Summer Time!

Well I figure it's about time I get back on the blogwagon! June was a rough one, so I didn't feel like writing much! But we've moved on to July and things are on the up and up.  June had it's challenges, but it also had it's celebrations and joys.

We celebrated Ryland's 4th birthday with a fun party the weekend before his actual birthday!  That weekend was full of fun events.  Jim and Lori were visiting, and it was Austins last T-ball game and his team party!

Austin misses baseball already and is looking forward to moving up to Little League next season. Ryland had a wonderful party and birthday. Father's Day, Ryland's actual birthday and my birthday all fall on the same weekend. We had fun celebrating at the County Fair and with Brynna and Brian at the River!

The boys spent a couple days at my dad and Michelle's house, which they love to do! They got to go swimming at the pool, play with their aunt and uncle and enjoy Michelle's amazing culinary skills for two whole days! Austin always comes back raving about food!

We have visited our favorite spot on the river quite a few times in the past month. It's beautiful there and the kids adore it! The swimming hole it awesome, there is a great rope swing and if you walk up river you can ride little rapids back down! Brynna and Brian have joined us a few times there, and the last time we went my mom and Sienna were able to join us too! It was great.

 

Towards the end of June we had my niece E.B. come and stay with us for ten days. That was crazy and fun all at the same time! During her stay we hiked with Brynna and Brian to some really amazing natural granite slides on the river. We learned it wasn't the best place for kids, but so awesome to see! Matt and Brian rode down all three slides, each about 25-30 feet long and landing in their own bitter cold pool of water!

Matt finally had is annual State Survey at his facility the last week of June. This survey is something that he has been preparing for since he got this job in October. For a health care facility, this is the major survey that either keeps the building running another year or shuts it down. Needless to say, Matt was stretched to his limits during the survey week, and the week after fixing immediate issues in order to remain in compliance.

All of his hard work and stress paid off though, the survey results came in and it was the best survey, with the least tags (problems) that the building had ever had, since it was built in the late 60's! I am so proud of him! He sweats and bleeds that building. He loves and values his job with an immense passion. Sometimes he gets too wrapped up in it and I wish he could step out of it and look at what an amazing job he has done, and the vast improvement that has been made since he took this position. He has done a wonderful job! His boss is very happy with him and now that survey is over Matt is able to settle in a bit more and relax....which is nice!

We spent the 4th of July at home. My mom, Brynna and my cousins Nicole and Savannah all came up to BBQ with us. 

This past weekend was my Mom's 55th birthday! On her 50th we had a really wonderful weekend with the whole family in a cabin up in the mountains that we rented! We wanted to do something nice again this year, so we all took a trip together to Angel Island. Angel Island is an island in the San Francisco Bay that has immense history. Now a State Park, the Island is considered the "Ellis Island of the West" and has done wonderful preservation of it's immigration station. Along with that, there is a well preserved Civil War camp and camps from both World Wars. If you're ever in the Bay, this is a great way to spend a day! I was really amazed by the place, the history and the amazing views!

 We had fun taking the ferry from Oakland to the island and then walking the 5 mile perimeter walk through all of the sites! I was also lucky enough to get to visit with my old supervising Ranger, who is now the Ranger at Angel Island! It was good to see him and weird to see someone who I knew and worked with in Southern Ca now up here too! I am looking forward to going back to the island, bringing out bikes back this time and spending more time in each site.  They have a few camp sites there, so we are going to have to go back and stay the night!  The city views at night have to be amazing!

After the ferry ride back to Oakland, we went to my sister Aimee's house. (She lives in Oakland, about 5 minutes from the ferry building!) We made dinner there, relaxed and celebrated both her and my moms birthday!

We are now gearing up for a visit back down to So Cal in the next couple weeks, along with school starting in mid-August.  Wow....time really flies!

Pictures of our Recent Adventures!

As promised from my previous post...Here they are...some pics of our recent adventures~

       Matt's 30th birthday cake!                                          Lake trip with Brett & Laura!

