He lives!

Happy Resurrection Day! Aren't we so privileged to know our Savior? His love, so clearly shown to us through His death and even more so His promise, shown in His coming back to life. One day, people, one day we will be with Him in paradise. Oh how I itch with anticipation....

Bronwyn was sweet enough to make our family....in eggs :) I thought it was so cute! Thanks B!



The immediate family. Emmy just woke up from the long car ride- rubber duckie is helping her adjust.






Emalyn is also getting quite good a balancing on her knees to peer into bins or reach up and grab things off tables, chairs, etc.

She's getting so BIG!!

Past Couple Days

So....is it weird that I bought my LITTLE GIRL a train? (4-6) It was a cool one because that little red button behind the smokestack causes a little light to turn on in the front of the first car...it also chugs and makes a "whoo-whoo" sound. I figure since I like it, and I am a girl, then it is okay. Not to mention, I am the mommy....my call!! :)













More ZOO! As I mentioned, we decided to go to the zoo Good Friday (4-10). Here I am with Emmy....

















Here is Cam with Emmy.....













And because we ran into some church friends, here is a family shot in the aquarium portion of the zoo. The only thing I am bummed about is that we didn't get a shot of all of us together! Oh, and do you like the color choice we made for the day...totally unplanned.


















And here is Emmy. Just because. (4-11)

April News

Emalyn last week before we left for daycare (4-2). She started a new daycare last week....we are super happy with it so far, and Emalyn even has a nickname by her teacher, "la gorda." It is indeed a spanish immersion daycare. The teachers there are Peruvian and Ecuadorian. We are SO, SO happy we found this as we have a very strong desire to have Emalyn be bilingual.


















Emalyn has really gotten a handle on crawling...and I think is really desiring to walk. This is now the scene in the house (4-5).













This last weekend, I had a friend from IL come visit (4-4). Here she is with Emmy as we were starting to get bathtime ready. We had a really nice time and Cameron took care of Emalyn while we got to go out for a couple hours and chat....boy, I needed that! She was so sweet to buy Emalyn her very first birthday gifts and I can't wait to get those outfits on her!! (Oh, and the ball in the b ackground was also a really fun toy we got.) Thanks Amanda for your thoughtfulness, it was so great to see you!

More Zoo

So you all will probably be so tired of the zoo, or at least our visiting the zoo, because we have pretty much made it a habit to go twice a month. We love it. Emmy loves it. Enough said.

Family photo while on the tropics trail follows-I am proud to say I took it myself, however, wish I had captured some more of Emalyn's neck/face.













And as you can see, Emalyn actually DOES indeed like to point out things that move and watches the animals pretty intently. I love this shot.












And finally, we braved the outside in 35 degree weather because there were farm babies. The big 'ole stud behind us really isn't a baby as he is 3,000 lbs (no joke). But, we had to take a photo because of how ridiculously large he was. Oh, and "he" is Lantz, the cloned stud.













Emalyn was able to pet some goats and listen to the babies bleat....they sound like a regular goat only on fast forward, super high-pitched. Very funny and VERY cute. We'll be going again Good Friday as Cameron and I have off the afternoon (and all the farm babies are still around, and it is supposed to be warmer...50 degrees!)

Ahhhhhh, Tejas!

We had a wonderful trip over my birthday to TX to visit my parents in addition to getting out of cold and dreary MN!!! Emalyn is sporting a new pair of shades purchased by Grammy, and really loves them....Every time they get slipped on, she starts waving her right hand at anyone and everyone that is near! It really is adorable!








Here we are at the Botanical Gardens. It was a really nice day to get out as it wasn't too warm, but juuuuust right. The gardens were beautiful!

























This past photo is a fun one of Emmy and me in my mom and dad's backyard. We loved our time spent there and can't wait for another visit!

10 months

Dear little Emmy,

My little Irish girl! (You’re only a 1/8, but that’s still something!)

This last month held a lot of changes for you! I have to say you held up like a champ! Things have settled down some and your routine will pick back up….you thrive on routine, just like your momma and daddy. J So many happy days to come, as a result!

You got to go on your very first airplane ride to visit TX and your Grammy and Grampy. We had non stop flights, and you handled yourself so lovely, it caused me to contemplate flights in the not too distant future! Luckily we don’t really have anywhere we need to visit, so my plans will not come to fruition….And how silly I was thinking what a nightmare it would be! Not even close! Everyone marveled at how adorable you are. A lady even asked me your name and when I told her, she stopped and moment. Looked at me, then gasped, and said “Oooh, how pretty. And unique!” That made me feel good.

You’re now crawling, as well! Just in the nick of time (well, just before you turned ten months exactly that is)! It’s fun to see you churning those little legs and seeing exactly what they do and are all about. You like to pull yourself up too, we had to lower the crib mattress because we found you on your knees reaching for the extra nuks we leave sitting on the edge…..smarty that you are. A lot of babies do this pulling up thing earlier, but you love your swaddle and only recently started to sleep (sporadically) without it allowing more freedom of movement. I am sure climbing out of the crib will only come too soon!

