HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAYCHEL JOY!!

WE cannot believe its been ONE YEAR!!! WOW, it went by SOOOO fast!!!!! It was SOOOO hard and it was SOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOO FUN!!! =) Everything has changed, nothing will ever be the same again, and we wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

She has gone from this little, itty bitty helpless beauty to this walking, talking, laughing, and loving beauty!!! The BIG party is SATURDAY!

Today was her first day to try out the pool! We have a little plastic pool in the backyard. She has never been to "hip" to the water...but she tried it! She was done in about 10 minutes, she wanted to run around the yard instead! Maybe we will take her to Manhattan where you can walk in the splash park!!

Testing out the water...hmm, this seems okay!

SPLASH!! She usually doesn't do this because it gets on her face and she HATES that! So, one splash was all we got!
Okay MOM, I'm DONE! I'm getting out now! =)

Sliding at the Park!

WOW....we went to the park with friends today and she decided to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the slide!!!! THE BIG SLIDE!!!

She crawls up the steps of the slide, with someone behind her, crawls around, sits down, and WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

She used her shoes to control her own speed and would scream and throw her hands up when she would speed up on the way down! LOL

Smiles, Monkey, Books, and a little Spaghetti!

Daddy took the smile pictures! He just kept clicking and she was LOVIN' it!

Raychel loves to read the newspaper! She carries it around the house until she decides to taste it!

Don't you read your newspaper like this???

Raychel smiling in her Monkey Birthday shirt!

Birthday Shirt!

Raychel LOVES her sock monkey! Monkey was her first word, although she only signs it and makes monkey noises now! She also signs the phrase, going bananas, while making her monkey sounds! The sign is easy...you basically wave your hands above your head!!

She carries Monkey all over the house and hugs it, kisses it, throws it on the ground, drags it, and steps on it!!! Poor Monkey! =)

She makes Monkey feel all better!

She undresses Monkey!

She hugs Monkey! By the way....Monkey's name is Monkey. Her Daddy had one growing up and I asked him what he named his monkey...typical male response, Monkey! So, her monkey is affectionally known as Monkey!

SHE LOVES HER BOOKS!!! This is what it looks like near her toys almost everyday. Her bedroom books look like this too and her books downstairs. Hmmm..which one do I want now?

Raychel had fun eating spaghetti for the first time! Mommy had fun cleaning it up! Good thing I used to work in the infant room at day care! I was totally prepared!!! =)


Yes...it is a MONKEY plate!

Grandpa Jerry's Birthday Party and Picnic

Raychel started walking and running with her arms thrown back, like in the video below. I think it was a transition to a whole new level of balance power. Unfortunately, she hasn't done it since...so this is the only video I have. But, after church she took off running with arms thrown back...we all thought it was hilarious!!



We celebrated Grandpa Jerry's birthday this weekend in Abilene. Almost all the grandkids are in the next two pictures...Natalie was sleeping! He received TWO flashlights that attach to your hat for hands-free light. Ooops...Jay and I didn't communicate very well. Jeff said he almost got him a regular flashlight too! THAT would have been hilarious! Grandpa, your kids all think you need to see the light! OR Grandpa, your kids all think you can't SEE! LOL (sorry....I couldn't help myself)

Mom got him a new game! It is called Lasso Golf! Essentially it is a PVC pipe stand with three horizontal bars (high, medium, and low). It comes with two different colored sets of balls that are connected with string...see picture of Raychel below. You throw the ball at the stand and get different points for wrapping it around different bars! IT IS FUN!!

Lasso golf balls! Raychel thought they were great fun!

Natalie thought Grandpa was hilarious!!! She has the BEST smile and GIGGLE!!! I even got to hold her while Raychel was sleeping! She is not a fan of letting Mommy hold other babies yet!

Derek got some good bonding time in with Lainie. They read books for quite a while on the couch!
Who needs Daddy to read, I have got it covered!!! She is really into her books and spends most of her time looking through them, pointing, saying the words she knows or signing them! Occasionally, when she is ready to learn more, she will bring them to me and ask about certain objects!

Raychel is ready for her birthday party. She LOVED the wrapping paper!

On Sunday, we had a wonderful picnic lunch with Grandpa and Grandma O and Great Grandma S at the Zoo Park in town. Afterwards, when the cotton got too thick, we headed back to the house! Raychel had fun showing off all her talents!

