Moving on to 9!

Happy Birthday to Emily!
We sang at breakfast, but not over our traditional pancakes and ice cream. Oh, we had pancakes, blueberry pancakes made by Dad. We are saving the pancakes and ice cream for Monday so that Emily can help me make them - colored and stuff. We just wouldn't have time for that Sunday morning. We sang to her a couple times and then we were off to Church.
She enjoyed having the kids in Primary sing to her - I wasn't there since I was released a while back. Then we headed home for a snack. The kids ate too much, and I didn't eat anything. Emily and I got busy making crepes for dinner - with others helping with the berries (strawberries and blueberries)! We even remembered to whip the cream! She enjoyed helping cook the crepes, although I had a hard time giving up control so she didn't get to do as much as she wanted. It was fun to work with her in the kitchen. [I have just realized how sad it is that I don't have any pictures of all this stuff! I need to be better about that.]
Grandma and Grandpa Nichols came over for the party and we had a great time. We sang again, as Dad brought out the ice cream cake (which Emily and I made Saturday evening). She blew out the candles and we were ready for presents!

It is always fun to see the kids reactions. Emily is usually very non-reactive but this year she was very happy and excited.

Friends Lego set (Emma) from Gpa and Gma Nichols.

She is so excited to play with them tomorrow.

I loved how excited Harmonie was -

even though she didn't really know what was going on.

Smiles!

I bought fabric and stuff to make a skirt with her.

A 9-year-old birthday tradition.

She was very happy with Marissa's homemade present.

Yarn headbands (Emily doesn't like pony tails).

Opening the card from Grammy and Gaffa.

The flavors that she picked for the ice cream cake were: strawberry, vanilla, and cookies and cream (from bottom to top), with a layer of fudge between the strawberry and vanilla, and a layer of strawberry topping between vanilla and cookies and cream. I think it turned out great and everyone else enjoyed it as well - so glad it wasn't as sweet as the last one I made.

So that was her birthday. We sang a couple times, she talked with Grammy and Gaffa, as well as Memere. She enjoyed reading some books, and we all had a marvelous time!