megan was applying the dye, my roommate Abby pointed out it was purple. Megan's gloves were covered in purple. I should have known it wasn't a good sign. Once the bottle was empty and my hair was covered I sat hoping it would turn out a success. I wanted to rinse it out 5 minutes or so after it was applied. Megan and Abby told me it would be a waste to wash it out. I thought about it and agreed.

After 15 or 20 minutes and hurried to the bathroom to rinse it out. It took forever. I started blow drying it and was shaking with fear. Once pieces of my hair started to dry I was furious with the outcome. It was COAL BLACK!!! I went to the other room where Megan, Abby, and Megan's brother and sister were to show them my "witch" hair. I was crying and so worried it would stay black forever. They all tried to comfort me. It wasn't working at first but then I decided I had to get over it sometime.

It has been weeks now and I think back with a bit of humor. I felt so hideous when it happened and I still do some days but I am slowly getting over it. I will admit it was quite hilarious the more I think about it.

Sadly enough, my hair is still dark and taking a lot longer to lighten then I was hoping for. I am getting used to it but still don't like it very much.

The before picture: I seemed happy before but let me tell you, when I saw my hair after I had washed it all out I couldn't help but cry.

The after picture: This was a few days after I dyed my hair. Pretty scary I know. If only you would have seen it seconds after. I had no makeup on so my face was extremely pale. I seriously looked like I was wearing a wig. SCARY SIGHT!!!!

I finally turned 21 and had a wonderful birthday. I have amazing friends and family that made my birthday so fantastic.

Allison and Mollie threw me a surprise party the Saturday before my birthday. It was a lot of fun. On my birthday I worked, went to dinner with my family, and attended Marybeth's bridal shower. I received so many phone calls and texts from friends and family. Thanks to all of you who made my birthday so memorable. Also, James sent me a package and it came on my birthday. He couldn't have planned better.

I had all of last week off of work because the family went to Portland for vacation. I took the opportunity to go on a short road trip with Allison and Mollie. We went to Lake Havasu, Arizona. Mollie's family has a house there. It is so nice. I spent almost two days straight in the pool behind her house. It was great to have a vacation.

I am taking an online class this summer that started yesterday. I was very upset and annoyed when I found out I had one more class to take before I could graduate. Apparently, I took the same class twice. The University switched the course number on me and I had no idea. My advisor didn't catch it either. Therefore, now I am stressing out with this class. It is only 6 weeks long making it really crammed. Its going to be a lot of busy work but at least I will get to graduate in December. I am very grateful my new advisor realized I needed one more general to graduate. I will definitely be busy with work and this Civilizations: Humanities class.

Fun Filled Weekend

This weekend I adventured to Orem area for a fun filled weekend. Abby and I stayed with Megan Friday night through Monday morning. We did all sorts of things. We went shopping, roasted smores, ate, slept, ate, slept etc.... Oh I can't forget the dying of my hair. That is a whole different story I will post later.

On Monday, I went shopping for birthday accessories. I found great deals and left the mall feeling very successful. After the shopping trip, Abby, Mollie, and I went to a concert. I have been to a lot of concerts in the last few months. I never used to like them very much but now I really enjoy them. It was Death Cab for Cutie who performed. They did fabulous. The other band wasn't too impressive. It had been raining on and off all weekend but luckily it didn't rain at all while we were at the concert. We stood in line for over 2 hours. The concert was outside which was lovely except it got a bit chilly at times.

There are a few complaints I have about concerts....
1) The people there are CRAZY!!! I can't even tell you how many interesting people I saw. There were several couples I saw that I wish I wouldn't have. I was very disgusted.

2) Waiting in the long lines... we showed up a half hour early and we still had to wait 2 hours before they opened the gates. This happens everytime I go to a concert but it still doesn't stop me.

3) It is expensive most of the time. The concerts I chose to go to are almost always near Salt Lake. The tickets alone are costly and then I have to pay for gas and food.

4) Parking. I got a parking violation at the concert because I was parked out on the street where about 200 other cars were parked. I figured it would be ok since there were hundreds of cars parked there too. Apparently not! It is always a hassle to find somewhere to park. They always charge to park close so I try to find a way out of paying. It was a bad idea this time. I will end up paying about 5 times more than I would have if I chose to pay $5 to park in the parking lot AHHHH!! I figured there was no parking left in there though, oh well, I have definitely learned from my mistake.

Other than that I love concerts. I don't think I will be attending many more though. I have been to my fair share. I always leave with many interesting and fun filled memories!

Family!!!

My adorable nephew!!!

My birthday dinner last year.

The sisters.... oh what fun we have!

Here we all are at Khysen's baby blessing.

Here are a few pictures of my amazing family. They are so fabulous. I don't know what I would do without them. Love you guys!!!

Randomness

I decided to post some random pictures because I have two on my whole page. I realize they are really random but so am I so it works! This first picture is very scary.

I got to be in one of my brothers exec movies. Here I am in my costume!!!

James and I before he left on his mission. He is my best friend! He comes home in August.
I'm so excited!

Megan and I being our happy selves.

Here are two of my roommates (Annie and Abby)

I will work on posting more pictures from now on. Now that I'm not going to school full time I will have more time to blog.