Back in the game. Post-Holiday return!

So, I guess it's time to get back into things here on the blog, huh? I've taken enough time "off," I suppose! I know a lot of folks post a bunch around Christmas, but we have had such an incredibly busy winter with Christmas prep (including making our yearly photo book, which I always put off and then need about a month to make it just in time), lots of sinus infections, Christmas travel (and I'm not going to blog while visiting family out of state - it's my time to just be with family and that's all), and Ryan working LOTS of overtime. During the first half of January, Camden is also tracked out of school, so we've been busy doing things while he is home this month, as well. Lots of good things (some not so fun things) going on lately. BUT it's time to get back into it here...

We did have a great Christmas, even if it was more rushed and full of allergies than we would have liked.

Before we even went anywhere, though, we had stuff to do at home...

Teacher gifts! Camden's in middle school now, so he has a LOT of teachers (and we have to add in some extras, of course, such as all of the librarians because he is always there and has gotten to know them pretty well). We made some hot cocoa mix, made snowmen marshmallows, and put it all together in a mason jar. Camden wrote a personal letter to each teacher to add in with the card. I hope they all liked their gift!! I know some people don't give gifts once the kids are in middle school. I just can't stop, though. These teachers work so hard every day, working with classrooms full of kids. And middle schoolers! Those cannot be easy some days! ;) I wish I could give so much more than a cute mason jar with hot cocoa!! They deserve so much more.

We also gave one to the mailman. We waited for him one afternoon (to make sure it was our regular guy, too!), and then ran out when he was approaching our house. Aiden ran, holding the jar (with me behind hoping he did not drop it!), yelling "Merry Christmas!!" And let me tell you, that mailman was grinning and taken by surprise and said to us, "You all just made my day." And that most certainly made mine!

Photo coasters I made for the grandparents. They all got a few of the same, and then they each got some others that we picked out specifically for them. That's a lot of coasters, you say? Well, there are four sets of grandparents (and we also made a few for Camden's biological father and his family). Each set of grandparents got six coasters, so...yeah, that's a lot of coasters!

 

Aiden with his very own (felt) Christmas tree that we made together one afternoon. And an apple. And cheesy grin. :)

We went to KY and WV for Christmas to be with all of our parents (there are four sets, so divide that up between 10 days, and it can get pretty busy!). Our first full day in KY, we visited with my great grandmother, who turned 92 in January. I had to hold back tears during the whole visit and afterward... Seeing her and just talking and hanging out really made me miss being back closer to all of my extended family. Made me miss "home."

 Does she not look absolutely amazing at 92 years old?! 

(I hope this runs in the family...)

Family stop #1 - My dad, stepmom, and sister

 My sister and my son... We took this because they accidentally matched. I love it because I never realized how much they look alike! It's kind of crazy, and I'm not sure how I didn't see it before!

Cousins. Two of my brother's kids hanging out with mine. They even make the same goofy faces...

 

 Aiden checking out the gifts I made for all the grandparents. 

This is my mom and stepdad. Christmas morning.

 Friends. BEST Friends. I'm lucky to have these folks in my life. 

More people to make me miss "home."

These little guys almost have no choice but to be best friends. 

Good thing they don't seem to mind!

They spent two entire evenings just running around the house together. 

Such a joy to see!

 Ryan's mom opening her homemade grandparent gift.

 And his dad and stepmom, too. 

(Note to self, taking a break from pictures to 

enjoy the moments means you come home with less pictures, wishing you took more.)

Getting ready to leave for home. We kept trying to get some good family shots. This one is great because it shows...neither child looking at the camera and both looking kind of silly, mama has some super swollen eyes thanks to allergies, and daddy is the only half-normal looking one here (and he's looking pretty good!).

We had a blast, got to see a lot of folks not pictured, and just enjoyed being with family for the holidays. Part of it was sad for me because, for the second year in a row, we had to miss extended family gatherings on my mom's and dad's sides of the family. (I have a huge family. Christmas is the only time I get to see much of them, since we live in another state. Unfortunately, Christmas gatherings with all of them happened when we weren't able to be there due to school schedules, etc. That was a bit tough.) It was nice getting home, though. Aiden got homesick while we were traveling, and after a couple nights kept saying he wanted to be back home in his own bed. Who knows, maybe one day we won't have to travel so much to see our family...

Now on to the new year! I've got lots of posts to get on here soon!! There are some awesome giveaways in the works already. Always lots going on. Just wish there was lots more time, right?! ;)

Back from Vacation...AGAIN.

Yes, we've already taken vacation #2... Do I recommend taking two vacations with two children (one under two years old) within two weeks, both multiple states away?? Hmmmm...not so much. But the dates couldn't be helped, and we had a blast on both trips. The driving has definitely worn on us, we have been reminded why it is a pretty good idea to drive through the night, and we are for sure beyond exhausted. BUT a good time was had by all. And we are happy to be staying put for a while now.

