Thanksgiving.

So, Ryan and I had food poisoning on Thanksgiving.  What a treat!  Now we have almost completely recovered.  Darn that Costco chicken salad.  I am not sure what caused it but that's what I'm blaming.  

My B-day is December 10th and I am going to be 28.  If you estimate, I am 30.  Wow!  What happened?!  Where did the time go?  When did I become middle aged?  JK.  But...seriously...Oh my gosh!

Gracie is a little girl now and no longer a baby.  She will be 2 January 21st. Time for another one, you ask?  Maybe.  You will have to ask my hubby :) He's the most deliberate, organized, contemplative person known to man.  I am pretty impulsive so I'm like Come on!

St. George

So Ryan is employee of the month. He in return gets a condo for the weekend in St. George. So here we are in St. George. There isn't a whole lot to do but shop and eat, but it is great to get away as a little family. It is a nice little place. When we first arrived the water wasn't on and once we figured how to turn it on, the hot water heater wasn't working. We finally figured it out so we will get to shower and stuff now :) Gracie has been grumpy because she was in the car for 4 hours yesterday, then she got up earlier than usual. She is taking a nap now...isn't that the best? We went to Cracker Barrel...Love it! I always took it for granted back in GA. We were going to try and visit right after Christmas but christmas can really kick your butt financially. You don't realize that when you are a kid but...ouch! We will probably come more like March now. I was a little bummed but what can you do? Maybe some miracle will happen and we will be able to afford it, I'm not holding my breath though. Have a great day!

Halloween

To see Gracie's Halloween video and others visit this link:

 http://www.vimeo.com/rachaeldaley

Video

Check out the Gracie Video:

"She's got a way."

Gracie, Grandpa Daley & Me.

Not much of a pro at taking self-photographs.

Grandpa's biggest fan.

You will notice all the pictures of Gracie are her in motion.  It is impossible to get a picture any other way, she is ALWAYS on the go.  Unless I am holding her down.

Our little missionary, Gracie loves to knock on doors.

New stuff.

Our house and lawn.

Backyard views.

We are quite excited to have our own home, but still have quite a few tasks ahead.  Note there are no pictures of the inside of the house.

OKAY! So I'm a terrible blogger.

We had our lawn hydro-seeded about two weeks ago and it looks great. Well, not great but you should have seen it before. There is actually green stuff on the dirt now. Much improvement. Next we will begin the indoor improvements. We will probably do something boring like plimbing or electricity. Not very exciting, but necessary none the less.

Gracie is great. She is very busy, but great. Very dramatic. I don't know if it is a girl thing or a Gracie thing. We are having some drama right now as a matter of fact. Such fun. Maybe she will be famous.

Update

SO...The roof has been finished and we have been preparing the lawn for hydro-seed.  We are really excited to get that done as well.  Then is our huge big fat job of starting on the inside of the home.  Hopefully we will have some help and not have to become tyrants to get anything done.  

Improvements!

We are getting a new roof!  Who knew home improvements could excite me?!  Making progress on our home is very gratifying.  We have a long way to go, but this is a major project that will light a fire.

Vacation

So, we went on a mini-vacation as a family (Daley's). Austin recently got his mission call to serve in the Minneapolis, Minnesota mission. So we wanted him to be forced to spend time with us so...what better place for an aspiring missionary to visit than Las Vegas. Our hotel was a bit of a dive and I didn't really care. The one redeeming quality was there was a giant billboard on our hotel/casino of a showgirl's butt in a rhinestone thong. That really made up for the smell of sweat, beer and cigarettes that filled the air. Gracie had some rough times but had some good ones too. Overall, it was fun. I even look forward to going back...without Gracie. So Leah...prepare yourself...we are going to ask you to adopt a toddler for a few days in the near future. Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone is doing well.

Change of Plans.

About our home and living situation...Previously I wrote a post stating we were going to have a home built in Eagle Mountain. Our plans have since changed. After thinking and praying about it we weren't feeling that great about it. We were exploring our options and things have unfolded and this is the new plan: Ryan and I are going to buy the home we now live in from my father-in-law. It is a lovely home and a great area. The home needs a lot of improvements. It is a lofty project but once it is done it will be great. I will post pictures as time goes on of the improvements we have made. I am very excited about this and we feel great about it. Russ, my father-in-law, will trade places with us and be saving for retirement. It really works out best for everyone involved. So...I guess that is all.

GRACIE PICTURES!

To view my precious Gracie's pictures go to this link:

  https://www.thesmilestation.com/home.asp?AC=LTTT0899104534TAR

And use the name 'Rachel Daley' (yes, Rachel, spelled wrong).

