Anniversary Trip to McCall

So for our anniversary this year we decided to take a trip up to McCall to use our timeshares.  We had originally planned to go to Vegas but since that was before we got Rachel we decided we could do something different.  So we headed up there with Rachel.  This was the first time she would be staying in our timeshares or a hotel since we have gotten her.  We weren't totally sure how she would do but she was great.  We had a nice relaxing three days.  We lounged around and watched videos, played in the swimming pool,  went on a scavenger hunt, and caught up on sleep.

 We were just lounging in PJ's and we let Rachel watch her Elmo DVD's on our bed and this is her just relaxing watching TV.  So funny how she wanted to be like this the rest of the week after we showed her this the first day.

 Watching more TV with another set up of pillows.

 Just such a cute picture of her.

 Practicing how to zip and unzip the camera bag.

 View off the balcony.

 It was actually raining at this point in time and Rachel was trying to catch the rain drops.

 SNOW!

 Yep that really is snow.

This is a picture of how much snow fell during our little snow storm.  We sat out on the balcony and watched it snow.  So relaxing I love snow.

 I can't tell what she ate but must have been pretty good because it's all over her face.  :-)

We did find out on this trip though that when you start packing up Rachel is ready to go at that point.  We didn't have to be out of our room until 12:00 but by 11:00 when we had the car packed she started pulling us to the door and saying, "Go!"  So we have learned to be ready to go or don't pack up so early.

Outside Play

So the other day Rachel wanted us to play outside with her.  She could spend her whole time outside but she doesn't like to be out there by herself.  She is always asking one of us to go out to either swing her or just play.  So these are us playing.

 Daddy swinging.  Wee!

 More Swinging

Yes that is Scott inside her playhouse.

 I can get in also but I will go through the window. :-)

 Hanging out with Daddy.

 Well she wasn't happy with just Daddy in her playhouse she wanted Mommy in also.  So we actually made it into the playhouse with all three of us.  We were squished that's for sure but it was fun.

 Yeah she hates getting her picture taken when it's not her idea.  Proof all three of us were in the playhouse.

 Rachel left to go slide.  You can see her behind Scott climbing up her stairs to her slide.

 This is a better one of all of us.

 I'm sure she is telling us a story and I'm just trying to be sneaky about actually getting a picture so she won't cry.

Daddy makes for a great horsey ride.

Milestones

So this month here are the things that Rachel has learned.  She is starting to learn so much.
1.  She has figured out about elbow's and is always pointing at someone's.  This came from Elmocise.
2.  She mimics everything.  The other day in the store she heard me say, Are you kidding me?  So needless to say throughout the store she kept saying what I had said.
3.  She likes Salt and Vinegar chips.  Scott thinks she's crazy with me.
4.  She loves to draw and is always saying, "I need a pencil. Please!"  Super cute.
5.  She has learned that she can stand on her piano bench to turn on lights and look up at the stove top.
6.  She now opens any door that she wants to.
7.  She climbs into her own car seat.
8.  She can buckle up her buckles on the booster seat and her car seat as long as she isn't sitting in them.  
9.  She has figured out when to say please and thank you.
10.  She can count to 11 but misses four and sometimes five.
11.  She can sing her alphabets and gets almost all the letters.
12.  She can actually pick out the "W, S, A, L. of the alphabet magnets.

Update on Rachel's Adoption

So we went to court on Rachel's permanency placement on May 2nd.  They were running behind but Scott and I were so nervous.  We weren't sure what they do at these things.  We ended up meeting the prosecuting attorney in this case and she was so happy that we were chosen for Rachel as her parents.  We learned about the trial they had for Rachel and then we went in to see the judge.  We were there in hopes of hearing that yes it would be okay to get her adopted.  Well to Scott and my surprise the prosecuting attorney asked that the foster parents be allowed to speak to the court.  Scott and I looked at each other like a ghost had just ran through the court room.  So we went up to the microphones and just rambled on about how great Rachel is doing and how she is thriving and is the smartest little girl ever.   The judge made sure that there was a statement in the court documents saying, "The foster parents are beaming over this little girl."  So cool.  After some more legal jargon they said that they didn't need to have any more hearings because this situation is good.  I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, dance, or scream from the rafters.  Scott and I walked out of there just completely overjoyed. The prosecuting attorney told us she had been told we would have Rachel adopted sometime in May.  We were like we haven't heard that but that would totally be cool.  The more we thought about it we were excited because if we can get through the court system by the end of May, then Rachel can get sealed to us on our 7 year anniversary on May 28th.  How cool is that going to be.  I got back to work and called the lawyer and he totally burst my bubble.  He talked to me about all the steps that still needed to be done and I was like well Katie(our social worker at H&W) said she had done all that stuff.  He said he would get back to me on it.  Katie was out of the office until May 6th so we couldn't get any answers from her.  She called us on the 6th  and told us even more bad news.  She had sent Rachel's paperwork to central office to get signed off on and some how there was an Indian tribe that had gotten missed.  (I know who would have thought she had any Indian in her.  Lets just say a trace if you can even call it that).  So we had to wait on that to come back before we could proceed any further.  She also told me she thought she had sent the paperwork to the lawyer so he could get it started and oops it wasn't sent.  I was really bummed.  So now instead of getting it finalized by the end of May we are looking at the end of June.  :-(  We are bummed but know that it will come eventually.

