apple picking

Enjoying the wonderful fall out here in Ohio. We got dumped on while visiting our favorite apple orchard, but that just made the adventure more fun! Honestly - it did. L was in high heaven - apples are his favorite and they were everywhere!

We went with my sister and her family, Ryan had the day off, and we finished it all off by eating apple crisp at home with ice cream. It was a perfect day!

family time at tahoe

{I was trying to remember what we did this summer, and my memory is apparently very connected to the things I write down on this blog. A friend asked me if we had a good time at Tahoe a few months ago, and I did a double take - Tahoe? Did we go? Was L with us? Was it last year? Nope. It was July. I just never blogged about it. Therefore, it never happened. Hah! No longer! Here's my official documentation - for my own memory sake!}

Ry's extended family goes to Lake Tahoe in CA every year around the 4th of July. We've missed the past couple years, and it was SO nice to go back and be surrounded by the beautiful lake and mountains and play with wonderful people. Ry and I both said we really could live there ... it's perfect year round!

Already in control of way too many things ...

Loves loves loves water!

Fanny Bridge

Hiking adventures

Grandkids on R's side of family

Three generations

Full day of picture taking!

We love our family!

just talking

I'm beginning to learn that L is a relatively quiet toddler. Don't get me wrong - he LOVES to scream, yell, and make really loud noises - believe me. The quiet that I am talking about is in reference to actually talking, or babbling like babies/toddlers do. He was that way from the beginning and that's why we've tried to teach him some sign language to help us understand what he wants/needs. So far he knows and can repeat these signs to us:

Food/Eat, More, Milk, Cracker, Help, Again, Please, Thank You, Up, Down, Rain, Dog, Bird, Horse, and a lot of others that he understands but doesn't repeat.

But as for as words that are verbal? Zero.

Thankfully, this past week or two he has randomly started babbling and I find it incredibly adorable. He is starting to mimic sounds and inflections more - but only on his schedule. We try to get him to "talk" on demand, and it works maybe 50% of the time.

On Sunday, he picked up his play cell phone and for the first time that I have seen, held it up to his ear and talked. He even gave his other play cell phone to Dad so they could call one another. I realize that this is old news for every one else who has ever had or seen a kid do this - it's nothing special. But for me, considering the lack of talking L does, this is absolutely perfect. I could listen to him babble all day ...

zoo video!

It finally worked! I think something is wrong with our SD card because it wouldn't load directly from it, but once I used our camera cord it worked! Yay!! Here is the previously mentioned monkey video in full glory. I love that little boy!!

end of summer splash

There's a tree in our apartment complex that has already lost all of it's leaves. Fall has started, which means summer has ended (tear ...). While I do like routines and structured days, I loved playing outside and doing fun things with L. He's at such a great age for lots of new adventures!

Unknowingly, this might have been our last hoorah for summer. Not quite sure if it will be warm enough outside to do this again! And this time around we enjoyed it with two cousins which made it even better! Love those bunny fountains! (and maybe someday I'll snap a picture of the bunny statues that are the source of the nickname)

best day ever

In celebration of our anniversary this year, we wanted to go to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. One word: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

It was a perfect day! We went with some great friends and went non-stop all day long. All day long we kept looking at each other and saying, "this is the best day ever!" We rode 14 rides, enjoyed the biggest thrills, got soaking wet, squeezed in lunch and dinner (trying not to inhale it while practically running to the next ride), and laughed so hard we couldn't breathe. I never knew that Ry & I were such adrenaline junkies!

This is us getting out of the car when we first got there - and of course we took a picture of ourselves staring directly into the sun. Oh well. We left our camera in the car, but our friends took some fun pictures that we'll try to post soon.

Our favorite rides were Millenium Force, Magnum XL-200, and Maverick. Top Thrill Dragster was a huge hit as well - going from 0-120 miles/hour in 4 seconds! Holy cow!

Thank you Tara for being the best sister ever and watching L all day so we could do this!

spectators

I love the chance to play outside and we have tried to do a lot last week. These pictures were taken during a bbq picnic with some friends. Those boys sure were cute all contained in the bed of the truck. If only they would stay there ...

let's play ball ...

clear blue skies

Another day full of simple playing with R during his break. L loved playing at the bunny fountains with both Mom & Dad. We had the whole place to ourselves which ended up being really fun! This life is great!

zoo

R finished his first rotation (internal medicine) last Friday, and has had the whole week off! We have played till exhaustion and have literally had the BEST week ever. We started it off by playing at the zoo with some good friends

The monkeys were by far the coolest part of the zoo that day! The gorillas were moving around just a bit and are always a favorite because of their size. The Bonobos were going crazy in the play ground area and the adults were chasing and playing with the younger baby (pictured holding the green pole). So stinkin' cute! In the Asia region we got to see the cute baby Lar Gibbon. The adults are black, but the babies are bright orange - quite the contrast!

Since L started crawling around I've been calling him "monkey" as a nickname. It seems fitting that he loves the real monkeys so much!

