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hello Mom

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Hi Mom

https://goo.gl/jhrRJH

Hiya Mom https://goo.gl/YhjRVD Clint and Misti Ryan

hi Mom



http://bit.ly/2BdF6FE





Clint and Misti Ryan

Glass Children

A few weeks ago, in our Sunday School class, another member shared a documentary that a high school student had made about his daughter, Sophia. She is the older sister of Eli (who's story you can read at Pray for Eli), an extraordinary little guy who has already faced a huge number of challenges in his little 5 years and continues to face many more as he grows, but he does it all with God-infused love and devotion from his family.

The documentary about Eli's sister is called The Glass Child, and it is about siblings of children with special needs and how they often grow up feeling as though they must over compensate for their sibling, by achieving more, doing more, entertaining more, helping more, etc, as well as being more compassionate and understanding. As we watched the video, I couldn't help but think of my husband's struggles that he faced early in life by being born with a cleft palate, and how his older brother must have been effected by that. An older brother who, by any and all observations, is extremely successful and has achieved a lot for himself and his family. To say he is driven is, to me, an understatement. Does his drive originate from nowhere other than his own determination? Is it from birth order, and he is just another example of an over-achieving first born? Or is it a product of overcompensating for a younger brother who struggled through multiple surgeries and other difficulties during his childhood? As someone who has only been in the picture for a little over a decade, it's impossible for me to actually specify the point of origin for my brother-in-law's resolve, but after witnessing for 11 years the love and devotion and admiration between the two of them, I'd say that he was monumentally impacted by his younger brother's start in life.

A few days later, as I was driving home from work, an old memory surfaced. Our middle son's teacher is acquainted with my brother in law, and had remarked at one time in the past that Pot Pie is very much like his uncle. I shrugged it off as being a comment that Pot Pie is a ham and loves to make people laugh and capture their attention, but as I drove home that day, the memory came back to me, and I realized how much deeper her comment goes.

Pot Pie was just 15 months old when Pumpkin Pie was born 4 months early. At a time when I should have been at home, cuddling a very much still little baby Pot Pie up to my ever growing pregnant belly, I was at the hospital, watching and praying and crying over his struggling little brother who was born too soon. From Pot Pie's age of 15 months to 19 months, I was absent, perhaps at times even when I was right beside him, my heart and head, if not my actual physical body, planted in the NICU at the hospital. From 19 months to 4 years of Pot Pie's life after Pumpkin Pie was discharged from the hospital, we spent so much time going through surgeries and rehabs and dealing with breathing difficulties, and Pot Pie was just the easy child to deal with, who rarely complained about anything. Even from 4 years to just recently, my thoughts and plans were being motivated by Pumpkin Pie's future and what he has in store for him should his vision get as bad as the doctors say it might. This, coupled with the fact that Pot Pie's older brother struggles with ADHD, Pot Pie has been the child I have rarely worried about because everything seems to come so easy to him. In fact, I've told people that I wish he did have some kind of struggle, just so he would know how to overcome it. I am in tears as I write this because it is hitting me full force now that I realize just what he has overcome to be who he is today. He is so smart, and incredibly intuitive. His powers of deduction astound me. He is the child who will get up earlier than anyone else, get ready for school without being asked, grab his breakfast of yogurt because he wants to eat something healthy, and then sit down and turn on the news because he likes knowing what's going on in the world and what the weather is doing so he can help his little brother get ready for school and dress appropriately when he gets up. Many mornings, he will make our bed just because he wants to help out. He goes above and beyond when we ask him to do something. To say he is a people pleaser just doesn't cut it. He is compassionate and caring and hilarious and so talented. I hope and pray that this realization I've come to will help me to support him even better as he grows up. Above all else, I will not overlook him anymore, and I will never take him for granted again.

Wishing my little Pot Pie a very Happy 8th Birthday this week!

Big Loser

A year ago, I started a journey towards a healthier me. It was hard at first, getting into the groove of working out on a regular basis when I had basically been a couch potato for the majority of my life. After hitting the gym and not seeing a lot of results, I knew I needed to make another change; this time, to my diet. I went through a healthy lifestyles program with my husband, and worked very hard to change the way we eat, and not on a short term basis. The changes we made were changes we knew we had to make for the long haul if we wanted to be healthier. Everything was going great...until early June...

The company my husband worked for was purchased by a larger company. Thankfully, he was offered another job at the larger company, but the new position meant a change in schedules for both of us. Mr. Morning-Person, who happily went to work at 6am in order to get off in time to pick our kids up from school, had to move to a regular 8a-5p schedule, leaving me, Mrs. Not-A-Morning-Person-In-The-Slightest, to have to make the change to 6am-3pm. Due to this change, I started slipping on my workouts. In May last year, I was right in the middle of running a Couch to 5k program. Once I completed the program and ran my first 5k on July 4, I couldn't muster up the desire to run any farther than that. So, I just quit.

With the switch to mornings came the craving for caffeine in order to keep my eyes open at my desk, which meant back-sliding back into a Pepsi habit I thought I'd kicked.

Now that I've been on my new schedule for 6 months, it doesn't feel like getting my butt out of bed every morning is any easier, but I am much more well-adjusted to it than I was. I started training for my first half-marathon, which will take place in April. And I entered a Biggest Loser type contest. Weigh-ins are on Mondays, with cash prizes awarded weekly and a big cash prize awarded at the end. What could be a better motivator than cash money? Here's hoping that the fifth set of pictures I add to the one above will have me with a lower weight than pictures 3 and 4.

Check back here often, as I hope to post at least weekly updates about my progress.

Starting a New Decade

Today marks the beginning of a new era for me...an era of no longer being in my twenties.

While it may feel strange that my age now starts with a 3 instead of a 2, I really don't think I'll notice that much difference between the 2 decades.

For every single year of my twenties, I was a wife to my awesome husband. I became a mother at age 20, so I've been wearing that hat for the past decade as well. I also started working at my current place of employment at age 20.

Barring any major upheavals/catastrophes, these three things will remain true for my next decade on earth as well.

I'll still be completely head over heels in love with my wonderful husband.

I'll still be mom to my three great sons (even though by the end of my 30's I'll have one in *GULP* COLLEGE! How freakin' crazy does that sound???).

And I will still work for the same hospital, though I am hoping that I will continue to move up to new positions as the years go by.

The Bucket List of my 30's

-------------------------------

* Run at least 1 half-marathon

* Run at least 1 full-marathon

* Complete at least 1 triathlon

* Get my Master's degree in healthcare administration

* Reach and maintain my goal weight (140 lbs...50 lbs to go)

* Do not get admitted to a mental facility for incurable incessant worrying when my 3 sons get their driver's licenses (You might just want to avoid me in 2018, 2020, and 2021...)

* Get baptized...I know I did this when I was 8, but I feel very strongly that I want to make that public commitment again because I don't believe I fully grasped at the time what I was committing my life to and, more importantly, I don't feel I fully grasped the unmatchable sacrifice that Jesus made for me. I want to make this declaration again, knowing what I know now.

I can't say I will feel this comfortable with turning 40 in 10 years, but for now, my 30's sound pretty darn awesome.

Now I'm going to spend my birthday evening eating pork fried rice and tempura vegetables that my husband cooked for me, followed by a couple of rounds of Uno with the boys.

Dinner with a Side of History

Tonight at dinner, instead of giving in to the kids insisting on watching something on TV, we left the TV off and started a conversation.

Me: What did you study at school today?

Cutie Pie: We learned about Lewis and Clark.

Me: You did? What did you learn about Lewis and Clark?

Hubby: (Correcting me.) Lois and Clark.

Me: What?

Hubby: LOIS and Clark. (Blank stare from me.) I think it was Lois and Clark...

Me: No, dear, that's Superman.

Hubby: Oh...oops.

Me: (To Hubby) I'm totally blogging about this later. (To Cutie Pie) Please continue.

Cutie Pie: Lewis and Clark set out to find...

Pot Pie: (interrupting) SUPERMAN!

(Laughter from everyone.)

Me: Please continue.

Cutie Pie: Lewis and Clark were two explorers who...

Pot Pie: Peed their pants!!!

(More laughter.)

Me: Please continue. Pot Pie, no more interruptions.

Cutie Pie: Lewis and Clark were two explorers who were sent by Thomas Jefferson to see about reaching the Pacific coast. They had a Native American guide named Sacagawea.

Hubby: Wasn't she an Indian Princess?

Me: I think you're thinking of Pocahontas, sweetheart...

I love having these conversations with the boys as a family. I look forward to every day, asking them what they learned at school. Even though they usually answer "Nothing.", I know they are learning because our conversations are becoming much more informed, much more opinionated. I hope to be able to challenge their thoughts as long as I can, until they are smarter than I am. Then maybe I'll learn a thing or two.

Speaking Of Baptism...

Tonight at dinner, it was me and the 2 younger pies. We sat at our favorite restaurant and had a wonderful discussion about whatever crossed their minds.

Pot Pie: "When can I get baptized?"

Knowing that in their church camp and VBS this is something that is discussed a lot, it didn't surprise me that this is what they decided to talk about.

Me: Anytime you want. You just have to proclaim that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and believe it with all your heart.

Pot Pie: And you have to know one thing about Jesus...like....Jesus died for our sins!

Pumpkin Pie: Well...(if you have never heard Pumpkin Pie say well, you must...he drags it out with a little baby Southern drawl. It sounds like "whaaaaale"...it's hilariously precious)... He can touch power lines. That is one thing I know about Jesus.

Me: Well, Nothing is impossible for Jesus...this is true...

Pot Pie: Who will baptize us?

Me: Our Pastor, Deron. You know, Seth's dad. Or Ethan's dad, Brian. He is a pastor.

Pumpkin Pie: (in complete shock) He passed away!?!?!

Me: NO! No, he didn't pass away. He's a PAST-OR! He's the pastor at Center Cross.

This led into an entirely different and much more somber discussion about heaven. I wish I knew all the answers to their questions. Pot Pie wants to go to heaven, but he is very concerned because he knows (barring some tragic accident) we won't all go to heaven at the same time and he doesn't want to be separated from mommy and daddy. I try to reassure him that being separated is something he won't have to worry about for a long time, but his tears brought tears of my own. Praying and searching for guidance are high on the to do list now.

Headboard - Before and After

I am on currently vacation for 2 weeks, which means I have a little extra time to clean and organize, as well as take care of a few projects I have been wanting to do around the house. One such project is the headboard in our bedroom. Here is a before picture:
At the time when we built it, we wanted something functional that we could put our glasses and our phones at night that was in reach (since I have to check my email just one more time before I close my eyes each night...) But as we lived with it, functional was no longer fitting into what I considered nice to look at.

Now, the after:

We had a ton of fence pickets left over from when we added our backyard fence a few years ago. I've tried to think of different projects to do with them, but never really thought about using them for a new headboard until I saw this post at ana-white.com (which is, by far, one of my most favorite places on the internet.)

So, I took the leftover fence pickets, sanded them like crazy, and built this simple headboard a few days ago. A couple of coats of stain and it was complete. I love it! I'm so thrilled with how great it turned out.

Next, I'll be making some matching bedside tables to go with it, because we still need a place to set our glasses and phone at night.

In My Neck of the Woods - Celebrating America!

Yesterday was a fun filled day celebrating the 4th of July with my husband's brother's family, and we started off the day in a big way!
For the past 9 weeks, my sister-in-law and I have been doing the Couch to 5k running program. She has done a few races in the past, but I have never considered myself to be a runner in any shape or form, so this was a great way for me to work my way into it. Yesterday, we completed the Firecracker 5k in downtown Tulsa! My husband ran as well, and it was an incredible feeling to make it across the finish line. My official time was 42:30. My goal was to do it in under 45:00, so I was happy with it! I'm so glad I did it, and I can't wait to run another one! I am so lucky to have such great cheerleaders rooting for me!

After the 5k, we rested all day in anticipation of a night full of fun, food, and firecrackers!

Here is our beautiful niece's reaction after she threw down a popper.

And here is our crew of boys, each happily blowing up one thing after another with their cousins. Fun was had by all!

Did I mention she's beautiful? She's adorable.

Kid Room Redo

I am constantly thinking about trying to come up with new and exciting ideas for decorating our house. It's on the small side, but I love the location and I love the fact that our house was built in 1928 and has some neat qualities about it...though sometimes I think I'd give my right arm for another bathroom...but that's a whole other rant...

In our kids' room, their bed started out as a triple bunk bed that we kept in a small bedroom with much higher ceilings...however, we got to a point where our oldest son decided he wanted his own room, so we cut the top bunk off and added longer legs, putting the Love Sac and a TV underneath for the kids to play video games on.

Once we cut the top off, this left bunkbeds for the other two, though they were still really close together, which was fine for our little Pumpkin Pie....

but I had plans for something different...this was my inspiration...

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough room to do this...the room isn't quite long enough...so we did this instead!

The kids love it! And I love that it allows for storage underneath their beds to hide all of their boxes of toys. I also love being able to lay in bed with them and watch cartoons. I'm sure we'll change the paint color shortly, but for now, I'm happy with it. Next up (when I get the chance...), we (well, Clint doesn't know it yet...) will be doing a little redecorating in the backyard...

Spit Take!

