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So what's up?

Okay Just a few little updates. Yes it has snowed and alot! I took Oak outside to play in it for the first time and she loved it. She would walk a couple steps and bend down to look at the powdery white stuff then walk a bit more and turn and look at me and grin then fall on her butt. She looked like the Christmas Story kid with her huge coat on that she can't move in. She was so fun and I love her so much. She has also began to talk a little bit. She says "Hi" to everyone and everything. She knows sounds for elephant, bear, dog, cat, rooster, sheep, cow, boat, car, and she is just learning the lips and pucker sound for a fish(at least the sound that mommy thinks they make). She loves books and songs and her baby. She is a total cuddle bug and I don't mind that one bit. She has also started saying "Da Da a you?" ( Daddy where are you?) She dances and claps all the time. For anyone who has seen the movie THE JERK, her and I dance about as well as Steve Martin finding his rythm. Ha Ha but if she wants to dance then by golly I won't hold her back. Aaron's job is going great as is his schooling. He got straight A's this semester and he is greatly anticipating the rest of school to be over(actually we all are but what can ya do) I should be starting classes in January. I just have one more interview to get through then I am set. We are still running and training for Ragnar, just slowly. Between being sick, having work and school, a baby and traveling we try and sneak in to the gym 3-4 times a week if we are lucky. I wish I could go more but we will work on it. All of my clothes are to big and my so-called skinny jeans are now loose jeans which is kinda cool but I really love my clothes and now they don't fit as well as they did. Oh well shopping here I come. ha ha So that is what is up with us just so you all know we didn't drop off the planet. Some pics hopefully soon to come.

Difficulties Still Loom

First I just need to apologize for once again using this thing as a journal but I have so many thoughts right now and I feel like someone is listening. Life is so funny. You think that you are super human and invincible and then The Great Man Upstairs decides to bring you back to earth. My dear cousin, I just found out, is suffering from the same liver problems that I suffer from. My whole heart and faith are with him and his family right now. I haven't been sick in a little while and because I have recently been blessed with good health, I have felt invincible. Clearly with life no one is invincible. I have been brought back to the reality and reminded that I am not perfect nor is my health and because of this the Lord can take me at any time. I emphasize His time, not mine. My amazing mom reminded me that all we can do is live like we need to right now and it is what it is. So now, once again after a great reminder, Live it! My health is what it is and no amount of tears and worries will fix that. I have been a great wife, mother, daughter, friend, sister. I am truly happy. I know my Father and Brother live and I have complete faith in their plan. I love my family and my prayers are with my cousin and his family. God Be With You and the doctors treating you.

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Going Back To School People! WOOO HOOO!

Happy 1st Birthday Our Sweet Girl

This picture makes me melt... Gotta love party suckers...

Yummy... a candy covered baby!

The nieces and nephews were so great with helping Oak open her presents. They are awesome kids and I love em so much! I just need to brag by the way... I have the best family and the best in-laws ever to exist anywhere ever!!! I love you guys so much! You guys Rock!!!

Oak's pretty ball from Aunt Colettey.

This event has been bitter sweet. It is wonderful that my baby girl is growing up so fast. She is so smart and beautiful and I trully could not ask for a more perfect child but the memory of the nurse laying her in my arms for the first time in the wee morning hours of October 24 a year ago is so vivid to me. I ache to have these little moments back. Looking at this beautiful celestial being staring up at me and touching my soul deeper than ever has happened before, with just one look, still brings me to my knees. I love my daughter so much and I feel closer to my Father in Heaven in her presence than I do anywhere else on earth. I am so grateful to be the mother of a real live angel. Happy Birthday my sweet baby girl! We love you!

The Cake

So I tried making a LadyBug cake for Oak. It kind of looks like one but it kind of doesn't so if you think that it doesn't just consider it Rachel's attempt at baked abstract art. I am much better at eating cake than I am at decorating it. Sister's first bite.

Little bit more....
Almost done....

Ahhh, Finito and Chocolate Covered. I was cleaning out chocolate boogers the rest of the night. Oak sure loves sugar.

Oak's Window and The Legend of Pink Boots

Oak's new favorite thing is climbing on our floor heater and looking out the window. She will pound on the screen and let the world know that she is looking at everything. She just happened to be wearing her cute pink boots too.

So when I was a little girl there was this story that my parents and grand-parents always told me about the little girl with long blonde hair and pink boots. Well the wee one was me and my hair was so long it once reached my butt, and I had these Pink boots. I was very angry at my parents one day for something(I was a snot, my name was rotten rach) and I wanted to run away. So I did. My parents and grandparents said they watched me walk away really fast and all they saw was long blonde hair swaying from side to side as I stomped down the sidewalk in my stupid pink boots that I loved so much. Well I was at Wal-mart and saw these super cute pink boots that were Oaks size and I had to get them for her. I love them.

