Sister Rilee Belnap

After 7 years of trying to get pregnant, my parents adopted me as a newborn.  8 months later, my mom got very sick.  After going to the doctors, she found out she was pregnant, and when I was 17 months old, my little sister, Rilee, was born.  Although we were very close in age, we couldn't have been more different people.  In fact, we purposely chose interests that would make us basically polar opposites.  I loved dance, so she chose sports.  She loved Harry Potter books, so I refused to read them.  When we were little I had short hair, and she had long hair, and as we got older, I grew my hair out, and she kept hers bobbed.  I'm outgoing, and she is as shy and quiet as can be.  We are so different, but I love this girl.

This girl is always thinking of others.  She serves others without a second thought.  She gives everything to those she loves. She is so calming.  She is a wonderful listener.  She is funny and cheerful.  She is tender hearted and one of the sweetest people I have ever known.

Right after the new year she received her mission call to Kobe, Japan.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  Rilee has been studying Japanese all through college, and she has already fallen in love with everything culturally that she has come across.  When she opened her call, she burst into tears because the call was a complete dream come true for her. 

Yesterday she started that dream.  For 18 months, this great girl is going to be serving the people of Japan.  Before she entered the MTC we went out to lunch and she told me "I only have one goal today, and that's to make new friends."  I haven't heard from her yet, but I'm sure she did just that, and will continue to do so for the remainder of her mission.  I miss her, and I'm sad that I can't talk to her whenever I want to, but I am more excited for her than anything.  I know this is where she is supposed to be, and I know she will grow so much from this experience.  I am so looking forward to hearing from her and learning about her first few days, her companion, and how everything is going.

  This little girl will be just over two years old when her auntie comes home.

We'll be sure to send Rilee lots of pictures and updates, and we'll also show Sadie pictures of Rilee so hopefully she will know who she is when she comes home.

Here are all of the Belnap sisters.  

Rilee, Me, Emily, and Dawniel

I am so blessed to have so many sisters, I hope Sadie has a few sisters of her own someday.  

I love mine so much my heart could just burst.

Ready or not, here she goes.  This picture makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. She looks so timid and unsure that I want to just jump in there and protect her, but at the same time, I love that she is not looking back.  Even though she is scared, she is facing forward, ready to tackle her fears head on and get out there!  I admire her so much!

Quarter of a Century+Cutest Baby Ever

This post is very, very, very late, but about six weeks ago (I told you it was late), Logan turned 25.  He is such a great husband and daddy, so Sadie and I wanted to do a little unexpected something to surprise him. The day before his birthday, we snuck into Smith Drug (where he works) and bought 25 balloons.  Then we came home and blew them all up and hid them in our land lord's house.  After a long day of work and studying and playing with Sadie, Logan luckily fell asleep pretty early.  I was able to sneak the balloons into the bathroom without him knowing, and then I left him a little note on the mirror.  Totally cheesy, but it says "Congratulations you had enough common 'cents' to survive to your 25th birthday!  Happy birthday!  Love, Your Wife" and stuck 25 pennies to the mirror for him to find.  The next morning he was quite surprised to find not only the decorated mirror, but the shower full of balloons as well.  He had to work most of his birthday, but that week was spring break, so we made sure to get out and play together as much as possible. 

In other news....

Here are some darling pictures of the cutest baby ever.

 When our tub is not being filled with 25 balloons, it is usually being used to bathe this little beauty (and okay, fine, shower her not as darling parents).  She loves her baths, and she especially loves her little rubber duckie that Grandpa Mark and Grandma Angie (my birthdad and his wife) gave her.

 My friend Shannon made this darling little hair clip for Sadie Lady.  I love the little feathers on it!  Her daddy's nickname is "Bird," so these little feathers make her look like my "Little Bird."

 We are starting her on solids.  She hated them at the beginning mostly, and would fight me on them every time I would try and feed her.  This was what she looked like at the end of every feeding.  Lucky for her, after every meal she would get a bath (see above); lucky for me, she is getting more used to the idea of eating solids, and more of it is getting into her mouth.

And last but not least, we are busy brainwashing this little girl into thinking that tennis is the coolest sport ever.  We're hoping she takes after he daddy and has an amazing ability and love for the sport hidden in her little body.  College scholarships, anyone?  (We are fans of free education!!)