Into the Woods

Before our month of vacationing and family time comes to a close today, we were able to squeeze in one last adventure away. Late Friday afternoon, after a 34-hour shift in the ER, we packed up our camping gear and headed up the shore to Tettegouche State Park. Three years ago we made the same journey when Ella was just 15 months old. I realized that this time around, Sam is that exact age. It was a sweet few days away in a woodsy cabin, tucked in the forest along an inland lake, with meals over the fire and plenty of fresh, summer air.

We arrived at the park just after dark, but we weren't at all concerned since we'd made the trek before. Tettegouche has a set of four cabins, but a good hike in is required to reach them. On our own, the hike would be simple, but journeying with kids and the equipment they require certainly ups the load. Once we strapped on headlamps and got Sam settled in the off-road stroller, we were set. Ella led the way for a good part of the hike, taking us up and down some pretty steep hills for the 1.7 miles in to the cabin. Once we arrived, we pulled out our sleeping bags and hit the hay.

Shortly after breakfast on Saturday morning, our dear friends, the Veseleys, joined us! Having them with us made the weekend even better. Ella & Liam are just a few months apart and get along like brother and sister (loving on each other one moment & arguing the next), while Julianna & Sam are also really close in age. I've known Mike since high school and met Jen when she was in med school with Pete. We love their family! Jen & I shared my camera over the weekend, so lots of the following pics are credited to her.

Ella, the fearless water bug. She's not used to actually being able to swim in a lake since Lake Superior is so cold!

 

Hanging out with Sammy on the dock.

Miss Julianna turns one later this month & is walking all over already! How cute is she?!

Liam!

The dads taking the older kids canoeing. 

When I first met Mike like 15 years ago, he was in a punk rock band. He's passing on his ways to his son.

Rock star dads.

Cuddles with my little loves. (Sam was a little confused by the flash on my iPhone.)

Yesterday morning we packed up and hiked back out. The trip was short, but it was probably just right for the kids. Well, parents, too, since naps didn't really exist out there. How long can we go without naps? I'd rather not find out. 

Carrying a pack and two four-year-olds is no big deal, especially for a guy who just completed his first Olympic-distance triathlon. Nice work, Mike.

It was a pretty quiet drive back down the shore. The kids didn't last long before they were sleeping in the cool, air-conditioning of the Jeep. We tried to make a stop for lunch at Betty's Pies (a classic place to stop along the shore) but it was far too busy for our hungry kiddos. Dairy Queen in Two Harbors offered a quick meal..and some Sammy/Daddy cuddles. 

Such a perfect trip to wrap up an amazing month.

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Photo Friday: The Olympics!

I love the Olympics. The hype and pride and athleticism and endless coverage of individual background stories that make a mama teary. (I'm not the only one who gets teary watching those, right?) I've been looking forward to these games for months and months, planning way last winter that I would be watching a majority of them in the air-conditioned comfort of Eli & Krista's house since we neither have air-conditioning or (even more importantly) a TV on which to watch them. Krista & I are huge Olympics fans. Therefore, we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a little opening ceremony party last Friday.

We sent a few texts to each other and to friends to get the party ball rolling, making it clear that everyone was expected to dress to represent an Olympic event. Immediately, I knew how I would dress the kiddos, but my own outfit was only selected about 20 minutes before leaving the house. I'll admit, the main reason for that was because so many things still don't fit this post-baby bod.

Can you tell what our little Samuel dressed as? (Hint: that's a stuffed horse next to him.)

Yes! A jockey! Our little equestrian was set to represent in a polo shirt and little cap. Isn't the cap adorable? I think it came to us in an enormous box of hand-me-downs from Jess and her boys. I want more pictures of him in it. It's so boyish!

Here it looks like Jack & Caleb might be attempting to get arm wrestling into the games. Jack (4 months) was a sailor while Caleb (11 weeks) was a swimmer.

It's just not a proper party without a cake. I have to explain the holes in the top of this one. I was practicing various wedding styles the night before and stuck a large monogram letter in the top. After the practice session was complete, I painted the Olympic rings on top, wrapped it in gold ribbon, stuck in the flag and - viola - a party cake. (chocolate with almond frosting & fondant, I think)

I ended up going as a weight lifter! I've got plenty of workout clothes, so I dug up a couple sweat bands from my running garb and lugged a set of 8-pound weights to the party. Eli was a tennis player and Krista was a biker. (The great thing about Eli's outfit? Apparently he wore that to every tennis class he had for a semester of college. Nice work.) I'm crazy about Caleb's goggles here. Ella had a pair too, but was far more interested in writing "checks" than taking a party pic.

I've been soaking in as much of the Olympic action as possible. I catch what I can online. One night I saw swimming at the hospital in an on-call resident room while Pete was working. Then we were at Grandma & Grandpa Olsen's house for a few days and I got to see a lot more. Tomorrow we'll be watching with Eli & Krista again. I would be so sad if I missed them!

