Monday, December 31, 2012

Ringing in the New Year

Best wishes to all of our family and friends for 2013!  xo


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We baked chocolate chip cookies, made ornaments, and Ryan helped to decorate the tree at church during the children's candlelight service.
Before going to bed, we left out milk & cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

Christmas Morning


Barry cooked us a delicious breakfast and then Ryan opened all of his presents from Santa. Ryan was such a good boy this year! We spent the rest of the day putting together his toys and playing with them.


We were so happy to have my mom's sister, Aunt S, join us in celebrating today. Aunt S was very close with my mom, and has been a huge support for me throughout these past few years. I feel very blessed to have her in my life. Spending time with Aunt S makes me feel closer to my mom because we share so many wonderful memories and stories about her.

This was our first Christmas without my mom's beautiful smile, and she was so dearly missed. It still doesn't even seem real to me that she will never celebrate another holiday with us again. The pain is so deep right now and I am in a very dark and confusing place emotionally.


This picture was taken three years ago, Christmas of 2009, a few days before we found out that I was pregnant. My mom knew that we had been hoping and praying for a baby throughout that year, so she wanted to give Ryan some of his very first presents. (We knew that she was very sick and we didn't know how much longer she would have left with us.) My mom loved Ryan with all of her heart, before she even knew that he existed. Through God's grace, she stayed with us for two more years, long enough to make it to Ryan's first birthday party. I thank God every day for that extra time that we were given with my mom.  

We have some difficult anniversaries coming up. January 6 will mark two years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. January 13 will mark one year since my mom passed away. Please pray for me and my family as we enter into the new year. I truly hope that 2013 brings happier times than 2012 and 2011 did. I am excited for our little family to finally move forward, while remembering to appreciate every single moment. Life is too fragile!



Sunday, December 23, 2012

'Tis the Season

Since it is the most wonderful time of the year, we kicked off the season by getting our very first real Christmas tree!  We went to Butler's Orchard, where they provide the saw, rope, tree shaking, and netting.  It was super easy and fun to pick out the perfect one and chop it down ourselves.


I have wanted to get a real Christmas tree my whole life, but my parents always insisted on having an artificial one.  I'm so glad that Barry finally let me get a real one this year, and I love that we are starting all sorts of new traditions as a family.


Our decorated tree looks gorgeous in our living room and the ornaments from my childhood bring back so many wonderful memories.

There is one ornament in particular, a little house, that reminds me of my grandma's log house, where some of my happiest days took place.  I remember how my mom and my grandma made me feel like the most special and loved little girl in the world.  We played countless board games, swam in the lake, ran around the garden, and visited the lighthouse. It was nothing extravagant, but to me, the time that we spent there together was paradise.  I miss my mom more than ever this time of year, and I really appreciate all of the extra holiday cheer in my life right now.

My friend, R, recently hosted a holiday "jammy jamboree" for our little guys and gals.  They looked so cute and snuggly in their PJs that of course I had to take some pictures of them reveling in their festive fun.  (Let's be honest, when do I ever not have my camera attached to my arm?)


Ryan helped me bake sugar cookies and decorate them with icing and sprinkles.  I decorated this batch for a cookie exchange with our Wednesday playgroup, and then Ryan decorated more cookies with his friends at Friday playgroup.  From the sticky mess to the immense consumption of sugar, this activity was definitely a hit with most of the toddlers.


We visited the holiday lights display at Brookside Gardens with our friends, T, her hubby, and their little man.  Ryan was hesitant for literally one second before he quickly realized how much fun it is to run over, under, around, and through massive amounts of colored lights.  We also saw the holiday train display for about the billionth time, but this time was special because it was night time and daddy was with us.


Ryan has now fully grasped the concept of Santa Claus.  I try to encourage him to focus on the meanings behind Christmas and Hanukkah, rather than the presents, but Ryan has been constantly telling us about all of the toys that he "needs".  I neeeeed Lightning McQueen, mommy.  I feel like it is such a challenge at this age for him to appreciate the non-material things over the tangible ones, and I honestly hope that this will happen more naturally as he becomes more mature.


The other day, as soon as Ryan saw Santa at the mall, our (usually shy) boy walked over, crawled onto his lap, and rattled off his wish list.  Santa told him that his favorite cookies are chocolate chip and that his reindeer enjoy carrots.  Ryan has not stopped talking about Santa ever since, and regularly reminds me of what Santa and the reindeer like to eat.

