Day 90 / 365 - No Pictures Please

I can't complain, he is always so willing to put up with the camera. Today... not so much! He didn't want anything to do with it and would hide his face whenever he could!

Day 89 / 365 - Side By Side

This weekend was nothing short of amazing. The bond I have with my four sisters is like no other and it continues to grow stronger and stronger through the years. Yesterday we went a bit out of our comfort zone and dipped our toes in on the wild side. ;) In life we have had some pretty significant challenges that we have had to overcome together. I like to think we have always accomplished this with dignity and grace. We will continue to face life's amazing blessings and challenges side by side, always together. I love you girls so unbelievably much!

Day 88 / 365 - 4 Amazing Women

Let me introduce you to four amazing women. These four girls have been through a lot of ups and downs in life. Life has not always been a consistent happy life for them. Life has not always been easy or even full of trust. These are my sisters. I am so incredibly lucky to know them, even luckier to be best friends with them. It is not uncommon to talk to them one to three times a day. They are successful, happy, cheerful, kind, funny, smart, witty, and unbelievably gorgeous. We are all so crazy different but at the same time so much alike. We went on a shopping trip to Chicago this weekend and giggled as we all pulled our outfits out and they were unplanned but the same. These girls make me who I am, they tell me like it is. It doesn't matter if I like it or want to hear it. When I need them they know exactly what to say to make me feel better. They know me better than anyone else I know. When I am with them... I am me. This weekend was a reminder of how much I need them and how unbelievably fortunate I am to have them in my life.

Day 87 / 365 - Sisters

In life I am very blessed. I have a wonderful husband, an amazing child, and a wonderful family. Even my in-laws are amazing. One of the most perfect parts of my life is how many siblings I have. I have four beautiful sisters and two great brothers. This weekend we planned a sister's trip and it is nothing short of perfect. We talk the same, we look the same, we laugh all the time, we tease each other and tell each other how beautiful we look. There is no better feeling than when someone walks up to us and says, "you guys have got to be sisters". Yep we are and I am blessed to be their sister.

Day 86 / 365 - My View

This is my view from inside the shower. As many moms know there is not much time to yourself after you have a baby. Showers are no exception. He plays right outside the door and talks to me and sings me songs. I love it and love when I open the door and he looks at me and says, "all done mom??"

Day 85 / 365 - Giggles for Daddy

When he woke up from nap today he was not ready to get up and was not happy about it. In fact everything was making him upset. Then daddy came home. He was all smiles and giggles the rest of the night. I love these two.

Day 84 / 365 - Children's Museum

Today we decided to conquer the spring break crowd and hang out at the Children's Museum. Aunt Amy was a trooper and played the whole time. For anyone that knows my son knows that he is not huge on crowds of people. He did really well today and walked around on his own. #itsthelittlethings

Day 83 / 365 - Jammie Day

Thankful for a job that lets me have these breaks with this little guy. Love watching him and enjoying how perfect he is.

Day 82 / 365 - Enjoying Company

There is really nothing better than having a sister here for a week. Of course I miss family on a daily basis but when I have a sister is here I feel complete. There are so many things I love about having a sister. One of my favorite things - it doesn't matter how large the couch or chair, when a sister sits down on the same couch there is no space in between the two of you. If the couch was 10 feet long you would only take up about 2 feet. Thankful for my family and that I am blessed with such wonderful siblings.

Day 81 / 365 - "Hi Aunt Amy"

Aunt Amy is here and Ryder and mom couldn't be more excited about it! This morning we both walked into his room to get him up and my hug was quickly bypassed and given to aunt Amy. Today he will be playing something and then he stops everything yells out, "hi Aunt Amy" and runs to hug her. No one gets me like my sisters do and it feels amazing when they are under the same room, not to mention I will be spending 9 whole days with her! <3 Love you Aunt Amy.

Day 80 / 365 - Breath of Fresh Air

We made it. What a perfect night to kick off spring break. Being outside in the woods brings me a sense of calm that I can not feel anywhere else. Add in a body of water and I am in absolute heaven and awe of the beauty god surrounds us with. I love sharing this with my little man and tonight we were just out there enjoying the silence. He threw rocks into the water and I sat and watched and enjoyed the view around me. A simple reminder of how blessed I am to be apart of this wonderful world.

Day 79 / 365 - Balance Beam Fun

Please don't be fooled, yes we wear the big boy pants around. No we are not getting any further on potty training... However our balance is improving. Does that count for something???

Day 78 / 365 - Still trying to figure you out.

 It is amazing having a toddler and the littlest of things can create hours of entertainment and then something you think will keep them completely entertained ends up being a fail. The buttons were a fail. I showed him so many different ways to play with them, but he insisted on laying in them and then throwing them. Not what I had planned. But something like tissue paper keeps you entertained for 45 minutes. #idontgetit

Day 77 / 365 - Mycaphone

These days my makeup brushes seem to be all over the house, never of course where I left them. Whether they are being used as "mycafones", drumsticks, dusters{that one is my favorite... not}, face brushes, or dog chasers. I have no idea what he was doing with them tonight, he walked around with them on his ears and then would tell me how much it "ickles". Such a ham. Who would have thought being a mother to a little boy I would have been searching the house for my makeup brushes!!

Day 76 / 365 - Waiting for Daddy

Daddy is on a business trip and I guess mom is just not cutting it. He was waiting and talking about daddy coming home. "Ryder where is Daddy at?"  His response, "Daddy on airplane".

