SAN TAN VALLEY

We were bound and determined to go on a hot holiday while I was on maternity leave.  We were hoping to go to Cuba, but decided at the last minute to go to Phoenix. We figured the flight was shorter, the weather was warm but not crazy HOT (being more child friendly), that we could rent a house with a pool so that Ryder could still nap and we could still be outside in the sunshine, that we could check out the desert, and that maybe, just maybe my sisters or mom could join us.

Yep, it's a Superman one piece swim suit!!  Ok, it's too small, but I squeezed him into it, cause it's cute, isn't it???

We found a great house for rent on the internet. It was Canadian owned, advertized as "Canadians renting to Canadians." The place had a pool and was located in the San Tan Valley, just an hour from Phoenix.  It had four bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and was in a family friendly neighbourhood.  

Once we had everything squared away, we invited, my sisters and mom to join us on our last minute holiday.  We knew chances were slim that anyone would be able to join us on such short notice, but we thought we'd invite anyway.  To our surprise, we got a text from Aimee and Shane, once we were already there, saying they had found CHEAP flights and that they'd like to join us!! Yippee!!!  

The boys spent a lot of time at the pool together.

I know, I know, I have included way too many pictures, but I couldn't help it! The trip was so much fun!!  

SCHNEPF FARM

This was a super fun, kid friendly place! The train and the petting zoo were a big hit!

 
Fun train ride around the farm! 

jl

Petting Zoo

SAN TAN FLATS OUTDOOR RESTAURANT-like camping without sleeping on the ground

 This was such a cool place! So much to see and do! There was dancing, BBQ, fire pits, wood piles, western decor! Everything about this place was soooo much fun!!!

 

  

WATERMELON!!!!!

 
 

FISHING POND!

Shane and Max, heading to fishing pond!

 

Ryder slept through most of the fishing

trip. This was him, just before  

he shut it down in the stroller.

 Max was the most adorable fisherman ever!!!!!

PHOENIX ZOO

 Shane and Max checkin' out the animals.

Aimee and Max

Yep, that's apple sauce dripping off his chin.

Ryder and Max riding a ceramic zoo animal!  Aimee and I posed for a pic too.


 

Ryder, touching his first snake!

STORY TIME

 

FUN! FUN! FUN!

  

  

  

 

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I spent Ryder’s nap yesterday, trying on my bathing suits. I have several, and I could no longer put it off, I painstakingly tried on every single on. I am pretty sure that just before a “hot” vacation, men do not go through this process. I am pretty sure Marty just pulls his board shorts out of his closet pops them in his suitcase and never once considers the possibility that his ass or any other part of him may have grown, rendering his swim trunks unwearable. Nope, he just throws ONE into his suitcase on pure blind faith! LUCKY!!!

We are heading to Arizona for just over a week of sunshine in a rented house. A rented house with a pool! After 9 months of pregnancy and 11 months as a nursing mother, I am surprised and happy to report that the only part of me that was too big for some of my bikinis were my boobs! Ha ha!! That never happens to me, so I am not complaining…but I will only be brining the suits that more or less contain my tits, the important parts of ‘em anyway!

We left our house at noon in order to be at the airport 2 hours before our international flight, however it is now, 3:35, the exact time of our expected departure, and we are still sitting here…waiting!! Our flight has been delayed twice now. It will now be leaving 2 hours later than expected. That means 4 hours in the airport!!!

Ryder has been awesome so far. (I realize we still have 2 hours of waiting and 3 hours of flying to go.) It is soo great that at his age, everything is brand new! For him, walking is brand new and so is lugging suitcases through an airport (he and I usually check our bags.) So he spent a good portion of his crazy energy “helping” Dad with his suitcase.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 I know, a few people, who say they don't "believe" in Valentine's Day. They think you should show your love all year, not just on one day. They don't get it. Valentine's Day is not about being the ONE day a year you show your love for those close to you, it's just A day, dedicated to love, not THE day of love.

 ha ha, looks like Ryder is already "checking her out"

ofcorse, I love Valentine's day. I love the hears, the chocolate, the hugs, kisses, fancy undies and the chocolate...did I already say, chocolate???

Marty and I met just before Valentin's Day. It was an awkward time in our brand new relationsthip to have such an intimate holiday.  I didnt' want to ignore it totally, I wanted to do something subtle to let Marty know I liked him. NOthing that would scare him away, though....lol.

I made chocolate covered strawberries for us to enjoy with wine and it has become a tradition ever since. I even made Ryder a teeny, tiny one to enjoy on his first Valentine's Day. (He didn't like it...LOL)

The second Valentine's Day we spent together, we were at the point in our relationship where Marty could buy me lingerie. LOVE that tradition!!!
The first Valentine's Day we spent together as new "parents" Marty presented me in the morning with a sweet card and...a bag of "Skinny B." What??? What happened to the lingerei?? Are we already at the point in our relationship where instead of lingerei my husband buys me cereal that helps keep ya "regular??" To be fair, I was out of the high fiber cereal, and complaining that I needed some, but in NO WAY, did I mean that I needed it for Valentine's Day!! Ha ha ha ha!!!
Here's hoping that tonight, another gift appears on my pillow, one that involves lace!!! I will keep ya posted!!! LOL

FLOUR FUN!!

