Y-Ella is 4!!!!!

I don't know if I've posted the funnies about her nickname yet... Probably not, so I'll explain!  When we were in Utah for a while, Gma Linda commented that she should be called Yella... or Old YELLer... get it??  She is so loud, and always yelling about something!  So fits her, and is so funny!  Even she claims it as her name and giggles every time she says it and tells who gave it to her!  Hahahaha!

We have a hard time actually believing that our YOUNGEST child is 4!!  19 November 2007 was a day to remember for us!  And we should have known then that the above nicknames would have fit perfectly.  She was the loudest baby we had ever heard!  :o)  And so demanding to begin with... and so stubborn.  Hard head, literally and figuratively!

She is our best source of entertainment (along with the other two) and is really a sweet little thing!  But... she's also really sassy, spunky, and FULL of life!  She has a giant spirit just booming out of her little body!  She is ALWAYS singing.  Usually in front of the bathroom mirror, where she is also primping!  {Putting on LIPGLOSS... which she STILL LOVES, and brushing her short hair in all sorts of directions!}

We love you, Ella, and we're looking forward to many more years of yelling!!

This year, since she wasn't allowed to have a "friend party" she decided that she wanted to have her special day at Aunt Colleen's.  She planned it all out and decided that she really wanted a COSTCO cake (of all things) and had it all set in her mind.  She went about telling everyone what she was doing... everyone, that is, but Aunt Colleen.  It finally came down to me telling her that she really needed to ASK if she could have her party there!  Of course, Colleen let her and was happy to oblige.  She and John would help them rob a bank, I think, if they asked nicely and gave them the puppy-dog eyes!  {Well... maybe a bank full of Oreos and Cheetos, anyway!}

We started the "party" with some punch balloons that made a lot of noise and seemed to get everyone super excited while we waited for lunch... (Pizza, breadsticks, and hot wings!!  Haha!) 

I had 6 balloons and BOTH blue ones ended up having a hole in them.  Really??  Boo!  {FYI:  Duck tape works on these balloons!}

We brought he whole load with us... from everyone!  {Meaning family that had sent gifts down!  And... Gma Linda and I have the best taste in wrapping paper!  When her box came and I saw the paper, I just SMILED!!  It's the stripey stuff!  Sparkly and spunky, and super cute!}

I convinced Lexi and Braeden to each give her a pack of gum and a box of Tic-Tacs!!  And she LOVED them!  Probably more excited about those than anything else except the lipgloss and nail polish!  :)  {And it was in their budget!!  AND... it taught them the lesson that the little things really do matter and are sometimes the very best things to give!!}

Watching Ella open gifts really is priceless!  She was SOOO mad at the ribbon!  Haha!

She just made it look so hard.  At least the end result was worth all the EFFORT!!  ;o)

While she was opening her packages, Braeden was reading her the cards!

This is what my view looked like most of the time.  Braeden just couldn't get close enough... despite the fact that he kept getting in trouble for smothering her and blocking the camera's view!  Sigh.

Clothes and glow-in-the-dark nail polish from Gma Pam!

LOVE this picture!  She really was having such a good time!!!

Yay for lipgloss!!!!!!!

Too MUCH stuff for a little 4 yr. old!  She made out like a bandit!  Zoobles, chapstick and lipgloss, clothes, more Zoobles, Zhu-Zhu pet and beauty salon, and the big hit was the MP3 player from Gma Pam, Aunt Colleen, and Uncle John!!!

And then... she gave hugs to all that were there to celebrate with her!

Now that's a good SQUEEZE!  Ella and Auntie Leslie

Gma Pam surprised her by being at Aunt Colleen's before we were!  She didn't know she was coming that early!!  Yay!

Pretty soon both she AND Lexi will be taller than Amberie!  :o)

The two birthday kids!  Sam's is 17 November!

And we were soooo happy to have Daddy with us!  He actually had the day off!  Hooray!!!

Ella and Gma Aunt Colleen... our gracious hostess!

Ready for some cake and ice cream!

This is the cake she chose... from COSTCO!  Just what SHE wanted!  She loved every bit of it!

Let's see if Auntie Leslie and I can get all the candles lit!  {There are more than 4...}

Make a good wish, and BLooooooo...

....oooooWWWW!

We even put candles on for Sam, too because his birthday was just 2 days prior and he didn't get a chance to celebrate because he was furiously working on his thesis that needed to be finished and turned in!!  Happy #31, Sam!!

Eeek!  Haha!  Ready to cut the cake!

Whoa... that is a giant piece of cake!

With the MOST frosting possible! Can you say sugar coma??

And notice that the only thing on her fork is... FROSTING!!!

The next day we were back in Temecula and it was RAINING!!!  And it was PERFECT!  Because, I knew what she was getting from Theresa, Tristin, and Alyssa!!!  She had been wearing Lexi's galoshes around EVERYWHERE, but they are too big and so Theresa had been just WAITING to get her a new pair!!

And they are just right for my little bug!

LOVE THEM!!!!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Ella!  We love you so much... even your spunky attitude.  It keeps it all real for us!