Dear Ellie Bunny,

You turn four this weekend and I have so much I feel like I have to say to you. Sometimes I wonder if you know how special you are, but other times I find that I do not doubt your self confidence. I hope you are always able to maintain that confidence. In fact, there are so many ways in which I hope you will always remain the same as you are today.

You are so intelligent and are able to comprehend things with very little explanation, yet you also are beginning to understand the rewards of working hard towards a goal. Take riding your bike as an example - at the beginning you were so heart broken about not being able to do it right off the bat, but after practicing more and more, the look of pride on your face now is priceless.

I hope you will always remember that if you put your mind to something and really work at it, then you can accomplish anything even if at first it seems so intimidating. I hope you will always be proud of yourself and your accomplishments.

You are such a fantastic big sister. To this very day you are still so proud to have Addie as your baby sister. In fact, you still refer to her as "my baby" as though there could be no replacement. You are so patient with her and know that there are some things that she just doesn't understand now, even if those same things would be considered "not nice" by your friends.

I hope that you will always be able to give others the benefit of the doubt because sometimes they just don't know of their wrong-doings.

You love to spend time with your sister. From the moment you wake up, you wait as patiently as possible until the time comes when you can go wake up Addie. It's almost as though being the one to first greet her in the morning is a requirement for you to have a good day. Then at the end of the night a hug and kiss from you seems to help Addie go to bed feeling more secure as she closes her eyes for sleep.

I hope that you will always be close to Addie and know that the two of you will always be there for each other. You will be able to lift each others spirits when nothing else seems to work and you will find comfort in each other's never-ending support.

Then once at school, you continue to enjoy spending time with your sister, even if your friends are around. The teachers tell me that when Addie's class comes out to the playground, you always rush over to give your baby a big hug. You also often stay with her and play together even though there is a fence separating the two of you. When her teachers tell you that you should go play with your friends, you quietly say "But I don't want to. I want to stay here with Addie. She will cry if I leave."

I hope that you will always enjoy spending time with your sister and question why you would ever have to explain this to anyone.

You are so empathetic to other people's feelings and love to play a nurturing "motherly" role. Your teachers know that you are a kind child and can trust you to welcome a new friend into the class by assuring that they feel like they belong and are welcomed.

I hope that people will always be able to trust you to be kind to those around you and that this will continue to come as second-nature to you.

You have so many friends at school. Your teachers tell me that you are friends with just about everyone in the class room and I'm always amazed at how easily you can walk up to any child in your class and talk to them as though they're one of your closest friends. You are very popular, but your kindness means you deserve to be.

I hope that if you are to be popular, it will always be for the right reasons.

You are a wonderful best friend to Brynn. Your teachers tell me that she tends to be friends with which ever kids you are playing with, and I've been told that the other kids refer to the two Brynns in your class as "Just Brynn and Ellie's Brynn." But it goes beyond that - You always think of Brynn even if she's not around. Receiving a toy from the dentist, you asked if instead of getting two for yourself, if it would be ok for one to be for you and one to be for Brynn. You love to bring in extra snacks, just for Brynn. It is very important to you that Brynn has her own Bun Bun to keep at school, even though there aren't enough bun buns for everyone else.

I hope that you will always be dedicated to your closest friends and that you will always try to think of ways to brighten their days.

You love reading books! Whether they be picture books or longer chapter books, new books or old books with torn covers and pages, published books or books created by Mommy, it does not matter to you. You just want to read and hear new stories.

I hope that you will always have a love for reading, an escape into new worlds and lives. I hope that you will always know that a book is more than just its appearance.

You are very cautious but brave at the same time. You tend to look at a situation, taking it all in before you jump in yourself. Yet, I think it's this moment of pause that gives you more courage than some of your friends around you because you are usually willing to try new, and sometimes scary, things. You often serve as an example for your friends.

I hope that you will always be able to examine a situation and take a moment to decide how you're going to approach it. This will help you avoid any "heat of the moment" or "knee jerk" reactions. Think before you act and you will act much wiser.

You already have a love for the great outdoors. When given the assignment to take a photo of something pretty, you took a photo of a tree. Whenever you see daffodils, you get excited about how they remind me of you. Whenever you see rainbows, you tell us how they make you think of us. You can sit and watch a mommy bird bringing its young food for what seems like an eternity. On an almost-daily basis, you gather "special rocks" from your playground and present them as gifts to Mommy as though you're giving me diamonds.

I hope that you will always be able to see the beauty in the simple things around you. These things bring Mommy great joy and they do not cost a thing. I hope you always remember that the world is a beautiful awe-inspiring place.

You love your extended family with great intensity. Whether it be Nana or Grandpa, Gramma or Cary, Pappie or Grammie, Grandpa Lou or Grandmommy Jeanne, Aunt Erin or Adam or even Audry and Clive, Uncle David or Aunt Brandy or even Haydn, or Uncle Jacob, you know that you are loved by so many people who have a special place in your heart. You never question the bond you have for these people.

I hope that you will always be close to your family, even if they're extended. This is something that your Mommy has not done well, but I'm sure you can do better.

Your two favorite people in the world are Mommy and Daddy, and you often tell us how much you love us. You even remind us every now and then that we're doing a good job and that you like being our Ellie. We are so proud to be your parents, but it is nice to know that the reverse is true too.

I hope that you will always be able to remind your loved ones that they are special and that you appreciate them. There is so much that goes unspoken and it is too easy to take these things for granted.

Ellie Bunny, you are such an amazing little girl with a very bright future ahead of you. I hope you continue to make your Mommy and Daddy proud, though I have no doubt that you will. I hope that you live life to its fullest and continue to do the things that make you most happy. In the end, those are the right things to do.

I want to thank you for being in my life and for reminding me of all the above.

I love you!
Mommy