the forsgren family

Challenges and Blessings

2011-06-11T16:52:00.001-07:00

I haven't updated in a long time... life has been strained a bit lately, but has calmed down since Thursday. We had a foster care placement at the beginning of February that was a challenge for us and took all my time and energy. She has gone back as a trial period with her mom and we hope all goes well for them. As of now, we have our life back to normal and there has been an instant change in the feeling at our home. It was a challenge for all of us, but especially hard for Ellorie.

I burned my hands (yes plural) on Mother's Day, a week before a Stake Women's Fair I was in charge of. It wasn't the first both hands had been unusable in my life:) My mom came to help me though and that was a life saver. It's hard to wash dishes, change diapers and do any tasks without hands! They healed quickly and I was blessed it wasn't worse than it was.
The Women's Fair was a great success! Check out all the info and recipes at... www.clearfieldstakewomensfair.blogspot.com

Our household had a lot of sickness during the month of May, too. Everyone, including my mom, was throwing up and other not so good effects of the stomach flu. Chloe and Ellorie got double ear infections and Chloe had to have steriods and breathing treatments for 10 days. She has asthma and is on them now for a while. But she is back to her happy, wonderful self:) We are blessed through her adoption to have medical coverage because of being born on meth.

We are back to normal around here and so happy about it. The girls and I are going to Minnesota for vacation while Doug has Youth Conference and Scout Camp. We are excited to see family!! Then we are home for a few days, then off to North Carolina to see my brother and his wife and then to a Forsgren reunion in Virginia! Great start to summer:) Ellie can't wait to see all her cousins! We just want the fun to start and can't wait either!

My garden is doing well, we have been eating the most delicious lettuce of my life from it this week! Its so fun to have a garden. I am especially excited for canning this year. I am out of a lot of goods, and Chloe doens't like store bought peaches:) Spoiled girl!

Check out the blog I posted... there are some amazing recipes, especiallyfor bread! We have been eating like Kings around here, we just bought half a beef and a pig and I have never had such amazing meat in my life. I can't wait for visitors and company for dinner later this summer!

TA-DA!

2011-01-27T15:14:00.001-08:00

Whew! The holidays were a whirl wind, but wonderful! We had the best time with all the adoption finalization activities and Christmas fun.
Court was great! Chloe and Ellorie were perfect sweethearts and I cried like a baby. The judge even cried. We went out to the Olive Garden after for lunch and it was delicious. Thank you to all the friends and family who were able to attend. We had Chloe blessed Sunday and we went to the temple on Monday to be sealed. It was all so exciting and happy. We are officially the Forsgren 4!

Matching

2010-11-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

I'm a matcher... I like my dishes to match, I like to match the jars of what I'm canning and even the lids. I like my shelves to match, spice containers, towels, everything.

You name it, I want it to match.

So this...

is hard for me.

The upside is that she is adorable:) I know kids need to assert their independance. I don't want her to not have confidence because I didn't like the purple plaid skirt with the striped rainbow shirt and t-shirt over. But, I kringe a little when she comes down the stairs in an outfit like this and it takes all I have to say, "I love your outfit! Nice job picking your own clothes!" What's wrong with the train of thought... If you like the skirt and you like the shirt, then wear them together! I love 4 year olds:) Never mind that I bought an entire line from Gymbore (something I NEVER do but it was on a killer sale) and she refuses to wear 75% of it. Kids. Oh well, hopefully Chloe will be willing to wear it. Lesson learned, don't go shopping without your 4 year old. She needs to pick out her own clothes... Well, at least she does if she's Ellorie.

Chloe Lillian Forsgren

2010-11-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

Today we set the adoption date for Chloe! Finialization is Thursday, December 23rd at 9:45am in Ogden, Utah. We are so excited and can't wait! I missed court today because I was off by 15 minutes. They don't let cell phones in court and that's my calendar and when they set the date and time I didn't get it in there and I am so bad with anything to do with numbers! Agh! So, they set the date and everything without me since I was late, but it will work just fine:) We couldn't be happier and we look forward to our early Christmas present. Her new name will be Chloe Lilian Forsgren. We were considering and thinking at one time it would be Chloe Mae, but that sounded to Southern accentish, if that makes sense. Hope no one is offended by that:) I have always loved Lilian for a name, and would choose it for a first name, but that is already done and she is definately a Chloe. We did change the spelling as you can see, the other way is too crazy. Her whole life I would be saying Chloe with a "K" and an "ie" at the end. No thanks. Who spells it like that anyway? Oh, I guess a girl on MTV someone told me. Enough said. So, our beautiful Chloe will be ours forever. What a roller coaster ride to have over. I have never been a fan of roller coasters...

the khloie update

2010-10-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

We had court a couple weeks ago and nothing really resulted from it. The potential birth father has not yet taken the paternity test (at least as far as I know). He supposedly made an appointment to do so and the judge said we would reconvene on October 25th. The next step will be to see if he in fact does take it, and what the results are and how that will effect proceedings. The state attorney told the young man in court last time that even if he establishes paternity the state is just going to turn around and request it to be terminated. Where was he for 6 months? He could have signed the paper at the hospital as the father, but he didn't. So, we don't know his intentions, if he even has any.

Utah has a law that a child 2 or under once they are placed in foster care, has to have a permanent placement within 8 months. Khloie will be with us 8 months as of Nov. 11th. A judge can make rulings to extend that, but I don't know why she would. I don't understand other things she has done however, so who's to say how it will all play out.

We feel so peaceful concerning the matter though. I admit that it helps when I don't have to see the family. When I have visits I always feel the weight of the situation. The mom didn't show up for her last visit a week ago Monday. She hasn't given them a number to reach her at, and they don't chase parents down to do what they're supposed to, they expect some effort on their part. She did say that she wanted to relinquish her rights and didn't need to be forced (have the state terminate).

So, we wait for the 25th... more updates to come:) thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

You know you're a mom when...

2010-10-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

I have found myself thinking, "you know you're a mom when..." throughout my days lately. It usually makes me smile and I am always happy to find myself in that place (well, almost always). Feel free to ad to the list...

10. the only band-aid in the house is dora, princess or hello kitty
9. your shirt smells like puke
8. your car stereo belts "the wheels on the bus"
7. you have more car seats than jeans
6. you find yourself saying "because I said so"
5. a good day involves no poop on your hands, crayon on the wall or fits in the living room
4. your bed time is the same time as a 4 year old (and you could have even gone earlier)
3. a shower for the day is optional
2. making cookies is an exciting and fun filled afternoon (and it really is)
1. hugs and kisses make everything worth it

Our Day in Court

2010-09-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Well, things didn't go quite as planned yesterday. After 6 months, the birth mother showed up in court with the supposed birth father. The case worker hadn't met her before (they looked for the mom but she made herself disappear that last half a year) and was surprised to see her there. It changed the plans, having her there. Jenny (our case worker) doesn't think it will change the eventual outcome, that we will adopt Khloie, but that it will make it a longer, more drawn out case. Awesome. The State has already set in motion their plan and recomendation to terminate the birth mom's rights and have us adopt Khloie and is still going forward with that plan. If the mom and her recently appointed public attorney want to state their case, they can do that. We have a pre-trial September 30th in the afternoon when the State will make their recommendations and if it is contested by the mom, we will set a trial date for both sides to present their case. I'm not sure what her's will be to be honest, but nonetheless, she can do it. She would have had a way better chance to have her daughter back if she would have actually showed up to visits, appointments, and her legal responsibilities in drug court. But she disappeared, so here we are. It's been a hard day... we are holding up though and praying a lot. Thanks for all your concern, love and prayers for our family. We will update after court the 30th...

