Leake Family Reunion-2019-Part I

We recently returned from an eight day Leake Family Reunion in Maryland.  It was so wonderful, and before many details escape me; I want to document it.

 On the evening of June 7th, we had 13 people sleeping in our house.  Our Vernal family had come out earlier that day, because we had to leave for the airport early the next morning.  Richard and I actually had to attend the residency graduation dinner on June 7th, so we got to leave the chaos of the house and everyone else took care of our kids.  Bless them.  

Anyway, on June 8th, we all woke up between 4:30 am and 5:30 am, and we were in our cars on our way to the airport at 6:15.  We flew on Southwest, all 13 of us, and we were able to finagle all of us sitting together.  On that flight, I just had Gretchen to worry about, and we lucked out with an empty seat next to us, which was extremely helpful! 

Last 20 minutes of the flight...I had been trying to make this happen for 3 hours!

We all survived the long flight and were met at the airport by Nathan, Nina, and their girls.  Our little family actually rented a van, so we didn't all officially meet up until we all gathered at a Golden Corral for dinner.  We were just outside of Baltimore, and based on the crowd, it looked like we were there with a bunch of graduating high school seniors and their families.  I really think we were the only white people in the restaurant, and for two hours I prayed that Rachel would not make a comment.  She did not make a comment and prayers were answered!  After dinner, we drove about an hour to Nathan and Nina's house and for the first time that day, the kids were able to run and play, which is exactly what they did.  The cousins all had fun together, and Marshall, Bridget, Rachel, Becca, and Katelin spent almost the entire evening on the trampoline.  We left their house after dark and drove to our hotel, and I am pleased to say, there was only minimal chaos in getting children to bed.  Once everyone was asleep, we all slept soundly, and all the kids slept through the night and had to be woken up in the morning! 

On Sunday, Nathan and Nina had stake conference, so we went to that in the morning, and then spent the afternoon at their house.  Nina was kind enough to feed all of us.  Kids continued to play and Richard and I conked out on the couch.  Once again, bless everyone else for taking care of our kids!  After all of that, we loaded up three vans with people and luggage and drove about 45 minutes to our cottages in Solomon's Island, Maryland at a naval recreation center.  We rented two four-bedroom cottages and they were right next to each other.  We stayed in a cottage with Bob and Becky and Joe and Nathan's family shared the other cottages.  They were good little cottages with big decks and worked perfectly for us.  Once we all got settled and had dinner, some adults went grocery shopping, and other stayed behind with all the kids.  We walked down to the beach, threw rocks into the water, played in the sand, and then made our way up to the park.  The kids played and played on the playground, some people played catch with a football we had found lying around, and we had a great time!  We ended the evening with some of us playing Telestrations-always a good end to the evening! 

By 9:30 am on Monday morning, we were on the road and D.C. bound.  By the time we got parked, and met up it was close to lunch time and we ate lunch at a food court before setting out on our adventures.  It was a rainy morning/early afternoon in D.C., so after lunch we all donned our rain jackets to walk to the Museum of Natural History.  The museum was crowded and it took us a bit to figure out how to navigate a busy museum with our group of 18.  We eventually just decided to break into smaller groups and have a meeting spot and time.  All together, we did the fossil section, and then we broke off into groups.  Our little family, minus Rachel, went to the gem section.  We beheld the beautiful Hope  Diamond, as well as all the other gorgeous gems in that area.  After that, Bridget was done, so Richard was going to take her out of the museum, but he ran into some other people in his family.  He swapped Rachel for Bridget and Bridget went to ride on the carousel that is on the mall.  She loved it, might have been the highlight of her day.  :)  I believe Richard and Marshall went to the ocean exhibit, and I took the little girls to the bathroom and then we sat down and had a snack.  After we all met up again, we decided to do the American History Museum.  We again broke into groups there.  The group I was in saw the First Lady's Dress exhibit-always a highlight for me!  We also found Dorothy's ruby slippers and they also had the 1989 Batmobile on display-Richard's highlight.  After those museums, we walked past the Washington Monument, glimpsed the White House from a distance, and ended up at the World War II Memorial.  We spent quite a bit of time there with our tired feet in the cool water and the kids had a ball.  It was a much needed break for all of us!  After that, we had quite a walking trek to get to Shake Shack for dinner.  We passed by the Jefferson Memorial, from a distance, and eventually wound our to this picturesque wharf right on the Potomoc River.  I am a sucker for any restaurant by the water, so I was in heaven.  There were a bunch of restaurants, a little fountain in the square, white lights strung across the street, and hello, the Potomac River.  We ordered our food and ate outside and it was perfect.  After a leisurely dinner, we had a short walk back to the cars, thankfully!  It had been a huge day, walking about eight miles! 

