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Dear Friends and Family, I have heard many people as of lately comment on the lack of letters that I have posted. So, in response to the overwhelming concern for my well being I am posting this letter to reassure all that the Ellis Family is alive and doing well! You will have to bear with me as I try to recap on all the stories that have happened since my last letter. I am not known for my memory and as such the pictures may say more that I can remember. Lauren showed signs that her teeth were erupting at about three months of age. By the time she was year she had all twenty teeth. This fact led to her loosing teeth early at four years of age. Aug 11, 2012 Lauren lost her first tooth. We were not at home at the time. She was, in fact, with a babysitter who texted me to say that she pulled her tooth. I being a rational mother responded with you are mistaken, First she is too young, and second I was not there and so it did not happen. Since that event she has lost two more and is on the verge of losing her forth. |
| Shortly thereafter Carson got his cast off. On first the day after returning home from visiting in Arizona, I took the kids to the aquarium here in Tulsa. Carson fell off a step and broke his arm. He wore a cast for three weeks. Fortunately, we had no major incidents of him using it as a weapon. It should be noted that in our ward there are 7 boys all of the same age and five of them broke an arm or a leg this past summer. Three of these accidents happened at our weekly play date! We since have stopped hanging out on Thursdays for fear of the other children's health. |
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Carson had not qualms with them putting the cast on however this picture sums up how he felt about them using a saw to remove it! |
| It has been an unusually warm fall which means we took full advantage and spent countless days at the parks or Zoo. It has only frozen once and we are mid Dec. Oklahoma is funny with their weather. Last year in Sept we experienced a snow fall of about two feet. Oh well! |
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We also found that if we went to the zoo on a day where it was drizzling rain there was almost no one there and thus it was more pleasant to enjoy. On the trip in this photo Zeke was showing the kids how the stature of a Tiger could eat his head. |
| The End of Sept we learned that we were expecting out third child. However after 11 days of testing, waiting for results, more testing, and more waiting for results that never came. I finally gave up and went to see a different Dr. and discovered that my pregnancy would never come to a completion and I miscarried. I was blessed with not having to have surgery, and other than the cramping and pain I have survived. We are sad at the loss but thankful that I was not further along when I miscarried or that it was not worse than it was. Thank you to all that said prayers for us. |
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Now that Lauren is old enough to have opinions and thoughts of her own I am already seeing me in her. Although all of her qualities I can not take credit for. This photo shows her petting a stingray. For those who knew me as a child will recall that I was a bit nervous around animals when they were in my care. Yet here she is, no fear, petting it! It should be noted that I still have some issues petting them even though I know full well that they cannot harm me! At the aquarium the attendees will tell you to stand behind your child as the stingrays like to jump out of the water and the child might get scared and fall off backwards from the step. I however am just as jumpy as the children so in this case I am of no help. |
| Carson has a small pool of things that he really likes, and one of them is Spiderman. He was given sweats that are a Spiderman costume and if I would let him he would never take them off. Carson is also potty trained. I say that but, as all seasoned parents know, that really means that he as finally grasped the concept of what a toilet is and what it is used for. That does not mean that he always uses it for the purpose or that he does not replace it with other objects. He is a little character, and can speak very clearly and loves to push Lauren's buttons. He is also a momma's boy and loves to cuddle, and also loves to rub tassels on his face and nose. I feel for his future wife as I don't think this is a phase... |
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Lauren, much like Carson, has some things she really loves. Top on her list are horses. Her school went to the fair on a field trip and she conned the clown into making her a balloon horse. Lauren is brave. She pulled her top tooth out by her self. Zeke tied the tooth to a string and the other end to a pen. Lauren did not just rip out the tooth either, but she slowly and gently pulled until it came free. Which means that whole time you could hear the sucking as the tooth gave way of the gum and came out. She is also a good friend. One of her first days at school another girl told Lauren that they should play together and not play with Lauren's best friend Libby. To which Lauren replied, "Not play with Libby? Are you crazy?" I love that she has a best friend although she will move next summer and I know Lauren will miss her dearly. Lauren likes to make people laugh and does some of the silliest things to achieve that goal. That is her mother in her, I'm sad to say that I remember being just as silly. |
| Zeke took on solar panels this fall. We already had 4 or 5 smaller panels on the roof. He found a guy selling these at a good price and built a frame to hold them all together. I love that when Zeke sets his mind on something there is no half job done. He spend countless hours doing research about sunlight hours and the best direction for the maximum about of sunlight. They turned out really nice. |
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The kids were also really very eager to help dad assemble them--as much as possible. |
| I made some capes as birthday presents this summer and my kids loved them so much I had to make them their own. And if for no other reason, this picture of them in swimming goggles and capes made the whole project well worth it. I was also fortunate enough to be given an embroidery machine this summer. It has been so much fun making things and figuring out how to make it work. I have been able to do some service with it. |
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I made Lauren a coat that matched her fluffy purple blanket three years ago and she wore it for two years and last year when it was too small I attempted to make her one our of cat material. However I did not use a pattern and it did not fit quite right and she hated wearing it. So this year I bought a pattern and have made her a coat out of horse material. So naturally it has not been cold at all so we have not gotten much use out of it...Yet! |
| For Halloween Lauren wanted to be a Ladybug, then she wanted to be Jasmine, and then a horse. I made her a ladybug dress last year. Then I made her a Jasmine outfit and then I found a horse costume at a thrift store. On Halloween night she wore all three. Not really sure what she was but she LOVED IT! |
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Carson was much easier he wanted to be a ninja turtle, Leonardo to be precise and so that is what I made for him. I really liked how much he loved it. I think it has been a close call between that outfit and the Spiderman one as to which has received the most wear. |
| I curled Lauren's hair with the thought of taking family pictures. Which is not an easy feat as she could care less if her hair is bushed let alone curled. I took the kids out and tried and tried to get some good photos. I begged and pleaded with them to both look at me and smile, then to smile nicely. I gave up when I saw a special that a photo shop was running and we went there for pictures. |
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| They did a nice job and I was very happy with how they turned out. |
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Love, Zeke, Mylinda Lauren, Carson Ellis |
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