Busy Body ~ Literally!

A FALL UPDATE

I packed up the last of summer today, or at least all the summer yard things in our tikki room that I don't want to see get wet in the big storm that is coming in. I can't believe that it is the middle of October and and I am just now embracing the change of seasons. Every year when the kids go back to school I have good intentions of cleaning out closets and catching up around the house. This year I thought I might even finish some of partial blog posts from the summer, but I have filled my plate and these things have had to wait.

In August I climbed Half Dome with some friends and came home from that trip with a training schedule waiting for me from my sister Anne. We had talked about running a marathon together and so now I am committed. (Even if it turns out we don't run in the same race.)

Last month I jumped into a program to complete my 200 hour RYT (registered yoga teacher) certification. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time and the right opportunity showed up and I went for it. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I plan to be done mid December and am looking forward to sharing it with others. Training for a marathon while doing yoga teacher training is great and I really am feeling the benefits of regular yoga practice in addition to my long runs. I am having a lot of fun in all this craziness and even feeling balanced too. Must be the yoga because it reminds me to enjoy the journey.

Emma's been working on a blog of her own over the last 5 months or so. She has a new post about one of our recent adventures. It's very cute and likely to be updated more often than this one has been!

Todd had surgery a few weeks ago for a deviated septum. He is doing well now, but it was a lot tougher recovery than we expected. If successful, we hope he will be able to breathe through his nose soon! He's had this problem for years, likely caused by some crazy teenage stunt that left him with a broken nose. I am proud of him for finally going through with it and hope that the pain will have been worth it.

ONE MORE THING...

The kids love to make the gingerbread houses during the holidays, so when I saw this kit for a chocolate haunted house, I could not resist. They had so much fun doing this, I wondered why I had never see one before. Halloween candy is so cool!

Happy Fall!

Summer Reading

I really like to read with my kids. In fact there are often times when I am not reading my own book, but am wrapped up in a book I am reading with them. Finding books that we all enjoy is not an easy task, but when we started reading books by Kate DiCamillo, we were hooked! These books are not fairy tales. They are engaging, original and several of them are sometimes very deep or even dark . She paints a picture with her descriptions of the characters that make them so real, and her writing style is almost poetic. Each one of her stories offers something different and I appreciate the way it enriches their imagination and vocabulary. As much as I enjoy them, nothing compares to the joy my kid's get from hearing them. I love our late night reading and discussions and the way the stories make them think on a much deeper level. It's like our own little book group and sometimes Daegan pipes in, even though he often falls asleep mid-chapter.

This summer we read all of these.

Now we are eagerly awaiting the release of her next one.

(Thanks Mom for sending a few and getting us started!)

Ready, Set, Go!

(You can click on this collage to enlarge it.)

Emma, Noah and Daegan successfully completed this year's Iron Hills Youth Triathlon. Daegan entered for his first time and was one of the youngest participants in the race. He was a bit nervous about the whole thing and ended up in a heat with the 5 year olds. He was so proud of himself and was so cute to watch. Noah had prepared all summer by attending a triathlon camp with Dad and I was blown away as he passed up some much bigger kids in his heat and was the first one out of the pool! Emma was just hilarious becuase she always talks about how she doesn't like P.E. and that sports are not her thing and then she shows up to this and does the job. I guess all the time in the pool in the summer has her in some sort of shape, and she must like the no pressure competition.

It was a great time, but pretty exhausting for all of us. Three heats, six transistions = 1 tired Mom. Dad was busy organizing/hosting the event and he was there at the finish line every time.

V A C A T I O N !

We made a last minute trip to So. Cal to visit Todd's cousin and her family, Disneyland and the beach! This trip happened so last minute as we had originally planned to head to Tahoe for an annual trip with our friends. The weather was supposed to be really bad and then suddenly the invite came and with Todd's limited time off we could not resist heading to the warmer weather. We are so lucky our friends understood. (They went anyway and froze!)

On our way into L.A. we made a quick stop at the American Girl Place so that Emma could check it out and have one of her doll's ears pierced. She had a fab time checking out all the dolls and the all the stuff, while the boys spent 2 hours riding the escalators. They had no interest in anything in that store at all. It was pretty funny to see their relief when we were ready to go. While we were there Emma also bought a new doll with money she had been saving. This brings her doll count to four and holding for now. It takes a long time for a 10 year old to save that kind of money and she seems happy with the diverse collection of girls that she has.

