We are thrilled to see Amelia's chubby little face around our house and we are glad to have those other two that she brought with her - Lonica and Scott, too. Although we do have to split awake time with them - dang!Twenty five years ago, a couple of days before Thanksgiving, I went to the doctor and he told me my baby was ready to come and could be born at any time. The stars were aligned, my body was ready and so when my family came from Utah and New Mexico for Thanksgiving, my mother was certain that she would have a new grandchild before she left to return home. Well, we all waited and waited and waited, everyone was ready but the baby. Finally on December 12, I decided I'd had enough of this waiting stuff and so I walked, vacuumed and cleaned all day. Early on the morning of the 13th, Garth and I headed to the hospital. Of course when we got there my contractions stopped, but I was ready to have the baby and they didn't dare send me home. We were told to go walk around the hospital. It was probably 4:00am and it was cold, (the next day was the first time since I had moved to Phoenix that I would see snow on the Superstition Mountains) and we were both tired. After making one trip around the empty, cold corridors, Garth found a couch and told me to wake him after each trip around - my pillar of support!
After a few more laps, the nurses checked me and broke my water. 40 minutes later, Garth and I had a brand little girl with tons of hair. We kind of wondered if she was an Indian baby because she had so much hair that wouldn't lie down, just like most Indian baby's.
The next day I sat in the hospital, going though our name book looking for a name that would fit our beautiful little girl and I came across Raquel. It just seemed to fit this newest gift from heaven and so we had our little Raquel Millie that would join her big sister, Lonica, and make our family a foursome.
I think the Lord new I needed a good baby since I already had one that was only 15 months old, so he sent me Raquel. For the first year, we couldn't have had a better baby than her. She loved to cuddle and be held and you could always make her happy if you just held her.
When she turned one though things began to change. Raquel came to life and from that moment on we always knew she was around. She was full of life and excited about everything. She made up her own mind and would let you know if she wasn't happy about something or squeal with delight if she was.
She seemed to always have a smile on her face and loved her babies, stuffed animals, food, her Daddy and especially her big sister. She was full of life and you could see it in her eyes.
She loved to sing and dance and perform and talk and talk and talk. When she was 3, her voice went hoarse and it never got better, after a couple of months I took her to a doctor who asked if she was a loud child. I said, you could say that. Apparently, Raquel had damaged her vocal cords from being so loud and I was told to keep her quiet for 6 months and they should get better! Luckily they did, but I'm still amazed that they ever healed, I certainly wasn't able to keep her quiet. Raquel loved life and she wanted to share that with everyone.
When she started kindergarten, she also started playing soccer which would consume her life for the next 12 years at least. Raquel loved running and she was fast and could beat most of the other players and was a delight to watch. When we moved to Texas all the girls' teams were full so Raquel played on a boys' team for the next two years. Although the boys helped her to develop a killer instinct, she could still out run all of them and there was nothing Garth and I enjoyed more than to watch Raquel whip by some boy and out maneuver him. That was our little princess!!
Raquel decided in 1st grade that she really wanted glasses and found this lovely pair, bought them and proceeded to wear them all the time. Her school teacher thought they were real, as did everyone else and she loved that.
No one loved holidays more than Raquel, especially Halloween. She started thinking about what she was going to be for the next year as soon as Halloween was over and she came up with some great ideas. Over the years she was the Mr. Peanut man, Van Gough, a reporter, Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz, and Jackie Joyner just to name a few. The only one she wanted to be that I could never figure out a costume for was the Pillsbury Doughboy.
As Raquel grew so did her love for the Lord, for life and for her family. She was never as happy as when the family was all together and playing games.
She worked hard in school and in everything she ever did. We watched her play the piano and the saxophone, run track, play soccer and softball, become an editor for the yearbook, coach a YMCA soccer team, participate in countless service projects, become a swimming instructor, enjoy crazy dates with boys and laugh and eat with her best friends. If Raquel was around, you were having fun.
After graduating she went to Northern Arizona University and continued to love life, work hard, make new friends and grow into a beautiful young woman who fell in love with Dave.
She still loves holidays, is crazy and is so much fun to be around. In deed, she has magnified the gifts and talents she has and developed others. She is now our cake decorating expert, is learning to sew, is amazing at teaching children to swim, is working on becoming a physical therapist assistant, continues to use her graphic design skills and of course still has her sensitive heart and concern for others.
Last summer she even indulged me and hiked 14 miles in the Grand Canyon with me in one day. I know it was hard for her but she never complained even when we were being pelted with rain, were soaking wet and were freezing cold. 
For the last 25 years I have been able to love and enjoy Raquel and watch her grow. I have loved being her mother and can't wait to see what the future holds for her. She has blessed my life in countless ways.
Happy birthday and I hope you always know how special you are to me.
Love, Mom
At this time of year when we turn our thoughts to the things we are thankful for, I am thankful that maybe, just maybe, one thing I hoped to instill in my son has taken root. And I hope he continues to see the value and joy in service though out his life.
