just hanging out

Ryan getting ready for Christmas - taking time to check out the lights

Christmas is coming all too soon. We have been really busy trying to prepare for the season, but it never seems to fail...as much as I try to prepare, I always end up running around like crazy at the end.

Christmas is a little different this year - Mike's family is coming into town tomorrow and will be here until Sunday. So, we will open up our Christmas gifts in Birmingham this year. I have to say it is really nice having someone actually see our decorations. That has never happened before. ;)

These are just a few pics of Ryan from the last few days...

enjoy...

Daddy, what are you doing???

Let me see that ear...

Cool Computer!!

I found out they actually keep stuff in these cabinets... AWESOME...now I have a new game.

Bedtime hair...so cute!

Thanksgiving and Family

It has taken me a while to find the time and sit down to look through my Thanksgiving pictures. Mike and I got to spend the whole week at home...what a delight. Unlike years past, we didn't have to rush around the whole time we were there. We were able to see Mike's parents quite a few days and my parents. We got to see the whole family...finally...and we even got to see some friends. Thanksgiving was wonderful and Ryan LOVED seeing everyone. He is totally enthralled with people and especially kids/babies. So, he loved all the commotion that being around family can bring. We went to Rock hill on Monday and had our picture taken by a friend of mine, Hope Bray, from ADPi that moved to Charlotte the year before we moved away. So, it was great seeing her. I just wish that naptime would have worked out so we could have actually gone up to Charlotte to visit my old work and some of our friends up there that haven't met Ryan and we haven't met their babies. Maybe over Christmas we can make it work out. :)

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent working from home (Mike and I never have a vacation!!), shopping with mom and just helping get ready for the big day. Thursday was great - everyone in attendance...AND we even went to a movie!! Thanks Francie and Suzanne for going with us...it was fun. Friday - I think H#$* froze over because Mike Madden actually went out onto Harbison Blvd the day after Thanksgiving!! What a sweet husband!

Saturday - the big Game!! Thank goodness we didn't try to go...freezing temperatures, pouring rain, and a noon kick off...no thanks!! The Clemson Tigers pulled out in the very beginning to a nice looking victory...Mike and Dad - not pleased...again, good thing we didn't drive all the way up there...for his sake. I was happy as a clam.

Mom and I kept all the kids during the game because Beth had to work and Brian watched with Mike and Dad. It was a lot of fun. I haven't been around my nephews and niece in so long that it was great to hang out with them "all Day", as Bo would say.

Here are some pics from our week - sorry there are not too many from actual Thanksgiving day. Terrible on my part - definitely didn't document his first holiday very well. I will do better at Christmas!!

Our first day home Ryan learned to climb stairs - all by himself. No prompting. So, that is what we did for the next 6 days!!

Peek-a-Boo Daddy!

Ryan and Betsy - Ryan loves to push things now. He and Betsy thought it was hysterical!

Ryan learned to sit at a big boy table

Gigi and Ben

All the Girls - Kris -- we missed you!

Chattanooga, TN

We took our first day trip with Ryan this past weekend. We decided to take the 2 hour drive up to Chattanooga and visit the aquarium and Rock City. We got there just in time for Ryan to eat lunch and then spend 2 hours in the aquarium. It was really cool and Ryan got to see a lot of fish up close because of the HUGE tanks that span 3-4 floors. It was so neat. They had "petting" areas too where we were able to touch sting rays and sturgeon. The last 30 minutes Ryan was tired that he finally succumbed and fell asleep in his stroller.

Since it was only 2, we decided to head over to Lookout Mountain and Rock City. So fun!! Ryan LOVED going through all the caves and tunnels. He couldn't keep his hands off all the rocks and really liked the caves full of quartz walls. I am happy to say that our first excursion was a Huge Success!

Dedication

Ryan was dedicated this past Sunday at our church...along with about 15 other babies. :)

He did great and looked so sweet in his little white outfit. We woke up Sunday morning to the time change. Little one still hasn't gotten that straight in his head. His little body is still thinking that 6am is really 7am. Killing me!!

Anyway, we got up and I, thankfully, felt better. Everyone got dressed and we met at the church early to get a seat up front. The songs were great Sunday(I love the music at our church) and we headed up the aisle to go on stage at just the right time. As soon as we got up front, Ryan decided to spit up everywhere. Luckily, Mike and I were the only ones that could tell. Ryan was prayed over by the dedication and Mike and I made the commitment to lead Ryan down a path towards Christ. It was a great moment. After church the 7 of us headed to Grey House Grill for lunch. It was so good and Ryan did really well since he had 6 adults at the table to entertain him!

Here are the pics from Sunday...

Yesterday

Just thought I would post some pics from yesterday while I was trying to catch up with it all...

Ryan has really "discovered" Mike in the last few weeks. He cries when Mike leaves the room and LIGHTS up when Mike enters. He is so cute turbo crawling over to Mike to be picked up when he sees him. I know that it makes Mike's day...

Election Day

Well, the election didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped, but the day was pretty fun. It was beautiful here and Mike and I got to hang out for a little while with Ryan. We went to vote together and taught Ryan how to correctly fill out a ballot. :)

Mike then went with us to gym class so that he could really see what this was all about.

Loving the trampoline...

Ryan, the master driver. This was new this week and Ryan loved it.

At the end of the day we hung out outside in the grass with Beth and Jake. It was a good day.

Halloween...or lack thereof

ok, so as I said...our immune systems would be further tested and Mike would win. It started Monday with strep, then came the stomach bug for Ryan. My parents got into town on Friday afternoon about 4pm....well come 5pm I was out and down for the count. I now had the stomach virus. Even though I lysoled and cloroxed my house to death, it still got me. Mike hasn't gotten it yet so we are hoping that he is in the clear. So, that means that Halloween didn't happen. (at least for me.) Ryan didn't get to dress up in his costume (though we are going to try to make that happen this week), but he did get to go outside and help hand out candy. I heard that he had a blast. Here is a pic of him Friday afternoon before my parents arrived and I contracted the evil stomach bug!

sick again

Ok, so, Ryan went to school last Monday 10/27 feeling fine, but on the way there I heard from a friend who's daughter also attends and she said that she had gotten sick with a stomach bug over the weekend. hmmm, that doesn't sound good. So, I asked the teachers at Ryan's school...has anyone been sick with this, have you heard of the bug going around? I got a resounding negative on all the above and was told that noone had seen it or heard of it going around. Well, I will know better next time. Ryan wound up with the stomach bug on Wednesday night. Did I mention that I got sick with strep throat on Monday and that Mike has been gone since Sunday night?? AAAHHH...Mike got home and an hour later Ryan started throwing up. thank goodness he seemed to feel ok for the most part, but it sure did make me do a LOT of laundry!!

These pics are of us feeding Ryan pedialyte with a straw because he wouldn't take it any other way. What a HAM he is!