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December!

It’s been a busy month, as seems to be the case with most Decembers. Parties and decorations and making Christmas gifts. All such fun! So here are a few pictures that have captured our moments…

Ella helped me teach a cake decorating class during a creativity workshop at our church.

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Contrary to the photo, she happily passed out cupcakes to all the workshop participants. (She’s in a bit of a phase where she makes a silly face or frowns every time she sees a camera!)

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With our dear friend (and Ella’s godfather) Anton following the St Olaf Christmas Fest in early December. It never feels like the Christmas season until we go to Christmas Fest!

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When Sam first saw the decorated Christmas tree, he kept saying wow in the sweetest little whisper.

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Ella painted canvases for Christmas gifts.

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Sam painted a different canvas.

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Sam helped me deliver shoe boxes to the local drop off spot for Operation Christmas Child. Our boxes ended up going to children in the Dominican Republic!

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One of Ella’s dates with Daddy.

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Waiting at the clinic with his book.

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One of my favorite parts of getting ready for Christmas are the Christmas cards! And my little Santa mug, of course.

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He may need to go to Kenya with us. He’s just so jolly!

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A cup of hot chocolate, a Christmas dress, and the stage? This girl was in heaven.

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We weren’t sure we’d have a white Christmas, but the snow came eventually.

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Sam had the sweetest little playdate with his friends one morning after it snowed. This may be my new favorite winter photo!

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Once Upon a Thanksgiving

A little photo recap of our Thanksgiving travels! First stop: the middle of Wisconsin to see Nana & Papa Olsen. Auntie Kristin and Auntie Kathryn joined us, too!

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A living room tooth check with Papa! Ella’s getting her 6-year molars. She’s very excited!

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Oh Nana, thank you for all the yummy food!

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Second stop: Nana & Papa Scott’s in the middle of Minnesota. All the cousins were there!

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Nana & Papa with all the grandkids!

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We tried to include the horses, but they were more interested in the hay.

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A pink crown for Sammy! Because girl cousins are fun like that!

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Instagram Auction : A Sneak Peek!

 

Auction Collage

 

See all those amazing photos above? Those are just a few of the pieces in our upcoming auction! Our auction will raise money to help cover the expense of our plane tickets to Kenya in the fall. Each ticket costs about $2,000, which means our family of four will need roughly $8,000 to travel from Minnesota to Nairobi, Kenya and back again two years later. Not only will your involvement in the auction help us to raise funds, but every piece in the auction would make a perfect Christmas gift! We’re holding the auction next Tuesday and Wednesday so that winners will receive their product in time for the holiday. An awesome cause AND awesome gifts?! Absolutely!

Where is the auction?
The auction will be held on Instagram. If you already have an Instagram account, simply click over to our feed @TheMangoMemoirs to follow us and then check in after the auction begins at 7pm CST on Tuesday, December 1 and start bidding!

If you don’t yet have an Instagram account, it’s really easy to set one up. You’ll need the Instagram app (I’m not sure whether or not you can just do this over the Instagram website) and then you can create a free account. You don’t need to download any photos or make your profile pretty if you’ll only be bidding on items. Simply search for TheMangoMemoirs profile, click follow, and come back after 7pm on Tuesday or any time before 9pm CST on Wednesday. Click ‘comment’ under a photo and leave your information to bid. It’s that simple! Feel free to leave comments or email me at themangomemoirs@gmail.com if you have further questions.

How do I bid?
Bidding opens at 7pm CST on Tuesday, December 1 and closes at 9pm CST on Wednesday, December 2. Scroll through the items on our feed to find a few things you might like. To bid, click on the photo and then on the comment button. Place a bid at least one dollar higher than the previous bid, include your PayPal email address, and tag the person who placed the previous bid. Each item is open for bidding until I write CLOSED and announce the winner. This may mean some items will be available shortly past 9pm as I work through to close the items.

