Mac and hot dogs

Today for Ryan's second lunch Rex decided to make macaroni and hot dogs. This meal seriously makes me want to puke. For some reason Rex loves it which is totally funny considering what a health nut he is. Rex has been saying for awhile that he wants this meal. I finally broke down and bought it. The macaroni is whole wheat so that makes me feel a little better, but seriously it is disgusting. The funniest thing is that Ryan loved it. He ate all that was on his plate and he wanted more. Just my luck he loves mac and hot dogs. We all had a good laugh over here. Rex was like a little kid when he ate it, he was so excited.

Cowboy Ryan

On Sunday we went up to Gig Harbor to go to church with the Gonzales family. After church they had a little BBQ. No BBQ is complete unless there are ponies there. Well sure enough there were ponies. Ryan at 14 months old got to ride a pony. It was cute, he seemed to really enjoy himself. How could he not it was a pony everyone loves ponies.

Energizer Bunny

My little guy Ryan is like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going. I feel like the moment he wakes up he hits the ground running, literally. I am thankful to have an active child, it is fun and exhausting at the same time. He loves to be outside, lately he will stand at the door and just cry until we go outside. It truly is so crazy how much energy he has. He is everywhere, up and down the stairs, exploring the all ends of the yard and climbing on everything. He loves to climb and stand on top of things. He thinks he is pretty funny when he stands on top of the slide. The thing is he falls and gets right up and does the same thing again. Sometimes he is just like his father!!!!! It is amazing to see the world through his eyes. Today we rolled around in the grass and stared at the sky. We played catch, he is getting really good at throwing balls and kicking them. We threw a couple of sticks for the dog. My favorite was when he was playing with his new lawnmower. How cute, he loved to push it and play with all of the buttons. He also thought it was pretty funny when I would push it, so of course I was running up and down the lawn pushing this mini lawnmower. Anything to hear my baby's laugh!! These pictures are all from today, I took them all within an hour to prove my point. He is all over.

Chicago

Over the past weekend to celebrate Rexer's 27th birthday we went to Chicago. It was just Rex and I. Ryan stayed with Auntie Julie and the gang, and honestly I do not think he even noticed that we were gone. We were in Chicago for two nights. It was so nice to get away and relax. The weather was beautiful, the hotel was great and it was just nice to have some quality time with my hubby. Some highlights from the trip were visiting three local fire houses and hanging out with the firefighters. Rex acquired two more fire shirts and a new Chicago fire hat. We spent several hours with the firefighters getting to know them and learn about their fire department. Rex was in heaven. He loves the tradition and the brotherhood that comes with being apart of the the fire department. We did several touristy things while there as well. We went to a White Sox's game, went on the famous Farris wheel on Navy Pier, went to the top of the John Hancock tower, walked in Lake Michigan and ate pizza. One night we went to the only live smooth Jazz club in the country, or that is what they claimed. The music was amazing. We walked everywhere, literally from one end of the city to the other. On Saturday we walked 1 1/2 miles for breakfast. The pancakes were totally worth it. We enjoyed sleeping in and not having a schedule. We both missed Ryan terribly, this was the longest I have ever been away from him. It is good for both him and me. Rex and I are going to try every year to take a trip to a new city. We have great memories and had a fantastic time.

All over the charts!!! Random updates

The last week has flown by. Honestly I cannot remember much about it. Rex worked a 72 hour shift. The last 16 hours he spent fighting a wild fire up in the Wilkeson area. The poor guy has gotten no sleep. This morning I went and got him from Wilkeson. He unfortunately did not get to come home to a comfy bed. No he had 1400 square feet of sod (instant grass, the best thing ever invented!!!!!!) to lay. He is back to work tomorrow and we are off to Chicago on Thursday so today was the only day he could lay the sod. His Dad and another fire fighter came over and the got it done by 2. Which was so amazing. I just kept feeding Rex and he just kept going. So the big question is, is he passed out yet????? The answer, no. His Battalion Chief called and invited him and a couple of guys for beers. And well when the BC invites you, you go. During the entire 72 Rex got about 6-8 hours of sleep. Why a 72, because he got mandatory. It happens about once a year, too many people called out sick and no one was picking up the over time. You all know firefighters, when the sun comes out the all disappear.
During Rexer's 72 I was Blessed by my family. They all sure know how to step in and help. My auntie Jean was visiting from Canada and it was Grandpa Ralph's 84th birthday. We spent a lot of time in the sun and relaxing.

