Chi-Town Chronicles

New Beginnings

2011-09-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've received a lot of e-mails and FB messages asking where our family is.... so here's the story.

First, I want to say that this is really not our story, but a story of God's goodness and grace to our family. We are blown away by His faithfulness to us and by the people and circumstances that God put in our path to help us grow and mature.

As many of you know, we moved to Canada last August after John accepted a teaching job in Chilliwack. Our family was not excited about this move- it was made simply because neither John or I could find jobs in the Chicago area and we desperately needed employment. So, with heals dragging and hearts very heavy we packed up and made the big move across country.

If I am going to be completely honest (which I am!), the past year was really difficult for our family. There was a lot of things we weren't prepared for, but I don't want to focus on that part of our year. I do want to share though, what, in hindsight, is amazingly clear. God has been, and continues to be, so good, so patient, and so faithful to us.

We are completely humbled when we look back and remember the people God placed in our lives while we were in Chilliwack. We were surrounded by people who cared about us, prayed for us, supported us through our tears and frustrations, and truly were the hands and feet of God. We are thankful and can see how God used these people to walk with us through the past year.

Tristan was blessed with a friend immediately upon our arrival. We prayed for a friend for him and he met a boy who became "one of the fam." This was a huge answer to prayer and Tristan saw how God can and does work in all circumstances.

Ella also was surrounded by friends who helped make a difficult transition more "doable." There are two girls who come to my mind when I think of the girls who were a huge part of her life. Her "twin" at the gym, a classmate from school, and a friend across the street made life so much more enjoyable and fun. John and I are grateful for God's faithfulness to Ella.

Aidan just kind of hung out with me :) He did ask about our "white house," once in awhile, but he didn't have any problems adjusting. He met two little boys on our street and loved to play with them.

John met some amazing men too. They were patient and listened and supported him this past year. He is so thankful for the guys who were part of his life.

And for me... I will be honest and say that I had a bad attitude about our move, and pretty much about everything. I really didn't want to leave home and I certainly didn't feel like I had the energy to make new friends, nor did I feel like I had anything to offer in friendship. God, and the women he placed in my life, saw past all this. I had women come along side me and hold me up when I could barely stand. I am thankful for each of these women and know that I could not have made it without them in my life.

We were also thankful for the opportunity we had to be closer to John's parents. The kids got to spend time with their grandparents in ways that they hadn't been able to in the past. I am remembering special times at Crescent Beach together... good memories.

So, fastforward to this fall. We are back in Elmhurst with a new direction and a new chapter in our lives. The way we got here is nothing short of a miracle.

We left Chilliwack in late July for a trip to visit my parents and our friends in IL (and to stuff ourselves with all the good food we missed! ...Portillos, Red Dragon, and Giordano's!) While we were home John interviewed for a job in WI (landscape company he used to work for). We waited three weeks to hear back from them, which at the time was VERY stressful. We were counting on this job coming through... counting on it so much that we had packed up most of our house before we left Chilliwack and purchased one way tickets home.

So, as the wait stretched on, we became more urgent in our prayers and the phrase "bashing on the doors of heaven" became very real. Constant prayers from family and friends are what kept us moving forward and not laying down and giving up.

So, while we were waiting on the job that we thought was the answer, God had other plans for us. While we were visiting friends in Elmhurst a friend of our family asked John if he wanted to interview at his company downtown. At that point, we thought... why not. He interviewed for the job and we continued to wait.

With two job possibilities on the horizon, we were pretty confident that we would be moving back to the Midwest. So, John headed back to B.C. to get our things (along with help from my uncle, who, for the record, has moved us twice across the country in 12 months time....thank you Gomer) and drove back to the Midwest. At the time he was driving across country, we still didn't have a final destination, which looking back is CRAZY! But we also knew that God had been faithful to us in the past and we had no reason to doubt His faithfulness now. (This didn't always look pretty, though. There were many tears and questioning, but God never let go.)

To make a very long story short... John was offered the job in Chicago and he accepted it! It's a wonderful job that incorporates his talents as a teacher and his love for interacting with people. He is thrilled with this opportunity and excited by possibilities it presents.

This past year I remember thinking, Why...why does our family have to go through all these difficult things? Isn't it time for some "easy?" I know now (and really I did at the time, too) that God wasn't doing things to our family because He lost interest in us or didn't love us anymore. He was drawing us closer to Himself, teaching us to trust Him more, depend on Him for every need. This process of growth was painful- it really brought us to our knees many many times. It shook us to the core and forced us to really evaluate in what and whom we place our trust.