Matt gearing up to look at the eclipse!

Ry playing in a little pond we went fishing at!

Brynna's boyfriend Brian, his fish and I ~ I'm seriously disappointed in his lack of enthusiasm!

Austin tubing for the first time!  He LOVED it!

Austin, Ryland and Katie hanging out on the raft!

Brian and Austin playing in the lake!

Matt and one of his many catches!

My brother Justin...he surely won't drown like this!

I made my Dad be my "subject" while I played with my Hipstamatic App!

Blog Neglect

I do realize that I haven't posted in over a month, which I feel badly about.  This hiatus was partly out of necessity however...with the end of the school year for both Austin and I, it got a little hectic and crazy and I just didn't have much time.  The other part was just laziness...and for that I have no excuses!

I have to refer to my calendar for what we have done over the past month....

Ok here we go...


Austin has been really enjoying T-ball!  He has had a few games over the past few weeks and has done very well.  We went to his cousin EB's birthday party...the boys had a blast swimming in the pool.  Ryland is a little afraid of the water right now, we need to work on that!

Mothers Day weekend was very nice!  We had T-ball on Saturday.  On Sunday we went to Davis and spent the day with my mom, sister and niece.  We went to the Whole Earth Festival on campus for a few hours and then went out to my moms house for a BBQ.

Matt's 30th birthday was a couple weeks ago....so my mom and sister threw a little "surprise" party for him when we got to her house for the BBQ.  They had the whole place decorated with black balloons and streamers and my mom had made a cake that looked like a tombstone!  It was fun!

The following weekend Matt's dad and step mom came up to visit us for a few days.  We had a great time hanging out at their campsite, visiting the lake for the day and showing them the town.  We went to the dirt track races (which Matt, the boys and I have been going to on Saturday nights for a few weeks now) and they had a really good time!  How could you not with extremely loud cars flying in front of your face kicking mud at you for two hours!

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend.  This is the first holiday weekend that I got to spend doing fun things with my family and not working in a very long time!  We went to my Grandparents house on a lake.  We had a wonderful time!  The boys loved being out on the boat and Austin had a total blast tubing.  They played in the water all weekend and there were other kids for them to run around with playing games!  Matt was able to relax and not worry about work...he fished all weekend and caught quite a few good sized bass!  It was a really nice, relaxing and fun weekend!

I have a bunch of pics I will put up in their own post later today!

Now that Austin and I are both out of school...we are officially on summer break.  Which is great...but a little stressful.  The kids and I need to start figuring out what in the world we are going to do this whole summer.  They are already going a little stir crazy and so am I!

Did I Actually Sign Up For This?

OK.  So part of me wants to make up a lavish story about how smooth our previous week has been.  I want to talk about trips to the park, healthy meals, happy kids and excellent weekends.  But if I did....I'd be lying.  And sticking true to form, I will be honest about the pretty eventful but not wonderful past week we have had!

Saturday Austin had a T-ball game in the mid-morning.  It was really sunny and quite warm, which he is not used to right now.  He was not into the game at all and it showed!  I felt bad for him as he stood there and watched the other kids scramble after the ball, completely uninterested!  He loves baseball.  I think he was just tired, a bit hungry and hot!

After the game we went to Sienna's birthday party.  The kids had a great time playing and swimming, eating junk and filling up on cake! Instead of going into detail about the latter part of the weekend, a list seems much more fitting.

