The Big 2!

Kaylana just celebrated her big 2nd birthday on Sunday! I guess she's not my baby anymore, she's a big girl. She proved that by saying her first sentence as well. (Colson was in my arms at church Sunday morning and had been sleeping. He started opening his eyes and Kaylana looks at me and matter-of-factly tells me... "Hewokeup!" Yes, it was almost like a single word... but, she'll get the hang of it fast enough.) Pretty soon she'll be jabbering my ears off. I say that lovingly and with great expectation.

I love this picture. It makes me think of a movie star or something of that sort. She's such a fireball with an incredible enthusiasm for life. She certainly keeps me on my toes every single day. (Some days that same thing can be frustrating, but I'm sure that I have my days as well...) She loves posing for a "pit-ure" with an ever enthusiastic "snmyle" until you take the picture as she quickly runs off in pursuit of the next best thing to do at that moment.


Despite all the mischievousness, she likes to be a princess too. And oh, she is. A drama queen, princess of my castle attitude to boot. Makes me laugh on frequent occasions, even when I should probably keep it to myself.


So, as for the birthday party, my cheeks hurt by the end of the festival. She had me laughing so hard! When we first put out the cake there was the inevitable chorus of "Mine! Mine! Cake. Mine!" Then, it turned to curiosity, which led to fingers in the sides of the frosting... before the candle was even lit. She had gotten a pretty good snitching in before the "Happy Birthday" song was over.


Then, the cake preceded to travel all over the face and hands. Which of course meant that there was that inevitable dob on the tip of her nose...

...at which point she started going cross-eyed trying to figure the phenomenon out.
That had most of us in hysterics! She made the funniest faces, and it was almost torture as she seemed to find a new face the second the laughter slightly ebbed. And before the cake session was over she decided to give my brother Tim and his buddy Corey a nice coating of frosting as well. What a goofball!



Grandma Reynolds got a new trike for her house that Kaylana found after the party and had no desire to part with. If she could just reach the pedals a little better she'd be on her way! But, she didn't let that stop her, she just used her feet. Already she has mastered steering, forwards and backwards. Oh my, another mode of transportation for my already VERY mobile daughter. I'll be sure to get in shape now.


Such sweet smiles! I love this girl so much. She is truly a wonder to watch and I will enjoy watching what God has in store for her future. But, I wish that I got to watch it happen at a slow pace. I can't believe that she's already 2 years old. It seems like just yesterday that I was pregnant with her. And here I have another one too. Life sure does fly by quickly.

Being 2 must be tiring. Although, I think I've got a pretty tiring (although very fulfilling) job as well, just keeping up with her. Oh, to be young again...

My Friends (the rest of my family)

What can I say? My family isn’t big enough, so we adopt into it. Quite a few of them are slightly related through marriage lines, so we’ve decided that it’s close enough to family. There are far too many to list. Our friends are such an important part of our family and we are grateful for all of them, near and far.

Jacob and Crystal are our children’s godparents. Very goal-oriented and self-motivated they are an inspiration to entrepreneurship, entertaining events, and much more.

Shaina, who has been there for me throughout most of my biggest life moments, I can’t imagine experiencing life without having her to share it with. I love her smile; it’s contagious no matter what mood I’m in.

Blaine and Jessika are wonderful at entertaining, both a houseful of guests and by making us laugh. Hardly ever a dull moment. I’m honored to have been a part of their lives.

Jeremiah “Poof” is generous and extremely helpful. Always has a good attitude to match his big heart. (And he cooks the best Papa Murphy's pizzas around!)

Josh is a bit crazy and controversial, but in a very enjoyable way. His impressions impress us all and keep us laughing even when he’s not around.

Glen and Lilly, and their new addition: Kaylee, are our roommates and good friends. We are blessed to have great people to spend this time of our life with.

Christina is like having a sister, I absolutely love her spunk and tenacity for God and life. Plus, I love her kids like total family, and Dallen is a great friend as well. We are so very blessed with friends we can call family.

There are many more that are near and far, that influence and effect our lives all the time. I wish that I could name everyone, but that would take a lifetime. All these and many more are loyal and loving; they are a wonderful addition to our extended family. And all are important and very dear to our hearts. To all of the friends that we call family: Thank you for your friendship and know that we love you!

