Jiggy & Josie (Emily's Neighborhood Buddies)

These twin neighborhood labs were loyal friends to Emily, escorting her to and from her bus stop every school day. Our neighbors told us that, while Emily was in the hospital those last 6 weeks, these dogs stayed on our deck and porch. When we returned home, they were there to greet us. They miss Emily, too.

Tree-Planting Ceremony at Forest Middle School

Emily's class planted a tree on campus in her memory. A plaque was placed at the base of the tree with a nickname on it that one of her teachers had given her.

One of the last projects Emily worked on in school was a bird feeder. We recently hung it on a tree outside our door and are enjoying watching the birds as they grab the seeds.

Emily was so proud of the Teddy Bear she made at a friend's birthday party! Now we enjoy hugging the bear and remembering how special her hugs were to us.

"I luh you merry, merry much!"

This is the tribute stone for Emily's grave. It says, "I luh you merry, merry much," because that is how Emily said, "I love you." During the years before Emily started verbalizing, Sonja prayed that Emily would someday be able to say "I love you" back to us. When that prayer was answered, it brought much joy to our whole family. (The picture on the stone has spaghetti sauce around her mouth. We like that because she almost always had it there!!!)