Let's Catch Up...

Well, we have a lot to catch up on. No matter how hard I try to slow time, it does not seem to listen. We all try to make the most of the moments we have, but life nor, sadly enough, death wait for us to feel caught up or "ready" for them to happen. Life happens all around us and we just hope that we are aware and present enough to experience it. Death on the other hand seems to catch us off guard and unprepared to walk through it. In this case I am talking about the death of a dog (which many of you can relate to), not just a dog, but a friend, a hiking buddy for my dad, a favorite playmate of kids', a kind gentle animal that seemed to pant his way in to many hearts. Tyson was so loved and loved so many. He started out as Richard's dog, but...long story short...Richard traded him to my dad for me (isn't the dowry suppose to go the other way?). If you ask either of them I am not sure who they would say got the better deal! However, he has spent the last 8 great years with my dad and Lisa and has completely become a vital part of the family. Those who met him knew he was "some" dog (as was Wilber in Charlotte's Web). We lost him to lymphoma a couple of weeks ago. We miss him so much, but are glad that we did experience him in life. I wanted to get some pics of Lisa and dad with him, but was unable to...sorry.

We are so thankful for a life full of family...here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving with the Kings in the North Fork house (it was so worth having to put up with no running water!...wasn't it?!). We really did have a great time, except of course for Ryland, when his markers were taken away from him (he carried on with this pout for about 10 min. until we of course gave in...who can stand up to that face!)

The next day we picked out our Christmas tree!

Richard's new hobby...the Rubik cube. Good luck with that! Then went to Nana's and Grandpa Ted's for some more great food and fun family time. The kids are huge fans and love their time there!

And here are just some cute morning pictures full of messy hair, cute kid feet, and a thankful mommy!

Nana and Grandpa Ted

What a gorgeous place we live!

I love you, Mom!

oops!

We have shared many great moments with my mom, Nana, and Grandpa Ted this year. But I recently received these pictures from one of their trips up here. We had a great day playing outside and collecting leaves. Here are a couple pictures from this trip. Thanks for that great day!

My little flock

Well, below I have included some pictures of my favorite two sheep. This was our Halloween costume. Richard was a little concerned that we would be pegging Addie as the black sheep of the family, but she wasn't fazed. They are both amazing kids and I am blessed, and many times humbled, to be their mom. They both had so much fun in their costumes and eating candy. I think we left a trail of cotton balls everywhere we went. Between that and the trail of candy wrappers I knew they wouldn't get far!

Ok, on a different note, I was "tagged" by Becky to list 10 things about myself that others may not know. Here goes...

1. When I was little I would pull up the covers to the bottom of my chin so that if a murderer came in he would pass me up because he would think that someone had already cut off my head.
2. I really hate watching movies like "Meet the Parents" because I just totally stress the whole time for the characters in the movie. It is more of a nail biter for me than a suspense movie.
3. A horrible nick name I was called in elementary school (as Jen reminded me just now on the phone) was "Heidi Yoder Gas Exploder". I think the only reason was the rhyme, but maybe that is why I refuse to "toot" in front of even my husband now.
4. I hate hate Lima beans! Mom used to make me eat "just two more bites."
5. I love oysters!
7. I would love to move to another country for a year.
8. The first night my dad met Richard was when we were sneaking into his supposedly empty house at like 3 in the morning. Not a good first impression!
9. I used to want to either be a ventriloquist or a dolphin trainer...weirdo, I know.
10. My face turns red really easily which drawls even more attention to the fact that I embarress easily.

Ok, there it is...I think I feel a little lighter now! Funny stuff. I can't wait to read everyoneesle's. I really don't have any bloggers to tag, since Becky about covered it! I look forward to reading them though.

Boston and Back

not me, but Richard! Let me catch you up on a few things that have happened in the last month or so...Here I thought..."what a great birthday gift...to let Richard go to Boston to see the Red Sox play and have a few days, no kids, exploring New England with one of his best friends." Well, to my surprise, I was the only one not "in" on the real plan. Here Richard had bought, for me (he is stoked about it too) a JEEP! He bought it online in Rhode Island and had Jake tell me this extravagant lie so that they could go get it without me knowing. I know I have a pretty amazing husband (I do let him drive it too sometimes!) Richard and Jake did get to go to the Sox game and a lot of other really cool places, but I was floored when he brought it home. I love it! My first vehicle was a Jeep Wrangler and I guess I never got over it. It is a pretty cool mom vehicle, not traditional, but pretty cool! I have included some pictures of it along with pictures from their trip. I love you Richard! I take back all the stuff I said before...this is so much better than flowers!

Friends...young and old

Happy Birthday, Will!

Above are a couple pictures

of our day out with some of

Addie's and Rye's friends...

my friends too (Annie, Will

Susan, and Claire). The cutie

with the cheeks and smile is

our friend Will who just

turned 1! We love you all.

This is why my car stays a mess...I let my kids eat in it...hey, it keeps them happy! Ryland got a hold of some cheese puffs and was stuffing them in his mouth in handfuls. He has got the look on his face of, "nobody better take these away from me!" He gets very possessive of his food...what a GUY!

Here we are at a wedding of some friends of ours...Michael and Meriah. Addison was really spellbound with the whole day, especially Meriah in her beautiful white dress. She says when she grows up she is going to marry Ryland...yeah, that's not going happen!

It was a great wedding, they even had horseback riding and a hay ride! We love you guys too!

We are back.......on Grandfather Mountain!

Well isn't it funny that here we are six months later, and back on good'ol Grandfather Mountain. So much has gone on and changed in the last 6 months...we have moved, Addison had her 3rd birthday, we went on several great trips, shared wonderful moments with family and friends, and life has moved on with or without us. The funny thing is that here we are back at one mountain in our life that will never change...Grandfather. This mountain has been such a constant in my life..."he" has watched me as I grew up...we climbed over his nose countless times, my Dad and I.

I grew up in the shadow of this mountain, always looking up at his profile. "He" has seen my saddest moments in life and some of my happiest. No matter where I really call home, when I turn the corner on Hwy 105 and see his profile I will always feel like I am returning home. Now I climb the mountain with the man I now call my rock, my husband, our two great kids, who unlike the mountain are ever changing, and of course my Dad, who will always be the one who passed on his love for the mountain to me, and Lisa.

Life changes, we change, even mountains change to be fully honest, but one thing does not...my Heavenly Father. What would I do without that stabilizing truth that when all else fails or when I just can't keep up...God waits, His love unchanging, for us to climb back onto His peaks, as the adventure He has for us awaits just around the corner.

Below are just a couple of recent pictures of us living life...