happy birthday 8 BRENDAN

Ryan wanted to wish Brendan a Happy Birthday so he typed he title and added all the pictures that he liked from the day. He's becoming quite computer literate.

Anyway, Happy Birthday to a very special boy, Brendan Ladd! You are a blessing to us.

More Baskets!

Ryan scored 4 baskets this week and is becoming quite a rebounder! We keep telling him to keep his hands up:) Ryan really enjoys being on the team and says his favorite thing about basketball is "shooting the baskets!" (Surprise.) "It is very fun!"

Papa Ralph and Grandma Ellen came to watch this week too. Tyler gets a little restless in the stands but it is so cute when you can hear him yell and cheer for Ryan. I think he's got a fan:)

Ryan Lost His First Tooth!

Friday, Ryan came home from school and announced that he had a loose tooth. Instantly, he chose an apple as a snack and preferred that I did not cut it up as I usually do. The kid was on a mission. He even asked his dad to tie a string to the door like daddy said he did when he was kid.

Soon enough, I turned around in the kitchen and heard a "pin" drop and a look of surprise and fear at the same time flooded Ryan's face. "I lost my tooth!" he announced. Sure enough, there it lay in the middle of the floor.

At 7:00 p.m., Ryan insisted on putting on his pajamas so that he could get to bed and be sure that the Tooth Fairy had a chance to stop by. We decorated an envelope (of the Lions football field, of course) so that the T -Fairy would be sure to have easy acess to the tooth and to better ensure that Ryan received some loot.

The next morning (Saturday at 5:00 a.m.) he ran to the door to discover his $5.00. Mom and Dad were sure to let him know what a special treat that must have been for his first tooth and also shared with him the fact that when we were kids, it was common to get a quarter.

"It feels so weird, mom!"

I didn't want it to happen:(

P.S. On the same day, Ryan brought home a report card that brought tears to our eyes. He has made alot of improvements in all areas but has excelled at reading. His teacher spends time with him daily reading stories as no one else in the class is quite at that level. She is impressed and proud of his reading accomplishment...and so are we.

Gingerbread Man

We had some fun making a Gingerbread Man Cake and a Gingerbread House cake with the boys. They love to make cupcakes and when we got this cute Wilton set for Christmas from Xander and Jessica, we knew we would have fun. The kids loved putting the juju beans on for decor and they dipped into their own candy stash, fruit by the foot, and rice crispy treats to add their own style. Fun times.

Bitty Basketball

Ryan is so excited to be playing Bitty Basketball through CCE at Miller Elementary. Here are some shots from the first game and Ryan scored 2 baskets! Way to Go Ryan!

Cookie Faces!!

We played another Minute to Win it Game where you had to use facial expressions to scoot a cookie down your face and into your mouth. There were alot of falling cookies...but believe me, they were still eaten:)

A Birthday Get Together!

So we had to cancel Ryan's Birthday party when he woke up on Dec. 31 and told us he wasn't feeling well and that we better cancel the party...at which point, he grabbed the garbage pail....

So we had a couple of celebrations. Uncle Rick and Aunt Amanda gave Ryan the amazing gift of a Lions Football Ticket and so we made the treck to Ford Field and enjoyed the day. Ryan was so excited.

The following weekend, we spent the day with the Ladd's and Granna Cathy at our house and had some fun eating, eating cake, and playing a few Minute to Win it Games. Ryan loved the cash, the Legos, the crafts, and the Hockey stick he received as gifts.

Lunch Bag Gratitude Album

I just put the finishing touches on my November projects and I love it. I found the kit on JessicaSprague.com and it made for a lot of creative cuteness.

I enjoyed it so much that I recommended it for a friend and helped her make a tribute to her Grams. I just sent it in the mail and can't wait to hear her response.

Happy New Year!

1-1-11

I didn't make it to midnight. I never do. Today we took down the last of the Christmas decor and we spent the afternoon watching Michigan football, playing games and updating this blog. Just thinking of the opportunity that lies in beginnings and hoping that 2011 is a good year. We may face challenges but if we stop to notice life and love, it will be a good year.

Happy 6th Birthday Ryan!

We had a party planned, but when Ryan woke me up at 5 a.m. with a fever and throwing up, we just had to cancel so our little one could heal and to protect our loved ones from the flu. Ryan slept all day and had several episodes. It is the sickest we've ever seen this kid and he paid the price. With some help from some Tylenol and Benedryl, Ryan was feeling a little better and asked if he could make his cake. He was really excited because we bought a golf hole and practice balls to make his "hole 6" Happy Birthday Cake! By the time it cooled, Ryan asked if he could frost the cake but found that he didn't have enough energy to stand.

Uncle Rick and family called and sang Happy Birthday to Ryan via speaker phone. It was the first that Ryan smiled all day and we are thankful for the kind call.

It was 7 p.m. before we finally got it done and lit some candles and sang in celebration of Ryan. He pepped up a little to open his gifts but still, he didn't want to eat cake. So...hopefully we'll get to celebrate soon with family and friends. Can't believe our Ryan is 6 already! It's sucks being sick, but I think it is just as hard to watch your child be sick:( Happy Birthday Buddy.

The Lights Before Christmas....but after Christmas!

We made it to the Toledo Zoo on December 30th. Things got too busy and too cold before Christmas and we weren't sure we would make it. I'm so glad we did as it is one of the best events of the year.

We went down to the zoo to see the lights but we went early enough to catch some animals too. It was truly enjoyable because alot of the animals that hide all summer were on the prowl trying to stay warm. It was a warm day and we had a blast. We saw the animals. Went to the acquarium, rode the outdoor carosel, rode the indoor carosel, saw the train exhibit, and went on a train ride. We even ate at the cafe. The zoo was nearly empty when we entered and was packed with a 2 mile line up down the highway to enter around 7 p.m. By that time, we had our fill and headed home. Lovely, Lovely.

Happy Birthday Jesus and Family!

We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus on our way to Homer and Grandma Ellen had a special surprise for Papa Ralph's 70th Birthday when we got there. We sang Happy Birthday to our loved ones who celebrate a birthday right around Christmas. The kids really thought this was fun! Happy Birthday Papa Ralph, Uncle Ray, Aunt Jennifer, and Ryan. (Grandma Vicki has a December birthday too and we celebrated her earlier in the week:)