Ella's Birthday Party

Ella had her birthday party at "Jump U." yesrterday with some of her buddies. She had such a great time! Here are some pics from the party...

Sydney, Ella, Natalie, and Maddie

Ella and Nonnie

Natalie, Sydney. Ella, Breanna, Maddie

Sam and Michael Batson--we call them "double trouble". They are like twins.

Jill Batson and Sheryl--I love that they posed underneath that sign on the wall...very fitting.

Ella on the "Spider" tower

Maddie dominates on air hockey

Maddie ande Sydney duke it out

Ella and me

Ella and her good friend, Lola

Cheeeeeese!

Ella and Natalie have been good buddies since the beginning of their Kindergarten year

Breanna and her icing lipstick

Sydney Williamson

After the party we had a family birthday dinner at Toyama. Kiki and Gracie were there too. Gracie was having a good ol' time. Love her smile!

This picture looks so much like Sheryl to me

After Toyama we went home and Ella got family gifts. Kiki gave her a cool cupcake maker and my mom gave her a "Baby Alive". Apparently, they are the new thing and exactly what Ella (who loves baby dolls) has been wanting. The doll...well...the doll poops. Yeah, and it talks. I think I had nightmares about baby Chucky last night. Ella was so excited to get it and the cupcake maker. But, as she has reminded me time and time again, the best gifts are of the heart. And those are the kind of gifts she has given us for 7 years.

God, please bless Ella and keep stoking the fire in her heart. Change the world through her love for you. Teach us all to love you as she does.

Happy Birthday, Ella!

Tomorrow, January 4th, my Ella will turn 7 years old. Oh my goodness. Where has the time gone? She is so big!

Last week I told her that I would take her on a "daddy date" on Sunday for her birthday and that we could do anything she wanted...movie, ice cream, whatever. Her choice was to go to Lakeshore Retirement Home today to see the "old people". I went about 2 1/2 years ago to do a communion service there one Sunday afternoon and took Ella with me. She has never forgotten it. In fact, she has asked to go many times since. Today, it was her one wish.

So, after church she and I headed to Kroger where she picked out some very beautiful roses which she wanted to buy with money she had saved up. We took the roses and went to the 1pm service at Lakeshore. The Harpeth Hills Church of Christ youth group led the service today. I'm sure they wondered what we were doing there. Ella and I sat down before it began and Ella leaned over and whispered, "Can I go sit over there with those grandmas?" So, we went to the side where she plopped herself down on a couch between 2 older women. I sat in a chair near them. Ella helped turn the pages in the hymnal, she smiled, she sang.

After it was over Ella pulled out her roses and handed them out. Miss Margaret sitting next to her was one of the first to receive a rose. Margaret was a beautiful Southern lady. After Ella handed her the rose she told us that she had 3 daughters. One of them died last month. She told Ella how much it meant to her to have her sit next to her.

Ella and Miss Margaret

Ella's wish was one that blessed many people today. It's so like her. She has always had a special gift of encouragement and compassion. It seems to me to be God breathed and I consider myself one of those most encouraged today. Seeing her excitement, the thrill in her heart to be there and the gleam in her eye as she talked and ministered to those sweet people today really showed me the way of Jesus today. I am being taught the Kingdom of God from my 7 year old. What a treasure!

After the service she and I went to Cold Stone Creamery and had some yummy ice cream. I just kept looking at her thinking about all the things I hope for her. I also wondered how many wonderful things I will learn from this girl over the course of my life.

Last night we celebrated the New Year with our dear friends Grant and Jill Batson and their kids. We were again reminded of the true gift of friendship we have in this world. I snapped this pic of Grant as he worked on tuning Ella's new guitar. Grant makes guitars. One day maybe Ella will play a Batson guitar!

Happy New Year everyone! And Happy birthday, dear Ella!

Christmas in Texas

For Christmas I got a camera I've been wanting for a long time! It's a Nikon D5000. It rocks my face off! I'm still trying to master it but it's been fun trying! Here are some pictures I took on Christmas Day...


Sam got some face paint from Santa. Sheryl drew the tiger stuff on him. So cute!

Sam the Tiger!

The day after Christmas we left for a VERY LONG drive to Houston. Sheryl's parents moved to Houston in August to be near to several of Sheryl's siblings. We got to see all of them while we were there.

Ella and Me-maw

Sheryl and her dad, Bob.

Laura (married to Sheryl's brother, Chuck) and our nephew Taylor

The kids were SO excited to see their cousins!

Christmas...again

Maddie opening gifts

Sam and Paw-paw

Even our new puppy, Francisco, made the long trip

gathering around the laptop at Chuck's watching all the kids' Christmas programs online.

Bob--Sheryl's dad. He's such a great man...and funny! When a bowl of fudge was brought out at Sheryl's sister Cindy's house he said, "Oh, shoot...I only eat these alone or with people." He always has great one liners.

There's a cool pond right out behind Chuck and Laura's house. The kids loved feeding the ducks.

Tuesday afternoon we drove over to Pearland to Sheryl's brother Kevin's house. Kevin and Jana had bought Rock Band...the Beetles version for Christmas. The kids (and I) had a blast with it. Pictured above is our niece Chelsea with Francisco.

One of my other nieces...Haley. Haley plays a mean guitar!

My nephew, Derek with Chelsea

Sam played drums for a while...he rocked it. But Maddie was the true drummer of the night.

Sheryl's brother Kevin

Sheryl's brother Chuck and his family--Laura, Taylor and Mason

Maddie rockin' it

Maddie and Me-maw

Sheryl and her mom

Laura and Chuck

Jana (Kevin's wife) taught Sam to play dominoes

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday night in Lake Jackson, Texas where Sheryl's sister Cindy and her family live. It's also where Sheryl's parents are living now. The highlight of the week for the kids was a tour of the Lake Jackson Fire Station. Uncle Billy (Cindy's husband) is Assistant Fire Chief there and gave the ultimate tour. It was really a blast!

The kids all got helmets and got to see all the inner workings of the fire house. Pictured here with our kids are Canaan and Sierra. They all had such a blast. Chris and Gail (Sheryl's sister) drove from Minnesota and met us in Little Rock where we stayed on the way. They get the most points for the road trip to Houston!

Uncle Billy even brought out the big truck and let the kids go up in the lift


Considering my fear of heights, I was glad to be planted on the ground as I took this picture of the kids up there with Billy.

Sam. Haley and Sierra climb the ladder

The culmination of the tour was an awesome ride in the fire truck around town. The girls said that during the trip Sam just let out a whoop...as though he just could not contain himself anymore!

Ella, Maddie and Sam

We left yesterday and had two long days of travel home...which included a night in a high-rise hotel in Little Rock where we had to smuggle Francisco in through the lobby in a tote back and covered in a blanket. It was a very Beverly Hillbillies moment.

Tonight we are home safely and feeling thankful for family and the blessing they have brought to our lives.

Happy New Year, everyone!