All Things Ryan

Parker's 'Village'

2012-01-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

Much of Parker's BIRTHday is a blur to me (drugs, nausea, and numbness--oh my!) but I do know that on that day and the couple that followed, so many of our favorite people came to welcome our sweet boy into the world.

These pictures are in no particular order because, frankly, I don't have the energy to fight with 'blogger' tonight...but I'm thankful to have a partial record of those who came. I say "partial" because sadly we missed snapping a pic of several friends. Boo! But to each who came (and the many more who were with us in spirit) we felt your love and friendship in a strong way. How blessed we are and how blessed our kids are to have all of you!

Allison. She's one of my go-to baby snugglers if/when I need a break. But I also love that sometimes she just shows up on my doorstep to get her fill of sweet baby. :) Having favorite friends as neighbors really is the best!

Uncle Jason. He is such a good, fun uncle. Parker has a lot to look forward to!

My mom. We will forever be grateful for how much she does to help out our family. She truly is an amazing grandma.

Papa.

"Auntie" Sarri. First in the waiting room EARLY that morning. Thank you, friend. I hope you know just how much you mean to our family (because any words that I could come up with right now would just fall short). Love you.

This next family--they are the kind of people who you can always count on. And though we don't often run in the same circles anymore (different churches, different schools, and different seasons of life these days), the friendship between us runs deep. And the past keeps us connected. It didn't surprise me one bit that they were there with open arms to welcome sweet Parker, just like they were there almost 9 years ago with Grayson. Thank you, DG and Brady (and Katie and Anna).

Katie. Such a beautiful, smart girl...who I used to hold in MY arms when she was a baby!

Brady.

Anna. Seems like just yesterday that SHE was the baby! Sigh.

DG. Love you, friend!

Zac.

Isaac.

Abby.

Josh. Um. I have no words for this picture other than "what happened to my baby?!" He looks like he just lost the UFC title bout!

Sweet Carter.

Garrett.

James.

Joel. We've never called him "Uncle" like we call Sarri "Auntie", but he is just as much like family to our kids! And, more than once, we have fallen victim to the phrase "I wish Joel was my dad." Ha! Ha! We're just thankful that our kids do love him as much as they do!

"Auntie" Sarri. She kept finding a reason to come back, and we're so glad she did! ;)

Maddy. Another beautiful, smart, sweet girl...who could potentially make a lot of money off of us during her prime babysitting years!!! Can't wait! :)

Like I said, there were many others who came, too. Nana Pam, Rich, Michelle, Morgan, Nathan, Jonathan, Lacey, Brooklynn, Crew, Rhonda, CB, Jon...how we can't wait to tell Parker his story and how all of you were there. For him.

Welcome to the "Village", sweet Parker!

Happy BIRTHday, Parker James!

2012-01-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

As I reflect on all that happened during the last weeks of 2011, I'm again reminded that "hindsight (really) is 20/20". Things just usually, well, work out the way that they're supposed to. Like Parker's BIRTHday...

My friends can all attest to the fact that originally I really, really wanted my little guy to arrive BEFORE Christmas. For various reasons but mostly because at 38+ weeks I was really, REALLY done being pregnant! And wouldn't it have been fun to have a brand new baby at home on Christmas??? (Um, now I know that the appropriate question would instead be "Fun for who???") Because the truth is, I don't think it would have been that fun for any of us! Special? Yes. Fun? No. Because guess what? Those first few days at home with 2 older kids who've missed you, a newborn, and a stitched up incision on your abdomen are HARD!!! And painful!

But that's not what this post is about. And I don't want to sound negative. Honest but not negative. Because truthfully, the joy (and relief) that I experienced in that operating room 5 weeks ago was palpable. Intense. Feelings that I will not soon forget. And for that, I am thankful.

It was a different kind of joy (and relief) than I experienced when Grayson and Molly were born, stemming from the fact that my 3rd pregnancy turned me into a crazy person! A crazy, irrational worrier. I just couldn't shake the feeling that this time we were playing a game of Russian Roulette. As ridiculous as that sounds--I mean, seriously, TONS of moms give birth to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ healthy babies--here I was questioning if I was one who "deserved" 3 perfect babies. I mean the creation of life is so mind-blowing miraculous--what has to happen for a healthy baby to come to be is amazing and almost incomprehensible! And I just had such a hard time letting myself believe that I would be lucky enough to bring 3 HEALTHY babies into this world. Of course that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have loved a 'special needs' child with all my heart and risen to the challenge of that reality, but when was the last time you prayed, "Dear God, please let me give birth to a child with serious medical problems or birth defects."? Exactly. I didn't think so. That's not how my prayers go either. Instead I prayed fervently that my sweet Parker would be the poster child for healthy babies. But still. There were serious chinks in my armor (aka my faith). After all, I'm human. And remember? I already admitted to being a crazy, irrational human. So I worried. About everything! First I worried that he wasn't moving enough. Then I worried that he was moving too much! At one point I even, kid you not, found myself googling 'seizures in utero'! I'm not even sure those exist! And then, the big blow. Parker's ultrasound midway thru my pregnancy revealed that he had something called an 'echo genic foci on the left ventricle'. Say what?! I found myself sitting in the doctor's office--just me and my widwife--with tears streaming down my cheeks because honestly, as much as I worried, I never actually expected her to tell me that there actually was something wrong! And to hear the words "a 'soft marker' for Down Syndrome" left me literally almost gasping for air. But then in the next breath, she told me that the 'something' would likely turn out to be nothing. (She also told me TWICE that it was his BRAIN in question and not his HEART--it was his heart--but that, in itself, is a whole other (WEIRD) story!) So it was my call to make. Either go see a specialist to follow up on the finding or choose to trust the statistics that indicated that the odds were in our favor. I did neither. Instead I prayed. And prayed and prayed and prayed. For Parker's good health, yes, but mostly for peace. The kind of peace that would let me let go of the fear. And thankfully I did, to some extent, find that peace. Really I did. Most days. Some days, not so much. As strong as my inner sense was that my baby was fine, still if I let my mind go 'there', all those fears and worries would come storming back with a vengeance.

Then it was December 27th. Our scheduled day. I should have known better than to think that Parker would make his entrance early! In fact, I don't think any of my babies ever knew that was an option! Ha! Ha! Speaking of my other babies, I wanted to go into that day feeling confident that Parker's birth would mirror the wonderful birth experience that I had with Molly. Everything about that day with Molly just went right. I remember feeling after the fact that I wished I wouldn't have wasted so much energy being nervous. Because peace and calm truly blanketed me throughout the whole experience. I even got a great night of sleep the night before! This time around? Well, the prize was just as GREAT at the end, but getting to it was neither peaceful nor calm! Ugh. I think I'm still peeling off sticky tape residue from the 2 failed IV attempts in one arm and the one that finally worked in the other. Ouch! And then there was the anesthesia ordeal. Really if quitting (on my part) was an option, I think I would have! Darn curvy spine! It took so, SO long (though I must say that the anesthesiologist was so, SO nice). And thankfully, once everything was FINALLY in place, the surgery itself (aside from feeling like it took forever) went just as it was supposed to. I was so happy once Dave finally came in the room and was right there with me. And then...the tug, tug, tug...and finally...THE CRY!!! Lots of loud, loud crying! Music to my ears! And the moment I had hoped and prayed for:

Oh. I probably could have inflated a giant hot air balloon with the sigh of relief that I let out at that minute. In fact, right this minute, as I remember that minute and look at these pictures, I find myself once again breathing in deep in a "savoring the moment" kind of way. And then I breathe out, and I can't help but close my eyes, smile from ear to ear, and thank God (again) for our precious baby.

December 27th, 2011 - 8:26a.m. - 6lbs. 12oz. - 20 inches
Happy BIRTHday, sweet Parker James! We're so glad you're here!

2011 In Pictures (because someone took a "break" from blogging)

2011-12-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

January (a homecoming and Molly's 5th b-day)

February (snow day!)

March (a weekend away with my handsome hubby)

April (Easter)

May (Grayson's 8th b-day and our darling dancer)

June (a graduation and (another 29th) b-day)

July (summer fun on the Umpqua and at the beach)

August (sunny days in McCall)

September (2 Cougars and a Bulldog on the 1st day of school + 3 soccer cuties)

October (fall fun)

November (Thanksgiving)

December (so far...)

December

2011-12-05T20:56:00.000-08:00

Well would you look at that! It's still the same month as my last blog post! Ha! (Really, does the year matter? Such a trivial little detail. I mean, 2010? 2011? No difference, right? Right?)

Okay, yes, a WHOLE year has gone by. In fact, the only reason that you are reading this latest post is because a.) you get instant alerts (and if that's the case, I hope that my 'return' to blogging did not shock you computer into crash mode or b.) you're my mother.

I make no promises about my 'return', but when I look back at my old posts, I love that they are there. And not seeing anything from 2011 makes me sad. :( Because it has been a GREAT year! A BIG year!

...best friends returned from Ethiopia as a family of 6, our resident 5 year-old celebrated her special day with a chef-themed party, Dave turned 36, Grayson turned 8, there was a dance recital, spring soccer, a pre-school graduation, I turned 35, swim lessons, fun summer trips to Umpqua, Kape Kiwanda, and McCall, a big first day of school for TWO Columbus Cougars, more soccer, new "village" additions to the neighborhood, Halloween, basketball, ...

Oh, and one other thing. It...I mean 'he'...is kind of a big deal. A really big deal.

So we shall see! But I'd say that sweet Parker James is a pretty good reason to 'return'. Stay tuned!

(Oh and I leave you with possibly the only proof that Parker will ever have to prove that he was, in fact, actually in my tummy! Poor third child...)

Thanksgiving, 2011 (almost 36 weeks)

Sweet Baby Boy

Finding the 'Merry'

2010-12-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

I can relate, on so many levels, to my friend Allison's post here. Too often I try to create the "perfect" experience...only to end up disappointed because of my own too high expectations. It's a character flaw of mine, for sure. But this year (no, I can't claim to have created or experienced what I would consider a grandiose "perfect" holiday moment) I've been experiencing the 'merry' part of the season at unexpected times. Nope, they're not big moments and so far I haven't heard any trumpets blare, but I suspect I will remember them as being some of the best, 'merriest' moments of this holiday season.

Shopping:

Thankfully, this year, shopping was a relatively 'merry' experience for me. I hit some online sales and boom! Done. But for my sweet 7 year-old, holiday shopping didn't start out quite so 'merry'. It was Black Friday. Grayson really wanted to hit some of the stores, in hopes that he'd find something to buy for both his dad and his best buddy Garrett (currently in Ethiopia). So we set out. G had his wallet in tow, with just a minimal amount of cash inside. (But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?) Anyway, we got to the first store (you know, the BIG famous toy store?) and temptation began to rear its ugly head. All of sudden, G started to find a lot of things that HE really wanted. Go figure! And speaking of figuring, he's good at math. He knew that if he spent all of his money on gifts for others, there would be nothing left to buy what HE wanted. For himself. So he was having a hard time, and we ended up leaving the first 2-3 stores without any purchases. He just couldn't decide what to do. I knew that he was conflicted. Then finally after a couple of hours of indecision and about 4 stores, he stopped talking. Words gave way to big, giant alligator tears rolling down his cheeks! He felt awful! Definitely a little sad for himself but mostly a whole lot of guilty. It was really heart-wrenching to watch. But, after a few minutes, we convinced him that if he was so conflicted about how and who to spend his money on, then it was probably a sign that he should just wait and spend no money at all. We explained the whole "sleep on it" theory to him, and he agreed to just head home empty-handed.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks later. He was ready to try again. He had, during that couple week time span, found and purchased a "special" (in the eyes of a 7 year-old) tree ornament for his buddy (think monogrammed plastic snow globe), but he wanted to get something more. So after much discussion and a lot of "Are you sure?" and "Do you remember how you felt last time?" we set out. Again. And again, at first, it was hard. This time he had more money in his wallet, which in theory meant that he could buy HIMSELF an even bigger toy--one of those Lego sets that he really, really wants--but I gently reminded him of his purpose. So he got back on track, though for the first few trips up and down the toy aisles he was very keyed in to the prices. I could tell that he was looking for the most inexpensive things to give. (Again, it IS the thought that counts, but really, does that hold true when one is pinching pennies for his own gain? I think not.) But then, it was as if the true spirit of Christmas grabbed hold of my sweet (but perhaps age-appropriately selfish) boy! He forgot about himself and began to trek up and down those aisles with new purpose until just the right gift had been found. And purchased without any hesitation. And now? Now it, along with the "special" ornament, sits wrapped under our tree waiting for an even more special friend to get back from Ethiopia. This mom is 'merry' and proud.

Santa:

You'd think that Santa would be an expected source of 'merriment' during the holiday season, but perhaps you've forgotten that we have Molly and Santa is a "boy". He kind of ranks up there with Mickey Mouse. She likes the idea of him, but don't think of asking her to get within arm's reach. So you can imagine how unexpected and 'merry' it was when, after 7 years of at least one child screaming and/or flat-out refusing to go anywhere near jolly old St. Nick, my quest for the perfect Santa picture was fulfilled!!! (if I do say so myself)

But really Santa, it's no wonder that kids are scared of you! It looks as if you're about ready to pounce on my 4 year-old! :) ...

And then, well then there's the Gingerbread Man:

For a couple of years now it has been a tradition of ours to make gingerbread men cookies. The kids love it! Mostly because the first year we made them, 2 of them ran away! And if I remember right, that year they reappeared a few days later in the kids' beds (after neatly finding their way into plastic ziploc bags so as to not leave crumbs. huh! imagine that!), leaving a long trail of chocolate chips behind them all the way down the stairs. And, well, some things kids do NOT forget! Ever! So every year since then Grayson has begged to make gingerbread men just so that one will hopefully run away!

This year we do plan to make them, it just hasn't happened yet. Perhaps on Christmas Eve. But G did make a gingerbread man ornament at school. Not a cookie, but an ornament. But still he insisted on decorating it with icing. After all, without a proper mouth and ears, the gingerbread man would likely not be able to escape (???...The logic is a little iffy, but oh well.) So he decorated it. But it didn't run away. He still holds out hope though! So much hope that the other day I went upstairs to find this:

It's a trap. Constructed out of an old Build-a-Bear "condo".

"A house for you, Gingerbread Man. Filled with snacks." (a.k.a. chocolate chips)

"Push. Then close and push the tape to the wall so no bad guys will get you." And see, when the gingerbread man pushes on the tape that is carefully placed on the inside of the door, he will be stuck. Trapped! And just for good measure, all of the windows have been covered and taped as well. Poor gingerbread man. He won't know what's coming to him! ;)

Finding this little "scene" at the top of the stairs made for a whole lot of 'merry' in my heart. :) Oh to be 7 years old again!

And finally, because I am the author and I believe it affords me the right to be at least a little self-indulgent, here is definitely another reason (for me) to be 'merry':

I have a tooth. Granted, it's plastic and I can't chew on it, but it's there! After all these years and SO much money spent on specialists, surgeons, x-rays, experimental treatments, and braces, I can finally almost see the light at the end of the tunnel! And the best news? This current part of the treatment process? Being done FREE. OF. CHARGE! How's that for 'merry'?! (Okay, now I'm done making this all about me.)

All in all, it has been a wonderful December. Yes, we've been busy but thankfully not overrun by the stress that this season can bring...if you let it. We've had the privilege and opportunity to keep tabs on our friends in Ethiopia, as they welcome their new adopted daughter, Rebeka Elle, into their family. Talk about 'merry'! How we can't wait to love on that girl and kiss those sweet cheeks!

I pray that you all, too, have found the 'merry' in your daily lives this season. It's there...and it can even be free of charge! And (note to self) you don't even have to plan for it! Imagine that.

(But Allison, I SO would have LOVED your Christmas weekend downtown!!! Talk to my husband, will ya?!)

Tree Hunt 2010

2010-12-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Snowbound!

2010-12-20T09:54:00.001-08:00

As I sit and type this morning, I am reminded that last year at this time we were in McCall. In the snow. Lots of snow. Being super tourists. Sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating. I'm not sad about staying home this year--I will definitely enjoy the slower pace for a couple of weeks--but I do kind of miss the snow. The cold and wet of it I could live without, but it IS beautiful. MUCH more beautiful than the buckets of rain currently falling outside. And the snow, of course, can be fun. So I am sad for the kids because they enjoy it so much. Okay, I admit it! Even after all these years of living here in rain country, I miss having a WHITE Christmas! I'm sad for me! There, I said it. So I'm so glad that we didn't let the zillion things on our (my) "to do" list stop us from heading to the mountain a couple of weeks ago with our neighbors. There were a million reasons that I felt like saying "no", but I KNEW that if we didn't go with friends, then we'd likely not get up to the snow at all this season. So we threw our long list of (mostly unimportant) to do's out the window, packed our gear, and headed to Government Camp for a few hours of fun and snow!

(FYI: If you go, it's practically criminal what they charge to use their tubes!!! And of course you have to use their tubes. Who knew that my 7 YEAR-OLD was an adult?! And $18 adult at that!!! I decided to skip the sledding and be on camera duty instead.)

We worried (after we shelled out the big bucks for her) that Molly wouldn't even be willing to try it. After all, last year she wanted NOTHING to do with sledding or tubing. But thankfully, a year made all the difference. Granted, she wouldn't do it by herself (like our 3 year-old neighbor friend, Brooklynn) but she loved going down with Dave.

Our neighbors, Rich and Nathan.

Nathan.

Wheeeeee!

Neighbor Jon.

Happy family. Seriously, the kids were amazing! They never complained about the cold, and even Molly (who sometimes lacks the stamina to go up our stairs at home!) tromped up the hill by herself every time!

Molly and Brooklynn.

Thanks, neighbors! It was FUN!

'Tis the Season...for a Holiday Program!

2010-12-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

I don't care what anyone says, I LOVE Christmas programs! Yes, I know they take A LOT of time to pull together, which means A LOT of time out of the classroom. And yes, I know that the kids hate to give up weeks of their "normal" routine, including P.E. Trust me, as a teacher and one who's been there, done that, I know that getting ready for one of these programs can threaten to suck all the joy out of the season. BUT! When I get to sit in the stands as a parent, oh my, my! Especially when I watch my boy--the one who we worried about ever finding his own wings of independence. Thankfully, he's found them! He's really growing up...and growing into a super smart, confident, ready to try anything kid! In fact, he looked so comfortable up there on the risers that for a minute, Dave and I both feared that he might break out his own brand of "hip-hop" (complete with lots of bum slapping) during one of the songs! Phew! He didn't. But he sang his little heart out with confidence, did all of the motions, and genuinely looked to be enjoying himself. And boy did I enjoy watching him!

This girl liked watching her brother, too!

This boy knows how to please his mama! He knew I was taking pictures and was ready with an ear to ear grin each time!

'Tis the season!

Let's Get This Season Started!

2010-12-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice, quiet Thanksgiving this year. (Well, besides the surprise minor "surgery" and the stitches that I got the day before when I went to the oral surgeon for what was supposed to be a check-up. He checked and found an infection. Ugh.) Anyway, we still had a wonderful time together. Turkey and all the fixings, dessert with friends, the Santa parade on Friday, a movie at the theater on Saturday, and then finally--the annual gingerbread house:

I'm a tad bit crazy about these crazy kids of mine!

Bon Voyage!

2010-11-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

This past week we said good-bye to our good friends, the Gibsons. For them the time finally arrived for their family of 5 to make the long journey to become a family of 6. Actually, I suppose, the journey started a long time ago, but this past weekend they boarded a plane bound for Ethiopia where a precious baby girl is waiting for them. In the coming days they will meet her for the very first time even though they have loved her for months now. And then they will stay--their whole family--in Ethiopia until the adoption process is complete, probably 2 months or more. Boy will we miss them! Boy how we already do miss them!

You'd think they were leaving and never coming back the way I've been feeling lately. Maybe it's silly. After all, it is just 2 months. But I guess in all honesty, it has been so hard--so sad--because I feel like I'm missing out. (Sorry Nana Pam, I know I'm preaching to the choir!) It's just that for over 8 years now, our families' lives have been completely intertwined. We've been thru so much together. We've shared in heartache, elation, and everything in between. When my babies were born, Sarri was one of the first ones there. When her babies were born, my arms were at the ready to snuggle them during their first day of life. I got to be there. This time I don't get to be there. And selfishly, that makes me a little sad. Because I can only imagine how incredible those moments are going to be--those moments when Sarri and Joel and their kids are going to see that sweet baby girl for the first time in living color. Oh my. It, in fact, is almost too overwhelming to really imagine. But, even though I, too, can't be on African soil with them these next 2 months, I am definitely there in both spirit and prayer. And really truly, my own (pitiful) sadness in NO WAY compares to the joy that I feel for my friends. I was there, sitting behind them in church, the day that Joel leaned over and told Sarri that they should do it--that they should travel the long road to Baby R. I'm so proud of them. And even though I know that it has been a very emotional past several months for them, they have dealt with everything with so much grace and strength. No doubt they are going to be such a blessing to so many while they're away, not just Baby R. But when they're done and their journey is complete, believe you me, "Auntie" Judy will be ready!

Before they left, our playgroup surprised Sarri and the kids with a 'chance' (or not) meeting at Starbucks. It was one last chance for all of us to wish them well and say our good-byes. We also (thanks to CB and Teresa) gave them a scrapbook full of pictures from the past 8? 9? years and a photo "album" of sorts, complete with recorded sound bites of each family--all 7! I know it touched Sarri's heart deeply, but hey, no one ever accused our "village" of not loving and supporting fiercely. And we do Sarri, we love you! Bon voyage, my friend! Can't wait for February!

Waiting for the guests of honor...

Surprise! Maddy came in first...

...then Sarri.

Present time!

(complete with many tears)

Sweet girls.

Another sweet girl with her "Auntie".

My little girl thinks the world of this sweet big girl.

Happy boys. Love them!

Enjoying the new scrapbook...

Sweet and sad all at once. :(

Love you, friend!

Old Navy "Modelquins"

2010-11-11T20:41:00.001-08:00

I'm a big fan of the one on the right! ;)

Last Days of Fall?

2010-11-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

The weather--it's gonna be a-changin'! So we've been trying to get out and take advantage of every last dry day!

Such a good looking kid. Too bad he's in a "I want to grow my hair out" phase. Ack! Please let it pass before the holidays!

Sweet girl.

It was a great Sunday afternoon at Airport Park.

Leaf Hunt

2010-11-11T20:15:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Grayson got invited to go watch Donkey Basketball with his 3 best buddies. (Ha! Glad to know that Donkey Basketball isn't just a hickish Idaho thing!)

While he was out, we decided to go grab Abby Girl and head to Linfield for a leaf hunt! Fun!

Favorite picture of the day.

And because a leaf hunt maybe doesn't rank quite as high as Donkey Basketball, we threw in some ice cream for good measure!

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

It's Indiana Jones and our sweet candy corn witch.

Let's get this party started!

Can you say 'sugar coma'?

Her First Field Trip

2010-11-11T19:18:00.001-08:00

Molly and Dave went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with M's pre-school class at the end of October. It was a cold, wet day (I know this because I also went to the pumpkin patch that day. With my class. Different patch) but fun all the same!

Speaking of pre-school, we're so happy with where Molly is at this year. We (Molly included) adore her teacher and love that she's with a relatively small group of kids. She knows them all by name and is a fan of each--the girls AND the boys. It's pretty cute to watch them interact, and no big surprise here, but we've got a little social butterfly on our hands!

Silly girl.

Searching for just the right one...

Found it! (Goof ball.)

Sticky and Sweet...

2010-10-24T16:13:00.001-07:00

...my kids AND the apples! What a fun way to spend a Saturday night at home with the family!

Pumpkin Patch: 2010 Edition

2010-10-24T13:51:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we woke up to beautiful blue skies and crisp cool air--a PERFECT fall day for the pumpkin patch! Apparently the rest of Yamhill County thought so, too, because the place was packed! But that just added to the fun because we saw so many people that we know, including some best friends. (Hi, Eitzens!) And I know that I'm not alone in saying this (because the author of every other blog that I've read in the last month has, at some point, said the same thing) but I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

Stay tuned for some pumpkin carving fun!...

A Distant Memory...

2010-10-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

Back when I FIRST thought about blogging the months of July and August, summer was just a hop, skip, and a jump behind us. Now, because it's me we're talking about, summer feels like it was AGES ago! (Or a month and a half ago.)

Anyway, it feels good to be back in school. Not only do I love the predictability of our routine (albeit a crazy routine) but I really do love what I do. And again this year I have been blessed with a sweet bunch of kids and lots of eager-to-help parents. I think it's going to be a great school year! I just pray that my super duper, up to now organization holds fast!

The kids are doing great, too. G seems to love 2nd grade, and Molly has thankfully settled into her 4 days a week preschool routine. Outside of school, we keep busy with play dates, dance lessons, and lots of soccer. Lately Grayson has also become quite popular among the neighborhood boys. Yes, he is a nice kid who is fun to be around...but he's also a kid who has a super cool "Big Wheel". It's pretty much the envy of the neighborhood. Ha! Ha! The boys will spend hours outside after school each day riding all their wheels--bikes, scooter, skateboards, etc... Thank goodness for these beautiful rain-free Fall days that we've been having!

As for Molly, she has become quite a crafter lately. Many times during the day you can find her in the toy room coloring, cutting, taping (the girl has a thing with tape!), gluing, etc... She's always working on some kind of creation! And I know that it probably sounds cliche, but that tonsillectomy she had back in August? It seriously changed. her. life! It was the best gift we could have ever given her. And I think that it probably added a few years to our lives, too (a gift in itself!), as now we don't have to worry about whether or not she can breathe.

As for me, I guess I never did blog about my 2 big "procedures" over the summer. For starters, I got my braces off!!! Thank the lord! And while that was definitely a welcomed procedure, it was still just a step in the very. long. process to fix the problem in my mouth (which, neither you nor I have enough time left on this earth to read or write about in detail!). Another step was procedure #2--the tooth extraction and immediate dental implant. Now when it comes to teeth and mouth issues, I have become one tough cookie, but it was pretty much the worst experience EVER! And so, so painful. A certain 4 year-old tonsil patient bounced back after surgery way sooner than her mama! Ugh.

And because of all those medical procedures, we've found ourselves with something that we're not used to. Debt. The bad kind. As in credit card debt. Bleck! My goodness, it has been YEARS since we've had a balance on one of our accounts. And I know that for lots of people, that kind of debt is just a fact of life, but for us? Seriously uncomfortable! Like it's this huge weight on our shoulders. Double bleck! But I don't mention any of that to garner pity. Absolutely not. It just happens to be something that is a fact of life for us these days. And in truth, even though I CAN'T STAND the "new" envelop/cash system that my husband put us on, I can't deny that we are ALL learning valuable lessons in spending money and making choices. And living without (not that our 'without' even BEGINS to compare to what so many others live 'without'). And having faith. No, we're not on poverty's doorstep. We're just being stretched beyond what has been comfortable for us. Which, comparitively, is still a lot.

Whew, there's a little piece of honesty for you!

And here? Here's how the first day of the 2010/2011 school year went down for the Ryans!

Big boys, G and Isaac.

Saying good-bye to Brother. It was almost her turn...

A failed attempt on the iphone. Sigh.

How did we get to 2nd grade already?!?

One last look at Daddy while sticking pretty darn close to the teacher!

And then she was good! (sniff, sniff)

Tangle...what?

2010-10-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

For one day in July, we became a family of tangleboxers. While you might be imagining us in a ring with gloves on, we were actually on a county-wide treasure hunt. Searching for??? Tangleboxes, of course! Little (plastic or metal) boxes that are hidden in 11 different parks near us. The challenge? Use the clues in the "official" tangleboxing Passport to find the hidden boxes. (Each box contains a special rubber stamp for your passport.) We managed to find 7 in one day!

It was super fun to find the boxes, sign the guest book inside each one, and explore some new-to-us parks!

Fun Summer Night with Friends

2010-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sometime back in July, the Gibson boys filled up their marble jars and got to pick a reward. They picked a trip to the nearby 'Family Fun Center'. Us? Well we just had a coupon, and we hate to miss out on a good time, so off we all went for a night of fun with friends! And it was a fun night. Lots of games, rides, sunshine, and a THOROUGH soaking on the bumper boats!

The boys tried out the SkyTrail:

Molly and her daddy ready for the go-carts!

One time on the bumper boats was enough for me!

A round of mini golf...

More go-carts...

...and lots of rock climbing...

And finally? You can't not take a turn on the Frog Hopper!

Swimming Success!

2010-10-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

This past summer Grayson AND Molly got to take swim lessons at the local pool. Awwww. For the first time since Molly was born, I got to just sit and watch and chat it up with friends. There was no diaper bag, no stroller, no need for snacks, nothing. Blissful. So blissful and easy that we signed up for 2 rounds!

Round 1 was great. G FINALLY moved off the steps (where they put the beginners...and apparently the really short kids) and into a deeper part of the pool. Yahoo! He was ready...albeit a little bit nervous, too. But those nerves were quickly erased when his best buddy Garrett ended up in the same group! Moms and 7 year-olds alike both breathed a collective sigh of relief.

(Yes, their "teacher" really may have been about 10. We're not sure. Ha!)

And Molly? She, thankfully, was a happy little girl in the water.

Sportin' the goggles...

At the end of Week 1. So proud!

Week 2 proved to be AWESOME for Grayson and a bit challenging for Molly. She decided that week to be terrified of "boy teachers". So you can imagine her anxiety leading up to the first day, not knowing if she would have a "boy teacher" or a "girl teacher". Thankfully it turned out okay. Her teacher was a girl. But boy oh boy, we are ready for this phase to pass! Now "we" are wary of Sunday school teachers, dance teachers, and preschool teachers. And unless "we" move out of this stage soon, kindergarten could be a nightmare! Because you got it...the most likely teacher for next year? HE is a boy. Wish us luck!!!

Making sure to smile for the camera. Good girl!

While M became terrified of "boy teachers" that week, Grayson became an honest to goodness SWIMMER! Like on his own without a life jacket or someone holding onto him!

The next few pictures show something A-MA-ZING! G and G's teacher thought they were ready to swim the ENTIRE length of the pool ALL. BY. THEMSELVES! My G thought otherwise. He was N-E-R-V-O-U-S! (A mother knows these things just by looking.)

But?

(As a side note, keep in mind that when Grayson has to come up for air, it's not like he can touch the bottom of the pool and take a break. He's too short!)

They did it!!! We were SO proud of them!

Yay for swim lessons!

Four Wheelers and Four Year Olds

2010-10-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Grayson got to spend a sunny Saturday in August riding pint-sized 4-wheelers for the first time ever! He was a BIG fan!

Meanwhile, Molly had her first girlfriend sleepover with Miss Abby a few nights before her surgery. Daddy took care of the little divas by painting their toenails. Sparkly purple and pink, of course!

Look What's Missing?

2010-10-08T10:14:00.001-07:00

From September 11:

The tooth fairy has been waiting a LONG time to visit our house!

Here and Now

2010-10-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

These days? Soccer season is in full swing. So far the weather has been beautiful (even hot!) and our li'l Red Huskers are doing great. One husker, in particular, has already scored 2 goals this season--in the same game! Boy, his mama must be proud. ;)

Little Patient

2010-08-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

August 11:

Molly has always been a dainty little thing. Almost everything about her is petite. Except, if you ever heard her sleep, you'd think she was a 300 pound linebacker! Seriously, the girl was LOUD! Crazy loud.

Back when Molly was a toddler, Dave began to worry that something wasn't quite right. At first (for a long time, actually) I downplayed it, chalking it up to some kids are just loud sleepers. But then she became not just a loud sleeper but a loud breather. All the time! And it was a little alarming (just ask Kim and Sarri) if you weren't used to it. It was as if just going about her day winded her. Poor thing. And then there were the tics that manifested. Oh the tics! When Grayson was 2 and 3 he stuttered, so of course I went straight to the speech and language specialist at my school in a panic, CERTAIN that he would suffer from the condition his entire life! He, uh, grew out of it a couple of months later. I should have learned my lesson. But when M's first tic surfaced--a highly annoying, constant blinking that she seemed to have no control over--I spent a few nights in tears, mourning the fact that my sweet daughter wasn't in perfect medical condition and that she CERTAINLY had Tourette Syndrome! Oops, maybe my diagnosis was wrong because, uh, she kind of stopped the blinking thing. Huh. Go figure! But then (and this gets us back to the whole breathing/throat issue) she started this most irritating snorting, sniffing thing that again, she seemed to have no control of. Ugh! Having to sit by her while watching a movie or reading a book was almost too much to handle! And I haven't even mentioned what her throat actually looked like! Before, I never gave much thought to what one's throat was supposed to look like, but when I looked at Molly's and then looked at Grayson's, I knew (as Dave had suspected for a long time already) that hers wasn't right. Thus began our quest to convince the doctors...

At age 3 no one, including her pediatrician and an ear/nose/throat specialist, denied that her tonsils were big. VERY big. But they also didn't act too concerned. Instead they took a "let's wait and see" approach. So we waited. And her breathing didn't get better. And her airway seemed to get smaller, if that was possible. A year of waiting was about all we could handle, and thankfully at her 4 year well-child appointment her doctor decided that perhaps it was time to actually do something. He supported us taking her back to see the specialist. And then her dentist took one look in her mouth at her regular cleaning and quickly affirmed that something definitely needed to be done. Good. We had people on our side just in case we needed to plead our case to the specialist. In fact, we thought we probably would have to plead our case because doctors, so we hear, don't routinely remove tonsils like they used to. There has to be a legitimate reason for them to operate. We of course thought our reason was legit. We didn't pay for a sleep study, but all of M's symptoms pointed to sleep apnea. So we were armed and ready earlier this month when we took her back to see the specialist. He took a (quick!) look in her mouth and said, "At this point I would suggest removing her tonsils and adenoids." But!...I prepared to launch into my argument...Wait. What??? He agreed with us? Thank God.

I was never scared about the surgery. It is, after all, a very common and relatively minor procedure. But nothing about it was common or minor for our sweet 4 year-old. Ugh. I felt sick that she was so, SO scared. And nothing I said was going to take her fear away. :( But in truth, the moment that they had to wheel her away from us into the operating room wasn't nearly as bad or as heart wrenching as I thought it was going to be. Likely, it was the medicine that they gave her beforehand that helped. It calmed her down just enough so that she wasn't in hysterics (or even crying, for that matter) when the nurse wheeled her out of the room. I know she was still scared though, and my heart is thankful that I didn't have to see the look on her face as she was wheeled thru the hallways.

Thankfully, the surgery went as planned and lasted just under an hour. And the best part? The very next day, less than 24 hours later, I COULD NOT HEAR HER BREATHE while she napped. All that laboring that she used to do just to get a breath...gone. The snorting tic...gone (so far). We are so relieved and so thankful!!!

Changing into her hospital jammies.

Showing off her giant tonsils one last time.

Daddy trying on M's hospital cap.

Holding up a very sweet letter that Grayson wrote, assuring her that everything would be okay.

The pre-anesthesia medicine kicked in, and she got silly!...

...but still scared. When it was time to go, she wouldn't let go of Dave's head. Sad. :)

Not wanting to go...

Scared but calm...

And off she went. Sob! (Not really. I was okay.)

Post-surgery. Sleepy girl battling a bit of nausea.

And then her eating streak began...2 popsicles, a slushy, an ice cream cup, 1 jello, a pudding, 2 bowls of mac and cheese, a smoothie, and a milkshake...all before bedtime! Wowzer.

Part of me has a feeling that my girl, who has been 32.5 pounds for 2 years now (!!!), is going to start growing like a weed! Stay tuned...

Days 3 and 4 at Disneyland

2010-08-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

June 29:

Since we're seasoned D-Land vets, we knew that on our DCA day, Toy Story Midway Mania had to be our first ride of the morning...or else we'd have to wait in a ridiculously LONG line later in the day. So we did the sprint back to the pier and snagged some stylin' 3D glasses:

Cute kids in Bugs' Land.

Bug eyes!

That evening we headed over to the Disneyland Hotel for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. Before the trip, during the planning stages, I asked the kids to choose one restaurant that they wanted to eat at while in the 'Land'. They both, without hesitation, chose Goofy's!

Dancing 'The Twist' with Goofy. I love that my reserved boy is starting to come out of his shell! Finally! Molly, as we all know, has never been in a shell! :)

Smitten.

June 30:

Our last day of vacation. Sniff, sniff. We made sure to grab lots of fastpasses early on so that we could hit our favorite rides a couple more times. This trip worked out REALLY well for Grayson since Molly wasn't quite ready (or tall enough) to ride most of the 'headliners'. But we were still able to use her entrance ticket to collect fastpasses, so we always had 4 for each ride. Which meant that G got to go once with me and then again with Dave, with very little time spent waiting in lines! But as you'll see, once you scroll down, next trip a certain brave little girl may use all her fastpasses for herself!

While G and I were off using said fastpasses, Dave and Molly got to experience something new! Little Miss got asked to pilot (steer?) the Mark Twain riverboat! So cute (and Daddy was great about taking pictures).

See her sweet little name that she wrote all by herself? Love it.

After that Dave and I switched kids, and Molly and I hung out in Adventureland while the boys rode Indiana Jones one last time.

We enjoyed one last yummy lunch in the park and had time for a few more rides before heading out. Mind you we had been in the park(s) for 4 days now, and for 4 days Molly had refused to go on any of the 'thrill' rides. Then, with just 3 rides left, she decided to be a daredevil! First, she went on (and loved) Star Tours, and then?...

Space Mountain!!! Granted, she was just a hair over the 40 inch height requirement, and 3-4 different cast members checked her against the measuring sticks as we proceeded thru the line, but in the end she made it on and even let out some "woo hoos" during the ride! Our next trip will be even more fun if she, too, decides to be a thrill-seeker (and is finally tall enough to go on most everything)!

