END OF THE MONTH UPDATE

Is it really almost December?? Where has time gone. It seems like only yesterday that I received the call that my brother died, and man, it has been 2 MONTHS!!!!

Sorry, no pics with this post, I am going to do just a general update.

• Emily is almost 3....she will be three on Dec. 17. And she can't wait. She has been awaiting her next birthday since Dec. 18th of last year!!! I have never seen a child that young be so excited about their birthday.

• Emily is all about her family and friends. I thinks she is going to be a people magnet. For Thanksgiving I asked her what she was thankful for....you guessed it, my family and friends. I need to find her a play group with children her age....she really wants to play with kids her age.

• She is definately talking like a 3 year old. Here is a sampling of some of the things that she says: It's ok momma, don't worry about it. Just calm yourself down momma. Everything is Why. if you ask her why, her answer is because I am Emmy.

• She really misses my older brother. She called him "kuncle." She calls him in heaven everyday, and asks him when he is coming home. It is funny, but sad too. It is amazing what she understands. She also asks if she is going to go to heaven one day.

• Emily is also excited about Christmas. We weren't going to do the Santa thing, but she knows EVERYTHING about him!!! We have several books on the birth of Jesus, but I need to go get her a book on the of St. Nicholas. Santa is so commercialized, that you can't avoid him, we want to explain him, and let her know that Christmas is about Jesus, not santa.

UPCOMING IN DECEMBER

This coming Friday is "reindeer games" at gymnastics. This is their version of a dance recital. She is excited about it. She ought to do really well. They don't ask the 2 year olds to do much, but the more people that she has watching her, the better she does!!!! And there is going to be quite a bit of family that is coming to watch her.

I am sure we will try to hit a Christmas parade. She will also really enjoy riding around to see the Christmas lights. We are also going to do a few Christmas crafts. Her and Granny make Christmas cookies. We will also go caroling with the church.

Next post will be the pics that we took for Gotcha day, birthday, and Christmas.

Happy December

COOL TRICK

One of Emily's favorite shows is Y* G*bba Gabb*. They have a section on it of kids doing "cool tricks." Emily's favorite is a boy blancing a spoon on his nose. I catch miss E all the time getting into my silverware drawer and grabbing a spoon and saying "cool tricks." Tonight Daddy started snapping pics as she danced around the kitchen with the spoon on her nose!!

The other picture is where Emily wrote her name. I was going to write her name, but after I wrote the "E" she took it away from me and did the "mmy." No, we have not started teaching her to write. She brings her doodle boards to us all the time and wants us to write names. We always spell them out loud, which is where she has also learned to spell her name. I guess she has been watching us really close too!! I almost fell out.

Gotcha Day in pictures

Okay, so I have only posted this year's Gotcha Day pics. We are still really struggling with grief on the death of my brother, so just doing the necessities. Maybe next year I will do a comparison!!

On the lighter side, Emily enjoyed Gotcha Day. When we went to W*lm*rt to get the cake she was screaming Happy Birthday to Gotcha!! She had to have a candle on her cake in honor of Gotcha!! We went and took pictures on the 6th that included Gotcha, Birthday, and Christmas. Emily did really well, and they turned out great!! I will ask for permission to post on blog.

She really is beginning to understand adoption and China and all that goes with it. I started using the terms "in another lady's belly," and she wanted to know what her name was and who she is...maybe I should have waited a little for that one!!

I changed gears and got a little creative and aggressive on the potty training front. Today we bought a dry erase calendar and have titled it "Emily's Potty chart." I explained to her that when she potties she gets to put a mark on the chart and when she gets 4 marks, she gets a prize. That seems to be working...but we shall see, it has only been in commission for a couple of hours!! She was so excited when she "earned" (her words) her first prize!!

Emily is pretty much ready for preschool. I am going to home school her at least through preschool. We are going to start in Jan. I am really excited. I haven't decided on a particular curriculum, but been doing a lot on looking in the stores and online. I have got some good ideas from other bloggers. If you have any good tips, please pass them on.

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY #2

Wow, has it really, really been two years??!! I look at her and she is growing up so fast! I will publish pics in the next post in a day or two that will include Gotcha day, anniversary 1 and 2.

I was just thinking today about the "phases" that she has gone through, many of which I didn't think she would ever outgrow!!

• She used to throw lots of food on the floor. No matter what I said or did, she would throw food on the floor. So glad that "stage" is gone!!
• My baby only crawled for a few weeks!! I can hardly remember when she didn't walk.
• She sleeps really well. This was our biggest adjustment. It took well over a year for her to sleep through the night. For all of the first year home, I would either have to get in the daybed with her or move her to our bed because she would wake up and "need" her mommy. She had a lot of nightmares and night terrors in the first year too.
• She now calls the dog "my little puppy." When she first started calling him dog, she would curl her tongue when she said it. Then he became "gog." Then she would call him by his name "Oscar."
• Emily still does some of her sign language.
• As she began talking good she had a hard time saying her "f's" they would come out as "s's", but now she is saying her "f's" pretty good most of the time.
• Her current phase is to not listen when we tell her to do something. Momma has to keep reminding herself that this too will pass.

Emily you are such a blessing and a joy. Mommy and Daddy would go to China all over again for you!! We love you to China and back!! Happy Gotcha Day.

FALL FESTIVAL

MEET MR. EMOTICON

Yes, Daddy, this is what I want my pumpkin to look like!!

EWEEEEE, Yuck, GUTS!!!!
HELLLLOOOOOO

I am all about my Daddy!! I am a big girl, I can help!!

Mr. Emoticon

Pumpkin Patch

PUMPKIN FUN

We have officially began our fall season. Emily had so much fun painting her pumpkin. I painted the face on one side, and let her go to town on the other side. I asked her if she wanted slanted eyes like her or round eyes like Mommy and Daddy.....she wanted the slanted!!

Next up:

We are going to Boo at the Zoo. We are going with several of my friends from highschool and their children.

Pumpkin Patch. This was a favorite activity for miss Em. last year. Granny is going to come with us. I want to get atleast 3 more pumpkins. We are going to carve one, I have some "push0-in" faces for one or two more, and then I want to get some face stickers for another. She ought to really enjoy that!!

I think we will skip the corn maze this year. We have been getting tons of rain, I think it will be way too wet, and I am just not up to it.

I am also wanting to do a few more crafts with her as well. Any suggestions??

A SHORT TRIP

My cousin Mark playing with Emily's babydoll. The first time I grabbed the camera, he casually threw the doll. I guess he decided what the heck!!

This is Emily and Nean. Emily was so excited to be going to "Nean's house"

Our trip to my cousins was interupted by the death of my brother. We landed in IL at 2:15 on Sept. 29, and he passed away at 3:40. So needless to say, my planned week trip lasted less than 18 hours. My cousin Mark got the call that Curt died and he came to be with me when Donnie called. Donnie then made my flight arrangements to come home the next day. How was I to know that I needed to be at the teeny tiny airport atleast 30 minutes before my plane left. I had a 5:55 am flight out, and I got to the airport at 5:32.

Not in the Bloggy Mood

Just not in the mood to blog lately.

Emily's uncle (she and all the other neices and nephews called him "kuncle"). passed away suddenly almost 2 weeks ago. He was my oldest brother. He had an infection of the lining of the heart. I will blog more about him when I feel up to it. I do have a lot to blog about, just not in the bloggy mood.

Please pray for us in this difficult time. We tried to explain to Emily, but at 2, she has no idea what death is. We told everyone to tell her the same thing (Kunckle died and went to heaven with Jesus), so that she wouldn't get confused. Another part of me thinks she does understand in her own little 2 year old way.

I will try to get several posts together....I am so far behind!! I love to use my blog as a journal and online "scrapbook" so I need to get these updates done while they are still on my mind.