Man Weekend

2010-09-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Doug is probably one of the happiest guys on the planet today... he takes off after work with a couple of buddies to go to the BYU - Air force game in Colorado and hang out for a few days. One of his friends will be there for work, so they are staying in his hotel room and another friend got the tickets. He hasn't ever gotten to leave for 4 days just for fun with friends, heck, we've never even done that as a couple! So, this is his early birthday present and he is very excited. He lives for BYU football, so I really hope it's a good game. That will make his year! Go Cougars!

Just a little longer...

2010-09-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful girl is a little closer to being ours forever. We have a court date set for September 15th! The judge will terminate birth parent rights and set an adoption date at this hearing. We are looking at the end of December to finalize, if the courts agree... sometime around Christmas.We couldn't be happier!
Everyone who meets Khloie loves her:) She is a rollie pollie bug, going all over the place. She is starting the beginning phases of crawling and is trying to get up on her knees. She always has smiles and is so happy. She is wearing 12 month clothes and is growing every day. Her hair is getting lighter and she is a beautiful ray of sunshine in our lives. Ellie is a fantastic big sister and helps take good care of her baby sister. We couldn't be happier!
9 more days to go...

Hiking

2010-07-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

We have been out hiking a couple times and it's so fun! Ellie has done great:)

Sweet Girl

2010-05-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

She is growing so fast... she will be 3 months on the 5th. She weighs 13 lbs and is sweet as can be. Grandma asked for some recent pictures so I finally posted some:)

Mother to Mother

2010-05-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

As we celebrate mother's everywhere today, I express my own appreciation for a wonderful mom who taught me so much. I hope I can pass on to my girls the things I learned from her. I will be sure to tell them all about their grandma through their lives and hope that they will take a piece of her with them into motherhood and continue the beautiful legacy of love that only a mother can give. Mother to mother through all the generations, to teach and inspire and help make the world better for what they know to do and be because of a mom to show them.

My great grandma Jane taught her children that "just because we're poor, doesn't mean we have to be dirty." I have heard that my whole life and you know what? I like to take care of my house and always try to show respect for what ever possessions we have by taking care of them. Thanks grandma Jane. My grandma Petie always had candles lit, every night. She said, "every body needs a little romance in their life." She made everything so nice around her, so did my mother. Much of who I am is directly related to who they are. I am so blessed to see these women in action, going about the daily duties of life and how to be a good person.

There are a lot of mothers out there. I have my own mother and a mother-in law, Ellie has a birth mom and me. Khloie has her biological mother and her foster mom. There is Mother Teresa, Eve, the Mother of all living and was before she had any children. There are grand mothers, big sisters who mother their little sisters :) I have even called teachers at school "mom" and many other women who take care of those who need a fill in mom in college, away from family and who need a shoulder to cry on after their mom passes away.

Every woman is a mother, every woman helps others feel God's love, take care of their physical needs, pray for them, teach them. Womanhood, is motherhood. So, today I celebrate mothers. I celebrate all that they do for the world and all that so many women have done for me.

I make a special tribute to my mom. Thanks mom for sleeping on the ground next to me while I enjoyed the couch after surgery when I was 17 and still wanted my mom with me. Thank you for showing me how to make a table pretty and why it's important. Thanks for showing me how to treat others when they come into your home and to make enough food that they know they can eat as much as they want and there will still be plenty. You taught me to be honest without saying anything, but just by me never seeing you do anything dishonest. I know how to work hard and work quick because that's how my mom works. I know to look for details and that cleaning the kitchen includes wiping the counters and sweeping the floor. I like to give everything I make away to people, especially when I think they will like it because you give everything you make away (and I am the happy recipient many times). My mom isn't perfect, but she is the perfect mom for me. I love you mom. I will always be your dolly and your little girl. Happy Mother's Day! Thanks is so inadequate, but it's all to say sometimes when there aren't the words that would capture all that you mean to me, all that you've done and all that you are. So thanks mom, thanks so much...

Update

2010-04-07T18:10:00.001-07:00

Baby Khloie is growing so much! She is so wonderful... a good, sweet baby girl. Everyone loves to see her and says how beautiful she is. We totally agree:) Her mom is having a rough go of things and we feel more confident every day that Khloie will be with us permanently. We couldn't hope for anything less. Having said that, we of course feel sadness that her mother is making bad choices that are making her life unhappy and unhealthy. Khloie wouldn't do well in that environment ( I won't elaborate here on details, we have a confidentiality clause) but it wouldn't be safe or happy life for her. We love her with all our hearts and would love to be her forever family. Time will have to pass and we will see how things unfold to know for sure what the future holds. As we wait we love her, kiss her, cuddle her and spoil her. She is another ray of sunshine in our lives.

Baby Khloie

2010-03-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

We had a little baby girl placed with us this last Thursday from foster care. She will be with us at least three months... she is beautiful and wonderful! We are so happy that we can provide this service for sweet Khloie. Of course, we fell in love with her the moment we saw her! She is doing really well and blessing our lives already:) Ellorie is doing well too and loves to take care of Khloie. We got her a little baby of her own and all the necessities to care for her. Our friends have been really great and supportive. Although Khloie isn't likely to stay with us forever, they have celebrated our joy in taking a little one in and caring for her as our own. It has meant more to us than we could ever express. She is a true blessing and we will cherish every minute.

President's Day

2010-03-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

Ellie's tribute to George Washington...

I think if he were here now, he'd be honored and impressed. Here's to you George.

Rocking Out with My Bad Self

2010-03-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

She has the stance, the vocals, the moves, she's ready for fame and fortune. What parent wouldn't be proud?

Girls just wanna have fun, what can she say!

"I've got moves you've never seen!"

"Thank you, thank you very much..." For my next performance... stay tuned!

Ellorie Turns 4

2010-03-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

Ellie had a great birthday. It's the first year she's had a party and she loved it. It was really fun being a parent and throwing a birthday party. She invited 11 friends so we had it at the church building (way too many for our house!). She could have doubled her list if I would have let her. It was hard not to invite everyone. She really wanted to play musical chairs, have a rainbow cake and a pinata. So we did, of course. We also had pizza, played bingo, decorated candy bags and opened gifts. All the pictures are mostly for the grandparents, sorry if everyone else is like "enough with the pictures already!" Ha:)

We also got her ears pierced. It was pretty traumatic. She said she wanted it done and I told her it would hurt, but nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. She was miserable for 2 hours after, crying so hard. I felt horrible! She said she was glad she did it though and she loves her earrings.

Before she knows what's coming... and then

the set up...
the pain...

the trauma...
It was a 2 hour recovery, then we went to dad's school to meet him for lunch! Grandpa and Grandma Forsgren gave Ellie a McDonalds card and she got her favorite lunch!

She got a plethora of presents and was utterly spoiled. Here she is sporting her new hydration pack from Grandpa and Grandma Arlander. She loves camping and hiking and this will be great for her outdoor adventures!

My Projects

2010-02-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

I have become a big fan of sewing. I love it! I love to create treasures to use in my house, for my daughter and as gifts! I love to make aprons, decorate dish towels, make hair clips and bows, toys, scarves, bags, clothes and I am learning more all the time.

The greatest invention ever... the ruffle/gathering food. It does my ruffling in no time, looks great and is so easy (now that I have figured it out). I don't know how I lived without it! If I was to have a job and didn't have to worry about kids, I would sew and have a little shop of some kind. Until then, I will continue my work here, getting my 10-30 minutes to sew when I can.