Then you will see my ever increasingly beautiful Gracie.  Enjoy!

Once upon a time...I was tagged.

Sorry for the long delay on being tagged and responding. I should be ashamed of myself. Anyway, Margie Tinney tagged me and here goes...

How to play this game. Post these rules on your blog; List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names....

Joys - My husband, Ryan...My beautiful baby girl, Gracie...My mom and dad and brothers and sister and nephews.
Fears - Losing the "Joys"...Missing a flight...Public speaking/singing.
Goals - Going on missions with Ryan...Losing weight...Progression.
Obsessions/Collections - Googling home improvement sites...King of the Hill...Books.
Random Facts - I have a therapist...I like self-help books...Thinking about Gracie makes me smile a lot.

I am tagging...Leah, Christon, Aramie, Nicole and Tara.
(If you have been tagged already, sorry.)

Better Late Than Never.

I know it has been about a million years (just a rough estimate) since my last blog. We have been house shopping and now we think we know where we are going to live. We are possibly going to have a home built in Eagle Mountain, UT. Nothing Fancy, just a cookie cutter home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and an unfinished basement. So, I am super excited. We will see if it pans out. Keep your fingers crossed. I was trying to get back to GA to live for a bit, but I guess the Lord had other plans. Ryan is studying for his GMAT and is seriously considering going to business school for his MBA. A pretty different direction than we first thought we were headed. But, it just seems to fit with the job he has currently and the way our living situation is working out. University of Utah has a good business program so....that's where we are at. It is all pretty tentative at the moment, but that's where we seem to be headed. I hope you are all doing awesome and are having a great life.

The Chronicles of Narnia

We saw the new Chronicles of Narnia film tonight. It was excellent. Ryan and I really enjoyed it. We put Gracie to bed and saw a late showing. Don't worry, we didn't just leave her alone. We had Grandpa keep an ear out and check on her periodically. The theater was packed. You know when you go to the movies and someone sits right next to you? Don't you hate that? I mean, in this situation it was acceptable because there aren't any other seats. But when it isn't a full movie, doesn't that really tick you off? Am I right? Anyway, it's a good movie is the point I was trying to make. C.S. Lewis writes Christian allegories, and you get to take so much from the books and films that are lying underneath the plot. I enjoy it thoroughly. I have never read the books, but aren't movies just like the books? Oh, yeah they aren't. That's why I failed the Scarlet Letter book report.

Is this layout satisfactory?

Because of recent concern with my short-lived layout background, I decided to change it again. I hope you all approve. I originally decided to change it because it seemed my blog was declining in popularity. I thought, what can I do to make my blog more enjoyable? I thought I'd start here.

I am currently working on a stitchery that has proven to be much more labor intensive than I first realized. This is the pattern:

This is the progress made so far:




As you can see, mine is upside down in comparison with the pattern. But the symbol is all upside down and right side up anyway.

I have quite a bit of work to do, but so far so good.

Injustice!

Those of you who actually read this blog, on my previous one I told you of a mother's day gift, it was a ClearPlay DVD player. It sucked and this is an email I have sent to corporate and a couple of places:


My husband recently purchased a ClearPlay DVD player from your location in Highland, UT. The item was defective. So, as it advises in the manual, we called ClearPlay for tech support. The conclusion was we were to bring the player to their location in Salt Lake, about 26 miles north of us, and they would exchange it for another one. We did this. The second player we received was also defective. At this point, we are truly annoyed. We then decide we are going to return the item to the store for a refund. When we arrive to the store they tell us the policy is they cannot take back the player if it has been opened and used-we have to go through ClearPlay. But, we do not want a third ClearPlay DVD player or tech support for another faulty item, we want a refund. ClearPlay cannot legally refund money to a credit card for a purchase we made at Family Video. The people who took our money, logically, are the only ones who can give us the refund we desired. After much frustration and rudeness from the manager on duty, we were able to get our money back.

So, what is the point, if we got our money back, you ask. My point is this: there is currently an item at Family Video in Highland, UT that is, although a good idea, not ready for retail sale. And, the policy attached at Family Video in Highland, UT is ridiculous and nonsensical. Although one customer you have lost is pretty irrelevant, the future customers who come in contact with this problem could start to add up.

I sincerely hope this problem is rectified.


