Sledding

Last night, Daddy ran to Walmart to get us some sliding gear. He came home with a sled, something that looks like a skim board with handles, and a beginners snow board. After we got the kids to bed he decided to go try them out on our hill. Then the kids went out first thing this morning and played. Siri loves the snow best of all. I think she would stay out there all day if her stomach didn't call her home. Josiah has a great time but once he gets cold.... he's done. Jonah is still not quite sure what to make of it all....he just keeps saying, "it's White."

Our House in the Snow

It's Going to Be a White Christmas

We are finally getting some snow. When Daddy left for work today it was brown everywhere. Here is the picture from when he came home. It is so exciting for the kids....and I confess, the adults are getting quite a kick out of it too. When I looked out of the window, David was trying to catch the snowflakes on his tongue.

Siri's Christmas Song

Tonight, Siri sang in her first Christmas Pagent. She got dressed in her Sunday Best...a dress we bought special for the occasion, and got up with her class to perform "Away in a Manger" and a few other songs. She was so beautiful and did a great job. We were all so proud of her. After the show we all went to the Gym where they had a Pinata and cookies. It was such a fun evening.

Maiya

We would like to introduce you to the newest member of the Monroy Household. Yesterday we drove to St. Paul...In the snow, I might add. (A first for me) We brought home a beautiful new Dog who we named Maiya. She is a 5 month old puppy. Half German Shepherd and half something else, they think, maybe yellow lab. She is quite calm and obedient for her age. Jake is not too excited about the new addition but he is slowly adjusting. His tail has been tucked under since she got here. She is dying to play with him but he is still a little too nervous about the whole situation. We see signs of progress, though, and are hopeful that she will become a permanent member of our family.

Jake

Well it is about 9 degrees outside and Jake needs to go out so we put one one Jonah's sweaters on him...here is how it turned out. He seems to be handling the cold well for a dog that is usually pretty wimpy. His favorite pastime is sleeping in front of the Fire place....it's a dog's life.

Our Frst Snow

Owls

Owls

well let me begn by sayng that a cloc fell on my eyboard and damaged some of the letters....so ...no ths adventure has not removed bran cells...yet just havn't got t fxed yet.

so we hope you can understand our posts.

Anyway We recently found that there s a beautful Great Grey Owl lvng n our woods. We went out and got a close up loo at t. t was sooooo awesome. The pctures don't do t justce.

Mississippi River

Mississippi River

We went to a park on the Mississippi River. We played and collected rocks and got really cold. But it was fun.

Snow Flurries

Snow Flurries

Last week we experienced our first snow flurries. The kids were so excited to catch snow flakes. It didn't stick to the ground much so it is hard to see in the pictures. But we bundled up and enjoyed the moment anyway....The neighbors must have had a good chuckle looking out their windows at us all bundled up and taking pictures of a few snowflakes.

More Fall Pictures

....Some more Fall pics

Our neighbor came by the other day and took some fun pics with his fancy camera.

Fall Fun

Fall Fun

The leaves are turning, the sun is shining, the kids are playing.

What Fun!!!

Fishing on the Elk River

This morning, David, Josiah and Siri got up early and went fishing on the Elk River. As you can see by the pictures (taken by Siri), the fall colors are beautiful on the water. They caught several fish, but still not the big one they are waiting for.

Backyard Marshmellow Roast

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day. After church we went shopping for some winter clothes and then came home and played basketball in the driveway. In the evening, Daddy built a fire in the back yard and we ate pizza and roasted marshmallows. We topped it off with some worship songs on the guitar and thanking God for such a beautiful day.

North Bound

On Wednesday, we decided to go North for the day. We packed the car and headed to Duluth on the shores of Lake Superior. It is amazing to find a port city in the middle of the country. The lake is so large, you can't see the other side. You could almost believe it is the ocean.

