Let's talk about Emily

The last few weeks worth of pictures in my camera are all about Emily so this blog is dedicated to her.
Her Birthday!
Emily just turned 10 on April 2nd. A few weeks before her birthday she started taking piano lessons and unlike everyone else I know she loves to practice. She's been tinkering on the piano for a few months and begging for lessons so naturally I assumed that once she started lessons she would quit playing. Not so, in fact she will play the same thing over and over and over and never and I mean never get tired of it. Over the weeks as I fought the urge to yell "quit practicing that piano" it came to me to get her an electronic keyboard...with headphones. Even though my motives weren't entirely on the up and up I knew she would love it which she did, and does. Here are some pictures from her B-Day.



Miss Mendenhall
This has been an exciting school year because Emily's teacher Miss Mendenhall got engaged mid-year and was soon to become Mrs. Phillips. You can imagine how a 10 year old girl would eat that up. Miss Mendenhall sent invitations to all of the kids in her class and Emily just naturally planned on attending the reception. I wasn't so sure about going especially when I learned the reception was in Salt Lake and that Glenn would be out of town. (Not only is he my driver and navigator he's my security blanket.) So I asked Em if she was sure she wanted to go and she answered with a frank "Ya" accompanied by an expression in her eyes that questioned why I would even ask such a thing. I playfully asked how she was going to get up to Salt Lake and she said she'd take Garrett's segway if she had to. Well with that kind of determination I decided it would be a fun adventure for the two of us to go the much anticipated event. Mother nature added to the adventure by providing relentless rain followed by snow for the drive up. Thank goodness for the navigation system that guided us right in while I concentrated on staying on the road. On the surface it's a simple event, greeting the bride and groom, some food, a little socializing and then on your way but this was much more to a 10 year old girl, and being that this is my daughter I felt much gratitude to the unknowing example Miss Mendenhall was setting for her. I think of how the school year has played out, a young energetic new teacher who the kids just adore and who is a returned missionary to boot, enter boyfriend then fiance who they also came to know and love as he helped in the classroom, ending with a temple marriage and these kids got to experience it all. That's important to me. That's exactly what I want my daughter to see in life and by her enthusiam I know that she experienced the joy in it all. I just couldn't be happier for this 4th grade year for Em.
I snapped one picture that turned out blurry but hopefully you get the gist of it.

These photo booth pictures were used for the wedding book. They glued a copy right in the book and you could sign your name.

These will always be a reminder to me of not only a great night with my daughter but of the wonderful things she experienced beyond the picture.
Rad Kids
Rad Kids is a program that our school does in the 2nd and 4th grades. It has to do with empowering kids for any dangerous situations that they might encounter. I have mixed feelings about it because it is just a shame that a program like this needs to exist but I do appreciate the things that are taught. The program culminates with a "graduation" where they get to show a little of what they've been taught. They actually do a run through of 3 types of senarios that the kids have to get away from with the last being an actual abduction attempt. They are taught some basic self defense techniques and they demonstrate using them to get away from the officer playing the bad guy. He is fully padded and the kids are to go all out to get away. I have never been able to watch without tears the moment that they get out of his grasp and run away. I am always crying and cheering at the same time. I didn't get any pictures of Emily's demonstration, but the yellow blur is her as she got her certificate and you can see the padded guy whose butt she kicked!


I'll wrap this up by saying it's been a great month watching my beautiful daughter Emily learn and grow. I am so blessed to be her mother.