Happy 5th Birthday, Emma-lulu!

Today was Em's 5th birthday. I have spent all evening going through all these pictures of my sweet little Emma-lu trying to find a few that represent her personality. It was very hard, and I decided on four. Anymore might have been overkill.

The first thing one might notice about our little Em is her infectious smile. Until she came along, the only other person I knew who ever REALLY had a twinkle in their eye was my father. She has a smile that can light up any room and a laugh to accompany it. After almost every present that she opened for Christmas or her birthday, she would exclaim, "This is just what I've always wanted!!" and she meant it!


One thing I have learned from my little sweetie is that she will be happy with nothing less than experiencing everything firsthand. It's not enough for her to just hear about something. She must touch, examine, smell, taste and only then can she fully comprehend and conclude her opinion of it. Everything in her life is divided into two categories; things she is or is not allergic to. Anything she dislikes or is frightened of ends up in the "allergic" category. When she entered preschool, I had to warn her teacher that physically she is not allergic to anything, but she will proclaim allergies to tigers, spiders, biting cats, snakes, dirt, bears, etc. Even when she is told no, or not to touch something, she MUST. I see it everyday, in all things.

Another attribute that really stands out in her is her passion for life. We never do anything fast enough for her or enough of it! She is constantly saying to us, "COME ON! Let's GO!!" When she loves something, she loves it passionately, such as her sister, her "gog" (stuffed animal dog), Calvin (her real dog) and her mom and dad. I often find her singing songs that she just makes up. She sings, dances and jumps everywhere about anything. She has a strut or a bounce in her step that rarely goes unnoticed. We all crack up when we see her coming - she is always on a mission.

On a more devious note, Em is the most mischievous member of our family. When anything is missing (especially scissors!) we all know who to go to. I often walk into the kitchen only to find Calvin, our dog and her "best friend," attached to chairs, railings and tables by two leashes. Her obsession with her dog can only be described as pure torture for that poor thing. For a long time, we had to monitor every writing tool in the house. Em was using anything she could get her hands on in the pursuit of leaving her mark by each and every doorway in the house. I came to love the Magic Eraser on her behalf. This active disobedience was only fortified by the four haircuts she gave herself by the age of four. Em is always looking for a way to be trouble.

Finally, Em has an incredible sense of humor. It took me longer to discover this, because I was so worried that she was being serious (about not knowing her colors or her numbers or letters!) that I missed the sarcasm. She thinks it's hysterical to answer all of our serious questions - like "what color is this?" - incorrectly. It was only after I realized that she got the color wrong 100% of the time that I realized she was pulling my leg! Em would stop at nothing to get a laugh out of someone, it's just a part of the fabric of her life.

It's exciting to see this little girl, God's little princess, blooming into such a creative, charismatic, caring person. My father saw something in her that I am only seeing now. He would watch her and tell me that she was really special, unique and I could see a fascination in his eyes. She talks about my dad almost daily, his place in heaven with Jesus and her desire to be with him. She was a mere 2 when my father passed away and I am always amazed by the things she remembers about him. God has pointed her towards Him through my dad and the questions are endless.

As I am finishing up The Barbarian Way (Erwin McManus), I am fearful that this child has already grasped the way of the barbarian. There are times when I see that fearless warrior in her and I wonder what God has in store for her. As her mommy, it's frightening and inspiring. May God bless this, her sixth year of life, with continued passion for life, love, experience and laughter!

Pictures: 1) Em at 9 months - isn't she sweet?, 2) Em's first birthday, the day we moved into our house, with my parents, 3) Em at her ballet recital as Cinderella and 4) Loving the water!