As for Ryan, he loves being outside and constantly smells like sunblock. He is loving to give hugs, show us his muscles and say "me" when he wants something. He is growing so fast. I really feel like he is a little boy, not a baby anymore. He is pointing at everything and is really trying to make an attempt to communicate with us. It seems like lately there is never a quite or dull moment in the Orcutt household. The truth is I would have it no other way. Rex will be 27 on Thursday and we are heading to Chicago for a long weekend. Ryan will be staying with my sis. Please pray that I make it, this will be the longest I have ever been separated from my little boy!

Fun in the sun

After a long day on Friday we had a wonderful weekend in the sun. Rex's mom Phyllis flew in from Montana on Friday night. Rex had to work on Sunday, but we all got to spend some much over due time together. It was great for her and Ryan to spend some quality time just playing. On Sunday Phyllis, Ry and I went shopping and out to dinner. It is crazy how quickly the time flew by. It was nice having her in town. We had a big dinner with my family on Saturday which was great so everyone could see Phyllis. More pictures are to come, but here are a few from our weekend.

Enjoy!!!

To my beautiful sister

The last week has been pretty crazy, sometimes crazy in good ways and other times not so good. Quick recap. On Monday we drove to Bellingham to help Rex's Aunt move. It was a long day, but I am glad we got to see her and Rexer was able to help a little bit. We also were able to see some other family while up there. Ryan did amazing. He was pretty happy and just went with the flow. We found a beautiful city park and let Ryan run around and let off steam. Tuesday we just relaxed and tried to catch up on sleep. Wednesday Rex was back at work, so Ry and I went up to Julie's house to stay the night. It was a blast, the kids played outside all day. The only break we took was to go pick Elisha up from the bus stop. Jul, Ry and I slept all together in Julie's bed and at some point Johanna climbed in. That did not last long. Johanna wanted to talk to Ry and then before we knew it we were all awake. We all woke up had breakfast and got ready for the day. At one point we all were in the bathroom getting ready and Johanna started to cry, Julie and I just looked at her. At that same moment Ryan came up to her and gave her a hug. It was the cutest thing in the entire world. We have not taught him hugs, but somehow he new that she was really upset. He put his arms around her and would not let go. It was one of the most pure, sweet things I have ever seen. After that Hallmark moment we had to rush Ellie to school and off to MOPS.
Today was Julie and I 's last day of MOPS. MOPS is the moms group that Julie and I attend together, last October I started with Julie. We met twice a month, so this meant that twice a month I left our house at 8am and drove to Gig Harbor. It was totally worth it. It was 6 hours a month that I got to spend with my sister with no children. I got to see her as my big sis. It was an amazing experience that helped me grow not only as a mother, but as a person. I am looking forward to doing MOPS next year, but will never be the same without my sister by my side.

So to my beautiful Sister......
I love you so much, you are an amazing wife, mother, and sister. You wear so many hats and yet somehow you are able to wear all of them with grace and a smile on your face. I am so thankful to be apart of the roller coaster ride of motherhood with you. I would not be the mommy I am today without you and your constant support, love and engorgement. Knowing that you are always by my side makes the hard moments a little easier. Thank you for always being just a phone call away (thank God for free minutes between phones). Thank you for encouraging me in my walk with Jesus. Your love for him is contagious. Something truly amazing happens when God makes sisters, it is a bond like nothing ordinary. I love you sis.