I'm just a little ticked right now and I had to talk about it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mamas out there! I am in the nursery at church now and during nursery one of the relief society presidency members took my post so I could attend Relief Society. It was a very welcomed pardon. It was nice to actually sit down and listen...go figure. For Mother's day Ryan gave me a book and a special DVD player called ClearPlay. It's a DVD player that has a flash drive that you use to get editing files online, you then put the flash drive into this DVD player and you can see any movie edited to your liking. I am super excited. Ryan is great and is now out of school and calming down quite a bit. He has been wound up and stressed for several years now with sooooo much on his plate. He needs this break for sanity's sake, my sanity included. So we are a little normal family, for now. He works 9-5, and then he comes home. It is fantastic. Gracie has been saying a few words here and there. She has said mama, daddy, yes, out, kitty, let go (maybe), I'm pretty sure she meowed and other stuff I can't think of now. She is awesome. I am currently reading a newer biography Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. It's a biography by an active LDS church member that gives you the facts. It is awesome to learn all these details that you don't really know about, in relation to all of these other events you know very well. Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, but it can't be denied that he was also a mortal man. Just as is every prophet placed upon this earth. So, I am working toward finishing this book before I start The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Very pumped about that book as well. Who knew I was such a nerd?.....Don't answer that, it's rhetorical.

The Freak Out!

So, today, Ryan left for work.  He usually arrives at 9:00, he logs onto Yahoo Messenger, so I say Hi or something along those lines.  Today he did not log in, no big deal.  So a couple of hours go by and still, no log in.  I call his phone and no answer.  So, I thought, oh well,  he must be busy.  Then all of a sudden I get a rush of worry.  Is he dead, is he missing.....and so on.  I start watching the news to see if there are any accidents reported.  I get online to look up news to make sure there haven't been any accidents reported.  I call his phone about 8 times and text him twice...no reply.  At this point I realize the only way I will be able to calm down is if I drive to his work and see if his car is there.  So, I'm on my way to the office, when I call one more time.  He answers...it's a miracle....he was in a meeting....and I cry.  So...Ryan lives another day.  Thank goodness.  Who else would take care of his crazy wife.

Potty Scotty Award

And the winner is.....

LEAH

Not because she's my sister...because she's a grown-up pants pooper. There has to be some sort of consolation for that.

For those of you who didn't win this time...don't give up on your dreams.

And the winner is???

I thought it was about time for another presitgious award, I like to call it

The Garbage Pail Kids Potty Scotty

award

He's cute...he's charming...he's.....Potty Scotty.

I don't know who is the most deserving of this award so...leave a comment and plead your case for why you should or would really hate to be given this award.

The Best Game Ever Played

PEEK

A

BOO

In case you were unaware, this is the best game ever. It gets lots of giggles and makes you feel like you are a superhero because you can make a little girl laugh.

GRADUATION

Today Ryan graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Utah Valley University. I am so proud and excited. We have more school ahead of us but this is one major milestone. He will be taking the year off and I am looking forward to that a great deal. Mom is here visiting, she got here last night. So, lots of good things happening right now. Exciting huh?!

Men vs. Women

I was doing a little cleaning today. I organized my closet.

This is Ryan's side:

This is mine:

Clearly, the universe is unbalanced as far as shoes are concerned when it comes to men and women. As well as looks, intelligence and righteousness.

Nursery

I took Gracie into nursery with me today. It is quite difficult to be mommy and be a nursery worker at the same time. Serving in the nursery is enough work on it's own, but Gracie seems to love being there. I thought it might be time to allow Ryan to actually attend his meetings for a change. He was appreciative.

Mom will be coming out to visit on Thursday. She will be here just in time to attend Ryan's graduation. I am very excited. Both to see mom and for Ryan to graduate. As I mentioned before, Ryan will have the year off and I am totally excited. Hopefully we will be able to take a little vacation. If not, it will be nice to have him around more. He is fun to have around and it will be nice to have more help with the little one.

You would think I see Leah all the time since she lives here, but not so. I guess everyone's schedule can't revolve around mine....unfortunately. She babysits Gracie about once a month, which is awesome, but I sure wish she could serve me more. She really needs the blessings.

I am currently reading the book by Parley P. Pratt, The Key to Theology. It is an out of print book written at the beginning of the restoration. It is really great. Parley P. Pratt was a great and faithful man throughout his life. He writes well and is very insightful. I'm trying to study every day and stay on top of it because I feel better in every area of my life when I do. I think it is one of my needs I discovered. You know like I need 9 hours of sleep, lots of water, eating regularly and well, take my vitamins and study every day. That makes for a happy physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual Rachael. When those things start to drop out, so does my well-being.

Anyway, blah blah blah.

