Off to Minnesota

We had not been to Minnesota since Ella was born in 1999. She is now seven years old and had learned about many of the members of her birthfamily. For the last year or so, she has expressed a lot of interest in her birth siblings and began to want to meet them. So Mark and I decided that it was time to make a trip back to Minnesota so that Ella could begin to know more members of her birthfamily. She had met Tracy, her birthmother two years previously and her paternal grandparents, Jean and Jerry, a year before.

We arrived late morning on December 27th at the airport. Tracy, Ella's birthmother came to meet us at the airport. She had two of Ella's brothers, Elijah (age 3) and Alex (age 9 then, now 10) with her. Can you imagine this? Meeting your brothers for the first time?

The first thing we did after meeting Tracy, Alex and Eli was to all head for the Mall of America amusement park. We figured that it would be good to have something to DO together - kids like to do things, not just talk. So we found our way to the MOA and to the huge amusement park in the middle of the mall. We bought our tickets and started going on rides. One of Tracy's sisters, Trisha, and her daughter met us there also.

There were lots of adventures at the amusement park and the mall. We discovered that Eli has lots of energy and runs very fast! At one point, he headed up an escalator by himself. Ella and Mark took off after him and brought him back so he wouldn't get lost. It wasn't the last time he ran off but we were better prepared to grab him after that.

Ella went on lots of rides but especially liked the roller coasters! She and her brothers enjoyed exploring the park together.

Everyone was having lots of fun, but after a few hours it was time to go to our hotel. It was so hard to leave but we knew that we would see them again in a couple of days.

We went back to our rental car and drove to the hotel, and began to think about who would be coming to visit us at the hotel. Grandma Jean was coming with Ella's birthfather, Bill, and Trysh and baby Gabby! We all arrived at about the same time so we invited them to come up to our room and to begin to get acquainted. Ella and Bill had never met before so this was a very important moment. Gabby had a cold but she was still in a pretty good mood and found Ella fascinating! We all went out to dinner and had a delicious meal.

It's so fun to have a sister!

Then the next day we went to Grandma Jean and Grandpa Jerry's house and Trysh and Gabby came to visit. She was still sick but was really good anyway. Later we went to Bill and Trysh's house to visit. Ella's school picture was on the wall over his sofa and some of her artwork was framed and hanging on another wall.

Then we all went out to dinner again - this time for Mexican food. Ella and Gabby sat next to each other.

The next day, we headed northeast from Minneapolis into Wisconsin to Tracy's house. Alex and Eli were excited to show Ella their rooms. Tracy made a nice lunch for us and then the kids went outside sledding behind the house. Tracy's mother, Rechelle (Ella's grandmother) came to meet Ella too. Ella had a second Christmas, opening lots of presents from her birthfamily.

The next day, we went to a museum with Tracy and two of her other sisters, Aunt Jacquie and Aunt Heather with their families. We walked through the museum looking at interesting exhibits and talking. Ella really enjoyed meeting her aunts, uncles and cousins.

(sorry, I don't know how to rotate the pictures)

The last day in Minnesota, we met Bill, Trysh, Gabby, Jean and Jerry at the Minnesota zoo and walked through the indoor parts of the zoo. Gabby was feeling better by this time. Grandma Jean bought Ella a little giraffe at the gift shop and Trysh gave Ella a photograph album that she made for her filled with pictures of Gabby. There was one of Gabby in the baby bathtub that looked just like one of Ella when she was a baby.

When it was time to go, there was the beginnings of a blizzard outside. We made our way to the car and headed to the airport. The flight was delayed a bit but we were lucky to get out at all. We arrived back at Bradley International Airport just before midnight on New Year's Eve. What a great trip and a great way to start a new year!