Here's some of my work. If you know anyone who wants to order something from me, let me know! I love to sew and will give them a price quote.

Ellie's half apron, by request. She's already starting to tell me what she wants just like Jamie and I do to my mom! She cracks me up:) the ruffle is a nice deep pleat. Looks great, huh!

The Perfect Date

2010-02-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

Doug and I had the best date for Valentines! We drove up to Logan and stayed in the Marriott Spring Hills Suite. It is such a great hotel. Doug had flowers delivered to the room before we got there and they are so beautiful! We went to dinner at Le Nonna's which is the best Italian restaurant here in Utah. The chef was born in Tuscany and is amazing! I had crab stuffed ravioli in a cream sauce. Yummy! My friend in Logan, Annette, had Ellie stay there and so everyone was happy. We went to the temple the next morning and ate a great breakfast at the hotel. It was the best date ever! Good job, Doug! He is my forever Valentine. I love you honey.

My First Valentine

2010-02-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday! When I was single and didn't have a boyfriend or anything, I still loved Valentine's day. It makes me so sad when people are depressed on Valentine's day.When I was a kid my dad always gave us a valentine card stuffed with hershey kisses. I always was so excited to get his card (even in college). Although my mom sometimes did stuff too, it was kind of his holiday. He picked out the card, wrote in it and bought the stuff himself. I think it is safe to say that every other occasion my mom took care of everything. We didn't mind that, and knew dad loved us on our birthdays and Christmas even though he didn't do the shopping or wrapping. But Valentine's Day was different. Daddy took care of every year, without fail. Everyone should have a dad to make them feel loved and special. Thanks dad, for being my valentine all those years and even though I have a husband who has taken on that role very well and takes great care of me, Valentine's Day has the place in my heart like it does because of him. He was my first Valentine. I love you dad! I love you all the way around the world and all the way to heaven and back again...

The New Year

2010-01-10T17:26:00.001-08:00

We had a great vacation in Minnesota visiting both of our families. We always enjoy late nights with the big screen at Jamie and Ryan's and playing Wii at John and Ann's and the games we play with everyone. We received a new game from Ann's family called Split. If you like card games, this is a must have! It is so fun. We taught it to my family and they loved it too. Ellie was a trooper, as always, traveling so far. We drive straight through the night and she hardly slept, but when we got to grandpa and grandma's she was ready for a fun filled day. She really loves her family! We had a wonderful time and we are always sad to leave.

Now we are back in the swing of things, Doug had his first week back at school and starts more classes for his program at Utah State tomorrow. Agh, another crazy semester is about to begin, but next year this time we will be DONE! With EVERYTHING! Yeah! He is such a great man working so hard to get more education and training to provide for us. We never take that for granted.

We are still waiting to hear about adding someone to our family. The girl we talked about last month decided against us. We thought we'd have a foster child by now, but we haven't gotten any calls so we are just waiting on that. No calls from LDS Family Services either. We will let everyone know when we do, until then we just wait.

We are excited for a new year! Everything is pretty much the same in our lives except for our church responsibilities. I now serve with the children as the Primary President and Doug no longer serves as the Young Men's President, but now works in Cub Scouts. Ellie turns 4 March 2nd and that will be fun. We are giving her a birthday party and she is inviting some friends! We are really looking forward to summer and all the fun that comes with it!

Happy New Year Everyone!

We're Off...

2009-12-15T15:21:00.001-08:00

We are taking off for Minnesota on Friday afternoon and we are so excited. Doug has a 2 week break from school again this year! We love to see all the family and spend Christmas with them. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas whether you travel or stay home this year!

My Journey

2009-12-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their own journey in life. Everyone has their share of trials and weaknesses, pain and sorrow. When I share about my own, it's not to compare or look for sympathy. If anything, I am so blessed in all that has happened throughout my life and all that is currently happening, that most people in the world would probably envy the bliss I enjoy. And yet, even in my happy and joyful circumstances I feel some pain. I know it is part of the experience of mortality and I embrace it, along with all that is good and right. However, I don't enjoy it. My journey right now involves a lot of unknowns and a lot of waiting. Two of the things I hate the most, which is probably one reason I am experiencing them. I can handle bad news, I can handle disappointment, but not knowing is sometimes more than I can take. And waiting for the unknown is even worse. "When?", is a more pressing question that "What?".

We have a great life. I would be totally content to keep things just as they are. We enjoy our daughter, friends and family. We have so much. The problem comes in with the fact that we know there is more for us. This "more" though isn't handed to us on a platter (does that sound familiar to anyone?:) We have to try and figure it out. I don't like it one bit! My sister has a friend going through some questions right now and she doesn't know what to do. She said, "I wish someone would just tell us the right thing" I can totally relate. There is a lot of work in trying to make decisions.

As I have been contemplating lately about what we are doing, our plans and choices, I am frustrated at how long it is all taking. We feel God wants for us to do foster care. I know it is Him leading us, because even now, I probably wouldn't have chosen this direction myself (and I know Doug would agree). I feel confident and at peace with our decision, and that is another way I know it is God leading us. Through all the waiting, through all the unknown, I find great comfort in God's influence and presence in our life. I know He is guiding us and others. I know that He has His timing and that it is perfect. I know I am learning things through this process I couldn't learn any other way. Although I don't always like parts of this journey, I am grateful for a wise God who has me do things I don't like so I can do the work that He has for me, so I can become the person he wants me to be.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). I have to remind myself that all is well, that all will work out as it is intended, to have patience. As we start this holiday season, I remind myself that God's peace can always be found. One of the greatest gifts of Christ's birth was the blessing for us to be able to receive peace in turbulence, trial and weakness.
My sister-in-law lost her father this last week and we got her and her mother some plants. I always choose a peace lily when someone passes. The gift of peace stills all pain, it allows us to buoy up again to press forward in faith and wait, with patience, for things to come.

Foster Care

2009-11-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

Well, we have been going through the process of adoption with LDS Family Services for a year and a half (no leads there), so last May we decided to start the foster care licensing process to see about growing our family that way. There is always a lot of paper work involved and interviews, home checks, special rules, etc. We got locks on everything that could possibly hurt anyone and even some locks on things we don't think could hurt anyone, but by law still have to lock up (ever heard of anyone having problems with laundry detergent?). We met a really great case worker through a series of events that could not have been a coincidence, and got licensed a couple of months ago. We just met a great girl on Monday and she is visiting with us to see if we would be a good fit for her. When children are older, they get to be in on the process to help them have a better experience. The state wants the kids to stay in one home and avoid disruption (which means they move to a different foster home) and this is one way to do that. We feel really great about her and get to meet with her again next week. It's so great to think we might soon be having another person in our family. She's older and it might not lead to adoption, but we have so much to give a child and it seems such a waste to not share it. It is very exciting for us and we pray for the Lord's hand to guide those involved, even if they are unaware they are being guided.
We look forward to seeing what happens in the next weeks and months and will keep you updated!

For Thanksgiving we are having our great niece Katie here, Megan another great girl and BYU student and our dear friend Steph. We love having the girls here and will miss our niece Jill who is off with a girlfriend for the holiday. Ellie loves having the girls here and has been waiting all week for them to come (which is a long time for a 3 year old!) She tells me they take too long. Katie came yesterday and it's already a party! I love to entertain and have good food, games and fun with my family. Thanks for coming girls! Doug is off for 5 days and it's awesome! Life is good. We are happy and trying to find ways to make others happy too.

