Time with Family and Special Memories

After Ryan completed his Navigator training in Little Rock, we went to visit his family in Canada for about two weeks.  It was a wonderful visit with family and a great time for us to relax after a busy 6 months in Little Rock.  Matthew had some quality time to bond with his Grandma and Grandpa while we were there.  He's one spoiled grandchild and it's evident he is so very loved!

The Nashville airport had a wonderful children's play area and we got some very "colorful" photos of Matthew playing while we waited for our flight to board.  We were so thankful for a place for him to play before the flight!

Matthew and Waddles had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa while Ryan and I spent a few nights downtown.  Here are some photos that captured their fun.  Grandma and Grandpa were worn out by the time we got back, so I think Matthew kept them very busy!



Matthew and Waddles waiting to go out to play!

Grandma pulled out Ryan's old football toy box for Matthew to use.  He loved it!

Matthew loves story time with Grandpa!

Enjoying the beautiful day with Grandma!

Grandpa and Matthew were having so much fun they tipped over the chair!  Thankfully, everyone was okay!

Matthew left Grandma lots of little hand prints on her glass window, which I believe are still there today!

One of the highlights of our trip was Matthew meeting his great-grandparents for the first time.  Great-grandma Middleton even celebrated the occasion by playing the piano with Matthew - and he absolutely loved it!  It was also a momentous occasion since there were four generations of "Middleton Men" together!  Great-Grandpa Middleton, Grandpa Middleton, Ryan and Matthew.  We got some great photos of our time in Orillia, Ontario.  It's such a beautiful place!

We received such a warm welcome with cake and coffee!

Great-Grandma Middleton playing the piano for Matthew

Matthew and Grandpa

4 Generations

This picture just makes my heart melt. How sweet!
 

After we said our goodbyes to Matthew's Great-Grandparents, we decided to stop downtown Orillia near the lake to have a quick lunch and let Matthew play.  The weather was just perfect for some more family photos.  Overall, it was a very special day!

Matthew also had some quality time with his Uncle Michael and Aunt Nicole (who just got married this past Saturday, September 25, 2010!).  Matthew really took to his Aunt Nicole and loved snuggling with her.  Uncle Michael was lots of fun and Matthew wanted to be wherever he was in the house!

On our last afternoon, we went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather with Waddles.  She had so much fun running in the field (where she is still happily running around every day) and Matthew had a blast playing and running across the bridge.  It was so sad to leave since our time together was truly a blessing.  Praying God will make a way for us to visit again soon!

A Blogger's New Year's Resolution...in September!

I'm officially going on record to say that I am the most horrible blogger out there.  To top that, I'll also go on record and say that I'm going to turn over a new leaf and make blogging a weekly priority.  Yes, you heard me right, a weekly priority.  It's definitely going to take some organizing on my part.   I just feel like while we're in Japan I should make more of an effort to share our worldly adventures with family and friends.  No excuses. 

Now that we have that out there in the open, I need to recap the last three months.  My last post was about our beach trip to SC back in June...yes, June...and it's September.  So, I have quite a bit to cover.  I think I'll break it into sections so this week will probably be a full week of blogging and then I'll start the weekly updates next week.  Some will be more eventful than others, but since we're half a world away it will help make us feel a bit closer. 

Once Matthew and I returned home to Little Rock from our beach trip in SC, things settled down a little for us.  Ryan's Navigator training schedule remained very busy and he either had very early morning report times or he worked very late into the night.  He began flying pretty soon after we got home, and had an intense flying schedule up until his graduation.  He completed his training and made the highest evaluation score he could get on his final flight.  I am such a proud Air Force wife!!

We celebrated by making the drive from Little Rock, AR to Nashville, TN and caught a flight from Nashville to Toronto for almost two weeks to see Ryan's family.  This was also the monumental "move" to Canada for our precious dog, Waddles, who will be staying with Grandma and Grandpa (AKA: Ryan's parents, Candy and Mark) while we're in Japan.  Mark met us in Nashville to pick up Waddles, and he made the drive from Nashville to Stouffville, Ontario in one day!  It was a 16 hour drive and thankfully he had no trouble crossing the border with Waddles.  In fact, he had her "sitting pretty" in the front seat all ready for the customs questions and the guy was more concerned with where Mark had gotten his coffee!  I guess  Waddles  already looked Canadian!  I still don't know how Mark made the drive with her in one day -- I hated making the 5 hour drive with her from GA to SC!  The crazy part was that Mark and Waddles made it to Stouffville in time to drop off their luggage and turn around and head to the Toronto airport to pick us up that evening!  Wow - now that's love! 

We were so sad to leave Waddles behind, but two months later, it sounds like she might actually like living in Canada better than she does living with us!  It probably doesn't help that Grandma and Grandpa spoil her rotten!  I miss Waddles dearly, but it makes my heart smile knowing she is so loved by them both.  Here is a picture of the "official" changing of the collar from Ryan to Mark.

Our trip to Canada was so wonderful.  It was just what we needed after 6 crazy months in Little Rock.  Plus, it was so special for Matthew to spend time with his Grandma and Grandpa.  They even babysat over the weekend and let Ryan and I go downtown Toronto for a few nights on our own.  It was our first "vacation" away from Matthew since he was born (sadly, it took us 19 months!).  We enjoyed walking around downtown, going to the top of the famous CN Tower, having the most delicious "street dog" I've ever eaten, and we decided at the last minute to get tickets to the Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay baseball game.  Here are a few photos of our weekend getaway.

