Big Girl Bed!

Viktor has one week off between his summer semester and fall semester, so we thought this would be a good time to transition Emily to a big girl bed. I guess I was expecting a little more resistance from Emily and thought it would be best to do it during a time when he was not completely overwhelmed with work AND school. Emily was SO excited about her new big girl bed and we have yet to have any resistance, night waking, or getting out of bed. Surely it can't be this easy?! We obviously made her a big part of the process from picking it out to putting it together, which definitely helps her excitement. She is sleeping great and even asks to go up to play in her room from time to time. I will find her sitting and reading books or playing with her stuffed animals. I'm so thankful she likes her bed and it has been a smooth transition so far. My baby is growing up WAY too fast, but I enjoy watching her learn, grow, and experience life!

Emily reading directions to daddy while relaxing on her new mattress in the hallway...

Daddy's little helper...we laughed a lot while putting this together. She took the job so seriously, but had so much fun.

All tucked in and ready for bed!

US Citizenship!

A week and a half later I still sit and and ask, "Is it really over?" The long, tedious road of paperwork, interviews, fingerprinting, tests, etc?! It's OVER! On Friday, August 19th, 2011, Viktor officially became a US Citizen. When we started down this road over 4 years ago it never seemed like the day would come. But, it has...and we had a great time celebrating this huge accomplishment. Here are some pics of our celebration...

Emily waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin. Thankfully we only had to go to Lexington, but we had to be there at 1pm and the ceremony was at 2pm...right in the middle of nap. Em is a champ and did great...not a fuss from my baby girl. I'm proud of her and she is proud of her daddy! Thank you Tootsie Roll Pop for helping keep this toddler still and quiet for almost 2 hours in a courtroom.

It is hard to see, but Viktor is pretty much in the very middle of this picture. This is when he received his Certificate of Naturalization. There were 51 recipients from 35 countries at this particular ceremony!

He was happy! Look at that smile...
The Bevil's came along to support him...such sweet friends we have!
Emily congratulating daddy when he was all done.

The sweet Judge who performed the ceremony. He was great and even commented on Viktor's hair (or lack thereof) when he shook his hand to receive his certificate. ha!

My parents were unable to make it for the ceremony, but their precious neighbors, Steve and Myra, made the trip down for the day. We were so thankful to have them here with us.

Yay!

Finally some fresh air. Emily just plopped down and wanted to sit and chat with daddy...so they had a little debriefing after the ceremony.

On Saturday we filled our home with our dear friends to celebrate! We are so grateful for the community we live in and those who support us in so many ways. Here are some of the goodies we shared together.

And just a few more family pics. Viktor is so very proud of his Hungarian heritage. Here he is with our favorite Amungarian (Emily...our little American/Hungarian baby)!

Aren't these girls just the cutest?! Emily loves her little friend, Sophie!

Fun at the table...

I love our dining room table. Not because it is fancy or cute or anything else (pretty sure it is dated back to the 70's and came from the seminary library), but because it brings so much joy to our family as we gather around it. We gather around this table as a family to share 3 meals a day (on most days); at least once a week we gather around this table with friends to share a meal; and we also spend countless hours around this table painting, playing play doh, being silly, and playing with Legos. I love the memories we have shared and I am so thankful!

Emily will literally sit for 1-2 hrs playing with play doh.

Playing with finger paint...one of her favs.

Being silly with daddy while mommy was gone...

Bevil promised Emily they could have a Lego party soon. She was so excited when he brought his Legos over to play a couple weeks ago. She is a fan!

Sophie is supervising Emily...

Emily's Birthday Celebration: Part 4

On Saturday we celebrated Emily's actual birthday with a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo. Here are some pics of our day...

Before we left for Cincinnati.

Arriving at the zoo and meeting up with Pop and Mimi.
The whole gang...the Bevil's joined us for some fun in the sun!

Feeding the giraffe.

And again...

Sophie just relaxing...she did great in the heat!
Mimi feeding the goats.
This was as close to the goats as Emily would allow me to get with her.
Family photo op.

Watching the manatees and taking a break from the heat inside.

Emily's favorite part...riding the choo-choo.

Pretty much the coolest llama I have ever seen!

After spending 4 hours in the heat we went to Red Lobster for dinner. Emily LOVES to chomp on lemons...her face might not reflect it, but she was lovin' it. :)
Pop and Mimi had reserved a couple rooms at a hotel so we could enjoy a cool swim and overnight stay before heading back to Wilmore on Sunday. Here is Emily super excited about going "night night in the hotel."

All tucked in and ready for sleep.

On Sunday we went back home and opened a few gifts. Here is Emily with the book we got her. It is one of her favorites!
Pop and Mimi got her a doctor's kit.
And a new tricycle!We had a fun-filled birthday week and enjoyed every minute of celebrating Emily's life! She is such a blessing and we thank God for her every day!

Emily's Birthday Celebration: Part 3

On Friday our neighbors and good friends took Emily to Build A Bear for her birthday. She had a blast "building" her bunny...and hasn't let go of it since!

Here is Emily and Emmalynn playing at the mall while we wait for the stores to open.

Picking out the bunny.

Getting the heart ready.

They both got to put a heart in the bunny.

Emily wasn't quite sure what to think about the noisy fluff machine so I had to help her out.

The girls giving the bunny a bath.
Working on the birth certificate. Thanks Matt, Jennie, and Emmalynn for the sweet gift!


Later on Friday I took Emily out for our annual mommy/daughter ice cream birthday date. This year we enjoyed Orange Leaf (yum). Sadly they were all out of sprinkles, which is all Emily wanted. I think she liked it anyways! :) We enjoyed our afternoon together!
Thanks, Janette! ;)