Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Hey, where'd it go?

We had our first snow day of the year here in Tennessee today. Ristow and I were very excited at the thought of actually getting to use the new sled that his Grandma and Papa got him for Christmas. A day off school was great. The threat of snow hung over everyone's heads as people headed to work this morning. Ristow and I waited and finally the rain turned to snow.

This is what it looked like..........................

I apologize to all those suffering under multiple inches and even feet of snow right now. But here in TN we have to take what we can get. Even if it is slush, rain and a few flakes mixed with a bit of dog poop (yuck) on a slippery hill. Sliding down the hill at Grammy's house with a little slush was good enough for an eager 4yr old. He loved it and then was equally excited about getting in the warm house for hot cocoa.

Of course within a half hour after sledding, every flake was gone. So sad. Maybe next time we will get something worth speaking of.

The Big Top

We took Ristow to the Circus for the first time this weekend. We tried to prepare him by talking about it a ton and by the time we went, he was so excited he could barely stand it. My parents went too and my mom was so excited, I don't think she ever stopped smiling and giggling the whole time we were there. It was like a big group of little kids. We also met some friends there and Ristow and his buddy Jack has a blast.

The tigers, elephants and motorcycles were wonderful, as were the trapeze artisits. We really had a great time. A big success!

Anniversary #9

Our 9yr Wedding Anniversary is upon us. It seems to have come up so quickly and amazes me every day. Last night we were able, thanks to our babysitting swap, to go out to a wonderful dinner together. And, thanks to one of Christopher's clients, we drove in style in their Porsche. Anyone who has tried to fit a car seat in the back of a Porsche knows it is nearly impossible. I say nearly because Ristow was so excited about the car and riding in it that we managed to squeeze his seat in the back, while my knees were up against the dashboard. He loved every minute of it.
Anyway, we had a great night out, time to share our appreciation for each other and just enjoy one another's company. The food was fabulous as well.

Recently Christopher and I have started reading a book together called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. We go through a chapter at a time and spend an evening talking about it. It challenges readers to look at their marriages not as things to just make themselves happy but as commitments to draw them closer to God. So far we have had some wonderful discussions about the importance of reconciliation in marriage and striving to build a marriage that models forgiveness, selfless love and sacrifice. The book really challenges you to look at marriage in a new light and really see God as an accountability partner in caring for your spouse. I highly recommend it.

The last nine years have been a wonderful ride and I am excited to share many more wonderful years experiencing life together. I love you Christopher.

Quality Boy Time

Now, I have always heard that boys need that special time with the men in their lives to grow and learn and to just be boys. The "Boy" time in Ristow's life lately has brought him great joy.

The other day I went out for the evening and Ristow had time with Daddy, which he basically kicks me out the door and says "We are going to have so much fun, huh Dad?" Their time together was spent wrestling, playing spaceships and inventing a new game where they run around making faces and blowing raspberries into EVERY mirror in the house and then Christopher throws Ristow onto our bed. Fun game huh? Not if your the one cleaning all the mirrors again. (The new rule is that They have to clean the mirrors if they are going to play that one!) It really doesn't matter what they do as long as they have time alone together.
The amazing thing is that Christopher can get Ristow to do housework with him as their quality time and Ristow still thinks it is great.

Ristow also gets to have some quality with Poppy, which is also "so much fun". They have a game that they play EVERY time they are together. It is called Ristow's head on Poppy's pillow. Now the title sounds like a clever game to get Ris to take a nap with Poppy, but no. It is a silly game where they run up to Poppy's bed, play tickle wars and act like real men by running around with their shirts off. Then they run downstairs and Grammy has to pretend to yell at them and ask them where their shirts are, to which they respond "We lost them". Then they run back upstairs giggling.

The most wonderful part of all this quality time isn't the crazy games they play or the silly ways they act. It is the fact that even after long days at work and tired bodies, Christopher and Poppy still make time for that quality time with Ristow. They know how much he loves it and how important it is to him, and it seems to be just as special to them too.

Let's Go Predators!

Christopher and I are big fans of hockey games, not so much watching the games on TV, but the games themselves are awesome! In Nashville we have the Predators and Saturday was Ristow's first hockey game. We were all very excited.

We went to a 2pm game thinking that was better than a night game for Ristow. He couldn't wait to get there. Upon arrival we see about 12 mascots all at the entrance greeting the fans. (mascots from all over....Pro sports teams, news channels, even the Wendy's Frosty was there) Of course one thing that Ristow is terribly afraid of is MASCOTS, or anyone dressed up like a character for that matter. So, after covering his eyes and running past them all we were off to find our seats. He soon got used to the noise and the fanfare and actually enjoyed the game and was asking questions about it. We cheered, blew whistles and ate hot dogs! what more could you ask for?

Not much apparently, exhausted Ristow fell asleep in his seat in the 3rd period. I used to worry about waking him up during his naps, little did I know the kid could sleep through even a huge arena of cheering fans and air horns.

After the game we hit the team store and hooked Ristow up with a hockey stick and foam puck. He loves them and I think he is pretty excited for another game.

Another hockey fan is born......GO PREDS!