Happy Holidays

The Christmas season started off with a trip to Bass Pro with our friends to see Santa! We got to go on Greyson's Birthday & since daddy was out of town, it was a nice little trip to spend time with his friends.

We got to meet Charlie- she's so cute & tiny. It makes me want to get the kids a dog someday =)

I love this Santa. He is so neat looking =)

These kids had a blast together.

Love spending time with my friend Emily too. =) 

I was in charge of the Christmas Program this year. We did "The Not-so-Silent Night" pageant. The kids loved it & did a great job. Greyson got to have 2 parts playing a shepherd & a wiseman! 

He loved being on stage & singing the songs. After the program, we grabbed a couple photos of these 2 little girls. Courtney found these 2 little matching skirts so we had Natalie & Rilynn wear them to the program. Rilynn was busy eating Chocolate.

A new thing the ladies in our church participated in was a cookie exchange! I didn't remember to take any pictures of the party but I made my grandma Good's gingerbread men & they were so cute.

The weekend before real Christmas, we celebrated ours together as a family on Saturday. It was the only morning we had daddy all to ourselves. Friday night, we got the house all ready...the little elves were busy.

We recycled Uncle Jac's old tool chest from when he was little & set it up with a bunch of new child sized power tools for Greyson's big gift.

Rilynn got her little kitchen decked out with pots, pans, utensils & food =) It is something I know she will have fun growing into as her imagination continues to change. Right now, she just loves pretending to eat the food & feed others...playing "house" will be down the road I'm sure! 

We had to cover up the playroom with a sheet so they couldn't see their big surprises.

Opening stockings & pictures with Mom & dad... I love these precious moments!

They both LOVED the gifts & have had countless hours of playtime.

Showing off his super cool tool belt!

The one main thing I asked for was the new pots & pan set from Pioneer Women. I have loved using them & the color will go great in our new kitchen! (that we will be renovating this summer)

We topped the day off with Gingerbread village & Christmas ornament making!  

So fun to experience Christmas with our own kids. 

Christmas Sunday we dressed up for the occasion!

And the next day celebrated with our Crawford/Locklin family time at Maudine & Jimmy's new house. It was so nice that Gmama got to come & enjoy it with us =) 

We headed to PA on Christmas Eve & got to Nana & Papa's house around 7pm. Nana had some Christmas Eve goodies to open...new jammies, hot chocolate mix with mugs, santa hats, stockings & books!

Greyson & Rilynn always get jammies with reindeer or moose on them! I think it's so fun to see what they come up with in the stores each year =) but there is always bound to be something with antlers!

The biggest hit in the house this year was the indoor snowballs! Since we didn't get to see much snow at the time, the snowball fights inside were the best!! Everyone got in on them & anyone that visited did too! 

Christmas morning, the kids were anxious to get started! Papa read the Christmas story from the Bible first & reminded us all that the best Gift of all is Jesus!! Greyson has really caught on to the meaning this year & seems to really enjoy listening about the baby Jesus.

We had a lot of fun opening our gifts together. Mom always knows the best things to get us...the box next to her was my very own "cups for days" metal rack just like the ones Joanna Gaines uses on Fixer Upper. Can't wait to display lots of mason jars & decor with it.

She also got the guys "Man Crates" that they loved!! Matt got all things fishing & Brandon a hunting one. All they had to do was pry it open with a crowbar! haha

We had such a great time opening the gifts. Then mom & dad went all out on a big Christmas dinner! We had a few friends over to enjoy it with us... 2 kinds of petite filet (with dad's mushroom sauce), roast, & several sides made up the majority, but dad kept talking up his famous cream pies making sure everyone knew that he made them so save room for dessert...haha They were pretty good!

We got a family picture after church on Sunday. Just missing the other 3 members of our family in Idaho! This picture will have 3 more little additions to it very soon when all the babies get here =) We can't believe how much this family has grown in just 4 years! 

The rest of the week we visited family, had a few shopping excursions (like to Ikea in Pittsburg) went bowling & got plenty of food!

Finally after several days, Greyson got to see a little bit of snow =) Nothing compared to what they have NOW but at least he saw some.

We spent New Years Eve celebrating with family in Cooperstown! We played games & had a blast...then went back to Nana & Papa's to watch the ball drop in NYC & sip some sparkling cider. Greyson stayed up for all the fun, but the 2 little girls couldn't quite make it with the rest of us =) 

New Years day, we tried out dad's new gun. It was FREEZING & SO windy!! But I had to try it.

