Rapp Family

rites of passage

2011-01-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Growing up, 12 was the magic number. At 12 years of age you could begin wearing make-up, graduate from Primary, and get your ears pierced. For me, it was the most sought after age, because I wanted, more than anything, to get my ears pierced. Starting at age 5, I began making my own earings, out of tape and slinky bracelets. My obsession never stopped and the climb to age 12 seemed to take centuries. Having my ears pierced was everything I hoped it would be.

When Mia was born, I contemplated piercing her ears, but after I began crying after her first round of shots, I decided I didn't have it in me. I've been begging her ever since.

Last night.....sweet success. She agreed to have her ears pierced and actually seemed excited about it. The whole family was there to witness. Jonah couldn't even watch, he was so nervous for her. I was so proud of her, because she didn't even cry! She admires the beauty of her new earings. I love having a girl and I look forward to many fun years of sharing earings!

family photo shoot

2010-11-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

A family photo shoot is always an adventure. We were able to squeeze this in minutes before the rain began falling and storm blew in. Thanks to our friend Christy from Mia's preschool for taking these awesome pictures. I love capturing all these cute stages of my children's lives. What a blessing it is to be their mom!

happy halloween

2010-10-31T22:40:00.001-07:00

I remember so vividly how exciting Halloween was as a kid. I can still see my sisters and I sitting on the Family room floor, comparing our loot and seeing who made out the best. It's so fun to re-live the excitment with my kids. Miles, got to be the default baby costume: a dalmation dog. And he wore it well! Once Brady heard that Jonah wanted to be Iron Man, that's all he wanted too. Unfortunately, he woke up from his nap in a rather crabby mood, so I don't have a very happy little Iron Man. Mia loves being girly, but can't handle dresses (they "bug" her), so we dressed her up with accesories, and we had one happy butterfly fairy. Jonah was especially proud of his Iron Man muscle suit and walked much taller all evening. Mom and Dad are enjoying the loot this year, and closely monitoring the kids' access to it. I hope you all had a fun Halloween!

school days

2010-09-15T12:15:00.001-07:00

Jonah started all day Kindergarten and has loved it thus far. Last year, he attended the pre-school program at the same elementary school, so transitioning to Kindergarten has been a piece of cake! If you ask Jonah what his favorite part of the day, he responds lunch time and recess. Chris laughs, but remembers feeling the same way as a kid. Jonah rides the bus to and from school, and enjoys being big enough to do so. He often reminds his younger siblings, that they aren't big like him. He is very bright and social, but loves his days off too. I miss having my big boy around. He is such a great helper, but I love that he is enjoying growing up.

After watching Jonah go to school for 2 years, Mia was more than anxious to begin her school year. She attended her first day of pre-school this week. We found an adorable little church right next to our home that offers a program with small numbers and lots of heart. It's so exciting to watch these kids, who just a few years ago were in diapers, suddenly seem so big and independent. We haven't had any separation issues, which makes the process a lot easier for Mom, and now I'm getting some more one-on-one time with the younger ones.

apple picking

2010-09-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fall activities is picking apples. Fortunately, we chose a most perfect day to go do it too. The weather was a nice 72 degrees with virtually no humidity (hard to come by in the midwest) and a wonderful breeze. Grandma and Grandpa Rapp were in town, so they came along to enjoy a great day outdoors. We have a beautiful orchard just a few miles from our home that we visit to pick peaches, apples and pumpkins. The kids gorge themselves on apples, and then we bring plenty home so that I can make a yummy apple crisp.

Mr. S'Miles

2010-07-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

I just don't think I'll ever get enough of my babies' smiles. Here's what Miles's gummy smile looks like. He is such a happy and fun baby. We love him! My dad gave me his old camera, which can take some great pictures, so I'm really enjoying photograghing my kids now, and hopefully my picture quality will improve greatly.

Blessing Miles

2010-07-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Chris blessed Miles in our home on June 19th, with help from his Dad, and my brother-in-law, Matt Kimball. It was such a special day and Miles behaved perfectly! I thought he was asleep when I handed him to my husband for the blessing, but as soon as Chris began speaking, his eyes popped open and he watched his Dad intently the whole time. Even being a little baby, he sensed the special nature of a priesthood blessing. All these mile-stones seem to be bitter-sweet for me because I know we won't be doing this again. Miles is our last, we decided, and although I feel that I have my hands full and this is right for our family, I can't help but mourn for this fleeting stage. I'm so grateful that the Lord has allowed me to be a mother and experience all the pain and suffering of pregnancy and child birth, and to raise these incredible children. I've loved every minute and I look forward to so many fun years.

