SWIMMING!

So...Josh was supposed to take Rebekah on a date this morning. I even came up with a great idea, but I wanted to do it so badly, Josh was kind enough to let Luke and me tag along! You see, the other day, R was flipping thru a Scottish catalog and saw plastic pools. She immediately thought of TX and insisted she LOVED swimming...I'm not sure who buys outdoor pools in northern Scotland, but we're not among them. I did remember that there was a leisure park right next to the beach- indoor that we have been wanting to try and just hadn't. So, questioning whether I should tell Rebes the plan, I threw caution to the wind, and told her we were going...SWIMMING! She was beside herself!!!! See below:

Admiring herself

I did try to call to make sure it was open, etc., but got no answer. My plan was to sit next to her as she walked through a tiny kiddie pool. We arrived and, to our dismay, discovered that the pool was HUGE and an adult absolutely HAD to swim, too. Now I love swimming, but I hate being in a swimsuit to the point that I don't have one here. So, imagine Rebekah's face when she saw all the kids swimming- sheer delight. Then, imagine her face when we told her we couldn't swim. :( She was devastated. If she had been a brat, it would have been easier to leave. That fact was that she was very brave...so brave, in fact, I briskly walked to the front desk and asked if they sold suits and floaties. In fact, they did. Out of total love for my daughter, I squeezed myself into a suit and got her the right gear and we were off! Honestly, it was GREAT! We are already looking forward to our next visit- the pool was heated and a blast! Even Luke enjoyed it- actually his favorite part was when we got out and stood in a heater- it blew hot air on you to dry off faster- he was grinning ear to ear.

We would have more pics of us playing except Josh was politely told no cameras. Fair enough.

The other evening Rebekah saw her first rainbow. I was so excited to hear her daddy explain that it was a sign from God that He would never flood the earth again, etc...anyway, precious one made "rainbows" with her hands on the condensation on the windows.

If you look closely, you can see her "big rainbow" and "little rainbows."

Luke has learned how to drink from a sippy cup-- by himself!!! Josh described him as "drunk with his own power" this evening as he drained 2 cups of milk!

Pics from the week

There is no rhyme or reason to this post- just felt like 2 posts in a row without pictures might be trying your patience.

This was earlier in the week- yes, you guessed it, on campus! I love going there b/c we can walk and it's just so darn close....and pretty. I am loving the spring- I so love being outside, so it is wonderful to have more spring- like weather, altho I hear the end of May is the best, so we're getting close to leaving the "best" behind. :( Oh well- we'll still be outside- a lot! I am amused at the variety of clothing on the natives- from full-out jackets to tank tops and shorts. They are total lightweights and get HOT in the upper 60's... :)

I was proud of myself for braiding her hair. Not my best work, but it's hardly worth perfection (and let's be honest, I am far from a perfectionist) when her soft, fine hair comes out of braids so quickly. However, I did discover that 2 braids rather than her usual 1 lasted until after lunch, which was quite a find!

This was last night on the way to the store for a milk and yogurt run. She found my hat and put it on backwards and was just jammin' in the back.

The lovely flowers Josh got me/us for our anniversary. Aren't they awesome?

This morning on campus- Rebekah goes, "Somebody's getting in Luuuuke's seat....it's Rebekah!"

Luke mid-snack- snacks have become extremely important to little man. In fact, snacks are the ONLY thing Luke will feed himself consistently. He also lives and dies for yogurt of any kind. Otherwise, he would be a walking, no, crawling, no, sitting carb! Seriously, I have learned I can't give him crackers or anything like that with a meal b/c once he has those, I have no chance of feeding him anything else! He lives on a TINY amount of food- it's crazy. I remember the same thing of Becs, too, but her tiny amount was much more varied- she loved fruit and meat, whereas Luke simply does not. I am not worried- this is normal and he only gets what I initially serve him- meaning, I don't cave and go get yogurt when he won't eat what I have. He still sleeps fine and after pouting about it, he is okay, even after almost skipping some meals. I will win and he will learn to eat more foods! ;)

This made my day! I had been driving his car all over him and going "vrooom." So, when I put the car down, he immediately picked it up, started driving over himself and going "MMMMMM"! Awesome boy!! He really is so cute and clever.

Also, this morning was the first time EVER he has been SITTING in his crib, waiting for me! He has only been able to push himself to sitting for a 3 or 4 weeks now and the sleep sack is a hindrance, so I was quite impressed!

