Thanksgiving in a backpack

This year, our church is partnering with Giving Children Hope through the "We've Got Your Back" program.  Our goal is to fill 1,000 backpacks with food items for a Thanksgiving meal.  Our church will then give them to a participating school so a teacher can deliver them to their students and provide their families with a Thanksgiving experience. 

To find out more, click here.

We are really excited to be part of this and we decided last night to make a family night of filling the backpack.  One of our prayers for Ryder is that he would develop a heart that loves Jesus as well as those around him.  That he would see needs and have a heart of giving and service.  That he would be a blessing to those around him.

So off we headed to the grocery store, Ryder was in charge of holding the grocery list. We grabbed some dinner first because it is a MUST to keep a pregnant person well fed... 


These are the items that the program has asked for:

Canned Soup, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Canned Vegetables, Canned Gravy, Box of Instant Rice, 100% Fruit Juice, Canned Beans, Cereal, Canned meat, Evaporated Milk, Macaroni and Cheese, and Canned Fruit.

It was a really fun evening and Ryder was really into it.

(He really didn't understand what the food was for but was really excited to put the items in the basket.  We only had one casualty of a jar of gravy, but other wise he did pretty good.  We just kept saying "Oh, the family is going to love that cereal." or "Thank you for helping us fill the back pack for the family at the school."  Again, he really didn't get it but we figure that it's a good place to start.)

Each time we have been part of something like this, it is incredibly humbling.  I realize how MUCH we have, so much EXCESS! We hope that by being part of something like this on a regular basis year round, Ryder will grow with a sensitivity to needs around him, and in turn, we will be changed as individuals, as well as a family unit.

E is for...

We have decided to name our baby girl Eden Marie.  Eden means "delight" and Kit and I are so excited to meet her in a few months.  Marie is the name of my grandma, my mom, and the middle name of myself and my sister.  She will be the 4th generation to carry it.   She has already brought so much "delight" into our lives in her only 6 months of existence. The name just seems like a perfect fit!

Thank you Mom for taking these amazing pictures of our baby.

I think Marie is a perfect middle name.  

A little weekend recap...

We had a WONDERFUL weekend as a family.  We went garage saleing on saturday and spent 2 dollars on a magna doodle, books and small plastic dinosaurs for Ryder,  all of which he is ECSTATIC about.  We (mostly Kit) organized the garage to make an outdoor play area for Ryder and to purge things that we really didn't need anymore.  That always feels so good.  

Then on Saturday night we went with our neighbors to our local high school's annual fund raiser where all types of food trucks come to the campus and there is live music and families and LOTS of raging hormones.   (And not just my pregnant ones...man, high ) But seriously, what these people can create in a tiny truck completely blows my mind!

Then on Sunday we went to church and Ryder stayed in his class the ENTIRE time.  Let me think of the last time that happened... I got nothing... So Kit and I were able to go to an ENTIRE service together.  It was so special for us.  We have really been having a hard time with separation anxiety with our little man. We leave him with our family and close friends but I really don't have to leave him very often so, if I was being honest, it's as hard for me as it is for Ryder.  We are both doing better though.  This was a huge step for us!

Then we headed with some of our close friends for a progressive dinner that took us from Balboa Island, to Irvine, to Laguna Beach.  It was a wonderful time sharing good food with some of our close friends...
I have to say that Ryder did not get the memo about how great time change is.  I also think that he is growth spurting and that has been super fun.  Clothes all of the sudden don't fit and he is eating a TON, plus he has been running into walls or falling a little easier than before.
All things that our pediatrician thinks points to a growing boy!

Have a very happy Monday!

banana topping!

In the Food Network Magazine, they take an ingredient and give you inventive ways to use it each day of the month. In the November issue, the ingredient was cinnamon... Very holiday!!!

The recipe that I tried this week was a really quick "dessert."

I used cut up bananas, sautéed with a little bit of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and we topped it on honey flavored greek yogurt. It was a really light and tasty dessert and it was SO easy!

It's the kind of topping that would be great on vanilla ice-cream, pancakes or waffles... I am going to have some fun experimenting with this recipe.

Did I mention that Kit and Ryder loved it?! That always makes food so much more fun!

I want to do it myself!

Recently, our little guy has really been showing us that he is growing up with one main attribute: Independence! (AKA: I want to do it myself!)

Whether it's with feeding himself (which he is getting pretty good at) to buckling himself into his own car seat (which he does NOT know how to do) he wants to do it himself and he DOES NOT want our help. We have actually had to have talks about him hitting our hands away if we try to jump in and give him assistance. He is his dad and I know that it is such a great thing, however, it does have some drawbacks. For example: he thinks that he can mow the lawn by himself. He thinks he can edge, mow, and use the power blower, all without our help. And without fail, when he realizes that he can't do it, he is INCREDIBLY frustrated. I feel so sorry for our little man.

Kit and I hope that he keeps this excitement for yard work up when he is actually old enough to have mowing the lawn be part of his responsibility list.

(Hey, a parent can dream!)

Our nephew is 6!

Our nephew is 6 years old and Ryder and I get to celebrate with he and his school friends today.  I just can't believe it...

It doesn't seem like that long ago that my sister told us that they were pregnant and now here he is, a kindergartener, lego assembler extraordinaire, voted most easy to travel with on a plane, big brother to the cutest Ethiopian baby sister around... 

Mister~  

You are such a special little man.  Kit and I have loved watching you grow and become more and more the person that you are.  You are strong and sensitive and nurturing and independent.

We love you and we are so excited to watch you grow over the next years!  We look forward to watching you become the man that God has created you to be.  I love that I was able to be there the day you were born.  It was an honor and a blessing to welcome you into the world.

We love you so!

A little halloween recap...

This was the first year that we took Ryder trick or treating. We only planned to take him to a few of our neighbor's houses. We also wanted to be home for the other trick or treaters. It was a very fun day! Kit was off the whole day so that made it even better!

Getting the house ready for trick or treaters... nothing a little juice can't help with...

Ryder next to his creation: (I asked Ryder what made the eyes of the pumpkin and he just held up his hands...)

Trick or Treating:

We just stayed on our street and had the BEST time! At first Ryder wasn't too sure, but each house held out the bowl to him and he would pick one candy and then give this HUGE smile and put it in his treat bag. By our 4th house, Kit gave him some candy and that made the whole thing even better because then Ryder knew what he was getting. It was nice because he knows our neighbors so as we went to each house, they said his name and greeted him and there was no point where he was scared. Our little monkey did so great! (his favorite treat was a glow stick. He did not want to put that thing down.

Our little monkey: (He was completely unaware of his "costume.")

Ryder raiding the candy we were handing out...

We hope that you had a wonderful Halloween and Happy November 1st!