Dear Emmi,

Last night as I went in to turn off your lamp for the night, I paused for a moment at your side, taking in your sweet angelic face as you slept.  I thought to myself how beautiful you were (the leftover eye makeup that we hadn't taken off yet didn't hurt), and being your mother, of course I would think that anyway.  But you really looked like a little angel, and I had to force myself not to wake you up and tell you how much I love you, and instead I said another quick prayer of gratitude for you and let you sleep. 

I was so anxious to watch you on stage yesterday at the Miss Payson Pageant, more so than I probably should have been, and my terrible shaky job recording it is proof.  However, I am so grateful you got the opportunity to do so, and that Kate asked you to be her Pageant Pal.  I thought you handled yourself so well and was proud at how beautifully you shone on the stage.  You and Kate were good sports about not winning, but I think you both had a wonderful time in the process.  Who knows, maybe it will not be your last time in a pageant, although I don't know if I am cut out to be a stage mom.

You sure do love to sing, and we frequently hear your brothers asking you to stop when you start belting it out in the car.  Your favorite is Let It Go off of Frozen, but will sing to any song that you hear on the radio.  Consequently, you are doing really well in your musical theatre class and we are excited for that recital here in a few months.

At school you are still getting A's and a few high B's and all your teachers have nothing but good things to say at parent teacher conferences.  I love how you come home from school almost every day telling me that you fell down.  I really don't peg you for a klutz at home, yet you have a new scrape at least once a week from recess.  It must be all the running you do, getting chased by the boys.  I also always hear tales about a particular boy named "Marlan" that likes to tease you.  If someone made you fall it seems to be him.  Honestly, I am thinking that he sees how cute you are.  

Already you are learning multiplication and have beautiful cursive, which is absolutely amazing for a 1st grader.  You are looking forward to your birthday so much, and seem to ask me every day how many days (or weeks) it is until then.  Me and your father have seen a few emotional outbursts that we would expect from a daughter, but really not very many, and let's hope that continues.  

All I know is that I am indeed so grateful for you, for the opportunity I have to have a mother-daughter relationship and to try to raise you to be a good wife and mother some day.  You have a lot of good examples of women on both sides of your family, and I hope that you will try to follow in their footsteps.  

Love,
Mom