Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

Well, it finally happened. On December 9th we finally got our first snowfall here in Rochester, MN. While no one truly loves the snow, I have to say that I am very glad it's here. It really makes things feel more festive and holidayish to have a coating of bright, white snow on the ground.

We spent our afternoon yesterday playing in the snow with our little boy. We are officially calling this his first snow experience since he was clearly too little to enjoy and/or remember it last year. In a word, it was priceless. Pretty sure that Ryder thought snow was the coolest thing, ever! Jason waiting to take him outside until I got up (I worked overnights all weekend so I had to sleep for a few hours when I got home yesterday morning) which was so thoughtful of him. He knew that I didn't want to miss a moment of Ryder's first time in the snow.

I crawled out of bed around 2pm, which coincided perfectly with Ryder as he was waking up from his nap at the same time. After shaking the cobwebs out of my brain I quickly threw on some warm clothes and boots before getting little man ready for the snow. We were expecting a full out battle trying to get him all bundled up in his snowpants and boots but surprisingly he didn't mind at all. He sat patiently while we got him dressed up, and then it was go time!

Looking pretty cute in his new snow pants!

Not sure what to think at this point...

 I have to say, our little man looked pretty darn cute all bundled up in his snow gear. His first few steps with his snow boots on were a little sketchy, but after he got the hang of it he did great. It was only a couple of minutes before he was running around like a crazy person! While we were outside we helped daddy shovel the snow off of the deck and sidewalk. We also visited the neighbors. And, of course, I took an obscene amount of pictures! We were able to get some great pictures for our 2012 Christmas cards, though, so it was all worth it.

I hope that you are all enjoying the snow as much as we are. Much Love - Danielle

This was Ryder's reaction when I asked him what he thought about the snow...

Already throwing snowballs at mommy!

Loving the snow!

First snow angel

Where to Begin?

...

That is the magic question, isn't it? Because, after all, it's been MONTHS since I have updated this thing. And let me tell you, a LOT has changed in those months (which is probably why I have strayed off track from the blogging world...). I got a new job, I entered graduate school, and our growing little baby has officially made the transition to incredibly busy toddler. Oh, and we got a cat! <-- More to come on that later...

Life has been a whirlwind. Life has been crazy. Life has been wonderful!

I'm working night shifts this weekend so am planning to use my down-time (if I get any) to listen to Frank Sinatra croon on my Pandora holiday station and update this silly blog. Stay tuned.

Much Love - Danielle

Baby Lake Preview Post

As I prepare to write a formal post about our week at the cabin in July I thought I'd start by giving you all a little teaser post...

Our week at the cabin was wonderful. It only rained once and when it did rain it was a major storm leading to lights out at the cabin. No one went to the emergency room. It was hot, hot, HOT and the mosquitoes were hungry little devils. All in all it was a complete success!

Boys will be boys...

Just a few shots of my baby boy who is no longer a baby really. I swear this kid becomes more and more of a toddler each and every day. Where did my sweet little baby go? The trade off: he now gives me kisses when I ask for them.

My heart...

These pictures pretty much some up the title to this post...These two guys (and our not-so-small dog, too) are truly my heart.  I knew pretty early on in my relationship with my husband that he was the one for me.

Story time with daddy while "big sister" naps

This is a good story, mama! Don't tell daddy that I'm not paying attention!!!

The story of how my loves came to be:

After only 6 months of dating we dropped the "L-bomb" on one another and I meant it 110%. Exactly one year after exchanging "I Love You" with one another Jason popped the question. And one year (+ 9 days) after that we became husband and wife. (I told you we have a thing for the month of June!)...

Jason just gets me. He makes me smile and laugh even when I'm in the worst possible mood. He listens to me even when he has no idea what I'm talking about. He puts up with me even when I'm being super difficult. He puts up with me and accepts me for who I am. He tells me that I'm beautiful and doesn't notice (or care) when I put on a few pounds or spend the day in sweats. He just loves me. What more can a girl ask for?

Now on to Prudence Lucille: About a year and a half after Jason and I started dating we became "parents" to our Great Dane, Prudence, and let me tell you, it was love at first site. Seriously, how can you not love that little face.