This trip was to KY to meet up with some of Ryan's college buddies, one of which he hadn't seen since our wedding back in 2006! When Ryan planned the trip, he made reservations for a cabin in a state park....which just so happened (totally coincidental!) to be at a park that I have visited many, many times for family get-togethers...because it just so happens to be less than 15 miles from much of my family on my dad's side. How perfect! The guys could have their guy-time, and I could spend a couple days visiting family that I normally only see for a couple hours at Christmas.

Well, things didn't quite go that way (do they ever?), but it was still nice.

My great-grandmother's older brother passed away over the weekend, so the get-together my grandmother had planned for us all had to be canceled (understandably). We did spend one afternoon with my dad, step-mom, sister, and my older brother and his two kids. We even made it to dinner at Hometown...home of the best white chicken pizza ever! And the next day, my brother and kids even made it back to spend some time at the pool with us. While there, my grandmother and great-grandmother came to the lodge for lunch, so I did manage to see them for a bit, which was a great treat!

While on the trip, Ryan also had another reaction to medicine he had finished taking a week before... If you remember, he had a bad reaction while in Florida, keeping us out of the sun for much of the trip. (He finished the medicine on Saturday, mowed the lawn Wednesday evening, and the reaction appeared the first day of our trip...a little worse in some areas this time. He has been told this is not a typical reaction, so this definitely will go on his list of "never take again.") So, that kept him from playing golf and enjoying the pool. But I feel confident in saying that he and the other guys still thoroughly enjoyed their time together.

The little guys had a blast, too. Aiden napped...once the whole trip (last day, after a great deal of time at the pool - poor guy was exhausted and just couldn't fight it any longer!), but the cabin was small and not conducive to napping really - and he was relatively well-behaved for a child waking before 6am and not napping. Both boys just loved playing around with the other guys on the trip, Tom and Darryl. Neither Tom's girlfriend or Darryl's wife were able to come as originally planned (but after seeing the cabin, I can't help but wonder...would there have been room? It was much smaller than expected.) Overall, the trip was a great success - at least for what it was intended, and that's what matters most. :)

Our drive home took 17 hours instead of 9, and we drove in the daytime b/c we needed to make a few stops on the way home...but we got to see some loved ones (even if for very short visits that nicely included food! Thanks, guys!!), and we made it back safely. And just in time for Camden's end-of-grade testing that started the next day. (Seriously...what school schedules EOGs right after a holiday/long weekend?? And how does that make sense?)

Here are some pics from the trip. And yes...they really did wear those.

2010 May, KY Trip to see the guys!

PS - If you know Darryl, you'll notice he's changed a bit. Congrats to him on the weight loss. :) Lookin' great, D!

Back from Vacation... Kind of.

Meaning it was kind of a vacation, not that we're kind of back...though I guess that could be true in a sense, as well. ;)

One of my closest friends just got married. In Florida. We've been friends longer than...well, any other friend I've had. We're those friends that were always inseparable up through high school and have been through a lot together, and even though we don't talk as regularly these days, when we do, it's like we just pick up where we left off. He still lives in KY, but they got married on the beach in FL, and there wasn't a question as to whether or not we would be there. We even pulled Camden out of school to go. I don't think he would have forgiven me if he hadn't gone. Mark is Camden's godfather, and Camden just has this connection with him. He looks up to Mark so much and thinks the world of him. (Me, too. His friendship means the world to me.) :)

So, anyway...off we went. And while we were at it, we figured we would take a few days to enjoy the beach.

The trip altogether actually wasn't the best "vacation" we've had. We drove through the night to get there, as it was 12 hours of driving not including stops. It took us 15 hours going there... We woke the boys to leave around 10:30pm Tuesday evening, and Aiden thought it was time to wake up and play once in the car, so he was up for another hour. We couldn't help but laugh, thinking it would be our luck that he would just stay awake, but he did eventually go to sleep. Then he woke at 2am throwing up all over the place...and thought he had to stay up for another hour to play once we finally had things cleaned up enough to get back on the road. I didn't sleep much in the car when Ryan drove, which is pretty typical for me. Once we arrived Wednesday afternoon, we realized that the memory card for the good camera was still at home in the computer. I was ready to freak out, but Ryan went and bought a new one after I explained that no, we couldn't just not take pictures. Hello...it was Mark's wedding! (Him buying a new one worked for me, since he's the one that told me he had gotten all of the camera things together...) Then when changing Aiden's diaper right after we arrived, that little kiddo kicked my hand just the right way and caused me to spill some melted coconut oil ALL over the place, including his body and my jeans (good thing that stuff isn't like regular oil and washes right out!). We found out the water was out in the room after unpacking EVERYthing, but luckily it was only for a couple of hours, so we didn't need to switch rooms. After a day and a half, we realized Ryan was having a bad reaction to being out in the sun...and finally put together it was because he was still on antibiotics and shouldn't have mixed the two. This meant he couldn't be in direct sunlight, so...some things weren't as fun for him (or the rest of us at times). I had a cold and woke up every morning with a sore throat that sometimes went away but most days didn't. We discovered that a restaurant with a sign claiming it is "Kid friendly" does not mean they have changing tables and other restaurants make all of their pasta and pizza dough with eggs, meaning you may just have to walk out if your child is allergic b/c there is nothing for him to eat.

