My ladybugs

Taking pictures of the girls in their latest BellBell creations, caused us to almost get blown away.  Windy is an understatement..

Hadley isn't looking in this one, but I love the way Els is looking at her sister.  She looks at her this way often.  Of course there are times when she is beating her up and pulling her hair, but I choose to only remember this look.

A fireball in the Firehouse

I don't blog like I use to.  Heck I don't do anything like I USE to.  I feel like I am in constant motion with The Red Head.  I feel like sometimes, all we do is chase her.  So the other day, when we were driving down the road and she saw a fire truck, she was so excited.  I heard her quietly say, "Maybe Mr. Bryan will let me see a fire truck."  Knowing he would deliver, we dropped by to see him at the Firehouse last Sunday after Church.  She is such a funny little creature.  I hoped her enthusiasm in the car would translate once we got there, but alas that was not the case.  She experiences everything in her environment with such joy and glee, unless she feels like all eyes are on her and she retreats.  We could not get her to smile and we could not get her to interact.  I was a little concerned she was a  traumatized.  However, that was not the case, as soon as we got in the truck, she started beaming, squealed, "I got to see a fire truck."

I am told that when she went back to the Firehouse last night with Keisha, she was both guns blazin'.  She loved it.

So Mr. Bryan had his gear out and put it on to show her.  She was little concerned.

She was really scared.  She moved from holding Keisha's hand, to hiding behind Kambry.

Not scary....

Even Hadley standing next to him, wouldn't convince her.

She didn't even want to touch the hat, once he took it off.

One with Nature

Right before the awards were presented, Ellison started to go into meltdown mode.  She sweetly asked me to take her outside for a walk.  As soon as we got outside, she asked me for a piece of shade.  Across from the arena was a field with shade trees.  We found us a nice cool spot in the shade and it was like I instantly had a different child with me.  She kicked back, relaxed, started exploring the grass, chattered away about everything she was seeing.  It was amazing.  She thrives outside.  This weekend was also the first time she rode Sassy and she loved it.  I might just have found my future riding partner.

Running with pine cones, not quite like running with scissors, but I wish I would have had my camera ready when Els picked one up for the first time.  She wasn't prepared for the prickle and it scared her.  It didn't take much to coax her to pick it up again.

Her eyes seem to sparkle when the light catches them right.  I look at this picture and I can't believe my baby is gone.

She really wasn't sure about this tree, that leaned out over the river, hence the bent over ready to retreat pose.

In this next series of pictures, you can't see what we are playing with but it was such a sweet moment.  Hadley discovered a lady bug in the grass and wanted to hold it.  Ellison thought she did too, until it came her turn and then we just had to make it happen.  Which she was okay with when we forced her to.  However, when she was done, she just flung her hand really hard and the lady bug went bye bye and she was on to her next thing.  There isn't much that is delicate about The Red Head.

We kept walking and Ellison rode on her Daddy's shoulders.  It was really cute to watch her pet his hair.  I don't think she has ever noticed how the short hair feels and she pet him the whole time she was up there.

Hadley soon declared it her turn.

Then Wayne declared it my turn.

Cheer Time

Saturday Hadley participated in a cheer competition at Camp Jordan.  She had a good time and did really well, but it was a long day with the Red Head.  We had to be there all day, so when I say it was a long day, I mean there was no nap.  No nap for Ellison, no nap for me, a long day.

She likes the Burger King

I have to break out Saturday up in a few posts.  We got a little picture happy.  During the lunch break Wayne went and picked up Burger King for us.  Ellison is such a finicky eater, we have quit getting her, her own meal and just try to feed her from the three of ours.  Sometimes she might eat something and other times, she is gone before we have taken our second bite.  Saturday was the day she wanted to eat.  I usually get an original chicken sandwich, she showed interest quickly and by a third of the way through, I handed it over to her and she went to town.  Wayne joked that she won't eat again for a week.