Melissa and Girls

I was reading Ali's cute post about Brynlie and rememberred I had asked the girls some questions a little after school had started. So, here they are! As for Brooklen's answers, well, there was no point in asking 20 questions.......

Jordyn:

1. What’s your favorite color? Red, White and Blue
2. What’s your favorite food? Cheesy chicken pasta
3. What’s your favorite dessert or treat? Caramel brownies and ice cream
4. What’s your favorite subject at school? Learning cursive
5. What’s your favorite thing to do at recess? Playing tag with friends
6. Who is your best friend? Jessey, because we’ve known each other for a long time
7. Do you like boys? Kind of (with a silly grin and giggle)
8. What’s your favorite thing to do at home? Playing outside with Kaycie
9. What's your favorite thing we do as a family? Going to the park and having ice cream
10. What's your favorite thing to do with mommy? Going to the mall and having lunch
11. What do you like about Maegan? She’s always loving and caring
12. What do you like about Brooklen? That’s she’s really funny in a silly way
13. What do you like about Mommy? How you take us to do fun stuff
14. What don’t you like at school? Math
15. What is your least favorite food? Tomatoes
16. What do you want to be when you grow up? A nurse at a hospital
17. Do you want to get married? Yes
18. Do you want to have kids? Yes
19. How many? 1 so that way there won’t be so much crying every day
20. Anything you want to tell me that I haven’t asked? No, not really

Maegan:
1. What’s your favorite color? Blue
2. What’s your favorite food? Tuna fish
3. What’s your favorite dessert or treat? Cake and bubble gum
4. What’s your favorite subject at school? Recess
5. What’s your favorite thing to do at recess? Monkey Bars
6. Who is your best friend? Riley, she’s a girl
7. Do you like boys? I only have one friend of boys. His name is Cooper.
8. What’s your favorite thing to do at home? Jumping on the trampoline
9. What's your favorite thing we do as a family? Family Home Evening
10. What's your favorite thing to do with mommy? Play board games
11. What do you like about Jordyn? She’s nice
12. What do you like about Brooklen? She’s sweet and nice and she’s very, very good to play with
13. What do you like about Mommy? I’m nice and sweet
14. What don’t you like at school? Science
15. What is your least favorite food? Watermelon
16. What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor
17. Do you want to get married? Yes
18. Do you want to have kids? Yes
19. How many? 8
20. Anything you want to tell me that I haven’t asked? What’s not your favorite thing to do? Going to school

Brooklen:
1. What’s your favorite color? Blue
2. What’s your favorite food? Turkey
3. What’s your favorite dessert or treat? Candy
4. What’s your favorite thing to do at home? Eating
5. What do you like about Maegan? Buddha
6. What do you like about Jordyn? Purple
7. What do you like about Mommy? Green
8. What is your least favorite food? Yuck
9. Do you want to get married? Yes
10. Do you want to have kids? Yes
11. How many? 2, as she’s holding up 7 fingers
12. What’s your favorite TV show? Butterflys (Miss Spider’s Sunnypatch Kids)
13. What’s your favorite toy? Downstairs play toys

Wow! What a week we had. While we were up at the cabin one of my teeth started hurting. On Tuesday, I was taking some ibuprofen to keep the pain in check. Then, at about 3:45 p.m. I got a call from my babysitter that Brooklen was throwing up and Maegan said she had a headache and her stomach hurt too. So, I left work and headed home. When we got home Brooklen did throw up a few more times. So, Wednesday, even though the girls were supposed to go with Sean, I stayed home from work. Luckily Brooklen quickly got better and nobody else got sick. By this time my tooth was killing me so Friday I went to the dentist. I had a loose filling and my cavity around it was spreading. He was able to get it filled, thankfully with no root canal. Saturday was a nice crisp day and Jason came down to spend the day with us (for more details you'll have to check out the rest of my October post). Jordyn was jumping on the trampoline and I kept worrying about her asthma even though she really hasn't had any problems for a few years now. Well, Sunday at about 4:00 a.m. my fears came true and Jordyn started coughing. I thought I was going to have to take her to the ER but she finally fell back asleep and wasn't coughing as much. But, when we woke up for the day her cough was persistent enough that I decided we shouldn't go to church. We stayed home and rested all day. Well Brooklen has been quite the stinker lately and loves to hit when she is mad. She got mad at me for telling her no and hit me so hard in the eye I saw stars for a while and couldn't open it. So, she had to go to time-out for the first time of her life. She did not like it one little bit and kept getting up. I kept putting her back and she finally sat there for her time but kept crying and said she'd be nice. After she was finished I talked to her about not hitting and she told me she was sorry. A little while later the girls asked if they could color. I said sure. I was in my room when Brooklen walks in COVERED in marker. She had decided to use herself for a canvas instead of paper! I quickly gave her a bath but it didn't all come off.....the water was a pretty shade of purple though! Jordyn and Maegan decided to take a bath too. I let them take a bath about once a month in my tub and they dump in some bubble bath and turn on the jets to get some great bubbles. Maegan was reaching for something and didn't see my razor and sliced her thumb open and it was bleeding quite a bit. I was able to get that cleaned up and she said it was hurting so I gave her some Motrin. Later in the day we were watching a movie and Brooklen was playing with Maegan. Well, once again she was mad, so she head butted Maegan so hard that I heard it over the movie where I was sitting and Maegan was screaming/crying. So, I got that iced up and dealt with Brooklen again. Normally, at 8:00 we read books but after this day I was ready for them to go to sleep so I turned out the lights and headed to my room to read. Well, wouldn't you know, that Jordyn's cough was progressively getting worse and worse. So, at about 9:30 p.m. I decided I had better take her to the emergency room. After getting a hold of a friend, Heidi Brady, to come over and stay with Maegan and Brooklen we headed to the hospital. By the time we got to the hospital Jordyn's cough had subsided a little but after checking her out the did a treatment of Albuterol and Prelone her breathing was much improved and she was hardly coughing. At about 11:45 p.m. we were able to head home and get in bed. Thankfully, she slept through the night and wasn't coughing anymore. Let's hope we don't have another week like this again!!!!!!