Our little D.C. tourist.  Didn't mind the rain at all!

Our kids really were troopers.  At some point during the day, our girls each had their own little melt downs, but they were short lived.  I am really glad we went into the city for one day.  Richard and I love, love, love Washington D.C.  I did tell Richard though that I don't really want to take our kids back until Gretchen is seven and we don't need a stroller anymore! 

School Wrap-Up

August 2018

May 2019

My kids just wrapped up their first school year at Reading Elementary.  This was another new school for them, the third elementary school that Marshall and Bridget have attended-and only being in 4th and 2nd grade respectively.  The only time I ever changed schools was when moving up to junior high and then high school, and of course, I always had my group of friends with me.  I was excited about our move last summer, but I was also very nervous to move the kids again.  It had taken us a full year, maybe even a bit more, to fully settle into our North Salt Lake neighborhood, and after just a year of stability I felt dread when thinking about having to do it all over again.  

I am thrilled to say though, that this move, and all the change it brought, has brought us goodness, and for that I am so thankful.  I think I can honestly say this has been the fastest school year I have ever experienced as a parent.  It really seems that it was just yesterday I was walking Marshall and Bridget down the many hills, with Rachel and Gretchen in the stroller, to take them to the first day of school at yet another new school.  I helped them get to their classrooms and hugged and kissed them good-bye.  However, this time I did not cry all the way home as I had done two years earlier.  I didn't even shed a tear, but I had them in my thoughts all day until they were home.  They came home with glowing reports and the positivity continued all school year long.  

I am SO proud of these kids.  Not only have they changed and grown up physically, but also emotionally.  I have had small pay-days as a parent as I have seen the choices they have made, things they decided to try, and how they handled certain situations.  I sincerely hope that I can teach them all I need to, and that they may continue to choose good, and also learn positive things from mistakes they will inevitably make.  

So here are some first and last school day photos, as well as things I want to remember about these last 9 months for them...

Marshall

August 2018

May 2019

This last year, Marshall has stepped outside his comfort zone and tried new things.  He tried out for a competition soccer team last June, and he made it.  He has struggled with some confidence and tenacity during soccer games this year, but really started to come into his own during the spring season.  He even scored two goals this spring!  He also participated in Book Battles and made it all the way to the district competition.  His team made it through the third round before getting eliminated, but he is already developing his strategy for next year.  Marshall also chose to participate in the district STEM Olympiad.  This required him getting to school early on Wednesday mornings to practice.  Marshall and his partner didn't medal, but once again, Marshall is committed to participating again next year.  Marshall also spoke at Bridget's baptism, not something we were expecting him to agree to!  Academically, Marshall excelled.  He went into the school year with the highest reading level in his class.  And by the time 4th grade was done, he still had the highest reading level, but had also improved his reading level the most!  One of Marshall's teachers, Mrs. Klinker, had each of the students write something nice about every student in the class.  She then typed up a paper for everyone, listing all the compliments from their peers.  Marshall brought his home on Friday, and I cried reading it!  Someone told Marshall that he is so kind and never talks bad about anyone.  Others complimented him for being a kind friend.  I hope he always nurtures these qualities.  

