Lunch with a very special 6 year old.

Ellie had a "almost" sleepover for her 6th birthday and we missed it so on our way home from Kentucky they met us at the mall in Nashville for lunch and a little birthday shopping.

Ellie is the oldest kid on either side of our family (chad and Natalie do not have one and are not pregnant....as far as we know. ;)) She was the first baby in a long time and Cason and I would go and stay at Beth and Clay's house almost every weekend the month before she was due and she would NEVER come. We finally decided to go rafting with Cason's club instead of go and sit and stare at Beth one Saturday morning when we got the call. They had gone to the hospital and she was in labor but it could still be awhile. like that mattered to us. We told everyone we had to go and turned the car around and headed to Mboro to wait. It wasnt a long wait nor was it a lonely one. I mean I think everyone in the town was in the room. Beth and Clay being born and raised there are well as all 4 of their parents (I think) it was a family event. The Doctor sent us out of the room because it was time for Ellie to arrive and it wasnt long at all before the door opened again with a "she's here". I remember the feeling of total amazement. We left the room with just Beth and Clay in it and when we came back there was the most precious thing I had ever seen in Beth's arms. It was truly like discovering miracles. I know I sound dramatic but it was the most touching thing I felt like I had ever been apart of. I know she does not have my blood running through her but that day she felt more like mine than any other child I had ever been around and it was the most wonderful feeling. She has remained special to me and always will be. She was my first baby. We did continue to go to their house every single weekend. Beth and Clay were real nice to put up with us as much as they did. On Ellie's 1st birthday we had moved to Memphis and we had come back for her birthday party. It was SOOOOO SPECIAL to me that when I showed up she wanted me to hold her right away and actually continued to pull for me the entire party. Again priceless. On another note: Ellie and Cason in the last couple of years have started to get a special connection but that figures since they are both Nerds. (aka smart. That is the name dumb people call smart people to make ourselves feel better! Dont believe me look it up.)