I love to see the temple....

We went to the Draper Temple open house today and it was absolutely priceless to be there with Ryn. For Family Home Evening last week we drove up there, parked the car and just looked at the exterior while we talked about why we have temples and how we will be able to be together forever as a family because we have been sealed for time and all eternity. We talked about Moroni, who we can see on the top with his trumpet. And we talked about how the temple is Heavenly Father's house--that we can seek His presence there and how we need to treat it as the holy and sacred place that it is. The Sunday before, every child in our Primary received a little bag containing a small piece of the stone that went in to building this temple, and a picture of it. Ryn talked about all of these things ALL WEEK.


"Where's my stone from the temple?"


"Mommy and Daddy got married in the temple and so Ryn and Elle and Eden and Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa and Ryan and .....(we have a really big extended family) get to be together forever!!"


"Moroni has his trumpet and he says, 'Come to the temple!!'"


Today we rode a bus from a church parking lot up the hill to the temple (that in itself was a great adventure for our enthusiastic 3 year old), with Ryn clutching her 'stone from the temple' the whole way. As the temple came into view, she exclaimed in a whisper full of wonder, "I love temples!" Every room was met with another, "WOW! It's so beautiful!" The last room of the visit was the sealing room and, even though it will be heaven to see my angel married in the temple, I couldn't help but say a small prayer that the next 20 years go by very, very slowly.

Living with angels

I know I still have all of Christmas to catch up on, but I just wanted to record a few cute things the girls are doing and saying.

Yesterday I was having so many contractions I told the girls that our baby was coming soon. I wanted them to be as excited as I was so I was telling them how fun it was going to be to have a sweet little baby to love and take care of and how cute and beautiful she will be. I said, "and she'll be so beautiful, just like you (pushing on Ryn's nose) and just like you (pushing on Elle's nose)!" And Ryn smiled and pushed on my nose and said, "and just like YOU!" :)

Ryn loves to dance and is constantly asking us to watch her latest moves. Yesterday afternoon I had on some more up-beat music and the setting sun was blazing through the windows in the kitchen while Ryn and Elle danced together. Instead of complaining that the sun was in her eyes (like she does in less than a tenth of a second if it shines in her face in the car), Ryn stopped and exclaimed, "Look! The sun is watching me!"

If we don't notice something Ryn's doing quickly enough, Ryn's unique way of getting us to tune in is to ask, "Mommy/Daddy, can you say, 'Ryn, what are you doing?'" It makes me laugh every time. One day,as I was doing something on the computer when she wanted my approval and attention on something, she added, "Mommy, can you say, 'Good job, Ryn' and smile like this?" (and she showed me the toothy smile she wanted as a response to her accomplishment).

Ryn's new favorite song to perform is "A you're Adorable". She knows all the words and sings it daily. I laughed out loud the other day, though, when I heard her change all the pronouns to direct the song's praises to herself while she was going to the bathroom. "A-- I'm adorable, B-- I'm so beautiful, C-- I'm a cutie full of charm, D-- I'm delightful and E-- I'm exciting and F-- I'm a feather in your arms..." (some of the grammar was more difficult to figure out so I was proud of her working through it and thought it was a great little English exercise, even if it was a little boastful :).

Elle is fully talking, singing, expressing and understanding everything. My all-time favorite word of hers is pacifier, which she pronounces 'pacifawer'. She knows when she's supposed to be sad, excited, happy, mad, compassionate, etc, and over exaggerates each expression. She scrunches up her eyes and nose and will fake a crying sound, saying, "She's so sad, she's cryning." Tonight she floored us when Carma pointed to me and said, "who's that?" and she said, "Mommy and baby Eden." We've only been talking about that name for a few days!

Her favorite question that she asks everyone NON-STOP is, "Mommy/Daddy/Grandma/Ryn/Rynan (Ryan)/Grandpa/........., what DO-ing?" Then you answer her and then she either gives a big, "Ohhhh" as if you've just clarified everything for her, or she repeats what you said as an overly intoned question, "doing dishes?" and then gives the ohhhh. She really has a hunger to understand and be an active part of everything. She is definitely our little expressive!

When she's being a little too expressive and we need to get her attention, Kev taught her a great trick. He just holds her up close, says her name a few times, and then she'll stop and put both hands on his cheeks and say, "What Daddy?" It melts us every time.

She's coming!

Just a quick baby update--I had an ultrasound yesterday, just to be sure this little girl doesn't end up weighing 10 lbs 10 oz like Ryn, and everything looks good. She's on track to be about 8 1/2 lbs if I go all the way to my due date of Feb 12. I'm already dilated to 3 cm, and the doctor said she could come anytime, any day. I know that means that I could very well last the full 3 weeks more, but it also means I could deliver tomorrow. So today I am frantically washing all the newborn clothes, car seat cover, etc and packing a bag to be ready just in case. :) Of course, the bag packing is much easier here than in France where you have to bring everything yourself. Not just clothes to wear home or cute outfits for the baby to meet the world in, but diapers, wipes, the very first clothes that get put on the baby (which are very specific and strict: 1 onesie, knitted wool booties, footed pyjamas, a wool knitted sweater--2 if it's winter--and hat. I found out the hard way with Ryn that they don't bend on those stipulations--Kev had to go to the store before my labor was done to get the missing items!), etc. I called St. Mark's hospital today to ask if there was a list of things I needed to bring and the girl just laughed. She couldn't believe it!

