rayna ramblings

Family Fun!!

2011-05-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

Me and my little sis

Happy Mother's Day!

A fun visit with Pappy!

Hanging out with Cousin Katie

Fun at Cousin Madelynn's 1st B-day

Cute Shoes!!

Look Who's a Big Sis!

2011-01-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Rayna showing off her new baby sister, Karra Rae, born Jan. 4.

A Pumpkin Picking, Trick-or-treating Good Time

2010-10-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Mountains Fun

2010-07-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

2010-03-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been a Slacker!

2010-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

For those of you still stopping by my blog, I'm really sorry it's been so long since I've made any updates. I realized I missed Christmas, Rayna's birthday and all the snow!! To make up for it, here's a little collage of photos from the past few months! I'll try to be better about posting photos, but one of my biggest challenges is the fact that Rayna is very random about getting her picture taken. Sometimes she's all about it and actually asks me to take her picture, but most times she gets mad when I pull out the camera.

Taking a stroll on the beach at Thanksgiving with Grammy, Grandpa and Katie.

Picking out a Christmas Tree with Mama and Papa.

Posing with Sugie for the Johnson's annual Holiday Postcard.

Enjoying one of the many snowstorms this winter.

Rayna chose a Madagascar theme for her 3rd birthday.

Happy Be-Lated Halloween!

2009-11-05T09:09:00.001-08:00

Rayna having fun trick-or-treating with her cousins, Nick-Nick and Thomas

Pumpkin Time!

2009-10-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Fun at the East Pennsboro Pumpkin Fest

The petting zoo was a highlight for Rayna... especially holding a bunny.

That's our little "lady" playing on the inflatable slide!

Hmmmm....Pumpkin Funnel Cake!!

Let the Fall Fun Begin

2009-10-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

We kicked off October with a trip to Little Buffalo State Park's Fall Arts Festival. Rayna had a blast making crafts, dancing with a Gypsy and watching the sun set over Lake Holman. We're excited about October and all the fun to be had enjoying fall festivities!

Our Personal Nature Guide

2009-09-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of visiting with our good friend and nature buff Tim a couple weekends ago. It was actually the first time Rayna got to meet him, and needless to say she thought he was the next best thing to Diego! He introduced her to all kinds of fun nature stuff like crumbling dried leaves and making seed pods pop. And he did LOTS of silly things to make her laugh. Hopefully it's not too long before we see him again ... who knows maybe Rayna's first airplane ride will be to Seattle!

Play Time!

2009-08-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Rayna and her BFF Sydney test out Adventure Zone to see if it meets their playground standards.

Family Fun Mountain Style!

2009-07-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well after car problems, thunderstorms and several stops to change movies, we joined the Gaumers for a long weekend in the mountains. I don't think I've ever seen the cabin so "full"... of kids, clothes and food! Even though it rained every day we still had pockets of nice weather to enjoy some hiking, biking, creek playing and marshmallow toasting. Unfortunately my photos are limited since I had to send my camera home with the hubby so he could take pictures of him playing baseball (which may I add that out of the three he took only one wasn't blurry). I think it's safe to say that everyone had fun, especially Rayna and Nicholas.

A Fun Fourth!

2009-07-09T04:46:00.000-07:00

Kayaking 101

2009-06-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally gave in to Papa and let him take our little girl kayaking. I agreed to lake kayaking, but told him it would be a while before he could talk me into taking her on a creek. I'm not sure who was more excited about it, him or Rayna. Although she wasn't too happy about the lifejacket at first, she put up with it long enough to go around the lake. And after we had our picnic dinner, she actually grabbed the jacket and told us she wanted to go again. She took her little "caiman" (the alligator on Diego) along for the ride, too. After kayaking her and papa went swimming in the lake. Of course, she wouldn't even stick a toe in for me, but for papa, she went in all the way up to her neck! Oh well, everything with papa is just more fun.

Beach Party

2009-06-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Rayna's First Music Festival

2009-05-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

It was the best of times...

