Pie Guys

Tonight, Ryan has started making over 30 pies for friends who've ordered. I can't wait for ours - it's worth breaking the gluten-free rule!

I just snapped some cute pics of Easton "helping" his dad make some pies. I can't believe Ryan's got the patience to have a little helper and show him how to roll out the crust, flour it, scrape it up, and put it in the pie tin. Easton's jabbering away about making more pies for each member of our family, especially McKay since he's too little to make his own and he's already in bed. (smile!) They're also discussing one of Easton's favorite topics - that he says we need more babies. He's altered his request from two girl babies to one girl and one boy so I won't be the only girl in the family. Note that it's 2 babies, not just one at a time!!! Aaaack!!! With my mom having a twin brother, I've always wondered if twins were in my future and now wonder if Easton's been preparing me! YIKES!


It's way past Easton's bedtime, but I can't bear to break up this classic father-son time!

Poppin' Good!

Very happy with my exhausted self this evening! The past week has been a blur but lots of fun stuff to report. I worked a major press conference Mon/Tues, learned and helped in phase 1 of applesauce canning Wed afternoon, and actually canned my own applesauce today! A whole 32 quarts! They look almost angelic w/ the halo-like reflection.
Not too shabby for a first-timer although Nancy and her 130+quarts simply amazes me!!! WOW!!! I have my friends Janelle and Nancy to thank. I had set the goal almost two years ago to learn how to can applesauce and perhaps even jam. Last year didn't work out when I had to go back to work during canning season. This year Janelle already helped me do strawberry freezer jam from the berries we picked w/ all the kids going crazy.

The applesauce almost didn't happen w/ the marathon and work thing happening right after Nancy got us a slammin' deal on the apples from Farmer John. So my boxes of apples sat on the porch and waited for me. My gals came through and made it happen. YAHOO!

Yesterday, rather impromptu, Janelle and I optimistically thought we could get both ours done in one full swoop. We didn't get started until about 1pm and quickly discovered that it would take much longer so we just did hers til I had to head out. Luckily, our expert, Nancy, dropped in to check on our progress and give us pointers.

We planned to do mine this afternoon but Janelle's daughter got a stomach bug. Aack! However, Nancy showed up to get the job well underway! It was AWESOME!!! We got to chat and it made the process so much fun! We started at 1pm and I finished by 7:30 w/ most of it even cleaned up. As I went along, I kept hearing the best sound!

POP! The sound of one of my jars making its sealing pop meaning it's really finished and done. POP! It was like a pat-on-the-back reminder that I accomplished my goal each time!!! POP! I absolutely loved it! POP! It made me grin and feel proud of myself! POP! Simply FABULOUS! And apparently, it doesn't taste too bad - probably the bit of almond extract and cinnamon I threw in.
It's kinda funny because just last night I was telling Ryan how I needed to find something that made him feel as great as running that marathon. I've got no desire to ever run one, but I wished there was something that made me feel like that high he was on after accomplishing a major goal.

Although as I write this, I remember on Saturday night when we picked up McKay from my brother Chris and his wife Tricia after the marathon trip. It was one of those running hug lobby moments with McKay, my little love bug. He came running to meet us and his eyes were darting back and forth between me and Ryan as he tried to decide who to run too first. As he's hollering "MOM!" I was literally so thrilled that he picked me in the end.

It was like one of those strange, thoroughly satisfying moments of complete validation. The validation that he picked me! The one who endures his tantrums, wakes up whatever time he deems necessary, kisses and snuggles him when tired or hurt . . . you know the routine. It was one of those moments of clarity when the title of Mom never felt so darn good!

Proud & Strong at 4:55:18!

Ryan completed his first marathon today in Richmond! He says it'd become a goal of his over the years since his youth when he'd walk the UT 50-20s. It was soooo fun to see how much fun he had!!!

Besides Ryan's determination to train and do it, we can truly attribute his success to our friend Ryan Washington. Ryan W has tutored and supplied Ryan since they decided to run it together back in August. (Ryan W likes to run extreme races and my Ryan went with him once to OH to be his pacer on a 100 mile race! Amazing!!!)

Us wives w/ a van full of kids tried, failed, and succeeded in catching up with our Ryans to cheer them on. This was harder to do than I thought navigating a strange city w/ incomplete maps and road closures. Janelle and I made an awesome team and the kids really did quite well considering all the craziness we put them through! Janelle deserves a medal for running the mile race with her son in addition to juggling her other three kids today - she ROCKS!

