Thanksgiving

What a great day! Started Thanksgiving off by sleeping in a little & making up for the super early snuggle time I got with Ryder. Can't beat being spoiled by the hubster & catching up a bit on the much desired z's. I also got the chance to try a new recipe & made a scrumptious pumpkin bread that the boys & I enjoyed as an early snack.

We missed seeing our family this week but have been very productive & should be ready to re-list the house on Monday. We got the news late Tuesday that our buyer had backed out. After pushing the issue, he attempted to get financing set up & was denied which cancels the sale contract & leaves us a bit behind financially after canceling our lease contract. However, we are praying hard to see God's plan for us & that we are able to be patient as he unfolds that plan for us.

It's been a rough month but we're looking forward to December. I am officially a stay at home mom as of this month & used my first month away from work to get us ready for the move. Ryder will be at home with me starting next week & I hope I am able to keep him entertained (& teach him a few things along the way). Any tips & tricks are definitely welcome! I am hoping to get to the zoo & children's museum with him before #2 arrives (in addition to getting her nursery setup!).

Today, as always, we are thankful for our family & friends, our health & safety, a comfortable home & of course, our Lord. We don't always understand His ways, but we trust in His plan for us.

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!





A few pics to catch up on this month ...

Ryder & I went to the school/church Fall Festival at the beginning of the month. His favorite activity was chasing the chickens, duck & goose in the petting zoo area. We tried the bounce house, but Ry was NOT a fan of that. Once I got in with him he warmed up to it a bit, but I think we'll wait until next year to try it again.

Pics from the Notre Dame v Boston College game. Ry received this outfit from Grandpa (Ronquillo) and LOVES to wear it!

Belly check

A few picks of the belly ...

Catching up & the big reveal

With a crazy summer behind us, it's time to catch up a bit!

The big news this weekend is that I finally decided it was time to find out if I should plan for pink or blue in the new nursery. Sam has been toying with me since he found out a month ago & I was honestly convinced we were having a boy. We received the first offer on our house Friday night & continuing that high, Sam prepared a fun surprise for me. He handed over the bag-o-answers on Saturday morning & Ryder helped me open it.

#1 - the bag was blue
#2 - there was no indication of anything feminine

#3 - my husband is apparently a sneaky wrapping master!

When I opened the wrapped gift, I found a blue shirt, folded in half. I looked at Ryder & exclaimed - we have blue! But as I started opening the shirt to see what it said, I found a little surprise & Sam laughed and said, "No, we have pink!" Inside the shirt for Ryder, I found a little pink shirt!

Let the shopping begin!

Catching up on the summer ...

Ryder turned 1 on Sept 8 & we had a small family gathering at the house. We are so very blessed to have such wonderful family & enjoyed having everyone over for the afternoon. Ryder LOVED all the activity & having so many people to play with. He also got some wonderful gifts that he is thoroughly enjoying!

After we listed our house in Sept, we headed to Austin to visit Sam's sister & our wonderful nephews. We all headed to a new zoo outside of Bastrop for the boys to enjoy some up front encounters with many different types of animals. Highlights included a zebra, bats & a white tiger.

Fourth of July festivities

We just returned from another wonderful weekend with family in Leakey where we spent 5 fun filled days. After a 6 hour trip home, Ryder called it quits early (nearly fell asleep in his high chair) & will hopefully find comfort in being home & finally sleep through the night. He does not like sleeping away from home & instead tries to start a party every 2-3 hours. Thankfully, he loves his grandma & papa, Aunt Natalie & Uncle Josh (whom he seems to be kindred spirits with) which made it much easier for us to recover each day.

Ryder loved playing with his cousins all weekend & even got to meet his cousin Alex for the first time. Jaden & Brody have grown so much since the last time we saw them & are full of spunk. So many great laughs with them!

Ryder has turned out to be quite a water baby. Rather than spending time in his floatie, he much preferred "swimming" on his own. This of course was highly entertaining for me as his little legs were kicking as if he were bouncing & his arms were reaching out in front of him as he splashed, bringing him pure joy. Cutest thing ever!

Swimming with Grandma & Jaden



Ryder's favorite activity ... driving!




All of Great Grandma's men



The many faces of Brody "Bear"









Ryder is officially a "Happy Camper"



Ryder & Alex



Playing hide & go seek





Big news! Ryder took his first two steps this weekend on the back porch!! We're so proud of our little man & can't be more thankful that he didn't decide to make it his preferred mode of transport (I'm still not quite ready for that just yet).

Practicing with Aunt Natalie



Matching shirts were the theme of the weekend with us all choosing a color from the Old Navy Fourth of July selection. I also decided that Grandma's boys needed special matching shirts this weekend. They looked so cute! Here's a few of my favorite shots. These brothers rock!