10 years ago I...
1. Was a happily married newlywed.
2. Working at Provo Craft and VCommunications.
3. Planning the future.
4. Trying to figure out ways to stretch the budget.
5. Figuring out how to balance married life and staying in touch with my friends.

5 Things on today's "to do" list...
1. Pick up the girls from Sean
2. Laundry
3. Dinner
4. Parent-Teacher Conference
5. Mop

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire...
1. Pay off my house
2. Buy a new car
3. Go on a much needed vacation
4. Save/Invest
5. ???

5 places I have lived...
1.) Mapleton
2.) Lehi
3.) Orem
4.) Provo
5.) Nephi

5 jobs I have had...
1.) Juvenile Court
2.) Big Planet (NuSkin)
3.) VCommunications
4.) CompUSA
5.) Tiny Tots

I tag...Ali, Samantha, Sarah, Kelly, Laicy

Let's play a game...

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Here you go Steph.....BRING IT ON!!!!! But keep it clean. I wasn't detailed in yours AT ALL! ;)

Laicy tagged me with this fun version of this awesome game. Rules are: all answers must start with the first letter of your last name.

What is your last name? Ellefsen
4 Letter Word: Exit
Vehicle: Expedition
Boy Name: Ethan
Girl Name: Emily
Pet Name: Eddie Lou....not kidding that is what my Grandma's Poodle is named
Occupation: Explorer
Something You Wear: Eternity perfume
Celebrity: Evangeline Lily
Food: Eggplant
Found in Bathroom: Exfoliater
Reason for Being Late: Exploring
Cartoon Character: Elmer Fudd
Something You Shout: Eeewwww!
Animal: Elephant
Body Part: Eyes
Word to Describe You: Enjoyable
Something You Like To Do: Entertain
Place You'd Like To Be: England

