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A couple of weeks ago, I was able to have a fun day with Ms. Emery.

Bradley tagged along too, but when you have multiple children,  you can still do fun things that focuses on just one child.  We are in the midst of “it’s not fair” and “she gets to, so why can’t I” phase at our house.   I am sure you hear it, too! We want our kids to know that a bad day for them, is a heaven sent day for most children in this world. And I am okay telling them that life isn’t about fairness, it is about Jesus, His grace and mercy…..more importantly about giving those things when you don’t feel like it!

My dad had signed Emery up for a golf camp where he is a member.  He was going to take her each day and have fun with Poppy.  Sadly, Poppy had to go to Mississippi to be with my precious aunt who was in the hospital.  So, Mom and I took Emery to golf camp. She was a little apprehensive, but she quickly got in the groove.  Parker is also in a golf program, called the First Tee.

The First Tee is a program designed to get kids interested in golf and teaches, not only skills in playing golf, but also values such as honesty, courtesy, and perseverance.  She goes twice a week for an hour and so far, is enjoying it.  Emery has taken to golf easily and is loving it! Jason and I are all for the girls playing golf and are hoping this is something we can do as a family as all the kids get older.

Emery with her golf visor she received at registration….She can rock the visor I must say!

Imagine I am talking in a low whisper….Emery Stewart lines the ball up. She has studied it from every angle, will she make it to win the tournament….

And she hit the line beautifully, and she bottoms it!!

This is what Bradley did for an HOUR while we waited.  He is a lefty but swings his club/bat right handed. We figure we will let him get comfortable and good with his right hand and then,

turn him around to the left, that way he can switch hit! Or, he may play the piano, who knows!

After lunch, we headed to get Emery’s ears pierced. She has been BEGGING for about a year and we told her she could on her birthday. She was playing soccer so we waited until she was able to keep them in for the full six weeks. We got the store and she was NERVOUS! She ended up bailing and we went to Target to get a few things. She had decided to wait until the weekend when two people were working. After Target, she asked to go back, so after assurring me she was ready, we went back. Sure enough, she was ready to go.

She was still a little freaked! Can you see the tension in her face??

Two minutes later….

How precious are these little earrings?

Emery you absolutely light up our days with your amazing grin! I love seeing you excited over the small things. You are a beautiful girl and I pray that you always celebrate those special things that are apart of being a girl! May your love for Jesus always draw people to Him!

Today, my sweet, unexpected blessing that rocked my world, turns 7.

That sounds soo much older than 6.

I have mentioned once, or 896 times that Emery was not in our plan….her sister was 8 MONTHS old when we found out we were pregnant, again.

But, she was always in His plan and such a reminder of the amazing Sovreignty of God and His perfect plan for us.

This weekend was going to be all about Emery Kate, and for the most part it is, but there is also something we are dealing with called the Great Flood of 2010, so some things have shifted.  She loves to be out and about and we were able to go to church and out to eat.  My sister had to turn around since they live in Franklin and roads to our side of town were water drenched everywhere.  Please pray for Nashville….it is truly indescribable.

Emery is the child that I struggle to understand the most.  She is still a mystery to me in a lot of ways.  I think I have her figured out and then, she reacts or responds in a different way, and BAM, I am back to trying to figure her out.

She is shy but outgoing.

She is full of life, but a wall flower.

She is happy, but sad.

She is an attention seeker, but doesn’t like attention.

She is loud, but quiet.

She is passionate, yet apathetic.

She is laid back, but routined.

She is strong, yet vulnerable.

She is moody, yet joyful.

She is friendly, yet cautious.

She loves to joke, yet doesn’t like jokes (on her).

She loves to teach, yet loves to learn.

She is competitive, yet understands she can’t always win.

She is loving, yet, standoffish.

She is a giver, yet seeks to get.

She is confident, yet insecure.

She is all of these things…..and I wouldn’t change her for the world.  We are learning that she needs more of us, yet expects the least from us.  My greatest prayer for my typical middle child is that she will find her joy, her purpose, her security, her passion in JESUS.  I know that what she truly needs, I can not give her, I can only show her by example and point her to the One who can.  Then, isn’t that true of all of us?

Emery- you are pure light to me.  Your smile transforms your face and truly lights up a room! You have such great potential to be an amazing woman of God. He has gifted you in so many ways and I know that He has an abundant life planned for you.  I pray you chase hard after Him, that you turn neither to the right or the left of Him and bring Fame to His Name.  I am so excited and blessed to be your mother.  I feel such a burden for you and I pray that I don’t fail you.  Do great, hard things sweet Emery.

A few weeks back, Emery had her first dance recital.  She has been taking ballet and jazz this past year and has LOVED it.  She is constantly dancing around the house and asking her daddy to dance with her.  She can also provide her own music, which is quite entertaining, I must say!  If you knew me growing up, gracefulness is not a term that could be used to describe me.  I loved all things sports, so to have a kid interested in the artsy stuff, is out of my element.  But, it isn’t about me, it is about Emery, so we started dance to see how this interest progresses.  So far, I think we will be continuing in dance.

I talked to a lot of people before choosing a dance studio.  Many families from our school go to this studio, so I felt comfortable with the choice.  The owner is also Emery’s dance teacher.  I think her picture could be under the word ballerina in the dictionary.  She doesn’t walk, she floats across the room!  She was pregnant most of the year and I kid you not, she was doing splits while 7 months pregnant.  Pretty sure I thought my babies could fall out any day when I was seven months pregnant!

Emery was dancing 2 dances and the recital had a Beatles theme.  I must admit we almost did not do the recital.  I am not a fan of paying a fortune for two costumes she will wear once and paying for dance lessons for her to learn 2 dances, as oppossed to technique and actual moves.  But, Jason and I decided that if she is truly interested in dance, we have to give her the opportunity to be on stage and see if she likes it.  Which, um, she did!

Emery did great.  She knew her dances and smiled, huge, the whole time.  She was loving it.  Having her hair and makeup done all up didn’t hurt either!  I also must give a huge thanks to my mom, who took Emery to the dress rehearsal because J and I were in Atlanta.  It lasted forever, or so she told me.  She is a trooper!

The recital went well. We sat through about 30 dances and this was the first of three shows. They are broken down into ages so we were with the younger ages and they were cute.  I thought a couple of the solo dances, which were older girls, were a little to0 flashy.  I mean seriously, a 10 year old dancing to “You give me fever.”  After talking with other families, afterward, we were in agreement, that it was over the top.  That was really disappointing.

Doesn’t our camera do a great job with no flash, in the dark?

Emery after the show in her ballet costume.

Nana, Poppy and LuLu came for the show.

She insisted on being “lifted.”  I told you she is dance crazed.

Trying to get a family picture. We left Bradley with friends and were so thankful we did!

During VBS last week, she also was on the praise team and helped in the big worship time.  She loved it and did great for a 6 year old.  I look forward to seeing how this dance thing plays out!