Family Five Leaves

Eliana and Abraham

2012-02-12T02:13:00.000-08:00

Our Future Chef

2012-02-11T02:07:00.000-08:00

When we got back, Ellie's friend had made her a little apron. Since then Ellie has wanted to help us cook whenever she can. I'm hoping she'll take over cooking all the meals in the next year or two. :)

J Jumper

2012-02-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

I don't actually know the technical name for this wonderful creation... The Jolly Jumper? The Johnny Jump-Up? Something like that anyway.... This was one of the first times he used it and used his hands to grab toys, too. Now (a month later) he bounces around like crazy and uses his hands constantly, but it sure was exciting to see him doing this when he first started.

Togetherness

2012-02-09T01:58:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough pictures of my kids together. It's so great seeing them love each other. Abraham watches everything Ellie does with his expression clearly communicating, "You are the absolute coolest person on Earth." And Ellie spends quite a bit of time complimenting Abraham and caressing his head.
This picture makes me think Ellie is trying to persuade Abraham to smile for the camera.

Ellie's Exercises

2012-02-08T01:54:00.000-08:00

Ellie really likes to exercise... especially when she gets to use my exercise mat. It's a very complex routine, but one afternoon she spent quite a bit of time demonstrating and explaining her moves to Franklin and I. Here's a glimpse... if only you could hear the explanations. If I remember correctly, we were even told which country most often did those exercises. :)

The following is one of the more complex moves.

Christmas Cupcakes

2012-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

Around Christmas time Ellie was obsessed with making cupcakes. That is all she talked about. So, the day after Christmas, we invited some friends over, and that's what we did. We made our own icing which was supposed to be red, but turned out more like hot pink.We also used some sprinkles we brought from the States. In the picture it looks like Ellie couldn't wait to get started eating!

Love

2012-02-06T01:36:00.000-08:00

It's nice to be loved.

Brr...

2012-02-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

We arrived here at the coldest point of the year. Now, let's be clear, winters here are NOTHING compared to Minnesota winters. But, we don't have indoor heating, so it gets chilly in the house. There were a few days in a row where the thermometer in our house didn't break 60F. Too cold in my opinion....
So to stay warm, you can either cuddle up with Daddy...

Or cuddle up under the thick blanket on Mommy and Daddy's bed...

Ellie knew it was nap time, but Abraham must have missed that message.

No Place Like Home

2012-02-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

Before we left the States, Grandpa Loren gave Ellie a children's book version of The Wizard of Oz and included was a little necklace of Dorothy's shoes. The whole trip over Ellie wanted to open the necklace, but I didn't want to lose it on our journey, so I told her she had to wait until we got home. So, the morning we arrived at our house, one of the first things we did was take out the necklace. As I put in on Ellie I was reminding her what Dorothy said when she clicked her shoes... "There's no place like home."
I realized that morning that I felt that way, too. We have homes all over the world, but right now this is is where we belong. And it feels good to be here, difficulties and all.
Now, a month and a half later, as we have gotten some cleaning and organizing done, as we are getting into a routine, as hopefully quite a bit of the busy traveling time is behind us, as we get to spend time building our life as a family of four, I still agree with Dorothy. "There's no place like home."

Hanging Out at Grandpa's House

2011-12-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun our last few days in the States. We spent some time at my dad's house.

Holding the baby

2011-12-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

Throughout the day Ellie asks, "Can I hold Abraham?"... Abraham has a high tolerance for being jostled around and held in positions I am sure are uncomfortable. He adores his big sister.

Mr. Giraffe

2011-12-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

Abraham has gotten to the stage where he likes to use hands and his mouth to explore things. Mr. Giraffe was the first toy he played with. Thanks, Emma! :)

Christmas Tree Decorating

2011-12-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

Ellie had so much fun decorating the Christmas tree at Grandma Dee's house. She put most of the ornaments on the tree, and then she'd take them off and play with them, and then she'd put them back again. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture of her decorating. The camera wouldn't focus right. Between these two pictures, though, you can get the idea.
Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

Little Foods Picnic

2011-12-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

The day before we left Breckenridge, Mike and Janell came over and we had a "little foods" picnic... or maybe it was a tea party. Anyway, it was super special. Ellie loved all the little foods, and she has certainly not forgotten putting the olives on her fingers. It was a very fun way to say good bye.

St. Nicholas Day 2011

2011-12-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

It was fun to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving and St. Nicholas Day with family this year. In order to celebrate with Matt, Susie, and Hosanna we celebrated a little early.

I forget what story Ellie was telling, but she had Susie and Abraham's attention. I think it had something to do with the gifts. She was pretty excited.

Abraham was pretty thrilled, too.

And we ended the morning with a family picture.

Thanksgiving 2b

2011-12-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

One of the things we wanted to do at both Thanksgiving celebrations was to take family pictures. Here are a few from our second Thanksgiving celebration.
Above: All of us... Debbie, Kristen, me, Susie, Mom, Aili, Russ, Ellie (who was counting how many pictures were being taken), Mark, William, Matthew, Hosanna, Franklin, and Abraham
Below: The two girls with Grandma and Grandpa

Matthew and my families with Grandma and Grandpa

Thanksgiving 2a

2011-12-07T18:06:00.001-08:00

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we got together with Mom's side of the family. It was a crazy fun day with five kids, three under four months! We got family pictures, but those will have to be in a 2b post.