Welcoming Miles

2010-03-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

We are so thrilled to announce the arrival of our 4th child, Miles Griffeth Rapp, on March 9 at 9:13 pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz, and is 19 inches long. Chis and I had such a great day together as we anxiously awaited his arrival. I was scheduled to be induced, so my mom was able to come and stay with our other children while Chris kept me company as I labored. I was very comfortable and we really had a great time welcoming this little miracle into our lives. We feel extremely blessed to add another healthy baby boy to our family. The kids were so anxious to come and meet him, and at their request, we celebrated Miles's birth with a cute little cake! Jonah is a very proud big brother, and Mia naturally fulfills the motherly role. She was immediately telling little Brady, "Be soft Bwady, don't squeeeeze him". We'll have our hands full just trying to protect our new baby from Brady. Mandi is feeling great and anxious to completely recover. We can't wait to take little Miles home and watch him grow!

my little beauty

2010-02-26T05:26:00.001-08:00

My friend, Tara Painter, came to visit, and snapped these cute pictures of Mia to decorate her room with. Tara has a very artistic eye and did these pictures in seriously 3 minutes. Thanks a bunch! I'm excited to put them in some frames in her room. Have I mentioned how fun it is to have a girl?!

happy valentine's day

2010-02-14T16:57:00.001-08:00

When I woke up this morning, I found my husband had gotten up much earlier and MADE this amazing fruit bouquet! What a sweetheart! He saw these advertised, and thought, "I could make that", and so he gave it a try. He said he even pulled out some very manly tools to do it (hacksaw, needle-nose plier, and wire cutters) I thought it looked FABULOUS! And the fruit was absolutely heavenly too--strawberries stuffed with white chocolate, pineapple, and cantelope. I love how thoughtful he is and willing to spend time to make me happy. I love you honey!!

mia's big girl room

2010-02-12T17:05:00.001-08:00

With our next baby due to arrive in a few weeks, we decided that we should get rid of atleast one crib, so Mia was graduated to her big girl bed!! She affectionately calls this her "princess room", and just adores it. It's a work in progress, but it has been very fun thinking PINK lately. I'm going to love spoiling her in a household of boys. She has started to show her feminine side more and more lately, featuring the drawn-out emotional break-downs and drama, which I never experience with my boys. She sure is a girl!

a christmas to remember......

2009-12-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

First of all, I have to emphasize that there was absolutely no photo editing done on this picture. What you see is what we had to clean-up! My mother-in-law managed to capture this moment on film last christmas morning. Needless to say, Mia had the stomach flu. Chris's face is priceless. I can almost hear him screaming like a girl. I'm doing just what I appear to be doing--screaming "NO" at my husband who didn't get the bowl in front of her in time! I also like how Jonah is completely oblivious to what is happening. Poor Mia. She was such a trooper and didn't let being sick stop her from enjoying Christmas. We still had a great day, but I hope that we can all be healthier this year!

Merry Christmas!

a weekend get-a-way

2009-10-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

After leaving our kids with my sister, Melissa (I owe her big!!), I met Chris in San Antonio, where he was completing a two week CE course. Time away from eachother, along with my pregnancy and our young kids, all added up to equal a much needed get-a-way. Chris picked me up at the airport with a rose in his hand, and we headed straight to the San Antonio's famous "River Walk". It was seriously breath-taking! We loved this quaint and picturesque part of town so much, that we ate dinner there every night! The boat ride was so fun, the food was great, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. We walked around holding hands, shopped, ate lots of ice cream, visited the Alamo, watched movies, slept (12 hours one night!) and enjoyed being together. We both fell in love with San Antonio and our time there.

