Well, we survived the trip down from Alaska with relatively little trouble! Ella tolerated the drive the best that can be expected, and by the end of the trip, all three of us (4 including the baby in the belly) were ready to get out of the car!

We arrived at our apartment back in Kennewick, Washington (Tri-Cities), in early October, and stayed put for about a week. We knew that time was ticking for us to put in a vacation, since Alisa’s growing belly was going to keep us homebound starting in November. So, after one week of being back, we packed up the car and took off for a short vacation.

We first went and visited Alisa’s sister, Lea, and her family in Utah. Lea has 2 boys, Cole (the same age as Ella), and Hunter, who is 5. Ella was thrilled to be able to play with her cousins, or “My Friends!” as she called them! While there, we were able to just hang out and relax, go to the Discovery Children’s Museum in Salt Lake City, and go on a short “hike” to Bridal Veil Falls in the canyon.Ella also enjoyed opening up boxes of hand-me-down clothing that a family friend in Kansas has given to her. As you can see in the center picture, she has a unique style, all her own! She also has a promising future (as does Hunter) as a weather broadcaster.

In the lower right-hand photo, Ella showed her dark-side while at Lea’s house! She can just be the happiest little girl, and then…wham! Suddenly, she whips out that glare, and the smiles are over!