the richards

The Three Bears

2012-01-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

Many nights I look at the clock and it is only 6:00 PM- but I am exhausted! The kids and I eat dinner and then James usually begs for cookies. Some nights I don't have it in me to put up a fight, so he gets his way and then ends up looking like this:

With no hubby in sight to relieve me, I often pop the children into the tub. They can always use a good scrub and it doubles as a sort of play pen. Then, for the sake of a photo op, I pop little Andy into the tub. Bryson and I have decided that we pretty much put his life at risk every time we do this, but everyone seems to have fun!

And since the ratio is 1:3 (that is 1 human mother to 3 bear cubs) I cannot attend to these wild things all at the same time once they escape from the bath/crib. Therefore, some shenanigans often take place such as below:

Steady there!

Almost down!

But back up!

And then dad comes home- in the nick of time! He wrestles the bear cubs and then we put them to bed. And then I get up and do it all over again!

Pre-Christmas Fun

2012-01-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

I know that I am backtracking here, but we had such busy December (and who doesn't!?) that I never was able to post about our trip to the train display as well as Daniel's preschool Christmas program.

Here are some of Daniel's buddies watching the display. The boys loved the trains and had a lot of fun just running around (because that is what 4 year old boys do- all day long).

James wondering why on Earth he can't just jump over the rail and play with the trains!

Daniel goofing off with Isaac Neal, Rowan, and Nolan

Daniel's preschool had the most wonderful Christmas program. They sang so many cute songs and had a birthday cake for Jesus at the end. Daniel is sporting the reindeer sweater my grandma gave him. He will probably kill me when he sees this picture later on in life, but I could not resist!

Here his teacher, Heidi Hadzima, is lighting the birthday cake. I don't think you can find a better preschool teacher than Heidi. She is amazing. And Daniel thinks so too. He asks me about once a week when she is going to come over for lunch and to play with him. He has also asked her when she is going to invite him over to her house.

Daniel with Gavin and Rowan

Trip to Allentown

2012-01-17T21:16:00.002-05:00

The boys and I made a very spontaneous trip to visit Shannon, Kevin and their boys in Allentown, PA this past week. Shannon was such a gracious host to let us all stay with them, and she made the trip a really fun-packed couple of days.

We made a trip to Ikea in NJ. It ended up being an expensive little outing for me, but I love Ikea and could not pass up on a few cool items for our home. The best part of the trip was seeing Bryson's cousin Rachel and her two adorable little girls.

My bro-in-law Taylor made a surprise trip from D.C. to see all his nephews. We decided one of the days that I was there to make a day trip to NYC. It was sunny and around 60 degrees- a perfect day in the city!

Look at all these boys!! Taylor was such a good sport to join this crazy group.

Shannon with chunky monkey Nathan

At the most southern part of the park there is a very cool padded playground. We let the boys play there for most of the day since the weather was so beautiful.

Daniel was so excited when I told him that this is the city where he was born! Central Park is a very special place for me because I remember taking Daniel here often when we lived in NYC.

This is not a great photo, but it is the only one I got with Katie Groberg in it (even though her eyes are closed!). She is another one of Bryson's cousins, and I was so excited that she spent the day with us. She lived (and still does) in the city while we were there and I just love her and her cute kids.

Outside the Natural History Museum. We took the boys there and they LOVED the dinosaurs.

I love how these two are such good buddies.

The kids ran all round the exhibit until we left to go eat at Patsy's Pizza (one of my favs). I also got to see some of our best friends Scott and Marylynn Thomas and their daughter Zoe. It was such a great day and an awesome weekend with the Taylor family! Can't wait to go back soon :)

A very Disney Christmas

2012-01-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

This year we went on a Disney cruise with my family for Christmas. It was such a wonderful week and the first time we have all taken a trip together since Nick left for his mission. The boat was decked bow to aft (front to back :) with Christmas decorations, lights, and Disney characters wearing festive outfits. We enjoyed great food, shows at night, weather, and company. It was a Christmas none of us will ever forget!

My poor mom got really sick while we were on the boat, but she was still such a trooper and managed to join us for the day at Castaway Cay - Disney's private island.

Many of my photos are not in order, but the day before we boarded the boat we went to Disneyworld.

The afternoon we boarded the boat there was a big 'welcome party' on the deck. The kids had so much fun and we were so excited to finally be on the cruise!

Christmas morning we all woke up in our individual state rooms and opened up Santa gifts and stocking. We had a big breakfast together as a family and then the kids opened a few more gifts in my parent's room.

My grandma bought ALL of us matching Disney pajamas with our names embroidered on them. They were quite a hit! I had people stopping us all day asking where we got them/

After we saw Santa, the kids got their faces painted.

One of the best parts of the cruise was getting dressed up at night and eating dinner as a family.

so dapper!

I never seem to be able to get James to look at the camera, but this picture pretty much captures the essence of James' entire trip- running around barefoot, wet, smiling, with ice cream dripping down his entire body.
Pure bliss.

Daniel was such a little fish. He especially liked this pool because they had a big screen TV where they played Disney movies. It does not get much better than that for Daniel.

One of the nights they had a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' theme. Everything revolved around pirates- even the food. Later that night they had a big pirate dance party on the deck.

My sweet little matey!

Daniel went to the kids club that night with his cousins Tommy and Lizzy and they made pirate pictures. He was so excited to show us his artwork.

I don't really want to admit this (haha!), but this guy is my bro-in-law. He will often sport a mullet at family events. But seriously - he had a sweet pirate costume!

me and my sisters :)

a very tired little pirate

This little baby boy loved the sun and all the love he got from his grandma, grandpa, and aunts and uncles.

Key West

Every night our room attendant made these awesome towel creations on our bed. Too bad he never got any credit for them as Daniel insisted our 'Elf on the Shelf' made them each night!

We got to swim with dolphins at Cozumel- something I have wanted to do my whole life.

it's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-12-10T08:54:00.001-05:00

Christmas has founds its way to the Richards' home! Finally!

The boys could not be more thrilled about all the decorations, music, candy, and preparing for the 'big day'. What I have enjoyed most has been seeing how excited they are and being able to teach them the true reason we celebrate Christmas.