I have always wanted to do a "discovery" box with Ryan, but this is the first time that I actually got a chance to put one together.  I found a bunch of holiday-themed trinkets that I thought might spark his interest, put them together in a little box, and gave Ryan the freedom to explore.


Ryan is very much into pretending right now, so he found many creative ways to play with the pieces.  He wanted nothing to do with the wreath with a bow on it, and placed it on top of my head saying, "bows for girls".  He had no problem wearing the necklaces though.  His favorite item was a wind-up Santa Claus.  I have never seen Ryan laugh as hard as he did when that little Santa wobbled across the floor.  The discovery box held Ryan's attention for an hour and cost me less than $6.  Totally worth it.

  

I changed up our Montessori work this week by including cranberries in the transferring activity.  Not long after starting his work,  Ryan decided to eat all of the cranberries.  I think that they taste extremely sour, but he loved them.  Of course, Lucky wanted some too.

Cousins and Second Generation Cousins


At our family's annual get-together at Aunt G's house yesterday, we took these pictures with my cousins and their families.  I love looking at all of the pictures that we have taken throughout the years and seeing the babies turn into big kids, and the new babies born.

I have remained close with my cousins C and N, who were also bridesmaids at my wedding. See the picture on the shelf behind our heads?  That is our late grandma, the one who lived in the log house.  I am so grateful for all of the members of our family, past and present, as they each hold a special place in my heart.




Friday, December 21, 2012

Right Heart Catheterization

About 6 weeks ago, I shared on here about how I had been experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pains, and some other odd sensations.  After the receiving the fantastic news of my clear PET scan, we decided to look into my symptoms further.  One of the chemo drugs that I had, Adriamycin, is known to cause heart problems, so we felt that it was important to get everything checked out.

Along with my oncologist, I have been seeing a pulmonologist and cardiologist throughout this past month.  My days have been filled with a plethora of medical tests, including: a CT scan, VQ scan, Pulmonary Function Test, 6 Minute Walk, Echocardiogram, Stress Echo, and extensive blood work.  The results were mostly “normal” except for the fact that I had low levels of oxygen with exertion.  These particular tests gave us the ability to rule out some conditions, but it was still unclear about whether or not I could have pulmonary hypertension.

Some of the equipment used for the pulmonary tests that I had.
Pulmonary hypertension occurs when there is high blood pressure in the arteries between the lungs and heart, ultimately enlarging the right side of heart and leading to heart failure.  It is treatable, but not curable.  You should not become pregnant if you have this disease, since pregnancy puts additional stress on the heart and there is a high risk of death.  The only way to completely diagnose or rule out pulmonary hypertension is by having a right heart catheterization.

The cardiologist told me that I did not necessarily need to have this procedure done, because “pulmonary hypertension is rare” and I “probably didn’t have it”.  These words brought me back to what my original breast surgeon told me before I demanded to have the lump in my breast removed: “you are too young for breast cancer” and “it really isn’t necessary for you to have this procedure.”

The most important life lesson that I have learned is to always err on the side of caution when it comes to your body.  I would much rather know than not know if I have a serious disease.  Being proactive saved my life the last time when it turned out to be breast cancer, so of course I told the doctor that I wanted to go ahead and schedule the right heart catheterization.  I wouldn’t feel comfortable getting pregnant if there was even a chance that I had pulmonary hypertension.  Plus, I would much rather catch it in the early stages.

So, this past Wednesday, I checked into the hospital for my procedure.  We brought a bag full of activities to do with Ryan for 7 hours in the waiting room, and he got compliments from all of the nurses for being so sweet and well-behaved. He sure knows how to make mommy and daddy proud!  I am so thankful to have these two amazingly supportive guys by my side.

Me after the heart catheterization.  Ryan in the waiting room.
I had to stay awake during the heart cath because they do not use anesthesia for that procedure.  They did give me xanax and another sedative (not sure which one) to make it more bearable.  I remember random bits and pieces of the procedure.  I kept my eyes closed the whole time, but I heard the doctors say things like “that looks good” and “no pulmonary hypertension there”.  I was happy and relieved about the news of having normal pressures in my heart and lungs.  But I was not prepared for what happened next.

After laying down flat for a while, they told me that I could go ahead and change back into my clothes to get ready to go home.  I was starving, so I eagerly grabbed my clothes and started walking in the direction that they told me to go.

