The Rib Masters!

Cody Stelter asked Dane if he would be his partner in the Fireman's BBQ cook off this summer. Dane was up for the challenge and told Cody he would be glad to. Each team had to turn in some ribs, a brisket, and some chicken. Each variety of meat was judged separately so different awards were given. Now one thing you have to realize is that Dane and Cody were BBQing with two little old barrel pits. Everyone else had these huge fancy pits on the the back of trailers. These two guys cooked all day in some extremely hot weather. When they started announcing the awards that evening at 5pm we were anxious to hear if those tasty ribs paid off, and boy did they pay off. Out of 26 teams, Dane and Cody got 2nd place with their ribs and won $500. They are going to give it a go at the Washington County Fair here in a few weeks to see if they can make it two in a row.

Looking good boys

Who's idea was it anyway to cook in this heat?

Future Rib Masters!

4 Months Old!

Nate is already four and a half months; almost five actually. I am a little behind on my posts. Nate is growing like a weed. At his four month check-up he weighed in at 15lbs. 6oz. and was 25 1/2 inches long. That put him in the 75%tile for his weight and height. He is bigger than both of his brothers at four months of age. Dane believes that he will be our six footer. Dr. Baker said that he looked great and to keep doing whatever it is that we are doing.
At four months of age Nate:
*is not sleeping through the night anymore; well some nights he does, but he wakes up when he rolls on his back in his sleep; he is a tummy sleeper
*is eating cereal mixed with applesauce and pears. We haven't tried any other fruit just yet.
*is starting to take a little bit of juice, but he isn't too sure about it
*is figuring out when you leave the room and he cries
*knows mommy and daddy's voices
*finally takes a bottle well; now I feel comfortable leaving him long periods of time if I have to
*laughs and giggles most of the time unless he is tired and ready for bed
*rolls over both ways; tummy to back and back to tummy
*sucks his thumb religiously and has recruited his big toe as a back-up

Meet the Rest of the Gang!

As if our lives aren't busy enough raising three boys, add a few animals into the equation that depend on us for food, water, shelter, and protection, and WaLa you've got "Old McDonald's Farm." Life gets pretty hectic around the Rau home sometimes.

Meet "Champ" aka "Lazy Bones" who never barks when strangers drive up

Meet "Patches" our sweet gray calico

Meet the guineas or better known as the "loud mouths"

Meet our latest hatch of "loud mouths"

Meet the hens; no more store bought eggs for us

Meet some of the herd

Meet the peeps

Nate's Baptism!

July 18, 2010 we baptized Nate Brandon at Zion Luthern Church at 9:00A.M. We invited just the immediate family and some close friends to help us celebrate this special time in Nate's life. Jamie and Buck Odom and Steven and Adrienne Siemsglusz are Nate's sponsors. These are four wonderful people that we know will look out for Nate and help guide him in the direction as he continues to grow and mature. The church ceremony was great; it happen to fall on "Country Western" Sunday, and the choir had an awesome assortment of some good ole country gospel songs to sing. After church, we had a reception and lunch in honor of Nate at the Carmine Lions Club. We had fried chicken and all the fixings. Congratulations Nate on becoming a child of God

All Sports Summer Camp!

Kade attended an "All Sports" camp this summer for one week. Throughout the week they met at different parks, the pool, and the "Boys and Girls Club" to work on various sports such as baseball, tennis, basketball, swimming, football, etc. He really enjoyed it. At the end of the week, the coaches had handed out awards and gave the kids a pizza party with homemade cupcakes. Before the party, they were all split into teams and all participated in different relay races. Kade's team won the frisbee toss and they all got a medal. Kade also won the award for "rodeo tag." Good job buddy!

3 Months Old!

Nate is just a little over three months old now. Where is the time going? It seems like he is learning to do something new everyday. At three months old, Nate is:
*ticklish on his sides, chest, and neck
*rolling over from his stomach to his back
*holding his head and chest up when on his stomach
*happy when he is outside
*sitting up in his bumpo seat
*sitting and playing in his exersaucer
*grabbing and holding on to objects and toys
*still sleeping through the night
*laughing and giggling out loud
*recognizes certain voices like Mommy's and Daddy's

A Festive 4th!

We had a very festive July 4th weekend. Saturday, July 3rd we were invited out to the Klussmann Camp House out in William Penn for some burgers, fishing, and good company. We had a good time. Kade fished from the time we got there until we left four hours later. When we got home that evening we popped fireworks at our house. Dane had taken the boys to one of those firework booths and let them pick some out. Kade really liked shooting them off; Brady had some mixed feelings about some of them. He did not like the chasers. Cousin Jenna came over to enjoy the show with us.

We were invited to the Stelter's home Sunday evening for some July 4th fun. They had a slip-n-slide set up for the kids to play on while the adults got to play catch up with old friends we haven't seen in a while. Cody cooked up one great meal that consisted of a delicious brisket, sausage, potatoes, and beans. After the meal, we all enjoyed some yummy homemade ice cream.

After we left the Stelter's, we headed over to the Country Club to watch a firework show. It was a great way to relax and bring the day to an end.