One of my favorites Christmas activities this year has been our new guest, Shelf the Elf. Yes, he is an Elf on the Shelf, but Daniel was set on calling him Shelf since that is where we first found our red little friend. Shelf has kept us (Bryson and I) on our toes this holiday season as Daniel expects him to fly to the North Pole every night to report to Santa, and naturally, he has to fly back to our home and land in a new spot each morning. We messed up one night and Daniel was very confused why he was in the same location the next morning. Another time he fell and Daniel found him face down on the ground and was just distraught. I explained that he was just resting and distracted him with something in another room. I then quickly put him back on his perch in the kitchen. Despite a few 'incidents', it has really been a very magical thing for him.

And both Daniel and James love the advent calendar filled with candy. I have been surprised at their self control in only opening one box every day. We are all very excited for Christmas to come!

The first day we met little shelf. What a cutie!

Making delicious sugar cookies

James was not as interested in making the cookies as he was eating them

Last year we went as a family to cut our tree down at a Christmas farm. This year Bryson has not had a single Saturday off to go do this, so we opted to just go get our's at Loews this year (at 9 at night!). It is a gorgeous tree and smells so wonderful in our house.

Yesterday we woke up to this winter wonderland! Daniel was so excited to show James the new snow. I told them we could go play in it after breakfast, but when we were done eating, it had melted. I am not going to lie, I would not be sad one bit if the snow melted away every morning.

One of Daniel's many silly poses. He is wearing his new Christmas sweater from his great grandma.

Soon the boys got sick of decorating the tree and moved onto their favorite pastime- wrestling.

And this activity always ends the same way- with someone crying. This time is looks like it was Daniel who got hurt :(

James has really taken an interest in our Little Tikes nativity set. I think I may see a few individuals here that most likely did not visit baby Jesus. Can you guess who?

And here is Shelf the Elf in his current location. He is such a cute little guy (but there is something a little creepy about that smile). As Daniel reminds all of us- be good because he is watching you!

5 months

2011-12-05T11:37:00.001-05:00

Andrew is so squishy, cuddly, and scrumptious. I honestly feel badly for him sometimes because I attack his face so much with kisses- those cheeks are SO hard to resist.

He is babbling more, grabbing things, and starting to roll around a little. He is still so mellow, sweet, and easy going. And he is STILL NOT SLEEPING at night. Maybe this month he will figure it out?

I am sad that these past 5 months have flown by so fast.

Andrew- please stop growing so quickly!

Danielisms

2011-11-12T19:57:00.000-05:00

Below are a few funny things that Daniel has said to me this past week. I have to write these things down or I know I will never remember them.

And this picture is from tonight. He wanted to stay up and read in his bed. He said that he was not tired and needed to do some 'studying'. I left and came back in his room about 5 minutes later to find him like this:

A few nights ago Daniel asked me to stay in his room and cuddle with him. After we cuddled a few minutes, I said it was time for him to go to bed and that I had to leave. He asked, "why do you not cuddle with me until the sun comes up mommy? You only cuddle with daddy until the sun comes up". I told him, "well daniel, mommies and daddies cuddle together at night. Someday you will have a mommy of your own to cuddle with (although I don't like to think about this!)".

A distraught look came to his face and he said to me, "but mommy, that mommy will not sound like you and will not have your eyes. Her will be different".

Oh little daniel! What a sweet heart! Can you stay 4 years old forever?

Last Monday, during FHE, I let Daniel decide (since James was asleep and Bryson was working) what he wanted to talk about that night. He said he wanted to learn about how Heavenly Father and Jesus made the world and write a letter to Santa. When we started our letter to Santa, he told me to write that he wanted an IPad like his cousin (it is his mom's, but she will sometimes let him use it).

I looked at him in disbelief- he wanted what!?!! How could he be already asking for such expensive gifts (I mean, I don't have and iPad)

I told him that Santa could not bring that and that mommy and daddy were not going to get that for him because it just cost too much money. Our conversation was cut short when I had to go change Andrew's diaper. While I was doing this, Daniel came over and placed a penny on my lap. He goes, "this is for the IPad mom. This should be enough". I just started laughing!!

Maybe our next FHE should be about money?

preschool

2011-11-06T13:29:00.001-05:00

This post is overdue, but Daniel & James started preschool this year. Well, I am not sure if you can call James' class 'school', more like 2 hours of playtime once a week (and a very quiet morning for me).

They both go to Precious Kids which is at a Methodist church near our home. It is the cutest school. I had the opportunity to be a teacher's helper a few weeks ago, and I was very impressed by all that they are doing and learning in their classes so far.

Daniel with his teacher, Mrs. Hadzima

Jamesie getting ready for his first day (with cars in hand).

What is so funny to me is that I was so worried about James. For those of you who know him, he does not talk very much and can be very stubborn (but is very sweet!). I figured this would be a recipe for disaster, but every time I pick him up his teachers tell me how "wonderful" he is in class and how he listens so well. I smile and say "great" but in the back of my mind I am thinking "really?! James Richards? Ok!!?" James seems to love it, so I am really happy I signed him up this year.

Daniel is another funny story. He LOVES preschool. He LOVES Mrs. Hadzima. He also really has fun with all his little buddies in the class. And according to Mrs. Hadzima, a little too much fun. In our parent teacher conference (I did not know they even did these in preschool) the she told me he was a little too talkative and wiggly. He also seems to 'zone out' during the lesson. I am well aware that Daniel is wiggly, has a LOT of energy, and pretty much never stops talking. And both the teacher and myself realize that he is a 4 year old boy, so we are working on some goals for him to become a better 'listener' and less wiggly during his lessons.
When I told Bryson about my conversation with his teacher, he notified me that he was always in trouble in school for talking and was often sent out of primary as well. GREAT! And how did I not know this until now?
Luckily Bryson turned out alright :)

This is the adorable Thanksgiving necklace Daniel made for me at their 'Harvest Party' last week. He has insisted that I wear it everyday. This weekend I had a break since he has been out of town for his uncle's mission farewell with Bryson :)

4 months

2011-11-05T15:33:00.001-04:00

Somebody is 4 months today.

This blue-eyed, strawberry blonde boy just makes me melt. He is has been my easiest baby. He sleeps anywhere, rarely cries, and giggles and smiles non-stop.

He is so much fun!!!

This month he found his hands and spends much of the day sucking on them. He makes the cutest little noises and squeals (with a fairly loud voice). His brothers fascinate him and his daddy always makes him grin.

And he is a chunk- 17.5 pounds as of yesterday. I guess that is what happens when you eat all day (and unfortunately, all night too).

We love you little A. You are such a sweet little bug.

pumpkins!

