Back to School!

This morning, Rachael left for her first day of 2nd grade! I wasn't able to watch her get on the bus because Dustin had his Kindergarten assessment at the same time her bus picked her up. Oh, well! Daddy, Claire and Hillary sent her off. This is the first of 3 kids going to school this year. We get to have 3 first days of school over the next 3 weeks. So next Monday I'll post about Dustin. Growing up my mom always put a note in our lunch the first day of school and I started that tradition with Rachael last year. Hopefully it will be a nice reminder to her that Mom loves her and is thinking about her today!

Happy 7th Birthday, Rachael!

Seven years ago this morning I was handed one of the biggest if not THE BIGGEST surprise of my life. My first baby was born 5 weeks early, little Racha-Frecha. We were so not ready, had no diapers in the house, clothes were not washed, and had only days before finished our childbirth class. At 10:00 the night before Keith had come home from Scofield to find me already in bed (no big surprise) and since I was awake I figured it would be a good time to use the bathroom. I stood up and felt a gush between my legs and the first thought that came to my mind was "Have I lost complete control of my bladder?" Nope. We got to the hospital about 1:30 am and 8:02 am I met my daughter, the skinniest most gangly thing I had ever seen. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of dark, curly hair she had (where did it go?) But most of all I was amazed at how instantly the love you have for this new little one completely washes over you and fills you until you are about to burst.
I don't know where the last 7 years have gone. I have learned so much from you and consider it an honor to have you call me mom. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, sweetheart!

Here are 7 of the things I love about Rachael.

1-She is the best helper in the world. She is like the 2nd mother in our house and never complains when I call on her to help with a task.

2-She loves music, singing and playing the piano. (Don't know where she got that from :))

3-She is an excellent student and enjoys learning new things. She can't wait for school to start on Monday.

4-Rachael wears her heart on her sleeve and is so sensitive to those around her. I appreciate how she knows when I need a hug and a kiss.

5-She is the best big sister you could find. Whether she admits it or not, she loves to play with her little sisters and wrestle with Dustin.

6-I love that Rachael is so like me. On the outside she may look like her dad, but I'd say she has more of me in her.

7-I'm grateful that she chose us to be her family.

I'm Pooped

One more busy week has passed and I feel like I might pass out! Thanks to Keith's work we received a week long pass for our family to visit each of the attractions at Thanksgiving Point. On Wednesday I came down with a bug that seems to be traveling through the Braithwaite side of the family and I still don't feel great. To top off the week, Keith took Thursday and Friday as vacation days so we decided to do our first official camping trip as a family. It went well, and we have acquired some knowledge as to what we should and shouldn't do next time. I hope you all enjoy the pics, I'm off to get some rest!

Before Much More Happens....

....and it will, I wanted to thank my niece, Beka for spending this past week with us. The kids enjoyed her so much. She always had some fun game or idea for them to play. They built a "house" under the stairs, rode bikes around the block, did the slip-n-slide, not to mention the help she was to me babysitting when I needed it.

The Church History Museum

While Beka was in town, we decided it would be a good idea to head up to SLC and see the "I am a Child of God" exhibit at the Church History Museum. It was nice to have an extra set of eyes and hands to keep track of the kids. We had a ball and I would encourage those of you who can to make an effort to visit. The display was so interactive and the kids had so much to do. My brother TJ also came to join us. Then we had fun walking around Temple Square.
I just wanted to take this chance to say how grateful I am for my wonderful kids and husband and how much it means to me for us to be an eternal family, one that started at the Salt Lake Temple, almost 9 years ago.

Darci's Baptism

Yesterday, our niece, Darci was baptized. It was such a special occasion with all the family that came to support her (barring the huge accident on I-15 that took 40 minutes to get through). I was especially touched when Darci called and asked Rachael to sing a solo during the program. She did such a good job singing "When I am Baptized" but what made it most special was for her to do it for her favorite cousin. Congratulation's Darci, we love you very much and are so proud of you!

Super Summer Shin-Dig!

We booked it home from Darci's baptism to make it to Omniture's summer party. Considering that Keith's previous job had no family parties, not even one where a spouse was invited, I was unsure what to expect. OH---MY---GOODNESS, what a blast!!!! It was held at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point. I'm not sure what the kids loved most, the rides (a ferris wheel and something called the Tornado), the face painting, the games, the blow up slides and climbing wall or the endless supply of free drinks, sno-cones, cotton candy, popcorn, churros....Holy Cow, need I go on?!?!?!? There was also entertainment, and a spectacular firework show, the best I have ever seen! Needless to say, we can't wait until next year. Here's some pics of all the fun we had!