A Cornucopia of Whatever

This is the kind of hair Leah is doing these days.

This is another angle of the sassiness.

My Gracie's Easter Dress.

Isn't she lovely?

Leah didn't care for this picrure of herself, but I like it.  You're very welcome.

The Zoo!

We went to the zoo today.  Gracie seemed to only care about the giraffes.  I tried to put her down so she could walk around.  That didn't work out for too long.  She only seems to want to go in the opposite direction we are going.  She also is quite content if I were not around at all, so she tends to wander around aimlessly.  She is quite independent. 

Hello!

I thought I should probably do a little post of some kind. I was going to wait for something interesting to happen, then I realized if I wait for that, I would never post anything.  I'm a mom and sometimes that is not the most exciting profession.  I am bored a lot.  So, I have some questions for yall. Especially you mommies.

1. What are your hobbies?

2. What do you guys get excited about and look forward to?

3. What are some fun things Gracie and I could do?

etc....

I am really open to suggestions. 

Gracie is working on her molars, so we have had pretty regular blood curdling screaming at least once a night.  It really is a rude awakening. Ryan's graduation is next week, I am totally pumped.  Mom is coming out on the 24th.   And... that's about it.  I know, you're on the edge of your seat, but you're just gonna have to wait for the next post.    

Kings of Cool

These are the two people Ryan thinks will be cool, no matter what they do, forever and ever. Can you name them?

Hint:  If you don't know who they are...Ryan thinks you're the lamest, no matter what you do, forever and ever.

Didn't hurt a bit. It was actually a lovely experience. I would do it for fun. No, not really. I really have an excellent physician.

I am off to get a manicure from Leah today. She calls me and makes me come in to pay for her services so she can get credit for it. She will be partially in debt to me for her education. I will make her work it off in my imposter designer handbag workshop. Shhh, don't tell.

Today I am off to the Doctor to have a cortisone shot in my back. As of late I have had a back problem that has persisted for about a month. I have a big girl, who is no longer a baby, as much as I would like her to be. The Doctor gave me drugs and I don't want to be drugged anymore, as hard as that might be to believe. I hear the shot will hurt so I will have to update you on my return. This is our family Doctor who delivered Gracie, so you can imagine we have a very intimate relationship. I refer to him as my boyfriend. Not because of that (perv), but because he is so awesome and likable. I hope you haven't found this post offensive...I have just got to be me.

The Best Man I Ever Knew

When we married, I saw you as perfect,
The ideal husband and more;
I thought I knew all about you,
All the things to love and adore.

But when you became a father,
I saw new qualities to treasure.
You enrich all our lives in fresh ways;
As a dad, you bring so much pleasure.

Our child is forever blessed
To have a father like you,
And I love you more than ever,
You’re the best man I ever knew.

By Joanna Fuchs

I GOT AN AWARD! In your face mediocre bloggers, I have arrived.

I am honored to present LEAH with the most prestigious blog award ever given in the history of blogs......

The Amy Winehouse "One Crazy Ho" award. Congratulations...you are one crazy ho.

I seem to have deleted my pictures. I will fix it later. Told you I needed help.

And another thing...

If someone could tutor me in the ways of blog, that would be great. I have no idea how to put friends' links on here or how to put a playlist. I would really love that. I also don't like to ask for help so this is a huge step for me. Don't make it a wasted one.

Remembering the Little People

Gracie and I went to see Amanda Kirkland and her little ones. Gracie and Emma Mae are almost the same age and Gracie just towers over her. I'm pretty sure Gracie tried to eat her. She kept trying to hug her and pick her up. She isn't usually such a brute but I think she was feelin' in charge. Amanda said she wouldn't hurt Emma Mae. I just didn't want her memory of Gracie to be this monstrous thing comin' at her.

Laura Leigh Kirkland

As most, or all, of you know; my cousin died tragically in an automobile accident the night of March 24th. She had just turned 25 the week before and seemed to be in the prime of her life. Being so far away from Georgia when I initially heard the news, I was shocked. I barely shed a tear. I immediately made arrangements to return to my home town to attend the services. I arrived in town just in time to go to the funeral home to attend the viewing or wake. That is when the mourning truly began. I was overwhelmed when I saw her sister-in-law, a friend and now cousin to me. I hugged her and wept, feeling almost ashamed of my sorrow. I was not a sister or a mother to her. I just loved her. It was all and still seems so unreal to me. A beautiful young girl, I always took for granted would just always be around, is no longer. I kept thinking, if I had just known, I would have called. If only... But, that's just not how it works. We never know when something so sudden or tragic will occur and a person we have dearly loved will be taken. Her mother told me, "take care of those babies." So, I'm gonna love my babies, and I'm gonna love my Ryan, and I'm gonna do my best to live this life as if every day is my last. And just be a better me. We are sent to this earth to prepare to meet our God. But, something I often forget is that there is Joy to be had. This life doesn't have to be a drudgery, there will be times of sadness; trial; and tribulation. But there will also be times of happiness, laughter, peace, learning, inspiration, and more. So, I don't know what I am exactly trying to say. I just know our family brings us the greatest joy. My Ryan is an amazing man who makes me laugh and smile and teaches me all the time. My Gracie is a beautiful girl who brings me incomprehensible amounts of joy. And no matter what happens in this life, they are mine forever.