Bridget

August 2018

May 2019

Bridget LOVED second grade.  She also loved her teacher, and her teacher loved her right back.  I have always known that Bridget has the great talent of kindness, and making everyone feel comfortable and happy, despite their age, boy or girl, or how they look.  This talent of hers just continued to magnify itself this year though.  She was given the opportunity to help in the special needs classroom for several weeks at a time and was able to rotate through there multiple times.  She loved it.  She always informed me with excitement in the mornings that that day she would get to go to the special needs classroom.  Earlier this spring, a little kindergarten girl was hit by a car while walking to school.  She missed a couple weeks of school, and when she came back she was in a wheelchair.  Bridget did not know this little girl before the accident, but her first few days back at school, Bridget would go around the track with her during recess.  I found it so touching.  Bridget made excellent friends this school year.  All good, wonderful and kind girls.  Bridget also excelled academically.  She was never beaten in a timed test at school, the entire year!  More often than not, Bridget would do her homework in the mornings during breakfast, always staying one day ahead.  She did her first book report this year and turned it in early.  Ronald Reagan is now her favorite U.S. President.  :)  Bridget has continued to be our well-adjusted, self-sufficient, and delightful little girl.  May she always keep those qualities.  

Rachel

August 2018

May 2019

My oh my, Rachel has learned SO much this year, and has worked so hard!  She is stubborn, and despite being at an excellent preschool last year, went into kindergarten not really even knowing how to write her name.  She was the youngest in her kindergarten class, which made me feel like she was even further behind.  But, fast forward nine months, and she knows all the letters and their sounds, she is reading, she is writing sentences, she can segment words and can figure out how to spell them, she can sound out words to help read them.  Her numbers are coming along, though she still gets 8 and 9 confused!  Her teacher started spelling tests in February, and with practice every day, Rachel got 100% on every spelling test...which I am taking as a HUGE accomplishment on both our parts!  Despite all of this mental growth, Rachel has kept every ounce of creativity in her, and that just delights me.  Rachel made really great friends in kindergarten, including a darling little girl named Sara.  They are best of pals and have a ball together.  I volunteered every other week in Rachel's class and a few months into the school year, a little girl asked me if I was Rachel's mom and I told her I was.  She then went on to tell me that Rachel is always kind to her and always says yes when the girl asks to play with her at recess.  I am so thankful for kind children!  

My Grandpa Toney

My Grandpa Toney passed away on Sunday, March 3rd, at his home, with several family members by his side and my Grandma holding his hand. 

My Grandpa was born and raised in Michigan.  He was the son of a farmer, and raised his own family, of five children, on a dairy farm.  My grandparents joined the Church when my dad was a little boy.  My grandparents worked hard to balance their demands as parents to five children, life on a dairy farm, workers in a factory, and their religious obligations.  They raised five wonderful children, who went on to marry five wonderful people, and it warms my heart every time I think of the posterity that has come from my grandparents and their conscious, good choices.  

My Grandpa Toney was a quiet man, and just got quieter the older he got.  Because I was born and raised in Utah, I didn't have a lot of time with my grandparents while I was growing up.  My parents tried to get us all out to Michigan about every other year, and those are some of my fondest childhood memories.  My grandparents sold their farm when my Dad was on his mission and they bought a home in South Haven.  I loved this home for two reasons:  1) it had a pool 2) at the end of the house, overlooking the pool, was a huge room that was filled with toys and books and games.  I had a lot of cousins who lived back there, and so our summer visits were filled with swimming, playing with cousins, swimming again, eating loads of food (my grandma loves to make and eat great food) and swimming some more.  It seemed I lived in my swimming suit when we would go back there in the summertime.

When I was in 5th grade we spent Thanksgiving in Michigan and when I was in 9th grade we spent Christmas out there as well.  That Christmas the entire Toney family was together, with the exception of I believe two cousins who were on missions.  Growing up, those were hands down my two favorite holiday celebrations.  Just the excitement of traveling for a holiday was a novelty!  But I loved being in such a huge family group for a holiday celebration.  I remember traveling to Al and Joy's for Thanksgiving dinner (my Dad's aunt and uncle).  I remember it being so warm that the guys played football outside.  I remember nightly games of mafia organized by my cousin Shawna when we were there for Christmas.  I remember our gift exchange and how happy that was.

