Happy Birthday Emma Lynn!

It's almost 11:00, so technically it will be another hour before July 20th, which is Emma's 4th birthday. But I thought I would get this posted now so that it would be up for her birthday. So here is my birthday post for sweet Emma Lynn!

Dan and Emilee lived with Jan and I for the first six months of Emma's life. It was so fun to have her there and get to hold a baby whenever I wanted to. Dan teased us that we weren't allowed to sue for custody when they moved out--but we were sorely tempted! Then we moved into condos next door to each other until she was two, so we've been able to be close to her for most of her life. She has always been such a sweet little thing, and I'm so grateful for the influence she has had on my life.

Here is a picture of her on the day she was born, in the nursery. I love how Dan has his finger on her face. She was so tiny and delicate.

Here she is a few months later in her car seat (she actually slept in her car seat in the Master Bedroom closet for the first six months of her life). I love her little smile in this one!

This is her three month picture with Emilee. I love that she is smiling at her mommy.

And here she is sitting at the computer with her daddy. What a cutie (Emma, not her daddy. :)

This is Emma with cousins Kate and Jenni at Jenni's 2nd birthday party. What pretty princesses!

Now she's getting a little older and starting to take her first steps (with cousin Jenni helping)

I love this picture of her reading the scriputres when she was 15 months old. She has always been so close to the spirit and loves spiritual things. It looks like it started really early with her!

Here's another favorite picture. This was Christmas 2006 when she got her Elmo chair. She loved it! You can't tell in the picture, but she kept bouncing up and down on it. So cute!

And here is January 2007, walking in the snow with Aunt Janice.

I love this picture of her sitting under Jan's bed with Fluffy. She LOVES Fluffy, and always has to come see him whenever she comes to our house.

This is May 2007, when she is almost two. She is sitting with me and eating a cupcake--obviously getting it all over her face. I don't know why she's scowling in this picture. Maybe I pulled the cupcake away so we could get a picture...

And here she is in June 2007 at the Orem Summerfest with Emilee.

Okay, I know I have lots of pictures of her at this age, but I had to put this one in. Everytime she came to visit us, she had to walk down the stairs by herself. She loved the stairs, and was so independent that we weren't allowed to help her.

And here she is on Christmas Eve, 2007, dressed up for the Christmas pageant.

This is January of last year, the first time she held her baby brother Matthew.

And here she is at the Summerfest last year with cousins Jenni and Annika. They have so much fun together!

This is at her birthday party last year, again with cousin Jenni. They had a tea party and dressed up as princesses. They are so darling!

I stole this picture from Emilee, since I was at work when she took it. This was in February of this year, with her brother Matthew--eating smoothies for breakfast. I love how they both have such big brown eyes!

And finally, here she is yesterday at her 4th birthday party with her favorite aunt, Aunt Jan.


I'm so grateful for sweet Emma! I love telling her scripture stories, and singing songs with her, and hearing her laugh. I'm so grateful for the blessing she has been in my life! I love you, Emma!

I still need to do a post about the nephews sleepover (don't worry, it's coming), and watch for another birthday post on Saturday. We have lots of birthdays in July! But now it's way too late, so I'm going to bed!