Marathon posting again...

Maybe I should stop this blogging thing? I'm obviously not very regular. It goes hand in hand with any other "hobby" I start :). I stick with it for awhile... then months go by before I revisit it. Does that mean I have some disorder? or does it just mean I'm easily distracted with the rest of life? Regardless... if you are a regular visitor to our page.. see below for some pictures/updates of the last month or so. I'll keep adding to them tomorrow when Blogger lets me upload pictures :(!
Thanks for stopping by!

One Day at a Time

Thanks to Pa Paw Choo Choo, Ryan has this great magnetic calendar that we can personalize and build each month. Several months ago it was a challenge to get him to do it. Now he does it completely by himself and takes off the square each day. We are so proud of him and of all he grasps as an almost 5 year old. He gets the days of the week and the concept of time and months... and is counting down in his own mind to December 25... that is his favorite day... so he says for now:)!
In a sermon, last month we were challenged to fill our squares...meaning our days on the calendar...with meaningful, Kingdom purposes. I know that some days I wonder if I'm doing anything Kingdom worthy.. but then the knowledge and faith I see developing in this little guy... that is satisfaction enough for me. I'm so grateful to be his Mom.

Batman to the Rescue

Batman was it this year... We had a fun Halloween evening with some friends as we headed to our church's carnival and "Trunk or Treat" in the parking lot. On the way home, Ryan said this was the best Halloween ever. We then thought we'd hit our neighborhood. Third house into it some older kids, not from our neighborhood, wander by with blood oozing down their mask. That was it. Night over. Hysterical screaming from them on. Then the comments change to ... "this was the worst Halloween ever" and "are our walls strong enough to keep the scary kids out?"... thankfully we didn't have nightmares that woke us up in the night.


Target 90% off clearance... gotta love it. Now we have 3 super hero costumes. They will get some good use from this very imaginative kid. Here he poses as Robin with 2 of his friends sporting the other 2 costumes.

Grandparents Travel North

We were so happy to have my folks come up over Mom's fall break. We know the drive stinks, but we were glad they made it. We had fun just hanging out and playing at home together, eating out some and getting that pumpkin ready for Halloween. Here are just a few pictures from that late October weekend. I think the "southerners" were frozen from just a cool breeze, as we Minnesotans would call it :)!

Of course we had to take them to the good 'ole Spicer park, too. It was a cool day and the lake was a beautiful blue and the leaves were crunchy under our feet.

Have to throw a picture of us in here every now and then, too!

Ryan had been to the pumpkin patch at a farm about 30 miles away with his preschool class, so we opted not to make Grandma and Grandpa drive any more. Parking lot pumpkin picking is just as fun, huh?

If we are with Pa Paw Putty during pumpkin carving time, he does the drawing and then Steve does the carving... but here he takes the honorary official stab. Look out pumpkin!

PaPaw Putty takes on Ryan with some boy energy...

The True Judge

Well, I was so fortunate to be chosen to do my duty this month of October... JURY DUTY!! Yay! Actually, I've only been called in a few times, and no trials yet. They seem to settle while we wait or get rescheduled due to new evidence or various reasons. It's been more of an inconvenience making arrangements for the day for Ryan and then changing it all when I get to leave than it has been an interesting learning experience. But, the the first day as I'm taking him to someone's home...
"Mom, what's jury duty?"
Well, try to explain that in four-year-old terms. I did my best and said some things like it's where we help decide if someone(big people, usually) did somthing wrong and what their punishment should be.

"But, Mom, only God can punish big people... He's in charge." Oh, how true. Yes, we can do our best here for a better world, but God has the final say. I hope Ryan and we, too, will live each day by the True Judge's rules!

Posting Mania again...

When it rains, it pours. Below are more posts to get you up to date on our life the past few months... at least the moments in pictures that spur my memory! They are in chronological order going backwards :)! Maybe now going forward I can post more regularly! Enjoy...

1st Day-Preschool Year 2

Thursday, September 6th. Ryan would have started back in July...but the day did finally come. He was very excited to go back and see the same teachers, some of the same friends and some new ones. This year he will be one of the older kids... but I think that is going to be a good thing for him. We've been told already that he is doing SO well this year. Well then... how bad does that mean last year was? :) Serioiusly though, he has matured so much and does much better at following through with projects and listening. We're proud of our Preschooler!

The classic first day pose...

Posing by the "mailboxes"...we pick up our day's goodies here each afternoon.

Off to explore. There was no hesitation for Mom to leave this year, and sadly there wasn't much of that last year, either.
It's hard to believe that this time next year, we will have a Kindergartner!

Young at Heart

We headed, as I've mentioned in previous posts, to Grand Rapids over the Labor Day weekend. We helped some with Donna's condo and the other good excuse for that weekend was a "mini-reunion" at Pete and Cathy's with many of Steve's brothers, cousins and aunts.

