Earth Day Tree Planting!!

The kids got some free seedlings from Lowes for Earth Day.

We took them home and Daddy helped them with the planting.....

Now we get to watch them grow!!

Reading Glasses

I took the kids to the Dollar Store the other day and told them they could each pick out one thing. Anything they wanted.

Mayhem ensued. First Ryan wanted a balloon, then he wanted a puzzle, then he wanted a book, then he wanted a spatula.....

Jenna wanted a luau party sign, then she wanted some bubbles, then she wanted a pretend cell phone, then she wanted a ceramic figurine.....

finally....

Ryan settled on a toy truck and Jenna settled on a pair of reading glasses.

I said the glasses were fine but I would have to pop the lenses out cause I didn't want her to hurt her eyes. She was puzzled and asked me why they would hurt her eyes. I explained that they were "reading glasses" and had special lenses in them....for people who had trouble reading.

She looked at me with this confused look on her face and said....

"But I have trouble reading mom!"

LOVE this kid!

...and God Bless Madonna....

Both of the kids say their prayers every night. It starts off the same with the typical "Now I lay me down to sleep..." routine but Ryan likes to change it up with his "God Bless..." routine every night as he lists all the people in his life that he loves and wants to make sure God blesses. I usually lead him through most of it but tonight I decided to just let him run with it. Most of the people he lists are either friends at school or his teachers. When I lead him we also make sure to include his cousins, grandparents, aunts uncles, etc.... but this time I thought I'd just mostly see what he said on his own.




Did you get all that??? If not...I will (try to) interpret to the best of my ability....

Ryan: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. The angels watch me through the night, until I wake in morning light. God bless Ashton and Bella and Miss Charome, and Madonna (Miss Donna), and Miss Annie, and Adam, and Bella (think maybe someone has a little crush on Bella??), and Mommy's car is broken (well yes.....it is...), and my door's broken (huh??), and Mimi and Boppa, and Kylie....Kylie wasn't there...."

Mommy: "And who else?? Kye Kye and Poppy??"

Ryan: "Kylie is sick. Adam is sick too." (well lets stay away from them then...)

Mommy: "...and who else? God bless Poppy?"

Ryan: "Poppy and Kye Kye, and Nana Mary (all of a sudden he sounds like Forrest Gump), and Uncle Jim, and Grandma Elena, and Madison, and Mackenzie, and green, and purple, and red, and brown...." (the boy loves his colors!)

Mommy: "and Grandpa Jim?"

Ryan: "...and Grandpa Jim..."

Mommy: "and Mommy?" (shameless plug for Mommy!)

Ryan: "....and Mommy and....??? (no clue what he said here)...."

Mommy: "and Daddy and Jenna and everybody...Amen. Can you say Amen?"

Ryan: "Amen!"

....my sunshine!!!

This was the song I used to sing to her when she was a little baby....




Her FIRST music video!!!

....someday when she's rich and famous she'll thank me for this!!

Trip to Utah!

The day after Christmas we headed to Salt Lake City to spend some time with Jim's sister Elaine and her family. It was an insanely long drive (12 hours +/- each way) but the kids were TROOPERS!!! On the way there we stopped to stay the night in Las Vegas but on the way home (New Years Eve) we drove straight through since we knew staying over in Vegas would be extremely expensive and not really worth it with two little ones (it's not like Jim and I could go out and party!!).

Here are some random pictures from the trip!

Ryan is TWO!!!

We had Ryan's 2nd Birthday Bash at Bounce U. He LOVES this place and he (and everyone else) had a BLAST!!!

Here are some pictures of the fun that was had!

Here comes the Birthday Boy!!!!




Goofy Bradley!














Silly Brayden!

Sisters Delaney and Macie
Addison!


The Birthday Boy getting ready to slide down again with a group of friends and Bradley's Daddy Greg!


Cousin Elizabeth!

Cousin Marisa!


Ryan playing a little basketball...

Dave and Paul climbing up the big slide!


Madelyn!


Brayden and Addison doing some bouncing!

Macie attempting the spiderweb!

Julia just trying to figure things out...


Silly Mr. BradleyMadelyn with her daddy Randy (also Addison and Brayden's Daddy!)


Nana Mary and Mommy enjoying all the bouncing kiddos!

Mommy and Sara her BFF from Elementary School! Sara watched Ryan 3 days a week from the time he was 8 weeks old till he was almost 2!!

One of my other best friends Catherine and I.

We had no clue DJ was behind us...lurking...


DJ and Melissa


DJ and Jim. I can't even begin to tell you WHAT they were doing....


Cousin Mackenzie says "Socks? I don't need no stinkin socks!"

Poppy and Kye Kye had fun!

Another shot of Madelyn!
Let's get this party started! Brayden and Mackenzie sit with Birthday Boy Ryan waiting for some cupcakes and ice cream!


the cupcakes!


Lighting the candle!!

Everyone was singing to him...

Going after that cupcake!! Love the expression on Jenna's face.


mmmmm!!

Our family!

Mackenzie enjoying her cupcake!

His first taste of soda. That was a special birthday treat....won't be happening again for awhile buddy!

Silly man Brayden!

Darn crooked crown!


Bradley and Paul. Bradley is Sara's little boy and Ryan and he became very close during the years they were babysitting for us!

Jenna's pal Addison!

Cousins Madison and Jenna (can you see part of the sign I made in the background? It was a train that said "Happy 2nd Birthday Ryan")
Time for presents!!

A SLINKY DOG? NO WAY!!


And then Mommy had to go at it solo for a bit after Ryan lost interest in the gifts...





I might have gone a bit overboard in my role...

The big gift from Mommy and Daddy...a new bike!!

he would NOT sit still for a picture!

Poppy and Kye Kye with the Birthday Boy

Grandpa Jim with the Birthday Boy...

Nana Mary and the (fidgety) Birthday Boy...



The older girls eventually lost interest in the "baby stuff" and started playing with the iphones.

I take it as a sign of things to come.....*sigh*

My friend for over 30 years, her husband Keith and their little boy Chase...

Chase and Ryan checking out some of his new presents...


Brayden apparently found some cake on Ryan's cheek....

My attempt to get a quick picture of the Birthday Boy on the Birthday Throne.

He wasn't at all happy when I took his blankie away...

From this picture you can tell it was in site because he has his thumb in his mouth...


It was a FABULOUS DAY!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday RYAN!!!