Disneyland was a grand adventure as we had not been since Emma was little. It was the first time for Noah and Daegan and it was fun seeing it through their eyes. Our first of 3 days at the park was a Saturday and we expected it to be busy, but it was actually not bad at all. (One bonus to our terrible school year schedule.) All of the summer fireworks were scheduled to start the following week, but we were lucky enough to see a test show of Nightastic, which was very cool and one of the highlights of the day for the kids. For Noah, Disneyland was all about the roller coasters, so he and Todd made a few trips off on their own throughout the 2 days Todd was with us. Emma rode a few roller coasters, but was easy to please and happy to do whatever. Daegan has some motion issues, so he was always a little scared when getting on a new ride. He did great though and somehow survived a ride on the Tower of Terror which he got onto sort of by mistake.

Disneyland/California Adventure Favorites:

Emma: "I like everything, I can't really pick one."

(I think she liked Buzz and the Dole Pineapple Whip at the Tikki Room. )

Noah: "Space Mountain and Screamin' Calfornia."

Daegan: "I like the Buzz Lightyear ride the best."

(We rode Buzz at least 7 times)

Todd's cousin AnnaBeth and her family live in Seal Beach, about 20 minutes to Disneyland. It was a perfect location, and they were great hosts! While there while we were there we managed two trips to 2 different beaches. Seal Beach is great and just a minute from their house. Emma found some pretty shells there and we caught some glimpses of Dolphins swimming off shore. Todd flew home to get back to work and so I spent a day with the kids at Newport beach. It was a perfect day and very quiet. (All the locals still in school.) The weather was mild and AnnaBeth was apologetic for the June Gloom, but we loved it. It was perfect theme park weather in the 70's and still very nice at the beach.

I drove the kids back myself which was a crazy adventure itself. I realized it is so much better to leave early in the morning than to drive late at night, but this gave us one last day at Disney and a quick trip back in the A.G. Store to pick up a doll brush.

All 5 days of the trip were great and I've decided that spontaneous trips sometimes turn out to be the best!

Last Day of School

Emma and Noah had a great year, great teachers and learned a lot. First and fourth grades are supposed to be tough transition years and I am feel so lucky that it was essentially pain free for us. Even though summer break is exciting, it is also hard to leave good teachers. Noah had an especially hard time the last week of school and even a few tears were shed as he thought about what write in the card for his teacher. I was so proud of him for making such a special card and sharing how he felt with her. I am also glad I took a picture of it! The afternoon was filled with parties, treats and fun. These two are so ready for summer and are looking forward to hours in the pool, picking berries and some time at a beach. I look forward to the lazy days, the lack of a schedule and especially the lighter laundry that is almost sock free.

Emma's Count Down to Summer

It seems that the end of the school year involves a lot of activities. Now that she is in 4th grade, Emma was able to participate in the school track meet and was lucky to have Todd coach the team. This is his 3rd year of coaching for this yearly event and it was fun to finally make it a family affair.

I am not sure which event this was and she can't recall it either. She does not love running, but did a great job at the meet. I think she really likes the social part of participating in these things and the feeling of accomplishment when it's over.

Every year we also look forward to the Spanish Performance from Emma's class and the other Spanish Magnet classes at the school. Usually the performance includes each class singing a song in Spanish and then performing a Spanish dance. It is fun to see them dance with boys and perform in another language.

This picture of Emma and her friend Lauren was taken that day. I can't believe these 2 girls have been in the same class together since they were 3 and in preschool! They are such great friends and get along so great.

Happy Birthday Suri!

The kids have been counting down this week waiting for Suri's 1st Birthday to arrive. I am not sure why all the excitement. There is no party, no presents and until this afternoon, there wasn't even a decoration. Leave it to Emma to design a quick party hat and for Noah to pull out the ingredients to make a treat. I guess we are having a party now. Too bad Suri can't eat her Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Hawaiian Concert Day

It really wasn't a Hawaiian Concert Day, but Hawaiian Day and Emma's first orchestra performance at school! This year she has been playing the violin and the concert was also the same day as a Hawaiian dress up day. The 4th grade orchestra was great and I hope she wants to keep playing in the years to come.

