Skyler is HOME!!!

After 2 years, we were reunited with our brother, Skyler, and it feels so good....only to have to turn around in 3 short months and send Cody off for 2 years on his mission...to COLUMBIA (more on that in another post)...

My parents, Cody and Shayna actually went to England to pick him up, so they all returned home on the same flight. They missed their connecting flight in Atlanta, so they arrived at John Wayne airport a few hours later than anticipated, but we were all still able to be there to welcome him home. Besides our little family, the newlyweds (Ryan and Brooke), Grammy, Grandma Poulton, Uncle Marc, and Kyle Grieder were also at the airport. We waited with much anticipation and video taped our reunion, but totally forgot to take any family pictures at the airport! I was so bummed!

Skyler looks and sounds AMAZING! He was a superb missionary, with growth and maturity in every aspect of his life. We are grateful for his example and service AND we are more than happy to have him home again...especially because he is already back here in Utah for school, so we are especially thrilled to have him so close by! We love you Skyler Marc! Welcome home!

Waiting with our signs...yes my cheerleading/ASB sign making skills have continued to come to good use!

Uncle Skyler meeting his niece, Maylee, for the first time!

First stop on the agenda...of course, IN-N-OUT!

Preparing for his first swim in 2 years!
Obvious #1: Proudly sporting his new British Flag board shorts
Obvious #2: Have you ever seen him so WHITE!? My word! NEVER!!

Finally...a family shot, our last night together..
We segregated the married siblings and the non-married. Ha...maybe you'll join our exclusive club soon Sky (he felt left out)!

A rarity....the 5 Ridley kids....oldest to youngest.
I think we are all in agreement that we look nothing alike. Similarities, maybe.

Tried a different pose...

laughing at Cody's pose suggestion...obviously he was the only one willing to do it!

Words cannot describe the joy felt in my heart to be among my ENTIRE family. I have come to truly enjoy, appreciate, and LOVE these moments.
It was a great week :)

For the Grandparents...

Thanks to my super talented friend, Jenna, we had a little photo session the other night to capture some pictures for the grandparents.
Grandma Karrie, got coordinating outfits for the girls and Baby James (my bff's little boy) to take pictures together.
Those to come soon.
For now, enjoy this EYE CANDY!

Girls lunch with Grandma!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with these Lovely, AMAZING ladies:

Liza. Breanne. Grandma. Aunt Tammy. Me. Lana. Gwen
We went to lunch at Mimi's with Grandma and spent the afternoon catching up.
It was a much needed afternoon and I just love my family SO much!

Brooklynn was happy to be reunited with Grandma Poulton. We treasure any and every moment we get to spend with our amazing grandmother. At 85, she still has so much spunk and life left in her! What a woman to aspire to be like. I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!

Seriously. So sweet. So Special.

Thank you Baby Idol...

For all our FREE stuff!
It was worth every moment spent on the computer for the ENTIRE month of April.
Still enjoying the fruits of those labors!
Thanks again also to all of you who helped out and voted.

The gift certificate.

The stack...one a week for an entire year (well minus the last 3 months we've already used).

Our stock of baby food, rice cereal, snacks, toddler dinners and formula (which Maylee won't take...still nursing away). What's missing in this picture is our stock of baby shampoo, soap, lotions, toothbrush's and toothpaste's, sunscreen, bath toys, and bibs.

diapers and wipes for 2.


So grateful for these gifts...it truly has been a great blessing!

2010 Laughlin Trip

A week or so ago, we returned home from the river with my family! It was great company, great weather, and great memories...especially considering it was the first trip in 4 years that Paul was able to come with us!.. Special treat!

The girls behaved marvelously! Brooklynn played in the sand and water, under the EZ-Up all day, taking occasional rides on the jet ski, in the boat, on a tube, and swimming with her floatie in the water. Maylee also dipped her feet in the water, snuggled with everyone and took naps on the shore.

We brought the pack-n-play for Maylee to sleep in and had a room with a king sized bed so Brooklynn just slept with Paul and I every night. She did SO MANY cute things this trip. The first night, Grandma and Grandpa gave her new Crock shoes to wear on shore and she wanted to sleep with them on! After nicely convincing her not to, I placed them on the nightstand next to us so she could "wear" them in the morning...next morning came and the instant, and I mean INSTANT she woke up, she asked for her shoes and put them on!

After the first day of playing ALL day in the water and sand, she fell asleep in 2.5 seconds with a snack and sippy cup in hand!

She also fell asleep on the jet ski, during one of our rides and at dinner the last night, 2 seconds after Paul put her on his lap.... I think it is safe to say that we WORE HER OUT...completely! But she had a ball. Every morning she would wake up and say, "Where is everybody?" and "It's time to go on Grandpa's boat!"

