Emma is...strong-willed?

You know your kid is crazy when everyone feels the need to comment on her personality, but they aren't quite sure which word to use.  Here are a few examples:

Example 1:
Mother's Day is always interesting for moms of kids who are no older than 2.  Let's be honest...it's just like every other day, but husbands are there to help out a lot more.  The sweet nursery workers tried making Mother's Day extra special.  They helped each kid fill out a paper of characteristics of their moms.  I was in nursery to watch this take place for a few minutes while I was setting up for singing time.  It was adorable!  The leaders really tried hard to make the answers sweet and special.  In the legal world, you could say that they were asking leading questions.  Here were a few of Emma's answers:

1. Leader: Emma, do you call your mom "Mommy" or "Mom"? (The paper says "My mother's name is___)
    Emma: No, I call her Daddy.  (Sadly, she really does mix us up all the time.  It makes me a little nervous!)
    Leader: Really?  Then what do you call your Daddy?
    Emma:  Mommy
    Leader:  Oh, I bet that's kinda confusing at your house then.
    Emma:  HAHAHAHA  No, it's not confusing!  (She seriously thought that was the funniest word!)

2.  Leader:  Emma, did your mom have a birthday recently?  (The paper says "My mom is ____years old)
     Emma:  Yeah, but it's my birthday next in June.
     Leader:  I know!  You'll be 3 soon.
     Emma:  No, I 18.
     Leader:  You're 18, huh?  But at your mom's birthday, did she turn 25 or 30?
     Emma:  No, my mom is 10.
     Leader:  10?  You're older than your mom?
     Emma:  Yeah!

When I went to pick Emma up from nursery, her leaders gave me her answers (and told me that their conversation with Emma was their favorite because of her "creative" answers) along with a paper with the "Hand prints" poem and her hand print on it.  Her leader then told me to take a high-heeled-shoe-shaped cookie.  I let Emma pick out which one she thought fit me best.  Emma then announced that the cookie was hers.  I said it was mine, but I would share it with her.  Emma then threw herself on the ground kicking and screaming.  Since she wouldn't let me pick her up, I dragged her out of nursery by her foot.  As I left the room, another mom who was going to pick up her child proceeded to tell me how much she loves Emma's "strong-willed" personality.

Example 2:
Emma is in a playgroup of 6 kids.  We take turns having it at our houses.  When I dropped Emma off, a mother said that she" loves to see the outfits Emma comes up with".  Yes, Emma was wearing a short-sleeved dress and sandals when it was no warmer than 50 degrees outside.  When we left the house, she had on pants, a coat, socks, and shoes.  By the time I got her out of her car seat, she had shimmied out of her layers and put on the sandals that were in the back of the car.  When I went to pick Emma up, another mom told me how independent Emma was, how she was such a leader, and how she loved her "fun" personality.  While she was telling me this, Emma was running around screaming, hiding under tables, and jumping on the couch.  Mothers of the kids who were following Emma kept chasing them and trying to get them to calm down.  Proud mom moment.

Example 3:
Yesterday, Emma and I had a "Stubborn Duel".  She had woken up several times in the night complaining of a stomach ache.  She didn't seem like she was going to throw up, although she kept saying she was going to.  I kept offering her food, but she refused.  The next morning she pooped...a lot...then said that her tummy hurt again.  I figured she was finally hungry.  I sat her at the table and told her she could only get down if she took one bite of cereal.  I knew that if she took a bite, she would either down the rest, or finally throw up.  She sat at the table for TWO HOURS crying the whole time.  She finally took a bite, and downed 2 bowls of cereal.

To say that Emma is stubborn is an understatement.  To say that I am more stubborn is obvious.  Naturally, our personalities don't mix.  I feel like I'm the mother of a teenager.  I'm hoping that her personality will keep her on the straight and narrow.  However, if she happens to choose the other path, we're in BIG trouble!  It's instances like these that make me grateful we don't have another child.  The Lord clearly knows that Emma needs a little more one-on-one attention than most kids her age.  :)

A little hike in Sedona.