The List:

-We take extremely tired and wired kids to my moms for a planned family "camp out" for the night
-We set up a bazillion tents in her backyard,  somehow...very few people know how to assemble a tent
-My children stick true to their roots, remove every article of clothing...leaving only their shorts on and ride their bikes like circus clowns
-We start coals to BBQ and a nice bonfire
-We cook and eat
-Children continue to ride their bikes like circus clowns way past the time it got dark and they should have been made to stop
-Ryland falls of bike in the dark. 
-Its hard to find crying kids in the dark.
-Ryland complains that his ankle hurts...I put him to bed (Sleep cures everything!)
-Everyone is too exhausted to enjoy bonfire, it burns out
-Everyone sleeps
-Ryland wakes up at 6am...he can't walk
-whatever happened to "sleep cures everything?"
-I try to repeatedly make him walk...he retreats to crawling around everywhere for the next 4 hours
-ER trip
-Suspected fracture, half cast goes on...repeat X-rays in 4 days

-Return to moms house.  No one seems to know how to dissemble a tent either.
-Dissemble a bazillion tents and go home
-Fun times had.....but not by all
-(Monday and Tuesday happen)
-Wednesday...repeat X-rays are done and he is CLEARED!  No fracture.  Splint comes off and the kid is like a monkey released from his cage! Must have been a sprain!
-Thursday happens....
             And here is where it gets even more fun!

Thursday evening as I'm getting ready for school, Austin burst into the bathroom screaming bloody murder, holding his head with a hand full of blood.  I jump soaking wet out of the shower to assess the damage. 

Courtesy of Ryland, Austin has a nice size, fairly deep cut on his forehead.

I guess a little tiff happened upstairs and Ryland found it appropriate to chuck a large piece of wooden train track directly at his brothers head. 

Off to the ER yet again.  Thank goodness it was a different one than 4 days ago.  I'm sure Kaiser just loves us!

 I have lots of bloody open wound pics...but I figured not everyone wants to see those.  So here he is all stitched up!  He has 12 stitches in all.  1-2 inside and the rest outside.



It's Friday and we are headed into another weekend.  Austin has another game tomorrow.  Then tomorrow night we are headed to "Little League Night" at our local minor league baseball stadium to watch a game and see fireworks!

I guess turning the garage into a fully padded play area and building the boys their bubble wrap suits will have to wait until Sunday.  I think I'll make them wear their helmets all day tomorrow though..for safety sake!

The Boys and Their Bikes!

I had to get a post in today, to write about our last weekend before we set off for another one!  It's funny how much I love the weekends now!  When I was working at the lake, I never had those fun-filled weekends like everyone else.  I watched them all do it, but never got to partake!  So it's my turn I guess!

Last weekend was great!  Saturday morning Austin and Matt headed off to a fishing pond here in town to participate in a kid's fishing derby!  Austin caught a few trout and was very happy.  He was supposed to have a T-ball game Saturday afternoon, but it was rained out.  My mom came up and we went to see The Lorax.  That was a very cute movie!

On Sunday morning we all got up early and headed back out to that little pond to fish together.  (I didn't fish, I watched!)  The kids had a blast.  There were a few friends of Matt's out there with their families, so the kids got to play.  I enjoyed meeting them and their wives!  I think we will all definitely hang out again soon.

After fishing we came home to clean up and hang out.  We decided to take Ryland's training wheels off of his bike and give it a go.  Holy cow that kid is a natural!  Matt removed the training wheels and he took off like a pro!  We were waiting for the falling/crying/hysterics....and they never came!  He never wobbled or fell.  He panicked a little when trying to stop the first few times...but after coaching him through it, he did wonderfully!

5 days later he now stands up and peddles, rides with one hand, jumps off the curbs and rides down the neighbors steep driveway!  He has only crashed into a parked car twice and a fence once!  That's pretty good.  The fence caused a major melt-down...and some bruises and scratches.  But the parked cars didn't seem to bother him too much!

Austin has stepped his game up now that he has a little competition...he now rides while simultaneously putting both hands up and peddling with his eyes closed.  This causes me major panic, but Matt simple states..."just prepare yourself for another ER run and calm down!"

Along with mastering bike tricks, Austin is working on riding his skateboard too...and doing quite well!

Both boys want to spend every waking moment outside on their bikes or boards practicing their tricks!  Ryland also loves telling everyone in ear shot that he now rides a 2-wheeler...no training wheels!  Literally, he has told every person we come across.

