A legend in his own time

A week ago we traveled to Pittsburgh to celebrate this man...

This is Granddad. And it would be an understatement to say how truly extraordinary AND extraordinarily loved this man is.

He turned 80 last weekend and the celebration that happened to honor and celebrate him was definitely one for the books.

There were so many memories made and shared of his life and of the things we all recounted that we all loved of him...

And even he couldn't even help but share in on the joy that we all expressed of why we all love him so much.

Some of his best friends traveled from far and wide to share in the momentous occasion and watching them all go back and forth with memories of their college years was perhaps one of the most wonderful things to witness as it gave us all yet another glimpse of why he is such an extraordinary guy. Watching these three go round and round with stories of their antics was just about like taking a step back in time and seeing them together just as they had been.

And despite the fact that the cake established a tone for the party that was some serious ribbing for the years he's earned of himself.

It's hard to say that he is much more 80 years YOUNG and not 80 years old now.

Granddad? We LOVE you. Every single one of us!! You certainly don't need to give us reasons to celebrate you because we already think you are great but let us tell YOU that we'll do this over and over again for you because that's just how much we love you.

Facelifted

Thought it was time to change things up. Today was just about in the 80s and I've got dreams of more warm weather and the possibility of our first family cruise to the Caribbean to happen a lot sooner than later - but probably still not for a long time anyway. Working on postings to catch up with things since I last posted. Perhaps this new color palette and visual redesign will ignite me with some much needed inspiration and fire me up with some good energy!

Music sweet music!

Miss A has been sickly for almost every week since the beginning of the year no thanks to starting preschool! (Her immune system is REALLY beefing itself up and we have been assured that we won't have to go through this at kindergarten time at least.) Still? We are thankful that we have been able to put Miss A in preschool at this stage because she's like a little sponge the way she is soaking up all of the amazing things they teach her everyday.

The other day her teacher told me that she knows EVERYBODY's name there (kids and teachers alike!) and yesterday she was able to identify almost every shape on this interactive learning toy we were playing with at church. She can identify the letter 'A' (for her name, of course!) and she's also become quite the songbird with all of the awesome songs they are teaching her. We've grown quite used to her just breaking out in song but she usually has to clear her "stage" (that is one of our sofas) of all of it's blankets/pillows/cushions...

Almost three going on 25

 A couple of weeks ago I showed up at Miss A's preschool and she was sporting an actual ponytail. It completely shocked me (to put it mildly) and it actually took me a week or so to get over it.

When did her hair get long enough to gather into a legitimate ponytail?

Where was the little tiny girl I dropped off earlier in the morning who was so tiny that I had to lift her down over the step of the front porch because it was too high?

What? NOW she's got a REAL ponytail?!! Next thing we all know she's going to be DRIVING and she's going to be packing her car to MOVE OUT and go to COLLEGE and then she will GRADUATE and try and go and get MARRIED. I'M LOSING MY LITTLE GIRL, PEOPLE!!! SHE'S GROWING UP AND I CANNOT STOP HER!!!!

I'll admit that I'm definitely overreacting with this whole ponytail thing but still. She's becoming more and more grownup these days! 

*sigh* In less than three months she will be exiting her second year. It's gone so fast, folks. And people warned me this would happen but I will absolutely tell you that they were right because it's going faster than even they said it would be go.

"Her cuh-lors are BLUSH and BASHFUL."

True story: When I was pregnant I was CONVINCED I would have a boy and when I found out I was having a girl it took me nearly two whole weeks to believe such a thing? Never would I have guessed that I was destined to have a daughter AND that she would be the girliest little lady this side the Mason-Dixon.

These pictures were taken at least a week ago as they don't properly document the fact that nowadays Miss A will only stand to wear PINK with maybe a dash of purple. Mostly though? She wears pink. And pink. And pink and Pink AND PINK!!!!!

Even when it comes to her toys, she will separate the pink ones from the rest of them and play with them alone.

See? She's got all of the PINK pigs and a PINK hippo. But the pink with light blue and yellow accents baby just doesn't rate...

And here she is when we were starting the first of our Spring gardening. She's wearing her (mostly) PINK pirate bead necklace I made for her last summer in the arts and crafts program I was coordinating. And she's donning her PINK hoodie jacket detailed with PINK roses and others such girly details.

Seriously. Life in the Ellwood house is not unlike living with Shelby from Steel Magnolias whose colors were also PINK and PINK.