The Longfellow Evening Post...

Bradley's Days

2012-01-14T20:18:00.001-05:00

I know, Bradley's Days was hack in november but the pics are still on my phone and any effort I make to publish to my blog should be acknowledged, right? So here goes...

Bradley's Days was great and we went down the huge slide and ate several Bradley's sausage dogs (each), but we had an especially good time watching Ryan get her face painted and watching Brittyn Gray ride the train and try to dance in her cart to the music!!! They were pretty cute and seemed to have a good time. I've got pics to prove it ;).

Slide!!!

2012-01-04T10:34:00.001-05:00

We went to Bradley's days a few weeks ago, so much fun!!! All the bradley sausage and carnival food we could eat!!! Of course, Ryan and Brittyn found things to play on so Jaren and I took them down the bouncy slide. So much fun, I'm sure I had more fun than either of them had!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Project Christmas 2011...

2011-11-26T16:17:00.001-05:00

I was late putting up my Christmas tree this year, even later blogging about it. I usually put it up on General Conference weekend (hey, I gotta stay awake somehow ;)) but this year I didn't get it put up till November. I know I'm late but it's finally up. This year we had a new helper, Brittyn was old enough to participate. She and Ryan were steady giving Joe and I the pieces of the tree and they are continuing to help even now by rearranging my ornaments!!! Thankfully, most of the breakable ornaments are close to the top ;). And now that Thanksgiving is over, it doesn't look so out of place seeing the tree lit up in my window. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

*MSL*

Go long!!!

2011-11-26T11:19:00.001-05:00

Brittyn is one busy lady. At Helaman's party she wasn't only dancing but she was also playing football with BB! She was having so much fun throwing the football with her Uncle Brian and he was being such a good sport helping her. She even finally caught a pass!!! Go team Brittyn!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Footloose!!!

2011-11-26T10:52:00.001-05:00

So we are finding out little by little that Brittyn LOVES TO DANCE!!! Not only that, but she's even got her own signature moves!!! We were at Helaman's birthday party a few weeks ago and they had some music going. So Brittyn decided to show the folks her moves. She enjoyed all the attention she didn't stop after just one dance. She kept dancing and dancing!!! So you think you can dance? You will definitely have some competition!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Itsy bitsy spider...

2011-11-21T19:11:00.001-05:00

This is the first time Brittyn has ever done a real belly laugh...Joe got the win for this one, he did sang the itsy bitsy spider song and we all got a good laugh at Brittyn's good laugh.

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Trick or treat, Southwood...

2011-11-21T18:04:00.001-05:00

This year was the first time EVER that we went trick or treating in a neighborhood...it was just like it was on tv, going from house to house trick or treating. I didn't think I'd like it but it was pretty fun!!! We went with uncle matt and aunt leah's kids and had a great time. Brittyn held on to her candy bucket, in true "don't take my candy" fashion, and Ryan had a great time with Holden ben and Mimi running throughout the neighborhood!!! We had a great time, definitely gonna have to do it again!!!

*MSL*

Trunk or treat, part deux

2011-11-21T17:51:00.001-05:00

The same week that we had trunk or treat in our ward, we went to Hosford and had it there too!!! We went to show papa our costumes then headed to the church. I tried so hard to get good pics of the girls in their peacock costumes but I was just too cold!!! So naturally they had to run from us to keep warm!!! But even with all that running around, they managed to hold onto their treat buckets. More candy to be had, that's for sure!!!

*MSL*

I'll save you...

2011-11-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

This video was taken a couple weeks ago, just as Brittyn was learning to "climb the stairs." She gets started and the apparently chickens out. So she starts to cry, at which point I start to laugh and cannot help her because I am taping her. So, Ryan being the big sister says to her "I'll save you!!!" And what does she do? Nothing, she doesn't even move the hair from Britt's face so she can see. But whatever she does, works. Because just as soon as Ryan walks away, Britt jumps down!!!
they must have a secret code language or something, is all I can say!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Trunk or treat, part Un...

2011-11-14T10:38:00.001-05:00

The Wednesday before Halloween was our first trunk or treat for the season. We had the girls dressed as pumpkin princesses/fairies and set off for the church to fill our bags and buckets with goodies. We were not disappointed!!! Our girls cam home with great candy, which I had the pleasure of checking for them to make sure it was safe ;). We chased them around the back yard of the church to let them run around and wear themselves out a little bit. All in all we had a good time!!!

More pumpkin carving

2011-11-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

Actually it's s pumpkin hammering. With a bit of creative placement of some glow in the dark "nails" for lack of a better word. And creative placement of Brittyn's fingers for not getting her hands belted into by ryan's swing. They didn't let go of them all night.

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Pumpkin carving

2011-11-02T16:18:00.001-04:00

This year we carved a pumpkin. It was a toss up between getting Ryan to put her hand in the pumpkin and keeping Brittyn's hand out of the pumpkin!!! We finally made peace, thanks to some hammers that they both had to have and kept pounding the pumpkin with. In the end, it turned out alright and was well worth it. And, we attempted to make a ghost graveyard (courtesy of Kylia), but it didn't turn out, the icing wasn't good but the candy to put it on sure was!!!

Eating the candy...

Yep, shes eating the pumpkin innards...

This was the only time she put her hand in the pumpkin!!!

Ya see that blurry hammer in her hand, she never let it go.

At the pumpkin patch...

2011-10-31T12:41:00.001-04:00

Last week we also wet to the pumpkin patch...we had a good time and the girls were decked out in their couture candy corn dresses...thankfully, I had Kylia to help me corral the children so that I could get some pictures. We got a few good pics, hope to get more next time.

*MSL*

Evans family reunion...

2011-10-31T11:34:00.001-04:00

After the party, we all went to the Evans family reunion. It was sparsely attended so I'm glad we went. The highlight of the day was getting all the kids together for a pic, girls anyway.

Joe says this is her "Meris" look...I don't what he's talking about...

*MSL*

Up, up, and away!!!

2011-10-31T11:27:00.001-04:00

After the party, it was time to release the balloons!!! Everyone was glad to do it, except for Brittyn. She was not happy, as we heard someone mention. Otherwise we had a good time!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Play ball!!!

2011-10-31T09:42:00.001-04:00

All the sudden Ryan has gotten into playing football...maybe it because she's got plenty of male cousins who play and her dad watches the games.

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Ring around the rosie

2011-10-31T08:45:00.001-04:00

This video was shot at Addisyn's birthday. I could have shortened it but then I wouldn't have Ryan throwing a fit over a nonexistent bug...where's the fun in that?

