Ryan Met Superman

Kept calling him "Man".

He was captivated!

I'll Take My Two-iron

20-Months!!!!

We're at 20-months and all I can say is that his #1 love is not his fun loving, beautiful, intelligent, hilariously hysterical mommy... it is golf. So, I as a golfer's wife, and now a mom of a golfer, have to adjust my "way of thinking". It's just going to "be that way". I guess there's always a plus side. As my funny friend Casey put it, "I think you found your meal ticket." (No, I don't really think that). Funny girl.

Ryan will pick up ANYTHING and use it as a golf club. I'm serious. He even used his nose-bulb thing to swing at a toy. ANYTHING. What amazes us most, is that he doesn't swing at furniture or people. Just toys, balls, shoes, etc.

Here's his down-swing

Making contact with the ball.

And, just like Daddy... looking to see where the imaginary ball landed.

Something isn't Right Here

Rod gave Ryan a bath while I was at the grocery store. As I was shopping, I received a text message with a photo attached....

I crack up everytime I see this photo. The shoes underwater! hahaha.

Open Gym!

Open Gym opened this kid's heart, mind and soul! I don't think he stopped smiling, or even stopped period, the ENTIRE time... until my friend Shawna thought the boys might want something to drink. Yes, it takes two people to raise my child. Pick up the pace, Mom!

This gym isn't just any gym, this is MY gym that I grew up at! Definitely not the same...new owners, and a different body but in the same mirrors.

(old camera)

He LOVED the bar! But, just didn't realize he could "just let go".

He kept going over to the bars where the "team" practiced. The little girls were sweet about it, until it kept happening. I wanted to say, "Girls, you don't know who I am in this building." (nor would they care)

Picasa-Blog Issues

Can someone out there tell me how I can upload Picasa-altered photos from my computer to blogger? I don't want to have to use Picasa to put them in Blogger. I'd like to be in Blogger and upload ALTERED pictures. My work as an artist is not complete without Picasa....therefore, I cannot display my pictures just yet.

I'm Getting My Living Room Back

Slowly gettin' there.

Ryan's chair was a MUST to be cleaned. And, TV was a must for him to watch.

Much better!!!

We've been cleaning out "stuff" in preparation for the arrival of a new piece of furniture!! To be delivered today!

Girl Cousins

What's a boy to do???

Collage of New Cam Pics

May have to double-click on it to enlarge. Enjoy! I still have lots to learn...so, any pointers are welcomed and appreciated!

The Faces of Christmas...(some)

(per Nicole's request) :)

I was 100% on Santa's "good" list. With that, he honored me with a Canon Rebel XSI camera.

Husband-Wife Getaway...

...to New York City!!! Could not have had a better time. We stayed in the best location, ate the most amazing food (every single restaurant was amazing), road the subway everywhere, and just had fun being together! New York was a trip I'll never forget. Our good friends Marisa and Ryan joined us. (Actually, we joined them on their annual trip).

We ate at Lombardi's, Patsy's Pizzeria, Bloom Cafe, Blue Ribbon Sushi, some other fancy sushi place, Balthazar's (AMAZING) in Soho, Angela's Deli, and a hot dog stand.

We went up in the Empire State building, down deep in the subway, and ALL over Manhattan. We would leave our hotel around 9am, and not get back to the room until after midnight. So much to see! I recommend a December trip to NYC to anyone and everyone...that's willing to do a lot of walking! LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR TRIP. Oh, we could have done without one thing...Rod and I got a glass of wine and a mixed drink at the Meridian hotel. The tab for the two drinks was $41.00 Pretty proud, pretty proud.

Our hotel was RIGHT next door to Grand Central Station. Perfect location if willing to take subways everywhere. So wonderful! Inside the station, they had several tents for vendors to sell their stuff. Multiple Christmas gifts were purchased here.

The first morning, Rod and I walked to Byrant Park, before heading to Patsy's Pizzeria to meet up with Megan (Hanus) Coburn and her family! We had some YUMMY pizza and a fun time catching up with her and the kids.

Megan and I have been friends since we were three. She and her family live in Baltimore now. They too decided to take a trip to NYC for the weekend.

Lovin' NYC!

This is Balthazar's. (spelling?) Jamie Schultz is another friend since childhood. She lives there so knew some great places to take us. This being one of them. We had some wine and dessert here. Hands down the best dessert ever. We ordered three different ones. All of which were amazing.

We not only took a picture in front of the Dave Letterman sign....we got to see a taping of the show. Yep, AND we were in the second row!!! Mimi (Rod's mom) got a picture of the t.v. with us in the audience!!! Before we arrived to the taping of the show, we had just eaten at Lombardi's. As we were walking to a subway station, we walked right on to the set of "Life on Mars".

Beautiful, beautiful!!! Aren't we?! No, the tree was gorgeous!!! It had Sarwoski crystals on the star at the top. LOTS of people. We saw a guy propose to a girl on the ice, just under the tree. I tried so hard to snap a picture of the two of them just lookign in to each other's eyes, but my camera would not focus to save my life.




And, if you know anything about me, I LOVE GMA (Good Morning America). Diane, Chris, Robin and Sam are the NICEST people, and they just seem so geniune. I, being the big girl that I am, went down to Times Square (also near our hotel) by myself and got on t.v.!

I believe this was the last day. The BIGGEST snowflakes were falling. We made a stop in the Plaza hotel so Rod could get some work done. Fancy? YES! So, while I enjoyed the lobby, I looked out the window and saw that it was snowing. Queue the camera. I asked the bartender (acting like I'm staying there...I'm sure she knew quite well I wasn't) if the gi-normous snowflakes were normal. She said she's never seen them this big before. So, I tried to snap a pic so you could get the idea. No justice. They seriously looked like cottonballs falling out of the sky. Soft and innocent.

We really had a great time. LOVED the feeling of Christmas there. I had to go to work the day after we got back, and was sad that San Antonio just doesn't look like "Christmas".

Some of you are wondering if I missed Ryan while I was gone. Yes. And, no. I had a little anxiety on the plane ride up there. Just thinking how far I was from him. Then, I realized I needed to get over that. So, the next three days, my mom said I never mentioned his name while talking to her on the phone. (Which I called her several times a day to tell her all the amazing things we were doing and seeing). Last day..."get me home to my baby."

Wrapped and Ready!

He's playing "Guess what's in the box". Jenny, that's your gift he's standing on.

Ryan asked Santa for a tricycle and Elmo Live.

To Cindy....

Well, I guess I'll be hearing many more "swooshes", and seeing even more divets in my carpet.

Gearin' Up for the Big Guy

Our new, fake Christmas tree that I just LOVE!

Ryan, I promise there is a Santa!

He's tuckered out! Killer time at the Tootles! I got to babysit Hudson Wednesday night. He's such a sweet baby! And, super easy to babysit.

I was folding his socks (laundry morning), and he kept trying to sit on my lap to put his socks on. He has two socks on his right foot. The white sock is my sock. It was HILARIOUS! He was prancing around like a deer.

Finally, a husband and wife picture!!! This was just before Beau and Rod left to go hunting.

They both bought new knives for their hunting trip. Very proud.



So, while the men were being the "hunters", the women took the boys out for some fun...to nurture! Nama came along too!

So, if you ever want to feel snow in Texas, you have to go to a festival. I don't know. I would say it was more like "ice". But, don't tell the boys that.

How We Spent Thanksgiving Day