The Girls Arrive

Since marrying Cliff, I've never lived with girls. In fact, we've brought two more boys (dogs that is) into this small home of ours. Today that all changed...girls became the majority in the Ellis home.

We now have three lovely chicks who will become hens! Well, we hope they'll be hens. We'll see if the feed supply store where we bought them made any errors in the next few weeks.

We welcomed Delaney, Blanche, and Amelia into our home this afternoon. I picked them up from Portage Bay Grange after work today. I wanted different breeds, so that we could really appreciate their different personalities, egg shell colors, and unique looks. When choosing the breeds, we looked for cold hardy birds who have high egg production and who are also known to have docile personalities. I figured they needed to put up with two crazy dogs, so docile would be important! I ended up selecting one of each - Rhode Island Red, Light Brahma, and Golden Sex-Link.

I am going to get an Ameracauna in the next few days. They are very popular breed known for their beautiful colored eggs, so they're harder to find! Her name will be Bethula Jo once she joins the crew.

This is Delaney Elizabeth. She's a Light Brahma:










This is Blanche Katherine. She's a Golden Sex-Link:










This is Amelia Estelle. She's a Rhode Island Red:










We borrowed a brooder from our friend Sarah (my chicken buddy) that the chicks will live in for about 8 weeks. The brooder will stay in our guest room until about May when they'll transition slowly out to their coop.

Come over and meet these sweet girls anytime! We'll keep the pictures coming so you can see how much they grow and change.

Raising the Roof

Coop construction continued this week after we got back from Mark and Michelle's wedding in Kentucky. We've had a few nice days of weather, and with daylight savings finally starting to payoff, I've been able to grab a few hours here and there in the mornings and evenings to continue working.

This morning, I made another trip to Home Depot (I should seriously consider buying stock) for some roofing material, hinges, and other odds and ends. This evening, I was able to attach the roof, which I framed on Monday. I still need to attach the metal roofing, but it was fun to see what it'll eventually look like.

wood frame for roof

metal roofing

my two helpers

Spring

I'm so thankful for the sunshine and the way all of our plants are starting to shoot little green sprouts from beneath the dead debris. I hadn't realized how ready for spring I was until I came home from work on Monday and planted dahlias, cut back my rose bushes, and saw my Hellebore blooming in the backyard. Spring is certainly upon us!

I am extremely excited for all that this spring and summer hold. We're adding chickens to our urban garden as well as continuing to improve and learn how to make our vegetable garden even more productive. In addition to what we've grow in the past we'll be adding: rhubarb, butternut squash, pickling cucumbers, and tomatillos.

I'm anxiously awaiting the first lettuce greens, the crisp red radishes, and the gallons of blueberries we hope to harvest again this year.

Wedding Bells

We had the pleasure of celebrating Mark and Michelle's wedding on Saturday, March 19. What a joy it was to see the two of them get married and commit to spending their lives together. We are so excited to not only have a new sister, but to have a niece, Taylor! She is eight and a complete joy. It was such fun to get to know Michelle's family, meet some of Mark and Michelle's friends, and spend time with the whole Ellis crew.

Here are just a few pictures from the celebration. We're so thankful for the blessing of Michelle and Taylor.

Green Clean

We recently had a good friend jokingly tell us we are turning into West Seattle hippies...I think she might be right. Well, not really about being hippies, but we are becoming more and more aware of the environment and what we can do to be better stewards of the earth God blessed us with. That's why we've become interested in gardening and growing our own vegetables, raising chickens, and I've recently started making my own cleaning products.

I'm certainly not planning to preach at anyone, but I was pretty amazed to learn how many hazardous chemicals I was using in our home and how easy (and cheap!) it is to use less hazardous products. I was really surprised to learn how few regulations there are around household cleaning products and how many of them are highly toxic.

In making this transition to green cleaners, I'm not planning to throw away the cleaners I already have, but to use them up and not replace them. I've found a number of books at the library full of recipes for all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and more. It is kind of like the real food movement, which is all about eating like our grandparents ate. In thinking about "green clean" it is really about cleaning like our grandparents cleaned.

A couple of resources that have been very helpful for me are:

• The West Seattle blog did an article on a local group that had a make your own cleaning products class. Click HERE to read the article and have access to their recipes.
• Keeper of the Home: Non Toxic Cleaners You Can Make at Home
• I also checked out a few books from the library. One that was quite helpful was: Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products

I'm just starting slowly, but am intrigued at how easy it is to make these products and how well they work. The dishwasher detergent is so inexpensive and works so well! Give it a try. Let me know what you think!

Pastor Cliff [video]

The video from this past Sunday is now online. Check it out.