All of a sudden, there was blood gushing out of my femoral artery, all over the floor, and I blacked out.

I was in and out of consciousness and while I was hemorrhaging the nurses tried to apply pressure to the site.  I could not remember why I was there in the hospital or what had just happened.  I woke up confused, to a blurry picture of doctors running around and hovering over me, and then within seconds, I would black out again.  This repeated about four times.  It was, by far, the scariest moment of my whole life.  (Yes, that includes chemo).

Thankfully, they got the bleeding under control and I regained full consciousness.  They told me that I needed to spend the night in the hospital to make sure that it didn’t happen again. The night turned out to be uneventful, and so I was allowed to go home the next day.  Since then, I have been taking it easy at home.  I am so happy with the fact that I do not have pulmonary hypertension and that we WILL have the opportunity to try to have more children.  Ruling this out was the most perfect present that I could ask for this holiday season!

I am considering altering my diet to make sure that I am getting enough nutrients in case a vitamin deficiency could be contributing to this.  I am also trying to get more rest than I was getting before.


I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys their time spent with loved ones!



Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Our Fall Family Pictures








Thank you to Mallory Taines at NotSoUsual Photography for an amazing photo shoot!


Monday, November 26, 2012

Friends From Afar


I have met so many wonderful people through this blog.  During the past year or two, I have corresponded through email with several other cancer survivors and new mommies.  I feel so blessed to have met these people online, since they are from all over the country and world.  A few weeks ago, I actually got to experience the excitement of meeting a blog reader (and fellow breast cancer survivor) in real life! 

During our last trip to Florida, I met J, her two adorable children, and their two dogs.  Our stories are very similar so we had plenty to talk about, just as if we were old friends.  It felt comfortable and almost therapeutic to spend time with somebody who really understands what it feels like to go through chemo, double mastectomy surgeries, and reconstruction, all while being a young mother and wanting to be there for your babies.  

We had such a fun visit, playing on their swings and slide, exploring the sandbox, and chasing the dogs around their huge yard.  Ryan is going through a “non-sharing" stage these days, but J’s kids were so sweet and welcoming by letting him play with all of their toys.  Thanks so much for having us over, J! We will definitely have to get together again sometime!

I also recently received an email from Heather, a survivor of mesothelioma cancer and mommy to a beautiful 7-year-old named Lily.  Heather’s goal is to spread awareness for this type of cancer, which is caused by asbestos exposure.  She is strong, funny, and super-optimistic, and she asked to write a guest post for my blog.  Be sure to check her out and read the rest of her inspiring story at her blog


Heather’s Story ~ How Mesothelioma Affects People of All Ages


“You have cancer…” Those are the three words you hope to never hear in your lifetime. The words evoke fear and shatter dreams at a time when you most think you’re invincible. For me, I had a baby three and a half months before prior to being diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer. Now, I have pleural mesothelioma. This cancer was caused by exposure to asbestos.

When I tell them, most people think, “Isn’t asbestos banned? Where were you exposed?” Unfortunately, asbestos is not banned. I came into contact with asbestos when I came into contact with my father’s work clothes. He worked in construction, and he came into contact with asbestos through drywall taping, sanding and mudding. The dust contained asbestos. When he came home from work, it was on his clothes, his jacket and in his car. The dust seemed innocent but contained microscopic asbestos fibers.

It was a rare occurrence that I was diagnosed at the early age of 36. In general, mesothelioma affects older males who work in plumbing, heating, the military or as mechanics or electricians. Wives of the military began getting sick as a result or doing their husband’s laundry. The clothing was full or asbestos, and women would shake the clothes before putting them in the washer. Women who worked as secretaries in schools were also exposed to asbestos.

Because of the exposure, the next generation of mesothelioma patients is emerging. As more young people are diagnosed with this cancer, it is the beginning of an alarming trend.  The more I am involved with the mesothelioma community, the more young patients I meet. These men and women are in their late twenties and early thirties, and they are just starting their marriages, new jobs and are having babies. Their lives have been interrupted to concentrate on overcoming mesothelioma.

The good news is that there are many advances being made in treating this disease. With advancements, more people survive at all ages.

Hearing you have cancer is devastating, but I continue to remain hopeful, as do many other mesothelioma patients. As mesothelioma sufferers, we come together to share experiences and to support each other. We cry when things are not working and celebrate victories when the treatment works.