"We're ready to go mom"

Maylee during one of her many naps on shore!

Poor Cody got kicked in the eye during one of the their million rough tubing rides. He had a cut that bled EVERYWHERE, and a swollen black and blue eye!
Cody is also bringing the 80's sexy back!

Sand + shovel + bucket= one happy Brooklynn

This is the night at dinner that she instantly fell asleep once Paul took her out of the high chair and put her on his lap. It was priceless and even walking through the loud casino, placing into car and carrying up to our room, she didn't move or wake up until morning!

Grandma swimming with her girls!

Brooklynn fast asleep after our apparently soothing jet ski ride.

My BEAUTIFUL sister, Shayna Paige, with our snuggly Maylee Kate!

Don't you just want to pinch her?

Some of Brooklynn's BEST Friends for this trip...also on that list: Katy and McCain (my sister's future husband)

Snuggling on the boat. Love her!

Grandpa time!

Auntie Time!
Can you tell she is spoiled with attention, love, and affection!?

More Auntie Time!

Grandma time...look at those tired eyes!

Ready for a nice, easy-going tube/girl time.
And yes, that is my smokin' HOT husband in the background. Can you tell I LOVE him with his shirt off (well I love him ALL the time, but especially with his shirt off :))

My girls LOVE their Aunt Brooke, and I think that might even be an understatement.

kisses.

Tickle time.

They love, love their Uncle Ryan too!

Paul pretty much chauffeured my sister, and her 5 friends around the whole week. But don't kid yourself, he LOVED every moment of it!

2.5

As of July 23rd, we officially have a 2 1/2 year old GIRL in our midst, and a true one at that. Yes she is complete with smiles, laughter, and cuteness galore, BUT also whining, sensitivity, and independence!

What you see - the joy of feeding the little ducks.
What you don't see- the tantrum and tears when she ran out of bread and the ducks left.

What you see- a girl having so much fun running outside and playing.
What you don't see- the girl refusing to eat her nice picnic dinner.

What you see- a tan, happy girl about to take her LONG nap.
What you don't see- the tears again when I didn't allow her to take her little bowl of collected rocks into her crib to nap with her.

What you see- a beautiful, happy girl ready for church.
What you don't see- the fit thrown when I lightly "guided" (but from her perspective, "pushed") her out the door to get in the car because we needed to hurry so we wouldn't be late, or the arched back and tears when trying to get her in the carseat faster, that she, with all determination, wanted to do by herself.

What you see- another happy girl ready for our LONG car ride (in the middle of a HOT day) back home after our river trip.
What you don't see- the crying and kicking of my seat because she was SO ready to get out of the car....

BUT...

apparently she was IN FACT in the car TOO long...

What you see- a completely SOAKED diaper..through the clothes (lovely)
Bad mommy moment. Should have thought to change her diaper sooner than Cedar City.
We then had a car seat and a car with the lovely urine scent for the entire ride home :)

Of course the "What you see" moments FAR out weigh the "What you don't see" moments.

I wish I could bottle up all her cuteness and sell it! I seriously CANNOT get enough. I can, however, get enough of all the tantrums, whining, etc...but it is ALL worth it!

Right now, she is obsessed with music...learning lyrics and who sings what songs. And she is AMAZING at remembering, I'm telling you, I'm super impressed!
She is ubber sensitive to our voices being raised (and those of you who know us well, know that Paul and I both speak LOUDLY)... she says, "Mommy, don't yell". :(
She is FINALLY loving nursery.
She is obsessed with her floatie and wanting to go to the "beach" (translation....any body of water).
She still HATES for her hair to be brushed BUT loves to brush her teeth.
She has started feeling a little scared of the dark, so asks us to leave her door open when she sleeps (I keep meaning to pick up a night light at the store).
She constantly wants to be playing outside and going on walks...even when it's a thousand degrees outside!
She loves to put her shoes on by herself, but most of the time puts them on the wrong foot.
She is still drinking like a camel, thus the reason why she has not started potty training...but she does hide when going #2, and then immediately comes and asks me to change her poopy pants.
She loves to collect rocks and "monies" (coins).
She loves to play with her ABC pads from Uncle Ryan, which get strewn over my living room EVERY SINGLE DAY (can you tell, I just love to pick them up)...but they have been so instrumental in her learning to recognize her letters!
She is sensitive to all smells now (I.E. mommy's yummy perfume, Maylee's stinky diapers, dinner cooking, and daddy's lingering gifts sometimes. haha).
She is still THE BEST big sister, and mommy's little helper.