Happy Birthday, Em!

I'm writing in purple today in honor of Em's 6th birthday! It's her favorite color, along with pink - I think because she's a princess at heart! Along with those favorite colors is her love for music, dancing, pretend (this one can be a little, uh, confusing, shall we say!), animals - especially dogs and horses, her family, McDonald's, the carousel at the mall and chasing boys at recess. Please take note that school is not on that list!! We're dealing with that one... much later!

In lieu of cupcakes, which have been BANNED from school parties along with anything edible, Em brought in pencils today for her classmates and a Target gift card for her teacher to purchase something for the classroom. (Cupcakes are so much cheaper - and way more fun!) When I first asked her what she wanted to bring in for her classmates, she said, "MP3 players!" We are also working on that little thing we call "reality" and still refreshing last month's money math skills! I guess it could have been worse, let's say if she had had another favorite Christmas gift, such as her Polly Pocket cruise ship! EEK!

I can honestly say there is a never a dull moment when Em is around. Her smile lights up a room, melts a heart and covers the worst of iniquities. She has a propensity for mischievousness, a desire to be surrounded by love and an ability to occupy herself for long periods of time that combined make life an unending adventure! She leaves a trail of cut hair, hole-ey clothes and cut and stapled scraps of everything in her wake and prefers scribbling on walls to coloring on paper any day of the week! Her ability to frustrate knows no bounds, but her gentle spirit covers many (certainly not all!) transgressions. She proudly carries Jesus to school each day in her heart, understanding she's making a way for Him to be heard - after she is! We have a long way to go, but we are on the right track (next to the left track which is the one we're supposed to be on!). Em's direction, I imagine, will always be to follow the star that I can't see.

Em has taught me to be tender in a way that no other person has been able to. I will forever be indebted to her for that. I don't know if it's my inability to wrap myself around how different she is from the rest of our family or if I am following my father's lead, who was always intrigued by her smile, her disposition, her eyes.... What my father saw in her at such a young age (she was 2 when he died) always amazed me and I have been since been watchful of those differences. I am excited to see what God will do in her life, with her life and how he will direct that free-spirit of hers. I know that I'm having no luck in that area!

So, six years of fun and laughter, goofy jokes, lots of singing and dancing and a beautiful princess to adore. I'm so much more than thankful.

Happy Birthday, Emmylulu!!

Photo 1 & 2: Em sat down this morning and said, "So, today is my birthday. January 10?" She then drew herself a cake on her new dog calendar, complete with six candles. Then signed it "E." - a woman of few letters!
Photo 3: Taken by Uncle D at Tybee this past Christmas. Isn't she a cutie?