We decided this year was the year to introduce Rayna to the wonderful world of music festivals. We heard about DelFest and it sounded perfect... very family friendly and featuring incredibly awesome bands including Railroad Earth, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush and of course Del McCoury. There was even family camping, a Kid Zone and a special concert for the kids. We were a little worried about how Rayna would be with the whole festival environment ... I'm not really sure why ... it was obvious that it's in her blood. Between making new friends within the first five minutes of setting up camp, dancing to blue grass, sleeping in a tent, hula hooping and sleeping on a blanket while Railroad Earth played (Mama was especially happy that she got to see them!) it's safe to say she had a blast!

It was the worst of times...

Then the rain, wind and hail came. One minute we were sitting listening to Sam Bush and the next minute we're running for shelter from the worst (and scariest) storm I ever experienced. Rayna and I stayed under a pavillion covered in a blanked to protect us from the wind and hail while Ryan ran to the tent to try and secure everything. When it finally subsided we made our way to our campsite which Ryan had managed to keep from blowing away, only for it to start up again! Finally we made a run for the car. Four hours later, it was all over and in its place was flattened tents, camping equipment floating by, busted sun shades and soaking wet gear! We were forced to cut the trip short, but still able to end on a good note with hearing Old Crow Medicine Show before we left Saturday night!

So, would we do it again... Del Yeah! Already looking for another festival!

Down on the Farm

2009-05-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

Going "down to the farm" is one of Rayna's favorite weekly excursions. Unfortunately, our visits are only a few hours long and usually hectic in order to visit with everyone. Friday, however, we actually had the luxury of spending a very leisurely day there. Rayna's priorty of course was playing with Nick Nick which she got to do all morning. They played with trains and then took a walk with Aunt Kendie and I to play with the neighbor's goats. The evening brought more time with Nick Nick and also Katie and Thomas, as well as another walk with Grandma. It was a great day that left me feeling rejuvenated, nastalgic and craving for our own home in the country. Some day :) Until that happens, there's always our weekly trips to Grandma and PaPa's.

Not a baby anymore

2009-05-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple photos of my "little girl" for those of you who have missed my postings. Sorry I've been a slacker lately. The nice weather has meant less time on the computer and more time outside!

Gotta Love Those Baby Blues

2009-03-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Future Farmers of America

2009-03-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

Rayna had a blast today at her friend Evan's "Big 2" birthday party. I think Rayna got to see just about every farm animal except Mama's favorite... goats! She was definitely into the turkeys, and she even got to feed a baby lamb. It was the perfect day with temps in the 70s! For those of you who don't know Evan, his mom and I were pregnant at the same time while working at JPI. They're only three months apart, both have grandparents who live on farms, and only live a couple miles from each other. Evan's mom Jamie and I always joke that they're going to be the Prom King and Queen of Cedar Cliff High School someday.

The Cure for Cabin Fever

2009-02-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say that I'm already counting down the days until warmer weather is here. Thankfully there are days like today that make it a bit easier to get through the rest of the winter. At a balmy 50 degrees we decided to get outside and enjoy the sun. Our original plan was to take a hike on the AT, but since Rayna took an unexpectedly long nap we decided to stay closer to home and visit Wildwood Lake Sanctuary in Harrisburg. We stopped in at the nature center first and let Rayna play in the kids' room and in the "underground" tunnel. Then we walked around the wetlands and looked for birds, squirrels and other signs of animal life. Rayna had so much fun that she didn't even try once to take off her coat or boots (which has been typical as of late). Even with the warmer temps, all the paths were still covered with snow and stomping through the snow was one of Rayna's favorite parts. A couple times she almost walked off the boardwalk because she was too busy looking down at her feet!

Go Rayna, Go!

2009-01-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

It was the best Diego birthday party I've ever been to... actually it's the only one, but that's beside the point. Rayna got to celebrate her birthday twice. Once with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and then with just Mama, Papa and of course Sugie. I think it's safe to say that between Christmas and her Birthday, she knows what presents are and how to open them. I think she ate enough sweets in three days to last a lifetime. But Sugie helped her run it off. [I'd like to give a shout out to all my sister's coworkers who faithfully check out the blog...I know you'll love this video.]

Celebrating the big "2"

2009-01-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

Wow! I feel like I was just posting Rayna's 1st year blog! From walking to running to talking it's been a fun and exciting year for our little girl filled with many "firsts," as well as momentus events. To celebrate her big "2" here are a few highlights from the past year.

