Ten

I'm posting this on July 29 but I've listed it as July 28 because that is when this took place. July 28 is my daughter Emma's birthday. She is 10 years old this year. She is a wonderful daughter. She loves to help me do things around the house and she is very perceptive. She understands things quickly and learns very quickly. And the morning of her birthday, she challenged me to a game of chess (we play from time to time) and for the first time, she beat me! I wish I would have recorded when my son, Evan, first beat me at chess. I think that was also around the time he was 9 or 10 years old. In the top picture, you not only see Emma getting ready to open her first present but you can see her grandmother enjoying the party, too. As with my son's birthday (see "Sixteen"), my mother-in-law likes coming over to be with the kids. It is a joy to have her. She always has something funny to add to the conversation but is very wise, too. We always learn something from her.

We thought this cake was especially nice. Notice the lettering - the woman who did it put a darker color on the bottom and a lighter color on top. Of course, a cake isn't much good to just look at. It was delicious as well. I'm usually the one who eats the most cake. Not at the party but for the rest of the week. My wife always sends pieces of the cake with me for lunch the rest of the week. It's going to be a good week. Happy birthday, Emma. Not only are you 10 years old but you are a 10.