A Year in the Life of Emily Esther...

Here is what's been happening with Emily:

#10:  She turned 9!  We started the day off right with a trip to Krispy Kreme for doughnuts and chocolate milk.  If my memory serves me right, she did have some friends over for some kind of party....but, for the life of me I can't recall what we did.  Shame on me for not documenting it all.  She got a new electric scooter for her big day and has spent many, many hours coasting up and down the neighborhood on it.

Posing with their Krispy Kreme attire...

Applauding our 'Happy Birthday' rendition.

#9:  She started the 4th Grade!  She had Mrs. Philips and loved her.  She has always been an excellent student and her teachers are always raving about how well she does in class.  Love that about her.

Ms. Sassy Pants, herself!

 #8:  Emily officially started her lawnmowing career.  We'd had enough whining from the 12 year old son about how he was so overworked and picked on because we asked him to mow the lawn.  So, Em jumped in and volunteered!  After a few tips from dad, she was off.  I'm not sure how many times she actually mowed after this one, but we were glad to have the help that day.  Emily has always been good about helping and knows that once the work is done, she can do other fun things...

#7:   She climbed the "Big Rock Candy Mountain"!!  I couldn't tell you where this place was (somewhere in mid-Utah), but we stopped there one afternoon.  Kim had been there a few times as a kid and it is literally a mountain in the middle of nowhere that looks like flowing caramel!  It was a steep slope and really slick (especially because the girls were wearing sandals), but they climbed it!  And, when we were through, we stopped at the Big Rock Candy Mountain gift shop for a treat!

#6:  Emily spent every Saturday this last winter playing basketball!  She and her friend Taigely were on the same team and they learned so much.  I was so impressed with Em this year - she was no longer timid with the ball.  She would play defense and shot the ball as often as she had an open shot.  She scored amost every game!

If I remember my basketball skills right, that there just may be considered a FOUL!!

Em and Taige, all worn out!

#5:  She finished the 4th Grade!!  She had a great year and was sad to leave her teacher.  Here she is on the last day of school.

#4:  She tested her horse skills at our family reunion.  She rode horse, swam in the pond, shot a bow and arrow, played ping pong and spent lots and lots of time with cousins.  She had a great time.

Em and Miss Piggy

 #3:  In the spring, she signed up for softball.  Somehow, Kim and I (well, really just Kim...) got coaxed into coaching her team.  She had two girls from our neighborhood on the same team and she had a blast!  Our team had very few players that had ever even CAUGHT a ball, let alone HIT one!  Kim had his work cut out for him and through the season taught the girls all they needed to know.  They ended up with a 2nd place trophy in the end of the season tournament!  They improved so much and Em had fun having her dad as the coach.

Doesn't she look ready to catch a fly ball??

Running hard after a big hit!

 #2:  Our family took a week long trip to North Dakota in June.  Emily decided she was brave enough to spend SIX weeks living with Grandma and Grandpa in Enderlin.  She called a few times the first week, and then we hardly heard from her!  She had a blast - swimming, tending her cousins, making new friends, playing more softball, and mostly being SPOILED by her grandma!  She came home in early August and we had a little party with all her neighborhood friends that had missed her all summer...

All Em's friends and her brother looking THRILLED that his sister is home!!

#1:  Emily finally hit double digits with her 10th birthday, which also happened to be the first day of school!!  She started the 5th grade and has Mrs. Taylor for her teacher.  She had a great birthday and got a fancy new beach cruiser bike (which I didn't get a picture of- ugh).  

Happy 10th Birthday, Emily Esther!!

Ms. Sassy Pants, once again, looking as fashionable as ever.

And, because I'm the mom, I couldn't let this post end without a cute picture of Em in her Halloween costume...it was made by her Aunt April for an entirely different reason (more on this in the post about ME), but we confiscated it and she looked adorable for her Halloween festivities.  

Love you lots, Em!!