But the Mandrils (Rafiki monkey) were by far the best! The two of them were totally enthralled with L (I think his red striped shirt intimidated them?) and the wouldn't take their eyes off of him the entire time we were there. L would put his hands on the glass, and they would jump up and do the same. They started bobbing their heads up and down and jumping up to hit the glass every time L moved to do the same. Each time he would get so happy, laugh and look up at us. By the time we decided to move on (this continued for maybe a good 10 minutes!) there was a group of at least 25 people there watching and laughing the monkeys play with L. Towards the end though the Mandrils started barring their teeth - I'm not so sure it was playful to them. I really think L intimidated them!! It was a riot! We have a video of it too, but my computer's struggling with uploading it. So hopefully soon! It was a total crack up!

The friends we went with are awesome and we had a great time! Their little boy and L are definitely going to be best friends - larger than life!

I love this boy ...

sunday morning walk

A few weeks ago Ryan was on call on Sunday and was at work all morning. L and I got ready for church early and enjoyed a beautiful walk in the morning - it felt like Fall in the middle of August! I simply LOVE taking pictures of this little boy and am having fun continuing my photoshop addiction as well. Hope you enjoy!

birthday party

It's been over a week since this little guy turned one, but I finally got around to playing with photoshop again and wanted to post some of my favorites. Happy belated Birthday Luke!

L & L - best friends! :)

growing up

Playing in the park is so fun with L these days! He loves the swings, can't get enough of the slides, and will even chase a soccer ball in the grass for quite some time! We taught him how to kick it, and he just runs and kicks it over and over again. So dang cute! He also has perfect throw-in form. Can't wait for the chance to cheer him on in a game! I included a little video for the sake of grandparents - those smiles are for you guys!

photoshop fun

My sister recently taught me how to use photoshop and I am totally hooked. I just finished working on a few wedding pictures for a book I put together, and here's a few of my favorite before & after pictures:

{note: I tried to keep changes simple, classy, and more traditional than the trendy style of pictures lately. I love the trendy look ... but not so much for my wedding pictures. For my book's purposes, I mostly enhanced the colors.}

{I edited these ones too, but figured including every before/after picture would be way too much. So these are just the after ones}

what I don't do

I read the other day about a woman accused of "doing it all" and how she responded to that statement. She emphasized how she makes a choice to do a lot, but in that choice, she also chooses to not do something else.

I've thought a lot about this concept - and sometimes my life seems paralyzed on the brink because I'm too afraid to make that choice. Nevertheless, I decided to make my own list of things I am choosing to do and not to do. I do this not to sound demoralizing toward myself or others, nor do I want to say that by choosing (and not choosing) these options it somehow makes me better than other women out there. I will be the first to admit that I am far from being better than anyone!! We all make our own choices and therefore live our decisions.There are many women out there who do all these things and more - more power to them! Hopefully we are happy with our lives no matter what we choose.

For instance:

I try to live a simple life doing things that make me happy:

• play on the floor with L a lot
• take regular care of my home
• grow a few flowers in my front yard
• keep a personal history through scrapbooks
• try to plan menus and cook from home more often than not (although I LOVE eating out)
• keep in touch with family/friends through a blog
• sing, dance, and play with R & L
• go on walks/jogs for exercise
• try to build a short-term food storage supply
• read a good book here or there

I also try to keep it simple and not do the following:

• grow a vegetable garden - maybe next spring
• sew / quilt - would love to learn someday
• knit/crochet - same as above
• make elaborate, gourmet meals - I love food, but I like to spend my time doing something else
• long-term food storage - financially not possible yet
• work outside the home - working inside the home in enough for me!
• go shopping a lot - reasons attributed to time and money
• keep an emaculately clean house - I personally like seeing our home be lived in!
• read on a regular basis - my personality type simply wouldn't let me accomplish anything else if I did this
• play team sports - wish I could, but family is #1 right now
• geneology work - I need to focus my time on the present family work for now

After thinking about this list for a while, it really gave me the courage to be happy with who I am rather than comparing myself to other women. I'm glad there's so many women out there who do garden, sew, clean, and work on geneology -- there more there are for me to learn from when the time comes! In the meantime, however, I feel stronger in who I am based on what I do and don't do. Both define me as a person. It helps me want to make those few things that I choose to spend my time on that much better and worthwhile; to get the job done right. Reminds me of a favorite quote of mine:

"Think about your particular assignment at this time in your life. It may be to get an education, it may be to rear children, it maybe to be a grandparent, it may be to care for and relieve the suffering of someone you love, it may be to do a job in the most excellent way possible, it may be to support someone who has a difficult assignment of their own. Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them you full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you ahve to do this week with your whole heart and soul. To do less than this will leave you with an empty feeling."

-Marjorie Pay Hinckley "Small and Simple Things"

There are many seasons to our lives, and I am determined to give this season my full heart and energy!

good things in life

the element of true surprise

a friend to hold your hand

both found at the Columbus Zoo - what a wonderful world