Keeping up with the Ellis'

Halloween fun!!

2010-11-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Griffin turned 5, wow they grow up fast!

One year ago

2010-11-04T12:34:00.001-07:00

Last year on November 4, we were told that a little 4-month-old Korean princess named Wooyoun Park was going to be our daughter! I still remember looking at her picture for the first time and wondering how on earth she could be so cute and that she looked like a Lilyana! I remember sharing the news with the boys and with other loved ones. I also remember being so happy that we were expecting a third child but I did not have to be pregnant! You see, for me pregnancy was fine once but that it was out of my system after Carter, so adoption was a wonderful way for us to grow our family! So many more important reasons that we adopted but that one I remember thinking on "referral day." We just knew looking at her that God had designed this adventure from long before adoption was even in our hearts and long before Lily was conceived. So glad that he gave us the desires of our hearts and that we were obedient, even when we had no idea how we were going to do it. I have learned that obedience always trumps fear and the payoff is so much better!

First Day of School

2010-09-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Griffin's first day of 4K

Meeting big brother after his first day of school!

He made it!

Getting on the bus for the first time.

Well another school year is well underway. Carter is enjoying 2nd grade and loving riding the bus! We love his school so much, this year, they had to bring their own bibles as part of their school supplies, I love that!!

Griffin is in 4 year old Kindergarten and enjoys it as well. It is at the same church he has preschool at last year. This year is going to be a year of a lot of growth and maturity for Griffin as they really focus on preparing the children for Kindergarten.

That leaves me and Lily four mornings a week, it is very quiet around here.We keep busy with errands, and play dates. I hired a sitter to come over every Tuesday morning to watch Lily. This was motivated by two reasons, my desire for some time to myself, to get some things done around town, meet a friend for coffee or just enjoy some time alone. Also, Lily is extremely attached to me so this will be good for her as well. Today was week two and she did so much better than last week, only cried for a minute when I left! I enjoyed myself a lot this morning. Now we have to work on her staying in the nursery at church and during my bible study! She is at a very fun age right now, her personality is really showing! It has been interesting having her in a playgroup with 1 and 2 year old kids, she does not know about kids her age and does not like it when they pull her, push her, or take things from her. This will be good for her and for me! I am meeting some new friends with little ones and anybody who knows me knows how I like to meet new people!

I also starting serving on our high school ministry team. This experience is going to change me forever, already has in just 2 weeks! Watching 15, 16 and 17 year olds in love with Jesus, praising Him and trusting Him in ways I just learned to do, is so inspiring! I wish I had known what they know at their ages. I have a lot to share with them but so much more to learn from them.

More Summer pictures!

2010-09-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

I took each of the boys out on a "date" before school started. Love one-on-one time with them.

So happy I captured this picture, priceless!

Griffin and his lemonade stand, he also had a thrift sale, made $40 dollars!

Lily, 5 months home!!

Wrapping up Summer

2010-09-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dad took the boys on a surprise trip to Lego Discovery in Chicago, BIG hit!!

It is hard to get a picture of all three of them. this was just by accident!

Lily loves the beach, she loves the water of course the boys do too!

I know it is already a few weeks into the school year but this post is going to be about wrapping up our summer!

We enjoyed a few camping trips this summer, Lily was not a big fan of camping, but the rest of us really like it! We are so blessed by Ty's parents in so many ways, they offered to keep Lily for a weekend in August so we could enjoy a camping trip with the boys and 5 other families! And enjoy it we did! The weather was perfect and all 15 kids had a great time. The 12 parents all had fun as well. We are so blessed by so many wonderful friendships! That was our last camping trip in our camper, it went up for sale the day after we got home. It is a nice camper and I have no plans of tenting it in the future but have decided that we may hold off on camping for a couple years until Lily is a little older. We will take the boys here and there in the years to come but for now we plan on selling the camper. We hope to get a different one some day as camping is a lot of fun.

It was a fun summer, having three kids at home to entertain was challenging at times but we figured it out. The boys enjoy playing with one another which is good because I am quite busy with Lily lately. She loves her big brothers so having them around was fun for her!

We are ready for the Fall but not so much the winter!

Big Moments!

2010-07-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

Daddy and his little princess~

Signing the final papers!

Mama and her baby girl!

Lily in Marshfield.

We have had a couple of wonderful and BIG moments over the past two weeks. Last Wednesday we had our final court date for Lily and Judge Proctor signed the final paperwork so now we can get her a new birth certificate and her name can legally be changed to Lilyana Wooyoun Ellis! We can also apply for permanent citizenship for her once we get her new birth certificate. Judge Proctor was so nice, wanting to take as many pictures as we could, he even requested we send him one and showed us other adoption photos that he has. To quote him, "This is the best part of my job!" Even thought this was just a formality it is nice to have it completed.

This week Ty and Lily went to Marshfield do that she could have an Echocardiogram (ultrasound of her heart). She was born with a hole in her heart so this was a follow up appointment to check the status. Praise God her heart is perfect, "beautiful" as the technician said! The very best news we could get, out beautiful daughter has a perfect, beautiful heart!!

We are so blessed and give ALL of the Glory to God!!

Summer FUN!!

2010-06-28T06:56:00.001-07:00

RCU Charity Classic Race!

The boys love to play in their pools! 4 hours straight on this day!

Lily also loves the water, it wasn't long before she was

heading over to the boys' pools.

Lily is getting close to walking, we are ready for her to walk

on her own.

Lily loves sun dresses, OK mom loves her in sundresses!!

Ice Cream Man!!

2010-06-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Who wants ice cream??

Waiting......

We Love Summer!!

See you next Wednesday Ice Cream Man!!

First birthday Korean traditions

2010-06-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

There are many Korean traditions that we are trying to carry out for Lily. There are a few that surround the first birthday. Children wear a traditional Korean dress called a Hanbok. They are beautifully hand made garments and we were blessed to get two for Lily's first birthday. One from her foster mother, which was so special and a second from our Korean friends. There is also an event that occurs at the first birthday party called a Toljabee. For this you place several items in front of the child, usually a bow and arrow, a needle and thread, book and pencil, rice cake, ruler, and a knife. When these things are placed in front of the child the child will reach for them. Which ever one they reach for determines their future. Each one has it's own meaning. We chose to skip this at her birthday party and do it as it's own event. Lily reached for the pen first which means she will be a successful scholar.

We could not get a smile out of Lily for her pictures which was a bit strange because she smile a lot now. Turns out she was not feeling well, she got sick a couple hours later with a tummy ache and fever. So we are happy she was just cooperative! She looks so beautiful in those garments!!

End of school and first birthday.

2010-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Once again I am amazed at how fast the year went by. Carter completed first grade and Griffin preschool and Lily turned one. Now I have a second grader, a 4-Ker and a one year old. Get this; when Lily is in Kindergarten Carter will be in 6 grade and Griffin in 3 grade, that means three kids in private school, and that will be about the time the orthodontist appointments start, YIKES!! I may have to get a job, I sure hope I don't I love being home. I suppose it will be different when all of the kids are in school. I am very excited to have Carter home for the summer, he is a big help and he and Griffin play pretty good together and Lily loves her big brother. Carter is such a sweet boy with such a tender heart, he is also very active and loud. He has such a silly side which is fun but as I said LOUD! Griffin has matured a lot over the past year and is really starting to be more independent and he has really surprised us with his patience with his baby sister. He is a talker, he talks none stop and some of the things that come out of his mouth are unbelievable, that child remembers EVERYTHING!

We have a few camping trips planned for the summer and the boys are involved in many activities so we will be busy but with Lily we are trying to stay closer to home which is nice.

Lily had a wonderful first birthday, we had such a good day. Lots of family and friends to celebrate with her. Many of my family members met her for the first time last weekend. She is such a sweet baby and totally out of her shell now that she has been home for three months. She is even starting to throw little fits when she does not get what she wants.

So for us, life is full of adventure, love and joy! God has blessed us beyond what we could ever imagine and we give him all the glory!!

More pictures.

2010-05-11T11:49:00.001-07:00

Mother of three!

2010-05-11T11:35:00.001-07:00

This was my first mother's day as a mother of three. Having three children is a lot more work than having two. I understand what my friend with more than two children have been telling me about, we are outnumbered now! Lily continues to bless our home and our lives every day. She is a very sweet baby who loves to give kisses, all you have to do is say kissy or make a kissing sound and her wide open, slobbery mouth is up to yours! So Sweet!! The boys are so good with her, she is lucky to have them as big brothers. We recently celebrated our exchange student, Minori's 20th birthday, she is such a beautiful and amazing young lady. She will be going home to Japan for the summer but returning to UWEC in the fall. We will miss her this summer as she has really become part of the family but we are so happy she has decided to stay here. She is so wonderful with the boys, they treat her like a big sister!

We are anxiously awaiting summer, as Carter told me this morning, only 14 more school days. It will be busy around here this summer as it always is but I am looking forward to having Carter home, he is such a big help and a fun child!

Ty and I are figuring out how to manage things better around here now that it has been 2 months since we brought our daughter home, seems like she had always been here!

He is Risen!!

2010-04-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Too Cute!!

Egg hunt with the cousins

All dressed up!!

Handsome fellows!

Checking out the baskets of goodies!

Praise Jesus, Easter is the most important time in the Christian faith and I love to reflect on all that the Lord did for us from his Crucifixion to the day he rose again, and when he left his disciples and ascended into heaven. Some of the last things Jesus told his disciples before He ascended was "It was not you who chose me, I have chosen you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit that shall last, so that the Father may give you whatever you ask in my name." He also told them to "love one another as I have loved you." There is so much in those last words, he tells them why he has to leave and about the Holy Spirit coming. This year I have found myself coming back to these scriptures over and over and learning so much, always being amazed at God and what he has done and continues to do!

As for the bunny, he was good to the kids and they enjoyed finding their baskets and eggs.
This was our first Easter as a family on 5 and Lily's first Easter ever. We are so happy to have her home to share everyday with her, especially these most memorable days! She continues to change daily and has REALLY come out of her shell now. She gets into everything and of course everything goes directly into the mouth. She is so much fun and I am loving dressing her and doing her hair!

Our New Normal!

2010-03-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

Lilyana has been home just over 2 weeks now and wow has life changed. I am remembering what it is like to do most things with one hand and my left arm is getting really strong. Lily has changed so much since we first came home. We did not see a smile for the first few days and now I can get her to smile almost anytime I want, other people have to work a little harder. She is extremely attached to me, my new adorable accessory I say! She is starting to come around with other people but still does not like anybody else to hold her. She is getting much better with dad so that is good. Her personality is starting to come out a little more each day. It is fun to watch her explore and take everything in. She likes her big brothers, she seems to especially like Carter but he seems to like her more than Griffin does. She is an awesome sleeper, at lease 12 hours every night in her crib, praise God!! She is also quite the eater as well and she seems to like our food. She says mama a lot and I love it! She is such a blessing to our family and we thank God every day for picking us to be her forever family!!

