So I have a funny superstition about this particular dress...When I was pregnant with Banks I wore this dress to church, then later that evening I went into labor with him.  Well, I pulled this dress out and wore it for the first time this pregnancy...and it was the last dress I wore before I went into labor with Ella.  So in my mind it kinda has special meaning.  It's my "lets-have-this-baby!" dress.  :)

So, here is the birth story:  Friday morning I went to my Dr. apt.  My Dr stripped my membrane at my appointment and I knew that that changed something.  Well, later that evening my contractions started.  Jeff was working hard in the basement installing the floor, and I went down about 10:30 and told him he probably should come up and shower pretty soon because I was having contractions and it was the "real thing."  Just before midnight we called my friend Elise Lono and had her come over to stay the night with Banks.  We drove to American Fork hospital.  My contractions were approximately 4-5 minutes apart and hurting a lot (12:15)  We went up to the 2nd floor and I was worried I was going to have to wait an hour to prove to the nurses I was in active labor before being officially "admitted" (because thats how it was with Banks).  To my GREAT relief though, I guess because this was my 2nd baby, and I was dilated to a 4 and clearly in a lot of pain they admitted me!  I was SOOO excited.  I was even MORE excited because they said I could get my epidural right away.  (With Banks I had to wait a very long time by some unfortunate circumstances..)  So within about a half hour of getting to the hospital the anesthesiologist was working his magic.  Jeff and I were exhausted (we stayed up late the night before) and hoping to get to take a nap once the epidural set in.. But I guess I progressed really fast.  Before I knew it Dr Allen came in and said it was time to push.  I was shocked!  The time flew by..I felt like I was barely there.  So, I pushed.. and within less than 10 minutes sweet baby girl slid right out!  My epidural was awesome...I didnt feel any pain.  My Dr was so good in helping deliver her that I didn't tear (which has made for a nice, less sore recovery).  When she came out, they immediately put her on me, skin to skin.  They left the umbilical chord for a few minutes before Jeff cut it.  (Thats a new practice I guess...recent studies show lots of benefits for the baby if the umbilical chord isnt cut right away)  It was quite the experience... a completely different experience from Banks's birth.  When Banks came out, he had swallowed a lot of fluid so he had to be whisked away to the level 2/NICU nursery.  With Ella, after they got her cleaned up and a few quick measurements, they just left Jeff and I alone with her for about an hour.  And I just got to snuggle her.  It was absolutely MAGICAL.  I feel sooo blessed that everything went great.  I can't express in words how overwhelmed I was with immediate LOVE and AWE of our new lil girl.  It was almost surreal.  I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't all a dream...because I truly couldn't have dreamed up a better labor/delivery.  I'm the happiest MOMMY EVER!  :)

Proud daddy!  Love these two!

My sweet, sweet cuddly lil angel!

Thanks to Uncle Danny for bringing Banks Saturday morning to meet his baby sister

The basement work continues..

PROGRESS!! 

Getting in a few last swimming days before summer is over..

Jeff and Von put on a very successful DTG Convention.  Great job guys!

My family!  Jeff says, "we're a legit family now".  ha ha ha

Baby girls first car ride!...coming home from the hospital.

The tomatoes harvest was supposed to come BEFORE baby girl.  But, they didnt..so I had to recruit my no. 1 helper to make marinara.

Making sure his baby sister is safe.  He's been a good brother adjusting :)

I got some newborn photos taken of Ella Grace...

I was very happy with how they turned out!  What is more sweet than this!??

We're working hard to get our basement finished.  Hopefully finished carpentry and paint are complete this week.

Jeff hard at work in the basement!

Banks with his Great Grandma Minnie.  Aren't they adorable!?

Playing with cousins at Great Grandma Minnie's Birthday party.

Sometimes you just wear a plastic sack on your head?!

Happy wet boy who just ran through the sprinklers with all his spoils from the garden!!

My hydrangea tree!!

I had to make some center pieces for a baby shower.  ta-dah!

Banks having a great time with his cousin Mikey visiting from California. 

Pony rides at Farm Country, Thanksgiving Point

Banks and his friend Kate at Farm Country

Rosemary roasted red potatoes from our garden

Stuffed mushrooms.

Banks has been playing a lot with our neighbor, Swayzie.  They are so cute. 

Jeff recently ran the Timpanogos Half Marathon.  He completed it in an impressive 1 hour and thirty four minutes!  Great job Jeff.

We have quite the abundance of beans from our garden.  Banks loves them!  He'll eat them by the handfuls! 

This is Florian and Julia from Germany.  They were in town for business and came for dinner.  Jeff knows Florian because he is a dental technician and sales rep that belongs to Jeff and Von's dental group: The DTG.

For Fathers Day, I made this new recipe from the Pioneer Woman: Crunchy French Toast.  Definately a hit!  Try it out..you wont be disappointed!  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2015/06/crunchy-french-toast/

Annnnnd...another pioneer woman recipe.  Jeff's favorite chocolate pie to top off his Fathers Day.  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/02/the_meal_of_love_part_iv_de-licious_chocolate_pie/

For Banks birthday he started the morning off with a few presents from his grandparents...followed by boating all morning with daddy...followed by camping for two days with our dear friends and neighbors: the Loys.  He had quite the 3rd birthday!  This picture is Banks opening his birthday present from Grandma Hamilton.  (He loves making this cheesey face these days ha ha)

Happy birthday Banksy!  (June 18th)  Thank you to everyone who sent loving cards/presents to make this lil dude's 3rd birthday a blast!

Birthday morning!

Banks birthday breakfast

Banks lil sweetheart Rowin was in town recently...If you don't remember Rowin and Banks birthday fall in the same week.  This is at her birthday party.

I came home one day to find Banks so excited to show me his "Payson Temple" he built with his dad.  (Banks thinks every temple is THE PAYSON Temple because we went to the open house)  Pretty accurate minus the animal sacrifices on top..ba ha ha ha!

Exploring in the field by our house....

Daddy and Banks at the splash pad.  We love summer!

Day 1 of Camping..also Banks Birthday.  This is him enjoying his chocolate birthday cake!

Day two of camping:  Fishing.  This lil guy was the ONLY one to catch a fish!

The second night camping we HAD to give Banks a bath because he was covered with 20 layers of dirt.  (We heated water on the propane stove) He quite enjoyed his lil make-shift bath tub.  

When you go camping with the Loys (our dear friends and neighbors) you really go in style.  Lorna is my kind of lady.  She puts A LOT of time and effort into her "kitchen".  

He's in love with his new "Panda Bear" camping chair we got him

Banks and Sean Loy enjoying some breakfast.  

This is what we had for breakfast one morning.  We call it "mountain man breakfast burriots".  To the left are Lorna's homemade flour tortillas.  (WHO makes homemade, from scratch tortillas camping!!?)  And I made (on the right) the burrito filling:  peppers, onions, eggs, bacon, cheese.

Banks and Sean being silly.

Banks favorite part about camping I'm sure was: S'MORES!

Some dutch oven peach cobbler!

Sorry not the best pic.. but this is what Jeff and I did for the 4th of July.  We got to go to Stadium of Fire at the BYU football stadium.  They put on a pretty fantastic firework show.  Journey was the band that performed...our fav!!

Chef Jeff serving up some delicious thin-crust pizza.  (At Justin's cabin with is awesome brick oven)

Our good friend Athena came to town with her lil boy Maverick to visit.  The two of them had a blast playing.  Banks referred to him as his buddy.