Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tuesday Blessings









Poppy, Emily, and Grancy at Kalightoscope.

Thanksgiving Day
Today my heart is thankful:

41. that last weekend was AWESOME! Shopping with family, fun Christmas festivities like Kalightoscope and the real gingerbread village at Galt House, two wonderful parties....fun times for the Reiss family.
42. that the end of Christmas shopping is in sight and now I can enjoy wrapping these special gifts for my loved ones.
43. that I get to be Santa (or Mrs. Claus)! I can't wait to see Emily's face Christmas morning...
44. that our doctor's office worked us in so easily and conveniently to get Emily checked out (sinus infection should be cleared up before Christmas.)
45. that the furthest we travel for Christmas is 1 1/2 hrs to Bowling Green. I am thankful to NOT have to go to the airport!
46. for my darling nephews. I can't wait to love on them SOON!
47. that Ed and Jen will be here in a few days.
48. that I am off work 10 days around the holidays and still get paid as usual (thank you holiday and vacation time!)
49. for yummy Christmas goodies!
50. for all the Christmas cards we get from loved ones.



Thursday, December 9, 2010

Heaven Song by Phil Wickham

Granddaddy Lee

On December 5th, 2010, my Grandfather Lee passed away and went to be with the Lord. He was 83 years old. He was married to my grandmother for 66 years. They had 6 children, 10 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren! It was a Sunday morning and we received a phone call from Mom letting us know the news. As soon as I heard her message for me to call her back that morning, I knew that she probably had bad news about something. He had stopped breathing during the night. While Granddaddy's passing away on this particular day was a surprise, his health had been declining for some time. Most recently, he had had a feeding tube placed because he was no longer able to safely eat on his own. Granddad had also suffered from progressive dementia. We watched him slowly forget everyone's name and lose almost all ability to communicate. For this reason, there was almost a sense of relief mixed with the sadness of learning about his death that day.

About a month or so ago, Jeremy, Emily, and I paid a visit to Granddaddy and Memommy in the nursing home. I didn't know it would be the last time I saw him. Memommy was recovering on the rehab unit from a heart condition. Granddaddy had been a resident there for over a year because his dementia and declining physical health made it impossible for Memommy to care for him at home on her own. Memommy was so sad that day. It made me happy to be able to roll Granddaddy's wheelchair down to her room for a visit with all of us. Granddad's physical condition had worsened since I had last seen him. I repositioned him in the wheelchair and noticed that his whole body had contractures: shoulders, hips, knees, etc. He had so little range of motion left in them. I could see that he probably spent almost all of his waking hours sitting. My memories of that day include Emily sitting on Memommy's lap, giving Memommy a little "physical therapy walk" in the hallways, Emily running up and down the hallways and up/down the stairs in the rehab unit (with me promptly washing those little hands!) and encouraging Memommy that she wasn't going to be in the nursing home for the rest of her life. (She was discharged home a few weeks later.)

Granddady's funeral was Tuesday December 7th. I was touched by all of those who came to pay their respects--people from their church, extended family, family and friends of his children, etc. It made me think, "Do I take the time to go to visitations when my friends or co-workers lose someone they love? Do I send a card?" I realize how touching it is when someone take the time in an already busy schedule to come out in the freezing cold to give you a hug and tell you that they are sorry. As we drove to the gravesite, other cars stopped in their tracks on busy streets and waited until the funeral processional had passed. Jeremy said, "People don't do this in Louisville. This is so nice." It made me want to cry because it IS nice. It is the nicest gesture to stop your car and let grieving people know that in a small way, you care to take the time to stop what you are doing at that moment to show respect.

Granddad was laid to rest by his young daughter that passed away over 35 years ago in a tragic car accident. His name was already on the tombstone as well as Memommy's--only the end dates have not yet been carved into the stone. I will remember seeing that tombstone as well as several stones that were marking the deaths of hundreds of babies and children. Life is a gift. How dare I take it for granted with all the worrying about nonsense that I do on a daily basis!

I thought that this week I would include things that I thankful for in the life of my sweet Grandfather Lee.

