Just say "UH-OHS!"

Merry Christmas to everyone. We enjoyed Riley's second Christmas on Anna Maria Island. Christmas Eve Granny Bird made a wonderful supper and then we walked along the beach and took some family pictures. Christmas morning we ate at the Beach cafe and Santa came to the beach. Riley's new word is "Uh-ohs!" He says it after he throws his food off his plate, his bath toys out of the bath, or if he is really scared. Riley's second encounter with Santa was the same result as the first one. He wants nothing to do with Santa! He kicks, screams, scratches to get away from him! Oh well:( Riley seemed to love his santa presents. We capped off the Holidays last night by eating at the Chart House overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. We are all thankful to be well and happy and together this holiday season.
Baby number 2 is showing off his personality more everyday. Riley gives my stomach a "night night" kiss every night and seems to be aware of the my growing belly. It is hard to believe we will have two little boys in 10 weeks!

Manta Rays!

We went on a family outing to the fishing pier to check out the fish and get a cold beverage. As we were walking on the pier, Matt noticed a leopard ray swimming next to us in the water. The Manta Ray was about 4 feet wide by 3 feet long. After watching the Manta Ray swim for awhile we noticed two dolphins splashing and playing about 10 yards from shore. They were playing with the birds and chasing each other around. It was really neat to see their true personalities in a natural habitat. After spending time at the beach, we walked across the street to Two Scoops ice cream and candy shop. Riley got a special light up sucker which he ended up getting in his hair, ears, and nose! It was another beautiful day here on the island.

Reflections

Yesterday, Matt left to go back to MN. leaving Riley and I alone in Florida. We have been blessed by the opportunity to live on the Gulf of Mexico and we all really enjoy the opportunity. Riley and I headed to the North end of Anna Maria Island to a playground on the beach. Riley played on the playground and then noticed the beach and ocean and sprinted ahead. I slowly walked behind him, as I am trying to let him become more independent. He ran all the way into the water. I was so surprised, I just naturally thought he would stop at the waters edge! So I brought him back to shore and he sat down on the beach. He played in the sand, looked out at the ocean, and then started rolling in the sand. It was a beautiful day, 72 degrees and sunny, with a light breeze. I sat behind Riley by about 10 feet and watched in amazement as he took in our beautiful surroundings. He sat, played, rolled, and talked to himself on the beach for over an hour. I just let him be and enjoyed my downtime as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving celebration. We had over 30 family and friends over to celebrate. This was Riley's first time to play with all his cousins. He enjoyed playing with all his cousins soooo much! After everyone left, he walked around the house and chatted, telling us all about his big day with the family. Thanks to all of you who came to share Riley's first MN Thanksgiving. We loved seeing everybody again and catching up on old times!
On Black Friday we decided to skip the shopping madness for once! I admit it was hard for me to do, but we ended up having a great day!In hopes of escaping the cold weather, we took Riley to an indoor water park. He was a little scared at first, but eventually he was splashing and enjoying all the activities. Here are a few pictures of our Thanksgiving fun and the indoor water park!

BYE BYE SANTA CLAUS!

We took Riley to see Santa Claus today and he seemed to like Santa for a few minutes. We gently put him on his lap, and the screaming started. Riley started waving bye bye to Santa as fast as he could. He got frantic, so we got out of there as fast as we could. We stopped at the food court for a little lunch, and he calmed down. We then took Riley to his very first movie. Riley chose Madagascar 2, and loved it! He got a little antsy and started talking loudly with about 20 minutes left in the show. Riley has been napping for 3 hours, so he must of been worn out!

More MN Fun

We took Riley trick or treating and he seemed to enjoy himself. He was confused on why we weren't going into the houses but was happy with his candy. He was a darling Thomas the Train. Yesterday we spent the day outside exploring some different parks. Riley has learned so much by observing the other kids, and he now can run with the pack. It is nice to be able to sit on a bench and watch him interact with the other children. Last night he helped me rake up some leaves and bag them. He would bring each leaf one by one and put it in the garbage bag. I would clap, and then he would too! It was a time consuming process, but he was really proud to be helping out with the family chores. We also visited the Mall of America where Riley chose to ride on a train and semi-truck. Riley picked up a few more new winter outfits and loved lego land. Here are a few pictures of our latest endeavors!

Home Sweet Home

We arrived in Minneapolis after 12 hours of traveling! We were immediately hit by the fresh, cold air. I forgot how cold it really gets up in 'da north!' Riley was a really good boy on both flights. He enjoyed watching movies and sleeping in his own row. We were really excited to get to MN so Riley could play outside. This morning we bundled him up and took him outside for an adventure. He didn't know what all the big, colorful leaves were or what to do with them. We walked to a park nearby and Riley enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. We are hoping and praying he might get the chance to play in the snow before we leave! We have quite a few visitors and many more to come. It is great to be home!

The Pumpkin Festival

We took Riley to a local farm which was hosting a pumpkin festival. We weren't sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised. There were hundreds of vendors, similar to the MN state fair. There were hayrides, pony rides, a circus. a corn maze, a petting zoo, a train ride, games and much more. Riley seemed to love his first circus. We sat in the front row and he sat and watched the whole show! Riley hit up numerous concession stands and had another long talk with his beloved goats. We watched a BMX stunt show, which Riley decided was a great time to dig in the dirt. We left the BMX show with a wet, dirt filled baby boy. We ate lunch and listened to a Country western band. We got a real kick out of the pumpkin cannon- it flew pumpkins over 100 yards into the woods. Riley fell a sleep the minute he got in the car, and slept the whole way home.

Tampa Zoo with Granny Bird

We just recently went to the Tampa zoo with Granny Bird. We had a great time.We got to feed beautiful birds who latched on to Granny Bird. Riley was exhausted when we left, and he slept the whole way home.

Hunsader Farms

We took Riley to a local farm to pick a pumpkin. They had a petting zoo, which Riley seemed to really enjoy. He had a special bond with the goats. Riley stood in front of all the goats and talked to them for about 15 minutes straight. I then pulled him away and he kept running back to the goats! He visited with all the animals and got a mini-pumpkin to bring home. He thinks the pumpkin is a ball, so now he throws the pumpkin around the house!!

We have also been practicing wearing his Halloween costume. The first time Riley had it on he cried. He hated it. We have gotten to the point now where he can wear it without crying. Here are a few pics. of our trip to the farm and a preview of the Halloween costume. Enjoy!