Dear Ellie,
I so wish that I was more eloquent with words than I am! There are so many things that I want to tell you but the translation from my heart to the keyboard is not very good. It's funny when I think back to a year ago today. I had worked all night and was so tired and your Leigh Leigh called me and said I needed to get up to the hospital! We were so nervous! I knew I would be so excited to meet you but I had totally underestimated how nervous I would be about your mom (my little sister!) being in labor! I don't think I will EVER forget that moment when your dad sent us the text with your picture saying that you and your momma were healthy! There is no telling how many hours I had spent in prayer for you to be healthy and your mom to have a healthy delivery! To see your precious little face was just the biggest relief ever! I'm not sure if there has ever been a child more anticipated, more prayed for, and more loved than you are, Ellie Jones! I use the analogy all the time that I feel like I was the grinch before you were born and meeting you made my heart grow three sizes bigger! Sometimes I just look at you and am overtaken by emotion! I always thought that I could never love anybody more than I love your mom and your LeighLeigh but then I met you! There is something special about the little girl of my little sister! I was so nervous when I was first introducing your Uncle Matt to the family but I couldn't wait for him to meet you! I knew that you would win him over just as soon as he met you and you did! Now, just a week from tomorrow you will crawl down that aisle (or be rolled down in a wagon :) towards him right before I do! There are so many thing that I want to tell you! Like to always remember how many people you have that just love you to pieces! There will, undoubtedly, be hard times in the coming years but, no matter what the hard times bring, having so many people around that love you is sometimes the only thing that helps. I know this from experience! I also want you to never take for granted having the parents and grandparents that you have! I also know from experience what a gift it is to have good, Godly parents and grandparents! People are lucky to have one really good spiritual role model in their life and you are surrounded by them! There are so many things that I guess will have to wait for other birthday letters but the last thing that I want to tell you is that, no matter what anybody else says, you are 51% Tennessee, 49% Auburn, and you will ignite a riot if you EVER wear crimson! ;) I love you so much sweet baby Ellie, I pray for you every day and will continue to! I pray that you will always be as healthy and happy as you are now. I pray you always keep your eyes on the goal of heaven. I pray for the parents of your future husband that they are making as good decisions raising him as your parents are making raising you. I can't wait to see the plans God has for you!
Love~
La