My man...ready to ride :)! I think this was his nephew's helmet... and given Steve's big head (no hidden messages here) it left a large dent in his forehead for a day!

I am speed(or not)! Just ask Cathy... the pro :)! It helps if you can work the clutch before you get going, right?

Many of the gang camped out in the yard for the weekend. We, however, took our camping as far as it goes for us and stayed at Jim's plush campground... aka his home! Thanks Jim. Here's a look at the tent city and the "big boys" taking a break from the trails.

And Ryan's special friend for the day was "Buster" the caterpillar! He was very attached. Mom forgot to get him some water and the next morning he was rather dried up and not moving :(! We laugh, but it was a heartbreaking moment for our Ry-guy. It was just added emotions to the day as we were working at Grandma's where he was very upset to be without her. Missing Buster was just icing on the cake :(!

Water Boy

One weekend in August, when PaPaw Choo Choo was on his way home, we headed to the Cities to use a waterpark package we had bought at an auction. He was able to hang out with us there for the two nights before he travelled the rest of the way home. It was indoors and had a night time feel all day long. It was a good time...

The room had a special "cubby hole" room with bunk beds where the oldest and youngest in our family slept :)... Mom and Dad got the king size bed in the main area of the room.
Here he comes... Ryan made countless trips up and down this slide. He always seems to make friends easily too!

AAAAAAHHH... get a look in that mouth. That voice box gets lots of use these days :)! He usually doesn't stop talking unless asked to be quiet!

Here's our Venetian evening... right in Minneapolis!

Visitors

We were thankful to have family come to visit in August. It started with PaPaw Choo Choo (Steve's dad), then Uncle Matt and Aunt Erin (Anne's bro and sis-in-law) and our summer music missionary returned for a few days from Mexico. A good time was had with each of them. However, it seems the camera only came out for Grandpa's visit... I was slacking or something with the others :)!

Generations...this was a good shot of the 3 Wood guys watching an antique car parade.

And here are two peas in a pod... or maybe in playground equipment. We had to show Grandpa the new and impressive local park.

How fun... swinging... a sport for ages 70+ and under :)....
A little healthy competition with PaPaw...Tic Tac Toe anyone?

The telescope at grandpa's house has been a hit over the last few visits. So what does he show up with here? The telescope... we just have to keep explaining to our neighbors that we really aren't peeping Toms! Each morning while PaPaw was here, they had to "focus in" on some new object.
Great times. Great memories.

Penguin Party

In August, we were reminded of how much of a planner our little guy is. He and one of his friends like to plan their birthday parties months in advance. The latest idea was to have a Penguin Party, all because Steve told Ryan that he always wanted a penguin when he was little. So, we decided on Monday to have a Penguin Party on Tuesday night with our friends. It's amazing how much fun a last minute "party" can be. Steve even came up with some creative activities and a fancy invitation for our special friends :)!

Pin the bow tie on the penguin...

and Penguin cookies made from oreos, candy corn and M&M's... complete with a "Happy Feet" cake from Cub Foods! (Gotta love Ryan's PINK crown, huh?... compliments of his friend :)!!)

We're Still Here!

Yes... I've not made posting a priority the past few months... especially when I see some sites updated several times a week! I've uploaded some pictures from the last few months and will attempt to post them in some kind of chronological order. Check some of the previous posts and I'll attempt to get them all added this week :)!
Thanks for those of you who still check in despite our lack of activity!!
Hope your fall is off to a great start! (guess it's not here officially yet, but it feels like it here this week)

Thursday Nights

Ah yes... T-ball with 4 and 5 year olds... with only a few "practice nights" and only 4 "games"...what more can you expect, except for them to have fun. Fun it was. I think it was more amusing for the parents than the kids, at times. Here's a recap of how the games often went! He did well and he knew what to do, which is better than some of the kids :).....
Swing batter!
The sprinter..."I made it to home plate, but I'm more interested in the conversation I left back at 3rd base!""There goes the ball.... What do we do now?"(Ryan's in the middle with the blue hat)

Random

but had to share! Ryan still likes Buzz after all these months/years. He had the costume on and wanted to go on a bike ride... so yes, all the neighbors got to see him in full uniform, too. We got this "trailer" this past spring and it has been great for the longer bike rides. However he is a pro on his own little 2 wheels now! (yes, Steve's on my bike, but hey, the seat's more comfy than his and it's easier than moving the trailer to his bike!)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Another year celebrated in July....and some fun pics from that night. We had a nice dinner OUT, fun watching my boys play and soak each other (actually the littlest one was the wettest) and a "half" cake, complete with marshmallows... picked by Ry-guy. I got some nice gifts... one being a book to use at this :)....

