Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!!

Matthew had his first experience at the zoo on Tuesday (10/20/09). Ryan and I thought that he would be mesmerized by all the animals, but it turns out he was much more interested in the other kids than he was the animals. The only time he showed interest in the actual zoo was when we were looking at the fish!

He did take the time to look at the huge tortoise, but it still didn't capture his attention like we had expected. (If you notice, we had to strip Matthew out of his overalls because it warmed up so much. Oh, I just love those chunky legs!)

They have an area for smaller children with a waterfall and stream that the kids can play in. Matthew and Ryan had a great time splashing in the water. He giggled every time Ryan splashed his feet in the water. It was really cute! I could sit and listen to Matthew giggle all day long...it's music to my ears!

A Family Day at the Park

We took Matthew to the park on Monday (October 19) and discovered that he LOVES the swings! He giggled and laughed - especially when Ryan was swinging on the swing next to him. We took some great photos and videos. Hope you enjoy!











Matthew also rode down the slide and played in the dirt. It was a great family day at the park!

Our Little Pumpkin

We took Matthew to the pumpkin patch on October 12th to pick out his first pumpkin. While we were there, he crawled into the pumpkin patch and tried to blend in with the other pumpkins (actually, Ryan strategically placed him in the pumpkin patch and he looked super cute with his red/orange hair). Luckily, we captured it all on camera! Matthew sure is one precious pumpkin!

Fun with Family (a little recap)

Living in Texas has made it hard for us to have quality time with family. Thankfully, we've been blessed to have family visit us on several occasions. Matthew and I were also fortunate enough to make the trip to SC in September and he was able to meet his Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. My Dad and my Grandmother (my Dad's Mom) both celebrate their birthday on September 13, so it was special to be there to celebrate with them. Matthew also loved having some time with his Aunts and Uncles. Here are a few photos of Matthew with his Nana, Poppy, GGma, and GGpa during our visit. God truly blessed our time together (but we sure did miss Ryan)!

After spending a wonderful week in SC, I was pleasantly surprised when my cousin, Christy, made plans to come visit. Christy and I have always been very close, so it meant so much to me that she made the trip all the way from New Jersey! She flew in the first weekend of October and we had such a great time! Matthew bonded with her instantly and it was definitely a treat to have more time with family. We are so blessed!

The gift of family time will continue in November - hooray! Ryan's parents are coming to stay with us for a week during Thanksgiving so we're sure to have lots to be thankful for while they are here. We feel so fortunate to have family who are willing to make the long trip here to Texas. It means so much to us and it's so important that Matthew have quality time with his family. God is so good and we are so thankful!