Many people ask me, “Why do you do what you do?” I share my mesothelioma story to bring awareness to the situation. Without awareness, nothing will change. With my story, I can offer hope to someone who was diagnosed. It can help someone stop from living in fear of mesothelioma. If I can help one person overcome their fear of living with mesothelioma, I have done the right thing.


Thank you for sharing your story, Heather. You are an inspiration!


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Thanksgiving Themed Playdate

I hosted playgroup the day before Thanksgiving, so of course, I decided to do a Thanksgiving theme.  It turned out to be so much fun!  Ryan was very hyper by the end though, probably because of the sugar combined with the holiday excitement.

*See this post for my Thanksgiving Playdate ideas for 2013.

The Snacks Table


Turkey Sugar Cookies 


Turkey Fruit Dish 


Caramel Grapes 


I also served: salad, hummus/carrots, apples, turkey sandwiches, and Pirates Booty 


Candy-filled Cornocopias


Crustless Raspberry Pie


Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Cranberries, and Pecans 
(I used this recipe, but I had to use black quinoa because I couldn't find red)


Crafts for the Toddlers 
Decorating foam photo frames with stickers and coloring scarecrow masks


Our Wednesday Playgroup 
Those of us who were still in town 



Thanksgiving Day at my Aunt & Uncle's House 
Ryan with his cousins T (2) and S (1 month)




Thankful November: What I am Thankful For


1. God’s grace

2. Health and LIFE!

3. My family- Barry and Ryan are my everything and my whole reason for living

4. My extended family- grateful to have aunts, cousins, and in-laws who have remained very close to me after losing my mom

5. Long-time friends- "besties" who are like sisters to me

6. New friends and playgroups- who fill my days with fun, excitement, and friendship

7. Pets- Lucky and Little Blue (aka Fishy)

8. Food/Water/Shelter

9. Education

10. Memories of the past- both good and bad, because they have made me who I am today

11. Freedom- and our troops who make that possible

12. Our community workers- doctors, police, firefighters, and all of the other people who work to make our lives better

13. Diversity- so blessed to live in a place that celebrates our differences

14. Transportation- including airplanes and the ability to visit far away places and loved ones 

15. Hope for the future- so many possibilities


16. The holidays and seasons

17. Coffee/Tea

18. Good Books

19. Music- I love the way that there are many types of songs to go with every emotion

20. Cameras

21. Nature- flowers, gardens, mountains, the ocean, etc

22. Playgrounds- for those of us with kids, these make life a whole lot easier

23. Warm boots

24. My car- an old clunker, passed down from my mom, that I wouldn't trade it for the world

25. A comfortable bed

26. Trader Joe’s- yummy AND affordable

27. Handmade Items- Aren't they just so much more special?

28. Laundry machines- It would be hard for me to find patience to wash everything by hand

29. Random acts of kindness

30. Technology- Social media, a way for us to easily to keep in touch with long-distance family and friends



Being thankful is a conscious, daily act, rather than just something to think about once a year on Thanksgiving.  What are you thankful for?



Sunday, November 11, 2012

Fears

Let me tell you about my fears.  I used to fear silly things like blood draws and clowns.  Now I fear losing another person who I deeply love to a terminal illness.  I fear infertility.  I fear cancer recurrence. I fear dying before my son gets a chance to really know me.


Although I have tried to convince myself that everything is normal, the truth is that I have been having a difficult time these past couple of months. 

Over the summer, I successfully weaned myself off of all of the meds that I had been taking throughout my cancer treatments.  That was no easy feat.  I did this partly for myself, but mostly because I wanted to make sure that my body was as prepared as possible for a future baby (meaning: completely drug free).  I wanted to spend the next few months getting my body strong and healthy enough for another pregnancy.  We have been patiently waiting for the day when can finally add another little one to our family.  According to the doctors, it will be safe for us to get pregnant this upcoming spring, as I will be two years out from chemotherapy and it will be completely out of my system by then.  

I started to feel a little “off” around the time of Ryan’s birthday in September.  I had to really push myself each day to find the energy for things that I used to do easily.  I gained about 8 lbs, so I decided to try to start exercising regularly.  The problem was that I couldn’t even work out as much as I wanted to because I felt extremely tired all of the time.  Granted, I was trying to keep up with the never-ending workload of my grad school classes while packing Ryan’s social schedule full of activities, so I never actually took a moment to rest. 