Starting Seeds

Surprisingly amidst coop construction, unbelievable rain, and typical weekend busyness, I was able to get our first round of seeds planted on Saturday. It felt so good to be back out working in the yard and covered in dirt. As Cliff was building the coop for the chickens we're getting at the end of the month, I amended our raised veggie beds by adding fertilizer and compost. Then I sectioned the beds into square feet and planted kale, lettuce, spinach, sugar snap peas, beets, and swiss chard.

I'm excited to see the seeds begin to sprout!

Pastor Cliff

By God's grace, Cliff officially became a pastor at Mars Hill Church today. Standing on the stage next to him as some of the other pastors prayed over us and officially called him pastor for the first time was a humbling and amazing experience.

Over the last few weeks, as I knew this day was approaching, I've been reflecting on the last eleven years of our relationship, recalling that we met during our senior year of high school when he wasn't a Christian to seeing him saved by Jesus and begin to walk in faith as a freshman in college. Since then, we've been blessed by Christian community and godly men who have loved and discipled Cliff along the way and continue to do so. It has been a great joy to see the way God has given Cliff a new heart and used it for His glory.

In the next few weeks, Cliff will transition from his role at the Mars Hill Ballard campus to be the Pastor of Biblical Living at the Mars Hill West Seattle campus. We are so humbled and amazed by God's work in our lives - drawing us to Seattle, burdening us for the neighborhood of West Seattle, and finally making a way for Cliff to serve the people of this community through ministry. Praise God!

**We will post the video from one of the services today as soon as it is available!

Coop Construction

Well, it finally happened. Mackenzie wore me down and talked me into getting chickens. She's been trying to hatch (get it?) this scheme for quite some time, citing the numerous benefits of raising chickens, including fresh eggs (which I won't eat), free, fresh manure (which I could do without), and feathered fun (we'll see about that one).

But what really attracted me to the idea was the opportunity to do a little carpentry work. Shortly after we moved into our house five years ago, we built a shed in our backyard to add some much needed storage space. Since then, the only real carpentry work I've done is building our raised veggie beds (not much to it). So as we thumbed through book after book from the library about raising chickens, I started getting excited about the challenge designing and building a coop.

While all the books have proven informative, the most helpful by far, in terms of coop construction, has been Building Chicken Coops for Dummies. It provides both basic carpentry tips and tricks, as well as specifics on must-haves and luxury items for chicken coops. We went with a fairly basic plan with a few modifications to utilize the location we chose.

So this morning I made the first of what I'm sure will be many trips to Home Depot to gather some supplies and tools to get this project started. My goal for the day was to get the coop framed and placed on the concrete pier blocks. Cutting the boards and building the frame didn't take too long (after a second trip to Home Depot to get the right kind of nails), but leveling the concrete pier blocks took some time. But I was still able to get as far along as I'd hoped.

Check out the pics below and stay tuned for more updates from Mackenzie on the chicks themselves, which we hope to buy at the end of March, as well as my progress on the coop.

The Book List Revisited

I've read a few books on my list for this year, but of course I'm behind...or at least I feel like I am. I find that I go on reading binges. I consume books for a week or two and then don't read for a few weeks. The last few months have been so busy that I haven't read much.

From my 2011 Book List, so far I've read:

• Be Still, My Soul: Embracing God's Purpose and Provision in Suffering by Nancy Guthrie
• Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas
• Coop by Michael Perry

Right now I'm reading:

• Every Thought Captive by Jerusha Clark

I think I'm going to try Farm City next. Can you tell I'm ready for spring? Coop and Farm City are just encouraging that excitement.

What have you read so far this year that you've enjoyed? Anything you'd recommend?

Long Time...

There has been quite a gap in our posting in the last couple of months...we were on a roll there for awhile! To be honest, this new year has brought new challenges and even less time to devote to our blog.

Not to worry...we're still here and will continue to post from time to time, but right now is just a particularly busy time for us. We'd appreciate your prayers as we continue in the adoption process. No news at this point, as we're waiting and trusting that God will bless us with children according to his perfect plan.

Thanks for checking in!

Much love,
C & M

**We'll leave you with this picture from New Year's Eve. Cliff's parents hosted a fantastic Retro Prom themed party...if you couldn't tell, we are "from" the 1980's.

Mackenzie's Reading List - 2011

Last year I started what I hope will become an annual tradition of selecting the books I'd like to read over the course of the coming year. Planning in this way helped me be intentional about my reading. I really enjoyed the process of selecting the books at the beginning of the year, buying and borrowing them, and then actually reading! My list is a bit longer this year, and I'm sure I'll continue to add to it as the months go by.


Many of the books on my list were recommended by friends, and I like that. It's nice to know when a particular book has been meaningful to someone you love and care about.


