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  • WELCOME!

    Well, hello there. So wonderful to connect with you! I’m just an everyday, average, ordinary mama who gets to share my wonderfully mundane life through my radio show and through this blog. I’m so thankful for you, really and truly. Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you, and indulging me in sharing stories of my four crazy kids, my latest home decorating projects and my favorite “Mom Tips.”

    This week, I pray that you will connect with the beautiful kids at Open Doors Orphanage in Guatemala. I will be bringing you their story, and perhaps God will move in your heart to make them a part of your story, by praying for them or sponsoring them.

I’m blogging again…

Today is Gracie’s birthday. 11 years in heaven. Wow. I woke up early this morning, Dave had gotten up earlier. I found him in his office working on his message for tomorrow. I love this man. so much. We married 12 years ago, with no idea that one of the first things we would face as a couple was the death of our first child. We cried so much. We prayed so much. We didn’t let it break us. It’s not the worst thing in the world to in a small way understand that bad things happen to good people.

I read this this week. Yes, there are 2 swear words in it. Read it anyway.

It really spoke to me when she writes about husbands and wives, “Be loyal.
All the crap you read in magazines about honesty, sense of humor, communication, sensitivity, date nights, couples weekends, blah blah blah can be trumped by one word: loyalty. You and your spouse are a team of two. It is you against the world. No one else is allowed on the team, and no one else will ever understand the team’s rules. This is okay. The team is not adversarial, the team does not tear its members down, the team does not sabotage the team’s success. Teammates work constantly to help and better their teammates. Loyalty means you put the other person in your marriage first all the time, and you let them put you first. Loyalty means subverting your whims or desires of the moment to better meet your spouse’s whims or desires, with the full understanding and expectation that they will be doing the same. This is the heart of everything, and it is a tricky balance. Sometimes it sways one way and some the other. Sometimes he gets to be crazy, sometimes it’s your turn. Sometimes she’s in the spotlight, sometimes you. Ups and downs, ultimately, don’t matter because the team endures.”

The reason the above photo put a smile on my face today is because I’m so glad I get to face this life’s ups and downs with my best teammate. Our life, our marriage, our children are far from perfect…but we’re in it together for the long haul.

Happy Birthday Grace. Thanks for coming into our lives for a moment, a whisper, a breath. You’ve changed me more than you’ll ever know. Your sisters and brother and mommy and daddy wait patiently until we will see you again someday.

+ - 1 comment

September 15, 2012 - 10:50 am

Lori - Thank you for sharing this.The pain of losing a child no matter how long they were in our lives is never ending. We lost our son at the age of 25, 3 1/2 years ago. Peace and hugs to you and all parents with angel children.

Ellie in Guatemala [Day Seven]

Well today was day 7 here in Antigua, Guatemala. And it was awesome. Since Debra did not have to go to school, we just played together for like the hole entire day. We just had such a good day together. We sat next to each other during lunch and when the older people were having devotionals we were trowing the  soccer ball back and forth. We just played on scooters and we played games with Emanuel and we did this one game we you had your foot in in this string and clim up this tree and it was so much fun. And I sowed her how to play trash and we just did that for a while and then we had dinner and lunch together and we just had an amazing time. We also played a little bit of soccer with my mom. And it was just such a nice day.

Coming up next

Day 8 ( At the market!!)

V.H.M.T.

Ellie

+ - 1 comment

June 12, 2012 - 6:19 am

Matt Yount - Ellie!

LOVED following your blog posts and hearing about this experience through your eyes. You are a GIFTED writer! Debra is certainly going to miss you! You have inspired us!

Matt, Tori, Reese, Jacee and Levi

Ellie in Guatemala [Day Six]

So today was day 6 in Antigua, Guatemala. When I woke up like yesterday  I played my 3DS. Then me and my mom started getting packed for the day. The reason why we had to start packing was we were going into the village AGAIN today. So we put Candy and all of that stuff in my bag and started to ask for how it was gong to be like and all that kind of stuff. So then we went out for Breakfast and I saw Debra leave.Then I played my 3DS for a little bit and just hung out for a little while. Then Haven woke up and I played with her. Then we went outside and played with Ben. Then we went back inside and we played a little bit of that game. And guess what happened.. WE COMPLETED IT!! We were all so happy. Then we had lunch and played a little while longer. And then it was almost time to go. But my stomach started to hurt so I took a Pepto and I stayed back while my mom was out with the group. Then we just played and hung out. And then Mrs.Heidi left so we just played by are selves, just like we did before. Then we had a little bit of dinner. (Because the group was getting back latter than we thought) And when the group came home we had Dominos Pizza. And pop. ( At 10:20 in the night. YES) ANd then I went to bed.

