Happy 31st Birthday to Alissa

Today my younger daughter celebrates her 31st Birthday! I want to take this opportunity to wish a very happy day spent with her husband, Nathan. Forgive me if I told this story last year on her birthday, but I am too lazy to check it out myself right now. At any rate, it is a good story and I love to relive her birth. Alissa was three weeks late but when she made her entry into the world, it was quick and easy. We arrived at the hospital and after only ten minutes she was born, delivered by a nurse because the snow storm made for a late arrival of our doctor. It always amazes me that there were no doctors in the hospital at that time of the day, at least that is what they told me when I said I had to push.
We had chosen the name Alissa just days before when we no longer cared for the name Noelle which I thought would forever remind me of how late she actually was. We expected a Christmas baby, but Alissa had her own agenda. To this day, Alissa pretty much has her own agenda and has always followed her own drummer or however that saying goes.
Anyway, I wanted to share a few pictures of my sweet Alissa from a long time ago.

Here is the first shot of her and her daddy. This is such a precious picture since in those old days before digital cameras, we didn't take many pictures. Alissa weighed 8 lbs. and had a full head of reddish hair.

And here is her proud mommy. I wish we had taken many, many more pictures that day, but I am thankful for these two. This is actually a clear picture but in scanning it, something seems to have gone wrong, but I think you get the picture.

Here is our little Alissa at 5 months. Just look at her beautiful hair!

And another one at 5 months.

She developed her love of television very early in life. She was just a bit shy of one when this picture was taken.

And, yes, she was a dancer and that is why she still does so well in a dance off especially with her brother in law, Paul.

First day of Kindergarten

And dressed as Pippy Longstocking for Halloween. I love the way we got her braids to stick out by putting hangers in them.

Oh, how I wish I could scan all the pictures I have of her growing up, but even these few took me a long enough time so I will leave you with these.

So, Happy Birthday, Alissa! You have always made us proud by the way you do follow your own drummer and do things the way you want to do them without any pressure from the outside world. I know the next chapter of your life, the one you are entering now, will be another exciting time and by your next birthday, I hope you will be celebrating in Bloomington!