Day 75 / 365 - Grandma Is Coming

"Grandma is coming, Grandma is coming" was the theme through our week as we waited. It has been a long couple of months not seeing family. This little guy was so pumped up about Grandma coming to visit. When she got here he yelled, "Grandma is in Ryda's house" Although his mood was a little off this weekend we are blaming it on him being sick he loved every minute of it. He loves to play with Grandma and loves to show her all of his toys. He impressed her with his singing voice and brought back out his scare tactics. We love you Grandma and can't wait to see you again.

Day 74 / 365 - Cousins

 We do not get to see family often, but when we do get to see them it makes that time so amazingly special. Meet cousin Kati. She is a wonderful, matured little lady who loves her tiny little cousin Ryder. She will play with him for hours and even when he is being ornery she laughs. She loves him and he loves her. It does not matter if there are months in between, she picks up right where she left off. Kati you are an amazing neice, I am blessed to have you in my family. I love that even though you are so much older than my little man, you will play whatever he wants to play. Love you.

Day 73 / 365 - Big Boy Pants

We continue our journey to potty train. We continue to play the waiting game and have moved into big boy pants at home in hopes of him finding a connection between what needs to happen. Only problem ... he seems to understand the concept of holding it.

Day 72 / 365 - Our little Phil Mickelson

He may not be the most coordinated two year old on the block, but he has found a new love in "crushing". These days he seems to carry a golf club with him everywhere. He loves to hit balls and yell "crushed it".

Day 71 / 365 - Unexpected Snow Day

It may be March and we may be going to school until June 2nd but I do not care one bit. If we were going back on Monday we might as well go back on Tuesday right. ;)) (my teacher friends are hating me right now) these days are so nice, I love the unexpected moments to hang out with him and enjoy how much he is growing and learning. He may be growing out of his toddler stage and moving towards the kid stage but he still loves the things that have been there along the way, like his constant love of Nemo. He doesn't watch the movie as much anymore but he still sleeps right next to him every night.

Day 70 / 365 - Long Day

It was a long day at work with parent teacher conferences, but I came home to this little man in the bath tub. Daddy showed him how to say his full name tonight and it might be one of the cutest things I have ever heard.

Day 69 / 365 - Muddy Shoes

I don't know what I love more in this picture the boy with the muddy shoes or watching him get so excited to watch trucks and buses go by. We came out of hibernation tonight to enjoy this short burst of warmer weather. We went to the park for a bit. He didn't want anything to do with the swings or slides, he wanted ot climb the bleachers and sit on this giant rock and watch for a bus.  In this shot he was giving his best rendition of "Wheels on the Bus" as this point the driver was "moving on back". :))

Day 68 / 365 - Breakfast

I love my weekend mornings with you.   I enjoy getting up and singing songs and watching you eat breakfast while I sip on my morning coffee. It will be a memory I cherish forever. It may only happen two days a week, but my dear they are my best memories of the week.

Day 67 / 365 - Make a Choo Choo

Anything that he lines up in a row is called a choo-choo train and anything that he stacks up on top of each other is called a snowman. He looks a bit silly to some I am sure when he stacks three baskets on top of each other and yells for me to come and look at his snowman. Or when he lines up my k-cups on the kitchen floor and starts making choo choo sounds, but I love it and love watching him use his imagination.

Day 66 / 365 - Turtle Love

He is still madly in love with his "baby turtle" walked in to find giggles and baby turtle on his belly going up and down, up and down. 

Day 65 / 365 - You've Got Mail

This is a phrase I say quite frequently around here. In fact the second he sees me walk in with a package he lights up. Today this surprise was from grandma and he screamed and ran into the room. Today it was a new movie and even better BUBBLE WRAP! He drove his trucks on it, laid it out and ran across it, he wrapped it around his waste, and pressed the bubbles in between his two fingers and laughed when it popped. Thank you for our entertainment tonight grandma and for thinking of us.

Day 64 / 365 - Wheels on the Bus

It doesn't seem to get old, to one of us anyways. He has been very tired this week after daycare and loves to listen to the Wheels on the Bus on my phone. Today after we got him he went and pulled his blankets out of bed and crawled up to the couch and I heard this, "Mom, bus on fone". As much as the song drives me absolutely crazy, hearing him say "move on back" never gets old.

Day 63 / 365 - "Mom I a Baby"

He is a tad obsessed with babies right now. I do not want to hear one comment about it being time for another. He asks me to wrap him up like a baby and then he cries like one and I pick him up. Then he jumps out of the swaddle and says, "Mom I big boy!!"

Day 62 / 365 - Our Favorite Reads

I thought it was important to document our favorite stories right now. You are on a Duck & Goose kick and I love it, and I know your Aunt Amy will too. :) I love the way you know all the words to Duck & Goose Here Comes the Easter Bunny. I love the way you crack up laughing every time I shake the bed when the Big Hungry Bear comes tromping through the forest to find his red ripe strawberry and then I "sniff sniff sniff" your neck and you explode in laughter each time. My amazing grandpa used to read that book to me and he always went all out at that part and it got me every time. I get so much joy at continuing the tradition of him through this story. I know he is up there laughing at us too.

Day 61 / 365 - Wating

Another snowstorm is headed our way and we are waiting. He woke up this morning and noticed more snow on the ground. "mom, sssnow".  I have really tried to take on a positive attitude this winter to ward off the winter blues I was having. The winter can be long enough without focusing on the negatives. I have been holding true to my promise to myself to stay positive and enjoying our hibernation days. Some days I have to breathe deep and daydream about creek days and grilling out. But for now I will enjoy these moments of playing inside with you and watching movies.

Day 60 / 365 - I Love Saturdays

This morning you said, "mom no Shirleys, play momee" Yes my boy I think I can work it out that on this Saturday you do not go to daycare and I will stay home with you.