Getting her 1st year pictures taken

Learning to eat spaghettios

Biking with mama

Kayaking with Papa

Discovering that Easter eggs have treats in them.

Helping Mama in the garden

Hiking on the AT

Playing in the sand at OC Maryland

Getting licked by a reindeer at Lake Tobias

Meeting her twin cousins from Connecticut

Hangin' out with her BFF Sydney all summer

Riding on PaPa's tractor

Tailgating too hard at the Eagles game

Meeting Ernie!!

Playing in the leaves

Celebrating the Phillies winning the World Series

Trick-or-treating with Nick Nick

Picking out a Christmas Tree

Happy Birthday Princess!

Family Snapshots

2009-01-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

Holiday Cheer!

2008-12-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be... BUSY!! This time every year, Ryan and I collapse on the couch and swear that next year we're going to stay in our PJs the entire Christmas holiday and not leave the house. But it's never that easy. And honestly... even though I get a little stressed over shopping, traveling and getting the annual Johnson postcard sent out, I love every minute of it. Christmas with Rayna this year was a lot of fun to say the least. We baked cookies, saw Christmas lights, sang Jingle Bells, watched Rudolph and Frosty about a billion times and she even sat on Santa's lap (for two seconds). It was definitely a Merry Christmas! Below are a few "fun" outtakes from the Holiday postcard photo shoots. See you all next year!!

Many Thanks

2008-12-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

OK... I know Thanksgiving was like two weeks ago, but things are crazy this time of year. Still, it's my duty to include a blog entry about our Thanksgiving festivities. This year we had much to be thankful for, including our health, family and friends and especially surviving our first year on basically one income. We were also very thankful for the beautiful 60-degree weather we had in Ocean City over the holiday (In case anyone was wondering why I have pictures of Rayna at the beach in winter clothes for our Thanksgiving entry). Rayna's list of things she's thankful for is very long, but here are just few I'm guessing top the list: Playing with Sugie, Gummies, Diego, Cooking with Papa and Rocking with Mama (that would be rocking in a rocking chair... sadly my head-banging days are over).

Snow Much Fun!

2008-11-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

As I was suiting Rayna up to go play in the snow this morning, I had visions of The Christmas Story. Between her puffy jacket and her big boots, she could barely move. But I think I may have created a monster. Now she understands what snow is and that you can play in it, so every time she saw it snowing today she started begging to go outside and play. That would be fine, but after being outside for five minutes, she wants to take off all her clothes! I guess that's what I get for letting her run around outside in her diaper this summer! Well, here's to the first snow of the winter!

Fall Family Fun!

2008-11-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

Lucky for us, Fall seemed to last a little longer this year. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have had the chance to squeeze in a Fall family photo session this year. Even the day we picked ended up turning overcast and dreary. But we managed to find some areas that still had beatiful colors. As you can see from the pictures Rayna loves the outdoors as much as her Mama and Papa. We've been doing little hikes with her here and there. And when I say little, I mean little... and slow. A typical hike begins with us starting out all together keeping a good pace, then suddenly Rayna sees something on the ground that she wants to investigate, which usually takes 10 minutes. I carry her on my shoulders so we can catch up to Papa, and the we start the process all over again. It's worth it though... we love seeing her explore and learn what different things are in the woods.

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Funny Farm

2008-10-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

Rayna loves spending time down on the farm. Her favorite is riding on PaPa's tractor, but she also loves seeing the cats and ponies. During a recent visit, Rayna had fun horsin' around with Aunt Kendie while she posed with Uncle K-K for a close up.

Breaking news: Dad gets stuck in play house

2008-10-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what made Papa decide to go in Rayna's play house... maybe it was the eggs and peas with ketchup that she made special just for him to eat. He never could turn down a free meal. To everyone's surprise he did fit (sort of). The best part was watching him trying to get back out. I almost thought I was going to have to call 911! Oh the silly things parents do for their kids.

Time to Play

2008-10-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Now that Rayna is VERY mobile, it's a lot harder to get those "perfect" photos that were so much easier when she couldn't run from the camera. So now, I've been having fun just following after her and getting whatever pictures I can. Here's a taste of playtime with Rayna...

Taking "Chicken" out for a stroll.

Looking for ants.

And of course, playing with Mama!