Name update--the current favorite is Eden Taylor Linkous. Eden means 'paradise' or 'delightful': this little girl has been easy from day one, and I'm in heaven knowing another angel is coming to us. Taylor is my dad's mom's maiden name, and I've always wanted that as part of a girl's name....so here we are. Sorry to all of you who were counting on the other names in the voting :). Even though we like them still, they just didn't feel right and this one really does.

I've been really tired today--going through not just the new baby clothes, but rotating Ryn's and Elle's clothes up to the next sizes as well--and having a bunch of contractions. All of it has made me a little worried and anxious about my capacity and readiness to be the mother of 3. But the Lord's counsel to Father Smith in D&C 4 has calmed me and given me hope in the promises He makes to those who want to serve in His marvelous work. I know this section is focused on the work of restoring and declaring the gospel to the world, but what a marvelous part of that work is motherhood! And all the same requirements apply--I have to serve with all my heart, might, mind and strength. My desires to be a partner with God in this work help qualify me for the calling. Faith, hope, charity, love, and an eye single to the glory of God are the other qualifications. I'm supposed to remember (instead of getting discouraged and frazzled when the days get tough) faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, kindness, humility and diligence. None of these are easy things, but they are simple and the Lord promises in the last verse that I will receive if I ask. As in all things, He wants us to be happy and to succeed because He loves us. So He tells us exactly what we need to do and to be and He promises to help us do and become when we come to Him.

So come whenever you're ready, little Eden. I won't be perfect, but I will give you all that I have to give and trust that He will make up the difference.

Finally a tribute from Hollywood to our dear Mark-O

In the early 90's the malls were a safe haven for throngs of teenage girls and boys as they would beg parents to drop them off at the mall, usually with no money to buy anything but maybe the usual Orange Julius or hot dog on a stick. These same malls were and still are health clubs for hundreds of senior citizens as they cruise at blurring speeds up and down and around the malls.

In the midst of all this chaos stands one man, usually all alone, in the shadows and corners of the mall ensuring safety and order in the shopping havens of America. We the Ellis clan have the privilege and honor of knowing such a man, such a public servant.....his name.......................

MARK B ELLIS --Willowbrooks very own pride and joy!

It was a hard decision for Mark the Mall Cop whether or not to go to mall deputy school or podiatry school but after many sleepless nights he chose to fix feet and in some small way always secure employment for his fellow mall cops by making sure that the feet that will continuously beat down upon mall pavement everywhere will be in great shape!

Once again my dear beau-frere I salute you and thank you for your year of service as a highly under appreciated mall cop!

Ryn is 3! (and this post is so late, she's well on her way to 4!)

So Ryn's birthday was a totally fun EVENT. The actual day was a Sunday, so we just sang to her all day long, she opened fun presents from family, and I made gingerbread castles for the Snow Ball princess party Kev had dreamed up :). That day, December 21, was pretty emotional for me. Since Ryn's birth, no Christmas season has been or will ever be anything BUT emotional. The year I was expecting her was the most wonderful Christmas season I'd ever experienced. As I read the scriptures that prophesied of Christ's birth and then the accounts of the joy and rejoicing that went on in all creation--both in heaven and on earth--when that glorious day finally came, I could not help but identify in the smallest way. After all the years of waiting, (mine were only 8 compared to the hundreds and hundreds of years that anticipated His coming) I was singing 24/7 just like those angels. Of course, my baby was not foreordained to save all mankind, but she would definitely have a huge role in saving me. And my joy and deep gratitude for Ryn's coming was only magnified by the new and profound feelings I felt for that Christ child whose birth, life and atonement would make it possible to be with my babies forever. So now, every year, within a span of just 4 days, I thrill in the celebration of the most wonderful gifts I have been given--the chance to be a mother and to be redeemed. Our sacrament Christmas program was beautiful and I couldn't even sing the words to one of my most favorite hymns as we closed through my sobs :) :

O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!

O, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels;...

Sing, choirs of angels! Sing in exultation! Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, glory in the highest....

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n. Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

Oh, come let us adore him; Oh, come, let us adore him; Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.

