New Glasses

For a little while now I've been dragging my feet about Emma's eyes.  I've thought a few times over the past couple of months at least that Emma might need glasses.  I wasn't thrilled at this thought though.  I really didn't want her to need glasses, for several reasons:

1. Her face is so flawlessly perfect I didn't want it hidden behind glasses.
2. Kids break things and lose them, and glasses seem like they'd always be the victim, bringing lots of headaches and trouble.
3. Emma has darling sunglasses.  That she won't be able to wear anymore.  They're really cute.
4. The cost.  Ugh, it's just something else to have to deal with right?
5. I was hoping to pass on my perfect vision to her.  Why did she have to take after Eric on this one?

But finally, right after the school year ended, we took her to get her eyes checked.  Wow.  She completely bombed the eye exam.  I was standing right next her, and wow.  I couldn't believe she couldn't see the letters clearly.  I wanted to just turn to her and say, "Come on Emma, this is easy.  The letters are right there.  Just use your eyes!"  Unfortunately she was using her eyes.  They failed her. Sigh.

It turns out Emma is near-sighted.  Just like Eric.  Stupid Eric passing on this stupid gene.  I have always loved Eric in glasses by the way.  I just didn't want Emma to need them.  Right now her prescription is a little stronger than Eric's.  I think she tried on every pair of frames in the store at least three times before settling on two final pairs.  Oh man, I can't tell you how much I hope she doesn't break or lose these things.  I could really do without having to spend this kind of money on something not fun very often.

But really, I'm so glad she can see well again.  It was so fun for the first few days after she got her glasses, listening to her tell us everything she could see even if it was far away.  She told us while we were home.  She told us while we were driving.  She told us while we were at the grocery store.  Everywhere.  I am so happy for her.  And really, now I can't believe I didn't take her right in to get her eyes checked when I first thought there might be an issue.  I feel a little guilty.  Because, as Brian Regan said, "Man, [she] could have been seeing things!  How can instantly improved vision not be at the top of your to do list?"

And in the end, my number one reason for not wanting her to need glasses ended up being a non-issue (Stupid unfounded fears!  Why must you always get in the way?).  Emma is just as darling as ever in her new glasses.  Perhaps even flawlesser.  Yup.  That's a word...probably.  Both pairs are just darling on her.  And she loves them!  Sorry for the poor lighting in these pictures.  This is the day we picked up the finished and ready glasses.

This rim on this pair has two different colors.
The top half is a sort of copper color and the bottom is a teal blue. 

These are the arms of this first pair.  The pattern is really cute with greens and pinks and a little blue.

Her second pair is really a dark blue color, not black as they appear here.

This is the inside view of the second pair.  A light blue with a fun pattern on the inside of the arms.
It looks really nice with the sort of navy coloring of the front.

And finally, do yourself a favor, even if you've already seen/ heard it, and watch this six minute clip of Brian Regan talking about the eye doctor.  So funny!  I had an almost impossible time not laughing all through Emma's exam thinking about this.  I had to stifle laughs as each new test was done.  A few times my shoulder's were just shaking as I silently giggled while simultaneously praying the doctor wouldn't suddenly ask me a question.

Another Family Visitor

We were so happy and lucky to have Eric's sister Melissa come visit us recently.  She was able to come during Emma's last week of school.  We loved every minute she was here, and can't wait to see her again.

We were mostly staying close to home during her visit because Emma had school that week, but we still managed to have fun.  Between lunch with friends, helping a friend make some crafts for girls camp, Emma's taekwondo classes, and games at home, we kept fairly busy.

We started things off by heading out to Lake Geneva and enjoyed dinner at the Sprecher restaurant while we were there (it's Emma's favorite!).  It's always so pretty out there, no matter what time of year it is.  This time of year, however, it's super crowded.  Wow, there were so many people everywhere!

No visit is complete without a trip to the Jelly Belly store (at least according to Emma).  She lives for the sample bar.

Emma's last day of school snuck in there, and I almost didn't get a picture of her.  The one I did get is a little blurry, and was after she got home.  Phew!  Barely made it.  I can hardly believe she's done with 3rd grade.  I swear it was only a year ago she was finishing 2nd grade!  =)

We celebrated her shorter final day by going bowling.  And I'm sticking with the story that I bowled so terribly just so that Emma could beat me.  It was a special gift in honor of her having done so well in school.

Following the bowling we took Melissa to the shooting range.  It was her first time, and I think she might be hooked.  She did a great job.  Emma of course watched from the room behind the range.  This picture was taken from there.  The plastic windows don't really lend themselves to great photos.

For Melissa's last day in town we decided to go explore Milwaukee a little.  First stop: Sprecher factory for the tour.  You get all the soda you can drink on the tour, which sounds great, but you quickly realize how little soda it takes before you start feeling sick.  Adults get some free beer samples too, but of course, we did not partake.





My brother-in-law Brad just happened to be in town on business for a few days, and this was his last day in town.  Lucky for us he had a few hours to kill, so he joined us the rest of our day.  It was great seeing him!

We went to see a gorgeous lighthouse.  I don't think it's possible to take a bad picture of this place!  The grounds were also very amazing.  There were bridges with great iron work, and a path leading down to the beach that looked like it was out of a fairytale.  Melissa even made a crown of flowers for Emma.

Next stop was the riverwalk.  It was the perfect day.  And we bumped into the bronze Fonze.  Ehhhh!

After some late lunch (or early dinner if you like) we headed to the beach just to dip our feet in the water.  Eric and Emma attempted skipping some rocks too.

I think this picture is funny because it looks like Eric just hit that bird with his skipping rock.

Across from the beach was this magnificent house.  This was its backyard.  Whoa.  I would love to try to get used to having this for a backyard.  As long as I didn't have to maintain it!





We then sadly had to take Melissa and Brad to the airport.  It was so much fun seeing them both (even if only for a few hours Brad!).   We hope to see both of them again soon!

Emma and Eric just had to end the day by trying on one of their Sprecher souvenirs and enjoying their favorite Sprecher soda.  Grape vs root beer.  Personally I prefer the root beer.

Princess Ball

Each Spring our Stake holds a Princess Ball for all the girls 8-11.  This was Emma's first year to be able to go.  She was very excited.  As soon as she heard it announced several weeks earlier, she told me she knew exactly what dress she wanted to wear - her white dress from her baptism that my parents gave her.  Eric even let her choose the tie or bow tie he wore.  I gave her two options for her hair, and she chose the up-do.  Then I threw on her tiara for good measure.  Seemed appropriate.

The evening went as follows: upon arrival everyone had their picture taken (copies were given out the next day at church).  Then everyone went to the gym where they had tables set up for dinner.  Each table had everything it needed for the meal, so no one needed to get up.  They had rolls, meats, cheeses, etc. for sandwiches, along with chips and a vegetable tray and fruit bowl.  Sounds yummy, and not too messy for the girls in their fancy dresses.  There was a cake for dessert, and while they ate the cake, there a was a little program that consisted of a short slide show with pictures of various lighthouses along with quotes from general authorities about letting your light shine and about young women.  This went along with the theme which was "Let it Shine".  Following the slide show there were a few short messages given (mostly just testimonies) from some of the primary leaders from the wards.  Then the program portion was over.

The dance floor was quickly cleared of the tables, and the dancing began.  The DJ had a good mix of upbeat songs and slow songs, as well as one that was only the girls in the middle (basically to give the dads a rest).

Emma had so much fun, and can't wait until next year.  I love that they have this activity just for the girls.  It's such a fun opportunity for them to spend some extra special time with their dads.

Okay I think I could just die with how perfect this picture turned out!  I am constantly amazed by how absolutely stunning Emma is.  I know that's a total mom thing to say, but I can't help it!  She's gorgeous!

And here's a short video Eric took of the girls dancing.  This was one of the rest songs for the dads.  The coloring if off in the video because unbeknownst to Eric, the camera was on a really weird color setting when he took the video.  Oh well.  You can see Emma close the middle in her white dress and silver heels.  This explains why her hair do was falling out when she got home!

Spring Break

A few months ago my mom called me and told me she and my dad were wanting to come visit us in April. I had no idea they were even thinking about coming, so we were all thrilled. And then we waited (at times rather impatiently - especially Emma) for spring break to get here. Finally it arrived, as did my parents.  Emma was just a ball of excitement as we waited at the airport. I don't think she stopped smiling over the next 8 days. Until they left that is. Then it was all tears. BUT before the tears came we had some good times.

