Allow Me To Introduce You To Bella

Yesterday, Ryan and I decided to add on to our family. We are SO HAPPY to announce that Charley has a new little sister. I personally think she favors Ryan. In case your thinking, "I didn't even know that Melody was pregnant," don't worry, this was not a well kept secret pregnancy. Our newest addition is a sweet little Shih Tzu named Bella. She is black and white and such a sweet natured puppy.

Ryan and I had been talking about getting a new puppy after the first of the year. We actually purchased a french bulldog puppy a little over a year ago but sold it a short time later because it was spastic. It screamed like a woman (I'm serious!) and was not very loving. After selling her, Ryan and I decided that we would wait to get another puppy until we found just the right one. We had done a lot of research on what kind of dog would be good for us and good with Charley and had made up our mind that we would eventually get a Shih Tzu. Ryan and I also knew several people who had Shih Tzu's and they all had great things to say about these dogs.

In all honesty, we had no intentions of purchasing a dog yesterday. However, on our way home, we saw a man selling Shih Tzu's. We stopped to take a look and knew instantly that we had found our puppy. Charley LOVES her and so does our other dog, Mandy. Mandy had needed a companion for quite some time and now she has a new baby to take care of. Meet Bella.

Attack Of The Birds

I have never cared for birds. Perhaps that is because when I was little I stepped on a baby bird and the mother bird freaked and flew at me viciously. While I was getting ready this morning, I heard a lot of "chirping" and looked outside to see hundreds (maybe even a thousand) birds in my yard. I was extremely worried that I would not be able to leave my house or in doing so I would be attacked. I did venture out to take some pics, but did not leave the porch. It was quite scary!

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

The rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Fill out the questions below
3. Tag 5-7 people at the end of your post.
4. Pass on the tag. Have FUN!!

1.Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate. Just hearing the words egg nog makes me want to yack.

2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Hello...sits them under the tree! Do you really think he has time to wrap all those presents?

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have white lights on our tree and colored blinky lights on our house!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No! I would be out-running Ryan all the time if I did that.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The week of Thanksgiving...usually the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? I enjoying all of the food but my favorite is actually a beverage made with red hots.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: I loved all the gifts but what I remember most is the excitement I had going to bed on Christmas Eve. I still get that same excitement!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I heard a rumor at school and then went home and asked my mom. She looked at me and told me told me the rumor was true!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes. We open gifts at my in-laws on Christmas Eve.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? We have a pre-lit tree with lots of ornaments, red ribbon, and silver bows.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I love it when it is actually snowing. However, I don't like it when the snow turns black from being on the ground for weeks.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but I don't like it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Hello...who wouldn't LOVE getting a barbie dream house?

14. What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with my family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? COOKIES....any kind.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I have loved starting a new tradition by having Christmas morning at my house.

17. What tops your tree? A red bow.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving! I love watching the excitement (or sometimes disappointment) on my families face as they open the gift that I picked out especially for them.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Oh Holy Night!

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? The first one of the season is yummy, but after that, yuck!

21. What do you want for Christmas? I want many more years with my family.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas Party? We will attend one this year with our Life Group. =)

23. Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJs? PJ's! I love getting right out of bed and opening presents!

24. Do you own a santa hat? No. Why would I?

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? My family.

I Tag: Erica....I can't think of anyone else who hasn't already been tagged!

All I Want For Christmas Is........

As I mentioned in my previous post, I started potty training Charley this past week. She is still doing well with that. However, she is still hanging onto to her bowels, if you know what I mean. I'll keep you posted if anything should change! One of Charley's favorite things to do after she goes potty is to flush the toilet. Perhaps that is because on Elmo's Potty Time the kids wave and say goodbye to their "business." I finally had to explain to Charley that she can only flush the toilet when there is actually something in the toilet to flush. So what did Charley do....she started putting all kinds of things in the potty. So far, I have discovered an English Muffin, of which was HUGE because it had been in there for awhile, Ryan's guitar pic, and a granola bar that was still in it's wrapper. Obviously these were all items that could not be easily flushed. Each time I discovered one of these things, I had a long discussion with Charley about how we don't put anything in the toilet except for our "business." I had yet to discover anything for a couple of days and was beginning to think this phase was over. I was wrong. When I got out of the shower tonight and went to use the bathroom, this is what I discoverd. And no, it doesn't work anymore. Apparantly this phase is NOT over.

