Ella turned 5

Elizabeth Catherine Hines..5 year old!

I meant to, and forgot, to post information about Ella's 5th birthday.  Much to my chagrin I ended up with birthday week instead of birthday.  It all began with a very informal party with a few friends at Monkey Joes (jump houses inside...) and lunch at McDonalds on Wednesday the 1st.  We picked up my parents at the front gate on the way home from the party.  Jamison & I were able to go out & shop for Ella gifts without the kids.  It was nice to shop with him instead of having to go by myself.  

Before we knew it it was the 4th.  It was a dreary day in St. Louis & all fireworks were canceled.  This was upsetting to the angel since she likes to think that the fireworks are for her.  (Yes! She does know that they are not but come on, she is only 5!)  We only found out about the cancelation AFTER we got ready & went down into Mascoutah to ride some rides & have some fair food.  

On the 5th, her actual birthday, we got in the car & headed to NY.  We stopped about 7 hours in for the night.  We found a restaurant & while they did not sing to her they DID have a bathtub ice cream sundae bar.  No, you did not misread, it was, in fact, a sundae bar IN a bathtub.  Good times were had by all.  This was not the ideal for my 5 year old's birthday but I am sure that I will have many more to overcompensate with in the future.