Emmaline turns 2!!!

Miss Emmaline Turns 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Born 11-18-2013

Emma had a wonderful birthday. We just had a quiet day at home.  I tried to make her favorite food for dinner, but she pretty much likes everything. She is such a good natured little girl.

We had sugar cookie cupcakes for dessert. She loved those!

Things I love about Emma.

*Emma is tender-hearted. If she sees someone hurt, or with a sad face, she will undoubtedly come over  and pat you on the shoulder and ask "You otay? You otay? or Ug? Ug? Which is her cute word for hug.
*Emma is stubborn beyond belief. If there is a war of wills, she will win hands down every time. She is very good at letting us know what she wants or need.
*Emma loves to sing, and sing she does. Her first song was Let it go, which were conviently some of her first words. Riding in the car, she would belt out. "Let it goooo, let it goo, bable bable bable, Let it go! She also loves Popcorn Popping, and Do As I'm Doing. A few months back I caught her in front of the full length mirror, using one end of a jump rope as a microphone and singing Let it Go. :)
*Emma loves to be outside. Outside was also one of her first words. She is constantly begging to go out, and is never happier than when she is. Emma loves our Kitty. She constantly is asking us to draw her pictures of kitties. She frequently turns into a kitty in the middle of church and has to be taken out for loud pawing or meowing. She also loves to be a horse, and crawl around the house whinnying and neighing in an ear-splitting high pitch.
*Emma is very vocal, for many month she could say just about anything she wants, and she speaks in sentences.
* Emma is very clever and quite the tease. She loves to run from me when I want to change her diapers and say "no bum, no bum"
*Emma loves to help, and do whatever her older siblings are doing. She loves to be called a "Big Girl." and visibly grows an inch if you call her one. ;)
*My favorite thing about Emma, is how she says Thank you. She thanks everyone for everything. I can be sucking out her nose with the nose sucker and she can be screaming and thrashing about, but as soon as I'm done. She immediately says, "Oh, Thank you Mom." She thanks me when I change her diaper, she thanks me when I put her to bed, she thanks me for washing her hands or face, even though she hates it. She thanked everyone at every house we went trick or treating to.(multiple times) It is the best reminder in the world to be grateful, when a sweet little 1 year old Thanks you for a simple mundane tasks.
* Emma is beautiful. She looks like a doll. I call her my little cherubim. I love to kiss her chubby cheeks and hear her giggle when I give her butterfly kisses with my eyelashes.

 

(Sorry I know these pictures are horrible quality. I have broken down and ordered a new charger for my camera. Hopefully, it will get here soon.)



Emma got a big pack of Twix's from Daddy for her birthday. She calls them, and all candybars, or sweets things, cookies. Twix's(cookies) are her favorite!.

    Grandma Stuart gave Emmie a doll and stroller for her birthday. She's spent many happy hours playing with them since. I can tell she will be an attentive mother. :)

A new night-shirt from our neighbor.

Emmie with her best friend Socks.

her first meal at a restaurant. She was perfect!

Excited to go and visit Grandma and Grandpa!

My Doll

We love you Em. You are the definition of Joy. We couldn't love you more!

Ellie says that Em is so chubby, because she is made up of every sweet thing.

Eleanor wrote her a song, that our family has sung to her since she was a few months old.

"There are blue summer daisies, and very cute babies, but Emma's the best of them all! She's cute and she's cuddly, and ever so snuggly. Oh Emma I love you!"

Thanksgiving 2015

We had a truly special Thanksgiving this year. Our dear friends, the Cooper's, came over to join us on the special day. It was just so nice to just enjoy a relaxing day of good food and fun. We had tons of yummy food.

 

We decorated the tables with these, and I highly recommend them. Minimal work, delicious results.  Nutter Butter bites, Hersey kisses, and mini chocolate chips. All stuck together with a little melted chocolate. Yum! The kids put them together while the food was cooking.

 

It snowed and snowed on Thanksgiving. The snow was soo beautiful. It was an unforgettable day. We haven't gotten that much snow in years!

Ellie and her best friend Hannah.

Natalie C. brought stuff so the kids could make owls for decorations. I loved that everyone was different.

They wrote lovely cards about what they were thankful for.

 

The men prepping the potatoes. Lauren sneaking a pre-dinner roll.

Ellie Cooper.  Ellie P. made beautiful name tags for each person. Each was a work of art.

As far as I know, none of this was found in the food. ;)

Kid tables rules!



