Our Baby is 2!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, now I've said it, but it's still so hard to believe! It's a strange feeling, knowing our family is complete is wonderful, but this is the first time I've not been pregnant while celebrating a 2nd birthday with one of our kids! Many of you might think so what,.....but it's strange....I don't know how else to explain it. I love our 4 kids, feel so blessed to have them, and I'm grateful each & every day I have to be their Mom!

We're embarking on a new chapter for our family...hopefully we'll soon be out of diapers, crib, diaper bags...you know what I mean....(although I've gotten quite used to having wet wipes with me)! We had friends and family over to celebrate Ella's birthday on Monday, the 16th since everyone had school off this week. Here's a peak into her special day.........

Ella LOVED licking the beaters....(each kids gets theirs on their birthday, it stops all arguments)...pre-bath...... Super-cute tutu & shirt made by me...adorable clips to match made by my friend Amber (see the Tallulah Twinkles Toes link on the right side of my blog)... I just LOVE putting her hair up in pigtails! Having a girl is so fun! She's even cute from behind! Now she kept the tu-tu on for about 5 minutes & was done....I was able to convince her to put it on at the end of the night to show Grandma though... She's such a girly-girl...loves jewelery (loves SHOES too - told Tyler just that the other night when he was putting her to bed...said, "Ye-Ya loves shooz!" - can it get any cuter? Probably - she amazes us every day! Opening presents...
We had the kids sit a few feet away so everyone could see, but that only lasted through the first 2 presents....but who cares....we're just happy friends & family came to share in her special day!
Ella LOVES her American Girl baby - she brought it right over to Grandma to say "thank you" - but Ella likes to whisper so I hope she heard it! Grandma made her the Cinder"Ella" blanket, nightgown & burp cloth to go with it. For the past 2 nights, she's changed the 'babys' clothes into jammies for 'ni-night', including taking off her 'shooz', but the baby must keep on her 'sock-ocks' - just ask Ella! Since her birthday was a Fancy Nancy theme, it was actually hard to come up with a cake idea....I found the coolest cake-sized cupcake mold...cuz there's nothing fancier than a giant sized cupcake, right? It's made by Wilton (Annette-don't you wish your family owned this company?!)....I had seen it on another blog & googled it - finding it at Target of all places! If you want one, get it while you can, they go fast & only carry them this time of year! Here's the cake next to the other cupcakes I made.....Cherry Chip with pink cherry frosting, Lemon with lemon frosting, & Chocolate with chocolate frosting......cuz having lots of choices is 'fancy', right?
Singing "Happy Birthday" to Ella Daddy helping Ella blow out the candles, she wasn't quite sure what to do & I think a little overwhelmed with all the people watching her! She didn't need any help eating it though.... Connor & Ella, 2 peas in a pod! So you probably can't tell by this picture, but Kagen on the left is eating a chocolate cupcake....he must have decided he needed to wipe off his face....cuz when he didn't see a napkin near by....he used the inside of his cupcake wrapper! It was SOOO cute....he ended up messier, but so cute! We love Ella's 'Kagey'! Ella insisted on modeling her new sunglasses from Aunt Mel (and fam.) UPSIDE DOWN! Even when a few of us tried to help her, she was insistent on wearing them this way....so cute! Some of the family & friends gathered to help us celebrate.... Ella, cousin Jersie, & friend Maddy Anderson playing with Ella's new mailbox - it's a hit! Cute girls too! Ian, Kennadee, Sam, & Abby playing Air Hockey is always popular..... Ella's new Farmer's Market from Mommy & Daddy.....she & Maddy couldn't wait to get in it...Ella has amazing awesome big brothers that will play anything she wants...let's just say she has all the men in her life wrapped around her little finger!!!....

We are so grateful for everyone who has been a part of Ella's life - you mean so much to us!!! Family, friends, neighbors & members of our ward who helped me raise her when my back was out & through my surgery - Thank you isn't enough! Ella, we love you, you bring a special joy to our family & complete us!