I remember saying to a friend... at the end of this chapter in our lives all I want is for our family, and those who know us, to see how good, how faithful, and how loving God has been. I want the things that were ugly, painful, and difficult to be used to bring honor and glory to God.

Our family truly has been given a second chance, a new beginning and an opportunity to move in a new direction. We are so thankful for the people and situations that have shaped us over these past few years. We are happy, though, to close the chapter of unemployment and unrest and move into a new chapter.

There's a lot more to the story (like how we got in our new rental place and my new job!) that I'll save for another time!

God has done great things in our lives and we are thankful and give all glory to Him.

the 4th of July.. Stateside

2011-07-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

We spent a wonderful weekend in Seattle with our friends, Matt & Gail.

It was so good to be with them and celebrate the 4th of July together!

Everyone had to have a flag for the parade!

Alki Beach

Delta Invite

2011-05-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ella competed in her second meet this morning- yes, they scheduled it on Mother's Day :) We had fun watching her and seeing the new things she's learned since her first meet a few months ago. Ella isn't afraid to go for it, which you'll see in the bars routine. She's been working on the fly away dismount, which hasn't been easy. The landing isn't pretty, but she tried and we're proud of her! And, yes, being at my daughter's meet on Mother's Day is a present in itself!

the cleanest counter award

2011-03-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

now that's a clean counter!

my boys

2011-03-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

I love my boys

Tristan was absolutely thrilled when the Packers won the Super Bowl!

Who knows, maybe he'll get this before he turns three!

(unlike someone else from our family who waited until he was almost four!)

seems like yesterday...

2011-03-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

I remember this like it was yesterday. Gotta love the orange undies hanging out from the leo!

fun at the gym

2011-03-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

I was asked to take some pictures for Ella's gym for their meet booklet. The Twister's meet is coming up at the end of the month and all the girls are working really hard to get ready. It was fun to spend a few hours with the girls and experience practice down on the floor.

on talking canadian...

2011-03-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

Much to my chagrin, I have noticed the Canadian accent creeping into the voice of one of my children. Can you guess who? It's not Aidan- he's listening to me all day. And it's not Tristan- he lived in the midwest for 10 years, so the Chicagoland accent is still pretty engrained in his voice. It's Ella. She's been coming out with little words here and there that are tinged with the accent of the locals. It's only the short a sound so far, but I know that if one vowel falls, so will the rest:)

I know that this is the accent that (many many years ago) I fell in love with. However, I have not heard that coming from his lips in a long long time and I've grown used to him speaking like the locals in Chicago. Well, that's not so anymore, as he is reverting back to his youth. Who knew it would only take 6 months. At least nobody is throwing the "eh" at the end of every sentence. I give that another month or so!

And there are many words that are different here. I'm starting a list...

stuffies (stuffed animals)

duotang (folder... this one really bugs me- where in the heck does this come from????)

bodysuit (leotard)

again/been (spoken with the British accent)

"phoning" people (calling someone on the phone)

runners (tennis shoes)

grade 4 (vs. fourth grade)

mum (mom)

leisure centre (the gym... leisure makes it sound so nice!)

tuque (hat)

loonie/ toonie (Dollar and two dollar coins which make my wallet super heavy! At least I feel like I have some money in there!)

felts (markers)

elastics (rubber bands)

There are many more that just aren't coming to my mind right now... I'll update as I remember.

I never thought Canada would be so different.

piggies

2011-01-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

love those piggies

Ella's Gymnastics

2010-12-24T12:18:00.000-08:00

Ella has been at Twisters since we moved to BC in August. She's doing an amazing job- we couldn't be more proud of her! These videos were from a Christmas (internal) meet they had just before we left to come home. All the parents came to watch... but I think we were the loudest "cheerers!"

the BM

2010-12-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

I think they're starting to recognize me at the Bibles for Missions Thrift Store (or as we have shortened it to, the BM). I go there often as it's about the only store in town in my price range. Today I went in for a look around and came out with this little gem.