The party was planned for Monday, but then moved to Tuesday (Dec 23) so we could have as many cousins (coming from Vegas and Provo) and friends there as possible. It turned out to be for the best, giving us a little more prep time. Kevin is one of the most creative people I know and it is completely adorable how excited and involved he gets about planning things for people he loves. My job is to help make all of his wonderful ideas a reality :). So the castles and the rest of the planning/preparations were a big job, but it was completely worth it. Ryn had so much fun and was overjoyed. Even though she wears a pretty stoic expression in front of a crowd, when she was upstairs alone with Kevin at one point, she exclaimed excitedly, "Mary and Adia and Aubrey and Taylor and Anna and Josh and Zach all came to see me on my birthday!!" We did sparkly manicures, raced with cotton snowballs on magic wands, decorated the gingerbread castles and had a hot chocolate tea party with the ice cube cakes. Since Kev and I were pretty tied up running the activities, it was a great blessing to have our professional photographer friend, Michelle, there with Mary to take pictures! Here is a link to her blog and a few of the 300+ pictures she took:

http://scenesfromthewild.blogspot.com/2009/01/birthday-season.html

And here are a few pictures and a video clip from Carma's camera and my cell phone.

We explained the snowball game and then watched each little princess come up with her own adaptation :). When you have friends there with ages ranging from 19 mos to 6 yrs, there's going to be a wide variety of snowball carrying methods. Ryn was skewering them on the end of her magic wand, Taylor was pulling the cotton through the star....

...and Elle thought it would be more fun to just stuff all the cotton balls in her dress.

The castle decorating was enjoyed by all--even the boys :). (Notice the different way the boys had of including the little people on their castle--hanging from the tower!)

Ryn was worried about her sparkly manicure being destroyed during the decorating...

As a little update on the angel Ryn is:

She gets so excited about things that she starts jumping up and down and giggling at the mention of anything new or fun. Her loves include singing (and she memorizes the words to a song she hears only once), dancing, coloring, puzzles, babies, animals, Little Einsteins, princesses, Disney and 'Nephi' movies, vegetables, chocolate, cottage cheese, snuggling with Daddy, making new friends, 'school'--our French time in the mornings, and her 'little buddy' (Elle). It has been so fun to watch Ryn and Elle playing together more and more. Her innate sweetness we've been witnesses to for the past 3 years just gets better every day. This morning when she did something right when I asked her, I said, "Thanks for being such a sweet girl, Ryn." And she simply replied, "You're welcome, Mommy." I will be thankful every day of my life for this wonderful girl. Happy Birthday, Ryn!

Thanks to our Austin cousins for the 12 days of Christmas!

As we were packing up to leave Austin, Joy loaded us down with presents--an entire bag was made up of presents for the girls to open during the 12 days leading up to Christmas. It was definitely one of the highlights of this holiday season! Every day Ryn would jump up and down and ask, "Should we open number .... and sing the song?!" (the song went: 'On the .... day of Christmas, my cousins gave to me...') Both she and Elle loved every thoughtful part: a nutcracker, light-up Santa hats, ornaments, cookie cutters and things to decorate the cookies with, notepads, pens, decorations, Christmas books, etc! I have always known that Joy was the ultimate gift giver, and this was yet another example of her talent. I cried several (if not all) of those 12 days as the girls squealed in delight at every present. Joy had put all of this together when she thought we would be alone in France for Christmas. These would have been perfect gifts to help us feel festive in our little apartment on our own, but they were also perfect as we struggled to find our things in boxes and suitcases and still make things fun for the girls after a sudden move home. And Joy put all the final touches on these gifts the day before we left, which just happened to be the day she came home from spending almost a week at the hospital with Nolan and was facing, not only her own busy Christmas preparations, but another 8+ weeks of medical treatments to get her baby completely well. I am eternally thankful for such a wonderful sister who gives with her whole heart to everyone she knows. Here are a few glimpses of the joy day 5 brought (5 cookie cutters ). Thanks, Warren, Jared, Cameron and Nolan! We love you!

Austin Thanksgiving pics/videos...yes, we're THAT behind on our updates!

Here are a few pictures and videos from our fun time in Austin with Joy's, Matt's, John's and Rob's families. I have to blame jet lag for the absence of pictures from the actual fete. I was pretty much a blueberry zombie. (Blueberry because of my big belly in the blue scrubs Joy lent me for pjs) Elle latched right on to Uncle Rob, and sought him out constantly. The whole day after he left she kept asking, "Where's Robby?"

Jared is such a great and accomplished artist that the whole wall of their sun room is filled with art supplies of every kind. Ryn was in heaven.

The day before we left to drive up to Utah, Kevin had the bright idea to offer his help with putting up the Christmas lights. Darrell wasn't too happy that he brought it up--in fact, he said we were no longer welcome in their home :). He had hoped to get out of that job this year with all the hospital craziness. But Joy was all too happy with the offer and set the boys promptly to work....first bringing down all the COLOR-CODED (of course :) ) Christmas storage boxes from the attic, then setting up the lawn nativity set, and finally tackling the lights. The little kids were all so excited that they set up camping chairs so they could watch!

Nolan was so patient with Elle, our little Mussolini :), even with all the pain he was in. He is such a sweet boy. We are still praying every day for his full recovery and for Joy and Darrell as they keep everything going with their already busy life.

We loved every minute we were able to spend with everyone, and only wish the last part could have been under different circumstances.