happy birthday, ella!

happy birthday, tink! today you turned three, which is crazy because i remember vividly the day you were born, just like it was yesterday. i told you that story last night and today, about how everyone was in san antonio for a wedding (even sunny), and you decided that you wanted to come out and meet us. i told you about how we were so happy to find out that you were a girl and that i cried (happy tears, not sad tears) when i finally got to hold you and kiss your sweet little face.

here we are three years later and you are officially a little girl. you are so beautiful, so beautiful. you have a lot of personality and words for such a little body. you can be sweet, sour, sensitive, and sassy all in about 10 minutes. i love when you are so happy or excited about something, that you smile your big smile, squint your eyes, and crinkle your little nose...it is priceless. you always have something to say (which is like me) and something to do (which is like your dad). you know no strangers because you make friends with everyone. i love that about you. had it not been for your extrovert personality and free spirit, we probably would not have been able to come here to morocco. ella, i learn so much from you. you continue to teach me to have childlike faith, you teach me love, and you teach me patience (when you test mine and also when you are patient with me.) you are who you are, and we love you just the way you are.

you had a wonderful day today. your friends across the hall came over early this morning to eat apple pancakes with you and give you birthday cards they made for you...so sweet! we went to mcdonald's (which you call old mcdonald's)for lunch with ezra and you got to run around in the playland and get an ice cream cone. i made you a cake this afternoon so we could sing happy birthday to you when daddy got home from work...you told me that you were not 3 until we sang happy birthday to you. you had a true moroccan birthday as you wore your moroccan dress and ate a moroccan dinner at a nice little cafe...just you, mommy, and daddy! as if all that was not enough, all the kids on campus are coming over for corny dogs (made from scratch) and cupcakes! "we love you too much!"

ella, ezra, and "old mcdonald"


"cheers!"


the mister


playing in the playland


happy birthday to you!...now you can be 3.


the girls