Monday, April 27, 2009

Effie Loves Her Spoon.

Effie is so hilarious! Gabe was feeding her and she would not let go of her spoon! It was so funny!! She is such a funny baby girl to have around! We are so very lucky!




March 24, 2009


Our Hero Grampy Comes Home!

After one very long year, Grampy is HOME!!! He just finished serving his second tour in Kuwait. We had 12 hours notice of his homecoming...that's how the Army is, believe it or not! His plane landed at LAX at 11:18 p.m. so it was way past Effie's bedtime but she was happy as a clam to see her Grampy! The last time my Dad saw Effie, she was 6 weeks old. We talked to him often on the webcam so she did get to see him and hear his voice. She wasn't shy when she saw him...I'm sure she knows that is her Grampy! We are so glad to have him home!

Grampy and Auntie Julia

Check out those heavy bags!!
Gabe and Baby Steele. (He is 6 months younger than Effie and he weighs more than her!)
March 19, 2009

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Daddy Goes to Disneyland With Us!

Gabe FINALLY was able to go to Disneyland with us! We had so much fun! He loved to see Effie get excited to go on the rides. We had a great family day together! I hope he can go again with us soon!



March 17, 2009

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Marine 1 Has Landed!

One day Gabe was driving home from work and he saw a fleet of helicopters flying into the Long Beach Airport and when he looked a little closer, it was Marine 1 and there was about 5 of them! He came home and picked up Effie and I and we went and peeked at them...it was so neat!


March 16, 2009

A Not So Happy Bubble

At Effie's final Teeny Tumbler class, the teacher put on a bubble show for the kids. Part of the bubble show was that she put the kids inside of a bubble. She had the kids sit inside of an empty box inside of a pool of bubbles. All the kids did it and it was so cute! I was so excited for Effie to take her turn and the second I put her in the box she started crying and the teacher would not put her in the bubble if she was crying. So I didn't get a picture of Effie in a bubble, but I did get this picture...poor baby...





March 13, 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

Welcome Home Auntie Amy!

My sister Amy was on a mission in Panama for a year and a half! We talked to her on the phone a few times while she was gone and we never saw her. I was about 3 months pregnant when Amy left, therefore, she had never met Effie. We picked her up from LAX Airport on March 10, 2009. Effie met her Auntie Amy for the first time...


My sister-in-law, Kim made these adorable shirts for Effie and Steele (both babies Amy had never met) All the kids with their t-shirts on...waiting for Auntie Amy's plane to arrive.
She's here!! She went straight for the babies!
I think they like each other!
Peek a boo!
These are the shirts Kim made for the other kids...she did an awesome job!!
Maxyne, showing off her shirt.
Uncle Chris and Amy. Uncle Chris was taking pictures the whole time! He is awesome!
Shannon, Amy, and Chelsea.
Our little family with Amy.
The Soltysiak's (my sister Shannon's family) and Amy...where's R.J.??
Amy and Maxyne.
Believe it or not, minus the 2 other missionaries Amy is standing with in the back, this is my immediate family! All of us with our spouses and kids...we equal 18 people!

March 10, 2009

Choo Choo!!

Effie and Maxyne got beautiful matching dresses so Shannon and I took them to get their pictures taken at The Picture People. While we were waiting for our pictures to be printed, we took the kids on a train ride in the mall. It was just a little train, but they had so much fun! I will get around to posting the pictures from The Picture People soon, they are beautiful pictures!


Effie and Maxyne ready to ride the choo choo train!Going around...
and around...
R.J. all ready to go.
Maxyne as the train conductor...she's in the front window.
Effie as the assistant conductor...she's in the other front window.
March 10, 2009

Effie's 1 Year Check Up

Effie had her 12 month check up and she is doing great! She weighed 20 lbs 11.6 oz and is 30 inches long. The doctor said she is very tall for her age and she will probably grow up to be pretty tall. She is in the 36th percentile for weight. Poor baby girl got 5 shots and her blood drawn!! The shots were so sad but the drawing of the blood was even more sad. Gabe held her while the flabotomist drew her blood and I sang twinkle twinkle little star in her ear trying to hold back my tears and stay strong for Effie. The pink bandage around her left arm is where they drew her blood. After the doctor appointment we took Effie to Red Robin for a family lunch.

We are so blessed to have a healthy and happy baby girl and we never take her or our health for granted. Effie is developing perfectly and in some areas she is advanced. (I'm not just saying that because she's my kid...the doctor told us that.) ha ha. We are looking forward a lifetime of wonderful memories and joy with Effie!

Look Mama...I have a boo boo.Ouch!
Now she's a happy girl and check out that hair!
March 3, 2009

A Dancing Machine!!

Effie LOVES to dance! She will dance anytime she hears music! It doesn't even matter if she's standing up...she will still show off her moves!!


February 2, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EFFIE!!!

We had a little family cupcake party for Effie on her birthday. Her big birthday bash was on March 28th, we put off her party for a month as my Dad was coming home from Kuwait and my Sister was coming home from Panama and we really wanted them to be at her party. This is Effie's first cupcake and her first time having chocolate! By the looks of the pictures she loves cupcakes and she loves chocolate! Dig in baby girl!


She loved when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her! By the look on that face, I can tell she's ready to attack!
She's just getting a "feel" for what she is going to attack.
Oh, yummy...
More please!
Oh this is fun!!
It's all mine!
No pictures please...
I love my birthday!
She's very focused on the task at hand!
I must lick every finger clean!
February 27, 2009

Sleepy Birthday Girl

I'm not kidding when I tell you that this is the first time Effie has ever fallen asleep right in the middle of playing! She must have been tired from turning 1! This was on her birthday!



February 27, 2009

Effie Gets Her Ears

This is our second Disneyland trip...just me and Effie! It was a very fun Mommy Daughter day! Effie got Minnie Mouse ears which she loves very much! She loves to put her ears on and walk over to the mirror and laugh at herself! It is so funny!!


What the heck are these Mom? Does this make my ears look big?
I think she likes it!
She loved the carousel!
Nap time!! aka Mommy rest time.
February 26, 2009