William 3 1/2 months, Abraham 2 months, Hosanna 3 weeks

Eliana 3 years and 2 months, Aili 2 years and 10 months at the reindeer/kids' table

Auntie Debbie had the magic touch. It seemed she could calm any crying baby.

I wanted to get a picture of the yummy food.

Mark was kind enough to let me know the gravy wasn't on the table yet.

More important than the food on the table, though, were the people around the table. It was so great to be together as family.

And a touch of the next post... when I can get my hands on the pictures and have time on the computer... Grandma Dee and Grandpa Russ with their five grandkids.

Thanksgiving 1

2011-12-03T16:23:00.001-08:00

On Thanksgiving Day we celebrated with my dad's side of the family at my Aunt Doris and Uncle Allan's house. We have loved spending time with them while we have been in MN.

We were able to get a family photo with Grandma, Dad, my brother Matthew's family, and our family.

Dad and Abraham spent some time together.

Because we'll be gone for Christmas, we got to open some Christmas presents.

It was fun having two babies around. Baby Hosanna was pretty content the whole day.

Abraham wasn't quite as content, but he enjoyed some tummy time. :)

Friends from the Solomons

2011-11-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

While we were in the Solomons we became friends with a family from Indiana that worked there. Because they unexpectedly had to make a trip back to the States, while we were in Indiana, we got to spend time with them. Small world, huh?

Callum (4), Abraham (6 1/2 weeks), Eliana (3), and Isla (3)

Juston and Franklin

Erin (who taught me a lot about knitting!) and me

Family

2011-11-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

While in Indiana we got to see relatives from my mom's side of the family that we don't get to see very often. So good to catch up.

My Uncle Ken and Aunt Halerie with us.

Cousins together. Melissa, Mike, Mellena, a hidden Franklin, and me.

My cousin Rhonda and her family with ours, Marvin, Rhonda, Arianna, and us.

The next generation... Lucas, Hannah, Abraham, Abby, Ellie, Canaan, and Kenzie.

Eliana and Arianna

Ellie started out afraid of Sugar the dog, but she built up her courage and couldn't stop petting her by the time we left.

And my gorgeous sleeping Abraham... lots and lots of pictures, rather lots and lots of screaming while pictures are being taken, tire a boy out.

We also got a chance to spend the afternoon with my Aunt Judy.

Our Drive to Indiana

2011-11-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

On our way down to Indiana, we got to spend one night with some good friends, Jim and Elaine.

After we left their house, we stopped to eat at a place that had a cow in front of it. Ellie desperately wanted to go touch the statue of the cow.

Kids need a chance to stretch during a long car ride... this we have learned.

Right after entering Indiana, there was a stretch of the Interstate that had a garden of windmills. It was pretty cool to see all of them.

A busy girl

2011-11-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

I walked into Ellie's room after her playtime and found this set up.
I didn't put them away, so before bedtime Ellie decided they all needed to be put to sleep.
Hosting a picnic and putting this many to sleep sure makes a busy girl!

Smiles...

2011-11-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

I love watching Abraham develop facial expressions.

And I still love Ellie's, too!

Celebrating Abraham

2011-11-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I got together with some wonderful ladies, and we celebrated Abraham's birth. There were some beautiful decorations.

Even a homemade bow for Ellie's hair was provided!

Making Cookies

2011-11-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

A while back we made cookies for some new neighbors. Ever since then Ellie has wanted to make cookies again. So we did.

Ellie decorated one with all green decorations, because her daddy's favorite color is green. Thoughtful girl.

Playing around the house

2011-11-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hosanna Grace Elizabeth

2011-11-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Nov 4, we got a text message early in the morning saying, "We have a baby girl!" Since the baby wasn't due until mid-November, and we thought it might be late, this was such a surprise!

When it was time for Ellie to get up, I went into her room. This was our conversation.
"Ellie, do you remember what was in Aunt Susie's tummy?"
"A baby."
"Guess what?"
Ellie says excitedly, "It popped out?"
"Yes, they had a baby girl. You have a little girl cousin!"
Ellie's immediate, and extremely cheerful response, "Are we going to Bangladesh now?"

Since the baby wasn't due so soon, I had been telling her we wouldn't be going back to Bangladesh until after Uncle Matthew's baby was born.... she didn't forget. :)

Since we were so close and had some flexibility in our schedule, we decided to drive up and celebrate with them later that day.

The babies that are just 5 weeks apart, Abraham and Hosanna.

Three cousins, Eliana, Abraham, and Hosanna.

Eliana and the new daddy, Matthew.

Two daddies and their babies.

Two mommies and their babies.

Congratulations, Matthew and Susie! Hosanna is beautiful!

A Trip to Grandma's

2011-11-16T19:29:00.001-08:00

Our first road trip after Abraham was born was to Grandma's house. We all kept ourselves occupied in the van in our own way.

Abraham slept most of the way. (Notice his cute little face in the mirror.)

Franklin drove.

Eliana entertained herself with whatever she could get her hands on.

And I cross-stitched.

Grandma enjoyed time with two of her six (now seven) great grand children.

Ellie and Franklin enjoyed raking leaves...

...that fell from beautiful trees like this.

Ellie and I took a trip to the park.

Grandpa Loren met us there.

Fun, fun family time!

Slippers

2011-10-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

For Franklin's birthday back in August, I knit him a pair of slippers. I also knitted a pair for the little guy who was growing in my tummy. Now they can wear their slippers and be matching. You can imagine how excited they both are about this!

