Emma's 3rd

Today is Emma's 3rd birthday!

Emma is a very important part of this very large family,

a very important part of this smaller but still large family,

and, of course, a very important part of this beautiful family!

Emma was our 5th great grandchild and our second great granddaughter.

I wrote about Emma last year in this post and following that link will take you to links to all her previous posts.  Those posts will tell a lot about her and the pictures will show how she's changed 'through the years' even though there are only 3 of them.  LOL

So I'll just post a few pictures here of how she's changed

 and talk about what's been going on in her life during the past year.  She's continued to be a great talker and she's started sharing a room with her best friend/sister, Aubrey.

She's a good eater and gets along well with her siblings (almost always.  lol)  Here she is sharing a treat with Wade even though he was very difficult to get to.

This year they acquired a new family member, a kitten named Odin and Emma loves him

but that doesn't mean she's forgotten her old friend, Floki.  She loves him too.

and she finally got to meet her new second cousin, Sarah Jane.  This picture doesn't show Sarah Jane but it shows how intently Emma watched her all the time.

This year she and her family visited Gulf Shores over the holidays where she held an alligator for the first time

and the family visited Splash Universe in April which was perfect for her because she's become very comfortable with the water which makes her mom a little uncomfortable.

And she and her family have gone 'up north' with her paternal grandparents, Angie and Brian, and where Emma enjoys playing on the shore, boat rides and practicing her fishing skills.

Last August they visited her maternal grandparents, Tracy and Amy, at their campground.  There she was ready to challenge anybody to a game of jarts,

and thought it was pretty funny when everybody was intimated by her fiercely competitive face.

and there was a concert in the park with dancing on the grass and, believe me, Emma had all the moves.

and she was very pleased with herself because she knew she had smoked ALL the competition.

And apparently at some point during the past year, she helped out at her dad's construction site.

She's had a very busy year and a busy day.  Tonight there were presents to open,

a family swim,

and then birthday cake (baked and decorated by her dad and Wade).

So Emma's had a great birthday and a great year but of course I have to add a few more things about her.  She's quirky,

funny,

adventuresome,

and oh so loving.

and she's just about the greatest great granddaughter anybody could ask for.  We love her so much and we're hoping her birthday was her best one yet but only half as great as the many more to come!  Happy Birthday, Emma!

Amy's

Today is Amy's birthday!

Amy was our second child and second daughter and she was born in New Mexico.

She is a very important part of this large family,

this smaller but still large family,

this even smaller family,

and of course, this core family where it all started.

And she's been married and an important part of this very small family for almost 14 years.

I wrote about Amy last year on her birthday in this post and visiting there will take you to links to all her previous posts.  In these, you can find lots of pictures and stories about Amy and how she's changed 'through the years' so for now I'll just post a few pictures here.

And talk about what's been going on in her life during the past year.  There were a couple of big changes for her.    First of all she passed the Nitro on to Jeremy who now drives it to school and work and she acquired these new wheels!

and after both Britta and Sheba crossed over the rainbow bridge and left gaping holes in the hearts of everyone in the family, they adopted Heidi knowing full well that she could never replace the two they lost but she's doing an amazing job of trying.

She's cute, quirky, and loving; and Amy says she's so smart that when she gets in trouble and has to go in her kennel, she tries to look extra cute so everybody will feel sorry for her.

Amy and Tracy have also been busy with the house again this year.  They finished the living room with new walls, trim, ceiling, and floors; and everything that needed to be stained, they did themselves.

Of course it was a change for Amy when Jeremy started driving and going to college but she still spends a lot of time in the car for work, Jenna's practices and weekend tournaments.

They had a wonderful camping trip to Waffle Farms in August which she loves and where there was a special visit from her favorite little people - her grandchildren.

And they visited Gulf Shores over the holidays.  This picture was taken just before they left.

But Amy doesn't just love her grandchildren

and her pets - she loves all children (which is probably why she is an excellent paraprofessional) including her nieces and nephews.

and everybody's pets (even if they have glowing, green eyes).

But there's lots more to say about Amy.  She's a wonderful person and always fun to be around - just ask Tracy.

She's a loving sister,

a devoted mother

and no one could ask for a better daughter!

She's always helpful, cheerful, sensitive, and understanding.  And she's one of the most selfless people you could every know.  For these reasons and so many others, we're wishing her the best birthday EVER and a year that surpasses all others in every way!  Happy Birthday, Amy!  We're so proud of you and love you so much!