It's a boy

2009-10-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that we'll be having another boy in March. My due date is March 15th. I'm finally starting to feel better and the baby looks healthy, so we couldn't be happier. I have lots of work to do to get the boys' room ready for another one to join. Luckily, the boys room is the biggest, so it should fit all 3 of them fine. Mia will get to enjoy her own room for now, but she is a little disappointed that she's not getting a girl baby. Jonah KNEW it was a boy from the very beginning, because he "asked Heavenly Father for a boy baby". I didn't doubt that he was right =)

graduation

2009-09-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

What an incredible day for our family! I've never been more proud of my husband and this ENORMOUS accomplishment of graduating from Dental School. I love thinking about Chris's rocky start in college. He was the first in his entire extended family to attend college. He and his parents didn't know about general classes and how they fit into a major, so Chris's freshman year was full of randomness in his schedule. I'm sure he had fun, but none of those classes really helped him toward a degree. Like many young men, he learned a great work ethic on his mission, and came home determined to do well in college. When I met Chris, he mentioned that he would like to be a dentist, but he really didn't think he could do it. I, of course encouraged him to follow his dreams and I hoped that this would all work out for us. When we got a phone call at 6 am one morning with an acceptance into dental school, that was a great accomplishment, but we knew that we still had 4 hard years ahead of us. Those years were difficult in some ways. Chris got very little sleep and studied A LOT. I birthed 3 kids and also got very little sleep, but the years have also been highlighted with so many sweet memories, and so many friends who made the journey very enjoyable. So here we are, 4 years later, with a full blown family, a place to call home, and a career for my husband.....I couldn't be happier. I'm so proud of you honey. Thank you for all of your hard work, dedication and sacrifices to provide a stable future for us. We love you!

our new home

2009-09-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

We are SO happy to be in our new home. We still have some more unpacking and organizing to do, but for the most part we are just enjoying the space. Chris loves his job, although he is glad that he only has 4 years contracted with the Air Force. He'll be excited to be in private practice after this location. I took pictures of some of our main living areas. The babies were napping, so no pictures of their rooms yet =) We love the extra loft space that is used as a play room for the kids. It's so nice to have this room in such a convenient location. We also have an unfinished basement, which houses all the really annoying, but fun toys (bikes, trikes, ball pits, tunnels, tents, basketballs, soccer nets, etc...) It's a great place for the kids to be wild, and not destroy anything! Once I start feeling better, we'll think about painting...there's always something to do.

happy birthday jonah

2009-07-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Jonah turned 4 and we decided to celebrate with style....so we took a trip to Chuck-e-cheese. I have to admit that I have NEVER been there before, not even as a kid! Jonah has seen the commercials and just new without a doubt that he had to celebrate his birthday there. We were able to get lots of his friends to come and we had a ball!! Thanks to everyone for coming and making it such a special day for Jonah. There were non-stop smiles from all 3 of my kids. It was our last get together with our friends in Kansas City before we moved, so it's very special to us for that reason too. Transformers was the theme, since it's all Jonah can think about these days. He was thrilled with all the loot he recieved. Happy Birthday Jonah! We love you!

Birthdays Galore!

2009-04-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

Brady turned "1

Mia turned "2"

We had so much fun celebrating Mia and Brady's birthdays last week. For 2 days, they shared the same age, until Mia turned 2. It's so hard to believe that another year has passed! I love nothing more than delivering a baby in the hospital, welcoming them to our family, and spending that unique time with them in the hospital. So, celebrating birthdays is also remembering that wondeful experience of bringing them into the world.

We just love watching these little people grow. They are so easy to please, so the simple decorations and cheap gifts were a hit. Some of the highlights were the jumping Tigger for .50 cents at a garage sale, and the Dora basket ball hoop, which was technically FREE!

Yeah for birthdays!

SOLD

2009-04-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed to sell our home very quickly. We first had a contract after just 10 days! Unfortunately that contract fell through, and I became very nervous about how things would turn out. Then just 5 days later, we had another contract. Phewww! It's bitter sweet to have to say good-bye to a great home. We close the end of May and everything seems to be moving along.

The best part about our sale, was that we did it for sale by owner to save on realtor comissions! It was a lot of work on our part, but definitely worth it for the money we saved. We listed on the MLS through through THE REALTY DOT at http://mlsyourway.com/ and now that I've done it once, I will definitely do it again. I was fortunate enough to have friends with knowledge on the whole process and they were a great help. If any of you have to sell you home, consider this option and I'd love to help you out with any questions.