2011-11-01T21:04:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday we made our annual trip out to Stokoe Farm (our favorite pumpkin farm here in upstate NY) to get pumpkins for Halloween. The weather was a bit chilly (in the 40's) but the boys did not seem to mind.

Daniel picked out "the perfect pumpkin for crafting", as he said. And the following night we 'crafted' (not carved) our pumpkin together as a family.

I just love fall here in upstate NY! There is not better place to be this time of year.

James was so mad that we tried to get him to take a picture. He just wanted to look at the baby calf behind us.

Here comes James down the slide!

And here is an action shot of Daniel running towards James right before his knee made contact with his head. Poor James (who looks so happy in this shot) cried for quite a while after that!

Daniel LOVED this zip line

The boys kept giggling as they played with the pumpkins in our kitchen

James loved this baby pumpkin and carried it around all night.

Looks GREAT guys!

Trunk or Treat

2011-10-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! Well, it is almost Halloween.

Last week we had our ward's annual 'Trunk or Treat'. It was freezing cold and raining, so the kids did not get to trick or treat out of trunks, but around the church. They still had a great time! And I am really excited about tomorrow night- Halloween is the best.

Daniel chose his Halloween costume this year. At first he wanted all of us to be the 3 bears. I would have been goldilocks. That would have been SO cute. But he saw a vampire somewhere and made his mind up that he HAD to be a vampire. Despite the fact that he looks a little too scary for a 4 year old, I think the costume looks great!

my chubby little dinosaur baby

this is the best picture I got of James' costume from that night! He may have been a donut coma since he parked himself right by the treat table most the night and ate at least 15 donut holes (and there may have been more eaten when we were not looking). Someone in our ward told us that he started taking one bite out of donuts and putting them back on the table! yuk!!

Bryson came strait from work- so he was a doctor (how original) I was a witch, James a spider, Daniel a vampire, and Andrew the dinosaur.

palmyra

2011-10-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the chance to meet one of Bryson's Brazilian mission companions, Andre Sampaio. He came to upstate NY for a business trip from Brazil, and we made a trip to Palmyra with him as he had never been to any of the church sites.

The leaves had just started to turn, but it was still warm- which made for a perfect fall day to enjoy the sites.

view from top of Hill Cumorah

outside Joseph Smith's home

i am not sure why i am looking up in this photo?

Andre and Bryson. They were companions in the Porto Alegre, Brazil mission 10 years ago and are still friends today.

Sacred Grove

florida

2011-10-27T13:05:00.001-04:00

Last week Bryson and I went to Florida...without the boys! (well- the 2 older ones. One little boy is nursing and cannot be away from his mom :)

Bryson's plastic surgery research paper was accepted by the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons and he was asked to present his paper at their annual conference, which just happen to take place on Amelia Island, Florida. And the best part was that they paid for all his travel expenses. I was able to watch him present and he did a fantastic job. I was so proud of him for all the hard work he had done.

And this trip could not have happened without my AMAZING sister-in-law Shannon who watched our two boys as well as her two little boys for almost 5 days. They had such a wonderful time with her, and I cannot begin to tell her how grateful I am for what she did!

view from our room

the hotel

the town on the island was very quaint. we really enjoyed the afternoon we spent walking around and looking at the antique shops.

but i think what we enjoyed most was just hanging out and doing nothing

and this little man was loving all the alone time he had with his mom and dad (not to mention how peaceful and quite it was without his two older brothers). we took him swimming and on walks on the beach- it was wonderful :)

By the last day Bryson and I both really missed the boys and were so excited to see them. They loved the time they had with their cousins Jordan and Nathan and aunt Shannon.

It was a wonderful and VERY relaxing trip!

Again- Shannon- THANK YOU so very much.

butterflies

2011-10-25T20:49:00.002-04:00

We have had some unique guests in our home the past couple of weeks- 5 butterflies.

Daniel received a butterfly kit for his birthday and last month the caterpillars arrived and have now finally turned into beautiful Painted Lady butterflies! It has been very fascinating for both me and the boys to watch their metamorphosis take place in our kitchen.

I often find him just gazing at them and he asks to hold them everyday. Since they have always lived in a mesh cage, I don't think they realize they can fly and are happy to perch on his hand while he holds them.

the par-tay for mr. J

2011-10-25T17:29:00.000-04:00

Last week we had a family bash to celebrate Jamesie's big day! We planned on going to a pumpkin patch that morning, but it was a VERY rainy day, so we opted to go to Kango.

That afternoon while James took a nap, Daniel and I decorated the house for his b-day. Of course we had a 'Cars' themed party since he pretty much obsessed.

It was a great day- I think James loved it!

the highlight of kango was the prizes- a toy spider and turtle.

james ate 2 or 3 cupcakes- but why not? it was his birthday!

the happiest attendee at the party

cars!!! he was in heaven :)

James is 2!

2011-10-15T15:08:00.001-04:00

Today is Jamesie's 2nd birthday! What a wonderful 2 years it has been. He is such a little character.

2 years for little James is:

barely talking, very busy, very strong, and stubborn. giving lots of kisses, hugs, still loving to cuddle, reading books, and dancing to music. yelling 'no!', scared of strangers, adoring, watching, and copying older brother Daniel, and kissing little brother Andrew. slightly OCD- lining cars up perfectly, making sure all doors are shut, cleaning things up right away, and preferring all things structured. a picky eater consuming mostly pancakes, fruit, cheese, crackers, and ALL things sweet. loving cars, toy story, mickey mouse, blocks, and puzzles. terrible, wonderful, and adorable at the same time.

we are so blessed to have you :)

3 months

2011-10-10T09:35:00.001-04:00

Andrew is 3 months! I have seen so many changes in him these past few weeks. He is the happiest little baby and has the sweetest disposition. He really is making this 3 kid thing pretty easy for me (well, who am I kidding? not THAT easy, but as easy as it can be). He is a good eater, almost always content, loves his brothers, and LOVES to laugh. If you look at him, he will always smile. He has the brightest little eyes that are so alert and love to stare. His little legs and tummy are getting so chubby, and we all just love to kiss and squeeze him. I think it amazing how more relaxed I am with him than I was with the other boys when they were babies, which makes things a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful. The only thing I do have to worry about is James climbing on top of him to give him 'kissee', as he calls it. It looks more like mouth to mouth, but I know his intentions are good.