It seemed like our whole vacation was full of little things like this. But we still managed to have fun and enjoy the trip. We saw dolphins the first morning we were at the beach (at 8am since they are an hour behind, meaning Aiden woke up at 4:30am Destin-time!). We also saw rays swimming around Camden the next day... Those things were everywhere. The weather was wonderful, though a bit too hot the last couple days, and there was no rain. (It always seems to rain when we go to the beach.) Aiden was so well-behaved when eating out. That's normal, but we ate out a lot, so we were very impressed. (I think we need to detox now, as well. All that eating out...ugh.) The kids both were great in general, really. We hit the breakfast buffet at the hotel as soon as it opened every day, and the lady working just loved Aiden and would bring him (& Camden) oranges...which he LOVES. It was nice to be met with a friendly face each morning. We also got to have lunch with Mark & Kelly the day before their wedding. And I saw some friends at the wedding that I haven't seen in years!

And the most important part of the trip, the whole reason we were there...the wedding. It was beautiful, of course! It really was. It was more than we expected for a beach wedding, and we had a lot of fun, even if we spent a lot of the night chasing after Aiden, who was RUNNING everywhere he could. You could see how happy the newlyweds were and couldn't help grinning for them all night long.

We left last night at 9:30 our time (8:30 beach-time) and arrived home about 14 hours later... The trip home wasn't as involved as the trip there. No kids throwing up or trying to play all night long. Aiden did have one hour where he really struggled with sleeping, but we were in an area with a lot of stop lights instead of the interstate. Other than that, the kids slept really well. Ryan and I struggled sleeping when it was our turn, but we managed and made it home all in one piece. As much as driving through the night might not be the most pleasant for us, it certainly has its benefits, and we'll be doing it more often, I'm sure! Our road trips aren't usually too short, and this really helped Aiden deal with being in the car for such long periods.

Of course, I took a bunch of pictures on the trip. I tend to go everywhere with a camera, but I only uploaded a fraction of what I took. You can see the most post-worthy here:

2010 Destin, FL Beach Trip - Mark & Kelly's Wedding

Home again, home again

...jiggety jig.

We're back home from having Christmas in Kentucky. It was a very hectic time, but, as always, it was worth it. It might not have been so hectic if we had those three days that were spent waiting in NC instead of relaxing in KY... Yeah, that big snowstorm that came through VA and WV kept us home three days longer than planned. Our route goes right through where snow made for some really bad snow conditions, especially through the WV Turnpike, which was closed the day we were supposed to be on the road. Some people were stranded for 26 hours... I'm glad we made the decision to be stranded at home and wait it out. So, instead of leaving on Saturday, me and the kiddos left the house Tuesday morning. Ryan had to stay back to work and fly in Wednesday evening. I was nervous about the long drive by myself because Aiden really is not a great car-rider, especially on those long trips. But someone must have been hearing my prayers because the trip went way better than expected. That little boy who never sleeps more than an hour on these trips (that can take over 12 hours....) slept for a full (exactly) THREE HOURS right in the middle of the drive. Wow. Camden and I kept things silent for fear of waking the little guy up. We managed to stop in WV to have lunch with Ryan's dad and then again in KY to drop some luggage off at my mom's before driving another couple hours to my dad's. We weren't sure if we would make it to his house or not (that's where we were supposed to stay during the time we were stuck at home), but we made such good time that we managed...Aiden started to get cranky shortly before arriving. We left the house at 7:30am and arrived at our final destination at 7:30pm. But we made it, at least!

During our five days of visiting (not including the two days of travel), we managed to be in five different cities and see all of our family and some of our friends (but not all we had hoped to see). I told you it was hectic! The boys got plenty of gifts, as did we. It seemed to be the year of books for me and Ryan. We both came home with a ton (that we had asked for, of course). Now...we just need to find the time to read them all!! ;) We also enjoyed seeing the grandparents open their gifts. Among other things, they all received copies of a photobook of Aiden's first year and some pottery item that the kids made for them (either with handprints or thumbprints included, of course). But mostly, it was just wonderful to be with everyone. It's also the only time I get to see my extended family, since we live so far away. While some might say they would just as well stay at home rather than be so rushed and drive so much (most places we visited were about two-hour drives), I wouldn't do it any other way. Family is too important, so we make the trip...and look forward to living closer and being able to relax a bit during the holidays one day. Driving all over Kentucky, I was also reminded of how beautiful that state is. I kept wanting to stop the car to take pictures... All of the fields with cows grazing, the horse farms, the sunsets we got to see, everything. Beautiful.

Here are our pictures from all the Christmas celebrations (and some other events that happened to take place in December). I didn't take as many as I normally do, and somehow I missed pictures of some of the people we saw (sorry about that!). You'll notice Camden is missing from quite a few. He WAS with us for Christmas, but everywhere we went...he quickly disappeared to play outside or in another room with other kids. Aiden's always stuck with us, so there is no shortage of pictures of him. It was a lot of fun with him this year, especially because he really figured out the whole gift-opening concept. Hopefully next time we travel, he'll also figure out that he doesn't need to wake up at 4am every morning...

Now...next year...we are definitely getting started earlier. I'm putting it on my calendar. We still have yet to get the boys' tree ornaments (!!!I feel so terrible!!!), a tradition we have where they each get an ornament every year, symbolizing something that was important from that year. We have one picked out finally for Aiden on etsy (it should not be so hard to find a star ornament...), and we had one to get for Camden, but Hallmark sold out long before we knew about it. Christmas totally snuck up on us this year! We barely got our family photo album ordered in time... Camden's Christmas pjs had to be shipped to Mammaw's house, so he didn't get them until we were there (just in time to wear them on Christmas Eve, at least). Cards barely made it out in time. And we were just behind on so much. Next year, right? Seriously, it's going on the calendar in August or something. Once I get around to getting the new calendar out and writing in it...

Ok, enough talk. Here are the pics.

2009 December

I hope everyone else had a very, very Merry Christmas!!

I'm falling way behind on my posts lately, and I have a bunch that I am intending to get up...one of these days. We've been sick with colds lately, for one thing. Aiden got a nasty cold while we were visiting family not long ago. He was well for, I'm not kidding, two days when he caught another cold! This one was courtesy of big brother, bringing germs home from school, I suppose. He has a hard time taking seriously warnings such as "stay out of Aiden's face," "don't touch his food!" (hello?!), etc, etc. I think seeing how quickly Aiden got sick and how bad this cold was helped. And then I caught it, of course. When Aiden is sick, he tends to sleep as close to me as possible...as in, he hugs my neck and puts his nose and mouth right up next to mine! How could I NOT get sick?! But it's impossible to stay away because having me so close helps him, which is too important to me, especially when it helps him get to sleep...and we both need that badly! I'm currently trying to keep it from turning into a sinus infection...not sure how successful I am quite yet. It's questionable.

And we recently had a death in the family. My grandmother (my stepdad's mother), Grandma Strode, just passed away last weekend. We knew it was going to be soon, but it was sooner than expected. We're currently in Kentucky. We made it in time to go to the funeral. Ever notice how that is such a good way to see extended family that you haven't seen in a while. Sad circumstances, yes. But it's always great that everyone shows up (which is how it should be) and comes together to be there. We got to meet a couple new family members - my step-brother's new baby boy, Loxley, and my step-sister's even newer baby girl, Ella. Plus, we didn't make it to Christmas at with my step-dad's family last year because we needed to be with Ryan's grandmother who was in the hospital and close to passing away, so it was nice to see everyone and let them meet Mr. Aiden. Aiden and Grandma Strode had actually been able to meet. We stopped and visited this summer when we were coming to Kentucky. We wanted to spend some time with Grandma while we had the chance - and we really wanted her and Aiden to meet. I'm so glad we made that happen! You can't wait on that kind of stuff because you don't always have "next time."

Aiden trying to share a toy with Grandma Strode

So, we came to Kentucky for the funeral and to be with family, but we're also staying for Halloween since we're already here and Ryan won't miss any extra work because of it. He already had to take off through Friday for all the traveling - a full day on the road each way - so we figured why not stay and relax a bit instead of rushing back. I'm taking advantage and trying to rest up a little to get well. I don't really feel like sleeping until 10am counts as "sleeping in" if I don't get to sleep until 1 or 2am because I am sick and then am up every hour or two with a sick or hungry baby.

And we're not really getting to relax too much with the boys underfoot. Aiden, who remembered he could manuever steps last time we visited family, has decided he can now go down all on his own, too. So he tries to practice that as much as he can. I think he's more comfortable practicing at both my mom's and Ryan's mom's because they each have some areas that just have one or two steps separating rooms. That means we have to stay right with him, esp when every now and then he sits down to slide down the step...and he's not quite in the right position. He gets it right most of the time, but...

So, we'll get back into our regular routine sometime. Surely. We've also been having some naptime struggles with Aiden, and I'm really hoping to kick into gear and get him back on track - or on some kind of track! - once we get back home and things calm down. I think all the traveling and all the colds this past month haven't helped with things. And sometimes he needs one nap a day and sometimes two... It's been fairly frustrating and time-consuming. We'll figure something out. Hopefully. (And hopefully soon!)

Anyway, that's the story with us lately. A very busy time, and blogging has just had to take a backseat, whether I wanted it to or not.

Catching up...

I've been MIA on the blog for a while, I know... We've been very busy traveling to visit family, dealing with colds and teething (together they are quite fun, let me tell you), pumpkin farms, soccer games, allergy testing, dentist appointments, dead cars... You get the point. Busy!

We spent a week with Ryan's family last week. It was nice to have a little downtime, as much as you can have with a toddler that is into every little thing at a different place with much to explore. ;) My favorite part...with others around to entertain Aiden, I actually got to shower, dry my hair, AND fix my hair every day. Nice. It was also great seeing Aiden interact with all the granparents. He really had a blast! Least favorite...Aiden was up more than once an hour just about every night. We were going to have him sleep in the pack & play while we were in the full size bed. That didn't work, so we were all snuggled close in the bed instead. Aiden was teething with his fourth molar and then he caught a cold...so he also discovered that he loved using half of my pillow to lie on. (He is continuing to love that, as well.) That was all fine. Just meant no sleep for mom. He also was quite clingy at night from the teething, so he practiced sharing...his cold...with me. We did get to have some fun visiting with the grandparents, going to the park, seeing some of Ryan's close friends, and just not having to watch the clock as closely as usual. Plus, we got Camden back! :) He had been to visit his dad for a couple weeks and then was visiting my dad for a few days. It's always great to have him back with us again. AND when picking him up in Kentucky, we spent a couple hours at my mom's to work on Aiden's costume. Yes, that's right, she was able to help make his Bunny costume after all!

While visiting, Aiden decided he would have everyone read books to him over and over - but not sit still for many of them. At home, he'll just sit through entire books, no matter how long. While there, he would sit through a page or two at a time! He also decided he would once again go up stairs. He hasn't even attempted that in quite a while, even with encouragement! And he learned how to go down stairs, too...small ones. He will hold onto the wall and slide his foot over the edge of the step down the front of it, to the floor. When on the big stairs, he forgets to do that and just attempts to walk down! I don't know how others teach their babies to scoot down on their bottoms or bellies...I've tried and he just won't go for that at all.

Once back home, we were thrown back into it all. No easing into it. But we had a fun weekend full of soccer games and a visit to a local pumpkin farm. The farm was a HIT. Lots of fun stuff for the kids - both Camden and Aiden's age. And the tractors were all running on vegetable oil - how cool is that?! We really had a great time and will definitely be going back there again. Anyone local looking for a good place - it's Philip's Farm in Cary. Some info here, and get a coupon here (print up more than one, too!).

Then Ryan's car decided to die. It's finally back on the road again, but it spent a couple days in the driveway first, which complicated life a little bit for a while.

We also had Aiden's big appointment with the allergist. That's for another post so I can focus on that. Not for this smorgasborg...

And today I took both boys to the dentist. Aiden's first dentist visit ever and Camden's first time to this one since we moved. Good news and bad news... Bad news is Camden might need braces soon because the last dentist messed up. We have such bad luck with dentists. Long story, but when he was younger and we were sent to a ped dentist for a cavity (one of those that didn't let the parents back with the kids - I was not comfortable with it from the start and have since NEVER left him alone)...they did a root canal instead (b/c of insurance and money - you can't imagine how furious I was when I found out). Couple years later, that tooth had to be pulled. A space maintainer was put in; it popped out this past spring, and the last dentist said we didn't need another because the next tooth was close to coming in and the other teeth wouldn't move into the space. Apparently that wasn't true, and the teeth are already moving. Sooooo...we get to go to the orthodontist to see what they say. Joy. Good news was Aiden did a FABULOUS job, which wasn't too much of a surprise. The kid loves brushing his teeth! When they laid him back to check his teeth, he just let them...twice. He did get mad and fuss after the dentist pushed on the gums where the molar is coming through. You can't blame him for that!

Sorry if this sounds all jumbled and thrown together. It kind of is.

Instead of posting some pics, here is the album of our pics online. Everything's there. :)

2009 October

Enjoy!

Photos from KY Visit

I'm just today getting to even put one of the memory cards in the computer to view some of these pics myself.... (If you know me, you know that means I am SUPER busy b/c that's always the FIRST thing I do!!) Anyway, here are the pics from our visit to KY last week/weekend. We were in town for three days (and two days on the road with lots of stops here and there). We fit a LOT in - got to see a lot of family members and friends.

Enjoy the pics!

Visit to KY - Visiting friends & the boys' birthday party!

PS - For those of you that use gmail...You can subscribe to our pics. Whenever we upload new albums, you'll get an email. When you view the album, look near the top of the column on the right - just click "Add to favorites." We don't upload all that often, so you won't be overwhelmed with tons of emails, so go ahead and subscribe already! ;)

Too Hungry to Wait!

On Sunday, we took a road trip to meet Camden's dad so Camden could go with him to KY for a couple weeks. We meet about halfway, just as we get into WV. Ryan's mom and David decided they would meet us there, too, so that they could see the boys and have lunch with us. David made a trip out to his garden before they left, and he brought us a bunch of veggies. In one shallow box, there were a bunch of tomatoes, along with other things. When we got home that night, we left the veggies out to put away the next morning. The eight hour drive plus stopping time - plus having a baby that is not wanting to get back in the car seat after the first or second stop... - all of that kind of takes it out of you, so you don't want to do much by the time you get home.

In the morning, the veggies were still there, of course. I'm in the kitchen fixing Aiden some breakfast while he plays at my feet. Ryan had left the shallow box of veggies in the floor. (Can you see where this is going?) I turn around after putting something in the microwave and look down to say something to Aiden. This is what I see...



I guess he was just too hungry to wait for me to fix him some breakfast. He decided a nice juicy tomato would suffice. He was just eating away!


Hmmm...eat another bite or drop it over the edge???


Another bite.
(THEN he attempted to drop it. We're working on this "we can set food back on the tray when we're done with it" thing.)

I just thought this was hilarious!! Had to share!

PS - Don't you just love the messy bedhead hair??

Back from Vacation

Sorry about the lack of posts lately.... Becky commented yesterday that I must be busy b/c it's not like me to go 10 days without a post. ;) Very true!! After the move, we immediately had family in, and the day after they left, friends arrived and then we left for vacation! I've had very little computer time and absolutely no time to blog. As fun as all of this was, I think the next time we move, we will put a little more time between all the different activities!! We still have plenty to unpack, and it seems endless since we have had so much other stuff happening.

Anyway...Vacation! This was Aiden's first vacation, first time camping. We went with one of my best friends, Sonia, and her two boys - who happen to be similar ages to my boys. Camden and Justin are the same age, and Aiden and Christian are almost a year apart. To me, the older boys are almost like brothers with the way they act.... When they get together, it's like they've never been apart. They pick up right where they left off - usually arguing over every little thing. It's all a competition, nothing is off limits. But they still manage to have a lot of fun together! I think they'll grow up to remain good friends. (They almost have no choice since their moms are so close!) They had a lot of fun camping - getting to just be boys and do what boys do! They played with toads (they are all over the campground!), play soccer/volleyball/basketball, there was a huge chess game nearby, and they just got to run around a lot!

Aiden and Christian will soon follow and become great friends, too, I'm sure. They couldn't do a whole lot together right now b/c of their ages and where they are developmentally, but they will soon outgrow that and be good friends. (Once again, they pretty much have no choice.....) Sonia and I had wanted to have some great girlfriend time, and I don't think we got nearly as much as we wanted! I know I didn't. It's a lot of work camping with a toddler and an infant!! We all knew it would be, but it pretty much takes all of your time, energy, attention... And the little boys are on different schedules with naps and all, so it was difficult to get some one-on-one time with just us mamas. That was probably my least favorite part of the trip. (Next time, right, Sonia?!)

My favorite part.... When Aiden went down for his naps. I would nurse him and then let him play on his own in the pack & play in the tent. I would lie on our bed and read and watch him...he would do his little version of gymnastics until it tired him out. Then after he was asleep, I would lie there and read, usually dozing off right before he woke. He wakes sometimes after about 30 or so minutes and will go right back to sleep if someone is there and lays him back down - then he would sleep for a good while longer. But it was so nice to have that quiet time for me, too. I never get to read for fun much (I started rereading Fast Food Nation - good reminder of why not to eat fast food.....), and I certainly never get to lie down and relax any during the day. It was wonderful being somewhat lazy for an hour or so. (This would have been a good time for girlfriend time if it weren't for the fact that I knew Aiden would wake early and need to be put back down; he needs his naps, too! And Christian was on a different schedule usually, so it was hard to coordinate and have time for us ladies.)

Camden says his favorite part of the trip was....toads, s'mores, swimming (beach or pool). His least favorite...sunburn and then the saltwater on top of his burn (he burned around his eyes, so he couldn't wear his goggles, and the skin around his eyes were really sensitive, esp when he was in the ocean). Camden's a natural at camping (except for the work involved in taking things down to leave - but who likes that, right?). I think Ryan disliked the humidity and the heat that set in the last day and night (it was in the upper nineties, at least). He doesn't do well in the heat. And we left late and some of our "schedule" got messed up - he doesn't like that either. He says his favorite part of the trip was playing in the pool with both of the boys. Least favorite - sunburn. He got it bad! We think the rays must have been especially strong or something b/c just about everyone got burned. I even was a tiny bit burned for a day or so...and I NEVER burn! AND we all had on sunscreen - liberally applied and often. Our motto is - better too much than not enough. We use it VERY liberally - we're not stingy with sunscreen in the least! Poor Ryan, though...he got it the worst, I think. :( Aiden's favorite would probably be getting to be carried around everywhere (not many places he could crawl around on...). Least fave - probably having the ocean forced on him. Surely it will grow on him and he'll quickly become a beach baby. Surely.

With all the work it was, though, we still had a good time. Honestly, it wasn't the best vacation ever, but it wasn't the worst, either! ;) And although we had to constantly be on-call with Aiden, he did REALLY well as a camper! He napped well, he ate well, he did fine being in a new place around new people. He really was pretty easy-going about it all. Well, except for the ocean... Not a fan just yet. We'll have to work on that. We might go back for a day in August to get in some more time to help him like it....whether we want to or not (right...........)

We did our camping at Wilmington, next to Wrightsville Beach, here in NC. (Not my very favorite beach or place to camp - we were spoiled last time we went to where Sonia usually goes in VA Beach - but it was still decent. Nothing major to complain about.) We cooked almost all of our meals over the campfire - burgers, chicken, veggies, fried potatoes (I forgot how much I love fried potatoes), a big breakfast, etc, etc, etc... The boys helped a lot and got to learn how to do a bunch of the fire-making and cooking on their own. They also were on dish-duty for the week - whoever volunteered first at each meal got to choose: rinser or washer. Great way to get them to volunteer quickly, and without complaining a whole lot (good idea, Sonia!). No s'mores until dishes were done, too (which also helped them get to work!). ;) And of course, we had s'mores every night. No other way to do it!