Catch Up

2009-11-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a long time since I last updated! We had an amazing trip to North Carolina to visit my bro and his fabulous wife, and had such a great time! It was so fun just to be together and hang out. They were great to me and Ellie. Doug met up with us in D.C. and we visited his parents and his brother and family, too. We saw lots of sights and had great visits with them too. We have traveled a lot this year and will be going to Minnesota for Christmas for 2 weeks. That makes my total time away from home this year 3 months! Crazy, but very fun!

I was just called to be the Primary president in my ward and it has been very fun. I am learning a lot and enjoying it.

My mom has been here for a long visit and we have been sewing and enjoying being together.

I can't believe it's already November and look forward to Thanksgiving. We are having our niece and adopted nieces here with us and can't wait for the fun to begin. We love having them around and love seeing them so often!

Salad of the Year!

2009-09-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today I made my new favorite salad. Maybe it's now my favorite because it's new, but I have to say, I have out done myself. Yum! You might not think these ingredients go together, but let me assure you, if you like salad, this one's for you:)

Lay a nice bed of fresh spinach on your plate
top with...

julienne carrots (this is a really nice texture in the salad)

finely sliced red onion (you don't want to over power any other ingredients)

Also slice:
cucumber
avocado
Strawberries

I made a nice, light red wine poppy seed vinegrette to top it all! Super Yummy!
Red Wine Vinegar, Agave Necter (or honey) and a little olive oil and poppy seeds. Make it pretty sweet. It's delicious on so many salads. Enjoy!

Summer Fun

2009-08-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have traveled so much this summer! We are back again from another vacation. My sister Jamie just finalized her adoption to her daughter Norah. It was so great and I am so glad I was there. As long as we were going to Minnesota we decided to stay a couple weeks. It was a long time away from Doug, but we really enjoyed seeing so much family! It was awesome! We saw Doug's sister Ann and her family, Doug's brother Tom and his family, my parents, sister and her husband and Norah, my aunt and uncle, cousin and husband to be, grandma, great uncle Billy and his granddaughter Danielle and my sister's brother and sister in law and daughter, and mom/dad in law. Whew! It was a blast. We went to mall of America, Como Zoo, Oxbow Park, played with friends, court date for finalization, games, and lots of fun. It was definitely time to come home, but we miss everyone already. We love MINNESOTA! We look forward to our time there as a whole family at Christmas.

We have more fun coming up as we plan for our trip to North Carolina and Washington D.C.

Norah! So stinking cute! She is a messy eater though! She is so happy all the time. Sweet baby girl. We love baby Norah. I just want to kiss her every time I see her! Love those cheeks!
This is Ellie and her friend Isabelle walking in a park. We love Belle!

Grandma and Grandpa Arlander at the zoo with El.

Como Zoo was beautiful. Ellie wasn't too interested that day, but we still had fun.

Ellie loves cotton candy!

Rochester Fair on the rides!

Mall of America with Grandma Dawn, Aunt Diane, Ellie and Carson
Jimette and I took a self portrait. It was so great to visit.

Family Names

2009-07-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Doug isn't big on naming people after people, but I like it. I tried to suggest naming a child Valborg (after my grandma) and he hasn't let me forget it! He tells people all the time what a bad idea that was. Who has the name Valborg? My grandma, that's who! It's not a pretty name, I admit, but I love my grandma. So, I lost out on that one, but we have other names. My sister Jamie and her husband have given nicknames to Ellie and their daughter Norah, both have the same ones as my sister-in-law Sonnet. Ellorie's nickname is El "Bean" and Norah's is "Peanut". So, there Doug! We have a family name for Ellie!

Schoonies

2009-07-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I normally don't blog to just one family or person, but Ashlie, I didn't get your email and I don't know how to get on your blog... so here's my newest email, which you might not have! theforsgrenfam@gmail.com
Look forward to seeing all that's going on. I wish I'd gotten it sooner!

Good News!?!

2009-07-16T13:56:00.001-07:00

I don't know what this means yet, but I think it might be good news! I check our profile on LDS family services web site for birth moms to view every so often. I just like to see if someone could find us with specific criteria or how many people have viewed us to see if we are ever looked at. Tonight I was frustrated because I typed in criteria that should have brought us up for people to see. But no matter what I put in (eventually I just put our names) there was no profile to view. A light clicked, "hey maybe we're on a soft hold!" That just means some one is considering us and so they don't want someone else to pick us so two girls don't choose the same family. We might not be choosen, so it's just a soft hold. A hard hold is that we are choosen and when that happens they call. No call, so I am thinking maybe it's a soft hold! It's encouraging just to know people are considering us. I don't know if the reason we are not able to see our profile is because of this or not (when they did hard copies of profiles in the office they only let one birth mother look at you at a time so that's why I am guessing its the same on-line. Of course, it could be technical difficulties or whatever, so I called and left a message! We'll see:)

Blogs

2009-07-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

I know I don't have everyone's blogs! If you don't see yours on my list on the right then let me know! I need Nicole's and Ashlie's for sure... Ryan I need yours too. And several others! Send me your link or email me, especially if you have a password or something in order to view it! Thanks everyone! I love keeping up with blogs!

Adoption Update

2009-07-05T21:58:00.001-07:00

Well, we are coming up on our year mark for the adoption process so we need to do another round of paper work (physicals, back ground checks, finger printing, Bishop's letter) and are still trying to find a sweet little one to add to our family. But, we are also looking into another route through foster care. This is a little more scary for me. 1) it is unknown and new for us 2) the kids have had a rough start and come with some challenges they wouldn't (most likely) have if they'd been with us from the start. But, there are so many kids who need families and homes and people to care for them and love them. We have so much to give and just trust in the Lord that he will bring the children meant for our home to us.

We have started the round of paper work for this avenue also and it's pretty easy because we have done most of it before. I still need my physical and have that scheduled for this week and we have to take 32 hours of classes... that I am not so much looking forward to. But, it will be done this month so that is great! We should be a licensed home by the beginning of August. Anyone have rope ladders laying around you're not using that we can put in our upstairs bedrooms? Didn't think so:)

Please include us in your prayers- that the children who need us will be brought to us or that we can find them! We are hopeful and optimistic that all will go according to God's plan and look forward to meeting our next child! Thanks for all your support and love. We appreciate all your encouraging words and offers of help. We look forward to our next update...

Vacation

2009-07-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

I love vacation! We had a BLAST the last 2 weeks seeing everyone! We first went to South Dakota, which is the best kept secret. I wasn't looking forward to South Dakota vacation wise, but because we could see family. Grandma and Grandpa Arlander came and my sister Jamie (MiMi) and Ryan with their baby girl Norah. We shopped, camped, toured, played and just had a lot of fun. Ellie had a great time, too! We are going to make a yearly trip of it. I highly reccommend Broken Arrow Camp ground in Custer, SD if you are looking for a trip out there. The wild life, weather and accommadations were amazing! Great hiking, too! Mimi took the pictures because that's what she does, so I have none yet, but will post some later! I know you will all be waiting in suppense.

We then headed to Nebraska for Doug's reunion. Only 3 brothers made it, but all three sister's made it and we had a GREAT time (Doug is the youngest of 11)! We stayed in an old military base made into a state park. We had a huge lodge with rooms for everyone. The forsgren's can be loud, even when there are only 40ish of them around :) But we slept great at night, which is a huge bonus for me! We played, swam, did horse back riding, tubing, croquet, games and visited. The weather was awesome and it was just so much fun! It was such a fun vacation.