Potty Time!

Today I officially started potty-training Charley. Ok, so I have started this process several times before, but Charley just wasn't ready. Since we have no plans or appointments in the next 6 days, I decided to give it another shot. Well today she was ready! I broke out the big girl panties (they were Elmo of course) and she wore them all day long! She told me every time she had to go potty and she only had one accident. I was so proud of her. We are going to tackle it again tomorrow and my hope is that in a few more days she will really have the hang of it. I would be thrilled to say goodbye to diapers. I will keep you all posted and hopefully this will be my final attempt at potty-training Charley!

Halloween 2008

Whew! Halloween is so much different now that Charley is a part of our lives. As a child, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I LOVED getting dressed up, going door to door, and getting a sack full of candy. Now that I am a parent, I feel differently about Halloween. I still enjoy it, but it is a lot more work than when I was a kid. Especially since there seems to be more and more activities throughout the week of Halloween which of course requires your child to wear their costume to each one. Perhaps the stress of it all is somewhat my own fault. Charley doesn't exactly have to participate in each activity, but I know she enjoys it and I figure Halloween is only once a year.

Our day started yesterday with a Halloween party at Charley's preschool. The kids were allowed to wear their costumes to school and I have to admit, they were all so cute. The kids each did a craft and they even got to go trick-or-treating to the other classrooms. So, we started our day with candy and ended our day with candy. I really enjoyed being at preschool with Charley and seeing her interact with the other kids. She really seems to enjoy being there.

After a short nap, it was time for Charley to put her costume back on and head to the grandparents. I'm pretty confident Charley doesn't really understand the concept of trick-or-treating yet. What she did understand was that for whatever reason people kept giving her candy and she loved it! After going to Mimi's and Nana's we headed to church. Each year our church has a Halloween party for anyone and everyone. Let me just say this is no ordinary party. The church was decked out with decorations from head to toe and there were all kinds of activities from inflatables to live shows. The theme this year was Happily Ever After and being Snow White, Charley fit in perfectly!

Our last stop was at Hilary's mom and dad's house. This has been a tradition ever since Hilary and I had our kids. Charley loved seeing Zachary in his cute monkey costume and the kids enjoyed spending playing together. Finally, it was time to call it a night. Snow White was fading fast.

Needless to say, Halloween 2008 was one to be remembered! Now I just have to figure out what I am going to do with all this candy!!

Preschool Halloween Party

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Halloween 2008

To see a video of trick-or-treating at MiMi's and Papa's, click the link below!

http://www.realestateshows.com/show.php?id=347587&code=26eaa612#

Happy Fall!

Yes, our family is still alive and doing well. I know that might be hard to believe seeing that I haven't done an update in over a month! Keeping up with two blogs is harder than you think. Anyway, we have been busy, as you can imagine. Fall is full of so many fun activities and we have been trying to soak up every single one. We have been especially busy this week. Halloween is just around the corner and this year Charley is none other than Snow White. She has no idea who Snow White is, but she sure is cute in her costume. On Monday we took her to the Spooktakular at the Zoo. Charley has just recently learned what it means to be "scared" so she was pretty undecided on whether or not the Spooktakular was "fun" or "scary." I'm pretty sure all of her fear subsided when we came upon the Sesame Street display. Charley made her way around to all of her "friends" and gave them each a kiss. Oscar was the only one that went without a kiss. She has a Love/Hate relationship with him. Besides being a little cold and windy, we had a great time and Snow White was a hit. Tonight we are carving our Halloween pumpkin and roasting the seeds. On Friday Charley will get to wear her costume to preschool and then of course that night we will be taking her treat or treating. I will have lots more pics to post so be sure to check back. For now, enjoy our little Snow White!

Spooktakular 2008

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Daddy Night at Preschool

This past Tuesday night was Daddy night at Preschool. Of course Ryan wouldn't miss a night out with Charley. I was so proud of Ryan. Since I was out of town, Ryan was responsible for getting Charley all ready (I had helped prepare him a little) and then taking her to what was a fun-filled night of games for just the kids and their daddies. Ryan was even smart enough to remember the camera! Charley loves Ryan so much and they do have an inseparable bond. I am so glad they were able to share this special evening together. These are times that are one in a million! Enjoy the pics!

