Sunday, September 23, 2007

Another tooth and two steps!!!


It has been a very busy week, Emmalee now has "Chipper", "Chopper", "Cutter" and the newest tooth is "Slicer". Her upper left tooth decided to join the family. She won't smile and let you see it so I don't have any pictures of it. I was brushing her teeth tonight and I think she is trying to cut some more teeth in the back on the left.. she did not like me brushing back there at all.


The other big news!!! She took 2 steps unassisted. She has done it a couple of times for Rob and I but still holds on when other people are watching. She actually did try to take a couple for Papa Jim and Nana last night.


This picture is of her dancing, there was music on the TV and she started wiggling her finger and dancing to the music... it was very comical.


It was a very busy week for me... it was what I call my hell week. It was National Rehabilitation Awareness Week and that meant a lot of wonderful activities put on by the Recreation Therapy Dept. (Lori, Su, Sarah and I were pretty tired).


I will write more soon. We love you all!

Jill and family!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

September 11, 2007 - the 6th Anniversary


Today is the 6th Anniversary of 9-11, a day that many of us will never forget.



A very nice tribute called the Healing Field is being displayed at Tempe Town Lakes. Sarah, Hunter, Emmalee and I went and walked through the flags.


They also displayed the National Unity Flag which was designed by an Arizona gentleman. The Unity Flag includes flags of the fifty United States and six U.S. Districts. The Flag also includes a panel bearing the names of over 3,000 victims of 9/11. The center panel includes an image of our Statue of Liberty looking proudly toward the heavens. The border of the National Unity Flag is red, white and blue and reads: "3046 LOST.....290,000,000 UNITED". The flag is signed by all one hundred of our U.S. Senators.
Each American Flag has a yellow ribbon tied to it and on each yellow ribbon the name of someone who died on 9/11 is written. It is an incredible tribute to those who lost their life on that terrible day.

Thank you Sarah and Hunter for allowing us to join you!

Love always, Jill and family

Sunday, September 09, 2007

11 Months and growing like a WEED!

It is really hard to beleive that Emmalee is almost a year old. She turned 11 months on the 6th of September. It has been a time for a lot of changes. Emmalee's babysitter has had a family situation, that she had to take care of, so Emmalee has a temporary baby sitter named Wendy. Emmalee seems to really like Wendy and the other kids Wendy watches. Emmalee thought it would be fun to see the "Green Chicken" in Papa Jim and Nana's kitchen... needless to say this is as close as we would let her get. Papagaya is very interested in seeing how Emmalee tastes!! I know Mom, Emmalee will have to get bit by Papagaya to learn....
Emmalee is really enjoying eating fresh fruit, and other "real" food items. Her upper right tooth finally decided to come through... we have named it "Cutter". We are all waiting for "Slicer" to break through so we can move past the "Teething diapers" Man do they smell!!!! (like Roses - right Papa Jim") She loves to get Ice from Papa Jim and she does whatever it takes to get the ice, even it if means sticking her hand in Papa Jim's mouth and pulling the ice out. Emmalee is crawling all over the place and she continues to pull herself up on items and walks furniture. She is challenging her balance and I know she is going to take her first step any day now. She crawls to the middle of the floor and just stands up, looks around and then sits down and crawls. She loves the cabinets in the kitchen, it is time for Daddy to put the safety latches on all of the cabinets. She enjoys any toy that sings or makes noise - she loves music and will dance if she hears music playing. She went to Peter Piper Pizza with us to celebrate Coby's birthday and she loved all of the lights and bells and whistles. She went down a slide with her big brother Bradley (BBB). She rode the helicopter and in the ice cream truck. She also played a very fun game where she had to step on the alligators. Her Daddy said he knew she was part "Coon Ass" She playes with her walking toys and moves them all over the house. She chases Nashoba all over the house. She will go down to her room and play with her toys and then she comes looking for her DaDa or MaMa - of course hollering DaDa or MaMa the whole time. She still sleeps very well. She is a true blessing and we Thank God for her every second!!!!! She loves her brothers and attacks them when she sees them. Papa Jim and Nana got her a doll names "Baby Emma" she will not let anyone hold it because that means they are not holding or loving her. She hugs the doll and kisses the doll and plays with the doll like her brothers play with her. Thank you Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Margie for the wonderful toys.. she has found the giraffe and bird but we have not let her open the bag since it is not her birthday yet! We love you all and I promise to write more - More often.

Love always, Jill and family

Happy Birthday OME JAN!!!! AKA Brotherinlaw!!!!


Today is my Brother in laws and Emmalee's Ome Jan's birthday! We hope you have/had a wonderful birthday!!!! It is 9 hours a head in Holland so he will not get this wish until tomorrow. We miss you and wish we could have helped you celebrate your birthday but just know we love and miss you and hope your birthday is as special as you are! Here's to many, many, many more birthdays! We are very happy to have you as a part of our family! You are more like a brother than an in-law!!!! We love you, Jill, Rob, Josh, Brad, Emmalee, Dad and Mom

Happy Birthday Coby James!

Papa Jim, Nana Phyllis, Uncle Rob, Uncle Jill, Bradley and Emmalee joined Coby James and a whole bunch of people at Peter Piper Pizza to celebrate Coby James 7th birthday! Coby turned 7 on September 4th. Thank you for letting us share in your special day! We love you! Happy Birthday buddy! You are a very special guy and we are proud to have you as part of our family.



Happy 7th Birthday Hunter!!!

August 31, 2007
Okay, I am a bad Aunt.... and Godmother... I did not get online and write Hunter a Happy Birthday message on Emmalee's blog. I did however make sure Hunter had a birthday party with Aunt Jodie, Uncle Jan, Uncle Rob, Big Mudd, Nana, Josh, James, Brad, Jenna, Emmalee and me before the van Arkels went back to Holland. I also called him on the morning of his birthday and wished him a very Happy Birthday before he went off to school.... so I guess I am not that bad of an Aunt.

Hunter, I hope your birthday was 1/2 as special as you are to me and to my family. Your are a very sweet young man and we love you. Thank you for always making us laugh and for allowing us to be a part of your life!!! Thank you for letting us celebrate your Birthday with you! Here's to many more birthdays!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Love, Aunt Jill, Uncle Rob, Josh, Brad, Emmalee, Big Mudd and Nana Phyllis!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle Jimmy


My Uncle Jimmy turned 60 Years old on August 23. My Mom was able to fly to Mississippi and spend a week with Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Margie, Mamaw and Papaw. She has a wonderful trip and enjoyed seeing her family. I have some wonderful memories of speding summers in Mississippi. My Uncle Jimmy taught my sister and I how to defend ourselves for strangers...we were to stomp on their foot, bend over in to them so we could elbow them in the stomach/chest and then hit them in the face and run like "hell". He always enjoyed rough housing with my sister and I. Uncle Jimmy, I am sorry I did not write this sooner but I hope you had a very Happy Birthday and here's to Many, Many more. I love you! We love you!
Love, Jill, Rob, Josh, Brad, Emmalee, Phyllis and Jim.

A Busy Month

It has been a very busy month for all of us. I have really picked up on the number of WATSU's (Water Massages) that I have been doing. The boys have been busy with school, homework and shhh don't tell them I am telling you but GIRLS!!!! I am not sure if they have anyone steady but I know they are text messaging up a storm as well as using their cell phones a lot. Emmalee has just amazed me by all of the things she now does.....but first I am going to start with birthdays, then Emmalee so to the next entry we go!