So without further ado, here are the twenty books I plan to read in 2011:

• Be Still, My Soul: Embracing God's Purpose and Provision in Suffering by Nancy Guthrie
• You Can Change by Tim Chester
• Desiring God by John Piper
• Every Thought Captive by Jerusha Clark
• Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
• Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome by Jennifer Graf Groneberg
• Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
• Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas
• Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Gerry Bridges
• Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• War of Words by Paul David Tripp
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
• Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
• Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter
• Coop by Michael Perry
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Each day I'll also be reading:

• The Bible (ESV)
• Prayers of an Excellent Wife: Intercession for Him by Andrew Case

What are you reading this year? Anything you think I should add to my list?

Mackenzie's 2010 Book List in Review

At the beginning of last year, I posted my reading list for the year. I really enjoyed planning what I'd read and being intentional with this area of my life. So much so, that I'm currently working on my reading list for 2011, and I'll share that as soon as it is complete.

Today, though, I thought I'd share with you how I did this past year in completing my reading list. I certainly didn't read everything I'd intended to, but I read most! I also read quite a few books this year that weren't on my list.

Books on my list that I actually read:

• Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Re:Lit) by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears
• Womanly Dominion: More Than A Gentle and Quiet Spirit by Mark Chanski
• Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) by Barbara Kingsolver
• Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck
• The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones
• In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
• From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg
• Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney & Joshua Harris

Books I'd planned to read this year, but didn't:

• The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis (I am putting it on my list for 2011.)
• The Majesty of the Law by Sandra Day O'Connor (I started it, but lost interest.)
• Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper (I think I'm intimidated! I am putting it on my list for 2011.)

Books that weren't on my list, but I read this year:

• Adopted for Life by Russell Moore - An absolute must read!
• Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis
• Hannah's Hope by Jennifer Saake - As I wrote in my review, apart from Scripture, this book has been the most helpful to me in processing our infertility.
• Why Was I Adopted? by Carole Livingston
• A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
• A Praying Life by Paul R. Miller
• So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
• Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas
  by Nancy Guthrie
• The Help by Katheryn Stockett
• Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
• One with a Shepherd: The Tears and Triumphs of a Ministry Marriage by Mary Somerville
• Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• I probably forgot a few! :)

As I look over the books I've read this year, I can see the trends of the year - infertility, adoption, my growing interest in cooking and food, learning about Biblical womanhood, and a few historical fiction books sprinkled here and there.

I'm thankful for the things I've learned and the way God has used these books to shape and prepare me. I'll share my 2011 list very soon!

Family Time: Coming Soon!

I am very excited to have only three more days of work this week and then two weeks off for winter break! I am really looking forward to that time away from work and our typical routine and enjoy time with Cliff, friends, and family.

I can hardly wait for our out of town family to arrive! My sister Katie and her husband Brent fly in from Kansas on Sunday evening. Then on Tuesday my brother Bidong arrives from Nebraska to spend about 10 days here in Seattle. We love spending time with Kate, Brent, and Bidong and are so blessed by their friendship and love. (My parents are pretty great too, but they're not traveling in!)

I love that our family will be all together...that we'll be able to enjoy one another, relax, and remember what we're really celebrating. I pray each day that God would continue to burden my heart for Him; that I would be reminded that this season isn't about checking things off my list, decorating, or buying gifts for all the people we love, it is about Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We have much to be thankful for, and I'm grateful we have a whole day set aside to do just that. God is so good, and I'm looking forward to spending today thinking about all He has blessed me with.

We're heading over to my parents house at some point today to enjoy time with one another, eat delicious food, and most importantly thank God for his many blessings.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
Mackenzie (& Cliff)

Garden: Season in Review

We had quite a bit of success in our gardening adventure this year...certainly more than we did last year.


Some reflections:

• Our lettuce, zucchini, sugar snap peas, Swiss chard, kale, green beans, garlic, cucumbers, herbs, berries, and potatoes were fantastic! They will all be repeats next year.


• Square foot gardening is the way to go...so manageable, maximizes our space and yields, and provides some practical guidance for managing a home garden.


• We won't plant potatoes in our raised beds again - they end up taking over! I found some of our red potatoes underneath my tomato plants. Instead, we're planning to plant them in a garbage can so they're contained. More to come on that...


• Our carrots were awesome! We will definitely be planting more of them next spring.


• Our onions weren't wildly successful...we probably won't use the garden space on them again next year.


• Our tomatoes did poorly. The cool summer and huge amount of rain we got this spring and summer did not lead to a booming crop of tomatoes. This was also the case for our poor peppers...we didn't harvest any, which was disappointing considering we had red peppers coming out of our ears last year. We will definitely be trying again next year!

Overall, this year was a success. I've tried my best to "put up" many of our crops either through canning or freezing. I have enough zucchini to make zucchini bread from now until next year's crop comes through.

I look forward to continuing to learn and improve our garden. Lots to think about and plan for next year. Even though we still have a few things out in the garden, our growing season is definitely coming to a close. Certainly because of our mild climate, we could grow through the winter, but I think a break will do us all good.