Daddy Night at Preschool!

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Chuck and I had a ZOOper time at the ZOO!!

Well, today....DADDY's in charge! So Charley and I went to one of her favorite places in all the world....the ZOO. As I was truckin' down Norton Rd. Charley starts going absolutely crazy (go figure) pointing behind us and screaming "ZOO-ZOO!!!" and it was at that point that I realized I had passed the ZOO and she had seen the sign.....ok so she can read. So I turned around and we went it.

I'll be honest it was kind of slow going until Charley and I scared up some MANE WOLVES (kinda like HUGE red foxes)....they are very skittish. None of the monkeys would throw their poop (childhood favorite....the monkeys doing the throwing, not me...of course) so we moved on. We then began feeding the big carp Charley's Cheezits but began running out so we stopped. Charley almost lost a finger to a goat, but daddy saved her.

By this time, we reached the almight SNACK SHACK.....YES! The lunch-lady knew exactly who Charley was when we entered.....hmmmmmm.....I wonder why....making because Mommy was just there with Charley less than one week ago!! Charley had two hotdogs and I had a nachos....with peppers...and a coke...yummy. Onto the elephants.

We were only about 10 from the big black bear (glass wall) but it was sleeping so Charley had this wonderful idea of throwing our ICE from the coke over the tall wall and hitting the bear....it worked to say the least. Bear looked around, looked at us...and then went back to sleep. yippee skippee.

Snake House scared Charley, but she loved the big CORN SNAKE some old guy was holding at the exit.....Charley wanted to pet the snake, but the guy wouldn't let her since she was so young and more likely to get SALMONILA (spelling?) from the snake..... I argued with him for a while to try to get him to understand that Salmonila only comes from raw chicken meat.... he didn't buy it and my little girl couldn't pet the snake.....

I must say the TRAIN ROCKS!!! We rode the train around the lake TWICE! Very cool....Charley was a pro...she knew just what to do. She loves the train whistle. I love my little girl so much! I can't believe my family is blessed as much as we are that I get to stay at home with BOTH my girls....having the time of our lives!

You'll have to click on EACH picture below...I don't know how to correctly add pics to the blog....and my wife isn't here to supervise.

From Melody: I corrected it for you Wasson! Love you and Great Job on the blog!!

Ryan & Charley's Day at the Zoo!

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Family Date Night

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful evening. Ryan, Charley, and myself met our good friends Kevin, Hilary, and Zachary for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. My birthday had been the day before, so we did a little more celebrating at dinner. Thanks Hilary for the yummy cookies and awesome presents! Following dinner we all headed downtonw to The Springfield Little Theater where we watched High School Musical. Charley and Zachary loved it! As always, they were very well behaved. Ryan and Kevin were more restless than the kiddos! It was such a special treat to spend time as a family and with our very best friends!

Enjoy the pictures!

High School Musical

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Charley's Concept of Artwork at Preschool

Let me first say that I LOVE Charley's preschool! Everyone is so nice and Charley really seems to enjoy Mrs. Natasha. Since starting preschool, Charley has come home with some really cute art activities she has done. As a proud mom, I clearly display them for all to see on our refrigerator. One of the projects that she came home with on Friday was a large picture of a boat glued down to some construction paper. At the top was the title "Noah's Ark". Charley had glued animal cookies to the boat to make it resemble all the animals in the ark. When I saw what an amazing piece of work it was, I immediately put it on display. However, a few days ago, this is what I noticed as I walked past the refrigerator......



Notice that there are two cookies missing. Yes that's right, Charley decided to enjoy herself a little snack, glue and all. I am now trying to get her to understand that we don't eat our art projects from school. No wonder she enjoys preschool so much!

Charley's First Day of School!

Today Charley started preschool. I can hardly believe that she is two years old and actually going to school two days during the week. OK - it's actually only for a total of 5 hours a week, but that still seems like a lot. Charley's teacher is Mrs. Natasha and after a little bit of coaxing, Charley was ready for first big day. I had been telling her all week long that she would be going to school, and even though she was so enthusiastic about it at home, she wasn't so sure when we first got there. However, my sister-in-law works at the preschool and was kind enough to call us periodically throughout the morning to give us updates. Charley did great and Ryan and I were anxious to pick her up. We know she will benefit greatly from the time she spends there and are so grateful that she is a part of Kingswood Kids!