Victorious!

My night stands are refinished, and I am very pleased.  They look great. Now I can go buy all kinds of cheap, used furniture and make it what I want.  They won't be masterpieces but they'll be mine.  Hopefully I will continue to get better.  Gracie is doing great and getting so big.  Ryan is doing great and pushing through to the end of the semester.  He really needs a break, he is exhausted, and rightfully so.  I am serving in nursery and it is hard work.  Large chunks of the time is spent consoling crying children.  But, the older kids enjoy it and have a good time playing.  I am pretty tired by the time I get home, but I have fun too.  I hope you all are doing well. 

Random

So, all is well.  Crazy, but well.  Ryan is busy, busy, busy.  Gracie is busy, busy, busy.  So, Rachael is tired, tired, tired.  But we're doing well in this, the bricklaying phase of our life.  The snow is melting and I am totally excited about that.  I decided I am not a white winter person.  We are beginning to teach Gracie sign language, we will see how that goes.  I have been called to serve in the nursery, we will see how that goes as well.  Ryan was released as the Gospel Doctrine teacher.  If he were to finish this year he would have taught all 4 of the standard works.  He could use a breath as he finishes this semester.  I am continuing on with my new found hobby of stitchery, and I am going to learn how to refinish furniture this upcoming week.  Gracie is working on some molars, that makes for fun evenings.  This is the conclusion of my random blog, and I support this message.

Yesterday morning our little Gracie woke up with a scary rash all over her body. I immediately snatched her up to take her to the doctor. Our doctor was not in but his nurse practitioner was. She pretty much informed me she didn't know what it was and gave me some instructions to give her a bath, don't feed her this and this and that, and don't dress her in clothes that she might be allergic. So, I brought my child home afraid to feed her anything or put any stitch of clothing on her little, red, blotchy, sad body. Ryan came home from work and we stressed all day long just watching her. She really looked pathetic. So, we decided to call our home teacher who is a pediatrician to help give her a blessing and give us some advice. He arrived and told us exactly what was going on. He said it was viral and it has been going around. Some kids won't get a rash but some kid's immune systems will react this way. He said the rash was impressive, but she should be better in 3-5 days. So that is the latest drama and hopefully the last for a long time.

The Update On Rachael

Rachael is humble... she wouldn't even write anything about herself for this blog, because she realized that she wouldn't write anything.

Rachael is an excellent wife and mom.  She is always there for Gracie, and is a great example.  If Gracie learns to be half of the person her mother is we will be very satisfied.  Rachael has been doing some great needle work and has been working on a complex picture of the one of the ancient papyri from the book of Abraham for me (and it is looking great!). She also has been reading quite a bit, and has recently become obsessed with the Twilight series.  

I look forward to this summer and being able to actually see her again on a regular basis.  She is wonderful enough to miss all the time.

The Daleys

Hi there! This is to just let everyone know how great the Daleys are doing.

Gracie. Our little pride and joy. She is beautiful, playful, walking, laughing, babbling, clapping, making faces and making us smile every moment of our lives. She just turned 1 on January 21st and has more personality than I have seen in most adults. She brings joy to all who know her. She makes us laugh troughout the day and even when she has gone to bed we talk about her and laugh. She is well loved and taken care of. She can never say she wasn't loved enough.

Ryan. Ryan is an animal. He works full time and is taking 21 credits at school. He will graduate with his bachelor's in April. Hallelujah! After graduation we will be taking a vacation. Because I said so, that's why! Ryan will be taking the year off (from school), during which he will apply to several doctorate and master's programs. He has had his nose to the grind since he went on his mission. That is since 2002. It will be nice for him not to have an 80 hour week. Hooray. Ryan is great, if you ask me.

Rachael. I'll get someone to post something about me later. I really don't want to talk about myself.

Love you all.