Emily's 11th Birthday!

This past week was another exciting week!  We celebrated Emily's 11th Birthday on Thursday and again on Friday.  Wednesday evening I went into town to pick up her gift at Academy.  She requested a new bike for her birthday.  Phil had picked out the bike, but was unable to load it in his car.  So, that was my quest on Wednesday evening, along with a few other stops to prepare for her celebration.  While I was in town, Phil and the kids had gone to Tractor Supply for dog food.  This is where it all began!  If you are not familiar with Tractor Supply or a small town then you don't know that this time of year they carry baby chicks, yes, live chirping baby chicks .  Of course our sweet animal lover, Emily would really like to have one.  She says to her daddy, "I just want a live something for my birthday."  Enough said.
I get home from my in town outing, to Phil asking the question "what do you think about a flying squirrel for Emily's birthday?"  You can imagine the shock I was in.  "A what?!"  "Really?"  He has found some place in New Braunfels that has them available.  We discuss this idea awhile before remembering that some friends of ours indeed had a flying squirrel as a pet at one time.  We call them up to inquire.  Our friend, Ben explains that they are fast and busy...remember, it is a squirrel.  If she is wanting something to hold, this would not be a good pet.  Ben, then goes on to share that he had a hedgehog in college and that was a fun pet to have.
I'm thinking...what is wrong with just the bike?  Phil is wanting to make her wish of having a live something come true.  So, we set out on the next day to locate a hedgehog.  As you can imagine, we found one!  So, on her birthday we drove into town for supper at one of her favorite place's, Chili's.  It was just the kids and I for supper.  Phil was working when we came in, and he headed across town to pick up the hedgehog.  It all worked out great, the kids and I had to help a friend of ours out with transporting one of their kids from baseball to basketball, which gave Phil time to get home and set up her new bike, along with the hedgehog home with the hedgehog.  I wish you could have seen and heard the excitement of her gifts.  She was and is one happy 11 year old.

After this past week of holding her hedgehog daily and letting him get to know his surroundings, he has become really sweet with Emily.  This week we have turned him loose in her bathroom to run around freely.  She thinks that is the greatest thing.  Yesterday, she took him to her bathroom to let him have some free time and he climbed up in her lap and fell asleep.  He really is sweet.

This week has been exciting too.  I will write about that at the end of this week.  So stay tuned!
We love and miss you all.
Shalom,
Vicki