5 years down...

While everyone was watching the Royal Wedding, Ammon and I were off reminiscing about the first day of our lives.  Ammon loves surprises, and I'm horrible at them, so naturally Ammon planned a surprised anniversary trip for us, and I was trying to piece everything together the entire month I knew he was scheming.  

Since this would be the first time leaving Emma with a babysitter for more than a few hours, I was a little nervous.  I wanted to make sure that she would have a fun time too.  Luckily, Ammon thought of everything: his parents came all the way from Salt Lake just to entertain Emma.  She loved every second of it!  She didn't even cry or throw a temper tantrum once!  

We took off heading West on Friday morning and were in Las Vegas a few hours later.  I was hoping that we weren't going to stay in Vegas...it's not the most romantic destination.  :)  We did, however, get to do some shopping (which is heavenly without Emma)!!  After the mall, we went to see the Bellagio flower exhibit, which was A-mazing as always.  It's my favorite place to stop.  Sadly, it was beyond windy, so the water show wasn't going.  Here are some pics...

Yes, this is a re-creation of a piece of art, but with flowers, of course!

My new favorite flowers...

The theme was a Springtime carnival featuring butterflies??  :)  Who knows...but it was gorgeous!

My second new favorite flower...

Who knew tulips were so cool??

After a fabulous dinner in Las Vegas, we headed to St. George!  I was so excited!  Before we left, I was hoping that we were going to go to Sedona (because we both love red rocks, and it's surprisingly romantic), but since we started heading West instead of South, my second choice would have been St. George.  We had a fabulously romantic hotel suite, which was the perfect place to try the new bath bombs I had just purchased.  Nothing like being pampered, right?  :)

The next morning, Ammon asked me to navigate him toward Snow Canyon.  I was a little hesitant, because I'm not exactly nature girl.  However, I trusted that Ammon wasn't going to just ditch me and go climbing for a few hours.  :)  Naturally, he delivered!  We went to a massive sand dune.  It was gorgeous scenery, perfect weather, and a beach (let's be honest, I never go in the water when we go to California)...without a 10+ hour drive!  I was in heaven!  For those of you who know me, you might understand better if I tell you that it was like opening a new tub of butter and being the first to take out the swirl!  There were hardly any people, so hardly any footprints in the finest red sand you've ever seen.  We lay [Ammon said this is the correct form of "lie"] out, had a little picnic, then drove to see the other landscape...it was so relaxing!

Those are our footprints...

"The last set of footprints were when He carried you"...or the second person walked in the first person's footprints so we could take the shot.  HAHAHA

I mean, seriously, is that not the coolest picture?

After our "beach" adventure, we lay out by a real pool (although it was only in the 70s and too cold for me to  get into the heated pool), read books, took naps, and relaxed!  Once we awoke to the reality of rumbling tummies, we went to the temple to await our dinner reservation at The Painted Pony.  

And had to take a picture with Brigham Young, naturally!  :)

The Painted Pony is a "real" restaurant.  In other words, they have a real chef and charge a lot more.  Look how amazing my French Onion Soup looked??  Don't worry...it tasted even better!  :)

I forgot to take pictures of our entrées.  We were too hungry to remember to wait. Ammon had THE most tender meat. You didn't even need a knife to cut it!  I had scrumptious ravioli.  This is our dessert...the perfect blend of sweet and tart!  YUM!

Sadly, we had to leave early the next morning so we could be at our 1:00 church (Did I mention we have new callings?  Ammon is the 1st Counselor in YM and I'm the Nursery Chorister/fill in for the Primary Chorister when she's sick.), and so Ammon's parents could make the long drive back home.  Thanks again, Dave & Karen!  You were lifesavers!

It probably wouldn't have mattered where we went on our trip.  We just needed a break to talk uninterrupted, a break from our stressful lives, and a break to fall in love all over again!  5 years down...an eternity to go...