Hi.

Gheeesssshhhhh, someone needs to kick me for neglecting this blog, and especially for neglecting to post Emily's 8th birthday post!  I thought about it almost every day, really I did, but couldn't find the time to sit down and put it all into words.

So I missed Emily's 8th birthday post... it should have happened the day I got back from Mexico- on her actual birthday-  but here is the belated version :-).

Happy 8th my Emily.

Eight is a strange age to me. Not quite a little girl, but definetly not yet a pre-teen.  

This is who you are at eight years old:

1) Creative- your eyes gleam when you saw the motherboard the appliance repair guy removed from our refrigerator. When he left the old one on the counter, you were the first to grab it and work it into one of your creations. A spare box is NEVER just spare box to you. It's usually ends up part of a robot, a computer, or some new piece of furniture for your room. 

2) Still a performer- you do love a good audience to show off those dance moves. And if I could do the robot like you, I would probably show it off every chance I got as well.

3) Tenacious- you won the Presidential Academic Award at the end of first grade, not for the best academic performance in the first grace, but for the most improved academically. I've got to tell you- that makes me so proud that you overcame some academic obstacles to show such vast improvement.  You still struggle with math, but let me tell you a little secret about life. You will have an "aha" moment one day when those pesky equations click and it all makes sense and you won't even remember how you struggled with them. You may not even realize you have had that moment, but I hope you do. I hope you have many "aha" moments and realize you have had them. To be honest with you, my most profound "aha" moment came in college. After struggling through a statistics class, I had subconsciously decided I would just never "get it" and accepted it as such. But it ended up clicking one day. And I realized it had clicked and that I was so wrong to accept I would never understand....and I've never been the same since. Not because I understand statistics now (although I have likely forgotten 99% of the theories), but because I realized the struggle was there for a reason. Tenacity, my dear, is much more important than "getting it" the first time around. Cherish those "aha" moments.

4) Courageous- you were chosen by your second grade teachers for the "Dynamite Dolphin" award for Courage. Your teachers explained this was because you always have the courage to raise your hand and participate, even when you are not sure you have the right answer.  And because you stand up for people if someone is being unkind to them and tell others "no" if they are asking you to do something you know is wrong. Just typing that out makes me want to cry with joy. Kindness and Courage. What important qualities to possess.

5) Friendly- although not quite as in your face crazy  outgoing as Kaylee (and really, who is?), you make friends easily and get along with everyone. I never have to worry about you in a social setting- I know you will do just fine with anyone you happen to encounter.

I hope you had a good 8th birthday! You certainly seemed to have fun at your first ever birthday sleepover, I busted a room full of giggling girls still wide awake at 1:30 a.m!

Oh and I forgot one thing. A pose-for-the-camera beauty! See photos below.

... although often, I end up with shots more like this...