Opening Day

We have been waiting for some consistent warm weather for weeks now. It seems that this spring has been full of extreme temperatures. A few days really warm and then a few days cold and wet. This is no good when the water in the pool needs regular sun and warming. So here it is, the 14th of May and finally we are back in business.

Daegan testing his skills for the first time in months. He was nervous to be without his life jacket. As soon as Todd spent a few minutes with him, the jacket was off and we couldn't get him out of the pool.

Noah and Natalie

Emma with friends Sara and Lauren

I know a lot of people who can't stand the summer and the heat in Folsom. I think for us, hot summer days are the favorite part of our year!

Birthday Boys

Daegan and Noah both celebrated their birthdays this month. I am struggling with the fact that my baby is now four and that Noah is headed to second grade in the blink of an eye. They are growing up way too fast! This photo brings out a lot of similarities in their looks, but their personalities could not be more different.

Noah is and has always been the quiet independent one. He could easily live without TV , computer or the Wii. He can entertain himself for hours with his creative little mind. The art area of our playroom houses all of his favorite items for creation. He uses many varieties of tape, yarn, paper, cardboard, hot glue, craft sticks etc. . His fine motor skills are impressive and from the time he was in preschool I haven't been able to tell the difference between his cutting and that of his teacher. On occasion I have taken a picture of our art table after he has left it hoping that when I look back someday it will all make sense. Most of what he creates is beyond my understanding. Lately he has been into special effects and he begged for a helium tank and dry ice for his birthday. We settled on letting him buy a fog machine with his birthday money, thinking that it will last longer and be less dangerous than the other items he requested. We actually have a fog machine that he has used, but allowing him have his own means that Dad won't be upset if something happens to it. At 7, Noah really loves to ride his bike, swim, Heely around the house and anyplace with a large cement floor. He's one of those kids who is lucky enough to just get things without trying really hard. He loves to cook, help out around the house and in the yard and has a smile that makes everyone love him.

Daegan is a different kind of Drybread boy. He and Noah could not be more opposite. Daegan is loud. Daegan is a media junky. Daegan loves sports. Most of all, Daegan wants to be entertained. If he is not busy or occupied with something or someone, he is following me around the house telling me how boring everything is and that he has nothing to do. This little personality of his emerged very quickly during his 3rd year. It feels like overnight her went from being my sweet baby to a mini teeneager. This year he learned how to log onto all his favorite websites and knows how to type 4 different user names and passwords. It got so bad I had to add an extra password when the computer is turned on so that he cannot go online with out my permission. There are so many things I wish I had written down because sometimes I cannot believe what comes out of his mouth. The other day Daegan and I are running around after preschool and in the car we are listening to Radio Disney. In the middle of some song I do not know he says, "Hey Mom, did you hear that guitar solo?" In another incident we were walking through Target and he says out of the blue, "Did you know Demi Lovato has a new CD?" That was before the girl even had her own show and I couldn't even picture who she was! Even though he thinks he is old and he can walk to Noah's soccer practice on his own because he knows how to get there, he is still my little baby. It makes me happy that Daegan still enjoys sitting on my lap and reading forever.

With all the personality differences I sometimes think it's really amazing that they are related! I do love and appreciate their individuality.  There is never a dull moment and I wouldn't have my boys any other way.  

More Chicks

Meet sisters Lulu and Lala.  Two more chicks to bring our bird count total to five.  We've been waiting for these girls for a few weeks.  Seems this special breed, newly named Ameraucana, is very popular.  They lay green and bluish colored eggs and grow up to be very pretty hens.  It's been fun to be back in the chicken business and the endless hours of entertainment for the kids is priceless. 

Chicken Run

We love chickens.  It's weird I know, but talk to anyone who has had them and you might hear them say the same thing.  Yesterday we made a trip out for some and discovered that a major hatchery in California recently went out of businesses.  I would never have guessed that our slow economy could kill a hatchery.  The low supply of birds sent us on more of a marathon than a run.  Two hours and four feed stores later we found the perfect chicks.  Emma, Noah and Daegan all chose a bird and named them according to looks or personality. Shine is our golden hen with fuzzy feet like she is wearing boots.  She sang the whole way home in the car.  Midnight is Noah's sleepy black hen with a calm disposition.  Daegan named his bird Happy, so it will be happy. The poor thing has already been over handled and I hope the name rubs off.  We plan to pick up one or two more next week when my favorite breed is back in stock.

We are all excited to have chickens except Suri. Our dog may need time to adjust, but she'll get over it.  I was just glad to finally convince Todd that we really could do it again.  When we moved into this house a few years ago we had to get rid of our chickens because Todd was not interested in building a new hen house and we were not quite sure we had the perfect spot for them.  The old chicken condo Todd built was a big project and not the kind of thing he has time for anymore, but as time goes on we've been missing our feathered friends.  They add something to our yard and our life that I can't explain. Over the last couple of weeks the kids and I have worked on renovating the garden space above our pool and it occurred to me we could have them up there. It's a space away from the dog, behind a fence in a place they can eat bugs and make compost out of our food scraps to feed the garden.  Emma solved the hen house dilemma with the idea we could use the abandoned Little Tykes playhouse that the kids never use.  It will take a few renovations and is much easier than building from scratch.  It won't be the lavish residence that was home to our old chickens but this batch will have a much nicer view.

Hill top garden location for the chicks.

Potential hen house.

Todd ~ A Man of Many Causes

Somehow, my self employed husband and father of 3 has become involved in some fundraising and cause educating events in and around town.  It started with the Turkey Trot and now we have added the Folsom Firecracker Fourth of July Run to the plate.  He has been hard at work the last few months putting together this event and working on choosing beneficiaries to support. Early on in the planning we decided it would be best to choose at least one organization that served the impoverished outside of the United States and chose to be advocates for the ONE Campaign.  They are an advocacy organization committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease particularly in Africa. Our local campaign for awareness began last week as we celebrated a new bridge opening here in town. Our kids were dawned with stickers and bracelets to pass out as we walked over a mile across the new bridge from our neighborhood. We passed out a lot of material about ONE and the upcoming race.  It was fun to watch our kids try to explain it to other kids. Daegan was concerned about the fact that these kids don't have clean water to drink.  He is a mass consumer of water and really saw this as a problem.  So cute! Our efforts were mentioned on the blog at ONE.org.

Love the bracelets up the arms!

Apparently one cause in a week is not enough for him.  The day before or I should say for weeks before he planned the Fox Trot, a Folsom Hills School fundraiser.  He actually held a preliminary race in February and then set a school goal and had the kids train for 6 weeks to improve the number of laps run.

Noah and his friends having a post race popsicle.

Noah finishing up.  Of course Daegan is just behind him having illegally jumped into the race. 

Emma and her friend Siena

Todd running the music and the microphone acting like he has all the time in the world for this. The students actaully surpassed the 720 mile goal for the school by running an extra 5 for a total of 725 miles.  Noah's first grade class won a pizza party for the most laps per student.  I am so glad my kids have a dad who is involved in their day to day stuff.  It is really stressful to have so much going on sometimes, but he really almost never misses a thing. 

Daegan's New Sport

Little D. showing off his newly acquired skill of some hula hooping to The Hoedown Throwdown. He was already worn out by the time he called me to the playroom to take this blurry video. The lighting wasn't great and I really did not think he could we go for more the 20 seconds. He really got into it and just wanted to be able to see himself hula hoop on the TV.

Open House at Folsom Hills

I cannot believe there are only 8 weeks left of this school year.  Time just flies!  I love, love, love summer and not having a busy schedule, but I really get sad as the year winds down and I start thinking about how the kids are growing up so fast.  Noah has had a great year with the lovely Mrs. Hedgpeth.  She is the warm and fuzzy kind of teacher every first grader should have. Noah has taken school very seriously this year and has taught himself how to write in cursive and is working on his times tables.  His reading has just taken off and Mrs. Hedgpeth told us that Noah has better handwriting than she does.

Noah standing in front of his diorama of the Brazilian Free-tailed Bat, native to the Folsom Lake area.  Like Emma, he did most of the work himself.  He molded the bat out of some light weight clay and then drew the features on after it dried.

Emma and Ms. Chicca. The most shy teacher we have ever had has worked our great for Emma.  We were worried at the beginning of the year that fourth grade with the strict silent type might be tough, but she has proven us wrong.  Emma might be the only kid in the class who has not had her card pulled for anything. She is a letter of the law kind of girl, just like her teacher so it works for her.  Academically, Emma has stepped it up working harder than ever and her Spanish fluency is amazing.  I really love our kids teachers and appreciate the outstanding education they provide.  We are so lucky to live right next to the greatest school in town.

