Goodbye 2008!

2008 was a busy year for our family!

Flipping back through the calendar it seems like we traveled more than I had remembered! Here are some of the highlights...

January - Jeff enjoyed a ski trip with friends.

February - I traveled to Paris for an amazing girlfriend getaway!
We also celebrated Julia's 1st birthday (and Jeff's 31st!)


March - Jeff and I traveled to Tepilitan, Mexico for a life-changing mission trip.

May - Happy 5th anniversary to us!
Welcome to this world, Baby Lucas! (Julia is excited about this, can you tell?)

June - We postponed our Disney trip on account of our nephew's arrival! When we asked Ryan about going to see Mickey at his castle, he said "Oh, I'd rather just watch him on tv." (What!?!)

July - We brought the kids on their first airplane flights to New York ("York City" as Ry calls it!) to visit Aunt Stacy and Grandma/pa who were there for the entire summer.

August - We took our annual trip to Norfolk Lake where we rent cabins and spend the week boating. (Did I not take pics of this trip!?!!)

September, October and November we visited the condo at the Lake of the Ozarks!

Other memories: ear infections (not a happy memory, but a big part of our lives - Julia has a double infection as I type this!), birthdays and more birthdays!, softball games and tennis leagues, gymnastics at the Y for Ryan, the Harrison family reunion, Julia takes her first steps, Mom&Me club events, Fusion (Metro's youth group), Jeff business trips mostly to Denver and Kansas City, swimming at the pool, mold and work on our brick, Julia starts preschool, NCCS walk, the kids meet Clifford, Day out with Thomas, the circus, the zoo and homecoming carnival, parades, Ryan wins a coloring contest, Grumpy's 90th birthday, my dad's 59 1/2 suprise birthday and the balloon glow.

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Ryan:

I can hardly believe that today you turn 4 years old!  I try and remember to tell you every single day how glad that I am God gave you to me. How happy I am that you get to be my little boy. And you know what you are constantly telling me when I say this?  "I'm a big boy, Mommy!" You are right...where has the time gone!?

I remember how excited (ok, and shocked) I was when I learned I was pregnant with you.  Daddy wanted to take the day off work to celebrate, but I insisted on "normalcy" that day, and we settled for a lunch date were we headed straight to Borders to read all about what was in store for the next 9 months while we waited for your precious arrival.  Your Daddy used this as prime opportunity to tease me about expanding bellies, stretch marks, swelling, etc.  I do think I got the last laugh here though, as during the first half of prenancy I was sick, sick, sick and actually lost weight! 

Your Daddy wasn't quite sure how to help during all the commotion!  He kept busy painstakingly painting your room (over and over and over until it was perfect) with a denim finish, a stripe and yet another color up on top just as we'd seen in a catalog, and running to KFC for mashed potatoes for me. It is hard to believe that the crib which was once yours is now your sisters, and that you have been in a "big boy bed" (with rails!) nearly 2 years now!  

Four years ago, at 6:06pm (with the help of some forceps!), our lives changed forever.  I'd like to say that our first moments together were  perfect, but honestly, when the nurse put you on my chest I told your Daddy to take you away fast because I thought I might vomit.  He did such a great job taking care of you while I tried to recover from the labor. I remember watching him 

hold you, walking around the room and bouncing ever so gently and being so thankful that at least it seemed like one of us maybe knew what we were doing!

New Year's 2005 will probably be my most memorable, as we welcomed in the new year still at the hospital together.  We drove home the next day probably the slowest your Daddy has ever driven, with his prized 8lb 6oz package snuggled in the back seat. When we arrived home, Daddy carried you in the kitchen and set your infant carrier on the table because we weren't sure where you "belonged" just yet.  Oh my, has that mind-set changed..it seems you "belong" everywhere here!!  Little did we know how much STUFF comes along with a baby (or a big boy!)!  

So here we are, 4 years later.  It is hard to remember what life was like before you were born. (Although I do think it involved a little more sleeping!)  One thing is for sure, I never knew I could love someone so much, or worry so much, or feel so much joy - at times all in the same 10 seconds!

