Happy (early) Birthday Sweet Emma!!!

The table for the Operation Christmas Child boxes.

The "prizes" aka favors Drinks

Popcorn & Refreshments (to come - hotdogs & nachos)

Keeping with the Carnival Theme

The Bouncy Castle

cupcake table

Emma's "pupcake" she ended up eating THREE that day!

Yummy Popcorn!

"The King" aka Emma's Prince is in the house

She's so happy "Seffy" is here that she can't contain herself.

On a side note...in Sunday School Sunday they stamped their fingers and named their friends on her paper they wrote "Seffy" since that is what she calls him. :) I thought it was cute!

Lovin' each other.

Sweet "big"girls there with their little siblings.

Dad's with the "babies"

Operation Christmas Child Boxes along with a few little gifts for Emma. We collected 10 boxes at her Birthday!!!!

Come on Mom! Hurry Up!!!

Eyeing the cupcake

Looking at her BF :)

Time to sing and make a wish!

While we sang, Emma sang too...it was precious. She has the biggest, happiest smile on her face.

2 out, 1 to go...

still trying...

STILL trying...

and still...

STILL.....

...........................!!!!

whew...finally...I hope she remembered her wish by then! :)

Clapping for herself and SO happy that she FINALLY got it all blown out! :) (NO they weren't trick candles!!! :) )

preparing to dig in!

mmm, mmm, good!!!

"Would you like a cupcake, madam?"

"Elvis"

more fun!

she's checking him out

he's checking her out

boyfriend and girlfriend! :)

Emma with all the shoeboxes. :) Merry Christmas children around the world! :)

Sweet Emma -

We celebrated your birthday a month early. In lieu of gifts we asked everyone to bring a filled shoebox or items to fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Some even brought you gifts as well. :) We collected 10 shoeboxes to send to Samaritans Purse to be delivered around the world to other children in need. I hope that as you grow you will want to continue to do this to see that it is so much better to give than to receive.

We are so proud of you sweet girl. You are SO outgoing and don't meet a stranger...just like your "great" Papa. I often say that you two would have made great WalMart greeters. I am sure that he is smiling down on you. :) I have more to write on your actual "birth"day so I need to stop now. I love you so much and am so glad God gave us YOU!!!

Every late night, every cupcake, every sore finger (from cutting and gluing), ever penny spent, every minute labored was worth this day and the "magic" in your eyes. I hope your birthday celebration was great for you. After the party you exclaimed "I got to jump with all my friends!" I'm so happy you had fun, sweet girl.

I love you!!!

Mommy

Hill Ridge Farms - Round 2

The one thing Emma wanted to do from the previes week was to ride the "horsies". So...she got to!!! Thankfully a friend from church was there with her girls and was able to take pictures for us! Emma was afraid to get on the pony but once she was on and started going 'round she was having a ball! She even got brave enough to take her hands off and point at things. :)

We did the normal Hillridge Farm stuff that we got pictures of the previous week...then Emma decided to go in the "bounce house"! :)

Hill Ridge Farms - Round 1

We went to Hillridge Farms twice this month. They did a WONDERFUL promotion for school teachers...the teacher and two family members could get in FREE for two different weekends. The first time we went as a family and the second time, I took Emma by myself while Josh watched football. :) We had so much fun both times. The first time we went there were hardly any people there. The second time there were alot more which made it even more fun.

They started out walking through a little maze. Emma kept trying to push the different colors...I guess she thought they were doors and they could get through them. :)

Feeding the goats...not as fun as feeding the goats in Amish country but definitely safer. :)

Peeking Through They're locked in the fort!

There they are.

Saying hey to the bunnies.

She says she was "fedding a bunny". I guess if they like rocks...

Taking a train ride...we were the ONLY ones on it.

telling us where to go

coming down the tunnel slide

Here they are!

Emma in the "corn box". She loved it.

the corn box

fun, fun, fun

Emma chasing the chicken!

(look closely and you will see it)

Which pumpkin do I want?

I like this one.

wow, this is heavy

I'll show mommy and daddy

nevermind...i want a different one

hmmm...they don't bounce!

riding with daddy on the hayride!

I just think this picture is funny!

It looks like they are mad at each other but they are both just looking in different directions!

Emma was DEFINITELY "on the run at Hill Ridge Farms"!!!!

School Pictures :)

Here is a "rough copy" of Emma's school pictures. I'll post the "real" ones when we get them! I thought they turned out great! :)

Swimming in September

Our sweet friends let us come over and swim one Friday evening. Emma got to practice all she learned in her swimming lessons. She managed that pool all alone with her floaties on. She did a GREAT job and obviously had so much fun!!!

I LOVE this picture!

Screaming from Excitement!

Telling somebody something! :)

Blowing bubbles and saying hi to the fishies! :)

Bobbing up and down!

Strutting her stuff! :)

Dancing around the pool.

Now she can walk...

Lookin' Pretty

I just found my girl in the lipstick...I must say, she did a pretty good job! :)

Conversation with Emma

Emma went in her room, closed her door and I could hear doors/drawers opening and closing. Me: "Emma what are you doing?" Emma: "I getting a 'fweater'." Me: "Are you making a mess in there?" Emma: "I not making a mess." Me: "If you did you are getting a pop." Emma: very non chalantly "Okay!" Emma comes in the livingroom with some clothes from the top-drawer of her chest of drawers. Ding, ding...she's standing on her chair...AGAIN! Us: "What did you do?" Emma: "Not anything." Josh: "Did you stand on your chair to get your clothes." Emma: "I did not." Josh: "I'm going to go look, if it is where it shouldn't be you are going to be in trouble." Emma: "No, don't go look." Josh walks off, Emma sinks back into the couch, waiting... (I would be running and hiding). Emma got a pop, they talked and Emma said "I not puposed to do that anymore." Let's hope she has learned her lesson...but I'm thinking it is a daily lesson these days...ugh!

Emma Funnies

Emma has been saying and doing ALOT of funny things lately! I jotted just a few of them down today. Yesterday Emma was taking a bath, I was doing laundry and I heard her saying "Can you say ca-len-dar. Can you say ca-len-dar." She was teaching her little toys! I asked her if they did that at school yesterday (her first day back) so she told me a little about that! :) Today I was cleaning Emma's dreadful room, she found her little children's bible, opened it and started saying "the heaven and earth, the heaven and earth". That is all that she got out...not sure if that was a lesson at school today or not...definitely cute. She then turned a few pages and found some cartoon drawn wise men, she began pointing at each of the men and said "that Mrs. Lisa, Sydney & Mommy!" How kind! :) We look like cartoon men! :) Still while I was cleaning Emma's room she found my old cell phone that is now "her" phone, she opened it and said "Hello, this is Mrs. Branum, Lacey Branum"! Seriously, I don't know where she got thatfrom. I have NEVER called anyone and said "this is Mrs. Branum". I guess she just hears the kids call me that when she is at my school. It definitely made me laugh! She then looked at her phone and said "Mommy, skype not on here, I need a new phone!" Yes, Skype is MAJOR thing for us! :) Tonight, just before bed, Emma put my shoes on that I wore today and said "Oh, my feet are killing me!" I asked her if I said that today and she said, yes Mommy!!! Oh she makes me laugh!