Hi Everyone--
We're soooooo ready for summer!! May is always busy, and this week has been no exception. Grandma A continued her visit with us through Friday. We celebrated Roger's birthday on Tuesday (along with Ellie-Kate's 16 month birthday on the same day!). Severe thunderstorms forced the cancellation of Emmy's soccer games on both Tuesday and Thursday, but we still celebrated the season with our traditional party at Larry's Dawg House on Thursday. The kids were bummed that they lost the last week of their soccer season, but it will be nice to have a few more evenings at home until softball season starts at the end of June.
On Wednesday, we had our end of the year awards ceremony at church for AWANA, and Emmy finally received her first book award. (She finished her first book back in January, but they wanted to present it to her in front of a crowd at the end of the year.)
Over the week-end, Emmy participated in the third annual string fling at OU; Chelsea attended a day-long 4-H camp counselor training session, and Roger went up to Cleveland with his mom for his cousin's wedding. We also did a new photo shoot at Walmart so that we could get studio pics of Chelsea and Emmy in their dance recital outfits (as well as a few others that we'll post very soon).
In the midst of all of this family activity, Ellie-Kate continues to grow, charm, and amaze us. We can't get over her sweet disposition and fun sense of humor. She's really wanting to walk, and we know that she will very soon. We are still waiting on the physical therapy referral, but we're confident that a few sessions will help her to get standing and moving on her own two legs!! However, the coolest thing is the way in which she reaches for each of us and connects with us in special and unique ways. She really loves each of her sisters, and, of course, Mommy and Daddy. She can point to pictures as we say names, but she's still developing the verbal ability to utter all of them.
We've had lots of turbulent weather over the past week, and we think that it's affecting her sleep patterns. She has been waking up more frequently and sleeping much more restlessly, and her pediatrician attributed the change to the dramatic shifts in barometric pressure that we've been experiencing around here. She goes right back to sleep, but we still need to get up, check on her, and soothe her back to sleep. Needless to say, the lack of sleep is starting to take its toll on us, but we're hoping that things will get back to normal soon :)
As we look at her sweet face (whether sleeping or awake), though, we are constantly reminded about how blessed that we have been and continue to be. Thank you for all of your prayers. She has been such an incredible answer to them!!
Enjoy the new pictures! We'll post another update again soon :)
Christie