Home with baby Lilyana!

2010-03-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Little miss cutie pie!!

This morning playing with her big brothers.

First night at the hotel with her.

Meeting her.

Meeting Lily for the first time

We are home with our new precious addition, Lilyana Wooyoun Ellis. I have waited for a long time to write this post, it is hard to believe the time has finally come. Our trip to Korea was full of adventure but everything went as planned so we could not have asked for better. As far as the adoption itself has gone we have no complaints, things went very smooth for us and our wait time was toward the shorter end of what we were told to expect. God's hand has been guiding (actually leading) this all the way, as always He is good! The hard part was taking a 9 month old baby from the only mother she as ever known, Lily's foster mom has a special place in my heart, what a loving women. It was quite an emotional moment, we were prepared but still it was hard. The first few hours were really difficult because she had no idea what was going on and we did not know how to sooth her. After a while she attached to me and that was very welcomed. We did manage to get her to sleep for 7 hours straight that night so that was positive. Lily did well on the long journey home (we were travelling for about 20 hours that day). People on the plane were so nice and helpful (I recommend flying Korean Air if you ever fly to Korea). Grandma and Grandpa did a wonderful time taking care of the boys while we were gone, even a homemade meal and fresh baked brownies when we got home. They truly are the best!! All three of us were beat when we got home, we were extremely surprised and pleased when Lily went to bed at 6:00 and did not get up until 6:30 in the morning and she slept in her crib, she had never been in a crib before. It was a much needed night of rest for all of us! We are so happy to have our adorable daughter home and her brothers love her tons!! Adoption is a beautiful thing.

All packed

2010-03-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

All packed and ready to go!!
Next week at this time we will be home with our pink bundle of joy!

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

2010-03-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today is a glorious day, we got our travel call today letting us know that our daughter is ready for us to pick her up. It feels a lot like the moment you go into labor and you think you are ready then you realize you have so much left to do and will Never really be ready!! Those of you that know the stories of the boys' births know that we were really not ready for Carter and Griffin we waited weeks for hoping he would not come too early! This is probably the child that has come most on schedule of all three of them. She will be 9 months old in few days, we are so excited to have her home before her first birthday. Her room is ready and waiting for her as are her older brothers and mom and dad cannot wait!! We will be leaving for Seoul on Sunday and getting back on Friday. We are in for some interesting days when we are there and a long flight home. I feel a lot like we are experiencing birth because we have no idea how the sleeping will go when we get home and we will all be exhausted from jet lag and her clock is opposite of ours, and the boys will have the grandma hangover, YIKES!! We are so blessed that we are both able to go and get her, thanks to the most wonderful grandparents and some dear friends who are all so willing to help. This entire process has shown me, maybe more than anything else in life, what true dependence on God looks like, and as always he never lets us down, he is so faithful and we are learning to be faithful as well.

All are welcome at the MPLS airport to welcome us home, e-mail me if you want more information!

The pictures above are of us celebrating Korean Independence Day yesterday. How cute are those guys? Next year we will have to set another set of chopsticks.

They grow up so fast!

2010-02-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

WOW, Carter turned 7 on January 31. He is such a sweet boy, Ty's mother tells me he is just like his daddy when he was little. He has a very tender heart and an extremely silly side. He loves school and is doing well, enjoys hockey and soccer (really he enjoys anything he does). He is still crazy about Lego's and has turned his brother onto that. He is such a good big brother to Griffin and is very excited to have a baby sister. I am a lucky mommy that God gave me such a precious gift!

Speaking of his baby sister, we got new pictures of her and talk about getting big fast! She is now 8 months old, 7 months in these pictures. She is growing and developing wonderfully and is a happy girl! We have decided to name her Lilyana so I will refer to her as Lily or Lilyana from now on. She is 20 pounds, has 2 teeth, says mom and dad (in Korean) waves, claps, crawls, pulls herself up, eats all kinds of things and loves people! These pictures were such a wonderful surprise because we had no idea if we would get more pictures or not. The adoption process is definitely interested and keeps you on your toes. I have really become more dependant on God through this process than ever before and have found a peace and patience that I have never known before, He is so good!

We are ready, the room is pink and red, we have diapers in the house again and cannot wait to love on that precious baby!

Heads up to all, we are pretty sure the travel call is coming very, very soon!! I will keep you posted.

9 wonderful years!!

2010-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

That is snow that is all over the picture! Remember we were married in Lake Tahoe in January~

Last week Ty and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. Every year we watch our wedding video which may sound like a lot but considering our wedding was all of 10 min long and the whole video is only about 20 min it is not a big time problem. This year the boys watched it with us, that was fun! Wow were we young, not really because we were married at 28 year old but now at 37 we look older! We were married at the top of a mountain (indoors) in Lake Tahoe, California, it was the perfect wedding for us! Next year we hope to go back to Tahoe to celebrate 10 years~ So this past weekend we went away, just the two of us for a relaxing and romantic weekend. And that it was, Relaxing and romantic. On Saturday I got up at 8:00, facial at 9:00 and nap by 10:30, perfect morning! Ty and I are really a good match (the good Lord definitely placed us together) we enjoy many of the same things and really do like just being together. We are so blessed to have Ty's parents who are willing and enjoy watching the kids so we can do things like this. They are wonderful people and the perfect grandparents! I highly encourage any of you "old married couples" to take some time or make some time and really, REALLY enjoy being together, what a gift marriage is and so often taken for granted.

Now for an adoption update...No travel date yet but we are busy getting her room ready. We moved Griffin into Carter's room last week and that is going amazingly well. I ordered some things for Lily's (that will be her name Lilyana) room so as soon as it comes grandpa is ready to paint and the color is.... PINK!! We expect to get our "travel call" anytime from the middle of February until May so we need to be ready. Once we get the call we need to be in Korea in about a week-Crazy. For now we are waiting and preparing.

2009-12-24T11:11:00.001-08:00

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Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T17:19:00.001-08:00

Minori sitting on Santa's lap for the first time at the age of 19!

Carter has always likes Santa but Griffin not so much, this Santa he liked a lot!!

Minori's first time down the hill!

Griffin is getting so big, last year he could not go down by himself.

Griffin with his two favorite people, his cousin Lydia and Mickey Mouse!

We have been having so much fun the past couple of weeks enjoying the Christmas season and the winter. We watched with delight as our Japanese friend, Minori enjoyed many new experiences. Sledding, watching a hockey game, Rodolph, frosty and sitting on Santa's lap. She is such a breath of fresh air, she is really a beautiful young lady! She chose to stay here until after Christmas so she could spend the season with us in America, she will be going back to Japan on the 27th for a few weeks. I am sure her family is so anxious to see her!

We have already had one Christmas celebration and three to go. Looks like the snowy weather may change things up a bit but we will have a white Christmas for sure.

This year more than most I have been reminded of the true reason for the CHRISTmas season, the birth of our Lord and Savior. I have thought about what things must have been like, really been like, for Mary and Joseph and how the wise men must have felt when they realized the Messiah had come, just as the Lord promised. I read this the other day and loved it, "Celebrate the Son, give thanks unto the Lord, keep watch and look forward to the day....The King is coming!!"

Happy Birthday Jesus, what a blessed day it was!!

2009 Christmas letter

2009-12-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Ty usually sends out a annual letter in our Christmas card, he did write one this year, the above picture is the proof, but we did not include it in our card. So here it is, mostly in his words:

Merry Christmas 2009, from the Ellis family in Eau Claire, WI and one in Seoul, South Korea. This year we once again enjoyed a year of many new things, new places and new experiences. We know how blessed we are, we consider our friends and family among our greatest gifts.

New things for us: For Griffin life changes in small ways as he continues to grow and mature. He has FINALLY got the bathroom thing figured out, loves riding his bike, talks non stop, and is learning so many things, they are sponges at that age. He started preschool this fall and loves it, he turned 4 on October and is happy to tell anybody who asks how old he is that he is 4! He still likes trains, Mickey Mouse, Dora and his big brother but his mama is his favorite!

Carter also continues to grow up (too fast if you ask me). He is in first grade and loves school. He played t-ball, soccer and hockey this year and started cub scouts which he really enjoys. He loves to build with Lego's, do math homework with dad and play with his friends.

On November 4th we got our adoption referral for our daughter (we have not picked her name yet). She was born on June 4, 2009 and her birth name is Wooyoun and she is just beautiful!!

Check out the November 12th post of this blog for more information and photos of our precious gift. We expect to get out travel call within 3-9 months and be in Seoul one week later. We will be in Korea about 5 days before we can finally bring her home to meet he big brothers, what a joyful day that will be!! So for now, as adoption goes, we continue to wait.

Our new experiences:

This year has seen the boys busy and growing up fast, we have become a family of 5, Ty is working out of the home again, our dog, Jake died a few weeks ago and Kim continues to find new ways to stay busier than ever with events, groups and activities of all types. Life is never dull around here!

We also have become a host family for a University student who is studying here from Japan. Minori does not live with us as she lives on campus, but she comes to our home and joins our family for activities often. She has taught us a lot and is so much fun to have around. The boys love her and she fits in so well at out home. Another great idea of Kim's, like I said, never a dull moment.

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We hope you are filled with joy. Take time to slow down and enjoy the season. And thanks to you all for helping us remember how blessed we are, May God bless you all!!

"Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord!"

Thankfulness and NYC~

2009-12-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

December 3rd already?? We are definitely getting ready for Christmas and very excited for the season. Over Thanksgiving I had the privilege to take a vacation of a lifetime. I went to New York City with my favorite mother-in-law, Maryann, my great friend and sister-in-law, Julie and the best aunt-in-law and travel agent, Shirley!! We were gone for 6 days and did enough things for 3 weeks including 4, yes I said 4, Broadway shows, the Macy's parade, sitting on Santa's lap at Macy's, the Statue of Liberty, walking food tour in Greenwich Villi age (highly recommended), and shopping in China town (a story in itself)! We had so much fun and the memories we made were priceless!! The 4 of us travelled so well together, looking forward to future trips with these beautiful women. Yes, we all left our families for Thanksgiving and yes, they all survived! Which brings me to what I am most thankful for, my life partner, my wonderful husband!! He is truly my soul mate, the one God created for me, how lucky am I??

I am so excited for Christmas this year, my boys are at really fun ages and 2010 will be the year our precious baby girl comes home!! Stay tuned for updates!!