So, Aidan said " I need this Mom" and being the frugile one that I am... I bought it. There's a reason I bought it- and it's not because I thought it would go perfectly next to my fireplace. Both Tristan and Ella have special little fakey Christmas trees that we put up every year (in addition to our big real family tree). The trees proudly display the ornaments that have been given to them by their grandparents or the ones they've made at school. Aidan doesn't have his own tree yet. He's a few months shy of three and I haven't bought him a tree yet. I feel so guilty. So, after Christmas (THIS year), I'm going to buy him a little tree. Until then he NEEDED something special of his own to put up in our house. And the winner is.... the Noel candle.

the poo grinder

2010-12-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Chilliwack, the kids and I have been enlightened as to all things "farmy." We have a 20 minute drive (one way) to school and on our route we pass many fields and farms. During the weeks when the pooh was being liberally applied to the fields we would drive with our hands over our mouths in an attempt to block out the smell. It didn't work.

The kids didn't know what a manure spreader was, so I explained the concept to them (you know, me with my big farm background and all!) Ella said, "You mean a poo grinder, Mom?" Yes, that's exactly what I mean.. and the phrase stuck. We have all become poo grinder experts.

We've also been keeping track of all the "wildlife" we see on our route. So far, we have seen: cows, horses, donkeys, chickens, sheep, eagles, and of course, there's a dog that runs across the road every morning just before we pass by. I'm sure I'm forgetting something on the list. Needless to say, it is quite a different experience from our 2 minute drive to Edison last year, where, if we were lucky, we saw a few squirrels.

So, now that's it's December, I think it's safe to assume that it's too cold to spread the manure, right? A few months of good clean air. Ahh, life in the boonies.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

We spent a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend in Bellevue with our good friends Matt & Gail and

their little girl, Anna. It was a wonderful time- much needed. We are so thankful for our friends

Matt & Gail have a cool bridge in their backyard- of course I had to take some pictures :)

Fall 2010

2010-11-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

We like to use repeat costumes.... the little bear is Tristan's costume

from 8 years ago and Ella has been the elephant for at least 2 years now!

Only Tristan is a new character- Harry Potter.

While Tristan plays soccer, Ella and Aidan

have their own game on the sideline...
Ella is very into her skinny jeans, tall boots,
and her leopard print jacket ... six going on sixteen.

Hair

2010-09-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

We went from this to....
Ella donated 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love

short and sassy :)

and Tristan got quite the chop too...

the buzz

Aidan's sticking with the little boy cut for now.

Grammy's visit

2010-09-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

My Mom came out for 2 weeks to visit - we had a wonderful time. Here are some of the fun things we did... when it wasn't raining (which was about 75% of the time!)

We visited EVERY farm in the area. This one had chickens and Aidan was thrilled. Did I

mention that I live in farmsville now? Quite something.

We hiked up to Bridal Veil Falls, an easy hike compared to Tea Pot Hill.

Granville Island

Stanley Park

pics from fort collins

2010-08-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Our family traveled out to Fort Collins to take Mel to grad school.

We were able to spend a week together exploring the area

and seeing where Mel will be living for the next 2 years

fun at Fort Fun- even Aidan loves mini golf
the AWESOME cafeteria at CSU
Tristan ate so much that he almost popped- he visited the mexican station,
the asian station, the italian station, dessert bar, and drink bar

Mt. Evans- our first "14er"
We had a great day with Liz, Rory, and their kids

Old Town in Fort Collins

Old Town

Recovered Painting in Old Town

a great park in Fort Collins

marathon

2010-07-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I skated my first inline marathon this morning. It was an amazing experience and I'm glad I did it, but boy am I glad it's over! And the best part... I won the raffle! I get to pick out any pair of K2 skates that I want! Not bad.

pre-skate pic with uncle steve & auntie linda

at this point i had 1 more 8.7 mile loop to go!

my cheering section!

all done- relief.

oh, and i finished in under 2 hours- my exact time was 1 hour 58 minutes.

not bad for the first time.

mitty

2010-07-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

The kids have been so blessed to have their Auntie Mitty in their lives! They adore her and will miss her terribly when we move- it's going to be hard on all of us. This picture was taken just a few weeks ago when Mitty took Tristan and Ella bowling- and spoiled them rotten!

spring soccer

2010-05-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Contant was able to see Tristan play soccer while he was here last weekend!
Way to go, Tristan!

John was the coach this spring- he did an awesome job.

