Our Life in Europe

Spain: Bareclona

2012-01-20T10:35:00.001-08:00

So, we found a steal on tickets for MLK weekend through Ryan Air. Our travel buddies, the Pond family, came along too. It was quite hilarious walking to our apartment in Old Town with all our luggage and 7 children. We drew a lot of attention. One man's face had a look of complete disgust (it was funny)...but most people were smiling. We enjoyed walking around this architecturally amazing city. We enjoyed many buildings built by Gaudi, including the Sagrada Familia (which is STILL being built and has been for the last 150 years). This church looks like a sand castle. It's the most unique one we've seen. Spain has its own triumphal arch, and also a coast. We enjoyed the sunshine, warmer weather, and speaking Spanish! Growing up in Arizona has made us very comfortable with Spanish speakers, and Matt's LDS mission to Peru helped him learn Spanish fluently...so we found it easier to get around and understand things. Jack was so proud of his daddy speaking the language. It was fun to watch. We took a gondola over the city, enjoyed the Disney Channel in English, and even sat down and enjoyed a 1 EURO hamburger from good old McDondalds. There were many parks and fountains, and street entertainers galore! Also, sadly we were the objects of a pick-pocketer. Yup, they got my iPhone. Dang...we've always been so careful. Well, better my phone than my wallet. We also slipped into the ocean. My kids got their clothes all wet, so after I gave G my long socks and she wore her dry shirt upside down. The funny thing is, she thought her outfit was fun and could care less about her unusual appearance. We also went to the spot where the summer Olympics were held. My kids loved riding the subway, and we enjoyed walking through this bustling city. There were many beautiful mosaics and other art. We ate yummy pitas, waffles, gelato, and smoothies. I also got my Barcelona plate. It was a great trip.

The bad part was coming home because we left our keys in the Barcelona apartment, so we had to call a lock smith when we got back. 280 EUROS later...ouch. That was more than our flights over there!! Then we find that we have a leak in our upstairs bathroom, which shorted out half our lights in our house. Also, Matt's phone was laying in the direct line of the leak so his phone is ruined too! So, we have no lights in our bathrooms, no house key, and no phones...awesome. We all have our health, and we made it home in one piece. Let's focus on the positive.

New Years Eve in Paris, France

2012-01-03T05:43:00.002-08:00

Despite being rained on for most of the time, we had a great time in Paris. {I came 10 years ago, and had a negative experience, so it was nice to have a great time this time around.} We were in Paris from Dec. 30 - Jan 1. Matt and I decided to take the kids to Disneyland Paris on the first day while my parents and brother went to the Louver. We knew they wouldn't last in that museum, so we played it safe and had a great time at Disney. Sometimes we feel like we are dragging the kids everywhere, so it was nice to go somewhere they loved. Our favorite ride is still Pirates of the Caribbean. We rode that one twice. We really didn't have to wait too long on any ride. On the second day we went to Notre Dame Cathedral and really enjoyed the awe and wonder of this gothic building. Then we headed over to the Eiffel Tower so we could enjoy it in the day and night. G really wanted a picture of her and I in our berets in front of the Eiffel tower. She told me she would treasure it "forever". Love that girl... Next we drove down the main street of Paris towards the Arch de Triumph. There is a round-a-bout circling the arch, so we giggled as we drove around it about 4 times. I even stood out of the sun roof to get a shot of it! Of course we enjoyed some crepes along the way too.

2011 has been a great year! Here's to 2012! Happy New Year!!

Warth-Schröcken, Austria

2012-01-03T05:43:00.001-08:00

The boys headed off to go skiing for the day in Austria in the Alps. My dad has been skiing in a lot of places and he said this was the most beautiful. They had a great time, but my brother injured his shoulder half way through the day...bummer.

Triberg, Germany {The Black Forest}

2012-01-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

This city is famous for its cuckoo clocks. We traveled here on Dec. 26. My brother, Matthew, offered to watch the kids so we could enjoy all the breakable stores without our little helpers. Last minute G begged to go, so we had fun with her there too. We loved seeing all the beautiful wood workings including beautiful nativities {which were first created in Triberg, by the way}, cuckoo clocks, and many more beautiful things. We also enjoyed all the winter shops full of beautiful sweaters. Matt wore my sunglasses and scarf while I tried a few on. At the end of the day we sat down for a traditional German meal with yummy spaetzle {a type of egg noodle with onions and melted cheese}, wiener schnitzel, and a mixed salad {which is usually a green salad, potato salad, and cucumber salad all on one plate.} We like to top it off with a huge glass of apfelschorle {carbonated apple juice}. We even brought home a cuckoo clock of our own!

Schönberg Castle

2012-01-03T05:41:00.002-08:00

This castle overlooked the Medieval village of Oberwessel, Germany and the Rhine river. We actually got to stay the night in it! Staying in a castle happened to be on my bucket list, so "check!" This castle dates back to 911. The Schönburg was one of the very few castles in which after a dukes death, all of the sons became heirs to the castle and not only the oldest one which usually was the rule. Therefore it happened that at the height of its power in the 14th century the Schönburg accommodated up to 250 persons of 24 different families at the same time. Now it is a lovely hotel. We enjoyed our night's stay and the yummy breakfast in the morning. We particularly love the beds where J & G slept, tucked in the cabinets! When we got there, they showed us to our rooms and gave us a scroll with the castle's history and a set of skeleton keys attached to a knight in armor. All the details were so fun.

Heidelberg Castle

2012-01-03T05:41:00.001-08:00

On December 23, we went to the Castle in Heidelberg, Germany. Parts of this castle date back to AD 1214. Only some of this castle was rebuilt in the 18th century. We always have fun imagining what went on in the castle grounds. We know they drank a ton of beer because of the 4 huge barrels in cellar of the castle. My children had fun sitting on them.
matt and lara ellingson family

Christ Kindle's Markt {Nuremberg Christmas Market}

2011-12-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

Nuremberg has the oldest Christmas Market in Germany, and a "kinder" or "children's" market too. We drove to Nuremberg for the weekend to enjoy the city, but especially this event. We've been told by fellow travelers that this is a site not to miss. This market did not disappoint! We really enjoyed several of the snacks and yummy food. We tasted "kinder punsch" which translates to Children's punch, and is basically spiced cider. They gave it to us in these cute boot mugs. In Germany, they serve drinks in real glasses and you are charged for the glass, and then you can get part of your money back if you return the glass. We kept the mugs because we are in need of some more hot chocolate mugs, and these will help us remember our fun times in Nuremberg! We also tasted the Nuremberg soft gingerbread {this is the cookie with the almonds on top}. It's called lebkuchen. I learned how to make these in a German cookie class I took. They are yum! We had chocolate dipped bananas, candied macademia nuts, dried pineapple {ananas}, and of course some brautwurst {my kids called them hotdogs...who cares, because they love them!} My children enjoyed watching toy trains, riding a double decker carousel, seeing all the lights, and gorging themselves on all the treats this Christmas market had to offer!

Nuremberg Imperial Palace

2011-12-12T00:45:00.000-08:00

We went to Nuremberg over the weekend, and enjoyed the Christmas market {next post} and the Imperial Castle. This was a fun city! We really enjoyed touring the castle and seeing the city views. My kids still enjoyed being kids and rolled down the hills and hung on things like little monkeys! On the train a German woman told me {as super boy climbed all over the place}, "I love watching American children. You are so laid back. Your boy has a good 'fire' in him. Germans are too uptight!" Well, I'm glad she enjoyed his "fire" because I was busy trying to put it out!!

