Winter Wonderland

We've had a few major snowstorms this winter and I can't even begin to tell you how excited Rylan gets when he sees the snowflakes coming down. The first thing he wants to do when he gets up in the morning when there's snow on the ground is head outside for a day of sledding, snowman building, snow angle making, and hot cocoa drinking when it's time to come inside. He doesn't even care how cold it is, he just wants to be outside. We've also taken Ayla out a few times to play in the snow and she seems to love it just as much!

All bundled up and loving the snow!

We now have two little munchkins to pull in the sled.

Ry loves to catch snowflakes on his tongue. Yummy!

So happy getting to play in all this white, fluffy stuff!

Out of all the snow related activities Rylan enjoys, his favorite would have to be sledding; he would go all day if we let him. He's become quite the little dare devil, going down hills about twice as long and steep as the one in this video.

If Rylan were writing this post, I think he would end it by saying "Keep the snow coming! Bring it on!".

Giving Thanks

Every year around Thanksgiving I am reminded of how blessed I am. I have food on the table, clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and wonderful family and friends. What more could I ask for?

We spent Thanksgiving at my parents' house this year. They did an excellent job hosting, especially considering there were 17 of us there, 6 of them being young children. To say the least, it was a little crazy with all the noise and commotion, but it was a "fun" crazy. My parents are so patient with everyone and always make family gatherings so fun!

Me, Jenna, Jeff, Lisa, & Bre (my siblings)

Ayla's 1st Thanksgiving

We tried getting a picture of all six grand-kids, but this was the best we could do. There is always at least one who doesn't want to smile. It was actually quite hilarious trying to accomplish this task. All the picture-takers were yelling, "Look here, smile, say cheese!" while the kids looked at us like "Yeah right, let's just get this over with!".

Never a dull moment when all the girls get together!

Rylan just adores Uncle Jeff. They love to play together! Rylan especially loves it when Uncle Jeff flips him around in the air.

Ayla had big smiles for Auntie Lisa!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving with much to be thankful for!

Oh, what a life!

Oh, the life of a baby! No worries, no responsibility, no stress, no to-do lists. Just play time, sleepy time, and time for munchies! Ayla sure is living the good life! She is one happy baby, and she makes us pretty happy too!

She enjoys her cushy life by eating baby Mum Mums,

drinking from her sippy cup,

and taking a snooze in the high chair after a delicious meal. Wish I could do that!

She also enjoys hugs from brother Rylan.

Best buddies

Rylan loves to take pictures with Ayla. He often hugs her and says "Get the camera, Mom!".

Kisses from Daddy are a favorite too!

Hanging out in her entertainer is a super fun activity.

And, she gets to be dolled up by Mom for frequent photo shoots. Not too shabby, huh?

Our little princess

We are glad you are so happy Ayla! You make us happier than you can imagine!

Trick or Treat

Rylan is now at an age where he is really excited about holidays and all the activities and events that go along with it. Seeing him so excited makes it that much more fun for our family!

He loved helping us dig the seeds out of our pumpkins,

and helping us choose faces to carve.

This was Rylan's favorite pumpkin face. He loved the swirly eyes.

He also enjoyed dressing in Halloween gear, especially when Ayla wore her orange shirt and khaki pants too.

He was beyond stoked about trick-or-treating and was the cutest little pirate. Argh matey!

Ayla was the sweetest little bumblebee.

My two cuties!

We went to a friend's party on Halloween and it was so fun seeing all the little munchkins dressed up. Here I am with my friend Angie and little Nikolaus (Pooh Bear).

Rylan with his buddies Blake and Alexander.

Later that evening, my friend Jaime brought baby Tyler over to play. These two are only six days apart. So cute!

Happy Halloween!

Smurf

Rylan absolutely loves making holiday cookies, so for Halloween, we decided to make sugar cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles.

He is the best little helper in the kitchen!

Rylan A.K.A. Smurf
I was using food coloring to make different colored frosting. Rylan decided to grab the blue bottle and shove it in his mouth. It all happened so fast, there was nothing I could do. The lid popped off and blue food coloring was everywhere...all over his face and shirt. As you can see, his tongue turned blue, hence the name Smurf. I didn't think it would ever come off.

"Aren't I such a good pastry chef? I'm so proud of myself!"

And now for the best part about baking...eating (while sporting his new, blue mustache)!!!

FYI: If you or anyone you know ever encounters an accident with food coloring, shaving cream does the trick. Takes it right off!

Meeting Jan Brett

Jan Brett, a well known author of children's books, was recently in town. She had a book signing event promoting her new book, The Three Little Dassies. I am a huge fan of hers and just love her books (The Mitten, Gingerbread Baby, and many more) and was so excited to meet her in person!

Her new book is an African version of The Three Little Pigs. Her inspiration for the book came during her travels to Africa. She shared many stories about her trip and how the book all came together. She also gave an art lesson on how to draw a dassie. This picture shows the beginnings of the drawing.

And, here's the finished product. Jan Brett illustrates all her own books too. She is an amazing artist!

Rylan's cousins came to the book signing too.

Too busy watching everything to pose for a picture.

After waiting in line for almost two hours, we finally got our books signed by Jan Brett.
Well worth the wait!

I ♥ Rice Cereal

We started Ayla on rice cereal between five and six months old. She loves it! Ayla has never been one to whine or fuss, but she does do this cute little grunting noise to let you know she wants something. She will grunt to let me know if I'm not feeding her fast enough, or if I have to get up from the table to grab something. When she's hungry, she means business!

She likes to wind down her feeding time by sucking on her thumb. So cute!

And, sometimes a short little snooze to follow too.

Even big brother has enjoyed feeding his sister. He does a great job and Ayla loves it when Rylan helps out!

Bring on the veggies, fruits, and baby biscuits!

Birthday At The Pumpkin Patch

Rylan's birthday was mid-week this year, so we threw his party with family and friends the weekend before. So, to celebrate his actual birthday we had a family day at Green Bluff.

Rylan loved the white pumpkins.

He also loved riding in the pumpkin cart.

Ayla got to pick her own little pumpkin.

Ry tested them out before deciding which ones to get.

Lots of keepers.

Our sweet little pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.

Oink, oink!

Daddy, the locomotive engineer, taking Rylan for a ride.

Mommy made Rylan breakfast for dinner on his birthday, as requested. Sausage, eggs, and blueberry pancakes are his favorite.

His good buddy, Blake, and his family came over for birthday cake and ice cream.

Happy 3rd Birthday Rylan! These last three years have been the best of our lives! So glad God gave you to us!