Steve pulled a surprise on me at the end of May. When I came home from Bible Study I found this with a red bow on it! He had brought someone from work to move all our office furniture out of the room and the piano movers brought this in! No, we don't usually make major purchases with out consulting the other... but I'll let him off the hook on this one :)! We'd been shopping around for a few years and finally took the plunge. I'm nowhere close to mastering all the classical pieces again, but it is great to have a "release", especially on such a beautiful looking and sounding instrument! Maybe someday I'll start giving lessons again? In the meantime... I'm starting with Ryan and Steve!
To my boys...thanks for spoiling me on my birthday and always!

In Memory

It was a beautiful day in July and we had received a "baby" Colorado blue spruce after Mom/Grandma's funeral. Thanks Julia and Bill! We had another tree that wasn't making it... so we decided to replace it with this new one, in memory of Mom/Grandma. It was a precious site to see Ryan so wanting to help. He has not gone one day since April without talking about Grandma Donna. It's sometimes hard to see him have to process, what we as adults, are trying to still process, too. We've got lots of "reminders" of her that are wonderful to have, however, it's still tough to know we won't ever see her again on this side of Heaven.

Here's a pondering face, huh?

We were in Michigan over Labor Day trying to help a little as it was time to move and clean out Grandma's condo. We thought we should try to help some, as we hadn't been back since April. It was much harder on Ryan than we anticipated. He sobbed on the way to her condo, saying he hated that place because Grandma wasn't there anymore! Pretty intense emotions... yet we are thankful he was able to get some of those out. He hasn't shed one tear in the past 5 months...until that day. Grief is an interesting process... especially when walking through it with a little one, huh?

We miss you LOTS Mom and Grandma!

Look at me!

The highlight of the day a few weeks ago, July 19th to be exact, was learning to ride with only TWO wheels! Ryan had "wobbly" training wheels and we were noticing him be able to balance with them off the ground a little. So Thursday morning I said... let's take them off! The video below shows him after just about 45 minutes. He is much more stable a week later, of course, and starting and making turns with lots of confidence. And he thinks he's hot stuff now! So do we, if you can't tell! By the way... his "bye" at the end is in his "baby talk" that he thinks he has to do everytime the camera is on. He watched some old videos of himself and thinks it's funny to try to duplicate how he sounded at 18 months!

I hope the video works for you. Just double click on the play button. We're just experimenting thanks to a friend's blog... I'm copying:)! We'll have to try more of these if it works!



And here's some advice from the expert, too :)!

Blessings

I received the following email from a friend (Thanks, Lori!) and it was just at the right time last week. I was "crying over spilled milk" in many situations that week. This was a great reminder to focus on the innumerable blessings in my life and the different shapes and forms in which they come and to never forget God is always with me....

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The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang.

But, the man did not hear.

So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And a life was born.
But, the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here."

Where upon, God reached down and touched the man.
But, the man brushed the butterfly away, and walked on.

I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted ... Even in our electronic age. So I would like to add one more:

The man cried, "God, I need your help!" And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.But, the man deleted it and continued crying.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

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So whether it's a beautiful sunrise on a cold Minnesota morning or ...

a beautiful sunset in balmy Jamaica,

Either way it's packaged, I'm going to work at praising God for all the wonderful blessings He's provided and forgetting about the milk that's spilled... actually, I'll be thankful that I have milk to spill!

10 years ago...

On a Friday evening, 10 years ago tonight (July 18, 1997) Steve and I met in person for the very first time.... only God knew the "rest of the story"!... On Lake Webster in northern Indiana....brother Jim, the Perkins and Webb families there for moral support... which Steve probably needs more now after ten years than he did that day!!! And did you really know what you were getting us into, Cyn and Becky? :) Thanks for your persistence and thanks to God for His guiding hand.

And what made tonight even more special...Steve was the one to "remember" :) and I probably let him down for not ! What a loser I was today... so here's my attempt to "make up" for my lack of sentiment!

I love you, Steve!! Here's to many more decades together!

No worries, "mon"!

but no pictures either... I give up. I've tried for a week to post some pics from our trip the first week of July. Fabulous time just being together and relaxing! And as much as we love our little Ry-guy, it was good to just have some "peaceful" time alone :) Thanks McCarty's for giving Ryan a fun week... he didn't miss us at all he says!

So... here's what I did get to upload! Exciting, huh?

The view from our balcony in the morning...gorgeous and sooo peaceful.

Some wonderfully displayed food and a handsome guy that can't keep his eyes open with a flash :)!

I'll keep trying to post some others?

summer fun

Just a few random shots from the past month....June has been more structured with swimming lessons, theatre class, soccer camp, and t-ball. But we still had time for fun times at home with family and friends.....

and some good corn on the cob.

This was a first for Ryan to eat it right off the cob!

A good pose for Father's Day.....

The soccer "First Kicks"crew....

And "Goal"!!!!

Go team Go.... the coaches were from Oxford, England doing "British Soccer Camps" around the US this summer. Ryan's was just one week.

This is his "just scored" pose.....

Fun in the sun and water with buddy, Lukas, from preschool...

Hope you are enjoying the warm weather!