Dearest Ella, This year with you has been all kinds of wonderful (with a little bit of craziness that had Mommy questioning her sanity). You are sweet and dramatic and a gorgeous mess.  You are delighted easily, and your laugh is infectious.  Your smile is charming and hilarious with those six teeth placed just so. I dare anyone to stay in a grumpy mood after witnessing that grin.  We can't believe how much we love you.  I re-read your birth story  last night, and I couldn't help but feel just a little sad. Your birth was not the one I wanted, but it gave me you.  Adorable, snuggly, cheerful, smiley you.  You were so tiny, yet so very, very strong.  You went from my less-than-5-pounds-peanut to my over-17-pound big girl.  You are a precious gift, and we look forward to seeing who you become!   So, so happy you're ours.  Happy first birthday, Love! You are so very, very loved, our Ella-Bella. Our Baby ...

Happy Father's Day to the two most important men in my life:  The Husband and my own daddy. I love you both, and I'm thankful the kiddos have you both in their life! I took these pictures of Jack and Ella recently and made this card for The Husband to go along with his gift :) I hope he enjoys it!

1.  Yesterday was Jack's 2nd birthday. I wrote this letter to him, and I hope he reads it one day.  We didn't do anything in particular to celebrate, but we (along with many others) wished him a happy birthday over and over. We sang to him several times throughout the day, which he enjoyed, and we tried teaching him how to hold up two fingers. It's a work in progress.  2.  Today, we met my parents at DQ, and they treated us to lunch to have a little birthday celebration. He had his very first ice cream cone, and I'd say it was a hit :) 3. Another first for him today? His first TV show. I pulled up a great old VeggieTales video on Netflix, and he got to watch Junior Asparagus learn that God is bigger than any fear we may have. He enjoyed it and danced along to the music (Mommy sang along, of course!) in his chair while he snacked on grapes and milk. I chose VeggieTales because he has several books about them (and a great CD of their songs), and I knew h...

My sweet boy. My how you've grown! I was looking back through this blog over the last two years, and the sight of your tiny newborn face made me catch my breath. I re-read the story of your birth and my letter to you last year , and I couldn't keep my eyes from growing misty. You have brought such joy into our lives.  Last night, as I read book after book to you before I tucked you in, I hugged you a little tighter. When you handed me On the Night You Were Born after months of not reading it, I almost teared up. You are our little buddy, and you follow us around as if you were our shadow. Except when you're asleep. You sleep happily in your bed, all cozy with your blanket and puppy and request it by signing "sleep" when it's nap time or bedtime. You love seeing pictures of people you know (including yourself!), and you are happy to grin back at others when you see them in person.  You love the people who love you. You adore your sister and w...