Naptime

2011-10-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

I took a nap next to this handsome hunk yesterday afternoon. It was very hard to persuade myself to get up while he finished his nap. Whoever came up with the rule that mommies should sleep while their babies sleep was a genius. How long do I get to apply that rule to my life?

Getting Ready for Coldness

2011-10-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

We bought Ellie a hat, scarf, gloves, and slippers at the store the other day. We thought we'd take a picture. These are what we got when we asked her to pose for us.

Frost

2011-10-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Franklin came in the other morning and let us know that there was frost outside. Ellie hadn't seen frost (or her breath in cold weather) so we decided to go out and have a look. Ellie, who was already wearing her princess towel that she never uses during bath time but always during playtime, decided it would serve as her coat.

Ellie enjoyed stepping on the crunchy frost. She also thought it was fun to see her breath. It's fun to see her experience Fall in Minnesota.

Relaxing Abraham

2011-10-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's my little guy enjoying his bath time. If we wouldn't have involved soap and a washcloth, he could have stayed in his tub content for the rest of the day.
Speaking of Abraham. He was weighed again on Wednesday and he tipped the scales at 10lbs 10oz. So in less than three weeks, he's up 3lbs! Go, Abraham, go. Or maybe I should say grow, Abraham, grow!

Difficulty

2011-10-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

It's harder to get a self taken family picture when there are four family members... at least Ellie is smiling big. :)

Growing Abraham

2011-10-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

We dressed Abraham up to go get his passport picture taken. He wore jeans for the first time. :)

We had his two week well check up a day before he turned two weeks old and he weighed in at 9lbs 10oz... I'd say gaining an ounce less than two pounds in less than two weeks is pretty impressive. :) He still measured 20 in long.

Grandpa Loren's Visit

2011-10-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dad drove up from the cities to meet his first grandson, and it turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL Fall day. So beautiful that it was impossible to stay indoors, so we went to the zoo.

Ever since Ellie had a chat with a nurse about orangutangs, she has been particularly fascinated by them. The orangutang seemed to want to please Ellie. He had his back to us, but when we wanted to get a picture, he turned and posed. As soon as our pictures were done, he turned right back around...

Grandpa Loren has his arms full. He will have to find a way to make room for one more grandchild in just over a month!

Post-Bath Handsomeness

2011-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Lazy Mornings

2011-10-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

One thing that has been nice about our first couple weeks as a family of four has been lazy mornings. We've only had a couple days when we had to get up and do things according to a schedule. So, we wake up when it feels good and we enjoy time together until we feel like going upstairs to eat breakfast. One morning Abraham and I went in to wake up Ellie. She loved it. So fun.

Abraham's First Bath

2011-10-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Abraham loved the warm water. He didn't scream, he just enjoyed it.

Ellie's never too far away. :) It's so much fun to have two kids to take pictures of.

Sibling Love

2011-10-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

Abraham's First Outing

2011-10-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

When Abraham was one week old, we took him on his first outing. My friend had taken Ellie to the zoo with her kids, so Franklin and I decided to go on a date. Abraham was a very easy companion as he slept the whole time. :)

One thing we realized on the way home from the hospital is that we don't like not being able to see his face while he's in the mandatory rear facing car seat. We got this mirror so we can check on him.

Week 1

2011-10-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

A few days before delivery my doula sent me a text reminding me that the last days before labor seem to take forever, but the first week after birth will fly by. Boy, was she right! How did a week go by so quickly?!

Two days in the hospital, a couple days adjusting to being home, an extremely helpful visit from my sister-in-law, and boom! A week is gone! It's a good thing we remembered to at least take a couple photos.

One morning we realized Ellie and Abraham had matching jammies on.

On Friday morning, when Abraham was just shy of being a week old, we had the public health nurse over to weigh our little man. He was 8lbs 9oz according to their scale... and that's after we took his clothes and diaper off. With them he was 8lbs 15oz! Pretty amazing, considering when we left the hospital, he was 7lbs 5oz. I guess we'll see what the clinic says next week when we take him in for his well check up. Also, I am super relieved that his belly button and circ are already healed. That makes life much simpler.

So, yay for a successful first week!

On our Fridge

2011-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

We have some arts and crafts stuff on our fridge right now. Each week that we are in town, Ellie has been going to the Library storytime. The librarian chooses a theme for the week and reads books about that. Then, the kids all get to do a craft and they bring home a coloring sheet. This week the theme was apples. Last week it was moose. For the craft they made antlers they could wear, so we hung her coloring sheet up on the fridge.

I also put these butterflies up on our fridge. Four hours before Abraham was born, this is what Ellie and I were doing. I had been having mild contractions all day, so I was trying to keep myself busy. Now these butterflies make me smile every time I see them. What a fun memory!

Ellie meets Abraham

2011-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

During the end of labor and delivery, Ellie got to go spend the night at my brother's house. Susie came and picked Ellie up, and we spent the first night of her life away from each other. She wasn't gone long, though, because the next morning she came back to the hospital and got to meet her little brother.

A few weeks before Abraham was born, Franklin took Ellie to a store and said she could pick anything she wanted to give to her new baby brother as a gift. So, one of the first things Ellie did was make sure Abraham got his new lion slippers on his feet.

And our first picture as a family of four.

And a daddy adoring his new son.

Abraham Saelea

2011-10-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

At about 6pm on Sept 30, we took our last picture as just a family of three.

Less than two hours later, we had Abraham Saelea in our arms.

Welcome to our family, little one. We are so glad you are here!