We were caught off guard in October, finding out that I was pregnant for a couple of days and then immediately suffering an early miscarriage.  I know that it wasn’t the right time for us, but there was certainly a huge part of me that got my hopes up.  It felt too good to be true for something in life to actually happen easily (instead of having to worry about trying to get pregnant and fertility issues).  Of course, it was not meant to be.

The past two weeks, I have felt more fatigued and I lose my breath easily from just doing regular amounts of physical activity. I came down with a cold, so I figured that was the reason that I was so exhausted. But the cold is gone, and I have not improved.  I push myself each day to keep up with my responsibilities, trying to hide the fact that I can barely get Ryan in and out of his car seat without feeling short of breath.  I have sharp pains in my chest, lungs, and in my left shoulder/collarbone.  I also experience hot flashes and heat intolerance, which are probably long-term side effects of chemo.

I went in to see my oncologist and had a bunch of different scans/tests done, but all have turned up inconclusive.  Next on the list is a PET scan, which will determine whether or not the cancer has returned.

I am sure that whatever is causing all of this is something minor.  Maybe it is just stress, anxiety, and/or depression.  I have never had depression before, but I certainly feel less motivated to be active and do a million things.  I am sure that this will just resolve itself on its own, and everything will go back to normal soon. 

I still plan on having a long, happy life with my wonderful husband, complete with our dream of having three children.  Many people have grand, elaborate dreams and goals for their lives, but for me, as long as I am alive and have my husband and children, I will be the luckiest person in the world.  I will be eternally thankful if I can only have that blessing.

But for now, I will schedule that PET scan and keep everyone posted on how it goes. 

I am preparing myself for the worst but expecting the best.  Please keep me in your prayers this week and next.



Update: The results of my PET scan came back clear, as in: no cancer!  I am extremely grateful because it feels like I have been given a second and now a third chance at life.  I have never felt so appreciative of every single moment the way that I do now.  Now that we have ruled out cancer recurrence, whatever has been causing these odd symptoms will be minor in comparison, so I am not too concerned about them anymore.  They might very well just be the long-term effects of chemo that I will simply have to deal with. 

I am extremely blessed to be surrounded by the most sincere, supportive people in my life, and I just want to let you all know how much I love and treasure you!  (You know who you are, amazing family and friends!)



Monday, November 5, 2012

Halloween 2012

We dressed up as Dorothy, the Lion, Tin Man, and Toto from The Wizard of Oz.


I love that we didn't spend much on costumes this year. We already had Ryan's lion costume that I found last year at an after-Halloween sale for 50% off. The weirdly short Dorothy dress was $15 on ebay. I already had the red shoes, wig, ribbons, and leggings. For Barry's costume, we just used plain old tin foil and duct tape for the shirt and hat. Since we waited until the last minute to even think about his costume, I didn't have time to make tin foil pants. We figured that it was more important that we made it out for trick-or-treating while it was still "little kids" time.

We got to celebrate Halloween in both Maryland and Florida this year. I took Ryan to a Halloween party with some mommy/toddler friends here, and he got to attend his Fall party at MDO. While in Florida, we stumbled upon a pirate-themed festival, a kiddie haunted house, and a pumpkin patch with palm trees. We also went trick-or-treating in Barry's parents' neighborhood. Ryan made it to less than ten houses before he tuckered out, but that was more than enough trick-or-treating for me.


Ryan had never actually tasted candy before that night, so we let him pick out whatever he wanted to try. He spit out his first bite of a Baby Ruth and managed to eat half of a Kit-Kat before becoming disinterested. Seriously, what kid doesn't like candy?!  We are not too concerned though, since he didn't like ice cream or cake the first time either, but now he loves them. And, of course, having a child that doesn't enjoy sweets wouldn't exactly be the worst thing in the world.

And so, that is how the best part of Ryan's Halloween night revolved around the excitement of lining up pieces of candy and pretending that they were cars. Funnnn.


Here are our Halloween costumes from past years, including Ryan dressed up as a spider, monster, and a cow. My mom was with us last year for Ryan's very first trick-or-treating experience and that is certainly a memory that I will treasure forever. We went in my parents' neighborhood, where I spent all of my own childhood years trick-or-treating. I am now tempted to dig up some old pictures of myself as a baby/toddler in Halloween costumes.

