May - Rachel

May was as crazy as ever getting 1st grade wrapped up for this girl and keeping track of all her different activities!

She did a great job performing in Miss Jenee's dance & singing group!!  I really enjoy watching her perform and I think she does a great job on stage.  You wouldn't have even known that we had spent most of the morning arguing with her about the fact that she had to wear black PANTS like everyone else.  Rachel hates pants more than anyone else I know!  All we heard all morning was how itchy and uncomfortable they were - have you, they were stretch, knit pants - you can't get more comfy than that!

She really wanted to buy the school elementary yearbook, which was $20, and I thought it was ridiculous for a 1st grader, but Brandon suggested we let her earn some money to help pay for it.  We let her organize a snow cone stand in the neighborhood and she invited probably 40 households!    She made one large flier and then I shrunk it down and printed off smaller copies for her to pass out.  While passing out fliers, she would personally ask them to come - great advertising technique!  Between our neighborhood and ward, we had a really great turn out and it was a lot of fun. After helping her reimburse us for the supplies and tipping her brother and sister for all their help, she was left with $33!  That meant $3.30 for tithing, then $10 towards the yearbook, $10 in savings and $10 in spending money.  Not only was it a great financial success and teaching moment, it was also a great missionary opportunity.  Many of our neighbors came out to the park to support Rachel and it was a great chance to mingle as a neighborhood and get to know each other better.  Bishop Rule said that Rachel was his best member-missionary in the ward and her snow cone stand even made it onto the PEC agenda!  :)

Papa came for a super quick overnight visit while he was on his motorcycle trip.  Rachel ate up every minute with him there and in her eyes, visitors can never stay long enough!!

Truth be told, I was MIA most of May while getting ready for camp, and Rachel really stepped up in helping with the kids and taking care of things herself.  One day, I came in from working outside and she was making herself her very own caesar salad.  She had cut the lettuce with a butter knife and proclaimed that she had accidentally used too much dressing.  I was still proud of her for being so independent!

Making her own caesar salad!

Little photo shoot taken April 2015