Category Archives: holiday

Impromptu Blog Break

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Uhhh…herro Friday. Where’d you come from?

Between only working 2 days this week and the holiday and throw in some family adventure for good measure, there’s been no time for blogging, I guess.

Nope, no baby yet. Doctor appointment yesterday went well. Nothing new to report. I have a “state of the cervix” appointment next week.

4th of July was low-key, but a kick. In Rice Fam tradition we spent the afternoon and evening at the same BBQ we’ve gone to for the last umpteen years. In years past, we’ve only ever made it through about 10 minutes of fireworks because Rylee didn’t like the noise. This year, we used Ry’s shooting ear muffs for the fireworks and I’m happy to report for the first year ever we were able to stay for all of the fireworks!

We knocked a couple more items off of the Big Sister Bucket List.

I’ve got loads to blog about, but for now I’ve got an iced coffee sitting next to me and an extra long weekend to enjoy with my little family of 3. For now I will just go ahead and leave you with this…

Extended Weekend? Sort of.

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Ry & I are home today. But not because we had planned on taking an extended long-weekend. Her mysterious non-stop cough is back. Along with a leaky faucet nose and a wheeze that just won’t die.

So we’re hanging out on the couch. She’s got a sippy full of juice and I’ve got a cup of coffee. We’ve got cartoons on and the Kindle Fire is charged. I’m hoping she’ll just naturally take it easy today…

Ha.

Hahaha.

So far so good though.

Later on today we’ll head out to pick up her inhaler prescription, buy a new humidifier (hers took a dump this morning) and I have my 32 week appointment for Baby Sister today.

Looking back on the weekend, I feel like we did both nothing and everything. If that makes any sense at all.

We went over to my uncle’s house for a BBQ celebrating my cousin’s college graduation. We went grocery shopping. We had a family movie night, popcorn and staying up way past bedtime included. We played legos…lots and lots of legos. We went to a birthday party on Sunday. Andy & Ry put together the crib. We pulled stuff out of Baby Sister’s closet that didn’t need to be there. The nursery is more trashed than it was last week, but I’ll still consider it as progress. We cuddled. We gave foot rubs. We had a lazy day on Monday. We slow-grilled baby back ribs. We made a double batch of creamy chicken taquitos all to freeze. Bonus: there was enough filling leftover to make them for dinner tonight!

See what I mean? We did a lot, but it was just enough to still feel like a relaxing weekend. Exactly what this little family needed!

Hope you had an amazing weekend!

Easter Weekend

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I have no clever title for this post.

Long story short? Easter weekend rocked my socks off! Rylee was, for the most part, a total dream.

So into all things Easter related!

Saturday was filled with grocery shopping and baking and prepping. Rylee helped make strawberry swirl cupcakes before her nap. Then washed up the plastic eggs that she was leaving for the Easter Bunny to stuff with candy and hide while she was sleeping.

Sunday there was church {she was amazing!}, followed by an Easter egg hunt put on by the youth group {she was so stoked!}.

 

Then back to our house where she finally found the Easter Basket the Easter bunny hid for her {excitement ensued!} then there was family and dinner {home-smoked turkey breast? Yes please!} and lots of time playing outside {hooray for the sun!}.

I didn’t take any photos other than what I snagged on my phone, and you know what? I’m perfectly ok with that. I would much rather be soaking up the family time, the cuddles, the giggles and everything else that makes this girl herself, than running around trying to take the “perfect” shot.

Hope everyone else had a loverly Easter too!

So…Christmas?

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Christmas was perfect in just about every way possible this year.

There was family time.

There was lots (and lots) of good food.

There was laughter.

And there was magic.

I don’t know what it was about this year, age I’m guessing, but something just clicked with Rylee and the Christmas Spirit was alive and well with that little one. It was contagious.

She got more and more excited with every ring we tore off of our Christmas Chain.

She soaked up all the time with her Aunties…loving every minute of it.

She was a rock star during Christmas Eve mass.

At my dad’s house on Christmas Eve she unwrapped a present that was nestled inside a box that one held wine glasses, complete with photos of wine glasses filled with wine on the box and she excitedly proclaimed “I GOT WINE!”.

She handed out “thank you’s” left and right. Made this mama’s heart proud.

We put her in PJ’s before the drive home on Christmas Eve thinking she’d zonk out on the drive. Instead of sawing logs, she decided to singe Jingle Bells over and over and over again, getting louder and louder and louder with each round. The entire way home. Andy and I couldn’t help but laugh.

On Christmas morning she was disappointed that Santa left half of a scone on his plate…as if the 1 1/2 he did eat wasn’t enough. {noted}

At my mom’s house while playing with the hand puppets Grammy had made her she busted out in a maniacal laughter when my sister, playing the pig & the sheep, said she couldn’t go to the park because she had to go to the slaughter house.

While opening gifts over at my in-laws house, she looked her grandma square in the eye and asked her to STOP taking so many pictures of her. {I about died!}

Throughout the Christmas, and the following days, anytime someone asked her what Santa brought her she proudly said “A bike!” Then went on to tell how it was wrapped in a red sheet. Every single time.

There was so much smiling. So much laughing.

Like I said…magical.

The one part I failed at was taking pictures. I took two. The entire weekend.

And you know what? That was ok by me.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas like we did.

Merry Christmas

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Well friends, it’s that time of year, isn’t it?

The stockings have been hung by the…uhhh…half-wall by the wood stove with care.

My sisters are in town which means the family time has commenced. At work, our tradeshow booth crates leave on Dec 28.

I’ve sent Andy out to finish the Christmas shopping today. Tonight is sister-baking night. Tomorrow we’re meeting up for drinks and bonding. Christmas Eve will start out with a brunch at my uncle’s new house, followed by gifts, food and church with my dad. Christmas we’ll be hopping between my dad’s, my mom’s and my inlaw’s.

Things are busy around these parts…very busy.

And so, with that, I am taking a little blogging Christmas break. I’ll be back around these parts in a few days.

From my family to yours, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

We ordered our cards from Shutterfly this year. No way am I that creative…I just borrowed a screen shot form them.