This Bible verse is perfect to remember this season: Hebrews 13:2 "Keep on loving each other as brothers, do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing, some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

And baby girl makes 5!!

2009-11-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

Last week in the middle of us being sick, we got information about our daughter!! What a wonderful day it was, her name is Wooyou, we will change her first name at some point. She is 5 months old, birthday June 4, 2009, I finally got my Summer birthday. She is in a loving foster home and growing wonderfully, 17 pound at 5 months!! She is so adorable, as you can see from the pictures. Now the hard part begins, the wait... We started this journey in August, 2007 with the first piece of adoption information gathered. We started with our adoption agency in October 2008, were officially on the waiting list as of February 2009 and now we are waiting to travel. We are told the travel time can be anywhere between 3 and 10 months. Most families have been traveling in 4-6 months so we are hoping for that. Once we get our travel call, we have about one week to get to Korea. That will be a crazy week. The boys talk about their baby sister a lot and understand what is happening as much as they each can for their ages. We are so thankful for the family that is taking care of and loving our baby girl while she waits for her "forever home."

Life is good and God is great!! 1 Samuel 1:27-28 says, I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of him."

I am so excited to finally paint a room PINK!! Enjoy the pictures of baby girl Ellis!!

October!!

2009-11-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

Since I can remember, October has always been the busiest month. 4 out of 6 of the kids in my family have birthdays in October, not only in October but all in the last week of October. Needless to say, growing up we ate a lot of cake in October. Now that I am all grown up October is still such a busy month. Griffin celebrated his 4th birthday in the middle of the month. The funnest birthday so far with him. Four is such an awesome age, I think it is because three is so challenging and four brings so much more independence. If you have followed by blog or if you know me at all, you know that we had our challenges with our three year old this past year but things have really turned around!! He has finally begun to figure out how things work, mom says no and she means it!! He is also so much more independent and growing up so fast. He is still my baby and such a mama's boy.

I also have a birthday in October and I love my birthday so I usually have a birthday that lasts an entire week. Why not, I say?? My wonderful husband bought me 37 roses, can you guess which birthday it was? He is an awesome man!! Of course October ends with the funnest celebration of all, Halloween! Our exchange student from Japan was so much fun to celebrate with. She has only heard about Halloween and seen it in movies. She carved pumpkins with us, bought a costume and went trick-or-treating with us. She is so adorable, when we got out to start she said, "I love this, it is real not just a movie." We have enjoyed spending time with her so much and feel like she is a part of the family.

On personal note, God has really been teaching me things and I am growing so much. I am learning about obedience, true obedience. It is challenging but I am really enjoying it. Obedience is described as "the overwhelming desire to walk in the center of God's will at every moment."

Happy November everybody!!

October and the cold came WAY too fast.

2009-10-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it is already October 11, my baby will turn 4 in a week. School has been in session for several weeks now and everybody is adjusting just fine. Carter likes first grade and has already learned so many new things. I met a little girl in his class and she is the female version for Carter, she is just like him. Of course, I liked her a lot. Now that we are in our second year at Crestview Academy I am still so pleased with the choice we made to send Carter to school there. It is a wonderful fit for our family. Griffin is really liking his preschool and I am enjoying two mornings a week to myself. We have also been enjoying spending time with our new friend from Japan. She fits in so well with our family and the boys love her. She is very special and I am so thankful that God brought her into our lives. She had not been over to our house for a couple of weeks and when she walked in the other day she said, "it is so nice to be here." Being 18 years old and so far away from her home and her family, I hope she gets some of what she is missing from being at hour house.

Attached are a few pictures from September before the weather got so cold.

First Day of School

2009-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

You are all living this along with me, the start of another school year. This year was way different for me than last year, something about Kindergarten is so emotional. No tears were shed for first grade. I guess I did get a little emotional during the all school worship at Carter's school. Worship music always makes me emotional, I am so happy and feel so lucky that our children go to a school where they start the school year off with praising God and praying for his hand in all they do!! In Wisconsin most schools started last week, Carter did not start until this week so we are only on day 3. He is enjoying first grade and seems happy to be back in school. He did say to me last night, "It isn't fair that I do not get to see you all day." Melted my heart, I know he will not feel that way forever so I will soak it in while I can.

Griffin started preschool today and when I asked him for a kiss he said, "You can get one from somebody else." They are very different children that is for sure. School will be good fro Griffin, it is only 2 mornings a week so he and I will still have a lot of time to spend together. He is an awesome kid when you spend one-on-one time with him. He is going to be 4 years old next month, now that brings a tear to my eye.

Exiting news about our third child, we have been approved by the Department of Homeland Security to bring a child to the US. Now we just continue to wait. We are hoping to get our daughter's referral (her information and picture) sometime between November and February.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer weather we are finally getting!!

Summer is coming to an end.

2009-08-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Way too soon-summer never feels long enough, especially when the weather had been so strange this year. I keep waiting for summer to get here and stay. So as I have been irritated with the Wisconsin weather and wondering why I live here, my eyes were open in an unexpected way. This past weekend we hosted a college student from Japan. We picked her up at the airport on Friday night, after a very long trip. She stayed with us for the weekend and I helped her move into the dorms on Monday morning. Talk about courage, she is a 19-year-old girl leaving home for the first time and going to a new country all alone not knowing anybody. I thought it was hard to leave home and go to college 2 hours away. She fit in very well at our house, the boys really liked her and she enjoyed them as well. She is adorable and so sweet. There were so many things in 3 days that she experienced for the first time. She had never seen a lawn mower in person before, she wanted to try it so she got to mow a little of the yard, she had also never raked before so she helped the boys and I do that. Things I do not really enjoy doing she was having fun with. We took her to the drive-in movie and she was amazed. She could not figure out what I was talking about as I tried to explain it to her but she enjoyed it. When the movie was over, she stepped out of the van and looked up and was completely breath taken by all of the stars in the sky. She said she had never seen anything like that before. The sad part is, I never would have noticed that. She said many times how beautiful Wisconsin is, I will see if she still feels that way in January. She has only seen snow one time and asked me if it is true that the temperature gets below zero. She is in for a big surprise. She is looking forward to experiencing winter and winter activities. I have decided that my boys cannot go to college because it will be too hard on me. I almost cried leaving her at the dorms and I just met her. She is planning on being here for 4 years so we are so excited to spend time with her and continue to build on the relationships we have begun. One more thing that was funny, the food that she liked the best that I served her was a turkey sandwich, again something I take for granted and get quite bored with. All of this has changed my perspective on Wisconsin and it's weather, it is a beautiful place to live!! She is going to love the fall.

Attached is a picture of her and Carter.

Summer Vacation

2009-08-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

We spent last week at a cabin in Minoquia with Ty's family. His mom and dad, his brother and wife and their 3 children. It was a nice week full of many activities. The weather could have been better but it could have been much worse, only one day of rain but not too hot. It was nice enough that the kids spend the better part of the first 3 days in the beautiful, clear lake. Well on the evening of day 3, they all started itching, they all got swimmers itch, some worse than others. Needless to say, they spent little time in the water after that which was OK because it was not very warm. Carter and his two older cousins spent quite a bit of time fishing and Griffin and his little cousin, Lydia (the only girl of the group) spent lots of time practicing their casting with rubber fish and bobbers. Let me tell you, they both have a great cast!! Now we are home and it is the first week of August, YIKES!!! We are trying to enjoy as many summer days as we can.

I am heading up north for a much needed girl's weekend. I love vacationing with my kids but I also love vacationing without them. I am hoping for lots of sun, laughs, memories (new and old) and relaxation, Oh and no whining!!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend as much as I plan to!

11 years ago

2009-08-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Today is the 11th anniversary of my father's death. The memories of that day are still so vivid in my mind. I came across this today-I have not seen this in several years but today there it was. It was written and read by one of my father's best friends (who has now joined him in heaven) at his funeral. It describes my father perfectly. To preface it, I should tell you all that my father was a barber at the same shop which he later owned for over 20 years.
"The Most Human Man"
"Have ya' got time for a cup?" was the sign, it was time to talk again.
And talk we did, about boys and toys and human events,
Because he was the most human man I've ever known.
We talked about difficulties, not complaining that we had them,
but how to get through them because there were still things to be done.
We talked about successes, not crowing because we had them,
but how they were brought about because more successes are always welcome.
And we talked about keeping humans human, not that we had all the answers,
but we were looking for some because being human makes people whole.
Oh, yes, we talked, maybe two hundred times and I learned more each time
about empathy, honesty, loyalty and service. About friendship and humanity in being.
"Have ya' got time for a cup?" It's time to talk. We've lots of memories to tell.
Memories to give us a better tomorrow, memories of the most human man I've ever known."

What a beautiful reminder of who my father was-a man of complete integrity! I am still learning from his wisdom.

These past few weeks are hard ones for our family, On July 23, was the 13th anniversary of my mother's death. If my father sounded like a saint, you should have known my mom!!
This was read at her funeral:
"I thank you for the love you each have shown, but now it's time I travel on alone.
So grieve a while for me, if grieve you must, then let your grief be comforted in trust.
It's only a while that we must part, so bless the memories within your heart.
I won't be far away, for life goes on. So if you need me, call and I will hear."

My mother was sick and knew she was going to die, she picked that to be read to us at her funeral. That was her; totally selfless always there for anybody and everybody and so full of life! So that is what we all have done, my three brothers, two sisters and I, we have continued to live and keep their memories alive!

I wrote all of this not because I am sad, I am a little, but because I have been so blessed!!
For those of you who question if heaven exists, stop questioning and just believe because I am excited to get there some day and I hope to see you all there so you can meet my parents or see them again if you were lucky enough to have known them!

Is it really July ALREADY??

2009-07-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Where is the summer going, way too fast. We have been busy as usual. The boys had a couple of weeks of vacation bible school, the first year that they could both go. I enjoyed my mornings a lot. Carter is in T-ball and golf this summer which he is really enjoying. Griffin is doing some exploring sports program which is perfect for his age. We have been camping a couple of times, although the first trip we got rained out which was a bummer. Ty and I have each joined a boot camp fitness program at the Y and I have been getting more into yoga/pilates as well as running in a few small races. We did complete a couple's triathlon this June for the third year. I lost a pair of shoes and got a large bruise, otherwise we came away unscaved. We both realized that since we have been way more physically active this year the triathlon was easier than in years past but still pretty hard.

We still have many things on tap for the rest of the summer including camping, a week at a cabin, a guys weekend for Ty, a girl's' weekend for me, and scrapbook retreat for Carter and I, a trip to the Zoo, many picnics and play dates and a wedding to end the summer! I am exhausted just typing all of that but if you know me, you know busy is how I like it! Hope you are all enjoying your summer as well!!

