"A Call from the Principal"

I answered the phone Friday morning and the principal from the Emma's elementary school was calling. My stomach dropped. A call from the principal...can that ever be good??

She said that she had Emma there in her office and that she had something she wanted to tell me...(YIKES, I am thinking...can't be good...)

Then there is this little voice saying, "mom, I won the t-shirt contest!" Whew!!! I thought. Then I was so very proud of her. (and my mind is flashing back to the rules, recalling if I had been too much HELP....and I wasn't-another whew!)

She was so tickled. And I got off the phone very tickled for her. My quiet, bespeckled, sometimes struggles in school- Emma. Let't have a cheer for Emma.

The principal went on to tell me that her design will be made into t-shirts and then put on book bags and back packs. How cool is that???

She also won a gift certificate from a local clay studio and a big bunch of balloons.

So let's have a big cheer for Emma!! WAY TO GO EMMA!!

"Making Memories in January"

Lucky, lucky, us. We were able to have Steven, Meredith and Ella come for a few days.

It was a great excuse to leave up the Christmas decorations and put presents for Ella under

the tree! Even more fun to see her opening them.It was time for laughing, and eating and getting caught up. ( I figured if I "caught her from behind...she might not notice!

She's pretty smart...she figured me out. Grandpa tried too.

Then the snow began....and it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. We found ourselves snowed in on Sunday and "Bishop" cancelled church. (loved that!)

We played apples to apples and laughed "a lot" and Ella helped Mamie with her cards.

I didn't mention that Ella's favorite in this place was Belle! She got lots of hugs and cookies and even a taste of her bottle.

Before Ella left, I made sure she got in some marker and crayon time at Mamie's house. I can see she will be brilliant!

So after they left, we took down the tree and cleaned up the cookie crumbs. Boy, it's quiet on the 2 ft. level. And Belle keeps looking out the window for that cute little cookie kid.

Come back soon.