May 4th Birthday Girls

May 4th has become known to many as "Star Wars Day", as in "May the fourth be with you."  That's pretty clever, kind of like "Pi Day" on 3/14, but May 4th in our family is simply Auntie Rachel's and sweet Emily's birthday.  Sister Young got what she called "the best birthday present of [her] life" when Emily burst into mortality a short year ago.  Oh, how excited Auntie Rachel must be to meet her namesake Emily Rachel Miller in just two months and twenty days!  (But who's counting, right?) I, personally, am very excited to see the two of them make their first acquaintance.  It's going to be so fun!!

I have been captivated by this little baby, maybe more so than I ever was by my own children, perhaps because I wasn't so completely exhausted from giving birth and feeding the infant every three hours that I could actually observe her growth and development.  Being a grandma is certainly different from being a mom.  Very different.

Seems hard to believe that this precious little
bundle has grown into. . .

. . . this amazing one-year-old.  I got this picture on my
phone with the caption "Birthday Bedhead."  Awesome!

Curious Emily was so transfixed that she grabbed
her candle and got a tiny burn on her finger.  It's already better today.

Unfortunately, I had to work on Rachel and Emily's birthday (due to my having to schedule around Adam's track meets and still fulfill my weekend requirements), and I felt tortured all day long.  You heard it first here:  I will move heaven and earth to be at her second birthday party.

Evidently, she had a few presents to distract her from the
pain of Nana and Granddad not being there.  At least she wasn't suffering.

My parents also made a special trip down to visit their great-grandchild.
At least someone came through. . . epic fail by Nana!

I was also desperately missing my amazing Rachel as well.  How have 23 years passed so quickly?! Doesn't seem so very long ago that I was holding my own baby girl in my arms and falling completely and totally in love with her.  If I were queen of the universe, all parents would have the option of spending at least an hour or two with their kids on their birthdays.  All in favor?

Sister Young is thriving in the Atlanta Georgia North Mission.  She's presently stationed in Dacula (pronounced "Duh-Q-Luh") and has just two months and twenty days of service remaining.  Oh, did I already mention that?  Her mission has been a tremendous blessing to her and to us as well.  Her letters radiate the Spirit and bring such a nice feeling into our home.  I'm so glad she decided to serve!

Rachel has had two new greenie companions recently,
straight from the MTC.  Her mission has gone from having
12-14 sisters to 41 as of last Wednesday.  Hooray!!

This is Rachel with her most golden investigator, Rebecca.
She will likely be baptized in the next month or two.  Sister
Young is hoping she can travel back to her baptism.

Evidently, the pollen gets pretty bad for a week or
two every spring.  Yellow powder coats EVERYTHING.

P-days are usually busy but pretty fun.  I can't remember
what this picture was all about. . .

She has even gotten to fish on her mission, literally!

Hoping she hasn't converted completely to the University
of Georgia.  Adam may not let her back into the house.

How I miss both of these girls!  I get to see Emily in five days when they come for Mother's Day weekend, and I get to see Rachel in, you guessed it, two months and twenty days.  Yes!!