Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!

Well, we just got the first snow today!! It sure is beautiful. These are the days to snuggle up and drink hot chocolate and watch a really good Christmas movie.

Ella, wanted to get right in the middle of it today and I asked her what she was going to do to keep warm. She had on her church clothes still and put her boots on. I asked her to change into pants or something and she said "Oh mom I am good. I have a really warm blanket under my coat and it is really hot." I then came outside and saw that she didn't have her gloves on anymore and she said her hands were so hot she had to take them off. I think my daughter could honestly live in Denmark or something :) She is as happy as can be.

Happy 8th Birthday Ella

I was telling Ella that she liked to hide in my bedroom under the pillows and when I would find her she would get so excited and start laughing. Here is one of the very many that I have of her doing just that :)
Ella loved to dress herself and I loved seeing what she would put on. She had fashion at a very young age :)
Here she is taking her baby out :)
I just love this picture!
Ella loved going to Grandma and Grandpa's house and sitting in the sink in the laundry room.

Ella found curtain rod holders and put them on her ears as earrings :)

She put her own make up on and did her own hair and dressed up like my Ella Bella Cinderella :)
I came in the room and Ella was listening to music and was so happy that she was alone (or at least she thought she was) just enjoying the moment
I just love her sweet smile and love how little she is. I adore her.
Ever since Ella was little she just knew how to take care of babies. Here she is taking care of 3 or 4 at a time. Can you see that she is telling the baby to Shhhhhh and patting her doll? So cute. She is so great with kids and they love her.

Below is Ella's 2 year old picture.

Can my little girl already be 8? I can't believe how much she has grown and it feels like yesterday that I was just having her. Time flies and they grow up so fast. Ella, I am the luckiest mother in the world to have been blessed with you! You are the sweetest little girl and so full of life. You are happy all the time and have such a sweet tender heart. Everyone who knows you can't help but love you and you make our life greater than anything. What an honor to be your mother. Here are a few pictures that I wanted to share from when she was younger. I absolutely love every single picture of her and they show just how happy she is and still is.

Ella's Photo Shoot

I am not sure what happened to my post but I had to redo this one so I am sorry if you are seeing this for the 2nd time. I found a really cool place to take pictures and decided to take Ella out for a photo shoot. She is so fun to take pictures of because I don't even have to tell her what to do she just does it naturally :) I edited 2 of her pics in photoshop and used the Seventies look. Pretty cool eh? Don't you love the fingers? I definitely have a very girly girl and I love it :)

First Day of School

Well, Ella is officially in the 2nd grade. I can't believe we are here at this point again. Last night before going to bed Ella was so excited she laid out what she was going to wear and was so happy and said she couldn't sleep. I remember when I felt like that too. We woke up and I went into her room and I was starting to help her get ready and she said "mom I can do it" I think I was excited too but I realized at that moment she was getting bigger and I hope that she will always want my help. Well here are a few pictures I took this morning!!! I just love her to pieces and there is nothing better in this world to replace the feelings I have for her and to be so lucky to be her mother.

Ella's Testimony

Here is the sweet testimony that Ella had written down on a piece of paper. It made me so happy and excited that she would feel the need to write it down and wanted to share.

Some of Ella's Art Work

I wanted to post some of Ella's art work. She is really good at drawing and loves it. I know she has a talent for it too! I think I might just have an artist on my hands :) The one with all of us in a line has peace signs on our shirts!

New House in St. Clair Shores, MI

Well here is our new house we will be living in on June 25th. We are excited! It has 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, basement, big backyard with lots of play area for Ella Bella and Stephen's favorite 2 1/2 car garage :)

Last Day of School

Wow! I can't believe it is already at the end of the school year. Ella, has been sad tonight and she says she is going to really miss her friends. She is ok for a while and then starts thinking about all her friends and all the memories that she has had and it starts all over with the sadness and crying. I told her that it was ok and I am sad for her too! Her 1st grade teacher Mrs. Kenda Roberts made them a goodbye DVD and I have to say that it made me sad and I started to cry.

Ella has been really lucky that she had some awesome teachers while we have been here. We love you Ella and know that you will make friends wherever you go. You are my sunshine.

Cute Girl!!

I had to post what Ella just said:

I always tell Ella that I am going to kiss her face off and today she was kissing my face and she said " Your face is going to fall off cause I am kissing it"

I laughed so hard. I just love her sooooooo much!!!

Home Depot

Every 1st Saturday each month Home Depot has a craft for the kids to do and then they get a certificate that they finish the project and they also get a pin to go on their cute Home Depot apron. Well, I had never done this before and decided to take Ella and they were making cute flower pot holders and here she is making hers. She was so excited and we still need to put a flower in there so that it is put to good use.

Ella, you did a great job and it is adorable. :) :) :)

Fun Run 5K Race

Back in Feb I started training for a 5k race. I had a friend that has been running for a long time and she said that she would help me train for it. Well, every Saturday we would get up and run until I reached the 3.1 miles. So on the 17th of April we ran the 5K and it was a lot of fun. I am still trying to get my running in but here is proof that I did do the race. It may have taken me a long time to run it but I did finish and it felt great :)

Easter

So... I am so far behind on a lot of pictures and I hope to be better at posting sooner than I have been but here are pictures from Easter.

Rollerskating

My baby girl is rollerskating and is becoming a pro at it. She was invited to birthday parties where they had it at the skating rink. She wasn't sure about it at first but the more she went the better she got and now she can go really fast. She is now saying the she wants to have her birthday party at the skating rink too :)

Baby Chicks

These little chicks were snuggled up together keeping warm under the lamp. Ella, wanted to hold one and you can see how happy she is doing that. They were so cute :)

Conversation with Ella

I was talking to my sister Kristy on the phone in my car. We had just gotten home from me picking Ella up from school and Ella really wanted to listen and I told her that I would be just a few minutes longer and that I really needed to talk to her. This is what our conversation sounded like

me: Ella I will be a few minutes

Ella: I really want to listen though

me: I really need to talk to Aunt Kristy alone. We are talking about grown up stuff.

Ella: well do you know how sometimes I don't listen to you? I can just do that ok?

Me: laughing at this point!

I was thinking well at least she is honest and tells me that she isn't really listening to me. I guess what I say goes in one ear and out the other. I hope that I will know how to get her to listen before she is older or I am in real trouble :) lol

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

After eating (not so sure anymore)
Before eating (oh how yummy)














Steve's parents came to visit us here in Kirksville over Steve's spring break and we had a wonderful time. We hated to see them go but the memories we made will be forever! We took them to Steve's school and showed them the dungeon that he studies in sometimes. We took them around the town square. We ate at a few restaurants and saw little bunnies at the farm and home store. We also made our way to Nauvoo and as always the spirit is amazing there. We found out that Mom Jensen had some relatives that lived in Nauvoo and actually owned some property there. I took a few pictures of the land that she owned. I also took some pictures of the garden statues that they have there and included some in here too!

I love my in-laws! Words can't describe how I feel but I will say that I am really lucky to be part of their family! I love the spirit that they have. We miss you and love you and hope we get to see you this summer! Thanks for such an amazing fun time together and for always being there for us and giving us the moral support. We couldn't do this without the support of family so we are grateful!!