Beginning Pre-K4

It has been a new kind of week for this crew; Ella has officially started school! She is in Pre-Kindergarten Age 4 (Pre-K4). She goes to a wonderful school just down the road from us called Cedarcrest Academy. They have 2 campuses, one for Pre-K and Kindergarten and the other is 1st-8th grades.

Her teachers name is Mrs. Buss. There are 17 kids with one teacher and 1 assistant. Mrs. Buss is so warm and friendly - Ella said on the first day that she really loves her class.

It definitely feels like a new chapter for us. She attends school 3 days a week 8-3. It's an early morning and a very full day, but she is ready beyond doubt.

She has already met a new little friend, Juuna. Juuna is a very sweet little girl. I see many playdates and birthday parties ahead. Rick and I are very proud of Ella - she will be a great student and good friend for sure.

We have Ella enrolled in just one extracurricular activity: dance! She twirls and whirls around anytime she can and loves listening to Mozart ( I'm not kidding!) - it's ballet music :):) This is a picture of her with her dance teacher, Miss Kristin.

The following are some other pics taken recently.

The above photos include swimming lessons (she is a fish!) and beauty day. The photos below are from her longest bike ride this summer...I think 3 miles with training wheels is pretty good for a 4 1/2 year old. Go Ella!

We hope anyone reading this blog is stopping to enjoy life's little moments. I have learned that the laundry will always be there and trying to keep windows free of smudges could be a full time job. Sitting down to color a picture, share a snack or make cookies are truly the most precious moments for me during this season of life. Enjoy yours :)

Rockin' and Rollin'!!

Greetings All!

It is darn cold here, but we are tough Minnesotans...doesn't slow us down one bit ;-) We warm up the car and dress for the weather - no big deal to us! We are all healthy and happy; warm and cozy. One of our favorite family activities is to start a fire in the fireplace, pop some popcorn and watch a good old fashioned family movie. It's so awesome to be all cuddled up together - I know it won't last forever, so we sure are enjoying those times now.

I think most of you know that I am no longer employed outside the home aside from my fitness classes at Life Time. Rick is taking on a lot of responsibility with his job, as well as working on an additional project, so he has been EXTRA busy and full to capacity. Sometimes things just work out as they should - it's been nice that I've been able to focus on the homefront while he is working so hard. Ella still goes to daycare a few days a week to see her very best friends - it's a really good balance. I am casually looking for my next adventure - likely to be a lower key position with flexibility...we shall see.

Ella is doing awesome!! She is so fun at 4. We love communicating with her and listening to her discussions with her make believe friends. She likes to be in charge, yet tends to be the sensitive and emotional one at daycare vs. the more aggressive type. She LOVES her friends deeply and really enjoys her activities. She takes ballet and tap at a local dance studio - she loves it so much. We will let her go as long as she is having fun - so far, that is the case. We will have her pick up swimming again this spring so she will be ready for the MN summer with the lakes and pools. We count our blessings every day to have such a happy and healthy fun-loving little munchkin. She really has a sense of humor and loves to laugh - it's so much fun watching these qualities develop.

We just got back from AZ where we visited Rick's folks. We also got to see Ella's GREAT grandma and grandpa - it was fun to see her genuine joy when she was with them. Rick and I enjoyed a date night in Scottsdale to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of our very first date while Ella was busy at the zoo and having a slumber party with Nonni and Papa. Ella joined us in Scottsdale on our last day/evening; we enjoyed a really nice family day and made some fantastic memories.

Enjoy the pics!!




Stay warm wherever you are, and, take some advice from our wise 4 year old...be sure to laugh at least once a day, it really is the best medicine.

Love,
Team Adams
Rick, Molly, Ella and Goldie

November flew by!

Is it really December 2 today? It seems like we just went trick or treating with our little Miss Spider...and now Thanksgiving is already over?! Wow, I guess time really does fly when you're having fun.

I hope you enjoy the photos - we spent a lot of time with family and friends in the month of November. Ella keeps turning into more of a little lady every day - her expressions are priceless.

We have not done much to prepare for Christmas just yet, although Santa is being discussed on a daily basis by a very curious 4 year old. Her Grandma Lynne told her about her Great Grams getting corncobs in her stocking one year...we are now very concerned about our behaviour because as Ella says, "corncobs are not good!" It's pretty funny to hear her discussions about this.

We hope all of our loved ones are finding their joy this holiday season. It really is a time to reflect on the people that make life sweet...we plan to do just that!

Love and God Bless You.

Until next time,
Team Adams
(Rick, Molly, Ella and Goldie)

Is it really the end of October???

Wow, time flies when you're having fun...or you are UNBELIEVABLY BUSY! I think it's a good combo for us!

It's been a month of fighting the inevitable cold bug - Ella and Molly have been hit the hardest - Rick is holding tough so far. Luckily, it seems we are past the worst of it and on the upswing - everyone is in better spirits - thank goodness!

