We have been busy... exhausting busy... but REALLY good busy! We have been having so much fun running around seeing family getting in as much quality time as we can during the way too short amount of time we have here. As if the running isn't exhausting enough... trying to have a camera handy to snap a picture at every memorable moment (which is like every one when you get to see family about once a year) is so exhausting. I try hard to have my good camera in my hand, but I have a nagging mother who wants photos A.S.A.P. which means some are snapped with the iPhone so I can text them immediately. It makes me crazy because the quality just isn't as great. I could probably make ten different blog post from the pictures below, but consider this a mash up of our last five days here in PA!
Sunday morning Aunt Gina came over with her dogs Bandit, Jasper, and the newest addition Nyke. Ryder was so excited to see them and run around outside!
Sunday morning Aunt Gina came over with her dogs Bandit, Jasper, and the newest addition Nyke. Ryder was so excited to see them and run around outside!
Ryder meeting Nyke
Ryder with his Aunt Gina
Sunday afternoon was spent over at Robin and Keith's watching football. The last two years over there left me exhausted chasing after Ryder, making sure he wasn't getting into anything, and that he was a happy baby. This year was so much more relaxing! He got to play with the boys around the house, go outside and play basketball, and I got to spend some actual time on the couch. It was so nice... only to have to start the whole process over again next year with Landon.
Shootin' hoops with Papi
Papi and Ryder
Monday we were lucky enough to travel about 45 minutes to go visit with The Heisey's. We never get to bump into baseball family during the off season, but this year it worked out that we could make the trip to see them. We got to see their brand new house they just bough... it was so nice! We were lucky enough to be their first guest too :) We spent the early part of the evening letting Ryder and Homer play and going to the park. Lisa then cooked Derrik's favorite meal (she introduced us to it when we lived with them during spring training) and we ate some dessert. Later in the night I put Ryder down to bed and we played three games of Settlers. 10 pm is considered a late bed time for me, but we were up to about 1 am trying to soak up our precious time together over our one night together. I definitely paid for it the next day. We had to get a quick breafast the next morning and say our good-byes. We are definitely counting down the days until we see them again at spring training! I think the night went by too quick to think to get some group pictures, but I think everyone likes seeing Ryder and Homer anyhow.
Ryder and Homer
Chris showing Ryder how to pick his feet up going down the slide
Tuesday night we went to the horse track with Papi, Julie, and the boys. It was freezing!!! The only reason I was there was to see my sweet boys face light up when he saw the horses, but gosh it was cold!!!
All bundled up at the horse track
Wednesday Me-Maw had the day off to see headed over to spend the day at their house and let the boys hang out. It is really fun watching Ryder interact with Cole and Dalton. I wish they could grow up together because you can see the love they have for each other even in the short time they have seen each other this week. Hopefully once rehab is over we can see them more often. Ryder and Uncle Cole
Cole is SOO patient with Ryder and is such a sweetheart
AND... look at how much bigger Ryder's head is... they are five years apart!
Uncle Cole, Ryder, and Uncle Dalton
Such a sweet moment... Ryder curled right up on the couch with them. I gave him his blanket and he much have laid there for like twenty minutes watching Cole and Dalton play video games.
Lunch with the "guys" as Ryder calls them.
Crash in Uncle Cole's big boy bed for nap time
MIRACLE PHOTO!!! This may NEVER happen again...The six "kids" on Derriks side (Derrik's three brother with Ryder and I)
Derrik, Tommy,
Cole, Danielle, Ryder, and Dalton
Ryder and Uncle Dalton Don't let this photo deceive you... these boys are spitting images of each other... temper and all! Dalton is trying to lay in his fort while Ryder is trying to tear it apart... LOTS of screaming happened because of this! It is very funny watching them together. Let's just hope Landon is as calm as Cole so I can keep my sanity... two strong willed little boys in one house is craziness!
That night Aunt Gina got us all tickets to go to the hockey game. I was slightly nervous how Ryder would be since it started close to bed time and sitting still for long periods of time isn't somethign he's too great at. He proved me wrong though and was awesome! We were two rows up from the ice, and he sat through the whole game. He kept cheering "Go Hockey!". One of Derrik's good friends from high school is the equipment manager for the Hershey Bears so after the game we got to go into the locker room and let Ryder run around. Ryder has NO idea how spoiled he is when it comes to sports... he'll have some fun stories to tell when he gets into school. All the boys will be envious of him and the connections he has :)My little guy at the game
He thinks his Aunt Gina is so funny
Gina showing us how quick she jumped to cover Ryder when a puck came over the ice into our section
Ryder got the puck through the whole at the turkey shoot and won a free turkey!
And last, but not least... my ONLY photo snapped over Thanksgiving... I must have been over picture taking!!!Ryder with David and JR
(Derrik's cousin on his mom's side)
We are enjoying ourselves so much. Ryder has been great. He has his moments of toddler-hood, but that would happen at home as well. He is sleeping great, napping great, playing great, and really eating up all the attention now that he has gotten use to everyone. It is obviously always hard saying good-bye, but it will be extra hard this year. Ryder is already so in love with his family, and it breaks my heart to take him back across the country soon to a place where no family is ever around. Hopefully in the coming years we will be closer! We still have a day and a half left, and we can't wait to make the most of them.
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