"A stone of stumbling, a rock of offense".

So I just heard Jeffery R. Holland's talk for the first time (I know a little late) and all I want to do is shout my testimony from the roof tops. The church is true! The Book of Mormon is true! Joseph Smith Junior died for something true and real and I am eternally in debted to him for his sacrafice! I love my husband with everything that I am and I love the child that we created out of our love for eachother! So take that world! I stand as a real witness to the divinity of Jesus The Christ and His true gospel and as God as my witness, I will stand as such until the end of eternity!

Oak's Western Wedding Attire

This is a picture of Oak at the Sheplers store just trying on a hat. I swear I have the cutest kid ever!!! Oak's skirt

Oak's Bow

Sorry it has been about a month since my last post. Times have just gotten crazy. So Ash is getting married in a week and the theme is western. So paisley, boots, and daisies. Totally Adorable. I decided to make Oak's outfit out of the same hankerchiefs we bought for the wedding and I was so proud of the outcome that I just had to share it with you guys. I made the bow out of the left over material from the skirt and the skirt was just a denim mini skirt from Wal-mart and I just sewed the paisley ruffle to the bottom. I love it and I know she is going to look absolutely adorable.

What would I die for?

These times and Aarons new obsession with politics have really got me thinkin lately about my life, my country, my religion, my faith, my values, and most of all my home and family. Is my home a refuge from the chaotic evils of the world? Do my children know who they are and where they come from? Do I live completely by faith or do I still doubt? Do my ancestors look down on me and smile because I hold strong to the freedom and values that they gave their lives for or do they cry because the memory of their lives and their beliefs have been lost?
I love my freedom of speech, religion, just my freedom to live the way I want, to raise my children the way I want, to love my husband, my God, my family the way I want. I love my simple, pure , honest, and good way of life. Will this change? Absolutely not?
While Aaron and I were having a discussion in the direction the world and our beautiful country are going, I asked him, "Honey the things that you love, the things that you get so heated about, would you die for them?" He replied with a fierceness in his eyes that I have only rarely seen " Rach, It is my duty as a member of this church and this country to fight for my family and their freedoms. If the Prophet said fight, I would."
So in response to all of this chaos in our wonderful country and our world, I say BRING IT ON! NO ONE TRIES TO TAKES AWAY MY FREEDOM WITH OUT EXPECTING A SWIFT KICK IN THE ASS IN RETURN! There you go honey, there is the response that has all along sat behind my calm demeanor about what you are so passionate about. I love you and who you are in everyway so rock on!
ONE QUESTION TO WHO MAY READ THIS...
WHAT WOULD YOU DIE FOR?

I want what you got!!!

Ha Ha I can't stop laughing. So Aaron is sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal and Oak crawls up to him and grabs the bowl cuz she's a wantin what he got. So Aaron loses grip of the bowl for a sec and cereal and ice cold milk spill all over the top of Oaks head. ha ha. So she is takin deep breathes trying to recover from the chill of the cow juice and Aaron and I are just rollin watchin her start to lick the milk from her face. It just made my day. Oh she is so cute!!!

Scramblin...

So Oak has started walking for reals for reals and she is so funny to watch. She will start at one spot in the living room and focus on where she wants to go next and as fast as she can, with all the might her chubby little legs can muster up, she scrambles to grab the next leg or piece of furniture before she face plants on to the carpet. She is so stinkin cute it drives me nuts. I will try to post a video but no promises. Electronics hate me!!!

Mommy's Heaven!

Ma ma ma ma ma ah ah ma! Na na na na! I just wanted to tell you of my love for this little girl! She is my piece of heaven on earth. Days spent listening to her sweet holar echo through the house, having her dive into my arms after she takes 5 good steps, her blowing rice cereal and apple sauce all over my fresh clean clothes after a shower, feeling her soft plump hands pinch my nose while we sleep. This life is so precious to me. Best of all is watching her big blues light up when daddy walks through the door after work. Life with my two best friends could not possibly get any better. I feel like the most blessed woman in the world. Thank heavens for little girls!

The last little while...

Hi!

So Court and I were tubing and she was pretty nervous about going fast. So we were just tuggin along at a pretty nice speed and the boat whips us and I end up flying off of the tube. Court had no idea so she is just hangin out tubing and smiling all big and she goes to turn her head to look at me and I am no where to be seen. My mom said that the look on her face at that point was priceless. Absolute freak out. ha ha I was just bobbing in the water and I all I hear is Court loud piercing scream "RACHEL!!!" It was hilarious.

Ha ha my sweet sleeping hat...