Adoption Update: Emotional Roller Coaster

This past week or so has been interesting, to say the least. About a week and a half ago (the same day Mackenzie had her wisdom teeth removed), we heard from Special Delivery, an adoption ministry at Overlake Christian Church. They asked if we were interested in being considered as potential adoptive parents for a child due on December 7. The birth mom had a family selected for her daughter; however, the planned adoptive family withdrew from the adoption plan. Mackenzie and I talked about it, prayed, and decided to be considered as a potential adoptive couple.

The crazy part was we didn't have a profile created or our home study completed. In a matter of a few hours, we rushed to put together a profile to explain our life and family to this birth mom and hire a social worker to write our home study. We also put together a letter to the birth parents explaining who we are and why God has placed a call on our hearts to adopt.

The birth mom's case manager shared our profile and a number of other families' profiles that weekend. We got a call late that Sunday afternoon, saying she chose us and two other families to meet with on Thursday in Yakima, WA.

So on Thursday, we drove to Yakima, braving the snowy conditions, and met with the birth mom, her mom, and a woman from Special Delivery, who facilitated the conversation. Having no idea what to expect, we were thankful that the conversation flowed rather naturally. We talked about how we met, what we liked to do for fun, and our vision for parenting. The conversation lasted for about an hour. We both left feeling like it had went as well as we could have possibly wanted. In fact, the whole week had. Things just kept falling into place.

When we left Yakima on Thursday, the long (sometimes painful) process of waiting began. We continued to pray and temper our excitement that this could possibly be the child God had planned to place in our family. Our friends and family were great throughout the week. They prayed for us, brought meals over, and genuinely shared in our excitement and anticipation.

But unfortunately, I got the call yesterday afternoon letting us know that we were not chosen as the adoptive family. The birth mom's case manager shared that after we left our interview, the birth mom commented: "All the families were great. How am I supposed to decide now?!?" She ended up choosing a family that already has children and was excited for her little girl to have siblings.

We are of course very disappointed, but thankful that we were given this opportunity and were even considered. The case manager asked if she could keep our profile to share with other birth moms, and we of course said yes!

In the last week and a half, we've been praying for God's will to be done and it has...now we're praying that our response would be honoring to him. We know God has a child for us and pray for the day we welcome him or her into our family.

We are so thankful for your prayers, support, love, and encouragement over the last week. It's truly been an emotional roller coaster, but we're thankful God has put so many people in our lives who are willing to ride it with us.

Auction Extravaganza

Each year, Antioch Adoptions hosts two major fundraisers - a banquet and an auction. Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to attend the Taste of Compassion auction. Because we'd never been to this auction before, we were unsure of what to expect. We were thankful to have Rita and Gary (Cliff's parents who flew in from Indiana!) and my dad attend with us, as well as some other friends from church. Having friends and family there made a fun night even more enjoyable.

There was a silent auction with lots of items to choose from, including a generous donation from our friends, Kyle and Kathleen, who own The Creative Date. We enjoyed delicious food from Seastar restaurant, Class Act Catering, and Bonsai Sushi as we perused the silent auction items and made our bids. There was also an engaging live auction with a phenomenal auctioneer who made it great fun.

Midway through the live auction, we heard a moving and entertaining testimony from a 17 year old who was adopted as a child. It was a great reminder of why we were all there.

Overall, the event was phenomenal! There was an incredible amount of work that went into pulling off such a complex evening, but it was organized and managed beautifully. And the auction managed to raise over $52,000 - enough money to sponsor six adoptions! That is absolutely amazing!

We continue to pray for Antioch Adoptions, for the staff, and for generous people to donate to this ministry. We invite you to pray and give as you feel called. If you're interested in donating in any way (one time donations or regular giving), go to the Antioch Adoptions website or comment below, and we'll help you get connected!

Goin' Under the Knife

Believe it or not, I still have all my wisdom teeth. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), they are all being removed on Thursday morning. I only have a few more days with them. I can't say I'm excited about the surgery, but I am thankful that I have anesthesia and a four day weekend so I won't have to take any time off of work.

If you think of it tomorrow (Thursday), please pray for the surgery that it goes well and without complication. Also, please pray that my sweet husband has the patience to deal with me as I recover. I'm sure I'll be asking for jello, milkshakes, frappuccinos, applesauce, and medicine constantly on Thursday and Friday.

Randomberry Jam

I came up with my own jam "flavor" last night...Randomberry. (Well at least I'd never heard of it!) Sounds delish, right?

It was born out of a realization that my freezer was full of berries. I had strawberries, blueberries, and a combo bag of frozen marionberries, raspberries, and blackberries from Costco that needed to be finished up! Plus, all of them were taking up precious space in my freezer.

So what's a girl to do?
Toss them all in a pot, add sugar, add some pectin, and can away!

I have to admit, it tastes quite delicious.