Easter sort of slipped in there amidst all the other activities. Knowing this would likely happen, we made sure to talk a lot about Easter and the Savior in the weeks leading up to it, including watching some fabulous church videos. So when Easter actually came we didn't worry too much about sliding right past the real meaning and having the candy be more of the focus. Usually we don't let that happen, but since we were heading out of town right after breakfast that day, I didn't stress too much about it.   Emma woke up to find her basket overflowing with goodies. I admit that I was super ready this year to not need to do the whole Easter bunny thing. Of course, Emma still believes so we went ahead and did it again, but I'm ready to be done with it. Just saying. I'd still get her treats of course, but the secrecy part sometimes seems like such a pain. But as I was telling Eric, I don't want to tell her yet, because then it stands to reason that she'll also figure out Santa. And I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I mean, part of me is. Part of me would love that. But I love the magic of Christmas that comes along with Santa so much that I'd be sad for it to be gone. And since I don't have more kids who would continue to believe for years to come, it's all or nothing with Emma. So I'm torn. It'll end when it ends though (either her figuring it out, hearing about it at school, or me finally telling her because she's getting too old), so I'll deal with it at that time. Anyway, back to Easter morning.  After she perused her basket, we also gave her a fishing pole. We wanted credit for that one, not the Eater bunny. She was ecstatic! She loves fishing with Eric and can't wait to go again, especially since she'll have her own pole this year. Then she did an egg hunt. The egg hunt has always been from us, so no worries about secrets there. We just sent her to her room so we could set it up. Now I want chocolate from thinking about her candy...

We had a big breakfast with fruit, muffins, breakfast casserole, etc, and then headed out the door with our luggage. My parents thought it would be fun to go down to Nauvoo and Springfield while they were here. My family went years ago right before my mission, so they had both been before to both places, but the Nauvoo temple hadn't been completed yet. Construction had only just begun.  My dad was singing with the Tabernacle Choir when they went to Nauvoo and were inside the temple singing during it's dedication, so he had already seen the completed temple, and Eric, Emma and I took this same trip a couple years ago, so it was just my mom who hadn't seen the completed temple. I was excited for her to see it.

Emma was all set in the car. She was such a good traveler.
That's what video games, iPods and movies will do for you I guess.  =)

Emma was taking her own pictures like crazy on this trip. I think I enjoyed watching her do that more than anything else.  She was so cute planning out her pictures, sometimes crouching low to get just the right shot.

Enjoying the lovely evening light while skipping rocks along the banks of the Mississippi River

We stayed in a cabin this time just like we did on our last trip, and I think once again it was Emma's favorite part of the trip.  Before my parents got to town, any time we'd mention going to Nauvoo, Emma would promptly ask if we were staying in a cabin again, as if her asking was the only requirement to making it a reality.

My favorite part about the cabin. This porch swing. Eric and I spent the evening just
sitting out on the porch, looking at the stars, listening to the quiet, and enjoying the
wonderful temperatures. Love talking evenings away like that.

The three of us stayed in a huge room upstairs that could have slept 8. Emma chose the top bunk in a bunk bed and thought it was crazy that she could touch the ceiling.

We might have been the first people ever to play Mah Jongg in Nauvoo.
Being Emma's latest obsession, we had to bring it to play with my parents.

Our full day in Nauvoo was sort of rainy, but wasn't terrible.  Nothing like a little rain to keep the crowds away.  Oh, it being the day after Easter and a Monday didn't hurt either.  We practically had the place to ourselves!

Making some rope. You can never have too much rope.

The next day we went to Carthage and then to New Salem to see some Lincoln stuff. We ended that day in Springfield touring the Lincoln home and seeing his tomb. The next day after finishing up with museums etc, we came home.

The morning light on the jail was just beautiful. It seemed to add
such a amazing feeling to an already amazing place.

Emma's first selfie. Heaven help me - it's starting.

In New Salem Emma was trying to capture some pictures of wildlife.  Or maybe it was flowers?
Doesn't matter, she was super cute while doing it and I loved watching her. 

In the days after our trip we went to a great car museum which my parents loved. There were tons of classic cars and several very old ones. We've been there before, and Emma just loves it. I admit, I love that Emma loves cars. We also took my parents to see a Brewers game while they were in town. They won, so that made it even better!

Don't you just love it? I want one. But I'll take it in blue please.

I love having my parents here visiting, and like Emma am so sad when they leave. We love living here, but it is hard being away from my family. We miss them all like crazy all the time. Thanks so much for visiting Mom and Dad! We had so much fun with you!