And that was that. Another great trip.

And do you know what my husband said in the car after we got home???

"That was fun. Let's start saving for next year."

Woo hoo!

Day 2 at Disneyland

2010-08-10T16:45:00.001-07:00

We were up and at 'em and ready to roll for Day 2!

One of the day's highlights was the Jedi Training Academy. Grayson did it for the first time last year, loved it, and wanted to do it again. We re-used his sign from last year and sure enough, he got picked out of the audience right away. Then, to our surprise, Molly said that she wanted to be picked, too! I only half believed that she was serious, but even so I told her to jump up and down while I pointed to her, hoping that the guy (Jedi Master?) would notice her and call her onto the stage...

Sure enough, he did. But look at her? Right away, both Dave and I knew that it wasn't going to happen.

All I could imagine was a little puddle forming around those cute pink shoes, so we waved down a cast member to 'rescue' her. Thus, her training came to an end before it ever really started, and she was MUCH happier to watch her brother from the audience. Valiant effort though, Sis!

Here was Grayson's competition--Darth Maul. Scary!

"You're no match for me, Darth Maul!"

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel for some pool time and a nap!

In the evening, we went back to the park and took our very first stroll thru Pixie Hollow...

Now tell me that this guy doesn't love Disneyland! Ha! Ha! In truth, he humors (mocks?) me...a lot...and it drives me crazy!!! :)

Hey, look who we met?

Grayson will argue this fact 'til he's blue in the face, but he totally digs the ladies!

Jedi Training, Pixie Hollow, a smattering of fun rides, lots of fastpasses, and Fantasmic at night--that was Day 2 in a nutshell!

California 2010

2010-08-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

In June, as has become tradition for our family, we took our annual trip to southern California to kick-off summer! This trip, however, had a few added elements of fun besides Disneyland. We got to help family members celebrate a couple of pretty big milestones--a going away party and a 95th birthday!

The first 2 nights we stayed with my cousin and her family. She was super busy getting ready for the first milestone event--her daughter's big send off. EARLY Saturday morning found them on a plane bound for New York and West Point Army Academy. Big stuff. Jamie (my 2nd cousin?) is there on a soccer scholarship. We're so proud of her! And my kids love, love, LOVE her and her big sis Corrianne. It was a quick, busy visit, but we really enjoyed our time with the Molacek Fam!

Corrianne works at Magic Mountain and was able to get us free tickets to Hurricane Harbor--the water park adjacent to Magic Mountain. The weather was perfect, and we all had a great time. Grayson was eager to try the slides he was tall enough for, Molly was content with the kiddie zone, and Dave and I even got to go down one of the 'black diamond' slides together because Corrie was there to watch the kids. Fun day! But I hardly took any pictures.

Happy girl.

Soakin' up the warm California sun!

After our day at the water park, it was time for Jamie's big party. Sadly I took not one. single. picture. But it was fun! Lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, and my parents and grandpa were there, too.

Speaking of my sweet grandpa, the next day we celebrated his 95th (!!!) birthday. But poor Grandpa sipped a few too many margaritas the night before and not enough water. He dehydrated himself and almost missed his own party!!! Luckily though he recovered in time and made it over to my uncle's house before Team Ryan (and Corrie) had to depart for Anaheim.

Carrot cake with booze behind it. Ha! Ha! That's kind of how my family rolls! (I know, I know, you're wondering where I came from...)

My sweet 95 year-old (!!!) grandpa.

After a nice lunch, yummy cake, and some time to visit, our little family (and Corrie) said goodbye and made the couple hour drive to Anaheim. Thank goodness Corrie drove us! All that traffic--ack!

We checked into our hotel and then immediately hoofed it to Downtown Disney and Rainforest Cafe. We were way late for our original reservation, but they seated us right away anyway. Yay!

Worms and dirt--always a favorite!

Then after dinner, since we knew we weren't actually going to go into the park itself that night, we went to see Toy Story 3 at the theater. The whole night was a great way to start the Disney part of our vacation!

There was a fun 'Despicable Me' display in the theater lobby.

Disneyland--Day 1:

We got up bright and early as we always do and waited for our 'magical' day to start!

Grayson and Dave, in the very back.

My first time on California Screamin'. Fun! I felt a little guilty though, as Grayson had really, REALLY hoped to try this ride out for the first time, too. But the poor boy was too short. Still. :(

That night we watched World of Color, a new nighttime show with water, lasers, lights, and sound. Very impressive! (Think Vegas.) Then it was time to say good-bye to Corrie (who had to work the next day) and hit the hay! Great first day!

Wildlife Safari

2010-08-05T08:35:00.001-07:00

Ack! I give up. My blog is going to be out of order. (Cringe.) Some of you have noticed that I haven't even blogged about California yet. Or swim lessons. Or tangleboxing. Or... Truth is I've been extremely lazy about moving all of our pictures from the camera and both iphones to the laptop. Sigh. Soon. Maybe.

In the meantime, however, we had a really fun visit to Wildlife Safari last weekend. The sun was out and the animals (for the most part) were up and moving around. A fun way to finish up our trip down south to Umpqua.

These 2 thought they'd make a break for it...

Talk about up close and personal!

We got to the bears at feeding time. I was really glad for that electric fence between us and him. Yikes!

Molly Girl (aka Hannah Montana) spent much of her time with her head out the window shouting, "Heeellllloooo, New York!" ???

Posing like flamingos (kind of) in front of the flamingos.

Have you ridden your camel today?

Meet Frankie.

Fun times!

Slugfest 2010

2010-08-04T10:41:00.001-07:00

As in banana slugs. Ick. I still do not like them. At all.

But I have learned to accept that slugs and 'life on the Umpqua' go hand in hand. So I am willing to endure a weekend of constantly looking where I step for fear of landing on quite possibly the most DISGUSTING species known to man because everything else about Umpqua is, well, wonderful. The food, the family, the fun times on the river, in the river, near the river...you get the point. It has always been one of my favorite places to go, in part, because it's tradition. And since having kids, tradition has become a big deal to me. Not sure why but maybe a little because I come from a family that doesn't have a lot of true traditions, as least not ones that have been able to withstand the test of time as we've gotten older, moved away, gotten jobs, gotten married, had babies, etc...Except Umpqua. Umpqua has always been our tradition. I can't remember a summer that I haven't spent at least a day at the 'cabin'. (Admittedly, my memory of the years post-wedding and pre-kids is a bit foggy, but I'm pretty sure that Umpqua is tucked in there somewhere!)

Today a house sits on the property at Umpqua, but when I was younger there was no house but instead an old (really OLD!) cabin. I wish I had a picture of it to share (truly it was a sight to behold), but at least I have so many memories of it in my head. Good memories. Thinking about the old cabin makes me think of and remember my grandma...when she was still healthy and full of life. She was such a great woman. No matter how many people were staying at Umpqua at any given time (imagine a super classy (or not...ha! ha!) tent city), she always made us grandkids feel like we were the most important thing, like she had all the time in the world for us even though there was a ton of other cooking, cleaning, and entertaining to do. I remember her taking me down to the 'swimming hole' on hot summer afternoons, always sporting one of her swim caps. She was such an elegant swimmer, even in the river with her super graceful sidestroke. I remember sitting at the old card table in the middle of the cabin taking saltine crackers out of a coffee can and putting them onto a cookie sheet so that Grandma could put them in the oven to "crisp 'em up." (Ever thrifty she was! Nothing went to waste, not even stale saltine crackers!) There were also countless batches of cookie dough made together at that card table. And games. My grandma always had time to play a round of Skip-Bo at the table or in my grandparents' trailer that also sat on the property. Oh how I loved to spend a night in the trailer! Sometimes with my brother, sometimes with another cousin or my Aunt Paula, but sometimes I got my grandparents all to myself. Aw, those were good, good times.

Fast forward to today. There is no more 'cabin'. My grandma's illness necessitated the need for a few more modern amenities if she was going to live out her days at the place she loved so much. So a manufactured house was moved on sight. Definitely not a dream home by ANY stretch of the imagination, but modernization does have its advantages. Toilets! Showers! And now we have this beautiful, huge deck that looks out over the river. We spend hours on that deck talking, laughing, eating, and just gazing out at the river. This past weekend my cousin and I were watching my kids and my mom down below at the river. She commented that it was just like watching my grandma with me when I was little. And it was. I'm so happy and thankful that my mom is making the same kinds of memories for my kids that I have. She makes them feel like the most important people there and always has time for them. She'll spend hours at a time down at the river wading thru the water, pulling Molly around in her little boat, looking for river "treasures", etc...My kids are so lucky. Thank you, Mom.

But that brings me to the sad part of this story. Unfortunately the decision makers in the family have decided that it's time to sell the property. Sob! Various reasons. My 95 year-old grandpa no longer/can't really live there at this point. He may well live 'til he's 105, but presumably those years will be spent where he is now, in California. So. Sigh. No one in the family is there enough out of each year to take care of the place. It is, a little bit, falling to pieces, but at this point I can't even imagine not going there. When I think about it too much, the "ugly cry" comes out. There's too much history, too many good times tied to that place. And while I know that some of you will be quick to assure me that this will just be an opportunity to start new traditions and make new memories, I don't want to hear it. Blah. At least not yet. At this point all I can think about is the fact that I'm pretty sure that there is no other place in this world quite as perfect as Umpqua. You know I don't love change. So, for now, all I can do is pray that the place doesn't sell anytime soon and that this past weekend (in the words of my Uncle Steve) wasn't "our last hoorah." Sigh.

On that note, here are snaps of some more happy memories to add to the vault:

See that big rock in the center of the picture? For some unknown reason, that has always been my favorite rock. I've spent many an hour playing on that same rock year after year after year after...

You can barely see our house up near the top above the rocks...

...and this is how we get down to the rocks.

Ready to launch for a bit of a first fishing expedition...

...and they're off!

...searching for THE spot.

Grayson's first fish! Ever! (Sorry you can't really see it. But it is there!)

Molly with Cousin Tom...

...reeling in her first fish, too!

Dave had the magic touch, too.

Grandma Marilyn down on the rocks with Molly in her boat.

Swimming at the 'swimming hole'...

More fishing...

...the biggest catch of the day!

Beautiful.

What's Cuter Than Cute?

2010-07-08T20:23:00.001-07:00

Most certainly it's a 4 year-old's first dance recital! Oh. my. goodness. There really are no words to describe the deliciousness of that evening, so I will just let the pictures (mostly) speak for themselves...

Pre dress rehearsal preparation...

And all I can say is, "Thank you, Auntie Sarri!" She knew I was fretting over the prospect of having to actually 'do' Molly's hair, so she volunteered (or perhaps I begged!) to take over. Thank goodness! And thank goodness for gel, bobby pins, and hairspray!

The dress rehearsal:

Please note that at the very second that this picture was taken, Molly was doing the EXACT same dance step as the other dancers! Woohoo, Molly! (Trust me, I think that may have only happened once. Future dance star? We'll just say that she was darn cute up there!)

As if it's not obvious, there is a bit of an age range in Molly's ballet class--ages 4 to 7. A bit of a height range, too! :)

Post dress rehearsal pictures. Too cute for words!

Walking to dress rehearsal #2. Tap/Jazz.

Again, a wide range of ages is evident. Or someone never got 'height juice' in her bottle during her infant years!

Backstage prior to the real deal. One of my favorite pics!

Another favorite. Sweet, sweet, and sweet!

And I must compliment Daddy for doing his job just right--having flowers in hand for his favorite dancing girl after the show!

Showing off her ribbon and 'Perfect Attendance' pin.

What a fun night! So proud of our dancing girl and can't wait to do it again next year!

MY Sweet May Babe Turns 7...

2010-07-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. Like each year past, I'm hopeful that year 7 will be a great year for Grayson. Year 6 sure was. And I will admit that on the inside I can breathe a little sigh of relief this year, as this particular year, I don't feel like I have to say goodbye to a baby like I did at age 4, and thankfully I don't yet have to say hello to a double-digit pre-teen! I just have a big boy getting bigger! And wiser!

So many great things happened to/for Grayson over the past year. He was blessed with a wonderful teacher (his same from kindergarten) and thoroughly enjoyed first grade. There were so many successes along the way. He was his class's first Student of the Month and took off as a reader, "graduating" to chapter books by mid-year. Now you'll always find a Jack and Annie Magic Treehouse book at his bedside--his mama could stand to learn a thing or two from him! Writing is also something that he adores--in that, he and I are very much the same! And he's a good little author, let me tell you! Thankfully we already have a treasure trove of samples--books, poems, signs, posters, letters, you name it!