31. for 66 years of faithful marriage to my grandmother
32. for his service in WWII.
33. that he raised my father to be the man that he is today
34. for funny sayings like "calf slobber" for mashed potatoes and when something tastes REALLY good he would say "that will make your tongue smack your brains out!"
35. for silly things like popping our toes "to make us grow"
36. for a hardworking, humble man that provided for his family
37. for the sweetest, sincere prayers before family meals
38. for time spent on his farm riding in his truck or riding "Merry Legs" the pony.
39. for catching lightning bugs and playing tag in the side yard.
40. for the love he had for the Lord, his wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone in a blur! I was off work on Tues, Wed., and Thurs for Thanksgiving, but was unlucky this year on the holiday weekends for work. I got stuck working the whole Thanksgiving weekend Fri., Sat., Sun. AND Monday. I am so happy to be home today with my little family! It has been rainy and cold, so we haven't gone anywhere. I've been more than busy with catching up on all the laundry and taking care of Emily. We went to BG this year on Wednesday and Thursday for Thanksgiving. We had a nice visit, but it was very short as usual.

Mom found a used toddler table and chairs set and in a matter of days had them cleaned up, painted, and covered with new fabric cushions. It was so cute to see Hunter and Emily eating at their new table! We pulled the table and chairs into the living room and Emily watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade while clutching her bear and eating her morning snack. Is there anything cuter? That afternoon, we had lunch at Memommy Meisel's with the usual gang of extended family. We were able to get another photo-op with with the great grandbabies--6 of them all across the couch with Memommy proudly looking over them. During the afternoon, we visited the Lee side of the family. We had a casual Thanksgiving left-over meal at Doug and Cindy's new home. They graciously allowed the whole gang to come over just weeks after moving in! Emily and Hunter had fun climbing up/down their stairs. Hunter climbed non-stop! I find it so amusing to watch the little personality differences between Hunter and Emily. Cooper is growing and changing, too. He is a total sweetie. At the rate he is going, he will be walking in a few months! He's 7 mon. old now.) He has to keep up with the older cousins so he has plenty of motivation.

This year I am thankful:

21. for continued work for Jeremy that keeps him very busy. (He just finished a project with Leapfrog Interactive.)
22. that I have grown as a PT since challenging myself with a new outpatient setting (changed jobs a year ago.)
23. that Emily is almost 16 mon. old and has not had to go to daycare because of my wonderful in-laws!
24. finding a wonderful babysitter that watches Emily on Mondays/Fridays since Poppy went back to work in November.
25. good health for our family.
26. another opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with my grandmothers.
27. that Ed and Jen will be parents in a few months!
28. a warm, cozy fire to snuggle by at night.
29. a precious daughter that makes me smile every day.
30. that St. Matthews Baptist has a new pastor after over a year of searching for the right man.

Will try to add photos soon, but I'm getting busy with Christmas cards and shopping...

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tuesday Blessings

I am thankful for:

11. God was with me in the car and kept me calm and in control in a crazy situation.
12. having money to be able to buy my loved ones Christmas gifts.
13. days off from work for Thanksgiving!
14. a new series of discussions in Sunday School on Timothy Keller's book, "The Reason for God."
15. quiet time while Emily naps.
16. pleasant November days.
17. Memommy Meisel is home from the hospital.
18. Memommy Lee is home after spending a month in rehab at the nursing home.
19. a good talk with Mom this morning.
20. a wonderful children's ministry at our church.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Thankfulness




For weeks, I've been reading up on Amber's blog, especially on Mondays when every week she counts her blessings (literally). I have decided to join her by intentionally setting aside one day a week to write about that which I am thankful. Tuesdays will be the day as this will work best with my work schedule.

1. I am thankful that at an early age, I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
2. I am thankful that my mother and father love me unconditionally and provided a warm, nurturing environment for my siblings and me.
3. I am thankful for my dear hubby, Jeremy.
4. I am thankful for the Christian home he grew up in and for his loving parents.
5. I am thankful for my grandparents.
6. I am thankful that I am not an only child. My brother and sister are two of my best friends.
7. I am thankful for my health--to wake up, feel good, and have no pain.
8. I am thankful for my house that provides shelter for me on this cold, rainy day.
9. I an thankful that Emily now sleeps 11-12 hrs. at night so Jeremy and I can get rest.
10. I am thankful for my baby, Emily. She is beautiful, healthy, and strong.

Wow. That was easy and I'm just getting started. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.



Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Special Quilt

After bath play time

Ticklish Baby


Emily received a very special homemade quilt from Aunt Jen for her birthday this year. I've been meaning to post some photos of Emily playing on her quilt so here they are! Thank you so much Aunt Jen! It is beautiful.


Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Emily learns to use a spoon

October

My little EK legacy at Homecoming 2010

Happy Baby Bennett!

Bath Time! After a full day of travel, Bennett was ready to for a good bath.

Hanging out with Bennett

Emmy and Jeremy: Homecoming 2010



My favorite...



I love fall in KY! I don't know if I would ever want to live somewhere without seasons (although I do think I could live without 3 months of winter.) After a hot summer, the milder temperatures are a relief! I can finally enjoy long walks and trips to the park with sweet Emmy! We spent the first part of the month with Jeremy's parents in Hilton Head. When we got back, it was time to show off Emily at Georgetown's Homecoming festivities! It is hard to believe that I graduated from Georgetown ten years ago, but then so much has happened since then...PT school, first jobs, engagement, wedding, new house, and BABY!

We hosted the Cullum family for a couple of days during their whirlwind KY trip. It was wonderful to finally meet Amber and Sam's little boy, Bennett. I miss them very much. I'm hoping we will be able to visit them this winter or spring in Florida. We had dinner at our home one night, a late night of girl talk on the couch, and a trip to the park and then it was time to say good-bye. (They headed to Lexington to see more family and friends there.)

Last weekend, we went to Bowling Green to visit our family. We finally got to make a trip to the pumpkin patch at Jackson's Orchard. (Well, we made it to the orchard, but bypassed the actual pumpkin patch!) This is a family tradition that I can not miss! Sometimes we go to Huber's in Indiana, but one way or another, I have to go every fall! Last fall Emily was only 2-3 mon. old and not able to sit up unsupported yet. This fall, she was walking around everywhere and we could barely get a photo! Jeremy tried forever to get a shot of her, but she is always in perpetual motion unless she is asleep or in our laps with a book. We were finally able to hold her attention long enough for a few shots in the orchard.

Jeremy and I enjoyed a few hours of hiking in the Mammoth Cave National Park while mom and dad kept Emily for us. I love to hike and unfortunately I only go a few times a year. The trails were well marked, the weather was perfect, and the trees were beautiful. I was so happy to get to spend a few hours with Jeremy all to myself!

Cooper and Hunter are growing up so fast. Cooper is now 6 mon. old. He's doing his own special "crawl" which is kind of an army crawl combined with lunging for whatever he wants. The 7 week difference between Hunter and Emily has all but disappeared. They are into the same stuff and both of them love to walk, run, and climb. Hunter started saying "uhh, oh" when he drops something or gets into trouble which is SO cute. Mom and Dad bought a fire pit for the outdoor patio. We got to break that in and make some s'mores, except Dad ate most of the graham crackers before we had a chance so it was mostly just marshmallows and chocolate! lol.




Friday, October 15, 2010

Vacation 2010















Prior to vacation, Emily developed a stomach bug that lasted about 1 week. Luckily, she didn't get dehydrated and it didn't seem to bother her that her poo was like liquid! She was still a happy baby for the most part, but Mom and Dad were really starting to dread the diapers! She was pretty much back to normal by the time we had our vacation in Hilton Head Island, SC. We stayed for seven full days! We had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, we had two full days of rain and one cloudy day. The other days were gorgeous. On our first rainy day, we went outlet mall shopping. Emily got hooked up at the Carter's outlet and we bought new black Mary Janes at Stride Rite. On the other rainy day, we enjoyed a long bike ride before the rain settled in for the day. I got a relaxing pedicure and Jeremy and I had a date night that evening.

Emily was SO much more fun at the beach this year compared to last year as a 7 week old baby! She loved the beach. She enjoyed walking up and down the coast in search of whatever treasure she could find to give to whoever her walking partner happened to be at the time. (We all took turns walking with her.) Grancy and Poppy packed a green beach chair for her that was perfect! She loved to climb in and out of her chair or she would steal someone else's chair if you got out of your seat. It was really precious to see her walk confidently on the beach and wave to all the strangers, pat the dogs, or chase after sea gulls. From time to time, she would find a shell on the ground, pick it up with those tiny fingers, and hand it to me. Moments like that made the THIRTEEN hour car ride worth it! This year, I rented a bike with a toddler seat on it. The Shipyard section of Hilton Head has miles and miles of wonderful bike trails that meander through trees, lagoons, golf courses and neighborhoods. It is a wonderful way to experience the island. One day, we rode our bikes on the beach during low tide which made me feel like I was in a movie!