She has started dancing. Her favorite tune is Camp Town Races, played by her airplane toy. She walks over and pushes the button. This means...MOM sing...Raychel DANCE! And we do it OVER and OVER and OVER!!! Too FUN!!!

She also learned how to turn the TV on and off! Good thing we have practiced sign language and using the words off and on. So, I can tell her to turn it back on! The other day, when I told her we were going outside to play, she ran over and turned the TV off before we left! LOL



Raychel is also exploring her drummer side!!! Make sure you have your speakers on HIGH for FULL EFFECT!!! LOL

11 things I LOVE about being 11 months old!

1. WALKING!!! I am walking everywhere right now and crawling up and down steps or walking with Mommy's hand!

2. BEING OUTSIDE!!! I LOVE to play outside. I run over to the front door and say, "OUT, OUT, GO"!!! I could spend the whole day outside! I love to pick up sticks and carry them around, I try to eat rocks but Mommy always catches me, and I like to play with balls and sidewalk chalk!

3. TALKING!!! I say many words now. I say: mama (MOM), dada (DAA), cat, that ('dat), dog, frog, duck (that's a BIG one), up, down, off, on, in, out, go, (she likes opposites-if you didn't notice), and most recently STOP (with a wagging finger) If Mom remembers more later, she'll add them...

4. SIGNING! I still sign some words, others I have stopped. I no longer say, Monkey-my first word, I will only sign it!! SILLY!!! I sign: cat, duck, bird, want, all done, bottle, eat, go bananas, monkey, and stop. (that's all Mom can think of right now!)

5. DANCING! I love to dance, now that I'm pretty steady on my feet! I twirl, direct (with my hands), bounces at my knees, and the most recent dance move is crouching and hitting my hands on the ground--really looks like I am worshiping! I will not let Mommy video tape my dancing, I stop IMMEDIATELY if I see that camera out!

6. EATING! I have stopped eating those yucky baby food dinners...EWWW! One day my Mommy and Daddy gave me a McDonald's cheeseburger and I realized they had been holding back the "good stuff" from me! I like popcorn chicken, macaroni and cheese, crackers, steamed carrots, apples, bananas, and yogurt...to name a few! I'm sure Mom will give me more good stuff, like the Wendy's frostys and fries she let me try!!! MMMMmmmm!

7. READING BOOKS!!! Mom has given me the best books ever! They have ducks, sing songs, have bright colors, have ribbons, have plastic lady bugs and crickets...wow they are all AMAZING!!! Oh, and she has Tweety books too...although I'm still very confused because Tweety bird LOOKS like a DUCK but Mommy keeps calling it a bird!!

8. Playing with BALLS!! One day I was at Grandma's house and I had the best time playing with her ball. Now, I LOVE THEM!! Mommy and Daddy got me a beach ball, a pink light weight ball, and red small bouncy ball, and a small red and yellow soft ball! They are all great! I like to throw them over the baby gate and into Daddy's office! Daddy likes to bounce them off my head...FUN!!

9. Pulling the fan light ON and OFF and turning the TV ON and OFF!!! Daddy holds me up high and I pull on the string on the ceiling fan to turn the light on and off...so fun! Sometimes I hit it with my hands and have to chase it and catch it!! I tried to get Mommy to hold me up high enough, but she can't get me up that high! I also like to turn the TV on and off! Mommy doesn't like it very much, but I think its HILARIOUS!

10. CLIMBING UP STAIRS!! I love to walk from the car into the house. I hold onto Mommy's hand and climb them with my left and right feet....just like the big people do! It is sooo fun!

11. I LOVE MY MOMMY AND DADDY!!! I blow them kisses, give them hugs, we laugh together, and they are just the best ever! (okay...you are all thinking, we know who is typing all this...but I'm out of things to type! LOL)

Wedding, Landscaping, and a Baptism...Oh my!

This weekend we went to White City to a friend's wedding. Raychel enjoyed the ceremony as it was outside and she LOVES to be outside! She had a blast at the reception too! She found the door to the kitchen and kept sneaking out...you would think she could read since there was a sign on the door that said, "No children allowed!". How do they sense these things?? LOL

Daddy just retrieved her and THERE SHE GOES AGAIN!!! LOL

Enjoying a drink with lunch!

