Ella is 7!!

I know we say this every year but really, how can Ella be another year older??

Ella ran down the steps on her birthday morning and was ready to go. She loved that the house was decorated for her birthday !

She ate her favorite breakfast, pancakes made by dad, on the Happy Birthday plate and then was off to school.

Jason, Matthew and myself picked her up for lunch and went to her choice, Skyline. It was so much fun to do something out of the ordinary since I never go out to lunch.

Then she came off of the school bus and Nana and Pappy took her out for the afternoon. They offered to take her shopping wherever she wanted (can we say a girl's dream?) and although we thought she would want an outfit, she did choose an outfit...just for her American Girl Doll.

There is a store about 10 minutes away that makes outfits for the AGD. It is quite a fun place so Ella chose to go there. Then she went to dinner with the Willetts and then home for cake with the rest of the family.

When my mom and I were at Recreations Unlimited with the kids, Ella fell in love with this bag (for obvious reasons). As she turned around, my mom bought it and we stashed it away. 

Wow was she excited to see that she did get the bag!

Last Friday my mom took Ella to the doll store as well (can you tell Ella loves her AGD) and picked out a couple of outfits. Check out that bathing suit and crocs!!! Adorable, right?

Ella had a great time with Nana Kay!

The organization freak in me loved this.

My mom and dad bought her a rack to hang the clothes on.

My dad stained it and my mom bought additional hangers. 

After everybody left, we sorted through the other outfits upstairs and hung them up.

Laney definitely needs one of these!

Thanks Nana and Grandpa!

The Willetts were telling me that when she was at the doll store, she picked out a few outfits that she liked.

But then she spotted the horse. She asked them if she could have the horse (and put the rest of the outfits back). Of course they couldn't turn that down. Everytime we get the AGD magazine the girls go ga-ga over the AGD horse. She is so excited to own the horse now!

The Willetts took Ella to the peanut place and then out for ice cream.

What a great afternoon!

After all of the AGD stuff, our presents were so anti-climactic :)

But I do wish this picture had sound. She kept saying oooooooooo.

The story behind the picture is that for Laney's birthday, we got her a new suitcase.

Ella had been using her smaller one for vacation and sleepovers and was a bit jealous of Laney's bigger one.

So when her birthday came up, I knew she would love a big girl suitcase.

Matthew helping Ella blow out the candles. 

Apparently she wasn't doing it fast enough.

Aren't those little glasses too cute?

Ella fell asleep with the horse next year and this morning, ran down the steps with the horse in her hand.

She wants to take her horse to school for share day....she is just in love with all of her AGD accessories.

Thank you to her Grandparents for all of the wonderful outfits, the horse, the clothes rack, the accessories, etc. She is in heaven!

Whaaaaat do we have here??? All of us looking AND smiling?

A miracle :)