Outside of the classroom, he enjoyed some success on the soccer field, too! Like he actually scored some goals! More than one! But more importantly, he just loves the game. And his team. And we continue to love being a soccer family (except when it's raining)! We also continue to love being a theme park family, and Grayson this past year discovered that he REALLY likes roller coasters! Yay for us!

But more than his performance in the classroom or on the field, I am most proud of my boy's character--who he is. And who he is is kind and respectful. He loves deeply. He forgets little. He thinks about things and people long and hard. He questions his own decisions and the decisions of others in an effort to do what is right and just. He has a conscience like that of his mama's and follows rules to a 'T'! He will learn eventually that life can get hard (and even a little lonely) when you're a rule follower--sometimes you're the only one swimming upstream--but at the end of the day, he can be most proud of himself and his integrity. Because certainly, his family is proud of him, now and always!

And now, to the big day...

In recent years we started the tradition of having mini doughnuts for breakfast on the kids' birthdays. But, um...Apparently we've moved up to the full-size counterparts! And you can bet that Grayson wasn't complaining! Ha!

Opening a few presents from us first thing in the morning.

He says that getting presents isn't his favorite thing about his birthday, but look at that face! It totally is! :)

But the all-important party definitely ranks a close second! This year's theme? Lego Star Wars. No surprise there. On the agenda? A sleepover with his 3 best buddies! Yes, a sleepover. Suggested by Daddy. So guess who got the late-night shift and had to tame 4 wild 6 and 7 year-olds? You got it. Not me!

Prior to the party, Grayson wrote out a list of all the planned activities. In order. First up? Party games, of course! So we started with a Jedi obstacle course. (Sorry, people. I was too busy being a Jedi trainer to take pictures!) First, each participant had to figure out his Jedi name:

Next, I had to figure out some way to bring Legos into the Lego Star Wars party! So we had a bridge building competition. Each bridge, once constructed, had to be able to hold a raw egg. The boys got right to work and took the task very seriously, as you can see!

Miss Molly, the assistant. She, unfortunately, was a little under the weather that weekend and had to miss out on a sleepover with her buddy Carter. :( But, in the end, it would have been kind of weird for her to miss out on all of her brother's birthday festivities, so I guess maybe things played out the way they were supposed to...

This picture cracks me up! Apparently Garrett is meditating over his egg!

Notice the contrast in expressions! I really do think that Isaac was happy! Really! :)

After the rousing party games, it was time to go to dinner--pizza!

Logo t-shirts. I say they're the new party favor!

Then it was time to open presents. After I found out that my boy (innocently enough) asked each of his friends for a SPECIFIC gift, we had a little discussion about tact and birthday present etiquette! So embarrassing!

But boy oh boy he was happy! Can you tell how much they like each other?! I love it!

Now, a word to the wise...Apparently birthday PIE is taboo among 7 year-olds! Let's just say that obviously they have never tasted my white chocolate banana cream version and don't know what they're missing! Except Grayson. He was happy, happy with his mama's pie. :)

Happy birthday, my sweet boy! I love you!

Catching Up...(What?! May is over already?!)

2010-07-08T13:31:00.001-07:00

The calendar indicates that apparently we are 2 months removed from May. Huh. As always, I guess I have a little catching up to do because boy, a lot has happened in the last 2 months! So here we go...back to Mother's Day weekend, which, I might add, was an absolute perfect weekend.

That Friday night Grayson was invited to join in on the birthday festivities to celebrate our dear friend Maddy's 10th. We're not talking pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and a pinata--we're talking camping at the beach! And Grayson absolutely LOVED it, every bit of it. And since, when the rest of us woke up Saturday morning, the weather was beautiful, we hopped in the car and headed to the beach to get in on some of the action, too!

Now here is where I must offer an apology and make an admission...I have lived here for 12+ years, but up until Mother's Day weekend 2010, I had never once been to Pacific City! Why oh why, I ask? All these years we've been taking out-of-town guests to other points on the coast when Pacific City has been right. there. waiting. My humblest apologies...

Needless to say, it's our new favorite "go-to" beach. Here's why...

That "hill"? That would be a ginormous sand dune--one to climb and conquer!

At the base of the dune are rocks that jut out into the ocean, but when the tide is out, you can climb all over them. Tide pools galore await you...

...along with some little treasures to discover, like these starfish.

Eek, bad picture--but proof that Sarri and I conquered the dune and made it to the top!

The prize at the top? An incredible view.

Hey, you get to the top any way you can! :)

After spending time on the beach, the whole group (including the birthday girl who I don't have pictures of!...ack!) went back up to the parking lot for a taco feed and birthday cake--tailgate style! (Ha! It was truly a sight to behold...but super fun!) Then, the Gibsons headed home with the other party-goers, and we returned to the beach for a few more glorious hours of sun, surf, and sand...

Pacific City, I am in love with you!!!

Sweet May Babes

2010-05-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

I schooled myself in scanning pictures today just so I could write this post! And in the meantime, I had the best time taking a walk down "memory lane", as I sorted thru a very cluttered tub of precious baby keepsakes. Pictures, scrapbooks, baby books, cards, hospital mementos, tiny clothes, etc... Seems like so long ago that I started adding to that tub!

In fact, it was 7 years ago this month--May. Birthday month for us around here...even though in truth, only 1 person in our family has a May birthday. But there are a couple of others near and dear to our hearts. We love them like family! So this post, because it's May 3rd, is for my (other)sweet boy, Garrett. (Don't worry, my own sweet Grayson will get his post in just 12 days.) But today...today is Garrett's day. Actually I consider it our day because while it is Garrett's birthday, it was my due date! Aw, the due date that came and went. You all know by now how that turned out...Ha! Ha!

Anyway, back to sweet Garrett. Only God knows where our paths will take us in life, but I love, love, love that nothing can ever change the fact that I got to hold that sweet boy in my arms during his first hours of life--snuggling there in the hospital rocking chair, as I pleaded with him to nudge his little buddy (Grayson) out! And with Garrett, I don't take my honorary "auntie" status lightly. Because even though he is one of the sweetest, most compassionate, most loving kids around, you definitely have to earn your spot in his inner circle. And thankfully, my spot has been safe since that very first day 7 years ago in May. And even though the "auntie" title may not stick as time goes on, I know that my place in his heart will. Just like his special place in my heart is secure for ever and ever--a special place he's held right from the start.

And speaking of "the start"...

Holy chubby mama!!! (Me, not Sarri.) I can't believe there was only a 7 pound baby in there and not a whale!

A first meeting between friends.

"Aahhh, don't roll over! Don't roll over!"

And to another sweet one near and dear to me--Maddy--more than your brother turning 7, I cannot believe that you were just 2 (!!!) when I first met you! And now you're just days shy of being 10. Wow. What a great big "Sissy" you are...to my kids, too! Thank you. How I am loving watching you grow into the confident, smart, kind girl that you are. Consider me one of your forever cheerleaders!

Apparently a not so merry Christmas party! :)

(Little Jamers, Grayson, Ryan, and Garrett)

So again, happy birthday to my 3 sweet May babes!

Happy Easter 2010

2010-05-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

(Taken by Molly. Not bad!)

"Village" Egg Hunt

2010-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Our "village" has an Easter tradition now 2 years in the making. We've taken to organizing (thanks to Sarri) our own egg hunts! All you need is an empty lot, plenty of kids, and a nice big garage to stand in when it's pouring rain outside. Among its members, our "village" has all 3!

Waiting to be let loose!

Little Aiden. He and I snuck a head start! :)

Elliot

Garrett

Abby

Grayson and Isaac

Carter and his mama

Brooklynn

Sorting and trading loot is all part of the fun!

Spring Break Day Trip

2010-05-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is always a welcome break from the daily grind. This year was no exception. And while it would be fun to be one of those jet-setters who heads to warmer ground in places like California, Arizona, or Hawaii, I have learned to be content with a more low-key version of Spring Break--multiple days of sleeping in, trips to the park, eating out, play dates, and hopefully a day trip or 2 thrown in!

This year, my parents were here for the first part of the week. It rained. But luckily there were a few sun breaks and a few fun hours spent at the park(s). Then mid-week Dave took a day off from work and we headed to the beach! And prayed for sun!

We did get sun--yay! But wind, too--yuck.

We could only handle the bitter cold wind so long, so we packed up, ate lunch at Kyllo's, and then headed to Tillamook to visit the cheese factory! It was a first time experience for the kids. We all had fun and survived the MASSIVELY long line to get ice cream!

M-m-m, good!

Like I said, for now I'm content to stick around the PacNW during Spring Break. But mark my words!!! When I either A.) win the lottery or B.) go back to teaching full-time, then Mr. Sun, I will be tracking you down with family in tow!!!

Molly Turns 4!

2010-04-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Molly turned 4 during my most recent (and certainly not last) blogging hiatus. So on her special day I didn't get to put into writing how I felt about my little girl turning 1 year older. Actually I'm not sure that at that time I could have put into words how I feel now that she is 4. For sure, the words would have been different 3 months ago than today. Because today and the last 3 months I've had a chance to watch my sweet girl be 4, and I think now I have a better grasp of what 4 means for her. It certainly does NOT mean baby or anything remotely close! Not that 3 year-olds are babies either, but it wouldn't be so unreasonable for a new 3 year-old to be mistaken for a 2 year-old (especially if she's small) and a 2 year-old, well, practically is still a baby...so when they're 3, it still seems like that baby of old is within arm's reach. But not at 4! No way! There is nothing baby about the funny, sweet, sassy, strong-willed, independent girl who lives at this house! And that is not a bad thing at all. I am excited for what age 4 will bring Molly's way. She finally has her own "stuff" to look forward to! Dance, swim lessons, pre-school--so many doors of opportunity will open for her this year! And whereas Grayson has always been our cautious one--stepping sometimes one toe at a time over the lines--Molly is more likely to jump with both feet all at once over each threshold! And that is so right about her. And what I love about her. (At the same time though, I don't know where the girl came from...what with that daring, no holds barred approach to life...She's so NOT like me! Ha! Ha!)

But also, at the same time, in my most honest moments, I do admit to myself that I miss that baby. A lot. I guess because she's the youngest and now that she isn't a baby, there is no baby. And that doesn't quite seem "normal" yet...

But then I look at my girl, and I know that I'd never wish to go backwards with her. And I can't wait to go forward because I'm pretty darn sure that with her, it's going to be one fun ride!

A newish tradition at our house--birthday doughnuts! Powdered sugar ones, of course.

Opening presents before school and work.

A special birthday lunch with her special BFF.

These 2 were too cute! And boy did they milk that lunch! They must have known that naptime was on the horizon because they both ate every. last. bite. And took over an hour to do so! Ha!

That evening we surprised M with her gift from us--a new bike. No more Hot Wheels brand hand-me-down. No sirree. This bike is nothing but pink and purplicious all over!

Already a pro.

Then it was off to 3rd St. Mexican for dinner...

Sweet sis had a good day...and went to bed dreaming of mermaids...

For that Saturday was party day! Check out my Ariel cake!!!

"Under the sea..."

Limbo, anyone?

Miss M had some moves!

Carter said, "No thanks." :)

But Neighbor Rich gave it a whirl...

How low can you go?...

Sweet friends.

Happy Birthday, Molly Girl!!! We love you so much!

(**After cake, we and many of Molly's best buddies hightailed it to the swimming pool to finish out a super fun Under the Sea themed party! Thanks, friends, for making it so special!)

Feeling Merry (a.k.a. Christmas 2009)

2010-04-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

Where to start, where to start...

Now sometimes going to McCall is stressful. There are always so many people that we want to see, people that we should see, and inevitably--by the end of the trip--lots of people that we don't see. Ugh. We tend to feel stretched in all different directions. But for some reason, on this past trip we didn't feel stretched or stressed. Instead, we had a ton of fun! Maybe, just maybe it was because I prayed (a lot) for a "go with the flow" attitude! Unfortunately I don't always come by one naturally. But I try (most of the time)! Sometimes though--darn it!!-- a plan is good! So I'd like to believe that my attempts to "go with the flow" married with my Type A planning made for a good vacation experience for all parties involved.

You wouldn't have known that McCall is "home" because we were like super tourists! Seriously. Just doing our part to support the local economy, right? That's my angle, and I'm sticking to it! So here's a sampling of our jam-packed week...

First, I give you Christmas Eve and morning (before all the touristy stuff):

Another classic Ryan Family Christmas Eve photo shoot! Can you see me back there??? Ha! Ha!

You might be wondering why I didn't post a better shot. Because there isn't one! :)

The Chinese princess and kung fu ninja

Chef Molly testing out her skills with her new cookbook

A Christmas reading (of sorts)

New Christmas jammies

Getting right to work on the new Lego set

Still working...

Ta-dah!

