Rawlee's Blessing

My beautiful baby girl!
Our Family and cousin Max!

My mom's family. They all traveled from far distances to be with us on Rawlee's special day

On Jan. 9 we blessed Rawlee. It was such a great day, filled with lots of family. Jarrett gave such a wonderful blessing. We then had brunch out at the Middle School. It was delicious. I though Rawlee's dress was so cute. I searched the state and couldn't really find anything that I liked (I'm told that I'm rather picky). So I found this one on-line and fell in love. The only problem was it had been discontinued and the only size they had left was 6-9 months. At the time she was still wearing newborn. So my mom used her skills and took it all apart and altered it perfectly. It turned out great.

Christmas

Ryder's favorite things he got for Christmas were a couple of new guns and some chaps

that my dad made hime. He has taken this gun everywhere with him. We had to

fight him to not take it to church!

My kidos in their Christmas PJ's Christmas eve. Ryder looked like where's Waldo,

but he insisted on wearing the hat.

Jarrett's gingerbread (grahm cracker) semi. Talented!

Ryder and Jarrett decorating a gingerbread house.


Ryder and Rawlee with Santa and Mrs. Clause at the Childs' party. Ryder didn't love him at all.


We had a wonderful Christmas. It was so nice to be off work and really enjoy the holiday season. Ryder was a little more excited this year than the years past, but still really didn't get it. He opened one present on Christmas (his guns) and then was done. Jarrett and I had to open the rest of his presents, but it was still fun. Jarrett and I got a nice big camera, that does video too. I'm really excited for that. I got Jarrett a new welder that he has been wanting for the past couple of years, so that was fun. Hope everyone had a great Christmas too!

Update!

Our cute princess!
Ryder is obsessed with this rocking horse my uncle made him! Lately he has wanted Woody to ride with him. So I have to tuck Woody's hands in Ryder's pants to keep him on! Not his atractive outfit with the feather in the hat.

A few pictures of Rawlee's room. There are still a few things that I need to get done, but it is coming together. It is very girly which was fun to do, because my son is ALL BOY! My mom and I made her bedding, cause I search forever to find something I like and never did.

Things are going well with the new baby. She sleeps and eats great and hardly ever cries. I'm starting to get a little board not working, so it's a good thing that the holidays are right around the corner to give me something to. It might be a long 12 weeks, but I know when the time comes, I'm not going to want to go back to work. I got Rawlee's picutres back to day. They turned out so cute! I will try and post them soon.

She's Here and Halloween!

Ryder was a cute little giraffe for Halloween. I got this from pottery barn. He loved it

Our cute little princess!

Rawlee's costume. I made her a cute little tutu, she had leg warmers and a Halloween onsie on. My mom fashioned a cute tulle bow that just topped things off.

Ryder loves his baby sister!

Her first picture.

Jarrett all geared up to go to the OR. Love how the boots tie the outfit together!

Ralwee Shay Coates arrived Friday Oct. 29, 10 @ 0724. She weighed 6 pounds 8 oz. and was 19 inches long. She has just a little dark fuzz on her head but not much. She looks like a feminine version of Ryder but every time I look at her she changes. She is perfect. She is a really good baby, very mellow. Ryder has adjusted much better than I thought he would. He is very concerned about what Rawlee is doing. He's a little confused about the whole nursing thing and wonders what Rawlee is doing to mom.

I was still in the hospital for Halloween so I made Rawlee a little costume and Ryder came so I could get pictures of my kids together, then Jarrett took Ryder to Aurora to go trick or treating. I was sad that I couldn't do Halloween with Ryder this year, but luckily the weekend before our ward had a Halloween party. It was a lot of fun, we all dressed up, ate, played games and the kids trick-or-treated.
We were able to bring Rawlee home on Sunday. I was amazed at how good I felt. There was a huge difference in the recovery from Ryder's c-section to this one. With Ryder I was almost 2 weeks over due and in labor for like 60 hours before I went back to the OR. This time it was so nice I was only 38 5/7 weeks and no labor. I feel so much better just a little sore but doing great.

We love our little girl and are so happy to finally have her here. She is so precious!

Growning Up!

This is a picture of Ryder's room with his toddler bed. I wanted to get some pictures of his room while it still looked like a little boy lived there. We had to get him a twin bed so that we could move the crib into Rawlee's room. He just seems like a big boy now with a big bed. He thinks it is so fun to jump on his new bed.

Ryder on his horse Bob!