When I started this blogging thing I decided I would post once a month and only do monthly updates on what had been going on. But, I've decided that Jordyn's baptism is a special occasion worthy of it's own posting. I took Friday off work so I could get everything ready and wouldn't feel rushed. The girls were actually with Sean (more on this when I write about June) and when I picked them up from Sean he gave me a bag that was from Ashley. She had given Jordyn a braclet and necklace to wear. They were very beautiful and Jordyn was excited to wear them. Saturday, June 14th started like any other day trying to get the four of us ready before we had to be out of the house by 8:45 a.m. So, of course, I left with my make-up not finished and my hair half done but it was more important for Jordyn to be ready and to be on time. Ryan and Ali and my Mom and Dad were worried about finding the church so they came to my house first. They all arrived right as I was leaving and followed me down to the Stake Center There were a lot of baptisms that day and they were worried about starting on time so I might have been speeding just a little. We were rushing into the church when I realized Sean's family was already in the parking lot. I was able to take a quick picture and she was able to say hi to her Dad before heading in to change. While she was changing I finished getting ready (you can't blame me for wanting to look at least somewhat put together right!?). We found Uncle Ryan, took a picture of the two of them and then headed into the Primary Room. I was shocked at how many people came! I haven't explained yet, that Jordyn was scheduled to be baptized in April but we waited until June because some of Sean's family was coming into town and we wanted them to be there. Sean's sister Keri and her family have been living in Malaysia for the past 2 years. His brother Ryan and family moved to Missouri in the fall of 2005 and his little sister Erin lives in Oregon. I knew Ryan and Keri were coming but I was really excited and surprised to see Erin was able to come too! Not to mention, Sean's parents Roy and Bonnie, Sean's girlfriend Ashley and good friend "Uncle Josh" were there. From my side of the family my Aunt Jennifer, cousin Hannah, Mom and Dad, and Great Grandma and Grandpa Madsen came. Plus, my best friend, Jennifer Barrett and her family, Justin (husband), Devin, Bailey, who I think Jordyn is going to marry some day :-), Morgan and Grayson. Her primary teacher Sister Jackson and a good friend of mine from my Ward, Heidi and David Brady and their family all came. Plus those who came to watch Kaycie. They had to add another row of seats. I'm telling you, I am incredibly blessed by the people I know. The program was really nice. We sang A Child's Prayer and had the opening prayer. My mom gave a talk on Baptism and Kaycie's Grandma gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. All the younger kids sat on the floor in front of the baptismal font. Kaycie was baptized first. Then, when Jordyn was walking into the font Maegan, in typical Maegan fasion squealed, "Yeah Jordyn!" She was so excited for her! Everyone was laughing. So, when we calmed down Uncle Ryan proceeded to baptize Jordyn. Grandpa Ellefsen and Great-Grandpa Madsen were the witnesses. I got teary eyed (in fact I'm getting teary thinking about it right now) but didn't cry. After the baptism, I helped her dry off and get changed back into her dress. I asked her how she felt and she put her hand over her heart and she said she felt warm inside. I told her how proud I was of her and we joined the rest of the group. Kaycie was confirmed by her dad and then Jordyn was confirmed by Uncle Ryan. Great Grandpa Madsen, Grandpa Ellefsen, Uncle Brett, Justin Barrett and Bishop Baer stood in the circle. He gave her a wonderful blessing and again I was teary but able to keep it in check. Then, Bishop Baer said a few words and I said the closing prayer. We took some more pictures and it was time to go home! I was grateful everything went so smoothly. So, when we got home it was time to eat!!! We had cold cut sandwiches, a couple different kinds of chips and dip, broccoli salad, jello salad and punch. But I have to say the biggest hit was the chocolate fountain. There were rice krispie treats, cinnamon bears, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas and sugar cookies. The kids of course were eating as much junk as they could before they ate anything else and I had to scrape quite a bit of chocolate off the floor but it was definitely a success. Jordyn received quite a lot of gifts too. I gave her scriptures. Sean gave her a journal, a locket that says I am a Child of God and a scripture case. Great Grandma and Grandpa Madsen also gave her a scripture case and my Mom and Dad gave her a picture frame for a baptism picture and a little decoration that also says I am a Child of God. Wow!!! What a day. THANK YOU to everyone who helped and supported us. We love you all.

I've been tagged...

A- Attached or single: Technically single but I am really enjoying my relationship with Jason so I'm not talking to or dating anyone else right now. We'll see how it goes!
B- Best Friend: Jennifer Barrett, Stephanie Tucker
C- Cake or Pie: Both! I love desserts
D- Day: Thursday. I'm not sure why though
E- Essential Item: A pillow
F- Favorite Color: Red
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms
H- Home town: Nephi, UT
I- Indulgences: Any kind of ice-cream dessert
J- January or July?: I like them both
K- Kids: 3 of the cutest little girls ever
L- Life is incomplete without: A quiet time for myself every day
M- Marriage Date: I was married June 18, 1998 but my divorce was final on August 20, 2007.
N- Number of Siblings: 1 sister, Lisa
O- Oranges or Apples: Oranges. I hate apples
P- Phobias or Fears: Bees scare me to death!
Q- Quote: "Try a little harder to be a little better." President Hinckley
R- Reason To Smile: So many people that love and support me. I am so blessed by the people I know
S- Season: I am copying Laicy on this one but it's mine too: Spring-it's starting to get warm and green and I can leave my windows open (my favorite!)
T- Tag Four: Kelly, Samantha, Sarah, Steph
U- Unknown fact about me: When I was 9 I sang on a tape named "Sing Out" with 5 other kids that was sold nation wide. The funny thing is is now my kids listen to it when we're in the car
V- Very Favorite Store: Target
W- Worst Habit: Talking over people
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds. There is nothing more incredible than seeing your little baby growing
Y- Your favorite food: Italian
Z- Zodiac Sign: Pisces

After a year of new challenges, yet not really new for those of you who know what I mean, I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life! My focus is to be a much better mom for my beautiful girls. I love working but I absolutely HATE working full time. Those precious hours after school are so important and now I have to miss them. I am trying to figure out ways to spend quality time building memories with my girls on the few hours I have with them. I am excited to join the blogging world and share what's going on with us with all of you! I will try to get pictures up as soon as I can! ~Melissa