Tubingen Chocolate Festival

2011-12-06T05:33:00.000-08:00

Tubingen is one of my favorite cities because there are so many fun shops and so much history. I love walking around it's cobblestone streets. When I found of that Tubingen was hosting a chocolate festival, I thought to myself, "YES please!!" So, I took my in-laws and super boy out for a chocolatey-goodness-adventure! We stopped by many booths and tasted/bought some VERY yummy chocolate. We also saw chocolate in some unique forms. We saw hot chocolate, chocolate dipped fruit {strawberries are my personal fav}, chocolate carved into an SLR camera, chocolate that looked like glass, and even chocolate lingerie {there's your next bridal shower gift!}

Christmas, Christmas Time is Here

2011-12-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

It's so magical how as soon as the tree goes up, there is such a happy feeling in the air. I love all that the this season brings into our lives. Over the years we've established a few of our own traditions. One of our favorites is our advent calendar {where we do something fun each day of December}. G even wrote about it during journaling time at school. Our newest addition "Stutty Rudy." He is our elf who watches to see if we are naughty or nice and he has a few tricks up his little sleeve. This morning he turned our milk green! The kids have fun finding him each morning. He came with the book, Elf on a Shelf, it's a great one! My kids picked "Stutty Rudy" for "Stuttgart" and "Rudolf". My kids are so creative, wink. We also joined in with the Germans for a tradition. On Dec. 6, St. Nicholaus will leave little treats and trinkets in the children's shoes if they set them out the night before. I {I mean, St. Nicholaus} took this picture after they went to bed. LOVE this season!

Rome: Day 2

2011-11-27T11:30:00.001-08:00

Our next day in Rome, we headed toward St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican city. We didn't actually go in because we knew it would be a bust with the kids. We enjoyed being outside on the beautiful day and seeing all the sites. We even purchased a Pinochhio ornament for our tree and took a picture of him by St. Peter's. The kids enjoyed playing tag, watching the Spanish Guard, listening to the church bells, and chasing pigeons.

Mimi and I had to buy a scarf. They were all over the place and we both ended up with some fun ones. Behind us is St. Angelo's Castle. The kids needed a pic with Santa Pinochio and with the orange Vespa. Super boy bought a little treat all by himself. He even said "Ciao" to the shop owner when he left. He may not be a great talker, but he can speak Italian!

Mimi and Papa gave us a night out and stayed with the kids at the hotel. We enjoyed the night lights of all the sites and just being the two of us. We only stayed out for about 2 hours because our feet were SO tired! We went in all the shops and found my Roman plate to add to my collection.

Rome: Day 1

2011-11-27T11:06:00.001-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving, we decided to go to Rome. We had our traditional meal the Saturday before, and headed south for this awesome holiday. There is an airlines over here called German Wings, and on their site you can do what's called a "blind booking". On the internet, you give the dates you want to depart and return and it lists 5 cities that it will randomly pick for you to go for only 50 EURO round trip! We decided to give it a whirl and where thrilled to get Rome! The other choices were London, Lisbon, Berlin, or Barcelona {which would have been cool too}. We found a hotel with a free shuttle from the airport on hotels.com, and off we went. It was spontaneously wonderful! We didn't get robbed and came home with all 3 children {yes, I was nervous the whole time that one of my kids would get kidnapped.} Mimi and Papa are still in town, so they came along too. All in all, Rome is fun, a bit dirty, but really cool. Our family actually enjoyed Tuscany more because although we enjoy the cities, we LOVE nature and the land/ocean more. Still, so glad we went.

The Colosseum: Of course we had to see this iconic Roman ruin. The kids were enthralled at this "really old sports stadium". We really enjoyed being a part of the old Rome and imagining life 200 years ago.

The Pantheon: Rome's "best-preserved" building, a temple built to all the gods. I loved this building when I came 10 years ago in college, and I loved it all over again. I'm in awe at this building and how they could build something so amazing without modern technology. We didn't stay in there long because there is no talking aloud, and super boy decided he liked to here his voice echo in there.

A few {not so ancient} things on our walk through Rome: G's souvenir was a snow globe with a red Vespa. She was excited to find this scooter that looked like her snow globe! Of course we enjoyed gelato, twice. G & S had fun watching newly poured tar...yup. We found a GIANT jar of Nutella {too bad we packed light, or we might have come home with one, yum!} The leaves were just beginning to turn for the fall. It was much warmer there. It felt PERFECT!! One of the days it was 70. We love the street entertainers. We saw many of them! I thought the invisible man was unique. I also had to snap a pic of everyone looking at the map trying to figure out where we needed to go next. This happened a lot because we walked everywhere and tried to figure out where we were! Also, there is a picture of me with an Italian painter that I bought a watercolor from. I got one in Florence too...now to figure out where to hang them.

Other ancient sites on our walk: Temple of the Forum Boarium, Marcello Theater, & Portico of Octavia built by the Emporer Augustus in 23 BC {WOW!} We found this by accident, just weaving in and out of the streets of Rome {so glad we walked and didn't take a bus!}

Santa Maria in Cosmedin & Bocca della Verita {the Mouth of Truth}: As we walked around Rome we wanted to find the mouth of truth so we could stick our hand in. The legend says that if you stick your hand in and it shuts, then you are a liar...well, we didn't need to pay 5 EURO and wait in a 30 min line for the mouth of truth to tell it what it thought of us!

Roman Forum & Arch of Constantine: The Roman Forum, believed to have been here since 5th century BC, is really amazing to see, we just walked right by it on our way by the Colosseum. We also headed toward the Arch of Constantine. We just kept pinching ourselves that we were really there. Again, my kids love dropping coins in the street entertainers buckets to see what they will do.

Pigeons: Everywhere we went, the kids loved chasing the pigeons, especially super boy. Sometimes in the day we'd just stop and let them run around and have fun.

Trajan's Forum & Market: Started in 107AD, this ancient section of Rome was one of many sites to see. Researchers believe this area to be the first "shopping mall". My kidlets were in awe at how "old" this place was. You can see how much S loves the stroller and Mimi buying a necklace from a street vendor...all part of the Roman experience.

Each morning we'd start out with a fabulous breakfast. G is sitting in a "royal" chair, we took pictures of our view from our breakfast table, and J & Mimi enjoyed fruit, croissants, quiche, sausage, bacon, and other yummy bakery treats. Our hotel, Atlante Star {which I found on hotels.com b/c every 10 nights we stay, we get a night free}, was 4 star hotel, Europen standard. It was nice, but not one you want to hang out in all day. It was a bit on the tiny side, like most European hotels. The location couldn't be beat though. We were just a few blocks from Vatican city.

Bolesławiec, Poland

2011-11-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

After visiting Dresden, we headed over to Poland. We stayed in this village known as Bolesławiec. This area is known for its pottery...Mimi and I sure had fun perusing, shopping, and buying! {Matt was amazing and played outside with the kids so I could shop with no inhibitions!} I bought some beautiful plates and bowls. I wanted to collect something useful from the countries I visit, so I decided to start buying a dinner plate from every country I visit. I don't really have a set of dishes, and I thought this would be fun dinner conversation to talk about our European plates.
We stayed at The Blue Beetroot Hotel, another lovely place. The food was amazing {Fish and Chips, Perogies, and Pumpkin soup to die for}, the room had a place for all 7 of us {so fun}, and we even enjoyed riding donkeys and horses in the fields out back. {The kids are in LOVE with burros and horses by the way!} A couple from England reformed an old farm house to this wonderful bed and breakfast. I hope to go back to that very spot. Who knew Poland could be so enchanting.

Dresden, Germany

2011-11-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

For Veteran's weekend, we headed up north to Dresden, Germany. We still have Mimi and Papa in town, so they came too! We enjoyed the Royal Palace, the Zwinger, Dresden Frauenkirche {the church where Martin Luther changed Christianity - also, the most expensive remodel and most famous church in the world},and Dresden Opera House. We found a nice apartment to stay in from homeaway.com. I would recommend this place to everyone! It was lovely. Dresden is formerly Saxony, and is filled with Royal Baroque and Rococo style and culture. The buildings are old and new and beautiful to look at. We were pretty much freezing our patooties off...but the sites were worth it. We always enjoy the roadside entertainment, and of course the German bakeries...hmm, cream puffs....

First German Fall

2011-11-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

So, although I totally miss Ohio's AMAZING falls, Germany's are not to shabby! The colors have been gorgeous. The weather has been wonderful {60's}. Here are the kidlets in the leaves, I couldn't decide which one to put up, so I just put up a bunch. Life is good. I still feel like we are trying to get in our groove, but we can't complain. I'm thankful for family, fall, and fun times ahead.