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Addisyn's 3rd birthday

2011-10-30T15:39:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday Addisyn!!! Last week we all got together and celebrated Addy's 3rd birthday with a pumpkin themed party. I always say Addisyn has such a good birth date, I love October and all things Halloween and dressing up!!! Not for myself but for my kids, of course. Anyway, Addy had a great birthday party. We made candy necklaces, played outside and enjoyed cake and ice cream and opened presents. It was a great day and I'm glad we could be a part of it!!!

*MSL*

Havana Pumpkin Festival

2011-10-21T14:03:00.001-04:00

Ok, so my kids are only mentioned as "children" and not by name but they made the front page of the Havana Herald newspaper!!! I'm hoping this link will take you to the article.

http://havanaherald.net/archives/3081-Havanas-PumpkinFest.html

In the meantime, here are some random pics I took while they rode on the train. Enjoy!!!

*MSL*

They look good in purple...

2011-10-19T16:53:00.001-04:00

Ryan and Brittyn helped Emma Willis celebrate her 3rd birthday earlier this month. The party was a Purplicious theme and the invites asked everyone to wear purple to make the festivities more, well, festive!!! I dressed each girl in a purple shirt and hairbow and we were off to the celebration!!! Kylia came along and we all had a great time. Emma's party was purple perfection!!! I wish I would have thought to take pics of the cake, the food and decorations but Kylia and I were too busy making sure the girls didn't take a swim in the swimming pool that had been colored PURPLE!!! It was a great day and the girls had a good time. Always happy to celebrate with good friends.

*MSL*

Let me hear it!!!

2011-10-17T11:35:00.001-04:00

When Ryan was born, one of her first words was "dada" and it was a true word because she could point to Joe when she used it. I was so excited when she finally said "mama" to me. Now, it's Brittyn's turn and I'm happy to report that she can say "mama"!!! It is such a cool thing to hear my baby girl call for me and use my "name". This video is also really cute too because it shows how much she is learning while she attempts to feed herself. We start out really cute using the spoon and then she decides that just grabbing into the bowl works much better. She is so proud of herself and is happy to let me sit back and watch her go, face and hands stained with sauce to document her accomplishments!!! I have to say, I'm pretty proud of her too!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Meow...

2011-10-08T21:35:00.001-04:00

Ryan loves to go see Papa in Blountstown. There was one time that he made one of his "papa" noises and she has talked about how much she loved it ever since then. Every time we go visit him, we talk all the way over about how Papa says "meow" and Ryan just thinks it is so funny!!! We visited him a couple weeks ago and decided to try and get this exchange on video. It is the funniest, sweetest thing I've ever seen. Ryan still talks about how funny Papa is and she loves to go see him even more now. I love that I was able to get this on video because Papa and Ryan are such a pair!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

When the cat is away, the mouse will play...

2011-10-07T22:41:00.001-04:00

At our house, when Ryan is away, Brittyn will play!!! Britt loves her Ryan, and misses her so much when she spends the night away from home. Ryan stayed with Terah and Duncan tonight so while she was away, Britt and I decided to have a little fun, RY STYLE!!! I let Brittyn wear Ryan's night time panties (pull-ups). I let her use Ryan's bubble bath in the tub tonight and I even let her wear Ryan's pajamas!!! She had a blast and all the RY STYLE wore her out!!! We miss you Ryan, we can't wait for you to come home!!!

Brittyn's 1st birthday

2011-09-30T17:48:00.001-04:00

I can't believe my baby girl has turned a whole year old!!! I can't believe a whole year has gone by already, she is getting so grown up and learning so many things, I can hardly keep up!!! I can't believe she will only get bigger and do more amazing things from here on out!!! We had a great time at her "British Invasion" party, complete with fish and chips and scones!!! Britt was decked out in her designer party dress, thanks to grandma and she looked like a doll!!! We enjoyed all the party food and favors and all things celebrating Great Britain and the Union Jack flag!!! Thanks to all those who came and helped us celebrate Brittyn's special day, we are already gearing up for next year!!!

Just a swingin'...

2011-09-20T10:40:00.001-04:00

I finally decided that I wasn't going to melt if I stayed outside longer than 3 minutes. That being said, I took the girls to the park after work. They mostly love to swing and we did that for 20 minutes before I made them run around for another 20 minutes. They loved it, I'm glad we went. After all, Ryan did wear her sneakers yesterday, and that basically means she gets to go to the park. Good day, love my girls.

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Family home evening...

2011-09-20T10:12:00.001-04:00

I love Joe for helping our family have FHE. Even if it is basically unplanned until he messages me at 6:30 and says "I'm on my way home, let's do family home evening tonight." Either way, I'm glad we have it. We all got to color pics of the prophet last night and talk about the upcoming sessions of General Conference. The girls had a good time coloring and attempting to snack on the crayons.

*MSL*

Just a taste...

2011-09-09T10:04:00.001-04:00

This video is a couple months old but still a good one. Brittyn is getting a taste of a soda for the first time (or so Joe thinks, haha!!!) and we had to get it on video. I love how her face wrinkles and gets that sour look once she tastes that carbonation. Too funny!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Little Mommy...

2011-09-09T09:31:00.001-04:00

Ryan is getting to be such a big girl. She is a very grown up THREE years old now, after all. She's loving being a big sister to Brittyn and is getting into the groove of playing "mommy" to Britt and all the baby dolls in the house. We went out a while back to run some errand and Ryan had to take her baby. And not only did she have to take her baby, she had to take the baby stroller too. So our whole trip was about loading and unloading the baby and the stroller and loading it back again. We had a good time, we met up with Kylia and had dinner at Tropical Smoothie. Ryan had a blast playing "mommy" to her baby and we had a great night.

*MSL*

Too much money...

2011-08-25T22:10:00.001-04:00

Of all the toys we buy our children, of all the toys and books and games that have been given to them by friends and family, you'd think that my kids could find something to play with other than a door stopper. Next time I'm not gonna bother with expensive gifts, I'm gonna bring her to the laundry room and set her up to play with the door stop!!! Ryan played with them and tore a couple of the off the wall when she was this age and now it's Britt's turn. She loves the sound the door stop makes when she bounces it back and forth. And yes, she's broken this particular door stop and another one as well. It's just too funny not to share, even though it was taken about four months ago. I love this baby girl!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Divas in training...

2011-08-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

My girls may look like their dad but they are gonna be total girly divas one day!!! Brittyn is a huge fan of brushing her hair, she hates getting dressed after her bath but if I show her the hairbrush, her face lights up and she automatically reaches for it!!! Keeps her still for a few minutes at least, so I can finish putting diaper and pjs on her. She does love it but she still needs a few lessons before she can master the hairbrush.