Did I mention that I just love dressing up?


Saturday, October 20, 2012

What We Have Been Up To



This past month has been such a whirlwind of activity that I am just now getting a chance to catch up this blog. Ryan has really come out of his shell lately, and our friends are getting to see a whole new (hyper) side to him.

My favorite recent change about him is in the way that he shows affection. Ryan was never an cuddly baby, although I tried to give him as much physical affection and love as he would tolerate. For the past year, I literally had to beg or bribe him to give me a hug or kiss. But now, he will suddenly throw his arms around my neck multiple times throughout the day, and say "I need a hug." If I lay down next to him, he loves to press his little lips on mine for a (usually sticky) kiss. Then, he wants kisses all over. "Mommy kiss nose? Kiss eyes? Kiss ear?" Melts my heart.
Big Boy Haircut


We found a place that has changed Ryan's whole attitude about getting his hair cut. He used to cry and scream if I even mentioned the word "haircut", but now he loves it and immediately wants to go and get another haircut as soon as we leave. The secret? A fire truck coin ride, a basket full of toys, and a yellow balloon. The pictures above were taken three days before his birthday, and his hair has grown so fast that it is already time for another haircut. He will be so excited when I tell him where we are going.

Build-a-Bear


I let Ryan pick out a Build-a-Bear as a birthday present. Although he has several of these from when he was a baby, this was the first time that he actually got to choose and "make" one himself. He chose a plain brown bear with Cars pajamas. He was very into lining up the cars in a row at the store. But as soon he saw the bear's house (the box that they give you for free) his eyes grew wide and he decided that he no longer wanted/needed the car. You should have seen how proud he was carrying that box through the mall.  

Tot School & MDO


We have been attending a laid-back style of "tot school" with some toddlers that are all within a couple months of Ryan's age. Each week, a mom leads the group in songs, story-telling, and activities based on a theme. We have a rotation that allows us each to have an opportunity to be the "teacher" for a week. I get to visit with the other moms while Ryan plays and learns with his friends.

Ryan has also started going to a Mother's Day Out (MDO) class on Thursday mornings, which gives me a few hours break to run errands and do grad school work. It is basically the only time that he is without me, so we figured that it would be healthy for his social development. He seems to be adjusting extremely well. He loves MDO so much that he doesn't want to leave when I come to pick him up!  When I asked him if he enjoyed his first day, he said, "teachers love Ra Ra". This makes me happy because most of the teachers there are my mom's old friends, as she used to work there herself. Ryan and I talk about his Grandma Sue often, and he loves to include her name in the songs that we sing.

Kite Flying  


We bought a kite at the beginning of the summer, but we never really got the chance to use it. Because of the perfect windy weather the past couple of weeks, we have flown it several times recently. It draws a crowd since the other kids at the park seem to enjoy it too.

Afterwards, we met E, one of my best friends since high school, for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. I am so thankful to have such a long-time close friend living not too far away. Our other best friends, K moved to California this past summer and J is still in Ohio, and I miss them both so very much. At least we all do a google video chat every month, so we are able to stay in touch that way. J's wedding is coming up in the spring and I can't wait!

Nature Walk


For one of our Wednesday playgroups, we took the little ones on a nature walk along a path in the woods. This was a huge hit! Ryan absolutely loved the freedom and excitement of picking up new treasures off the ground.

Hay Ride & Pumpkin Patch


I think that we picked the coldest and rainiest day of the fall so far, but we still enjoyed going on a hay ride with a couple of our mommy/toddler friends and picking out pumpkins from the patch. We also got to enjoy the fall festival, complete with tractor rides, pony rides, playing in a haystack, and digging toy construction trucks in corn.

Sunset Cruise


We did a dinner cruise off of the Potomac river with my Aunt S, and we are all surprised with how much Ryan enjoyed it and did not even get upset or fussy the whole time. It was nice to spend time with Aunt S and to do something fun and different as a family.


Of course, I think that I would do anything as an excuse to dress Ryan up in a little tux.


I expect next month to continue to be extremely busy, as we will be getting ready for another trip to Florida, hoping to move out of this tiny apartment soon, and I am currently taking two grad school classes: one that goes through December and the other through January. We are also very excited for the Halloween festivities coming up next week. Although I always preferred summer, the fall is becoming my favorite time of year!


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...