Snow angels

Greetings!

Our Thanksgiving vacation came a little early this year thanks to a foot of snow that fell last Monday. We have been hunkered down this past week enjoying our mini-Christmas break before we get to our real Christmas break in a few weeks. Jonas and Elsa loved the concept of snow. They pointed to it while it fell from the sky and were clamoring to go outside from the moment they got up. Everything went great until they took their mittens off and realized that snow is really cold! Both broke into tears and had to be consoled...they quickly recovered!

We enjoyed a great Thanksgiving and are still full! Our Christmas tree is up and Jonas loves pointing at his star ornament while Elsa made sure to put her snowflake ornament up really high!

Elsa's eyes continue to heal and get a little bit better every day.

Pictures: Piano duet (duel); Elsa in the elements; the yellow jacket crew; family photo; snow angel B; snow pics! Videos: snow and piano!

God Bless,

Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Let it snow...let it snow...let it snow!

Greetings!

The camera has been found! Enjoy the pictures. Elsa and Jonas are enjoying their first snow days that they can actually play in the snow. Since it snowed on their birthday two years ago, the snow always reminds us of Elsa and Jonas's early arrival. Jonas and Elsa wait at the front door whenever we say, "let's look at the snow". They love it!

This past week we had a chance to catch up with an old friend. Elsa and Jonas had another baby, Ian, in between them for a bit that also had a rough start. He made it up to the ICN at the same time as Elsa and so his mom spent lots of time sitting next to Mari. He is doing really well now and they got to say hi to Ian at a musical that we attended. It was great to see him again and to see how many miracles Tacoma General can provide!

There are an assortment of pictures/videos from the past week: lots of trying on glasses, some snow views from highchairs, tiger costumes one more time; videos of glasses and boxes!

God Bless and Enjoy the Snow!

Dan & Mari & Elsa & Jonas

Surgery part two

Greetings!
Elsa had her second cataract surgery this past week and did great! It was a really long day but she was a trooper and put up with a lot. The next day at the doctor's office, the doctor presented Elsa with her own little Big Bird toy that she had grown to love over the many visits to his office. He had promised to give her one after all the surgeries were done and sure enough he had it waiting (and one for Jonas too).

We are currently the midst of a sea of eye drops--a couple still each day for her right eye and a ton for her left eye. All is going well though and her eyes continue to heal.

We celebrated thanksgiving yesterday and have so much to be thankful for. We will be especially thankful for when we find the camera so we can post some new pictures from this past week!

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

New Glasses!

Greetings!
Elsa is the proud new owner of pink glasses! We picked them up last night and she is gradually getting used to them. She got a ton of compliments about them at church this morning. The glasses will get a new lens after her upcoming surgery is done but for now they help her with her one eye that has an artificial lens.

Jonas wanted to wear the pink sunglasses we have when he saw that Elsa had glasses. It was quite a sight and very kind of him to support her by also donning a pair of glasses.

Jonas and Elsa were big lute fans and went to the PLU football game yesterday. It was a loud fun time and they took it all in. They also tried popcorn for the first time ever. They weren't really sold on it but they were both adventuresome and tried it.

We are looking forward, as much as one can, to having the surgery done with in the upcoming week and getting onto the road to recovery. We sure do appreciate all the prayers and kind words over the past two years!

God Bless,
Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Many hairs cut...no ears...

Greetings!

Jonas and Elsa had a great post-Halloween sugar rush. They kindly shared much of their candy with Mari and Dan but still got to nibble on a piece or two. Next year's costumes have been purchased after a fun trip to the mall in Auburn. Elsa and Jonas played on the playground and had a blast.

In other big news...Jonas "You can call me Fabio no more" received his first hair cut. He is sporting a sharp new hairdo and is rather proud of it.

Elsa's eye continues to heal nicely and the doctor is ready to do the second eye. We will have that surgery in the next two weeks and have lots of time to recover over the Thanksgiving holiday. Elsa also ordered her first pair of glasses...Dora the explorer and they are pink! She is going to look great!

Jonas and Elsa did great today at church and even ventured into the daycare room for a minute or two to check out the toys.

With the sunny warm days fading fast...it was almost 60 and sunny today...we took advantage and went for a nice long walk.

Lots of pictures to take a look at...please enjoy!

Thanks for your continued prayers for healing and growing!

God Bless,

Mari & Elsa & Dan & Jonas

Happy Halloween!

Greetings!

Elsa and Jonas had a great week. Elsa's eye is looking better each day. The cloudiness and redness has gradually went away...although the number of eye-drops has not gone away.

We took the kids to the Proctor Street Halloween Fest last night. Thousands of kids and adults dressed to the nines in their Halloween best. The kids had a great time just looking at all the strange sights...Giant keys handing out candy...a street pirate giving out beads! We had a great time and ran into tons of people we haven't seen in ages. The kids were Tigers! Mari and Dan wore their Battle Ground Tigers Bowling Team sweatshirts. We felt like the belles of the ball...lots of smiles and comments, "Oh they're tiger twins." We think they were talking about the kids.

And with that...our little and big ghosts and ghouls must rest. We hope that everyone had a fun filled weekend and lots of candy stuck in your teeth!

God Bless,

Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas