Walk through the world with me...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY!! I love you SOOOO much! Emmaxia/Sweets

Happy Easter!

Peek-a-boo!

WOOooaaaaahhhhh! Thank you for spending Easter with us, Grandma Theresa. I love playing with you!!!

Counting our blessings...

Mother Nature must have overslept...

because these images are not from December--they're from APRIL!

Minnesota Visit

Thank you for a wonderful visit, everyone! I'm sorry my mommy isn't very good about taking pictures, so we don't have any to share of Uncle John, Tyler, and London. (We do have fun memories, though!) Here are a few moments Mommy did capture.... Isn't Grandma "Honey" beautiful?! (Yea, AND she knows "Patty Cake" and "Wheels on the Bus" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Peek-a-Boo" and how to give really great hugs and snuggles!)

Uncle Chad, Mommy says she's sorry your face isn't visible in this picture, but she couldn't resist sharing this one because it shows how much you make me laugh!

Uncle Kevin, Auntie R.J., Rylee, and Delaney, thank you for letting us stay with you! We had so much fun!! (Sorry we couldn't use the sidewalk chalk--I'll save it for when you come to visit!)

Love you all and miss you already!

Emmaxia

Oh, What a Difference a Year Makes!

One year ago, today, we saw our beautiful daughter's face for the first time...and discovered a new sun's shine!

Not only have we enjoyed revisiting the memory of our first glimpse at Emmaxia, but we've also appreciated the chance to reflect on our journey to becoming a family. Naturally, we're reminded of the unwavering support from our family and friends and their immediate, complete love for this wonderful little person. Thank you, all, for listening patiently when we needed to mourn another year of waiting and for knowing none of that mattered anymore as soon as you saw her photograph.

Words Optional

Hey, what is that you're eating? Looks pretty good...may I have a taste?

If you're not sharing your "yum-yum" (aka chocolate), I shouldn't have to share my blocks.

Stop everything! My daddy just walked in the room!

February Adventures

Ah, the wonderful world of messy foods...I LOVE pasta and sauce!

Auntie R.J., Rylee, and Delaney visited the weekend of our Chinese New Year celebration. Don't we look festive in our beautiful outfits?!

Happy New Year!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Check out my super cool gift from Uncle Kevin, Auntie R.J., Rylee, and Delaney!

I'm off to spread the love!

Whew--that was exhausting work, but I hope I reached all of you!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Christmas offered a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the last five years and the many family and friends who supported us in our journey to Emmaxia and continue to support us as we learn to walk with her.

We struggle to express the depth of the joy we felt as we watched Emmaxia interact with many of these amazing people during the holidays, so we thought we'd let the pictures express for us! (Family, We're sorry that we don't have pictures of all of you. We need to be much better at capturing those moments! Please know that, even if you're not pictured in this section, we have images in our minds of the holidays and your time with Emmaxia.) "Raspberries" with Kyle and giggles with Grandma Theresa

Cheering on the Badgers with Aunt Colleen during the Rose Bowl...too bad the game didn't turn out as well as Em's pigtails!

Uncle Don helps Emmaxia drive her new car. (This will not be the last time Uncle Don is called for his automotive expertise!)

Dear Honey and Uncle Chad, Thank you for that super cool sled and path around the yard!

And thank you, Tyler, for hauling us all around...again and again...

and again!

Honey gave snowshoes a try--not quite the way they were supposed to work, unfortunately, but Honey showed me that I should always be willing to have fun and be able to laugh at myself! : )

Auntie R.J. gave my cousin Delaney and me a turn around the yard too!

Hmm...I know I look like I can't move in the snowsuit (actually, I really couldn't move in that snowsuit), but I really had a fun day. I am going to like this snow thing!

Honey and me sledding... I felt snug as a bug in a rug!

Snuggles with Uncle Chad

and Uncle John!

Cousin Tyler, will you teach me to be a Twins fan? And a Vikings fan?!

Thank you for holding onto me, Delaney!

My cousins, Rylee and Delaney. Don't you love their hats?! Me too...I think I might have a chance to wear them someday! : )

Thank you for a wonderful first Christmas, everyone! I love you all!

Kisses and snuggles,

Emmaxia

Here Comes Santa Claus

Santa's coming! SANTA'S COMING!!

Why Santa, why? Why did my parents leave me with you? WWWHHHYYYY??!!

I'd like a Red Rider BB gun.... Scratch that...I'd rather have a Cheerio and my blankie!

(If you cannot name the three movies our post references, it's time to deck the halls, roast the chestnuts, and play reindeer games because, Baby, it's cold outside!)

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Searching for the perfect tree

The holidays are officially underway at the Rockweits! I located a radio station with Christmas music 24/7, and Todd survived another year of stringing lights outside. Next, of course, the quest for the perfect tree! Gruzin led the search with his keen hunting instincts. Oh, that pile of blankets is Emmaxia!It's heavier than it looks! (I only lasted about 20 feet before Todd had to take over.)

Whew--finding the perfect tree is exhausting...

but so worth it!

The Wonderful Thing about TIggers

"Is Tiggers are wonderful things.""Their tops are made out of rubber."

"Their bottoms are made out of springs."

"They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy/Fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN! But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is" she's the cutest one!

-from "Tigger's Song"...let me know if you want the full citation...I'm not on the clock yet! : )

My First Birthday Party

Since I'm now in the "single digits," Mommy and Daddy said I could write my own blog post! I thought I'd share a few moments from my first birthday party. Mommy put a special party dress on me; it was so pretty--full of flowers just like my cake. Then, I took a really good nap before my family and friends arrived. We played and "opened gifts"--that's what everyone called this funny thing they were asking me to do. Usually, Daddy and Mommy don't like it when I tear up stuff; maybe I wasn't doing it right because today they were showing me how to do just that! (I think I started to understand when my cousin, Delaney, and my friend, Mia, showed me. Mia's first birthday party was last week, so she knew all about tearing paper the right way.) Well, after I started tearing paper, I found the coolest things inside! Daddy and Mommy told me that people gave me these things because they wanted me to know I'm special and loved and giving gifts is one way to say that. They also told me that the best gifts were all of the hugs, kisses and joy everyone shared. I agree, especially now that I can blow kisses back! I wish I knew how to say or sign, "You are very special and I love you very much!" because that is what I would tell everyone who celebrated with me that day--those who could be here in person and those who were sending hugs across the miles. Here are some other things I learned that day.... This is called a birthday cake. People buy or make these for someone celebrating a birthday.

This is a candle. People get candles on their cakes to match how many fingers they are. Daddy said some people stop putting the right number of candles on their cake when it becomes hazardous, whatever that means. I hope I don't have to worry about a "habbardish" for a long time because I liked when we all thought really hard about something and pretended we had Kleenexes at the same time.

I stuck my finger in my pretty flower cake; I just had to touch it! Nobody cared that I messed up the pretty flower. In fact, they saw I liked touching it so much that they gave me this one to play with! I'm not sure why, but, when I put the funny white lotion on my legs, everyone started laughing (but only my cousin, Kyle, wanted to touch me). Everybody even helped me taste it. So confusing...Mommy and Daddy never let me taste the lotion they put on me after bath time.

I guess birthdays are not only about celebrating with family and friends, but also about having a day off from the rules. I've decided I like birthdays very much!!