Emma's 7th birthday

Emma celebrated her seventh birthday on July 23. We had a party for her with family and her neighbor friends on the day before her actual birthday.
I know that every parent says this, but I truly can't believe how quickly children grow up! It seems like a short time ago I was holding her up in the air and saying, "So big!" and she was staring down at me with big eyes, wearing an infant sleeper. ☺

Emma is a huge help around the house. She loves things to be organized, and I'll often here her say, "Mom. Come look at the back door." and she'll have all the shoes organized on the rack. Or she'll ask me to look in the toy room, and all the toys will be put away. Of course she likes to rearrange the way that I have things organized, so I can tell that she's like me in that she wants things a certain way, and she feels her way is the best. But we all know that MY way is actually better. ;-)

Em is a huge Harry Potter fan. Last year she told me that she was going to marry Daniel Radcliffe when she got older. :-| Then we had a conversation regarding how Mr. Radcliffe is not a perpetual twelve-year-old; he's already an adult. ☺

Emma received two of the Potter movies, a poster book, and a LEGO H.P. sticker book.

It's Auntie Beth with dark hair! The little girls are two of Emma's neighbor friends.

This was THE present Emma wanted most. She's been begging for an American Girl Doll for several years now. Both Grandparents went in on this gift, and when Emma saw the gift tag and who the present was all from, she KNEW it was her doll because, "I know the doll costs a lot and all those people helped get this present so it must be expensive and the only expensive gift I wanted was an American Girl Doll." Nothing gets past her!

This doll is the "Emily" doll. Very fitting! Of course now Em wants more clothes for her doll.

Miss Gooby

Always have to have a picture with one's cake.

**I had taken more pictures, but apparently I am not the most tech-savvy, and I had the camera on the wrong setting. Thus most of the pictures were blurry. "Just point and shoot." Uh huh.