Our German House

2011-11-01T02:50:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been slacking at putting up our house pictures because I'm STILL not done with it...but, let's be honest, it might be awhile because we'd rather travel than put our house together! We feel SUPER fortunate to live in the home we have. Most German homes are VERY tiny and have several small rooms. Most also do not have any kind of "garden" or yard. We love our home. It fits us well. Our neighborhood is full of children, and the kids love to play with them and are learning their German! All the neighborhood kids love our trampoline. Our neighborhood is not a typical German neighborhood. Most neighborhoods are filled with row houses and duplexes.

When you walk into our home, you first come in the entry way where we keep all our shoe cupboards. IKEA made some pretty cute ones! Next I have pictures of our family room. It is nice and open. Then there is a pic of me in the kitchen {the laundry room is off to the side}. I'm in there a lot! This was the room that sold me on the house. Then we go upstairs where there are 3 bedrooms and one bathroom. Next we have G's room. She really wanted to decorate it herself {which was hard for me to give up, but we have to let our kids fly, right?!} She was happy to put stickers of different woodland creatures on the walls. Next you can see J/S's room. The boys share. S loves sharing his room with J. He really looks up to his big brother. We have cute state/country pictures of the places we've lived {thanks aunt Kristi!} and tons of Lego creations {which J won't let me clean off his dressers...again, oh well}. I painted those dressers in Ohio before we came out here. I love the color!

So, my room is still in the works. It's half painted right now, so pictures will come soon {or not soon because we have tons of trips coming up!} I also have a craft/guest room {which is currently occupied, so I'll post pictures when it's back to normal}.

So, there you have it...my house {with all it's imperfections}. Is it what I would love for my dream house or decor to be like, no...but, hey...we are in GERMANY, baby! Who cares?! Some day my house will come, but til then, my $$ and time is saved for my family and travels!

{thanks to Mimi for some of the pictures that I never got around to!}

Bavaria {Garmisch}, Germany

2011-10-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

So, Matt had a dental conference in Garmisch, Germany. This is in the Bavarian region or as the Germans say, Bayern. The Bavarians are known for their clothes, their beer, their cows, their mountains, their kindness, and their faith. Matt was gone for the whole week, but I pulled the kidlets out of school for Thursday and Friday and we headed on down. This town is nestled in between the Alps and just made my heart sing. It was gorgeous! I think this might be my favorite German spot so far. The people were so friendly and Matt and I got a real kick out of the men in lederhosen and women in dirndls {or the bosom dress, as we like to call it}. We enjoyed a real Bavarian feast where we watched Bavarian horn blowers, dancers, whip boys, cow bell songs, and yodeling. It was great fun! My kids LOVED it. The food and desert was especially yum. You can see a picture of my kids casing out the desert table! The women definitely had bountiful bosoms! A Bavarian saying is "they have nice wood stacked out front!" We might have purchased some Bavarian outfits so we will be sure to fit in next year! {Don't worry, mine is modest!}

Next, we headed into Garmisch. There is an Army base in this town. The hotel was fabulous. It's called the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort {sorry, only open to military}. There was a giant hot tub outside. It was fun to sit in while the cold air and snow flakes surrounded you! Matt surprised me with a massage at the spa. It was awesome! The town itself was a ton of fun too! There were tons of cute shops. We got an authentic, Bavarian cow bell {actually hung on a cows neck!}, and rolling pin from a wood carver's shop. I've been needing a new one b/c the handles broke off of mine. We enjoyed yummy cream puffs, spatzel, and bought tons of yummy dried fruit {pineapple is my new fav!}

Our last day was filled with a trip to Neuschwanstein {a.k.a. Disney or Cinderella Castle}. This is where Walt Disney got his idea for the castles in his logo and theme parks. It's easily the most famous castle in the world. It was spectacular. We couldn't stop thinking of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang too! This was also filmed here in Bavaria and scenes were from this castle. I know King Ludwig, II wasted a ton of money on all his castles, but they are sure fun to see. We also saw his other castle, Hohenschwangau. We just enjoyed this one from afar and only entered Neuschwanstein.

We are TOTALLY going back here. There are tons of opportunities for skiing, and Zugsptize {Germany's tallest peak and it reminds me of the Matterhorn} is calling for us to journey to the top! It's interesting in Bavaria too because all of the tallest peaks on every mountain have a cross on top to remind the people that God is higher than the mightiest mountains. They are very God-fearing people, and like the rest of Germany, all things are closed on Sundays. I kind of like that.

Till we meet again, Bavaria!

Strasbourg, France

2011-10-17T03:29:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend we decided to take a day trip to Strasbourg, France. It's right on the border of Germany and France. It's so funny how the minute you cross the border, everything looks more French. We enjoyed seeing the beautiful Strasbourg Cathedral in it's 450 foot glory. It was very Gothic and beautiful. I can't believe all the stone carvings in it. It truly is magnificent. It was fun seeing the vendors, the people statues, and listening to the locals playing music in the town center. We also enjoyed some amazing crepes. You can see the evidence all over my kiddos faces. The kids rode on a carousel {which was slightly dangerous, but tons of fun!} We took a boat tour (the glass covered on in the picture with J) and even got to use the lochs in the river to rise and sink. That was cool. We enjoyed our time in France. Can't wait to go back and see more French cities.

Tuscany, Day 5: Lake Como & Lake Lugano

2011-10-11T10:24:00.001-07:00

On the way home, we decided to stop by these beautiful mountain lakes in Northwest Italy. The views were just lovely, and the drive was a super tight squeeze through the streets with our van. We had to pull the side view mirrors in so other cars wouldn't tag us. They just don't make Italian streets with Honda Odysseys in mind {what were they thinking hundreds of years ago...sheesh!} We saw our dream car too, an Porche Panamera Turbo, baby. {If we only had an extra 150 G's laying around!} I just love all the ancient architecture along the way as well. I might have cried a little on our way home. We LOVE Italy...but then I realized, I still live in Germany...ha ha.

Tuscany, Day 4: Florence

2011-10-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Florence is a very cool city! It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance. There is awesome shopping, architecture, history, food, and scenery. The duomo (church in the center of town) was the prettiest I've seen yet. There were so many beautiful colors of green and coral. It was lovely. We had fun walking across the Arno river on the bridge and seeing all the mopeds (we even saw two Italian men get into a fight over a car accident...scary!). The David, by Michelangelo is amazing {although we had to explain the nakedness to our kids}. I am truly awestruck at the detail that he carved out of a solid slab of marble...wow! We censored the pictures for you! We sat down for some amazing Italian cuisine...yum. Matt couldn't stop raving about the white sauce. J loved the spaghetti! We saw several versions of Pinocchio {who was apparently Italian}, and the boys drooled over the Ferrari museum. We had more Gelato, my fav is the Mango and J and G each got hats. Matt score some Italian silk ties for 3 EURO each and I walked away with some beautiful boots, sigh. October was a great time to visit this amazing area in Italy. We enjoyed low 70's and high 60's...just perfect for walking around in all day. We took the train from our villa into Florence, but the kids walked for over 8 hours that day. We walked till we dropped. Our last picture is us and the Ponds' making our Italian hand motions. We had TONS of fun. The Ponds' were awesome to travel with and took more pictures than me! {so they didn't mind me hanging back for pics all the time}.

Tuscany, Day 3: San Gimignano & Volterra

2011-10-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

These are two beautiful medieval cities as well. The Tuscan charm was unreal and the drives up to these cities on different hills was breathtaking. We enjoyed weaving in and out of the skinny roads and the tall buildings. Of course we enjoyed some gelato too. We loved the food and the Italian people, they are all so friendly.

Tuscany, Day 2: Pisa, Lucca, & the Tyrrhenian Sea

2011-10-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Day two, we first visited Pisa. It was really spectacular to walk under a tunnel of an old city wall and come out and lo and behold...the Leaning Tower of Pisa! It was a grand site to see. We enjoyed the beautiful day and seeing sights we've always dreamed about. Next we went to the city of Lucca, Italy. This city became a colony in 180 BC. It was a very cool city. We rented 2 car/bikes that could fit both of our families. We cruised around the whole city on those bikes. We enjoyed towers and churches, and of course, gelato! G is posing with one of her many Italian admirers. Many different Italians would touch her cheeks and hair and say, "Bella, bambina!" Last, but not least, we wanted to visit an Italian beach. We started out just playing in the sand, but then the kids and the husbands decided to jump in the water! The air was cold, but the water was warm. The kids had a great time. The sand was smooth and beautiful and the memories, the best. Needless to say, our heads hit the pillow when we got back to our villa.

Tuscany, Day 1: Our Villa in Cassanova

2011-10-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and in 2011...the Ellingsons' went to Tuscany heaven! We are so glad we had some vacation days. We took advantage of them and went to ITALY with some friends, the Ponds'. We rented a farmhouse in the village of Cassonova, Italy. It was amazing. Our villa had 5 bedrooms and 10 beds a full kitchen, a pool, the most gorgeous view, and a whole lot of Tuscan charm. We also toured the vineyards and wine cellar in our villa. We found this awesome new website called homeaway.com where people all over the world rent out homes and apartments. Staying at this villa made our stay so great. The villa was called Borgo Fajani. We bought fresh bread in the morning and visited a local organic farm where we purchased a wheel of fresh parmesan cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh pasta, and some biscotti {all made fresh}. The sunrise and sunsets were beautiful.

Ludwigsburg Palace

2011-09-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

This palace was built in the 1700's and was not destroyed during WWII. We had a great time visiting the beautiful grounds. It was fun because there was a pumpkin festival going on the same day we went. The weather was absolutely beautiful (75 and sunny), and the company couldn't be beat ;0) The grounds were gorgeous and we all had a great time in the beautiful outdoors. J & G decided that they wouldn't want to live there because it would take too much time to clean a "giant mansion".

We also enjoyed fairytale garten, which on the palace grounds. J is pointing to Old King Cole's castle, the kids are locked in the cage where Hansel and Gretel were locked away by the witch, we said hello to Rumplestiltskin, G & S fed the 3 Billy Goats Gruff, S smiled like a pirate, and we yelled to the Rapunzel tower: Rapunzel, lass dein Haar herunter Rapunzel! {Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!} and a long braid would descend from the top of the tower. Many fairytales originated in Germany.

There were TONS of pumpkins too. They built different animals and creatures out of pumpkins, especially dinosaurs. Germans don't celebrate Halloween, but they do celebrate Oktoberfest.

and, last but not least, we always end our trips with Eis {ice cream}!

Tubingen, Germany

2011-09-23T06:01:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday my new friends and I took our toddlers on a day trip to Tubingen. This was so fun to shop around in this old city center. Parts of this city date back to the 1300's. We enjoyed some yummy Eis {ice cream}, I bought the largest artichokes I've ever seen at the market in the town square, we enjoyed some yummy pizza at the local Italian cafe, and we shopped at the divinely smelling store called Lush...oh and it was luscious. They sell homemade soaps and lotions. I bought some warming cinnamon lotion for my feet {and it's supposed to heal cracks...and my feed need some major attention} and a lotion bar. I had a great time with Janie and Kim and their kidlets. Thanks super boy for being my date.

Super Heroes

2011-09-20T13:10:00.001-07:00

I LOVE being around soldiers. It has been such a great life's experience to be around the men and women who work so hard for our country. I have loved getting to know them and their families and consider it a great blessing to aquaint myself with them. I thought this picture was the epitome of super heroes. It seriously makes me a little misty eyed.

I LOVE that my littlest guy is starting to get into dressing up. His big brother loved to pretend to be Captain Jack, Spider Man, and Cowboy to name a few. Ever since we pulled those froggy galoshes out of one of our boxes, super boy wants to wear those everywhere we go. They are like 5 sizes to big, and he trips all over them, but he always gets right back up. He also loves his super cape that velcros right to his shirt {thanks gap.com}. He is super fun right now. We love you super boy! {Doesn't that hair cut make him look spittin' image of his daddy?} He is such a cheese-er right now with the smiling. I wish you could see those eat-your-heart-out dimples that get away with EVERYTHING!

Blumen

2011-09-12T22:46:00.000-07:00

So, there are these blumen {flowers} fields all over the place where you just put your change into the bin and go snip some flowers to enjoy. People are very honest here...this would never work in the states, but I'm glad it works here! I love these gladiolas. Also, you can see a snippet of my HUGE {by German standards} kitchen.

Hmmm, I Wonder

2011-09-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not joking! I opened a box for J's room, and this is what I found! I guess everyone had to find a moving buddy!

First Day of Schule

2011-09-12T22:34:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned before, J & G are enrolled at an American school on base, but they were selected to be a part of a German immersion classroom. They are taught half the day in German and half the day in English. J attends a second grade only class and G attends a multi age class of first through third graders. She will have the same teacher for all three years {and we love him, so that is a big bonus!} The first day of first grade is a big deal for German children. It is a grand celebration and a big moment to enter this grade. In honor of this German tradition, G's teacher had a celebration on the first day of school and the class presented all the first graders with a Schultute, which is a cardboard cone filled with treats and school supplies. This tradition has been carried out in Germany for over 200 years. The older children in the class also put on a play entirely in German! They have only had German for 1 to 2 years. I was amazed and so excited for my children to learn German!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

2011-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to visit this medieval city. I had come here 11 years ago with BYU when I did a study abroad to Europe. This was one of my favorite cities. I love this quaint city. It was one of the cities that was not bombed during WWII, so many of the buildings and the cobblestone road date back to the 1300's. It is so charming and fun to walk around and enjoy culture and history.

Hohenzollern Castle

2011-09-12T22:16:00.001-07:00

Living in Southeast Germany affords us many opportunities to see castles! This one was a beauty. People still live in this castle too. My mom and I took the kids here while Matt was at work. We even ate in a cafe in the castle. It was tons of fun. I'll tell you what wasn't tons of fun was the parking! My HUGE, American {well, technically it's Japanese} mini van is sometimes a pain in the neck to park. Well, in this parking lot, I parked it just fine, but then everyone parked all around me. I had about an inch on each side to try to get that baby out. I was sweating bullets and giving myself a stress headache to get that baby out of there. My mom was out of the van guiding me with how much room I had. This man was watching me the whole time, looking a bit stressed out himself, and when I was finished he clapped his hands together and gave me a German compliment. I was patting myself on the back too when that was through!

We had fun pretending we were pricking our finger on the castle or holding it. Super boy wouldn't smile {and flat out turned around} for the pictures...oh well. You can see different pictures while we were in the castle, and then a landscape shot of what we could see when we were up there. That village is very typical of Germany. There are lots of little villages nestled in between hills like that here.

Palmengarten in Frankfurt

2011-09-12T22:02:00.001-07:00

We were so lucky to see Matt's brother, Dave, who was here for a dental conference. He was in Frankfurt, so we took the drive one day to go see him. We decided to go to this lovely garten called Palmengarten. The flowers and plants were beautiful and it was a nice warm day. It was so fun to see family all the way over here!! We sure love uncle Dave and Frankfurt! My mom was still in town too, and of course we LOVED having her here.

Downtown Stuttgart

2011-09-12T21:54:00.001-07:00

When my mom was here we were able to visit downtown Stuttgart. It's a beautiful town center and the Germans love their festivals. There was an "onion" festival going on while we were there. We enjoyed the fountains in the center. Many of the children just played right in the middle of them {without getting into trouble!} My kids wanted to play too, but mean old mom didn't want to deal with wet kids all day. I'm still a modest American too! The Germans just strip their kids down to nothing - yep, total nakey - and let them play. Let's just say we've had more conversations about the human anatomy than I've ever had with the kidlets. We also enjoyed some eis {ice cream}, crepes with Nutella and strawberries {my personal fav}, and playing on this giant rocking horse in the middle of all the outside shops. There are two H&M's at this place. One is dedicated just to kids! You know where I'm going for clothes! This day we also went to Waden Buch where Ritter Sport has a chocolate factory. We picked up several new chocolate bars to try {and we loved each and every one of them!}

Hello From Germany!!