Then our good friends Janice & Bill came to eat the PA traditional sauerkraut & pork with mashed potatoes. It was so funny, because we had it for lunch, but they were having it for supper back at their place. It sure hits the spot! Then they introduced us to a new game of Wizards!! It was so much fun & we played for a few hours =) 

All too soon, our visit was over & it was time to go back home. Thankfully we had good roads & made good time. 

Our Christmas card this year made a lot of people laugh! If you know these 2, they are anything but silent. Greyson hasn't stopped talking since he was 10 months old & Rilynn is trying to catch up. =) they thought it was funny to make this card but Greyson was a little disappointed I couldn't tape him to the WALL like another Christmas card he saw online. I tried to explain photo shop to him but he wasn't having it. Next time I refer to Pinterest for card ideas, I won't let him look with me! 

Greyson & Rilynn's Birthday Party!

We celebrated the kids birthdays on December 6th with our family. 

We had a Minnie/Mickey party & they shared it with Aunt Cinda whose birthday was on the 1st =) 

Greyson's birthday was on the 9th & Rilynn's on the 10th.

Of course our friend Courtney made the cute cakes again this year =) 

We had lots of fun opening presents!

Courtney made this super cute mason jar sign for Jacinda's birthday present. Can't wait to see it hanging on the door of her new house! 

Happy Birthday to these little cuties! I can't believe they are 2 & 4 already =) 

Since Rilynn & Uncle Ben share a birthday, we decided to have a mini party at Gmama's. 

Uncle B & Rilynn blew our their candles & then opened presents! 

They were so excited to have another little party & we enjoyed being with Gmama too =) 

Catch up 2015

Its a new year & there are so many things I haven't shared from last summer/fall! So, I am playing catch up today. 

 One of our favorite things to do when it is super hot is go swimming! We loved spending time at our friends community pool =) 

Then our little family has been trying to spend more fun times together by taking little trips. Before we know it, Greyson will be starting school! So, we decided to take a little mini trip to Pigeon Forge, TN over Labor Day weekend.  We went to Dollywood a couple times & visited The Island. We love stopping in at Paula Deens Restaurant anytime we are there.

Baby Ronan Artillary was born in September! We got to meet him just before heading to PA to visit my mom after her cancer diagnosis. Those photos from our trip were in my last post. I have not gotten to see this sweet baby since we first met him, but I see he is growing so fast & super cute =)

Our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch with the Powell's was so fun! We even got to enjoy it with Aunt Cinda this time. It was a little rainy but we still got our pumpkins & had fun =) 

A few times during the fall, we had cookouts at the barn with friends. A big fire & good food makes for a fun evening. 

Halloween was a lot of fun this year! Our church has a trunk or treat in the parking lot so we get to showcase our trunks & pass out candy to the community trick or treaters. 

This year Greyson was really into Jake & the Neverland Pirates...so he is Jake. Rilynn is the cutest little Tinkerbell, & I am just blending in with the theme. =) 

My trunk was supposed to look like a cave where you would find some treasure =)

My sweet friend Skye turned 40 this year!! we had so much fun at her party celebrating & catching up with friends. 

Some exciting family news, included more babies coming to the Ritchey clan! 

We are so excited for both of my brothers & their families! Everlee will get to be a big sister (hopefully finding out gender soon) and Karleigh a big sister to a baby brother & baby sister!! 

We got to spend Thanksgiving in Florida this year on account of a wedding I was in that weekend. We were invited to spend the day with the Finney/Carroll Families & it was not only beautiful, but such a fun day. Matt offered to take the kids each evening so I could spend some time with the girls going shopping, visiting a coffee shop or just hanging out. He was super dad that weekend! 

We are truly thankful for the wonderful family Jac married into =) and could not be more happy to have Jacinda join us in Alabama.

The wedding I was in celebrated my long time friend Janelle! She had a beautiful wedding & I was honored to be a part of it =) 

Later that week, we got to see my little brother as he passed through our area for work. We only got to spend a couple hours together, but it was nice to see him this far south & catch up. 

There are so many other memories I could share from the last 6 months! But I tried to share most of the high lights & keep it as short as possible. Again, we are so blessed & thankful for the friends & families in our lives. We could not celebrate these things without thanking the Lord for His faithfulness & help through it all. 

My mom ended up finishing her final Chemo treatment at the beginning of December! She did so well throughout each month & her testimony shined at each dr's appointment. 

I am so thankful for her example!!