I remember that one year, my Grandpa Toney called me on my birthday.  I think I was probably turning 12 or 13.  I was tickled to receive a phone call from him on the evening of my birthday.  It was a brief conversation, but it still made my heart soar.  

My Grandpa loved John Deere tractors and loved fishing on Lake Michigan in his boat.  I spent some time on his boat during our summer visits with cousins and uncles, and of course, my grandpa.  One vivid memory I have, and this happened when I was seven, was on the boat, in the middle of Lake Michigan.  One of my younger cousins, who was a difficult child, was misbehaving.  Finally, my Grandpa had had enough, and picked this cousin up by this arms and dunked him in the lake!  He never let go, but my cousin was not happy, and my Grandpa told him he couldn't come back in the boat until he promised to be good.  Lake Michigan is rarely a warm lake, and so you can imagine that my cousin changed his ways pretty quickly.  This memory as a seven year old is seared into my mind.  :)  

Almost every time I visited my grandparents as an adult, with my own kids in tow, Marshall would take a turn sitting up on Grandpa Toney's big John Deere tractor.  My Grandma also had lots of tractor toys for the great-grandkids to play with.  Marshall still remembers them!  

Sometimes my grandparents would drive out from Michigan to visit us in Utah.  I loved their visits.  It was so fun to have grandparents visiting!  When I was a senior in high school they came out for a visit.  They were able to attend my choir concert; I loved having them there.

When we moved to Wisconsin I was able to spend more time at my grandparents' home.  I was actually not great at getting out there my first couple of years (Chicago traffic had scarred me), but I got better at it and made a trip out at least once a year, if not twice.  The first time I went out to visit them, Marshall was eight months old.  I have a memory from one of my early visits there.  My Grandpa was still able to drive and go to church.  I remember waiting and waiting and waiting to leave church, but my Grandpa just kept talking and talking and talking to people...I was shocked!

Another memory happened at a later visit.  I still just had Marshall with me, but he was napping in the pack and play.  My Grandma wanted me to take her to the store.  I was a tad nervous to leave Marshall with just my Grandpa in case Marshall woke up, but my Grandma assured me everything would be fine.  I was worried the whole time I was gone, and anxiously walked in the front door when we got back to their house.  There was my Grandpa, sitting in his favorite chair, with Marshall on his lap.  Marshall was as happy as could be and I was relieved to see that all was well so I snapped a picture.  :)

The last trip we took to Michigan before we moved to Utah was in January 2016.  This was only Richard's second trip out there with me, but I got him to come along for this one.  We spent a weekend there and had a wonderful time.  Words to describe trips to Michigan would be love, fun, food, laughter, games, relaxed, and acceptance.  My girls, as usual, had a ball playing Barbies (Rachel still talks about these Barbies and she was 2!) and Marshall had fun playing with the tractors.  My aunts, uncles, and cousins are also so good with kids and would just start playing with them.  As we left to drive home on that Sunday afternoon, I knew that would be the last time I would see my Grandpa Toney alive.  I made sure to tell him I loved him as I hugged him good-bye.  I will always have happy memories of him waving hello or good-bye to my kids on our visits.  His face would get more animated, his blue eyes would perk up and get a little bit bigger, and his big Grandpa Toney hand would do a little floppy wave.

My Grandpa Toney was a wise, strong, and kind man.  I am glad my three older kids have some memories of him.  I am grateful for all the treasured memories I have of him.  He left a great legacy of faith, consistency, and hard work.  Love you Grandpa.

Snapshot: Marshall At 10 1/2

Marshall has hit the 10 1/2 year mark and he his growing up and changing before our eyes.  Here is what I always want to remember about him at this age...



*Right after we moved into this house, Marshall began asking for a pet.  We kept saying no, and he eventually resigned himself to this and announced that if he could not have a pet, he would like to have a cactus.  Done!  We got him a cactus for Christmas and Marshall really does love it like an animal.  He has named it Cactalow.  :)  Original.  Cactalow sits on the windowsill in our south-facing family room window.  Marshall checks on him daily and waters when needed.  He turns him a quarter turn every couple of days, just as he should.  Talk about devotion!