When I went to Gammage to purchase the tickets they told me it was cheap because there was no parking on campus because school was in session. I next decided that he would have to miss all his afternoon classes so we would have time to walk from wherever we could find to park. Then I remembered Phoenix's move into mass transit and we decided to ride the light rail into Tempe and walk across campus. After having ridden mass transit in most large American cities and a few in Europe and Japan, I feel as though I'm pretty experienced and a fairly good critic.
Then yesterday we had to carve our pumpkins for Halloween. We usually go all out on the pumpkin carving but both of us were feeling a bit pressed for time so we opted for easy designs.
Here is Preston's trick-or-treater pumpkin
and my witch.
I don't know what I will do when I no longer have a kid to hang out with and especially one as great as Preston.
You can see the excitement on Preston's face, he just can't wait to go!
Amelia is excited to go on her first hike.
The fall colors were just about at their peak and we had some beautiful views. Our first hike we took was to Old Man's cave and we were thinking of Arizona hiking. We weren't prepared for Ohio hiking; the 'hike' took us about 10 minutes to get there and was paved the whole way.
Here is Scott, Lonica and Amelia in the 'cave' which was actually just an overhang. We could have done the whole 6 mile loop but decided not too. Preston and I had to go check out the old stone bridge though. We are the little specks on the bridge.
From there we decided to do the 'hardest' hike in the park but that offered the best views of the fall leaves. We found that is definitely wasn't hard but it did offer great views.
The weather was perfect and we had a great time wandering around in the forest. At least this time the trail wan't paved.
Scott had Preston walk along this log to get some cool looking pictures.
And here he is 'flying' off.
On the way home we stopped by this little dive deli that Scott had seen on TV. They had a Dagwood (from the comic strip) challenge. You had 30 minutes to eat a pound of fries and a sandwich with turkey, ham and roast beef, lettus, cheese, onions and a large bun. It looked as though there was a pound of each of the meats. For doing all this, you got your picture on the wall and a tee-shirt. The record was eating it all in 4 minutes and 33 seconds. Preston and Scott were up for the challenge.
Look at these optimistic faces.
Scott was winding down after about 20 minutes. He did a good job on the fries and made it about 1/2 through the second half of the sandwich.
This face says it all - they were defeated by the Dagwood.
Needless to say, we didn't have dessert or win a tee-shirt and no one's face is on the wall of the Ohio Deli and Restaurant from our family.
Garth thinks she is 'pretty special' and told her that over and over while we were there.
Uncle Preston wasn't too sure what do with a baby and thought she was pretty worthless - 17 year old. He did warm up to her and feel more comfortable holding her after a few days.
Here she is with her Rowley grandparents, Robin and Paul.
And here she is with her grandmas. Since the Rowleys were only going to be there until Monday morning, we let them do most of the holding, we would have plenty of days to spoil her.
Here are a few pictures of Amelia in her dress. I had carried the dress on the plane with me and I had so many women come up and ask to see it. I was glad that it turned out well and was finished. I barely got it done Friday night before we left Saturday morning.
Grandma Honey (Robin) had crocheted Amelia's booties and they fit perfectly.
After church we did a 'family photo shoot' in front of the temple. The Colombus temple is just across the parking lot from Lonica and Scott's building, so we didn't have to go far. The day was sunny but it was a bit cool, especially if you had just come from Arizona where it was in the 90's.
The new little family
Our whole group
That afternoon Lonica and Scott had a bunch of friends over to celebrate and it was fun to meet them and of course to eat all the wonderful food Scott and Lonica had made. They are quite the chiefs. I get parinoid now when I have to cook for them.
Even in Lonica and Scott's little house they were able to fit quite a few people and their kids. It had been a great day and I was glad we were going to be staying most of the week.
And I found Shawn shivering on the side, he had gone under twice and has 0% body fat 
They continued to 'play' in the pool for a few minutes, but I guess even New Mexicans like their pool water a bit warmer! 
Here is his whole group that went to the mud caves the week before for their day activity and then to Rustler's Roost for dinner. Check out the girl in her tennis shoes. She had on black ones and her date had on white ones.
Preston had a great time but wished he hadn't been so quick to say he would bring Christina home a midnight when he was asked what time she would be home. Next time he decided he will ask the girl's parents what time they want her home. Since he had told her parents midnight, they had to forgo all the after dance activities. Both of them where bummed but they had a good time the rest of the night.
Now all I have left is some hand sewing on the lining and I have to figure out how I want to close it - with buttons, snaps or Velcro. I'm leaning towards buttons if I can find some I like.
My sister thinks I need to embroider Amelia's initials on the end of one of the sashes. What do you think? After all, now all I have left to do before we leave on Saturday is finish the Anne Bradstreet essay that I keep putting off and read Emerson's Nature and Self Reliance and do the homework question. The joys of being a student!
