Happy Birthday Ellie!!!

On January 3rd, 2006 we welcomed Ellison Audrey Ray into our family. At 8 lbs and 21" long she's changed our lives forever...

minutes old....

1 year old....

2 years old....

3 years old....

4 years old.

I can't even imagine what our world would be like without this amazing daughter and sister of ours. She brings so much joy and laughter into our life.

• She is quite the family clown - always making us laugh with her cute, quirky personality.
• Favorite Food: CARBS - Ramen Noodles, spaghetti noodles, Rhodes dinner rolls (she could easily eat a dozen), mac & cheese and ANYTHING with sugar - we have to hide the sugar bowl or she will eat it by the spoonful, literally.
• Best Friends: Her sister Ryleigh and our yellow lab Fenway.
• Favorite Male Friend: Dane (from preschool)
• Loves school and is sad the days she doesn't get to go.
  
• Favorite Songs: I Am A Child Of God; I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home (Grammy, Mommy, Ryleigh, Mammy & Aunt Jackie are other names she requests for this song).
  
• Favorite Movies: Anything with Barbie or Disney Princesses
• Favorite Distant Relative: "My Special Aunt Jackie"
  
• Favorite Color: Pink
• Loves to Play: make-believe
• Hates to walk ANYWHERE and wants and to be held ALL the time. Last child syndrome?
• Loves to take naps with mommy.
• Very Complementarity - Her Grammy can always count on her to compliment her on something she is wearing, especially jewelry.
  
• Loves to play on the computer and knows her way around it quite well.
• Elle is a night owl - she spends almost every night laying in bed for 1-2 hours reading books or drawing on her doodle board.
• Loves to ride her bike, but only to the corner. Then her legs are suddenly too tired and she wants to be held, then whines when we tell her 'No'. This happens every time and yet she is still holding out hope that she will get her way.
• Extremely Stubborn -  Hmmmm, I wonder which parent she gets that from???
• A very quick witted child.
• Here are a few "Ellie'isms" we have kept track of lately...

- When we asked her what her favorite movie is, she said, "Alma and the Chipmunks."
- She was riding her bike, ran into the wall and said "Crap!!!" When Chris admonished her for her language, she quickly responded with, "No, I said grab.....the handlebar."
- After exiting the bathroom, she declared, "I just did a lot of poops - like a whole family." Chris was so proud.

Oh, what would we do with out this crazy girl?

Happy Birthday Ellie we love you so very much!!!