Coming up next:

Ellie in Guatemala Day 7

V.H.M.T.

Ellie

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Ellie in Guatemala [Day Five]

So today was day 5 in Antigua, Guatemala. When I woke up I played my 3DS a little bit while the other lady’s were getting dressed for the day. Then we had breakfast and got ready for the day. Then Haven woke up and we played as usual. We laughed  and just hung out. I had a really good time. Then we played on scooters and then we played with Ben and we helped him play the video game. Then we had lunch. And that was very good. Then we just kept playing and we did stuff like that for a while. Then when Debra came home w played with each other and played with the baby’s and that kind of stuff until diner. And we sat together and just talked and all that stuff. Then we played for a while and then I checked my E-Mail and then went to bed.

Coming up next:

Ellie in Guatemala Day 6

V.H.M.T

Ellie

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Ellie in Guatemala [Day Four]

It was day 4 in Guatemala. The reason why it’s just Guatemala is because we went into the village and we helped put Stucco on the walls outside of the houses. The car ride was about one hour long. I had a backpack full of candy and I had one Tootsie Roll. I herd kids yelling ¡¡¡¡¡DULCE, DULCE NECESITO,DULCE!!!!!  So I also threw a little bit of candy out the window when I could. Then I took some pictures out the van’s window. There were Coca Cola sighs EVERYWHERE. And it was the same deals with the candy stores. When we got to the place were we would be working I first went to the bathroom and then went to were we would be working. When I went to where the first 4 houses were I took my backpack and gave out a hole lot of candy to the kids. They were surrounding me and yelling stuff like -Can I have another pice of candy?- and – I didn’t get one yet – and that was the harder part seeing if they were lying or telling the truth. Then I talked to a hole lot of kids in spanish and I played with them for a while. After a little while we started Stuccoing and I got Super dirty ( Like you see in the picture at the bottom.) I was a runner and I had to carry the Stucco to everyone who needed it and then take there tray and get more Stucco for the next person who needed it. The way they made the Stucco is that they had this flower like stuff and they mixed that in with this red colored stuff. They mixed that in with this weird looking tool. Then they added this stuff that looked like it was milk and they mixed in 1/2 of the big bucket that they were using and mixed that in. Then they took this drill and attached this weird looking part to the end of in and they mixed with that until it was kid of thick. And then they started scooping it on to these boards that the runners were carrying. Then I got tiered and I played with my friends. Then we went over to the other house behind the other house and I got a few kids some Candy. Then for some weird reason my stomach started to hurt. So then I sat down and everyone was surrounding me. That felt good. Then after a while we had lunch. For lunch we had these Tostadas and they were pretty good. So they let me make my own tostada with rice and this very delicious red sauce and I had 3 of them. Then the girls didn’t have to do much work, they only had to play with the kids. So I played with these 3 girls and 1 was named Linda. (Witch means Beautiful  ) I don’t remember what the other 2 names were but I was trying to make them laugh but they had to try not to laugh. It was very fun. After a while we had to leave.  So we got into the van and started to go back home. After driving for like 2 minutes Mr. Dan came in the other van and asked if I was in there because he did not want to lose me. so then we took off and left. So after a little while we went to this gas station and stopped for gas. We saw this beautify painted Bus it was so cool. Then I started to fall asleep and took about a 1half and hour nap. When we got home I showed my mom some pictures and then I got different close on and took a shower. ThenI went to go find Debra and we played soccer and Chinese Jumprope and then we made Pink Lemonade and then played more soccer and Chinese Jumprope. Then we had dinner and then watched Ben play. And then I E-Mailed and went to Devotionals and then to bed. Here are the pictures from my day…

Coming up next:

Day 5

V.H.M.T–Ellie

+ - 3 comments

June 7, 2012 - 8:06 am

Troy - Ellie, the last picture of you made me smile. I love that photo. Hope you are having fun and will want to go back. Maybe you can take your Dad with you. I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs. You and your Mom have been a huge Blessing to everyone on this trip.

June 7, 2012 - 11:13 am

Aunt Missy - WOW Ellie- I love love LOVE reading your posts. They are so real and exactly what you are experiencing! Your pictures rock! I love the pictures from your perspective. Love you and miss you! Tell your mom hi!!

June 11, 2012 - 12:21 am

Marilyn Coulier - love the pictures of the children you post on the website. It looks like a very busy place down there in Guantamala at the orphanage. I don’t have a lot of money to help them but I can pray for those lovely children and I know God will do all that is required for them. I enjoy your broadcast and keep my car radio set on your station all the time. Thank you for the great listening and inspiration.
Marilyn