Worth a thousand words: Rachel

Well, even though I've had my camera for two weeks now, I haven't been able to take as many pictures as I want. I've been really busy with babysitting and working outside when I'm home. And then I'm trying to find time to actually LEARN how to use it properly. So, I finally did a photoshoot with rachel (haha... she knew that was coming). The one thing that would have been nice was if my reflector had come in... but they still turned out ok. The really annoying part is that she doesn't want me to post almost HALF of my favorites. =/ Bad Rachel. lol. If you want to see them I'll have to e-mail them to you. So, anyway, here are a few that she didn't mind. (I can't wait to get photoshop back!! Hopefully I'll be buying my macbook within the next month or so.) *crosses fingers*

Ok... well, this isn't reeeally a picture of Rachel... but close enough right? =P LoL, I was messing around with different angles on Stephen's car and somehow his shoe got in the veiwfinder instead... so i thought it looked cool and took a picture! (Josh's shoe is in the background in the picture below) Bet they never knew they were such good foot models! lol.

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Ok, that looks a little bit more like rachel i guess.

Well, even though I'm a day late... I wanted to make sure and post RACHEL'S BIRTHDAY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!!!!

Yesterday was Rachel Anna Smith's 14th birthday! (Crowd Cheers!) =P Alright... Well, let's see. What can I say about Rachel... hmmm.

Rachel was born on January 16, 1995 in Oktibiha Hospital in Starkville, Mississippi. The first time I saw her I aked my dad, "Are they going to let her out?" LoL. She was in one of those rooms where everyone was looking through a huge window to see the newly born babies. She was a cute little thing. Ever since she came home with us we formed a close bond. I'm sure I drove my mom crazy asking every second if I could hold Rachel. I had been an only child for almost four years, so I was ready to be a big sister. As soon as she got big enough to play, we would spend hours upon hours playing together. We never really fought that much... at least when we were little. =P Rachel was always the quiet, sweet one. She grew up with a big heart that got broken easily. I was constantly sticking up for her, and since I was usually twice as big as most of her friends.... had no trouble (ehem) putting them back in their place should they step over my sister's distinct line. Rachel can tell you more than one "embarrassing" story how I stuck up for her when she was too timid to do anything herself. I remember one time when she was about 10, she came home from tennis telling me about this one guy in her class that kept hitting her with his racquet. Nothing hard... but just how little boys like to goof off. So I told her to tell him to stop... but of course she was too scared. So the next day she went to tennis I went with her. (I brought along my racquet which was quite a bit bigger than most of the little kids' racquets.) I sat on a bench watching this guy for at least 20 minutes... and then he did it. I got up, walked into the court, turned him around by his shoulder and said, "You hit her one, more, time..." i shoved my racquet in his face, "... and I'll hit you with MY racquet." His face turned white and he nodded so fast I thought his head would fall off. He never hit her again.

LoL,... Rachel's gotten quite a bit better at defending herself now... partly because she's had to defend ME now. Rachel has proven to stick up for me in more ways than just threats. Half the time I don't even know when she does, but I can always count on her that she will. Rachel has been my best friend for as long as she's been born. From the cute, shy, little kid that hid behind me, to the beautiful, outgoing, teenager that has blossomed into a amazing girl. She does everything! She cooks, she plays music, she dances, she softens the coldest hearts, she listens to whatever you want to talk about even if it mean nothing to her, she's smart, she's mature, she's the sweetest person you could ever meet, she's diligent, but most of all has a heart truly set on pleasing God. She amazes me with every year. She's now taller than me, and has assumed the position of care taker over me also. =P She is the most loyal, understanding, caring friend you will ever have if you are ever fortunate enough to call her your friend. I have been blessed with that friendship for 14 years now.

Rachel, thank you for all you are to me and everyone else around you. The secrets and jokes we share really are priceless. There's no other girl in the world that would stick by me the way you do. I hope we can spend another 80 years together laughing at all the little things. Thanks for being my friend through the hard times and not giving up on me. I love you SO much!

Well, I s'pose I should tell you what we did yesterday. We celebrated early that morning with some gifts (SHE GOT A CELL PHONE!!!) and of course the happy birthday song! Then we headed off to Sioux Falls to go to the semi-annual Crazy Days sale at the mall. We met up with a few friends around 10:30 that morning and shopped till about 3 in the afternoon. Laura Dubs and I bought Rachel and ice cream cake at Dairy Queen which we all had for lunch. Laura and I wanted to have her b-day announced over the speakers in the mall... but the lady at the desk said that she wasn't aloud too. Bummer! So we got all us kids to sing her happy birthday in the middle of the Food Court in the mall. (She was slightly embarrassed... lol) We had a ton of fun. After everyone left, Rae and I kept shopping till close to 6. We were soo tired we had to go sit (more like lay!) on one of the benches. Luckily it was a bench near Caribou Coffee, so it was more like a couch than a wooden bench. I can't remember if i fell asleep or not! LoL! My legs felt like they were going to fall off! Even I can't survive the mall THAT long. Actually, it was really weird... but earlier while rachel and I were in one of the stores, I got really light headed. It was the strangest sensation. I've never come CLOSE to fainting or passing out... but I really thought I was going to! Rachel had been talking to someone else, and looked over at me and gave me the weirdest look. lol. She said I looked like death warmed over. (thanks rachel...lol) But I could barely hear her! It was if everything was moving in slow motion and and the sound wasn't right. I just remember her pushing me out of the store and asking me something over and over. But five minutes later I was fine. It was soo weird. I could have sworn I fell asleep and was dreaming. Nothing felt real. I'm not sure why that happened... but I figured that I just hadn't eaten anything that day (besides ice cream) and I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before.... so I'm sure that along with a full day at the mall probably just temporarily overloaded my 1 gb brain. LoL! Go figure...

Well, enough about my weirdness.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!!!!!!!!! WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Holy cow.... I think that was the longest post I've ever written.... people are probably falling asleep! Oops!