Our Yankee Doodle Sweetheart

We celebrated the 4th this year with Michael's parents, then enjoyed fireworks with friends on Nobb Hill- the view was spectacular!

Hasn't our Yankee Doodle Joy grown since last year???

Pretty in Pink...

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE pictures!!! This was just an evening out in the yard while we were at my Mom and Dad's in June.

Home Away From Home...

Ella and I got to spend a week in June in Nashville at my parent's house. We enjoyed getting to see my sister Kristi, niece Staci and brother-in-law Walt for dinner to celebrate Dad's 73rd Birthday on Sunday. We were spoiled with Mommy Tot's homemade biscuits, Aunt Su-Su's buttermilk pancakes and our favorite- a fish fry! Aunt Connie took off work a couple of days to be with us! We went swimming in Aunt Nikki's pool, and Aunt Kim came to see us! I finally got my arms around Miss Ava! I enjoyed getting to see many old friends! We had such a wonderful week!

Baby Ava-- Isn't she the CUTEST??? What a precious little miracle, Kacey and Blake!

Once a fashionista, always a fashionista.......

Miss Ella is certainly enjoying playing dress-up these days!!! She loves any type of necklace or bracelet, and lots of them!!! She came back from her visit in Nashville earlier this week talking our ears off!!! She now says caa(car), tuk (truck), deat-iz (there-it-is), fofi(sophie, aunt connie's dog), Bah (Bob), Tah (Tot), Su-su, and this morning she said "hey cee" (hey pacey the dog)!! She loves cherry tomatoes and corn-on-the-cob this week.

Summer Is Here!

Happenings.....

Well, I'm a blog slacker these past couple of weeks, but the Ekenseairs have certainly been busy living!!! Michael and I enjoyed a weekend away in Dallas over Memorial Day weekend, and Ella was spoiled past rotten at her Mimi and Papa's in Searcy while we were gone. We had the best time- we shopped 'til we dropped, enjoyed our favorite restaurants, and caught a movie. We even made a stop at my family's in Nashville on the way down. It was so nice to just get away!

Ella is something else right now!! Her little personality is really blooming, and she is running everywhere- she loves for us to chase her. I had to take her to the doctor yesterday with a nasty sinus infection- thank God for medicine!!! She weighed in at a whopping 22lbs, 15 1/2 oz. We are still lingering around the 25th-30th percentile, which is just fine. Good things come in small packages, right? =) She loves shoes right now (uh-oh, get ready daddy!)- anyone's- she loves to put on our shoes and walk around the house in them, or bring you your shoes and put them on your feet and then clap. She is such a picky eater right now! She would be a chubby baby if I would fix poppyseed chicken every night- I'll have to think on that one! =) She would spend all day outside if she could. Oh, and she still has dance fever, of course. It really is quite hilarious.

On a little bit of a sad note, today is Nichole's last day (at least on a regular basis =) ) with Ella while I'm at work. We are so sad, but Nichole starts clinicals next week (she's in her last year in the speech therapy program at UCA), and since we haven't talked her into quitting school and keeping Ella full time =), we just won't fit into her "schedule" anymore!! (just kidding, Cole) I can't say enough wonderful things about Nichole. We met her a few years ago, and have loved her ever since. Who knew that someday she would keep our baby girl? She has been an absolute answer to our prayers. How many Moms can honestly say they have never left for work even one day and been worried about their child? It's true! We knew before Ella even came that Cole certainly knew more about this "baby" thing than we did!!! We never knew someone else could love our child so much and not be part of our "biological" family!! She is the most caring, compassionate, sincere, fun-loving person who has a heart for Christ and for just people in general. Could I ask for more from the person who gets to spend time with my child? She has a zest for life that is completely contageous, and Ella certainly loves her to death (almost a little too much- I get jealous in the mornings when she doesn't even want to tell me bye because "cole's here now"! =) ). And all of these things don't even begin to describe what a wonderful person she is, and just how blessed we are to know her. We're so thankful she's part of our (especially Ella's) life, and she has certainly made a lasting impression on all of us! She'll ALWAYS be part of our family!! We love you, and are so proud of you, Cole!

And, because God is so good, he already had someone else in mind for Nichole's "replacement"- Niki, who happens to be Cole's best friend. She's out of PT school for the summer, and is such a sweetheart! She has some big shoes to fill, though. =) Just kidding. God really takes care of us, doesn't he?

Well, I'm rambling now. The Ekenseairs are looking forward to a great summer! I'll post new pics soon! I promise to be a better blogger this month!

One more thing-- our friends Shelley and Brad found out they're having a baby GIRL!!! Congrats to them!!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Ella, cousin Emily, and Michael had a blast playing in the sprinklers Friday night!!! The girls got soaking wet- even though you can't tell from this picture!!!