Archive for the 'Ella' Category



14
Feb
10

Happy Valentines Day!

10
Feb
10

why I love Valentines Day

Because I find papers like this on Rilyn’s art desk while straightening up:

(I also find it very sweet because Rilyn never told me she was making this Valentine for Ella.)

It says:  Dear Sister, I love you and you are my Valentine.Hugs and Kisses

From Rilyn

To Sister

(I love the little heart in the middle of their heads connecting them!)

I pray that these two girls would grow to be best friends! Oh what joy it is to raise two girls close in age!

Rilyn not sure at first about this ‘new sister’ thing!
April 2007
 
From June 2007
07
Feb
10

a night at ‘the ball’

Tonight was my first sweetheart dance with Ella, (at Lifetime Fitness with Jeff and Anna Richardson), and for some reason, (which was quite puzzling), I felt like I was back in sixth grade going to my first school dance. “Why am I so anxious?” I kept asking myself. I have nothing to prove, it’s just another dance and it’s not like I have to impress anyone. And yet as we danced the night away I found myself wanting to prove myself as the knight in shining armor that Ella deserves. One of the silly games she wanted to play was for me to go off to the side by myself and pretend to be this prince who, as she walked by, was awestruck with her beauty and wanted to sweep her off her feet and dance.

It was during our slow dance to Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses” that I realized two things:

(1) This is one of the cheesiest songs ever written (side note: Julie’s dad’s version is my favorite at our wedding), 🙂 and
(2) My anxiety building up to the dance was simply a reflection of the truth that I am not always going to be her prince charming, that some day she is going to be awestruck by some dude from who knows where and this is a very anxious thought…

So my hope and prayers are for her heart and eyes to be protected and guided by Christ’s love through my love for her….

James, Ella, Anna, and Jeff
daddy’s girl
01
Feb
10

happy february!

Rilyn-8 months old
Ella-one month old

*No I did not make Asher endure this picture!

29
Jan
10

a bug, bubbles, and bears

Lately…

Asher got dressed up as a lady man bug by his aunt.

notice the high heels in the background, this boy is

surrounded by girlyness!!!

We’ve been playing with bubbles!

one of the gorgeous weather days this month
bubbles and dancing with the family!

And this morning, I started decorating for Valentines Day with bears! (I do know that these bears are hideously ugly and cheesy, but I get them out every year, because these bears were all given to me by my students on V-day during my 3 years of teaching. They remind me of the sweet moments of teaching and how teacher gifts can be so bad.  So please moms, give your kid’s teachers something they will really love-gift cards!)

Bonus:  The bear and roses on the ‘platform’ lights up and plays music!
25
Jan
10

super slide Saturday

We decided to celebrate daddy’s homecoming from Brazil and Rilyn’s great report card with a trip to Jungle Java! This place was super fun, especially the slides!

These slides said, “Ages 4 and up” so naturally we sent Asher down them by himself!
19
Jan
10

it was a beautiful ceremony

What to do on a rainy day last week? Why, of course, perform a wedding ceremony! Princess Rilyn married Prince Cole (he is obviously in a royal robe of some sort), in a beautiful ceremony in which I officiated and was the photographer. Don’t worry, this ceremony was G-rated-no hand holding or kissing! Ewww, gross! 😉 Ella was the ‘Bling’ Bearer (check out that rock she is holding!) and Anna was a flower girl who holds no flowers.
** (You know I just love having pictures like these for future use one day…)

Rilyn learned about wedding garters from her aunt

Jessica’s wedding last month, so I find it cute that she

put a bracelet around her leg as her ‘garter’.

16
Jan
10

going for the ‘stache

Last July, after the girls had their visit with the dentist, you may remember that Ella was very unhappy to pull out of their ‘gumball machine’ this.

Well, this past week, as I told the girls it was time to go back to the dentist, the first thing Ella said was, “I hope I get another mustache!”   (I guess being four now makes for an attitude change!)  So, this year, much to her delight, after her dentist visit, the office had a filled gumball machine solely dedicated to stick-on fake mustaches (must of been a popularly requested prize!)  Here is her picture this year!  (Stay tuned for their next appointment in July where I hear, if she is lucky, she may pull out a pink mustache!)

You may notice she got a different style ‘stache this time!

**As for Rilyn, she again chose to go for a more girly prize! Shocking!

10
Jan
10

snow white

Ella’s birthday party was this weekend and she had a special guest attend-Snow White!  There was a lot of princess fun-body glitter, face painting, pinata, parachute games, balloon animals, dancing, bubbles, story time, cake and ice cream, and a magic show!

I made this cake!  And yes, it was difficult.
Snow White teaching Ella and Gracie how to pose like a princess.
All 15 princesses with Snow White!
Snow White gave her a red hair band like hers!
Time for cake!
Thanks for coming Snow White!
08
Jan
10

four!

We took Ella’s four year portraits today at Picture People.  Ella gets almost excited about portrait day as I do!  🙂  She is always asking me to take her picture and then wants to see it on the camera.  She had fun posing today and Asher had fun running out of the studio a couple of times and trying to get into her shots!