Ella: 4 Years Old

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6yf-cSU0xc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2GtyJ5bKgs

Our sweet Ella,

Watching you grow and being your mommy is one of the greatest joys of my life. Your generous heart gives freely to everyone you meet. You are sensitive and empathetic. You feel deeply for others. Always the first to make sure someone is ok, you drop whatever you are doing to care for the person.  You are passionate about what you believe in. You let us know with a big voice. Sometimes you throw in some feet stomping and pillow throwing too. You rarely hold your feelings inside. If you are angry, you let us know. If you are sad, it all pours out. When you are happy, your laughter is contagious. Your ability to forgive and believe the best in others challenges me and reminds me of Jesus.

Your love for the Bible and for retelling God's stories is beautiful. At just four years old, your first step in a time of need is to turn to Jesus in prayer. You stop in the middle of anything you are doing to talk to Jesus about your concerns. It could be anything from a missing shoe to asking for a peaceful night's sleep free of scary dreams. With confidence, you turn to Jesus and pour out your heart and receive his peace. When someone is sad, you offer to pray for them. I'm inspired by your faith in God's promises and reminded of God's goodness as I watch you grow.

You don't mind playing by yourself and often sneak away for some alone time with your babies or ponies, but you also really love one on one time with mommy and daddy.  You tend to go with the flow and love playing with your sisters, but have really started speaking up when you are tired of being bossed around! You make friends everywhere you go, whether it's the girl at the library, the teenager at the mall or the cashier at the grocery store. You include people and ask lots of questions because you genuinely care about the answers. You LOVE babies and taking care of people. You are spunky and lots of fun. We love you so much, Belly Bean!

You love:

• fancy dresses
• sparkly shoes and cowgirl boots
• macaroni and cheese
• blueberries 
• baking cookies with Mommy
• taking walks with Daddy
• playing friends with Abby
• teaching Juliet how to play dollhouse 
• Grace (your AG doll) 
• swimming and being in water 
• Odd Squad 
• being read to and "reading" stories to whoever will listen
• trips to the library
• your bike 
• crafts
• dancing

On the morning of your birthday, you woke up to a pile of gifts and the special birthday pancakes you requested. You spent the morning enjoying your new gifts before Grammy, G-Diddy and Papa arrived to celebrate with us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VBnVVKX0Gk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3pcNOXX2co

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEFvE9ySyCM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsNZ1rmqVYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d31L1h3yCYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSk-OBPPxOk

While my dad and I cooked dinner, the girls, Joe, Grammy and G-Diddy headed up to the park for a bike ride! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XSNKonH7Xw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1FYdYBo1SA 

 

 

It was a team effort to get dinner on the table over here. I'm so glad my dad was there to help me in the kitchen. I love making those memories together. Papa manned the grill! We cooked up some of Bobby Flay's Grilled Chicken with Spicy Peach Glaze, Homemade Mac and Cheese and other goodies.

I can't help but wonder what your little heart hoped for...

That's a wrap! We had a day full of special memories to kick off this little firecracker's fourth year. If you were looking for me that night, I was the crazy mom trying to do bedtime as they came down of all that blue icing! :)

Ella's four year old interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNA8m8f5t_Y