Happy Birthday, Lady Bug !

So Madison turned 7 today ! We still cannot believe it has been 7 years since our little Maddy Bug engulfed our lives and forever made us parents ! She has taught us invaluable lessons that only she could teach us. She has taught us about enduring faith, charity , unconditional love, service , hope , and best of all that pure joy really comes in the smallest of accomplishments ! She is an angel in so many ways. I often refer to her as my little old lady with a teenage boy appetite . ( I say this because she needs assistance in many physical ways and has a very hardy appetite). Thank goodness for her activeness that keeps her nice and thin. We love her SO MUCH and are grateful for her hardwork and determination that keeps her progressing through her challenges. We love her sweet baby laugh ( it still has a little muffle to it ), her tender touches when she wants your attention, her TV remote delivery when she wants you to change the channel or turn on something she likes, her love for school and going on the school bus, her joy in feeding herself, her love for food ( all kinds! Shes not picky ), her love for baths ( she gets really excited when they are cold ones ) her love for Disneyland and Thunder Mountain, her excitement for going to the park and her love for swings. Our lady bug has taught us to never take anything for granted ! We love you Madison, Maddie, Maddy Bug, Maa Maa, Maa Mee, Sweet Dove, Maddie Lou ( which Brooklyn chimes in to say " Its not Maddie Lou Daddy, its my sister".)

We are thankful for....

cousins close by ! For the past 4 years we have hosted Thanksgiving at our house. We love to do it to because it is so nice to have family come out our way . This year imparticular Jake took charge of the Turkey recipe. He about died when I suggested buying a turkey breast from Honey Baked Ham company. He insisted that he will never forgoe the traditional Turkey. I personally am not a huge Turkey fan. I am more into the creamed corn and Honey Ham ( Johnson Family Traditions), so those were a must ! But I have to say, in the end Jake was right. He found a fabulous recipe on all recipes website and it was SO EASY . All it required was a few large apples quartered , a whole bottle of Martinellis sparkling cider ( it called for champagne but we improvised )and a couple sticks of butter cubed. It makes for a very moist turkey. It is a keeper of a recipe.
After chowing down on good food topped off with my traditional Pumpkin Chocolate chip bars ( no pumpkin pie here - YUCK !) we took the kiddos to the park conveniently located two doors down at the end of our cul-de-sac. We had a great time chasing the kids around and enjoying some fresh fall air. It is always a good time with Monica and Joaquin around .

Birthday Boy !

So today Jake turned the big 35 ! We love you Jakers, Jakus , Da Da , Daddy, Dad , Smalls, Jacob Vaun , Leprechan, Handyman, Big Papa.... we love your humor, your patience, your hardwork, your wonderful baths complete with original Elmo artwork , your fabulous homemade salsa, your Simpson impressions, your laugh, your late night fastfood traditions, your cocoa and toast tradition, your carved pumpkins at Halloween, your personal christmas cards at christmas, your green thumb and love for scenery and the late night episodes of mountain man & mtn. Everest reality TV shows. Thanks for all of the love and memories Honey ! You enrich our lives daily ! We Love you and Happy Birthday !

Happy Birthday Lady Bird !

So Brooklyn is officially 3 ! Where have the years gone ? Today I remenisced about the day she was born... the laboring at home , the frantic car ride to the hospital an hour before she was actually born and the 48 hours I got to be with her one on one in the hospital room. I think if I could go back to one day in my life at this point , then that would be it ! It is quite possibly the best experience of my life. The delivery was an AWESOME family experience and even Madison got to participate in the fun as she sat in the stroller in the back of the delivery room ! I could go on and on about all of the wonderful details but instead I will tell you what I love most about our little Brooklyn...
She is AMAZING in everyway ! She is loving , patient and compassionate . She has exemplified these qualities to the fullest with her big sister Madison. She is everything I prayed she would be . She is the perfect fit for our famiy and we could not feel more blessed in how she is growing and the person she is becoming. She has an amazingly mature spirit for her age and we feel that that is the gift that Madison has given to her. We appreciate all that she brings to our family... the good times and the crazy times. She is a HUGE blessing from our Father in Heaven and with her we wouldn't change a thing ! We nicknamed her Lady Bird because I like to call my girls ladies for the little ladies they are and the bird was a perfect fit when we first saw her hair and it looked like a little feather flying in the wind. It always naturally fits her personality even as she grows because she is our little song bird . You name it she sings it ! We love you, our sweet bird !