I can still remember the first time I saw her little face on Due North Ranch's website. We weren't in the market for a dog for ourselves at that time. You see, my in-laws 2 year old Dane, Conrad, had recently passed away so I was on the search for a new dog for them, and there she was...Here we are 4 years later and she is seriously the best dog that I have ever been around. She is loyal, loving, protective, and very goofy at times. Most importantly she loves Ryder and she is constantly watching over her "little brother".

And my goodness this dog is patient. Some of Ryder's favorite hobbies include sitting on his dog, yelling at his dog, hitting his dog with whatever random toy happens to be in his hand, feeding his dog from his highchair, sharing his paci and other toys with his dog, and just lounging around the house with his dog. I say "his dog" because that what she has become. Prudence used to be a total mama's girl but since Ryder has come into the picture everything has changed. While she still loves her mama, on most days Prudence only has eyes for our little Roo.



And then there's Ryder. I don't need to get into the details of how that little monster came about. You can read all about it here - Ryder's birth story. Becoming a mother puts a whole new spin on the "love at first site" phenomenon. You think you know what it means to love someone/something and then your child is born and you better watch out because that amount of love is going to knock you right on your butt (in a good way, of course). I've been thinking of how to put into words my love and feelings for Ryder but the truth of the matter is this: there are NO words in this universe that could even come close to explaining how I feel about that little boy. He is my whole world. My reason for being. My purpose. My heart.

Celebrations...

June is by far my favorite month of the year, and not just because it's the beginning of summer (don't get me wrong, I do love summer), but rather because June is so full of celebrations for our family. June is the month that Jason, myself, and a few other important people - and one important dog - celebrate birthdays. It is also the month in which we celebrate our wedding anniversary. 

Jason and I have always thought it was pretty cool that so many important dates fell in the month of June. In fact, when I was pregnant with Ryder Jason kept telling me that he hoped Ryder would be born late (his due date was May 30th) so that Ryder could have a June birthday like the rest of us! He obviously wasn't the pregnant one and thankfully Ryder came 8 days early and not 8 days late!

June 4th - the anniversary of the very first time Jason told me he loved me!
June 11th - Jason's Birthday (he turned 33 this year)

Angel Food cake with Cool Whip frosting.

June 13th - Our Wedding Anniversary (can you believe it's already been 3 years!)

I hate roses, but it's the thought that counts & this is the first time Jason has EVER gotten me flowers!

Anniversary dinner: Burbon Maple pork tenderloin, steamed broccoli,  grilled asparagus, and baked potatoes.

June 15th - My nephew Ben's birthday (he turned 6 this year)

June 18th - Our Great Dane Prudence's birthday (she turned 4 this year)

Isn't she beautiful!

June 21st - My sister and brother-in-laws anniversary (9 years for them already)

June 21st - My BFF Heidi's birthday (the big 2-7 this year)

June 23rd - MY BIRTHDAY!!! (I turn 27 this year, too) - this year we get an added bonus on my party and a big ol' party to boot! Jason's sister Melissa got married in Vegas this March; they will be having their wedding reception this coming Saturday which just so happens to be my birthday! Should be a heck of a good time at their "Redneck Wedding Reception". I can't wait!

So as you can see, June is pretty darn awesome (I hope I didn't forget anything...). Upcoming posts: Ryder's birthday party, Lyndie's bachelorette party, and the "Redneck Wedding". 

And here's a picture of Ryder just because we can't have a post without my little Roo Roo's adorable face!

I don't think I like this hat, mom!

Much Love, Danielle

Mommy's laundry helper - 06/04/2012

Getting SO big! - 06/04/2012

Just a quick post to show off my little Ryder Roo. Mommy is working night shifts Monday and Tuesday this week which meant we got to spend all day together Monday. I always love the day before my first night shift because it is full of playtime and cuddles (and laundry today). Ryder even let me have 2 naps with him!

Hope the beginning of everyone's week is going well, also!

Much Love, Danielle

"Date Night"

What our Saturday night looked like...

Ice cold beer + LOTS of green olives = Perfection! - 06/02/2012

RELAX Riesling (one of my favorites) - 06/02/2012

We were never really ones to "go out" on the weekends, and we've pretty much always been more of the homebody types, but with the arrival of our little guy last May our options for "going out" have really changed. Sure, we could get a sitter, but we just don't want to. Bottom line is this: we like being home with our little guy, just the 3 of us. Now I'm not saying that it's wrong to get a sitter or that parents who do that are some how not good parents...It's just not for us...well really, it's just not for me!