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES

Oh, can I tell you, this kid just cracks me up. She is talking in very complete sentences, and there is little that she can't or won't say!!

• The other day she was looking for a specific toy in her toybox and couldn't find it and wanted me to help her. She said, " I am not the only one that can look!"
• The other morning when she got up and came into our room, the dog followed. My mom came to get the dog, and she told her, "Grandma, that is my mommy's dog!" Yes, I got onto her for being "sassy."
• "I am all about my daddy!"
• The other night she prayed before she went to bed and she said, "Thank you God for nite nite, amen!"
• If we are in the car, and I am trying to talk to her and she she doesn't want me to, she tells me, "Momma, just go!!"

HAPPY FALL YA'LL

when I saw this outfit, I could not resist!!

RANDOM PICS

Climbing up up up!!

Sliding

Down down down

Me and Daddy being "COOL"!

I am reading to Momma

Okay, here are the LONG promised pictures. Yes, I have been a bad Momma. I didn't take any pics in Aug, and limited number in July!! We have just been having a lazy hazy laid back summer!!

These pics were taken at a state park not far from here. it has a splash park (which explains why she is in bathing suit..may post pics from splash park later), a playground and a nature trail. She had lots of fun.

Happy Labor Day.....

Good bye summer(miss you already!!)....

Hello fall.

FAMILY TIME

Sorry no pictures. I just hate to post without putting up some pictures. But, 1) I hate my camera, 2) we really haven't been doing too much lately, 3) I haven't been taking too many pictures and 4) I just don't feel like posting pictures to night. So there you have it - the long on why there is no pictures.

Now back to the reason that I am journaling: FAMILY TIME. Emily just loves family time. She calls it family (or as she says sammee) time when she gets to fall asleep between Mommy and Daddy in our bed. We try to do this 2 or 3 times a week. She has also started saying just whenever that she loves her family. Sometimes she even says she loves her "new" family. Not sure where she got that one. She also likes to have family kisses and hugs. She will pull us towards her and we will all three hug and kiss at the same time, and she loves it. Too sweet.

I am so behind on blogging!!!! uggghhh

I know I know, I am so behind. And won't be catching up tonight. Sorry, no pics.

We haven't been up to much lately. We have been swimming some at Granny's. We went to a splash park with Aunt Trudy and family....and that is about it. I will post some pics of the splash park on my next post.

Yesterday was also the 2nd anniversary of our referral day. My how our lives have changed in 2 years. We now have had Emily almost longer than we waited, and believe me we felt like we waited forever. But I am also sensitive to others who have been waiting much longer than we did. Your time will come and you too will be looking back and saying how time flies.

As far as what we have coming up:

We start tumble again on the 24th of this month. Emily can't wait. We took the summer off and she asked atleast once a week when we were going back to tumble.

Emily and I are going to IL to my cousins at the end of Sept. We are really looking forward to that.

Sept. also holds birthdays for both Mommy and Daddy. She just loves birthdays. She is always asking whose birthday is next.

Oct will be a pretty fun month as well. She really enjoyed the pumpkin patch last year and asks atleast once a month when we are going back. We also plan on doing the corn maze.

Nov. is National Adoption month and we plan on celebrating all month long. We have begun using the adoption word around the house. She is too little to understand, but we want here to never remember a time when we didn't talk about adoption. We ask her if she is adopted, and she says no. We then ask her if she adopted Mommy and Daddy, and she says yes. Too cute.

And here are some things that she is able to do now:

She can put on her own socks and shoes. And most of the time shoes are on right feet. She can color very well. She loves to play matching games and find the hidden obects in a picture.

Ok, so much for a short post. Pictures next time....I promise.

CONVERSATIONS WITH EMILY

Emily has become quite verbal and is alot of fun to talk with. Because these are some things I want to remember, I am going to start blogging some of them. And besides, I thought you all might need some comedy relief!!

Emily: Mommy, I love you very much. (this is one of my favorites!!)