2011-09-12T04:41:00.001-07:00

{These is a picture of our village - Weil der Stadt and our village center}

We FINALLY have internet! I have so much to catch up on, in more ways than one {blogging, house organizing, laundry, painting, etc, etc, etc!} Well, life is good. We are very happy here. It has been quite the roller coaster the last 6 weeks though. Here is an email we sent to our family after the first 5 days:

Since I can't call any of you just yet, I thought I would write a little email about our first 5 days here in Germany. First of all, we couldn't be happier to be where we are. We love it already. Also, having my mom here has been SO VERY helpful. Matt and I have been slammed with so much stuff to do and she has been so helpful with the children. I would be lost without her. So, here is a million thanks to my mom (Thanks, Dad, for letting her come!). We packed 19 bags, 3 car seats, and 5 people on the airplane. (The airlines allow transferring active duty military to check 4 bags per person, so we were one under!) We took our long 13 hour flight here and Matt and I didn't get any sleep. One of the kids was always awake. We were awake for 32 straight hours - yikes. When we first got here we had a ton of in-processing to do, so we didn't take a nap at all. I think this helped get us onto the right schedule though. Everyone, but Sam, has seemed to adjust to the time. Super boy wakes up every night from 10pm til 2am (or 2200 to 200) - I'm still getting used to military time. That is how everything is around here, not only on base, but also in Germany. I couldn't be happier with how kind military folk are. We were carrying our groceries back to our hotel and loading them and 3 kids onto the bus, and 2 gentleman rushed to our aid (and they weren't even riding the bus). Everyone calls each other Sir and Mam, so I've been teaching my children to do the same. It really feels like a family here. I really love that. I'm excited to go to church on Sunday and meet some more "family". We still don't have a house and met some people the other day who have been living at the hotel for 2 months...let's hope we get out of here sooner than that. We toured a home tonight that is perfect, so maybe if you all pray for us, we can get it!! I think if we have to live in the hotel for too much longer, my kids might kill each other. Sharing a bed isn't too fun! On a side note, German bees just really don't like us. Sam and Jack got stung at separate times on the same day. Good thing I read one of those forwarded emails that said to tape a penny to bee stings because copper draws out the poison...it really worked. Jack noticed an immediate difference when I taped one on. (See, not all forwarded emails are junk!) We've tried German ice cream and my new favorite treat is a chocolate-filled croisannt (I'm sure I spelled that wrong). We have already taken the German drivers' test and passed (yay) and are now driving the minivan all around town! I kid you not, I got that baby up to 110 mph on the autobahn today and I couldn't stop giggling because it was legal! I felt like I was breaking the law the whole time! (I was by myself..no kids, in case you are wondering).

We did get that house...it's wonderful. We ended up staying in the hotel for 3.5 weeks and then "camped" in our house for 1 week without our goods {that was fun - insert sarcasm}. We got several rooms painted before our furniture arrived - that was a bonus. Matt started work the day we got into our new house, so that left the painting and moving in to me. Let's just say that I would hit the pillow every night. The day are goods were delivered was also the first day of school, of course. My kids were chosen to be in a German immersion program {their lessons are in English half the day and German the other half.} They go to an American school on the same base where Matt works in the dental clinic. We feel SO blessed to have been chosen for this program. This is one of 4 German immersion programs in the world! Not even all the German bases have it. My kids are already speaking more German that Matt or I. So far, the kids are loving school. I ask them to tell me their favorite part, and they say that they can't choose one part because they love all of it. The one negative is that they get on the bus at 6:50am in the village center at the bus stop...ugh, it's early. I've never been an early bird, but we are learning to become one!

We live in a small farming village outside of Stuttgart called Weil der Stadt. Right across the street from us is a strawberry farm - perfect. We've already made freezer jam and walk across the street to get fresh strawberries and raspberries on a regular basis. Also growing in our area are corn, potatoes, pumpkins, apples, and many other produce that we haven't figured out what it is yet.

I shop a lot on base, where I can pretty much buy every American commodity that I would want. For the German treats, I venture into different German grocery stores, bakeries, and butchers. I am stumbling with the German, but I am determined to learn the language. Now that I'm not working on school, I'm going to devote that same time to learning the language. The Germans are very friendly and most of the time will stumble through English as I stumble through German {although many of them speak English very well}. Our next door neighbors speak English very well. They have a little boy 1 year younger than Sam. Our neighborhood is filled with children. My kids can't wait to converse with them, and with the rate they are learning German, it will be no time, I'm sure. There is a German Kindergarten {preschool} right across the street from my neighborhood that we will enroll Sam in next year. Kindergarten started in Germany, along with many other things.

We attend an International LDS ward. There is a congregation of over 300. This is huge for us! Both J and G have 10 + kids in their primary classes and J is in cub scouts with 15 other boys. He got to go to a cub scout camp as soon as we got here. Everyone at church is very friendly, and we have felt very welcome. We feel blessed to not only have the army as a support, but also our church congregation.

We are a little obsessed with the German chocolate {and when I say "a little", I mean A LOT!} The other day G tried a new candy bar and sighed, "I think I might pass out this chocolate is so good!" We just can't help ourselves. It is so creamy and delicious. Any time we see a new chocolate, we have to get it and try it. My taste buds are screaming, YES, but my waistline is screaming, STAY AWAY!!!

Eight is Great for J

2011-07-30T21:17:00.001-07:00

Oh, where do I begin. Well, in the Latter-Day Saint faith, 8 is a big year. This is the year you get baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. All of this happened in the midst of our busy summer. J turned 8, then his daddy came home. We baptized him today, July 3o, and we leave at 5am tomorrow for Stuttgart, Germany! We were so happy to have many friends and family come and support Jack and his decision to be baptized. Some of the people that came were J's great-grand parents, grand parents, aunts and uncles, great-aunts and uncles, cousins, his best-friend {since he was two}, Devon, G's best friend {since she was two}, Molly, and many more. We felt so honored to have all of those people there. J said that 8 was the best birthday ever and that he was the luckiest boy in the whole world because his birthday and celebrations lasted for one week.

We also had a family swim party at J's Uncle Dave's and Aunt Auburn's house. I love our picture with the cousins {there are many not pictured though!} We have had such fun this summer reuniting with our cousins. We will miss them all terribly! J & G clapped out the candles. We also popped some party poppers.

For J's real birthday, he got to go to the Lego store and build with a "master builder". We signed him up for a class. After his Lego build, we had many family members meet us at J's favorite "restaurant" Chick-fil-A. He was happy to eat as much chicken as he wanted.

Jack is such a good boy. We are so happy to have him in our family. J is always thinking of others and is very sensitive to others' feelings and needs. A classic story of J is when he came home from school one day with trash overflowing from his pockets. When I asked why all that trash was in his shorts, he said that he hated seeing trash on the playground and by the bus stop, so he put it in his pockets to throw away when he came home. He wanted to make Heavenly Father's Earth beautiful. J is especially protective of little Sammy. He is quick to make sure he is safe on the play ground and is happy to get him out of bed in the morning and help his little brother with his morning routine. J likes to laugh. J also likes to take care of the underdogs. He has a melting pot of friends and comes home from school telling me thinks like, so-and-so is my friend now - he was playing alone all the time, so I invited him to play with me. J also loves people. He makes friends wherever he goes. We will be leaving a play place and he says goodbye to the other children by name {who were complete strangers} and then tells me he made a new friend. J is such a good son. He is constantly asking how I am doing and tells me he loves me. The other day after I got ready he exclaimed, "Wow Mom, you look pretty!" He is complimentary just like his daddy and I love that. J gives the best hugs. Just today at his baptism, he came up and hugged me 5 different times and said, "I'm just so happy mom, thanks for making this day special." We love you, J.

Officer Graduation

2011-07-27T16:13:00.001-07:00

Well, Matt and I are reunited again! It was a long six weeks being apart. Although it was difficult to be away from my sweetheart, it really made me fall in love with him more and learn to appreciate all he does for me and our family. I was so glad to have family here, especially the help of my mom. My mom and dad were great to watch my kidlets so I could go to San Antonio for Matt's Officer Graduation and some much needed alone time with my man. We had a great, relaxing trip. It was our "calm before the storm". We are getting ready to fly to Germany on Sunday, July 31. We've heard it can take several weeks, even months to find a house...so I have to prepare myself to live in a hotel for a little while. German adventure - here we come!

