Feel the sun on your face.

I love so many things about this photograph. The left over cheetos on the corner of her mouth...the tiny sweat-beads on her button nose...the ornery open-mouth grin...her eyes shut taking in the sun's strength...those looonnng eyelashes...the glow of her sun-kissed skin.

I look at this photo and feel the sun. I feel summer. I feel childhood.

We were poolside last week with Roz and Thomas. When Thomas and his parents traveled to California a while ago, he came back with matching lifeguard shirts for the girls. Don't you think he's pretty thrilled the girls have another reason to be bossy in their new roles?

And I was able to get one more shot...

...and then she went boom. AGAIN.

As usual with Ella and an 'oweee' there was a good 20 minutes of crying, screaming and gnashing of teeth at the sight of it. And she would NOT stop looking at it which then only started the crying cycle all over again. She refused to move off the pool steps for the rest of the day for fear of getting her nearly-severed arm wet. God love her but she is super high-drama over her injuries and it seems she gets a new one about every four days. It didn't stop Roz and Thomas, however!

I'm so glad Ella has such good people in her life. I'm grateful she's smiling with her face towards the sun.

~H