How do I pay?
You will be sent an invoice from me through PayPal within 24 hours of the end of the auction. You will then have until midnight on Saturday, December 5 to pay the invoice. If you are unable to do so, the item will go to the next highest bidder. We want to make sure everything gets paid for and sent out in plenty of time for Christmas!

Will we find out how the auction went afterward?
Absolutely! As soon as all items are closed, we will add up the final amounts and make an announcement of how much of our airfare has been covered. We could not do this without you and we want to share all the news with everyone who is supporting us!

What if I don’t get an item? Can I still donate?
YES! We only have so many items in this auction, and we know not everyone may end up with something. There will be an opportunity to make individual donations following the auction. We will post more information about that on Instagram. As always, you can also make donations straight through our missions organization at wgm.org/olsen. Every part of your donation in either place goes right into our Kenya account.

Do you have other questions?
Feel free to post other questions in the comments on this post, on our Facebook page or on Instagram.

 


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Our Kenya Video Is Here!

One thing we have really enjoyed as we prepare for Kenya is getting to work with some incredibly talented, inspiring people. One such person is Jack Lind. Jack had a video production company for many years and recently offered to work with us on a video about our vision for Kenya. Today we are thrilled to share the finished piece with you. Thank you so much for your support on this journey!

 

 

 


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Sammy and All His Superheroes

Good heavens! I got so caught up in posting all the incredible stories in September for Down Syndrome Awareness Month that I forgot to post the photos from the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk! I will not let another moment pass without sharing these photos.

We woke in our St Paul hotel to Superman getting a very important call. It was time for the walk! Hurry, Superman! Hurry!

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So we headed to Como Park and joined thousands of people to celebrate those we love who have a very special extra chromosome. Our friend Kim even made cupcakes!

 

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Ella adores pony rides. We were set up pretty close to them this year, so she was able to ride over and over and over. I lost track of how many rides she took. Little superhero on a pony. Perfection.

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Sam made a new friend! I’ve been waiting three years for this little meet-up. Just a few weeks before Sam was born, my college theatre friend, Jen, welcomed Holden, who also happens to have Down syndrome. Two little Minnesota boys. Aren’t they just too cute together?!

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We dressed like superheroes again this year, which is always great fun.

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This year Sam matched Daddy!

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We had lots of friends join us, which makes the day even more special. And that quilt in the middle? It was made by Sammy’s runner! Of course we had to have it at the walk with us.

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Sammy had a little chat session with his fellow superheroes. (I think this group makes appearances as lots of events for kids.)

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After cupcakes and hotdogs and pony rides, it was time for the walk! Sam loved the live band at the start.

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Ella did, too, especially since they let her play their drum.

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By the end of the two mile walk, Sam was ready for a nap. What a day it had been!

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We were thrilled to be able to join everyone again this year for the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk in St Paul. Next year, we may or may not still be in the States, so this might be our last one for a little while. But what a day it turned out to be! We really do love this big, awesome community!

 


Last week I said I might do it, and I did… I cut my hair! It was in great need of more than just a simple trim, which is all I’ve been doing the last few years. It was nice to grow it out, but it’s so lovely to be able to style it again after cutting off a little more than six inches. I’m getting used to the time it takes to do more than the side braid, but I’ve been playing a little worship music while curling it and trying to slow my morning a bit. There are so many things I can do to my hair again!

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Side Braid Hair Tutorial

Hair Tutorial

Today I’ve got something completely new! Honestly, I laugh at the thought of me making a hair tutorial video, but hey, why not? I’ve had a lot of questions about how I do my hair, which has become my every day hair style. It’s super easy and, as I mention in the video, I usually end up doing it while sitting in the car before heading in to wherever it is we’re going. It’s quick and can be done on messy, wild hair. A perfect mom style!

Here it is, in one quick take. I’d love to hear if you try it!

 

Side Braid Hair Tutorial // Elsa Hair from The Mango Memoirs on Vimeo.

 

 


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