Speaking of travel, Emily did pretty well, but it is just a long drive for everyone. We had to make more stops for diaper changes, mini melt-downs, or just to let her stretch her legs (which added 1-2 hrs to the trip, easily.) We tried to let her run off as much energy as possible at all of our stops. She did take long naps and she always fell asleep by 7:30 or 8 pm when we were still driving. Jeremy and I debated about whether we should have driven through the night to get there. It would have been hard on us, but I believe we could have made much better time as she would have slept almost the whole way (She sleeps 11-12 hrs at night.) We elected to not do that, but maybe next time, we will be brave enough to pull an all-nighter.

Vacation was wonderful and we were thankful to be able to take a trip and have grandparents' help us with Emily (4-1 ratio of adults to baby is good!) With every trip, I'm reminded how different our life is now with Emily. She brings joy to our lives and old activities feel new again as she experiences things for the first time. I also miss my one on one time with Jeremy and the vacations we used to share with just the two of us. I do hope that one day, we will be able to take a romantic trip again...maybe for our 5th year anniversary!!!




Sunday, September 19, 2010

Emily's New Trick

After weeks of showing Emily the "all done" sign, she is finally starting to use it and it is really funny. She uses it more to say "I don't know" than "All done" but sometimes it is interchangeable. Here is the video.


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Weaning Emily

Emily has been pretty much weaned now except for the nursing session before bedtime. I'm having a hard time deciding on a last day. The past year has gone by fast and other than the first couple of weeks of learning how to breast feed, it has been really smooth. At this point, she is ready and I am too....almost. Every time I think, "OK, this is it baby girl" she will fall asleep in my arms all snuggled in close and I think, "Well, maybe another week!" She is SO precious and sweet! I love our cuddle time before bed. We leave for vacation in less than two weeks and I told myself I would wean her by then. I don't want to try to do any big changes while on vacation or a few days before we leave. So I'm left with cutting her off this week or after vacation. I'm not ready for my baby to grow up, but it appears that she has anyway.

Here is how I weaned Emily:

Breast fed exclusively for 5 1/2 mon.
Started solids at 5 1/2 mon (rice and wheat baby cereals)
Started slowly introducing veggies and fruits at 6 mon.
Added yogurts at 9 or 10 mon.
Introduced other meats/proteins at 10-11 mon (she still doesn't eat meat that well, but likes beans, cheese and eggs)
More and more finger foods after 9-10 mon.
Started supplementing some formula after 10 mon (3 breast feedings/day and one formula bottle)
At 11 mon, dropped another breast feeding time (2 breast feedings/day and two formula bottles/day)
At 12 mon. dropped another breast feeding time (1 breast feeding/day and 16-20 oz/day of whole milk by sippy cup or bottle)

So here we are at 13 mon. Time to say good-bye to the boobie Emily. Mama loves you!!!


Friday, September 3, 2010

Surprise!


Grancy and Emily

Woo hoo! I'm free of my stroller!


Emily does not seem to care about the chickens in the cage

Aunt Jen and Emily.



Poppy, Freddy Farm Bureau and Emily


During the weekend of Aug. 20-22, Jen and Ed came to Louisville for a visit. They brought with them some wonderful news....they are expecting March 2nd! We were all thrilled! Jen managed to keep the news a secret from the family for 12 weeks! (I had a really hard time staying quiet for 8 weeks!) Jen arrived to Louisville early in the week and worked. Ed flew in town on Friday evening. Saturday morning, Jen had a very special bouquet of flowers delivered to Don and Nancy that said something like "Pink or Blue? What will it be? We'll have to wait 'till March to see!" She is due March 2nd. We thought that it was very ironic that her baby is due March 2nd and Jeremy's birthday is March 8th and Emily's birthday was August 8th and Jen's birthday is August 4th. Both of their first born children will likely have birthdays the same week as their sibling.

