She likes my smile!!

Ellie and I were just sittin in our chairs out on the driveway. I was holding my hair in a ponytail off of my neck and noticed El kept glancing at me. I kindly asked her why she was looking at me. She said, "Well mom, I like it when your hair is back in a ponytail because I can see your face better. Also mama, I like the smile you have on your face right now. I love it when you smile, it makes me happy."

She melted me.

A few minutes later we were listening to a Bible Story on CD. It was Noah's ark. She asked me where Jesus was if He wasn't on the ark and I explained that He hadn't been born yet. She paused. (Wheels were turnin in there). She asked, "Well then how did God talk to Noah and other people back then if He wasn't alive in Jesus yet?" Wow- good question El. I tried to explain how God communicated with people before Jesus was born. I think she was intrigued...
I'm intrigued by HER.

Lastly, a video El took of herself and the robot she made this morning. She's quite proud. HaHa, she said she wants to be a scientist when she grows up. Soooo, when her babysitter showed up with bags of recycle-ables to create a MASTERPIECE, you could say she was pumped. :)

finally the Hilton Head pics

Easter morning once again!

great question

"Mommy, if everybody gets here as a baby in someone's belly, then how did the first person get in this city?" (She meant world).

"Great question Ellie! You're wondering how the first person got put on this earth, huh? You know the story of Adam and Eve, right?"

"Yes mommy, I know. But if Adam was the first person, how did he get here if he wasn't a baby?"

"Well babe, this is a picture of how awesome God is. He created everything and he put the first person on this earth. No one can really understand what that was like, but when you think about it, it's pretty amazing, isn't it? You're right El, it takes a mommy and a daddy to have a baby, but God put Adam here all by himself. Isn't that pretty awesome?" (Meanwhile thinking to myself: For REAL? How and why is she pondering this right now. Not something a 5 year old typically pontificates after preschool on Monday afternoon. What am I supposed to say? Am I explaining it right? Ahhh!!)

"OK thanks Mom, I understand. Now I'm STARVING! I wish I could have some of Nana's egg salad right now."

The Big Race

So last weekend we signed Ellie up for her FIRST race. Granted, it was an incredibly last minute decision as Ryan and her were just at the Glass City Marathon Expo checking things out. BUT of course Ryan realized that he had failed to enter his own daughter in the kids' version of the race that he had done so much planning and organizing for here in Toledo. To him, that was just not acceptable. :)
Soooo, because she had on her good running shoes, he signed her up 45 min. before the race began. She was wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt (it WAS a chilly day) but oh well, she was gonna run and they were both pumped. I got the phone call with 30 minutes to spare. I happened to be in the bathtub, so I jumped out, woke Emma up from her nap and flew over to UT's campus. I found a parking spot, which happened to be WAAY too far away. BECAUSE...I ended up having to throw Emma on my back, grab the cameras, and run, yes RUN (33 weeks pregnant) across campus to make it in time. I wasn't gonna miss this race. And I didn't!

She was so adorable. They stretched, did some warming-up exercises (Ellie needs some help with her push-ups. I'm not even going to put in writing on here what it looked like she was doing). Ha! But then the race began and El was off. She stayed right at the front and was more focused and determined than I ever thought a 5 year old would be in an event like this. I don't think she really knew that she was in a race, she just RAN (not even all that hard or fast...just ran because we told her to run and follow the guys in the yellow shirts). I loved it. Ryan, Ems, and I had a blast watching her. We all clapped and cheered as she crossed the finish line. Enjoy the pics!