What happens In Vegas ...

Stays in vegas especially when you forgot to take pictures ! So this was a MAJOR "D-OH " moment . Jake and I got away to Vegas for 3 nights which is HUGE for us being as we have not gotten away for that long by ourselves in YEARS ( I would tell you how many but I seriously cannot remember). We had an amazing time ! We stayed at the Flamingo Hotel ( because that is where the appraisal convention was being held ) and we decided right away to upgrade our room . What a difference $50 bucks a night makes ! Our room was really nice ( wish I could show you pics but forgot to take some, D-OH !) We really enjoyed the slow paced life without children and I did not feel a bit anxious about how they were being as my mother was caring for them . Thanks Mom ! We did things together we have not done in years like sleeping in ! We also went shopping at the outlet mall together which we have not REALLY done since we were engaged ( yeah seriously , nine years since we have done some nice, leisurely outlet shopping together !) We also got the chance to meet up with Jakes parents for a NICE prime rib dinner and the broadway show of Mama Mia ! It was tons of fun and so nice to see them ! Thanks Jack and Judy ! Jake went to appraisal seminars all day Tuesday and Wednesday and I just leisurely checked out the non-touristy parts of vegas. I did some early Christmas shopping and visited my good friend Marci from our newly married ward in SLC. It was so great to see her and her cute family. Wow , time flies ! Ofcourse to end our couples trip we stopped in at one of the nicer Buffets for a YUMMY farewell dinner . After all a trip to Vegas would not be complete without a stop at the buffet, right ? Anyway, lesson learned .... next time I will always keep my camera on hand ! Hopefully that next time will not be too far off .

Up in Stitches !

It was another first for us here at the Emery home. Brooklyn decided she wanted to spice things up a bit come bedtime hour. So it happened right after I had just finished bathing her. She ran downstairs sopping wet with a towel wrapped around her body. She was doing her normal naked prancing around before putting her PJs on and BAM ! She somehow fell right into the edge of the doorway that leads into our kitchen. The sharp edge hit her smack dab on the left side of her forehead. At first I just grabbed her up to comfort her thinking it was just going to be a bit black and blue the next day but to my horror I saw a big and deep gash and lots of blood ! I got a bit weazy and quick freaked to be honest , but then Jake calmed me telling me that head wounds can really bleed. No kidding ! YIKES ! Anyhow after putting the biggest bandage I had on her wound, I grabbed her favorite blanket and some fresh baked cookies ( Jake had just made them... what better way to cheer up a child ! ) and we headed for the After Hours pediatrics place. I LOVE THIS PLACE ! No more late nights at the ER !(This place is brand new, quiet and it might as well be drive through because that is how quick it is !) Once they numbed her with some cream and then a shot they started stitching. I think there was about 10 stitches total counting the ones underneathe the surface. She was SO BRAVE the whole time and the doctor and the nurse were just so in awe of her maturity and her courage. The whole time they were stitching her up she was talking to them and telling them all of the characters on Scooby Doo as well as sang them the theme song ( a few different versions !) She had them tickled to death on how expressive she was and how well she handled it . She proved to be one TOUGH cookie. She even grew proud of her wound as she would lift her bangs to show everyone . She would say..."I got stitches. I ran into the wall." It is definately going to leave a good size scar but Brooklyn has already shown that it will just add to her character !

Halloween Party 3 .. The Finale !

