Happy 4th Birthday

First of all... I can't believe I have a 4 year old! Elyse is such a sweet little girl who brings me so much happiness and joy! She is my little April Fool's baby! Today we had a whole day of celebration with just our family. We love our extended family, but it was so nice to be together just the four of us!

Elyse wanted to go to the park so we went and got Subway and met Dad at the park for lunch. We had a blast!

Tonight Elyse wanted to go swimming, but Mommy strategically talked her out of going. I was so tired! Instead we played with her new VTech game system that Grandpa and Grandma Hooten got her.

I asked Elyse a few days ago what she would like for her Birthday dinner. I told her that I would make anything she wanted. She asked for Fish and rice and cooked carrots! My healthy little eater! The birthday girl got what she wanted!

Earlier today I took her to Baskin and Robins and let her pick our her very own cup of ice cream. She wanted pink ice cream so she chose strawberry. Of course, mommy and daddy needed some to. ;) I probably should have gone without some, but it was so good. That is what the candle is on. I decided not to make her a cake because she is having a birthday party on Saturday. Her cake is being made by a friend from church. Stay tuned for pictures of that some time next week.

To top it all off she was able to play with her friend Karleigh tonight while we (I mean Clay) watched Karleigh and her siblings. They had fun. I had to run some errands for 30 minutes of the time.

Happy Birthday my Elyse Bryanne! You truly are a beautiful girl!

Top 10 Things I love about Elyse

1. She gives me hugs when I am sad! I know I shouldn't be sad in front of her, but she makes me feel so good when she does that!
2. She is a very caring child! She suprises me at how much she cares for her friends.
3. Elyse is very forgiving. Why is it that I can get mad at her or lose my patience and than not even a few minutes later she has forgotten the whole ordeal.
4. She plays so well with her little sister Madyson. I know now why I had my girls 2 years apart. They are so in love with each other. Elyse wants Mady included in everything she does. In fact she asked me yesterday if she could invite Madyson to her birthday party on Saturday. Of course you can baby! It makes my heart just melt watching them together!
5. She tries and tries. She is a little girl with lots of perserverance! She is an example of when you fall you try again! I know that she will be able to use this to her advantage some day!
6. She is the best snuggler! She still is waking up at the crack of dawn. I cannot get that child to sleep in unless she is snuggling with me! Bring on the snuggling because that means mommy gets a few more zzzz's in the morning!
7. Elyse is very artistic. She loves to color and draw! I can see a lot of talent developing in that area for her. She is much better at it than i was/am.
8. She remembers all of her family in her prayers! I love hearing her pray! I know that she is very close to her Father in Heaven. I pray that I can continue to teach her and that the relationship that she has will always be like it is now!
9. She is happy over the smallest things. We recently just put her in gymnastics and she is so happy to go each week. She loves when we do little things for her and her appreciation shows! That makes me want to do plenty more things just to see her happiness!
10. The thing that I love most about Elyse is that she is Elyse! She is my little girl who is the light of her mommy's eye. She doesn't try to be anyone else on herself. This little girl means so much to me. I am so thankful for the bond that I have with Elyse. She is my first born and most mom's out there can agree with me that there is a special bond between a mother and her first born.

Elyse, I want you to know how much I love you and how proud I am of you! You are such a big girl! You have learned to do so many things this past year! You are a precious little girl. Never forget that! Have a happy birthday! I love you!

Love,

Mommy