We love you, Emma Grace! 5 wonderful years!

As I sit here typing, Emma Grace is beside me in the next bar stool drawing "people". We have just returned from her 5 year old well-visit, and I'm pleased to say, she's as healthy as a horse! She weighs 41 pounds and 4 ounces. That puts her in the 60th percentile for weight. Her height is 3 feet 8 inches---82nd percentile. TALL girl. Hmmm....wonder who she takes after? I have been so blessed to have been home with my little girl for the last 19 months. A day never goes by where I do not learn something new about her. It's just amazing the way the Lord has knit her together.

Jason has been home for a week and a half (one of the wonderful things about having a Christmas baby is that daddy can be home for the days leading up to and the days after her birthday), and the conversations between father and daughter are worth recording. Honestly, there are meals I just want to run grab the camcorder and begin rolling. She just grabbed Jase under his arms and is carrying him around singing, "A thing, a thing, a ting ting ting. Tom, ta ting, ta ting ting ting." She told me this is called the "Thing Dance". So creative!! I am so glad the Lord has blessed us with a daughter and a son! What a difference girls and boys are; God knew what He was doing when He created us uniquely!

It has been my pleasure to teach Emma Grace preschool at home the last 5 months and to introduce her to the foundational stories of the Bible over the last 3 years. I really am looking forward to official Kindergarten in the fall of 2010! Curriculum searches are underway! I think it's funny to look over the "Normal Development" lists from the pediatrician's office today. One says, "Embarrasses easily, and cannot laugh at self." I haven't really noticed that about her...she is usually more than willing to laugh at her mistakes. She doesn't, however, like to get hurt. In this area, crying can go on and on, whereas our son has shown thus far that he is far less dramatic. Just some basic differences in girls/boys. Oh!!!! And one of the development bullets says "is curious about reproduction and birth". Oh boy, do they have that one right!! She was just nursing her baby earlier today! And she stuffed a baby up Kaye Kaye's shirt pretending like Kaye was "pregnant" earlier this weekend---I wondered how she was going to explain to her niece how the baby came out. I haven't had to explain that just yet, thank goodness. Guess I should be glad Aunt Kaye Kaye didn't TRY to explain it either!

Here are some of the things I LOVE about our little girlie:

*How she loves and smooches on her brother!

*LOVES music!! LOUD music, I might add. (thanks, daddy!)

*Tender and compassionate heart--I found her all out *bawling* watching the Mickey/Pluto Christmas movie!

*She entertains herself very easily---did I mention she is very creative?

*She gets along with all of her friends...such a blessing. Let's hope it continues!

*Her long, blonde hair and blue eyes. And I hate to be superficial here, but her long eyelashes (just like her brother) are adorable just like her glasses! Melt my heart!

*I love how she replicates lovingly taking care of her million babies just like I take care of Jase. Think your kids aren't listening to the way you behave and treat them on a daily basis? Think AGAIN. (This is how I know I am patient and fair in dealing with these kids. If I weren't, it would definitely show up in her mommy skills!)

*Her OCDness in cleaning up after eating or having a snack---definitely inherited from mommy!

*Loving to go out and ride her bike--she got skates and a scooter for Christmas and Birthday, so she's been trying those two out faithfully!

*How she cares so much for her daddy---she told him he was such a good daddy that she would take care of him when he got older! Wonder if that goes for mommy, too?! :)

Emma Grace, we pray that your heart will be open to accept the message of the gospel at a very early age. We also pray that you will choose friends wisely, learn to obey God and your parents, and be a very giving person of your time and resources. We pray for the young lady you will become as well as the future wife, mother, and grandmother we see in you. How EXCITING!!!!!! We love you, our precious daughter. XXXX OOOO

'Twas the Night Before Jesus Came

'Twas The Night Before Jesus Came'
written by Unknown Author

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

"Bow"tique

My child loves to "do" hair. Here I am after a day at the "bow"tique!

Wow, now that's a great hairdo, right?! And yes, that would be a wand from Emma Grace's closet that Jase was waving around in his Cabe*la's overalls. He got off good if his sister didn't attack him with the tiny hairbows. I might add that now that she's spotted the "baby" bows (from when she barely had any hair), she's asking to wear those instead of the nice, big pretty $5 ones! YIKES. Looks like it's time for Emma Grace to take a hike to the barn with daddy (or spend a day with a friend or at Bibbi's) so I can go home and clean out all the baby things we need to sell. Yes, I said sell. I'm just ready to get rid of all the clutter and baby things we no longer need (ssshhh...Jason doesn't read this anyway!). We need cash for clutter, don't you know? And I know how to get it! Cha-ching!

Visiting Ms. Emmy & Poinsettia Pics

One of the AWESOME things about homeschooling your child(ren) is being able to go out and visit places while everyone else is still in school! YIPEE!! Our morning breakfast/schooling/chores routine is usually over by lunchtime, so we are able to head out right after Jase wakes up from his nap and we get in a little lunch. This week, as you can see, we went and visited one of the dear elderly ladies from our church who has moved to Bail*y Manor in the last 9 months. Her name is Ms. Emmy. She is actually Madeline and Alex's great-grandmother, but she might as well be Emma Grace's and Jase's also! We really have missed seeing Ms. Emmy since she has moved an hour away, so it was an EXTRA special treat to be able to go and see her new apartment and take her some goodies! Bail*y Manor also has 61 Christmas trees done by various people, vendors, businesses, and donors....and thanks to a TORNADO warning where we were in hiding with all the elderly people....we will just have to go back and see them ALL! Makes for a great excuse to go see her one day this month before they take them all down in the new year!

Also, you see that Julie and I took the kids to Br*ce's Greenhouse in Blythew*od to capture a shot or two of our little ones! Jase is quite a booger for capturing any sort of smile unless you plan to have someone behind you tickling his nose or the top of your head with the feather duster (and YES, I did bring one of those!!). Hope you enjoy the pics of the little ones! We're heading to P*rtrait Inn*vations on Tuesday to do the $9.95 special deal---this time in their Christmas pajamas. We've never done PJ's before, but I just thought they would be extra special pics (and because we need some current ones of the kids besides the ones Ol*n Mills took for the church directory). You all have a super week and we pray you can remember the reason for this blessed Season as you go through the month's festivities, events, and parties---Jesus!