Abraham Saelea

Born September 30 at 7:41pm

7lbs 11oz, 20 in long

Ellie's Birthday Party

2011-10-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ellie doesn't get to have her birthday celebrated in the States very often, so I had been planning in my head how to celebrate her birthday for a while. I thought it would be fun to have a barbecue at the park. Since Ellie's birthday is in mid September, the weather could have been perfect... but it wasn't. :) Instead of a warm day, we had a cold, windy day. Nonetheless, we showed up and had fun to celebrate Ellie turning three.

One of the fun things about Ellie's party was having lots of family there. Dad, Uncle Allen, Aunt Doris, and Susie are in the picture. My mom was at the party and so was Ellie's Uncle Matthew, even though they aren't in the picture.

The party was a mixture of both adults and kids, so while the adults sat and chatted, the kids had a playground to play on, and we played a few games.... like

a scavenger hunt. Each child got a bag with a colored sticker and had to find the prizes with the same color sticker that were hidden in the playground. (silly picture that won't rotate)

a modified cake walk. Instead of numbers the kids walked on shapes, and instead of cakes, the prize was candy. :)

and hot potato. This is one of Ellie's favorite games. :)

So much fun, so many friends and family members, so much good food (thanks, Aunt Doris!)... and such a wonderful three year old to celebrate. We are very blessed to have Eliana as our daughter.

Learning to ride a tricycle

2011-10-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

On the day before Ellie's third birthday, Franklin and Ellie spent some serious time with Ellie's tricycle. Before this Ellie has just played on the tricycle for a few minutes, gotten frustrated, and then hopped off to enjoy some other activity. On Sept 16, though, she learned how to actually persevere in pedaling, and pedal while turning. We also let her use her tricycle off of the driveway, on the road. Franklin got out one of Russ' bikes and joined Ellie for the fun.
A few days later Ellie was with a group of other kids and the leader asked what the kids liked to do outside. Ellie's answer was to go on the road. I can only assume that answer came from this experience.

A Family Visit

2011-10-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

In mid August my sister in law Kristen gave birth to little William. We were thrilled that they were able to come visit in early September, even if we were only able to spend one day with them.

Three generations of Fenlason men here; Russ, Mark, and William.

Everybody got some cuddle time with William, including Uncle Franklin.

Ellie and Aili, who are only 4 months apart, had fun together. This is the best we did for a posed picture. :) Ellie has tons of cousins in the Solomons, but until William was born, she only had one here in the States. Now she has two, and come November, she should have three.

On the morning that Mark's family had to leave, we spent some time enjoying the beautiful weather at the park. The girls had tons of fun playing, especially because Mark had tons of energy to play with them.

Ellie coloring

2011-10-02T01:52:00.000-07:00

We have a fun little set up for Ellie's room right now. She has a little Ellie-size table. Sometimes we will be busy with our own things and then all of a sudden wonder, "Where is Ellie?" We've caught her a few times at her table coloring. We also catch her reading library books on her bed and going through her dresser changing clothes. It's fun to watch her grow up and enjoy tasks on her own.

Putt Putt Golf

2011-10-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

After our time at Storybook Land, we had lunch out. Then we went Putt Putt Golfing.
Ellie mostly carried her ball, set it down a few inches from the hole, and tried to hit it in. This was good practice for playing croquet in Grandma's yard which we did later.

Storybook Land

2011-10-01T01:43:00.000-07:00

The only place that has been consistent throughout my whole life is my grandma's house in South Dakota. No matter where we moved as a family, each year we spent some time at Grandma's house. And, because Storybook Land is only half an hour away from Grandma's house, we also spent time at Storybook Land each year.
For Labor Day weekend this year, our family, my brother and his wife, and my dad all met at Grandma's house. We had a WONDERFUL weekend together as a family. One of the most exciting things, though, was getting to take Ellie to Storybook Land. It's so fun to share things from my childhood with Ellie.

Just a note... after uploading these pictures, I realize that it looks like it was basically Uncle Matthew and Ellie's trip to Storybook Land while being followed around by me, the photographer. In reality, though, we all went. :)

Ellie and Matthew walking along the yellow brick road as you enter the park.

As we were walking in, Matt and I were talking about things we remembered from our visits to the park as children. We both mentioned the lion water fountain. Sure enough, it's still there, even though the park has tons of new things.

I think Ellie was a bit timid at first, but then she got the idea.

Ellie and Matthew on the carousel.

Ellie and Matthew on the balloon ride.

Ellie and Matthew riding pretend horses. :) hahaha.

Matthew and Ellie at the petting zoo.

And finally proof that at least I was there with Matthew and Ellie. :)

MN State Fair

2011-09-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

One of the things I was really hoping to be able to do this Summer was go to the MN State Fair. On the day after it opened, we made it a reality. :)
There were a million wonderful experiences. Finding a parking space was not one of them, even though we went early and did the park and ride option. Eating cheese curds, letting Ellie look at all of the animals, riding on the ferris wheel, watching Ellie do a free craft, going up the space needle, and watching Ellie in one of those blown up jumping contraptions were wonderful, though.

Painting

2011-09-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

When Ellie's Aunt Susie came to visit, she bought a little kit to paint a sleigh. One day while i was taking a nap, Franklin took it out for Ellie, and she went to town! Unfortunately, this was not washable paint. We learned two things. 1. Ellie loves to paint. 2. We will use washable paint from now on.

After the sled dried, Franklin helped Ellie assemble the pieces, and she uses it to drag her little stuffed kitty cats around.

A Trip to the Local Zoo

2011-09-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

We don't live in a very large town here in the States. I'm amazed that such a little town can have such a wonderful zoo with such a great variety of animals. We've taken Ellie twice so far, and she just loves it! She learns a ton from it, too. Today we went to the library for a story time all about moose, and my little Ellie wowed the socks off me when she was the one to answer what a moose was and that she had seen it at the zoo. I was thinking she wouldn't know what it was! So, yay for our local zoo! Here are some of the pictures from our first trip to the zoo. The pictures are not in any order.

Ellie with the donkey in the "petting zoo" part of the zoo.

Ellie and I posing across from a cage of crazy monkeys.

A buffalo

A family picture

A kangaroo. Even though we have seen kangaroos in Australia, I still think it's pretty wonderful that our little zoo has them, too.

An otter.

A large tortoise.

Black swans that will bite you if you get too close.

Ellie, the kangaroo

Ellie and one of the zebras

After re-reading this post, I realized that I didn't post pictures of some of the larger animals. Ellie also saw tigers, bears, an eagle, llamas, moose, baboons, and other animals I can't think of right now. Seriously, it's an impressive zoo.

Family Barbecue

2011-09-27T02:33:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things about being in the States right now is that my brother and his wife and the baby they are expecting in November only live a couple hours away. So, the weekend after Franklin arrived, they were able to drive down to spend some time with us... and get to know their niece that they hadn't seen since she was 2 months old.

While the guys were outside barbecuing, we ladies relaxed inside. Ellie, as you can see, didn't feel confined to either indoors or outdoors.

Ellie also found out she loves dandelions and blowing the seeds off of them. I'm sure this will be greatly appreciated next Spring. Her daddy was willing to help her find the biggest ones for her to play with.

First Days in the States

2011-09-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

We were without Franklin in the States for two weeks. They were two weeks filled with missing him, battling jet lag, and adjusting to the different pace of life here in the States. One of the first things we did was check out the local playground.

Ellie enjoys the nighttime routine of having a warm bath.

We got to see friends we hadn't seen for a long time.

Ellie enjoyed playing with toys she's never played with before. We've had some lent to us, and she has discovered the thrill of playing with toys at a friend's house.

We also had a friend who just had a baby. Ellie got some practice holding a little one, which will hopefully come in handy in the next week!

A Long Airplane Journey

2011-09-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

On our way from the Solomons to the States, we had a 26 hour journey that included 5 different flights. I wasn't just worried about keeping Ellie occupied for a little while, I was also worried about surviving myself.... especially without Franklin. Fortunately, my dad was traveling with us. Unfortunately, he only got to sit with us on one of the flights, which just happened to be the longest.
Ellie did way better than I would have ever expected. She basically slept when she was tired and played and occupied herself when she wasn't. I brought along a backpack for her that had a bunch of simple things for her to do.

We got a coloring book and some colored pencils as a gift before we left. They were useful.

Ellie played with some little animals we had picked up along the way. Half the fun of playing with the animals for Ellie is taking them out and putting them in their little bag.

Ellie also had two stuffed animals she played with. George kept her company at the airport in Fiji, but Bob the turtle spent quite a bit of time with her during the flights.

On our longest flight Ellie enjoyed one of the kids' movies. Food and snacks were also a way to keep her occupied.

Ellie was also pretty excited about the inflight magazines... even the safety pamphlet.

It was such a relief to have the long journey behind us. Although, we were just beginning the long battle with jet lag.

More Family Pictures

2011-09-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

We left the village on a Friday and Ellie and I had to fly out of the Solomons the upcoming Tuesday. So we barely had time to recover from the village goodbyes before we had to deal with the crazy to do list of leaving the Solomons and the horrible, heart wrenching goodbyes of leaving more family.

These are the last minute family photos taken the morning we were leaving.

Ellie and her Koko'okini.

And at the airport, Franklin and some sisters and his mom... Lisa, Nena, Christina, Lingesi, Rita, and Franklin.

Also at the airport, Lisa, Hadassah, Ellie, Nena, Christina, and Richie.

And congratulations to Rita who just had a little boy. We can't wait to see pictures of baby Franklin! :)

Family Pictures

2011-09-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

The day you have to say good bye to family members for two to three years is heart wrenching. There are a million emotions flowing through you, as well as the people you have to say good bye to. For me, I find that I either have to try to emotionally shut down, or I'll emotionally break down. Not only that, but there is a to do list with things like packing and gathering what is needed for the day's journey.
One thing that we always seem to leave until last is family pictures. You realize it's the last chance to capture an image of everyone the way they are now... next time there might be new kids, the little kids all become big kids, and you just hope and pray that no one will be gone.
So, here are our last minute family photos from the village. Above is Ellie with her cousins, below is Franklin with his mom, brother, and two of his sisters. Baby Abel also made it into the photo, because he doesn't like to do much at all without his mommy.

To our family in the village, we miss you guys.

A Celebration for Dad

2011-09-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

On one of our nights in the village, we had a celebration for my dad. Everyone brought some food up to our kitchen and we had a feast.

Ellie sat on the floor with cousins and second cousins.

Franklin had a good time with his cousins and relatives.

My favorite part was the end of the night when all the kids made an impromptu choir, and Ellie joined in the singing. She didn't mind that she didn't know all the words or the actions, but she certainly gave it her best shot!

Time at the beach

2011-09-18T19:07:00.000-07:00

While we were in Malu'u with Dad, we took some time to enjoy the beach. The beach doesn't look too beautiful in these pics because it was low tide.
Ellie took time to play with her cousins. She also took time to play by herself.