We came home and had the 4th of July festivities with neighbors and friends and church today. We will settle back into routine more, but Doug doesn't teach right now and that lets him have time for school, church and time to golf! Plus we love seeing him around the house. The school year is so busy that we love summer! We still have more camping and vacation planned for the summer... Life is good.

First Dentist Visit

2009-07-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Ellie did so well at her dentist visit! She didn't cry and she let the dentist and hygienist do their thing with no complaints. She was a good girl and I think our subsequent visits will be easy to do because she had no trauma!

New Discovery

2009-05-21T14:29:00.001-07:00

So, I miss living close to my family, but the longer I live in Utah the more things I discover that are AWESOME and help me deal with being so far away. Of course, hiking and camping, mission friends/college friends, food storage supplies, church stuff I need 2 miles away, and now.... A PRODUCE CO-OP! I got all this for $15. Greatest thing of my life!

My Veggies...

My fruit...
For an extra $7.50, an Italian package...

egg plant, fresh herbs, mushrooms, onions, zucchini squash, garlic! awesome!
We eat like Kings! I have to decide what to cook after I see what's in my basket and it's fun to plan a menu like that. If you live in Utah, check out bountifulbaskets.org. You can order every other week and it's on line. You can only order the wednesday before pick up. That will be the 27th for the next one. You pay on line and pick up at the closest location near you. Mine happens to be up the street about 3 minutes. Good Stuff!

Let the Summer Fun Begin!

2009-05-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

We took our first camping trip of the year and it was so great! Just the three of us. We all love the water, eating outside and setting up camp.

Funny Story...

So, I love a fire camping. It is camping. I love a big fire! I like to see flames. Doug thinks I'm a pyro, but it is so beautiful and they are just good memories. So, I start collecting a bunch of sticks from around the camp and I put them on the fire to make it have more flames. Even though I know they won't last I still do it because we don't have really in between sizes just twigs and BIG logs.

As I am doing this Doug says to me, "hey, save some for morning". I start laughing so hard! I could barely talk and I say to Doug, "are you serious? Look around camp. There couldn't be anymore wood!" I was laughing for at least a half an hour after that. I even took some pictures so everyone could see the "shortage".

We joked about it the whole trip. So funny. I love making memories. The next day we went hiking to the wind caves. Beautiful! You climb 900 feet in 2 miles, so it's intense, but great. I think we did pretty well for our first hike of the season. This is the last year Doug is carrying Ellie on his back. She's a big girl:) While we were hiking, I of course needed some breaks. I was behind Doug and El and called out to stop and when we were resting Ellie says to me, "mom, my arm's tired from hiking." Really? I feel bad for you kid. That must be a tough ride on dad's back! Ha!

Dress Up Queen

2009-05-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ellie LOVES to dress up! She wears dress up clothes more than regular clothes! She loves to be a princess and wear dresses. She LOVES shoes, too. We have had to create some rules.
1. No dress up clothes outside to play (we did that once and they were soooo dirty!)
2. No dress clothes when we eat (we did that once and they got covered!)
3. No dress up clothes up stairs. She wants to wear then 24/7. Kills me:)

Seattle Trip

2009-04-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is such a beautiful waterfall in Washington. It's not far from Mike and Jessica's place. Definately one of the highlights of the trip:)
On our ferry ride over to Vashon...
The LDS church owns property on Vashon Island called Morningside Farm... 110 acres of beautiful woods and grounds. You can camp and hold events there. There's hiking and a pond and a great play area. I really miss living here and could call it home forever.

Seattle Trip

2009-04-11T10:42:00.003-07:00

We had a great time visiting Mike and Jessica in Seattle this last week for Spring break! We took a ferry over to Vashon Island to see where I worked for BYU Idaho on Morningside Farm. It was as beautiful as I remember and we loved it so much!
It was such a nice visit, just hanging out, seeing the sights and being with family! Thanks for taking such good care of us Mike and Jessica!
We loved meeting the boys... we hadn't met Aaron or Owen before and they are so fabulous!

Riding the ferry over to Vashon Island

Our sweet nephew Aaron....

Ellie loved the boat!

All the cousins having fun! The guy in the front is Owen, a bundle of fun. Like is the tallest one and we loved seeing him, too! Ellie was quite out numbered, but she fit right in the boys:)

Aprons

2009-03-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I love aprons! I have recently been making them and it is so fun. I love the process and the finished product that I can use every day. I like to match my apron to my clothes:) so I need a lot! I am trying new patterns and fabrics. I have a lot I want to make still. I think aprons are so useful and cute. People don't utilize them now a days like our grandmothers did. I am trying to bring them back! I use 30's prints to make them remind me of the olden days... it is great. I totally recommend an apron for your daily duties.

This pattern is called the church ladies apron. Love it!

Love this old fabric! So apronish... don't you think?!

P.S.
Take a look at Ellie's Birthday Pictures! She went with Saydee Lou, her little friend, and they had them taken together.

www.thesmilestation.com
Emily Forsgren
Access Code: LTTT0894111214TAR

Five Fun Treasures

2009-03-16T13:22:00.001-07:00

My sister in law, Sonnet, posted an opportunity for 5 fabulous people to get a great surprise. I thought the idea was so fun I decided to do the same... Here's the basics of how to participate.

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It’ll be done this year. {translation: you may be waiting a little while}
4. You have no clue what it’s going to be … it may be an apron, a recipe book, a scarf, a poem, a bookmark, something yummy or a complete surprise to you (and me!) … who knows? not you, that’s for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

I can't wait to see who I will have the chance to make these gifts for! I love gifts, especially homemade ones:) Feel free to do the same on your blog- it's very fun!

Mandarin Oranges

2009-03-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today Ellie ate Mandarin Oranges for lunch and ate, without too much trouble, a bite of a turkey wrap sandwich, too! Every little food she will try is a success worth writing about! We are so glad she is eating more food...

Happy Birthday Ellie!

2009-03-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ellie turns 3! She had 3 birthday parties! I hope this isn't going to be a tradition... three birthday parties when you turn 3... four birthday parties when you turn 4...

She had so much fun and her friends were sooo nice to her! Thanks Sunni and Rochelle for the parties! This is Ellie with her cake that Rochelle made. It is fit for a princess:)

Ellie is potty trained now, thanks to Sunni and she is eating so much more variety and quantity too, also thanks to Sunni! We love the Ngo's! You can take Ellie for the weekend any time... next I would like you to teach her how to stop throwing fits.

Shop til you Drop

2009-02-20T12:34:00.001-08:00

Bringing these girls up right! We hit the mall today and got some great treasures, including these fabulous sunglasses for the girls:)

Winter Fun

2009-02-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Girl friends
It's not yellow at least:)
Mylee and Halle
Mylee loves the camera!
Ellie and Saydee Lou

We love the snow! Ellie is happiest playing outside... we are so lucky to have so many friends so close who can play, too!

Saydee is 4!

2009-02-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

We had Saydee's birthday party at our house with a bunch of friends! It was so fun!

Our Sweet Girl!

2009-01-31T09:36:00.001-08:00

Ellie wears her glasses upside down. Cracks me up every time. I will be sad when she starts to wear them the right way:)

When she opened her cowboy hat at Christmas she did not like it! Ha! But, she loves it now!
Thanks grandma:)

FINISHED!

2009-01-31T09:29:00.000-08:00

Ellie's room is painted and so cute with the blanket grandma made!
Ellie only sleeps in her tent now. It takes up most of her room and she is so happy!