We love you Andrew. Can't wait to see what fun things you will be doing in the next 3 months :)

September Trip to Utah

2011-10-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

Bryson's little sister, Lauren, got married in SLC this past month and we all flew out for the big event. And my mom & dad drove up from Las Vegas and my grandparents came all the way from Oregon to spend time with us while we were there. The weather in Park City was beautiful- cool and sunny. We tried to take advantage of the great scenery and weather by taking the boys to parks, on scenic drives, and walking in the mountains. We also went on the Alpine slide at Park City Resort (so much fun!) and my dad took Daniel on scooter rides around Main Street. When we were not out and about, we hung out in the cabin playing games, watching movies, and eating all the good food my mom makes.

And then there was the wedding- it was gorgeous! It was definitely very hectic with the boys, all the change of clothes and driving around, but it was worth it. I am so glad we got to see so much family and be part of such a fun event.

my grandma johnson meeting andrew

me and my adorable sister in laws. they came up with their babies to the cabin to work on a skit that we performed at lauren's rehearsal dinner. all 4 of these babies were born into the richards family within 4 months!

my brother nick and andrew

my dad and grandpa taking daniel fishing in park city

andrew finally meeting uncle luke (my other brother)

at the slc temple for lauren and chris' sealing

crystal, me, & shannon

with two very special little boys - daniel and my nephew jordan

the beautiful bride and groom. Is this dress gorgeous or what!? Lauren was just stunning!

my sister-in-law elyse with baby cakes

daniel loved the temple grounds. he was, however, quite upset when he found out that he could no go inside the the temple :( 8 years buddy- when you are 12!

at the reception at la caille

the whole family- even andrew had a tux!

oh my! i just cannot get enough of these two in tuxedos!

gorgeous

james & jayne at the kiddie table

who knows what these two characters were up to

james was not thrilled with taking photos

and i had to capture (even though this picture does not show him smiling) when andrew met his cousin savannah. he was so thrilled with her and could not stop staring at her beautiful face! too bad they are cousins!

my grandpa bigler

We loved our trip to Utah. Hopefully we will be back soon :)
And congrats to Lauren and Chris- we love you guys!

Andrew's Blessing

2011-10-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

I have been such a slacker about blogging recently. I have had a picture of blueberries on my blog for months now!!!

We have had a great summer and are all really enjoying having our sweet little Andrew around. It has been so wonderful to see his little personality emerge. I would say he is my most easy going baby and can often be seen with a smile on his face.

Andrew is getting so big and will be 3 months old this coming week. One of the highlights of our past few months was his blessing. We were in Utah for Bryson's sister wedding (which will be part of another post) so we decided to bless him there since so much of our family was together. Andrew was blessed by 14 men in our family- Bryson, 2 grandfathers, 3 great-grandfathers, 1 great uncle, 6 uncles, and 1 soon-to-be uncle (my sister's fiance). And ten women (aunts, great aunts, and grandmothers) where there to celebrate the day and hear the blessing.

My mom made an delicious breakfast which we ate afterwards. And it was my 30th birthday. It was a great day and I am so glad we were able to spend it with so many loved ones.

My sweet baby boy

Some of my family who blessed Andrew

the spread

my aunt Cheri, cousin christy, and grandma Bigler

My grandpa and I celebrated our birthdays together that day. He turned 72 and I turned 30 - wait, I mean 29 (haha!).

I just cannot get enough of his precious outfit!! My mom got this for the special day :)

2011-08-09T23:42:00.000-04:00

This week Daniel is in Maryland with Bryson's family at their lake house. And he is having a blast! And I have missed him so much, but the feeling does not seem to be mutual. When I asked him how he was doing, he so kindly informed me that he was "having so much fun and it was so much fun there- not boring like home". Ouch buddy! I know we have been in a state I like to call 'survival mode' since the baby has been born, but has it really been that boring?

But I have enjoyed spending some one-on-one time with James this week. Being the middle child, he definitely gets the least amount of attention. We have been going to the park, taking walks, and even ventured out the museum today :)

And this has nothing to do with my post, but we signed up for a fruit CSA this summer with some girls in my ward, and I have been LOVING all the fresh blueberries we have received. My favorite treat I have made...a blueberry cobbler from Pioneer Women. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

1 month

2011-08-05T12:10:00.002-04:00

Hey little Andrew! You are 1 month old today!! You are already smiling and making cute little noises. I think you did not get the memo that you are baby #3, because you want to be held ALL THE TIME. But I do just love to hold you (when I can) because you are oh so precious and cuddly.

Happy 1 month! We love you so much.

And the photo shoot was over as someone became a little cranky!

And someone's big brother woke up from a nap

2011-07-22T14:46:00.001-04:00

We were so happy that Bryson's sister Shannon and brother Taylor decided to come visit us and to meet Andrew. Every day that they were here, they took the boys to do fun things and helped out around the house- it was awesome! We are so thankful they came and for all that they did. We miss and love them!!

The swings at Pineway Ponds Park

What a face! We love little Jordy!!

Chunky Nathan. I could just eat his cute cheeks!

And Andrew slept the whole time until he pooped all over me, himself, and Shannon's stroller. With Daniel and James running in two different directions while I was holding a screaming, poopy baby, I realized that I may never be able to go the park with these three alone!!! Yikes!!

Andrew's first 'real' bath in his new Puj Tub from Auntie Shan and Uncle Tay.

brotherly love

2011-07-16T17:19:00.000-04:00

There is no doubt that James and Daniel love their new brother!

Andrew looks like he is begging for someone to help him!

Good thing grandma was there to save him!

And speaking of grandma, she left a few days ago. We miss her so much!!

4th of July

2011-07-15T14:38:00.000-04:00

Since little Andrew came the morning of the 5th, I did not get a chance to post our 4th of July pics. Despite the fact that I was DYING to have the baby, we had a great day with delicious food, surrounded by loved ones. It was a great way to celebrate our beautiful country :)

Our First Week With Andrew

2011-07-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

Baby Andrew turned 1 week old yesterday, and we have just loved having him here with us. He is a beautiful, sweet, and content baby. The boys have been so sweet to him and have shown him so much love (even though their 'gentle' kisses and hugs can be a bit rough!).

His birth was wonderful. We had celebrated the 4th of July as a family the day before and I was aching for him to finally come (he was 6 days late!). Maybe it was the fireworks from the night before that got things going, but around 4 AM the next morning, I started having contractions. Bryson was (of course) working at the hospital and was gone, but luckily around 8:30 AM I had my mom and sister take me to the hospital. By 10:00 AM I was in a labor and delivery room. And around 11:15 they popped my water. It only took about 5 contractions and he was delivered! It was awesome!