Matt made several friends while at BOLC {Basic Officer Leadership Course}. CPT Ryan Allen became his good friend. We had to get a "battle buddy" picture! {They really had to designate a "battle buddy"}

Matt belonged to the 8th Platoon. {There were 8 platoons total} He's in there somewhere. The soldiers had to stand there for the whole graduation in the hot, humid weather. I witnessed 6 different people pass out. It was a bit unnerving. Side note - when standing for a long time {especially in the heat} don't lock your knees or you will pass out.

Matt also went to church while he was at camp. He found strength in fellow officers of faith. This is less than half of his church buddies. There was a senior missionary couple {the Anderson's} who ran the LDS branch.

Since we were in San Antonio, we had to go see the Alamo.

Offier Basic Training

2011-07-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Matt sent me some pictures from Officer Basic Training in San Antonio, TX at Ft. Sam Houston. The days are long and the work tiring, but his spirits are up and he has made some good friends to help him through these 6 weeks. Below is a picture of Matt and this "battle buddy", Ryan riding in a transport vehicle. Below that are pictures of the tents they stay in. Matt says that 48 soldiers stay in one tent. We can't wait to see him in 2 weeks!!!

Super Boy is 2

2011-06-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

I just can't get enough of this SUPER boy. He has brought so much joy to our family. It's hard to believe that two years have passed since he came to us. He has such a fun personality. He's always laughing at everything and is always showing off his toothy grin. He loves cars and especially motorcycles {hmm, wonder why}. He also loves playing ball...any and all kinds! Super boy is a great snuggler and likes to give "loves". He is OBSESSED with his daddy and he is lost without him {Matt has been gone for 1 week now at officer training camp in San Antonio, TX...5 more to go!} Super boy loves fishy crackers and all sorts of fruit. His new fav is "wa-wa-mel-mo" {aka - watermelon}. Super boy loves to dance and has always had the beat since he was a baby. Super boy also loves his Nerf dart gun and can already cock and shoot. He loves all things boy. He has already had several hair cuts in his short life...and I just had it cut, but that poof ball needs a trim again!

We made some yummy red velvet cupcakes to eat here at my mom's house with our family for a little party.

Oh my goodness, we love this face!

The kids wore their super shirts in honor of SUPER BOY!

I'm TOTALLY dying without my computer! I have no photoshop and my pics take forever to load! It's all on a boat to Germany {I hope!} So bear with me as I post not the most super pics!

America, the Beautiful

2011-06-14T15:03:00.001-07:00

On our drive, we came across many beautiful views. We live in a beautiful country. It was a cool experience to drive across the US. Our kids were awesome and our cars all worked well. Our trip couldn't have been more perfect. We drove from Ohio to Michigan, to Illinois, through Iowa to Nebraska, to Colorado, then to Utah {stayed with our bro & sis}, then on to AZ. Matt and I drove our van to San Diego, CA the day after we got to AZ.

The picture above is Big Rock Candy Mountain somewhere between UT and AZ.

There were so many beautiful mountains along the way. Each was majestic in its own right. Although I LOVED Ohio, I did miss the mountains.

We drove over the Colorado Rockies at sunset. That mountain range is beautiful.
We drove through Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, CO.

Then we stopped at a rock shop I remember going to when I was a kid. My kids had fun choosing rocks to add to their own collection. Yes, I was a MAJOR rock collector as a kid. My collection really helped me with my Geology unit the years I taught kindergarten!

Nauvoo

2011-06-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have so much to say about this beautiful place and about the crazy life we have been living these last few weeks. Movers packed up our Ohio home May 24 and 25 {a sweet perk of the military! I never want to pack myself again!!} My kids said goodbye to their teachers and friends. We pulled them out a bit early. As I went to pick my kids up for the last time, it was a bit emotional leaving Chippewa Elementary. We have absolutely LOVED our time there. The teachers are amazing. I cried a lot as I saw my home for the last time and hugged people who have changed my life goodbye.

Luckily, our drive out west entailed some amazing stops. We first stopped in Michigan, then Nauvoo, IL. This small town consists of many historical sites where the first Latter Day Saint pioneers moved after being chased out of Kirtland, OH and Far West, Missouri. As we saw this beautiful town and listened to the amazing stories of those who have gone on before us in our church, my testimony grew and my appreciation deepened.

We were able to make a rope the way the pioneers did as a family. This was a neat experience for us. After we finished making the rope we talked to our children about the significance of this activity. One strand of rope might easily break apart, but when we worked together and tightened the six different strands, this rope was tight and would not break. Matt and I thought a great family motto would be "tight as a rope". As long as we are together, we will never break. Super boy was excited to hold our special rope.

I was able to capture some shots at sunset. J & G had a great time playing in the Missouri River. The statues are Joseph and Hyrum Smith riding off to Carthage Jail where they would later be martyred.

We stayed in the Zion's Merchantile Hotel. It was lovely. It was a great home for the night, since we are technically homeless at the moment.

Goodbye Brecksville Home

2011-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

We moved to Brecksville July 2007. We have lived in our same home for the last four years. When we moved out here, G was barely two and J turned four weeks after we moved in. My mom came with us to help us move in. Our wonderful neighbors, the Olsens also helped us out. Now we are leaving with one more family member and a whole lot of friends that will forever be our Ohio family. I didn't realize all the wonderful things this chapter in our lives held in store for us. While the last four years has not been all a bed of roses, I wouldn't trade our time here for anything in the world. We've all grown up a little and learned important life's lessons. We have lived, we have loved. We have laughed, we have cried. We have just loved Brecksville, OH. We will always look back on our time here with such a fondness and a longing to be back.

Clelveland Top 10

2011-05-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

TOP TEN THINGS WE'LL MISS ABOUT OHIO

10. Handel's - So this post isn't all about ice cream, but here in the US, it's the best we've EVER had! We love this little joint. The ice cream is all homemade and only 5 minutes from my house...trouble. We are sure going to miss you Handel's!!!

{they even put little eyes on the FREE kiddie cone for super boy.}

9. The Indians' Games - Sports are SO MUCH FUN out here! We just attended a game last Friday where the last guy to bat {bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, 2 strikes, and down by one point} hit a homer with another player on 2nd base. It was perfect. Everyone in the crowd was hugging each other and sharing high fives. My kids had fun high-fiving our fellow Indian's fans all around us. I love the fanatical fans. They also have the BEST fireworks' show I have EVER seen.

8. The Wildlife - We see deer, squirrels, and a variety of birds on a daily basis. My kitchen window looks into a wooded area next to our house and I see birds like blue jays and cardinals. I watch the squirrels gathering acorns for the winter. Deer are constantly walking in our back yard and drinking from the pond near our house.

7. Playhouse Square - We have really loved the wonderful theater district in Cleveland. It's the largest outside of Broadway, you know! We have seen: Wicked, Les Miserables, Mama Mia, South Pacific, and STOMP there. The theaters are so lavishly built and decorated and the shows just amazing.

6. Amish Country - We LOVE visiting Holmes County. The Amish are so clean and kind and just plain fascinating. They have the best food and great stores.

{I picked up this Granny's Garden quilt top all hand-pieced by my Amish friends...now to quilt it}

5. The Metro Parks {The Emerald Necklace} - Oh, we have loved riding bikes and going for walks and hikes in the amazing parks right by our house. My kids enjoy the "really tall swings" and seeing the beautiful wildlife.

4. Springtime - All the daffodils and blossoms are AMAZING. I just love magnolia trees. They are my favorite! Spring really feels like a rebirth and a renewal of life.

3. The Fall Colors - Oh my goodness is this unreal and gorgeous! I have never experienced something quite like this. I LOVE Ohio falls. The colors sometimes take my breath away.

2. Our Yard - we have the BEST backyard. It stretches on forever. My kids have enjoyed it so very much. Riding dirt bikes and tractors, playing soccer and tag, and having good 'ole hot dog roasts are among a few of the things are yard has enabled us to do.