I think I'd have to say that my favorite summer Olympic event is gymnastics. It's so hard to decide, though. They are all so much fun to watch, especially after learning the personal stories of the athletes.

What is your favorite summer Olympic event? I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below!

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Since I mentioned the practice wedding cake, here are two versions of what I made. The final cake was a lot like the bottom of the two but with higher tiers. I'll be posting the real photos soon on The Little Yellow Kitchen website.

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I did something crazy this week...I joined Twitter! It's actually been a really fun way to stay up on all the Olympic action, seeing pics and getting results right after things happen. I've also found some cool people to follow, like other parents of kids with Down syndrome and cute boutique shops. I'm still figuring out how it all works, but if you're on Twitter, look me up! I'm @OlsenAngela.

Wheeling in Gilbert

We recently became a two-car family when Pete bought a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with a 4-inch lift, 33-inch tires, and a winch. (Is that right? I could be off on the stats. Pete could tell you all kinds of numbers on his new baby...and I don't mean Sammy.)  We've had one good-sized Jeep for the last two years and have made it work just fine most of the time. Now that Ella will be starting preschool next month and Sammy is here, we felt we would have a whole lot less pressure to figure out transportation each day if we had a second vehicle. I started out insisting on a small car but soon realized that wouldn't work so well when Pete gets called in for c-sections in the middle of a snowy night, so I shifted my mindset to a 4-wheel-drive-something. I was still sticking to something smallish, but then felt bad thinking of Pete driving a little Subaru. (Nothing against Subarus. They're just not his style.) That's when I gave in and let him look for something that he liked and wouldn't cut his manliness. I didn't exactly mean to go after a rugged Jeep with big ol' tires and lift, but I'm not complaining. It's a pretty hot vehicle when he takes the top and doors off. And we got a great deal on it.

In June we felt it was time to do some off-roading in the new Jeep, so we headed north to Gilbert's Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area. With us were three Jeeps, the Horns, the Gilbertsons, and lots of food for grilling. The Gilbertsons know a ton about Jeeps and off-roading and had been to the park many times. They were great coaches.

But first, we grilled.

Ella ready to go with one of the Gilbertson Jeeps

the Horns. aren't they great?!

Sammy hung out on his blanket in the shade

After grilling, we took to the trails. This place was sweet. Tons of trails through what used to be mining land. This was a road to one of the low-key trails we took since it was my first time wheeling. Plenty of mud and rocks.

A few videos from our adventure:

The wheeling girls - Ella (clearly having fun..check out the dirty shirt), Robyn, Ang, Krista. And that's Pete's new Jeep behind us.

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AVA UPDATE:

I've had many people ask how Ava has been doing. Ava is Ella's very good friend who was diagnosed with a brain tumor three months ago. She had been down in Minneapolis for radiation at the Children's Hospital but finished on Friday and was able to return to Duluth with her mom, dad, and baby brother over the weekend. Unfortunately, she was almost immediately readmitted to one of the local hospitals after complications were making her very sick. She's still there while they do another MRI today and try to figure out what's going on. We hate that she's back in the hospital instead of in her own cozy house, but we're happy to have her close enough to visit now. I'll be taking Ella to see her tomorrow morning, though I haven't leaked the news to Ella yet. I'm excited to see her reaction. She hasn't stopped asking about Ava through these few months and wants to pray for "Ava's owie" quite often. Please continue to pray with us for healing. Ava's been incredible through all the awfulness she's had to endure. It'd be amazing for it to be completely wiped away.

Ava's mama writes nearly every day on her Caring Bridge page, which can be found HERE.

Birthday Cards for Ava

This week is Miss Ava's third birthday. We want to make the occasion very special for her, wherever she ends up celebrating. She may still be in the hospital, though everyone is hoping she'll be home. For something special and memorable, we're asking as many people as possible to send a birthday card for her. We know Ava would love it. If you have my address, you can send it right to my house. Otherwise, cards can be dropped off at the Duluth Vineyard Church on by Wednesday at 5 or sent there at any time:

Ava Hirschoff

c/o Duluth Vineyard Church

1533 W Arrowhead Road

Duluth, MN 55811

Yesterday, Miss Ella & I had the opportunity to visit Ava in the hospital while we were in Minneapolis. We had contemplated if it would be the right thing for the girls at this point. Maybe it would scare Ella or perhaps Ava wouldn't be up for it. In the end, we decided it was worth a try. I'm so glad we did. And I'm thankful that Ella's daddy works in a hospital, so she's very comfortable in the environment.