Andrew came out screaming, and he definitely lets you know when he is cold or hungry. But when his needs are met, he is a perfect little guy :)

Here are some more pictures from his wonderful birthday:

In triage with mom and Steph

A few hours later (at 11:47 AM) Andrew is finally here!

8 pounds 11 ounces- he was a big boy!

Then big brother #1 and big brother #2 came. They were both very curious about their new baby.

And Nick and Dad came to visit as well

One BIG happy family!! We are so blessed to have Andrew here!
I love all my boys :)

Baby Andrew is Here!

2011-07-11T06:44:00.007-04:00

Introducing the newest member of our family:

Andrew Bigler Richards

Born July 5th, 2011

at 11:47 AM

8 pounds 11 oz.

21 inches

We are all in love with him and doing well!!

Due Tomorrow?!! What!!?

2011-06-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

I am sure if you have looked at my 'baby ticker' located to the right of my post, but if you do, you will see that I am due tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow! I am having a hard time believing this myself. This pregnancy has flown by for me!! Minus the first trimester, in which I felt sick pretty much all the time until around 18 weeks, this pregnancy has been great. I am really tired right now, but feel good otherwise.

We are all so excited to meet this little guy. We have a few names we like, but spending time with our babies seems to help us decide on the name (that, and the pressure of having to fill out a birth certificate before we walk out the hospital!).

Daniel is so excited. He asks me 4 or 5 times a day when his brother will be here. He want to touch my belly and will often talk to the baby. He has mentioned how he wants to hold the baby and feed him. He even offered to change his diapers, but specified only the "pee pee ones, not the poo poos". I know he will be a great help and will be gentle and loving with our new little guy.

James is a different story. He is very gentle with babies and is curious about them, but at 20 months, he still prefers me and walks around the house calling "mamma!" all the time (to make sure I am nearby). James wants to be held, wants to me hold his hand every where we go, and gets very jealous when I hold other babies. This could be interesting!

Here is a cute pic of my little Jamesie from a few weeks ago while he was asleep:

He is the sweetest little guy, and I know he and baby #3 will be great buddies, but bringing home a new baby will probably be a little hard on him for a few weeks (or months- maybe years, but hopefully weeks!).

Well, we will keep you updated. My mom flies into town tonight with my sister Stephanie. I am so excited to have them here, and SO SO SO excited to meet this sweet little baby who has been kicking me for months and months!!!

D.C and a Wedding

2011-06-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

Even though I was only 2 weeks away from my due date when we left, we decided to head down to D.C. to see Bryson's family and my sister Kate and her family. I was a little nervous to make the trip, but am SO glad we did.

We first stopped in Allentown, PA to see Shannon, Kevin, Jordan, and their new baby Nathan. I am kicking myself that I did not take any photos, but Nathan is the cutest thing ever. He is just beautiful and as chubby as can be.

Jordan and Daniel had so much together. In fact, Daniel said this was the 'best trip ever' because he got to see both his cousin Jordan and Tommy.

It was fun seeing Allentown and I loved Shannon's new place. We were so grateful that they let us stay with them!

Two buddies with their pillow pets. They had a 'slumber party' the night were there in the living room and I think they fell asleep around 11 and woke up at 5:30!

Shannon took us to the Crayola Factory. The boys really enjoyed all the painting, coloring, and the play-dough.

Katy was in town as her brother-in-law was getting married to a girl from Bryson's home ward in D.C. The wedding was so fabulous and I am so happy for Lyndsay and James! The night before they held a rehearsal dinner at a beautiful barn north of D.C. The kids had a great time playing outside and looking at the horses.

Daniel was still pretty tired from all the fun cousin activities, but this is the only photo I took of him and his cousin Tommy. He ended up having a great night despite a few meltdowns.

My gorgeous sister Katy and her hubby Justin

Kate and I at the wedding the next night

My niece Lizzy. She was the most beautiful flower girl and we had the best time dancing together that night.

Me with Katie Hillstead and Hilary Connelly- two friends from BYU.

And I also was able to meet my new niece Savannah (and I did not get any photo of her as well!!). She is so tiny, petite, and beautiful. I wish I could have held her more, but James would cry every time I had her in my arms.

Spring Stay-cation & A few other fun events

2011-06-23T22:52:00.000-04:00

Bryson had a week off this spring and for the first time we decided to stay close to home during his time off. Most of the time we just hung out together (something that does not happen enough around here with his crazy schedule) but we did go to the Great Wolf Lodge in Canada for a few days. The weather was cold and rainy the whole week, so the indoor water park was a perfect getaway for us.

We stopped to see Niagara Falls. It was really beautiful (and a little nerve wracking with James), but so misty that we could barely see the falls.

The lodge is perfect for kids. There are talking animals, put put golf, game and craft rooms, and of course, a huge indoor water park!

Our room had a 'cub den' with a little TV just for the boys. They thought it was awesome to have their own little space.

They could not wait to get inside

At night we ate at a huge buffet followed by a story time for the kids

They were both so exhausted by the end. It was such a great trip :)

The following weekend we made our annual visit to the Rochester Lilac Festival. The flowers were gorgeous this year!

We loved seeing Music Man at Geva theater with our friends the Mudricks and the Vaiseys. The play was great and the company even better :)

And we made many visit down to the pond near our house to look at the baby goslings. Daniel loved doing this until one afternoon one of the mommy geese chased him down on his bike while hissing at him. He was so terrified after the incident that he has not wanted to go back since!

And Taylor (Bryson's brother) came for a visit. It was so great seeing him!

And last, but not least, Daniel's preschool had a field trip the zoo. It was such a great day and the perfect way to end an awesome school year.

Father's Day

2011-06-22T15:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day Bryson! I don't talk about him often on this blog since it is mostly about the kiddos, but I want him to know that I think he is an incredible father to our boys. Father's Day was pretty low key this year, but we did have a fun evening walking along the beach of Lake Ontario while the boys threw sea shells and rocks into the water. I love you Bryson and am so lucky that you are such a wonderful dad!

And a father's day tribute would not be complete without mentioning my own dad. He is the best, and I love him so much!! Love you dad!!!

Thank you for all you do :)

4th Birthday!

2011-06-21T01:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to...Daniel!!!

We just loved celebrating his 4th birthday a few weeks ago.

Here are some of the highlights from the celebrations:

The family party on his actual birthday, June 1st.