Ryan, on the other hand, is doing great in diva training. She loves for me to do her hair, she loves asking for two pony tails and let's me attempt to learn French braiding on her head. I've got a long way to go on that. She even got her first pedicure recently and loved it!!! She did great, loved picking out her favorite color and sat as still as she could for the technician. She couldn't wait to show off her toes to her daddy and anyone else who would look!!!

A big ole mess...

2011-07-29T14:17:00.001-04:00

My poor blog is just a big mess... Turns out this mobile blogging ain't as easy as I thought it was gonna be. I try daily to take funny, cute pics and videos of my kids daily and thought it'd be so easy to blog right away. But life gets in the way and I'm behind. So what I've decided to do is go through pics and videos and post till I'm caught up. Some pics will be repeats of course but maybe I will be able to share a story instead of just blank posts. Try to keep up!!!

*MSL*

Potty training...

2011-07-23T08:38:00.001-04:00

Potty training is harder than it looks but when it all comes together, it's totally worth the frustration that Ryan and Joe and I went through. This video says it all...and if anyone who reads this blog ever needs a good laugh, just play this clip over and over. It gets better every time. The video is about three months old but we are still proud that she has accomplished potty training!!!

YouTube Video

*MSL*

Ryan's 3rd birthday...

2011-07-14T21:11:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Ryan's 3rd birthday this year with a strawberry patch theme!!! She picked it out and changed her mind once or twice but finally settled on the strawberries. Thanks to everyone who helped me stay on task and on budget (for the most part, anyway) and all those who celebrated with us. I hope Ryan had as much fun at the party as I did putting it all together!!! Can't wait to get started on Brittyn's first birthday, it'll be here before I know it!!!

*MSL*

Stuck...

2011-07-13T21:57:00.001-04:00

Being stuck was one of Ryan's first words when she was younger...from being stuck in a fun way to being stuck in a bad way (timeout, trouble, etc). I guess some things never change...

I guess Brittyn is gonna be following in Ryan's footsteps too...getting stuck or left in small spaces. Except Brittyn is gonna have a snack while she's stuck
:-).

And after being stuck, sometimes it's just nice to spread out and relax...

*MSL*

Easter 2011

2011-07-11T17:39:00.001-04:00

How could I forget to blog about Easter? It's Brittyn's first Easter, after all. I'm trying to catch up on my blogging, especially since now I can blog on my iPhone. I'm so excited about that because I snap so many pics from my phone and while I can
Follow all the steps to get pics from the phone to my desktop and find the time to sit down and write an entry for the pictures, I am always welcome to new ways of making my life easier. Thank you iPhone for the app for that.

So, Easter has come and been gone for a while so I will try to recall as much as possible. We went to church in Bristol and ate lunch at Papa's then we wet home, changed clothes and geared up for another meal at the Longfellow home. I got Ryan a precious Easter dress and let Brittyn wear the dress that grandma made for Ryan's first Easter. I love that she is able to do that for my girls. Now they have both worn the same dress for their baby blessing and their first Easter!!! We took pictures at both houses, had a good time and came home with full bellies!!!

Happy Easter 2011!!!

*MSL*

Man, it's hot...

2011-07-11T10:57:00.001-04:00

So what do we do in FL when it gets hot? And by hot I mean hotter than 75, which is more than hot enough for me. Of course, we go SWIMMING!!! This is Brittyn's first time in the pool, so we tried to take things slow. Britt loved the pool, these photos were taken back in May, so she's a big fan of the pool now. She wasn't a fan of the coordinating hat that i made her wear but we gotta be safe in the sun!!! As always, Ryan is loving the pool, jumping in and out on her own, with the assistance of her life jacket of course. She's gonna be swimming on her own before we know it!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Let's try this

2011-07-10T20:00:00.001-04:00

I'm trying out a new app for blogging from my iPhone since I can't seem to sit down at the computer long enough to blog at home. I'm even gonna try to upload a pic or two on this post...here's hoping!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brittyn vs. Cupcake

2011-06-20T22:04:00.003-04:00

Brittyn got her turn with the cupcake...it was mostly cake with a little bit of icing but she made sure to find it and taste it. Some of these pictures are a little blurry but that's because I was trying to take pictures with my phone while trying NOT to let her have too much cake in one bite while making sure she was swallowing the food in her mouth before she shoved another fistful of cake into her mouth. She meant she was gonna have her cake, and she did. When it was all over and everyone was cleaned up, I realized that this is just a precursor to what she will do on her first birthday. Smash cake, beware!!!

Not to be outdone...

2011-06-20T21:52:00.008-04:00

Not to be outdone by Ryan getting all the cupcake glory, Brittyn had to have her chance at a cupcake as well today. Thankfully, Ryan didn't eat it all and I asked her and made sure that she was finished with her portion of the treat. Then I sat down on the floor with Brittyn and let her at it. You see, while Ryan was eating her cupcake, Brittyn was pulling herself up on the chair and looking longingly up at Ryan, hoping for some small morsel of goodness. She got her chance.

I thought it would be cute to let Ryan feed Brittyn, but that didn't last long. Once the cake was on the floor where she could reach it, Brittyn didn't hesitate to get her hands in it. Deliciousness ensues.

Another cupcake blog...

2011-06-20T21:42:00.004-04:00

Kylia's birthday is this week and she got a surprise at work today. Cake Shop Cupcakes!!! I have missed them so much, I haven't been back in to purchase them since they upped the price of the small cakes from $1 to $2 and the large ones from $2 to $3. I have my pride, after all, and I'm just quietly boycotting them until they realize the error of their ways and drop their price again. However, I will not refuse when someone offers a cupcake to me, I'm prideful, not stupid!!!

Today, Kylia called and offered a cupcake for Ryan, one with strawberry jelly in the middle. Ryan was very excited. She really loves the CARS movies right now and when I told her she was getting a strawberry cupcake, she asks me "is it a McQueen red cupcake?" She wasn't too happy when I said "no" but she got over it as soon as we got home and she started to eat her cupcake. In true Ryan fashion, she continues to be very dainty and clean as she can be as she enjoys her cupcakes. She just gets more "Ryan" every time. Too funny.

I love sleeping babies...

2011-06-20T21:09:00.004-04:00

I love MY sleeping babies...especially when they go to sleep on time at home each night, giving me time to blog and do dishes and laundry (ok, maybe not laundry...haha...). But these pics were taken last week by Grandma J and they are just too precious. Shows both of them sound asleep and also shows how alike they are, sleeping in very similar positions and very soundly at that. Just goes to show that when a baby is tired, she will get the rest whenever and however she needs to. Enough said.

