What a week

I'm not sure who this past week was harder on, me or Rylynn :(

Each morning Rylynn was excited to arrive at school, in fact, the first day she didn't even care that I had left. I was so proud, but also a little heart-broken that she didn't cry when I walked out. However, when I came to pick her up on that afternoon and each afternoon that week. She was upset. Ms. Mitzi, her teacher, is very encouraging about her progress and says that it may just take a little more time for her to really be comfortable all day. Some days she has good mornings and sometimes better afternoons, but I am having an awful time with the adjustment. She has already brought home a beautiful art piece and a coloring sheet. And we've been working on counting with our fingers. She loves to try to hold her fingers correctly although they are not even close to right yet!! I know she will learn a lot and she likes seeing her new friends. The great thing has been that each evening we've been able to spend quality time together because I've had productive days at the office.

Here's my big girl on her first day of school!!

This is Rylynn's nap mat I sewed. The teacher claims she lays

quietly talking to herself even when she's not sleeping.

Last week we went out to the ranch with Daddy for a little while. Rylynn LOVES seeing the horses and cows and "driving" the truck around the ranch. It's just so terribly hot we can't enjoy much time out there right now.

Just cruising around the pasture!

On Friday night, Gilly, Rylynn and I headed up to Sweetwater so that we could spend Saturday visiting Gilly's great Aunt Fay in Rotan. The big city of Rotan holds a lot of family history for Gilly. His mom's family is from there and has ties to the farm land still today that dates back for generations. Rylynn and Jackson had not yet met Fay so it was great to see her and introduce the little munchkins. We spent time on the farms, visited the cemetery and of course finished it off with a big meal at DQ! That's the only way to wrap up a trip to Rotan!!

Pictures from the farm. Think they are going to have a good year for cotton!

I'm so proud that Rylynn has now learned to fold her hands as we say grace and she likes to repeat Amen when we are done. So in church yesterday she shouts Amen after a quiet reflective prayer. Oh well, atleast she was participating!! So here's a question for all you parents... how do you get a toddler to last an hour during church?? All she wants to do is get down and play. She enjoys the first 15 minutes or so by dancing to hymns and folding her hands when directed, but then we lose it!! She's even a terror in the cry room because we try not to let her run around and try to make her sit between Gilly and I in the pew. Please someone tell me what is the trick?

I'm hoping Rylynn has a better week at school and I can feel better about our decision to send her. Everyone enjoy their last week of summer before it's all over until next year!

With love . . .