Our basement is finished and looks so great! We use it everyday.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-02T18:42:00.001-08:00

My sister-in-law Susan posted this on her blog and asked people to answer it too. This is for you Susan! I like doing these too, and seeing what other people say.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper with beautiful bows

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real, Real, Real.

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving... sometimes Saturday

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after Christmas... its sooo dry by then

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, and it likes my hips... I try to stay clear of it

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Jem doll... any one remember her? I was sooo excited!

7. Hardest person to buy for? I love to buy presents, it's coming up with the money that's the hard part! ha!

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ellie

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I have done typed letters, but it's not me. I am back to hand written, more personal and a nice touch I think

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? We used to complain about oranges and peanuts in our stockings, but I like it now:)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably, I am a re- gifter

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Too many choices! I love pickled herring, cream cheese with shrimp sauce and shrimp, artichoke dip from Carolyn (it's amazing!), leftsa and anything my mom makes!

16. Lights on the tree? White lights

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Depends on the year. I like to visit and be visited... they both have their perks

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? I don't think so... I feel a little silly trying to see if I can sitting here at the computer by myself

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Bow

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I love to start opening presents as soon as they show up at my door. Doug hates that, so usually almost all on Christmas morning... about 5-6am!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Too many people shopping. I don't like crowds

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I got a little angel when I was about 7 -- she is sitting on the moon holding a lantern. I love her for some reason. The only ornament I took from my mom's house.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? My grandma Petie's traditional dinner. Ham, sliced oranges, deviled eggs, twice baked potatoes, pickles

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new nice blow dryer, but Doug will think that's too boring, I am pretty easy to shop for I think though. New scented lotions from bath and body works would be nice too. Someone tell Doug to read this! ha!

2008-12-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

We had snow in October! The first and only so far this year and we got 4 inches! It has been sunny many days since. Ellie loved the snow!

Ellie poured the milk all by herself! You can see she did get a cup full along with creating a nice little mess.

Adoption Paper Work Complete!

2008-10-15T09:57:00.001-07:00

This Friday we have our final interview with our case worker and turn in the rest of our required papers... birth certificates, photos, letter, etc. The interview is 3 hours! One for me, one for DOug and one together... I still need a babysitter for Ellie, I won't make her endure the hours:) We are really excited! Although it may still be a long wait after we are done with the papers at least we have done our part. Pray for us, that we will receive the little baby (or babies) that God has prepared for us. I think we are going to have twins sometime. Doug thinks I'm crazy. We'll see who's right!

Adoption

2008-09-26T07:34:00.001-07:00

I was reading an article this morning about motherhood. As I read, "Parents can offer a unique and wonderful kind of prayer because they are praying to the Eternal Parent of us all. There is great power in a prayer that essentially says, 'We are steward-parents over Thy children, Father; please help us to raise them as Thou wouldst want them raised'."

Although Doug and I have not been given the opportunity to have children on our own I have always kind of felt that no matter if you create, carry and bring a child into the world, or have them placed into your arms from another, they always came from some where else, some one else anyway... we all kind of "adopt" children as our own from God. They are never really ours, but God's. This understanding has greatly helped me over the years to know that our situation in adopting is not that different from bearing children, ultimately. I feel a lot of peace in that knowledge.

I think God gives us perspective and understanding like this at times to help us see the big picture. It is easy, no matter your situation, to start to look around at others and not up God to for answers. There are many circumstances people face that they can say 'why do I have to do this?' or 'why can't I do this?' I have learned and probably keep learing, that God's plan for us is perfect and it is individual, but not often fair, if we compare. I try to remember that and it makes me happy to know that God loves me and is aware of me and even takes time to teach me and help me understand.

Canning Continued...

2008-09-21T09:14:00.001-07:00

So, my life is pretty much the same everyday. I don't send out family newsletters or anything because honestly, there's nothing to report. Even over the course of a year we do pretty much the same thing. I only have one child, so I don't have all the craziness of a houseful of kids to talk about! But, I do have canning, which is crazy (at least for me!). This week I was able to put up, or help put up 6 batches of salsa (that's 90 QUARTS of salsa)!!! That didn't include my apple sauce, peaches, jam and peppers. One of the longest weeks of my life! Ha! I was up until 1 am one night finishing a batch. Now, we have tons of salsa though and we are very happy-- almost 50 quarts. The mess is a little under control but my supplies are all over the house, though they are cleaned up and more contained than eariler! I still have lots to do, but I have a break for a few days and I need it!
Coming up.. more peaches, apple pie filling, pears, peach salsa

CANNING SEASON!

2008-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love fall for many reasons, but one of the best is that it is time to can. I am so excited for all the food we are putting up. I started salsa today, yum! The whole house smells good. Doug gave me a food processor for Christmas and I have put it to good use. Wow, it makes it so easy to make salsa! I am posting the recipe for anyone who wants to try it! I also love the colors and the cool weather. I have had all our windows open and it is so nice! I love fall! I am canning more salsa, peaches, peach salsa, green chilies and applesauce next week, along with crushed tomatoes I am sure. We have a great local farm that is pick your own for really reasonable prices. I will be super busy, but it is great!!!

My beautiful garden... I am still waiting for the tomatoes to turn.

I made this wreath and am quite pleased with the result. Doug thinks it is ugly, but I didn't ask hime anyway! Ha!

Homemade Canned Salsa

5 gallon bucket full of ripe tomatoes
6 Anaheim peppers
18 jalapeno peppers (wear gloves, the seeds can burn your hands)
**if you leave seeds, it will be hot…the more the seeds, the hotter the salsa
8 cups chopped celery (I just use 1 large bundle)
12 bell peppers
8 cups chopped onions
4 cups vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 cup salt (yes, one cup- it's not a typo)
4 T cumin
2 T black pepper
1 bulb garlic

Wash, core and chop tomatoes. I like Roma the best, they have less juice and more meat. Hand chopping at least half of the tomatoes will make your salsa chunkier, the other half you can puree in a food processor. Wash, seed and chop all other vegetables. You can do it all by hand, but a food processor is recommended because of the quantity for this recipe. Combine all ingredients in LARGE pot (I use my pressure canner) and bring to a boil. Boil for 1-2 hours (stirring occasionally) or until salsa is cooked down to the consistency you like. The longer it boils, the thicker the salsa. Fill prepared jars ¼ inch from the top and process in a hot water bath for 35 minutes. Yield about 32 pints.

Catch Up

2008-09-13T11:15:00.001-07:00

Well, my sister told me to update my blog, so I am listening! It has been way too long, so I will give a review of what's been going on.

We went to the zoo in Salt Lake City and we had fun! I am not a big zoo person (I don't like parades either, very un-american), but I am glad we went!

A girl from Doug's work, Stephanie stayed with us a little while this summer and she and Ellie were good friends. Ellie loved to play in her room and put on her jewlery!

We live in a great neighborhood and Ellie has great friends! This is Ellie and Daphne playing out in the pool! We hang out with the kids and our friends a lot in the summer evenings.

We are a 5 Buck pizza family. We like to visit Doug at work on Friday nights and have pizza... Saydee Lou came with us this night:)

Ellie likes to eat pizza backward... everything she does is so cute!

Doug loves his picture taken. He looks happy, huh? Ha! I didn't post the one of him flipping off the camera.

Jam, Jam and more Jam

2008-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

I have been canning jam like crazy! I don't know exactly how many I have, but at least 40 pints. Apricot and Raspberry are the ones I have done so far, and apricot syrup for pancakes and waffles. YuMMy! I am going to do peach jam too. I love jam! For the record, I give a lot away. My brother asked what in the heck I would do with that much jam! Hey, this girl just needs to make sure that if there is ever a shortage, she will be set in the jam department. My neighbor and friends aren't complaining that I do a lot, so I will just keep going!