our new home

2009-01-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

The news is finally here! We got a call from the Air Force, and we've been assigned to Scott AFB just outside of St. Louis! We are very excited and have already begun researching the area and possible locations to live. I spoke with a Bishop in the area, and their ward has 3 nurseries and 2 sunbeam classes that are very full. So, it sounds like my children will have lots of playmates. That is very exciting for me. We will also just be an hour from my older sister, Melissa, who has 3 kids just about the same age as mine. And, of course there is a temple in St. Louis. I'm very confident that this is where the Lord feels our family should be. I'm going to miss Kansas City so much, but we're optimistic about this move. Chris will begin working the end of June, so after Chris graduates the first of May, Mandi will have a few months of working full time here in Kansas City until we move. We are going to enjoy our last months here to the fullest and are so grateful for all of the friends we have.

selling our home

2009-01-18T12:19:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that we've been in Kansas City for 4 years! This home was our first, and for that reason alone, it will always hold a special place in our hearts. It's the only home that all 3 of my children have known and it's odd to think that they probably won't remember much about it. I was looking back at the pictures we took before we bought it and I felt a lot of personal satisfaction to see all the improvements we have made upon it. It really has become a special sactuary for us that I love! It will be hard to leave. We put our house on the market and I just wanted to include some pictures for those who may be looking for a purchase or know someone who is. I also wanted to document this home so our children can look back and see where we spent 4 great years as their Dad went through Dental school.

happy holidays

2008-12-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas time. It's so fun to relect upon the year and remember all the great times and count our blessings. Chris is finishing up dental school in May and our family will pass a great milestone--we will no longer be students!! Chris can't wait to have a profession and put studying behind him. We will be relocating with the Air Force once he graduates and we'll find out that location in January. As a whole, we are very excited and optimistic about the future.

We have loved watching our family grow and this year was marked by the arrival of Brady (aka: Brady pants, Dee-dee, Brady boy). We just LOVE having a cute, chubby baby in our midsts. It's so fun watching all of our kids grow, but we really enjoy the baby phase which seems to be passing by so quickly. Brady will be crawling any day now and seems to have a very mellow nature. His favorite activities include doing anything with his siblings. He is so entertained by them and we have loved watching their unique relationships develop.

Mia is a beauty. Maybe we're partial since we are her parents, but we can't help admiring her beauty. She talks very well, so we are getting to know her better each day. We get such a kick out of what she says. Our favorite phrases include: "Stop it Jonah!", "No way!", and "Love you". She's got to be the most polite little one-year old around. She is constantly saying "thank you" and "sorry" without any prompts. Her femine side is emerging more and more lately. She now insists on sleeping with not just one, but two of her baby dolls at night. She is rarely seen without them. We sure enjoy having a little girl in our home.

Jonah loves being the big boy at home. He is so sweet with his siblings....most of the time. We're starting to see his creative side as he develops elaborate scenarios for him and Mia to play. It's not uncommon to see he and Mia crawling around barking like dogs, building forts or racing cars. He's attending pre-school three days a week and loves it. We've seen so much growth in him already and he loves his friends and teachers at school.

Mandi is a busy mother, to say the least. Taking care of the three very young kids is demanding, but she seems to be adapting well. She enjoys a break a few days a month when Chris stays home with the kids and she goes to work as a dental hygienist for a local dentist. It's a great way to make some extra money and for Mandi to keep up her skills. Parenting is so rewarding in so many ways and we feel so blessed to have our children.

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that you get to enjoy your loved ones as we celebrate our Savior's birth. Merry Christmas!

happy halloween

2008-11-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Halloween with our 3 little ones. I'm sure you'll agree they look adorable! Jonah was a pro at trick-or-treating, but this was Mia's first experience with it. Since she is terrified of strangers, we weren't sure what to expect, but once she realized the strangers were handing out candy, she didn't care who it was. Maybe we need to have a lesson on "stranger danger", what do you think? =) Chris and I have enjoyed a candy fest after we put to the kids to bed. We're just glad they're not old enough to notice that their candy is disappearing faster than they can eat it. We look forward to Brady being able to trick-or-treat next year.....that means more candy! We hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

pumpkin patch

2008-10-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

We spent the day at Looper's Pumpkin Patch just north of Kansas City. It was a fabulous time together as a family. The best part was that it was FREE. You only had to pay for any pumpkins you wanted to buy. It was perfect for our young family. They provided Hay-rack rides, train rides, triclycles and wagons to play with, kittens to pet and dogs to play with. As we were driving away Jonah said, "That was SO much fun!" As parents, we consider that a successful family outing.