Ryan, you have a ZEST for life I pray you never lose.  You love to dance and sing when you are happy, and you don't care who is watching. You are an influencer (and you really know how to work your grandmas, in particular!).  You show empathy for others.  At times you seem so aloof, and yet you know exactly everything happening around you. (Today you finished Glammie's adult conversation sentence when we didn't think you were even listening!).  You know just how to melt my heart (the other day you actually stroked my hair and said "I love you, Mommy. Let's talk!" ...ok, in full-disclosure here, you are very up for talking when it's bedtime..you know just how to prolong my walking out of your bedroom. HA) =).  You are fun-loving, easy-going, smart (your memory is amazing!), you love to play and have books read to you ("Tell me the words!", you request.) You are a charmer, and you are a boy everyone seems to LOVE!  

I'm so glad you're mine. (and daddy's!).

Happy Birthday, my big boy!

Love, Mommy

(From your 1st year photos - how you have grown!)

More Birthday Celebrating!

Grandma/pa Harriss and Uncle Patrick/Aunt Crystal were all sick (Yes, we might have given this to them on Christmas Eve..YIKES, Merry Christmas!) and unable to make Ryan's dance party, so they came over tonight to help our big 4 yr old celebrate!

Ryan's Dance Party

Today we celebrated Ryan's 4th birthday with a dance party.
He had a BLAST doing one of his
favorite things - dancing - with so many of
his family and friends!

We played around with goofy hats -
the disco balls were our party hats,
and some others at the studio!

Aunt Beth led the kids through the hokey pokey,
catch the train, follow the leader and freeze dances.
(Thank you, Aunt Beth for letting us use your studio and fun props!)

We danced ourselves silly!
(And got a nice cake sugar-high as well!)

Merry Christmas!

Santa Baby, Hurry Down the Chimney Tonight!

December 20, 2005 - Ryan is just shy of 1 yr old. This is his first visit with Santa. He was a bit apprehensive, but since this child usually knows no strangers, it all worked out.

December 2006
 2007 - Julia's 1st Santa visit,which did NOT go smoothly!
She was NOT a fan of Mr. Claus or his assistant!

November 30, 2008 - Julia is not thrilled.
Ryan wants to know why Santa has a stack of coloring books instead of trains and bikes.

December 13, 2008
Ryan (almost 4), Julia (22 mos), Tyler (23 mos), Glammie (29+holding)

Frightful 24 Hours

It has been a terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-night/day around here!  

I realized we were in trouble when Jeff says to me last night: "Uh, I think we'd better get the kids to bed ASAP before we are too weak to do so!" (Meaning, he was going downhill FAST, and I was already there).  

And then when I am laying in bed between runs to the bathroom thinking about who I could send to the hospital with poor dehydrated Julia via ambulance. (Aunt Amy, you were the winner...hope you would have been up for that?)

Things to be greatful for (It is SO time for the "glad game!"):

1) Ryan hasn't caught this awful bug.

2) Grateful for my love of buying pjs: Julia had enough clean ones to make it through this nightmare (so far)...even the hour she was changed 6 times!

3) Desitin really does help a bleeding bottom!

4)A sister who reacted FAST when I called in tears for help and who had Pedialite and Gatorade at my front door within 20 minutes! (And for mailing the remaining Christmas cards and Ryan's birthday invites too!)

5) The fact I am actually sitting up now and have a tiny appetite back!

Praying for a full recovery by tomorrow so we can keep our sanity and finish up all those last minute Christmas/Ryan birthday things we NEEDED to be doing!

Christmas Card Photo Bloopers

Does anyone else have the trouble we do here to try and get a good photo for the Christmas cards? Is it the ages of the kids? Why can I usually get great pics when they have chocolate smeared over their faces, crazy outfits covered in paint or whatever other art project we did that day and nonbrushed hair?

