G turns 4...

We celebrated this little darling turning 4 today!  Gwen we sure love the special little girl you are!  you are a little sunshine in our home and we love every bit of you.  Happy Birthday baby girl!

Breakfast line up...

This is how we start our day...Love my view!

Happy New Year 2014

Christmas eve/ Christmas morning 2013

Christmas jammies, right before bed!

Tree Christmas morning...notice all the ornaments are high,  Lucy had something to do with that

Santa did good this year...

Merry Christmas 2013

Wishing you all the best this Christmas season! love, the Ellis Family

tucking dad in...

Dad was taking a nap on the couch.  Gwen wanted him to be more comfortable.  She even gave him her favourite bear.  She is rarely ever 5 feet away from that bear.  It was a sacrifice, but she thought dad would love it...he did!

halloween 2013...

Jackson : ARF trooper
Oliver: Ninja
Ava: Susan, Queen of Narnia
Gwen: princess
Lucy: ballerina

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving...

We just wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and share five of the "things" we are most grateful for.

we caught a...

mouse.  I have a hard time with these little critters.  The kids find it hilarious that I can't help but scream or jump every time I am near one that starts to move.  I am no a fan to say the least, but the kids sure loved him!  They fed him some cheese and watched him for quite awhile before he was let go, phew!  Oh and they named him lewis after our christmas elf, to cute!

Lemonade By Donation...

hopeful participant...

Ava decided one morning that she was going to have a lemonade stand and make some money.  I was a little hesitant to encourage this in fear that no one would buy lemonade and then she would be crushed.  She set everything up and asked me to make a sign (she told me what to write) and she helped me make the lemonade.  She was only out for about a 1/2 hour and she made $4 which was so worth it to her because it would take her four days to earn this in our house!  They had to "turn in" early because they were getting "attacked" by wasps!  She has decided that she is going to save her money to earn enough to by Gwen a Cinderella doll!  Super sweet that little Ava of ours!

for like ever...

gwen helping me with dinner, sittin in her usual spot

outfit picked out all by herself (she loves pairing patterns)!

gwen is a serious joy around these parts.  she is happy. pretty much always.  jacob and i often say how we wish we could just wrap her up and keep her this way forever... FOR LIKE EVER!

transfer beach...

It was a beautiful day spent up island at transfer beach.  We got wet, ate some lunch and relaxed, a lot! It was a perfect day.

game day

r

Monday mornings, after our usual routine, things get quiet around these parts.  Lucy takes her nap and all the rest watch Jackson play video games for an hour (starwars video games to be exact).  He just gets this hour once a week (I know mean mom) and the other kids haven't thought to ask for their own time on the computer for video games, they seem satisfied to just watch Jackson do his thing and I get caught up on recovering the house from the weekend during this time (did I mention that the house is quiet?!).  We all win!  Sometimes distraction is a beautiful thing.

ipad mini love...

We have decided to add more positive technology to our learning (too many kids and mom fighting for computer time :) and so far we have loved the variation.  You can see that Gwen is a fan as well.  She loves a certain site which reads to  her children's books (she will have a story read to her over and over again...bonus!).  It is handy to have her get on this device while I am teaching the older kids too.  I just love watching them love to learn.  I think it is the best part of being my kiddos teacher!

mother's day

I honestly feel so incredibly humbled and and blessed that these little cuties all call me mom.  It feels a bit odd sometimes thinking that I am a mother.  It has been something that I have wanted to desperately for as long as I can remember and now they are here and have been entrusted to me for their care.   And yet it feels so normal for me to have all these rascals running about telling me their stories, sharing with me their dreams.  It amazes me to watch them grow and learn while along side of them I am doing so much of the same, learning and growing.  They have become such a big part of who I am and for that I am thankful.  I am far from a perfect mom, but I will never stop trying. I feel like my heart will burst because of the insane amount of love I feel for each one of them. Seriously, I am one lucky momma.   

Happy Birthday Brown Eyes

Birthday boy...man he is cute!

Uncle Jacob and "Dad" getting some birthday love

Lucy asserting her own voice among the crowd!

Fabulous cake from Auntie Emily

Dad opening the kids homemade gifts with a lot of little hands to help

An example of his haul...priceless really (this one is from Ava, she is a card making machine)!

Ending the night reading to the kids (our nightly routine). We are reading the "Little Britches" series and LOVE it!

We celebrated this guy today.  He turned 34.   He is kind of a big deal around here.

Scary face by Ava

Ava is always creating new things  during her quiet time and she usually likes to create for others.  Today Gwen was the lucky recipient of a scary mask.  Personally I think she looks super sweet!

Advantages of having a big brother...

Younger kids waiting there turn to "take off" with Jackson around the kitchen

The kids have been doing a lot of this lately and I just had to capture it.  Jackson giving piggy back rides for each of the kids.  There is a lot of squealing, running, giggling, spinning, jumping and a lot of noise and I LOVE it!

Gwenneth Ree turns 3

#3 cake by Auntie Emily...she loved it!

celebrating with cousins

getting a homemade gift from Ava...her face was priceless

opening presents on dad's lap...doesn't get better than this!

We had a great evening celebrating this little sweetheart.  Pizza, cake, family and fun, it does not get better than this! We sure love you Gwen, you are such a special part of this family!