Cooking queen...

2011-05-20T23:27:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I guess lots of these next few posts are gonna be from the birthday party. There are a lot of zip folders on my desktop and I don't know what they are until I open them up and try to organize them. Either way, they are of my girls and I love them and they are too cute.

Ryan loves pretzels. There isn't much more that I can say about that statement. After this birthday party I think she will love them a whole lot more because she got to dip them in icing and sprinkle them with candy!!! Who wouldn't love that?!!!

Furture Party girl...

2011-05-20T23:12:00.002-04:00

Brittyn was also a party girl at Juliette's birthday party. While she didn't get the chance to dip pretzels or decorate cupcakes, she had a good time posing for the camera. There is even a shot or two of her trying crawl. At that time, she was just getting started and would mostly rock back and forth, but as of today she is crawling circles around the house, pulling herself up and cruising a few steps by holding on to the couch. She is growing like a weed, she's got two teeth and is coming into her own personality. Now, she is doing a lot on her own but she certainly has a great mentor in her big sister. They are like yin and yang but they compliment each other so well. I love them so much, they are so much fun!!!

Party PIcs...

2011-04-30T22:35:00.002-04:00

So this blogger has been absent for a while, I know its no excuse but life happens. These pics are from Juliette's birthday party back in April and we all had a great time. I especially love the first picture of Ryan because she's so excited about her cupcake. She had a great time at the party, it was nothing but desserts and who isn't a fan of desserts!!!

Mixing pics together...

2011-04-30T22:13:00.002-04:00

Mixing pics together makes for a fun blog post. The bottom two pictures are from one of my coworkers at work who took a picture of Brittyn and sent it to me. Mrs. Jamie brings the girls to me a couple days each week at work and everyone loves to see them. I can't barely make it into the gym before someone takes Brittyn from my arms and someone else grabs Ryan's hand to show her how to "help" with some of the therapy materials. The patients love them and these times are just like any other time when we all wanna do fun pictures with kids. They are so much fun.

The next few sets are pics from Juliette's 4th birthday party. Kylia was helping the girls decorate cupcakes and of course Ryan had to have her turn. She stepped right up and jumped in the baking/decorating procress. She had so much fun, and still loves to wear her apron that Becky made for all the girls. It really was a good time. More bakery pics to come!!!

Runnin' round the bases...

2011-04-26T21:39:00.002-04:00

This was just too fun not to capture...We were at the stake softball tournament a few weeks ago and Ryan was busy watching Joe and playing on the play park during the game. After his game finished, Ryan was first to try and run out on the field to give him a hug and congratulations on a job well done. So, no sooner had she gotten onto the field, all my thoughts of her being the perfect daughter and congratulating her dad few out the window when she "needed" to run the bases and score a win for the big game. Yes, another Dora reference but it was just too cute. She ran from second base all the way to the home plate and was a total pro!!! Can't wait to see her do this for real in the next few years!!!

Can she be any cuter or what?!?!!!!!!!!

2011-04-14T21:32:00.003-04:00

I just have to post these pics because she looks like such a poser, she looks like she should be playing in a studio or something...almost reminds me of Ryan in her little mischievious smile...and, it helps to post them to get the zip file off my desktop because my computer is so old and I have ZERO space in my folder. Every time I save something to the desktop, my computer asks me if I'm sure I wanna do that...stupid machine that thinks its smarter than me. Good thing I have pics of my cute girls to post to make up for it!!!

Brittyn Gets Her Ears Pierced!!!

2011-04-12T21:56:00.002-04:00

Six and a half months old and Brittyn gets her ears pierced!!! That may seem a little young, but its actually a month and a half older than Ryan was when she got her ears pierced. We took her to Claire's at the mall and let some 18 year old girl shoot her in each ear. She did great, after the shots fired and everything was over, but she definitely wasn't very happy while it was going on. When we were done, we grabbed something to eat and let Ryan play in the playground inside the mall. Then we came home and promptly started her on her earring care regimen. Then it was feeding time and bed, which gave me the opportunity to get a few pics of the earrings while she was taking her bottle. My sweet girl, purple ears and all...

After the fact...

2011-04-12T21:34:00.003-04:00

After we had Brittyn's ears pierced at the mall, we figured we had to give Ryan a treat for putting up with us dragging her to the mall and making her stand still and not run amuck up and down the halls of the mall. Oh, and let's not forget us making her watch as her baby sister got shot in the ears...twice!!! So, we did the only thing that good parents can do...we reward her by letting her play on the playground inside the mall. I was able to take a few shots with my handy, dandy, iPhone and Ryan was having a great time so I guess we were able to make up for it somehow...Also are some pics that I snapped on conference weekend while Kylia was hanging out with us and Ryan walked around wearing Kylia's shoes. She can't get enough of the grown up's shoes, no matter who's they are!!!

Play all day day!!!

2011-04-09T07:58:00.005-04:00

Everyone got "white rabbit" ears to wear for Allie to follow...Ryan wore hers and held on to Brittyn Gray's for her, cuz she slept most of the time...

I don't remember "gator trucks" as part of the "Alice" story, but it was a gift for Allie.

Ryan was checking out the truck to make sure it would be safe for Allie to drive. My little quality controller...

Brittyn Gray looked too cute to pass up...even if she had just pulled her hairbow off her head...

I've always loved how Helaman learned that Saturday was his "play all day day." I always thought it was so cute to hear him say it. Now I am beginning to understad more what he meant when he said that. Saturdays are truly play days and party days, but I think I need to add a new "P" to this list...PLANNING!!! In order for our kids to have fun at parties and playing, a lot of planning goes into making the days fun for our babies and kids. Thankfully it all comes together and everyone (usually) has fun, and they all look cute doing it!!! Last Saturday we got the girls ready and went to a birthday party, then to see Papa and have lunch with Garet, Jaren, Drew and Bellamy. Had a great day, these are a few shots of the girls in their party dresses, the birthday was for Allie Roberts, Jared and Stephenie Ford Roberts baby girl. Her party was "Allie in Wonderland" and was a tea party. Of course, jean shorts aren't appropriate for a tea party so I picked out some party clothes for them. We had a great time, makes me think more and more about Ryan's upcoming 3rd birthday and Brittyn Gray's 1st birthday!!! Let the planning begin!!!

Ryan saves a turtle!!!

2011-04-06T10:10:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday after we left Allie's party, we met up with Jaren, Drew, Bellamy and Garet to go eat lunch and visit Papa. When I turned onto the street where Papa's house is, I saw a turtle in the middle of the road. I hated to leave it there so I parked at Papa's and called for Joe and Drew to come outside and let Ryan see it and move it across the street. Everyone came out and helped "Jim" cross the street. Yes, Ryan named the turtle in honor of Drew's turtle that lives in the acquarium at their house so she was really excited to see him and pet him. Love letting my daughter be a turtle rescuer!!!