It's In the Genes

2008-09-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

My grandfather had an infamous habit of sticking his tongue out when he was in a state of deep concentration. I can still picture him sitting there putting together puzzles or shelling peas, with his tongue clenched between his teeth. Over the years, it's been the running joke whenever any of us kids would be caught doing the same thing, we'd hear or say, "Oh they must get it from Grandpa." Lately, I've noticed Rayna doing things with her tongue sticking out. Usually when she's running, which scares me that she'll bite it off if she falls. But I've also caught her doing it while she's reading books or playing with her Backyardigans' Circus. I love the idea that it's a family gene that she inherited from my grandfather. I know he'd get a kick out of seeing it, too. Whoever she takes after, she's full of personality that's for sure. I find myself biting my own tongue every day to keep from laughing out loud at some of the naughty things she does or says, like holding her finger up to me and saying "No, no, Mama!" or "Top (stop) it, Mama." Usually when she's naughty I blame Ryan saying it's his side of the family. When she's sweet and gentle, like playing with our cat Fred, and saying "Awww Fwed, awww Fwed" she totally takes after me!

Go Eagles!

2008-09-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

If there's one piece of advice I could give to a new mom, it's to make sure you have an extra outfit packed somewhere deep within the diaper bag for yourself! Let's just say I found out the hard way. As you can imagine taking Rayna to her first Eagles football game was a big day for her ... and her Papa. But if I would have had to guess who the first Johnson would be to throw up in the Linc, it wouldn't have been Rayna! Yep that's right... the poor little Eagles fan had too much excitement and at the very tippy-top of the stadium she decided to let it all out. Luckily we managed to escape being on the big TV! But, I think it's safe to say it will definitely be a memory we'll never forget. So for this year I think Papa will be watching the rest of the games from the couch.

An Ernie Obsession

2008-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

In case you've been sitting on the edge of your seats wondering who Rayna's favorite Sesame Street character is... drum roll please... it's Ernie!! I'm not exactly sure how he managed to beat out Elmo and Abby Cadabby, although they do come in a very close second and third. Over the last six months we've watched as Rayna sort of developed a slight obsession with Ernie. Besides the fact that she carries around a little stuffed Ernie doll (which she stole from her cousin Nick Nick), she squeals when she sees him on TV, refuses to wear anything but her Ernie T-shirt, and God forbid we cover up the T-shirt with a bib! And then there was our recent trip to Sesame Place where she got to meet Ernie! She actually walked right up to him and gave him a hug. At 18 months old, my daughter is an Ernie groupie! Still, it makes us laugh to see her enthusiasm and her eyes light up with excitement over a little orange puppet.

It's Potty Time

2008-08-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

So this is the type of picture that 16 years from now Rayna will absolutely despise me for, but oh well. It's my job to capture every "first" moment, from eating her first spoons of baby food to sitting on the potty. Actually, I never thought it would be happening this soon. A few friends and family had asked me whether I started potty training, and I sort of brushed it off because I figured 18 months old was too young. But what do I know. She decided last week that she wanted to sit on her Elmo potty and to both our surprise, she took her first "tinkle." I believe her exact words were, "Uh Oh" as she realized what she was doing. Now she loves letting me know when she has to "pee pee," which is usually 10 times a day. Most of the time she just likes to sit on the potty with her diaper on. She still hasn't actually had a second successful "tinkle." During this particular trip to the bathroom, she was having so much fun trying to get her baby to sit on the potty, that she ended up going too... on the floor beside the potty! Still it's fun to watch her explore this new milestone, although I try not to get too excited about the thought of diaper-free days because with her rapidly approaching the terrible twos, I'm well aware it could be a long way off.

Rayna's BFF

2008-07-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

I knew one of the things that would be challenging with staying at home with Rayna would be exposing her to other kids her age on a regular basis. Fortunately, I've been lucky in that our next door neighbors watch their granddaughter, Syndey, who is 2 years old. It's been so much fun watching them play and grow together this summer. Their personalities are very similar yet different at the same time. And with Sydney being almost a year older, she's doing things that Rayna tries desperately to keep up with. Rayna has always been a bit reserved around other kids, but after spending time with Sydney, I've seen a difference in how she plays with other kids. It still takes her a while to warm up, but she's more adventurous and not so quick to run to Momma. That was especially evident last weekend when she had the chance to play with her 2-year-old cousins from Connecticut. I thought she'd be shy and hiding behind me the entire time but she was actually really social and had a great time. It definitely helped that they had just about every kind of outdoor toy you can imagine!