I know I have been struggling lately but I promise I have good reasons. So the 4th of July was awesome. We went to Provo and played with my in laws. We had a big lunch, water fight, craft time. Ya know fun Utah stuff, ha ha I loved it. Then we watched the fire works with Aaron's parents. It was so fun! I love my in-laws. So the picture with my monstrous behind was taken right before the fireworks. Then my mom and sisters came for a week long visit. We swam, and went boating. My family are some of the craziest, funnest people I know. I love them so much! We also had some new family pics taken but I will post those as soon as we get them. I will start being better about blogging, I promise

She is already standing!

yaY!!!
sO bIG!!!
SwEeT. lIttLE .ChEEseR
But Mom, It wasn't that big of a mess!


So our little one is sTaNDinG already. My heck, just 8 mOnTHs and she is aleady standing and taKiNG oNe sTeP. She is also getting into everything. I know people say that you regret saying that you wish they could start walking, I don't regret it at all. As much I love her being immobile, I would not change what she is now for anything. She is so fun. She loves playing chase, eating the same food as mommy, giving the same huge cheeser grin as mommy, cuddling and giving loves. She is perfect, and the sweetest, loveiest baby I have ever seen.

5 Generations and Going Strong

I just saw this picture in our picture folder and I have been wanting to post it for a while now, I just didn't know how to get my hands on it(JENNA!!!)haha But now I have one and here you go. This picture is of Oak and her GREAT GREAT Grandmother. Yes Sir, the math of that is 5 generations. From a past post you guys heard that this grandmother just recently passed away but it is so beautiful and amazing to me to see how she lives on through her progeny. My daughter, the product of five generations, and I have close to a hundred pictures of proof of this. How often does that happen? I don't think to often. To see the tears roll down my grandmothers cheeks as she held my daughter was life changing and testimony changing for me and those who witnessed it. She could not express through words what she was feeling but to watch her stare at Oaklee and lightly touch her sweet soft new hands with her worn wrinkled weathered hands was absolutely precious and unforgettable. It is something that I will never forget and never cease to tell Oaklee about.

SHE CLAPPED!!!!!! YAY

My sweethearts...

Oak and Daddy fell asleep today together and I had to take a picture. She has really been favoring daddy lately for naps(which I totally don't mind) and they look so cute. I fall in love with Aaron all over again when I watch him with Oaklee. He is the best father ever. Oaklee also has four bottom teeth now and her first top tooth just came in. Poor thing, she has had a hard time with it. She has also started standing all by herself for a couple seconds at a time. She is so strong and smart. I can't believe how fast she is growing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We have ourselves a CLIMBER!

So I am sitting here blogging and I turn around and Oak has climbed herself onto the stool. What the? She is only 7 months and she is climbing stairs, standing on everything, crawling like she is in dang marathon, and now climbing onto stools. Well shoot, We are in for a ride!

Happy 3 Years!!!

Top 3 reasons I Love You!
1. I love how after all this time, one look from your beautiful blue eyes still gives me butterflies
2. I love how we can laugh about nothing and everything every minute we are together
3. I love how much you love me!!!
Happy 3 years my best friend, the best is yet to come!

Oh, but mom!!!

I just thought this one was cute. She is telling me "Mom enough with the pictures!" I can't help it she is just so cute.
She loves climbing up to the TV stand cuz it is just her hieght. So she will stand there and pound on it but when she gets sick of it, she cries for me to come get her cuz she is to lazy to get down herself.
"OOOOO"
As you can see we got Oak a baby gate. I came into the living room the other day and could not find her but I heard her cute little "ooo" echoing up the stairwell. And there she was. She had climbed up 3 steps all by herself. That is great that she can climb but this little gal is not scared of anything and I think this showed that pretty well. So up goes the gate. She also loves playing with just random things that she can grab without mom taking them away first. Thus, Aaron's sweaty baseball hat. When I take it away she hollars at me "MA". ha ha It's hilarious!
She also now has 4 teeth, all of which are on the bottom gums so I kinda think she looks like a little bull dog. It's cute! She crawls everywhere so fast and loves it. She likes to play chase with me when she is crawling too. She squeals when I catch her. Oak is such a joy and mommy's best friend! She is such a funny girl and I look forward to the joys and trials she will continue to bring. Uh I love her!!!

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

Dinosaur Hike!!! Woo Hoo

So anyone who knows what Vernal is famous for,(besides being out in the middle of no where ha ha) it is dinosaur tracks. So we decided to take a hike out here that leads to some tracks. There were some adult ones and baby ones. The lake out here is gorgeous too. The water was beautiful and very high so in order to see most of the tracks you had to walk out a bit but it was still very hard to see. Oak is not a fan of cold water or hiking for that matter, she crashed before we even got back to the car so poor Aaron carried all the way back. He told her to buck up because we are a hiking family not a crying family ha ha. It was fun!!!

Trouble just starting!

Just got these pictures of her playing inside of a hamper and pulling out wipes and eating them. She loves wipes and throws a fit if ya try and take them away. ha ha she is so cute!!!