Family Portraits

I had our family take portraits in the end of October.. they turned out fantastic.. here's a sneak peak :)
I am sending our family picture out with my Christmas letters (not pictured here) and in the Christmas spirit if you would like your name and address to be added to my list, if you could let me know by posting a response :) I know there are a few of you that I would like to add!

Wonders in the Waiting Room!

This morning I had a Dr. appointment (due to complications that have arised from my miscarriage, not serious, but just something needing to be addressed) and after a short wait, we were informed that our Dr. was at the hospital dealing with an emergency and we could wait it out or make another appointment. We all decided to wait it out. I started talking to a woman that looked VERY pregnant - and was 4 days overdue! (as I discovered) Before you know it there were 4 of us, having never met before, chatting about all things children/babies. It was so refreshing to talk with these strangers and we could all encourage and empathize with each other. Such a base human experience of the goodness of 4 worlds colliding :) What stories of challenge, turmoil and yet sucess and strength! One woman had just lost her 4.5 month baby boy due to SIDS just 7 months ago!! She had also gone through 4-5 miscarriages in between her 3 live births. They adopted a little girl and talked about their open adoption with the girls birth mom. It was such an encouragement to me to see her love for her kids despite all the painful circumstances in her life. There was another lady who had had an abruption (internal bleeding) at 32 weeks, basically the baby was already dead but by the time she was at the hospital, the Dr's were fighting for her life! She is glad to be alive, and now has a 2.5yr old boy! I had to try my best to fight off tears, such sad stories, but at the same time what wonderful perspectives these women had in light of their grief and sadness that they had been through and continue to struggle with. I was reminded once again of fragility of life, and of giving life! These women were such an encouragement to me in the hour we all talked as we waited for the Dr. To think, if I hadn't started conversation with one woman, I may have missed this opportunity! Have you talked to a 'stranger' lately?

I miss my baby

I guess yesterday was just an emotional day. I just missed my baby. I would have been around 20 weeks or so.. I would have been half done my pregnancy. I miss not feeling the twirling and swirling and bumps and thumps from those little hands and feet within. Feeling the wonder and roundness and changes in my body. Going through my miscarriage I went through the initial grief although it was not a long time mostly because I was not pregnant for that long and tried to prepare myself because of the signs I was seeing that it might happen. I also have the comfort knowing that my baby is in the best possible care, in the arms of my dear Heavenly Father. Every now and then I remember, seeing a pregnant mother go by, seeing a newborn baby, and I feel the longing of what may have been. I think what brought on my feelings yesterday was the fact that I found my hospital bracelet. I have kept each hospital bracelet from when I delivered my babies, so I decided to keep the hospital bracelet from when I found out I had miscarried. A small reminder of my angel child. I think it's ok to have sad days, remembering days and dreaming days. I don't dwell on it (not that I really have time to with my two active children!) that may not be healthy - but just as everyone who has lost someone special, you have those days where you remember and ponder.
Just over 2 years ago, hours after my daughter was born :)

PMK

Have you ever seen PMK? Have your kids? PMK - Popular Mechanics for Kids :) Recently on a trip to the library, I found a kids dvd about space rockets, submarines, monster trucks and boats. My son LOVES this DVD and could watch it ALL DAY LONG (on repeat!). The best thing, I love it too, for him!! It is totally up his alley. TJ is very mechanically minded and likes to know how things work, he will destroy things (in my opinion) just to find out how something works (so really it's not destruction, it's a means to an end). Even though some of these concepts are probably geared more towards 6-8 yr olds, TJ just soaks it all in! There are fun cartoons explaining the ins and outs of a working motor, they do silly experiments and get to go into a lot of places we will probably never see!
It's great to see how a new world has openned up for him with these great education videos :) As the website recommends, "Encourage your child's inquisitive mind today."

Travel Tip Tuesday: Travelling with Children

I read this interesting article a while back about travelling with children - more particularly flying with small children. Although it had a few good suggestions, the biggest issue was whether or not giving Gravol to your children was a good idea or not. Have you ever 'drugged up' (tylenol or Gravol or anything the like) your kids for travelling purposes? What were the results?

Check out the article :)

Daylight Savings...

So we've just experienced daylight savings time once more... and the results are still the same. Somehow my kids just don't seem to get the memo. I prep my kids, let them stay up an hour later, and you know what time they got up... 6:45am!!!! Now remember that on there internal clocks that's 7:45am, which really isn't so bad for my kids. Let me tell you, we are all going to have a nap this afternoon!! Do your kids have adjustment issues with time change as well? Either way, Happy November :)

It's been so long, I forgot how this feels...

Peace. Like real peace and calm in your soul. It's funny, you think something that happened so long ago wouldn't really affect a person, but it's like I've been breathing stale air for so long that I've gotten used to it. I've finally got a breath of fresh air and I forgot how wonderful it can be. I know this may not be very theologically sound but indulge me a little. I heard this song this morning and I love it (I loved the catchy melody from the first time I heard it) and this morning I realized that it defines what I feel/felt or have gone through in my relationship with God (I know, I know, that's not what this song is about, but it is about a relationship and I just applied it to this one). Take a listen see if I'm crazy or if you can see how it could be a parallel? **video isn't really for kids, although not explicit**


The good thing is, I know what God says. He forgives. Hence the peace!

Random Conversation

My daughter had her bath and was in her nighty, all ready for bed.. she was being really cute, and then when I managed to get the camera out she stopped, but I did get some really good random conversation :) enjoy!


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Travel Tip Tuesday: Experiencing Culture

I have found that the greatest way to experience a country or area's culture is to find a destination where you know someone that lives there. If you don't know anyone that lives near a destination that you would like to visit, find a pen pal, or look into doing a homestay or even bed and breakfasts - they can give you an opportunity to get to know the area on a deeper level, like someone who lives there instead of just a tourist!

Heart Housekeeping

**This post may be kind of confusing as I skirt an unknown issue, but this is such a big thing in my life at the moment I have to share what I can, and I hope you can take the principle away from this post.**

For those of you that I have on Facebook, you'll notice my status today. For those of you that I don't have on my FB, my status goes something like this, "Ellen has been doing some heart housekeeping.. it's a lot harder and takes a lot more courage than I thought!!". I have marked this last weekend as turning point that has been in the process for more than 5 years, a turning point in my heart. With this turning point, I have a responsibility to myself to clean up some of the skeletons and cobwebs that have been in my heart for a long time. What an incredibly hard thing to do, admitting to yourself about the skeletons and admitting to key people in your life about where you've gone wrong. Harder yet, putting your whole self on the line - openning everything up to people, knowing that there is a chance, a very likely chance that they will not only reject you but probably reject all that was so hard to share. I suppose that is the price for doing the right thing - doing the right thing is hard, harder yet when it involves people you love. The reason for all this: my heart feels like it has been freed, knowing that I have done what God has asked of me, the rest is out of my hands but now I can sleep like a baby :)

**no he is not posing, I litterally found my son sleeping like this a while ago!!