I read online about one mom who gave her son a pile of flour in his high chair. She mentioned that it was messy, but that it kept him entertained. I love messy! To me, messy means fun! But in an effort to be responsible, I raided the garage until I found a tarp. I carried it down to the basement where I spread it on the floor. I brought Ryder's high chair down, put it in the middle of the tarp, poured a scoop of flour in the middle of the tray and stood back with my camera. I was hoping to capture an adorable kodak camera mess....I hadn't counted on Ryder eating the flour.  I don't know why, that hadn't crossed my mind. He does put EVERYTHING in his mouth these days.  Ofcorse he didn't like the taste of the gummy flour, so there were a couple of tears at first, but pretty soon he got right into the joy of the "mess!"

 Um, yucky!!!!!

 Eventually, the shirt had to come off!! 

Good times had by all!!!!!

VISITING IN VANCOUVER

At the end of January, we flew to Vancouver to spend some time with Marty's family. We hadn't seen them at Christmas, so this was our chance to catch up. It was really great that his whole Family made such a great effort to all get together so we could get in lots of hugs.  

 Ryder with his Granny and Papa Wright

 Ryder with Brooklyn, Marty's cousin's youngest.

 Us at the aquarium in Vancouver. It was my first time there.

 Such a great place to go with kids. Sooo kid friendly. Ryder could get super close to the fish!!

 Kisses for the big ugly fish!

 The Beluga!

 There was a big party for Marty's Grandma's 95th birthday. She is scottish, so we all tried to wear kilts or plaid in recognition of the family roots.  Here Marty plays piano for the first time with Marty's Auntie Irene.

Check out his adorable kilt.  Marty's cousin Alexis made it for him!! LOVE IT!

 Ryder with Marty's Grandma. She is 95 and living in her own home!!!  Truly an inspiration!!

 Ryder eating at the kid table...sort of.

 Marty, his cousin and the adorable little ones!

 Ryder, helping Auntie Chris, get the cake table ready.

The girls, helping put the candles on the cake.

Alexis, holding our sleeping Angel. 

 After all the Grandparent time, we headed with Marty's folks up to their condo at Big White.  Soo relaxing.

 Ryder stayed with Grandma Trish, while Marty, his Dad and I hit the slpes for a few hours.

Ryder hangin' with Grandpa

MISTAKE IN A BOX

You may or may not know that back in October, I got a 400 dollar hair cut! Yep, that's right, 400 dollars!! I hadn't expected it to cost that much. I sure as shit DO NOT have 400 dollars to spend on a hair cut, but there's not much one can do once the hairs have been cut, colored and styled, but pay up!  To be fair, it was only the second hair cut  I'd had since Ryder was born, and it was a "master stylist,"and I did buy some shampoo, and a couple other products I have yet to use...but still, 400 dollars??? I should have walked out of there looking like a super model...I didn't. I walked out, looking, like me with shiny hair.  Actually, to be honest, I really loved the hair cut and the lighter, blonder color. It was truthfully easier to style on my own than my previous hair cuts, but the blond is impossible to afford to maintain and who am I kidding, I don't have time for all that blow drying and round brushing anyway.
I've had one hair cut and color since. I bought zero product, I had an apprenticing stylist and I paid less than half the price of the 400 dollar cut.  Nope, it wasn't as easy to syle on my own, but it looked ok, I thought.
Then, lastnight, I was looking through pictures, trying to find a close up of me, for a flip book of our family, I am making for Ryder.  I scanned through hundreds of photos and decided, ofcorse, that I loved my hair when it was dark. (The grass is always greener, I probably went blond after surfing through pictures, loving myself as a blond...) anyway, I decided then and there that I need to go back dark. I happened to have a box of hair color leftover from a previous spontaneous urge that I ran out of time to carry out, so this morning, during Ryder's nap, I opened it.  I pulled on the plastic gloves and prayed I had enough time to make this happen before Ryder woke up.  I did. OMG!!! Horrid!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about mistake in a box!!! My hair is sooo black, it looks blueish. I was in such a hurry that I slopped the dye all over my ears, neck and chest (yep, I applied this naked, thinking it would be quickest to hop in the shower after the thirty minutes, killing 2 birds with one stone- hair colored and weekly shower accomplished. Ha ha!!) Anyway, I didn't even notice the dye staining my skin, until Marty pointed it out, 4 hours later!!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is. Ugh!!! Looks even worse in person...maybe it will just take some getting used to..here's hoping.