The Beach

2008-06-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

Last year when we went to the beach, Rayna was barely sitting. It's amazing the difference just a year makes. We weren't sure how she was going to react to the sand, the ocean and just the overall excitement of the beach, but she LOVED it! It was a tough call on what her favorite thing was, but I'd have to say it was splashing in the ocean waves. She had no fear...although I had enough for her! She wanted to just run right into the ocean without holding our hands. She would get knocked down and just get right back up. Rolling in the sand was probably her second favorite. Each morning we would go through the routine of getting sunblock on and then her bathing suit. As soon as the suit was on she was at the door saying "side" (outside) or "wawa" (water). She wouldn't rest until someone would take her to the ocean. I was a bit worried that she would go through withdraw after we got back, but she actually seemed happy to be back home with Sugar, Fred and Bam Bam.

Fun With Family!

2008-05-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Holiday weekends usually mean lots of family gettogethers. And Rayna loves playing with all of her cousins. She had a chance to play with almost every one of them, including the Gaumers, the Huxtas, and Big Alex! It's so fun to see her and Abby growing up. With only three months between them, it's only a matter of time before they'll be inseperable. It was the same way with me and my cousin when we were little. It's so weird to think that last year at this time she was just learning to sit by herself. For those of you who have lost track, Rayna is 16 months old now! She's running all over the place, rolling in the grass, trying to blow bubbles, playing in the dirt, and getting boo boos! I just had to make a run to the drugstore to stock up on bandaids. I've been trying to get her to run in the grass instead of full speed down our walkway.

Busted!

2008-05-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while visiting her friends on Sesame Street, Rayna was stopped by the Toy Car Patrol. She was charged with a DWJ... Driving With Juice. Rayna had to pass a few tests. She had to say her ABCs and she had to demonstrate her spinning abilities. Although the spinning was a little suspect, she passed with flying colors and was given a warning to keep her juice in the cup holder. Wheww!!

These Boots Are Made For Walking

2008-04-28T04:36:00.001-07:00

Finally... Rayna is starting to like shoes! I mean, what fun is having a little girl if she doesn't get excited over shoes?! Serious though, I might have created a monster, because now all she wants to do is get into her shoe cupboard and try on all her shoes... even the ones that are three sizes too big like her pink cowgirl boots Aunt Kendie got for her. I couldn't resist taking this picture... especially with her belly sticking out over her diaper!

Mountain Adventures

2008-04-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

The mountains hold a very special place in my heart. I still have very vivid memories of my family's annual mini-vacations to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. With my dad being a farmer he usually was only able to break away for a couple days at a time. But it didn't matter to us. It almost seemed like time stood still once we pulled up to the rustic hunting cabin we loved so much. Collecting smooth rocks, holding orange salamanders, thinking the outhouse was the coolest thing ever, sleeping in bunkbeds, leaving scraps out for bears, spotting deer...just a few of my favorite memories. I was excited when Ryan became an equally big fan of the Pine Creek Gorge area of Tioga County. And now I want it to be just as special for Rayna as it is for her Papa and me. Our trip this year was a lot of fun...excluding the fact that she wouldn't sleep in her pack 'n play. I actually think it was because she was so excited. She had a blast being the center of attention by Katlyn and Alex. Her favorite thing was when I showed her how to throw stones into the water. I serious ly think she would have done it all day. Although, I really regret teaching her

that, now that we're home and she keeps

throwing garden stones into our fish pond! We biked, hiked, played in mountain waterfalls, and watched Papa kayak. A wonderful time had by all (except Sugie...although she was still having fun with Grandma and Grandpa on the farm.)