In the 12 1/2 months since Ryder came into our lives I have left him 2 times (other than work). Only 2 times! The first time was for a wedding that I was in, and fortunately that wedding took place in town so I was only really away from him for a few hours. The second time was to go to a movie, and I literally went to the movie and went straight home. Pathetic...yes! I know deep down that it is unhealthy for me to have not gotten a sitter or gone on a "date night" with the hubs, etc, but I just don't want to do those things. What I do want to do is sit home with my baby, my hubby, and our dog.

So, what did we do Saturday night? After spending all day Saturday playing outside and doing yard-work we had a delicious meal, but our angel to bed, and then the hubs and I spent a couple hours relaxing on our deck (baby monitor near by of course!). We have decided that this will be our "date night" and we will make it a priority to do things like this more often (we're 2 for 2 Saturdays already). It was so great to take the time to sit down as a couple and reconnect, and it was even better being able to do this without worrying about if Ryder was okay or if he was sleeping, etc, etc.

In conclusion, "date night" is what you make it. For some it includes going out to dinner. For others, a movie. For us, we go to our deck. We sit in our awesomely colored, floral cushions, we look at the stars, we listen to the crickets, and we reconnect with each other. It's the reconnection that makes "date nights" so important. So whatever you choose to do for your "date night", do what makes you happy. Do what you enjoy. But most importantly, do it with the one you love!

Much Love, Danielle

May 2012

The caption I posted with this photograph was this: "I can't believe my baby will be 1 in less than 3 weeks :("...

May was filled with a whirlwind of emotions for this mommy and a lot of driving for our family. We went to Truman 3 of 4 weekends in May for various happenings. The first weekend's events included my family's reunion and Dana's (my SIL) prom. As usual it was great to see everyone at our family reunion, especially my great Grandma Frieda who turned 99 this year! We were able to get a semi-okay picture of the 5 living generations (will try to remember to post that picture in the near future...).

The end of the storm we drove through on our way home - 05/04/2012

I am so glad that we went to watch Dana at prom this year, because her and her boyfriend Austin won prom king and queen! Dana looked so beautiful and so happy that day. We ended up sitting behind my 10th grade prom date Brady, so it was fun to reminisce about our prom experience. I can't believe that was over 12 years ago...

Queen Dana and King Austin, THS Prom - 05/05/2012

The weekend after my reunion and prom was the one and only weekend in May that we stayed in Rochester. Can you guess why we didn't go anywhere? Yep, you guessed it, I had to work that weekend. That weekend also happened to be Mother's Day. My first Mother's Day and I had to work. In the few hours I got to spend with Ryder and Jason that weekend we went shopping for flowers and planted all of my pots. Gosh I love my flowers! They brighten up our whole yard.

My flowers! - 05/13/2012

And I got the sweetest Mosther's Day present ever, check it out:

From the bottom of my heart to the tips of my toes! - 05/13/2012

Out to lunch with Auntie Heidi - 05/16/2012

 Then came Ryder's birthday party (a whole party post is on it's way, I promise!)...We did his party at my parent's house since we had to be home that weekend for Lyndie's bridal shower. We drove home Friday night (as usual) and spent a good deal of time setting up for the party before going to bed that night. Saturday morning my mom and I drove to St. James for Lyndie's shower which was so nice! She had a great turn out and I got to meet most of the other bridesmaids. She's going to have one good looking wedding party!

Lyndie and her bridal party - 05/19/2012

After the shower we raced back to my parent's house to do final preparations for Ryder's Sesame Street birthday party. I do believe his party was a success and am already starting to think about what next years party will entail...

The smash cake! - 05/19/2012

We headed back to Rochester on Sunday of that weekend with a Jeep FULL of new toys. Ryder's new favorite is the Cozy Coupe from my parents. We put it together almost immediately after getting home that day and he was so anxious to play with it that he crawled in the body of it as we were trying to put it together. It was so cute! After we got it together he didn't want to do anything but sit in his new car.