My first "street dog"!

Ryan at the top of the CN Tower...I didn't know I was afraid of heights until that day!

Outside on the observation deck of the CN Tower.

At the Blue Jay's game!

They had the stadium dome open and we had the perfect view of the CN Tower.

On our last night in downtown Toronto, we stopped at "Habeebe's Shawarma" to experience an authentic Shawarma.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to trying new foods, but I have to say that it was excellent!  It was a huge pita that wrapped up chicken and veggies and was topped with some kind of (very tastey) sauce.  If you ever encounter "Habeebe's" I would recommend trying his Shawarma!

I think I'll finish my recap of our Canada trip in another blog post so it's not picture/information overload.  Part II will detail our time with our Canadian family.  It was a very special time for everyone, so stay tuned!



Matthew's 1st Beach Trip

Matthew and I flew to South Carolina in June to spend a week at Surfside Beach with Nana and Aunt Sissy (AKA: my Mom and my Sister). This was my last trip “home” before we make the big move to Japan in August , so it was somewhat bittersweet for me. We were sad to leave Ryan in Little Rock, but knew he would have been with us if he didn’t have Navigator training obligations. It also happened to be Matthew’s first trip to the beach, so of course, I caught as much of it on camera as possible. It took a few days for Matthew to adjust to the sand and the waves, but once he got used to it, he really had a great time. Poppy (AKA: my Dad) met us at the beach towards the end of the week, and Matthew had a blast playing with him in the ocean! Overall, it was an amazing week with family!

Here are some of my favorite photos from our trip…

When we arrived in Charlotte, we stopped by to see my brother, David, at his office.  Matthew instantly loved being with him and held his hand as we walked through the parking lot. It was so sweet!

Matthew had lots to say on the beach.  I could barely get him to stop talking and smile for the camera!

Nana and Matthew took a walk one evening and I was able to capture some great pictures from our balcony.  It was really precious to see them walking in step with one another.

Matthew's "trick" of the week was that he discovered how to stick his finger up his nose!

This is one of my favorite photos. Matthew was getting ready for his bath and was super happy.  His smile and giggle just make my heart melt!

Cuddling with Nana!

Discovering seashells with Aunt Sissy!

Playing with Poppy in the ocean!

Our last night in Rock Hill, SC before heading back to Little Rock, AR.  Aunt Jennifer and Uncle David read Matthew his bedtime stories.  He was really comfortable snuggling on the couch with them!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Where has the time gone?  I can't believe it's been 3 months since my last blog post...wow, I'm slack!  I promise to do better from now on.  I've been procrastinating at this because I'm not sure how I'm supposed to update everyone with what we've been up to since March in one blog post.  Is it impossible?  Probably not.  Will it be lengthy?  Probably.  Oh well, hang in there...I'm going to give this a try. 

Life has kept us busy these last few months.  Ryan's training here at Little Rock Air Force Base, AR is going really well.  I'm so proud of him!  He stays very busy and is exhausted by the time his work day is complete, yet he still manages to play hard with Matthew when he gets home!  They really are a funny pair when they play -- and I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing Matthew giggle and laugh when he and his Daddy are really having fun!  It's the best part of my day!

At the beginning of April, we attended the Easter Sunrise Service at the lake here on base.  It started at 6:30am, and I'm proud to say that we were there on time!  It was much colder than we had expected so we ended up bundling Matthew up in my pink pashmina.  The service was very uplifting and it was really special to spend the morning in the presence of God as the sun rose above the lake.

April was also a very special month for my brother, David, as he married his beautiful bride, Jennifer, on Saturday, April 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The wedding was just breathtaking and it was truly a ceremony centered around God.  We could not have picked a better wife for David.  They bring out the best in each other and we were honored to celebrate with them. 

(The Siblings: Ryan, Laura, Jennifer, David, Anna, and Steve)

(Anna, Mom, David, Dad, Laura)

(Our little family)

May also proved to be a very eventful month.  On Memorial Day weekend, Matthew had a horrible allergic reaction to amoxycillin (penicillin) and broke out in a rash that spread from head to toe.  The reaction caused his hands and feet to swell, his face was so swollen that his eyes could barely open, he ran a constant fever, he stopped eating and drinking, and he was basically a very miserable little boy for over a week.  We made three trips to the Children's Hospital here in Little Rock, AR and received wonderful care.  I couldn't have asked for better doctors to treat Matthew.  Ryan and I felt so helpless as parents.  You never want to see your child in pain.  It's heart wrenching.  Thankfully, after an IV of fluids, some medication, and lots of rest, our sweet baby made a full recovery.  I praise God every day for our healthy little boy!

Our final news in this very lengthy blog post (and I promise I won't wait this long to post again...) is that Matthew had his 18 month check-up on June 24, and he weighs 30lbs. 6oz. and is 32 3/4 inches tall!  He's growing so fast and we are trying to soak up every moment with him.  It's exhausting to try to keep up with a toddler, but we couldn't be happier!  God is SO good!