Pictures that could not fit on last post!

2009-06-07T19:01:00.001-07:00

Family Vacation!!

2009-06-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

A week ago we returned from a vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was just the 4 of us, we thought of it as our last trip as a family of 4! We were gone for a week, what a week it was. We didn't have any travel delays or lost bags, the boys travelled well and nobody got sick so we had a wonderful time. It was a week of sun, ocean, beach and amusement parks!! We spent the later mornings on the beach, the afternoons in the pools and the evenings out on the town. There is so much to do there whether you are there with children or not. It was nice to not be on the go all day, every day. Carter was crazy about the ocean, he wants to be a surfer when he grows up.

Let me back up a bit. Carter graduated from Kindergarten on May 21 and we left for vacation on May 23. His school got out almost 2 weeks before the public schools got out. It was such a nice time to travel, it was not very busy at all because we went about a week before the busy season began. We really liked the placed that we stayed, if anybody plans on going to MB I recommend a 2-bedroom at the Beach Cove Resort in North Myrtle Beach.

We came home with lighter hair and tanner skin (although the tan is fading fast in this WI weather) lots of pictures and so many family memories. We are looking forward to summer and the adventures that await us!

We are heading on VACATION!!

2009-05-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Myrtle Beach, SC here we come!!

I am so blessed to be a Mother!

2009-05-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

Me and my boys!!

This is a picture of my mom on her favorite day of the year, Christmas Eve!!

Instead of making this mother's day about me I wanted to make it about the reason I get to celebrate this special day, my children! My two boys are the light of my life and life's biggest joy!

Being a mother is the best opportunity for me to become aware of my own values and how I want to be in the world so I can teach that to my children. This past year has been full of soul searching for me. God continues to challenge me and to amaze me, I am learning so much every day just by keeping my eye on "The Prize" (eternal life in heaven with my Father)! I read once that a parent's objective should be to consciously train their children to act unconsciously in line with the family values when it comes to making decision and how to be in the world. I find the easy part is telling them what those values are the hard part is teaching them and showing them how to live with those values at all times. I fail so often and expect them to as well, but we continue to grow and to learn and never lose site of the Truth, if we know the Truth we can always do better. So on this mother's day I relished in being a mom and thanked my Father for entrusting these children to me for the short time that they are on this earth. This parenting adventure is a threesome; myself, my husband and God and that is just the way I like it!

Mother's Day is always bitter sweet to me. I lost my mother to cancer in 1996, when I was 24 years old. She was the most beautiful women I ever knew. I owe all that I am to her, she was a wonderful example of how a mother should be. She was the most selfless and caring person I have ever known (besides my father, he was undeniably, truly selfless). My mother was ALWAYS there for me, always! She was funny, strong-willed, a great listener, fun and a bit crazy. Many people that knew her tell me am a lot like her and I take that as the best compliment I could get. I am so grateful that I was blessed to be the daughter of Patrick and Peggy Hankey, even though I miss them so much and would LOVE to see then with my children, I have never felt cheated by their passing because their lives were so full and I got so much from them that lives on through me and can live on through my children! I love you mom!!

As for the other blessing in my life this Mother's Day; my wonderful mother-in-law, Maryann, one of the best gifts God has ever granted me! She reminds me a lot of my mother yet they are very different as well. She is such a great example to me and raised a wonderful man that I was lucky enough to marry! I could not ask for a better Grandmother for my children. To all you mothers reading this, hope you had a wonderful mother's day and may God bless you and the wonderful job you do!

Has Spring sprung??

2009-04-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

It sure feels like Spring has sprung and we are soaking it up as I am sure you all are too. I love not being trapped in an office on days like today! My boys are at great ages, still young enough to love any type of adventure but old enough that I do not have to be on top of them at all times. Carter has 5 weeks of school left, 5 weeks!!! Two days after school is out we are heading for a family vacation to Myrtle Beach. We are so looking forward to starting the summer off with a long trip to the beach!

I spent a couple of weekends ago on a scrapbook retreat. I absolutely love these retreats, they are so relaxing; no cooking, cleaning, wiping butts or whining! This time I went with my sister-in-law, Julie (who I also call a wonderful friend) and my dear friend Jill. When we planned this trip, we invited several other women but we were the only ones that could go. It was very clear to me that God put the three of us there so that we could share and grow together. I love those women and am so grateful for what they bring to my life!

We are still moving forward with the adoption of our daughter, today we sent out a form called the I-600A to the Department of Homeland Security. This is the form that will allow us to bring our daughter to the US. It will still be a year or more until she comes home but with each step we are getting closer.

Easter this year was so much fun, the first year since Carter was born that he did not have his winter coat and hat on! But this year, the true meaning of Easter resonated with me like never before. Here is some of what I learned at church this Easter Sunday: As we celebrate Easter as the day of salvation, I ask you, "are you asleep?" Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for us and his Resurrection signify the first day of salvation but prophesy says there will be a second day of salvation. Jesus went first on Easter Sunday over 2000 years ago so that everybody who belongs to him can go next. Paul says, "wake up, for the day of salvation is almost here and it involves you." Can you sense the urgency??? Paul also tells us how to live in anticipation, "remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes and put on the armor of right living." As I ask myself, "Am I asleep, I ask you are you asleep?"

Thoughts to ponder!!

Busy Spring Break Week!

2009-03-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last week was spring break here and as usual we had many things planned. Last weekend we went to Wabasha to the National Eagle Center. It was a beautiful day hang out by the Old Mississippi! After spending some time watching the Eagles we went to a toy store near by called Lark Toys. It is a huge toy store with some really neat homemade toys and an awesome hand-carved wooden carousal inside to ride. The best part was that both of the boys each picked out a toy that was under $10! We spent the beginning of the week doing things around town that Carter had been missing out on being in school all day. On Wednesday we went to the Children's Museum in St. Paul and to Chuck-E-Cheese! There were a few times during the day that Ty and I looked at each other and realized that some things are getting easier with both of the boys getting older. Just in time to add another little one to chase after. I guess we will have this next year or so to sit back and watch. Of course with all of that comes the fighting that they seem to be doing a lot lately. Thursday we went swimming and Friday we spent at hanging out at home and relaxing. We will end our spring break with a trip to a local lamb farm tomorrow to see some baby animals. And we spent a lot of time getting wet and muddy as most of the snow melted this week. Now I am exhausted and looking forward to a normal week but I will miss Carter the first couple of days he is back at school.

On to adoption news, we just found out that the wait time has increased by 2-3 months, that does not seem like much but when you are already waiting well over a year, it is a lot but to be expected . For those of you wondering, the potty training is going well, a couple things to work out but I so proud of the strong-willed little boy!

Hope you all enjoyed your spring break now bring on the SUMMER!!

Happy Mail

2009-03-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

On Friday, in the middle of a very frustrating potty training session, we got a wonderful surprise in the mail. It was a large package full of the most wonderful items from Korea. Most of the little things Ty bought when he was there but did not tell us about. There were tea cups, magnets, art work, a beautiful little mirror for our daughter, 2 hello kitty dolls, coasters, and an authentic Korean outfit for each of us made by his friend's wife. After Griffin and I opened everything, he was playing in the box and he peed in it. He had not peed in the toilet yet despite our morning of tying, so I decided if I cannot toilet train him I can litter train him!

Check out the pictures of our new beautiful treasures!

Happy Korean Day!!

2009-03-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Korean Day. Since we are soon going to be a multicultural family with a beautiful Korean daughter, we decided to start some Korean traditions now. Ty brought a few things home for us from his trip to Korea last week. He got us a really nice set of chopsticks with Korean writing in them and a beautiful tea steeper. His friend's wife in Korea is making us each a traditional article of Korean clothing so we are excited to get those. I made sticky rice (it really is different than the minute rice we eat) and it take 30 minutes to make. I also made some Korean barbecue beef and veggies. We made a small table to place in the living room, all of the books about Korean tradition say people eat at short tables and sit on the floor. Ty informed me that anytime he has been in a Korean home for a meal they eat at at dinning room table like we do. What fun would that be, so we ate in the floor with or beautiful new chopsticks. Our boys have never eaten with chopsticks so it was very fun for them to experiment. Ty took a couple of photos he had from Korea and blew them up and taped them up so we could look at the "view" while we ate. I thought it was a great idea. We ended the meal with tea, how cute are the boys with those tiny tea cups?? After that we read a couple books about Korea and checked out Carter's awesome globe to get more information. We also tried Korean wrestling, very funny!!

It was a very fun event, the only thing missing was our little girl! We have decided to try and do different cultural events at home every once in a while so next with be Spanish night (thought I would start easy).

A Quick Update

2009-02-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

God is so good, he has really transformed my relationship with Griffin. I have such a peace about mothering him now and he has been such a good boy. Even when he has challenged me in the past few days it was no big deal, not like before where I would get all stressed and upset. We are looking so forward to Ty coming home tomorrow, YAHHH!! I am a bit nervous with all of the snow we are supposed to get, go figure, he was gone over a week and it snowed twice, the day he left and the day he gets home. I am very lucky that I do not have to bring the kids with me to pick him up, again thanks to my good friend Jill (love that girl). It will be really nice to spend some time alone with my husband even if it is white knuckling it all the way!

Hope I can sleep tonight!

Roller Coaster Ride

2009-02-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

I know, how could this sweet boy be difficult??

I feel like I have been on a roller coaster ride the past few days. Yesterday I was a horrible mother. I allowed my 3-year-old to get the best of me and bring me to tears. Not just a few tears but sobbing tears. I had been fighting it back for days, well weeks really. Having never cried, or REALLY cried in front of the kids before, they were concerned. I tried to stop but that is impossible when the flood gates are open. Carter was so sweet, he asked me what was wrong and I just told him that I did not feel well. He hugged me with the sweetest hug he has ever given me. Griffin walked up to me and looked right at me and said, "don't cry, use your words." This is something I say to him several times a day when he is crying or whining about something. It was pretty cute, then he said, "when daddy gets home he will make it better." Ty is out of town for about 9 days, he is in Asia for work. I know that did not help with my breakdown being a single parent SUCKS and to any of you that are, I admire you so much! I suppose I should explain a little about how a 3-year-old could bring his mama to tears, (any of you who have children I am sure don't have to ask). Anyway, he has been a challenge for sometime now and many days I feel like I have little control over him. It is something Ty and I talk about and try to figure out often. That is not what made me cry, my reactions to him yesterday made me cry with shame. I have started yelling and saying things to him that were not so nice. That is not who I am, I never yell at people not even my husband so why do I think yelling at my child is OK? I don't think it is OK that is why it hit me so hard. Not only was I not in control of him, I was losing control myself and that is scary. I am sure missing Ty, having a cold and not sleeping helped my emotions hit the wall but I was no good to my kids like that. I fell to my knees and did the only thing that I knew would work. I asked God to take the control and I gave it to him. I begged for his forgiveness and knew I had it because he says "everything is made new through me." I asked him for wisdom and patience and thanked him for the blessing of my children. Thanks to some really good friends who had us over for dinner and I enjoyed a little hot tub time with my girlfriend while her husband watched the kids, we all made it through the day and managed to have some fun in the snow! Thinking about it now, still bring tears to my eyes. I never want to feel like that again and I never want my children to go through that again.