..and here's what Ella does to keep herself occupied during the game!

field trip

2010-05-17T20:39:00.001-07:00

The boys and I took a trip to the Legoland Discovery Center. I think they both had a good time- the best part for Tristan was buying a silver stormtrooper lego guy from the store on our way out! Aidan loved throwing the big foam lego blocks!

the past 6 months

2010-05-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well, if anyone is still checking our blog, here's what we've been up to the past six months...

a lot of GROWING!

Tristan will be 10 this summer and is still my right hand man. He is a tender hearted,

compassionate boy who loves his family. His favorite thing to do is to be home, wearing comfy

clothes, eating Chinese and watching a movie with his family. I hope this lasts a long time!

Tristan is doing well with his piano lesson, art class, and soccer (John is the coach this year!).
Tristan is a great big brother and is adored by Aidan and Ella.

Ella is our sweet six year old, who is almost done with kindergarten! She is extremely

competetive and gives her brothers a run for their money! Ella loves gymnastics and singing

in the church choir. She is also the social butterfly at school, going to every birthday party

and playdate that she's invited to! Ella and John love to dance and listen to music- and her

current favorite tune (with all lyrics memorized) is U2's "Sexy Boots." Thank you, John.

Aidan is a big 2 year old now! He is the funny guy in the house and

loves a good joke! He talks a lot and we can pretty much understand what he's

trying to communicate most of the time. He LOVES any type of ball and has a wicked

throw and can kick the ball pretty well, too! He keeps us on our toes. And yes, the

"nunni" (a.k.a pacifier) is still a dear friend!

the family picture

2009-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

option #1

option #2

It's that time of year again when we try to get a (nice!) family picture. It never seems to go according to plan, but still we try! Last weekend we had a beautiful 70 degree fall day so we went to a park to have a go at it. Friends of our came too with their kids and we tried a few shots with each family. Boy, it sure is hard to get everybody to cooperate and look like the loving family that we are ;) Well, these are the "finalists." We had some shadows to contend with, but overall, everyone is smiling and looking happy to be there! Thank you, Jen.

halloween

2009-10-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2009

We had a mercenary, a bee, and an elephant!

Aidan "got it" this year and was delighted to get more candy and Ella and Tristan had races to see who could be the first to ring the doorbell! We cut it a bit short this year because it was so cold outside and the kids (and the 2 of us) don't need all the candy anyways!

fall

2009-10-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Fall is definitely here- we've moved on from warm short sleeved days to the crisp days of autumn. I've even had to turn the heat on a few times to take the chill out of our house in the morning. This past weekend we took the kids to Graue Mill for a walk around the lake. I think everyone in the area had the same idea! The colors were beautiful- we're not quite at full color yet, but close. We might have to take another trip back next weekend.

september 2009

2009-09-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

sunset

exploring without boundaries

free

boundless energy

miracle

funny

beautiful

my right hand man

fresh

mine.

ella's photo shoot

2009-09-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ella modeled for Dancewear Revolution this past Spring.

The catalog just came out and here's her page! You can

see the entire catalog at www.revolutiondance.com and click

on "debut performance" to get to Ella's page.

learning

2009-09-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Aidan is finally on the move! He started walking in August

and is now up to a good trot! He's also talking a lot

more. It's so fun to hear the new words he says and the

ways he tries to communicate what he wants!

Ella lost her two front teeth in August!

The kids are back to school- Ella is VERY excited

to be in kindergarten and Tristan is loving 3rd grade!

Tristan is 9 years old!

He celebrated his birthday at Camp Paradise.

my favorite time of year

2009-07-28T11:28:00.001-07:00

I wish summer could be all year long. I love having the kids home; I love wearing my pajamas all morning long; I love taking walks to the ice cream shop downtown; I LOVE the smell of suntan lotion; I love everything about summer. We haven't had the warmest summer, but it still has been good and I'm dreading August 24th when the kids go back to school. This year Ella will be gone too, just mornings, but still a big step in her (and my!) life. She is ready and would start tomorrow if she could! Tristan is going to be in 3rd grade- unbelievable. We have about 4 weeks left of summer vacation and I am going to enjoy each day! Here's a little of what's gone on so far.

The Chans were in from R.I. for a visit

John know I've always wanted a cleaning service, so he found the perfect candidate!

Thankyou, Uncle Nathan and Auntie Annie, for the AWESOME Slip-n-Slide!