Emily: I want Oscar to go bye bye with us.
Mommy: He can't Emily.
Emily: Why?
Mommy: Because he is a dog.
Emily: I want Oscar to go bye bye with us.
Mommy: He can't Emily
Emily: Why?
Mommy: Because we don't have a carseat for him.
Emily: Go buy him one.
Mommy: I don't know where to buy a dog carseat.
Emily: (after much thought) The pet store.

Emily: Mommy, you are my sweetheart
Mommy: Awwe. Thank you Emily
Emily: I am going to take care of you Mommy.
Mommy: You are, how?
Emily: I am going to hug you and kiss you.

Emily: Mommy, you have a big butt
Mommy: Thank you Emily

GRANNY IS RETIRED

Granny is ready to go.

Daddy's side of the family Left to Right: Momma, Daddy, Granny holding Emily, Pappa, Uncle Jeff, And Aunt Angie, with cousin Billy in the front. This is the first "family picture" that we have ever taken.

Granny officially retired on June 26, 2009. Emily sees Granny atleast once a week. She (and Mommy) are looking forward to staying with Granny one day a week to give Mommy a much needed Mom's day out. I am going to make Granny a scrapbook, so I am looking forward to going to a scrapbook store to crop about once a month.

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

I just love to dress Emily up in patriotic clothing....Ok, your right, I just plain love to dress her up!!! We went to a local pond to do this photo shoot. Oh, Momma and Daddy had so much fun!! We were mother hens when it came to feeding the ducks. If they got too close, we let them know they needed to back off or we would be having Peking duck for the 4th! LOL

Daddy and Cinderella

She swings and she sways to whatever song plays without a care in the world. I am sitting here carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Just home from work, still work to do. Daddy, Daddy I need you.

There is a ball at the castle, I need to practice my dancing. Please, Daddy please.

So I dance with my cinderella, while she is here in my arms. I know something the prince never knew. All too soon the clock with strike midnight, and she'll be gone.

Cinderella, by Steven Curtis Chapman (probably have some words missing, but you get the idea).

These photos were taken at a chinese restaurant where Donnie's cousin got married in June. The bride and her Daddy were dance to Bob Carlisle's "Butterfly Kisses." I was beginning to tear up, so I walked outside, and this is what I saw. The last two were taken inside. Daddy and Emily were dancing. In the last one she is singing. The look on her face was priceless. The camera didn't do it justice. Too Sweet.

SINGING IN THE RAIN

We got some MUCH needed rain today. Emily Begs to play in the rain everytime it rains. She ran right out before I could stop her. Did Mommy run to get her? No, she ran for the camera...that is what a good momma is supposed to do right??!!! Was it lightening you ask? Probably....just don't tell Grandma and Granny.

Oh I am so behind on blogging. I have several posts to do. We went to a wedding last weekend and I took some really cute pictures of Daddy and Emily dressed up. We have been swimming at Granny's...you guessed it, more cute pics. Granny also retired last Friday.

Upcoming events:

• 4th of July. I have a cute dress that I am planning on taking pictures in....Can't wait, it will be lots of fun. We will probably do the normal swim and bbq for the 4th.

• The weekend after the 4th our town is having a 100th birthday party. Parade, carnival, and fireworks, oh my!!
  
  

**I don't edit my photos before I post. Sorry - what you see is what I saw when I snapped the photo!!!***

A PRIZE FOR EMILY

A prize for me??!! It is wrapped in my favorite color....BLUE

MRS. Duckie is as excited as I am!Oh look, it's a violin, a BLUE violin.

I just love music and can't wait to learn how to play.

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR......

This is a just because present from a friend of grandma. She has children, but no grandchildren and she says it doesn't look like she will have grandchildren, so she has adopted Emily!! We will put her in lessons when she is closer to 4. She loves music, so I can see her really enjoying her violin.
THANK YOU MRS. DUCKIE!!

***Notice that Oscar (aka Dog) is in almost every picture. Poor thing feels so neglected and starved for attention!!****