Mission Accomplished

A few cleaver words to describe Emma in fourth grade might be ~ busy beaver over achiever. She has spent more time at the homework this year than ever!  She is doing great and we couldn't be more proud of her perfect report card and the glowing compliments.  She works really hard and does not take the easy route when it comes to completing her assignments. When it came time to build her the Carmel Mission she literally built everything from scratch.  Not the kit from Michael's and not just the church like the other kids, but the whole dang mission!  Between writing, typing and editing her own report to building the structure she spent 3 months and countless hours.  It was sometimes tough to sit by and watch as she'd collect the rocks, wash them, lay out her landscaping, hot glue, paper mache the domes, write on the tombstones, texture the walls, etc..  We helped now and then, but really this is right up her ally and so we just let her go with it.

She also had a science report and project to do at the same time, and somehow, many Saturdays later it is all done!  I am so thankful for a playroom with a big art table that can take a beating and store all the junk for this kind of stuff.

Death by Dog

Our cute puppy seems to be challenged in the cooler weather months, when she doesn't always get a good walk or run.  On a quiet weekday afternoon I found her in our playroom innocently chomping down on not one, but four Barbie dolls!  Fortunately the dolls are on their way out of our house and Emma wasn't a bit disappointed.  I'm not sure why Suri chose the dolls that were stashed away in a cabinet and not one of the other million toys at her reach.  I wish I could get inside her head so I could prevent some of her nonsensical destruction.

Little Yogi's

I was going through my pictures trying to figure out where I left off in posting and I came across this fun photo.  I really didn't plan this and I can't figure out how all 3 kids are in stripes and coordinated to their mats.   They don't do a lot of yoga, but every now and then when it's been a crazy night, I'll put on a kids yoga video and they chillax really fast.  It appears that Daegan has picked up my love for the practice and was demonstrating full wheel for his Sunday school class last week.  His teacher was very impressed at his depth of yoga knowledge.  He really has a knack for anything physical and I can't wait to see what he chooses to put all his energy into as he gets older.

25 Random Things About Me

I was tagged on Facebook a few times to participate in posting 25 miscellaneous things about myself.  I wasn't going to do it, but then I thought it might be a good self reflection activity.  Something I don't do much as a mom.  I am always thinking about and putting energy into other stuff that its hard to articulate things about myself.  The funny thing is that once I got started it was hard to stop.  Kind of a theraputic thing if you ask me. So even if your not on Facebook, I challenge you to make a list.  You might find out more about yourself than you knew.  

Here is some random facts and information about me in no particular order.