She actually stopped the bride and groom's first dance by walking out to the dance floor. They had been so busy moving and wedding planning, they didn't know she was walking! They both cheered! Everybody dance now!! =)

YEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!! This so soooooo FUN!!!!!!!! =)We...okay Daddy...put an arbor at the end of our sidewalk. It is attached to two whisky barrels that will be filled with flowers! HOPEFULLY, the Morning Glory will climb over the arbor before the end of summer!

Raychel thought it was great fun to watch Daddy use his power tools! She kept stealing the U ring that he was trying to install too...that was FUNNY! ;)

When he was away getting supplies, she tried out the local sticks! YES, it is a stick...not a cigar! Mommy's words...and I quote..."OUT OF MOUTH, RAYCHEL!"

When Daddy didn't come back soon enough, she started to the back yard to find him! She is starting to explore more, leave familiar areas, and go with or without Mommy and Daddy! She had never walked down this path before, but she was determined to find Daddy!

Daddy thought she was a perfect fit for the barrels!

Raychel already has selective hearing (like her Daddy...HA!!) She likes to play games!

This is the only picture I got on my camera before taking over a head photographer (not for my talent, but for my skill...I can push the right button!) for the baptism. This is Raychel climbing at the front of the church with her cousins, Riley and Jackie.

Graduations and Parties!

Saturday we attended cousin Jessica's college graduation! Raychel loved playing ball with Grandpa O! She was thoroughly entertained! Camera...well, I forgot that in the car! LOL

Sunday, after church we headed to Easton's first birthday party! Easton's Mommy and Daddy were in our child birth education class. He is about one month older then Raychel. Raychel had a blast roaming around the party, playing with the other kids, and enjoying the sunshine!

They hired a photographer to take pictures of each family in attendance. I thought that was a cool idea and a great rememberance for Easton when he gets older. This is the picture of our family! Now, when he looks back he can say...look how OLD they have gotten! LOL



We had to leave his party early to head to cousin Lynn's graduation party. She walked all over the building, happy to be out of the car. After eating, she cruised outside. She is really getting good at walking on rough terrain!

SHE DISCOVERED HER TONGUE!!!!!!!!!!! LOL While we were outside playing she found this GREAT toy in her mouth! Then, she was obsessed with it!

She learned that Daddy had one too and that was AWESOME!

My two little tongue sweeties!

Having fun eating!

Tonight Raychel enjoyed Macaroni and Cheese, Ham, Peaches, crackers, and Squash! She worked up quite the appetite from playing outside! She is LOVING eating "REAL" food! Although, she is still really picky! We are trying lots of different types of food! She hated Ravioli and mashed potatoes but loves bread and plain Ramen noodles. She also loves BBQ sauce (sucks it off the hamburger), McDonald's cheeseburger, fries from anywhere, Frostys from Wendys, and Nilla Wafers! Wow...she sounds like a healthy eater! We can still talk her into eating the fruit and cereal for breakfast and a container of veggies for lunch and dinner...so she is getting SOMETHING healthy in there!

She is learning how to use a spoon, fork, and plate. She knows what to do once there is food on the spoon but is not talented at getting it on there, although she tries!


Just SHOVE it IN!! =)

I LOVE HER LAUGH?? SQUEAL??? SHRIEK???

Playing outside!

Raychel and I enjoyed playing outside tonight! I brought out sand/outdoor toys and she had a blast all evening. She has become so confident and GOOD at walking around compared to last weekend when she wouldn't walk anywhere outside without holding onto my hand! She is thrilled to be outside and explores everywhere in the front yard! Too bad Mom got bit by those pesky mosquitos! I tried to watch her carefully and killed a few around her, so hopefully she wasn't bitten. I will have to go find bug spray for HER, especially!

She climbs up the steps on all fours, unless I hold her hands, and plays on the porch! Mom is behind her with hands close for catching, although I wasn't needed once! SHE may be confident in her abilities, but MOM is not as confident!

We came in for dinner and after we ate, this is the look I got when I told her we weren't going outside! She walks to the door and says, "Go, Go, GO!" She even said, "Da-Da OUT!" Daddy was working in the office and had not gone out with us to play! MOM CAVED!!!!!!!! So much for making dinner for Dad and me...we'll eat later!