We went to family camp at Fort Wilderness for a week at the end of June. We had a great time, but weren't totally prepared for 50 degree weather all week! The kids loved building fires, riding horses, shooting .22 rifles (am I nuts?), making crafts, and playing with their friends.

Who's ready for the pool?

We went out to R.I. at the beginning of the summer- a wonderful time spent with dear friends.

new pictures

2009-07-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

check out my photo blog - i've added some pics from recent photo shoots

www.contantphotography.blogspot.com

what we've been up to...

2009-06-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

camping at the dunes in MI

wow, i never knew that camping with a 13 month

old would be such a chore! i was exhausted! the kids loved

the beach, riding their bikes around camp, having

campfires, and being together as a family.

it was a lot of work, but definitely worth it!

the kids LOVED the sand!

not a happy place for aidan!

our big hike up the dune, better than any stair machine at the gym!

some photo shoots...

this precious little boy belongs to a friend of mine-

he is just a couple of weeks old and is absolutely beautiful

and another subject...

i did a photo shoot at an alpaca farm for my sister's magazine!

this was definitely an experience!

a preschool graduate!

ella is totally excited to be heading off to kindergarten next year.

she told me that i didn't need to worry and that i shouldn't cry!

check out those heels, they have been ella's

signature piece since 4 year old preschool last year!

spring

2009-05-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here, so it seems. We've been able to be outside and not freeze to death! Here are a few pics of what the kids have been up to. If you're wondering about what John and I have been doing, well... he is busy landscaping (which we are very grateful for) and I am "taxi-ing" everybody around during the day. I'm going to be taking a new photo class soon and hope to start scheduling some photo shoots now that the weather is cooperating.

my beautiful little girl

Aidan loves looking at himself in the mirror!

Tristan's greatest delight is to cuddle Aidan at night!

the latest craze- reading Tintin
(a series that John read as a kid!)

Aidan can walk around furniture and he LOVES the piano!

365

2009-04-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

hunting for eggs

the boys on easter sunday

mom, where were you?

2009-04-16T14:13:00.001-07:00

I have this fear that when the kids are all grown up, they're going to look at all the pictures from their childhood and ask me where I was. I take TONS of pictures, but I think I am in only a handful of them! So, my new resolution is to hand the camera off once in awhile and get in the action so that the kids know I was a part of things! This morning Ella and I went to the theater with her class, so I thought this was a good opportunity to have our picture taken!

black and white

2009-03-27T15:27:00.001-07:00

art with grandma

2009-03-27T12:01:00.001-07:00

that's my girl

2009-03-27T11:40:00.001-07:00

Ella is a worker bee (when the job is interesting!) The deck needed to be torn down because of all the flooding we had this winter- not a fun job, in my opinion, but Ella was up for the challenge! John is planning on planting grass in this area and regrading so we won't get gallons of water in the basement anymore. Ella was so happy to put on her favorite skirt and tank top and help move the wood to a big pile. She is such a mix of "fashion" (as she calls it!) and tomboy. She's a sweet, tough, very athletic, loving little girl.

messing around

2009-03-24T17:42:00.001-07:00

a new look

2009-03-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Blog Fairy, who gave my blog a makeover! (www.theblogfairy.com) Emily is very talented and easy to work with- I would highly recommend her if you need a fresh look on your blog. Also, my new photography blog (see link above) will be up and running in the next couple of weeks! I need to get out and shoot some pictures. I have about 20 families who are wanting photo shoots- it will be fun :)

two years

2009-03-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today marks our two year anniversary of waiting for our little one from China. We're really not having a celebration, but I still thought it was important to mark this day on our blog. In the future, when our child is home, I want her to know that we were anxiously waiting for her and anticipating her homecoming. Ella and Tristan pray for her often... what a happy moment it will be when we are able to bring her home.

almost one

2009-03-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast a year can go. Aidan is becoming a toddler right before our eyes. He is getting into EVERYTHING and enjoys a good chase- which is usually me chasing him before he puts both his hands into the toilet and starts splashing.

We are thankful for a healthy little boy who brings much joy to our home.