1. The People - I have met people here that I will never forget. I have best friend's that are like sisters to me {who I know I'll see again...just not every day...hate that}. I have friends who are parents of my children's classmates that I love dearly. I have many friends and examples that I have looked to from people that attend church with me. My friends come in all ages. I will miss you the very most. You are my Ohio. My kids have also learned to be the "new kid" and make friends easily. They have been blessed with wonderful friends in their lives just like Matt and I have. Not to mention that I love mid-westerners. The people out here are so friendly. Now let me go cry myself to sleep. Also, don't forget our little Cleveland souvenir, Sam.

We Made It!

2011-05-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

We are finally here. It was surreal. There ceremony took place in Cleveland at the Church of the Covenant. As he came in, my eyes became misty as I realized our dream had finally come true. All his hard work had paid off. Then my eyes betrayed me again as they welled up with tears as the announcer read, "Dr. Matthew Ellingson." He has worked SO hard. I love you, babe. You are AMAZING.

Super boy fell asleep {2pm isn't the most family friendly time for a ceremony} in Papa's arms, then slept on the bench with poopy pants and all.

Matt's parents and biggest brother came to support us. It means the world to us. Thanks for coming.

We love our support group and cheering section.

Matt commissioned as a Captain in the Army after the graduation.

My mom and dad came to support us too. It means so much to us. We have a great family.

I used my fish-eye lens to capture the whole church. It was really an ornate church.

I love the Gothic rose window.

J & G tried daddy's special hat on for size.

Both J & G kept saying how prod of their daddy they were!

G's is Six

2011-05-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t57/laraellingson/db8a6dfa.jpg">
I love this girl. She is such a fun-loving little person. She is always singing and dancing around and often dreaming up something fun to do. She uses large words like, dramatic, exasperated, ashamed {"Mom, I'm so ashamed that I always push the incorrect button on the phone!"}, inappropriate {"The boys on the bus are so inappropriate!"}, beverage {for her school drink}, the list goes on. Matt and I are always giggling to ourselves at what she comes up with. She also is super tough! Whenever she falls she quickly gets up and exclaims, "I meant to do that!" She's a real thinker too. For a while J was afraid of the basement because he was afraid "bad guys" would break in and steal him. G told him that she wasn't scared because if you take a look around our neighborhood, ours is the smallest house and she thinks the robbers would much rather go to the other larger houses than ours because they have better stuff to steal! Ha! G LOVES the stage. She told me that's the whole reason she is in dance is for the show. G loves to sew and create "crafts". Recently she made a purse, a wind chime, and diaper changing pad, and a scarf. She knows all about my sewing machine and knows to ask me first. G is also LOUD! She really doesn't know how to whisper. She is always excited about something and practically yells everything {in a happy way...just loud!} We love our little pretty. My favorite is most every morning the first words out of her mouth are, "Love you, Mom." She and I are buds. Love her.

These pics are in my beautiful yard. I know dandelions are weeds, but they are pretty weeds. G and I love them because they are a "beautiful, vibrant, yellow." We picked some fresh blossoms for her hair. I love my yard. I love my girl more.

These pics are in my beautiful yard. I know dandelions are weeds, but they are pretty weeds. G and I love them because they are a "beautiful, vibrant, yellow." We picked some fresh blossoms for her hair. I love my yard. I love my girl more.

Graduation

2011-05-13T13:15:00.001-07:00

That time has FINALLY come!! Since today is technically my graduation {Matt's is May 15}, I'm posting these fabulous pictures Jenny took in honor of my graduation day. Matt earned his DMD {Doctorate of Dental Medicine} from Case Western Reserve, and I earned my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University {whew...that's a mouthful}. At moments it felt as if this day would never come. We have been married for 9 years this month, and all of that has been in school. We have both been there for each other through thick and thin, through boards and thesis. In the mean time we've been raising three kids!! I couldn't be more proud of Matt. He's going to make a great dentist {even if his doctoral gown makes him look like Prince Humperdink from The Princess Bride}. Here's to the next chapter in life...Education chapter - CLOSED!

Precious Abby

2011-05-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

I have slowed down on the picture taking because with school and everything {which I'm done! Wahoo!!}, but I did take this little precious baby's pictures the other day. Her mommy is my husband's, brother's, wife's, sister...are you still following me? So, she's basically family. That head of hair reminds me of little G so much that holding her made me very baby hungry!

To All the Mothers

2011-05-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear with us. – Sheri L. Dew
{Thanks Tracy for the great quote!}

I have many mothers/grandmothers in my life and love each of them. I truly feel the Lord has given me a legacy of wonderful women to follow in their footsteps. Moving away has also given me the opportunity to love and look to as an example many other mother figures in my life. My own mother is amazing. My husband's mother is wonderful. We grew up in the arms of great women. I agree with Abe Lincoln who said,

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

My little chickadees {and husband} made me feel so special today. I received some handmade gifts, beautiful flowers, sunshine, and a wonderful meal {flank steak, caesar salad, and texas sheet cake...all my favorite}. They are good to me.

J wants to make this recipe with me.
Mmmmm...10 cups of chocolate! He's a boy after my own heart!

G made sure I didn't check her backpack for the last couple of days. She is so proud of her writing and spelling and so am I!!

Sammy brought this to me after nursery today at church and said, "Momma, hand."

I miss you when we're not together, I'm growing up so fast.
See how big I've gotten since you saw me last?
As I grow, I'll change a lot, the years will fly right by.
You'll wonder how I grew so quick... when, and where, and why?
So look upon this hand print that's hanging on your wall,
And memories will come back of me when I was very small.

Holland, Michigan

2011-05-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right! There is a Holland, Michigan that was settled by the Dutch. We had fun and look forward to visiting the real Holland, real soon (still totally pinching myself!) These shots are straight out of the camera...no photoshop. The colors are that vibrant. That unreal! They almost look neon, some of them. There was even a 250-year-old working windmill transported from the Netherlands. My two older children and hubs went up to the top (although he is super, my almost 2-year-old we knew couldn't hack the stairs and we forgot our back pack for him). Luckily I could be at the bottom to take a fun pic of them on top. I LOVE tulips. There are so many varieties (I don't even know all the names). I think they are the epitome of spring (along with daffodils). We had a great time.

We also enjoyed this fun road trip with our great friends, the Gildea's and the Andrews'. We feel so blessed to have these wonderful families as our good friends. (I hate that I'm leaving them!! I wish they could come to Germany with me!!) The kids all had so much fun even just staying at the hotel. Breakfast was yummy and FREE! Love that Residence Inn! Thanks for the fun, friends.

This salmon color is my fav...especially next to that blue sky.

Oh, there they are on the tippy-top!

Super boy kept on his glasses the whole time. He gets the sneezes when he goes into the sun and his baby blues are VERY sensitive! He wanted a picture in front of the flowers.

sweet G in front of the windmill

J {I know he looks like the uni-bomber...} spinning a little windmill

Rolling Ridge Ranch

2011-05-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Just when I'd thought we'd seen all there is to see in Amish country...we found ANOTHER amazing spot. This ranch was AWESOME!! First we walked through a petting zoo where the kids got to hold and pet all sorts of baby animals. Then we went on this hour long wagon ride where the animals came right up to the wagon to eat out of our hands...amazing. My kids were giggling and squealing with delight the whole time.

Super boy loved the baby ducks. I love how he is checking out his wing in this one.

Proof that I was there too...got to love having my 5-year-old take the picture with my huge lens and camera...she did pretty good {even if she did cut off my head}

Little pretty, who is my animal lover, with a baby goat.

This little rascal {along with his big brother and our friends} chased the animals so they would run away from him.

Ohhh...cute cow

"Laaaa-ma face" {has anyone seen The Emperor's New Groove?}

I took a bazillion pictures of all the amazing animals we saw. Not pictured was a camel, zebra, zedonk {half zeebra, half donkey}, and a crocodile.

This peacock was amazing! The colors are so vibrant.

Aflac...doesn't he look like that duck?!

These are pictures from our wagon ride. It was quite the experience. This is our Amish tour guide. The animals were hungry!

