You made this a Christmas to remember...

Remember that super cool trampoline Mommy and Daddy got the kids for Christmas???

Well two days after Christmas was a beautiful warm day here in our fair city, so we took the kids out to enjoy their new gift. Both kids jumped until Meg was tired, but Ryan was still going strong so he wanted Mommy and Daddy to jump with him. Mom was first. We played Crack the Egg (that name sounds so cruel now) and Mommy saw how high she could bounce her 40 lb. boy. Then it was Daddy's turn. They were having so much fun so I turned around to go get my camera. I hadn't taken two steps away from the trampoline when I hear "OWW!!", "Are you OK little man?" I turned around to find Ryan sitting on the trampoline and Bobby hovered over him. Ryan wasn't crying but he was holding his arm and his hand was hanging funny. It turns out that the boys were jumping pretty high and the last time Ryan came down he didn't land on his feet. He broke his fall with his hand and face.

Well it was pretty evident that something was wrong so we threw the kids in the car, took Meg to Mom's and Ryan to the ER. He never did cry and after a while he was playing his DS and saying his arm felt better, but we stuck around anyway to get the x-ray just in case. After the x-ray he went back to playing his DS. The doctor came back and watched Ryan on the DS with amazement, he was moving his wrist and arm with no problem. The doctor asked us to follow him to look at the x-rays. Then we saw them, two clean breaks...Ryan had broken both his bones in his lower arm about two inches above his wrist. The doctor said that Ryan must have an amazing pain tolerance to have never cried and be able to move the arm without pain. They put on a temporary cast and gave us a referral to an orthopedic.

Monday we went to see Big Rich (aka Dr. Ennis) and he and Willie (the cast put-er-oner) and Ryan was fitted with his real cast. He has been doing great and has even figured out how to play his DS with his cast arm. Although he doesn't think he will be able to write when school starts back ;)These have nothing to do with the broken arm but are post Christmas get-togethers with friends. I got to hang out with Nessa and Sarah the day after Christmas at Starbucks. Erin was supposed to join us but she was sick. Jolene couldn't join us because she had a baby two days earlier and plus she lives in Scotland, .....details, details.

On the 29th we went over to Laurie and Jay's and had a Halford/Rye Christmas. The kids had a great time playing together. We opened gifts, played Wii and ate pizza. Of course there is the obligatory pyramid picture...please excuse our dorkiness.

I think that is it.....until New Years....

Christmas Marathon

Here are pics from our Christmas celebrations...try to keep up.....

Christmas Eve started with not one, but two Christmas Eve services. We would have liked to have attended a third, but until they can figure out that whole space-time continuum thing, it just ain't possible.

After the services we went over to Nana and Poppa's and celebrated with Nana, Poppa, Momsie and Popsie. The kids were so sweet and possibly have careers in Hollywood. You know how kids usually open clothes at Christmas??? Well I knew Nana had gotten the kids TONS of much needed clothes. They also were each receiving one toy that they really wanted. So Bobby and I prepared the kids in the car.

Mom: "Kids, what do we do when someone is sweet enough to get us clothes for Christmas?"
Kids: "We say Thank You"
Mom: "That's good, but also remember to be excited and tell them what you like about the clothes"

This was pretty much the extent of the conversation, but my children took this advice and ran with it. They tore into those clothes boxes with fervor and shrieked with joy and every shirt, dress and pair of pants. "This is my favorite color!!!!", "This is just my size!!!!, "I will look great in this!!!" I'm telling you the kids deserved Academy Awards. Of course Nana and Poppa were tickled with their reactions. Along with the clothes Ryan received his much wanted Ultimate Lightsaber Kit and Meg got a baby doll which she named Badashala (we are still trying to figure that one out).

After Nana's, we came home, the kids hit the hay to prepare for the big day and Bobby and I opened our presents from each other at midnight. Bobby got a flash drive, a laptop mouse, and some other goodies. Bobby spoiled me with a new lens for my camera which you can appreciate below.

Of course Christmas morning started out seeing what Santa brought and opening presents from Mommy and Daddy. Meg was super excited about Biscuit the dog (which she told everyone and their brother, that it was only thing she really wanted). Ryan was stoked about his Nintendo DS and his Bakugans. Then they opened their presents from Mommy and Daddy. They were a little disappointed that the gifts only contained index cards with words on them. That was until they put them together to see the sentence "LOOK IN THE BACKYARD." That was where they found the trampoline (cue the eerie foreshadowing music). They were pumped and we went out and jumped in our PJs in the freezing cold.

Then it was over to Maw Maw's where the kids made out like toy bandits and we got to watch David experience his first Christmas. Dad got a Wii and Bobby got Heeley's and many emergency room jokes were made (oh, if we only knew).

Then it was over to Georgia's for a Walker Christmas. Sorry I don't have more pics, but I was just sitting and enjoying family. Sometimes even Susie Kodak needs a break:)

Then it was into the car and off to Lexington. The kids took advantage of the two hour drive and took a good nap; Bobby and I were not as lucky:) We had a wonderful time and got to see lots of family that we don't get to see very often. Bobby's gramma was in very good spirits and we also got to see a little of Baby Mikey's first Christmas.

and next comes the exciting post.......

Bring on Chirstmas

aka. ..December pictures part one:)

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted pictures, but as you will see we have been quite busy. I decided to break this down into a few posts so that I don't have 20 pictures in one.

So are you ready for Christmas '08???

