Halloween Fun

Ryan's School Costume Parade

Getting ready for Trick or Treating

Mario found a familiar face among the trick-or-treaters

No one loves a costume more than Chica!!

Mod Podge

Before I picked Ryan up from daycare on Friday I stopped by Michael's to pick up some new art supplies. The whole experience of Brave Girls Camp changed me, I feel like I have this new perspective on life and I learned that I really like crafting. Sooooo, off to Michael's I went and I left with Mod Podge (my new most favorite item), and a blank canvas. I also picked up a little wooden airplane that I thought would be a perfect project for Ryan, he loves to paint.

When I picked him up I told him we were gonna have some fun! We were going to do some arts and crafts.

Here he is painting his plane. He had fun, but I got him set up first and let him get started while I was laying all my stuff out. Due to the extreme volume of stuff we were sent home (from Brave Girls Camp) I was still laying my stuff out when he started to lose interest in my fun little activity.

See....it's alot of stuff!!

Greatest stuff ever!

Ryan insisted on taking a picture and I was pleased that he at least captured the Brave Girls logo.

We had fun, but like I said he was pretty much finished before I even got started. Then he played while I "Mod Podged". Occasionally he would run over and ask me, "Mom, are you almost done with Arts and Cracks?" I laughed so hard the first time he said it. Later, when Daddy got home, Ryan said "Daddy, look at Mommy's Arts and Cracks" Daddy laughed too.

I have corrected him, but I really love it when he says it that way. I guess it wouldn't be so funny if he was still saying that way when he's 12.

I want to finish this post by saying thank you to Melody and Kathy for creating such an amazing experience for all of us who attended. I really feel changed and I hope I can hold on to that feeling. So many of the other girls posted eloquent and beautiful entries about the camp and I second every last thing they said. AMAZING!! I truly loved every minute of it.

To the staff, otherwise known as the hardest working girls ever! Thank you for putting so much effort into making everything beyond amazing. And, doing it so happily. It was a joy to see you interact with each other.

To all my new Brave Girl friends - I miss you guys!!! Thanks for all the laughs, and tears, and shared experiences!

Now on to leading a "Life Uncommon"!

I am A Brave Girl....

I got back from Brave Girls Camp late late Sunday night, and then went to work early Monday morning. Needless to say I was pretty tired and didn't quite make it a full day. I spent the evening playing with Ryan. He said to me "Mom, I want to give you a kiss", so I bent down and he said I'm going to kiss you here and here, pointing to each cheek. It was so sweet. I really miss my sisters, and all my new Brave Girl Friends, but that was really nice to come home to. This is one of the MANY gifts we got at Brave Girls Camp. I put her on my bookshelf where I can see her easily and she will remind me to be brave. I feel so rejuvinated after our week.

I can't say enough Thanks to Kathy and Melody and the wonderful staff who pampered us at every opputunity. I felt so special.

http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/

Before and After...

So a couple of my sisters have said something about actually posting a picture of myself so they could see my weightloss success.

(Drumroll please.....)

This is me back in February

C took this tonight.

Now granted I haven't completely reached my goal I still have 6 lbs to go, but I am feeling pretty good about it. Monday, I went shopping for some new jeans and the ones I bought are 5 sizes smaller than pants I bought at the beginning of the year!

First trip to the Dentist

Ry finally made his first trip to the dentist. I admit we should have done this probably a year ago, but I just hate the dentist so much I was having a little trouble making him go. But, I know it's very important and he needed to go so we finally went. It was a great appointment. One of the reason I waited was because our insurance only covered us for one dentist in town, and he wasn't very kid friendly in my opinion. I was waiting to change insurance plans so I would have better choices. That turned out to be very smart, because the office we went to is GREAT with little kids. Our hygienist was amazing, she took her time, showing him each tool before she used it. He was so much braver than I thought he would be. He did everything she asked and was a total champ! All in all we got a great report, his teeth look really good.

Who looks more nervous in this pic, me or him?

What a champ!!

Winnie and SM's visit

Right after we got home from our trip to Seattle we were so excited to have Winnie and SM visit us. We took them to DC to see the "Rockets" at the Air and Space Museum. The day ended up being a little more of an adventure than we'd planned on. After wandering through the Museum we were walking down the sidewalk looking for a hot dog vendor when Ryan tripped and fell, splitting his knee open. It was a pretty nasty cut that sent us through the underground maze of the museum to the nurses station. Where it was suggested that he could use a stitch or two.

Unfortunately that took a back seat when we got back to the parking lot where we discovered my car had been stolen! Well, at least I thought it was. Turns out I'm just one of those people who can't remember where they parked. I don't think I've ever felt so stupid! The supervisor of the lot, a very smug gentleman, tried to convince me that "no car has ever been stolen from the lot", while driving me around the lot looking for my "stolen car"! And just as I had finally convinced him that my car was in fact stolen, we drove to the back corner of the lot near where I thought my car should be, I saw my car parked neatly just where I left it! In my defense this spot looked exactly like the spot I thought it should have been, and Winnie was in full agreement the whole time! Yep, that was embarrassing! After that 45 minute adventure and the 2 hour drive home Ryan's knee looked like it would survive with just some neosporin and Band-Aids. We decided that stitches would cause way more trauma than they would help. It's been a week since the accident and his knee looks good so I know we made the right decision.

Here are some pictures before all the excitement:

Winnie and SM on the metro

Ryan and the Rocket

Ry was very excited about this plane since it had his name on it!

SM and the Spaceman!

A couple of boys who didn't want to pose!

On Saturday we had some fun painting pottery and feeding the ducks and fish at the park. Don't tell Juju, but then we had Cheese Steak Sandwiches for lunch. Then we had to take them to the airport and say goodbye!

(I love SM's face in this one!)

We're so glad they could come and visit and hope they had fun!

Summer Vacation 2009

Ry and I had a great summer vacation! We had lots of fun visiting the family. So much fun in fact that I spent zero time taking any good pictures! Here are a few pictures....

Don't ever let me complain about flying anywhere with Ryan. He does so great! He just makes himself right at home!

It was really HOT when we got there so the boys spent a lot of time with the sprinkler under the trampoline.

The G family took us to the River for some Crawdad fishing. We had so much fun. Someone took a good picture of Ry "petting a crawdad, I think it was Linny (Can you send it to me please)

Then it back to JuJu's and Nana's!

We took the kids fishing. Ry caught 2 fish!

The three musketeers!

Sweet Linc! What a good baby!!

Cousins!