My mom flew all the way from LV that day to be with him on his special day. In fact, she has been to EVERY birth and birthday for the boys. She is an awesome grandma!!

That Saturday we had his friend party. We 16 kids there and it could not have been more fun!

The party was at a sports complex where the kids got to run, play games, and go through obstacle courses. They even had their own 'coach' whose name was Tyler. This was awesome for me as he had the kids doing so many fun things and I got to watch and take pictures :) Daniel was in heaven and told me over and over how "awesome" his party was.

The party ended with a dinosaur pinata (the theme, as you may have noticed, was Dinosaurs). It topped off a great party for such a special little guy!!

4 Years!!

2011-06-01T14:22:00.002-04:00

(this morning during our birthday donut outing)

Dear Daniel,

Are you really 4 years old today? And how did you become so sweet, funny, mature, and such a good older brother (soon to be older brother to 2 boys :)? These 4 years have been so much fun! You bring so much joy to my life (and your dad's) and we really say all the time "we are so blessed to have him (and James too!)".

Your grandma Bigler is flying across the country as we speak to spend this day with you. And we had such a great morning getting donuts and playing together outside. Tonight you requested macaroni and cheese for dinner and we will have (of course) have cupcakes, ice cream, and presents.

I love you so much and hope you have the best birthday!!!

xoxo,

Your mommy

2011-05-10T15:56:00.002-04:00

Bryson and I received a nice camera as a graduation gift from my parents 3 years ago. But I am embarrassed to say that I have only skimmed through the manual once and have NEVER taken it off Auto. Sometimes my photos turn out well, but most of the time they are pretty average.

Lucky for me, my friend Jeanette (or the photographer extraordinaire, as I like to call her- check out her work @ http://jnealphotography.com/) took the time to sit with me for a few minutes to give me a much needed lesson.

We had 4 crazy kiddos running around, so the photography class was pretty short, but she was able to help me so much!! My photography is still very much a work in progress, but at least I have some clue as to what I am doing, and am inspired by her to take better photos.

Here are a few from the 'lesson':

Our subject #1 started out looking rather dark and dreary.

She then showed me how to use my ISO setting (and a few other things that I probably would not be able to explain very well). I had to play with it a little. This one I took was way overexposed.

This one turned out beautifully (maybe a little dark)

As did this

Don't you want to eat one of these? Delicious photo!

My favorite color

And this is the mischief that our children got into during the lesson. Despite the fact that we had to hose them off afterwards, it was well worth it. Thanks Jeanette!!

Although this picture did not turn out that well (Daniel is looking down for goodness sakes!) it goes along with a good story. We gave Daniel this bike as an early birthday present so he could get some use out of it this summer (since 'summer' is only a few short months here). The day after he got it, he came into my room at 6:55 AM, dressed and with his helmet on to wake me up. He said "mom, I'm all ready to ride my new bike today!". It was pretty cold outside, but how could I say no to that?http://jnealphotography.com/

Mothers

2011-05-07T16:06:00.000-04:00

I will admit that I am still figuring out this whole 'mothering' thing, but I have decided that it is a pretty great role. It is not for the faint of heart (lots of pain, poop, screaming, exhaustion, and worrying) but I feel more joy and satisfaction in watching my two little boys just play (on any typical day) than I do in everything else I have accomplished in my life combined.

I feel very blessed to be so supported in this role. I have a wonderful mother who has always been such an incredible example to me, and sisters, sister-in-laws, and a mother-in-law who all shine in their roles as mothers. Not to mention my very loving grandmas (and great grandmas) that have shaped my life and taught me so much. In fact, I know we all come from a long lineage of women who have contributed to our ability to rear our children.

I am also very blessed to have been raised in a religion that praises women and their roles as mothers. I have been taught since I was very young that raising children is nothing short of divine.

And even though it is Mother's Day, I, of course, have to attribute so much what I am able to do as a mom to the love and support shown to me by my husband. It is a combined effort and we make a good team.

And I want to tell all of my friends how impressed I am by you. I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many great moms who set such good examples and are inspiring me.

Again, I want to thank my mother for all that she has done and continues to do. I realize from watching her that being a mother is truly a life-long (even eternal) calling as my mom still takes care of me and my family in so many ways.

To all mothers:

Thank you for all you do!

My beautiful mother who means everything to me

My pride and joy

My amazing sister (one of two, but Steph is not yet a mom :)whose friendship, advise, and help I could not live without.

My very lovely mother-in-law

My very awesome sister-in-laws (minus two, Lauren & Elyse, who are also awesome, but do not have kids and are not pictured)

I hope you all enjoy your day tomorrow!

2011-05-06T16:26:00.001-04:00

Bath time is a nightly ritual in our home (unless it has been a crazier than normal night). The boys NEVER seem to tire of bubble baths, playing with their bath toys, and then jumping on my bed naked. It is a blissful time for all of us. The boys get to be clothes free (always a favorite), and I have the assurance that my sweet & crazy boys will soon be in their beds, clean with warm jammies. It is a good time of day around here :)

I happened to have my camera in my room a few nights ago and snapped these photos:

Good Night!

Easter

2011-04-27T16:23:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter!

Despite chilly/rainy weather, we had a great 'Easter week' here in Rochester. Two egg hunts, cookie decorating, egg decorating, and a wonderful Sunday filled our Easter holiday this year.

Sunday was the best day, although it started out a little rocky. Bryson had to round that morning but thought he would be home before the boys woke up. Of course it was 8:00 AM and Bryson was no where in sight. I quickly made a note (from the Easter Bunny) that I showed Daniel. The note said that he was going to stop by and leave the baskets of goodies while we were at church. Luckily Daniel had no problem with the new plan. so I got the boys dressed and we were out the door. But when I opened the garage door, my car (with my car seats) was gone! Bryson had taken it to work thinking he would be back before church.

I had some gifts that I thought were going to be given to the recent Primary graduates during sacrament (they did not end needing them this week) so I felt like I had to be there. We live about 1.5 miles from the church, so I buckled both boys into seat belts and just prayed that they would stay in them (and that I would not get pulled over!). I looked back and Daniel was sitting like a little angel while James was jumping around in the back seat!! So I reached back and used one arm to hold him and the other to drive (sounds safe- huh?). Amazingly we arrived there in once piece, but I am sure I looked pretty frazzled walking into sacrament.

It was such a beautiful meeting, filled with music and a wonderful narration of the atonement. And I was very touched during sharing time in Primary when my friend Trista told the children the story of Christ, the atonement, and the events leading up to the atonement. I know that all those children (including little Daniel) and the adults felt the Savior's love for them after the lesson.

