Ellia Katelyn Pentimone - Our Ellie-Belle
Our sweet little “Ellie-Belle” was born in Topeka, Kansas. Being 5 ½ years younger than her next oldest sibling, everyone was thrilled to find out that another little one was coming to our house. We looked forward with great anticipation to this sweet little girl’s arrival. Ellia did not disappoint anyone’s expectations! She was cute, she was fun, and her laugh was the delight of everyone. Ellia did have the habit of waking up at night just to spend some extra time with Mom well past the age that she needed to do this. That problem was quickly solved when her crib was moved out of Mom and Dad’s room and into the laundry room (which was the size of a small bedroom).
Ellia is our only child that did not qualify for the National competition of the Bible Bee the first year that she entered. Nor did she qualify the second year. The third year, Ellia not only qualified; she went on to get 5th place in the nation in the Primary division. The following year, she exceeded that by coming in 2nd place. that earned her a $10,000 cash prize. Ellia made it to semifinals one year in the Junior Division. This past year, Ellia placed 2nd in the Senior division—a HUGE accomplishment that earned her $20,000! Ellia was extremely diligent and strategic in her studying and preparation, and it all paid off. Ellia is very diligent about Scripture memory and is currently memorizing the book of Romans.
Ellia came to know the Christ as her Savior at the age of nine. The Lord used the Scripture that she was learning in church and in our family Bible time as well as what she was learning in the Bible Bee to convict her of her sin. This led to a discussion over several evenings with her dad. Ellia repented of her sins and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Shortly after that she was baptized by her father. By God's grace she has shown genuine fruit that testifies to the reality of her conversion.
Ellia seems to do quite well at the things that she attempts. Her favorite pastime is playing the piano. She thoroughly enjoys being able to play by ear and improvise songs she already knows. In addition, Ellia plays the guitar and ukulele. If Ellia has free time and isn’t making music, she is probably doing something athletic. She enjoys disc golf with the family, swimming, going to the gym to play basketball or just to walk or ride her bike. We have a disc golf basket in our backyard so we all can practice putting. The competition can be pretty stiff at times!
Ellia also enjoys making friends. Through the Bible Bee, Ellia has friends from coast to coast. She is diligent to keep up with what is going on in their lives. Ellia is very much a "people person."
Ellia and Faith were a great source of joy to their grandfather during the eight years he lived with us. He would say how God gave us those girls because he needed them and to be his little friends. They would spend time with Grandpa almost daily playing games and often reciting Scripture to him. We are excited to see how God will use them in the advancement of his kingdom in the days ahead.
Ellia is in her Junior year of school. She doesn’t know what she would like to do after graduation, but she is confident that it doesn’t involve any college. Algebra II and Chemistry are not proving to be Ellia’s favorite subjects. We love her so much and are thankful for having her in our home.
