Work Halloween Party

The past three years my work has done a Halloween party, so of course we headed off for the party this year too.
We invited along Ryann's best friend, Maycee.
There were games to play, like eating the donut off a string. Ryann was much more interested in the donuts still in the box.
Maycee gave it a try when her mom pulled it off the string for her.
Ryann actually spent the first part of the party like this. She was not too sure of the costumes and people. She wanted me to hold her constantly.
But then the pizza came out and she was happy. She ate almost that whole piece of pizza.
Who wouldn't cheer up for a plate full of cupcakes and cookies.
I made these delicious Witch's finger cookies. They are almond cookies and were really easy and fun to make.
Patrick...I mean, Captian America came and sat next to Ryann. He handed me his apple and told me, "Don't let your baby eat this."
After some food Ryann was ready to play a game. Well, she was ready to play with a pumpkin that was supposed to be for bowling.
We ended the night chasing a balloon with half a pumpkin shaped cookie in each hand.

Happy Halloween

Sunday, Ryann and I headed over to Clint's parent's house to carve Ryann's pumpkin.
Ryann watched me scoop out the pumpkin guts and then I gave her a spoon and she did it too.
She didn't actually get anything on the spoon, but she was trying and didn't seem bothered at all by the feel of it.
After it was all carved, I put it on the floor for Ryann's approval. She poked her fingers in each of the holes carved.
She seemed to like it.

Monday I took Ryann Trick-or-Treating to a few houses...just family and friends. This kid is a total sugar addict! She hears the slightest crinkle of plastic and she fusses for it. Candy must be hidden completely out of view, and even then she still might sniff it out. She found her Grandma's candy bowl and quickly started to put candy in her bucket. Didn't take her long to catch onto this holiday.
Well, after a couple hours of Trick-0r-Treating we headed home to hand out candy to anyone who might wander by.
Ryann quickly found the bowl when I didn't put it up.
Down came to bowl to explore it's chocolatey goodness.Notice Sally sneaking up to check out what she might get a hold of.
Happy Halloween!

Moab with the Smiths

No summer is every complete without a trip with our good friends the Smiths.

I love being able to get together with Kelly and Mark. As our families grow and the obligations of work and school keep us busy, I am always so happy when we can line our schedules up to get together.

At the beginning of September we met up in Moab for the weekend.
We stayed at the KOA in their "shacks". They had a swing out front that Ryann loved to play on.
It was windy that first night, but she stood up and put her face into the wind.
That first night we were in Moab, Kelly and I hung out with the kids while our husbands went on a guided Razor tour through Hell's Revenge. Lucky them. They had fun, but of course no pictures from that.

The next morning we headed out to Canyonlands, since none of us had been. We put on our hiking shoes and loaded up the kids in back packs and went for a short mile hike.
Kian was ready with his Camelbak and sucker.
Clint carried Ryann on his back. She was not a happy camper. I think she was teething and the back pack was new to her. Between those two things she alternated between being ok and fussy the whole hike.
The trail description said that there were rails on the steeper parts. Well, we could could see the holes where the poles had been, but there was nothing to hold onto.
We got to this rock near the end of the hike and I looked up and literally started laughing. It looked like it went almost straight up. Clint was up it first, even with Ryann on his back. We all made it up, but it was so steep...this picture does not do it justice.
The view from the top was well worth the short hike.
Kian came over and checked on Ryann.
Coming back down that steep rock didn't seem quite as bad.
Mark (with Keston on his back), Kian, and Kelly
Kian was such a good little hiker.
After our hike we stopped at a look out point. The view was amazing!
Kian loved having Clint around to help him get as high as he could...
and climb down
I just can't get enough of Moab
On our way back to Moab we stopped and played in the river. Lucky for Ryann she has a dad that helped her get wet.
She wasn't too sure of it at first...
but she grew to like standing in the water...
but she did NOT like having to sit in it.
Keston got some water time with his dad too.
He didn't seem to mind
Ryann preferred playing in the sand.
I love this look on her face.
Kian playing in the sand
Ryann adored Kian. She watched everything that he did and would just laugh and smile at him.
Time to wash up.
Ryann knows how to stay well hydrated in the Moab heat!
Thanks for the trip!

Pool Time with Cousins

Some of the cousins got together in Joyce's backyard to play in the pool and hang out. I took Ryann over to play too...and to see Aubri's new baby!

Me and Carson
I love watching Ryann and Nora play.
Ryann shared her Grandma's lap with Nora
Ryann started walking in the grass and then just stood like this for a couple minutes. She was done walking but didn't want to sit in the grass and touch it anymore than she had too. It was funny to watch her bend down and then realize she was going to touch the grass so she stood back up.
She finally sat down but then proceeded to pick one foot up off the ground at a time so that she didn't have too much of her touching the grass.
She eventually got her own chair, but don't you know chairs aren't for sitting.
Porter relaxing at the picnic table
Katelin and Porter fighting who gets to ride the trike
Porter got his own and instead it was bumper trikes.
Katelin enjoyed throwing all the toys in the pool while Hallie and Alli told her no.
When the kids were done swimming they picked apples. Ryann got one too and loved it! The apples were a little sour but Ryann didn't seem to mind. But she still got a good sour shiver through her body a couple of times.
Ryann decided she was going to share with Grandma, so she rammed it into Grandma's mouth so Grandma didn't even get a choice. What a good sharer she is.
Ryann loves her apples!