a bunch of pictures...

What can I say? I love my new camera so much it's making me a little shutter happy! And I have to say, my pretty little girl is so ladylike and photogenic...

disclaimer: she now likes to choose her own outfits... and often pieces them together from the laundry heap! lol!

a picture to go along with my story from earlier...

This is Roo giving us the sign for "eat" quite emphatically this morning! That child LOVES to eat, it's her first request when she wakes up, and her usual stall tactic at bedtime. I'll put her in her crib and she'll look up at me with her big blue eyes and ask "eat?" so pitifully you'd think she was starving! I found this quote in my scrap stuff, and I had to share it, it's just so Roo!

new pics and just a little insight...

check out the pics I got with my brand new camera!!! I LURVE it sooooo much! we went to the pool this morning and Roo had so much fun splashing around and climbing on all the lawn chairs!



and after a little swimming she stole Grandma's sandwich! naughty little bunny!!!

trying to look innocent when she was caught!

yummmmmmm....

So today I was thinking about how different my life is now. A few short years ago I would have been out partying like a rock star Friday night and slept in until Saturday afternoon. Today I woke up at 6:45am! It's true what they say- the early bird catches the worm... the wiggle worm! Roo wakes up with more energy than I can believe, hollering at me from her end of the house "Mommy! eat!!!!!" I go in and free her from the crib. She scrambles on her fat little legs to our bedroom and up onto the bed. "Daddy!! eat!!" flinging her body full throttle on his sleeping form. Poor guy! He tries to duck under the covers and she rips them off squealing. He ducks back under then reappears with a growl and she is laughing so hard she almost rolls off the bed. We all snuggle and roughouse for a little while, playing peekaboo and tickling. We try to get her to lay back down with us, but she reminds us constantly "EAT!!!"! After breakfast she is more content to lay on the couch and snuggle with us or read books. So I'm wide awake way earlier than I want to be, and thinking about the difference between my single life and now... and I realize THIS is what I was missing! I never knew then how much fun there was to be had by staying home on Friday night only to wake up bright and early to a screaming toddler and a snoring husband! I wouldn't trade them for the world! I do so love my life ;)

Sunday... funday?

blah for today! I think I'm coming down with strep throat, Roo is still smearing snot all over my house, and Ryan has a headache. We are not the happiest family on the block. Also, Ryleigh just smacked me in the head with a TV remote she's not allowed to touch in the first place, and I now have a knot on my forehead. Next time the nurses at Kelly Clinic ask me if I feel safe at home I'm going to tell them no, I have an abusive toddler. To keep her busy we have discovered a fun website I thought I'd share for anyone else with a toddler who knows more about computers than we do...
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/elmosworld/
Ryleigh especially loves the Elmo's Keyboard O-Rama game!
Speak of the snotnose, she just came in the room dripping so I'm gonna go clean her up! Pray for good health in our household! Love y'all!

Ryleigh's dance video

4th of July Weekend slideshow

http://s328.photobucket.com/albums/l355/courtneyhemperly/?action=view¤t=17c2f800.pbw

new at this....

We wanted a place where friends and family could check in for the latest on Ryleigh. From silly stories to adorable photos we're gonna post a lot so no one feels like they're missing out, no matter how far away you live! Of course the majority of this posting business will fall to me (Courtney) and I am the least technologically advanced person I know, so this could get interesting! Well here we go....





Today in the life of Roo...





She has a case of the sniffles, but nonetheless we got roped in for a free photo session at Kiddie Kandids, so we went for it! Halfway through the photo shoot she started picking her nose and the photographer was laughing so hard she had to stop shooting! Wish I'd gotten one of the pics, but at the time I was slightly mortified! I ended up with this print, which I LOVE!

After the photo shoot I should have realized she had been good long enough, but I decided to push it and go to Circiut City to look at digital cameras (mine died and I am desperate for a new one!). Bad plan! After only a few minutes she dumped an entire box of crackers on the floor while shrieking, and while I was bent down picking them up she chucked her Elmo phone at me and smashed my foot! I limped out of the store in disgrace. We spent the rest of the day reading books at home! Her favorites are: Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Are You My Mother? She loves to read all the time, as cousin Karis found out while babysitting Thursday. I got home and Karis looked exhausted after two hours and told me she had read every book in the house. I said "only once?"! Roo is increasingly communicative these days, and using a combination of babbly words and sign language usually manages to get her point across. Right now we are struggling to get through to her that just because she uses the right word and sign (yay!) to ask for something doesn't mean she will automatically get it! A hard concept for a 15 month old! She knows how to pitch a fit, thats for sure! We have to turn our heads so she doesn't see us laughing when she flings herself on the floor, head in hands, sobbing! She must get that drama queen gene from Ryan, right?! ha ha! Well, that's about all for now folks! Hope you enjoyed the first edition! Let me hear from you, what you want to see and hear about! LOVE Y'ALL!!!