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It's hard to believe that I'm about to type these words out but...here goes. My Ella girl turned seventeen, y'all! I blinked and she grew into a young lady, just like that! Poof!
To know Ella is simply to love her. While most people who know us have never had the privilege of hearing her speak (Ella was diagnosed with Selective Mutism when she was just a wee girl), she has adapted well to communicating with her expressive hands and face. She gives the absolute best hugs and has an awesome sense of humor. Her gentle demeanor and quiet disposition make her one of the most successful animal whisperers I've ever known. Animals flock to my girl! Even the ones who are typically shy/scared of people. She works incredibly hard in school and is a tremendous help around the house. She is her mama's constant companion and we thoroughly enjoy coffee stops, dog parks, and shopping. She LOVES clothes and shoes. She enjoys being immersed in nature, traveling, and seeing new places and things. Her favorite movie is Pitch Perfect (the first one). She LOVES Mexican food, boiled peanuts, all the veggies, Blueberry Lemonade Sunkist, snacking on pickles, and Funyuns! Her favorite family activities, to do at home, are to roast marshmallows and play board/card games around the table. Taking her pups on a hike through our woods always makes her smile. Despite her Selective Mutism, Ella loves being with people. I'm so thankful for those folks who are able to see past her SM and treat her like the awesome person she is. She's creative and enjoys art the most. Her favorite colors are purples, pinks, and blues. Her favorite book genre is mystery and loves comedies when picking movies to watch. Her favorite season is Winter but is a total fish when it comes to swimming in the Summer. She loves her family, her animals, and her church friends/mentors.
She is sunshine and love, and I'm so incredibly thankful God chose me to be her mama.
I adore the fact that when I ask my kids what they'd like to have for their birthday dinners they ALWAYS choose a home cooked meal as opposed to dinner out. For her birthday, Ella requested we make homemade calzones for dinner and that I make an ice cream cake. The calzones make for a family fun activity as everyone creates their own. She was showered in love and gifts before dinner followed by a movie of her choice, The Teenage Kraken. Cute movie, by the way! I think she enjoyed her day. She told me, at least two dozen times, that she had the best birthday!
I tend to get emotional on their birthdays. If you're a parent, you get it! They grow so quickly! My late husband, Darrell, would always chuckle at me when the tears would flow. He'd say, "Come here." and pull me into an embrace. "You do this on every birthday." I miss him most on their birthdays. We were good at working together to celebrate our babies. It's hard to believe, sometimes, that he isn't here to see what I get to see. He loved making their birthdays special just as much as I always have. I hope he's got himself a little window from Heaven so he can see how well our babies have grown. I certainly felt his presence as we sang her Happy Birthday.
My Dearest Ella,
I know I don't have to tell you, because I say it all the time, but you are so precious and I'm blessed to be your mama. You make me proud and I wouldn't change a single thing about you. I pray that you enjoy your seventeenth year of life, blessing and being blessed in return. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has planned for you!
