Emma

When Emma was young we always called her the peacemaker...now as she got older that wasn't always true (just ask her siblings). She was the child that would drive me absolutely crazy, yet could also always make me laugh...it's how she got herself out of trouble a lot I'm afraid to admit. She was stubborn...I used to joke and say "When Emma was good she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid." Where Becca and I would have it out with one another one minute and then all would be forgotten 15 minutes later...Emma on the other hand...oof she was hard! When she started to argue with you you just want to give in, because you knew you were in for the fight of your life!

Emma has always been tough, and a girl you could count on. If something needed to be done, she could do it. I have watched her in parking lots go up to people and help them load their heavy groceries...not because they asked, but because she saw a need and knew she could fill it. Once when Seely was around seven the kids were playing outside...Seely was hanging from the door of a dog kennel, and I will never understand how, but he swung his leg and impaled it on the door latch. I was inside, so while Linnie(I think) came in to get me Emma had to lift Seely up and proceeded to push his leg off the latch. I will never know how she did that, but goodness I'm thankful she did...because I don't know what I would have done. By the time I came out of the house and saw him I was panicked enough. The latch had gone all the way to the muscle area! A trip to the children's hospital, and a bunch of stitches later we were back home. Emma has always just known how to take care of things. Since Emma was little she has loved horses...I never understood it...my grandparents had cattle, but we were never around horses! We used to joke that she was just born with horses in her blood. When she was 3 Santa brought her a "FurReal pony" she named him Trigger...she loved him...he lives in the attic now, but I seem to recall a night when she was in high school that she and Ava (Ava had one named Pepper) brought down Pepper and Trigger and rode them in front of the TV while watching a horse race on youtube...Pepper and Trigger were fast! For years Emma asked for a real horse...in fact for one of her birthdays we took one out on trial...she was so excited, but the horse wasn't a good fit for us so we had to wait and try again. She took riding lessons for years, and through that met the most wonderful people that are still a part of our lives today. She did horse camps during the summer, volunteered at the barn, anything she could do to be around these animals she loved. It was at the barn that Butterscotch and Quigley (along with nnumerous other horses) became part of our lives. (I completely forgot that Becca took up horseriding for a short while...I'll include a picture of her with Butterscotch) When Emma was in 4th grade we started school at PCAL...school wasn't her favorite, but she survived it. She was more interested in being outside or at the barn. It was through PCAL that she met Ava. Those two became fast friends because of their mutual love of...can you guess...horses! Not long after Ava went from best friend to sister, and changed our lives and our family for the better. We had been in 4-H (remember the chicken debacle) and through that we learned that there was a program where she could raise and train a foal! She worked so hard to get things ready. She went and looked at the foals and fell in love with one. It was a family affair getting him home. Zac, Kiki, Jess, Kyle, Bella and Poppy all helped clear land and get the fence built. Poppy brought his truck and trailer down, and they went and brought the new foal home. Emma named him Chief. The night Chief came home Emma and Ava took camp chairs out to the pasture and sat there half the night with him...I think they would have slept out there. Chief was the absolute best foal. He had personality, he was sweet, beautiful...soon we were all in love. Sadly Chief passed away from a bad case of colic, and we were all devestated. A few months later we tried again...this time with a full grown rescue horse we named Oakie. Oakie is as stubborn as a mule. I remember after we first got him, she would be on him trying to ride and he would just stand there...I can't tell you how many times I heard "Mom, he doesn't work!" Oakie is still with us today...he still doesn't work...in fact I'm pretty sure Oakie thinks he's a dog and would come in the house if we let him (I've actually seen him try and climb the back steps) All through junior high and high-school Emma babysat for different families. She's great with kids (sometimes I think she's kind of mean haha) but kids (and parents) absolutely adore her. Once she graduated from highschool she got a job as a para at our local elementary school. She worked there for one school year. Today she is happily married, and expecting our first grandbaby!! A baby girl due in just a couple weeks! We are so excited, and I am so thankful that she has a wonderful, loving, and supportive husband, who is willing to let her have her dream of staying home with baby Parker. I am so so proud of Emma and Corbin, and am so excited for this family and life they are building.