Ellie Quotes of the Day

E; "Let's go to the machine that makes coins into bottles." (about the Ale 8 Machine in the foyer)
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E: "I want to buy a green thing at Wal Mart and bring it home."
Me: "Ellie, it's not Christmas or your birthday today. We don't buy toys any time you want. It has to be a special occasion."

E: "It's Christmas today. I said YES! It is Christmas TODAY!"

('I said yes!' is her current way of saying, "I mean it!")

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To read her funniest quote of the day, you'll just have to read Nathan's twitter feed, that's all I'll say.

"I Would if We Had the Money"

This blog post really touched my heart today, and I thought it might encourage you as we strive each day to keep our eyes on the eternal...

[Click here]

Snapshots from the past few weeks

showing off her reward for allowing the hygenist to count and brush her teeth
(yesterday)

Handing Miss Judi some floss while Dad has his teeth cleaned

Examining Mom's x-ray

Since Sunday night, viewing the Olympics with our student friends has become an evening ritual. Last night we enjoyed a friendly rivalry with some Korean friends rooting on our respective teams in a short-track event. Ellie is wearing another fake cast on her leg and acting goofy, as per her usual routine when the camera comes out. Argh.

Super Bowl Sunday.
Ellie's not punching the air, but trying to show off her painted hands.

Friday night we attended the Mr. GQ competition on campus. Els actually did quite well, nearly making it all the way through before the loud cheering became too much for her. All three guys in our worship team were contestants (out of a field of about 12), so we had several to root for. It was a very fun night and brought back memories of my own brief stint as a back-up 'dancer' for Brian H when he was competing for Mr. Asbury. (I hope that tape has disintegrated!)

Life through Ellie's Eyes...

Cydil is currently at a Jane Austen movie marathon, but my Pride or maybe Prejudice was no Persuasion for me to go beyond my Sense and Sensibility, so I am watching the NBA All Star H.O.R.S.E. game instead.

As Elisona is becoming more and more verbal it is fun to hear what is going on in her head. She is still fascinated with anything medical. Her imagination is very active! She just asked me to tape two combs together so that she could have a "shark." At bedtime, we hear a predictable pattern.

"Can Ellie sleep on Mommy's bed?"

"No Ellie needs to sleep in Ellie's bed."

"Daddy sleeps on Ellie's floor?"

"Yes, until you go to sleep."

"If I have a bad dream I can come into mommy and daddy's room?"

"Yes, we are just down the hall."

This pattern has been going on for weeks, but two nights ago we were awakened for the first time by a loud bang and then our door opening to reveal Ellie wanting to join us in bed. Last night Ellie added a line to her normal nighttime ritual

..."If I have a bad dream I can come into mommy and daddy's room?"

"Yes, we are just down the hall."

"And Ellie, Don't bang your head on mommy's door!"

We wondered what the loud bang was!

Elisona's compassion continues to shine as well. She doesn't like to see people sad or hurt or even alone. This afternoon the WGM Center hosted the first movie in the Jane Austen marathon "Pride and Prejudice." Ellie and I were banished to the apartment, but Els wanted to see what was going on, so I told her that as long as she didn't talk we could sit in the back. We came in at a point where Elisabeth was by herself on some cliffs with some melancholy music playing. Ellie turned to me and whispered "She needs a mommy!" I know she wasn't making a statement about adoption, but it melted my heart and made me give her an extra long hug! She actually has been using that phrase a fair amount lately. Anyone or anything she thinks needs comfort will cause Ellie to say, "He needs a mommy!" Why does she believe that? Because when she needs comfort, she has her caring mommy! Thanks Cydil for being such a great mommy to Ellie. She probably doesn't fully know how blessed she is, but I do!

Happy Valentine's Day

Ski Retreat 2010

I've been feeling quite lazy in the photography department lately. So lazy that I consented to Nathan's many-months-long-request to purchase a point and shoot camera. With our upcoming ski retreat, the last thing I felt like doing was packing up camera gear on top of all the other stuff we have to bring for this event (food, clothes, games, A/V equipment, instruments, laptops, entertainment for Ellie, etc.). So Nathan giddily bought a waterproof/impact-resistant Olympus ... which he tested when he took a tumble on some moguls that he didn't see while video-ing another friend skiing. Apparently when he came up, the crevices of the camera were stuffed with ice, but it kept working!

Here is an image from that camera -- Ellie is sans glasses because they continually fogged up going in and out of the lodge. Maybe next year she'll get some skis on for real!

Saturday night

The ski retreat this weekend seems to have gone really well. We had a terrific group of students and I only wish I could have had more time with them all.

Our speakers were Tim and Sharon Hawk -- regional directors over WGM's Latin American fields. Back when Nathan and I were just dating, Tim was the head of the World Connection Department and the one who approached Nathan with the question of our intentions -- that is, were we planning to marry because there might be a position we could fill at the Asbury student center... the rest is history.

Ellie had been looking forward to sleeping in a hotel -- all 36 hours in advance that she knew. She loved the riding the elevator and spending time in our room (that part surprised me). Her favorite memory might just be the cube-shaped saltwater fish tank in the hotel lobby. Last night the manager let her feed them two pinches of food and she was hooked. This morning she made a beeline for the tank and told me assuredly, "The fish are hungry." Tonight at bathtime, she made her own fish tank out of a clear cube, originally used for storing bulk paper clips, and marbles representing fish.

We will have photos to post with this later, but for now the camera is still on the slopes with Nathan.

Ellie and I came home early. She has a bit of a cold and I didn't think it was wise to take her tubing. As the crowds in the Lodge were overwhelming, we headed on back and got home in time for supper. In searching for something relaxing to do, we discovered a movie I've never seen before and forgot we owned (something we picked up a while ago from Blockbuster's previously viewed bins): Disney's version of Little House on the Prairie. I didn't even know Disney had made such a mini-series/DVD. Who would try to remake what Michael Landon had perfected as the quintessential American family drama? ABC did, and they did a good job (with more realism and drama about the hardships of frontier life).

I'm quite enjoying it (disclaimer: it's been nearly 25 years since I read the books, but this movie seems to be much closer to the original text). Ellie lost interest a long while ago, but I'm hooked (Corrina and Caleigh -- have you guys seen this? I have to say, I keep thinking of you as I watch). I forgot how much I enjoyed the stories of pioneers. What courage.

When I was younger nothing sounded like quite as much fun as living the life of a pioneer girl in the olden days, I think I will be content now to live in the present day, with medical help close by, clear glass in my windows, warm blankets for my bed, and a dog whose sole job is to provide companionship -- not necessarily protect the homestead (in spite of what he may think). Okay, Disk 2 is in -- I'm going to sign off and enjoy the rest!

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

I thought you might enjoy some pics of Ellie enjoying her crafts from school today (they're doing a unit on pets). For a girl who wants to turn anything into a puppet, having the real thing was too much fun. Enjoy your weekend! We're off to Cincinnati for our annual winter missions ski retreat!