Long Time No See

2008-07-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Doug took off early Monday morning for Boy Scout camp and is coming back tomorrow! We are both very excited to see dad! I am usually the one who leaves and that is way more fun than being left behind...
While he has been away we have kept busy... we went up to Logan for a couple of days and visited my dearest friend Annette and her family. We helped her get ready to move into her new house which they have 1 1/2 weeks to prepare for! Yikes! She is the mother of 5 - 6 years and under. Her new house is beautiful and has a great raspberry patch! I got to pick the berries because she didn't have time to do anything with them right now. Lucky me! I made great jam today and I am so excited! I love raspberry jam!

I went to my favorite DI while I was there. I got the cutest shirt, pants and black dress- totally good shape and a bargin! I love the Logan DI! I always find treasures.

The Beautiful Logan Canyon

2008-07-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

We went on our second camping trip this summer up Logan Canyon. It is so beautiful! We love it and are returning again in 2 weeks. Ellie loves camping, getting dirty, hikin' in the mountains and playing in the river. She was a really big helper this trip. We didn't ask her to bring us our bags when we were setting up camp or start hauling them back when we were done, but she has a good work ethic already and we are so proud:)
Here's a video of her helping and pictures from our camp out.

Busy Girl

2008-07-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our girl. She is growing so well and very happy! She loves her family and friends and always is having fun!!!

Aunts and Uncles Know Best

2008-06-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Ellie woke up from her nap and picked out some toys to play with. Aunt Mimi gave her the soccer ball (encouraging sports right from the start:) and Uncle Marty gave her the kitty cat. She loves them both! Thank goodness for great aunties and uncles!

Bathing Beauty

2008-06-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ellie loves to swim! She spends hours on the deck playing...alone or with friends. Today she was practicing her floating skills and teaching her baby, too.

Blessings always come...

2008-06-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching couponing classes lately and it's been nice to get a little extra income. The classes are free to the people who take them and it really helps out their families and us! I just got an opportunity to go into a local grocery store and have a table to contact people for signing up classes. It has been working great for another teacher and I am looking forward to getting the classes. It only takes about an hour and a half at the most to teach a class and it can be really profitable for the time it takes. Another blessing in our lives and I am always grateful to the Lord for helping us with all our needs.

If you live in Utah and you want to find out how to save a TON of money, I can hook you up! It's amazing. You know it's good if I do it (I was couponing a year myself before I ever started teaching classes) because I am pretty frugal and always looking for a great deal!

Happy shopping:)

who's the coolest?

2008-05-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met someone and thought, "they are the coolest person!"? If I have the great opportunity to not only meet them, but actually be their friend, I always feel extra blessed to have them in my life. I have a lot of these people I have met through the years, some were short acquanties, others I have know forever. I always still say when I think of them, "they are so cool."

The definition of cool has changed for me over the years. In my youth (I am almost 30 already!) cool was more what you wore, how you looked, if you played sports (and were good:), if you had lots of friends and stuff to do on the weekends. If you have a teenager in your life this might sound familiar... now this is my definition of Cool: friendly, easy to talk to, easily engages people in coversation, confindent in self- comfortable to be themselves. They all have individual skills and a variety of interests, but the single trait that seems to stand out is how I feel in their presence. It is hard to use words to describe that, but to put it simply I feel good around them and sense their goodness. They seem to be at a higher level of self development and happiness in life. Very cool.

Now I will say, I still have a few superficial opinions of cool- for instants Matt Damon, coolest guy on earth. I mean, have you seen his skills in Borne Ultimatum. Big fan. But generally it's my neighbors and friends and family I think of. Here's just a few... (don't be offended if your not listed, I didn't want to take 100 hours to write this entry, you know I love you all!!!)

Jacob and Joni Borg
I met Joni my freshman year at Ricks. Joni is one of the coolest people I have ever met. If you knew her you'd think the same. Joni is totally herself and is great to be around. I miss hanging our with her. Her husband Jacob is equally as cool. One of the first times I ever talked to Jacob he was so nice to me. I think they were just dating at the time and we were sophmores at Ricks. I was pretty insecure in my early days and he made a long conversation with me and found things to talk about- he was so comfortable that it made me comfortable. I am sure her wouldn't remember the exchange, but I immediately liked him and still think back on how he made me feel. You guys are awesome!

Mike and Lisa Carver
Mike and Lisa are our neighbors. We think Mike looks like an FBI agent and is currently trying to be one. Doug says if he doesn't make it he should try show biz because he looks the part, I am sure Without a Trace would take him. Cool guy. Mike is so great with his kids and Ellie loves him! He is funny and works great with the youth in our ward (he serves with Doug in Young Mens). Mike is easy to talk to and would help anyone who needs it. Generally cool people marry cool people and that would be Lisa. I have never heard a negative thing come out of Lisa. One of her girls has health problems and has spent a lot of time in the hospital, had heart surgery before she was one and gets sick a lot. Lisa always has a big smile on her face and never says life is hard. Super cool people.

Mike and Jessica Forsgren
I met Mike and Jessica when I started dating Doug. They, like other listed made me feel comfortable and were really funny and fun to be around. They don't hide their opionions or thoughts, and share who they are. It's easy to get to know someone when they let you in like that. Jessica does tri-atholons and that's cool. Mike calls when a sibling needs to hear something and that's cool too. Glad to call you guys family.

Good people, doing good things and making life good for other people. Who's the coolest!?!

If you have a cool person in your life, let me know, I'd love to hear about them.

Mother's Day

2008-05-16T16:10:00.001-07:00

Ellie on Mother's Day

I've Been Tagged

2008-05-10T13:38:00.001-07:00

A-attached or single: attached
B-best friends: Doug, Annette, Sunni, Becky
C-cake or pie: Cake with Ice Cream- Mashed together
E-essential item(s): lotion, everything in my kitchen
F-favorite color: yellow
G-gummy worms or bears: worms- they remind me of my childhood
H-hometown: Hines, MN/ Pine Island,MN
I-indulgence: Chocolate Haggendas
J-January or July: July
K-kids: Ellorie Ione
L-life is incomplete without: Kisses and Waterfalls, preferably together
M-marriage date: August 9, 2003
N-number of siblings: 2
O-oranges or apples: apples, from Dad's trees
P-phobias or fears: Doug dying, snakes
Q-quotes: My funniest quote this year is from Becky, well technically John Wayne "Life is tough, it's tougher if you're stupid."
R-reasons to smile: Ellie dancing, Doug taking a day off, visiting Minnesota, phone calls from friends
S-season: Hard to choose between Spring and Fall. I love the leaves in the fall, but I love the new life that comes out in Spring
T-tag friends: Joni, and who ever else wants to be... I don't really know how to do it though
U-unknown fact about me: I have a tattoo and I love skinny dipping. Just kidding. I have never done either. I am pretty much an open book... no surprises here
V-very favorite store: I love kitchen stores. If I was rich, I'd spend all my money there! I love quilt shops too, thanks to my mom! Otherwise any store with a clearance section and I love garage sales in Minnesota!
W-worst habit: Interrupting people when they are talking. I hate when I do that!
X-x-ray, ultrasound, or mammogram: Ultrasound
Y-your favorite food: what don't I like! Italian probably takes the cake though. Victoria's Italian Restaurant in Rochester, MN
Z- Zodiac: Leo

Sping

2008-05-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Aunt Mimi taught Ellie to trace her feet. She LOVES it! We are always coloring!!!