Our first stop was the Superior Zoo. It was definitely the highlight of our day and of our Zoo experiences as a whole. 95% of the exhibits had animals that were awake and close and quite entertaining. The bears were especially fun to watch. There was even a nocturnal exhibit with animals that are active at night. It was the most fun we have ever had at a zoo.

Then it was off to the board walk for Lunch and sight seeing. The Fall colors were beautiful. We enjoyed the shops and collecting rocks from the shores. We got to see the draw bridges in action and toped off the day with caramel apples and gummy worms. The drive is about 3 hours so the kids all slept in the car on the way home. Thank you Lord, for such a beautiful day.

Dinner Guest

On Tuesday evening we had our new friends over for Dinner. Paul is the Pastor of the church we attend. He and His wife, Deanna, and their 6 children joined us for our evening meal. We all had so much fun. I don't think I have seen the kids laugh so hard since we got here. It was such a blessing to have such sweet fellowship with true Kindred Spirits. We are so thankful that God has brought them into our lives.

More Guest

On Monday, My Dad, Mom and Sister arrived for a short visit. They drove up from Georgia and stopped here for 3 days before continuing on to California. It was fun to show them our new home and get Dad's professional advice on lawn and garden care. The kids had a great time with Grandma and Grandma. They loved getting lost in the woods with Grandpa and getting Grandma to rub lotion on their feet every night.

Weekend Chores
Last weekend David decided it was finally time to tackle the weeds growing next to our garden. They were so tall people were beginning to mistake it for a corn field. He really got in to it and had it done in no time.....Yeah Daddy!!

Our Precious Kids
I wanted to thank all of you who have prayed for Josiah, Siri and Jonah. They are doing great. They have handled all the changes with such Grace. They still miss their friends in Hawaii as they daily remind me. They have not really gotten close with any other kids here yet but they are enjoying each other and growing in their relationships as a family. I am so blessed to see them thinking of each other before themselves and especially as they reach out to Jonah and include him in their play. Jonah is doing great. He loves to be outside so he is making the most of summer. We have notice a marked improvement in his responses to verbal instructions. Please pray for his ears as he seems to be getting more sensitive to sounds.....Maybe it is all those buzzing and chirping bugs around here.

The Mall Of America

This week we had our first official visitor. Our dear friend, Lisa, came to visit from Hawaii.

We had so much fun. We tried to do some fun things, including the MOA as we like to call it. We got to ride the rides, have lunch and even do a little shopping.

How Does Your Garden Grow?
Well, We are not really sure. We have inherited a beautiful garden from the former owners of our new home. We are getting to reap what we did not sow. We have peas, green beans, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, cucumbers, chives and another herb that we have not identified yet. It has been so much fun for Siri and I to pick vegetables in our garden. We love the cherry tomatoes best of all. Few of them ever make it into the house. We sit outside in the evening popping all the ripe ones into our mouths. They are not very red but they taste delicious.

Josiah's Birthday

Yesterday was Josiah's 8th Birthday. We had a great time celebrating the day that God brought him into our lives. He is such a precious gift to our family. Chuck and Kathi Ripka graciously hosted a little party for him at their home on the lake. We invited another family who have 6 kids. Four of them boys, around Josiah's age. Josiah had so much fun swimming, fishing, tubing and hanging out with some of his new friends. Siri and I made him an "Animal Planet" cake....Vanilla, of course!! All in all it was a perfect day. I was so thankful for it. I had worried that he would feel sad missing his Hawaii friends and wishing for a party at the rec center with all things familiar. God's grace and joy was present for all of us and we had a wonderful time. Thanks for all the prayers. They are being answered!!!!

It has been 2 weeks since we arrived in Elk River, MN. Our new home. The adventure has begun about how I expected it to. We have had good days and bad days and in between we have done a lot of shopping. The other night while I was shopping at Target...for the 6th straight day in a row, the gal asked for my ID at check out. When I showed her my Hawaii ID, she imediatly exclaimed, "Oh, I heard about you, you're the people from Hawaii." I guess word is getting around. I will keep you posted on how the adventure is progressing and hopefully add a few pictures.