Happy Birthday Ryleigh!!!

On March 28th, 2003 we welcomed our beautiful eldest daughter, Ryleigh Severine Ray into our lives. At 7lbs, 2oz and 21in long, she has changed our life forever. For the first six months of life, Ry was not a happy baby. In fact, she screamed night and day (from the first night in the hospital til about six months of age), to the point that both grandmas dreaded watching her. She wouldn't take a bottle and even had a few (not many) sleepovers at Grandparents without ever taking a bottle - she once went an entire 24 hours without eating! That is what I call stubborn.

1 day old...

1 year old...


2 years old...

3 years old...

4 years old...

5 years old...

6 years old...

7 years old.

Now here we are seven years later and this girl is just as stubborn as ever! She knows what she wants and will do what ever it takes to get it...

We love this girl so much and can't imagine what our lives would be like without her. She brings such joy into our home each and every day. She is:

• Sensitive
• Loving
• Thoughtful
• Funny
• Smart
• Artistic
• Stubborn
• Creative
• Silly
• Computer savvy
• A great reader - in the accelerated reading program at school
• Loves to cook - makes a mean guacamole
• Loves Music - currently taking piano lessons and wants to learn to play the guitar
• Loves her little sister so much that she can't wait for her to wake up in the mornings. Has been known to camp outside the bedroom door 'til Elle awakes.
• Wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up, along with being a wife and mother.

Favorites

• Primary Song - I Am A Child Of God
• Foods - Chips with salsa and queso, steak, mom's salmon, dad's "famous" chili and mom's cornbread, spaghetti, greek salad and olives ( green, black and kalmata)
• Colors - rainbow, black and white
• Restaurants - Fajita's, Sweet Tomatoes, Subway and Paradise Bakery
• Friends - Grace and Emily (the twins) , Gabe, Hannah, Camille and Sophie
• Sister - Ellie
• Animal - Cat (holding out hope that one day she will get one)
• Activities (What doesn't she like? She has to always be doing something - just like her Daddy) - Playing on the computer; watching TV; playing with friends; walks; dates with Mom or Dad; sleepovers at grandparents; just playing with Sissy.
• Music- Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift

Ryleigh'isms

• "She shouldn't be a princess when she grows up. She should be a........... farmer."
• Tornatoe (found this spelling on one of her papers)
• "...in the name of Jesus...er, I mean goodbye." ( at the end of a phone call with Daddy)
• "Daddy, you can't sing that good."
• "Being cranky is just part of life." (when told to stop being cranky and cheer up)
• "Daddy your older than any rock star."
  
• "But what if they have a pillow fight? I'll miss it." (about a sleepover she missed)
  
• I just love how creative Dr. Seuss is. Illustrators have such great illustrations. You and I can't draw that good." (while reading a book with mom)
• "You don't sing that good. Seriously, you don't." (talking to Daddy again)
• "Me, Emily and Grace are the only ones in our whole class who are CRAZY about Justin Bieber."
  

We love you so very much, Happy Birthday!