This picture was actually taken with the blinds closed. The snow was crazy bright. (Barry did my hair, I was rolling out the rolls and it kept getting in my face, so Barry put barrettes in it for me, I never even glanced in the mirror. Ha!)

After dinner, the kids put on all their snow stuff and played outside. The adult played games inside. When the kids got tired we all had pie and ice cream, then pushed back the tables and danced to the fiddle music.

 

It was a memorable day. Definitely one to be thankful for.

 We are so very blessed!

Grateful

 I am so grateful for the peace the gospel brings.

Happy Birthday my Little Angel. You are forever in our hearts.

Nicholas James Pate 11/30/2012

.....It was there in the delivery room, that Barry gave me a beautiful Priesthood Blessing, I had asked him to bless our Nicholas that he would not have to suffer, and would pass from this earth quickly. When Barry gave me the blessing, I knew the words that he was saying were not his own.  He blessed me to know that nothing I had done had caused this to happen. He blessed me to know that Nicholas and Heavenly Father were aware of me, and they knew that this was going to happen, and for me to know that he(Nicholas) had chosen this. That he had come to this earth to get a body, but that he needed to return home now. He blessed Nicholas to pass from this earth quickly and not to suffer. He blessed me to know that even though our dear little boy couldn’t be with us now, that he would be mine again someday.

I knew, and know that what he was saying was true and that those words were from my Heavenly Father. An overwhelming spirit of comfort descended upon the room and stayed with us, and I spent the next few quiet moments quietly saying goodbye to our little boy.  We were comforted to remember seeing our little boy through the ultrasound waving to us just a few days earlier and giving us a thumbs up sign, ...knowing now that he had chosen this path and was telling us goodbye.

After inducing my labor, Nicholas James Pate was born later that day. He was tiny, and dark red, but perfect in every way. His eyes were closed and he looked completely at peace, though his body was bruised from a rough delivery. He had big feet like his older brother and a very similar frame. Tiny hands with long fingers. He had a little cleft in his chin, and broad shoulders like his Daddy. His little profile looked amazingly like James.  We had decided to name him Nicholas Barry, but after seeing him, we knew he was Nicholas James. We took some pictures and held him for a long time, even though we knew that he had left this earth earlier on, and wasn’t in his little body anymore. 

Though our hearts are broken, we are so thankful little Nicholas came to our family ..even though he couldn't stay.  We know we will see him again, and we are so very grateful for the peace and comfort the gospel brings.

Hawaii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hawaii

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just Kidding!

 

I've been feeling pretty blue this week, so I picked out a place I wanted to visit.(Not Hawaii ;) )

Our Destination was Ritter Island, which is a State Park around here. You can hike around, swim(if your a polar bear) and watch birds. :) The island was closed. So we just explored around the area.

 It was very misty in front of the waterfall. My phone camera was having trouble. Emma kept saying "Oh WOW! Oh WOW! Look!" She was about as far away as in the picture by the gate, when she began picking up rocks off the path and looking towards the waterfall and trying as hard as she could to throw them in. It was quite funny.

 We went on a crazy hike. There were blue dots (on rocks and trees) marking the trail. The kids ran up the whole mountain without complaint following those lovely blue dots. (I plan to put blue dots on everything, I want them to do from now on). I MADE them turn around eventually, because it was getting dark and we had come a long ways.

(This picture is about half way up. You can see our car in the parking lot in the top right of the picture.)

 The water is crystal clear here. It is very beautiful!

 Trying to get to the waterfall.

 Back in time for homework!(not really)
This is James' taking his spelling test. He chose the word(s) Red Rattlesnake for his bonus word this week. Jolly Bee! He got it right!

"The Scoop!" and Maze

 

Top left: Lauren drew a picture of me and her. (The pink things are my cheeks). I love my little body. Make's me smile. She said, "Mom! I finally figured out how to draw noses!" :)  :)

Top Right: James drew this one for me. I don't think it has any meaning whatsoever. :)

 THIS is "The Scoop!" I somehow won a free trial subscription to a local newspaper..

It is such a joy to read! It makes me laugh.  I doubt Ellie has ever read, or even looked at a newspaper, but she's got the newspaper business down!

Here are a couple of samples of the paper. Sorry they are soo crinkled, they come rolled up and delivered.

 See! The Magic Show!

 

 

 

 

The Ag Club- which Barry is the advisor of, is in charge of the CSI corn maze for a few days each year. We try to always attend and support them .... and visit Daddy.

 

 

 Some were more excited about the CORN, than the maze!

A birdy sneak peak.