Happy Birthday Rachel!

Rachel, when you entered our family just ten years ago--

you changed our world forever.

We had been longing for a baby.

Meghan had been praying for a sister.

The first time I held you was one of the most joyful moments of my life.

I knew that you were a precious and rare gift.

You were a delightful baby--so good natured and such a wonderful sleeper.

You were so quick to laugh and so snuggly.

My sentimental heart is full as I reflect on how quickly these ten years have passed.
I truly hope that the next 10 go much slower...

In honor of your tenth birthday, here are the

Top Ten Things I Love About Rachel.

1. You love to bake.

I love the times we spend together trying out new recipes. I love how you like to plate up the dish and garnish it so it looks just perfect. I especially love snuggling on the couch together to watch The Barefoot Contessa or Rachel Ray make a delicious dish on the Food Network.

2. You love to read.

I just love when I find you curled up in some comfy spot enjoying a book. You get that from Meghan. I love to watch you fill your mind with wonderful dreams and adventures.

3. I love that you Choose The Right.

I love watching you learn in church each Sunday. I love remembering the spirit we felt in the temple together and on your baptism day. I love that you know how important it is to be clean and pure and to keep the commandments.

4. I love the older sister that you are to Zach.

I love to see you light up when you see Zach and it makes my heart happy when you build block towers with him or read him stories. He is so lucky to have two wonderful big sisters. You try so hard to take good care of him.

5. I love the younger sister you are to Meghan.

I love that you can never wait to tell her the exciting things that happen in your day. And secretly, I do love that you guys are good enough friends to want to whisper the night away after your parents tell you to go to sleep. I love that you have always looked up to Meghan as an example and that you love her with your whole heart.

6. I love that you are so creative.

Rachel, you just have some of the funnest ideas. Who knew that you can design fashions out of flowers?

7. I love that you are the life of the party.

There is an energy that you carry with you that is contagious. You are truly are a performer and love to be on stage. I love the confidence you have in yourself and your willingness to try new things. I especially love how much you love music and are constantly dancing and singing.

8. I love your wacky sense of humor.

I get such a kick out of your jokes and your cleverness. I love that you make me laugh. I love that my days are much more fun because you are a part of them.

9. I love your flair for the dramatic.

I love that you love make-up and dressing up. I love that you are adventurous and sporty and fun loving.

10. I love that you love your family so much.

I love that you write in your school planner everyday that you love your family. I love that your school teacher tells me she hopes to have a daughter who loves her family like you do someday. I love that you are patient with us when we are not perfect parents and that you are so quick to try to make peace in our family.

and mostly Rachel, I love that you are ours and WE are yours....forever.

Happy 10th Birthday!

Dance Recital

Meghan and Rachel had their dance recital last month.

Dress rehersal is the only day that you are supposed to video the dances--so I got my camera out the night before and put it in the van so I wouldn't forget.

We arrived at 5:00 for Rachel's dress rehersal, videoed it and decided that we had time to grab a pizza and run home before Meghan's rehersal at 7:30. When we returned for Meg's rehersal, I settle down in the audience and go to grab my camera out--and it isn't there. I run out to the car--which is FAR away and it isn't there either. I must have removed the camera from our van and left it home.

I felt sick. There was no way Shae could bring it to me in time. So as Meghan danced, I just cried--feeling like a horrible Mom since I was able to tape one daughter and not the other. When I told Meghan, she said "It's ok" but I could tell she was really disappointed.

It was a bummer--a $40 bummer, because then I felt compelled to buy the professional DVD in order to have video of Meghan's dance too.

Meghan danced to the song "Free Ride".
Rachel danced to the theme song from "Friends."


Here is the video of Rachel's dance:

Happy Birthday Rachel!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Little Bit of Rain

As Rachel ran out of the house to catch the school bus this morning, she noticed it was raining.

"Yippee" was seriously the word she used. "It's raining Mom--not snowing!"

(I had already been grumbling about how bleak and yucky it looked outside.)

She then proceeded to turn her smiling face upward--to catch the raindrops on her skin.

It was like she was trying to breath in the rain.

She was experiencing it with all her senses.

And she was smiling.

It made me smile.

No wonder Heavenly Father wants us to all be like little children.

