Lost, But Holding Hands

Last year for Thanksgiving we were enjoying the most magical place on Earth.  Knowing that we couldn't swing Disney, but that we want to keep up the tradition of a family getaway over Thanksgiving break- we began to look for more localized options.  If Disney is the most magical place on Earth, then Branson is the Disney of the Midwest (or at least of southwest Missouri). Generally speaking, I don't like ideas that aren't my own and I really  don't like spending money on things I hadn't planned. So imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail while at work from Tyler detailing a trip that he had planned without my consultation.  Yikes.  Panic ensued.  As my blood pressure decreased, my excitement increased.  I did some Branson research because, unlike 99.9% of Missourians- I had only been to Branson one other time and didn't know enough to adequately  judge the amount of excitement appropriate for this "vacation". Needless to say, just as any...

we were on our way to independence to visit costco and get some birthday party supplies. it was rush hour traffic time. daylight savings time was over and at 5:30 it was already pitch black. ryan was having a difficult time following directions and became...shall we say..."'physically active" in the backseat of the truck. of course, this meant we needed to pull over and wait for him to be safe. after getting himself together i waited and waited for some kind soul to let us back onto the highway. i'm sure people were annoyed about letting me in and probably didn't want to. but sometimes we pull over during rush hour. we got to costco with our unhappy customer in tow. he was hellbent on getting into that over-sized cart and "going to sleep". he informed me to "leave him alone" and proceeded to--butt in the air--roll over and "go to sleep." we got all kinds of looks which were, probably somewhat, well deserved. as i pushed around the g...

Ryan turned 8 at the beginning of the month.  8.  I still can't really believe it.  8 is almost half way to being a full-grown human.  INSANE. On Monday, Ryan and I celebrated just the two of us (daddy was out of town).  He wanted "chicken on the bone" so we went on a mommy-Ryan date to Strouds.  So. Good.  We ate until we wished we were wearing stretchy pants...maybe that was just me. Then pushed the fullness limits to enjoy awesome dirt-cup cupcakes for dessert.  I love a good challenge, especially when it comes to eating! This year, Tyler and I had lengthy debates about what we should do to celebrate Ryan's birthday.  We finally decided on tackling a friends party in addition to our traditional family party.  This was Ryan's third birthday with us, but the first time we were going to invite friends from school, the neighborhood, and sports.  Parties with friends make me nervous...would anyone come?  This was a huge l...

Ryan started basketball a couple weeks ago.  He's definitely got some talent and his height definitely helps.  This week he made two awesome baskets- unfortunately one in the wrong basket...oops!  I'm stepping outside of my comfort zone and coaching.  I have zero  basketball skills, but the teacher in me can keep things organized and moving along productively. We may not be able to shoot any better than when we started, but we can form a line and take turns with the best of them!

We love, love, LOVE  the zoo!  This past spring, we purchased a Friends of the Zoo pass and it has made the zoo wonderfully convenient and so much more relaxed.  Now, it doesn't matter if we only go for an hour or find ourselves in a sudden rain storm because the pass virtually paid for itself after the first few visits. This weekend we spent the afternoon with grandma and grandpa at the zoo.  It was such a fun day.  These pictures make me feel so blessed to see my mom and dad have such a positive and strong relationship with Ryan!

It's the most wonderful day of the year. Picture Day! Ryan wanted to wear his cowboy boots....badly.  So his outfit inspired from there.  While packing the house, I came across Tyler's childhood belt.  It fit Ryan PERFECTLY- divine intervention  Cowboy boots + old leather belt = picture day success.  How cute is this little man?!?

When I was in elementary school I went to Girl Scout Camp.  Once.  It was terrible.  I am fairly certain that numerous scouts go to camp every year and have a great time.  I wasn't one of them. Fast forward nearly two decades and I fell in love with....a camper.  Tyler grew up camping.  He loved being outside, sleeping in tents, and cooking over a fire.  The whole time we were dating and the first few years of our marriage I did the best I could to appease him.  It's not that I don't love nature.  I can appreciate awesome views, fresh air, and S'mores as much as anyone else.  What I don't like is bugs, cold, thunderstorms while tent camping AND the dreaded trip through Colorado when my husband surprised me with a solar shower.  Look it up.  Um, no. After we had Ryan, we began to rethink our camping plans.  It continued to be important to Tyler to spend time as a family camping.  I think it may have become even mor...