After Ryan had his ice bath, we began the road home where Ryan chatted my head off til I started snoozing mid-sentence 20 min from Alexandria! He was still going strong after running 26.2 miles! I think I passed out because of all the stress of our trek and the eye strain watching for our guys!

But overall I'm so proud of Ryan for setting a tough goal and making it happen! His determination once he's set his sights always amazes me! I love this man and love to see him so happy with himself!!!

One of the best toys ever!

A few weeks ago I did a garage sale with a friend who has watched my boys on many occasions. Easton loves her house so much I have a hard time even getting him to give me a hug or say goodbye! She had set aside this Thomas the Train puzzle for Easton because he loves to put it together at her house every time. This has been one of the best toys ever!!! I would love to find many, many more!

Easton needed help for the first day we had it out, but he literally spent two days straight working on it over and over til he had mastered it. He puts it together/takes it apart ect in at least three or four sessions a day still! And now McKay is in on the action. It's also been a kid magent for vistors - boys and girls alike! Easton's little friends love it on playdates and my Joy School preschool kids crowd around to work together on it! The three year olds amazingly work together well on this joint project w/ no need for mediation! HURRAY from the mommy crowd! And when they tear it apart in great shouts of celebration, it doesn't hurt when the pieces are thrown in the air like graduation caps! Who knew a puzzle could be so fun?!

Tonight I just had to get some pictures of the boys working on it together as they've now pretty well found their groove (after at least one reminder for McKay to help bring Easton pieces, and Easton to be patient with whatever piece is handed to him and say Thank you to his brother). Between this and now the trampoline, this is one happy mommy who gets to watch her boys becoming best buds playing together!

Buzzonya

Guess what we had for dinner tonight? Lasagna. My picky eater, Easton, did not think that was a good idea. He kept saying, "No, I don't wike buzzonya!"

We had a pretty quiet day with errands, but we did put in some serious time on the trampoline as a family. McKay is losing his fear and gets a kick out of himself bouncing. Easton likes to play crack the egg, robot, and tricks by turn. We played Eeny Meeny Miney Moe to pick who gets to do a trick. Easton loves this part and for the first time he wanted to say it by himself. Enjoy the pics!
BubbleShare: Share photos - halloween photos

My boy is growin' up fast!

As with many of Easton's little friends, I'm noticing a real language explosion. I dearly love kidspeak, but when Easton throws down a full coherent sentence I just giggle! For instance . . .

- After I cut off the candy intake Halloween night, Easton said he was hungry. I gave him a few options and he said, "So Mom, those are my choices, huh?" The word "choices" is becoming one of his favorite words in conversation lately.

- Easton loves it when I tell him stories from when he was a baby. (SIDE NOTE: He loves babies and has been telling me since early summer that he needs more babies, girl babies specifically. And yes, he did say babies in the plural! Since my mom is a twin, it could be possible, but I still like the one at a time dosage.) Anyhow, I started telling him a new baby story about himself today and he matter-of-factly said, "No Mom, I want the hop-spittle story [hospital], not this new one."

The hospital story is truly a cherished memory for me. I had Easton at 2:30pm Saturday, December 20, 2003. At 9pm that evening, I was still on the adrenaline rush of all that was new. I'd sent Ryan home for the night because he couldn't keep his eyes open past 6pm after being up with me all night through labor. Easton had woken up and been fed but then he started getting fussy. The reality of my new life as a mother threw me into a mini-panic! What in the world should I do now? And if I can't make him stop crying, I can't just return him! Oh dear, this is for real - can I take it?

I had the most peaceful feeling wash over me and I knew that the Holy Ghost was coming to my aid - that I should sing to him. One of my greatest fears is singing aloud for people because long ago I was told I didn't have a good voice. But I knew I was supposed to sing to him to calm him down. I began to sing the song that came to mind which doesn't have too much of a high or low range - "Teach Me To Walk In the Light." The song calmed him down immediately and I was soothed as well. Throughout his life, music has always helped alleviate our rough patches.

This hymn continues to remind me what's important as he and I learn here together. Every time he has me tell this story and sing the song to him, I love the message of the song! I was taught in that moment that I wasn't going to be left to my own devices in this parenting journey. Thank heavens, literally!!!