Six months old...

2011-04-03T16:42:00.006-04:00

and Brittyn is sitting up on her own already!!! She just started this week and she does need a little bit of help but she's doing great!!! At first I propped her up in front of the bumbo and then I spread her legs out wide she she would have a little more balance but she really does do it on her own. She's also pushing off to trying to crawl right now but she's still just scooting backwards for now. Before long she'll be going forward and I'll have to keep my eyes open even more!!!

Dora's song...

2011-03-26T11:49:00.002-04:00

Dora's theme song is a special at our house. Or in a car. Or at church sometimes. When someone starts singing it, Ryan isn't far behind in singing along. This is one we got when Kylia and I were on the way to Hosford.

Duncan's Song...

2011-03-26T11:19:00.002-04:00

Ryan is so funny, taking in every piece of learning she can. She has even been asking lately to go to school. Every time we see a school bus, she yells for me to go "catch it." Joe even says they count the school buses on the way to grandmas's every morning. Makes me wish I could take them sometimes in the mornings but there aren't many school buses running at 6:45 that I see.

Now Ryan is in the mindset of copying everything that people say, she sings songs and dances with her favorite shows on t.v. A few weeks ago she stayed with Terah for a while and when I got back, she and Addy were singing their own song. They call it "Duncan's Song" and this is the final product. While there is some cueing and "singing" on my part, it is truly Ryan's song and shows just how much she loves her Duncan.

Dora Rocks!

2011-03-02T22:21:00.002-05:00

Don't make me repeat myself about how much Ryan loves Dora the Explorer! We had a Dora themed birthday party for crying out loud! This is another video of a ride-along with Kylia on our way to the 1st cousins photo shoot. She will start to sing one Dora song and then skip to another and then another. I never know what is gonna come out of her mouth next. Here, she sings a compilation of Dora medleys and while I try to "help" her sing an entire song, she lets me know real quick that she sings on her terms!

American Idol...look out!

2011-03-02T22:13:00.002-05:00

Ryan is a singer...one day she will be anyway...This video shows her singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to Brittyn because she was fussy on the way to a family photo shoot with Helaman, Cannon, Olivia, Bellamy and Addison. Terah had purchased coordinating outfits for everyone to gather the first cousins for a photo shoot before Valentine's Day. Britt wasn't a fan (and still isn't) of the car seat and one of the things that always calms her down is listening to Ryan sing to her. I love it, and Ryan is getting older so I can understand a lot more of her "songs" so it is really sweet. Just can't get enough of these girls.

Pretty self explanatory...

2011-03-02T22:06:00.002-05:00

I titled this video "Brittyn rolls over." Enough said. She was fastly approaching four months old, she was about one week away and she had been trying to roll over every time we put her on the floor. Finally she did it. I called people. I texted people. I posted it on FACEBOOK, for crying out loud!!! She did it and I couldn't be any more excited than I was at that minute!!! And, without further adu...watch her roll!!!

Hat head...

2011-03-02T21:51:00.002-05:00

Aahhh...babies and their hair...some babies have hair, some don't...those that have hair vary between having lots of hair and having just a little bit in some random places...every baby and their hairline is just as different as a snowflake...in this instance, I think Brittyn takes the cake in the "baby witht the most hair EVER!!!" Aunt Becky made Bellamy some hats and one day Kylia and I took my girls down to see Bellamy (and Jaren and Drew)...Needless to say, we had to play dress up with the girls, especially since they can't talk at this age and can't tell us no! Kylia and I put the hats on the girls and could hardly contain our laughter...Sadly, Bellamy is not on this video but that's probably because we were laughin so hard that I couldn't hold the camera still long enough. Besides, Brittyn got hiccups near the end of the video because she was probably trying to bounce that "piece" off her head!!! Britt's gonna love this when she gets older and sees what we put her through in the name of fashion!!!

Happy New Year!

2011-03-02T21:10:00.003-05:00

Ok, Christmas has come and gone in the land of videos that are on my desktop and what better way to start the new year than with some precious Brittyn smiles and coohs and oohs and aahs!!!

Can't leave Brittyn out...

2011-03-02T18:50:00.002-05:00

Ryan really is getting used ot Brittyn and I'm sure she can't wait till Britt is big enough to play with...but in the meantime, we are trying to teach Ryan to share and be sweet to her baby sister...enter Christmas tree trimming and Ryan is trying to let her participate in holding ornaments and taking them from her...cuteness ensues...

Its always Christmas at our house...

2011-03-02T18:15:00.002-05:00

So, I know its February, I mean MARCH and all but I have a lot of videos and pics on my computer and they've gotta come off...my computer is old and I can't have it running any slower than it already is!!! So, let's start in Christmas, Ryan loved to decorate the tree and I didn't really want to let her get near it. But, she's gotta learn and I really couldn't stop her. I let her decorate a portion of the tree with some un-breakable ornaments and thankfully she stuck to just one section. She wanted to tell me how great she was doing and wanted me to watch her and record her. She even would say "Merry Christmas" a time or two. She would say it a lot, actually but I didn't get a lot of it on the video. Maybe next year!!!

Gotta get back to blogging...

2011-02-23T22:18:00.002-05:00

So, Jaren has started a blog...just another person I have to "compete" with in keeping up with the things going on with me and my kids and family...dang you Jaren!!! But I love that you have a blog now and I can't wait to read all about you and Drew's adventures with Bellamy!!! Golly, I wish I could tag you in this blog like I can with Facebook, do y'all see how much FB is a part of my life?

Anyway, tons have happened since I blogged last, which I can barely remember when it was...so I'm just gonna start with the first thing on my desktop. The first video I can find is of Brittyn wearing a FSU onesie that Joe had been dying to buy her from the minute she was born. In all seriousness, it wasn't feminine at all and thought it made her look like a boy. So, I definitely had to stick a bow in her head to make her somewhat girly. I don't know that she did anything special other than look precious. At this time, she was probably 2-3 months and I was just happy to get her to stay awake long enough to let me film her!

Brittyn Gray...The Lost sessions...

2011-01-28T22:48:00.006-05:00

Grandma Jamie loves to take pictures of the girls...She tole me when Ryan was born that I should take pictures of her every day because she would change so much...Boy was she right I wish I had been doing that...I also wish Grandma J would take more pictures of my girls because she does a great job and I ove having them as such good memories...Brittyn's photo sessions have been just as awesome as Ryan's are...Grandma took some pictures a while back, probably November or December and I have been procrastinating about posting them...Just so precious, I couldn't wait any longer!!! I realize some of them are the same, but it doesn't make them any less fabulous!!!

