HAMBURGERS AND FRENCH FRIES. APPLE PIE AND ICE CREAM!

Today, October 25th was/is Dad's birthday.  We will celebrate his life tonight, like we always do on his birthday by enjoying his favorite birthday meal: hamburgers and french fries, apple pie and ice cream!!
I've been thinking about Dad a lot lately and how much he would have loved having Grandchildren. I think he would have really gotten a kick out of Ryder, his tantrums, his trucks and his "hug ya til you fall over" kind of love.
Ryder's obsession with cars and taking them apart certainly reminds me of Dad. The way Ryder prefers to pee outside rather than in the toilet would have made Dad smile. (He himself often peed outside as he shared a one bathroom home with four females!!) I think Dad and Ryder would have wrestled, rode the lawn mower, drove the Blazer and built stuff together.  I bet they would have caused a lot of trouble at meal times together (between Dad pretending he couldn't stop burping and talking about how one should  "eat every potato and pee on your plate" and Ryder insisting on picking up each bit of food and placing it on his fork or spoon, his incessant tooting and his need to touch everyone sitting near him with sticky, Katchuppy hands) there wouldn't have been a dull moment at the table!

I know Dad would have laughed out loud at Paytons "chubby cheeks" and her squishy tummy. She would have spent hours grabbing in vain for his glasses or sucking on the top of his beer bottle.  He would have rocked her in his arms and fell asleep watching TV with her on his chest. 

He would have given them both "airplane rides" on his feet and "turnovers" on the couch!  He would have told me not to worry about Ryder not saying his "Ls" yet. That they would come. He'd say he talks lots and loud just like you, Jeanne. Don't worry!  He would have told me that Payton's chubby baby weight is perfect for a baby and that one day she'll be tall and slim just like her Grampa! 

He would have had us all over for his birthday dinner of home made burgers and fries with the peel on and he would have let the kids help him blow out the one token candle on his slice of pie.

Though there are no more candles on apple pie slices to blow out, there are enough memories and stories to pass on to last a lifetime! Tonight Dad's Grandchildren will raise their chocolate milk cups in a toast to a man they have never physically met but whom they will grow to know and love just the same!

Kiss your babies, count your blessings and hold those lost loved onces close to your heart!

THANKSGIVING 2013

Sooo much to be Thankful for, Family (both near and far, both two and four legged) being number one! 

I'm Thankful for Nic and her valiant attempt to capture our annual Thanksgiving Wright Family Photo in Mom's yard by the big tree....

Ryder apparently, was not as thankful for this photo op as I was....

 I informed him that as long as he is part of this Family, he WILL be in the photo, whether he smiles or not! LOL

 He protested til the bitter end!

 He was slightly happier when I held him, but still refused to look at the camera. Ha ha!

We had a little better luck capturing the kids before the actual Family shot:

We dressed Payton the same way we dressed Ryder for his first Thanksgiving and took the sameish pic to compare...amazes me how much they look alike (as long as Payton has a hat on, she difinitely has more hair than Ryder ever had.)

 This is my fav of Ryder and Payton with Grammy. Too bad I'm in it. LOL

I am thankful for the luxury of being able to enjoy leisure activities and for the time we get to spend having fun with friends and Family.  
While at Mom's for the Thanksgiving weekend, we got to go to a Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch as a Family.

A pic of just us girls!

 The Wrights

 They had these adorable mini tractors that the kids could actually drive!

 There were drums so The Wrights had a little jam session!

 The Pumpkin Cannon was loud. This was as close as Ryder would get.

I am thankful that we are all able to work and that we all have jobs to go to (I am also thankful for my year long maternity leave from my job.)  While we were at Mom's we all pitched in to help get her acreage ready for winter! It's always more fun to do chores when they are not at your own house!

...and when chores involve riding the quad!

 ..and feeding horses carrotts!

 Payton did her part by sleeping outside so we could all keep working while keeping an eye on her.

 Teamwork!

 Lovin' our time out of the city, in the country, in the barn!

 Marty is master of the chain saw, lumberjack jacket and winning his little girl's heart!

Since it is time to specifically reflect on the things we are thankful for I would be amiss if I didn't end this Blog entry by cheesily counting my blessings one more time!

I am Thankful for all the gifts in my life, the people, the animals, the adventures, the jobs we have, the Tassimo coffee machine on my counter and the health we've been blessed with.  

I am also thankful for the tantrums, the pee on the bathroom floor, the three or four times a night I wake to feed my baby, the very early mornings, the sticky handprints all over everything, the little jars of prunes overtaking my fridge, the trucks that fill every square inch of our livingroom and all the other things that signify I have healthy, spirited, strong willed, happy children.  I feel lucky, blessed and slightly exhausted.  I hope to continue to be blessed with all of these for a long long time!  Cheers!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kiss your babies, count your blessings and try to be thankful every day...for something!

MINNESOTA OCTOBER 2013

Ryder, Payton and I have just returned from the USA! We went, with Mom to Minnesota for the weekend (Thursday to Monday) to celebrate my cousin's wedding.  I havn't seen my Mom's side of the family for 2 years. Ryder was Payton's age the last time I was there. It was sooo much fun to see everyone again and to watch the kids play!! So many kids and so many laughs. 

So glad Mom was with us as we had alot of luggage! Alot! She corralled the luggage and I corralled the kids! We made a great team!

 

Peanut, standing against the window watching her big brother watching the planes.

The hotel had a pool, so there was lots of swimming!

Ryder got braver every day, even jumping off the side into my arms!

 Of course, Ryder spent most of his swimming time driving trucks and towing McQueen with the help of goggles and Mater! LOL

 Mom even bought Peanut a floatie thing so she could play too!

After swimming there were tubbies. Ryder was a tub toy hoarder! Ha ha!

WE had time to visit the Komo Zoo. It is a free zoo with amazing animals! Ryder loved rolling with his big cousins through the zoo!

Garrett loved carrying Peanut everywhere!! She was such a great little baby whisperer!

 Grammy snuggles!

Alex's wedding was Saturday night.  We all got to get dressed up, even Payton Jeanne!

 

 

Uncle Pic and Ryder had the best time together! Pic convinced Ryder to get out there and "dance with chicks" Ryder kept running off the dance floor to let Pic know that he had been dancing with chicks! Ha ha!

 This is what little boys do at weddings....

 ..and when they get bored of that, they start digging in the cake! LOL

 This is what little girls do at weddings: hold babies!

 The day after the wedding, Mom, Ryder, Payton and I headed to Grandma Mimi's house half an hour away.  It has been several years since I'd seen Grandma and she had never met either one of my kids. Finally she got the chance!!! I was sooo excited for my children to be wrapped in Grandma Mimi's warm embrace!  It was the end of a very exciting trip, so both kids were super tired and a little crankier than normal, but Grandma won them over!  We were lucky because we also got to see my cousins Rachel and Mary Beth and their families and my Aunt and Uncle while we were there! So many kids and so much love!! We made sure to soak up as many hugs and as much love as we possibly could for we had no idea when we will all be together again!

Grandma Mimi and Payton

 Looks like Xavi got cut out of this pic. I am sure someone got a pic of all the kids with Gramma but apparently it wasn't me. LOL

 

Oh, here's a better one of all of us!

 Bye bye my sweet, happy Grandma Mimi!! We love you!

Today was filled with melt downs from a very tired two year old, but every fit he threw was so worth the weekend of partying filled with family, love and late bed times!! Thank you everyone for all the happy memories!!! We love you and miss you and hope we get to be together again soon!!!

Kiss your babies, count your blessings and go visit your family!!!!