Welcome to the family!!

Some may say it is too soon, but for us it was the perfect time to add to our family and with Casey's "blessing" we are proud to welcome Riley to our home!!

Born September 23, 2013 in Winston-Salem, NC, little miss Riley is a sealed reverse brindle boxer who has already won the hearts of everyone in the house. She brings such great energy, love and of course unimaginable cuteness and this little 5 pound bundle is already growing and changing before our eyes.

I will admit it has been a bit of an adjustment to be a mom to a "newborn" again, but it is all worth it when I see the joy she brings to everyone. We are working hard to train her and she is adjusting well. She has such a sweet disposition and we are excited for this new journey!!

 

 

 

Ha! That last one makes me laugh so hard...

Ghosts, Goblins, Cinderella and a Crash Test Dummy?

Halloween Fun in the burbs!

 

  

...and a small tribute to Casey girl -

 

Saying goodbye...

It has been a sad few weeks in the Grant household as we had to say goodbye to our first baby, Casey, on October 7th. Casey was an unforgettable pet, friend and playmate for over 11 years. Our little jumping bean, snuggle buddy, horsey, cone head...you can rest peacefully now and hope you know we will miss you dearly and will forever keep you in our hearts. 

Sleep well Casey girl...we love you.

 

 

 

 

School and Baseball, Baseball and School...oh my!

School is back in session and Kels Kels is in KINDERGARTEN. Can you believe it? KINDERGARTEN. Where does the time go? She loves riding the bus with her big brother and is making new friends which is so exciting!

It is so fun to watch Kelsey and Ryan grow more independent each day. To watch them both ride away on the bus takes my breath away and makes me step back and reminds me to appreciate and cherish each day with them. Of course this can be challenging with all of the sibling bickering and daily battles with homework and the daily routine, but I manage to find a minute or two to soak in these fleeting moments of pure peace and happiness amidst all the chaos.

 
With school comes all of the activities and this fall Kelsey is joining in the ranks with her brother and decided to give T-ball a try. She is a rock star and is fearless, loving every minute of the action, going up to bat, throwing and catching, and tagging people out (even though they don't call outs in T-ball). Of course she is still 4 (for a few more hours), so she does have her moments of kicking the dirt, picking flowers, and busting a move during the long games (yes, I witnessed her breaking out into a silly dance routine by herself on the field), but that is all to be expected.

 

I find such gratification just watching her be a kid and learn the game in a non-stressful/non-pressured environment which is much different than where Ryan is these days.

Ryan is playing travel ball for Richmond Elite, which is year round and involves weekend tournaments. He gets so nervous and is a perfectionist with his form, yet such a natural so I can only encourage him and hope his confidence shines through as he learns more about the game and relaxes a little (and stops worrying about everyone else and trying to impress Coach dad!)

My little babies are growing up right before my eyes and my heart breaks a little each day because I know one day I will have to let them go, so for now, I will continue to take deep breaths and will laugh under my breath at the glares, the "mean mommy" comments and the constant challenges of parenthood and will remind myself to find humor in it all!!

Many more pictures to see, click here: https://plus.google.com/photos/116296574454447859483/albums/5924401866043542513?authkey=CKGn7P2iy_GuNg


Until next time...

Swim, Sun & Fun...oh and Riding (sans training wheels)

The theme remains unchanged...mommy is tired and needs a vacation. Might sound petty, a bit selfish and quite silly since we just got back from a fabulous family vacation in Myrtle, but I am talking about the kind of vacation where I can sleep in, speak uninterrupted, float in a pool, read a book, lay by the ocean and have people wait on me. And nothing against my children who I love dearly or anyone else's children, but the kind of vacation where there are no children! Until then, the summer madness continues...

Ryan finished out the swim team, improving every time and had fun experiencing Champs which was at a pool they used for the 2008 Olympic trials in Omaha.

Just tonight Ryan said "mommy, this was the best day ever." When I asked him what made this day so special his face lit up and he said, "I made the travel team for baseball and I found a bmx bike!" So proud of the little man for making it through a weekend of baseball try outs and what a lucky little guy to have found this bike. Now we might have to give it back if someone claims it, but it has been sitting in the same spot for weeks and the neighborhood has been trying to find its owner, so instead of letting it sit there and rust away we decided it would be OK to give it a good home until someone claims it!