Happy Birthday Uncle "A"

2011-01-14T23:09:00.006-05:00

Another year, another one of Adam's birthdays...gotta love me some Adam...he is truly one of a kind and he turned thirty this month...we went to the Longfellow's house on Sunday for Adam's birthday dinner and it was totally an "Adam" kinda party...bottled root beer in galvanized tubs, pulled pork sandwiches and cheesecake for dessert...can't beat it...While I'm not posting any pictures of Adam, the party was great...he got just what he asked for, a Walmart gift card from Joe and I...he really did ask for that and didn't try at all to be discreet...totally Adam...Grandma Jamie attempted to take some pictures of Amelia, Lauren and Ryan by giving them princess crowns to wear...she did her best, I'll give her that much...

Christmas 2010

2011-01-14T22:50:00.005-05:00

I know Christmas is over and I didn't get a ton of pictures, but here's what I did get...We started the morning at our house for the girls (well really just Ryan) to open presents...Kylia and BB joined us and watcher Ryan open her gifts and watched me help...Joe made everyone breakfast and we cleaned up...and when I say "cleaned up" I mean it...Ryan got a baby doll and stroller, kitchen cupcakes and toys and Dora the Explorer stuff of course...Brittyn got mostly clothes this year...next year she'll be ready for the big leagues and maybe we can find something other than onesies for her...After gifts and cleaning up somewhat, we got ready and went to Hosford for lunch at Uncle Joe's...we came home for a while then put on stretchy pants to go to the Longfellow's house for Christmas over there...The pictures are from Grandma Jamie's attempt to get the girls to pose in front of the kid's Christmas tree...you can see for yourself how well 2 year old girls cooperate for the camera...there are also a few pictures of Joe teaching the kids to shoot a bow and arrow that he helped the webelo scouts make at Church...Merry Christmas!!!

She can talk!!!

2011-01-05T22:44:00.002-05:00

Ok, so she can't actually talk...it would be kinda creepy to hear my three month old baby use a word, especially when her 2 1/2 year old sister says things I can not always understand...anyway, I think whatever Brittyn babbled out and whatever Ryan says is fascinating...and Ryan lets me know quite often...now its Brittyn's turn to have her say!!!

She smiles...

2011-01-05T22:39:00.003-05:00

I had been trying all December to get Brittyn to smile for the camera...She is such a happy baby and will smile for anyone at anytime but when I try to get her to smile for me on camera, she plays "diva" and doesn't wanna smile...Brittyn also likes to try and put her whole fist in her mouth, its another thing that makes her smile...so I tried getting her to smile using her favorite thing, her fist!!!...Ryan was "decorating" the Christmas tree and makes a couple cameos in showing me how great the tree is...She sure loved the Christmas tree this year, I couldn't get her to stop "decorating" the tree, even when I tried to threaten her...I'm so glad she loved Christmas this year, can't wait for the next bazillion holidays!!!

She coos...

2011-01-05T22:29:00.002-05:00

Yes, I've been a bad blogger...I would make it a resolution to be better but then I may actually have to try and follow through with it...and, when I didn't follow through with it like I want to I will have failed in keeping my resolution...so, in the spirit of the new year, I will just say that I'm going to start anew...enough said...

So, these next few videos were shot WAY BACK in December...obviously Brittyn has progressed since then but they are still cute and it counts as a post so there!!!

This particular video is just of Brittyn, she was wearing her FSU onesie that Joe had bought her...She was cute but it was gray and not very "girly" and I thought she looked like a boy so I stuck a bow on her head...Britt has so much hair and its just great but we haven't quite figured out a style for her yet...stay tuned for more!

Chocolate, bate bate...

2010-12-03T23:28:00.002-05:00

One last chocolate song...just too funny...and sweet...Mind you, I purchased her a small chickfila chocolate milkshake...She wouldn't eat any of it, she was too busy mixing the chocolate, chocolatay!!!

Mix your chocolate...

2010-12-03T23:25:00.002-05:00

I just kept on taping her, trying to get her to sing the chocolate song...She even uses the correct spanish pronunciations...just can't get enough of her...

Bate, Bate (stir, stir)...

2010-12-03T23:15:00.002-05:00

Yeah, its a Dora reference, but its so cute...A little background on the next few posts...If I haven't said it already, Ryan is a Dora-holic...totally...I record episodes every night and we watch them day after day...We get so many on the DVR that I have to go through them and delete a bunch...but she has her favorites so I definitely keep some...One of her favorites is "The Chocolate Tree" where Dora and Boots make chocolate...Of course they have a song and a rhyme to make the chocolate and Ryan knows the song...I decided to give her some chocolate the other day and instead of eating the chocolate, she just sang her chocolate song and stirred the chocolate...

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-14T16:52:00.003-05:00

This last post was one of the most difficult posts to complete!!! I just need to get that out there, it was very hard to do. Everytime I tried to upload a picture it would show a gray screen and when I tried to delete the blank space in between pictures, one would get deleted...I mean really...UGH!!!

Brittyn's blessing...

2010-11-09T21:36:00.023-05:00

We were able to bless Brittyn this Sunday in Hosford ward. I'm so thankful for all the people who were able to come and especially for the brethren who were able to stand in the circle and be a part of her blessing. It really means a lot to me to see so many people who love her and support her already. She's got a great team on her side. It reminded me of seeing Ryan be blessed two years ago and those same people were there blessing her. Thanks guys so very much for being there for my girls, one day they will realize what a good thing they have!!! We had dinner afterwards at Terah's house for the family. It was nice to have a big lunch and spend time with everyone and eat chili and pound cake and taco soup and cookies and carrot cake and key lime pie. I love a good pot luck buffet!!! Thanks everyone for bringing food and helping out. JOe and I appreciate all y'all did to make this a good day for Brittyn and good memories for us to tell her about when she's older.

Pictures with Laura...

2010-10-19T22:50:00.007-04:00

Brittyn had her first photo shoot outside of the hospital this past Saturday with Laura Wahlquist, a budding lawyer who is moonlighting as a photographer after work and on weekends. She does a great job but says she "needs to practice" so I decided to have her practice on Brittyn. I think she's headed to the top in more ways than one.

Happy birthday...

2010-10-17T09:46:00.002-04:00

Ryan has loved singing happy birthday since before her very own birthday!!! She goes around the house saying and singing it to everyone and it has only intensified since the beginning of those American Cancer Society commercials where celebrities sing a generic "happy birthday" song. This one is for Terah. The next one is for YOU!!!