When he went to school Tuesday he walked into his classroom full of teachers and kids, stood at the door and loudly announced, " Teacher Carrie,  I am HERE and I ride a TWO WHEELER!"  He was greeted with many laughs and lots of excitement...just what he was going for!

Today he yelled out the window to a couple of cyclist on the road, "Good job boys, you can do it!".
Channeling Mommy much?  Here's the video of his first ride~!

This weekend we are off to more adventures!  We have a T-ball game, a birthday party and a family camp out!  In addition to our recent wonderful weekends...everything else is good too!  Hope you all are out there enjoying your weekends too!

Easter Weekend

We had such a busy Easter Weekend, it got it's own post!

Friday night Sienna came to stay the night with us.  We had a great time coloring eggs, we did a little over 3 dozen.  

Saturday my sweet little brother, who isn't so little anymore turned 16!  My Dad and Michelle had a party for him at their house.  It was great to see my family and hang out!  The weather was great, so we spent most of the time in the backyard talking and visiting.

My step mom is an amazing cook and created the most adorable M&M/Kit Kat cake.  This cake was so colorful and awesome!  I didn't get a picture of it, but her cooking blog is here: www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com and that cake will be up there shortly, I'm sure!

She also made these ridiculously good little hot dogs wrapped in bacon and drizzled with brown sugar...those things were gone within minutes!  My Grandma described them to Ryland as "little wieners" and quickly had to change her wording to hot dogs after his initial reaction of shock and disgust that we cooked wieners!

Sunday was Easter! We woke up and opened Easter baskets, did an egg hunt in our front yard and then got ready for Church. The service at Church was wonderful, I really love our Church!

We left directly from there and headed to Lodi, where my Grandma was hosting Easter Dinner. The kids got to do another egg hunt when we arrived! They have such a wonderful yard, the kids had an amazing time hunting all over her gardens!

Dinner and visiting followed! We had a wonderful time with yet another day of amazing weather! I couldn't have asked for more!

We hope you all had a great Easter Weekend too!

One of the gifts the boys' received for Easter were these awesome crazy straws!  It comes with 80 pieces that your build from.  They have been building little pipe straw masterpieces all morning!

Spring Break!

Spring Break was great! This is the first Spring Break that we have had where both boys are in school, so therefor...they both got a break! I didn't really know how awesome this was going to be for me. The boys getting a break meant, I got a break too!

I'm used to working and going to school at the same time, I have been doing that since Ryland was 8 months old. Being at home with the kids now has been such an amazing blessing! I'm not working and I am taking one class at school in the evening and I am starting a class online next week. So I have been able to be at home with the kids, which I absolutely love!

However, until this recent break, I didn't realize how much I needed one!

It was great to not have to get up to the alarm everyday. It was so great to not have to fight with grumpy kids in the morning about getting up, eating breakfast or wearing something in addition to underwear.

We didn't do any traveling or out-of-this-world trips, but we did spend a lot of time together outside making lots of memories! This past week we had really great spring weather, so we were outside every day!

The boys and I went to the Zoo! There is this cute little steam engine train there, so of course, we rode it!

This Zoo is a wild life rescue facility. They have four black bears there that are oh so cute! They also have two tigers, lots of birds, wolves, coyotes, monkeys and more! The Zoo is small, but very well done and they have areas to sit and watch the animals in front of each enclosure. We spent a good deal of time sitting and watching them.

Matt spent a day with us hiking and playing at the park. The park we went to had great hiking trails that led to the river. We had a nice little hike and found this waterfall!

We did crafts and lots of them!

Matt brought dry ice home for Austin to play with! He had never done that before, so he had a great time pretending to be a wizard! We added food coloring and dish soap, that was quite the adventure, I'm glad we did that one outside!

In addition to these fun things; we went to two other parks in our town, made something for breakfast other than cereal each day, made friends with the neighbors and decorated our driveway with chalk daily!

I'm looking so forward to summer!