Happy 4th Birthday, Bree Bree

Love,

Ella Claire

Bethany Tramel Photography

Check out this fantastic birthday banner at Bethany Tramel Photography. I fell in love the moment I saw it. All this pre-birthday gift stuff and Bree's birthday today has really got me in the mood to celebrate. I really want one of these little banners for Ella Claire's 2nd birthday. Visit her blog here for all of the details and other cute goodies.

Breelyn Caroline's Birthday Bash

My niece, Breelyn, turns 4 tomorrow. I don't know where the time has gone. That little girl changed my life from the moment I saw her come into this world....She's an angel.

Ella Claire adores her and she's her "bestie" in the whole world. I hope they are always close.

Bree's Hello Kitty party was last night at the Manchester Rec Center. All I can say is...Wesley sure can throw a party. (I'm glad she's Ella Claire's aunt..hint hint.) We had tons of food, swimming in the outdoor and indoor pool, awesome cake, the cutest Hello Kitty pops and the coolest treat bags. (Wes, Ella loves the Hello Kitty socks, notepad and bracelets.) The kids even enjoyed playing Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light with the one and only David Craven. :) It was a blast!!!

Bree and her t-ball buddy Will

Wes and Ryan

BFFs

sugar rush

The kids loved splashing and dunking Tim Parish. :)

Ella Claire's new best buddy...David

One of my favorite shots of the night!

The birthday girl

playing...no more monkeys jumping on the bed

Hello Kitty Pops....made by my sis

Yes, they are as good as they look :)

Happy "early" Birthday, Ella Claire

Ella Claire has one of those "yucky" 2-day before Christmas birthdays. Bryan has said, since she was born, that he wanted to try and do something special on her 1/2 birthday each year. We were a little late with this one, but I don't think she minds. :) We also wanted to get the play set early. So, she can play this fall.

Funny Story on B - I thought we were going to get a smaller (less expensive) version. We had been looking for several months. Bryan told me to just go order it one afternoon, but I wanted him to go with me. When we got there, Bryan started asking how much to add this... and this. This is what Daddy decided on.

Notice the solar lights next to the slide. I asked him when we got home, if he was planning on letting her play in the dark. LOL Seriously, Ella Claire and I learned to take Daddy shopping with us. Being a daddy's girl sure pays off.......

This video is when Ella Claire saw it for the 1st time. (Please ignore the temper tantrum in the beginning. She thought we were making her go inside. I typically do not reward her for bad behavior. LOL)

Ella Claire's 18 month pictures

We are picture freaks at our house. W cannot have too many, especially of our sweet little girl.

These were taken by the very talented Bradford and Melanie Watson back in June. Check them out at www.ladolceblog.com. They live in Florida, but were in Tennessee for a few weeks visiting friends and family. Bradford, Bryan and I all went to high school together. Bradford and I had been working on getting this session together since sometime last year. It was so worth the wait. Thanks, Bradford and Melanie!

Summer Fun

The girls had a blast in the kiddie pool and on the slip n slide today.
I love that it's the little things that bring them such happiness.

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:3

ABC's of Lindsey Matheny

I was tagged by the sweet Susan Grandey.

A- Age: 27

B - Bed size - King

C- Chore you hate - cleaning the kitchen

D - Dogs names: Berkley

E - Essential start to your day item: usually a little Sundrop or some type of caffeine

F - Favorite Color - Red

G - Gold or Silver - Silver or white gold

H - Height - 5'2

I - Instruments you play - a little piano, but I also took a few violin lessons in college

J - Job Title - (CTT) Continuous Treatment Team Case Manager (and wife and mommy)

K - Kids - 1 daughter-Ella Claire

L - Living arrangements - married to Bryan

M - Mom's name - Monti

N - Nicknames - Linz, Sissy

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth - several

P - Pet Peeve - messiness, arrogance and greed

Q - Quote from a movie - Clairee Belcher (Steel Magnolias): The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.

R - Right or left handed - Right

S - Siblings - 1 sister-Wes

T -Time you wake up - 7 or 7:30

U - Underwear - absolutely

V - Vegetable you dislike - Beets

W - What makes you run late - usually not wanting to get up (I am not a morning person) or getting out the door with Ella Claire

X - x-rays' - yes I have had many

Y - Yummy food you make - cream cheese squares, apple dumplings, chicken casserole, round steak, strawberry pie

Z - Zoo animal - Elephants

I am now tagging: Wesley, Tara, Marian, Misty, Candice

18 things at 18 months about Ella Claire

1. Her favorite place to be is outside...night and day.

2. She loves gaga. (aka...yogurt)

3. She puts herself to sleep in her own bed about 8:30 every night. (major milestone for us)

4. She is very tall. (95th percentile) She did not get this from my family.

5. She loves her cousins more than just about anything.

6. She loves to do the hot dog dance from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the Imagination Movers Dance.

7. She sings a song in the shower that her daddy made up. "Cold Missy, Cold Missy"

8. She loves shoes.

9. She likes to help Mommy water the flowers.

10. She calls her Daddy "Mama" since he has been off for the summer.

11. She likes to wear her Daddy's underwear around her head while Mommy is folding laundry.

12. She loves slushy drinks from Sonic. So, much that she says, "no, mine."

13. She is a climber and daredevil.

14. She really likes looking at all of her books.

15. She does the best elephant impression.

16. She can unlock the deadbolt on our back door by herself and go outside. Thank goodness we have a screened in back porch.

17. She loves to watch herself in the mirror and new video phone. She gives herself kisses.

18. She is the light of our lives. Her smile makes my worries disappear. :)

Someone at our house is 18 months today!

I can't believe this little angel is 1-1/2.

We love you more than you will ever know, Ella Claire.

Happy Father's Day to the other men in our lives!!!

We Love You!!!