I love the luxury of getting to spend my lunch break with Ryder. It’s the perfect mid-day break and I can always count on getting a good laugh while I’m visiting. Today, I couldn’t help but laugh (and run back to my car to get my camera) when I walked inside to see Ryder sitting in a little tiny wagon, with Aunt Vicki pulling him around! 
share it with me steal it from me!
And that is what gets me through the rest of my day!! I love lunch time :-)
This is Ryder’s favorite game to play. Every room we go in there are certain things he points at and we tell him what they are. Until finally, the tables turn, and we can ask him where those things are and he will show us! So here is “Where’s The _____” Kitchen Edition!
The Flag, The Bees, The Bears, and Big Buck…all pictures of things we have hanging around the kitchen…and all things that Ryder has memorized! What a smart little guy.
**Mommies**
Who am I kidding, I can never stick to just one word when these Mama’s are involved! We had a Mom Date at Outback last night, and believe it or not, things are just as crazy when the kids aren’t there! So much fun, can’t wait to do it again soon :-)
Oh what a happy day, March 8th 2008, I would relive it over and over if I could.
I got to wear the most beautiful dress,
With support from friends who genuinely care,
And family who will never leave our side.
I got to walk down the aisle,
Make a commitment before God, and say “I do”,
To a man that will forever have my heart.
He is my solid rock, my best friend, the love of my life, and now the Father of my child.
I pray that Ryder will grow up to be this kind of Man, this kind of Father, this kind of Husband, and find this kind of Love.
Happy Anniversary Baby! 2 years down; Forever to go!!
Alan & I went away this weekend to celebrate our 2 yr wedding anniversary…we had such a great time! We stayed at a hotel in Kent Island, ate lots of delicious food, and went shopping at the outlets. More importantly than all that, we got to spend some quality time together and it was so very refreshing. This was the first time that I didn’t feel super anxious about leaving Ryder. He is so comfortable with my Mom, she stayed at our house so that he could be in his own environment, and they had a blast together! Knowing he would be completely taken care of, I was able to relax and focus on this time with my husband. And that I did :) But boyyyy did it feel good to come home and see this silly little guy:
Plus, I got my camera back, so we’re back in commission this week :-)
I left my camera at Grandma’s house on Sunday, so unfortunately I have absolutely no pictures of Ryder from this week (I’m sure he’s enjoying the break!). As I was scrolling through old pictures to see if there was anything I could post on the blog, the thought I definitely can’t post that one! came to my mind more than a few times. But you know what, there is no shame in my game, so I decided to go back and gather some of those not-so-perfect pictures and put them out there…
Like when we’re in line at the grocery store and I grab the closest thing that makes noise when you shake it and give it to Ryder to get him through those last 5 minutes…then realize its his new favorite toy and let him play with it every time we get in the car.
Or when Daddy gets a fake mustache from the bubble gum machine, we go home and put it on, along with a do-rag and try to take pictures of our little Mafia Man…who does NOT think we are funny!
It’s just wrong to keep snapping pictures when the poor baby is obviously upset…but sometimes his sad face is just so cute!
And it’s probably also wrong to hold Ryder for his entire nap, because I’m so anxious to play a game on PS3 that I just can’t wait the 2 minutes it would take to go lay him down.
Or how about this one, that I actually DID post on the blog without realizing I had my child outside, inside of an igloo, made of SNOW, with no sock on!!!
We interrupt One Word Wednesday to bring you…A Big Announcement!!
The National Kidney Foundation has asked us to be the honorary family at the 2010 Kidney Walk! This will involve Ryder’s story being featured on their website, in the media as the event gets closer, and him being present at the functions leading up to the event. We feel so honored that they have asked us, and of course are more than willing to take on this role. We’re excited to be able to share Ryder’s story, to show how thankful we are for the funds raised by NKF that help with research and education, and most importantly to glorify God in this opportunity we’ve been handed. Wow, isn’t it amazing how much He has blessed us in a situation that seemed so devastating at one time?!
So mark your calendars!! This year’s walk will be held on November 7th in Richmond, VA. I’ll be sure to let you know when our team page is set up and how you can Join or Donate to support Team Ryder and the National Kidney Foundation as the walk gets closer.
But for now, thanks for sharing in our excitement of this big news, and for being a part of Ryder’s life. He has such a huge light inside of him, may he always let it shine bright for the world to see!