Anyway, this is a buidling on campus and I LOVE ivy, so I finally took the time to photgraph it, albeit not well. This is where I want to do this year's Christmas picture, but in October or early Novmeber so the ivy will be really fallish! (RO, take note. ;))

Rebekah, as you know I am sure, ;) has serious language skills- she totally knows how to transform words into other parts of speech, especially into adjectives. For example, Josh calls a "poop" a "deuce" to be funny, so R will ask me to come check her "deuce"- which means her bottom to see if she needs more help with wiping. Anyway, the other day, we passed a dog poop and R asks, "What smells deucey?" Also, she asked if she could use more chapstick because she wanted her mouth to be "chapsticky." On another note, yesterday Rebekah came for help, yelling, "Mom! This is upside down and I need it upside UP!"

Great week!

I just wanted to say we are having a great week! Rebekah has gone above and beyond being a wonderful big sister- she has been loving on Luke and sharing even her most prized toys and treats with him.

As for Luke, he has been delightful! The whole last month was tough for him- he did get larengitis, 4 teeth, and 2 ear infections...go figure it was a tough few weeks. I kind of forgot how much all that can hurt. Now that he is feeling better, it's a whole new world for all of us. He's still not crawling, but he is very creative in his ways of scooting (sort of) and we are starting to see what he's interested in, which I love seeing. He reaches for every new texture (very me) and loves to feel everything (also very me). Yesterday morning, he saw he was getting a pancake for breakfast (left-over) and squealed in delight and immediately began to sign "more" passionately. :) He also has just been super-lovey- LOTS of sweet head lays on my shoulder and melt-my-heart grins at the same time. He has been okay with me leaving his sight most of the time and Josh has blessed me by taking both kids outside to play while I prepare dinner- that tends to avoid the major work-up and therefore makes dinner (being in the highchair) so much more pleasant for everyone. In fact, I was having so much fun with him last night during and after dinner, I forgot it was his bed time until he started rubbing his eyes and our babysitter showed up for our anniversary date!

Speaking of the date, we got to go our favorite restaurant on our actual anniversary for lunch (way more affordable) and had a great lunch. Then, last night we went to the "cinema"- tickets are about 8 pounds each ($12), but on Weds, with out mobile service, we can text for a buy one, get one ticket- so that's what we did and saw Star Trek. I have NEVER been a fan, but it was getting rave reviews and was actually quite good. We got home at 11 and Josh had downloaded American Idol! So, I do NOT know who won because we'll see it tonight, so don't say anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, when I feel like it, I'll take a picture of the cool flowers Josh got me!

p.s. Thanks, Katrina for staying with the kids! She said that last time, R asked her, "Katrina, when are you gonna start babysitting me?" Apparently, there were some unmet expectations. Also, as I was revving her up for getting babysat last night, Rebekah asked, "Are we going to the babysitting store?" I asked her where it was b/c I would definitely be interested in checking it out.

8 years...

That's how long we have been married. Yippee! I was walking with a friend last night who has been married for almost 11 years- listening to her tell her story reminded me of how wonderful Godly relationships really are!

Here's our story:

Long and short of it, I was sure I was going to be a foreign missionary. I would not even consider dating anyone unwilling to go with me. ;) Unfortunately, I had some pretty bad theology, and felt that all people were called to missions and that was all God was doing. Interestingly, I did meet Josh on a church retreat when I was a freshman at Texas A&M and he was a senior. I remember seeing him for the first time and thinking to myself how happy I'd be if I could date someone like that. We did end up flirting a bit, but he wasn't really interested because i was so young and he was actually co-oping as an electrical engineer that semester and therefore wasn't really around. I also met his awesome sister, Sarah, the same weekend and we became friends. I was hesitant to pursue much of a friendship with Sarah because I didn't want to use her for information. Anyway, flash forward to the next semester, in which i am a whole lot older, mind you. ;) Now, in high school, I took great pride in the fact that I got best dressed and rarely even wore jeans. I was always fully made-up with hair down my back. I guess after working at a summer camp, I lost some of the glam. Plus, I had been studying pretty hard this particular week- thuse my attire: pajama pants, a stained t-shirt, no make-up and my hair in braids- yikes!! So, bless his heart, Josh still talked to me and we ended up going to Subway for a quick bite. VERY long story short, I was mortified when I realized I didn't have my wallet with me, and I found out that Josh wa sthrilled because he could count it a date! He asked for my number and permission to call me. I was delighted. We dated for about a month and I was starting to get really scared. He had no plans to be a missionary. Uh oh. I ended up breaking his heart (and mine) by ending things. Josh did everythign he could to convince me we could serve the Lord in other ways, but I was terrified of actually caring for someone, so I said no. Josh continued to pursue me, but I got annoyed and he finally got the message.

