Crawfish & Cake

We were excited to spend the afternoon with our friends in Dallas.  The Brashears and their neighbors had planned a crawfish boil, and we had a blast enjoying great company and awesome food.  It was such a nice time.

After we were stuffed, a little dessert showed up that was a special treat for Ryland.  We had an early birthday celebration.  What goes perfect with crawfish? Cake!

Thank you Aunt Chan, Uncle Brad, and Baby Benton for making Ryland feel so special.  You guys are the best family we could ever adopt.

Fun with friends

A great time with friends and family.  We had a huge spread of tasty food and lots of cool drinks.  Reed found a comfy beer box to sit in and quickly realized that it was stuck to his rear, which he thought was very funny.

Darrin pushed 4 kiddos with the support of Carl.  Great multi-tasking!

 

As always, Gracie was awesome with the little ones.  Benton was immediately smitten.

 

Ryland and Charlie wanted to play a little pong like the big boys, so John Chris set up a table just for the kids.  Juice pong!

 

Gracie took on the boys and held her own.

 

Chanda and Benton chilled by the snacks and enjoyed the craziness.

 

After a very competitive evening of juice pong, the kids devoured some delicious cupcakes. 

 

We made a huge pallet in the family room for all the kids, so they could watch a movie.  What a fun night!

 

Brad got a little silly in the later hours.  He transformed into Spiderman with the help of Ryland's swim fins. Ha ha ha ha!

Meeting Benton John

Our close friends, Brad and Chanda, welcomed their precious baby boy, Benton John, to the world yesterday. John Chris, Ryland, and myself headed to the hospital to meet him and visit with his parents. Benton is so adorable and sweet. He has long fingers and toes and is already sporting his War Eagle gear.

Welcome to the world, Benton! We look forward to many fun times with you!

Ryland's 2nd birthday party

Ryland woke up in a great mood, and he was ready to party. In the spirit of a fireman themed birthday party, Uncle Clint let Ryland wear his old helmet. He didn't want to put it on for a while, but then he warmed up to it. When he put it on, he turned into a bobble head. He could barely hold his head up. While Ryland was taking a nap, I decorated the house for the party.

The reaction was priceless. He pointed and said "balloons" with excitement. It made all my planning and running around totally worth it.

Lizzie and Aunt Emily spend time with Reed.

The cake was HOT!

Aunt Chanda and Ryland

Ryland got embarrassed when we started singing happy birthday.

Ryland loves birthday cake! Yummy! He really just eats the icing, but hey it is his party.

Jackson tries on the helmet.

Uncle Clint, Aunt Kristi, and Doodle cuddle on the sofa.

Ryland opened a super cool fishing kit complete with a vest.

A multiple animal call, just what every boy needs. This thing makes about 10 different animal noises.

Look at that face! He loves the wheelbarrow.

Nanna and Ryland

Ryland and Uncle Clint

What a cool turtle! Ryland loves his new sandbox. I can just imagine the hours of fun outside. I am so very happy we have a home with a backyard.

Ryland take a spin around the pool in his new boat. I could not believe that John Chris put him in when the water is so cold, but he was very careful to make sure he didn't get wet.

Assembling the play set

The play set that Gran Pop bought Ryland for Christmas came in this week, and we were thrilled to see that the weather was going to be beautiful this weekend. John Chris and Uncle Brad took advantage of the 75 degree day and worked on the assembly. Lizzie came to town to help out, and Ryland had a blast visiting and helping.

Are we done yet?

Taking a break to enjoy a yogurt snack.

Aunt Chanda was told to climb on up to check out the view from Ryland's penthouse. He is so excited, and I look forward to spring so we can really enjoy playing outside.

Christmas Day dinner

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with Uncle Brad and Aunt Chanda. They were so kind and invited us to join their family dinner. The food was delicious, and Chanda had a beautiful table scape including her newly completed set of china.

Uncle Brad became a leg taxi for Ryland and Ella. They love to play with Uncle Brad, and I am sure his legs got a workout.

Stroll around the pool

Uncle Brad and Aunt Chan came over to hang out today at the pool. It was so nice to just sit back and relax with good friends. Ryland had a fun time soaking up some sun and splashing in the water. He loves to be outside, and he thinks he is so cool with his shades on.

I do agree.