She and her daddy also found enough starfish to spell her name.

Dad spent time swimming in the ocean, and then enjoyed resting on the beach.

Afterwards, we all walked home and enjoyed ice blocks (popsicles) from one of the local shops.

A travelling break

2011-09-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

On our trip to the village with Dad, we decided to take a break along the road. Ellie enjoyed her time finding "treasures" at the beach. We enjoyed the view...

WWII Memorial

2011-09-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

One day Franklin and Dad went up to the WWII Memorial and took a look around. One of the most interesting things (in my humble opinion) around Honiara and Guadalcanal is all the WWII history. It's amazing that so many reminders are still around, even after so long.

If any visitor needs a break from reading, they can take in the view, too. Not bad, huh?

Solomon Islands' Independence Day 2011

2011-09-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

July 7 is Solomon Islands' Independence Day. To celebrate this year, we went to the big event in town where all the dignitaries were in attendance. Different groups lined up very formally and stood for a VERY long time while important people arrived and took turns speaking.

I thought one of the most entertaining parts was when the VIPs arrived in their vehicles, men in traditional dress would pretend to be hiding and then "attack" each car.

Ellie was not captivated by the proceedings, so she took the opportunity to do one of her favorite activities and look through my hair for "mice". :) Just in case you are left wondering... there were none!

A butterfly

2011-09-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have personally never caught a butterfly with my bare hands. I might have caught one with a net at some point in my life, or maybe I've just read about it in books or seen it in movies. During our times in the Solomons, though, Franklin seemed to catch them on a regular basis.

I love that Ellie can learn to interact with nature the way her daddy does. That's one of the good things about having two parents... hopefully she can learn to love the things we both love.

300, Frangipanis, and Dad's arrival

2011-09-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

As I was signing in right now to do this blog post, I realized that this is my 300th post... 300 in about 3 years. I'm alright with that. :)

As you have probably noticed, I am a bit behind in my posting, but I am determined to catch up before our little arrival is here. I want to be able to post up-to-date pictures of our family of four!

In early July my dad came to visit us in the Solomons. We were very excited about his arrival. A few hours before he came, my in-laws came over with my favorite flower in the Solomons, the Frangipani. They had gathered some from beneath a tree and picked some, too, I think.

We made flower garlands to put on my dad when he arrived. I watched Christina do it for a bit, and then I decided I wanted to try. Ellie wanted to help, too.

Eventually everyone got involved. Ellie and Hadassah made necklaces out of beads.

It was so exciting to see my dad arrive! He's the guy in green.

Another Saturday at the Beach

2011-08-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

After Franklin came back from his quick trip to the village, we went out for another Saturday on the beach.

The kids had a great time playing together.

They made a bunch of things out of leaves... I only got these two pictures, though.

This is Ellie taking a picture of me again. :)

And here's another picture of Franklin catching nature... he makes some humming, whistling noise, and the hermit crab comes out to say hi.

And I finally got a picture of Franklin and I that I like. :) It's nice to be able to relax together.

Goodbye, Hello

2011-07-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

On a gloomy morning, we went out on the back steps of the house we are staying in and watched Franklin's ship head out to Malaita. Franklin was just taking a quick trip, so Ellie and I stayed in the capital.

About 57 hours later, on a happy, sunny afternoon we watched the same ship return with our wonderful man aboard. Franklin is on the little ship that kind of looks like a dot, not the big container ship. :)

We were two happy girls.

After the excitement of seeing the ship come in, Ellie played on the back steps. I took a picture of her taking a picture of me.

A Smiley Face

2011-07-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is the first smiley face Ellie ever drew. After Ellie drew this, she got really creative. Within a day or two, she drew her daddy with curly hair, ears, and a beard. Unfortunately I don't have the camera within arms reach all the time. But still, fun, fun!

Kiri arrives from New Zealand

2011-07-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

In the West and in South Asia, going to the airport to pick someone up is not as exciting as it is here in the Solomons. Here, there's a viewing deck on the airport's roof, so when someone's plane comes in, you climb the stairs and can watch the plane arrive, and even wave at your friend or relative as they get off the plane.

On one exciting Tuesday we went to pick up Ellie's Aunty Kiri at the airport. My dad was also supposed to be on this flight, but due to mechanical problems on one of his five flights, he didn't make it.

We watched with great anticipation as the plane landed and then as it taxied to the airport.

Kiri got off and we all waved to her as she walked to the airport. Kiri is the first one in the long line of people. Only the man walking by himself is in front of her. She was arriving from New Zealand after working there for a few months.

While Kiri was going through immigration and customs, we all went to the front of the airport where she'd come out. Ellie couldn't help but where the flower garlands that were actually meant for Kiri.

We had with us Jacob. It was fun to get to share this part of our world with him. It's always nice for family from one part of the world to meet family from another.

How TinkerBell keeps busy

2011-07-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in the capital, and as soon as we opened the suitcases, she found her TinkerBell costume. So, how does TinkerBell keep busy in the Solomons? Coloring and eating guava.... but not just any guava. Big, sweet, Malaitan guava.

A baby chicken

2011-07-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

We went and visited the village where Ellie's koko'okini grew up. We walked passed a mommy chicken and her chicks. Ellie REALLY wanted to touch one, so Aunty Lingesi, Franklin's sister agreed to help get one. Unfortunately, she proved neither brave nor quick enough. I doubt I would have been either, though, if I had tried. Another Aunty, one of Franklin's cousins, came to the rescue.