Ella & Ava (taken in Oct 2011)

It was really good to see the girls together again. Last week, Ava had her second brain surgery and has been on a slow process of recovery. She is being fed through a feeding tube in her nose and is having a hard time swallowing and talking. I tried to prepare Ella for these changes in her friend before we saw her, but the moment Ella was in the room with Ava, it didn't seem to matter. I think Ella was intrigued by all of those things, but it didn't change how she interacted with her. It's so different for little ones, isn't it? I think they see beyond the differences far easier than we do as adults. They don't think about the complications and what all of those differences may mean. Ella was gentle and quiet, but still wanted to play. And that's exactly what we did.

 After Ava was unhooked from all of her tubes and such, the girls got to go on a couple of long wagon rides through the unit halls. Ella blew bubbles and giggled when they popped on Ava's cheeks. Ava gave a sweet little smile each time. Then Ella held up the bubble wand so Ava could blow a few bubbles. I could tell it was hard for Ava to blow hard enough to create more than one bubble, but it was also clear that it made her happy to try. After a few laps in the wagon, we returned to Ava's room for games with the physical therapist. Ella got to participate, which I think was a fun change for Ava. Then Ava cuddled up on her mama's lap to rest. What a sweet, sweet girl Miss Ava is. Jesus made her incredibly special. I'm so glad that Ella has such a friend.

Honestly, it's not at all easy to write this. All of the changes that have come to Ava and her family in the last 4-5 weeks are heartbreaking. I hate thinking of the many questions they have while still needing to make countless decisions. Big decisions. I usually hold the tears for Ella's sake or when I'm playing with the girls. I want them to enjoy their time together and not be worried about sadness or hurt. But each time we leave Ava, I can't help but cry. No one, especially a little girl who is about to turn three, should be put through such things. I hate seeing the hurt and sadness in Ava's mama's eyes. I want to sit and weep alongside her. I so dearly want God to come in and do a miracle in completely healing Ava of this tumor. That's what I pray for. I also pray for peace and comfort for Ava's family, but always for a miracle, too.

Please keep praying for Ava and her family. A few big decisions have to be made in the next few days. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ava's Caring Bridge page can be found by clicking here.

Pleading for Prayer

My dear friends,

Today I'm pleading for your prayers. I've mentioned Ella's friend, Ava, many times in the past and have posted pictures of the two of them playing, making cake, washing dishes, and coloring together. Last fall, Ava came to our house to play every Tuesday and Ella spent every Wednesday at Ava's. The girls adore one another. Please join with Ella in praying for her amazingly sweet little friend.

It was discovered through an MRI last Thursday morning that Ava has a tumor growing at the base of her brain. It is in a very difficult place to reach through surgery, so all options are being investigated before moving forward. Ava and her mom, dad, and baby brother are in Minneapolis all week for meetings and tests and a possible surgery later in the week. This is a very scary time for all of them, as it's hard to know where all of this will lead. They continue to trust in Jesus and his direction in their lives, but it doesn't make this an easy road to travel.

My heart breaks for Jeff & Janell, Ava's parents. Janell is a dear friend of mine. As a mother, I can't imagine what this is like for her. I've cried thinking of the fear of the unknown that they are facing. And I'm so very thankful for a heavenly Father who brings comfort in such circumstances, even when we don't even know how to ask for his peace.

We visited Ava & Janell on Friday so the girls could play and be distracted from the scariness surrounding all of this. When it was nearing time to leave, we told the girls we wanted to take a picture. This is what we got.

Ava & Ella

Two year-olds express love so purely.

Please, please pray with us for complete healing in Ava's entire body.

the 2 & 3 year old praying for Ava at church this weekend

If you'd like to follow Ava's Caring Bridge page, you can find it here.

Photo Friday: A Valentine's Night, Parisian Style

For Valentine's Day this year we decided to host a very small get together with a few friends. We usually end up waiting till the last minute before deciding what to do...and it can turn out kinda boring. I had so much fun planning the entire month before the party. I got lots of idea from Pinterest (so nice for party planning!) and put them together with Ella. I'll post pictures of some of those projects later. For today, here are some photos of the party night. Unfortunately, we were having so much fun once everyone arrived that I forgot to take pictures of people! Everyone dressed up a bit, which made it that much more special. And we had a sitter upstairs for the kiddos, so the adults actually got to relax. Perhaps this will become an annual event!

corner of the dinning room

with a vanilla & raspberry rose cake

champagne with strawberries (& sparkling cider for the 3 expecting mamas)

fruit & sweets for dark chocolate fondue

bread for cheese fondue

the little cafe seating area in the living room

the photo on the top shelf is of my great-grandparents' wedding. i now have her wedding ring, which i wore as my engagement ring.

homemade vintage postcards hanging from the mantle

paper doily bunting in the living room

vintage jewelry & photos on the mannequin in the dining room

paper hearts hanging from the dining room window

some of the photos were hard to capture with the lighting using my iPhone