Click on the Album for a Slideshow of Charley's First Day!

Welcome to the Dixie Stampede!

Last Monday evening we went with our good friends Micah, Kirk, and Parker Washam to the Dixie Stampede in Branson, MO. We had the best seats on the very front row and the action could not have been any better or closer. I have to say the girls loved it! We weren't able to use flash photography, but the pics turned out pretty good anyway. If you want to see pictures from our evening, just click HERE!

Thanks Hilary!

Here are the rules: Link to the person who tagged you, mention the rules, tell six quirky, yet boring unspectacular things about yourself, tag six other bloggers by linking to them, and then go to each person's blog and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged. (I think I will just list them at the bottom and leave it at that. If they see it, great.)

6 random unspectacular things about me:

1. Those who know me know I have a Super Type A personality. I am slightly obsessive compulsive about certain things. For example, when I lock the doors at night, I have to check each door at least three times and turn the handle three times just to make sure it is locked.

2. Although I have a degree in teaching, I would really like to be a cosmetologist. I love the idea of working my own hours, making people look pretty, and chatting away countless hours. It beats booger eatin' kids.

3. I love to write. Before my little "bump in the road", I was actually enrolled at The Institute of Children's Literature. I had only written one story before I was forced to take a leave of absence. I hope to re-enroll after the first of year.

4. I love to travel...or at least pretend that I am going somewhere. I will spend countless hours on the computer researching trips. I will even go so far to pick my travel dates, book a flight, and book a hotel, just to see the final price. Of course, I never give them my credit card info. which means I never really get to go anywhere.

5. I love to have my house cleaned. I use to do it myself, but life has changed. I say if you can afford it, why waste one second of time cleaning your own house. There are people out there that will do it for you!! I have the same philosophy when it comes to mowing the yard.

6. I love spure of the moment decision making. I don't do this often because my Type A personality won't allow it. However, there is nothing better than waking up in the morning and deciding your going out of town for the day or weekend without any planning ahead. You only live once. That's my philosophy!

I tag: I'm pretty much sure everyone has been tagged.

Best Girlfriends

A couple of weeks ago we got together with our very good friends, Micah and Kirk. Micah and I have been friends since I was three years old. We grew up as neighbors and have so many memories as childhood friends. That friendship has carried over into adulthood and now we both have little girls of our own. Charley and Parker are about a year apart, just like Micah and I. These girls love each other. They are finally at an age where they can "play" together and it is so cute to hear and see them laughing and playing. I have no doubt that their friendship will last for years to come, just as mine did with Micah.

Best Girlfriends

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Fun At The Fair

Last night, Ryan, myself, and Charley ventured out to the Ozark Empire Fair. Ryan and I have been going to the fair ever since I can remember. In fact, my parents took me to the fair every year as a child. The fair is a tradition. The only thing about the fair is that it seems to get a little more "scary" each year. I'm not sure if "scary" is the word, but I am trying to describe it in the nicest way I know how. We ate dinner at Rudy's BBQ. Rudy's is another tradition of ours. I always vow I will not eat there the next year, but that is never the case. Rudy's does have great BBQ, but I have had better. I would rather eat the traditional fair food.

It was a beautiful evening and Charley LOVED looking at all the animals. Bless her heart, she really thought she was big enough to ride all the rides and it was all Ryan and I could do to keep her from hopping on one. After making several loops around, we ended our night by once again looking at the goats and watching some baby chicks hatch. On our way out, I asked Ryan if he wanted to make one more walk through and his comment to me was that it's just not the same now that he has a daughter, meaning that the "carnies" scared him and he didn't like subjecting his little girl to their "Hey Sweetie" comments. I agreed. It's funny how things change when you have a kid. Despite being kind of creeped out, we had a great time and Charley really enjoyed herself. I'm sure we'll return next year for another night of creepiness and Rudy's BBQ.