That summer, I went to Spain to study and the Lord used it a wonderful place to teach me. First, I was beyond homesick. Secondly, through numerous conversations and TONS of alone time, I felt the Lord leading me to something else. I fell in love with the language and the Lord all over again. Upon realizing that I probably would not pursue missions, one of my first thoughts was "What about Josh Malone?" I quickly came to temrs with the fact that the Lord is sovereign and oes what He does in His own time and things were as they should be. I returned to school as a junior and chopped my hair to my chin- a huge step for me! I assumed that I still would never get marries because I was hoping for too much and had so little to offer in return. Josh had already graduated at this point and was working in Dallas, my hometown. Through divine intervention, he discovered that I has had a change of heart, but chose not to pursue because he was no longer in the area. Bless the Mortons (our best friends) for having their own wonderful story and getting married in College Station, thus bringing Josh back in my life. We ran into each other and he immediately commented positively about my hair. That afternoon, I was talking to my mom on the phone, lamenting that he did not ask for my number or email. I was actually opening my email at the time...crazyily enough, he had gotten my email and asked if it was okay to use it?! My heart beat really fast and thus began our internet relationship. He was training with his company and was able to fly into town every 2 weeks from his various locations (CO, CA, MN)- the first time he came in, he took me out to dinner and we took a long wlak where my the backs of my ankles actually were bleeding from my new shoes purchased for the date (I got some cheap flats b/c I wasn't sure he was taller than I am, and I didn't want the evening ruined by that)- so as he was asking for the honor of pursuing me, I was tucking my feet under me to avoid detection. That was Feb 11, 2000. We dated seriously and were able to live in the same town that summer, as he was building his new home in Plano- about 20-30 minutes north of my parents. He proposed on Oct 27 of that year- 8 months and 16 days after that fateful walk. He took me to an amazing restaurant and to apark, where he pulled out his guitar and pretended hew as making up a song that he had in fact written for this very occasion. He started off funny with the bloody ankles and worked his way to proposing. he even worked in the 8 months and 16 days part. I was crying by the end and wonderign how I was going to say yes since my dad had been out of town and there was no way Josh had talked to him. Much to my surprise, Josh had talked to him already, which is a good thing because the sight of my gorgeous ring he designed definitely outshone any obligatory feelings of parental respect.

We got married on May 19, 2001. He was an engineer and I started teaching high school Spanish that fall. It was that summer that he started seminary and all this craziness began!

To Josh-

I love you!! I LOVE that you risked everything for me and pursued me practically to the ends of the earth! I LOVE that you honored me physically and that we entered marriage (mostly ;) pure. We are human. I love that I was your first real kiss and you were my first real boyfriend. I love that you dated me with confidence and chose to love me for the rest of our lives. I love that you have given me the most happiness I could ever have anticipated. I love that you are the smartest man I know and definitely the best! I love that you respect your parents (way to go Mike and Phyllis- you did well!) and mine. I love that you love the Lord and not just books about Him. I love that you listen to me and that I have a real voice in our relationship. I love that we have never slept apart out of anger and that you have never let me fall asleep angry- even if it meant long hours of working it out. I love that you have given me the best 2 children ever and that you love them with every bit of yourself. I love that you are hilarious, especially with the kids. I love that you have accents when you read to them and NOTHING fazes you. I love that you were worried about the little lost puppy in the Elmo book because he never got found and that you don't like that Curious George is always naughty and the man in the yellow hat never learns to not leave that cheeky monkey alone! I love that you read a different version of George yesterday that included discipline for George's shenanigans. You are awesome!!

Life

This was at 9 pm a couple of days ago. It's still mostly light at 10 pm right now. The kids are sleeping great, and that was my only concern. Since it hasn't messed up the kids' sleep, I can now say definitively that I love this time of year! It's always light and you have so much more day.

