Great Grandma Ryan

Last week Great Grandma Ryan come all the way from California to visit the Texas Ryan Clan.  We we in California this past August to celebrate her 90th Birthday, so it hasn't been to long since we last visited with her. I am so impressed with my grandmother and hope to live a life as full as hers.

We had everyone to our house one night for dinner

L&C at the kids table :).  All the other kids were at the 'kids bar'.

Grandma Ryan and all her Texas great grandkids.

L and cousin Mason swinging at Grampies

 I am so thinkful L&C have three great grandparents in their lives and will hopefully have plenty of memories they have shared with each of them.  Thank you Great Grandma Ryan for coming to Texas to visit us.  We love you!!

Let's Go Rangers!!!

Yipee!!!  The Texas rangers have made it to the World Series for the first time in history.  No, I'm not a huge baseball buff, in fact we didn't even make it to a game this season, which could be a first since I was a little girl. You just can't help getting involved and be excited when it's your home team.  And--besides the fact that the Texas Ranges gift shop has puked all over the metroplex!!:)  I am amazed at the extremes some people have gone to get silly t-shirts and survivors (and I'm no exception, I've been stocking Academy for a week now looking for toddler t's).  Last Friday night when they won the American league there was a line around Academy at 10 o'clock at night to get the championship shirts.  I at least waited until my lunch break on Monday!!!  We are supporting the Rangers all week at work by wearing our Texas gear and keeping our fingers crossed for a World Series win. I meant to get a picture today of all the gals, but never did.  If I get one tomorrow I will add it to this post. 
Boy, it is going to be an exciting week for Arlington, Texas!!!!  Let's Go Rangers!!!

My little Ranger's fans

Boo at the Zoo

 Boo at the zoo is a wonderful Halloween event held at the Fort Worth Zoo.  This year is the 19th year for Boo and so far it seems to be another success.  We didn't attend last year since it was held in the evening hours and the babies were still to young to participate.  They changed the hours to daytime and made it an enclosed area.  I felt it was something I could manage on my own so we went for it.  We met up with our friends Wes and Evan and had a great time.  They all picked up real fast on getting 'treats' in their bags and had fun picking prizes after an attempt at each of the games.  Now Luke's favortite words are 'treat, please'.  Thank goodness all the candy is gone (at least for now).  I wanted them to wear their costumes, but Carter had other plans so I just did away with them and hope he will cooperate on Halloween night.

Carter's balancing act

Luke ready to go in Boo



Working hard to make his pumpkin perfect




All four getting their treats



Bean bag toss

Of course C had to count all the rings

Back to the Beach!!!!

What a great mini vacay we had with the Anderson's this past weekend.  We all packed up and headed south all the way until Hwy 45 came to a dead end right into the Gulf.  Not literally, we did plan for a few months and when the highway ended we turned right for a few miles until we reached our little beach house that we rented for the long weekend. 
The Anderson's are a great family.  We have been friends with them for about two years now.  I met Martha through our twins group and have enjoyed weekly play dates with her and her precious twins, Wes and Evan, ever since.  She has been such an inspiration to me and helped me along this journey during times I thought I couldn't do it anymore.  Her twins are about 9 months older then us so she gets to figure everything out then tell me how to do it :).  I have been very thankful to have them in our life and to be able to spend a fun weekend with our two families together. 
We spend every moment we could at the beach.  The weather was perfect and the beach was empty.  It was like we were on a resort all by ourselves.  We packed up each morning, played until the little guys were exhausted then went back to the house for naps.  Once they woke we headed back out until dinner then off to bed.  All the little ones got along great and had fun playing together.  We look forward to another family trip with Martha and Derek and hopefully our other twin friends can join us.  Can you imagine having three sets of twins all on vacation together?  Not real sure I would call that a vacation!!!


Checking out the hermit crab




Flying kites

Happy Carter with our beach house in the background

C and Daddy having a great converation about the big beach

L loved to wash the sand off his hand in the ocean

All the boys!!!

Light the Night Walk

Last night we gathered in down town Fort Worth to support one of our Stroller Stride families.  Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's walk and fundraising event to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer.  Thousands of participants raise funds for vital, lifesaving research and patient services and, on these special nights, they carry illuminated balloons in a show of support.  Supporters had red balloons, survivors had white ones and fighters had gold.  As the sun went down all you could see is a ton of balloons walking through the park.  I tried to get a picture but with my flash it didn't come out very good.  We enjoyed walking and donating in support of this dear family and many others fighting this same battle. 

Mr. Mom

Each week is different as to who is home with the babies.  We are on a three week rotation (only because that is Jeff's work schedule).  I always work Mon, Tue, Wed, but his schedule changes.  On the days we are both at work the babies go to their Mamaw's, otherwise they are home with one of us or on lucky days they get both of us.  This week Jeff was off on Monday and Tuesday so he was in charge those two days.  I think he ran laps around me with his Mr. Mom duties.  When I got home Monday evening they were all playing outside and happy as can be.  That day they had already been to the boat shop, park, napped and ate wonderfully.  I took off for my run and by the time returned they had already been bathed and fed.  Come Tuesday evening they had gone to get the boat from the shop, took it to the lake, had hair cuts (yes, daddy attempted that one alone and of course was successful), ate great all day, napped, played outside, had baths and dinner all by the time I returned from work and running.  Jeff had also gotten a few things done around the house.  It was so nice to come home to clean babies and all I had to do is play and read to them.  Since he is so much better than me at being a SAHD, I think I should go full time and pass all the home duties over to him :).  For some reason I don't think either he nor I would like that idea.  We are very lucky to have such a middle ground with our time and work.  I am thankful!!!

The Great Pumpkin Festival

Each year the Dallas Arboretum holds the Great Pumpkin Festival.  The pumpkin village consist of over 40,000 pumpkins, several pumpkin houses, a hay bale maze and beautiful fall flowers.  Each of the four pumpkin houses represented a children’s book that features pumpkins in the story. It was fun to walk through and talk about each story with all the kiddos. 

We were accompanied by three sets of our sweet twin friends.  All eight of them had a blast climbing on the mountains of pumpkins and having a hay throwing fight in the maze. We attempted to get some family photos, but that still seems impossible to do. 

I highly recommend everyone visit this pumpkin patch for fun and photos.  It is well worth the money and drive.