This week just flew by. We didn’t end up going to that Gymboree class, but we did have alot of fun adventures including a dawn photoshoot for her Christmas card, a trip to the Westin Diplomat to see Annabelle and Halle, and a few shopping trips. Ella was awesome for me the whole time, she made it too easy really. Friday we spent the day at Jungle Island with the Konickis and Donalds. Ella had woken up at 6:15 am .. didn’t sleep during our 45 min drive there (which I totally expected her to) .. then only fell asleep for a half hour on our way home, and stayed up until 7pm without any fits! I couldn’t believe it. Seriously .. too easy.

So Jungle Island was really neat. Ella had so much fun. She met a turtle, fed a kangaroo, saw chickens, pet goats and touched an alligator. She loved waving hi to all the animals we couldn’t get close to, and running around the playground with Halle and Annabelle. Here are a few pictures, and there are plenty more on her website.

This is from Thursday when we joined the Konickis and Donalds for lunch at their hotel

The hardest part of the week were the puppies. Thursday after Ella and I came home from visiting Halle and Annabelle at their hotel, she went down for a nap and I let the dogs out back while I emptied out the car. When I went to go bring them in .. I realized my 2 dogs had gone under the fence into my parents’ neighbor’s yard. So I pulled out one of the many rocks we have piled under the fence to keep them from going under and Rocky, the 3rd dog, ran under. So I run to a part of the fence where I could see through into the next yard and I see that the neighbor’s gate is open .. and like it was a cartoon or something, as soon as I saw the open gate all 3 of them ran full speed out of it. That’s when my adrenaline kicked in, I hopped the 6 foot wood fence, grabbed one right outside of the gate. Then I  saw a speeding car coming straight for us and yelled at him and Big Boy went right after the car. Luckily the guy stopped and I managed to grab Big Boy. Then with 2 dogs under my arms, I corralled Little Girl back into the neighbor’s yard, shoved them all under the fence where I had pulled the rock away and started to climb over the fence myself. I looked down as I was about to swing my other leg over the fence and my 2 dogs ran back under their original hole .. UGH … and stupid me never closed the neighbor’s gate! So another run up and down the street, grabbed them both, plugged up both holes, threw them throw a missing plank, hurled myself back over the fence, and then crated them while I calmed down. I was furious, and so lucky Ella had been asleep and that nothing had happened to those darn dogs. Friday they were chained up everytime they went out, just like they are here where we dont have a fence.

Here is a silly picture from our first night at my parents house where my trouble makers decided to join Ella in her bath.

I can tell they’re happy to be home, we had to leave quickly this morning, they slept the whole trip and most of the afternoon .. they’re both curled up with me on the couch right now.