This was during our Mommy-Daughter date yesterday. Months ago, we were going to rode the bus into town to avoid paying for unconvenient parking. However, the bus was full, especially since we had a stroller, and Rebekah was devastated. So, I decided to try again yesterday. We totally lucked out and got the 2-story bus both directions! Rebekah was beside herself all morning in anticipation of riding the bus! This was her face the WHOLE time!!

We went downtown to the malls that sadly do not offer play areas, so I compensated by getting her several treats, one of whichw as this wonderful chocolate M&M (they're on the other side- of course they're facing her so she can see them!) biscuit (aka cookie) on a stick! Yummy. Yes, I also got a biscuit, but opted for milk chocolate chip not on a stick. Hindsight, I should have gone for the stick! Anyway, it was a win/win for me. I got some badly needed one-on-one time with my favorite girl and got to do soem much-needed shopping...seriously! I went to our version of Walmart and they didn't have a blush or a brush! So, we hit the right stores and picked up a little of this and a little of that and had a delightful time! Granted, the whole time all Becs could think about was getting back on the bus...

We came home 3 hours later and Luke was still asleep! Seriously, I woke him at 8:10 am from 13 hours+ of night sleep, he went down at 10:15 and was still asleep at 1pm when we got home. We then went to KC Kangaroos (an indoor play area) until R said she wanted to go home for a nap (?!?), at which point we ALL crashed from 2:30-5pm! Luke then went back to bed at 7 and R wanted to go to sleep at 7:30! Do the math- Luke was up for 6 hours! That's nuts. While we're on Luke, bless him, he is back to himself! That means he shrieks to high heaven half the time I leave or move about the room, but is happy to play and smile most of the time. Whew! He was just delightful 99% of yesterday and 100% of today and it was so good to see him feeling better. However, tooth #7 is on the way- when my mom came 5 weeks ago, he had 2 teeth! Anyway, the poor boy has a lot going on, but was full of sweet snuggles and giggles today. He is off his meds and seems fine w/o them, so that is good and he still slept really well today.

We are amazed at whata wonderful big sister Rebekah has become. Today in church nursery, Luke did wail when he saw me leave. We also watched as Rebekah promptly sat next to him, put her arm around him, and explained that Mommy and Daddy were going to church but would be back. Oh my gosh- my heart almost burst. We have had lots of those moments recently. I really am quite proud of her. As we arrived at church even, Josh motioned for me to look in the backseat- Rebekah was holding Luke's hand and they were looking at each other while she smiled and he giggled. :) Precious.

Another Luke development: he is starting to try to put things inside other things. This seems advanced to me. ;) He tried to put goldfish snacks in containers, toys in baskets or buckets, tiny specks in other tiny things, etc. His fine motor skills are actually quite good, which we noticed b/c of his precise signing of "more" etc. He is also starting to mimic more. R was sucking her thumb and you could just see the cogs spinning in his head. He looked at his own thumb, studied her some more, put his in his mouth, tried it, and you could tell he must have thought, "What's the big deal with this? I got a paci!" We were so amused. Of course, he's mimicking noises and some "words"- he especially loves "Mack!" which we've been doing in honor of my niece, Riley Jane, who gives out "macks" liberally. (kisses of course) It may just be that Luke loves my kisses right on his mouth, but he is very tickled by it and sometimes tries (I think at least) to say "mack". And don't even start with me about not kissing my kids when they're sick. They are mine and I will kiss them as much as I want unless I'm sick- then I will spare them. :)

That's it for now.

Some of my favorite things

Yesterday was spent in the dumps for me emotionally. I'm not sure why, but I have days where everything just feels off. It was one of those and I chose to focus on all the things that are frustrating me instead of what I love. So, if you read yesterday's post that I deleted this morning, please forgive me for not being more generous of nature. (Love you, Billy)

As a result, I was asking the Lord to forgive my selfishness and help me focus on the right things. 2 things came to mind immediately- I bet you can guess what (or who) they are...

I love having a girl AND a boy! I love seeing their things all over the flat and their tiny (but getting bigger) clothes hanging on the line.

I love THIS girl! I love her inquisitive mind and sweet heart. I love how mush she desires to please us and how teachable she is. I love her enthusiasm and her tone of voice. I love how she tries to take care of all of us. I love her feistiness and her cute little walk.

I love how type-A she is and how everything has to be a certain way.