My Family (Part #3)

My parents are truly amazing. It took me a few years to realize just how wonderful they really are. I took my mother for granted until I almost lost her in 1995. She had a brain aneurysm, resulting in two brain surgeries (extremely risky) and an eye surgery as well. It was like walking in a nightmare, in that it also didn’t feel real. I knew that it was happening, but the effects didn’t hit me until the years following the event. We all fondly joke about it now, even so much as to tease our mother about having a computer chip installed in her brain (she had a titanium clip put in as part of the process) that the doctors forgot to give her the access code to. Anyways, my mother is very emotional and is known to cry in just about every movie. (Again, I tease with all the love in my heart.) But she and I can hang out like sisters and have many similar interests and hobbies. We are finding ourselves saying everything at the same time… as scary as that is to me. Lol. I am so lucky to still have her.

My dad and I struggled through my teen years, but I couldn’t ask to be closer to him now. I am definitely a "daddy's girl"! I love having talks with him and I feel comfortable talking with him about almost anything. He is my source of advice and wisdom that I seek on a pretty constant occasion. And on the lighter side, he is the “punny-est” guy around. Seriously, he can joke when people don’t even know he’s pulling their leg. (He’s literally had people come back two weeks after he’s made a “funny” and told him that they finally got it. Even funnier, by then he doesn’t even know what he said!) Both of my parents are extremely wonderful to everyone they meet and are very generous. I love my parents and couldn’t be happier that I got “stuck” with them.

Next my brothers… first of all, I am so proud of each one of them. Though we may not always agree or see eye-to-eye, I appreciate the uniqueness they each possess and special moments I have with them. They also are very deserving of special praise as they are all in the Armed Forces. Tim has already served his country overseas, and Jordan and Joseph are joining the madness by the end of the year. My hats off to them for joining in the midst of the conflict and for being proud to serve their country, even when it seems that much of the country dismisses their services as a much needed help at this time in the world’s history.

Tim has a wonderful way with people. Whether it’s his sense of
humor that really can get a room of people hysterical or the way he holds people on the edge of their seats in an engaging conversation. Very active and always on the go, I love being around him.

Jordan, as I chuckle to myself, always puts a smile on my face. Even if he’s angry, he can make you laugh with the presentation and animation in his voice and actions. Everything is larger than life with him. He is a wonderful daddy and I miss him and his wife and kids.

Heather, his wife, is a red-headed fireball of Irish decent that just adds to the exuberance of the family. She is also wonderful in the kitchen and makes the cutest nephews and nieces in the world, Caleb and Chloe whom I love and miss terribly.

(photo by Heather Wachtman)

Joseph, well, besides being a smart-alec, he is entertaining and always has input beyond what the textbooks even have to say. Hopefully someday we’ll see all of that knowledge put to good use with whatever he decides to do as a career, he truly has an amazing mind that holds everything that it comes into contact with. He is very family oriented and holds close those things most dear to him. My littlest brother with the biggest outlook on life.

I know that my family isn’t small, but each one has a special place in my heart and is an important part of my life! I love every one of them very much and look forward to getting closer as the years fly by.

Overall, my family is crazy, very strange and hilarious on most occasions. Before I end this post I have to share a memory that illustrates just that and makes me laugh every time I think about it. First of all, it was dinner time… and that in my family is where all the craziness comes out. It was shortly after the “new” Star Wars movie came out, (the first or fourth, depending on where you count from) with Jar Jar Binks. (Hope I spelled that right…) We were recounting our favorite moments in the movie and found ourselves talking about the part where his tongue gets zapped by a part of one of the pod racers and it goes numb, hanging limply and hilariously out of his mouth. Sitting at the table, eating… yes, most or all members of my family were commenting with our tongues hanging out of our mouths. During this I thought to myself that it would be funny if someone were to come in at that moment and see us all like that. Of course, that got me giggling and I had to share my thought with everyone else. Then there was a knock at the door. I bust a gut laughing so hard. But, that’s just another mealtime with my family…

My Family (Part #2)

What is family without all the rest that make up so much of life’s joys and moments to remember?! I have an amazing family that I am proud to call my own. My in-laws really aren’t in-laws at all, but rather an extension of my own close family. They are truly wonderful and very giving. Self-sacrificing and hard-working, they have truly added so much to my life already, and I can’t imagine my life without any of them.

My other-nother-Mother deserves special thanks for everything that she does day in and day out to help everyone around her. She is truly an inspiration in many things, but especially how to manage a home and large family. I appreciate everything about her. Thanks Mom.

Dad doesn’t show himself for who he is as often as most, but in all the little moments I’ve grown fond of him as another dad. He is incredibly wise and knowledgeable, a great source for advice and mentoring. He has a huge heart and many hilarious comments with that infectious laugh of his.

My siblings-in-law are a wonderful bunch that keeps life interesting and full of little moments of laughter. I am grateful for the lot of them… and there are a lot of them!

