Rylee & 'Aunt Wessie'

A couple of weeks ago, Rylee & I stopped by 'Aunt Wessie's' (it's actually Jessie, but Rylee's pronunciation is much cuter:) ) house for a visit. As you can see in the pictures, Rylee's only concerns were the cheese & the cat! She played with Jessie's cat for over an hour!

Swinging

This is Rylee & Daddy enjoying our new swing set! We don't have to go to the park anymore....we have one right in our back yard thanks to 'Gonga & BoPop' :)

'Annie Jr.' Play

Last Thursday, the Marilyn Hart Summer Children's Theatre brought 'Annie Jr.' to life at the Grand Theatre here in Keokuk. My Mom & Dad took on the 'challenge' of taking Rylee, along with my cousin, Jenna, to the play. To my pleasant surprise, she was 'very good.' They said that she actually sat through the majority of the play, only whispering things like, 'Where's the doggie?,' 'Where'd the Doggie go?' Ever since, she has been singing, 'Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya, Tomorrow...' -- it's so cute :)

Bathing Beauty

Zoo Time!

And here is Rylee with the ONLY penguin she got to see. Apparently, a nearby construction company had hit a gas line & we were evacuated from 'River's Edge' (where the BEST animals are) due to the gas leak. As we left, we hit up a gift shop & I made the mistake of letting Jeremy & Rylee wander off by themselves as I shopped. By the time I caught up with them, he had taken down a stuffed penguin....a very LARGE....stuffed penguin. Well, being the smart shopper that I am, I knew that particular penguin was on the expensive side.....however, I was unable to pry Rylee's fingers from the stuffed animal. Needless to say, we are now the proud owners of a $45 stuffed penguin. Although, I must admit, she hasn't treated this like many of her other toys....she had that penguin on her lap the entire ride home from St. Louis & they watched movies together while she rubbed his back and kissed him constantly :)

Rylee LOVES her ducks!!

Hotel Room Play

This is how Rylee & Jeremy entertained themselves for the short time we were in our hotel room! Rylee went absolutely CRAZY - this was so funny to watch, I could barely hold the camera still long enough to snap a couple of pictures!!

'Jacuzzi Girl'

So...Rylee wasn't much on the swimming pool at our hotel, but she had no problem in the Jacuzzi :)

Our First 'Vacation'

As you may already know, we 'attempted' to take Rylee to the St. Louis Zoo last weekend, but we were hit with the 'flu bug.' However, this past weekend, we were finally successful & we had an amazing time! Rylee was such a trooper!

2 Year Pictures

Potty Training.....In Training

Well, I've been working with Rylee for quite some time now on the whole potty training thing. One day, she'll show interest & the next, she'll act like she's never seen a toilet before. So, I figured I would back off & let her get interested on her own.....I think I hit the Jackpot!! Rylee came walking down the hall towards me today & had half her diaper off & said, 'Mommy, I have to potty.' Hearing those words, I almost needed a diaper myself!!! I walked her into the bathroom, put her Dora lid on & lifted her up.....there was a moment of silence & then, she went. Her face lit up, as did mine! She gave me a High 5 :) I hope we don't take anymore steps 'backwards' in this whole potty training thing -- diapers are NOT cheap nowadays!

Just Our Luck.....

Well, here's a couple of pictures of Rylee after a long, long night of (I will spare you the 'details') the flu. Of course, we were supposed to leave for St. Louis this afternoon at 1:00. We had planned on spending the night & then taking Rylee to the Zoo tomorrow. However.....she came down with a bug late last night and so we were forced to reschedule for next weekend:(

I'm not sure if anyone else seems to have the same 'bad luck' that we do when it comes to planning anything, but it sure does suck! It seems like everytime we plan something, something goes wrong......so, I've decided to QUIT planning. Ok, well...not really, but I just wish, for once, that something I plan, could go, well, as I planned. I guess this time is out -- but I'll hope for better luck next weekend!

Sleepy

This is Rylee & her Daddy napping after a long, exhausting day of playing in the sun :) Gonga wore her out for a couple of hours, too.....except Gonga actually had her 'working' - they cleaned up the patio furniture this afternoon. So, they napped, while Mommy continued working...Lucky Dogs!!

Hangin' With Daddy

Rylee absolutely LOVES hanging out with her Daddy -- be it playing hide & seek, wrestling, riding in his big truck, or even watching 'Take Em' (duck hunting videos)! She's a big time 'Daddy's Girl'! I used to get kind of jealous, but she's a 'Momma's Girl' at times, as well. When she's tired, hungry, hurt or sick -- she wants me.....anything that has to do with 'rough housing' or getting dirty, it's all about her Daddy!

Rylee's Baptism

We (FINALLY) had Rylee baptized on April 8, 2007.

So....with her birthday, Easter & then the Baptism...we had a VERY busy weekend!!

Rylee's 2nd Birthday!

Rylee & 'Gonga' at her birthday party!! She was basically attached to 'Gonga's' hip the entire night -- she LOVES her 'Gonga' :)

These pictures show the 'crown' that Rylee got to wear all day at Day Care to celebrate her birthday!!

5 Generations Family Picture

This picture was taken before my Great-Grandma Jobe passed away. I was so glad that she was able to spend time with Rylee before her passing. This picture includes (my Great-Grandma Jobe (holding Rylee), my Mom, my Grandma Judy (my Mom's Mom) & myself). I truly treasure this picture.

Just Some Random Pictures......

Here is Rylee with her cousin, Tait. It's so cute ~ Rylee is always asking, 'Where's baby Tait?'...'Will baby Tait be there?' She's always giving him kisses & 'petting' him on the head. It's funny to watch them together!

Rylee & her Daddy.....many say they look alike, but I say they're identical! As a joke, I used to always say it's a good thing that I birthed her, otherwise, you wouldn't be able to tell she was mine :)

This picture is from Danny (Jeremy's Uncle) & Mykal's wedding last year. There is just something about this picture....to this day, it's one of my favorites!!

This is from Halloween last year. I may be somewhat prejudice, but I think she's the cutest cheerleader I've ever seen :)

Here's one with her Aunt KK (Kayla - Jeremy's younger sister) before her senior prom.

Rylee's 1st Birthday!

Here's one from Rylee's 1st Birthday. She looks a little confused, but there was no confusion....or hesitation....when it came to tearing into the cake that 'Gonga' made for her!

FYI: 'Gonga' is what she calls my Mom!

Boy How Time Flies.....

From this to this..........in 2 FAST years!!!

Rylee is now 2 years old....going on 11! She has so much personality & attitude. She is such an independent little princess (I wonder where she gets that from??!)! She brings so many wonderful things to our life!

April 5, 2005 @ 6:41 am

On this day, Rylee Rhea Matlock, was brought into our world......after 26 hours of grueling labor.......weighing in at 6lbs 8oz (coincidentally, I weighed the exact same at birth!). OH, how our world has changed!!

From the Beginning.....

Well....I've been putting this off for quite some time -- due to the lack of time, lack of energy & lack of knowledge about this whole 'blogging' thing.....but, I decided that I couldn't continue to procrastinate any longer. So, I'll start from the beginning....eventually getting you up to date on the exciting & ever-changing lives of Jeremy, Rylee & myself......hope you enjoy!