Spring Snow

2008-03-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was just going through photos of Rayna the other day, and I was disappointed to discover I never got any photos of her playing in the snow this year. I guess the timing was never right. She was either sick, or I was sick, or it was just too darn cold to even try. But this morning I got another chance. Go figure...last weekend we were enjoying 60 degree weather and this weekend it's snowing! She had just woken up and was still in her PJs but I didn't want to miss the chance for her to see the big puffy snow flakes that were coming down. So I plopped on her rain boots that are two sizes to big, and bundled her up. She loved the snow so much that she just kept laughing. Plus it was easy for me to get some great shots because she couldn't walk in her boots. She found a pine cone and thought she scored big time! I definitely cannot wait until we can spend more time outside this summer. Papa was working all day installing a child seat on my bike. We're going to the mountains in a couple weeks for our annual Johnson/Lenker Kayaking Expedition. Now Rayna will be able to bike along as I take photos of her papa conquering the mighty Pine Creek... or of it conquering him (like last year)! Stay tuned for photos.

A Walk in the Park

2008-03-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long winter, and cabin fever is seriously setting in. This weather has been so wonderful and hopefully a sign that spring is soon here. One of the things I like most about where we live is that we're a hop, skip and a jump away from New Cumberland's nicest park. It has ball fields, pavillions, swing sets and two playgrounds. Plus, the Yellow Breeches Creek runs through it, and there's a family of geese that lives there. Rayna and I have walked around the park a few times this winter, but it's so much more fun when the weather's warmer. Today the temperature was a breezy 60 degrees, so needless to say we were out enjoying the day. I remember pushing Rayna through the park this same time last year. Only I have to admit this year it's a lot more fun. She just wants to explore everything. I'm embarrased to say though that sometimes I really do feel like a city girl. You'd never guessed I grew up on a farm. Today I kept catching myself trying to pull Rayna away from the muddy areas, or not letting her slide down a dirty slide. But then I thought back to my favorite past time growing up... making mudpies in my "Mud Kitchen." What if my mom wouldn't have let me play in the mud for fear I'd get dirty? I would have missed out on one of the best memories of my childhood. So I let her run... through mud, stones and even goose poop!

And from the permanent smile on her face, I could tell she was enjoying every muddy minute of it!

A Little Lady

2008-03-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

Over that past month we've noticed our baby girl turning into a little lady, from playing with pocketbooks and bracelets to wearing cute little dresses and barettes. She's just growing up so fast! Was it really just a year ago that she was a tiny little baby? It's been such a joy to be home with her watching her grow and learn new things every day. Here are just a few of the fun things that she recently began doing: dancing to music, saying "hello" when she holds her play phone, eating cherrios with a spoon, giving kisses, meowing like a cat, and waving goodbye to Papa when he goes to work. We just got her 1st-year pictures taken (as a gift from Grammy and Grandpa Grove) and she had a blast. We're very excited for Spring to get here. We have lots of plans to play outside and work in the garden.

A Year in Review

2008-01-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

In celebration of our Baby Girl's birthday, here are some highlights of her first year!

Still in Mama's Belly!

Meet Rayna Kae Johnson

Bonding with her big sis, Sugie.

We liked to call her "sensitive"

A natural in front of the camera

Dreamin' about Kayaking with Papa!

Yummy bananas!

First trip to the beach

Lovin' the outdoors

Go Eagles!

Helping Mama work!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Rayna!!

The New Year's Resolution

2008-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

If I had to guess, Rayna's New Year's Resolution must have been to walk and talk before her birthday. Believe it or not, our baby girl is walking. And talking... Well sort of. She can say Uh-Oh! One day she was taking a couple steps, and the next day she was walking all around the house. It was pretty amazing. Now the fun really begins! I've definitely noticed that walking has also brought a newfound streak of independence. She knows what she wants, that's for sure. Well, happy New Year! Be sure to check back in a couple weeks for a special "Year in Review," in honor of Rayna's 1st Birthday! (Yes... we're wearing matching outfits in the picture!)

Holiday Fun!

2007-12-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

"He's Making a List... He's Checking it Twice... He's Going to Find Out Who's Naughty and Nice..."

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland..."

"Oh ChristmasTree,
Oh Christmas Tree..."

2007-12-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Our family's first photo shoot!

2007-11-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

Enjoying last week's unseasonably warm temperatures with one last fall photo shoot! Now we're ready for winter! Bring on the snow!

