Happy 9th Birthday, Elise!

 

  Elise Marianna, our sweet, goofy, snuggly monkey!  Happy, happy birthday (a few months late, sorry!) to you!  You are a joy.  I mean, just look at that sweet, beautiful smile!  

And just look at that goofy smile too.  

You have always been a queen of great faces.  You make us laugh with your quirkiness and the funny "jokes" you tell us.  You say whatever comes to mind, and, Elise, you have a lot that comes to your mind and it is varied.  You can be laughing one minute, crying the next, having a panic attack following that, and then be back to laughing in a fairly short amount of time.  You have big feelings and you feel them and let them run their course.  

You have a joy for life that is contagious.  You see simple beauty and elevate it to priceless beauty simply by pointing it out with joy and passion.  You love all things snuggly and cuddly.  Our rule of only three stuffed animals in bed at a time is usually bent by you.  You just can't help inviting your whole menagerie of stuffed friends into bed to snuggle with you.  

This year you saw a cabbage leaf and declared that it looked like a bat (no, the irony isn't lost on me with the bat, people. ).  You promptly added a face and make it look more the part.  And you cried, I mean sobbed when you discovered two days later that it had wilted completely and was basically no more.  You saw something in that cabbage that no one else did and you poured your little heart into it.  We ended up making a paper version to help ease your pain at losing your cabbage creation, and that did eventually bring the tears to a stop.  Your sensitive little heart is so present in our home in so many sweet little ways.  

You are often the first to sense that I'm having a hard day.  You hear the tiny catch in my voice or see the sparkle of my eyes from a glistening tear trying desperately not to fall.  You notice the teensiest change in my eyes and sidle up to me to offer a hug and a warm smile.  You just have the most sweet, sensitivity to the pain and hurt of others.  

You love working on little projects- coloring and drawing are big favorites.  You also created "sock babies" which are lone socks stuffed into another lone sock and tied with a hair band.  If you squeeze the soft "socks within a sock", it does feel quite relaxing.  You also jumped on your sisters ideas of "flour babies" (flour in a balloon) and "rice babies" rice inside a sock as other forms of relaxing goodness.  My favorite part about all these endeavors is the proud little smile on your face when you tell about your creations and how you made them.  

For your birthday this year, Daddy made you a yummy ice cream cake and you were....pretty excited about it. You loved the oreo cookie flower on top for that special touch.  

Your smile when it's your special day is just the best.  Your little dimple complements that sweet, sweet grin, and your face lights up the whole room, kiddo.  

    

Elise, you have always struggled with your fears, but each year I see you conquer so many that you encounter.  This past year, you transitioned from homeschooling to a classical school and you have just done amazingly.  I have watched you make new friends, fight hard to overcome school struggles, and tackle assignments like a champ.  You and I have gone over and over and over test material and poems together, and it has been a thrill to see you perform so beautifully.  

Fears that are typical and easily worked through with others are a bigger challenge for you.  I've held your hand through so many experiences that terrorized you, but your brave, wobbly, tear-stained smile when you courageously work to conquer a fear inspires me and makes me so, so proud to be your mommy.  You may worry about a lot and be anxious about a good deal, but you are also one of the bravest, strongest, fiercest people I know.  

We've loved watching you dance, grow and learn, laugh and giggle, play make believe, snuggle your stuffies, ride your bike, practice kart wheels, form friendships, read your Bible, and make your "second" First Confession (we changed parishes and programs so you went through the First Reconciliation program again this year).  

I started a girls Bible study for you and a few friends and after just a few weeks of reading the Bible together and discussing the stories and verses, you came to me early one morning with your Bible asking if we could read it together in the mornings.  We've lost our habit, but I think perhaps I'll remind you because those were some of the most special memories of mine from this year.  There's nothing I love more than seeing my kiddos encounter Jesus and learn more about Him.  Thank you for making my mornings so beautiful and filled with the Word of God, first thing.  

Elise Marianna, you are a joy and a cheese.  You make us laugh and snuggle up when we're having a hard day.  You are so brave and so hard working and we are beyond blessed to be your parents.  We love you, Leasie-B!  

May God continue to bless you with many beautiful gifts that you can spread to the world through your smile, your courageous attitude, and your care and compassion for others.