apple orchard

2008-10-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

We had a blast when our playgroup went to Aldredge Apple Orchard here in Kansas City. My kids love apples anyway, but once they spotted trees with endless amounts of apples, they just couldn't get enough. They chased the chickens and ducks, fed the goats, took a hayrack ride, picked apples, pet the kittens, had a picnic and just enjoyed a beautiful day! Thanks to all my friends who helped me handle my three little ones on my own. We'll have to go back as a family with Chris so he can see first hand how much fun we had!

jonah's pre-school

2008-09-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Jonah started pre-school the first week of September. He attends 3 days a week for about 3 hours a day. I wasn't at all nervous or even sad about Jonah growing up, instead I found myself as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Time seemed to drag as we waited for summer to end and school to start. Jonah couldn't have been more excited. He told everyone that because he was 3 years old, he got to go to school. As I dropped him off on the first day, there were several kids who were crying, but Jonah just gave me a high-five and was off. I was very anxious to hear about his first day of school as I picked him up, and the the first thing he said to me was, "Mommy, can I stay at school longer next time?" Apparantly he had a good time. =) He has a great group of friends that go to this pre-school, including two that drive in our carpool. I just have to drive one day a week, which is awesome! On the days that I don't drive, Jonah is gone for a solid 4 hours! I'm amazed at all I can get done with just 2 kids at home. It's nice to be able to dedicate some individual time to my babies while Jonah is gone. I love hearing about the activities he does, snacks he eats and who he plays with at recess, as well as seeing the pictures and worksheets that come home. When Jonah comes home each day, he seems to have missed me enough to appreciate the time we have together, and I've felt the same. It's been good for both of us. So far, we LOVE pre-school!!

connell family reunion

2008-08-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

We had our annual reunion at Mandi's parent's home at the Lake of the Ozarks. All 6 of the Connell girls were there with their families including 14 grandkids. We were only missing Mandi's brother who is serving a mission in California. It was a blast! Activities included: 4-wheeling, swimming, boating, fishing, wake boarding, wake surfing, tubing, hiking, eating, playing games, scavenger hunts, bon fires, treasure hunts, bike riding, cliff jumping, hot tubbing, craft making, pinata hitting, playing the wii, and watching movies, and of course, a whole lot of talking! It's quite a ordeal to organize such a reunion, and it turned out great! Thanks to all who helped pull this together and especially to Mandi's parents who housed us all. Jonah is still begging to go back to Grandma's house. We had a little scare one morning when Jonah and his cousin Anna walked into the house after being outside (something they were not supposed to do without an adult). They were still in their pajamas and we thought they were playing inside. Jonah confessed that he and Anna were just sitting on the paddle boat! They had no life jackets on and had walked down the 45 stairs to the lake and climbed into Grandma's paddle boat! We know that they had guardian angels with them that morning. After that, we made sure that the doors leading to the dock were not only dead-bolted, but toddler proof and we had a very long talk with the two culprits.

Special thanks to my brother-in-law, Matt Kimball, for taking these great pictures. He's so talented!

brady's blessing day

2008-07-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

We blessed Brady at Mandi's parents home in Lake of the Ozarks on Sunday, July 6th. Chris did a wonderful job and Jonah and Mia cooperated perfectly--only because they were sleeping =) Brady is growing pretty rapidly and we decided that we couldn't have waited much longer to bless him because he was about to grow out of his blessing outfit. Jonah wore it when he was blessed at 2 1/2 weeks, so it was fun to see another boy dressed in it. They definitley look similar, but there's a difference. Brady is so smily and brings lots of happiness to our home. Both kids just adore him and he giggles and smiles when he sees them. Mandi loves the baby stage, and even though she's not getting lots of sleep, she is enjoying her newborn.

life with 3 kids

2008-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Brady is now 6 weeks old, and I'm feeling back to myself--well, as much as you can as a nursing mom who wakes up several times a night. The real test comes in not taking care of Brady, but taking care of all 3 of my adorable, but needy kids at same time. I loved having help for as long as I did (a full 4 weeks!), but the time had to come for me to mother these kids on my own. Chris's school schedule is ideal this summer, and he gets home in the late afternoon with very little work to do once he's home. That definitely helps. So, after 2 weeks on our own, how are we doing? We're actually o-k-a-y! There are crazy moments everyday when all 3 kids are crying, but I'm actually able to get my house cleaned, go for walks, read a book, and spend some quality time with each of my kids. There are some activities that I'm terrified to even try on my own, but maybe I'll get more brave as time goes on. Chris and I joke that my main objective each day is simple: Feed the kids, and Keep them safe.....mainly from each other! Brady is starting to smile now, which is adorable. Jonah and Mia just love him. Everytime Mia spots him she says in her sweet girly voice as she waves her cute little chubby hand, "Hi Di-Di". Jonah is very good about being gentle with Brady and loves reminding me that he is the "Big Brother" and Mommy's "Big Boy Helper". We feel so blessed to have these sweet children in our home.