I am so blessed with my family and have some wonderful friends that surround us with love. I want to thank my friend Shannon and her daughter for hanging out here on Saturday and making me and my children laugh. Val and Drew are such a blessing to all of us and Jill is such a loving friend. How lucky am I?? I miss my husband so much, not just because he is my children's father but because he is my rock and my best friend. He does not know any of this because calling him is not really an option, which is good because I probably would have called him yesterday in my hysteria and worried him, he is half way across the world why would I do that to him. I resisted the urge to e-mail him about it because it was something I needed to figure out and give to God to fix not to my husband. I hope he does not read this blog until he gets home when I can talk to him about all of this.

Wow, I sound like a real mess, actually it was a growing experience for me and I am a better mother because of it. Griffin and I are having a wonderful day today and I will never allow myself to lose control like that again, I will give it to God before that happens.

Today is a new beginning and my children have a new mother!!

Happy Monday to you all.

We're Expecting!!

2009-02-12T12:49:00.001-08:00

It is official, we are expecting our third child and cannot wait for her arrival!! Our social worker came to our house on Monday to complete our home study and met the boys. I was so proud of my little guys, they were both awesome with her in their own unique ways. Griffin sat right at the table with us and talked to her, non stop, for a half hour. When Carter was talking with her he never stopped smiling and that smile of his is so precious. We are sure to pass the test now!! She is a very nice young woman so it was very comfortable. This time we had to answer several questions about our plans on raising a child with a different cultural background then ours. Those are difficult questions to answer because we have never done this before. We have spent some time researching this and plan on starting some new traditions that involve her culture before she comes home. For instance this will be the first year that we will celebrate Korean day on March 1st. Ty is heading to Korea next week for business so he plans on getting us some things for us to explore with the boys. So now we wait. Our official waiting time started on Monday so we will get our referral, that is her name and picture, in 9-12 months. After we accept the referral it will be another 10-14 weeks before we bring her home. That is going to be a very hard few months, imagine knowing your child is alive and waiting for you and you cannot be there for her. I cannot imagine how it will feel. The interesting part is when they call and tell us she is ready we have one week to get there. So much for my compulsive planning!! So if any of you see me porking up just remember I am expecting!! After the social worker left Ty said, "well I guess we can eat ice cream every night now." 9-12 months seems so long but as you all know time goes by so fast so we are going to try and enjoy being a family of 4 for the next year!

Something else to share: God had been really challenging me lately at the same time he is showing up at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected ways. This past weekend I was involved in a conversation where I was asked, (pretty much our of no where) "what is heaven like and how do you know it exists?" My answer was short and sweet, "The Bible says it exists and describes it in detail." Well my cop out answer lead to a more difficult question, "how do you know the Bible is true?" I have questioned that myself in the past so I researched it quite a few years ago and came to the conclusion that there is so much indisputable evidence that it is true. Of course I could not remember any of it at that moment. I know God was asking me to be a witness for him but I fell so short of what I was called to do. Anyway, to make a long story short, I am in the process of preparing myself to answer these questions the next time anybody asks them. God is helping out a lot, he has put some really great resources in front of me, some even showed up on my i-pod and I did not put them there. That is an awesome story, if you want to hear more about it just ask me. The last question that I had to answer that I was confident in was "is God the only way to Heaven?" I simply said, "Yes, the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ." I am very grateful for the person who was asking me these questions because she was very nice about it and has now opened my eyes to what I have to do and ignited again in my heart the great desire to know the Truth and be able to share it. My dream is that one day I will lead somebody to Christ and I will pray that life changing prayer with them, I cannot wait but I need to be prepared!!
Hope you all feel lots of love on Valentine's Day!

SIX

2009-02-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Carter turned 6 last weekend. Every year on the kid's birthdays we watch the video of the day they were born. It is so much fun to watch especially with them. Griffin had no idea, he kept saying "that's baby Griffy." That day seems like so long ago yet every detail is etched into out minds. Any of you who knew us then know what an adventure that day was for everybody. We are so blessed that Carter is so healthy despite his rough start. After watching Carter's video they wanted to see Griffin's. Carter's is 2 tapes long and Griffin's not even half a tape. We do have an excuse, nobody was at the hospital (except me) until 2 hours after Griffin was born. I can see why there are very few pictures of my third brother! Anyway, we really enjoyed his birthday this year celebrating with his friends one day and family the next. I had cake coming out of my ears last week!!

We also managed to get out for a day of sledding on the only nice day in the month of January! Carter's hockey team played after the first period of the UW-EC and UW-Stout hockey game last weekend. It was so much fun to watch 4-6 year old out there with those huge crowds. Carter LOVED it, he does not mind having a lot of people watching him. Griffin started gymnastics last week and he is having so much fun. He is so cute out there yelling "mom, I did it." I started a new mom's club/Bible study and am really enjoying it. It is 1-1/2 hours devoted to God. There is so much to learn and so much growing to be done, I cannot wait!!

We are off to the Dells this weekend. Check back next week as we are completing our home study portion of the adoption on Monday.

One Step Closer

2009-01-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!! We are moving forward in the adoption process. On Thursday we sent our home study packets to out social worker in St. Paul. We got the homework in October and are finally done with it. It was a lot of work. We each had to answer all of the questions separately and the questions we quite thought provoking. Everything from what it was like for us growing up to our adolescence and adulthood, our marital relationships, our children, our parenting, our friends, our community and a ton of questions about cultural awareness. WHEW, done. It was very interesting to have to sit down and think about these things and even more interesting to read my husband's when he was finished. I learned some really good things about how he sees this next phase for us. I am hoping that within a couple of weeks we will get a call from our SW and head to St. Paul to meet with her. I understand this is much like a job interview. After that she will come to our house and complete the home study process. Of course along with all of this a large check (the biggest so far) needs to be written. I am so thankful that God has provided up the money to do this, It is amazing how he has blessed us. I also have to give Ty a lot of credit because he is so good with money and works so hard for us!

That is the BIG news in the Ellis household. Ty escaped the two coldest days of the year by going on a business trip to Florida the past couple of days. We are looking forward to him coming home tomorrow. I really enjoyed having Carter home from school for the two "cold" days they got off. Also Ty turned 36 last week and we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary! Big week!! In a couple of weeks is Carter's b-day, January is a busy month for us. We also booked our Spring trip to Myrtle Beach, I am very excited. It will be our last trip with just the 4 of us, I hope the next trip Ty and I take is to Korea to pick up our daughter!

Stay Warm!!

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind the past couple of weeks have been! Our Christmas was perfect, we did not have to travel so that makes things so much less stressful. My family came to our house for Christmas Eve. I have 5 siblings and several nieces and one nephew on my side. One of my brothers and one of my sisters and her 3 daughters were not able to come which was sad because it is so nice when we can all be together. But with such a large family, it was still a houseful. I would love to host all holidays at my house if I had the space. That will be one of my most important points when we start looking at new houses. So everybody was gone by 8:00, kiddos in bed by 8:30 and Santa was here by 10:00. These are the very best years, with the boys being 3 and 5 they really believe and get all of the Magic of Christmas! One of the photos I have attached is them staring out the window for the big S Clause! Ty and I really enjoyed sneaking around after they were sleeping. I was the only one in the house that had trouble sleeping that night, but that is not unusual around here. There is nothing like Christmas morning, the greatest time of the entire year! We spent the morning at home just the 4 of us relishing in all of the new stuff! Then we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas lunch! It is always fun over there on Christmas Day, it is nice because it is very low key, just our family and Ty's brother's family. Of course Grandma goes nuts at Christmas just like my mom used to do. I cannot imagine how out of control she would be with Grandchildren at Christmas. My mother-in-law is the best. Her mother passed away a year ago, this year for Christmas she gave me and my sister-in-law, Julie each a beautiful necklace that she had made from a set of her mother's diamond earings. It was such a wonderful gift, many tears were shed. The poor men!! For our family it was another year of wonderful moments and memories to cherish.

I have really enjoyed having Carter home from school over break. We were very busy with many activities and a couple of low key days at home. OK just one of those, that is one of my resolutions, to stay home a little more and take the day as it comes. So the new year is upon us and as with every year, I cannot believe how fast time goes! We are so hopeful for so many wonderful things in 2009 the biggest of which is a wonderful addition to the family!

We took Carter downhill skiing today and he did great. He really seemed to enjoy it. Ty and I really enjoy skiing so we would love it to be something the kids like so we can enjoy it together.

Happy 2009 to you all!!

Merry Christmas to you all!!

2008-12-23T13:04:00.001-08:00

What is Christmas?? "It is the tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with the blessings rich and eternal, and that every path lead to peace." Anges M. Pharo.

Hope you all have a great holiday filled with lots of laughter and love!!

The True Meaning of Christmas!

2008-12-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here we are just a week until Christmas and still so much to do. I started really early this year but it always seems to sneak up on me and I was still shopping this morning. We have been busy still baking and attending holiday functions. Last night we went to Fanny Hill Dinner Theater for dinner with Santa and friends, we had a great time. If you live in EC or near here I suggest you check it our next year. It is a wonderful event and the kids really enjoyed it.

I have to share what Carter said last night, he is 5 years old (almost 6) he said, "I know the true meaning of Christmas, it is not the lights and the presents, it is about the birth of Jesus and what he did for us." My eyes got misty and I smiled in such delight. We continued to have a conversation about what is was that Jesus did for us and what that means to us today. I feel so blessed to live in a Country where 5 year olds feel free to talk about their spiritual beliefs and where there are schools that celebrate the "true meaning of Christmas." It is so much fun that my kindergartner is inspiring me!!

Attached are a couple of photos of what we have been up to and a picture of that Elf that I was talking about earlier. Carter is still so into it, the first thing he has to do when he gets up is find Kit Frisbee (that is what he named him).

Enjoy this last week and try to relax and remember the true meaning of Christmas!!

