Relaxation in the Mountains...Ahh!

We enjoyed a couple of days in the mountains last week. The girls and I left for Ruidoso on Tuesday morning with my mom and dad and Grandma and Cory joined us Wednesday morning. We had a great trip down there. Rhealee traveled like a champ, which is not normal.

We enjoyed several days of the cool pines and afternoon showers (including the afternoon we had a tee time). We didn't do much but relax and do a little sight seeing. We went to Flying J's one night, did a little shopping and then rode go-carts on our way out of town. We had a great time and were so grateful for the time we got to spend with family.

Rhealee on the way home. She screamed from Ruidoso to Roswell. At Roswell we stripped her down and that made her happy, she slept the rest of the way home! Taryn enjoying a movie! She loves "her" new car.

Taryn got to ride the little go-carts by herself. She was about an inch short of being able to get the peddle pushed down enough to give it any juice. The girl working the track, helped her get around a couple of times. She is just growing up way to fast!

Taryn getting ready to ride the go-carts with daddy. She loved riding the big go-carts with Cory and I more than the little ones, cause they went fast!

Rhealee and her adorable little gummy grin that melts my heart!

My little family!

Taryn and Rhealee with Doakie, Gramps and Great-Grandma.

Taryn enjoying some watermelon! This child loves watermelon but it was to cold outside to really enjoy it!

Look at that excited face. She couldn't wait to get her hands on piece of watermelon!

Taryn and Gramps watching the Gun Fight at the Flying J dinner show.

Taryn riding the pony at the Flying J Ranch. She loved getting to do this!

Rhealee was one tired little lady. She didn't want to miss anything. She took this little nap and then enjoyed the show! She did really good.

Cory and his girls!

Doakie and Rhealee just hanging out.

Taryn and Gramps!

The woodpecker that made a lot of noise during our hot dog supper one night!

Pretty Lilly in the pond beside the cabin we stayed in. It didn't even look real until we got closer.

Taryn and Gramps watching Rhealee play pool.Taryn loved playing pool. We taught her the concept of hitting the white ball on Tuesday and when Cory got to the cabin on Wednesday morning that was the first thing she wanted to show him.

Rhealee watched us play pool and would get so excited when the balls would hit. So when we finished we let her get up on the table and play with the balls. She loved it!Rhealee on the way down. She enjoyed having her Doakie ride beside her and was a great little traveler.

Taryn enjoying the ride to Ruidoso. She has always been a great traveler!

4 Months Old

Rhealee turned 4 months last Sunday (7-12). My time does fly. We took her for her 4 month check up on the 10th . She weighed in at 13lbs 5oz (55% percentile) and 25 inches long (95% percentile). Everyone tells us how little she looks and she does some days then other days I think she is so big already. She is one long and skinny kiddo.

Dr. Landry was impressed by her head and body control. Her laughing and grabbing objects. We got the ok to start her on cereal, fruits and veggies. This has been a learning process for all of us. Rhealee doesn't quite know what to do with her tongue yet. Taryn was a natural at eating so we did not have this problem so I am having to learn to scoop what comes out of her mouth.

Rhealee is pushing herself up and scooting on her tummy already. It wont be long before she is crawling after her big sister. Watch out Taryn! Rhealee is a great roller. If there is something she wants to look at when she is on the floor she rolls right to it. It is so fun to watch babies learn and develop. They are truly amazing.

Rhealee is going to be a talker. She is constantly babbling and talking to us. She lights up like a Christmas tree when you talk to her, especially when Taryn talks to her. Rhealee loves to be sang to and Taryn loves to sing, so there is a lot of that going on in our house right now. Every morning Taryn and I have to sing Rhealee her morning songs: Good Morning (a made up mommy song), This is the Day and Jesus Loves Me. Our days just go better when we sing every morning.

Rhealee smiling for the camera. I love gummy baby grins, they just melt my heart.

Rhealee playing in her sit and spin. Taryn wasn't long enough for this until she was 6 months old. Rhealee has plenty of length on her to make it work.

4th of July...What fun we did have!!!

Ugg I always put the picture in the wrong order!!!

We just got back from Lake Graham and the Jones family reunion (Cory's family). It occurs every year around the 4th of July. We always have so much fun seeing family we only get to see once a year. We spend time on the lake, visiting, eating, eating, and eating some more. You leave the lake exhausted and sun burned. But you never want to leave and look forward to coming back again next year.

A first occurred at the lake this year. Tori got engaged. We missed the actually engagement cause we had sleepy girls, but on Saturday night we had fun embarrassing the newly engaged couple.

We dressed them in lake wedding attire, played Going to the Chapel, made them dance, and then toss the bouquet of lake flowers. It was a blast.

Joyce caught the bouquet of flowers. Hmmm....is there something you forgot to tell us Ganky? The Happy Couple! Yes Cousin Kelcie and I made their wedding attire all by ourselves. We are for hire if you are interested. Don't they just look lovely.

