Our beloved Emma turns 8 today!

Every year, we’re so thankful and proud of the things she’s accomplished the previous year, adding to her knowledge, skills, and experiences, and shaping the person who she is becoming. And every year, we consider it a challenge, but a great honor of being her parents.  Making sure they understand mathematics and reading are important, but every child must have a mastery of such things.  But raising respectful, thoughtful, disciplined, motivated, and God fearing children is more difficult in today’s generation.  We can never exactly guess who she will be in the future, but we have the hope and assurance that the things she is being taught will grant her the tools to live as a blessing to those around her.  Knowing the person that she is and watching her heart in action just humbles us.  

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Dearest anak, beloved monkey, Em-Em, Zem,

We love you so much. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for your great love, esp. towards your sisters, to your family and friends, even teachers.  We have so many fond memories with 7 year old Emma, like spending time every night before bedtime telling stories, creating our dreamhouse, memorizing bible verses, watching old videos and pictures, or just cuddling.  Then there were times you’d swim almost every day in the summer with your dad, learning how to swim, or running in the beach with your dad teaching you how to survive the waves. This year, you learned how to like reading instead of just tolerating it, with the help of Nancy Krulick and her Katie Kazoo series.  You are still a sensitive spirit, easily hurt when you feel someone mistreats you, even crying because 7 yr. old Emma was leaving me behind.  You would even cry for your lolo when he had to have heart surgery. This year, to celebrate your birthday, you chose to go to the beach so we surprised you last Friday afternoon after your cousins came over to play.  We spent time on the sand enjoying the day while you and Zi ran around on the sand, got wet, rode the rides, and ate your favorite boardwalk food.

We love you Emma. You are our heart walking outside of ourselves for the world to see. God bless you on another year. We continue to pray that God’s hand may be upon you and His voice always beckoning you closer to Him.

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Emma’s newsletter sent to her Ninongs/Ninangs: