Montana Grandma

Rachel turned 22 on August 14^th. So this is a tribute to her.

I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. It was 2:00 am when my first pain started. By 3:00 I had woke Lynn and told him it was time to go to the hospital and he better hurry. He didn't hurry very fast. By the time we got to the hospital at about 3:40 I felt like I needed to push already. I got up to the labor room and told them I had decided on having an epidural this time around. The nurse told me "Sorry but no time for that. This baby is on it's way!" Yikes, already???? By 4:20 am I was holding my sweet little Rachel in my arms and was crying and crying. I was so happy that she was a girl. (Back then it wasn't really popular to find out what the baby was beforehand.) I wanted a daughter so bad. I love my boys but I really wanted a little girl this time around. We spent a couple of days in the hospital and then home. She had lots of dark hair that wouldn't lay down or do anything. By the time she was a year old I was putting it in curlers. She was such a good baby. Slept through the night from the first night she was home – 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.

Rachel has always been my best friend! She would always go shopping with me, sleep with me on the Father/son campout nights, watch chick flicks with me when no one else would. She was my biggest cheer leader. Only a few times growing up did she slam her door and yell that she hated me but it usually didn't last long.

I remember when she started piano lessons and took gymnastics and ballet and when she competed in Junior Miss and when she would go to Girls camp with me long before she was old enough to go. By the time she turned 12 she had already been there enough to certify a couple of times. But she loved being there with me and I loved that she wanted to be there. Even when she turned 12 she wanted me there. Those were fun fun times. I remember when she got baptized, when she took her first solo airplane ride. I was so nervous but she acted like it was nothing. She was always so brave and wanted to try new things.

I remember when she was so sick in Highschool and how she would pray and beg the Lord to help her feel better and then have such faith that He would heal her. I remember when her heart would break over unkind friends and I would go in her room and find her either on her knees in prayer or listening to music or playing the piano. She has such a testimony of the power of music to calm ones' soul.

I remember when she graduated from high school and I knew it wouldn't be long until she was gone from home. I wasn't sure what I was going to do without her around. She was my only daughter and we were so close. Then I remember the day we dropped her off at college and I thought my heart was going to break in two. But she was so excited. I think I cried all the way back to Blackfoot. Then there was Mother's week that we would spend together. And then when she told me she thought she really loved Clint! And then she got engaged and I cried. Partly because she wasn't even 19 yet and I wasn't ready to give her to someone else and partly because I was so happy for her. And then she went off on a school trip for a month and left me home to plan her wedding.

And then we sat in the temple together and she held my hand and it was such a special moment and then the next day to help her put on her wedding dress and watch how her eyes sparkled when she saw Clint and how beautiful she was and how much I loved her at that moment. My little girl all grown up and ready to become a wife and start her own little family. Oh how my heart overflowed that day as we spent some time in the Bride's room in the temple and just held each other and remembered all the years and all the memories.

I have watched her become such a good wife and have shared in heartaches with her and then shared with her her pregnancy with little Hailee. There aren't words to describe how it is to watch your only daughter become a mommy! 6 weeks ago little Hailee was born and so I went and spent time with Rachel. I watched as she went from being so scared and nervous to have this little person, to awe that she had her, to settling in to being a mommy. I was there for the first little while when Rachel would cry because Hailee was crying and then hold her while she was sleeping. What an incredible gift to be a part of that. What an incredible gift to have Rachel in my life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!!!

Most of my pictures of Rachel are still packed away in boxes. So I will find them and then post them later. But enjoy these of her...

High school graduation

BYU-Idaho graduation

Halloween while teaching pre-school

Wedding pics

My three babies

Mommy Rachel

Little Miss Hailee Sue