Fun At The Fair

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A Day At The Lake

Yesterday, Ryan, Charley, and myself headed down to the lake. We were so happy to have the opportunity to go and enjoy ourselves. We had only been to the lake once since Ryan purchased a boat for our family. Soon after, I was diagnosed with cancer and the past month has been so busy that we just haven't had the time to enjoy it. However, since my surgery was post-poned this week, Friday ended up being the perfect day for us to enjoy a day at the lake. My Aunt Brenda and Uncle Waymon have a cabin down at the lake and they were kind enough to let us stay there last night. Thank you so much! We really needed that time away and the cabin was great! When we first arrived, we grilled some hot dogs and Charley took a quick catnap. Their cabin is so cozy. While Charley napped, I read a magazine and Ryan relaxed as well. Mid-afternoon we headed out on the boat. Charley was so great. She loved being out on the boat with her mom and dad. She even enjoyed getting in the water for a quick cool down. We enjoyed tubing, fishing, and just boating around. I prepared sloppy joes for dinner and then we headed back out for an evening cruise. The rest of the night was spent lounging around the cabin. I felt so blessed to be spending time with Ryan and Charley. We were able to forget about everything going on in our lives and enjoy some peace and quiet. This morning we were up early enjoying one last outing on the boat before returning home. I am looking forward to more lake days in the near future.

Fun At The Lake

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Happy 2nd Birthday Charley!

This past weekend Charley celebrated her second birthday. It is so hard to believe that just two years ago we were welcoming Charley into the world. She is such a blessing to Ryan and I and we are amazed everyday by her spunk. Just like last year we planned a big birthday party at our house. Charley's very best friends were in attendance. However, just like last year, it rained, and rained, and rained. The "outdoor party" that we had been planning for, became an "indoor party." Thank goodness for my giant living room! The theme was Abby Cadabby. Charley would have probably preferred Elmo (again) but I wanted to go with something a little bit more girly. Charley's cake was adorable and delicious. The catering from Bandana's was also awesome.

This was year was extra special because as many of you know I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I am so incredibly thankful that Charley doesn't know that I am sick and that she will never remember how cancer took so much of my time and energy. Being able to celebrate her birthday before beginning the long journey was incredible and a birthday I will NEVER forget. I love her so much and am so thankful for the time I have been able to spend at home with her since she was born.

Happy Birthday Charley! Mommy and Daddy love you!

Happy Birthday Charley!

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A Wonderful Evening

Last night, Ryan, Charley, and myself spent an awesome night out. First, Ryan took his girls to Nakato. What Fun! Actually, it didn't start out to fun. Charley is going through a really bad phase of not wanting to sit in a high chair. I was worried about this little situation before we ever left the house. Sure enough, as soon as we arrived and put Charley in her high chair, she began screaming and yelling. She even chucked TiTi (her most favorite stuffed animal that we CANNOT leave home without) clear across the place. Next, she started throwing raisins and crackers. Thank goodness we were the only ones sitting at the table at the time! We were finally able to keep her from throwing things off the table, but she continued to scream and make a big fuss. By this time, other people were showing up at our table and if there is one thing I can't stand it's having MY KID screaming in a restaurant disturbing others. After about 2 more seconds of that, Ryan declared "That's enough" and he grabbed Charley out of her chair and took off to an undisclosed location. After a few minutes Ryan and Charley returned. He sat Charley down in her high chair and she never made another peep. Actually, I take that back. She did get a little fussy once more, but when Ryan asked her if she wanted to go back to the bathroom, she replied with a little innocent "No." I'm not sure what went down in that bathroom between Ryan and Charley, but whatever it was, it worked.

After dinner we made our way downtown to the Little Theater where we saw Seussical the Musical. One of my good friends, Rachel, works at the theater and was kind enough to give us three tickets. Thank you so much Rachel! The show was awesome!! I would highly recommend going to see it whether you have children or not. Ryan thinks it is one of the best shows he has ever seen! Charley loved it! It was just a great evening!

Finally, yesterday morning our family had pictures taken. Jessica Oatman was the photographer. She is so amazing! She has posted a sneak peek of some of the pictures she took on her blog. If your interested, you can check them out at http://www.jessicaoatman.blogspot.com/.

Seussical The Musical

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A Future Broadway Star

As many of you know from previous posts, Charley loves Elmo. Occasionally she likes to passionately sing her favorite song, Elmo's World. I was fortunate enough yesterday to catch some video of Charley in one of her Broadway moments. Granted, I had to allow her a few moments to get used to the camera. She isn't used to performing for the world just yet. I tried to get her to sing Twinkle Twinkle (another favorite) but she insisted that we stick to Elmo's World. She is our little star. Allow me to introduce you to the next American Idol, Charley Ryan Wasson.

