Valentines Day

 My funny Valentine enjoying her balloon from Daddy (saying her signature, "Cheeeeeeese!"

 Decorating Valentine cookies with mama

 Sprinkles!!!

 Yummy....

 With love from our hearts to yours... a wonderful Valentines Day!



Clearly, my daughter read my previous post...

I had my next blog entry by 8 am. This morning when I went to get Emme out of bed she immediately started saying, "bow...bow...bow." Being rather persistent, and having skipped the whole "Hi Mama" part, I got out the bag of bows and put one in her hair (which was also put in pony tails within the first 2 minutes she was awake).  She then said, "More!" ... excitedly.... "MOre!"... with emphasis ... "MORE!"  By the time it was all said and done, this was the final result.

Dear Emme,

Your mama has done a sorry job keeping up with your milestones since you turned one year old... and now you are almost 1 and a half! It is just crazy the difference that one year can make. Last year at this time you were just learning to sit up, nap (hehe- I'll tell you that story some day!), and start rice cereal. At almost 17 months you are a hilarious, wonderful, sweet, joyful girl.  You absolutely light up our lives.

- You impress us with your knowledge of animal sounds: sheep, lion, horse, cat, dog, elephant, bird, monkey... you also think that pigs say "lalala" because of the Sandra Boyton book we read and any other animal pretty much says "Raaaaar!"
- You can tell us where your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, belly button, and hair are and say each of those words. You like to find them on our bodies too.
- You love to eat. You have a dinner bell that goes off and you expect a meal :) Your favorite food is definitely "snack snacks" (fruit snacks)- you know exactly where they are in the pantry and can find them yourself.  In addition you will tell us "cracker" "nana" "fruit" "cheese" and you will also lick your fingers and smack your lips when the peanut butter comes out :) You will also readily tell us "please" and "thank you." Seriously adorable stuff ("thank you" also means, "I'm gonna do this for you now...")
- You are also READY for nap and bed time. You will happily pronounce "nite nite" and sign "sllleeeep" and hop right into bed, laughing, because you are SO ready.  It makes us laugh too.
- Music is so fun for you. You love to turn on music and dance. Lately you have started spinning in circles to the music- I think you like the feeling of being slightly dizzy. Haha!
- You are an organizer. Everything has a place. You will organize our remotes, your toys, anything with pieces. You like to know how things work- and take them apart if possible. You like to unscrew water bottles, play with Daddy's itouch, and do things that have several steps. Future engineer, maybe? Must be Daddy's genes- you are a Miss Fix-It. You love to be a helper to others and will help us clean up, do laundry, dust, etc. all with a smile in tow.
- Shoes could also be called an obsession for you... accessories actually. Hair bows, earrings, socks, gloves, hats... one word... LOVE. You have a special place in your heart for cell phones (ours are prefereable).
- You have started to play independently. We will find you happily playing in your room or any room for that matter! You love to close doors, and are very close to being able to open them too (I'm a little afraid!!)
- You are also getting more and more interested in books, favorites include... Lily's Twinkly Bedtime Story (classic literature- lots of glitter fairies involved) and Red Hat Green Hat.
- You are not a TV watcher but will watch Baby Signing Times and Veggie Tales sing along (Score!) You have learned a lot from Baby Signing Times- partially because you were forced to watch it about 25 times on our trip to TN over Thanksgiving. :)
- You have started posing for the camera (when you feel like it) and will say "Cheese!"
- Your BFF Rylan taught you to say your name. Especially at meal times you will say "meme...meme" too cute...
- You adore babies.  You love to cuddle them, hold them, dress them up (accessories!), and carry them around.  You also sleep with a special nite nite baby and paci (of course).
- You know our basic places that we go.  You love to go out and about and will say "Bye Bye!" and rush for the door. You know when we are going to the store, jazzercise, or church.
- At church you have learned to pat the Bible- and at home we are learning about Jesus and learning to pray.  Our greatest desire is that you will soon know Him as your Lord and Savior.  We can't wait for that day!

I am quite sure I am leaving out some seriously humorous and fun tricks you can do right now.  I hope to be a little better about documenting them, because the time is flying by and I don't want to forget those precious moments that happen in our every day living.  I thank God for giving you to me, Emme.

Love,
Mommy

Pumpkin Pics

The Ants Go Marching One by One...

So beginning on Friday, Emme started to run a fever- first it was just a low grade, 99.5 or so, and with the bottom molars she was working on- and the shots she got on Tuesday, this came as no surprise.  Well the weekend went on and the fever continued.  By Sunday we were up to 103 and one sad little girl.  I'll put it this way- she sat in my lap, in a rocking chair, STILL for about 30 minutes on a couple of different occasions! This busy bee was definitely not herself.  But having learned that in the past when I have called the Dr.'s office, the nurse always says, "Well we really don't get worried till a temp of 104." (Crazy, I know, but whatever!) I held out thinking she would be better soon (and continued a tylenol drip). :)

So Monday morning rolls around and Emme is still out of sorts, fever is lower, but I can't decide it is worth the trip to see Dr. G (love the man- but I don't like it when he tells me, "It's a cold...")  So I go ahead and make an appointment for Tuesday morning at 9... just in case. 

Meanwhile... Ben and I have been noticing a line of ants that have been trampsing around the kitchen here and there for a couple of weeks. A can of Raid has basically knocked them out until last night.  We noticed more of a stream, as the ants appeared to be "getting their army on."   Ben said he would call the exterminator and schedule soon.  No worries. 

So as I sat rocking Emme last night before bedtime, I was praying, "Lord, I really don't know if Emme needs this doctor's appointment. Please make it clear to me in the morning whether we should go or not."  Let me just say that if I ever doubted that God hears the tiniest of requests, it was confirmed bright and early this morning!  As I walked into the kitchen to get Emme breakfast, a swarming pile of ants begins marching across the floor and into the living room.  Seeing as how I could not sit my child on the floor without her being attacked by the little guys- we made a "bee"line for the Dr.'s office this morning, while Adams Exterminating got after the ants :)

By the way... Emme did have an ear infection.  With the antibiotic she should be back to herself in no time.  Thank you, Lord for caring about even the smallest of things.

In Hopes of Fall...

~~~My house
             Smells like pumpkin roll scentsy
                     Sounds like Enya
                             Looks like a slow rain outside the window
                                       Tastes like hot, aromatic coffee
                                                   Feels like home~~~

Romans Reflections

Scripture speaks for itself, what does it say to you today?

Romans 8:12-17
"So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.


For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. "