Today was the first day I kept Raychel with me because I was actually going to be home and ENJOYING summer! What a Busy couple of weeks. I finished school, set up for bible school, prepared for an interview, taught bible school, GOT the teaching job, and packed and loaded up my classroom in Manhattan.
What has Raychel been up to? She went to bible school and kept the nursery room volunteers hopping as she tried to escape, ran around outside, and was a super helper picking up! She really enjoyed going to the church and was exhausted by 12:00 each day. She has spent other days at day care playing with a few new kids. She seems to get along well with them!
At home, Raychel has been living in timeout! She goes into time out for hitting, saying NO, and throwing tantrums...usually! We have become VERY tough and consistent with her...she is one strong-willed little girl! Good thing Daddy is JUST as tough on her as Mommy, she KNOWS she can't get away with acting however she wants! When she is not acting like a 2-year old..she really is quite adorable!
Tonight, while reading a book, it asked her "What is your favorite time?" She said, "When Mommy is home. When Daddy is home!" Awww..she is a super sweetie! Who wouldn't want their Mommy and Daddy home with them?
She gives the BIGGEST and the HARDEST hugs EVER! She gives hugs to everyone and MANY hugs are given throughout the day! She loves to tell everyone HI and BYE...with waves and smiles! She catches the eye of MANY people on the street or in the store!
She still LOVES PUPPIES! She has a puppy at daycare and will almost always tell you that her favorite thing from the whole day was the PUPPY!!!!! Maybe we'll find a puppy/dog for our home one day! We are still looking for what we HOPE will be the perfect little dog!
She LOVES to swing. She swings on the big swings and will swing for as long as you will push her. She used to not like swinging for more than 1-2 minutes at a time!
Raychel has been having fun with water this summer! She has been out to her cousins sliding on the redneck water slide and playing with her flower sprinkler and splashing in the pool. She has been helping Mom and Dad outside with the landscaping and car projects in the garage! She picked out the flowers for the front yard and helped plant the morning glory flowers that are now growing up over the arch.
She makes me laugh and take deep breaths all at once! She was yelling in the store, I whispered to her to be quiet and she YELLED BACK-WHAT MOM??? Oh my...silly girl! We have been reading together for more than an hour on most nights! She crawls into her big girl bed and we read, cuddle, and giggle together until Mom realizes it is WAY past her bedtime! She will randomly grab my face and kiss me or stop and wrap her arms around me in the middle of a book!
She has also been coloring ALL the TIME! She has gone from making single line drawings to scribbling and filling or coloring in pictures on the page! It is SOOOO funny...she calls letters, "I". So she will write, scribble, and make other marks while constantly saying I-I-I-I-I...So funny! 
I love summer as I get to spend more time with her and we get to do some fun things. Next week she turns 2!!!!!! She has been practicing say, "I 2" and showing her thumb and pointer finger (like an L) But, if you ask her how old she is she will almost always respond with NO! LOL, we think that works too!
