One year older and wiser too!

This girl. THIS girl! Ellery is an amazing child. I think her teacher, who AdOrEs Ellery, pretty much summed it up at Parent Teacher Conference when she asked Matt and I to write down exactly what we have done with Elle, step by step so she could hand out manuals to other parents. We quickly assured her of course that Ellie came this way straight from Heaven! She is this way despite us, not because of us. She is an angel in every sense of the word, and a delight as a daughter, every parent deserves an Ellery. She is unbelievably obedient and thoughtful, so loving and generous, she is a smarty pants, she is a natural athlete :) she is over the top wanting to please, she is always spiritually inclined, she is one in a zillion. I can't gush about her enough, LOVE you Ellery!

This was Ellery's year to have a friend party and all she wanted to do was go sledding. So we packed up as many little people as Matt and I could drive in our two vehicles, plus a neighbor helped shuttle some people over to the one and only hill within 30 miles :)

It was a blast! I only wish I had some pictures, but I was too busy making sure no one crashed and died. It seems that sledding etiquette, and or common sense is a lost art. Sure kids...just walk right up the hill where the sleds and crazy children are barreling down the hill directly at you! Walking safely up the side would be silly. Luckily we only had one small injury, poor Taite.

Then it was onward home for hot chocolate with candy canes and a cupcake bouquet that everyone got to decorate. Ellery had so much fun.

Taylor Swift mania

just typing those words,

5 songs that are sung hours upon hours at our house,

just popped into my head

I heart Ellery, and I think she heart me too :)

A new phenomenon at our house...Zoobles

Word.

We had a little family party on her birthday. She opened some presents from Oma and Papa, Oma Great, and her siblings. Then we dragged her into the toy room with a blindfold on and made her play hot & cold to find her present. We told her it was a small little box so she better search really well. The other kids were laughing hysterically. It was all I could do to keep Gus and Cy from shouting out what it really was.

She finally found it and boy, was she excited!!

I can't believe my baby is tall enough for a real ladies bike :(