2008-12-10T17:07:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of simple holiday decoratins I put together, I am
trying to be more creative.

This picture is great because Griffin is Obsessed with Hello Kitty!

Sweet Delight!!

My Boys!!

Since my last post my computer nearly crashed (luckily we caught it in time), Christmas is in full swing, we have a strange little elf visiting our house daily, and God revealed some really important things to me.

First off being without a computer for a few days was strange. I am sure most of you can relate to this, I have no idea what we did before them. I know that I made more phone calls during those days than I usually do. So now my goal is to try and connect with people in ways other than e-mail, at least once in a while. I am thankful that I did not lose anything and it was fixed quickly.

We are getting more and more ready for Christmas each day. The house is decorated, most of the gifts are bought and wrapped, the cards are ready to be mailed and the boys and I are baking almost daily. I decided this year I was going to bake some different things than my usual and it has been fun. We have already enjoyed a couple of Christmas celebrations with a couple others coming up. For me, Christmas and summer are a lot alike; I try to get it all in because it goes by WAY too fast! The best part about this year is that this strange looking elf appeared on our door step on Saturday and watches us all the time. If you have not heard about the "Elf on the Shelf" check into it. Carter is having so much fun with him. The story is that he is sent by Santa to watch over the good little boys and girls and every night he flies to the North Pole to report to Santa and flies back to your house. In the morning he is in a different location in the house. Carter is so into the "Christmas Magic" this year that it has been a blast. I will take a picture of the Elf and post it tomorrow.

Now for the most important thing that is going on in my life, God is really working on me. He has me doing some things that I have always feared, like really listening to him and obeying. I struggle with this all day, every day (obeying that is) but I am becoming more aware of what he wants from me and am trying to obey. Last week I met with my pastor. This may sound like no big deal to some of you but to me it was the most intimidating thing I have done in years. See I have gone to my church for 12 years ( I love it there so much) and I have never met the pastor. We got a new pastor 3 years ago and I never met him but I had never met that past one either. I never gave it much thought until a few weeks ago when I realized that I avoid him at all costs and get very nervous when I am close to him. This feeling made me so uncomfortable and felt wrong to me. Well a few days later, I was in my Bible study revealing this to the women I had just met a couple of months ago. The next thing you know I tell them I am going to set up a meeting with him. Where did that come from?? Not me, I did not have the courage for that. After re-writing the e-mail several times I pushed send and had a meeting set up for the next week. I was so nervous going there and when I got into his office I could not even form a sentence. He was patient with me and within 15 minutes I was weeping and we were discussing why I was REALLY there. God has given me so much to think about and I am so excited to see how he continues to work to change my heart and my life!! He is so good!! I finally understand that He wants to have a personal relationship with me, little ol me!! This is going to be the best relationship I have ever had and I cannot wait!!

Attached are a few photos of what we have been up to this past week, hope you enjoy!

Tis The Season!!

2008-12-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Everywhere I look it is all of the sudden Christmas! I think this season goes way too fast so I like to see things sooner rather than later! Griffin is LOVING all of the decorations that he sees all around. This past weekend I went on an annual scrapbooking retreat to White's Wildwood Retreat in Chippewa Falls, check it out at www.wwretreat.com. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place. I have to say this was most most successful retreat so far, I got more done than any other time. I suppose that had something to do with the fact that I could not sleep. It is such a great time to just forget about other responsibilities and just work on your hobby, enjoy a little wine, good friends and food and a lot of laughter. The best part is that it is so close to home.

Today I am all about making lists; the Christmas card list, the gift list, the baking list, the holiday activities list. I am thankful that I have the time to truly enjoy the season and not get too stressed out!! Tonight we are going on a horse-drawn wagon ride through the Christmas Village in Irvine Park! Should be a great night for it.
Happy Holiday Season to you All!!

So much to be Thankful for!

2008-11-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

There is so much to be thankful for. I am so blessed to have married the man that God created for me. It is such a blessing to have a good, solid marriage. My boys are my most prized possession and my love for them is indescribable. I am truly blessed to have many wonderful friends, each one a special gift inm y life. Although my parents have both passed I still feel that my family is blessed because we made it through those hard times and have still managed to stay a family and truly love one another. I am so lucky to have married into such a great family. I am blessed that God gave me some unique qualities and even if I do not realize what they all are today, someday he will reveal them to me when the time is right.

On a different note, we had our first lost tooth this week. And I mean LOST, Carter has been waiting for his tooth to fall out for a couple of weeks and Monday at recess it fell out and was lost. He did not seem to care that he did not have his tooth, he simply used his brain and decided we should take a picture of him and put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy, and it worked, she came!! He woke up in the middle of the night and ran into our room all excited and said the tooth fairy had left him a dollar. If the tooth fairy would have known he could not tell a $1 bill from a $5 dollar bill she may have only left him a $1 bill! Oh well, she will learn for next time!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Unpredictable!

2008-11-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

Children are so unpredictable. That is difficult for somebody like me who really likes to know what is coming next. Parenting has taught me so many things, but the one that I need a lot more work on is going with the flow. Here is why I am writing this today... On Sunday I would have given Griffin to ANYBODY who asked, the problem was with his behavior nobody would dream of asking! I had no idea what I was going to do with him but I was SURE I was failing as a parent. His behavior even brought me to tears, that was the first time with Griffin. Not that he is overall better behaved that Carter was but because I have mellowed out a lot over the past 5 years. Between swearing underneath my breath and praying, I, we got through that day. I turned to God several times to help me in those moments that I was losing it! As always because He is so good, God walked with me. I also love my husband during these times because he always wants to talk about our parenting and how we can make it better. It is very helpful to have somebody who really understands to talk with. So this brings me to today....Today I wouldn't give Griffin up for even a minute!! He has been the most wonderful little boy anybody could ask for. He was so well behaved that I even took him to a little cafe for lunch and he was the best date ever!! I gave him so many praises throughout the morning and he kept responding, "you welcome mommy" man is he sweet! I also spent some time praising God for this miracle in my life and for always being there just as he promised!!

Go enjoy your little darlings or your little s----'s which ever they are today because they are a Gift and we are very blessed that God has entrusted them to us for their time on this earth.

Relaxing mornings

2008-11-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

I love the mornings that we do not have to be abywhere before 10:00. Today was my day to pick Carter up from school which means he gets a ride to school. I enjoy not having to get going right away, especially when it is cold. Lately I ave had a cooking buddy. Every time I am making something, Griffin shows up by the counter with a chair and his kitty cookie cutter that he HAS to have with him at ALL times. Today we made pancakes in the shapes of kitties, snowman and gingerbread man, he ate 4 of them. Griffin is also very into his warm footie jammies! I love those jammies, they make the children look so warm and cozy. Do they come in adult sizes?? Carter is too big now, he prefers to just wear underwear to bed. Carter must have liked them a lot at 3 as well because we have several pairs.

This week has been pretty mellow for us which is nice because I see business in the future with the holidays approaching!

Is it really November already??

2008-11-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it is November already and the stores are full of Christmas items. I decided I am going to do more baking this year than I usually do and give those items as some gifts. Both of the boys enjoy helping in the kitchen so it should be fun!

Halloween was really fun this year because both if the boys were into it. Of course the gorgeous weather made it even better. We had a week full of Halloween celebrations, 5 to be exact so we got a lot of use out of our costumes. I made a decision that Halloween was going to be over when they woke up the next morning so we would not have the "I want candy" struggle constantly for days or weeks. It has worked very well, they have not once asked about their Halloween candy. Not that we deprive them of it, we just added it to our normal snack shelf and they can choose a piece for a snack just like any other snack. I also put a lot of it out of site and will use it for stocking stuffers at Christmas!! Hey in these economic times you have to be creative.

On a different and way more important topic, we have a new President, what a ride the past few months have been! Although my vote for President did not make it, I will fully support our next President as I think all Americans should do. All I can do is continue to pray for this great country of ours and all of it's leaders. It was fun to have a child in school during the elections, even though he is only in kindergarten, they spent a lot of time discussing it and learning bout the election process. Of course I learned some things too, I love kindergarten!!

Have a great Wednesday!

36 Today

2008-10-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today I turn 36 years old, I am no longer in my early 30's and I am closer to 40 than 30, YIKES!! I Love my birthday but am not enjoying this getting older business. So I decided that my favorite age is 25 and that is how I will act, like I am 25! Not like I did when I was 25 because I was single and still a little wild and do not wish to relive those days, I just do not feel much older than that. I know I am more active now than I was at 25 and much happier!! The boys were so sweet this morning, the first thing Carter did when he woke up was tell me it was OK for me to go into his closet where I found a balloon, a gift and a card that he wrote in all by himself. I wont' tell him this but I knew about the balloon because Griffin told me last night, got to love a 3 year old!! I love my boys so much, all 3 of them!!

This past weekend I spent in the Dells with 4 of my dear friends and we were kid free! We have not all be together for years so we had so much fun just hanging out together. We spent some time at a spa and stayed in a very relaxing cabin. Saturday we went out on the town but midnight was all a few of us could handle! I feel so blessed to have so many girlfriends, I love spending time with other women.

This week has already been full of Halloween celebrations with a few left to come. Carter does not have school on Friday and I am really looking forward to having him home, I still miss him a lot!!

Happy Spook Day to you all!!

What a Week!!

2008-10-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last week was a busy week for us. Ty and I spent Thursday and Friday in St. Paul at our Pre-adoption classes. We got a ton of information an many questions answered. Here is what we know so far: We are planning on adopting a little girl from Korea. We picked Korea for several reasons but most importantly was because the babies are in foster homes until they are adopted and the foster homes in Korea are very well regarded. We have been warned that she will be spoiled when she comes home as in Korea the foster mothers sleep cheek to cheek with the babies. For us that is very different than how we have always been with they boys. We have never had them sleep with us so that will take some getting used to. It is very important so that we can bond with her and she feels secure. Also, they wear their babies all the time in Korea. The agency recommends getting a special carrier like they use in Korea and wear your baby on your back for a while when she comes home. She will be somewhere between 5 months and 18 months; most babies come home between 6-9 months. The process will still take the better part of another year or more but we are moving along which is all we want. We have a lot of homework to do then have to get a home study then it is just waiting! It would be so nice if we had a daughter by Christmas next year. It is all in God's hands!! Ty and I have no doubt that this is what we want to do and that this is what we have been called to do. We will keep you posted.

Griffin turned 3 on Sunday. Three is a big one because the baby is pretty much all gone. Although he is still a baby when it comes to his mommy. On Saturday we took the boys on the Pumpkin Train in Spooner. It was a nice day and we really enjoyed ourselves. It was perfect for Griffin being that he is obsessed with any type of locomotive. On Sunday we had a small b-day party for him with none other than a Thomas cake which was a hit!!