Sledding at "the old dump" (it's a McCall thing) was one of the few FREE things we did! Ha! Ha! It was a fun afternoon with the cousins...after we found just the right hill.

Cousin Whitney

Cousin Mackenzie

The next day we did some downtown sightseeing and window shopping before heading over to Chuck and Robin's rented condo.

The Ryan siblings--Take 1

Take 2!

Gold Fork Hot Springs was a real treat! All that snow and ice around us; yet we were toasty warm in the water!

Then it was time to hit the ice rink.

Happy

More happy

Still happy

Most definitely NOT happy

D-O-N-E

So we moved on to sledding at the Activity Barn!

Ready...

Set...

Go!

And in case you're wondering...Yep, a few other people were supporting the local economy that day, too! Holy long line!

Skiing at Brundage came next. Except for Molly. She got to stay with Grandma, and they rode to town on the "city" bus, which Molly likened to a ride at Disneyland! What could be better than taking the bus to the grocery store and getting a corn dog?! Happy girl she was!

There were 2 parts to our day--the pre-edgie wedgie experience and the post-edgie wedgie experience. Above, that was pre-edgie wedgie. It didn't go so well. (If you don't know, an edgie wedgie is a simple apparatus that connects the tips of kids' skis, pretty much forcing them into a pie (wedge) shape. Seriously worth the $9. In fact, I'd kiss the inventor if I could!)

Because see? He skied!

And if I don't post the pictures, I/we'll never remember that we probably let G ski about 1 hour too long, right? And I/we'll forget that there may or may not have been 1 (or a few) major fits! Yeah, let's go with that theory and instead just post this nice picture of lunch in the car where he at least looks like his half day of skiing ended on a high note! Ha! Ha!

Snowmobiling was our last adventure of the week. I was really excited, as I had never really been on an actual "trip". And though it was cold and snowing sideways at times, it was totally worth freezing my face and fingers for!

Dave's brother, Mike, was our tour guide. He took us up to Burgdorf--an old mining town. These days people (except for a few "colorful" folks) don't live there permanently, but there's a natural hot springs that you can pay a few dollars to use. It's REALLY rustic but fun in a "you've got to try it at least once" kind of way. :)

The not-so-fun part was shedding a bazillion layers in the freezing cold just to use the outhouse! Bleck! Frozen toilet seat!

So, there it is--Christmas 2009. We went, we saw, we spent...and I'm only 5 months late in posting the proof!

Excuses

2010-04-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

So (again) it has been awhile. A long while. And I do have plenty of excuses, even some pretty good ones. But truthfully I cannot blame my lack of blogging solely on our family's computer misfortunes. True, the desktop pc did quit working and true, we switched internet service providers and lost our wireless connection for a time. A long time, actually! But really, sadly I was mostly just lazy. But then I found that the laziness gave way to a certain sense of freeness! Like maybe, perhaps, I had turned blogging into something that wasn't very enjoyable anymore. Like maybe, dare I say, a competition? Ick. You know, like keeping up with the Joneses? Double ick. During my "break", I guess I just started to realize that my posts weren't for the pure purpose of keeping my family up to date anymore or for keeping a little record/snapshot of our lives for me to look back on. No, instead, all of sudden I think I started to see if my writing could be as good as or as thought provoking as or as...(fill in the blank)...as the writing of other bloggers--friends and strangers alike. Yep, I lost sight of who my blog is really for. Me. My family. My friends. The people who want to take a look just to see what kinds of things we've been up to lately. Not the people who want to judge the profoundness of my thoughts. Not that anyone like that has ever even read my blog. In fact, in all honesty, I bet they haven't, but still, unfortunately, I think I started writing it for them--those people.

So now that I'm back to the business of blogging, I'm also back to doing it for the right reasons. Which, ugh, that kind of complicates things! Because if I'm trying to keep a record of this season of our lives, then I can't just skip over the last 5 months that I've missed, right?!?! I mean I know I could, but skip Christmas? Molly's birthday? Aaahhhh! I never make things easy on myself. So for that reason, stay tuned! Coming up next? Christmas, 2009! Ha! Ha!

Following in Daddy's Footsteps

2009-12-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

6:55 a.m.--A considerable amount of stomping is heard downstairs. Mom and Dad are still in bed. Was that the garage door I just heard?

7:05 a.m.--"Hey, Dad! I'll be working out in the garage. Is it okay if I use the saw?" Um, no.

7:15 a.m.--In order to buy a few more minutes of sleep on a SATURDAY morning, Daddy convinces Son that builders need a set of plans to work from whenever they build something. Result? 15 more minutes of piece and quiet and this:

Oh my word. If you could see these "plans" up close, you would see each "step" carefully labeled and in sequence, boards drawn, and the whole bit. It was/is really quite impressive for a 6 year-old!

7:30 a.m.--A certain someone finally convinced Daddy to get out of bed and into the garage. And thus, the building began. And this was made:

It's a mailbox. And it's almost exactly the way Grayson envisioned it and drew it out in his plans. And he built it. And one for our little neighbor friend.

And now? Now both mailboxes sit outside our front doors, and daily the kids have been "delivering" mail to one another at all hours of the day. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever. We (G and M) have gotten cookies and birthday invitations, artwork, letters, and more! And I'll tell you what...If anything can get a kid to WANT to write all day long, it's a personal mailbox outside his front door!

Tis the Season!

2009-12-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

Some people (my mother) have accused me of not being up to date on my blog. Huh. Mother, shall we talk about your history with Christmas newsletters?! ;) wink, wink

At this point in my life, the only Black Friday shopping I do is online. Instead of being out with the masses in the stores, it has become our tradition to have a leisurely morning breakfast, then head downtown to Mac's annual Santa Parade. Quirky it is, by all means stunning it is not, but it's got that great small town community feel to it, which is why I (and the kids) love it. It's the kick-off to our "merry season", if you will. And this year especially, we were spoiled with nice weather, lots of familiar faces to chat with, new stuffed animals (because apparently just handing out candy isn't good enough anymore???), and the big guy in red atop a fire truck (which followed the kung fu karate people (?) and the dozens of John Deere tractors--and to think my husband used to consider Mac a big CITY! Ha!).

Anyway, after SEEING Santa from afar, Molly thought that she was ready to visit up close. Turns out it was only a thought because notice who is missing in the picture:

This was Molly:

She was riding the carousel, holding on for dear life...afraid that Santa might, too, decide to take a spin on one of the horses. (By the way, after the parade we high-tailed it down to the Riverfront Carousel in Salem. Amazing that Santa was able to get there so quickly as well! What do you know?)

Following a really fantastic 4 day holiday weekend, it was time to get back in the school groove. Next up? G's Christmas program. Darling, as usual. Here's a little sample for your viewing pleasure:

Molly was a happy and excited spectator throughout.

Awwww. I don't know what else to do but giggle when these 2 are side by side. 12 days. They are TWELVE days apart in age!!!

The happy posers:

Seriously I want these 2 to get married just so we can use all these pictures in the wedding slide show!

As our busy month rolled along (Did I mention that I had jury duty?!) we managed to convince Daddy to let us put up a Christmas tree. Not that he's a bah-humbug grinch, but we are traveling for the holidays this year. So did we really need to put up a tree since we won't even be at our house on Christmas morning? YES! (We knew he'd come around.)

It was sunny and beautiful but C-O-L-D! Like in the teens cold! Seriously. So it was one quick trip out to the tree farm. And if you know me, you know that I don't usually make decisions that involve choices quickly. But put me in 15 degree weather and viola! That first tree right there--perfect!

When it came time to decorate, Molly put up the angel this year.

And that, friends, has been our December (so far) in a nutshell! Happy, Mom?! :)

Way to go, Buddy!

2009-12-20T07:27:00.001-08:00

Our boy is having a GREAT 1st grade year! And no matter how I feel about the whole concept of 'Student of the Month' (the teacher in me hates it, by the way) I always contend that a little perspective is good. So, stepping out of my 'teacher' shoes for just a moment and into my 'mom' shoes, boy am I proud of this guy! Heart bursting proud!

Fall Wrap-Up

2009-12-09T13:32:00.001-08:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now before you all think to yourselves, "It's about time!" I will remind you that TECHNICALLY, it is still Fall, so TECHNICALLY this post is not late! Who cares that the last soccer game may or may not have been on November 5th. WRAP-UP! That's the key word. So here we go...

For the many of you who weren't at the last soccer game, yes, it was pitch black outside! At 5:15 p.m.

Medals and cupcakes--a team tradition.

I have a feeling that this foursome will pose for a lot of team pictures over the years!

Okay, last soccer game. Check.

Next up? The much anticipated sleepover!

The Little Gibbies spent the night right before Thanksgiving, so I got my crafty groove on and came up with this guy. (Last year we did this.)

Cute, eh?

Hmmm, the rest of that night is a blur. I know that we had 4 very happy kids on our hands, but perhaps I, um, waited a little too long to do this recap. Ggrrr.

In fact, this post isn't much of a "wrap up" at all, is it?! Which perplexes me because we were busy NONSTOP; yet apparently I have not much to show for it. Dang.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-09T22:21:00.001-08:00

Can I just say that Halloween should always be on a Saturday?! And it should always be dry and relatively warmish. (Warmish, by the way, is all relative.) That's how I think it should be. Even in the PacNW. Because this past Halloween? So. much. fun. Truly. Thank you to the Gibson family for inviting us to spend the evening with them. It was a bit of a break from our usual Halloween routine. In previous years we had spent a lot more time in the car driving from one house to another. Homes of our friends who wanted us to stop by or who we knew our kids would enjoy seeing. And we've also always gone to the Trunk-or-Treat event that is held each year at the church we used to attend. And each year the kids always have a blast. But this year, I must say that it was nice to just park the car and let the kids canvas an entire neighborhood together. As buddies. Then a nice warm dinner with friends...perfect. And don't forget the candy! Candy galore.

Before our night got started, this little friend paid us a visit:

Such an adorable Pebbles!

And then it was time for the annual photo shoot. This year--Ariel Ballerina (??? I know, since when is Ariel not a mermaid?) and Commander Cody (Think Star Wars the Clone Wars).

Got to love this pair!

"Trick-or-treat, Uncle Joel!"

The Gibson/Ryan combo shot: 2009 edition.

These boys thought they had died and gone to heaven--getting to battle IN costume WITH weapons!

Monkey in the Middle, anyone? Ha! Ha! I couldn't resist.

Our little friend Aiden really is happy! I promise.

Yay! More friends! Terrible pictures, but we were so happy to run into the Eitzen family!

I *heart* them.

This was the scene once we got back to the Gibson's. I tell you what, there were 5 happy kids in that living room!

Day of the Dead

2009-11-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I don't mean it to be a creepy title. It would be much more eloquent and much more appropriate to use in conjunction with the word 'celebration' if I actually knew how to write it in Spanish. Because it is, after all, a sacred holiday in Mexican culture--one that I, admittedly, don't know much about. But because G is in a dual language Spanish immersion program, Halloween-type festivities took a back seat this year, and instead his class honored Mexican culture and had a Day of the Dead celebration. And I think that Grayson really enjoyed it...after I convinced him that it was not "inappropriate" to have such a day at school.

But what type of celebration it was aside, it was, in fact, the first time EVER that I was able to attend one of G's school celebrations of any kind. (Contract issues...blah, blah, blah. I ended up with the day off! Half-time employee perk, in my opinion.) So fun. And Molly and Abby got to join in, too.

Day of the Dead masks.

First a ham...

Then a pouter.

Still pouting. Awesome masks though!

Parading thru the halls...

Rice shakers (a.k.a. noise makers) in hand.

This is her new camera smile as of late. Lovely.

I couldn't not go check on these boys in the next room over. So happy they all were.

(blankety-blank blurry iphone pictures...ggrrr.)

Miss Molly was really cute sitting at the back of the group while G's teacher read a story. So cute that the teacher asked me afterward how many years it will be 'til she can have Molly in class. Oh boy. If only she knew! Ha! Ha! Let's just say that I don't think Grayson and Molly will be ANYTHING alike in the classroom. And that does not work in M's favor. :) Get ready! 2011--she's coming at ya!

This is why God gave me a girl!

2009-11-09T19:47:00.001-08:00

I will admit that after Grayson's first 2 years of life, I concluded that I was meant to be a mother of boys. One could say that I was merely trying to convince myself that it would be okay to have just boys and never a girl. But really, it wasn't like that. I really thought that my destiny was to raise boys. I guess maybe it was because it just felt so natural to have Grayson. I felt like I knew what I was doing (boy was I a naive first-time parent, eh?!) and, after all, I even mastered the art of dressing a boy (a.k.a. the art of making jeans, khakis, and too many rugby's to count look good over and over again!).