Mini-Vacation 2008

Whew! Yesterday, Ryan, Charley, and myself returned from our vacation. Last Thursday we drove to Poplar Bluff, MO where my Aunt Camille lives and my grandma and grandpa. After arriving, we visited with my grandparents. They had not seen Charley in over a year. Of course, Charley was somewhat scared and shy, but that quickly improved when they pulled out the Pooh bear they had bought for her. That evening we stayed with my Aunt Camille and Uncle Bob. Charley loved running and playing at their house! They also had a nice "welcome" gift for Charley. It was a cute stuffed monkey with a small book attached to it. Charley and the monkey have not parted ways since then! In addition to the monkey, they had bought the cutest miniature bananas for Charley. I didn't even know such a thing existed!

Friday morning we headed on to Cape Girardeau where Ryan and I lived our first few years of marriage. We have so many awesome memories of Cape and it was fun to catch up with old friends. We also had the opportunity to eat at some of our favorite restaurants. On Saturday I was able to have lunch with my best friend Anne. We had the best time teaching together when I lived there. The memories are endless! After lunch we took our kids to play in the park. Owen had to show Charley the ropes on the play equipment and she caught on quickly. Sunday morning we attended Centenary UMC where Ryan worked as a youth pastor. Everyone was happy to see us and especially Charley. Charley was working on being the center of attention, just like her daddy, so her and I had to spend most of the service outside.

After church, we left and headed up to St. Louis for the last few days of our vacation. Our hotel was beautiful! There was so much to see and do just at the hotel. We had a wonderful view of the Arch from our room. Sunday evening we enjoyed walking around downtown. Ryan took Charley and I on a horse and carriage ride which was wonderful. Charley loved Curly! The next morning we woke up early to do the St. Louis Zoo. That place is incredible. We had so many up close encounters with the animals. Charley LOVED it! We also rode the train which was a great way to see the different parts of the zoo. Our last night in St. Louis we ate a place called The Burger Bar. It was a fun restaurant where you could create any kind of burger with as many toppings as you wanted.

I was so happy that God blessed our vacation with good health, safe travels, and excellent weather. The three of us created wonderful memories that we will remember forever.....well, at least memories that Ryan and I will remember forever!

Cape & St. Louis 2008

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Cock - A - Doodle - Doo

Miniature horses, chickens, what's next? Today my in-laws purchased chickens and we took Charley to their house to introduce her to these feathery creatures. I have to say that Charley and the chickens bonded quickly and that she is looking forward to seeing them again soon. I on the other hand am looking forward to the fresh eggs that they are supposed to lay. Prior to the chickens they had a miniature horse. Just like the chickens, Charley enjoyed "Huckleberry". I actually think she is fearless and would pet an alligator if given the chance. Perhaps I am raising the next Steve Irwin! Huckleberry has since moved to a new home and now all we have are pictures to remember him by. Going to MiMi's and PaPa's is such an adventure each time we go. Charley never knows what to expect. She is still hoping for a cow so that she can have fresh milk with her breakfast and dinner each day! She better be careful what she wishes for!


Charley's not sure about these chickens!


PaPa showing Charley how to "pet" a chicken.


I'm not so sure about this.



Charley doesn't seem to mind it's crowing.


This is Charley riding Huckleberry!

Best Friends

What a fun morning we had today! Charley had her best friend, Zach, over to play today while his mommy, Hilary, ran some very important errands. Charley was SO excited to see Zach when he arrived. I have to say, those two are so cute together and are truly "best friends." Hilary and I have been best friends for well over 15 years and for us to now have children only three months apart is so much fun!! The kiddos were great! I think the cutest moment was when Zach and Charley were chasing each other around the couch laughing hysterically! Hilary was nice enough to bring all of us Wendy's for lunch and both Charley and Zach chowed down after working up a big appetite! Today was a great day and Charley is looking forward to the next time she and Zach can play together.