Nope, I am not going to hold my head upright. This is way more fun, and I LOVE the reaction I am getting from it. No M&M bribe is worth getting out of this position!

Forget the pictures. I am outta here..with the snacks.

I think they actually might be conspiring here against us. I'll stick out my tongue next and then when I finally stop, your turn. (Which is what happened in the following shots).

Ryan won't stop singing, and Julia just wants to run.
Looking at the camera? What a crazy idea!I think I'll just sit on my brother's head and liven up this photo shoot!I'm done!!!

Saturday evening we headed to Windsor for the Christmas service and then on to Chesterfield Mall. We visited Jeff's parents at their See's candy stand (not sure WHY I didn't get a pic of them in their cute outfits!) and then to a yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. When we visit this mall, Ry always requests multiple rides on the carousel...tonight he got that wish!

Jeff supervising the ride...we were a little leary of Julia's tummy being upset (notice she has already been changed into jammies due to explosive diaper!), but when he tried to take her out of this spinning cup, she screamed to get back in!

And another video of our shy little boy. HA.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

We decided to allow Ryan to have a tree in his room this year. (This is actually the one I had in my room growing up..you know, the tree you get to put all your "crazy" ornaments on so that mom could have her "pretty" one?) I promise this started out in the shape of a tree. But Ry sometimes moves the ornaments and beads around, and it's morphed shape a bit. But he's having fun with it! (The ornaments were a craft project one afternoon).

Last night my GREAT friend Emily offered to babysit the kids so we could have a "date night." (THANK YOU, EMILY!!) We stopped in Borders and I found this tree, and just KNEW it belonged in Julia's room. Don't you think?

Preschool Christmas Parties

Julia enjoys her party -- and the sprinkle and chocolate covered rice crispies! What more could a girl want?

Hanging with her friends. Her "boyfriend" Asher is seated to the right of her.

Ryan is excited to open his present from the gift exchange.

Charlie runs over to show Ryan what he got, and Ry shares his goods with Charlie.

Frosty Day

It's a "Frosty" kind of day here..not enough snow on the ground to actually make a snowman. (Unless you are my friend Melissa). But enough to get Julia excited to say "nnoooww! Look, Mommy - nnoowww!"

We decide to make pancakes that look like Frosty the Snowman for breakfast. Julia is eager, as usual, to help!

Ry is most excited about the chocolate chip eyes, nose and mouth on his "Frosty pancake"! (That's my boy!!)

Yumm!

My Grandma Schuette makes the BEST pancakes. I have tried and tried to duplicate these, and just haven't been able to do so. Today's treat actually came close, but still not the "real deal." Grandma puts Crisco (which I refuse to bring myself to do) in the bottom of a skillet heated to 350 degrees, and uses a box mix that you simply add water..and add water she does! This depression-era lady actually adds over twice as much water as the box calls for, so the pancakes are a beautiful runny thin, and perfect crispy on the edges (thank you, Crisco!). Well, I recently noticed that Smart Balance Omega came out with a blend of canola, soy & olive oils, and I tried that this AM...I think we are getting closer to pancakes like grandma!

Irony

Today I found myself in the tax assessor's office to appeal our taxes yet again. (Actually, to appeal the fact that they denied our last appeal..Merry Christmas to us. Grr!). As I am standing at the counter at the mercy of the very nice, albeit uninformed clerk, I glance down to see a mug full of these nail files. I had to laugh (it was that or cry and I thought the latter might be too embarrassing) at the appropriateness. I am not personally a nail biter, although I can imagine anyone who has a tendency for this habit would surely cave in this office. No worries, you might be paying over $6,000 in property taxes each year, but your lovely assessor will be providing you with a file for the nail biting this will lead to when they tell you "tough luck" as they remind you this number will change yet again next year, when the multiplier goes into effect. (Whatever that is!)
So, I will try and not remind myself of the fantastic vacation we could take as I write out that check, or the fact if we threw it into the college fund in another 14 years when Ry is ready to attend it might actually pay for a nice chunk of tuition $$!