One Year Older and Wiser Too

It's Emily's birthday today - she's nineteen years old! It doesn't feel like nineteen years since this dimpled wonder joined our family. This is the first time Emily hasn't been home with us to celebrate the day of her birth and it's kind of strange. I mean, kids grow up and move out and that's always been the goal, but we sure miss our biggest girls and wish they lived a little closer.  We talked with Emily a couple of times today and it sounds like she's going to have a great day. Her friend Cole from her missionary preparation class stopped by before her first class with a bunch of candy and treats for her and a really nice card. Her roommates have some sort of plan for celebrating this evening all together at Madison's apartment. She's had so many friends and family members reach out to her on social media to wish her happy birthday. It's good to know she's been taken care of and made to feel special since we can't all be together for her birthday. 

Emily has a serious love for all things High School Musical and was super psyched to visit East High last month!
We love Emily and are so proud of the woman she's becoming. She is smart and is working every day to do well at school. But she doesn't just rely on her own self to do well, she asks us to pray for her before every big test or assignment due date. She's a good example to her sisters of having faith that the Lord will help us when we do our part. Emily's a lot of fun and has the ability to make people feel important, cared about, and included. It's been so nice to see how much fun she's having with her roommates at school. She's always pushed herself to excel at physical activities and is one of those weird people who enjoys working out. She's strong and coordinated and she got all of that from Jared. Maybe all of those things are related to Emily being such a hard-working woman. She sets goals for herself - academically, spiritually, physically - and just keeps pushing until she achieves them. All of this is to say that Emily is a special person and we're so glad she's ours.

Happy nineteenth Emily! We love you!

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