I am heading out to dinner tonight with several of my girlfriends and looking very forward to it. The only bummer is that we are getting together because one of them is moving and that makes me sad-we will all miss her but the move is great for her family!

Enjoy your week!!

Colors of Fall

2008-10-13T12:07:00.001-07:00

What a gorgeous time of year and the weather is making it even more wonderful!! The attached picture of the trees I took at the top of the Big hill in Elk Mound, what a peaceful site!! If you want to enlarge the photo just click on it.

We had a busy weekend starting with a 4-hour trip to the Pumpkin Patch, 2 b-day parties and a couple of room overhauls at our house. Griffin moved to his "Big Boy" bed which meant we had to get Carter's new (from a garage sale, but new to him) bunk beds fixed up and moved into his room. First we had to take down the crib and move Carter's old bed into Griffin's room. Ty worked really hard and got it all done in just a couple of short hours. Both of the boys were to excited for their new beds. Griffin had no trouble going to sleep in his new bed. I was a bit nervous about Carter up so high but he did just fine. The plan is for the boys to share Carter's room when we have to get Griffin's room ready to bring our daughter home. Wow, does that sound strange, our daughter! It is still going to be a while so we thought we would leave them in their own rooms for now. Notice the font color change, representative of the Fall colors. Dorky, I know but that's me. Our weekend ended with a visit from our dear friends the Woodman's on their way home from visiting family and a delicious turkey dinner at Grandma's last night, Yummy!! We have a very busy week ahead of us so check back next week for an update!

By the way check out my friend Karrin's new blog; http://www.beadedblog.blogspot.com/, she makes and sells some of the most beautiful items, perfect for the holidays!!

Happy Monday!!

Nap Time!!

2008-10-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

I love naptime!! Not for me, I am not a napper but naptime for little kids and mom's of little kids is priceless. I love it even more this week because last week napping was nonexistent and I was afraid it was over. As you can see from the attached photo, naptime is in full swing at our house!! I really enjoy this quite time in the house all by myself, I am sipping on a warm cup of coffee with the smell of cookies baking and downey coming from the laundary room; life's simple pleasures!! Again. I am so thankful that I do not have to worry about work anymore and can take some time just for me.

The other picture is of Griffin and his new obession, his airplanes. Now we have countless cars, trains and airplanes taking over our house, HELP!!!

The Price of Groceries--UGGG!!!

2008-10-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Those if you who know me well will find this strange but I am actually going to try and bargain shop for groceries!! We do something interesting at our house every week to pay for "normal weekly expenses", we have separate envelops of cash for things such as groceries, sam's club, target, church, and fun! We put about the same amount in each week and it has worked very well for a couple of years now. We have had to make adjustments along the way but nothing like we have had to lately. It is a great system because we rarely spend more than the cash we have and we all know how a $50 trip to Target can get out of hand! I owe this budget strategy to Ty (his mom while raising him, she has envelops for her car payment and mortgage). It took me some time to get used to it but now it empowers me! Anyway, back to the point at hand; over the past month or so there has not been enough cash for groceries, by a long shot. It is true we eat at home a lot. Carter has to take a lunch to school every day and Griffin, Ty and I are home for lunch daily but that is not new. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and I buy several organic products but again, that is not new. The point of this rambling is that I am going to try and buy some items at discount stores which I am not opposed to it just adds another trip to make every week. I know those of you that know me cannot believe I am saying this but the grocery bill is getting out of hand!! When Ty reads this he will be proud, he has been working on me with budgeting for years!!
If you feel my pain, know that you are not alone!!

Besides that problem, things are good. We are into a good school routine now and Carter is loving it. We have conferences this week so that should be interesting. I am happy to be back to my regular work out routine, I have even been able to fit in an extra work out of two a week. That always makes me feel good, I cannot believe I went for so long thinking about working out but not doing it because it is wonderful!! Griffin and I are having fun together and Ty is liking his new office.

Have a beautiful Fall Monday!!

Peaceful Morning

2008-09-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am loving the mornings that I do not have to bring Carter to school. He does not ride the bus (he could, but I am not ready for that) so we carpool with our dear friends the Stabenow's because their son is in Carter's class. It is so nice not to have to go to school twice a day. Two mornings a week they bring the boys to school and one morning Ty brings them. Griffin is still a late sleeper if we let him so I usually get some time to myself after Ty and Carter leave and before Griffy gets up. I get a lot done in that time. I feel so fortunate that we are able to drive him to school so he does not have to ride the bus if that is what we choose. I LOVE being home every day when Carter gets home from school and spending time with Griffin alone has been so nice. I know I have said this many times but it still holds so true, I am so happy that we made the decision that I would stay home at least while the kids are little, although going back to work at any time does not appeal to me. I am sure as life changes my desire will change as well but for right now, God is really blessing our family every day!

Last week a friend and I brought our little kids to this beautiful place called the Gem Gardens. It is referred to as "Eau Claire's best kept secret" and it is. It is 25 acres of beautiful landscaping with tons of flowers and greenery and water and rock formations. Very peaceful and it is free. The kids spent 2 1/2 hours just exploring. They have raspberries and veggies to pick and everything is on an "honor system" there is just a box for the money, nobody working. Now that is not something you see. I recommend everybody checking it out, the website is http://www.gemgardens.com/. Attached is a picture from there, the picture does not do it justice at all. Also attached is a picture of Carter playing soccer. This is the second time he has played and the difference this season versus last is amazing. At least now they know which goal to try and get the ball in. I like sports so much when they are little because it is all about the fun and no competition. I know competition is good but for 5-year-old this works just fine. (Not sure what happened with the font but I am liking it).

Enjoy this summer weather!

Relaxing Weekend

2008-09-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was very nice for me. I spent Friday night and Saturday scrapbooking with my sister-in-law, Julie. I am so happy that Ty's brother married such a wonderful women and I am very grateful for her friendship. We did not get as much done as we wanted (never do) but it was so nice to sit down for hours and do something that I enjoy with no interruptions. Ty planned on taking the boys to the air show on Saturday while I was gone but since the weather was so bad they did not go. He decided to take the on Sunday so surprisingly I had Sunday to myself as well. It was nice to run my errands and get things ready for the week. I have always known how important it is as a mother to take time for yourself and I am very fortunate that my husband agrees. Attached are a couple of layouts that I completed over the weekend.

Thomas School

2008-09-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today Griffin started "Thomas School." He started a program called Camp Come and Play at Trinity Church. It is Wednesday mornings from 9:15-11:15 and no parents aloud!! He was so excited to go, last week when we started talking about him going to school he kept saying "Giffy go to Thomas School." Well today he went to Thomas School, he went back and forth between calling it that and "Percy School" (wonder what is always on his mind?) He did great, he had no problem when I left and talked all about it when I picked him up. It is amazing how fast 2 hours can go and how nice two hours can be spent alone!!

I am still amazed at how mellow he has become over the past week since Carter went to school, there are times when I hardly even know he is here. From one of the attached photos you can see what he spends much of his time doing.

Carter is still seeming to like school a lot, still coming home with lots of energy but so ready for bed by 7:30.

Ty has settled into his new office space downtown so he is now out of the house as well. It will be good for him to separate home and work a little but it is strange not having him here all the time.

As for me, I am back on track with my workouts at the Y, reading a lot and trying to catch up on some scrapbooking. It is really nice to be home and not have the stress of work on top of all of the home stuff!!

We also went to Como Zoo last weekend, the first time all year. When we left I told Ty that there will come a time when our kids will be too old for Como and his response was "When??!!"

Big Day!!

2008-09-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a very big day at the Ellis household for two reasons:

Today was Carter's first day of "Big School." Of course he was very excited and he did very well. He could have cared less that I was leaving him for the ENTIRE day. What happened to half day kindergarten?? I am having a bit of a difficult time coming to terms with the idea of him being gone so much. The morning started out with a short time of worship for the students, staff and parents and I am usually a cryer during worship songs so that did not help the cause. I managed to hold myself together pretty well. The day seemed to go very fast and it was 3:00 before I knew it. When I saw Carter come bopping out of school with a huge smile and a backpack the size of him, I just smiled in delight!! It was nice to spend the day alone with Griffin, it is amazing how much more well behaved a child is when there is no brother to compete with or fight with. He is growing up fast as well, almost three years old already and he is a sponge, learning something new everyday.

The second reason why today was a big day is that we sent out our big packet for our adoption process (this is the picture posted of the envelop and papers). We have been working on the packet for the better part of 2 months now and today it was signed, sealed and delivered. It feels so good to finally have the process in full swing. I will keep posting as things progress.

The first picture is one of the boys at the river this weekend, we had a really nice weekend staying close to home.

Hope all of you parents out there are adjusting to the school year which is now in full swing!!

Family Time

2008-08-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week my two sisters and their 5 children came to visit us. They were here for 2 days and we had a great time. My one sister had 3 girls and my other sister has a daughter and a son. It was so much fun having them here and having girls around was nice. It was the first experience our house has had to Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus (which ever she goes by now). Two of the girls are the same age as my boys so they had lots of fun playing together. Our family has been through a lot of tough times over the years, especially my two sisters. Those times have made strains our our relationships as everybody finds there own way to "get through it." I hope these two days has helped to strengthen our relationships so we can continue to grow closer. I love my sisters so much an only want the best for them!
The unfortunate thing is that I don't have any pictures. I kept talking about getting pictures of all of the kids together but then they were gone and the camera had never come out. The next time we are together I have to get pictures.
Enjoy your long and gorgeous weekend!

Proud wife

2008-08-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I know just posted but I have to share this. I just got off the phone with Ty's doctor and got some really good news. Ty has been working really hard this summer to change his eating habits and get into a regular exercise routine and his hard work has paid off. He has lost about 15 pounds but the best news is that his cholesterol which was high 2 years ago is perfect now!! For all of you who need a motivator to get active or drop a few pounds for your heath, here it is!!

Back to reality

2008-08-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am back to reality! It is hard to get back into mommy duty when you have been kid and responsibility free for a few days. Ty and I had such a good time together, despite the fact that I had strep throat. The weather was great, not a cloud in the sky and it was only 115, very HOT. It is a very different hot then here, no humidity so it is bearable, believe it or not. We spent our days from 9:30am-4:00pm by the pool just relaxing, talking and reading. You could only take the sun for about 45 min before you had to get in the pool which felt so good. My friend Jill asked me what it was like to be in a pool without children, all I can say is it was fabulous!! We went to a very fancy dinner on Saturday night which was such a fun experience and the food was remarkable. Then we saw the funniest thing I think I have ever seen. We went to a hypnotist show, it was hysterical!! I love spending time with my husband, he is still my best friend and he is romantic so he makes me feel special! Ty is still in Vegas working until Wednesday and I miss him.