Silly Girl

2007-11-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

Life as a 10 month old seems like so much fun, it's a shame that most of us have little or no recollection of that part of our lives. What a life... eat, sleep and play. Did I mention play? Not only does Rayna love play time, she has also mastered the art of being silly. So, she can easily entertain herself (and us) for hours. Her latest "silly" talent is playing peekaboo. I actually think she would do it for hours if we kept playing with her. The best part is how she thinks she's hiding from us. It's so cute that I can't help playing it with her whenever she decides to ... which is probably about 10 times a day. Luckily for Rayna, even if she can't remember life at 10 months old, I have plenty of video footage to preserve the memories.

Pumpkin Picking Time

2007-10-27T18:29:00.001-07:00

The best thing about having kids... you get to relive your childhood. I had almost forgotten how much fun it was to go pumpkin picking. Of course, we usually got our pumpkins from our garden, but even still, a lot of thought goes into picking one that will make the perfect jack-o-lantern. But as we entered the pumpkin patch at Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses (a former employer during my college years), Papa quickly squashed my visions of getting a pumpkin as big as Rayna. "Babies need baby pumpkins," I believe were his exact words. I told him he was no fun, but honestly Rayna seemed just as happy with her "baby" pumpkin, so I didn't put up a fight. We had some fun taking pictures, looking at the goat and watching kids play in the straw. Stay tuned for photos of the finished product... Hopefully I get around to carving it before Thanksgiving.

Party Weekend

2007-10-22T18:26:00.001-07:00

For those of you who actually keep track of how often I update the blog, my sincerest apologies. Things have been VERY hectic as of late. I figured I better get on it though or you won't even recognize Rayna...she's growing up so fast. She had a very exciting weekend. Her cousin Abby had her 1st Birthday Party on Saturday, so we drove down to Philly to celebrate with the Huxtas. Celebrate is putting it mildly. We're talking moon bounce, caricature artist, a roller coaster ride and if you count Jack, a petting zoo! Rayna had a blast. She even took over opening presents for the Birthday Girl after Abby crashed from too much sugar and excitement. Hmmm... I guess this means we should start thinking about Rayna's 1st birthday! Yikes... only 3 months away!

The Great Outdoors

2007-09-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that Ryan and I love being outdoors. I remember when we first met, we knew we were meant for each other after spending three days hiking 30 miles through Pine Creek Gorge (the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon) in rain, freezing temperatures and 10-mile days...and still coming out smiling and in love. Now with Rayna in tow, those days of our rugged backpacking may not happen as often, but we still enjoy hitting the trails and being in the great outdoors as much as possible. This weekend, we celebrated our five-year anniversary at the place we hold near and dear to our hearts...the mountains. The only thing that made it even more special to us, was being able to share this place of peaceful beauty with our baby girl...and of course Sugie!

On the Move

2007-09-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's happening already, but Rayna has mastered the art of crawling. Goodbye to the days of her just laying on her belly or back and playing. It's hard to believe such a little thing can cover so much ground! It's so much fun to watch her as she explores. We're also finding that our house is still not quite child proof. It's so interesting to me how you can have all these great toys spread out for her to play with, but instead she's infatuated with the the buttons and switches on the stereo system. I guess from a child's point of view that is pretty cool. She will sit and read (more like chew on) her books. Her favorites are "Mr. Brown Can Moo" and "I Love You Stinky Face."

Best Buds

2007-08-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Six years ago, when we were trying to decide what kind of dog we wanted to get, everything we read about Boxers said about how great they were with children. I remember watching her play with my niece and nephew and thinking that we were depriving her from having a constant playmate. She just loves kids so much, and it's even more evident now that she finally has a playmate of her very own. We couldn't ask for a better puppy for Rayna to grow up with. There's just something so special about the bond that's being created between the two of them. I know that they're going to be the best of buds... they're already inseparable.

Sweet Teeth

2007-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much can happen in just one week, but Rayna had a very busy one! Her two front teeth came in all the way, she is sitting on her own, and she took her first crawl (sort of). Plus she turned 7 months old on Tuesday! She had a doctor's appointment and we found out she weighs almost 18 pounds and is just shy of 28 inches long (she's in the 90th percentile for height!) So you can see we had a very busy week, which is why it took me so long to make my weekly updates. Plus, we just got back from a day down on the farm freezing sweet corn. Rayna had fun playing with her cousins. It won't be long before her and Nicholas are chasing each other all around. This weekend, I actually reached a huge milestone... I spent a night away from Rayna! I went to Atlantic City with my girlfriends, and Papa was in charge of baby girl. I'm happy to report that everyone survived!

