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?