Fourth of July

All of my dad's family is in Delta (and I think my dad still would be if it weren't for my mom) so we have always spent the 4th of July there ever since I can remember. It is a tradition we have carried on with our kids and something the girls look forward to. The girls LOVE going to Grandma Jeanne's and when I say love, it is not an understatement.We have made some mini trips there this summer and as soon as we get home after one day they ask if we can go back.

Ryah's Birthday Happenings

I can't believe Ry is already 4...where has the time gone. She is such a sweetheart and is the best big sister. Keslee is lost when Ryah is not around. It has taken Kes the last 8 months getting used to Nursery by herself. She wants Ryah to come back to class with her. They are best buds and do everything together.

Ryah is quite the imaginative child. She planned her birthday and told me exactly what she wanted to do, she even initated the conversation. First, a birthday fairy comes and decorates the house while she is sleeping...not sure where she got that idea. Here is how the rest of the conversation went:

Ryah: For lunch I want to go to Benihana's because I filled out the birthday card thing that the mailman gave me so I can eat there. (little did she know it wasn't for a birthday meal, it was for a souvenir cup) Then I want to go to the "Bagoon." Then I want to go eat pepperoni pizza at Grandma Kay's and have a birthday cake with pink frosting and strawberries on the side.
 
Me: Really, Ry...you want to do all that on your birthday?

Ryah: Yeah, dad said I can do whatever I wanted.

That statement has come back to haunt Jared a time or two. The thing with Ry is she does not forget anything. She remembers the smallest details that I don't even recall. Lucky for Jared's mom, she stepped right up and accepted the task of a pink birthday cake with strawberries on the side and did a fabulous job. I am not a baker...at least of cakes. Ry would have had a pan cake with frosting on the top and nothing on the sides.

For her birthday she wanted a barbie doll house and a little blue piano to go in the house. She got the house, but not the piano. That little blue piano she saw at someone's house and it was 8 years old...no luck finding it.

Fun Facts about Ry:
-Loves shopping...it is out of control and I'm not sure where she got it from. You would think I took her every day or something by the way she talks. Shopping is torture with her.
-Loves the color pink
-Likes to go on bike rides
-Loves swimming
-Likes to be in charge. Luckily Keslee likes that about Ryah and listens to almost everything she has her do. The other day they were playing gymnastics and Ryah was the teacher. Keslee kept getting up and Ryah said, "Keslee sit down and put some glue on that bum." I have no idea where she heard that, it was so funny.
-She says funny things...Ryah yelled at Jett while he was outside and said, “What the heck, get back in here, I hear a coyote.” She woke up crying one morning and when I went in the room she asked me why I took her to the other doctor because his lawn mower man runned over her big toe and now it hurt.
-Loves learning and singing...she will ask me on occassion, "So what are we learning today?"

Here are some pictures of her day:

First...House Update

Where has the summer gone. I am so bummed, it went by way too fast. We have been having so much fun, I don't want it to end and "reality" to begin again. I've told Jared maybe we should just move to a compound in the middle of nowhere...less is more, right??? :) Anyway since I slacked and got behind AGAIN, I figured I would start with the easiest and that's the house. Quite a bit has changed since I last posted about it. Here are some previews. We hope to move in within the next couple weeks. Went from this...

To this...

To this...(minus carpet, cement, and a couple other things. I haven't taken new pictures the last few weeks)

This little chicka is in heaven with these windows underneath the stairs. She thinks she is so funny, it is quite hilarious to sit and watch her run in and out doing her scary voice. She is so silly. Anyway, there you have it! Things have gone rather smoothly minus the kitchen counter backsplash the countertop guys weren't supposed to do and the break-in's we have had. Having people steal stuff has been beyond frustrating...and costly. Not to mention how violated you feel. Jared has done a great job and our marriage survived (not that I didn't think it wouldn't.) Sometimes he would question me on my ideas, especially the green island, but went along with it. He has weird quirks that I didn't care too much or even thought about (it must be a builder thing) so his suggestions were great by me. We are still working on different paint colors in rooms, but those will come. One post down, about 50 more to go...