I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but I did have a pretty good idea that they were expecting (and Jer can vouch for me.) Various small clues made me think that they were expecting, Jeremy kept saying that Jen would have told everyone by now, but I knew that this is news to share in person whenever possible and that if Ed was going to be in town, she would definitely wait until they could tell everyone together. Also, I thought that Ed had gone to a lot of trouble in getting his weekend off from the Army, flying out of town late on a Friday and only to be here for 1 1/2 days. (Usually he stays longer when he comes in town.) I'll have to admit, that when Jen said that she was having a fruity cocktail in Hawaii for me, that kind of threw me off on my conviction that she was expecting. (Later, she told me it was a virgin one!)

God has richly blessed our families in the past year and added to its numbers with Hunter, Emily, Cooper and soon Baby Hannah! Will they have a boy or girl? Give me a few weeks and I'll make another prediction! ha!

Here's some photos from the State Fair! Emily got to see all kinds of new animals (and smells.) We didn't try the donut hamburger, but we did enjoy some icecream and a nice dinner at Grancy and Poppy's later that day. We had a great weekend! We did miss seeing Laura Beth on her 30 th birthday. Plans changed when Memommy Meisel had to have a pacemaker implanted on Aug. 20th (LB's birthday). Luckily, the procedure went well and she is recovering now. We are hopeful that this will take care of the awful dizziness that she was having from such a low, irregular rhythm.



Tuesday, August 24, 2010

With Bells On...


Aunt Laura found these adorable shoes for Emily while she was in
Thailand last year. They looked huge when she brought them home
to Emily and I can remember thinking, "she probably won't be able
to wear these until she is 3 or 4." Well, I was off by a few years!
Emily is one now, and they fit her perfectly. We tried them on and
she immediately started dancing around to listen to the bells on her
feet. Thanks Aunt Lala!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Emily understands!

We've really noticed a big improvement in Emily's receptive language skills in the past few weeks. You can tell that while she has limited words to communicate verbally, she is understanding more and more all the time. Don reports that when he says, "Let's go change your diaper" that she walks down the hallway to their diaper changing station. When we ask her "Where's your bear? or ball? or baby?" she starts looking around for whatever we've asked her to find and often brings it to us. When Emily picks up something and starts to bring it to her mouth, I'll tell her "No, bring that to me" and amazingly sometimes she obeys! (She also likes to run in the opposite direction and laugh because she knows I will chase her!) We ask her to blow kisses and she blows those kisses very enthusiastically often hitting herself upside the head! (Somehow, she has forgotten to say good-bye as she now prefers to blow kisses.) She is starting to learn her body parts and usually points at the belly (or chest) when we ask her "Where's your belly?"

Emily's fine motor coordination and problem solving is improving! She is now able to do her shape sorter and rings. Sometimes she needs some guidance, but she has done all of the shapes at one time or another on her own with encouragement. It is amazing to see all the learning that takes place and how she is making new connections all the time.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Emily the Model

Today, we got our 12 mon. photos of Emily and a few of the family. We had planned to do this a few days after her party, but the weather has been seriously miserable. I've lost count of how many days the weather has been in the high 90's and 100's and the humidity unbearable. We cancelled last week's appointment, and today we had mild weather at 8:30 am and no rain. The ground was still dewy and it was overcast, but that kind of weather is great for photos. The only problem? Getting Emily to smile. It is maddening that this sweet baby girl that laughs and giggles at us all day long becomes so serious when the camera is in front of her. Also, she is very inquisitive of new places. She was very intent on checking out the situation and getting her lay of the land. Being a smiley, silly, baby wasn't her plan this morning. I think we will have to bring in reinforcement for her 18 mon. photos.

Anyway, we headed to Locust Grove for our outdoor photos. Locust Grove is an old historic home and venue for various events. I LOVE outdoor photography and I can only hope that we somehow captured a little of the beauty and innocence of our 12 mon. old baby. I was very proud of the Reiss family for being on-time and dressed-up for our photos at 8:30 am. This is no small task when you have a baby and you're married to a Reiss (haha! Love you sweetie. I know I'm almost just as bad...)