surviving the storm

2008-05-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

We were awakened at 2 am on Friday, May 2nd, to the sound of a freight train passing through our house. The house was shaking and the noise outside was deafening. Chris and I both shot out of bed without even having to say a word--we new there was a tornado, and we just hoped we could get to the basement in time. I had our newborn baby in my arms and I ran to Jonah's room to grab him out of bed. I didn't even have time to get a good hold on him, so he was hanging upside down as I stumbled down the stairs as fast as I could move. Chris was behind me with Mia, and both kids were not happy to be awakened as you can imagine. My best friend, Deb, was in town and we're not sure we can convince her to come back after that night. The storm passed as quickly as it came and the entire neighborhood was using flashlights to survey the damage. The power was out, of course, so as soon as the sun rose, we were able to view the horrific scene. After the trees were cleared from the rodes, we were able to explore the neighborhood. We felt very fortnate that our property was only minorly damaged compared to some of the neighbors. The tornado was classified as an F3, but it was only on the ground for a short while. It struck the hardest about 5 or 6 blocks from our house. Thankfully there were no casualities from this twister. We feel most blessed to have been protected.

welcoming brady

2008-04-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Brady Joseph Rapp

6 lbs 12 oz

19 inches

Mandi was induced on Monday, April 21st and Brady Joseph Rapp was born at 5:01 pm weighing in at a scrawny 6 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long. He seems to have a very different look than our other kids, so we're anxious to see who he may resemble as time goes on. Mandi's labor was very comfortable and recovery is going well. Now that we're home from the hospital, it is most difficult caring for the other children as they have missed their mother. Mandi's mom, Janette, has been in town helping with the kids, which has been such a blessing. Mia sure seems to like Janette, which is a major milestone for this "mama's girl". As Janette leaves, Mandi's good friend, Deb, will come help for a week, followed by Chris's parents. We are so thankful for all the help that everyone is offering. Brady is doing really well and we're so excited to have such a little guy in our home again. It's a miracle to watch a child come to your family and we feel most blessed. Jonah is loving his role as an older brother and protector of Brady. He held him and kissed him endlessly in the hospital and even started crying when he had to put him down. Mia is very confused by the whole situation and I'm sure she still doesn't understand who this little guy is who suddenly showed up in our home. She mimics Jonah and gives him kisses as well, but we have to watch her closely since she doesn't quite understand how fragile he is. Thanks for all your love and prayers. We're so thrilled that he arrived safely and Mandi is excited to be done with yet another pregnancy.

happy easter

2008-03-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter at home with an indoor easter egg hunt. It's a little chilly here in Kansas City, and since Easter was especially early in the season, it not quite spring-like weather yet. Jonah and Mia were very entertained by the candy filled eggs--it's hard to not enjoy any holiday that involves candy. Mia loved walking around and finding her eggs, and Jonah was more than happy to find them all for her. We hope you had a wonderful Easter too!

crawling, and now walking

2008-03-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

Mia started crawling in January, and was attempting to walk by mid-February. Life changes fast, I guess! I thought it might take her a while to move around, since she is rather chunky, but she surprised us and was walking at 10 months. It's so cute to see her round little body waddle around the house and Jonah is very excited that they can now chase eachother. We have to remind him that she still is a baby, even though she's moving around more. She's starting to say a few words, "da-da" for daddy, and "hi". She seems to think that the word for telephone is "hi" because that's what she says every time she sees one. It's so cute!

i'm a big boy now!

