Katie's First Steps

"All Gone"; Daddy's Outside

As most of you know, Katie is usually a very happy baby. However, as these two videos taken a few weeks ago illustrate, two things make the little one very upset: 1) Hearing the words "all gone"; and 2) Seeing one of her parents and not being able to get to them (notice the "silent cry" at the end of the second clip...that's when you know she's REALLY mad).

Brandon Stake Girls Camp

Well, for some reason I deliberately went camping in Florida, during June. That's right, CAMPING! In FLORIDA! During the SUMMER! I was nuts!

I went back for my 9th year of Girls Camp with the Brandon Stake because I was asked to teach a class on the first day and ended up staying for an additional 56 horribly hot hours. For the most part, my clothes were fused to my skin and I couldn't think or talk about anything other than how hot it was! But every now and again, a cool breeze (or a very big fan) would come along and cool things down to make camp enjoyable.

One of the best parts was being reunited with an old friend, Tiffany (Mooso) Glancy. Another was that my mom was a leader, my 12 year old sister was there as well as my soon to be sister-in-law. We were quite the motley crew, and here are some photos to document the occasion.

My sister Bethany at Brandon Stake's 2008 Girls Camp:
"Faith in Christ is the Anchor of My Soul"

Skit Night: It was something to do with Peter Pan, as you can see Bethany was Peter Pan.
Alas, I can't really tell you what the skit was about because they weren't talking very loudly.




the Brandon Ward + the Seffner Ward = BRANNER!


Hello, CPR Certification!

Pool Time!

Today Katie had her first experience with a pool! She loves bath time, so it was only inevitable that she love the pool. Things started out a little rough, but got much better when she realized she could splash!

For those of you who haven't heard....

My oldest brother Matthew, is engaged to be married! WooHoo! Who ever knew he would take the initiative to get off his recliner, stop watching ESPN and date someone?! Not me.

Anyway, Matthew McKinley Riebow and Ellen Pearce Chason are engaged to be married on June 27th in the Orlando Florida Temple. We are all very excited and can't wait to take part in the festivities. Here are some random pictures I found on my mom's hard drive. They're a couple of goofs!

A Post from Rach:

This past week Nana Riebow has been helping out with Kaitlyn while I, Rachel, finished up my last couple of days at Carter-Parramore Academy. Arrivederci Quincy, Florida! If I ever see you again, it will be too soon. Well, maybe that is a little harsh. The two years spent teaching art at an alternative program could have been much, MUCH worse. All-in-all, it went by fairly smoothly and was a much more entertaining job than running background checks for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Firearm Purchase Program.

Now, Kaitlyn and I have traveled back down to Tampa with Nana to spend the week with the fam, eating highly fattening food and attend my 9th year of Girls Camp with the Brandon Stake.

Speaking of fattening food, this Sunday's dinner consisted of pot roast (which I haven't had since I began dating Jake because he refuses to eat it), green beans and mashed potatoes. Katie got her first taste of pot roast and whole green beans. She loved them! But most of all, she loved the mashed potatoes! In fact, she licked the spoon clean!

This was of course encouraged by Grandpa who likes to introduce Katie to all sorts of goodies, no matter her age. (The picture below was taken this past January, when Kaitlyn was 6 months old. Thank goodness she has grown some hair!)

This week, while my mom and I are at Girls Camp, Katie will be with Grammy Crosby, who I am sure will spoil her rotten. Not to mention, I'm sure Kaitlyn will love spending time with Jeb, Sydney and Jenny. As you can see from the pictures, Katie loves doggies! And our dog, Chloe, likes Katie. Especially all of the food residue left on her face from meal time.

Katie's Top Five No-Nos

Having spent the past 10 days as a stay-at-home dad, I now only speak the following phrases: "No-No"; "get down from there"; "Kaitlyn!"; and "stop that". The following pictures illustrate Katie's top 5 "no-nos":

1. Digging in the kitchen trashcan (reminds me of this childhood classic)

2. Playing in the toilet

3. Taking DVDs off the shelf

4. Eating daddy's flip-flops

5. Grabbing any stray object within reach

In response to our over-active cutie, we have gated the kitchen, closed all bathroom doors, boarded up the DVDs, hidden all the shoes, and stripped every table bare. Hopefully Better Homes and Gardens won't stop by for a photoshoot any time soon.

Graduation!

It happened! I officially graduated from the Florida State University College of Law on May 3, 2008, thus ending three long years of education in such areas as [insert lawyer joke here]. Now I have to pass the Florida Bar Exam in July and endure "The Selling of the Soul" ritual on the steps of the Florida Supreme Court (just beating you all to the punch). In all seriousness, thanks so much to friends and family who have supported us over the past three years. We could not have done this without you. Feel free to comment on the pictures of my festive graduation robes below. Comments about my double chin will result in a letter from my attorney notifying you of my intent to sue for libel. XOXO

Lights, Camera, Action

The past two weeks have brought two firsts for Katie -- one good, one bad. The good came during Nana Riebow's visit when Katie had her first portrait sitting. As you can see from the pictures below, we have a little girl who loves to be in front of a camera. Should we be worried?





The bad came with Katie's first ear infection. She was quite the little trooper, but as a parent you just want to take all the hurt away. Katie's doing much better and has slept all through the night for three nights in a row! I hope this post doesn't jinx it.

Third Time's a Charm

Despite our failed attempts on MySpace and Flickr to keep everyone updated on our comings and goings, we're launching this third effort in hopes it will be more successful. (Thanks Jared, Ashley & Baby Gwen for inspiring us.) Rachel and Katie have been on Spring Break this past week, and Katie has used the opportunity to bone up on her crawling, drooling and "getting into mischief" skills. The pictures below illustrate her latest favorite pastime -- emptying the entire contents of her toy basket. Sure, we think it's hilarious now...

All is well at school, with T-minus 4 weeks until graduation...bring on the "Pomp and Circumstance"! If only I had someone to take my final exams for me. TTFN