I love THIS boy! I love his grins and giggles. You know I love his feet. I love how he flaps his arms like he's going to take off. I love how he loves me. I love that he is cautious (like me). :) I love how he signs and how he likes to show off for Daddy as soon as he walks in. I also love how proud of himself he is when he signs. I love how his tummy gets round when he's full. I love how he'll sign for more of almost any carb.

Some general updates from the Malones:

Luke is doing better- still in a bit of a funk, but I saw some glimpses of his smiley self today at lunch. The kid would sleep all day this week if I'd let him! Seriously, there is a 3-minute window of soft sighs he makes that if I don't go in right then, he rolls over and goes back to sleep! After 2+ hour naps and every bit of 12 or 13 hour nights, he has the audacity to yawn after 30 minutes of being up. Crazy kid. Honestly, I'm glad he can sleep while obviously hurting and feel that the rest is helping him. However, I am ready to play with my boy again, so hopefully, next week will be easier for him. Fun things are that he is getting on all 4's, just not going anywhere. He can push to a sitting position 2 different ways. He also signs for "more" and "milk" very well. Additionally, he has entered the phase of handing us things for no reason. I forgot about that stage. I like it.

As for Rebekah, she is choosing some of her own clothes as you saw above. :) She is getting more adventurous and is very proud of herself when she catches herself from falling- she'll praise her own bravery. She also just started the "Watch me, Mommy! Are you watching?" and is VERY aware if you are not. She still asks a million questions, but they're getting harder. Uh oh.

And, for us, we're good. Josh is very busy turning in the last of 3 papers- totaling 60 pages and 6 weeks of work. I do my best to edit them, but conceptually they are way beyond me. (and, yes, I am a decent editor regardless of what you see on this blog- I was an English major- my issues here are twofold: a) I can't type and b) I don't reread my posts for errors from a)). In a week and a half, he'll have 3 finals. Then, he'll take some time off and then he'll start his master's dissertation. That will take the summer and in the fall, he'll begin the PhD stuff. His area of interest is the eternal generation of the Son- essentially that the Son has always been the Son in relation to the Father and not created as such. So, basically, he is doing a lot on the Trinity and working from Karl Barth's work, as well as numerous other sources. I THINK I got that all right. ;)

Morover, we are moving in July. Our lease is up here and the owners are returning from the States. So, we think we have a place lined up, but regardless, we are out of here by the middle of July. Josh's parents are visiting then, so it'll be a little crazy, but they are super-flexible and easy- it will be fine. We are going to stay in a house in Banchory (a cool little town 45 minutes away) part of the time, too, while they are here. I'll update on this more as I know more.

That's it for me. Hopefully, the kids will wake up soon so we can enjoy this gorgeous, blue day!

Poor Baby

Poor Luke indeed. I thought he was doing better yesterday, but his fever spiked again in the afternoon. He was still crazy-lethargic- tried to fall asleep on me many times (yes, loved it), but was obviously in a lot of pain. Sadly, I think he was too exhausted and sick to even cry much- here and there we would get some sad wails, but mostly he was just morose. Since it has been amazingly beautiful for 3 days (!!!!!!!), we went outside every chance we got- I figured the cool air would be good for hot buddy. Most of the time, he just sat limp in my arms. Bless him, though, he has been a champ sleeper. In fact, last night, he fell asleep in my arms (without a paci or fussing!) right after these pics.

On the bright side, Luke got to wear his shorts and short sleeve jammies last night due to his body temp and was adorably cute in them.

And did I mention it has been amazing outside? The forecast for the WEEK has suns in it- yes, sunS!! Multiple- this is phenomenal.

Secondly, I'd like to brag on myself- being an amazing wife and mother, I released Josh to get up early and leave, thus making me the first responder for the kids. That means I have been the one to get them up and going. Quite the feat, if I say so myself (and I do) since I haven't been the responder since before Luke!! I guess this makes me a normal mom. Whoa.

I am really missing being social, though. Last week, there was a stomach bug going around, so we didn't get together with anyone. Now, it is my son I am trying to shield the general public from. Man- my mom leaves and all hell breaks loose- I've had to parent during the day all by myself!! Actually, I have been doing okay at it- I feel quite accomplished that I can do it. ;) So, a big shout-out to the Creator of the universe for painting such a lovely sky this week- I think He did it for me.

