Happy Birthday Emily!

My little girl turned 2 yesterday! I can't believe how fast the last two years have flown by. She was so cute about the whole thing. For two days before she would randomly say, "Mommy (or Daddy), Happy Day Emmy!" She started after church on Sunday when I said to her that her birthday was coming up and soon we would be singing Happy Birthday Emily! She laughed and started saying Happy Day to everyone. Our friends, the Norris', were unable to come to the party and so Darlene came by earlier and dropped off a gift for Emily. She was sleeping so we opened it when I got home. The card had a picture of Emily on it which she loved. And she loved that when I read it to her it said Happy Birthday. She just grinned and said, "Happy Day Emmy!" She pulled the tissue paper out of the bag and was excited to see a Barbie bucket. She knew from the time I had brought home a Dora bucket that it would contain "popk" (popcorn) from Kernals popcorn. She was stoked! Right away she asked me to "op" (open) and started to chow down. It was so cute!

That night we had a swimming party. We had close family friends and Emily's other friends meet us at the swimming pool and we went swimming. Our pool has a great deal where I can pay for everyone to go swimming and get a room for an hour and a half afterwards for a stellar deal! This is the second year we have done it and it was fantastic. We had a terrific turnout and Emily loved it! My dad picked her up some water wings and she loved the freedom of them. She is still not heavy enough for a life jacket. They just flip her onto her back. I only swam for the last part because I had to run to the store for some last minute things. :) But it was so fun to have so many friends there. Emily just kept grinning. I finally asked her if it was time for cake and she grinned, said, "Cake" and walked out of the pool and into the shower. It was so cute. I got her dressed and then we went back out to get everyone else. She was excited to tell everyone it was time for cake. She loved being able to stand in front of her cake and have everyone sing Happy Birthday to her. She has such good friends (and so do I)! Emily blew her own candles out and ended up blowing them out at least four more times. She kept putting her candle into her piece of cake and "singing" Happy Day to herself. She even sang it to Papa (my dad) which was nice of her because it was his birthday too! She spoiled with lots of gifts and it was surprising how many of them are what she has been pestering me for! I didn't tell anyone. She got the Barbie that sings songs from her favourite Barbie movie plus a Barbie with wings. The one I got her for Christmas got broken a few weeks ago so she was excited to see a new one. She got a minature barbie which she thinks is fantastic and very portable. So many great gifts I can't name them all. Thanks to everyone for helping her have such a great day!

Emily was so excited about her singing Barbie that she had to take it to bed that night and listen to it sing three or four times before she went to sleep!

Emily has been the biggest blessing Landon and I have received in our marriage. I am so grateful for the little person she is and all that she teaches me daily on how to be a better human being and mom! I am grateful for the chance that I am going to have to watch her grow daily. She is going to be a fantastic big sister! We love you Emily!