I was so convinced that only boys were in my future that it shocked the 'you know what' out of me to hear the ultrasound tech announce that, in fact, we were having a girl. A girl. Who would probably like pink, princesses, and pony tails. Pony tails. Right. What if I couldn't do pony tails? Or remember that the tights were supposed to go on over the onesie? (I think.) Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I am a girl, and I had tons of girly toys growing up, but in my adulthood I've kind of gotten away from my girly-ness. Maybe it could just be called laziness, but I'll take a pair of jeans over a skirt any day. And heels? What heels? Fancy jewelry? Don't have any. Lipstick? Rarely. Eek! All I could do was pray that some how, some way I'd figure how to do pony tails and where to put all those hair "pretties" that match the tights that match the shirt, that match the skirt...

Oh who am I kidding?!? I was most definitely meant to be the mom of a girl! Molly Girl. And to see her in that adorable little tutu with her tiny little ballet shoes....oh, be still my heart. I don't think it gets much better than that. And will I always cry when she prances across the stage? Seriously my heart just wanted to burst open the whole time, it was so dang cute!

Aren't they the most adorable little pair? Yes, they really are only 4 months apart. 4 months.

Sweet Abby is the whole reason that Molly got to experience her first dance class. It was 'Bring a Friend Week', so Molly got to go along. And Molly LOVED it. The countdown is now definitely on 'til she turns 4 and can actually enroll in the class. Guess I better get my tissues ready!

Pumpkin Carving: the 2009 installment

2009-11-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

So we had exactly 1 night during the week with nothing to do. No soccer, no meetings, nothing. It was the perfect night to carve our pumpkins. Molly didn't care so much about the actual carving, but she was a big fan of the goo. Grayson, on the other hand, maintained his pumpkin carving focus for, well, the first time. ever. And, as always, Daddy was the main carver extraordinaire. Case in point: Molly's Cinderella castle. It really was awesome...the 1 night that it lasted. Sigh.

See mine with the colored pegs poked into it? Yep, I am a pumpkin carving cheater every year. And I always, ALWAYS, use a pattern. It's true. I have no wild side to me. Not even when it comes to carving pumpkins.

Ta-dah! Presenting the very limited edition (as in 1 was ruined the very next day) Ryan pumpkin trio!

Surprise! Disney On Ice

2009-11-09T17:34:00.001-08:00

Truth be told, I am the planner in the family. Shocking, I know. Dave is a super fun dad, he just doesn't plan the fun. That, apparently, is my job. And even though I do love to plan, I would be happy to, from time to time, turn over my position to someone else. Enter Dave. A.) not so much of a planner (especially a social planner) and B.) someone who shakes his head each time I even mention returning (again) to the Happiest Place on Earth. So imagine my surprise when he brought home a flyer and suggested that we buy tickets for the traveling Disney on Ice show. Knock me over with a feather! Of course that's where his "planning" ended. I actually had to purchase the tickets. And I felt the need to plan the rest of our day out in Portland, too. (I know, I never learn my lesson. I should have guessed that half of my party would be grumpy most of the day. Ggrrr. But Molly and I? We had a fabulous time!)

First up was the kids' first ride on the MAX train.

Don't let his smile fool you. He was NOT a fan of my train idea. Bah humbug.

At this point, the kids still didn't know why we were in Portland. Surprises are the best!

Happy.

I wish I could have captured the exact moment that Grayson's grin gave way to the most sour of expressions. Hmmm, let's see...it was right about when Lighting McQueen and Mater skated off the ice, and out came...Ariel. In his words, "Ugh." Too funny! But at least you know that Molly Girl was happy! Thrilled, actually. Mermaids are her thing these days.

Now part of my husband's arguement for not riding the train was/is his belief that "seedy" people use public transportation. Oh brother. But, well, let's just say that on our return trip there were a few "colorful" characters. All part of the experience though, right?

While the day did have its ups and downs, it was all worth it, if just to see the look on M's face as all of her favorite characters took to the ice. Makes me just want to bottle up 3 years old and save it forever. But I guess my shelves would start to get pretty full because who am I kidding?! I would have bottled up 1, 2, and Grayson's 6.5 years, too!

Lord, let me never forget these moments.

What's a fever at the pumpkin patch?

2009-11-09T16:37:00.001-08:00

You'd think that judging by this picture:

And this picture:

...my post title would be referring to Miss M. Not true. No, those are just more examples of our girl's feisty side--stubborn and strong-willed to no end! And, well, perhaps a little diva like, questioning why oh why would we make her walk (heaven forbid!) all the way around the pumpkin patch?! She's a girl with attitude, I tell ya! And we wouldn't change her for a second. Not even a little.

No, actually, it was Grayson who spiked a fever the night before. BUT, how could we pass up the opportunity to head to Heiser's Farm when A.) it was a beautiful fall afternoon and B.) Grandma happened to be in town, just by chance? Nope, we couldn't resist. Besides, a little fresh air would surely do G good, right? (And, to be honest, he wasn't acting like he felt sick.) So we gave it a go, and, as always, we had a wonderful time. And like I said, it was an added bonus to have my mom with us. Growing up where I did, going to the pumpkin patch wasn't a possibility. Going to Paul's, the local grocery store, was more like it. So I'm glad that Mom got to experience one of our family's October traditions with us. And tradition it is. Always Heiser's Farm. Every year. But I think Grayson may argue that this was the LAST year for me to make him "pose" on the pedal tractors.

Yeah, he does look a little big, doesn't he? (And sickly, for that matter. Oops!)

Check out this post from last year to see each year's "pose". How did we arrive at 2009 so fast?!

And check out the slideshow down below for the rest of the 2009 experience.

2009-11-09T16:36:00.001-08:00

Children's Museum

2009-11-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

Every year in October, Oregon schoolkids (and teachers) get an extra day off from school thanks to what's known as "Statewide Inservice Day". As a teacher, I could engage in some sort of professional development--either a workshop or a seminar--OR I can just enjoy a day off. I mean I love my career and all, and it's important to me that my methods and strategies stay current, but who am I kidding? A day to hang out with my kids and stay in my pjs 'til noon if I want to? I'll take it! Every time.

In fact, actually, the last couple of years there has not been much lazing around in pjs during this particular weekend. No time to be lazy at Disneyland! Yep, that's right, the last 2 years we took advantage of some great deals and headed south to see Mickey and friends. But not this year. So instead I started dreaming up a multitude of ideas. The one that seemed most likely was an overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge up in Washington. But then, well, this happened:

Molly, of course, was FINE after her accident, but our bank account? How much does a CT scan cost anyway? Ha! Ha! That was the question that, at the time, we didn't know the answer to, so we decided it was probably best to save our pennies...just in case. (Today, because this post is only like 1 month late (!!!) I can tell you that a CT scan plus a level 4 ER visit (whatever that means?) is exactly $2,641.15. Thank goodness we have insurance! Though our portion to pay was still hefty enough. Sigh.)

So, long story short, we scaled back our plans and stayed local, spending much of Saturday at the Children's Museum in Portland. It had been quite awhile since our last visit there, and I wasn't expecting Grayson to seem so big! I'm definitely not saying that the place isn't appropriate or geared toward a 6 year-old, but for our boy, there was no sense of wonder or the look of amazement in his eyes like there was when he was 4. He still had fun, but I think he, too, was surprised to feel so grown up amid all the wild toddlers and preschoolers. Since when is 6 too grown up?!

Molly delighted in everything, especially the face paint. Multiple times. Who knew that face paint could last on one's face so long? :) It must have been the multi-layer factor.

All in all, a good day. But I'll be honest. It's hard for me to stay put during a 4 day weekend! So next year, honey, we're gonna hit the road! Or else...

I know, I'm hilarious.

He shoots. He scores!

2009-10-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

And I have not one picture. Which wouldn't be that surprising for, say, some of my other friends like...cough...Allison...cough. But do you know how many soccer games I've been tracking the action of thru the lens of my little Canon Powershot?!? There I was, always poised and ready whenever the ball got even remotely close to G's feet. Until last night. After all, it was FREEZING cold and raining. But then it happened. All it took was one sweet pass from his buddy James and a swift kick from Grayson into the goal. SCOOOOORRRREEEE! And the best part, besides the precious, excited look on G's face, was the fact that the rest of the "crowd" on our team's side was just as excited for our little guy as Dave and I were. We'd all been trying to will that goal to happen for 3 seasons now. Coaches included.

Mission accomplished. Good job, Buddy!

What's that, you say?

2009-10-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

On a recent family drive to Salem...Grayson, Dave, and I were all visiting--talking about our days. Molly started 'mooing' from the back seat. Loudly.

Me: "Whatcha doin' Molly?"

M: "Just cowing."

Another day...

M: "Momma, why do you like to snuggle me?"

Me: "Because I love you so much."

M: "And because I'm soft?"

And just last night...Mind you, Grayson scored his first soccer goal EVER!

Me: "G, that was definitely the most exciting thing that has happened all season!"

G: (responding in a 'let down' kind of way) "You mean not in your whole life?!?"

Ummm, well...

I sure do love my kids!

Could it be?

2009-10-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

What's that a picture of, you ask? That would be a sticker chart. For poop. Specifically, poop in the potty. Not on the carpet, not in the tub, not in panties, and heavens no, not in the pretty princess pull-ups. The same pull-ups that probably cost us half of our retirement! Seriously. Because we started that sticker chart a loooooooooonnnnnng time ago. Like a year ago. Okay, maybe not a whole year, but it seems like it was about 8 years ago. But, alas, a bazillion dollars and hundreds of pull-ups later, we may have turned a corner. Or perhaps we rounded a mountain would be more like it! Because today our stubborn, strong-willed, almost 4 year-old daughter earned her very last sticker!!! Yahoo! So off to the toy store we will go--Miss M in her frilly TinkerBell panties and maybe, just maybe even showing a little crack when she bends down! (Believe me, I'm just happy that crack gets to see the light of day.)

Hello, Soccer!

2009-09-19T12:48:00.001-07:00

My 'soccer mom' position has resumed for the season! Yay! And today was game day--our first one. I can't believe the difference a year makes! Those boys didn't lose a beat. In fact, I think they found their beat! What a great little team. And here's looking forward to another great (hopefully DRY) season!

Notice the blue raincoat? It was POURING when we first got to the field. Hello, soccer season (in Oregon)!

Can't you tell these boys are happy to be back at it? Love it.

Halftime pep talk from the new coach.

G played goalie the entire second half! He blocked 3 shots and didn't get scored on once! Good job, Buddy!

Such a soccer stud. Calm, cool, and collected. :)

The Orange ______??? (I'm not sure we have a team name yet.) But nonetheless, they were victorious!

The return of the Spirit Tunnel. Oh, yeah.

This I Know...

2009-09-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

I am NOT the one you want around in an emergency! Sad but true. They say that when necessary your instinct will kick in--that you'll know what to do--but, um, I'm thinking that it was possibly an oversight when that instinct was being passed out because I don't think I got it.

Case in point:

Miss M had a bit of mishap (or should I say mis-step?) this past week. While we were at G's soccer practice, she and her little friends were over playing on the nearby play structure. Of course the other moms and I continually glanced over to make sure that we could spot our babes who were happily climbing, sliding, and running wild. But then, in the middle of a conversation with the moms, I saw another mom running toward us across the grass with none other than my little girl in her arms. My little girl who was wailing, obviously in pain. And right then and there, my heart was in my throat. Even before the mom had a chance to tell me that M had fallen from the top, hit her head on a steel ladder rung, flipped over, and landed face first on the decking at the bottom. I scooped her into my arms, headed toward my friends, and immediately asked what to do. Obviously that instinct forgot to show up! Instead I was in panic mode. I knew it wasn't just a typical fall--I wasn't going to be able to wipe away M's tears, kiss her on her sweet little head, and send her on her merry way. For one, she wouldn't really open her eyes! So you'd think I would just know to put her in the car and head straight to the emergency room, right? Wrong. Not me, the indecisive one. But fortunately I have great friends who acted as my common sense that evening. They called my husband, assured me that I definitely SHOULD call the on-call pediatrician (duh!), and promised to take care of G as we loaded up and headed to the ER (as recommended by the doc).

Still, even after we got to the ER, I questioned whether or not we should really be there. Maybe she was fine. Maybe I was being one of those hyper-sensitive moms who turns a scraped knee into a major laceration! On the other hand though, I kept convincing myself that she WAS limp, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

So thank God the ER doc knew exactly what I needed right from the start. He knew that I needed his permission to be there. So he gave it to me and told me that I DID need to be there with my girl. That it WAS serious and he SHOULD take a look at her. Okay. Phew.