Check out my new wheels - 05/20/201

 Within 10 minutes of playing with his new car Ryder got in his first "car crash". Our fearless little boy was unfazed by said crash and repeated this process a handful of times that day.

I was in a car crash! - 05/20/2012

Two days later and it was Ryder's actual first birthday. I spent the whole day at home with him just playing and spending lots of quality time together. Unfortunately I had to work that night; such is the life of a nurse! That weekend we went back to Truman for Dana's high school graduation. We headed back early Friday and spent most of the day cleaning and preparing for her open house. That evening we went to commencement and then back out to the Munsterman's for the big open house celebration. It was great to see everyone again that weekend, but needless to say we were pretty burnt out of being in Truman so we headed back home to Rochester on Saturday morning.

Ryder had his one year appointment on the 29th. It was a nurse-only appointment. He was measured - 23lb. 9oz., 29.5in. - and got 3 shots. He was such a brave little guy but was a total bear for 2 days after getting his shots. At first we were blaming his cranky mood on the shots until I discovered that he is getting in 2 of his 2-year molars! Once these 2 molars are in Ryder will have 12 teeth.. I am more than ready for teething to be done!

Ryder got new shoes, how cute are those! - 05/30/2012

Phew! So that was May. Thankfully we don't have to go back to Truman again until the end of June! I can't wait to spend some weekends at home, our home.

Much Love, Danielle

April 2012

Here we go with April which was only slightly more eventful than March. Ryder gained a couple more teeth and started cruising around the house using whatever he could get his hands on to use as a walker. Diaper boxes were his favorite!

Our little guy has a tupperware obsession - 04/04/2012

The sweetest face I have ever seen - 04/04/2012

Doing "guy stuff" with daddy - 04/04/2012

 We started out the month with a trip to Truman to spend Easter with Jason's family. We normally celebrate Easter with my family at my sister's house in Easter, but this year my parents decided to go to their cabin for Easter so we decided to switch things up a little. Our Easter was wonderful: good food, great family, wonderful weather.

Roo Roo's first Easter basket - 04/08/2012

The cutest Easter Bunny ever! - 04/08/2012

Crawling on the trampoline - 04/08/2012

The weekend after Easter we had a visit from some of our favorite people. Drew, Tori, and Linkin Hesse came to see us for the weekend and they brought our dear friend Tyrone with them. We had a blast hanging out with them and celebrating Drew's birthday. It's always fun to watch Ryder and Linkin play together. I can't wait to watch those 2 silly boys grow up together and I really hope they will be as good of friends as Jason and Drew.

Jason and the birthday boy - 04/14/2012

They are going to kill us for these pictures when they're teenagers! - 04/14/2012

No more pictures, mom! - 04/14/2012

Playtime! - 04/15/2012

Trying to get a good picture of these 2 is challenging, to say the least... - 04/15/2012

Our weekend with the Hesses (and Tyrone) was over way too quickly, as usual. We really hate living so far away from them and with Drew and I both having to work weekends it makes it difficult to get together. Here we are in June and we are yet to get together again. We're shooting for a weekend in August, but I'm really hoping we'll be able to find a date that's not so far away.

Lunch time - 04/18/2012

Playing with daddy's tractor that great-Grandpa Thorvald made - 04/20/2012

My future's so bright I gotta wear shades! - 04/23/2012

Cheesy smile - 04/29/2012

By the end of April Ryder was becoming much more mobile. He continued to cruise around the house using his diaper boxes for stability. He also learned that he could push the boxes to where he wanted to go and then climb on top of them to get to things. While this makes me a very nervous mommy, it is so fun to watch his wheels turn. It's amazing to watch him problem solve and figure things out.

We're in trouble now - 04/30/2012

I think I'll just climb in with my toys! - 04/30/2012

I remember feeling very overwhelmed at this time because Ryder had just turned 11 months and his first birthday was quickly approaching. It's amazing how fast this past year has gone. My friend Mackenzie said it best, "The days with be long but the weeks/months/years will be fast". I couldn't have said it better myself. Because of this I try to not take a single moment with Ryder for granted. I try to spend as much quality time with him as possible (this is probably why I have yet to get a sitter for him...) because I know he won't be little forever. My little boy is growing up...

Much Love, Danielle