Ella’s 5th birthday!

Saturday the 21st was Ella’s 5th birthday.

Renee, the mother of one of the girls who we invited to Ella’s birthday asked me on the phone how old Ella was turning and I replied “six”. I really thought she was turning six. Where have I been? Questions for reflection coming up soon. :-) 

My mom thought that was a tad pathetic and could only think of how terrible it would have been to miss a whole year of Ella’s life (imagining we’d skipped year 5). “It’s just that she acts older than 4 I figured she must be 5 turning six, I explained… Didn’t go over. (But it’s true.) I think I may have gotten off by reason of the lack of sleep I’ve experienced lately, but I didn’t try that one.

So just before I got around to beating myself up for forgetting my daughter’s age I discovered there was a bright side and a true Romans 8:28 to the situation. Renee and the girls had enclosed six dollars in Ella’s birthday card -one for each year of course. So I just enriched my daughter’s life a little, what’s so bad about that? Even Grandma quickly changed her tune “Oh, you should have told Renee that Ella was turning NINE !!”

Anyhoo, we had great fun… We had Charlie (her cousin) and freinds Cabby and Brisa come for the weekend for sleepover and party time with Ella. The girls were so well behaved, kind, considerate, and easy. They made it very nice for Ella, even though they are all quite a bit older than her (11, 10 and 9 years) they were great company and friends to Ella. They also played with Evan and Emmer very nicely, and all around were just wonderful to have over. I’d do it again any day. (I think this says a lot about their parents and their Homes.)

We made pink cheese cakes with strawberries on top, played wild games of tag on the new porch, lots “the hippo” game (where they eat all the marbles, very loud game!) mud-walked to the park and back and then cleaned up the mud, and had 2 nights of sleepover. –All in the week after our move. Yes, I fell into bed sick the next day. I know I’m crazy, but insanity is just so much fun I don’t want to recover.

The girls didn’t want to go home Sunday night, so I was pleased or at least relieved. Sigh and Phew. At least they didn’t find auntie Claire’s house to be too boring!

Next we’ll have a boys sleep over, that may be more challenging. I’ll let Darren get some rest first.

Now for pics… lots of scrolling down.

Birthday girl

couldn’t decide which pic to post, so you get them both

blowing out the candles

the party troopers

Mom shared a poem with Ella that the Lord gave her for Ella on her birthday. It was beautiful. Ella read it through twice and loved it. A highlight.

Ella and Cabby

Charlie and Brisa

The sleepover gang. They did pretty well BTW, they actually went to sleep and slept through the night till 7 am. I was shocked.

Emmer at the park, my monkey man. He kept up fine with the older kids wild games of tag and the like. He’d get knocked over and knock them over too. They’d stop occasionally to say, “wow, he’s tough!”  Yep, yep.