Happy 8th Birthday, Ellie!

Dear Eliana,

You turned 8 just over a week ago. Your actual birthday fell on a Wednesday, and Wednesdays are pretty busy around here. After school, we celebrated you with a dinner of cheeseburgers and curly fries (your request) along with cupcakes here at the house, then you went to Halo at church - your religious ed. class. I'd given you the option to skip it but you said you were really excited to go since you have so much fun there. After much consideration we'd scheduled your birthday party with your friends for Sunday afternoon, January 19. You invited 8 of your friends to go snow tubing at Trapp Farm Park in Eagan, and you were pretty excited that 6 of them were able to attend. Gwen, Zoe M., Savannah, Mallory, Lexie, and Olivia joined Aidan, Maddie, Zoe, Auntie Lisa and her friend Jane, as well as your dad, Grandma, and me to party with you on the slope. We were so lucky that Sunday turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day; I think the high for the day was a balmy 39 degrees, the sun was shining, and we had a blast! You girls got so warm from hiking up that hill over and over that you were peeling off your jackets, hats, and mittens. We were there for about two hours before it was time to head back home for hot chocolate, ice cream cake, and presents! We'd made cocoa mugs as party favors for each of the girls with their initials on them, and they turned out great. I'm so glad we were able to gather 15 people to celebrate along with you on such a happy occasion!
We always have retold to you the story of your birth on your birthday, and you enjoy hearing it every time. Every morning when I see your smiling face my heart just melts. You're a wonderful big sister, you're smart, funny, beautiful, thoughtful, caring, silly, sassy and sweet. You are an amazing person and we're so incredibly lucky to have you! Happy Birthday, sweetheart!

Love, Mom and Dad