All aboard, Polar Express...

After Ryder's birthday party we headed up to Williams for the Polar Express. Our friends the Thompson's and the Rayburn's were also there to share in the fun, and what fun it was! ! ! What a way to kick off the holiday season. Ryder loves trains so he was in little boy heaven. We started off the evening at the Polar Express stop. We met with Mrs.Claus, Ryder didn't really care for her, so no good pics of that! ! ! There was a little model train set up and Ryder really loved looking at that. He even got to write a letter to Santa saying what a good boy he has been and what he is hoping for this Christmas.

We had a GREAT time and plan to go back every year! ! !





Writing a letter to Santa!








Cookies! ! ! !




Looking at Santa and the reindeer in the Polar Express book






Ryder and his friends looking out the window at the North Pole!




In complete shock watching Santa walk down the aisle! ! !




Here comes Santa Claus




Ryder's Polar Express bell from Santa! !

A Special Day for a Special Boy!

Ryder celebrated his 2nd birthday this Saturday. It was great fun! Ryder's family and all of his bff's were there to help him party! ! ! ! He got lots of fun new toys, clothes and movies. He loved opening his presents and blowing out the candles on his birthday cake.

















So, so tired after a busy and fun day

14 Days

14 Days until Ryder is 2 years old...

I wasn't going to make a blog tonight, but something blogworthy happened. I was sitting on the recliner with Ryder in my lap. We were getting ready for bedtime looking at one of his books when he did the sweetest thing. He turned to me, gave me a big hug, laid his head on my chest and said "Lub (love) you Mommy." That just melted my heart. So I got out my camera and took some pics of my little sweetie so I could post this blog. He has said love you before but only with coaching from J or myself, so this is the first time he's said it all on his own.

Enjoy these pics. I think they're super cute! !

15 Days, 15 Days, 15 Days! ! !

ONLY 15 DAYS...Until my guy is 2 years old! ! !

We have our Sunday routine down...It's gym for mommy and childcenter for Ryder. It took Ryder approximately 3 months to get used to going into the gym childcenter and thank god that he loves it now! He used to scream, cry, and cling onto Jason and I when we dropped him off. The first month we were lucky if he lasted 30 minutes before we heard them paging us to come and get him. These days if he's having tons of fun, he cries when we come to get him.

Oh, about our Sunday routine....We go to the gym....After the gym we stop at Mcdonald's for a happy meal. Ryder now recognizes the golden arches and asks for fries when he spots them! Is that bad?! We take lunch to the park and eat outside and when Ryder is all done, we play! ! ! !



Chicken Nuggets! ! !



Fries! ! !



Chocolate Milk! ! !





Ready, Set, Go, Slide! ! !

Countdown is on....22 Days! ! ! !

OMG! OMG!! OMG!!! I can't believe that in only 22 days my little guy will be 2 years old! I guess that old saying is true: Time FLIES when your having FUN! ! ! !

Today was a fun kinda day. We went to the gym in the morning and Ryder played in the childcenter while Daddy and I worked out. After the gym we met up with our friends Mark, Michelle & Christine at the park for a little play time and some nuggets and fries for the kids. We came home and Ryder zonked out and took a nice long nap. After nap time was over we met up with Mark, Michelle & Christine at the park again to feed the duckies. I love family weekends spent with my guys! ! !

One more thing that was great about this weekend: the weather. It was a little cooler this morning so Ryder got to wear one of his long sleeved shirts from his fall/winter wardrobe. He's got tons of cute/cool stuff that I can't wait for him to wear.




Feeding the duckies with his friend Christine :)


This was Ryder last year, 22 days til his big 1 birthday! ! He was still a crawler! !

Little Trick or Treater! ! !

Halloween was so much FUN this year. We met up with friends at Radiant Church for trunk or treat. This event was so much fun, it was tailgating and trick or treating all in one. People went all out and decorated their cars, made spooky displays and there were all kinds of costumes. When we first got there Ryder didn't know where or what to look at first. He was really taking in all the sights. It didn't take him long to get into the trick or treating, though. Once he got his first piece of candy he was hooked. It was the cutest thing whenever a new person would put candy in his bucket he would look in the bucket, then at the person, then in the bucket again. He couldn't believe that these people were just giving him candy. At one point during the night I picked Ryder up thinking that he was pretty tired from all the walking. That didn't last long, he wiggled and said "mommy down!" I put him down and he held up his hand and said "bucket!" Another funny thing that happened was when a person dressed in a acary mask came by. Jason was holding Ryder and kinda moved him closer and closer to the scary mask. Once Ryder got too close for comfort he screamed "I'm SCARED! !" It was so cute and funny. Jason and I were both cracking up.



He's off and ready to go Trick or Treating! !




Walking to the next stop!




Lots of CANDY!




Ryder wasn't too sure about this spot. They had bloody heads and scary stuff.




Cutest Little Vampire!




His bucket is filling up!




Tired boy. He fell asleep on the way home. Look, he's even holding one of his treasures, a sucker!

Pumpkin patch

I took Ryder to Tolmachoff Farms pumpkin patch this past Saturday. I wanted to let him enjoy the festivities and pick out a little pumpkin for Halloween. I'm glad that I let him get that pumpkin. I went to Fry's on Sunday (Halloween Day) to get bigger pumpkins for J & I and they were completely sold out. Bummer, guess that's what happens when your a last minute shopper.

We met up with my sister, her husband and Jesse (Ryder's cousin). Ryder's friends Vaughn and Christine were there too! We went in the morning to beat the heat and it was a beautiful day. Ryder's favorite part, well of course the train. I couldn't keep him away from that train. He also LOVED the bounce house. It was so funny, he was jumping, running and falling (mostly falling), and even wrestling with another little boy about twice his size. By the time I got him out of there his hair was totally soaked he was sweating so much. Now I just need to convince Daddy to get Ryder a bounce house for his birthday party! !




Ryder and Jesse. The best pic I could get of 2 toddler boys!




Ryder laughing at those silly chickens :)




Riding the train all by himself. Such a BIG BOY!




Gave this little piggie a HI 5! !




Playing in the corn box with Christine. Notice the signs say "no throwing" and "keep corn in box" Well my little guy only wanted to throw the corn out of the box. Bad Boy!




Playing with cousin Jesse in the corn box




Ryder trying to be sneaky, setting the corn on the edge only so he could knock it to the ground.




Taking a wagon ride with his buddy Vaughn. Vaughn just turned 1!




Gave this little piggie a HUG! !