Sacrifices

Rachel's third grade class has been studying the lives of pioneers.

Today they are going on a field trip to a log cabin and will be spending the day living like a pioneer.

Of course, they were encouraged to dress the part.

Rachel caught me at weak moment and begged me to sew her a pioneer dress.

I said yes, and we went to Joann's where she picked out a pattern and the fabric she wanted. This dress has been a major labor of love.

(She happened to pick out a much more difficult dress than I had pictured sewing.)

I spent several nights up sewing until 1:00 am trying to finish it by this morning.

She was so happy when she put it on--and so grateful.

That reaction made it all worth it.

The loss of sleep, the pin pricked fingers, the messy house that didn't get cleaned while I was sewing....all worth it.
She looked so cute, It made me wish I could have dug MY pioneer clothes out of the attic and gone on the field trip with her.

(Photo is from a Pioneer Trek we went on in 2001) This whole experience got me thinking about sacrifices:

Sacrifices pioneers made to explore and settle new frontier,

sacrifices of time and sleep made by a mother who loves her daughter,

sacrifices made my my own Mom in my behalf...

(I know for a fact there were many nights she lost sleep sewing a dress for me.)

I am pretty sure that is what life is all about.

Making sacrifices for the things we believe in and for the people that we love.

March--Reading Month

March is reading month at Rachel's school.

Each third grader is being challenged to read 20 minutes a day.

We actually have no problem getting Meghan and Rachel to read--

our problem is getting them to get to put their books down and finish their chores.

I share a similar, at times problematic, love for reading.

I have been know to stay up all night to finish a good book,

neglecting household chores and other responsibilities.

In fact, I almost burned down my parents house while reading.

In my crazy teen-aged brain--I thought I would be sneaky and read after I was told to turn out the lights. I took the lampshade off my lamp and got down on the floor of my room under a blanket to continue reading. My hope was that the light wouldn't show through my closed bedroom door into the hallway.

Well, I fell asleep and burned a 3 inch hole in the carpet of my bedroom--clear through to the subfloor underneath. I honestly have no memory of the punishment I must have received after nearly burning down my parent's house and possibly endangering lives.

Now that I am an adult, it is alot less risky to read--no one tells me when I have to turn out the light, and I am smart enough to leave the lampshade on the lamp.

(Kids these days are so lucky to have these. )

Here is my current late night friend:

Hope you enjoyed your "Balentine's" Day

We hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day as much as we did.

Zach had a great time doing his Dora and Diego "Balantines".
He knew right where to scribble and told me who he was sending each of his valentines to.
Rachel made a cool mailbox to hold her valentines---turquoise blue of course.

(not an ounce of pinkness to it.)

This year was probably Meghan's last school Valentine's Party.

She is headed to middle school nest year.

and here is Zach-o hard at work.

Be Mine....Valentine

A little Valentine love from Rachel....

February Funk

Here in Michigan--we need some decent "get outside and play" weather.

What we don't need is a bigger reason to

stay indoors--

wearing our jammies all day--

playing The Sims.

That is just NOT what we need right now.

Superbowl Sugar Cookies

Our Rachel would love to grow up someday to be "Rachael Ray". At the very least, she would love to have her job--you see, she adores cooking.

This weekend, at the library used book sale, she bought herself a cookbook.

(And if you buy a Rachel a cookbook, she is going to want to bake.)

So--she enlisted the help of her brother, and sister, and mother to make a special treat for Superbowl Sunday.

(Dad helped a bit too--he is a really creative cookie froster!) There was a lot of licking going on, which is why we cannot in good conscience share any cookies with friends or neighbors.
A LOT OF LICKING!

We made a great big mess--that took two days to clean up.
But we had so much fun.
and we made so many cookies...
and it was a wonderful memory...
and Shae got to watch the game in relative peace.

(although Zach was very excited to have a "football party" with his Daddy and he really wanted the "big huge giants" to win.)

We are getting closer...

Driving home from church today, Rachel exclaims:

"Are those buds I see on the trees?"

Upon closer examination we determined that the trees were starting to bud.

I was thinking--"Spring, you are coming!"

Spring wasn't what Rachel was thinking about though.

"Buds mean it is almost my birthday Mom! Can we plan my party?"

Her birthday is March 24th. That gives us PLENTY of time.