The new Nicu

Greetings!

Five year old twins are quick, agile, and sometimes cranky!  We are in the midst of an early evening meltdown but we wanted to make sure to send an update of our most recent adventures.  This past Friday, we were lucky enough to attend the opening of the brand new NICU at the Tacoma general hospital.  It was pretty special to be able to lead the parade into a facility that was built by the amazing generosity of our community.  It is awesome!  Private rooms for families, top of the line machines, top of the line nurses and doctors.  It was awesome (did we say that yet?)!

Jonas and Elsa were part of the parade to enter the facility.  They, along with many other graduates of the NICU, led the donors and staff up the stairs to the new tower in Tacoma.  Both of the kids were able to see the 'giraffe' units that they spent so much time in as babies.  They were able to care for baby dolls that were in the isolates.  Jonas also was able to completely devour the meatball station at the end of one of the halls. 

While we weren't able to donate the millions of dollars that were needed and continue to be needed to help finish this world class facility, we are so blessed and fortunate that our story was able to support the cause.  We have been blessed in a million ways.  And we are currently being bless with two incredibly hyper, chocolate fueled, five year old dynamos trying out for world wide wrestling on the bed. 

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Merry Christmas!

Greetings!

The most wonderful time of the year!!!  Jonas and Elsa have officially been five years old for a couple of weeks now!  It has been a great Christmas to spend with friends and family. 

Our Christmas Tradition involves hamburgers.  It started five years ago when we celebrated Christmas Eve in the hospital.  Hamburgers were the meal du jour.  Ever since, we have hamburgers at our house to celebrate.  This year, we actually went out for the meal!  It was a great evening to celebrate.  We had our meal and then went to our candle light service at our church.  It is truly the most wonderful time of the year!

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Birthday Bash 2013 (Five and counting!)

Greetings!

Elsa and Jonas celebrated in style this weekend.  They are turning five next week and we had their birthday party at a local jumpy house.  It was a blast.  Friends and family came by to jump and celebrate five years!  It was a great day and great to see everyone.

The kids went caroling with their grandparents this past week.  They had been practicing their songs and jingling the jingle bells to get ready for the event.  They had a great time!

Jonas and Elsa helped with getting the Christmas tree this year...Jonas carefully helped cut down the tree and Elsa helped carry it back to the car.  It was a lot of fun determining what the perfect tree would be.  Elsa decided that she had to walk all around to see if there was anything better than the one we picked out and then reluctantly agreed it was the best.  The lights are now up and the final decorations are going on while Elsa and Jonas watch the sound of music.  It is shaping up to be a nice little Sunday!

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Post Halloween--sugar crash:)

Greetings!

Elsa and Jonas loved Halloween.  Elsa was a pig this year and we think she would be happy to wear her costume everyday.  Jonas dressed up as a firefighter during the day and then switched to a bob the builder outfit for the evening...this is big news because he shares Dan's dislike for dressing up in costume.   When they finally dumped out their candy bags, they were having more fun arranging the piles of candy then actually eating any of it.  It was a fun night and everyone slept well!

As December creeps closer, the kids are getting very excited for their birthdays!  We are in the process of helping them narrow down their lists of ideas for birthday presents from every Lego, Thomas the Train, or Doc McStuffins item ever created...to a smaller list.  This is very challenging:)

We just received some pictures from our 'performance' at the hospital fundraiser!  It was a very special night...singing with our kids is such a thrill!!! 

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas