So, It's Been A While...

I have completely slacked off on updating this blog again. Sigh. Well, since August many things have happened!

• The Rockies eliminated themselves and had a dismal end to the season. Aargh.






• Rylan turned 1! Yay! We had a great birthday party, but he would have nothing to do with the cake.






• Rylan started walking! It was a bit bumpy at first, but now he is cruising everywhere, carrying things, throwing things, and still crashing from time to time. We walk everyday to the mailbox together and wave to the horses.






• Rylan started the toddler room at his partime daycare which is a lot of fun!






• We all went on vacation to New York to introduce Ry to the east coast Griffiths. We had a great time travelling from place to place and even had a quick stop in at Cooperstown.






• Rylan dressed as a dinosaur for Halloween and is so cute. Although, he should have been a vampire since his little fang teeth are just coming through... Up to 14 teeth already!

• Rylan also got his first haircut!

I have included a smattering of pics, enjoy!

Ah, summer vacation...

This year we travelled to beautiful Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, WA. We met Ben's folks there and had a great time. It is always wise to remember to pack your babysitters when travelling! :-)

Above are some pics from our trip. The highlights included riding the ferry, watching the whales from the porch, taking walks, and a trip to the Alpaca Farm!

Fall is almost here...

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, our little family made the journey to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play. Afterall, what is more American than baseball?

This was Rylan's first (& likely only) game of this season. He did a great job but we take our baseball pretty seriously and Rylan was a SERIOUS distraction. He clapped and danced and cooed through 8 innings. Then the heat, noise, and lack of nap set in and so we wisely made our exit. Luckily we made it home just in time to watch 7 more innings on tv. After much struggle and consternation the Rockies took the Giants after 15 innings!

At the end of a great day the little guy went down early and Ben and I enjoyed a nice steak off the grill. Currently it sounds as though the house is being shelled...but the boy still sleeps!

Today (and everyday) I am grateful for my home, my family, my independence, and my country. Happy 4th.

First Father's Day

Happy First Father's Day to Ben!

Well, you know what they say about best laid plans...Rylan and I spent all day Friday preparing for a big Father's Day weekend. This involved errands, cleaning, card writing, gift wrapping, etc. However, an hour before all the big festivities of this crazy weekend were to begin Rylan & I came down with a sudden & violent stomach flu. By 430 p.m. we were both on our hands & knees sicker than sick. So...for Father's Day Ben spent his weekend taking care of a very sick baby and a very sick wife. I will spare you all the disgusting details.

Rylan & I rallied a bit on the big day itself but we stayed in and had a quiet day recuperating. For his gifts Ben was presented with a huge gift bag full of various treats, a copy of "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein to read with Rylan, and a framed photo of the moment that Rylan & Ben met one another in the delivery room. It is a great pic and was a great moment.

Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful man in the world. Being a father truly brings out the best in you. It is an absolute joy to watch you with your son. We love you.

Enjoy a few pics from the day below.

Happy Birthday ToeJam!

Today is TJ's birthday. Yep, we celebrate our dog's birthdays. Today TJ is 9 years old. He joined our family at the age of 1 1/2 years old. According to his last vet check - "He is perfect. Whatever you are doing, keep doing it."

As TJ gets older he has this odd habit of seeming younger. He has a bigger bounce in his step, happy jump after a toy, and full body wag to greet you. As I type he is letting Rylan swish his tail back and forth with a bemused expression on his face.

I'll admit, he hasn't particularly enjoyed moving to 2nd fiddle in my life, but I do catch him venturing into Rylan's room to check on him before he goes to bed at night, so there is love there afterall.

So, cheers to the dog who finds the sun in any room, lover of the squeaky toy & rump rub, and the only one who can truly put Spike in his place. Happy birthday.

XXX - Ben Hits Dirty Thirty!

Happy birthday Benjamin. It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating your 19th birthday together when we began our relationship. Wow!

Since that day 11 years ago our lives have changed so much. Dating, school, marriage, school, school, work, school, houses, baby, work, school... I think you should be so proud of all you have accomplished in your 30 years on earth. I can't wait to be by your side for all of the rest of your birthdays. (I am expecting a minimum of 60 more, eh?)

Thank you for being a wonderful husband, father, friend, and person. I love you.

9 Months Already...

Yesterday marked the 9 month milestone. Pretty soon this little guy will have been in the world longer than he spent baking. Since he started crawling just 1 week ago there has been an overwhelming explosion of new motor learning. Unfortunately he also seems to want to practice in the middle of the night! That seems to be settling down.

Why is it that all of those tired sounding parenting cliches turn out to be true? "It's different when they are your own..." "They grow up so fast..." Etc, etc. So far so true. It seems like tomorrow he will be headed off to school. Sigh.

Another draw back of the wonderfully fun personality that Rylan has...I just want to get down on my hands and knees and play ALL DAY LONG!

Hot Diggity, He Crawls!

At long last the little man has learned to crawl! It ain't pretty yet, but he is so stoked to be on the move. I am overwhelmed with pride, amusement, and trepidation. I fear that life just got simultaneously much easier and much more complicated all at once. A massive baby-proofing endeavor will begin this weekend.

Other new skills include crawling over to items, pulling to stand, and clapping. See the clapping cuteness for yourself below.

A Change of Plans

Earlier this month we had decided to play hooky and head to a mid-day Rockies game to enjoy the sun, baseball, and time with our son. Sadly, the weather had other plans. Cold rain and 40 degree temps forced us indoors. So, we took the little guy on his first journey to the Denver Children's Museum. We ALL LOVED IT! The camera died shortly after we arrived but there are a few pics to enjoy!

Um, Yeah...

So, it has been nigh on to a year since I last updated this. Sorry. Forgot all about it in all the hubub of baby-ness. However, several people have asked me to start writing about things that are going on and post some pictures of the sweet boy.

To recap the past 10 months...

• Rylan Thomas Griffith was born on 9/2/09 and was and continues to be fantastic.


• He is now 8 months old with red hair (!), brown eyes, and 8 teeth.


• I am working part-time in several random places in order to stay with Ry most of the time.


• Ben is still working at Lockheed.


• We still love our new house and are starting to make it feel more homey.

I have attached a recent pic of the little guy and will endeavor to update his adventures regularly.