Really sad Luke

Long story short, Luke was very lethargic yesterday. That's what triggered it for me- he had been snuggling someone when I left him at church nursery and I ended up going back down there, thinking, "if he's going to be giving out snuggles, I want them!" As I held his hot little body, it dawned on em that more was going on than his 6th tooth (which is peeking through!). Ended up Luke had 103 fever and 2 ear infections! Poor little guy. He just slept, yawned, sat in my arms, and yawned some more. Even though it was a Sunday, I was able to call a 24/7 clinic, they went thru a battery of questions on the phone, and saw us 30 minutes later. They worked us in quickly enough that we were able to hit a chemist (pharmacist) that was still open at 6pm. Yea for free care and prescriptions!!

Seems he takes after me in illness, too- we do love our sleep! This was after I turned off his sound machine, turned on the light, put away his laundry, and Rebekah sweetly said, "Luke, it's time to get up, buddy!" Yea for sleeping thru the night while teething and aching in both ears. Good boy.

Note- he is on his tummy with his knees tucked up under him- WHY WON'T HE DO THIS AWAKE????

I awoke him at 7:30 this morning to get going on the day and then again I accidentally woke him from his am nap. This morning he was out! Had I not felt like the meds were crucial, I would have left him alone. As for the nap, he had been making noises at 11:30 and had already been asleep for an hour and a half, so I went in and he was still asleep, but woke up while I was in there. Several times he has just lain in my arms, head on my shoulder and I have LOVED it!!! Sadly, though, Rebekah looked at me with a pitiful face and told me, "I need love, too." Actually, just now Luke is moaning awake and Rebes informed me, "That noise is just the wind." Do you think she's jealous?

This is my happy little buddy pre-illness. Cheeky, indeed. Yes, Becky, you're totally getting this onesie for #2! I told Carrie I'd take some pics of him so she could see his chub and wonder with me why he is only 25th % for weight....

The other day, I came in to see that Luke had a mountain of toys before him. Evidently, Luke "wasn't very happy and we have to keep him happy." For the record, I didn't hear a peep. I guess it worked.

She also was coloring with a black marker and told me she was "blacking." She then explained what that meant. I told her I got it. We then went thru "blueing and yellowing." Very clever.

She also splashed water on herself and I kid you not asked, "Mama, what shall we do about all this wetness?"

Maybe I mentioned Luke was waking up and has ear infections...maybe I should go get him.

Happy Mother's Day

Since Mum's day was in March here in the UK, I kinda keep forgetting that it is the real (I mean US) Mother's Day today. So, I just want to say happy day to my mom and to my mom-in-law.

Mom, you rock! You drop everything to come see us, regardless of where we live, and do everything with me! I hardly change a diaper while you're here or I'm there, and I love that!! You spoil me rotten and there is nothing you wouldn't do for Billy or me. I have always loved being your girl and now that I have a precious one of my own, I know how special that relationship is on the mommy side, too. I love you so much and am already eager to see you and go to Sonic!

Phyllis- you are the very best mother-in-law in the world!! I loved you from the get-go, but every year, and especially since having children, I have grown an even deeper appreciation for you. Your advice is always just what I need, but you are careful not to over-advise us either. You pick out the very best books for Rebekah and Luke, too! I love shopping and cooking with you and just being around you. I am so excited about your visit this summer, too!

All in all, even though I feel years away from my family, I have to admit, I still feel so blessed to have such great parents and in-laws. Thank you all for having great marriages, too- I LOVE that our children (and Billy's, too!) will have healthy marriages to look up to on all sides.

Sad Luke

Many of you think Luke smiles all the time. :) I thought this was hilarious!!!!

My favorite 28 pics of Luke...and fam

I have mentioned that my sweet and talented friend, Rachel O (lovingly referred to as RO), graciously took some great pics of Luke for his first birthday (and at his party). Anyway, she gave me a flash drive of all of them and I thought I'd show the world! You have seen some of these, but some are new. I'll be the first to say that a mother's love covers a multitude of issues. So, YOU may not love all of these, but they soooo represent my children and our family, so I am delighted with them- even the crying one!

We had planned on being outside and even tho it was gorgeous, it was crazy windy and frigid. Thus, Luke was very upset! Poor Rachel had to deal with a ticked off baby and a big sister who wanted to be in the middle of it all! So, Rachel kindly came over to our place and had very limited space to work in. Even with all that aside, I am sooo impressed with RO and how these turned out. Wished I had known her when we got married...and when the kids were born...and all of the kids' milestones.... :)