We’ve gone to the zoo quite a few times and oh, can I tell how much you love the zoo. You look at all the animals and point to them and especially like watching the birds. I suppose the only part that you are hesitant about is the nocturnal portion of the tropical trail because it is so dark in there. Last time we saw all the baby farm animals and you loved the goats and sheep especially. Daddy and I fed them and you enjoyed all their noises.

You’re really getting just so big. It is hard to believe you will be walking soon and I won’t have to carry you as often. Life really is a gradual process of letting go isn’t it-and here I am just watching the first itty bitty stages of your gaining independence. Next thing I know, you’ll be asking for car keys and figuring out a major…..in the meantime, I will be just fine waiting patiently for those days to creep up in 18 years.

Love, your momma

In Preparation

Knowing how bright and sunny TX can be, we bought these sunglasses for Emalyn to protect her eyes. She has had a lot of fun with them, as you can see!

small malfunction

I know, I know, all the photos are gone. I will be recovering them....I had to move the blogs because I was having problems with my login information and in the process seemed to have "misplaced" the photos.

I will be updating things shortly....sorry for the technological difficulties!!

Tigers and Teeth

We made our first trip to the zoo on Saturday! Over all, Cameron and I really enjoyed ourselves. Even though there were millions and trillions of little girl scouts running around for some kind of special day. The many little girls and their families really gave Emalyn a lot to watch....and she is quite the people watcher! We were surprised to see that she did find some monkeys and birds in the cages, and as you can see from the photo, she actually did point at the animals and says "That!" Of course I think she is just genius, but it is so neat to see her really developing even further into a human being!

On another note, Miss Emalyn has gotten her first tooth poking through! Her demeanor has actually been great, maybe a couple rough nights stick in my mind as of the last week or two, but nothing I would complain too much about. Tylenol has been a great help....although it was just one dose, before bed. We have many more teeth to break their way through, so I pray they all incoming teeth go as "well" as this first one!

Long time...

Some friends of mine have actually said they were wondering what happened to me since I haven't posted in a while. Even my mom asked yesterday, "you haven't put up any new photos, have you?" Been a little busy. Let's leave it at that!



So, what I thought I would do, is post my "Emmy's Nine Month" letter so that one day she can look back and see what I was thinking (even if these thoughts are incoherent) at this point in her life. And so...



Dear Emmy,
You're already nine months. The same time it took for you to grow in my tummy, you have now been out in the world. You're 9 months of life has gone by so fast, and yet, that 9 months being pregnant, took SO LONG!

You're not crawling...yet. But, I think I am okay with that because I don't feel like childproofing the house. Ugh, too much work! I probably won't say that when the red glass vase shatters against the tile in front of the fireplace....I know, I know, Daddy and I will get to it very soon.


Ah, but YOU, you're as beautiful as ever and I think your eyes will stay that gorgeous gray-brown. I thought you lost them during your 7-8 months of life; you're eyes looked brown all the time! But, oh, no. They're breathtaking.


You have become quite energetic....peering every which way and trying to go in the way those eyes look. You may not crawl, but you lunge forward to check out anything and everything! We've started a game where every teeny thing you find on the carpet or couch, you pick it up, hand to me and I say a very enthusiastic, "Thank you!" It doesn't get old for you!!! Will you be my little clean freak? Momma was like that when she was just a little bit older than you. Maybe I should say, Momma was crazy perfectionistic rather than clean freak. However, some people would like to call that OCD. I'll pray you are none of the above....but I will pray you always try your best and hardest!


You are eating A LOT right now. I definitely have to say that Cain trait lives on in you. And you are so open to trying anything, and everything, anytime. Lord has blessed me with that. Or it could have just been I ate whatever I wanted when you were in the womb. Sorry, I wasn't going to stop having hot salsa just on account of you! You have formula most feedings, I wanted to nurse you longer, but working full time took that out of the picture. I'm okay with that now (only after a slight meltdown!), I wanted so badly to nurse you until you were one. But I know I did the best I could do--you'll still grow up to be beautiful, smart and healthy.


You say Mama. And Da. You've not said Ee-Nee very much anymore. But, maybe you are working on his actual name or the word "dog." We'll see. I love that you wave all the time-at anyone as well. I say "hi" (you wave). I say "bye" (you wave). And everyone thinks you are just so cute and sweet and happy and lovable. Seeing you grow makes my heart soar.


I love you Emmy, and I know that you love me. You tell me with your eyes. Then with your wide-open, wet mouth you decide to try to give kisses (though you don't know that's what they are). One day when you're screaming your fervent dislike of my decision, I will remember those eyes and how much they look at me and say you love me. There's nothing like it. And in that moment when my heart weighs a thousand pounds because I wish you would understand the decisions momma's have to make, I will wish I didn't wipe away that wet slobbery kiss when you were a baby.

love, your momma