Happy 1st Birthday to Emma!

Emma is having a wonderful day today. Unfortunately, Kris had to go to Michigan for the day so he won't be home tonight. He made sure to wait around until she woke up this morning to tell her Happy Birthday (and of course she slept in). For us, we went to the gym, took two naps (Emma not me), played inside and outside. Once Emma gets up from her nap and Ryan gets home from school, we'll be heading out to do some shopping, go out to dinner and play at the mall.

We had a great party for her on Saturday. Some of our friends came over as well as my parents, sister and her friend. We had hot dogs and other picnic stuff. The kids played and ate while the adults talked. I made a cupcake cake in the shape of a #1 for the kids and made a brownie mousse trifle for the adults, which everyone said was wonderful. We opened presents and just had a great time.

Emma got some great new toys. We got her a play house for outside, which she loves - as does Ryan. The clothes she received are so cute, I can't wait to put her in them! She's enjoying playing with all the toys.

We were so happy to have our family out here and wish that Grammie could have made it. Unfortunately, she had a fall at home a few days before she was scheduled to fly out here, that caused her to break her arm and require surgery. She is home and resting now, but we missed her.

Happy Easter!

.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter. We certainly are.

.

.

We spent today having our own Easter egg hunt in the living room. Ryan loved it and wouldn't give up even when we knew we had them all. Emma just wanted to eat the eggs. Put them in the basket - no way! Just one would have made her day! They both loved what they got in their baskets - baby treats for Emma, stickers and chalk for Ryan, plus a car and bunny ears for each of them.

.

.

After a wonderfully cooked breakfast by Daddy - we got ready and went to church. Everyone loved Emma's cute bonnet. After church was an Easter egg hunt there. They had so many eggs. While Emma didn't feel the urge to get any or move, Ryan and I 'helped' her a little. Ryan had a ball and got so many eggs - and way too much candy. Emma even partook in the candy by shoving a whole Reese's peanut butter cup in her mouth and giving us back the wrapper! Yep, she ate the chocolate. Ryan wanted to open everything right then and was begging for chocolate when we got home.

.

.

After a little lunch, we got our ham started and worked on our spring cleaning. We have a motivation now to finish ASAP - since we have visitors coming for Emma's birthday. I'm almost finished with the bedrooms. We finished Ryan's room yesterday and Emma and the spare room today. Hopefully, we'll get our room and the hallway finished today or tomorrow and I can start in on the first floor.

.

Spring break and beyond

I didn't realize until Kris's mom mentioned that I hadn't posted in a while. I guess you can say life is just busy. But really I'm just trying to increase my business and trying to see what I can do about that. I am having a table at the chocolate festival held about 45 minutes from here next weekend. So I've been prepping for that. Plus trying to drum up some business for May. I've already decided that April is a wash between the festival, Easter and Emma's birthday - and us being out of town the first week. Kris has been travelling a lot again, so it's hard to schedule during the

week.

Around here, we've just been busying ourselves. I've been spring cleaning for that last few weeks. And while I haven't done anything in two weeks, I'm almost done with my entire 2nd floor. I hope to get some help with moving furniture to vacuum tomorrow. But who knows. Ryan and I are going shopping tomorrow for Emma's birthday presents. I have no idea what we'll get. I still can't believe she is going to be one in 17 days. I just seems like yesterday.......

.

Ryan was on spring break last week and Kris was in MI near my parents house. So we scooted out of town as soon as speech was over on Wednesday to drive up to visit. Luckily they were both pretty good for the drive. We had a great time visiting with my parents and seeing the Stone's and McCarthy's as well as my grandmother. I must say, I was addicted to Wii fit and loved playing the games - although my hips were hurting from the hula hoop! Ryan loved the skiing and the soccer ball game. My chocolate party was a bust with over 20 people not even RSVPing - which was disappointing. Not sure, if it looked too much like the last invite so most people ignored it. But Ryan loved getting hang out with Evan when the McCarthy's came over (and Kris got to go out with Joe and Erik). We made it back in record time (for us) even stopping to pick up Kris's car. And I started in on two days worth of laundry.

.

As you can see from the pictures - there isn't a lot going on around here. The first picture was after church a few weeks ago. Kris's mom bought the cute dress for Emma so I wanted to get a picture of her in it (there is a picture of just her on her website). The second picture is from yesterday. Emma realized that she can climb up onto the couch if she moves Ryan's little couch in front of the big one. And she loved 'talking' to me over the couch. The third picture is of Emma attacking me! Doesn't she look ferocious with those teeth! Last night she came down with a fever and was up a few times during the night (as was Ryan and Kris woke me up once - I am exhausted). But she seems to be feeling a little better today.

.

Our friends, the Fortners were over to visit onTuesday. They lived here when we moved here and moved to Minnesota last year. Ryan really misses Max and they had a great time playing.

.

A few weeks ago, I decided that Thursday night would be 'Be with Mama night'. It entails taking the kids to the gym after Ryan gets home from school and either taking Ryan to the pool or Emma to the gymnastics class while the other one goes to the daycare. I thought this way they both get some time with me alone, since when they are together they are constantly fighting for my attention. So I took Emma yesterday. While most the stuff was too big for her, she will have a lot of fun once she is walking (she seems to have no desire). I'm not sure if she would have had more fun if she had been feeling better - of course I didn't realize she wasn't feeling well until we got home. After that we had dinner at the gym and came home to see Daddy!

.

In little notes about each of them:

Emma is loving giving kisses - especially to Ryan. She is getting away from nursing a little, which is fine since I'm ready to be done with it too. She's not walking or even looking like those legs of hers are strong enough. She did stand up from sitting on a step at my moms which was the first time I saw her stand up without pulling herself up. She's getting to be a better eater. She definately lives up to that 'make them try the food several times before they'll like it' mantra. She is finally eating the apples, strawberries and bananas I cut up for her. She loves vegetables. We think she might be having a tooth come in, but have no visual indication!

.

Ryan is glad to be back at school and wishes the rain would stop so he could play outside. We're still struggling with getting ready to do anything because he doesn't want to stop whatever he is up to. He is having a hard time with not getting so much attention. Anything Emma does, he feels the need to do, even if he knows he shouldn't or heard me just tell Emma not to. He must have any toy that Emma finds and feels the need to make her cry as often as possible - mostly by overhugging her or knocking her down. His speech is coming a long and I'm often hearing 4 or 5 word sentences - some of them that aren't missing words (he misses the words the, a, and etc). We've been warning him for a few weeks now that once school is out - it's potty time. Today, I put him on because he asked me to change him because he was poopy, but he wasn't. So I was hoping he needed to go, but he peed and washed up and then asked for 2 M&M's! I know he can do it, but he just needs some convincing.