Ring around the Rosie...

2010-10-17T09:24:00.001-04:00

pocketful of posies, upstairs, downstairs, we all fall DOWN!!!...Or that's how its supposed to go...Ryan, of course has a different version...listen up, its a keeper...we may even need an official declaration to change the song!!!

Cowgirl Ryan...

2010-10-17T09:14:00.004-04:00

Ryan is wearing a true multi-tasker in this post...from party goer to cowgirl to football player, she is doing it all...Attended Emma Willis' birthday party earlier this month and had a blast! Rode horses with Monte Revell, didn't need her mommy or daddy to hold her on the horse, matter of fact, she didn't want us to hold her or help her...she could do it herself!!!...Then, when the big horse left, she went looking for another horse that would do the trick. When that ended she ate cupcakes and played football. Needless to say, she fell asleep before we even hit Hwy. 20!!! We all had a quiet ride back to Tally that day!!!

The end is near...

2010-10-17T08:58:00.003-04:00

At least in these photos it was...theseare the last of the pictures from the hospital...the ones people take when you're standing in the room tapping your foot on the floor because the staff has told you that you can go home and they will "be right back" to help you out...then you wait another hour or so...UGHHH!!!...they've been sitting on my desktop since we got home from the hospital and I just haven't posted them...Since I'm on my last couple weeks of maternity leave, I figure I better get them done before I go back to work...Hopefully once I get back to work, I will be able to keep up with my blog and kids and house and the rest of the stuff...But, I know that people do it every day and do much more than me so I think I can handle it!!!

Wishes...

2010-10-17T08:52:00.004-04:00

Ryan loves Dora, have I mentioned that before?...Everything she says lately has some sort of "Dora" reference..."I wish Dora back home" is from the latest big adventure that Dora has been on...Ryan walks around the house wishing Dora back home...Just thought it was hilarious how her face looks when she says it...She can't just say it...She has to smile and squint her eyes shut to say the phrase...At least her "wish" comes true and Dora makes it home in the episode!!!

Dee-licious!!!

2010-10-03T21:51:00.005-04:00

Ryan has such a way with words, especially words about food. Especially about foods that are sweet. Kylia and I went to lunch one Saturday (pre-Brittyn) while the guys were tailgating at a football game and Ryan didn't have much to do with lunch. However, Kylia had a coupon (I love going to lunch with Kylia!!!) for a dessert and of course we took advantage of it...it was a brownie sundae!!! Well, in true form, Ryan perked right up when she saw that brownie with chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream!!! She couldn't get enough and couldn't get it fast enough. She no sooner had taken one bite than she had her mouth open for the next bite and Kylia and I were both feeding her!!! Take a look, she knows when something is delicious, she said it several times during the taping!!!

Dancing with her daddy...

2010-10-03T21:38:00.003-04:00

Most days when Joe comes home from work, Ryan is waiting at the top of the stairs for him. He picks her up and gives her kisses and twirls her around and asks her about her day. Sometimes he will dance her around and sing her a little song. This little video is of Ryan and Daddy dancing and singing their "song." Too cute...

Random pics of the girls...

2010-10-03T21:29:00.005-04:00

Amelia is a big fan of the baby...Ryan, not so much. Not yet anyway!

So, most of these pictures are, or should be of Brittyn coming home from the hospital. But, like any other person who has several things going on everyday, I may not get the pictures just right. Anyway, here are more pics of Brittyn and Ryan, enjoy!

Brittyn at the hospital...

2010-09-22T13:04:00.005-04:00

Hospitals are so annoying...I mean that in a nice way...like a necessary evil kind of nice way. I'm grateful that they are there and provide medicine and treatment and an epidural for me when I was in pain during labor, but really they are a business like everyone else and are annoying at the same time as they are helpful. Overall the birth wasn't a bad process, once we got going, and I got my TWO doses of epidural medicine, I was good to go. The midwife let me labor down until it was time to push. Thankfully I was only in labor for a total of 12 hours this time, versus 21 with Ryan. I only had to push two times before we met our baby girl. I know, some of y'all may be surprised but it is true!!! The nurses were good and let family in so everyone could meet her and after all the weights and measurements were done, they let us go upstairs to our room. Brittyn did great, thanks to all the family members and friends who helped out with watching Ryan for us while we were in the hospital, we really appreciate it. We were so glad to have y'all helping out!!!

The Newest Addition...

2010-09-22T12:52:00.004-04:00

If you haven't already met her or seen pictures on Facebook, we'd like to introduce our newest addition to the Longfellow Family...Brittyn Gray Longfellow!!! She was born on September 14, 2010. She weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and was 10 3/4 inches long. Brittyn has a head full of dark hair and beautiful blue/gray eyes. I'm interested to see how long she keeps either of those characteristics because I can already see light hair underneath all that dark hair. Either way, we are so blessed to have her join our family. She is healthy, happy and gorgeous!!!

Someone please answer the phone...

2010-09-12T14:07:00.003-04:00

Ryan love to use the phone. Even if its NOT a phone, she still loves to take anything that looks like it could be used as a phone and "talk" to someone. We've seen her use everything from the house phone to our cell phones to Ipods to Wii remotes to tv remotes and she's always wanting to talk to someone. We start on the way home every afternoon and she goes through all the family members asking me to call them. We usually start with Jaren then Kylia then Terah then Chickie and then Garet and Olivia. Olivia is a new one for me, but we still try to call. Most everyone is at work so then she starts on the hubbys. Drew, BB, Duncan, etc. Sometimes we get through but mostly she just wants to see their pictures on my phone. So funny, she is such a big girl, calling Jaren in this clip. But at the same time, showing us she still has quite a bit to learn about phone etiquette. We try!

Sleepover Success!

2010-08-28T19:41:00.002-04:00

Here's the video of Ryan the next morning. She was so sweet saying good morning to Joe and I and telling us that she loved us!!! Of course, the burp at the end was purely coincidental ya know...

Another first...

2010-08-28T19:28:00.003-04:00

Last weekend Ryan had her first night away from home. We've been told by several people that we needed to do it and have had several people offer to host her, so we finally did it. Terah and Duncan came over Thursday night and Ry was dying to go home with them then. But, Terah had to work the next day so she had to wait. Terah called back on Saturday and asked if Ry could go home with her that night since she was coming to town. Of course I agreed, even though I must admit that I had Joe gas up my truck in case we had to make a late night run to Hosford to pick her up. Terah and Duncan said she did great!!! She woke up a time or two but a little milk and a LOT of DORA THE EXPLORER did the trick! She stayed the night and went to church the next day with Terah and Duncan and did great at nursery. So proud of my baby girl. Terah took some pics for me to keep me updated and even sent a video the next morning! See, I'm not lying, she did do a great job!!!

