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Friday, March 18, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Rest in Peace sweet Jayna
I hate blogging about such a horrible event but I am so shocked and saddened by the news that I feel I must share. It is just another example of how precious life is and it makes me realize lucky I am to have such an amazing family. I am so thankful for our health, safety and the love that we all have for each other.
This past week a friend of mine from ISS passed away. She was the victim of a horrible violent crime and it breaks my heart to know that this has happened to her and that the criminals have not been caught. Here is a link to one of the many news articles: NBC News Washington
I was not a close friend of Jayna's but most of us who went to ISS all keep in contact via Facebook and it's nice to have that community out there. I am sure anyone who has gone to an International School probably knows that you have a special bond with your classmates as you all shared so many nontraditional (and traditional) high school experiences together. Jayna was in my brother Nicks grade, but we spent time together playing on the school basketball team. (Yup, I played basketball.) Anyhow, her smile was infectious and she had one of those laughs that just made you want to start laughing yourself. She was one of those people that was always happy and by the activity on Facebook you can tell that she has touched so many peoples lives. A common theme is how she had a zest for life and was such a wonderful person. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and loved ones - Jayna will be missed dearly!
This past week a friend of mine from ISS passed away. She was the victim of a horrible violent crime and it breaks my heart to know that this has happened to her and that the criminals have not been caught. Here is a link to one of the many news articles: NBC News Washington
I was not a close friend of Jayna's but most of us who went to ISS all keep in contact via Facebook and it's nice to have that community out there. I am sure anyone who has gone to an International School probably knows that you have a special bond with your classmates as you all shared so many nontraditional (and traditional) high school experiences together. Jayna was in my brother Nicks grade, but we spent time together playing on the school basketball team. (Yup, I played basketball.) Anyhow, her smile was infectious and she had one of those laughs that just made you want to start laughing yourself. She was one of those people that was always happy and by the activity on Facebook you can tell that she has touched so many peoples lives. A common theme is how she had a zest for life and was such a wonderful person. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and loved ones - Jayna will be missed dearly!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Home sweet home
Last week was pretty hectic for us. We got back from our trip last Sunday and we have been on the go ever since. The main reason was because we were having our house painted. The whole process is a little more stressful that one might think - well the most stressful part is selecting the paint color! I think that is my least favorite thing EVER! We thought we wanted a blueish color for our house but weren't 100% so we got a few others to sample as well. After painting seven different color samples up on the house we decided on Storm Cloud - yay, a decision! After the siding was painted we realized we still had to make a decision on a brown (for the porch and brackets). After some more back and forth we went with Kaffe, which we both think looks great. We are super happy with the new colors! It's like a whole new house! I think they still have a little bit of work to do but I am posting pics anyways!
Here are some before pictures of our house:
Here are some before pictures of our house:
This was taken in February 2008 when we were house hunting and I fell in love with this house!
Things are a little more green here so I think its spring time!
And here is what it looks like now:
Now we need to hit up a nursery for some hanging plants and flowers!
Ryan's 1st birthday
Yes, I know.... he is not even 8 months yet - but I am so excited about his first birthday party! I have been thinking about it for a while and I can't decide if I want to have a big party or just a small one with family. Regardless of the guest list I plan on making it super special for the little man and having lots of fun decorations! Since his birthday is right in the heat of the summer it makes it difficult to have a party outside and since our house isn't that big its hard to get a lot of people inside, so I am still trying to figure that out. Anyhow, I did come up with a theme and I can't wait to get started on decorations! I scheduled his 1 year pictures with Cherished Memories Photography for June 25th and am super excited. I love all her work and can't wait for her to capture my little bug! I also contacted Astrid of SIGnature Creations to create a special birthday outfit for him! She is one of Mk's friends and started her business by making fun party decorations such as diaper cakes and diaper wreathes AND now she makes adorable clothing! I sent her my idea of what I wanted and she said she could make it so I can't wait! Oh and I almost forgot to mention the theme! Ryan will be having a "Little Red Wagon" themed first birthday party! I guess that's all I will share so everything else can be a surprise!
Mr. Pinchy
OMG - Ryan has always had quite grip but now he has turned it into a painful pinch. I didn't think much of it until other people started noticing it as well. He really digs into your neck or back of your arm and wiggles those little sweet fingers until he gets the perfect amount of skin then he pinch pinch pinches. This happens most right when he is falling asleep. He likes to make eye contact with you, get a good pinch and then he is out. I guess I need to start working on the word and meaning of GENTLE! Love my pinch-a-saurus Rex!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Hawaii
Aloha! We just got back from an AMAZING vacation in Hawaii.
We were a little nervous about the long plane ride and the time change but Ryan did so well. When we boarded the plane to Maui we were prepared for a long flight and to our surprise it went pretty fast. I packed lots of toys, some food and we had baby Einstien DVDs for him too. So he nursed, he played, he watched two 30 minute dvds, he ate peaches and bananas, and he even took a couple of naps. When we were landing Kevin and I couldn't believe that it went so fast!