*Marshall is loving 4th grade and really enjoying our new elementary school.  Marshall has two teachers this year, Mrs. Thornock and Mrs. Klinker.  Mrs. Klinker actually taught my brothers, Kevin and Jordan, and Marshall thinks that is pretty cool.  These two women are exceptional and really have helped to make Marshall's school year so good.  He has loved learning about Utah, geology, and weather.  He continues to excel in math and loves reading.  He has had the highest reading level in his class all year, and his reading level has also increased the most!

*Speaking of reading, Marshall goes through books like crazy.  He usually gets two or three books each week from the school library, and has them all read a couple of days before he needs to return them.  I recently made a trip to the city library and got five big chapter books for him.  He has finished the first two books in the Leven Thumps series and loved it.

*This school year, Marshall has chosen to participate in Book Battles at school.  It is a reading competition open to kids in grades 3-6.  There are 20 books that you can choose to read and then the librarian places them in teams and then the battle is run like the game show Family Feud.  It started in September and the school competition just wrapped up last week.  I volunteered with the program, so I have been able to be very involved with it and it has been fun to experience it with Marshall.  Marshall is probably one of about ten kids who read all 20 books.  As far as fourth grade goes, Marshall was one of two to read all 20!  His team placed second in the competition, but the team who placed first needed subs for the school assembly and also subs for the district competition.  Marshall was able to join the first place team at the school assembly and they won!  He was so excited to be participating and even happier that they won!  The district competition is on April 27th-he cannot wait.

*In the fall, Marshall was also invited to participate in the STEM Olympiad, which he chose to do.  Every other Wednesday, Marshall gets to school 45 minutes early to practice the math game he has chosen to do.  At the last practice, he beat both the 5th and 6th grader.  At home, Richard has never beat him at this game!  The district competition is in May and he is very excited.  We are so proud of Marshall for choosing to step outside his comfort zone and try new things! 

*Speaking of trying new things, Marshall ventured into the world of competition soccer this last year.  It has been so good for him!  His coach is exceptional and we feel really lucky to have made it onto his team.  Marshall has his moments of being very aggressive, and has moments of being very hesitant.  The indoor and outdoor soccer seasons had some cross-over, so for several days I felt like we were just living soccer, but Marshall's competitive spirit really came out during those days and at their first outdoor spring game, Marshall scored his team's only goal.  It was so exciting!  Richard and I were both at the game, which is rare, and it was so fun to see it.  We hope that competitive drive stays strong in him!

*Marshall has become obsessed with his name and anything named Marshall.  He has spent weeks researching the Marshall Islands, and he checks their weather every day.  He has also purchased a Marshall Islands pin and flag.  :)  He loves seeing the Marsahll's store, streets named Marshall, cities named Marshall...I think you get the picture.  :) 

*Marshall has started to make a couple of good friends here in Centerville, which is nice.  ;)  He still loves to play with Tate and Cooper though, and we try to get the boys together as often as we can. 

*Marshall has taken an interest in the Great British Baking Show and he loves to watch with me.  I also love his company.  :)   The other day, he made pumpkin bread almost entirely unassisted. 

*Marshall has improved at gaining control over his emotions.  He can still be very volatile.  He hates to lose, he hates when his expectations aren't met, and he hates to be pressed for time.  All that being said, he has gotten better at making the choice to calm down and has learned to choose positive outlets for his emotions.  Deep down, Marshall remains sweet, affectionate, and tender. 

*Back in the summer, Marshall set a goal to run a 5K.  He and I went running once a week together in the fall.  On Thanksgiving Day in Vernal, Marshall ran his first 5K, in the snow!  He shocked us all by his speed and endurance.  He plans to run two more this summer. 

*Marshall's school class learned to loom hats for kids in Paradise, California after the terrible fire.  At first, it was very frustrating for him, but he persevered, and ended up loving it!  He asked for a loom for Christmas and Santa delivered.  He is currently looming a hat for Richard.  :) 

*Marshall can usually be an adventurous eater, though he seems to not like half of what I make.  :)  But, he is almost always up for trying new foods, and likes most of it. 