Kevin, who is a bit quiet (until he plays his games) and his wife, Jamie,
who always makes me laugh. I look forward to letting our kids play together and learning about the art of woodworking from Jamie.

Tim, who is great for picking on and letting me pick on him. And thanks to Tim for the hard work he does. He never ceases to amaze me with all he accomplishes. With his most recent aspirations of firefighting, I am truly impressed.

Stephanie is the sweetest girl and the closest thing I’ve had to a sister. I love her so much and look forward to many years of bonding and hanging out. She is also amazing with my kids, and I appreciate every second that she spends with me and my kids.

Paul is growing up and I'm finding him to be a really cool guy. He is really caring and he has his mom's way of taking things in without taking things personally. They just roll with the punches. I think very highly of him and am excited to see where God takes him in the next few years.

My Family (Part #1)

My family is where I start counting my blessings. First, I have a wonderful husband, Geoff.

He is my support and my companion while there is still breath in both our bodies.

We just celebrated our 3^rd anniversary in May and come November we will recognize 7 years of our relationship together. What a wonderful blessing, my husband.

To add to our joy, we were given the blessing of our beautiful daughter, Kaylana Jonell in July 2006. Incredibly active and full of life, she’ll give the boys a challenge! Even with that she somehow still manages to maintain her princess status. She is always entertaining and quite the “ham” as well. She already has a love for the photo lens (and my lens seems to return the compliment!)

Our most recent blessing, Colson James, was added to our family this February 2008. (For those of you wondering he is the final blessing into our family at this time.) Full of smiles and laughter, he is such a happy boy. Already showing so much of his character and personality, we are excited watching him grow. These are my blessings… my family!

My Faith

My faith is my core. It is the essence of God in my life. It guides me, sustains me and helps me to live a life for the purpose I was created for. With my eyes focused on the true Source of Life I find hope, peace, rest and a love that overflows. With all that said, I am still human. Simply put; I fail… and sometimes I fail miserably. I don’t claim to be perfect, only to know the One who is and who reminds me how to get a step closer when I’ve fallen back into the ruts of habits and choices in my life. I have found myself choking on the term “Christian”. Though not in shame or for fear of rebuttal or rejection. Rather, I fear that my life will not be the example others need to see or that I will cause someone to reject the truth simply because it is a very difficult standard to live up to. Regardless of this and the all-too-common attitude of indifference or distaste for Christians; that is who I am. As a Christian, I am called to declare it and to strive for the highest of standards. One step and one day at a time in what I pray is the right direction.

Introduction to Me

I explained the purpose and intentions for my blog, but I said very little about myself. So, without further ado… My name is Rachael Reynolds (formerly Wachtman). I am 25 years old. (Yes, I know, I have hit the quarter century mark. Although to tell you the truth, it’s more astounding to me realizing that 30 is just 5 years away than the idea of being a quarter of the way to 100. I know, it’s strange, but I don’t mind.) I love… well, life! I have so many things I enjoy doing, and I love to learn new things all the time. My hobbies are photography and design as well as anything artsy. Reading and writing, cooking and especially baking are also some favorites. And the list could go on. Outdoors, I love camping and hiking, sports and star-gazing, and again, so much more. I am fairly outgoing and love to have new experiences. I love to challenge myself to greater heights in everything I do and in trying new things. I’m a bit of a perfectionist (which of course provides those who know me with plenty of entertainment). I require of myself reaching for a higher standard in everything. Though a perfectionist, I am far from perfect and would be the first to tell you so. I have high standards of morality. I know that life happens and try to not be judgmental, but instead desire to show a genuine attitude of caring. I expect honesty from others and myself. I am very passionate about what I love. I love God. I love my family and friends. I love my country. I love to learn. I love people. I love photography. These are my passions, and they are the driving force behind everything I do.

First Blog

It seems to me that many people are using blogs to communicate these days. Well, not one to be left out, I have joined the craze. I have two goals that blend into the same concept: communication. I fear I have not done very well in this department of life and in an effort to change that, here is my blog. The first reason is to stay connected with family and friends, or at least to keep them informed. Secondly I would like to showcase some of my photography work for those who are interested. I may also, jot a little tittle or tat that comes to mind from time to time. My goal is to update at least once a week and ultimately get to where I can update for both my portfolio and my life a couple times a week each. I can't guarantee how well I will accomplish these goals, but that's why it's a goal. I will start with some personal info about me, and then I will move into the photography category with life mixed in. The photography will mostly be older work for the remainder of the year as my current focus is on my children. As they grow, I hope and pray that my work and I both continue to grow as well.