Tears Are Falling

Jesus Rocks

"The Lord is my Rock and my Salvation, in Whom I take refuge"

Psalm 18:2

Oh my Addi Grace where do I begin?  Mommy knew this day was coming but I can't believe how fast it got here! You have been so excited the past couple of months practicing your songs and doing your hand motions with the music! Every time we are in the car we have to play the CD of graduation music and I love watching you in my mirror waving your hands and praising your Savior! Your angelic little voice singing hallelujah praise the Lord forever more will be a memory in my heart always!
When you were a little baby you had such big chunky cheeks that mommy would kiss till they were red! I have taken numerous pictures just to remember how those sweet cheeks looked. As I was fixing your hair for your program I saw a glimpse of those chunky cheeks through your hair, and it comforted my heart to see your cheeks still chunky and that you are still mommy's baby in your blue graduation gown!
At your graduation program you sang your sweet heart out praising your God! You were not shy at all which surprised your mommy! Even Maw Maw Russell leaned over to tell Daddy..."I don't think she's shy anymore!" After singing your songs and reciting your Bible Verse you bravely walked to the microphone and said "My name is Addi Grace Russell and Jesus is the power of God!" ....Amen
Then while you were changing into your gown the family & friends watched a slide show of such precious memories from the past year! What got Mommy's tears flowing was when I saw the prayer that you say when you bless your food come on the screen! It is a prayer that your teacher, Mrs. May, has given an added flare to and your mommy doesn't want to forget how Mrs. May changed it so I will add it to our blog....

HANDS.....

Hands so high I can touch the sky

Hands so low I can touch my toes

Hands together just like so

one, two, three

God is Great  God is Good

Let us thank Him for our food

by His hands we are fed

Thank you God for Daily Bread

In Jesus Mighty Name

Amen

When you received your diploma the look on your face warmed my heart completely! You walked by yourself down the aisle and as you passed us we yelled out your name and you glanced over and gave us a quick smile! My beautiful Addi Grace, mommy & daddy are so proud of you! You have grown so much this year! Your hair has gotten longer and thicker, you have grown so tall, and I am just amazed how much you have learned! You can count to 20, write your first and last name, you know the months of the year and days of the week, and you have also made such sweet friendships this year! We will treasure these memories you have given us this past year and even though you will advance to the Elementary school next year CCS will always be in our hearts!




 



300 Cupcakes





Addi & Mrs. May













Abigail & Addi Grace





Addi & Aunt Bo



Addi & Irelan

Do you remember way last fall

When I was only just this tall?

Now look at me! I'm up to here!

And my, I've learned a lot this year!

In fact, you think I'm really great!

That's why I get to graduate!

Addi Grace, all of the pre-k classes recited this poem at your graduation and it made the tears flow even faster! I'm so thankful for everything you bless us with my sweet baby and mommy & daddy love you so very much! This is only the beginning of many precious memories to come~

CANDY GALORE!



*Mommy's precious Ella Jo's first birthday*





My sweet Ella Jo, your mommy can't believe how time flies past us! It really feels like yesterday I was planning your very first birthday party and now we have had your third! My sweet baby, I hope as you one day read this you will be able to look back at the sweet memories of your 3rd birthday party!

Mommy likes to have a theme party for ya'll every year and I like to do something that you truly love! Ella Jo, you love absolutely everything! Your first birthday party was like your sisters party, of course a Princess Party....what else? Your second party was Dora! It had to be Dora because at that time you just loved watching her! At your Dora party mommy contacted Dora the Explorer and she came to your party even though you stayed on your mommy's hip the whole time!! With this third party mommy had to ask you questions on what you would like and we came up with your candy theme. Anyone who knows you, sweet baby girl, they will know that you love your candy!!! I was so excited to have candy this year because we could make your party so colorful! I wanted it to look like you had walked into a room filled with candy....and it turned out perfect! For months you have been talking about your candy party..."Candy Birthday Party" is what you called it!!! The font on mommy's blog can not pick up the precious sound of your voice saying "Candy Birthday Party! "The week of your actual birthday we started counting down the days!!! The morning of your party mommy met at the church with two of her closest friends to decorate and we had so much fun preparing all the color and candy for our sweet Ella Jo!!! Aunt Madeline and Mrs. Valerie (Mallery your sister calls her) met at our house the day before to help mommy prepare for the day of your party!!!