Part of the fun at the lake is the popping of fireworks. Last year Taryn didn't care for them because they were loud. This year she was brave and wanted to pop her own.

Taryn watching from the shore. She wanted to do her own. Cory let her and it was interesting to watch. The first one went right into the lake where it was suppose to go. The second one went into a group of trees where family was sitting under. Surprisingly there were no more fireworks, they all disappeared.

Taryn and I watching the fireworks from the shore. We had fun. Rhealee slept through all the loud bangs and pops going on. She was in the cabin and never budged.

Sparklers were interesting with an almost 3 year old. Especially when she wanted Cousin Tyler to take them and she tried to hand them to him over a very large box of fireworks. Good think Tyler was quick.

Rhealee was the star of the weekend. Everyone wanted to hold and play with her, so she was passed around and played with all weekend. Here she is with Cousin Kelcie. It was so hot at the

lake. Both the days it was 103-110 degrees. We just let her run around in her diaper. She was a great baby even in the heat!

Kelcie you sure look good holding a baby!!!

Rhealee and Cousin Kelcie talking to each other. Rhealee talked and laughed for everyone.

Rhealee and Cousin Sharla. Rhealee loved people to hold her especially when they had just come up from the lake and they would hold her and cool her off. Thanks to everyone who helped take care of Rhealee this weekend. You are wonderful! We took Taryn and Cory's sister Robin and her kids out on the boat for some water sports aka intertubing. Taryn watched some of the bigger boys tube first and get thrown off and do flips. When it was time for her and me to go we were able to stay on for a bit. While we were out on the tube she told me she wanted to "fly off like those boys did". So I held on to her and we slid off the back of the tube. She thought that was great and laughed until Cory came back for us.

Later she decided that she wanted to go out on the tube with just her and her "Meme" known to the rest of the world as Megan her cousin. So out they went on the tube by themselves. I told her she would probably fall off and if she did just to stay calm and we would come get her. They didn't make it very long before they sank the front. Sure enough they were in the water and we had to circle around to get them. She didn't get scared just sat there bopping in the water. I was a little nervous having my little girl just sitting in the big lake by herself.

After everyone was done in the tube she wanted to go again so we let them go out and we pulled them into shore and they didn't fall off.

Here they go. Aren't they such big girls!!! I was proud of her and sad at the same time cause she is growing up so fast!

The Rekeita Family having some fun on the lake!

Taryn and I going after some big jumps. Hehe we didn't get over 5mph. It was fun anyways! We have the same look on our face!

Weee are having so much fun!!!

Taryn "driving" the boat! She did a great job.

Robin and Tyler out on the lake! Hold on Robin your about to go flying!

Taryn style fishing. She would catch the minnow and move it from one bucket to another and thought she was catching fish. Too cute!

Cory getting some fishing time in! Did you catch anything big daddy?
Taryn still fishin'!!

Taryn enjoyed jumping off the floating dock into the water! She did this on her own with no fear. She is growing up so fast!

Megan getting ready to jump in!
Taryn wore her daddy out! She wanted to do nothing but play in the water. Daddy was a little sore from constantly having to chase her around the water. He is such a good daddy and enjoyed every minute of their time in the water.

Look at the big girl getting ready to jump in the water!!

More floating going on. Taryn didn't get to much of a sunburn except on her little bottom and that came from floating on the tube. Cory on the other hand looks like a raccoon.

Happy 90th Birthday MeeMaw and Summer Fun in the Sun!

We celebrated MeeMaw's 90th birthday in Plainview at the end of June. 90 years in an amazing lifetime of memories and stories. Joyce had spent weeks putting together a scrapbook of MeeMaw's life. It was filled with wonderful pictures and stories of her life. It is sad to see such a great life beginning to fade away. She is does not remember her own children most of the time and never remembers her grandkids or their families. It hurts to see someone lose their memory. Needless the family had a great time getting together and laughing and spending time together.

UMMMMM....sugar....give me more!!! Aunt Jana gave Rhealee her first taste of icing. She really enjoyed the sugar.

MeeMaw giving Rhealee sugars. She loved the "baby doll" and wanted to love on her. Taryn helping MeeMaw blow her candles out.

MeeMaw directing all of us as we sang Happy Birthday to her. She didn't understand that we were all there for her.

We have had a great summer even though it has been REALLY HOT!!! We bought a little pool for Taryn to play with in the backyard. She loves it! She jumps in and out running all around. She loves to water the yard with the big flowers.

Rhealee is enjoying the summer also. She is getting so big and laughing and smiling almost all the time. We do have some moments when she is fussy and just wants to cry but most of the time she is smiling and laughing.

She looks so much like Taryn did at this age. But I just love this smile...it melts my heart. We have enjoyed the water this summer and using our friends Paige and Greg's pool. Rhealee loves the water and just goes nuts when you put her in there.

Taryn is a water bug...she never wants to get out when we tell her its time to get out. She has become very independent in the water also. She is not scared to jump off the ladder to the water by herself.

OHHHHH I Love this water!! Please let me swim on my own dad.