Helping with Dishes

When I'm loading or unloading the dishwasher, Lauren LOVES to help! This time, she decided it would be easier to just climb up in the dishwasher...so I had to take some photos! Isn't she cute!!!! Thanks for helping baby girl!

Rodeo of the Ozarks 2008

Mommy took me to the rodeo to see all the horses. She took me last year too...look back and boy what a difference a year makes!

My First Williams Family Reunion 2008

We stayed at Big Cedar Lodge and swam in the lazy river. It was awesome! I would go back for a weekend get away sometime!


Great Grandma El and all her Grandkids.


Daddy showing me the bear.

Mommy likes to take photos of me with flowers...

Me with my cousin Miller.

Four generations...Great Grandma El, Poppa Louie, Daddy and me (and mommy too).

My cousin Lauren.

My nona Donna

Me being a big girl going to the pool in my cute hat and swimsuit!

Daddy sitting in the kiddie pool with me.

Daddy, Mommy, Uncle Brian, Poppa Louie and me!

Aunt Kristen teaching me about wine...her favorite subject!

Lauren at the lake

Mommy and Daddy got a boat so we have spent most of our summer at the lake and boy do I like it! I'm having a great time in my floatie Aunt Tammy got me and my sunglasses from aunt Kristen sure make it easier to enjoy the sun!

Lauren's Stats at 1 year and 1 week

Weight - 21.32#
Height - 30.0"
Head - 17.83

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!!!

We had a lot of friends that had babies last year so they all joined us for a birthday celebration in honor of our baby girls 1st birthday! The theme was Hawaiian and included a palm tree drink holder outside, tiki hut signs and a beach cake with flip flops on top. Lauren didn't really know what to do with the cake (and I didn't want her to get sugar overload) so we let her play in it for a while. She eventually got the hang of it and wanted to wipe her hands off on her dress...oh well...it came out! Thanks to everyone who came...Lauren had a great time! We are all so lucky to have little ones around the same age so that they can grow up together. I'm sure there will be many more birthday celebrations together in the future!

Lauren Sleeping

Hey girls! Well, as some of you know Lauren was just put in her room/bed about a month ago...Kraig and I just love snuggling with her. :-) She has still been in our bed some becaue she normally wakes up around 10 or 10:30 p.m. and we put her back to sleep and then around 2 a.m. we will bring her into bed with us because we are tired. I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday at lunch and bought some books on sleeping. Lauren didn't have her little crying fit last night where she stands up in her crib and screams and sobs like she is dying! I have not read the books yet but Kraig and I just looked at each other and I said "man those books are awesome!" LOL! She didn't sleep through the night but I was able to lay her in her crib before she fell alseep in my arms (like normal) and she fell asleep on her own. I think before, I was trying to put her in her crib too soon when she was wide awake/barely sleepy instead of waiting until she was almost asleep. She then woke up around 10 p.m. and I was able to just rub her back and she fell asleep again in about 10 minutes without the big crying fit...she never even stood up this time! Then she woke up at 2 a.m. and I watched her on the monitor...it was so cute...she sat up in her bed like she was going to play or something and then just laid back down and went back to sleep. Now she did wake up at 2:30 a.m. and didn't go back to sleep until 3:30 a.m. but hey, I can't expect her to do it all right? I was just so happy that she was able to fall asleep on her own finally and put herself back to sleep in the middle of the night! So it looks like things are on the up and up even before I read all the books on how to do it. :-) I just had to tell you all. Hopefully tonight and tomorrow night will be even better and by Monday night she will be sleeping through the night! I think she just got so used to our room and us being beside her that when she would wake up over the past 2 weeks she was just scared since we were not there. Maybe she is catching on now that her room is an ok place to be at night. We shall see! :-)

Lauren's 10 month photos

So we missed the 9 month mark on photos...so 10 months is just as good right? Oh, she is SOOOO fun at this stage. She is just so curious about everything and laughs all the time. She still has that baby chunk so all I want to do is kiss on her cheeks! Oh, I just love the time we have together now...she is just so cute!

A Great Loss...

We lost an extraordinary woman this week. My Grandma Barenberg passed away. She was kind hearted, spunky and full of life. She never let anything keep her down. She was a Godly woman who loved her family dearly. I'm very happy to have had her in my life for the amount of time I did. I love you Grandma! You are missed!

Agnes Barenberg, 87, of Rudy, died Sunday, April 6, 2008, in her home. She was retired from OK Foods, a member of the 88 Freewill Baptist Church and a resident of Crawford County since 1946. She was preceded in death by her husband L.B. Barenberg.She is survived by two daughters Zella Holsted of Rudy and Shirley Gaston of Hartford, four sons Eldon Barenberg and Bob Barenberg both of Springdale, Merle Barenberg of Vian, OK and Butch Barenberg of Chester, two sisters Alice Bobbett of North Platt, NE and Peggy Green of Odessa, TX, twenty six grandchildren and several great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.Pallbearers will be Chris Burkhart, Merle Barenberg, Keith Barenberg, Terry Barenberg, Wayne Barenberg, Matt Holsted, Dale Holdsted, Robert Barenberg and Kevin Barenberg.Honorary Pallbearers will be Mary Ann Adams, Bobye Holt, Connie Williams and Tammy Collins.