What I am thankful for...

The Holiday has passed I know, but I still want to take a moment of time and jot down some of the things that I am thankful for. As always I am thankful for my family, both the one I was born to and the one that I have created. I know that might surprise a few of you out there, but I am thankful that they are mine. I am thankful for the numerous prayers that were answered this year. The ones that were answered with a yes and the ones that were answered with a no, both have brought many more opportunities and blessings to our family. I am ever thankful for another year with my Grandma Barbara, she touches my heart every time we talk. She is who I aspire to be like. (And I am so far from it.) My children are of course my biggest blessing and even though I constantly joke about them, I love them more than anything else. I would be lost without them, and I am thankful when I chose to 'party' the rest of my life away God had another plan in store for me. My husband is my best friend and I love him. He has made our life his biggest 'project' and I am thankful that he works on it everyday. I truly am blessed and I hope that I can always remember to feel thankful for my life and family even during the difficult times as well as when times are good. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that we can always remember that......it is an American holiday! ;) (had to throw that in there...my exchange students are always getting asked if they celebrate Thanksgiving!!)

Attention All Associates....We have a Code ADAM!

OK....So taking Ryann anywhere has become quite the ordeal, but as a parent you HAVE to expose your kids to things so that eventually they will get use to it...Right?! Me, I am taking the stay home until you are the age 5, maybe even 6 before we venture into public again! I am not a huge fan of browsing when I shop...I am a direct right to the point kind, so looking back and forth or wandering around stores drives me crazy (and trust me at this point, that is a real short drive!). Lewis, my hubby, loves to take his time and get lost looking at ever gadget imaginable. UGH! That is a disaster waiting to happen. This weekend, we went to the Utah vs. BYU game. My dad, Lewis, Luca, Wesley and my brother's two boys all went to the game while my mom and I went to some fabric stores. Yeah....mistake #1. Ryann in a store with all these little sewing things and material. She decided to show us her new ability to play an excellent game of hide and seek. Well after about 5 minutes, we find her under a rack with material all over it. She wasn't making a sound and watched us run past her about 5 times! Well, that was a small store. Armed with this new info about my daughter's love for her new game, I told the rest that we need to keep a sharp eye on her. Even though my mother reminded me about a million times to bring the leash (which is this harness that a British friend of mine borrowed me), I forgot it! Mistake #2 In the mall the next day waiting for the shops to open. Luca was in charge of her, and let her slip under a gate which was up about a foot and tried to coax her back out. Then we come to MISTAKE #3.....taking Ryann into the store with Lewis trying to show me something that he wants to buy. Ryann quickly took advantage of this moment where Lewis and I were looking at something, and Luca was distracted by all the sales going on. So I turn around and ask, Where is Ryann??? Only to find the other two shrugging and saying "I Don't Know"......OMG! I start to look under all the tables and displays, because after the day before I know what she is capable of. Lewis and Luca wander around like lost sheep, and soon the store employees are involved. I hear the dreaded, "Attention All Associates, We have a code Adam, two year old little girl with blonde curly hair." YEP....That's my little girl! JCPenny's has alot of hiding places.....I was in straight panic! Then I hear a lady saying...."Are you the little girl they are looking for?" I run over there and there is Ryann sitting under a shoe rack just a smiling away.....she sees me and says, "I found you" I swear I will be licking the paint off the walls before raising this girl is all over with!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't even keep up....

Ryann has had a very busy week, not to mention that it has been a holiday week too with the other kids being out of school for 3 extra days!!!! Oh what fun it has been. If you have any questions about what I do all day, just look at these pics :) I did add one pic to show that she CAN be good.....but you all have to pic which one it is ;)

A Day in the Life of Ryann.

My daughter cannot keep out of the cement in the garage. My husband has been working all summer on pouring cement around our property and Ryann thinks that she MUST help him. Well she also must think that cement is soft and fun to pour on everything! If she manages to keep it from getting wet...she might be able to keep herself from turning into a statue! Notice the nice arm sleeve tattoo going on....she had just gotten in trouble about 15 min. before the cement for getting into Luca's room and using the dry erase marker. Which only made the day seem even longer since she had started out by stabbing the bananas with a steak knife....HEAVEN help me!!!!

Miss Maria

Today I got some sad news. Maria, my exchange student from last year, was in an accident. I haven't gotten all the details from her, but her mom sent me a message that she fractured her pelvis in an ATV accident. She had surgery and is expected to be released from the hospital in a week. Hearing such news has made me miss her and I hope that she has a quick recovery and is as good as new. So this post is just to let her know that we are still thinking of her. We miss you Maria :)

Death of a Purple Dinosaur

When I was.....eh hum.....younger, I had always heard of parents complaining about the lame TV programming that they subjected their kids to daily. Mainly BARNEY always come to mind, and following him were the Teletubbies. What moron came up with these? That was what I use to ask myself. When Wes was younger he went to daycare and I now know that I really missed out on ALOT. So present day I have found myself subjected to such wonderful programming as Wow Wow Wubbzy and Yo Gabba Gabba. I guess I might just have to go retro and get Sesame Street....I mean that is what I watched and I turned out pretty good...Right? Just as long as the program for the day isn't brought to us by the letter F and U.....I think I'll be OK! Ryann really picks up quickly on the naughty stuff ;)

The Devil with Curly hair :)

This is Luca's suggestion for Ryann's new nickname :P I guess it is still a work in progress.