Best Friends

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Mother's Day....Take 2

Well, today was officially Mother's Day. What a great day! Charley, Ryan, and I started our day by going to church. It was a great service and all mom's were honored with a rose as they left. We then headed over to my mom and dad's to enjoy a Mother's Day lunch. Charley LOVES eating at her Nana's and Grandpa's. She gets so excited! The ribs from Oscar's were delicious! For my mom, I purchased a nice flower arrangement for her front porch. Charley gave her Nana two tickets to see Noah the musical in Branson. She also gave her MiMi the same thing. So, in June, Charley, Ryan, myself, and both sets of grandparents will be going to Branson to see this one of a kind show. Charley is looking forward to seeing all the animals!! After a yummy lunch we came home for a little R&R before going to Roger and Sharon's for another Mother's Day celebration. Charley had a great time playing with her cousins, Haley, Allison, and Emma. PaPa did a great job of preparing a Mother's Day meal that included steak and chicken kabobs and jasmine rice. Kristen, my sister-in-law prepared a yummy salad and I topped the meal off with homemade brownies and ice cream. We ended the evening playing a little bit of volleyball outside until MiMi dove for the ball and hurt her knee. I am proud to report that she is ok! As you can tell it was a busy day, but a great day honoring us moms.

Mother's Day....Take 2

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Happy Mother's Day.........To Me!

Mother's Day. What an honorable day. I now know how important Mother's Day really is. Growing up Mother's Day was really just like any other day. Don't get me wrong, I always did something special for my mom, I just didn't understand the true meaning behind "Mother's Day". Now that I am a mother myself, "Mother's Day" has an entire new meaning to me. Birthday's are great, but EVERYONE celebrates a birthday. Mother's Day is unique. It's a day honoring all mothers....a day honoring me. When Ryan asked me what I would like for Mother's Day, I could think of nothing more than to spend an entire day with him and Charley. So, yesterday morning Ryan, Charley, and myself headed down to Branson, MO for a beautiful day. We indulged at the Olive Garden for lunch, spent the afternoon Riding the Ducks, and then ended our day with a wonderful evening at The Landing where we ate at a steakhouse and topped if off with Marble Slab Creamery. What more could you ask for? As much as I would like to have a day of pampering, or a nice dinner alone with Ryan, NOTHING brings me more joy than spending a day together as a family. Ryan and I have no idea what we did before Charley came into our lives. She is incredible and truly the greatest thing to ever happen to us. I am so thankful for her. She is the reason I am able to celebrate Mother's Day.

Mother's Day

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A Shower For A Dear Friend

Today I had the pleasure of hosting a shower for a very good friend. Alysia and I have been friends a very long time and it was great to see her again. I am so happy for her and know that she is counting down the days until she becomes Mrs. Butrick. For now however, she remains the "Future Mrs. Butrick". My mom was actually supposed to help host the shower today, but unfortunately she got sick. She was still able to provide some of the yummy food (thanks mom) which helped tremendously. My dad was nice enough to come over and help me set up for the shower. He even picked up the cake and Alysia's corsage. I also cannot forget to mention what a great help Ryan was today. He took Charley on a "Daddy/Daughter Day" and I know they had a great time together. Thanks Ryan for all you do! I enjoyed having people over to my house and watching Alysia open up all her gifts. I have been married for almost seven years and had forgotten how exciting it is to open up a box of place settings! I do have to say that Alysia's are very stylish! It was a great day to say the least! I look forward to seeing her get married in June! Congratulations Alysia!

Alysia's Shower

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A Night With Daddy......Lord Help Us!

Some of you know that I volunteer at the Family Violence Center here in Springfield. I absolutely LOVE it and could probably write a book on what I have learned from spending so much time there......but that will have to wait. It had been several months since I had last volunteered. It seems like that it is how long Ryan, Charley, and myself have been sick this past winter! I usually like to go at least once a week, so last night I ventured off to the FVC. With me gone, Ryan was in charge of Charley and I knew she would LOVE having her daddy all to herself. Boy did she ever! Now, before you make any quick judgements, I think it is important to note that Ryan did feed Charley a good dinner before feeding her the Bacon Cheddar Chips that she devoured. Ryan sent me these pictures last night at the FVC and I began to immediately wonder who had kidnapped my sweet precious angel. I soon found out that this was the work of her daddy. He swears that after this "episode" he gave her a bath and scrubbed her face and hair. I'll be the judge of that when she wakes up this morning.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES! THE PICTURES BELOW MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND MAY CAUSE NIGHTMARES.