Back to reality... It is always nice to get away but coming home is wonderful, I missed my babies!! We are so blessed to have such a great grandma and grandpa, they took such great care of the boys while we were gone, both of the boys had bad tummys. We love and appreciate them so much.

Today my 2 sisters and their 5 children are coming to visit, they are staying overnight. They have never all stayed her so I am very excited, We do not get to spend much time together and I am not sure why. I would really like to be closer to them so maybe this weekend will help that along.

I am looking forward to getting some good pics of the kids all together!

Vegas Baby!!

2008-08-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

I made it through the girl's weekend with only minor injuries, actually I came out just fine. I did come close to getting beat up but that is a story to tell in person. We had a blast as always. The best part about weekends like that is the pure relaxation of it. There was nobody to feed and nobody needing anything from me. I feel very blessed to have such wonderful friendships that just pick up where they left off from year to year. I also feel very lucky to have a wonderful husband who is such a fantastic father! I am already looking forward to next year. But first comes a short trip to Vegas for Ty and I. We will be going there this weekend so check back next week for that update.

Attached are a couple of photos from the weekend and a couple that I took of the boys today. It is funny how a few days away make you a better parent, we had a fabulous day today!!

Girl's Weekend

2008-08-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

It is that time again, time for the annual Girl's weekend at my friend Erin's parent's cabin. Actually it is their house now that they retired but they graciously let us use it one weekend a month! It is a beautiful home on a fabulous lake in Northern Minnesota. There are 7 of us that go and we have all been friends since Junior High (or Middle School). It is always so good to spend time with them as we only all get together one time a year. We have some traditions that we do yearly and some things that we change up from year to year. I will update that information when I get home. All I know is there will be a lot of relaxation and a lot of laughs. And NO children!!!

Attached are a couple pics from last years weekend. Hope you all enjoy your weekend too.

School Shopping

2008-08-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it, we went school shopping! I decided just to conquer my fears head on and get excited about school. Grandma ("Honey" the boys special name for her) brought Carter shopping for school clothes and shoes yesterday. What a wonderful Grandma she is, we are all very lucky to have her in our lives! It was interested shopping for specific items as Carter will be wearing a uniform at school. I found it way easier to find the pieces we needed than I thought it would be. Finding gym shoes that are Logo free was a little challenging but we did it. It was nice to only have so many choices. I think we will really like the uniform idea as the kids get older and there is so much emphasis and competition around apparel.

Today was the fun day, Carter and I bought his school supplies! Over half of the things on the list were household items such as; tissues, paper towels, baggies, antibacterial wipes, etc... I suppose a kindergarten classroom gets pretty messy. There are still a couple of items we have left to get but for the most part we are ready.

The picture of Griffin shows what he has been up to lately, lining EVERYTHING up! That line of cars was every matchbox car that we have, and any of you who have boys know they have a TON of them. He is also very into being clean, strange??

Happy Sunday to you all and God Bless you!!

Kindergarten anxiety

2008-07-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this summer is going. I did not think sending Carter to kindergarten would be that big of a deal for me but I am already starting to have some anxiety about it. I feel like I only have a few weeks left with him then he will be out of the house. He is VERY excited and ready to go. I sure wish we had the option of half-day kindergarten, they will be in school for so long at such a young age.

Carter just finished with T-ball which he seemed to enjoy. What a fun thing to watch; a bunch of uncoordinated 5-year-olds who all hit the ball and stand there. Once they realize they have to run to first base they just stay there and first base gets quite congested. What a wonderful thing to watch, they were clueless. By the end they were getting the hang of it.

This past weekend we went camping in the Dells. We had a great time, the boys do really good camping as long as there is enough to do to keep them busy. We went to Riverview Park and Griffin rode his first min-roller coaster. In the attached picture he is sitting beside me but you cannot see him. We also went on a great Diesel train ride and rode the WI Dells Ducks. We are very happy with our camper just not so much pulling it with our minivan.

Since we do not have any scheduled activities this week we were able to plan several things to do around town that we haven't had the chance to do as much as we would have like this summer so it will be a fun week for us! Hope you all enjoy your week as well.

Busy Bees!

2008-07-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

We sure have kept busy this summer. We were actually home last weekend and will be home again this weekend. I have to admit, as much as I love to go places and do things, it is nice to be home once in a while. Saturday the boys were a bit out of control, it took us a while to figure it out but I think they were actually bored. They are a lot like their mother, have to go, go, go!

The picture of the train ride is the train at Carson Park, the boys really enjoy it and what a great thing to do on a Sunday afternoon, I love Eau Claire!!

Carter is in a program through Parks and Rec where he gets to try a few different sports for one week each, this week is basketball. Check out the Jump Shot!!

It is Country Jam weekend and this morning while we were out and about we saw several "tour" buses, wonder what stars were in there. My friend Mindy and I are working in the beer tent at Jam tomorrow then we get to stay for the last couple of acts. I am looking forward to it as I really enjoy hanging out with Mindy and Jam is aways a fun and interesting atmosphere. If any of you are there, come and find me!! Have a great, hopefully dry, weekend.

Vacation Bible School

2008-07-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Carter has participated in 3 different VBS' this summer and he has loved them all. He went to Peace Lutheran Church's VBS which was a Beach Party theme, so much fun!! He went to Trinity for one called Camp Cooking and Booking and the theme was camping. Each day they were camping in a different place; polar camping, jungle camping, forest camping, mountain camping. This week he is doing the Veggie Tales camp at Trinity and is loving it! They sure put a lot of time and work into these and you can tell the people really love God and have a heart for teaching children about Him. I am so glad that he is learning about God and how to treat people the way that Jesus did. Watching him learn through these programs really makes me excited for school. We chose to send Carter to a christian school so that he can get a good foundation on christian values and learn about the Bible and ask questions about it.

I would highly recommend these programs for your kids in the future! They are each one week long and run 9:00-noon.

Enjoy the gorgeous day today!!

Camping like city folks

2008-07-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we spent a few days at Lake Neshonoc campground with Ty's family. We were "camping" in cabins so it was not so rustic but it was fun. It is a very nice campground near LaCrosse. There is a lot to do with 2 regular sized pools, a kiddie pool, 2 playgrounds, a beach area and a lake. Griffin got to fish for the first time, he kept catching the same little rubber red fish over and over. The boys were so worn out from the weekend that they were in bed at 7:00 last night and sleeping within minutes. The weather was beautiful this weekend so the fun was endless. The only problem was the boys were afraid of the "Yettie" thanks to their dads! I feel so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family!!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-28T11:28:00.001-07:00

We spent a lot of time outside this week and I loved it! Summer is such a wonderful time of year, too bad it goes by so fast. Carter was at two different Vacation Bible Schools over the past 2 weeks and he enjoyed them both very much. I am so glad that he is learning about God and having fun while he is doing it. We called him our teenager this week because we had to wake him up at 8:00 every day and he was never home. Griffin and I really enjoy our mornings together. It is funny how easy it is with one child! Hope you are all enjoying your summer so far! I have attached a few photos to show what we were up to this week.

Book Worm

2008-06-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

I think I have become a book worm. I have been reading a ton lately and have found some great books. I am bookless right now and it is driving me crazy.
I thought I would post a few of my recent favorites. Some are inspirational while others are just entertaining. So here are a few worth checking out:
-90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper
-The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch-if you watched his lecture on-line, this is even better.
-Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
-The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
Any books by Emily Griffin I would recommend, they are fun, female reading.

Please share your favorites in the comments section!

Home Away From Home

2008-06-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

We bought a camper a few weeks ago and this past weekend we finally got to use it. We went camping with Ty's brother, his wife and their kids. We certainly do not rough it as the campground had a pool, playground, mini golf, arcade and a small window service grill. Not to mention the very clean bathrooms and showers. None the less, we were camping in the great outdoors and sleeping in a camper sure beats a tent!! As you can see from the picture we brought a lot of things; too much according to Ty and Troy. The kids had a lot of fun and the weather was pretty good. I think camping is something we will enjoy doing as a family for many years to come!

Triathletes!!

2008-06-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Ty and I, along with our good friends Jill and Mick Stabenow participated in a couples min-triathlon in Osseo. This was our 2nd year doing it and the Stabenow's 3rd year. It consisted of a 2-mile canoe around Lake Martha, 11 mile bike ride and 3 mile run. We are proud to say that we did better than the last time so the training has paid off. It sure is tough when you are doing it but feels great when it is done. It is nice because it is a very layed back event so it does not feel very competitive, although Ty beats me every time even though I train way more than him. It is a very fun and fulfilling event!!

Is it finally Summer??

2008-06-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

I think it is finally summer! This spring we decided we were going to try and keep our lawn looking decent. We live in a neighborhood full of retired people who spend several hours everyday on lawn care. Ours usually looks sub-par at best. So when the neighbors got their sprinklers out today, so did I! Carter thought it was nice enough outside to run through it. I would disagree but he is a kid and a boy so he didn't care how cold it was. Then he walked up to me and gave me some flowers that he picked just for me. What a sweetheart, he is going to break many hearts some day. I hope you are all having as good of a day as we are!

Thomas the Train

2008-06-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last week we spent a couple of days in Green Bay. We went there to see the "Day out with Thomas." This is something we thought about doing when Carter was in the Thomas phase and never did. Now that Griffin is in that phase we decided this would be our chance. So last Wednesday we headed to Green Bay. We had been told about a park called Bay Beach so we checked it out and it was perfect for our boys. The rides were a quarter to fifty cents each, seriously!! They rode on everything and I think we spent $12.00, I recommend checking it out of you are ever in the area. It was cold, lower 60's and windy due to the big lake that is right there. It was nice because it was not very busy. Thursday was the Big Day! The Day Out was held at the National Railway Museum so there was a lot to do and many trains to see. Riding Thomas was especially fun because it was pouring outside but we were dry inside the train. Unfortunately we had to leave earlier than we wanted to due to the rain, but still enjoyed it a lot.
I am going to try and attach a couple of photos, hope it works!

Why Blog??

2008-06-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

After a couple close friends started blogs and I became addicted to reading their's and other women's that I don't even know, I decided I would probably really enjoy doing one myself. As my family does not get to see us very often, it is my hope that this can help them feel closer to us. It is also a great way to keep a journal of our daily lives, something that we often take for granted and time that goes by too fast!
Welcome to the Ellis' family blog, hope you enjoy keeping up with us!!