After all that trouble, Ellie ended up not being brave enough to hold the chick. Instead, I held it while Ellie just stood and said, "Oh" and "Ah" and "She wants her mommy."

I love Ellie's expression in this picture. It totally captures how she expresses this heartfelt, "Oh."

Another trip to the beach

2011-07-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

On our last day in the village, Ellie and I decided to take an afternoon walk down to the beach with some of her aunties and cousins. On the way we stopped and picked up some popsicles, which are called ice blocks here. Franklin jokes that we should just call Ellie "Ice Block".

Ellie had fun playing with her cousins and independently.

Hydro-electricity

2011-07-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Franklin and his brother have spent quite a bit of time trying to get hydro-electricity working in our village. They are starting out with a trial, small project, but are hoping for it to develop into something that can provide constant electricity for the whole village. If you want to know more, ask the most handsome member of our family.

A trip to Malu'u's beach

2011-07-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

The beach is just down the hill from where the Sports Carnival was, so we decided to make a stop there. I tell you what, there are worse sights to set your eyes upon.

We arrived at the beach around low tide... not necessarily the most beautiful time, but still fun for two little cousins.

Daddy helped Ellie find starfish.
And they found lots of them.

Ellie was also brave enough to be buried in the sand. :)

I, the only sunburn prone person in our family, enjoyed time in the shade of a tree reading a book, chatting with my husband, and watching my daughter play, learn, and explore.

Sports Carnival

2011-07-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

The first week we were in the village, it was the Annual Sports Carnival. Schools from all over North Malaita come and compete at the school in Malu'u, which is just a walk away from our village. A couple times we ventured out. The deal was that Ellie could be carried on hills up and down, but she had to walk herself on flat places. That was, of course, unless a cousin happened to be nearby and couldn't resist Ellie's charms. They all love holding Ellie.

The Sports Carnival took six days. There were running races, normal track and field type competitions, soccer games, volleyball games, as well as some other events. We had four nieces and nephews competing.

We watched the games from the shade while we enjoyed popsicles and homemade donuts.

Village activities

2011-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely two and half weeks in Franklin's village. The journey there was rough, but totally worth it. Our days were spent doing a million enjoyable activities, and the thing about enjoyable activities is that sometimes, most of the time, you get so carried away that you don't take your camera or bother to take pictures. Here's a few, though, that I managed to snap.

One of the daily activities in the village is hair braiding. There are enough Aunties and girl cousins to keep everyone's hands busy and hair looking good.
Ellie was very kind to do Aunty Lois' hair while she braided Jennifer's hair.

We brought some beads and pipe cleaner from Australia and the girls LOVED making bracelets and necklaces. They would make them, take them apart, make a new one, take it apart.... for hours.

I enjoyed cross stitching. Jennifer got interested in cross stitching, too, so I taught her how to do a bit, and she worked on one of my kits while I worked on another.

One of the most pleasant activities in the village is getting to swim in the water hole by our waterfall. There are rocks there that can be used to decorate yourself. Here Ellie is a warrior. Doesn't she look scary?

We also played the Monopoly card game. We borrowed one deck from friends in the capital, so five people could play at a time. Here we are sitting by the edge of the hill feeling a marvelous breeze while enjoying our afternoon together.

This was the first time I've taken Ellie to the village while she's been old enough to play. Last time we came she was only 6 months old. It was such a fun experience with her, getting to watch her play outside all day and learn things she doesn't get exposed to in the other places we live life. We've been back in the capital just over a week now, and the play and activities she gets to do seem so dull compared to the constant outdoor fun of the village. I'm so glad that Franklin's village is a part of her life!... and mine, too.

Seashell busy-ness

2011-07-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

Once you have collected all your seashells, you need to bring them home and wash them and dry them.

After they are washed and dried, we put them in a jar. Of course they don't stay in there... they are continually taken out, sorted, played with, some are lost, and some are returned. The good thing is, we are always making additions to the jar.

A knitted blanket

2011-07-07T16:08:00.000-07:00

While we were in Australia a wonderful woman bought me some beautiful yarn to make a baby blanket for our little one who is expected in October. I am a beginner when it comes to knitting, but I was able to finish the blanket. :) Yay! It's not too big... I just plan to use it to throw over the car seat when we are traveling around. Minnesota will not be warm in October. This is the first thing I have knitted that wasn't a scarf. :)

Duplo sorting and building

2011-07-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

2011-07-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Puzzle Fun

2011-07-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Before we left for the village (like a million years ago) we had time to do a puzzle. It was fun. We don't do puzzles very often, but I think we enjoy it when we can. :)
We let Ellie put in the last piece.

The completed work of art...

Saturday at the Beach 3

2011-06-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

The third week in a row that we went to the beach, the kids were pros. They immediately went out to have fun while the adults chatted.

Ellie loves time with her daddy.

She also made her way up a tree.

And Ellie and Richie found coconuts.

All in all, another good day at the beach. :)

Fun cooking.

2011-06-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

Eliana has enjoyed exploring what is in the cupboards where we are staying. :) She pretends to make smoothies and coffee. If she plays with the containers out on the veranda I let her take water. Fun, fun.

Floor puzzle fun.

2011-06-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

At the place we are staying, they have a gigantic floor puzzle. Ellie has been enjoying it.

Saturday at the Beach 2

2011-06-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

The following Saturday we decided to go to the beach again. After having such a wonderful family Saturday, how could we not want to have a repeat?
This time, though, we borrowed some snorkel gear from some friends.
Ellie decided to see how it fit.

