Lake Day

Today we went to the lake with our friends, the Burks and the Starchers. It was such a fun time. I must admit, I was worried about the heat and staying in the shade, but it worked out fine. We took the Burks' boat and found a private little beach area. We set up our umbrellas and chairs and had plenty of shade. Then we played in the water....I constantly moved my arms and legs b/c I didn't want the fish to bite me....and they didn't. They did, however, nibble on a couple of other people. Yuck! We had a great lunch and hung out. It was so relaxing. The kids played in and out of the water and Ryland only got in trouble 20 or so times for throwing rocks around others. :o)

What a fun day!!!!! Can't wait to do it again!

Where to start???

Let's see....

Since my last update, Ryland has started his second year of swim lessons. This year, our objective was to teach him to float on his back and to learn to come up for air.

Floating...not so much. He hates, and I mean hates to float on his back. He stiffens up and will not do it. Maybe next year he'll be more comfortable with it, but in the meantime, we'll keep trying.

Learning to come up for air - I'm not sure he has the neck strength for this yet, but when James or I help him, he does great!

He is a little fish in the water. He loves jumping off of the ladder or side of an in-ground pool. His confidence amazes me, along with everyone that see him.

See for yourself....

On the go-cart All the kiddos

Ryland packing

Tubing with the masses....

Playing superman with Doug

Ryland playing by the river

Helen, GA

This past weekend, we went to Helen, Ga with our SS class. There were 12 families and 54 people total. We had a blast! Ryland had a great time and behaved himself surprisingly well. James bought a new camera - one that is waterproof up to 10 feet - and we had fun taking pics of Ryland swimming underwater.

If you've never been to Helen, it's a small town with German decor. It has a river that runs through the town and you can tube the Chattahoochee.

Friday, we got there and sat by the creek watching all the tubers go by. We then went to dinner and back to the hotel. Ryland decided that he didn't want to go to sleep, but instead play in the dark with his stuffed animals and blankets. I honestly have no idea what time he went to sleep. I finally gave up and went to sleep around 12:30 or so.

Saturday, we got up and had breakfast and headed to the waterpark. There were 4 slides and a lazy river. James and I took turns with Ryland in the lazy river since the slides were too big for him. He loved it and could 'tip toe' in the water. We then took the bus to go tubing. Once we got to the drop off area, Ryland pitched a fit b/c he wanted to ride on the school bus again. When we got settled in our tube, he finally feel asleep in my lap and slept for almost the entire time. Once we were done tubing, it was back to the hotel for showers and out to eat dinner.

Sunday, after breakfast, we headed to an indoor go-cart track. All the kids loved it and Ryland was able to ride with James. Actually, the men enjoyed it too, but there were more complaints of being sore. Ryland had a great time and was telling James "faster, faster". Of course, in true Ryland style, he cried when he had to get out of the car and cried until I told him he'd get another turn and he had to share. After the track, we headed to walk the little city of Helen. It's such a neat atmosphere. Ryland loved the horse/buggy combos and all the motorcycles.

We finally headed home and Ryland slept the entire time. James and I could actually talk to each other.

It was a great trip and pictures are coming.....

Happy 4th of July!

Last night James, Ryland and I went to Fort Gordon to see the fireworks. It was Ryland's first year seeing them. I usually don't like going b/c it's hot, crowded and takes forever to get home. We haven't gone to Fort Gordon in a long, long time so I said "why not?". We usually go to the lake.

Let me tell you, I am so glad we went! There was plenty of parking and plenty of ground. It had cooled down and there was a nice breeze. We took our chairs and Ryland's stroller and found a nice area to sit. We got cotton candy, drinks and let Ryland walk around and show off for us. He loved the cotton candy, like his daddy! There was a lot of people, but the field is so big, you didn't feel crowded. Once it got dark and the moon and stars were out, Ryland decided to 'reach for the stars'. It was so cute, seeing him jump and then say "can't reach the stars".

Once the fireworks started, Ryland was in James's lap. He didn't like them and started saying "go home" and "all done" over and over. He also said they were "too bright", so James gave his sunglasses to Ryland to wear. He finally calmed down and would tell James the different colors. It was the longest firework show I've ever seen and they were great!

We did have a wait when we left, but we were all in good moods, so it was an enjoyable wait. I'm so glad we went.

Seeing all the men and women in uniform made me stop and think about how amazing they are to sign up to protect our country. And to go to war for us. I am very thankful for each of them.

In the words of Lee Greenwood -- I'm proud to be an American!!!