Contant's Rules

2009-03-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Our kids are VERY different and so are their priorities, as evidenced by the recent Valentine decorations on our door! One child chose to decorate with hearts and the other made a list of rules that our visitors need to know before they enter our home! Can you guess which one made what?? So, if you can't see our family rules, here they are:

1. be safe

2. be kind

3. do not "cheet"

4. listen

5. help

6. do not pout

7. obey God

8. have fun

This has provided much entertainment to us and to the people who stop by! The verdict is still out on Aidan, but we don't think he's going to be on the shy side :)

Through Review

2009-02-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

We are officially through the Review Room in China! It only took 22 months!! (ha ha) Even though our wait is still long, it is encouraging to get some good news. We would love for this process to speed up so that we could bring our little one home soon, but we also know that God's timing is perfect. So, we'll continue to wait and see what this year brings.

Five

2009-02-01T17:12:00.001-08:00

My little girl just turned five! A few days before her birthday she also lost her first tooth! This is almost too much at once for a mama to handle! Ella is a constant source of entertainment and joy for our family. She is full of energy and life and certainly makes our lives more fun!

We had a princess spa party for Ella's birthday. Basically, this consisted of 8 very energetic little girls taking over the house for a few hours! We painted nails (which were all chipped off by the end of the party!), did a little craft, and ate cupcakes. Ella had a wonderful time- she is always up for a party! (I think she gets this from her Daddy!)

Grammy made a very special dress for Ella. She can't wait to wear it to school!

Pom Pom Dress

2009-01-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the pom pom dress, Grandma!

I love it so much and I wore it to school today! Love,Ella

Back in the Saddle Again...

2009-01-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

Vacation is over and we are back into the swing of things with the kids. Tristan was very excited to get back to school and be with his class. He is starting to learn cursive and is excited to finally be able to practice (Tristan's teacher told him that they wouldn't start cursive until Jan., so being the "rule abider" that he is, he wouldn't let me teach him earlier than the new year.)

Ella is back to "special" gymnastics, the highlight of her week! She is very strong and determined and her teacher says that she is doing great!

We call Aidan the "spinner," as that is his latest talent. He likes to sit on the floor and spin in circles. He hasn't started crawling yet, but I don't think he's too far off. I am happy to have him just sit there and spin.

Here are a few more pictures:

hording the cookies!

Christmas slippers

family skate at the Petit Ice Center

wonder

Hi Maetia, Eli, and Asher!

2008-12-11T13:05:00.001-08:00

Hello to our cousins!

Hi from Aidan!

Merry Christmas from Ella!

We miss you guys! Love, Tristan

Sinter Klaas

2008-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Rose, from the Netherlands, came to vist us. We haven't seen Rose in 3 years, so it was a really special time for us to spend with her. One of the highlights of Rose's visit was celebrating Sinter Klaas with her and the kids. Tristan and Ella really got into it and were counting down the days until December 5th! After supper, we were surpised with a knock on our back door and a bag full of presents left for us. The kids got a bag of traditional Dutch candies, John received dropjes (not sure on the spelling of this one!), and I got marzipan- my favorite! Someone knew what we liked!! Here are some pics from the celebration...

Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

John and I took the kids to a Christmas tree farm in Indiana today. I was doing a photo shoot at the farm and the kids were able to come and enjoy the snow! It was quite chilly, but they didn't seem to mind... even Aidan was a happy boy! The family gave us a tree for our house... we are very grateful. So, tomorrow we will spend the afternoon decorating ...I can't wait!

enjoying a hayride to the field

aidan is 8 months old

snow angel

tristan loved to jump out with the surpise attack!

the car ride home... i think they're tired!

Fall

2008-11-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a little glimpse of our Fall-

We had a beautiful October. It was about 70 degrees on Halloween and the kids went trick-or-treating for over an hour and a half (a first for us- usually it's freezing and we last for 20 minutes!) Tristan and John made an awesome Lego costume and Ella was a princess, then a butterfly, then back to princess. Aidan wore his pumpkin robeez- I thought that was enough for this year! I think we (John and I!) have managed to eat 75% of the loot already.

The picture of Tristan and Ella (and friend, Samantha) is from their choir concert. They are a part of a local church choir and they sang at a Harvest Home Dinner. They sang a beautiful hymn- we could hear Ella's little voice all the way in the back pew!

The kids loved having John's Dad visit this week. He was put through the ringer with the 3 kids- wrestling, teasing (from Ella!), and even babysitting Aidan while I went to school. He had a great time and we sure enjoyed having him around.

Pumpkin Patchin'

2008-10-20T12:12:00.001-07:00

There's a fabulous pumpkin patch in WI close to my parent's house that we visit in the fall. The weekend we went, the trees were in full color and the countryside was beautiful. We took a wagonride to the fields and picked out our own pumpkins. Ella got to go on a pony ride (a big highlight for her!) and Tristan and John did the corn maze. (ask John about his video taping "mishap" in the maze!)