So Halloween Day finally came. After Brooklyn and I went to Madison's class party (unfortunately my camera died and I have no pictures to show for it ) we headed home and slowly got ready for the infamous night ! All of the weeks festivities were leading up to this one crazy night. After having done the school party which included a school parade to show off the costumes ( which unfortunately bombed for Madison this year as her black cat accessories would not stay on her :0( )and doing 2 hours of behavioral therapy at home afterward, Madison was EXHAUSTED by the end of the day and falling asleep at 6:30pm. Our plans of going out trick or treating as a family this year were once again thwarted ! Last year I had laryngitis and Madison was grumpy so daddy and Brooklyn did the hour long excursion together. So Brooklyn and I headed out this year together. I am so glad I got to go too. Brooklyn had me laughing hysterically as she would knock on doors and ask people right off the bat if they had a doggy . Then as they would respond "no" she would continue with asking them if they had a kitty . When I would finally get a word in and say "Brooklyn, what do you say to get candy" she would perk up in her cutest voice and say "Trick or Treaters"! She had them all quite taken back and we instantly made friends with neighbors we had never met before . With all of the questions she had for these new friends, it ended up taking us 2 hours to get around our whole cull-De-sac and home. By the last house she was asking me to take her home. It was a great finale for the holiday !

Halloween Fun part 2

After recovering from our adult Halloween party on the 26th, it was now time for a day full of kids Halloween fun ! Brooklyn and I headed to a little friends house on Saturday the 27th . It was a 30 minute drive out to his house in Fillmore but SO worth the trek ! They happen to live on a 7 acre orange orchard complete with its own swing set, sandbox , trampoline, petting zoo ( a chicken and some goats ) and 3 dogs. The party was a nonstop blast complete with a tractor ride through the orchard , pumpkin picking, a few different Halloween crafts and tons of kid favorite food consisting of pizza, soda , cupcakes and Halloween candy galore. And if that all was not enough they ended it with whacking 3 different pinatas full of goodies ! This Halloween party set the standard super high for years to come. Lets just say I am not going to try and top it ! I will just stick to birthday parties and our annual 4th of July party, Thank you !

With just a few hours break, we then headed to the ward Trunk or Treat ! Brooklyn enjoyed herself there as well amongst familiar friends ( mainly her best buddy Blake ) . They had a good time just doing what they often do best... chasing each other around and giggling . Such simple pleasures can be so fun to watch ! We then finally made it home at about 7:30 that night, although it felt more like midnight with being as tired as we were. Looking forward to it again next year !

Halloween Fun part 1 of 3

Well Halloween this year was our busiest one yet ( hence the 3 parts ) ! We had an adult Halloween party on Friday the 26th. It was the second annual one thrown by some friends in the ward. We were geisha warriors last year and had a good time with it. Even though we had a full year to think long and hard about it, in the end our creative juices were not working well for our budget. So 2 days before the party, we decided to be rigged refs. In case you do not quite get it, it was a mocking of the referee scandal that happened this past summer. It was a last minute switch from the original idea of him being a ref and me being a cheerleader. It worked and we had fun with it. In case you cannot see from the picture, we have goofy ref costumes on with fake hundred dollar bills coming out of our collar and sleeves. It was Jakes clever idea . We also had lots of fun seeing all of our friends ideas, enjoying a big game of Werewolf and chowing down on lots of good food . We look forward to it next year and are already thinking up ideas for our costumes.

Discovery Day 2007

A few weeks ago, Brooklyn and I spent a few hours on a Saturday going to a VERY fun event at the local college ( Moorpark College ). It happens to be conveniently located across the street from our house. It is a fundraiser for the schools Child Development Center ( where Brooklyn goes to preschool 2 days a week ). It is a day full of hands on displays for exploring , outdoor playtime and food. It is our first time going and it definately will NOT be our last ! It was fabulous ! Brooklyn and I enjoyed all of the wonderful ideas of household substances that you can make ( in place of the traditional playdough ). They had so many homemade simple ideas for indoor fun and discovery . There were also wooden mobile type toys that they could maneuver and explore. Brooklyn enjoyed dying jello, making styrofoam boats to float, bathing baby dolls and squishing oozing goo ( made with elmers glue and some other substances ) out of plastic strainers. But by far her favorite activity had to be the face painting ! She spent atleast a half an hour drawing on her face and even creating some art on her friend Carly's face as well. We will definately go again next year ! I'm not quite sure who is looking forward to it more , me or her ?!