Ok, so these aren't Christmas pictures, but I wanted to include them. Meg takes ballet, jazz and tap once a week and a few weeks ago parents were allowed to come and view a class. Bobby had been before so he graciously allowed my Mom to go. She behaved in normal Meg fashion, and my mother drew many similarities between Meg's dancing my gymnastic days, but we had fun snickering in the back of the room. (shh... don't tell Meg)

These pictures are from Christmas in Mississippi. We went to Ms. Barbee's, ate lunch, hung out with friends, heard the Christmas story and saw Santa.

Here is Ryan's Field Trip to IMAX, Pink Palace and the Enchanted Forest. He thought the animal animatronics in the Forest were creepy and was not fond of the dummies in the Museum, but had a great time anyway:)

This was our Christmas family night a few days before Christmas. We made homemade gingerbread men and Christmas crafts. Don't ask me for the gingerbread recipe, it was a pain in the rear!

More to come.....

"Tagged"

Ok, apparently my blog has been "tagged"...not once, but twice. My sweet friends Sonya and Kris have both "tagged" me, so I guess I have to comply:)


Here are the rules:


1. choose the 4th picture folder on my computer.

2. choose the 4th picture.

3. explain the picture.

4. tag 4 people to do the same.

OK, this one is hysterical!! My picture folders are in order by year, and alphabetically by month within that year (please don't judge, organization makes me happy), so this picture is pretty old. It is from Ryan's first Christmas and he is pictured with his big cousins Bailey and Parker. Bailey would have been about 7, Parker about 3 1/2 and Ryan was 6 months. They are wearing the matching Santa outfits given to them by Maw Maw. They look so cute, but poor Maw Maw is still getting grief about them. Just wait until Parker and Ryan get a few years older and see these pictures, then she will really get it:) Come to think of it Ryan's outfit should fit David this year....Tootsie!!!

I am tagging:

1. Mikey Nine Toes

2. The Davis Family

3. Golden Goodness

4. This is sad, I don't have another blogging friend who hasn't already been tagged. Come on my computer literate buddies, start blogging:)

The Bible tells me so...

Now Ryan has been reading since the summer before Kindergarten and we gave him his first real Bible a few months ago, but today was a special day. This morning while riding to church, I heard him unzip his Bible cover and rustle a few pages. Then I heard some of the sweetest words that have ever left his lips...

"Genesis......In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the earth"

We do devotionals with him every night, he goes to Sunday School every week, we know he knows the basics. But this was just such a special moment to me. He was reading scripture...all by himself. He began at the very beginning (a very good place to start), he read every word without pause, but not purely from memorization. My eyes began to well up, I put my hand on Bobby's leg. We both smiled knowingly....

He now has the all tools he needs for all life's problems. He does not need anyone else to tell him where to find the answer. He can read for himself the wonders that amazing Book possesses. And he can answer without doubt....Why do you believe?

"Because the Bible tells me so!"

Daddy Daughter Dance

Meg had her first dance this weekend and she was escorted by her best fella, her Daddy:) It was a Daddy Daughter Dance hosted by Meg's dance school.

Meg came home from dance a couple of weeks ago with very specific instructions and she carried them out to a "T". She approached her Daddy, stuck out her bottom lip, batted those big brown eyes and said, "Daddy will you please take me to the Daddy Daughter Dance?" Of course who could say no to that???

Then the search began... Mommy had to find the perfect dress. Three different dresses were purchased, pictures were taken, opinions gathered and it was finally decided... A sweet little burgundy dress with cap sleeves, sweet little tummy bow, and beautiful flowers stitched all over the skirt. Of course it met Meg's only requirement...it twirled!!

Then the big day came. Meg had a manicure (ala Mommy). We curled her hair, added a touch of lip gloss, and slipped on her dress, tights and patent leather Mary Janes. Daddy changed into his nicest suit and Meg made him change his shirt because, "You don't wear a blue shirt with a suits, Daddy, white shirts look much fancier." Finally, Daddy presented Meg with her first corsage and we took a few pictures.

Then they drove off leaving Ryan and Mommy to their Star Wars movie and take-out:) A wonderful evening was had by all.

My pretty girl

Meg's first corsage

Meg and her Daddy

Twirl practice

If you want to see actual pictures from the dance, you can click here. Of course there are only one or two where you can spot Meg. Bobby said she didn't stand still for many pictures...can you imagine that?? Thankfully they had some posed pictures made and we should get those soon.

Cassie and Chase

I attempted my first engagement photo shoot today with my cousin Cassie and her fiance' Chase. Aren't they a gorgeous couple?!?

Couldn't you just eat him up!?!

Here are a few pictures of my latest photo shoot with David. Seriously does this child ever stop smiling??

Today was a beautiful fall day that felt more like a beautiful summer day. Tootsie called us and suggested we all meet up at the River Arts Fest downtown. We had a great time hanging out with all of the cousins and looking at all of the amazing exhibits. The kids even got to paint silk hoops which were hung to decorate the festival.

Of course we did make a mental notes to bring handcuffs for the children next year. Bobby and I sounded like broken records...."don't touch', 'don't touch', 'don't touch"..but with all the pretty colors and textures, they were like moths to the Bug Zapper.

The kids clowning around in the park

Watching a Potter

Ryan Painting

Meg Painting

Meg's Masterpiece


Ryan's Masterpiece

Meg making a new friend

All of the kid's silk paintings

All the cousins


David...cute as ever!!