He has also started to ride the horses by himself in his very own saddle. He thinks that he is so neat! Jarrett bungies's his legs down so he won't fall off. Ryder could stay on the horse all day long. He seems so big riding all by himself. Such a brave boy.
Ryder is such a nerd. He is obsessed with his little 4-wheeler. He rides it everywhere (in the house, outside, everywhere). He makes Jarrett put it in the back of his truck all the time too. He found this basket the other day and said that its helmet. So now he rides his 4-wheeler with his basket helmet.

Summer Happenings

My little cowboy! He is so cute!

Ryder loves to be with his dad. We had to hurry and brand cows before they went on the mountain. Ryder was so excited to get to see the baby cows. He got to stay with us for a few hours while we gathered them up, but it rained the rest of the day so he had to go with grandma Dana. He was sad.

The last weekend in June we went to Bear Lake with my mom's family. We rented a nice big cabin. We spent time at the lake, playing minute to win it games and of course eating. It was really nice to see my mom's family, we don't all get together very often. I didn't take very many pictures, because my dad took tons, but I did snap a photo of Ryder in his new Woody towel. He loved it, he wouldn't take it off. I thought it was kind of cute!

Here are my boys on the 4th. I had to work the entire weekend of the 4th so we didn't do anything exciting cause I had to sleep. We went to the parade and the park for a little bit, but nothing too great.

Angie and I sporting our camp shirts. I had a small budget this year, so we couldn't get sweatshirts, so I found these shirts for $1.50 and we jazzed them up with homemade fabric flowers. We also made some really cute matching bracelets.

I was girls camp director again this year. It was a really fun year. The stake was in charge this year, so we all went up Fairview Canyon to the same camp that I went to all my years. It brought back lots of memories for Angie and I. It was so fun getting to go to Camp with by best friend Angie and Heather. They both just got put in the young womens a few months ago. I think that the leaders had more fun than the girls. In the picture is the leaders (Angie, Katie, Vikki, Heather and I). Yes I know that I am large!

Zoo Birthday and Memorial Day!

Jarrett, Ryder and Max at the zoo. The boys loved the giraffe


Lovely family picture. The boys look so thrilled!

Max and Ryder are the best of buds!

Ryder with my dad. He is checking out the monkeys.

He was a little scared of them!

Ryder on his new 4-wheeler. He pushes this everywhere!

Ryder was pumped about his new bike. Here he is on the track.

Testing it out.

Max and Ryder blowing out the candle for like the 30th time!

Mickey cake. Kind of special looking but Ryder loved it!

Uncle Jake enjoying the celebration!

Family picture rocking the Mickey ears!

Cousin Max

My mom and dad

Ready to hit the trail!

I forgot to turn this picture obviously. But it's Jake and Ryder

The group! Colby McClellen, Me, Ryan Frandsen, Jake, Taylor

Bumgardner, Sean Olsen, Jarrett, Ryder, Dad and Mom.

So this is a super long post I know and I did it backwards and not is chronological order but oh well. For Memorial Day we didn't do anything to fabulous, but Monday we kept with tradition and went 4-wheeling up 12 mile to battle the mud. This is always my favorite ride of the year and this year was the snowiest, muddiest one yet. We went with my mom and dad, my little brother Jake, 2 cousins Colby and Taylor and 2 of Jake's friends Ryan and Sean (we refere to them and Aunt Ryan and Aunt Sean at my house, cause they are always with Jake and Ryder loves them!). It was way fun to go riding we had to go through tons of snow drifts and we weren't able to make it up very far. Deep Lake was still frozen solid which was crazy for the last day of May.

On June 3 my baby turned 2. Well I guess he doesn't act like a baby anymore so I really shouldn't call him that. We just had a little BBQ for his big day at our house with Jarrett's mom and dad and my mom and dad, cousin Max and uncle Jake. Ryder is in love with Mickey Mouse (well really Minnie and Daisey) lately so I attempted to make a Mickey cake. It was kind of special but it worked. He got tons of great stuff. We got him a little bike. It is so small it is the cutest thing ever. We have this empty lot next to us. All the neighborhood kids love to ride their bikes on it (they call it the track) and Jarrett has make a few jumps for them out their. Ryder loves to watch them ride and always goes and hangs out with them. He thinks he is so big. As soon as he saw his bike he took it over to the track to ride his bike. It was cute.

The Saturday after Ryder's birthday we took him to the zoo. My mom and dad and Jarrett's parents and his nephew Max came with us. It was so fun to see the little boys get so excited about the animals. Max and Ryder are only 6 months apart and love to hang out with each other. It was a great day, topped off with a little shopping for our nameless little girl!