From the moment we landed in Maui everything went seamlessly. We picked up our luggage then headed to pick up our sizzling mini van. It was great having such a large car but it has even further cemented the idea of buying one in Kevin's mind - he really digs them. I told him he could buy one for himself if he felt so strongly about one! haha we will see! Anyhow, I have never rented a car but it was ridiculously easy ( I just remember it always taking forever as a kid). I went inside to check the board and it had Kevin's name next to a number...which was the parking spot where our ride was parked. We didn't even have to talk to anyone...way to go Hertz! I was able to feed Ryan really quickly then we picked up my parents and headed to our condo.
We were so pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the Ka'anapali Alii. Our beachfront condo was perfect! We had so much space and had all the benefits of a hotel with maid service and a concierge too - would definitely recommend staying here! I had rented baby stuff from Easy Travel Hawaii the day before and everything I needed was delivered to us. We rented a crib, highchair, bouncer and toys and it was so great. Ryan loved all the toys! Also, the Alii had the largest beachfront and two pools to enjoy! It was also a quick 5 minute walk to Whalers Village where there were restaurants and cute shops.
The weeks went super fast and it was so nice and relaxing. We enjoyed lounging on the beach and hanging out at the pool. The waves were great and we boogie boarded. We were going to try surfing but I injured my foot on some coral so we were unable to. One morning Kevin and I did long boarding which was pretty fun. We also went up to Kapalua and did Zip lining which was really cool. The boys played golf one morning and T, Ryan and I went shopping. And then since it rained all day Friday we headed to the other side of the island to try Mama's Fish House...which was so worth the drive! We went to a luau one night and also made it to the Aquarium before heading back to Dallas.
Ryan absolutely loved the beach. He loved touching the sand and of course he ended up with a fistful in his mouth - which he didn't seem to mind either. He took naps in the cabana while we laid out and was one little happy camper. There was always a nice breeze blowing so he never got super hot. Since our condo was right on the beach we always kept our windows open to hear the sound of the ocean and it pretty much knocked Ryan out (no need for sleep sheep).
We had such an amazing time and definitely want to go back! Here is a link to all of our pics from the trip: Hawaii Vacation
And in case anyone was worried about Bob, you will be happy to know that he stayed with our friends Stacey and Jacob. You can check out how he spent his week here : Stacey & Jacob's Blog
From the moment we landed in Maui everything went seamlessly. We picked up our luggage then headed to pick up our sizzling mini van. It was great having such a large car but it has even further cemented the idea of buying one in Kevin's mind - he really digs them. I told him he could buy one for himself if he felt so strongly about one! haha we will see! Anyhow, I have never rented a car but it was ridiculously easy ( I just remember it always taking forever as a kid). I went inside to check the board and it had Kevin's name next to a number...which was the parking spot where our ride was parked. We didn't even have to talk to anyone...way to go Hertz! I was able to feed Ryan really quickly then we picked up my parents and headed to our condo.
We were so pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the Ka'anapali Alii. Our beachfront condo was perfect! We had so much space and had all the benefits of a hotel with maid service and a concierge too - would definitely recommend staying here! I had rented baby stuff from Easy Travel Hawaii the day before and everything I needed was delivered to us. We rented a crib, highchair, bouncer and toys and it was so great. Ryan loved all the toys! Also, the Alii had the largest beachfront and two pools to enjoy! It was also a quick 5 minute walk to Whalers Village where there were restaurants and cute shops.
The weeks went super fast and it was so nice and relaxing. We enjoyed lounging on the beach and hanging out at the pool. The waves were great and we boogie boarded. We were going to try surfing but I injured my foot on some coral so we were unable to. One morning Kevin and I did long boarding which was pretty fun. We also went up to Kapalua and did Zip lining which was really cool. The boys played golf one morning and T, Ryan and I went shopping. And then since it rained all day Friday we headed to the other side of the island to try Mama's Fish House...which was so worth the drive! We went to a luau one night and also made it to the Aquarium before heading back to Dallas.
Ryan absolutely loved the beach. He loved touching the sand and of course he ended up with a fistful in his mouth - which he didn't seem to mind either. He took naps in the cabana while we laid out and was one little happy camper. There was always a nice breeze blowing so he never got super hot. Since our condo was right on the beach we always kept our windows open to hear the sound of the ocean and it pretty much knocked Ryan out (no need for sleep sheep).
We had such an amazing time and definitely want to go back! Here is a link to all of our pics from the trip: Hawaii Vacation
And in case anyone was worried about Bob, you will be happy to know that he stayed with our friends Stacey and Jacob. You can check out how he spent his week here : Stacey & Jacob's Blog
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