Kelsey also had an eventful weekend, as she had her first real sleepover. Her friend Hayden spent the night last night and overall it was a success, and it was a great experience for Kelsey as she had to learn to share and do things her guest wanted to do that she may not have normally chosen. The house was full of laughter, in between a few tears and squabbles, and the end result was two very tired little girls who decided to stay up until midnight!

Our vacation to Myrtle Beach for a week was so fun and thankfully we took Kaitlyn with us, who Kelsey adores. She was such a huge help and we are so thankful she was willing to take time out of her 16 year old life to hang out with silly people like us and help entertain our wild children. Quick synopsis: Helicopter rides, giant Ferris wheel, seeing 5-6' sharks in the ocean at the peer, pool time, beach time, boogie boarding, riding bikes on the beach at night, and so on.

The most memorable part, which I think everyone would agree, would be Kelsey learning to ride her bike without training wheels. We removed the training wheels and off she went, never looking back. Training wheels are now in some dumpster in South Carolina! I will try to post a video soon of the little speed demon on her bike. She is unstoppable!

That about sums up July, enjoy the pics below and click the link below to view the full album.
https://plus.google.com/photos/116296574454447859483/albums/5907720421059700113?authkey=CISv8vKz5u3F_QE

 

 

Summer Madness!

School just finished and a tradition at the bus stop on the last day of school is to ambush the kids with water balloons, water guns, silly string, and anything fun, wet, and messy. Ryan has 30 kids at his bus stop, so you can imagine the chaos and fun we had. Honestly I think the parents (especially the dads) had more fun than anyone! Ryan excelled this year at his new school and received straight A's which we so proud, especially with moving to a new school mid-year.

 


Ryan is on the swim team this summer and until tonight it has been a bit of a challenge. See, if you don't know Ryan that well if he doesn't feel super confident and like he is the best at something, his initial response is to resist. He would rather not do it at all instead if going in with the attitude of trying his hardest, learning to better himself for the next time and having fun. So it has been a daily challenge of reassurance, trying to figure out if he really does like it and just lacks the confidence and so on. 

His first swim meet last week was interesting as we had to be there by 7:20AM and it poured rain the ENTIRE meet and the poor swimmers were freezing and the parents all looked like wet rats. So obviously this didn't help my grand plan of trying to lift his spirits by letting him see that the meets are the best part as you get to hang out with friends, cheer on your teammates, compete and most importantly have fun! Thankfully, despite the cold, the rain and his attitude it all went well. He placed 2nd in his heat for free style improving 6 seconds which is outstanding, 4th for back stroke (even though he almost stopped 3/4 of the way through) and their relay placed 4th or 5th in their heat!

The 2nd swim meet tonight was so much fun! Ryan was a little fish in the water and improved his time in freestyle by another 3 seconds. The boy is on a roll and enjoying it so much more and I was one proud mommy when he won his heat for backstroke (as you can hear in the video below, he is in the lane closest to the camera wearing the orange cap), which was the one stroke he didn't want to do.

Possibly following in my footsteps? I saw his confidence boost in front of my teary eyes and we both had smiles on our faces that wouldn't go away. Now, I know winning is not everything and he didn't win the entire event, just his heat, but for Ryan he needed that reassurance and recognition just one time to prove to himself that he was good enough. Anything he does and tries his hardest at is good enough for me, no matter what the end result is. I guess the lesson I am trying to teach him is not to quit before you have given it your best effort. There is no such thing as perfection and you can't win them all, but you can be proud in knowing that you went out there and tried your hardest.

We also just finished the baseball season and his team made it to the playoffs. They placed 2nd and the team grew so much this season and we are all so proud of Ryan and the the boys!

Of course I have to add a little tidbit about little Kels Kels. She is a tumbling fool at gymnastics and actually agreed to wear a leotard to class. (Shhh...I secretly won a battle)

 

Busy busy...I am ready for a long vacation, or a spa day, or maybe a hair cut since it has been a year. Yes, one year. Oh the joys of being a mommy, but as much as I am tired and may moan and groan, I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Kelsey's Graduation!

Well, she did it...Kels Kels graduated from pre-school and is heading off to kindergarten soon! WHAT? Where did the time go?  Enjoy the cutest video ever and a few pics from her little graduation ceremony!