Has it really...

2010-08-22T15:25:00.004-04:00

Has it really been THAT LONG since I last blogged?...I gues so, it has been over a month since I made mention of Ryan and all her comings and goings. Not too many pictures to post but I will try to do better. This summer has been too hot and in this heat it feels like it has gone by really slowly but with it being August and kids are going back to school this week I guess it hasn't stayed around too long. Ryan has been busy expanding her vocabulary and skills all over the place, singing songs, learning numbers and letters, building things and getting ready for her new sister to come!!! No we don't have a name just yet, we have some but can't commit to one name. Its kicking my butt that I haven't thought of a name so far. What's worse is that I don't even have a picture to upload of Ryan!!! I must repent, I know...I will work harder to be a better blogger, especially since I'm down to T-3 weeks before baby ________ Gray Longfellow is born!!! Oh well, no time like the present start over!

Not my birthday...

2010-07-12T16:59:00.003-04:00

We spent quite a bit of time trying to prepare Ryan for her birthday...maybe we put a little too much emphasis on the big day. All I actually got from her ON HER BIRTHDAY was her telling me that it wasn't her birthday!!! I finally realized it came from a Dora the Explorer episode where all the characters were trying to find out who's birthday it was. She was convinced it wasn't her birthday, but she sure was excited for the party!!!

More people, food and FUN!!!

2010-07-11T18:40:00.005-04:00

Food and Party people!

2010-07-11T18:25:00.005-04:00

Invites and decorations...

2010-07-11T18:18:00.002-04:00

Ryan's 2nd birthday...

2010-07-11T17:42:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that my baby girl is TWO YEARS OLD!!! To celebrate the occasion, Ryan was treated to a DORA THE EXPLORER themed birthday. I called in my "A-Team" (Kiera, Terah, Kylia, Jaren, Grandma Jamie, Leah and Emilee) to help me decorate and prepare for the party according to one I had found on a blog. The blog had even brought in a real DORA THE EXPLORER to take the kids on an adventure so you know this party is gonna be a big deal. We had everything you could think of...decorations in Dora's favorite colors, mexican food (taco bar with all the fixings) and cake for the kiddos! I was able to call in a friend from church to dress as Dora and take the kids on an adventure complete with backpacks and filled with toys to help the kids on their adventure. Needless to say, we had a blast!!! Ryan wasn't too convinced that Dora was the real deal, probably because she wasn't in cartoon form!!! But she had a good time and hopefully will one day be able to look back on all the pictures and realize that we just wanted her to have a great day.

So, this is gonna be my story about the next few posts, I have too many photos to include in just one post so I'm gonna try to go in order of the party, starting with the invitation...let's hope this works!
Happy Birthday Ryan, we love you and hope that you had an awesome day!
Love, Mommy and Daddy

Sister, sister...

2010-06-24T19:21:00.003-04:00

Today Joe and I went for my 28 week appointment. We had the usual stuff done for me and baby girl Longfellow, my weight (I hate that part and they do it EVERY TIME!!!), belly measurements, baby heart rate, etc. We also had an ultrasound and decided to have the 3D ultrasounds done to see if we can see more than we do with regular ultrasounds. Well, we did! Baby girl Longfellow is yes...still a girl, the technician loves to point that out for us...but she also let us get a glimpse of her features such as nose, eyes, chin, hands, arms, and whatever else she can see. Isn't that cool?

So, this got me thinking and remembering when we had this done prior to Ryan's birth. I dug through some of her stuff to find the CD with her pictures and decided to post she and her soon to be sister on the same post to see if y'all think they look, or are gonna look, as similar to one another as I think they are. Tell me who is who and let's figure out WHY MY CHILDREN DON'T LOOK LIKE ME???? Just kidding, I just thought it would be fun to compare and contrast the two sets of pictures. Enjoy!

2010-06-19T21:52:00.002-04:00

Ok, this is totally worth posting a second time...I just posted it to facebook. So we went to Ben's birthday this afternoon (Leah's son, he's six on Monday) and we all sang happy birthday to him and had delicious ice cream cake and pizza and goodies and played outside till the rain came. Then Joe and I decided to drive home in the rain because I wasn't feeling great and we gave Ryan a bath and started to wind her down for the evening. I try to take a nap before 9:00 and I can't sleep because I hear Ryan talking. Actually, she was singing and what was she singing you ask? The "happy birthday" song. You'll have to turn it up to hear her but she was singing it. Joe would jump in and help her and she even sang "happy birthday" to Daddy. Priceless.

More strawberry patch fun...

2010-06-10T21:11:00.007-04:00

So if you saw the post on Ryan's green thumb, it apparently didn't end there...She spent all of that afternoon in the garden eating berries that she picked herself. Grandma even said that she saw Ryan pick the berries and pull the leafy tops off. I guess she knows what she is doing! Just a few more pics from the berry patch.

Green thumb...

2010-06-04T22:40:00.006-04:00

While everyone else was enjoying the nice day and the clear swimming pool...

Ryan was...

Perfecting her green thumb!!! And enjoying the spoils of her victory with fresh strawberries from grandma's garden!!! With dirt on her face and in between her hands, she was enjoying every bit of her time in the garden. That's my girl!!!

Spaghetti...

2010-05-12T17:53:00.003-04:00

Spaghetti is best eaten by toddlers when they are naked, with the exception of a diaper. Ryan is no exception. She loved the spaghetti I made the other night and did waste any time digging in and making a wonderful mess!!!

2010-05-12T17:38:00.004-04:00

I don't know what it is about your parent's bed, but Ryan does her best to make it her very own. If I've got something she doesn't like on tv or won't turn the tv on at all, she gets upset and storms off to MY ROOM to whine and pout under the covers of MY BED and eventually she ends up playing. I can go in and check on her and I will either find her all covered up and giggling (waiting for me to find her) or she's jumping on the bed or she's climbing up and down the bed coming to see if I am coming to get her! Does she have me wrapped or what?!?!?!!

At her best...

2010-05-12T17:32:00.003-04:00

Yeah its a bagel bite, and she ain't sharing!

Ryan really does love to eat, and she loves to sit in her high chair when she does it! Ok, so she also loves to sit on the arm rest of the couch, in my lap or anywhere else she can get away with but I don't take pictures of those because I'm usually telling her to "get down" or "be still" so I really can't take picures. And, I don't recall anyone else sitting in a high chair quite like this...so typical Ryan...always doing things her own way!