Look Alike Contest

2007-08-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

So the question we get the most frequently from friends, family and people we don't even know is "So who do you think she looks like?" We usually say she's a nice mix of both of us... she has my hair color and eyes, and she has her papa's unrulely cow lick and his signature single dimple. But we still have fun competing over who she looks like more. So now is your chance get in on the fun. Does she look like her mama or her papa? Place your votes in the poll to the left. We might have to pull out baby photos if there's a tie!

Rock 'n Rolling

2007-08-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is growing up so fast! Next thing we'll know she'll be driving! OK... maybe she's not growing up that fast, but she has entered the early stages of crawling. She just loves rocking to music (to the Wiggles when she's with Mama and to ALO when she's with Papa). If she does want something that she can't reach, she just rolls to it. I'm actually not looking forward to her being mobile... she'll never want to be held anymore! Well enjoy the show!

Sugar Nanny's On the Job

2007-08-05T04:23:00.000-07:00

There was a request from a certain New Yorker for more photos of Sugar on the blog. So here's one of Sugar and Rayna having a stare down. Sugar loves her baby sister, and even got the nickname of "Sugar Nanny," because wherever Rayna is, Sugar has to be right there with her. Ryan and I are amazed at how gentle she is with the baby (for those of you who know how hyper she is, you understand). It's fun watching as Rayna becomes more and more attentive to Sugar... she'll laugh and talk to Sugar while she's in her exer-saucer. The one morning I thought she was talking to the TV (she gets to watch Sesame Street once a day), but I peeked in at her and she was facing Sugar and just squealing away!

Puppy Love

2007-07-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Rayna had her first date this weekend... play date that is. Fife, Chrissy and Gavin came over Saturday night for dinner and needless to say the kids were the entertainment. Gavin just LOVED "Baby Rayna" (that's what he calls her)! He wanted to kiss and hug her every chance he got ... and Rayna didn't mind one bit. I can see why Fife and Chrissy call him their little "lover boy." Rayna was totally infatuated... she couldn't keep her eyes off of him! She was so exhausted trying to keep up with Gavin that she crashed hard that night and didn't make a peep until 7:30 the next morning. Maybe we should have little Gavin over every night! But of course papa is being protective of his baby girl, saying that he's going to keep a close eye on Gavin... he doesn't trust those Peddigree boys!

Happy Trails

2007-07-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Rayna's six-month birthday this past weekend, we wanted to do something special. It had been a really long time since we've done any hiking so we decided to break in Rayna's new back pack and hit the AT. It couldn't have been a more perfect day... blue skies, low humidity and mid 80s. We did one of our favorite treks along the Conodoguinet Creek a little west of Harrisburg. We all had a blast, especially Rayna. She sang and talked the entire way, except while she was sleeping. The bumpy ride on Papa's back didn't seem to bother her one bit. Whenever we're hiking, it's been tradition to call each other by our trail names. I'm Mama Cicada, Ryan is the Blue Blazer, and Sugar is Crazy Legs. But of course we can't agree on one for Rayna. I like Cricket Kicker (she rubs her legs together like a cricket when she gets excited)... he likes Drools Like Moose. Hmmmm... I really don't see any competition here, but I'll let him have his fun. Feel free to give us your ideas on a good trail name for baby girl.

Slaps and Raspberries

2007-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

I made a promise early on not to rush my baby girl's milestones. While I anxiously awaited her first coo, first smile and first giggle, I tried not to wish they come any faster. Instead, I discovered it's even more fun to watch her hone the skills she needs to do the "bigger" stuff. Rayna's latest thing is slapping when she gets excited. At the sight of mama or papa she starts slapping her knees and grinning from ear to ear. If we're holding her we usually get a slap or two on the face. She's also been very focused on blowing bubbles (raspberries). She intently furrows her brow in deep concentration, and goes on for long stretches of bubble talk. I can't wait for the day when Rayna give me hugs and kisses, but in the meantime I'm just as happy with slaps and raspberries.