Take a look at Sweet Miss:

The doc couldn't believe the imprint left by the pattern of the decking/platform, and initially he thought that she'd definitely need a c/t scan. But then after he woke her up, got her to respond, and checked her eyes, ears, etc... he said the words that were music to my ears--"If it was MY 4 year-old grandson, I wouldn't do a scan." Alrighty then. No scan. But he was also quite quick to say that if she started to vomit, then we should definitely bring her back.

So we had literally just signed the check-out papers and turned around to walk out the doors when the vomit came. All over Dave and the waiting room floor. Ick. So back in we went, a scan was ordered, and we waited. In the end (even though it was heart wrenching to watch my baby lie there on that table, strapped down with her tiny little head smooshed in between sponge-like wedges to keep it still) she was FINE. The scan showed nothing, and after examining the pictures, the doctor was comfortable enough to say that she didn't even have a concussion--the vomit was probably just due to the stress of the situation. (And some of that stress was probably thanks, in part, to the DRUNK CRIMINAL who was in the room next door SCREAMING like his arm was being cut off--really they were putting a BAND-AID on his knee. Seriously. But that's a whole other story to tell!)

And Grayson? Well don't get me wrong, he loves his sister more than anything, but in his mind he got a pretty sweet deal out of it all--a sleepover at his buddy's house on a SCHOOL NIGHT no less! Check out Sarri's pictures here to see one happy boy...who, thank goodness, had no idea what his poor sister was going through! Thanks again, Auntie Sarri!

Off and Running!

2009-09-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

So the 09/10 school-year is well underway, and in my new true fashion I'm way late with the first day pics. The first day of FIRST GRADE! Still, I can hardly believe it. And still, some afternoons Miss M and I find ourselves longing for our best 6 year-old play buddy. But alas, he's hit the big time--school ALL day! And while he was EXHAUSTED by the end of each day during his first week, he has handled the adjustment in stride. I'm so proud of him, and I'm excited for the year that he's going to have.

Happy and excited for our first day.

Miss M--not one to be left out!

iphone pic. Just pretend we blurred everyone's faces to protect their anonymity. Ha! The smile on G's teacher's face? That's why we love her...because she genuinely loves our boy!

Classmates reunited. And apparently happy about it!

Getting right to work.

Again, can't leave this girl out! In some ways it's hard to believe that her first day of school is still 2 years out! (In other ways I already want to crank back the hands of time and slow it down a little! Or a lot.)

Two weeks in and yes, life is crazy again. No 2 days are the same in terms of our schedule, but it's kind of a familiar normal. Almost comfortabe. G loves school, M loves her daily playdates (THANK GOD for our friends), I am happy in my new home away from home (a.k.a. my classroom), and Dave just does his best to keep up--delivering kids here, there, and everywhere!

And now? Now we just hold our breaths 'til the swine flu hits and our schedules REALLY get complicated! Ha! Ha!

Gratitude

2009-09-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

So originally I had every good intention of writing a "Winding It Down" post, detailing some of the fun things we did in the latter part of August. But then, well, August came and went and all of a sudden I was back working in my classroom (albeit a new classroom). So naturally a "Ramping It Up" post seemed fitting. But then, well, I lived through the last 2 weeks. Barely. So now the only thing that seems remotely appropriate is this post about my overwhelming gratitude. The gratitude I feel toward my "village"--those people playing active roles in the raising of my children. And let me tell you, there are many! And through thick and thin, they are there. For me. For my kids. The only reason Team Ryan is ever in the Winner's Circle is because we have these amazing assistants on the sidelines, helping us carry out each play.

Having them there on the sidelines is nothing new, but it's during those times--the 'thin' of the thick and thin--when I am reminded just how important they are. How indebted I am to them.

So to my amazing family and friends, I say, "Thank you." Thank you Mom and Dad for being incredible grandparents. But what you do for our family each year at this time goes so far beyond grandparenting. Thank you for your tireless work around our house and in our yard--doing all those things that fall to the wayside during Inservice Week. You shop, you clean, you cook, and you're STILL willing and able to drop everything at a moment's notice to play yet another round of Hide-and-Seek. Or go for a walk. Or build with Legos. Or dress a baby doll in her 18th outfit of the day. How lucky Grayson and Molly are. As are we. Thank you.

And friends, I'm not sure that I could survive without you. Having my daycare arrangement fall thru in the 11th hour was about more than I could handle. But again, you were there to help me pick up the pieces. And though it wasn't THE plan for this year, somehow it just seems right to keep Molly inside the village. My heart thanks you, and I just pray that you know how far beyond the words "thank you" my gratitude extends.

Thank God that time and time again the bleachers on our team's side are full. Full of all of you. Our "village". My family is blessed to no end because of your willingness to give of yourselves for our benefit. I can only pray that someday, somehow we, in some helpful way, will be able return the favor. Until then, I just continue to say, "Thank you."

And now, family and friends, I think I must go take a nap. These last 2 weeks have EXHAUSTED me!!!

Old Friends, Good Times

2009-08-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Whenever we travel, I seem to always set really high expectations. Too high. It's a bad habit of mine. And, um, sometimes it threatens to ruin my trips. I suppose I could use a little more perspective at times. Because usually, more often than not, a lot of fun happens that I somehow seem to skip over because I'm too busy going thru my mental checklist of all the pre-set activities not accomplished. Take, for example, our trip to McCall this past weekend. I did it to myself. Again. Made a list a mile long of everything I thought would be fun for our family to do. Canoeing. Time at the beach. Dinner out. A trip to the nearby hot springs. Maybe an excursion up to the top of Brundage Mountain courtesy of the chairlift. A lot to pack in over the course of 3 days--Friday thru Sunday. And you can guess that I probably did NOT factor in the chance of rain! No way! Not in August! But uh huh, you can probably also guess where this is headed. Friday? Rain. Saturday morning? Rain. Sunday? Afternoon thunderstorm. So not too many activities got crossed off my list. Well, none of the ones I listed really. BUT, I had to remind myself of the John Lennon quote at the top of my blog--"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." And what life brought us this past weekend was all sorts of old friends who came out of the woodwork. Friends who we weren't expecting to see. Friends who we hadn't even talked to in years. But friends who we missed. And friends who we LOVED having the opportunity to catch up with. An opportunity that I'm glad I didn't miss because I was too busy lamenting over the fact that things weren't going according to my initial plans. So all in all, even though the weather S-U-C-K-E-D it turned out to be a good weekend spent with both family and friends. Maybe next time we'll be so lucky to have family, friends, AND sun!

If you've never been, McCall is really, REALLY beautiful. Unfortunately my pictures taken on an overcast cloudy day do not do it justice. But I had to at least "document" the fact that we were there...

Looking toward downtown.

I know, a horrid picture of me and my hardware. But my boy is too sweet, and I love the lake and the mountains behind us. Imagine if it was actually sunny! So pretty.

Molly Girl was sleeping. That's why she is missing in all of these pictures.

Ah, I love it. These times are the best. Sitting around the table catching up with old friends and remembering the glory days... :)

Just part of the old gang from high school...You can't see the 11 kids who add to the gang these days!

After barbecuing at one house, we moved the "reunion" to our good friend Jason's house and continued to chat it up.

And then...out came the "toys"! And my husband was in heaven...

Now before you start noting all of the safety violations, just know that we barely got out of Jason's driveway with the bikes! So there. And sometimes you just have to live a little...

My sweet biker girl.

Grayson and Jason.

Sweetness. Molly was so enamored with Jason. Unfortunately it just made him miss his girls even more! (They're on a month-long vacation with their mommy in Minnesota. Daddy had to stay home and work.)

The smile on his face is evidence that Grayson loved it. A lot. Like I think he'll be begging for one of his own for some time...

Jeffrey, Amie, and Molly waiting for their turns.

Cydnee and Molly.

This was just to appease my husband. I am definitely not a biker chick, but I do give in to peer pressure from time to time. Ha! Ha!

Proof that I actually rode. (if you consider going like 100 feet actually riding...)

Then because it wasn't raining and because they begged us all day long, we took the kids to the pool by Grandma Pearl's house on our last night. And for whatever reason, G decided that it was time to swim! Like really SWIM! Without a life jacket! Like he kicked his legs and paddled his arms and actually got from point A to point B without us holding on to him!!! Oh my word, it was exciting!

And what's a trip to McCall without breakfast at The Pancake House? It was our last stop before heading out on Monday.

Family photo opp outside the restaurant. Pretty cute, eh?

Thank goodness for photos. Because as I look at all of these, I realize that we really did have a lot of fun...even if we didn't stick to MY "play book". Lesson learned. Again.

**edited to add: Okay, you can't tell from my pictures (actually lack of pictures) that our whole reason for visiting this past weekend was to attend Dave's brother's 50th birthday party! Unfortunately I was lazy with my camera that day. :( But it was fun to see everyone, and thank goodness it stopped raining just in time for the outside party!

Life on the Umpqua (09 version)

2009-08-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our annual weekend on the Umpqua River. We went, we saw, we swam, we ate. What else is there?! Oh yeah, we slept in a tent, too. And saw slugs. Ick. But even I can't complain too much about this year's camping experience because praise the lord, it was hot, hot, HOT during the days, which meant that I did not get cold, cold, COLD at night! Yahoo!

The kids were in heaven. Grayson couldn't get enough of the river and playing with the big kids, and Molly never tired of talking. To anyone who would listen. Anyone. And of course, by the end, we were exhausted and filthy, but even I wouldn't trade the weekend for anything. Being with my family and my 94 year-old grandpa in the one place that has been familiar to me since, well, forever--that's a priceless experience that never gets old. (Okay, actually in all honestly, there was that one summer that I tried camping alone with my 2 children that it did get a little old, and maybe, just maybe I would have traded it all that weekend...ha! ha!) So often throughout the weekend I found myself remembering the Umpqua experience the way it used to be for me when I was little--A LOT has changed. And while there are things and people that I definitely miss, I'm just so happy that the traditions continue and that there's still this place--this tiny bit of heaven on earth, if you ask the Spencer family--that MY kids get to experience now each summer. And it's cool and comforting to think that one day down the road, a few of our experiences will overlap, mine and theirs. Rock jumping, catching crawdads, the swimming hole, floating the river from Mac Brown park...thankfully some things never change.

Poor Jenna. She got skunked. Eeeewwwww.

This boy would have slept in the river if we would have let him.

But when we did get him out of the water, he loved playing games with his cousins...

...even when he was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open.

And this girl...still chattin' away! And eating cake to celebrate my brother's recent marriage to Aunt Rebecca. (What?! Did I forget to mention a family wedding?!! Nope, they eloped. Hee hee.)

Here's Miss Mols doing the "Cheetos Dance" with Cousin Tom--her partner in crime as they snuck Cheetos together all night long.

Anyone who will share her Cheetos passion is definitely a friend for life! :)

She has a way of getting almost anyone to play with her. Thanks, Cousin Malia! :)

But the BIG event of the weekend--which I didn't but now DO have pictures of thanks to my cousin Cindy (!!!)--was the annual river float. It was big for our family this year because both Grayson AND Molly floated! Like thru "rapids"! (Though I do use the term "rapids" rather loosely.) And G was only slightly traumatized when he and Dave dumped out of their tube during the first set. But after a quick recovery, both kids loved the experience and spent most of the afternoon out of the tubes and simply letting the current carry them down the river in their life jackets. 2 little fish they are!

And at the end of the weekend, how do you know if you saw enough, swam enough, ate enough?...

Summer Swim 09

2009-08-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

We may not be doing sports camps this summer, but swim lessons are a must (in my book). And G just completed his week for this summer. He did great, but I have mixed feelings about the experience. His confidence has grown SOOOOO much in recent months, and he was definitely ready for a new challenge--in swim lesson terms that would mean moving off the steps of the pool and over to the wall in the 3 ft. area. And, in fact, that's where they started him out on Monday. Yes, he was nervous, but he tried his best and was in good spirits about the whole experience. But then Tuesday rolled around, and another little girl needed to be moved into his group because the teachers decided she wasn't quite ready for the level of swimming they initially started her at. So that made 5 kiddos. 1 too many for semi-private lessons, which we were paying for. So guess who got shipped back to the steps based strictly on his height (or actually lack of height)? Ho-hum. But I have to admit that G wasn't sad about it one bit. He was actually a tiny bit relieved. Because the steps are safe. And confident as my boy is these days, he still likes safe. Don't we all? So...eh...he did more of the same that he's done for 2 or 3 rounds of lessons already, but at least he had fun, and he is WAY more comfortable in the water now than he used to be. And his teacher was good. That's always a big plus. But next time you can be certain that I'll speak up for my "shorty"!

Bug eyes!!! Hey, whatever works. Right, Sarri? :)

These 2 are still patiently waiting in the wings for their shot at lessons next year...when they're 4!!! They were so good all week long. Sweet babes.

Awwww, Friday. A job well done by all. That means treats all around!