The Walking Dead....

Hi Everyone,

What a birthday celebration for Ella! After battling the flu and then bilateral ear infections for the past week, I am so thankful my entire family came in to help with Ella's first American birthday celebration. I am not sure what I would have done without all the help! Ella's b-day started with a before dawn wake-up due to anticipation and excitement for her special day. The joy on her face when she saw the streamers on her door and her first birthday present waiting for her was just amazing. The day from then on was pretty much a big blur. I am happy to say that despite a Mom who could hardly hear, an Aunt with laryngitis, a Grandpa with a sore back aka the walking dead, we pulled off a pretty fun party. Although, it was the first time I thought that two hours would never end....:)! After having gone to a birthday party in at a jumping castle warehouse, Ella requested a Princess Jumping Castle for her party. Once I found the only park in our city that would allow jumping castles, I decided to book the ramada and reserve the castle. We invited all of Ella's classmates and had a pretty great turn-out with her cousins also attending with 24 kids total. We had a minor castle disaster ten minutes before the party after the castle man had left when we looked over and the entire castle had collapsed. Frantic calls without successfully reaching anyone forced us to come up with plan B which was to have Aunt Julie tape up the gaping hole with duct tape. A half of roll later and we were back in business ready for the jumping fun to begin. Ella had a wonderful time and is already asking when her birthday will come again. Ha. Her birthday theme was everything princess of course and even her cupcakes were snow white appropriate. Since Ella says she is seven, we had a China seven birthday cupcake and an American sixth birthday cupcake to celebrate and this made Ella all the more happy. Today after we had a quiet house again and Ella was headed to bed, she said "I have such a big family" and I told her we all love her very much and she said "I love my family". Doesn't get better than that! Wishing you all the best!