*As for being a brother, Marshall can be a big time tease, but he also has lots of moments of getting along with his sisters.  He and Bridget do especially well together, and I would say half the time he and Rachel get along.  The jury is still out with Gretchen.  :) 

We love this boy!

Snapshot: Bridget At Eight

Bridget turned EIGHT on Monday and I can hardly believe it.  Here are some things about Bridget at this age that I always want to remember...

*Bridget has developed an intense love for horses the last several months (much like her Grandma Becky at a similar age).  She has seriously perfected any sound a horse may make and gallops around our house and even holds her hands in a shape that resembles hooves.  She and her friends usually play some sort of horse game every day at recess.  Her Christmas and birthday lists were full of horse and Spirit Riding Free requests.  I think she has even read every horse related book in the school library. 

*Bridget loves school and LOVES math.  In school, her teacher gives timed tests for addition and subtraction, and no one has been able to beat Bridget all year (just liker her dad)!  She frequently does her homework for the following day during breakfast.  She did her first book report in February, and turned it in early (not like her dad).  May she always be this way!

*Bridget continues to make wonderful friends in our neighborhood and at school.  She is kind to everyone and has such an easy-going personality that her friend pool is large and she is content to play with just about anyone. 

*Bridget has managed to invent her own language in the last few months.  I honestly don't think I could spell any of the words she has made up!  She uses her made up words so much that Gretchen has even started saying them!

*Bridget still loves art and spends a lot of time coloring and creating each week.

*Bridget continues to be an exceptional playmate for all of her siblings and they all miss her when she is not around.  She continues to play well with kids of all ages.  Almost every night, Gretchen gets into bed with Bridget and it is probably the happiest part of Gretchen's day.  She is just overjoyed, and Bridget enjoys it just as much.

*As far as eating is concerned, Bridget is still picky, but occasionally, I see glimpses of some maturing taste buds!  A couple of weeks ago she even shared a Cafe Rio pork salad with me and Marshall...shocking!  But, she still just drinks water, only eats blue cotton candy flavored gogurt, and I have to beg her to try and get in a total of three fruits and vegetables every day...which she rarely achieves!

*Bridget continues to be a Daddy's Girl.  She sits next to him at church, snuggles right up next to him whenever she can, and is way more affectionate with Richard than she is with me!  And to think she was such a Mama's Girl for the 3 of the first 3 1/2 years of her life! (the first 6-9 months of her life were full of smiles only when Richard came home from work)  She even wants to go on a road trip with Marshall and Richard to watch a BYU football game.

*Bridget is usually our first one to fall asleep each night...she takes after me in that regard!  Rachel can still be bouncing around the room and talking and Bridget will be snoozing. 

*Bridget has been our first child to venture into the world of orthodontics.  She has been a real trooper this year as she is now sporting a palate expander and braces on her top teeth. 

*Bridget is funny, happy, easy-going, responsible, and a joy to have in our family.  We love her!!!

Snapshot: Rachel At 5 1/2

Rachel Louise just hit the 5 1/2 year mark and I can hardly believe it.  Here are some things I always want to remember about Rachel at this age:

*Rachel is our passionate child.  She feels the highs and lows of every day life, and she feels it all intensely.  

*Rachel speaks her mind and is brutally honest.  Sometimes I love this, like when she tells me I look beautiful, and sometimes I don't like this, like when she tells me I look terrible.  :)  A couple of weeks ago, she told Marshall he looked handsome with his new haircut.  And right around that same time, she told me I was looking very old.  

*Academics can be challenging for Rachel; however, she has learned SO much since kindergarten started the end of August.  When she started kindergarten, she couldn't even write her name.  Now she knows the entire alphabet, she can write all the letters, knows the sounds they make, she can sound out words, knows a handful of sight words, is starting to read, has learned my phone number, 911, shapes, and her ability to count and identify numbers has greatly improved. 

*Rachel loves going to school, and excels socially.  She is kind to everyone, for which I am so grateful.  I have had other moms, kids in her class, and her teacher, all pay me individual compliments about her kindness.  