We went out to eat at Dockside Restaurant one evening - I got a fish sandwich....and it must have actually had a lot of sand IN it. I had to send it back b/c no way was I eating that (which I hate doing...makes me nervous!). The next one was good, though - and they gave us free desserts. I guess sometimes messing up the order pays off..... ;) The food was decent other than that, but it takes FOREVER to get the food! The chocolate pecan pie, though...so yummy! Don't think I would go back, though.

It rained the first day and in the middle of the night the first couple nights, but that's not always a bad thing... Rained on night one the last time we went camping, too. It helps cool the weather down a bit. It didn't really get to feeling too hot until the last full day, and we just stayed in the shade that day.

Went to the beach a couple times. The older boys loved it, of course, and could have stayed all day, even if they were already sunburned from time at the pool. It was Christian's first time to the beach, and he seemed to really love it! Playing in the sand, splashing in the water, even sitting on the boogie board on the edge of the water. Aiden, however, did not. Check out the pictures to see his reaction... Poor guy. The second trip to the ocean, he did finally decide he could deal with the sand and was crawling all over it (before, he was happy to stay on his blanket under the shade). Right before that happened, though, the camera battery died. (I keep telling Ryan we need a backup battery b/c it always dies right when I want to take an important picture and it doesn't show when the battery is going down, like it should. He says, no...we just need to be aware but don't need another one. Umm...yes, we do. I told him it would die on the trip, and it did. Right before something really big happened. He knew I wasn't too happy when it did. Aiden even smiled once while in the water - b/c Camden was making him laugh - and no pictures of that, either. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........) We did get some video of Aiden at the beach and will try to get that up soon (along with the other million videos we have yet to share.... It just takes so much time that I don't have, but I hope to get to it soon!)

Anyway, enjoy the pictures we DO have.

2009 June Camping Trip

Winter in West Virginia

We had to make a quick trip up to WV this week. Ryan's Granny passed away on Sunday, so we are here for the funeral and to be with family. We appreciate all of you that know about this and have sent your well-wishes, your condolences, and your cautions for us to be careful on the drive up (as we knew the weather was getting bad right at the same time).

Apparently the snow thought it would join us all, as well. It's been pretty bad, but there are areas in worse shape. Lots of power outages, ice, snow, sleet - you name it. Ryan and I put Aiden down for a nap and then heard this loud noise... A tree behind the house had fallen. Ryan went to check it out, I moved Aiden (who was falling asleep) to the couch in another room - the tree fell and landed right in front of that part of the house, and it's on a steep hill....and it's a BIG tree. Here are some pictures of what caused all the excitement.

The middle of the tree and the broken fence


The bottom and roots of the tree


The top of the tree, which is barely touching the house (windows farthest away are from the room Aiden was in)


Just another view of some trees


Aiden did fall asleep on the couch for a short nap

We'll see what the rest of the day, night, and tomorrow brings. Hopefully things will improve a bit, as tomorrow is the funeral.

What a Christmas!!

Took a break from blogging during Christmas break. We traveled it up and got to see so many people that we typically only see once each year. A good time was had by all, with the exception of the terrible colds that Ryan and I had during the trip (why is it that the word "cold" sounds so insignificant, but they can really make you miserable??). I tend to write on and on, so I'll try to bullet-point all the main happenings and not make this a huge blog post.

Slideshow first...

• Camden spent a week at his dad's, but we still managed to work it out so he got to see all the extended Boyer and Priddy families (my dad's and mom's families), which was really great! This is the only time we see most of these guys since we live so far away.
• At the Boyer Christmas, there were three new babies! Aiden. My cousin Jamesey's little girl McKenna, who is just 8 days younger. And my cousin Bryan's little girl Braelyn, who is 8 weeks younger than Aiden. It was a lot of fun having them all together. Aiden also got to meet all my other cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmother, and great-grandmother (his great-great-grandmother). We, of course, got the obligatory 5-generation photo shot...

Five Generations - Bobbie (great-grandmother), Mom Elsie (great-great-grandmother), Daisy & Aiden, Terry (grandfather), & Camden


Here is Braelyn, Aiden, and McKenna.
Aiden was as happy as could be all day up until we took these pictures, which was right before we left. He was so tired by this point!!

• At the Priddy Christmas, there was yet another baby for Aiden to meet and play with. My cousin, Michelle, had her new baby, Cody Lee, who is exactly 4 weeks younger than Aiden. Cody was rather interested in Aiden and especially interested in Aiden's Santa hat. Aiden was interested in his own feet. (But he did notice Cody after a little while!)

• At my mom's, there will be two new babies NEXT Christmas! What fun that will be!!!
• We had a total of 7 Christmases this year, including our own. Camden had an additional one at his dad's. Most people did a good job of going along with our request to get the kids small gifts since we had such little room in the car. The ones that didn't had already planned on shipping the gifts but wanted us to open them there. (How nice!) The kids didn't get TOO much but still got spoiled just enough. And we received some items that we've really been wanting, esp some camping gear that we will put to good use this summer!
• The night before we left to come home, Aiden rolled over PURPOSEFULLY!!! He's rolled over a few times before (did it a couple times about two months ago, actually...), but they were all just by chance. This was intentional. He kept getting stuck but finally got it! He hasn't gone from belly to back yet, but anytime he's put on his back, he sticks those legs up and rolls onto his belly!
  