At your party, 'candy princess', you would greet your friends as they would walk in and take such sweet pictures for mommy until......MawMaw Russell walked in with your princess bike (with a seat on the back for your babies!) Wow...had I known that all you would do from that point on was ride your bike around the room we would have waited!!! You stopped riding twice. Once was to put candy in a bowl for your daddy to make your candy necklace, and twice was when you pulled your bike up beside the cake table to eat a few bites and then take off again! You did stop to open your presents and thanked everyone after opening each present. When we sang happy birthday to you, your mommy couldn't help but think of how this was the third time we have sang this song to our precious angel! I look forward to singing this song to you for many years to come! You were the sweetest hostess to your friends and family. Everyone was just about gone and you rode your bike up to me, stopped, and said...."This was WONDERFUL!!" Your mommy's heart fell to the floor and when I picked it up I gave you a sweet kiss on your cheek and said..."I think so too my baby!!!" I'm so thankful of your appreciation for your party at the age of 3 and I'm so glad you had such a "wonderful" time!! Mommy thanks all of her "Life Savers" I called them at your party! I couldn't have done it without them!!! I know you will tell mommy your version of stories from your sweet party for weeks to come! Thank you my Princess of Candy in the land of Orange for such a "wonderful" day~



Mommy made sucker  centerpieces for the tables







*Your Candy Bar*



*Candy Necklaces*





Ella & Chloe partners in crime!






                                        



~Mommy's "Life Savers" that I love so very much~
Mrs. Sarah & Mrs. Valerie




Your candy party was so much fun and mommy can't wait to see what you bring to us now that you are "3"!
~We love you my precious Princess of Candy~

Honey Bear Sr. Banquet



My Beautiful Honey Bear! It seems just like yesterday we were going to the Brown Center to honor the Seniors for 2009. You were in 8th grade, just made drill team for your Freshman year in high school, and so excited about what was ahead! As I was sitting there with you our first year watching the Seniors, it felt like it would be a lifetime before we would be honoring you! Next year will be your Junior year and I can NOT believe how fast the time has gone.

It is so sweet of the Honey Bears to honor the Seniors every year! The event was held at the Brown Center and decorated so beautiful in a tropical theme! We started off the evening eating dinner together and then had the Senior wills to their fellow Honey Bears they will be leaving behind. Then we had the parent letters to their Seniors. As everyone was listening to each parent read the letter they wrote to their daughter I don't think there was a dry eye in the room...I know your mom had plenty of tears falling! The booster club had so many door prizes to give and awards to hand out. My sweet Lex, you got Most Tardy...an award that you say you deserved but never really tardy just hanging out in your director's office!!!!??? Followed by that award you received Teacher's Pet! Once you received that award that makes your excuse for most tardy believable....The evening was concluded by a slide show of sweet memories from the year! As I watched the slide show with you we laughed and cried and I couldn't help but think how precious this entire journey is! You are having the time of your life with friends doing exactly what you love! Momma is going to hang on to you as tight as I can these next 2 years!! I know that if I blink it will be too late.

Thank you my beautiful Honey Bear for all the precious memories and thank you my first baby girl for being my precious daughter!!! I love you more than words can say........



Kristen, Emily, Lex, and Ashley




The Fabulous duo
Kristen & Lex







Lex with her door prize and souvenir towel



Kaitlyn and Lex
You have been friends sense you were 5!







Beautiful Honey Bears with their Seniors
Good Luck Seniors 2011





Ella Jo Russell is 3!

complete a. full, finished, ended, perfect.

My precious Ella Jo! Mommy just can't believe her eyes! I look at my sweet baby girl and wonder where has the past three years gone?? The day before you turned 3 I would ask you how old you are about 50 times just so I could hear..."tew" one more day! You are mommy & daddy's baby of our 3 girls and I have truly tried to hang on to every last second of you growing up. At 3 years old you still want to be by your mommy all the time! When I'm doing daily chores or even taking a bath you always say "Mommy...I want to hold you!" Sometimes it's hard to slow my day down and take the time to "hold you" but I try to remind myself how fast the past 3 years have gone and in 3 more you will be 6!! You make being your mommy so much fun everyday. I really couldn't imagine our family without you! Our lives would not shine like they do~

Addi was 12 months old and Alexa was 12 years old when we found out we were going to have another baby. Mommy & daddy prayed for so long to have a baby after Lex that we did not believe that God would bless us so soon after Addi. Mommy prayed that you would be a girl because Addi was so little I wanted her to have a friend to have tea parties and play dolls with. I couldn't believe God had answered our prayers again!! On May 5, 2008 He blessed us with our beautiful angel and completed our sweet family.

Ella, you are so different than Addi! I think you have your mommy's outgoing personality and could make friends with a tree! There is not one shy bone in your sweet body. Our whole family watches you and laughs at all you bring to us.

I love watching you while you play with your sister and whisper secrets in her ear. I love the way you ask her sweet questions and believe anything she may tell you! I love the way you will do something silly and if you know you have an audience you will do it again 10 times! I love that if you get a scratch or a bump all you need is a kiss from mommy and it makes it all better! I love the way we will be "nuggle bugging" in mommy's bed and you'll look up at me with your big brown (PawPaw Russell's) eyes and say.."I love you mommy" You are our precious angel who has completed our family and everyday I will thank God that he has blessed us with our Ella Jo!

Mommy loves you so very much!!

Thank you God for all of our answered prayers!

I am forever grateful for the beautiful gifts You have given me!

*Happy 3rd Birthday my sweet angel Ella Jo Russell*