2008-03-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Jonah successfully potty-trained last month, and we all have enjoyed having less diapers to change in our household. It took him 2 days to get the hang of going on the potty, and then he just had a few accidents after that throughout the following 2 weeks. He now insists on going "all by my belf!", so he's feeling his independence! His reward was a big boy bike. Chris picked it out, and I was shocked to see that it is fully suspended and wondered what my 2 year-old might be doing on his bike to need front and rear suspensions. Jonah is sure enjoying it and we love seeing him grow-up. Yeah for Jonah!!

a fun project

2008-02-16T08:35:00.001-08:00

I forgot to post pictures of Jonah's Christmas present this year. It began as a $20 garage sale table with peeling paint and mis-matched train tracks. Chris jokes that this was Jonah's present, but Mom's pride and joy. I did spend a lot of hours on it, but it was fun having something artistic to do, plus I love taking things that look ugly and making them look better. Once we decided how to arrange the tracks on the table, I began by staining all the tracks so that they would be the same color--it took a few trys and a few mistakes to get it right. Then I painted the landscape on the table top and tacked all the pieces down with screws. I varnished everything to protect it from a crazy 2 year-old and so far it's held up. Chris was in charge of reinforcing the wobbly table. He and my dad did a great job of making it look so much better and sturdy. My dad tested the table out by jumping on it, so I think it's going to hold up =) They sanded it and then painted it black and that was the final touch! Hopefully it will last through many kids! Grandma and Grandpa Rapp supplied some of the tracks and the buildings along with the infamous "Thomas" Engine which is battery operated. Jonah sure loves this and will play with it for years to come.

preparing for #3

2008-02-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy with how the baby's crib turned out. My biggest fear was that we wouldn't have any room for him, but I bought a "mini" crib, which is about 2/3 the size of a real crib. It was a perfect fit. I made the crib bedding from a matching comforter on Jonah's bed. If you know me, the fact that the crib matches the room decor is a BIG deal. I have a huge list of things to get done before the baby comes which are not directly related to the baby, but atleast I have the baby's crib set up and the baby boy clothes are in the drawers, ready for the big arrival. We are anxious to see this little guy, but I'm glad we have a few more months to prepare ourselves and our kids =)

P.S. Jonah is potty-training and doing great, so when the baby comes I'll only have 2 kids in diapers. I'm thrilled to be done changing his diapers atleast! Yeah!

happy holidays

2007-12-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

2007 has been a busy and exciting year for us! The most significant event was welcoming our daughter, Mia, into the world in April. She has been such a joy to have in our home. Mandi enjoys having another girl in the house and Mia is definitely a girl. We can already sense her tender and emotional nature. She has such a joyful personality and our favorite part about Mia is that she always wakes up smiling. She brings a lot of peace to our home with her happy disposition. Jonah has really surprised us and is a wonderful older brother to her. It didn't take long for him to accept her and now he always wants to include Mia in his activities, especially taking their nightly baths together.

Shortly after Mia was born, Mandi found out she was pregnant again! The babies will be just under 12 months apart, and no, this was not planned. Mandi is due in April, and we are excited to be able to welcome another child into our family. Jonah is thrilled that it's going to be a boy! Mandi is now feeling better and is enjoying these last few months of just having 2 kids to chase after. Life will get busy without a doubt! Mandi is still serving as Primary President, so free time is hard to come by. It's been a good learning experience for her and has helped to prepare her for our own little nursery of children at home.

Chris finished his 2nd year of dental school and took his National Boards. He passed! Yeah Chris! He immediately started his 3rd year, which consists of working on patients in the clinic. He sure enjoys the clinical aspect of dental school a lot more. He's still busy, but we do get to enjoy Daddy a lot more this year.

Jonah is now 2 1/2 and talking better and better all the time. Our favorite phrases include, "That make you happy Momma?", and "I can not believe it!". We are working on potty training and as soon as we decide to really tackle it, we're pretty confident that Jonah will be ready too. It will be nice to get one of the kids out of diapers before the new baby arrives.

We spent Thanksgiving in Montana this year a had a great time with Chris's parents. Jonah got his Christmas present early from them, which was a motorized train set. He loves nothing more. As parents, we are really excited for Christmas morning since Jonah is now understanding the concept of Christmas and Santa. We'll be spending Christmas at Mandi's Parents home in the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, with most of her siblings and their kids. The cousins always enjoy being together under one roof, and us adults will waste lots of time with the Nintendo Wii.

We hope you have the happiest of holidays. It's been such a blessing to have children and get the opportunity to teach them about the importance of this special occasion. We are so grateful for the knowledge of a Savior and the chance to dedicate time to celebrating the blessed event of His coming into the world. Merry Christmas!

it's a boy!

