Ryder, what's your favorite...?

Ryder has the ability to play really well with others, including his sister, but can also play by himself, creating things with legos and pretending all sorts of different games of make believe. Right now, if you asked Ryder "What is your favorite thing to play or to do?", 99% of the time he will answer "pretend I'm a camping guy that hunts, just like daddy..."

Kit and his parents are currently planning a camping/backpacking trip for this little man.  Ryder could not be more excited!♥

According to Eden...

I have slowly been compiling a little list of words that Eden uses/pronounces that I just don't want to forget.

"Strawbuddie" ~ strawberry

"Messideen" ~ medicine

"Newt chews" ~ fruit chews

"Dern it" ~ darn it (Often said "Dern, Dern, Dern it!")

"Keycrets" ~ secrets

"Shake up" ~ makeup (referring to lip gloss or Chapstick...)

"Nappie Nu" ~ nap time (She will correct you if you don't say it right...)

"Bankie" ~ blankie a.k.a. her BFF
"Andiches" ~ sandwiches
"Pasaghetti" ~ spaghetti (She pretty much calls it pasta)
"Meatmeal" ~ oatmeal
"Deckfast" ~ breakfast
"Vimamins" ~ vitamins
"Pincesses" ~ princesses

"Bocklit chips" ~ chocolate chips

"Boosbase" ~ toothpaste
Here is the best part:  If I don't understand what she said or what she wants, she holds up her little finger to her lips and says,
"Watch my lips..." and then proceeds to say what she had just said louder and slower.
gotta love those speech therapy techniques!♥

Memorial Day weekend recap!

We had a great weekend!  Any time Kit gets a day off, we just cherish those moments together.  After church on sunday, we headed out to Redlands for a family dinner and pool time!

 My parents recently added a jacuzzi and a fire pit to their back yard.  It was such fun!

 Three generations of craziness...

 I LOVE eating pasta together!

 Eden wanted to be just like her Mia...

 and had no intention of giving those glasses back...

 Oh this house is just so dreamy... We are so excited for all the family time that we will be getting over the summer!

On monday morning, everyone slept in and we went out to a special breakfast at a place around the corner that we have been wanting to try:

Going out to breakfast is such a treat and it was so good!

Then that afternoon we had our friends over for a BBQ to enjoy a quiet day at home...

 Kit made ribs and his own BBQ sauce and it was so tasty!
The kids had the  best time playing together and we has so much fun sitting and talking with our friends!

We really had a great few days as a family and we feel ready to tackle all that is coming in the next few days and weeks ahead...♥

Tanaka Farms~May 2015

This last Friday we went on a field trip with Ryer's preschool to a local farm to take a tour and pick strawberries.  We had gotten rained out a few weeks ago and Ryder had been so sad about it.  Needless to say, even though it was over cast, and drizzled a tiny bit, we were THRILLED to be able to go!

We are in the season where Ryder loves that I get to go and be his "chaperone" on his field trips.  I know my days are numbered on that one so I eat it up!

We have only been here for the pumpkin patch and just had the best time doing something completely different!

With his teacher...  We love our Mrs. Stewart!

Little buddies...

The tractor ride and tour!

Getting lots of tastes of the things that the farm grows.

We were really excited about the carrots and the celery.

Then it was time for strawberries!

Field trips are so fun!   I love getting to watch him in the independence that he has developed at school, seeing him with his little friends and getting to watch him learn about new and exciting things...

I am getting so nostalgic about Kindergarten starting and closing this sweet chapter of preschool.  He has had the best experience and we are so thankful for our little school and how it has set him up to LOVE learning.  We are going to savor these last few weeks...♥

memorial day

I saw this commercial awhile ago and it just seems so fitting to share on this memorial day.  I cry every time...

Even though this was specifically for the Navy, it couldn't better represent what today is about: men and women who give their lives so that we can live our lives in freedom.  How thankful we are and I pray that I can raise our kiddos to understand what that incredible sacrifice means.  

snaps shots with Eden...

This past school year, even though I have missed being with Ryder, I have loved getting my mornings with Eden on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  We do things like errands and pedicures and chores...  

It doesn't matter if we are grocery shopping at Trader Joe's, or getting little things checked off our list at Target, visiting our new Hobby Lobby, visiting Kit at work, or just hanging out at home and getting things done and just being together, it is so much more fun with my little buddy.  Nothing super fancy but doing things together, just the two of us, has become a highlight for the season of life that we are in right now...

a new member of the family...

Last week our car died.  Dead as a doornail.  So we had this whirlwind of a week trying to get where we needed to go, research our best options and figure out what would be the most economical for our family.  Car trouble is just so stressful, isn't it!?!

Plus, trying to figure out car trouble while wrangling an orangutan named Eden Marie doesn't help... I mean, she is the cutest orangutan but you get what I mean, right?

 We ended up leasing a Prius and we are SO happy with the decision!

 Ryder LOVES going to school in it and the mileage and three year free maintenance just can't be beat...

We are breathing so much easier this week and are so thankful that we were able to have this work out so well!