Ellie loves to play! She has lots of neighbor friends and is so happy! She really loves markers and if you noticed colored her belly button especially well- at least she didn't get the furniture.

Doug bought me lilies for Mother's day and we planted them Saturday! So beautiful

Buster

2008-05-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

Buster is fixed! Our friend Jacob is an auto mechanic and got our parts for cost (his boss says he can do that for friends and family-so nice!). It cost $300 less than the other place that gave us a quote. Good Stuff!
Doug says he doesn't make the noises when he brakes any more either. He thought the problem was the breaks, but apparently not.
We love having two cars, such a blessing!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2008-05-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

GOOD- Doug and I had a overnight getaway in Salt Lake. Doug took Wednesday and Thursday off, we had dinner out and matched movies. Our friend gave us a hotel stay gift certificate they didn't want and we stayed in a hotel downtown Salt Lake. It was so fun! We missed our girl though, and were happy to return to her yesterday. It was so nice to have Doug around-- two nights in a row, even!

BAD- We took our car to get inspected (required each year in Utah) and it failed. It failed BAD. Well, only the upper and lower ball joints and arm, but expensive to fix. We are thinking of letting it sit for a while. It's nice weather at least and Ellie and I can use our feel a little more to get us places. Doug doesn't have as much school either, so we wouldn't be without a car 24/7 like we would have been this last semester! Agh! Our money has other needed places right now. We have our interview to start the adoption process next Friday! We are excited about that:)

UGLY- So, many of you probably don't know, but I am a bathroom surgeon. I went to BSMS (Bathroom Surgery Medical School) and excelled, if I do say so myself. Well, the consequence of my surgeries is a rather ugly looking toe. I have two toes nails that have issues. I won't go through the whole disgusting saga, but needless to say, they often come off. Pretty ugly business.

Now you know the good, the bad and the ugly of my life! have a good one:)

Bad Habit

2008-04-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, Confession time. I have a bad habit. I do horrible on birthdays. I remember, that's not the problem. It's getting the card or gift in the mail on time, or off at all. If I do send it, it is usually a month or so late. I love birthdays, so I don't know why I do so poorly at it. I even forgot to make calls to our parents for birthdays. So, message is, don't be offended if you don't get a card or anything. It's not personal. I am trying to do better, but it doesn't really seem to be any different. And, just so you know, I don't expect anyone to be on top of it for me either. No double standard here. My birthday is August 21st though, if you needed a reminder. Ha!

Happenings

2008-04-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

I have gotten in the exercising mode. I have a friend come over and work out 3 mornings a week. It makes me do it, and I totally reccommend getting a partner. I have been weight training and I am just starting cardio. It's really good for my bone health too, which I have neglected and that's really bad. I am at a high risk for osteoporosis and need to take special care of them. It's good for my mentle health, although lately I feel like my life isn't under control. Nothing major, just don't have a grip on a routine and am falling short in responsibilities. Today, I plan on getting the laundry DONE. Is the laundry ever really done? At least caught up. We are out of underware. Not good:) ha ha
I have made a new friend lately and she is great (my exercise partner). It took me about a year to get to know people here. I feel like I am in the swing of things now, know people and have a good amount of associations. I am much more content with friends. I was happy the first year here, taking care of my home and little family, but I was a little lonely in the social area. So, life is good that way too. It's nice to have friends.
I am on another reading kick (maybe another reason I am falling behind in my responsibilities???) I have gotten a couple of "advanced reader copies" of unreleased books. My new friend and exercise partner, Sunni, works at a book store and gets a hold of them. One is called The 13th Reality. Pretty good.
I Spring cleaned my kitchen this week, trying to redeam my slackingness. I spent 8 hours on Monday in there! Whew! Big job, but it looks great! So, I am on my way to getting everything in order.

A Typical Day in the Life of...

2008-03-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

Today was a typical day for me. In the kitchen preparing breakfast I was ramrodding around like a good Arlander should, and I had a little paring knife in my hand. Some how, throwing some trash away I cut my finger. It's in one of the worst places, right at the base of my finger where it bends. Nice. It will be a hard spot to heal. I cut myself a couple times a week, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Then Doug was making waffles and whipping the egg whites up in a high powered mixer, way longer than they needed to be. I wanted to shut off the machine and Doug got possessive of his waffles and didn't want me to touch anything. I told him that you can over whip egg whites-- I spend a lot more time cooking and know these kinds of things, but hey "do what you want". Of course, I was totally making crap up to get my way. It worked. A little while later he said, "So what happens if the egg whites get too stiff?" Nothing... I was just making crap up so you'd stop whipping them. He screamed, "I knew it!" Well, I am always making crap up he says. Sometimes I even believe my own lies. This time though, I knew I didn't know what I was talking about.

A Day at the Park

2008-03-22T03:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the park. It was so beautiful, even in the evening. As we were pulling out of our complex Ellie asked "Saydee come". I asked her is she wanted to see if Saydee (her best friend:) could come to the park with us.... Ellie was very excited when Saydee said yes! We took her brother and sister, too. It was so fun! Ellie is getting better and better at climbing and is so independant, especially when she is playing with another kid. When she needs help or wants me to go with her she comes over to me and says "come". So cute. She is so happy when she is outside and playing. We stayed over an hour (we had to leave because it was almost 7pm and getting colder). The rest of the night Ellie was especially happy. We went shopping and when I tried to put her in the cart she started to whine and I asked her to stop so we could shop and she said, "ok". Then we went and saw dad at work and had some pizza. We came home and we got ready for bed and she went down without any fuss. She told me "night mom- luv u" I told her love her too and shut out the light for the night. Such a good girl. We are excited the weather is better and we can go to the park as much as time allows. All kids need good fresh air and exercise- she is so much happier and better behaved when she can do that.

Addiction

2008-03-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I am addicted to a new series.... Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. When I start to read a good book, I can't put it down! Seriously. I read the ENTIRE series (so far-- 3 books) in less than a week! I had a lot of other things going on too, or at least should have, but my books take priority. I feel like a drug addict. It's so bad! They are amazing though! I totally encourage everyone to read them. Now, they are about vampires, which I didn't think I would necessarily like, but it's good. Trust me. Doug laughs at me. He came home yesterday to find the house a disaster!!! I basically read all day with little interruptions to change diapers and feed children (only the necessities got my attention). I really did feel bad about being so engrossed, but it was so awesome, I didn't feel bad enough to stop. Not saying much for my self-control. I hope anyone else who reads them has more control. I can't believe no one told me about these books before.

Paybacks

2008-03-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Uncle Marty is paying us back for everything bad Doug did to the Forsgren family kids-- there is lots to repay so Martin is just trying to help them out. nice of him, eh?:)
Ellie LOVES it though and wants more "make up"...

My First Time

2008-03-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Yep, my first time. My first time blogging. I haven't done it yet for a couple of reasons. 1- not knowing how (luckily my sister in-law sonnet is here to help) 2- I have felt no one will really read it 3- if i put my thoughts , real thoughts out there, people might think I am a weirdy- they might think my thoughts are really out there and do I really want to share what is important me knowing it might not be accepted. so- thats my reasons. Here it goes.

Technology is becoming my thing lately-
check me out. I took a picture with the web cam and then posted it (again, with sonnet's help), I also have a new phone (palm centro) with a planner and tasks, etc. I am big time now. Also, I am now blogging. good stuff.