On the way to the beach, Ellie used her bucket to block the sun from her face. I'm not sure if it was very effective.

While we were in Australia, a friend gave us two swimsuits for Ellie. The first Saturday she wore the whole suit. The second Saturday she tried the bikini.

It didn't take long at all for her to decide to have some fun with the water, even if it was moving, this time.

Franklin caught a butterfly during our time at the beach. According to him he was just standing on the beach with his arm outstretched to the sky and the butterfly just decided to delicately land upon his finger. I'm not sure what actually happened, but he came back and we were all thrilled to see the beautiful butterfly. In the same manner, he let the butterfly go. He once again outstretched his arm and the butterfly flew away.

We also saw a starfish.

Richie and Ellie were happy to look at it. Then, when they got comfortable with holding it, we had to fight for it's life. This beautiful starfish, too, was released back into the sea.

Just a note... not all animals in the Solomons are blue. It was purely coincidence today.

Saturday at the Beach 1

2011-06-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

It would be silly to come to the Solomons and not enjoy some time by the ocean. And since we are a family that avoids silliness at every cost, we went to the beach. :)

Most of us spent the majority of the time enjoying the view and each other's company from the shade of a tree.

Ellie and her cousin Richie, though, would have none of that sitting down nonsense. Fortunately, their grandma was more than happy to run around with them.

Both of them took awhile to get over their initial fear of the moving water, but eventually they had fun in the shallowest part.

By the time we hopped in the truck to head back to town, Ellie was out. Aunty Lingesi loved the cuddle time with Ellie.

Dress up fun

2011-06-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ellie and her friend Katelyn had fun playing dress up while their mommies had fun catching up. Two mommies who are teachers and planning to start homeschooling soon definitely have a lot to talk about.

Swinging fun

2011-05-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

We've had lots of fun with swings in both Australia and the Solomons. Where we are staying now, they have two swings, a big rope swing and a tire swing. Of course, I, as a safety conscious mom think Ellie should stay in the tire swing until she turns 16 at least. If only a mommy's every wish was the world's command.

My two favorite people in the world.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Hold on, Ellie!

This is more like it. :)

Mother's Day lunch

2011-05-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a Mother's Day lunch with our friends from KCC. The men were supposed to have made everything to bring for the meal so that the moms had a break. I'm not sure how many men actually did that. :)

It was great that Franklin could be with his mom for Mother's Day.

I got a card from Ellie, too. One of the ladies at KCC helped Ellie make it. As Ellie gave me the card, she said, "Happy Mother's Day. It's Big Girls' Day, too." A little bit later she persuaded Aunty Grace to let her make another card. Even though it said "Mum" on the front she gave it to her dad and said it was for him. :)

Shipwreck

2011-05-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

We were driving into the parking lot for the town's main market (the entrance is right by the ocean) and we passed this shipwreck. There are shipwrecks all along the coast of the capital. I want to get more (achem, better) pictures, but I never seem to have my camera ready.

Lots of people scuba dive around the Solomons. Right off of Guadalcanal, where we are staying now, there are lots of ships and submarines that were sunk during WWII. You can scuba dive all around them. I don't scuba dive, but if you do, and you want to come for a visit, just let us know. :)

Family Saturday

2011-05-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

We spent our first Saturday in town relaxing at Franklin's sister's house (house blong sister blong Franklin in pidjin grammar). We enjoyed delicious fish for lunch, and Ellie enjoyed time with her koko'okini. She actually got spoiled by the entire family. :)

Like Father, Like Daughter

2011-05-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

Franklin had a joyful reunion with his beloved ukelele (pronouned oo-kelele here, not you-kelele). It didn't take Ellie long to decide that she loves it, too.

Nena's arrival

2011-05-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Franklin's mom wasn't able to come to the Honiara from the village to meet us at the airport, but we went to pick her up at the wharf a few days later. We waited in the back of a truck with Franklin's sister Lingessy, and Ellie's cousin Hadassah.
Below, Ellie is doing the pose she does now when you tell her you are going to take a picture. Goofball.

Nena was on the little ship Discovery, not the big container ship. :)

I am sure that Nena was happy to see Franklin and I, but I think she was much happier to see her granddaughter! Ellie was sure happy to see her Koko'okini.

Nena= Mom in To'abaita
Koko'okini= Grandma in To'abaita

Multi-tasking

2011-05-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

For someone who says he can't multi-task, Franklin is doing pretty well. Relaxing in a hammock while entertaining the little one while reading a book while talking on the phone. I'd say he can multi-task.

Arrival in the Solomons

2011-05-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the airport to a huge sign that said "Welcome Home". Once we got out of customs, we were welcomed with flower necklaces made of frangipanis (one of my favorite flowers!), good friends, and family. With us in the picture is Aunty Grace.

Flight to the Solomons

2011-05-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this will be the last international flight that we take as just a family of three, so I had to take a picture. :)
And ever the good daddy, Franklin reads to Ellie during the flight.

All dressed up and a playground to go to.....

2011-05-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Date night

2011-05-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

I had really, really hoped to have a chance to go on a date with Franklin while we were on the Sunshine Coast, and my dream came true. Ellie had no trouble at all staying to be babysat. So, Franklin and I had a walk on the beach and then dinner at the Mexican restaurant where we used to go on dates... pre-Ellie. Fun, fun. I'm glad to be married to a man that I can have so much fun with.