I Miss My Mommy!

This past week Mom has been in Hawaii visiting Avery (or Parker, I am still not sure what we are calling her; we need some consistency!). Ashley and I miss her soooo much. Our home is a very different place without her, as well as school. I am usually fine when I travel without Mom but, it is totally different when she is not at home. It SUCKS! So I am now ready to announce to the world: I MISS MY MOMMY!

-A&K

Avery Parker Raynor

We are so happy to have another addition to the family. She was born November 16th at 9:53pm. She was 6lbs 13oz. They kept everyone updated during Lindsay's labor process. Check out Matty and Lindsay and their baby: mattyandlindsay.blogspot.com

Surprise Visit

So, Granny Jo and Papa Wally came down to watch Ashley and Katie's water polo team in the state semi-finals. It was quite a surprise! We LOVED the visit. They learned a lot about water polo. Fun was had by all.

THANK YOU

"How do you make the words 'thank you' seem more important than anything else in the world." That said, Thank You for T.

WHAT'S IN A WINK

Dear babies: So, today I was thinking about all of the great winks that I have seen. The thing is... that you just don't see people wink much any more. Over the years, I have learned that a wink tells someone that you love them and you are thinking of them - when you can't be near them, touch them, or tell them out loud that you love them. I think the master of wink was your Dad. Thales would be across the room and make eye contact with a quick wink. If he wasn't snuggling with you or if he didn't have his arm around you or his hand on you, then he was winking at you. His wink always said I'm thinking of you, I love you, and I'd love to hug you. I tried to find a picture of Thales winking, but had no luck. All I could find were pictures of him snuggling or holding each of you - and me. It was fun to look at those pictures and remember what a "touchy" family we are. I miss the winks. I did manage to find one of his earlier winks. And, I thought I send you one of mine - just to let you know, I'm thinking of you, loving you, and wishing I could hug you. Love Momma

Life is Water Polo

Life is water polo - after school that is. Life is grand. Life begins at 5am and ends hopefully by 11pm. Life is lots of school and lots of work. Life is homework. But most of all life is obedience. What makes our life so perfectly wonderful is knowing that our Heavenly Father knows us. He answers our prayers. He watches us as we follow the Prophet - right down to the first prayer in the morning and last one at night. I can't adequately describe how wonderful it feels to love being obedient and feeling the blessings that come from the simple acts that He has asked us to do. Yep... I am still a blessed woman!

HERE'S TO YOU MATTY - The Real Deal

1980's Style

Yep... Ray-ban COOL - Love Mamma

GOOD FRIENDS - part I

Traci and Claudia

When I woke up this morning I was thinking how much I love my girl friends. I'm thinking best-type friends, not acquaintances, but people who really know me and still like me. Now, I don't have bunches of them. In fact, I could probably count on my fingers and toes the total sum of my friends. But I must say that the friends in my life are the most talented, gifted, loving, intelligent, supportive people I have ever met. I decided to take my camera to school with the intention of taking pictures of all these "important to me" people. Now, they're not all at school, but a vast majority of them are. After taking just one picture, I realized the magnitude of this "little" project. Thus, I see that I must make this a "parts" post. You know, Good Friends Part I. So, at 6:30 this morning, I got one picture taken - of Traci and Claudia. Can you imagine going to work everyday and getting to see such happy, perky, positive, people at such an early time of the day? Aren't they beautiful! (It's true - inside and out!) They make me laugh, they pick me up when I'm down, they let me vent, they share their thoughts with me, and they do nice things for me ALL the time. I think it's cool how the older I get the better the friends get. It's like I'm finally grown up enough to have the best of the good, better, best. -V

WATER POLO

Katie playing hole-set.

Katie on defense.

Ashley - post game - 2 points - JHS 19/Beyer 2.

Katie (and Hannah) - Pre game - 4 points - JHS 5/Beyer 8

Well today was "water polo day." This event happens twice a week from August until Veteran's Day in November. Now, that's just game day. The other three weekdays are consumed by practice from 2pm until 5:15pm. And... can't forget the weekend tournaments - all day Friday and Saturday every other weekend. Katie is captain of the JV team this year (following in Ashley's footsteps) and Ashley is playing on the famous JHS Varsity Girls Water Polo Team, under the even more famous Brent Bohlender. Needless to say, water polo is a big thing at JHS and in the Raynor house. For me? I'll be grateful when they are both on the same team again (next year) AND when I no longer feel compelled to work until 5pm just to pass the time while waiting for practice to end. I do find that I get: all my work done, scriptures read, errands completed, sore ears from wearing my earbuds too long, and that I can repeat the same playlist 4 times in one three hour period. Maybe one of these days I will learn to be more productive "creatively" during water polo. :-) PS: Next time I'll try to get a picture of Ashley actually playing... her game just moves way to fast for me...

Impressed!

WOW! Mom manged to put up 12 postings in two days, pretty impressive. Maybe I am no longer the Tech. Queen in the family. I guess we don't have to post again for about 6 months...Awesome! -Katie

Love you, Rachel...

James and the Giant Peach

Peach applesauce
There is a famous children's book called James and the Giant Peach. I remember my mom buying the movie when Caroline, Matty, David, Rachel, Ashley, and Katie were young. I thought it was the most boring movie. But I have a greater appreciation for the title of that book/movie now and want to share it with you. My story is more like "Vicki Meets the Giant Peach." So the long and short of it is, I was eating one of my summer favorites: fresh cut up peaches last week, and the last piece that went down, didn't go down, it went up... You know the holes at the back of your throat that lead up to your nose? Well, this small piece of peach got wedged up in the right hole, not only plugging my right nostril but somehow scraping the back of my throat as well. I tried everything to either sniff it up and out or cough it down and out. I tried squirting close to a full cup of water up my nose. (Thought I was going to drown and ended up giving myself a huge headache after filling every sinus cavity in my head with hot water.) Nothing worked. That small piece of peach drove me nuts. Lindsay gave me the best advice, I snorted close to two bottles of Ocean saline nasal spray. Two days later the piece of peach finally rotted and slid down my throat. The cost: five pounds lighter, a sore throat for the past 10 days, an ear ache, and a voice that comes and goes - still. And a new respect for "the Giant Peach." :-)

Oh, and by the way, thank you Ashley for creating the new way for me to eat my peaches... peach applesauce.

Elder Thales D Raynor

Usually, Katie is our tech person and takes care of every detail in our lives. However, we let this one slip by without making comment. David found the gift that Heavenly Father gave him and decided to become a "Soldier of God." He is now serving in the McAllen Texas Spanish Speaking Mission. With every letter that comes our way, my heart cannot be fuller with joy over the love and hope he is sharing. Aren't I the blessed woman to have mothered two modern day Stripling Warriors!

This one's for Seth.

Caroline was pretty darn hot. And her "Groovy Kind of Love" was...

Parting Shots.

Final photo of the summer...

Rachel craving attention - gotta love it.

I may get in trouble for this one, but Katie's excellent photo scoop shows that - Yep... Rach still sleeps with her mouth and eyes open.

KC caught this totally cool picture of Sarah with all of these irridescent bubbles!

And KC graciously allowed Katie to blow dry his hair into various styles.