Gallbladder Ultrasound

So I've been having some health issues.  So after a gallbladder attack I finally decided I had better get into a real doctor.  So Scott had me call his general doctor.  It took four weeks but I got in to see him.  I told him about my attack and he was like yeah pretty much sounds like the gallbladder.  So on May 9th he had me go in and get an ultrasound done.  I was there first thing in the morning and had to wait to actually get orders from my doctor.  The ultrasound took all of 15 minutes.  I asked the tech about it but of course they can't say much.  I did proceed to tell her that if this didn't give us any results then I'm going to have to come back for the hystrasalpingogram.  She said they should have results for you.  I was hoping that meant I wouldn't have to take that next procedure.  Well after three days I finally called the doctor back and he said that I have gall stones.  He said I didn't have to take it out but I told I had eaten some tater tots(because I'm a dork and didn't think about it I was just hungry) at Graduation and I've been paying for it for two days.  So he referred me to a surgeon.  I've gone in to see the surgeon and my date of surgery is going to be June 23rd at 7:30 in the morning.  I'm excited to get it out because its been about a year that I've had problems we just really thought it was an ulcer.  Scott and I talked about it and we figured that since they are going to already be in my abdomen they might as well burn out the endometriosis also.  So I'm pretty much doing a 2 for 1 on my surgeries.  Well see if they both help.

Dancing

Rachel has been dancing up a storm lately.  Anytime she hears music she starts to swing her hips.  I've tried to get her dancing for the camera but every time she sees the camera come out she quits dancing for me.  So sorry I had to get the dance from the back.  It's so funny to watch.  Most the time she wants me and Scott to dance with her and we will but this time I just happened to get it without her knowing.

All Girl

So I have to say Rachel is all girl.  On Sunday I asked her if she wanted to get out of her dress and she said, "No."  So I left her in this dress all day long.  It was so cute because when I first put it on her that morning for church she looked at herself in the mirror and said, "Pretty."  I said, "Yep you are Pretty" and she said, "I Pretty."  It was so cute.  So I took a picture of her in the dress and her laptop.  She's gotten lots better with her laptop and actually listening to what it tells her.  Its so fun to watch her learning so much. 

Mother's Day

So this is my first Mother's Day that I can actually say I didn't have a problem going to church since Scott and I have been married.  Rachel of course was so funny in church.  She asked to go to Time Out and Scott said you only go to Time Out when your bad.  Well a few minutes later Rachel got away from us and took off running up onto the stage.  Scott sprinted off after her and I was laughing in the pew watching this all unfold.  That still didn't get her outside in Time Out but made for eventful sacrament meeting.  After church we came home and eat and all of us took naps.  Finally when Scott woke up he and Rachel made me a Mother's Day card and then gave me two weeks at a saloon.  I'm so totlaly excited to be able to get massages, facial etc.  That night I ended up making dinner for us because Scott was spinning Rachel around so much that it made him sick.  I wasn't sure he was going to be able to go to work but finally his equilibrium came back.  All in all a pretty nice mother's day for my first one.

Bathroom Time

Okay so if you have a weak stomach this post is probably not for you.  

So we have started to talk to Rachel about the toilet.  She has shown interest but hasn't totally gotten the concept.  So she was at the table eating lunch but totally looked like she was trying to fall asleep at the table.  Scott and I were laughing so hard at her about it.  Well come to figure out she was actually doing her "thing."  So when I got her down from the table to change her I said, "You should tell mom when your going to poop and let's poop in the toilet."  So she got up and headed over to the bathroom and was saying, "Poop in Toilet."  I was like yes that's what we need to do.  Well she then started to say, "I need to poop."  I was like you just pooped you don't need to poop again.  Well boy was I wrong because it wasn't more than 5 minutes after I changed her that she pooped her diaper again.  Scott laughed at me and said, "Well I guess she showed you!"  Yep she gets it a little bit.  So needless to say the rest of the day when she said the word toilet I put her on the toilet.  She hasn't gone yet but my hope is over Memorial Weekend to actually try hard to get this going.  I just thought this picture was to funny not to post of her in her sunglasses sitting on the toilet trying to go.