Golfing Lessons with Daddy!

Every once in awhile Daddy will give Rayn golfing lessons. A few weeks ago, Rayn and Daddy went to Sports Authority and Rayn got her first real golf balls but luckily, Daddy was smart enough to only buy her foam balls! These foam balls can be hit pretty far so she can at least get the idea. 


(Side note: for Rayn's first Easter when she was 8-10 weeks old, I can't remember exactly, she got a set of $5 plastic golf clubs from Wal-Mart.) 


Below, are a few pictures of one of the many golf lessons she has had and will have in the near future. I just get enjoyment out of watching them both do this because of the patience that they both display with each other!

Trip to Nebraska in August

I realize that I am really behind in my blog posting; however, with the beginning of the school year, it always takes me an entire quarter to almost get back into the swing of things. Guess what? The end of the quarter is on Friday, and I am just barely back in the groove. I am sure that I have some fellow teachers out there who feel like I do when I say, "I am barely staying a float."  Anyways, enough of my rambling, on to my daughter, which is what this blog is supposed to be about. 


Back in August, Mike's cousin got married in Omaha, NE. While we were there for the wedding we got to visit with some very important people. Rayn was able to spend some quality time with family and alot of beautiful photos were taken below, I have a few of the wonderful photos that Mike and I both took during the weekend while we were in Nebraska. 

PICKING PEACHES AT ECKERTS!

Today, we met Ms. Calleigh at Eckert's and the girls had soo much fun together! They picked peaches together, they ate peaches, and they ran around the country store with their awesome Kid Karts! These are the best inventions ever, I think more stores need these! 


I took some wonderful pictures of the girls! I can't wait for them to get together again! 

Thanks Calleigh and Ms. Melissa for inviting us to Eckert's with you! We had a blast and can't wait to do it again! 

I LOVE TO PLAY DRESS UP.....

Lately, Rayn has really taken a liking to picking out her own clothes and dressing herself. This was the result of one day's work. The pictures are in the order that all of this happened in one days time. I will let you make your own assumptions about the captions! It was so hard not to laugh at her (I did not want to make her discouraged), so I encouraged to complete the outfit with every picture....

First time we came out the bedroom equaled backward panties, pants, and the pajamas still on as the shirt! So cute...

Second time out of the room, with her lunch box! Keep in mind, all of her shirts are hanging int he closet, so she had to go get a chair and stand on it and got it all by herself!!!

Also, she picked a button up shirt so she could be just like her daddy she told me! :)

Texting while she is waiting for me to find her car keys, so she can drive to work!

On her way out the door, with her lunch box, cell phone, and her car keys!

Backwards shoes and all!

Grandpa Mike, Grandma Lisa, and Aunt Danielle's (Danlell) Visit

Grandpa Mike, Grandma Lisa, and Aunt Danlell (as Rayn calls her) came down for a weekend visit to see our house and more importantly to visit and spoil Rayn! We had so much fun visiting with them! Rayn was a show off and thoroughly enjoyed showing them all of her tricks, good and bad! 

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Lisa spoiled Rayn while they were here. They took her shopping and bought her a new piggy bank, amongst many other things. Rayn and Grandma are putting all of the change daddy and mommy have been saving for her in there. This kept her occupied for a long time!

Grandpa was tired on Sunday morning. Rayn was supposed to bring him a Gatorade to drink and she brought it to him and said "open it." So he opened it and then she took it back and claimed it was "mine."

Grandpa was playing the fishing puzzle with her and I am pretty sure she was letting him know that he wasn't doing it right. She is pretty good at that.

Aunt Danlell and Rayn were coloring with her new coloring book and crayons that Grandpa and Grandma bought her!

Despite all of this excitement and fun that you see, she also was allowed to paint her Aunt's fingernails and toenails, and her Grandma's toenails. It was pretty exciting, yet messy! 

Lastly, she screamed and cried "I coming.." when they left. She was so sad! However, we are going to see them in a couple of weeks, so she can reunite with them then!

Monkey Joe's

Rayn's first trip to Monkey Joe's (that she was actually big enough to do anything) was for Ms. Carly's birthday party. At first, Rayn kept saying "No, play, mommy, hold me!" She fell asleep on the 10 minute car ride there, which let her be a bit crabby when we walked in. 

After the first 30 minutes of protesting, she eventually got brave enough to go down the big slide. It was so thrilling she NEVER went down it again! :) Below, you can view a few of her pictures from her first "memorable" trip to Monkey Joe's.

Cookies.....

 Every time Daddy takes Rayn to Dierbergs she 
comes home full and with a few treats for herself. This last time she came home with some cookie dough and two things of chocolate milk (which I swore I would never give my kid.)  So, because it was 100+ degrees outside, her dad had to grill the cookies.  Yes, you are reading that right, he grilled cookie dough. Let me tell you, I thought that they were yummy!


On the other hand, we gave Rayn a cookie (which is her favorite treat) and she broke it all up and passed it out to everyone at the table but herself. She was so kind for sharing but also so funny that she wanted the cookies but never ate any of them. I really think that she just wanted the dough but she never got any of that!

A BIG LONG POST TO CATCH UP........

We have been doing a few things since I have last posted....first, our internet wasn't working very well, so that is why I couldn't post anything. Then we got a new computer and I had to get that all set up. Now, that I have all of that all squared away, I am back in business. YAY! :)

So, over July 4th, Rayn experienced her first sparkler! She was soo cute with it, until....(wait for it) she decided to twirl it and it landed on mommy and I screamed (like a huge girl) and then she didn't want to touch it.  As a result, she was scared of any and every firework that went off.  The best part of that was, Rayn and mommy could watch the fireworks in the air conditioning from the sliding glass door in the kitchen.  So, in mommy's world, it was a win-win. 

After the fourth of July we had a play date with Jonathan, Rayn's friend since birth, (mommy forgot her camera) but I am not sure who had more fun, her or Jonathan. That same afternoon Rayn's twin cousins came over to play with her. As Rayn calls them "CooperCarver." (She says it all like it is one word.) So, funny! First, we began the day being outside for over an hour, then we moved inside, ate dinner, did baths, and got a second wind after our bath. All in all, all of the kiddos had a blast!

Rayn supporting her new hat and testing the waters of the pool!

Rayn wanted to sit outside with her feet like her mommy and Aunt Sara. Then the boys had to pour water on her legs, just like the other girls. 

Love this picture of Cooper!

Curious Carver...

"TIME TO EAT..." (In Rayn's screaming voice..)

After not eating dinner, taking less than a 30 second bath, Carver got a second wind. This began with him running laps around our living room for around 30 minutes. (No lie!)

The next day, we decided to go and drag my dad out of the house (love you, dad) and bring all three of the kiddos to Grant's Farm. Cooper, Carver, and Rayn all had a great time! The adults did too because we got our free "adult" beverages at the end! :)