Super boy kept pointing to all the animals saying, "Am-mal"

This water buffalo blew snot on Super's face! It was funny!

The ostrich kept pecking at G's food.

We lost our bucket to this guy!

I caught him licking his lips after we fed him, funny.

Easter

2011-04-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

Spring is FINALLY springing! {just with TONS of rain}
I love Easter. We have had a great weekend with people that we love.
We decorated eggs, had an egg hunt at church, and attended a beautiful service this morning.

Here is my rainbow egg that I was proud of!

J's "pink panther" egg

G's rainbow egg

the kidlets in the gym at church after the hunt

super boy taking time to eat {I mean hunt} for eggs

I made their Easter baskets by following the "'soft basket" pattern from HERE

then I added a 1 handle instead of 2

Cleveland Doesn't Mess Around

2011-03-20T13:02:00.001-07:00

When it comes to St. Patty's Day!

we made some clover cake pops to get us in the holiday spirit. we all LOVE green around here {but I'm a little afraid of Leprichans...so they didn't visit our house}

then, we sent the older two off to school and went to the 144th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Cleveland with super baby {shhh...don't tell, but we really didn't want to miss it being our last time and all...144 years makes it the longest running SP parade in the US...who would have thunk that there were so many Irish here in Ohio?!} super baby waved to all the paradees who passed by.

apparently Irish REALLY love dogs...there were tons in the parade.

there were also many 'fife' players.

i just love that we got to see 'Lolly the Trolley'...isn't that just the best name for a trolley?

Walking Shoes

2011-03-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

I just picked up these puppies...

So I can tour Europe in comfort and style and see places like this:
{only 30 min from the army base}

we are getting so excited for our new adventure...
but oh so sad to leave our Ohio.

Club 30

2011-03-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

i know i've been a bad blogger, but we've been SO SICK! we've had every sick bug you can imagine. regardless, we still had a wonderful February. our highlight was my mom {Nana} coming to visit. she came out for my 30th {yeah, that's right} birthday. she stayed for one week and we cried when she left. it's so nice to have mom's come visit. the kids enjoyed snuggling in her bed in the morning {and sometimes snuck in during the middle of the night}. she also read them stories at night and stayed with them until they fell asleep. not to mention she did all my laundry and was constantly cleaning and helped my kids with their homework. Mom and I also enjoyed Anne of Green Gables {my all-time fav} and Amish country. we found raspberry cider down in Amish country and had to buy some...it reminded us of raspberry cordial on Anne of Green Gables. we also committed to going to Prince Edward's Island someday in Canada! We finished many projects, and just had a great time. It's so fun being adults with my mom and I consider her a great friend and confidant. thanks for coming all this way mom {she lives in AZ again}. WE LOVE YOU!

My BFF's {Jenny, Emily, & Tara} treated my mom and I to lunch at my favorite place, Miss Molly's Tea House, where we at yummy "girl food" {so named by my hubs}. We had a great time. Thanks girls, I love you more than I can say.

30 doesn't feel any different. {I actually thought I was turning 30 last year...that's how much I care!} All I know is that I hope to make my next 30 years {Heavenly Father willing} even better than the past 30. {and please let me have my mother's genes and look as great as her when I'm 51!} I have learned many lifes' lessons and I know many more are to come. So here's to "Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving" {coined phrase from the movie Thirteen Going on Thirty}.

Clarify

2011-02-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

After my last 2 posts, I have a lot of questions that I hope to answer {and I don't know how to email you all back!}

First off...Germany!
We will be stationed at an army base where my husband will be "paying back" three years. The army paid for 3 years of his schooling plus gave us $$ to live on every month. {Anyone who is in dental school right now wondering how they are going to pay off loans might want to look into this!} So far, we've been nothing but pleased with this process. In January they sent us a list of bases that will need dentists in August. We were to send back with our top 5. We put Germany as number 1 and got it...lucky us! Matt has to go to officer basic training this summer in Texas while the kids and I "live" with my parents for June and July. Then we head over to Germany where Matt will be a dentist {& captain in the army} at the clinic on base taking care of soldiers and their families' teeth! The army will pay us a salary and give us a housing allowance to pay our rent and utilities. We also have complete health care coverage (sweet...I might have to have another baby!}

Ever since Matt's second year of dental school, when we signed up with the Army, we hoped and wished for the chance to go to Europe...now I pinch myself that it really is happening for us. We just get so excited about all the fun travel opportunities that will come our way.

**I will have a VERY comfy guest bed for friends who want to come see Europe...seriously...

Now...My OHIO STAR quilt:
*Here is a helpful tutorial for the star block
*Here is a great tutorial from my friend Allison at CLUCK.CLUCK.SEW for quilting {start to finish}
*I pieced and quilted this quilt on my Bernina {Artista 630} sewing machine. I got mine in September as a floor model for less than 1/3 of the original cost. I saved years for this puppy & I LOVE it. I used my Bernina Stitch Regulator {BSR} to help me quilt it. It's an investment, but I sew all the time...so a good machine was worth it to me.

Relocating

2011-02-04T19:57:00.001-08:00

starting August 2011
the ellingson blog {and family} will relocate to:

GERMANY
{Stuttgart to be exact}

from castles, to vinyards, to modern buildings to gardens...
and weather ranging from 35 to 75 degrees...
2-4 hours to:
Paris, France
Vienna, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Prauge, Czech Repbulic
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Zurich, Switzerland {only 2 hrs}
Frankfurt, Germany {my closest temple - 2 hrs}
and just a bit longer to:
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy
London, England

{we've already promised the kids a trip to Disney Land in Paris}

WE ARE SO EXCITED
{if you couldn't tell}

we have tons to do to get ready, but what a blessing to know now!

we'll still visit AZ once a year {like we do now}
and everyone else start saving your $$$ to come see me!!!

Ohio Star

2011-01-19T11:31:00.001-08:00

my goal for my hiatus from school {my 6 week christmas break} was to finish this "Ohio Star" quilt i've been chippin' away at. I FINISHED! G's preschool teacher last year showed me this pattern and i thought to myself, "i sure need an ohio star quilt before i leave ohio!" apparently most states have a quilt pattern unique to their state. my quilting friend, wanda, told me that she has a different quilt for her bed for each season. i love this idea and decided to make this one red and white for the christmas through valentine's season. i couldn't resist throw pillows and shams to match. i'm also in love with the polka dots on the back {moda dottie} and my cute striped binding {hobby lobby special}.

here is the tutorial for the flower pillow, courtesy of my talented friend {who showed me the quilting ropes} Allison.

these lovelies i created from an old sheet with my ruffler foot

A Dress

2011-01-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

I really do love having an excuse to stay inside and sew {i mean clean..wink}. Hobby Lobby had McCall's patterns on sale for $1 ea. the other day, and so I bought a few to try out. This is pattern # M6157. I also made a summer dress too...

Winter is Here

2011-01-13T06:13:00.001-08:00

{Matt took this picture of a bridge by our house}
we've received TONS of snow already this year {and i don't mind}...i think it's kind of beautiful. it's taken 4 years, but i like winter. i love watching the giant snowflakes fall while sitting inside my warm house snuggling with my family by the fire or working on projects.

J & G love making tracks and playing in the snow

Our last Christmas in Ohio

2010-12-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

every year my mom gets each of my children an ornament for our tree, and this year this is what they each opened. when we opened it i got that hard-to-swallow-don't-want-to-talk-or-i'll-cry kind of feeling. it really hit me that this is our last christmas in this house, in ohio, and with our good friends that we've made. i imagine i'll get that same feeling every year i hang this ornament on our tree.

we started at 8:30am on christmas morning. it was beautiful. everyone slept in. J & G were little lucky heads from the pile of presents sent to them from their grandparents, from santa, and us. J was the most excited about a remote control helicopter his papa got him on his last trip to china. he has played with it non-stop since. G loved her bee "pillow pet" and new camera. she's been taking pictures of EVERYTHING! good ole' super baby came running out and hopped right into his "cozy coupe" and stayed in it all day long! after a great morning we had a wonderful dinner with good friends. what a wonderful christmas. what a wonderful life.