• The day we drove home, Aiden got his first tooth!!! He has been a pleasant teether so far, too. He fussed a little bit on the way home - about 20 minutes - but that's a long time for him!! He gets frustrated when he can't get something in his mouth to chew on the exact way he wants. You can barely see where the hole is in his mouth, and you can barely feel the tooth but have to use your nail. But it's there!! The one beside it is soon to follow, I can tell.
  
• Aiden also learned to do the little "Indian call" while at Mammaw Melly's. She put her hand up to his mouth and patted it some while he called out. When she stopped, he pulled her hand right back! It was pretty funny, and he still is doing it quite a bit.
  
• I recieved a very special gift from my brother. He knew I wanted it, but he took the time to get it. My mother collects M.A. Hadley dishes. One day (hopefully WAAAAAYYYY in the future), when she passes away, we're going to be fighting over that set - I just know it. She mentioned him getting it in her will, and I said....Ummmm...NO, I want those!! So we'll see. She suggested starting a set of my own, but, of course, I want her set. Anyway - back to the point. When Camden was born, I got him a M.A. Hadley "Baby's first Christmas" ornament - and it broke!! (I still have it, broken.) So Daniel, went and got me two new ornaments "Camden's First Christmas" and "Aiden's First Christmas," both dated the year they were each born. Probably my favorite present (even though we agreed last year not to exchange with each other anymore and he forgot but I remembered and didn't have anything for him...).

• Our gift to all of our parents were photo books about Aiden. The books took them through the pregnancy and his birth up until now, but each one was tailored for them and included pictures of them visiting (i.e. my mom's had pictures of her, Ryan's mom's had pictures of her, etc, etc.). It took some time to make, but they were so worth it! I think everyone really enjoyed them, and we were excited to give them!
  

• Aiden did an amazing job with his napping while traveling. He still went right to sleep on his own even though we stayed at three different homes over the week and a half. I would like to say I was blessed with a great sleeper, but I don't believe that. He has been taught how to go to sleep on his own (and withOUT crying!!), and that is why he is so great about it. No luck involved (or needed). When he gets tired, we read a story, we lay him down with his paci and his bunny, and he rolls to the side and goes to sleep. I was impressed he did so well while away from home, though. :)

• Many people on all sides of our families (even Ryan's) have said that Aiden has my eyes. I agree. Started noticing this about a month ago. (The kid looks so different than he did at birth already!!) Other people will comment that he has Camden's eyes - which means he has mine since Camden is not Ryan's biological son. Nice to know he's getting SOMEthing from me! ;)
  

Road Trip!!

Haven't been on to blog in a while... We've been pretty busy! This past weekend, we took a short road trip - Aiden's first!!

We drove up to KY for the Berea College Homecoming and to visit with some of my girlfriends. It was a jam-packed, hectic weekend, but it was also a lot of fun! Aiden did really well on the car ride. We stopped on the way to spend the night at MaMaw Sharon's (it was already after 11pm when we got there since we left after Camden got out of school), then onto KY the next day to visit with some friends at Mammaw Melly & Pappaw Gene's house. My closest girlfriends were all there with their little baby boys. We all have boys born within 11 months of each other! And Sonia's older son, Justin, is the same age as Camden. Talk about good timing, huh? It really made me miss being in KY b/c it was not only great being around them - but it was so wonderful to have all the boys together!! While there, my brother, his wife, and their kids stopped by to meet Aiden, as well.

Joaquin and Aiden meet - I love how Aiden is just grinning! They'll be best friends just like their mommies are!!

Patsy w/ Joaquin (6 mos), Kathy w/ Johnathan (14 mos), Me w/ Aiden (3 mos), and Sonia w/ Christian (13 mos)

Baby group pic! :)

Saturday we spent the ENTIRE day in Berea. It was soooo nice being back there. Man, I miss that place! We walked around campus, saw some of my favorite professors (and didn't get to see a few others), saw a few friends (but didn't see nearly as many as I had expected), had lunch at Boone Tavern, dinner at Papa Leno's (take out, though), and visited the Ecovillage, where Sonia and I both lived for a couple years while at Berea. It reminded me how much I love Berea and how fortunate I was to go to school there.

A few of us at the Psych Alumni Reception

Kris - one of the best. professors. EVER.

Draper

A quick walk down to the Ecovillage to visit where Mommy & Camden used to live

On the way home Sunday, we stopped just to have breakfast with PawPaw Gary and MiMaw Susan. It was a quick visit and Aiden was pretty tired, but it was good to see them and break up the trip a little bit, too. Aiden wanted to stop and eat a little more often on the way home, but he still was quite the trooper! By the time we arrived back home, he and Camden were OUT!

Aiden never stays asleep while being taken out of the car seat or when being laid on the changing table... This shows how tired he must have been!!

Click on the album to see the rest of our pictures! We got a bunch of really good ones!

Nov '08 - Visit w/ Best Friends & Berea College Homecoming