1. I come from a long winded family so this won't be brief.
2. I talk too much. I don't think so, but my husband and kids tell me I do. I'd like to say it's a genetic thing. My Dad could talk to anyone for hours. 
3. I am full of contradictions. Read the next few items.
4. I drink a spinach shake everyday. Seriously. It's an afternoon ritual that started a few years ago when I got tired of making and eating a salad everyday. I just blend it in my Vitamix blender with whatever fruit or vegetables I feel like, and drink 30-40 ounces. People who know this about me often assume I am a health freak who doesn't eat junk food. This is far from the truth. I have some major weaknesses that include dark chocolate, ice cream and gummy bears. I indulge in at least one of these almost everyday.
5. I went to college in the most opposite cities in the country. San Francisco and Provo, Utah. I loved both experiences and would not trade them for anything.
6. I would never consider myself good at math or a numbers person, but I can easily recall phone numbers, birthdays, addresses and even social security numbers. I still remember the first two phone numbers I memorized at age 3. My friend Rachel Kattan (828-3990) and my Dad's office (829-1539). I am pretty good at trivia questions related to dates in 20th century history as well. I'm pretty sure my brain catalogs things with a dates and numbers.
7. I love to sleep, but I don't get very much.
8. I met my husband at age 12 in Mrs. Wilson's 7th grade English Class. We were seated next to one another and both reading the book Pet Cemetery. It was a birthday present and I never finished it, but it started a conversation. We were just friends and even went to a few formal dances together but didn't actually date until I was 19. 
9. I don't collect anything, but if I did I would collect maps and old keys. The map thing may have to do with the fact that growing up we had a large drawer full of them in our garage. For a period of time my dad had traveled a lot selling pharmaceuticals and he must have picked one up everywhere he went. We also had a large world atlas that I loved to look at. I have decided that I owe my good sense of direction to my childhood study of these maps. I am not sure why the keys. I just like them.
10. I spent too much time in the sun or in tanning beds as a teenager. I worry that I may end up with too many wrinkles or skin cancer.
11. I don't like to be called Sue.
10. I don't have a favorite color.
12. I love Folsom and think I live in a little piece of heaven on earth. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such beauty everyday. I don't ever plan to move from this place or my house. Even if I won a lottery, which won't likely happen because I don't play, I would stay right here. 
13. My favorite food is almost anything Indian and spicy. We usually have something Indian at least once a week. Todd is very proficient at Indian cooking and if he has the hours of time it takes to prepare it, he is happy to make it. My kids love it too, which makes me very happy. I decided if I had to choose to be something other than a white girl, I'd be Indian for sure.
14. I do about 20 loads of laundry a week. I probably over sort, but never do less than a full load. It usually takes me from Monday to Wednesday to get it all done. If it's a busy week it can take until Friday to finish putting it away.
15. My eyes are green and blue. I actually can't be sure what color they are, it depends on what I am wearing and who you ask.
16. I exercise purely for sanity and everyday choose a workout based on what I feel my body needs. I have never counted calories or dieted. It's all about how I feel. I know I am lucky that health is not one of my trials in life and am thankful for my good health everyday.
17. I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. There is a 14 year spread in our ages and it was pretty crazy growing up. My mom barely survived having teenagers and toddlers at the same time. I feel so blessed to have all these siblings in my life. I love all of our commonalities and enjoy our differences too.
18. My ideal day would include an hour run, a yoga class, playing games with my kids, a pedicure and a dinner date with Todd at The Maguro, our favorite sushi place.
19. I never drive my kids to school. We live a block away.
20. My motto is "Trust first. Doubt second." I came up with this after realizing that I was different from a lot of people because I truly believe that most people have good intentions. We are a society so quick to judge based entirely on appearances and miss out on opportunities to have a richer life by knowing and trusting people who are different from ourselves. So, unless my gut tells me differently I go with my motto. 
21. I love to just be home with my kids and to have nothing urgent to get done, but at the same time I am the type of person who has a hard time saying no. So I am over committed and this doesn't happen very often.
22. I love music and have been to a variety of great concerts in my life, but think it's funny that I can't decide which I liked most. Front row at U2 with Bono's sweat on me or taking Emma to her first concert to see Miley Cyrus.
23. I've given birth 3 times without medication but I don't judge people who use it. It takes a heck of a lot of preparation to get through it the natural way.
24. I don't consider myself a goal setter, but I have run a marathon, 2 half marathons and competed in a triathlon.
25. I am an idea girl. We have 5 different businesses to our name, 4 of which were my big idea. It's crazy that Todd still listens to me because I think I have him in over his head. In college I majored in marketing and product development. At graduation I won an award for entreprenuership and so can't shake myself from the disease of inventing something new. 

Bonus Random Things:
26. I love to teach! I have no problem getting up in front of large groups of people to speak about something. It does need to be a subject I am confident about though. I taught childbirth education for 6 years and I am now ready to move on to something new. My next plan is to get certified to teach yoga.

27. I am allergic to shellfish. 

28. When I pick up a magazine I read from back to front. Not a conscious choice. 

29. I am left handed.

It's Double Digits for Emma!

Emma at 1 Day Old

Yes, it really has been an entire decade since Emma's debut in our lives. I was going through some old photo albums from her first few years of life and it all just seems like yesterday even though it's hard to remember life without a digital camera as I had to scan these photos in. She is so excited about her big day and entering the double digit phase of her life and I think I am a little sad at the realization that my baby girl is not so little anymore.  

1 Week Old

2 Months Old

2 Years Old

I could easily have thousands of pictures of Emma, she has always been a poser for the camera and quite photogenic. I can't imagine the time I will spend someday to scan all of the early years into the computer.

Emma with her American Girl Dolls in dresses she designed for them on Christmas Day.

Totally Tween 2009

You really get what you see with Emma. She is a loving, thoughtful, kind and giving daughter and sister. I feel so blessed to have this sweet girl in our family.