We came home and Bryson had laid out the Easter baskets for the boys. They were so excited to open them! And we had a small, but nice dinner that night as a family. It was a wonderful day.

Here is our first Easter egg hunt, which was at the church:

Daniel was very excited to find an egg with silly putty in it

James did not quite get the whole 'hunt' idea. He was not interested in finding eggs. He only wanted to take Daniel's eggs, throw and then eat the candy.

Daniel loved making egg and bunny cookies. I think he licked and ate most the frosting, but some of it made it onto the cookies.

Easter egg hunt #2 was at the Teran's. The kids had a blast and the lunch spread was very yummy.

Here are the baskets that the bunny left for us during church. Daniel noted that the Easter Bunny was "very sneaky".

I think his favorite item from the basket was his new "fishing net". Gotta love the dollar bins at Target!

And he asked me to take a picture of him eating his candy

We could not get any good photos of busy James. It was nap time, and he was too excited about his new toys.

But our model Daniel is always excited about posing for the camera!

So I have to say that I feel weird posting solo pics of me on the blog. I just wanted to show that I am 31 weeks along and feeling pretty good (as good as you can feel during 3rd trimester).

This one shows the baby bump a little better :)

We are all getting excited for baby boy # 3. I keep hearing about how difficult life becomes once the 3rd child comes, so as much as I am dying to meet this little guy, I have been trying to enjoy the 'easy' life of having only 2!

18 Months

2011-04-21T13:58:00.001-04:00

Little James just turned 18 months. 18 months?! Wow...no one could have prepared me for how fast this year and a half has gone. He is such a character! A man of little words and a LOT of action, James constantly keeps us on our toes. He seems so much more 'baby-ish' than Daniel was at this age. Maybe it is because he still has no hair and does not really talk. Or maybe it is because he is still so attached to his 'mamma'. Whatever it is, we love our baby James- to pieces!

James, here is a little bit about you at 18 months that I want to remember forever:

You LOVE to eat. I would say you spend a majority of your time standing by the pantry, waiting for me to give you a snack. You usually finish your meal and then ask to eat the rest of Daniel's.

You want to do everything on your own.

You love to tackle (we call it the hug & knock down) your older brother. This is ok until we go out and public and you start to do this to other kids. They don't seem to like it as much as Daniel does.

Outside is your favorite place. Even when it is really cold, you don't seem to mind. And riding in the wagon is your absolute favorite mode of transportation.

You love cars and dinosaurs. And you have pretty much perfected your animal growl.

You are AMAZING at going down the stairs. You can slide down on your tummy faster than anyone could run down the stairs. And you have been doing this for a long time.

You don't seem to notice when you smack your head or smash your hands in things. You are one tough cookie.

Screaming at the top of your lungs is your newest tactic when you don't get your way. I really hope this phase does not last long!

You love 'backpack'. This is what we call a piggy back ride in our house. You get behind me and cry for 'ba-pa' when you want a ride.

Here is your vocab so far:

Boo boo (book)
Caa (car)
Do Do (Dog)
Mine (which you often yell at Daniel when he takes your toys)
No
Out
Die- soor (dinosaur- and then you growl like one)
Coo moo (come one!)
Sie Sie (outside)
Hi Dadda! (which you yell with your arms up in the air every time Bryson walks in the room - and sometimes you welcome me and other people this way too!)
Show (yes...you love 'shows' or tv. You won't watch it for very long, but ask for it when you are tired. Sadly, this may be one your best pronounced words!)
You also like to moo like a cow. This is the only animal sound you seem to care to know.

You just love to play. Our basement is filled with toys, and you can keep yourself busy for hours just playing quietly down there. I hope you keep this up for when baby #3 comes :)

Your newest obsession is the toilet (yuck). You love to throw anything you can get your little hands on into it. Yesterday I found your pacifier and a toy car. Both went into the trash once I got them out.

One of my favorite things about you is how much you enjoy being read to. You could sit on my lap forever while we look at books. You have your favorite ones and often just want to read those over and over. At night we will read to you, and then just keep your light on in your room and put books in your bed. You will read for 5-10 minutes and then fall asleep. Then I sneak back in, turn your light off, and kiss you goodnight. There is no sweeter sight than you cuddled up in your crib.

Some photos from the past week:

And yes...I could eat this little face (and smother it with kisses). Love you Jamesie!

preschool

2011-04-14T16:28:00.000-04:00

Last night I attended a Relief Society enrichment on record keeping. Some of the talented women in my ward shared their ideas and tips for journaling, blogging, and photography, and I left feeling very inspired last night.

One of the ideas presented was to take photos to capture events that will never happen again. I guess today was one of those events. Daniel is involved in a co-op preschool this year, which means I take turns with 4 other moms (AMAZING moms, may I add) teaching our 3 & 4 year old kids. I have been pregnant pretty much the entire 'school year' and James is becoming more and more of an unruly student, but it has been such a treat to spend time and teach these very awesome 5 kids (well, 6 if you count little James:)

This morning I woke up and thought, "Oh man, 3 hours of craziness- here we go!". But somehow just being with these kids makes me so excited about, well, just being. They are so intrigued by everything and so eager to learn and explore. They are at such a tender and wonderful age, so as much as I have been tired, I feel really grateful for my opportunity to be part of this co-op this year.

Here are a few photos from this very 'energetic' morning:

working on the craft of the day

James seems to just want to eat all during preschool....whatever keeps him happy! And poor kid- I was so busy with the kids that I forgot to snap his onesie after I changed him. :)

After their craft and snack, the kids and I went on a little nature walk around the neighborhood. Can you tell they were just a little excited to be outdoors?!

And the nature walk ended up being more like a nature run. And I am not exactly sure how much nature was really seen, but they had fun.

James trailing behind with his sippy cup in mouth

Laughing about the new door knob decor that they made before their moms came to pick them up.

And after that...James and I took a nap and Daniel, well, he watched a movie. I have been trying not to prop him in front of the TV in the afternoon (for many reasons, one being he colored all over my couch in pen last time I did this), but I needed a little rest after all this!
It was a great morning. Yeah preschool!

2011-04-10T20:09:00.001-04:00

I think Saturday may have been the unofficial first day of real spring (meaning it was warmer than 40 for once this winter!). We took full advantage of the great weather and spent pretty much the whole day outside.

