Toyota Sienna

Here is a picture of our van. So excited to have it. Mikayla kept asking us how much it cost. Then, she said on the way to school yesterday, "How much do you have saved up so far for my college? I plan on taking a lot of science classes." She was asking me a few days ago how insurance works. Yikes.


If you have seen the Toyota Sienna You Tube videos, you know it is also called the Swagger Wagon. Here are two of my favorites. Feel free to post a comment of your favorite Swagger Wagon video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0b6pJ7NwXg&feature=channel

Fall Leaves

We've only had two of our trees shed their leaves. That's enough raking for me though. I was thankful yesterday for the wind to scatter them somewhere else. I think that the girls could spend an entire day playing with the leaves. It's been wonderful weather for it! I love the constant giggles and squeals you hear when they're playing in them. It's also nice to hear it because (knock on wood) we are all healthy. Elyana had was sick since Labor Day weekend fighting pneumonia. Once she was on the mend, Mikayla and I had pneumonia. 2 days after Ellie finished her second round of antibiotics, she came down with a cold that developed into a sinus infection. Thus leading to her third round of antibiotics. The girls seem to bounce back much quicker than me. I'm still occasionally having some coughing and chest tightness. However, I haven't had much down time either.

This week we took the plunge and traded our van in for a 2006 Toyota Sienna. We found it through CarSoup.com and went up to the cities a few times making the deal on it. It's got a DVD player in it. I'm thinking I could start a new business called Mommy Time. I can drive moms around while they watch a chick flick and then take a nap. I return them home feeling refreshed. What mom wouldn't pay for that! Ha!

Every Girl is a Princess

Last weekend the girls and I took a road trip to Appleton, WI. Every year they have this really neat charity event that we attend.




When you arrive, each girl is paired up with a volunteer teenage girl (who is dressed in a prom dress). They address the girls by Princess Ellie or Princess Mikayla... Each girl is led to pick out a donated dress (which they get to keep), then to pick out donated jewelry, then a crown, and then they design their own wand. They are led up to a stage where they sit in a throne and they once again announce, "Here is Princess Mikayla, etc." and they get their picture taken.







Afterward, there is a fancy tea party. A funny thing happened during the tea party. Elyana had several mosquito bites on her legs and they started to itch. She asked if I could take her tights off. So, I tried to be discreet, and pulled them off. Unfortunately, I also pulled off her underwear and I didn't realize it at first. Ellie leans over and whispers in my ear, "Hey, I'd like to keep those."


Along the hallway are very fancy princess dresses that the girls wanted their picture taken with.


My sister's daughter, Sophia.


My sister, Christine and Elyana.

I Love My Girls Imaginiation!

The girls took the laundry baskets, the blue bathroom rug (the ocean), and Nate's old Dream cast steering wheel to make boats. Mikayla's was a fishing boat. Ellie's was a pirate ship (thus the Styrofoam sword sticking out and the hiding. They used fish from the Let's Go Fishing game and their butterfly nets to catch them. Ellies basket tends to tip over and then we'd yell, "Man overboard." Lots of giggles.






Here is what a discarded soda box can become. A space outfit/rocket ship for Lambie.

Loving September-Sort of

We're loving this cooler weather, but I am surprised to still be getting mosquito bites. We've been taking more walks, bike rides when it's not raining. I'll jog with Ellie in the stroller to pick Kayla up from school when we can. Saturday we went out on the Douglas trail for a couple of miles. Nate pushed Ellie in our stroller, Kayla rode her bike, and I jogged next to Kayla. Sunday I took Kayla to the Northwoods Orchard with some friends. I think we've already eaten 1/2 a bag of the baby Gala apples.






What I haven't appreciated about September so far is that Elyana has been feverish and coughing. We are on day 8 now. Thursday they said it was Bronchitis. At Urgent Care over the weekend her lungs sounded good, but they are thinking that there was an underlying flu virus. I'm waiting for the Motrin to wear off today to see if the fever is actually gone or if I need to take her back in tomorrow. From the lack of sleep getting up with her in the night, we're worn out. I'm starting to get a sore throat and am fighting not to come down with whatever Ellie has. She's missed her first week of preschool. I'm praying that she can go back on Wednesday. We've been eating tons of Popsicles around here. So I think this picture is a good summary of our September so far.


Next week we are scheduled to have our 2010 family photos done by our good friends Scott and Jen with Midwest Lifeshots. I'm really excited although I have no idea what we are going to wear and am now praying we'll all be healthy.

First Day of Second Grade

This is right before Elyana burst into tears. She was going to miss Mikayla. Poor Elyana has a fever and a cough and it looks like she'll be missing her first day of school tomorrow. She was also crying because she wants to go to school.


Nate walking Kayla to the crossing guard.


Cute shot of Nate and Ellie.


Last minute hugs goodbye! Very sweet!


The teachers came out with their name on signs to meet their classes. Here is Kayla's new teacher, Mrs. Winters.

Labor Day Weekend

The girls started our weekend off early by going to the House of Bounce. We got there right when it opened and had the place to ourselves for an hour! I'm always amazed at how sweaty the girls can get! A friend of ours that moved away wrote on her blog recently about something her little boy said, "I'm so sweaty, it's like I peed all over myself!" Too funny! Nate worked the sound board at church all weekend and I taught Ellie's Sunday School class. My assignment was Adam and Eve. It seemed to go well. Sunday after church we all ventured to explore Niagara Falls Cave. I felt like it was a great workout. I was hungry and sweaty afterward and we followed it up with some frozen treats at Dairy Queen. Nate and I took turns napping when we got home. Here's a few photos from our cave tour. I think Ellie's eyes are closed in most of these pictures.

The playground in front of the gift shop.


The Waterfall.


One of the many steep stairways.


An actual wedding chapel deep inside the cave.


Tourguide showing us "baby" (50 year old) stalactites.