2007-11-28T12:27:00.001-08:00

We got a very definite view that a little boy will be joining our family in April. We are excited to add another boy to the mix, but it will be sad seeing the girls get out-numbered so quickly! Jonah will have such a fun time with a little brother. They will be just under 3 years apart, so I'm sure they will be great friends. Mia will have a brother to protect her on both sides =) I'm still trying to figure out where we're going to fit the new baby in our home, but I think he will share a room with Jonah right off. I have plans to make matching crib bedding to go with Jonah's sporty room, but there's no doubt it will be a tight squeeze. I still remember when I was growing up and 3 of us girls shared a room that barely fit the queen-sized bed. Those were some fun years for me, so I'm sure the boys will enjoy being so close. We're sure excited to meet this little boy soon!

happy halloween

2007-10-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

This year was Jonah's first experience with Trick-or-Treating. He now tells us that "Jonah loves trick-or-treating", but what kid wouldn't? He was very good at "bouncing" just like Tigger's do, so the costume was perfect. Mia was just fun to dress up. I can't take any credit for the adorable costume--it's from my sister Melissa, but she sure looks like a princess in it. She enjoyed watching Jonah trick-or-treat from the stoller and I'm sure she'd love the candy if she got a chance. Jonah caught onto the idea of Halloween really quick and even approached the doors, rang the doorbell and said "twik-o-tweet" all by himself. As parents, it was so fun to watch. Happy Halloween!

family photo shoot

2007-10-05T14:42:00.001-07:00

Getting a family ready for a photo shoot is stressful! First of all, it took me forever to come up with something we could wear, and stick to some sort of color scheme--How do I match my son with Mia's exclusively purple and pink wardrobe? Then I had to find a shirt that would fit my 11 week pregnant belly--that's a pain! Then of course we had to time the naps and the meals with the setting sun because that's the best time to shoot pictures, I guess. It was extremely humid, so the time I spent curling my hair was a waste, but we were very relieved to see some pictures that turned out. We really had such a fun time at Hodge park last night taking these photos. My friend, Lori Garcia, did a fabulous job. She was so good at keeping the kids' attention and entertaining them too! Jonah earned "marshmallows" from her for smiling in the pictures. We couldn't have asked Mia to cooperate better! It's fun to see pictures of our growing family.

feeding mia

2007-09-12T14:37:00.001-07:00

I started feeding Mia for the first time last week. She was really "eyeing" our food and anxious to give it a try, so, of course, I made her some oh so yummy rice cereal. Fortunately, she doesn't know what she's missing out on yet. It didn't take her long at all to figure out how the spoon worked. By the second feeding, she was a pro, with audible gulps and all. Now that she's realized that there is more to life the the bottle, she will never be content drinking it while we are eating real food, so I always have to feed her when we're eating dinner. She inherited her Dad's love of food for sure!

summer fun

2007-09-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friends who own a very nice home in a great neighborhood with an even greater pool, we spent lots of time swimming this summer. Chris spent most of the summer studying for his National Dental Boards, so we were anxious for the test to be over with and done. On August 15th he took the 8 hour test, and PASSED! Once we got the letter with the good news, we didn't waste anytime and took the kids swimming! It took Jonah just once in the water to decide that he had no fear and he swims on his own with his "water-wings". He does more jumping-in than he does swimming. Mia enjoys the water, but her mom doesn't like to waste the swim diapers for the 3 minutes that she stays in the water. So, she just gets a little dip from time to time. It was a great past time for a very humid climate. Thanks Jones family for the use of your pool!

mia

2007-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

We love our little Mia! She began sleeping through the night at 7 1/2 weeks and has been consistently doing it since then. Mommy loves that! During her wake times, she is very happy and we think she has the cutest little gummy smile. She resembles her mom a whole lot, which is very exciting to see since Jonah only seems to carry his dad's genes.

jonah's 2nd birthday

2007-06-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jonah's second birthday a few weeks early because his Grandma and Grandpa Rapp were in town. He was showered with gifts and loves being "2". His favorite part was blowing out the candles, which he frequently tries to reinact. One day, I found him on the kitchen counter, having climbed up there in search of the matches. He actually found them and managed to light one! Luckily, he blew it out, as he had planned, but he did burn his finger. We're just grateful that our house is still standing! Two-year-olds are crazy! Jonah loves golfing more than any other sport. Chris takes him golfing and just pushes him in the stroller. Jonah is in heaven watching his Dad swing at the ball, and always gives off a cute giggle. He's working on his swing everyday.