August Update

Yes, we're all still alive here in the Nelson household. Just thought I'd share that since it's been almost a month since my last post. We haven't had anything really out of the ordinary to share - like my sister Heather's fun posts about church history sites Nauvoo and Kirtland on their cross-country trip home from Florida!

Well, on second thought, I do want to share that we were unusually blessed when our car broke down at the beginning of the month. Of all days for me to forget my cell phone, too - but a nice woman working at the Target where I happened to be parked let me use her phone, and when neither of the two numbers I could remember off the top of my head worked (how embarrassing is that - a case of cell phone reliance, anyone?), she called her sister and got me a ride home with my poor hot and tired baby in tow. Then my sister-in-law Serena drove me back later that day and we tried to jump the car - no luck. Then the next day my sister Brittany drove me back - again we tried to jump the car, again no luck. But it still sounded like a battery problem to Kent and I since the power locking wasn't working (and to my Dad, who was advising us over the phone) and so instead of wasting money on a tow truck we drove the battery to an auto shop to be tested, and - miracle of miracles! - it was indeed the battery that was -quote- "so dead that it's no wonder jumping it didn't even work." (That was a good thing - because if it hadn't been the battery that means it would have been one of a couple things that were much more expensive to replace and we wouldn't have known for sure what it was until towing it to a mechanic.) And through all of this we also got help from a nice policeman who helped us break into our car (like I said, power locking wasn't working and we never got a key that works in the door when we bought the car) and also help from a nice random young man who happened to have the tools and know-how to take our old battery out of the car. And a lot of other nice people who offered help throughout the day as well. Plus we're very grateful for all the help we got from family members! My faith in humanity took a MAJOR boost throughout that day. Soooo glad we were able to get it taken care of without Kent having to take time off work and without towing it!

Other more recent news: this Sunday we celebrated Ellie's being FOUR months old! How did we celebrate? Does my joining her for a nap today (when I planned to be sewing and should have been cleaning) count? (We'll get her sleeping 6-hour-stretches again at night soon!) At least I have a plan forming in mind for her 6-month birthday: half a cake for half a year (get it?) - I'll use the other half of the cake to make it double-layered or to make cake bites or something. More on whether my good intentions come through in a successful experiment this October. Since she won't be able to eat her spoils yet it will be more for pictures and family members than for her anyway.

More news: we're looking forward to the beginning of the end - the beginning of our LAST fall semester! (...for a while, anyway.) And we're looking forward to having my parents here at the end of next week for a couple of days when they bring up some of my sister Lauren's things.

Another development since my last post is that I have finally finished my "I'm a Mormon" profile that our bishopric asked ward members to do a month or two ago. It's nothing too exciting, but here it is:

http://mormon.org/me/CVKV

Now I just need someone to walk me through adding the "I'm a Mormon" button to my blog through Blogger's new and "improved" design interface that seems to just be taking me in circles - grrrr.

And then, of course, there must be pictures before we conclude :-)

 So adorable when she's asleep:

... and when she's awake. We think she might be getting my blue-green eyes...?

  She loves being with her Daddy:

... and he sure loves being with her! :-)

 She looks like she's showing some attitude in this one...

And it was nice that for nearly a whole week this month, we were able to see my sister Brittany almost every afternoon/evening while Brad was in Texas doing a couple of med school interviews and Kent was at work:

 

Aunt Lauren came to visit a couple of times too!

And Heather and Greg finally got to meet Ellie in person when they were down from Idaho for a weekend! Yay! Now that they've moved back to Provo again we're looking forward to one more school year with all the Dalton girls together.

She's getting so big and strong!

I feel so honored and undeserving to be able to watch our little girl grow up a little at a time. One thing she loves to do right now is to pay a visit to her little friend "Ellie-in-the-mirror." Her little face just lights up every time. I don't know whether she's starting to grasp yet that she's looking at herself, but she definitely recognizes Mommy and Daddy holding her and gives the most beautiful smiles up at our reflections.

Well, I seem to have had more to share than I'd thought - I'm off to bed, hopefully for at least 5 more hours ... wish me luck. :-)