March Blessings

March has been a busy month. The boys playing tennis and soccer, Easter, Easter egg hunts, Brandon's birthday, and a visit to Shriner's! Many pictures are in this post.

I must praise the LORD for our visit to Shriner's. I've been so uneasy about Ellie's orthopedic care, but the staff at Shriner's was so thorough. We came home with a new walker that improves Ellie's posture and will help to strenghten her leg muscles. She was "fitted" for new AFO's that will give her more support. We're planning to have her hip surgery this summer, after vacations and swim time at Grandma's.

Ellie also came home with countless stickers, 2 necklaces, a bubble toy, a Dora toy, and TWO porcelain dolls. She charmed everyone she met. My daddy and I drove 5 hours to Tampa, Florida, and Ellie entertained herself and us the entire way there. She kept her good humor through the many visits from the Shriner's staff, and she entertained again the 5 hours home. The day was so blessed.

I was thoroughly encouraged, when a nurse was taking a urine sample, and Ellie felt the cath! Praise the LORD! Her knee jerked twice! I don't know exactly what that means, but she didn't seem to feel it all when we were at Nemour's. I can't describe my joy.

And, on the way home, I felt God smile again when WHitney called so Josie-Tatum could talk to me. Josie-Tatum asked, "Did you get good news from the doctor today?" like such a little grown up. Then, she asked to talk to Ellie. When Ellie had the phone, she got excited and shouted, "Mama, thisa MY sister." It was as if I heard God say, "These two were meant to be sisters. This was all my plan." And, as I pondered our day, Ellie brought smiles to so many faces. People can't help but smile when she is smiling and singing walking around with her walker. She brings such joy to so many. Thank you, Jesus!

Brandon and his girl friend, Hannah, on his birthday.

Okay, so I tried to get Brandon blowing out his candles, but you know how digital cameras work. It was little late, but, hey, you see the smoke!

Here's my girls coloring at the church EAster party.

Somehow, I missed taking pictures of full Easter egg baskets and Easter bunnies, but I did take pictures out our church's Easter egg hunt. This is Ellie when the "surprise" guest showed up. It was not the Easter bunny, but Jesus. Well, actually, it was Mr. Rick Allmon, a member our church, who arrived to tell the Easter story. Ellie was mesmerized.

I have to post this picture. Josie-Tatum was trying to help me get Ellie to smile. Have you determined she was behind me making faces that included her hands as bunny rabbit ears behind me head. Well, we got Ellie to smile, with bunny ears, too!

Josie-Tatum is always ready to smile!

My Five Blessings this Easter! Can you believe I got them all smiling AND looking at the camera after only the second try. I decided to quite while I was ahead.

The Birthday Boys and Their Girlfriends

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. Well, it was a little cold for beach going, but we had already made these plans. Ellie was far to busy to let me put her jacket on. The boys' birthdays are just 3 weeks apart, so we chose this day between their birthdays to celebrate the whole day. We took them, the girls, and their girl friends out to eat. (See the picture above.) Then, we spent a couple of hours at the beach.

Ellie loves dirt. She will stop anytime she sees dirt to dig a little, and today she found heaven! She was so excited to see water everywhere first. Then she noticed SAND! SAND! and more SAND! She couldn't let us set up, because she stopped at the first bit of sand and started digging. I couldn't get her to look at the camera. She had sand everywhere, and she was so happy! Much unlike Josie-Tatum, who, the first time we took her to the beach, wouldn't let us put her down.

And, finally, with all of the teenagers yelling behing me, I got her to look away from her "work" and smile at her mama.