Love My Family!

Kids in Costume

We didn't plan on Trick-or-Treating this year.  We went on a little trip to Cinci (more on that soon) and were planning on not getting back in time. 

Well.  We made it back in time.  In fact, JUST in time.  To the point we walked in the door, scrambled through the old costumes/dress up bin and found some pretty fun costumes.  I had some pretty things for Gwyneth (a pretty princess/a little chicken or lion/a pretty witch, etc.) but she insisted on the skeleton! 

More cake pops!

I just can’t resist these things!  Gwyneth and I made a bunch to take to preschool for her Halloween party.  It was so much fun, and we loved how they turned out!

We thought it would be fun to use a pumpkin as a holder.  We   just had to decorate it!

Gwyneth was so proud of our work, and excited to share with her friends!  We had fun making memories…and that is what it’s all about.

School Pictures!

The kids brought home their school pictures this week.  I was so excited to see them!  Funny story..  Haydn ran out of the school with his packet in his hand.  I thought, "That's a good idea!  They are usually crumpled from being in his bookbag.  They'll be nice and straight!"  He handed them over, and there were no 8X10s or the picture CD.  Anyway, long story short.  An aide found half of his pictures FACE DOWN on the BOYS' BATHROOM FLOOR!!  Oh, Haydn!  Fortunately, they were perfectly fine.  On to the pictures!

Gwyneth Rae Ridenour

Age 3

Preschool

(she looks scared!)

Hutch Warren Ridenour

Age 6

First Grade

Haydn Charles Ridenour

Age 9

Third Grade

Can't wait to cut them apart and hand them out!  (I promise I will do this promptly- I'm so bad at doing that)

The future

Cake Pops!

Our church put a baby shower on for Colleen and Peyton yesterday.  I was in charge of food, so I enlisted the help of my mom to make Cake Pops!  We had so much fun planning and making these, and I think everyone enjoyed this special touch to the shower. 

The theme was Yellow & Pink

The flavors!

The food table.  Ellen brought fruit salad.  I made homemade cheese crackers in cheddar & parmesan.  Amber made the pink punch, Michelle did the coffee punch, and Mom brought the lemonade.   I think it turned out great!  (Heather did the decorating)



Family Picture

At one of Hutch's Birthday parties, we rounded everyone up for a big old fashioned family picture!  Wow.  That's a lot of people!  Amazingly, we only had to take two!  AMAZINGLY! 

Basketball Thoughts

Morning Photo

I was just going through pictures, and I found this one of Christmas morning of my three cutie patooties.  I just thought I'd share it, even if it's a little late!

Saucer Busters

Hutch is guest posting on the blog today! (:

He specifically asked to post on "our blog", and dictated the text, set up each photo and asked pretty please!   Take it away, Hutch.

This is a trap for our dog, Rosebud.  A team is called the Saucer Busters. 

She thinks the dogs are playing a game

(see her thinking?)

and she tries to play

 and then there is a laundry basket

and then......

the dogs trap her!! 

Oh!  I think it's funny, but my mom thinks it's good.  The only thing that you need to set it up is dogs, a baby crib, a fan, a bird, and a dog toy that makes dog sounds.  The end.

Thanks, Hutch.  And, note that the trapping was theoretical.  No dogs were actually trapped in a laundry basket in the making of this post!!

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

Caleb is 16!!  Can you believe it?  I know I can't.  It's exciting and sad at the same time~

He decorated his birthday cake with Grandma Shirley (aka Nana).  She is awesome, and always comes up with great ideas for her grandkids.  What a super grandma!

 

He chose a lemon poppyseedVan Wert Cougars football cake, complete with freehand letters and numbers by Caleb, and fondant goalposts!

 Pretty amazing!

Singing Happy Birthday!

                                                        One more look at that great cake!



The Moon Endures

Admiring...

the tree!  I walked into the living room and caught Gwyneth doing this. 

Too cute!!

Oh, Christmas Trees!

We have all of our trees up, and thought we'd share them.  We've been enjoying putting only the Christmas tree lights (plus a few lamps) and listening to Handel's Messiah a lot. (Okay, maybe I enjoy it a little more than the kids!)   They prefer Jewel, Josh Groban, Bing Crosby, and Mariah Carey (OF course!) a little more.   

Anyway... I've gotten pretty much all of our gifts bought.  I'm loving online shopping this year.  You'll have some dude drop it off at my doorstep for 97cents? Yes, please!

I'm getting off track here.  Without further adeau (a deu? adieau?  adoo? adeaux?)

Our Trees..

The Living Room Tree 

All gold and silver

The Dining Room Tree

Our "Family Tree"

Red & Green and all our homemade/other ornaments

 I love this one.  Not that I don't love the others.  This one just has a special place in my heart because it a)reminds me of my tree growing up in the Lloyd household, and b) It is so fun to look back at the ornaments the kids have made so far and to see their little handprints making wreaths and what-have-you!

Gwyneth's Pink Tree

(really hard to take a picture of)

The boys' red tree

(even harder to take a good picture of!)



And there you have it!  I'm off to find something to use as a makeshift tree skirt...

Thanksgiving 2010

I Know that Thanksgiving is not about the food or the family, but giving Thanks to God. 

That being said, I pretty much only took pictures of food on Thanksgiving this year!!  We spent Thanksgiving Day lunch with the Lloyd bunch at Connie and Kevin's, and then supper with the Kemps at Butch & Bobbie's.  We ate a turkey that mom and dad raised.  Yummy!

Saturday we had John's family here at our house. Great times!

I brined my first turkey, with encouragement from my mom.  It was BY far the best turkey I've ever eaten.  Sorry everyone (:

I used Alton Brown's recipe from foodnetwork.com.   Here is the finished product.

I about died because this was the dessert table at the Lloyd gathering.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Good stuff.

This is about the only picture that I took of people.



I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, and didn't forget what it really is about.  Next year I'll try to pictorally back up what I say and focus a little less on the food!

SFR!

Scout Family Ridenour

(that's what it stands for!)

Our family made up a club this year called SFR.  It's sort of like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Big Brother/Big Sister, VBS, and a roomful of sugared up squirrels- all mixed together. (:  We meet once a week, wear our uniforms, have the pledge to the American Flag and the Bible, and pretty much think of a bunch of fun stuff we can do together and learn about together as a family.  It's basically pretty awesome!  Here is a huge cookie I made for one of our meetings... 

(note the bunny ears. Yes. He is in *that* phase!!)



Dog Fight!

Hutch wrote a post-it for the wall the other day….
(it says "dog boxers fight here")

Pumpkin Carving

I know I'm a holiday late (:  but... I thought I'd share these photos from our pumpkin carving "party"!

So much fun! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now go eat some Turkey!!!

Trouble!