You can't beat the beauty of Wisconsin in the fall!

Popcorn Farm

2008-10-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend we all took a drive to a popcorn farm in Benson, IL where I did a photo shoot for my sister's magazine. It was so nice to be away from the city and experience farm life for a day. The highlights of the day were being up close and personal with the pigs (I was actually in the pigpen!), having a warm lunch in the field with the family, and riding on the combine with the 75 year old Grandma- wow.

John's mom was in town for the weekend and was able to go with us to the farm. We all had a really relaxing, fun day. It's amazing to me that a quiet peaceful place like this is just 2 hours away from Chicago! We all felt like we were in Iowa, not so close to the city!

Review Room

2008-09-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

Some good news! Our paperwork (which has been sitting on a shelf the last 18 months) is finally being reviewed in China! Please pray that everything will be fine and that we won't have any setbacks. Once our paperwork has been approved and we are through the review room, all we have to do is wait (for who knows how long!) for our referral. Despite the long wait time, we are still very excited about welcoming a new little girl into our family. Ella and Tristan pray daily for "Baby China" and are hoping to be able to travel with us when we go to China. We'll let you all know when we are officially reviewed and approved!

Apple Picking

2008-09-22T14:28:00.001-07:00

The kids and I joined friends at an apple orchard last week. We had to drive an hour to get to the orchard, but it was worth the drive. We all had a great time and are looking forward to making some apple sauce tonight with our McIntosh apples!

Behind the Couch

2008-09-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

I have a really large picture frame behind my couch that has a very outdated family picture. I have been meaning to put a new photo in (for the past 2 years!), but we have never been able to get a nice looking family photo. Well, I've been feeling especially guilty for not updating it since Adian's been born.

SO, here it our best shot from the summer. Don't look too close at the drool marks or t-shirt text. This is who we are and what we look like, so it's going on the wall. And, I have to say, I don't think we look half bad!

The next time you visit our house, look for a new photo behind the couch and maybe some in the hallway, too!

First Day

2008-09-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

So, another summer has come and gone and the kids are back to school. Tristan is in second grade and Ella is in 4 year old preschool. I can't believe how big they are both getting! John and I are both so proud of them and thankful for the fun and love they bring to our family. Of course, we had to include little Aidan in our "first day" photos!

Packers, Providence, and Portland

2008-08-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

We've been out of town for 2 weeks and have just returned to Elmhurst! We had a blast on our vacations, but it's always good to come home again. At the end of July, I took the kids to WI for a week and we spent time with my parents. One of the highlights was going to the PackersFamily Night at Lambeau Field for Tristan's 8th birthday! We are still cheeseheads and loved being able to see Lambeau and all the players (and 54,000 other Packer fans who were there!)

Family Night at Lambeau

the kiddos

"Aidy," Ella's nickname for Aidan

Toucans- our favorite custard stand in West Bend

Happy 8th Birthday, Tristan!

Papa built Tristan his very own carpetball for his birthday! Somebody sure loves Tristan!

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After our week in WI, John and Tristan, and the Chan boys, headed to Camp Paradise for Father & Son Camp. (pictures still coming!) They had an amazing time together! I took Ella and Aidan and went to Rhode Island to be with Steph and the girls. After camp the boys drove back to RI (a VERY long drive!) and we spent a few more days together. We are all thankful for the special week we had and the blessing of lifelong friends.

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The new little cousins- Eli (5 months), Aidan (4months), and Asher (1 month)

While we were in RI, we were able to make a quick trip to Maine to see John's family and meet all the new cousins. We are quite a large group- 14 in all!

We Love Camping!

2008-07-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

We've been camping two times now since Aidan has been born. We were pleasantly surprised at how well Aidan did- especially at night! The mosquitos were terrific, the dirt was plentiful, and the kids played until they collapsed into their sleeping bags at night. Some highlights were "relaxing" at the beach, archery, campfires, and carpetball. But mostly, we just enjoyed being able to spend time together.

Well, here goes.....

2008-07-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to try to blog. We'll see how this goes.

Leave me a comment if you want to see more!

Having fun with friends at the pool!

About Me

2008-03-22T14:10:00.000-07:00