Emma's 12th Birthday

Just 3 weeks after Drake was born, our oldest daughter, Emma, had her 12th birthday. This is a huge deal at church because it is at this age that kids move from Primary to the older youth group. Since Emma's big day was on Sunday, she was welcomed into Young Women's. It also happened to be Fast Sunday, so Emma fasted both breakfast and lunch for the first time. She said it was difficult, but she had a smile on all day and was proud that she had done it.
 
For dinner we had our traditional birthday breakfast, followed by cheesecake for her birthday cake. She loves cheesecake and we had never done this for a birthday cake before. 

After presents we played the candy bar game. Emma has played this before, but none of the others had. It was a HUGE hit-even with Sebastian!

This beautiful daughter of mine is such a blessing to our family! She loves to help with the younger children and is often arranging activities for them to do on the weekends--sometimes "school," sometimes directing a play she has written, and sometimes leading them on imagination adventures.

She is thrilled when we ask her to babysit, and all the other kids love it when she does as well. She also had her first official babysitting job for a family from church--4 hours on a Saturday, and she even successfully made mac & cheese, even though she had never cooked on a gas stove before. All of her siblings look up to her and adore her. They seek her approval and try to be like her. It is a good thing she is such a great example!

Emma is an excellent student. We never have to check up on her homework. She gets right to it the minute she comes home. She also does her daily chore, piano and flute practice without prompting. She started flute this year and had her first concert right after her birthday.

She loves one-on-one time with Mom and/or Dad--especially Sunday evenings when we play an "older" game with her after the others have gone to bed. Her favorites are Monopoly Deal, Ticket to Ride and Pictionary.

I truly can't believe it has been 12 years since she was born. I love watching her learn and grow and become such a remarkable young woman. I am so grateful to have been blessed with her in my life!