*Rachel's imagination continues to thrive, and I love it.  She spends the most time out of all the kids upstairs playing in the loft.  She is great at building with Legos and designing things out of playdoh.  She still loves Barbies and dress ups and dolls.  

*Rachel loves to snuggle with me.  "Mama snuggle" as it is affectionately called.  She goes through phases of coming into our bed at night.  I am so tired I don't even realize she is there.  

*Rachel has impeccable style.  Her latest current fashions are pairing all of her summer dresses and skirts with her leggings.  Sometimes even with her pink furry vest.  :)

*She hates when I comb her hair and always prefers to have her hair down.  She recently got a haircut to avoid all the inevitable tangles.  And now that her ballet recital is over and we don't need her hair in a bun, I think she might go even shorter.

*Rachel started ballet class this school year and loves it.  I will support her in all of her endeavors, but I really hope she keeps dancing.  Fingers crossed!  

*Rachel is tender-hearted, affectionate, loving, and just an all around spunky girl to spend time with.  We love her dearly!

Snapshot: Gretchen At Almost 2 1/2

Just when I thought that Gretchen couldn't get any cuter, she has.  This last week she has just exploded with even more charm and character and brings me bursts of unbounded joy hour after hour.  Here are some things I always want to remember about Gretchen at this age...

*Gretchen is talking up a storm.  We can't always understand her, but she can talk and talk and strings so many words together.  It is delightful to listen to.  Some of our most favorite things to hear are:  "I Ariel!" or "I Elsa!"  "I'm not poopy!  You're poopy!"  "Bye!  See you later!"  

*She loves to play on the window benches in the loft; however, she is still too short to get on them without help.  She will come find someone, pull them along, and say, "Play benches!"

*She gives wonderful hugs.

*Gretchen is the BEST at saying thank you.  

*Gretchen LOVES to run and jump.  At this time last year, she still couldn't stand up on her own, and could only take steps while holding onto something.  Fast forward one year, she almost always jumps off the bottom stair, the girls have one stair in their bedroom that she jumps off of over and over.  A couple of weeks ago she started jumping off the couches.  Her run is the cutest.  She just puts her head down, swings her little arms, and moves her feet as fast as she can.  

*Last weekend she started doing somersaults.  So cute to see that little body just fold on over.  

*Two things I don't love, but I still want to remember.  Last Sunday she fell out of her crib.  I knew it was coming, because I had seen her get one leg over the crib rail.  But last Sunday she clearly got both legs over and fell out.  I am happy to report though that she has yet to do it again...I think it scared her sufficiently.  :)  She also scoots our kitchen chairs all over the wood floor (very grating noise!) so she can either climb onto the counters or play with the light switches.  I can't tell you how many times I have walked into the kitchen to see her standing on the counters.  My only child to have ever done this, and who would have guessed it would be Gretchen!

*Gretchen still detests clothes, and almost always prefers to "Be naked."  However, in the last couple of weeks, Rachel has started to get her dressed in her own clothes, which Gretchen is thrilled to wear!  

*Gretchen's imagination is exploding.  It is so fun to listen to her play with barbies or dolls.  And just last week she started playing with hair.  Love.  

*She loves getting into Bridget's bed with her at night before we put the kids to bed.  I think it is safe to say that Bridget loves it just as much.

*When I lay her down for a nap or for the night, lately she has been wanting me to sing, "Shall We Dance".  I rock and sing and she dances around the room.  She asks me to sing it twice, which I do.  But when she knows the second song is coming to an end, she runs out of her room, into my room, and hides in the corner.  She giggles the whole way, and I laugh while I chase her down.  Not the most calming pre-sleep routine, but certainly fun.  :)

*When Gretchen wants to sit on our lap, she comes up to us, turns around with her back to us and says, "Sit lap!"  Very emphatically.  

*All of her f's she pronounces as p's.  Prozen, Olap, and pone instead of Frozen, Olaf and phone.  :)  Other silly pronunciations I love:  Cinderbella, bloody no (as in bloody nose, which she frequently gives herself).   

*She LOVES M&Ms.  :)

*Gretchen is back to getting into the markers, and coloring all over herself.  

We love, love, love this tiny girl Gretchen Ruth.