12 Mon. Check-up

As of Aug. 12th, Emily weighs 20 lbs. 8oz and is 29 1/4 in. long. Emily is right around 50th percentile for both height and weight. She's a little below average for weight. Her 12 mon. check-up went well. We only got two shots this time. I remembered to take off the little round band-aids soon after they were placed on her. (Last time we had a little incident with Emily peeling off the band-aids, eating them, and later passing them in the poo.)

Emily the strawberry thief

Emily loves to run and get in front of the refrigerator whenever the door is opened. Tonight I happened to place the carton of strawberries right at her eye level in the fridge. When she had her chance, by golly, she took it! She grabbed the whole carton and made off like a bandit carrying the berries out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and over to the stairs. I couldn't help but laugh at her determination to make off with not one or two, but the WHOLE carton.


Sunday, August 15, 2010

Birthday Girl

Wow, a year goes by so quickly! I can't believe we just celebrated Emily's first birthday. Jeremy and I feel so incredibly lucky and blessed to have a beautiful, healthy baby. She has been a joy to take care of this year. As she has grows, we get more and more glimpses of her personality and the precious creation God has made her to me. As I reflect on Emily's first year, I am filled with a few thoughts. Mainly, I can't believe how fast it has gone. EVERYONE says that, but when you are in the midst of not sleeping well or worrying about naps or adjusting to going back to work, it doesn't feel like it is going fast. As a new mother, EVERYONE gives you advice and opinions and while some it is helpful and welcomed, some of it is neither! I have been thankful to be able to turn to my sister this past year. It is so helpful to have a sister that has a baby just a little older than yours so you can talk about whatever you are dealing with at the time. Each baby stage is unique and only lasts a short time.

Emily's birthday was Sunday Aug. 8th, but we celebrated with the big party on Sat. Aug. 7th. We chose this day so that we could recover and unwind on Sunday after all the work that a party entails and also so that it would work out better for the B.G. family to come up on Saturday. Early on, I chose a watermelon themed birthday party because frankly, I love pink and green color combination, but also because Emily loves watermelon! Really, a one year old doesn't need a "theme", but it did make shopping for the party a little more fun. At first, I had all of these grand ideas, but then I realized how much time it was going to take to execute them, so we kept it pretty, but simple. I had an old college friend make a "Happy 1st Birthday" banner and "Emily" highchair banner. I made a pretty decoration from the chandelier with Emily's photos placed in the middle of pink or green cardstock and hung them with pretty polka-dot ribbons. Jeremy's birthday invitation set the theme with a cute photo of Emily outside posing with her head cocked sideways on a watermelon. We totally lucked out with her impromptu pose which was just adorable. A few pretty tablecloths, balloons, crepe paper and pink roses finished up the decorations.

Jeremy and I decided to have Mark's Feed Store BBQ and potato salad for the main lunch meal so that he wouldn't have to slave away on a hot grill. I made a 2 layer 9" round "watermelon" cake. It was actually strawberry cake and I decorated the sides with green icing and the top with pink icing and then placed chocolate chips in it for "seeds." Mom had a friend make chocolate cupcakes decorated with pink and green "watermelon" icing" and she also made a small smash cake for Emily. We also served watermelon balls and a yummy fruit salad that Nancy put together for us. We had plenty of food.

The party went well! Emily was in good spirits and well rested from her morning nap. Both sets of grandparents were there as well as Stephen and Laura's families, Mary Dennison and Holly, George and Janice Dunn, and Bryan Dennison and kiddos. When it came time to do Emily's cake and sing "Happy Birthday" she was a good sport, but her photos showed her looking a little scared by all the attention. Emily had never had any cake before so I don't think she even recognized the birthday cake as "food." She was VERY slow and timid about diving into the cake. She didn't really get very messy although we did encourage her. She showed way more enthusiasm about eating her watermelon and strawberries than birthday cake (hence the theme.) Emily showed interest in most of her presents (or the boxes) and toddled around as I opened them and she "helped" me from time to time. Jeremy and I were glad to have new toys and clothes for our little babe and very thankful for everyone's generosity. It was a sweet day and I pray we will have many more wonderful birthday celebrations.



Emily on her 1st birthday: 8-8-10


Little Miss Manners didn't get very messy as you can see.

Eskimo kisses with Mama

Am I supposed to eat this???

Looking a little scared.


Grancy, Poppy and Em

The proud parents

Mom, Dad, and all the grandbabies