Daniel with his gal pal Lena

We are not sure what James is doing

The highlight of Daniel's day was going over to our friend's, the Neals, house to play with their new baby chicks. Daniel & his buddy Isaac were kissing and cuddling them- so cute!

And this picture just sums up what bath time is like in our house- lots of toys, boys, and growling.

2011-04-03T19:03:00.000-04:00

A few days ago Daniel found my camera and went around the house doing his very on 'photo shoot'. The funny thing is that I did not know he had taken any photos until I was looking at the pictures on my chip (which made me laugh so hard!!). I am not sure where I was while he was doing this (maybe getting ready for the day while James took a nap? I obviously was not paying enough attention to him) but he was pretty sneaky. I have to say that some of his photos are much better than ones that I take!! Great work Daniel. You are so funny :)

This one is from his underwear. Can you guess who it is?

I love this one because his little toes are in it!

Bubbles!

A picture of our yard

A leftover wrapper from a snack

This is from his 'Cars' stool in his bathroom.

A candle.

Daniel is currently booking photo shoots for this spring. Just e-mail me if you are interested!! Haha!

We had a great day today watching conference....you gotta love watching church in your pajamas on TV. We had a yummy breakfast and then took the boys on a wagon ride to the playground before the first session started. The talks were great (as always) and it felt wonderful to relax at home together as a family :)

2011-04-02T21:48:00.000-04:00

The surgery went really well. It actually only took 20 minutes (which felt like an eternity in the waiting room) but the doctor successfully inserted the tubes into his tear ducts.

The hardest part was the few minutes leading up to the surgery when we were waiting for the nurses to take him to the OR. James was so upset because he wanted to eat breakfast (he had to fast from the previous night) and have some juice. Luckily the nursing staff was awesome at the surgical center. They had a closet full of toys for James to choose from (he selected the Zhu Zhu pet) and a wagon for me to pull him around to distract him.

He was very upset for a few hours after waking up from anesthesia, but after a good nap that afternoon he was pretty much his regular, happy little self. We are just so grateful everything went well and that he is happy and healthy!

Here are a few photos from the day of his surgery (the quality is really poor as we did not have a good camera):

They brought us back to see him right after his surgery. I have never been so happy to see little James! It was the most wonderful feeling to just hold him (he never lets me do this at home! The one 'positive' thing about anesthesia!)

And he is back to his regular crazy & cute self!!

Thanks to all the friends who helped watch Daniel during James's appointments and the surgery and for the sweet phone calls/texts from friends and family :)

2011-03-29T15:36:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow sweet little James is having surgery. It is a very minor operation (as far as surgeries go) that only takes about 20 minutes, but I am still (being a normal mother) really nervous about it all. His eyes have always watered and it is because his tear ducts are not properly developed, so they are going to open them and insert tubes into both ducts to allow the fluid from his eyes to drain through those instead of running down is face all day long. The pediatric ophthalmologist also determined that he is near-sited, which may be caused by excess fluid on his eye.

I have noticed that his eyes have actually been getting better these past few weeks, so as we have been getting closer to his surgical date, I have been questioning if this is something that we really even needed to do.

I have been praying to know what to do, and called his doctor yesterday to see if he could test his eyes one more time before his surgery. I feel like my prayers were answered as today his eyes have watered ALL day long, and his test came pack positive (meaning his ducts were not functioning) at the doctors this morning. So I feel good about this and we are all set for tomorrow. I feel badly for him as he has no idea what is going on, but I know he will be ok and it will be wonderful for him not to have to deal with watery eyes all the time and hopefully his astigmatism will correct itself soon. We will give you an update soon!

2011-03-28T21:51:00.001-04:00

A few weekends ago I had the amazing opportunity to go to NYC without the kids!! I have to thank my sweet hubby Bryson for watching them while I had some 'girl' time in the big apple. He did get to go skiing for a few days after I returned from my trip, but it was still SO wonderful to get away for a few days! The weather was perfect (50's & 60's), the food was divine, and I had so much fun catching up with some great friends and family.

The first night I spent the evening with Bryson's cousins Katie & Emily. I feel like they are my cousins as well since I just adore both of them. I did not get a photo of them, but took one of their adorable kids Davey, Alie, Charlie, & Cami. It was a great night and I was so glad to spend some time with them.

My dear friend Marylynn was so awesome to let me stay with her a few nights. I loved walking around the city with her and little Zoe. Marylynn took us to the MOST amazing pizza place call Keste. We ordered the most divine pizzas- one with this out of this world cheese and the other was with prosciutto and arugula- yum!!

She also took me to Mario Batali's newest place in the city called Etalia. It is a restaurant/market for all things Italian.

The next day my dear friend Anna flew in from Denver to hang out. We went on study abroad to London together and have been great friends ever since. I had not seen her in years and just LOVED catching up with her.

Anna and I braved crazy Canal Street and then met up with Marylynn for brunch at Bubby's. It was the BEST salmon benedict I have ever eaten (served with homemade scones and jam). Can you tell I have missed NYC food? I was in heaven eating all the good food again!

Of course I had to make a quick stop at 420 E. 70th Street which is where Bryson and I called home for 4 years. The 'Lasdon House' still looks exactly the same. I have so many good memories on this street!

We had the best afternoon walking around the Met

Afterwards we stopped and got a 'few' desserts. A cookie at Levain Bakery (not pictured) and then we stopped at a few chocolate shops along the UWS.

And I had to get a vanilla vanilla at Magnolia Bakery

One night we decided to see a movie (spontaneously). It was treat because it was Jane Erye (not something Bryson would have really loved to see with me) and we were kidless so we went to a late show at the Lincoln Center Theaters. Outside the theater they had the actual dress and suit that Jane and Mr. Rochester wore in the movie. And FYI...the movie was great.

On the probably the coldest morning we decide to ride on the Staten Island Ferry. I loved the amazing views of the city.

I had the BEST time!!! And miss Anna, Marylynn, Katie & Emily already. I definitely thought of my boys about every other minute, but it was very rejuvenating having some time off from my 'mom job'.

And this is very off the subject, but I justed want to mention that Bryson's sisters Shannon & Crystal had their babies this past week!!! It has been a very exciting time for the Richards family. Shannon gave birth to a very handsome boy named Nathan last Wed. night. Then the following night Crystal had baby Savannah (who is gorgeous and has lots of beautiful blonde hair!). We are so excited for them both, and I wish more than anything I was in D.C. to hold my new nephew and niece!!