Happy Birthday Ella Rosie!

Ella turned one this week! It was a really big week for her, the day before her birthday she also got her first tooth! She is getting better and better at walking around, very soon she will be too fast for me!

This sweet baby of mine, is just that, very sweet. She loves to give kisses and always has a smile. She is a great sleeper, a great eater, and she loves Mommy. All of my other kids have been daddy's babies, hands down. But Ella is mama's girl, and I am enjoying it for a change. I suppose I should be on my guard against spoiling her.

The older kids were very sweet and used some of their own money to buy her gifts. Mikey bought her a stuffed Dalmatian dog, so that she could play with him and his stuffed Dalmatian dog someday. And Haley chose a little bitty baby doll for her. They came home and wrapped the gifts by themselves and made cards for her. Mikey kept saying "I can hardly wait to see her face when she sees what I chose for her!"

She still doesn't get opening packages thing, but she sure did get a kick out of clapping for herself each time she heard a little "rrrrip" in the paper.

The birthday hat was just "too-too," (that phrase is for you, Jenny!) and I couldn't resist. Especially since I was feeling a little guilty over the lack of pomp and ceremony of the birthday party. With the first kid we went all out on the first birthday and each kid thereafter has had a little less to grow on!
I did manage to invite the aunt and the cousins over for cupcakes, and that was as far as I ever got. Probably because I started planning the "party" about 10p the night before!










Eating the cake is the only part people really want to see anyway, right? I know it is my favorite.











Happy birthday, Ella. I know it has only been a year since you joined our family, but we can't imagine life without you. We serve an Awesome God, who worked out every little detail of your personality ahead of time, and suited it just perfectly for our family. You are a gift, an arrow in our quiver, and a joy to behold.