So, this has become one of my favorite pictures of Ellie in the recent months. You can tell by the date that it was the day before her second birthday, so we’re going a little out of order here, but i just got these pictures from my mom. My lesson of the day – start carrying my camera everywhere i go. Blogging just makes me want to take pictures of everything!

We were having brunch with Grandma and Grandpa at Dave’s in Charles City…and I got Ellie a french toast stick with a little bit of syrup in the bowl as “dip” (my kid has to have “dip” on everything, and everything serves as dip!) You can see which part of that breakfast she liked the best.

I’m proud to say she got every last drop…except the ones that were running down her chin.
You can also see in the background, her partially eaten donut (and it’s mostly frosting that’s gone)
Love that girl!

I came home from work today with this site greeting me on the front and back lawns.
It was evidence to me that Nathan and Ellie had a good day together.

Sled tracks on the front lawn…

and tiny bootprints next to big ones on the back lawn. Ahhh…it just makes me smile.

Last Saturday was quite the day for us.  Nathan and I dropped Ellie off at a friend’s house in Cedar Falls on our way to a woodcarving class in Waterloo.  This is the project that mom and I taught to the club that day. 

If you can’t tell, its a candle holder…what was great is that most people there got them completed, or well on their way by the end of the day!

Ellie was having a different kind of fun that day!  Our friends took her on her first trip to Chuck E Cheese!  Now, I have never in my life been to a Chuck E Cheese, but after hearing the description of how much fun she had, I think we’ll be going back soon! I’ll post some pictures as soon as I have them.

Ellie and I were having lunch last Thursday when I asked her “Ellie, what should mommy get daddy for valentine’s day?”  She looked at me very seriously for a moment, and then said “donut.”   
I asked her if that’s what she wanted to get daddy for valentines day, to which she replied “uh huh”

I’m glad to say that Wal-mart delivered on a little girl’s valentine to her daddy.  Here is a picture of them sharing it the next morning.

On birthdays at our house, we cuddle up and read the “Happy Birthday to You!” book by Dr. Suess.  Its our own little family tradition that started when Nathan and I got married, and now continues on birthdays for everyone in the family – not just the kids!  Its one of my favorite things that we do together as a family. 

And…birthdays are the only days of the year we get to read the book. 

Whats great is after the birthday reading, the book is stuck in my head for days!

“If you’d never been born, then you might be an ISN’T! An Isn’t has no fun at all. No he disn’t. He never has birthdays, and that isn’t pleasant. You have to be born, or you don’t get a present”