We laid Grams to rest in Austin, MN on Oct. 25. Those events are always so bittersweet. On one hand, it's the end of an era, a generation; you realize things will change - the finality of a burial is just sad. However, we are celebrating a well-lived life...and it was so wonderful to see my Uncle Nathan and Aunt Siggie from Colorado, cousin Natalie from Phoenix, and Great Aunt Virginia from Byron, MN. We shared a wonderful conversation and meal - and created a new happy memory.

Ella is growing up so fast - sometimes she can be so mature saying things like, "sure, I'm ok with that"...but, she is still 3 & 3/4 and reminds us of that also ;-) Overall, she is just so funny these days - her expressions and the things she says keep us cracking up. She is very happy and joyful - it's so fun to watch her grow and become a little lady ;-) She is definitely one of the most favorite people in my life - just love that little bug so much!

Enjoy the slideshow! Happy Fall to all of you!

We're Ba-ack!

Greetings Everyone!

I know it has been a long time since we last updated our blog. Truthfully, we both started using Facebook and dropped the blog - you can really only do so much. However, with Ella getting more active, and me back to work, we thought it would be nice to continue with the blog as a way to stay in touch with those of you not using Facebook. And, I'm sure my social media expert (Micki Adams) can give a good answer to the difference between blogging and Facebook...for me, it just feels like the right thing to do so we are going with it!

We have a lot of news to share - most good, some not, but that is life - take the good with the bad. We will start with the sad news - my Grams passed away last Wednesday in Aitkin. She went peacefully and was surrounded by love. She has always been a hero to me - I'm fascinated by her life. She lived 96 beautiful years, and her memory will live on forever. I know I hold many of her traits, and as I watch Ella grow, I see Grams in her also. All of the family is doing well. There will be a burial in October and a memorial service at a later date to give family from out of town time to coordinate.

We had a fantastic summer full of family, corn on the cob, trips to the library and farmers market, running through the sprinkler, dinners on the deck, Ella mastering her trike, time at the park and in the sandbox, bubbles, balloons, a parade, cousins Jack and Luke, time at the pool with Nonni & Papa, Kel, Jill and Aunt Debby, time on Cedar Lake with Grandma Lynne and Grandpa Charlie, playing in Uncle Ben's garden, visiting all the great Grandparents, Aunt Sig and Uncle Nate, Micki and Dane, new cousin Thomas, french fries from Uncle Sean, suncreen, bug bites, 1st invitation to a Chucky Cheese birthday party, tantrums, giggles, compromise, a new night light, big girl car seat, independance, still rocking to sleep, and smiles galore. It was a really great summer.

The fall brought many firsts - Ella is taking ballet and tap. She asked if she could, of course we said yes - she LOVES to dance. She has also visited the dentist for the first time and went to preschool for a few days...yes, preschool. More on that later...

Rick has had the good fortune of having a stable job and career that he loves. Things are continuing to go well at PC Solutions. I have had a more difficult time as the healthcare IT industry requires quite a bit of travel. I was fortunate to have the summer off to enjoy with Ella. I began to seriously look for a job at the end of August. An executive recruiter crossed my path as I began my job search - the rest is history. I am gainfully employed as a sales executive with RCM Technologies. I advise our national account team - 3M, Medtronic, Best Buy, etc. Best part is - no travel! I love sales so much, it's really great to be back. It's not healthcare, but I'm ok with that - it's a lot less of a headache actually. It's going really well. I'm still teaching group fitness one day a week at Lifetime in St. Louis Park and Eden Prairie. It's a good balance.

Ella is spectacular. I love her more and more every day - I don't even know how that is possible. It feels like Ella, Rick and I are our own little team - we are such a close-knit family. We love to do things with her and go on outings, but honestly, the best moments are the three of us at home just spending time together. She is a really funny kid - she definitely has a sense of humor and a goofy quality to her. I hope she never loses that. She loves arts and crafts and puzzles - she likes things that require logic and organization. Rick is trying to teach her math...ask her 1 + 1 and she will say 5, but he keeps working at it. She has made up words like shootie and doodie - I don't mind, there are much worse things she could be saying. She loves books and loves to go to the library. We are there at least once a week - she can check out her books all by herself. Both of her Grandmothers let her help in the kitchen - she loves that.

Rick and I just returned from our first real vacation without Ella. It was a little trying to leave, especially with the death of Grams, but my parents made it work and we are so greatful. We had an amazing time - we came back feeling so connected as a couple and realized we need to make a point to take time for us - it's hard because we always want to be with Ella since we both work full time, etc. But, a strong family starts with a strong connection at the top - Sonoma completely strenghthened our bond - it was really fabulous and magical. And the wedding...we have never been to an event like that - everything was so well done - it was truly awesome. We feel so blessed!

Enjoy the fall colors and the beautiful harvest season. We love you all and will update soon!

Peace and love!

Ella on the horse!

It is truly amazing - little Ella is completely IN LOVE with horses. I am shocked and amazed, but it's fun to see Ella do something that I can't imagine doing today myself!


Yes, it gets better, she smiles for the camera while on the horse - who knew?!


A special moment with Uncle Ben and Jane ;-)