In our house, with our three sons, we deal with quite a few conversations about private parts, especially about the appropriate terms to use when speaking of such areas. I try to answer the kids' questions as honestly and appropriately as possible, with as vague and undetailed answers as I can possibly get away with.

Today while riding in the car, all was quiet until Pot Pie asked a question.

Pot Pie: "Mom, what is another name for private parts?"

Me: "Just, in general? Besides just calling them private parts?"

Pot Pie : Nodding yes.

Me: "Hmm...well, genitalia is another name."

Pot Pie: "Genitalia? What language is that?"

Me: "Its the medical term. If your doctor is charting about your body parts, he or she may call your private parts genitalia."

Pot Pie: "Does everyone know this word?"

Me: "Yes. Its a common term."

Pot Pie: "Even the French? Do they know this term?"

Cutie Pie: "Yes, of course they do. It even sounds like a French word!"

Pot Pie: "Well, my genitalia is HUUUUUGE!"

And that, folks, is what caused me to spit my drink all over the steering wheel.

End of the School Year

Today marked the last day of the school year for our children. I know they have learned so much this year, and they've grown so much, physically and emotionally. We are very blessed to have three awesome sons. I love watching them experience life and I'm looking forward to a summer of fun with them!

Our Cutie Pie... Here he is on the first day of school.

And here he is today, leaving the building for the last time as a third grader. (Ignore the holey towel...it was water day...)

And here he is with his student of the month award that he was awarded with yesterday for trying his personal best and being most improved! We are so proud of him!

Here is our Pot Pie at the beginning of the school year...

And here he is leaving the building for the last time as a first grader!

Here is our Pumpkin Pie at the beginning of the school year!

And here he is, leaving the building for the last time as a kindergartener!

Wordless Wednesday: A New Chapter in our Boys-Only Family Story

With a housefull of boys, you think we'd be old pros at team sports, but we've always let the boys take the lead on what they wanted to do. Pot Pie is our gymnast, and is more than content to stick with his chosen sport, especially since he will start competing this year and is looking forward to winning "medals and twophies". Pumpkin Pie is still figuring out what he likes, and will not be choosing any sport at the moment, though more than likely, due to his increased risk of retinal detachment and his not great vision, he will not be playing any contact sports. We may try soccer in the future.

This week marks a change coming to our household. Cutie Pie came to both of us and let us know that he would like to play tackle football. We were both surprised...and more than a little excited!!! I can't wait to see him play, though I must say I'm a little afraid of what we are getting into, since we have NO CLUE what we have signed up for. Practices...games...being team mom...offense?...defense?...special teams?... I thought about picking up a "Football for Dummies" book so I can actually appear to know what is going on in the fall. But first, we hit a huge tent sale to get ready for the season, picking up cleats, football pants, practice jerseys, mouthguards, etc, because speed and agility camp starts next week. Here's to another new adventure!

In My Neck of the Woods: SQL'ing the Day Away

People often ask me what I do for a living, and then give me this glazed over expression when I tell them I am a financial analyst for a local health system, writing in SQL language to pull data for executive administration and other very important people. Sitting in front of a computer toiling away for 8 hours (or more...) a day compiling reports using a somewhat finicky form of programming may not sound like a blast to anyone else, but I love it!

I graduated college in 2008, and my degree is in applied technology, which basically allowed me the flexibility to choose which technology-related classes I wanted to focus on, with some management and accounting courses mixed in, to complete my degree. Instead of taking those dreadful classes on network administration and computer architecture, I consumed as many classes as I could on programming in Java and database administration, as well as throwing some Photoshop and computer forensics into the mix. I have been with the health system since I was 20 years old, and have worked in various areas, learning as much as I can about the healthcare industry. I have been in my current position for about a year now, and I feel so blessed to come to a job that I love every single day. :)

Pepsi Wishes and Gravy Dreams

My Sweetie Pie and I are on a diet, and have been since the second week of March. Its through a healthy lifestyles program at the hospital where I work, and each week we meet twice to learn more about portion sizes and food choices, etc.

Today, as we drove home after church, we passed a man holding a sign advertising the incredibly delicious chicken fried steak at Nelson's Buffeteria. As we went by, my husband and I both felt our breaths catch in our throats. I looked at him and said, "We could split one. That wouldn't be so bad." He quickly agreed, and we turned down a side street to reverse our direction and head back towards Nelson's, the home of the aforementioned beefy, chicken fried goodness that is the size of the platter, with a side of mashed potatoes, all covered with cream *GULP* gravy and a large, warm roll...but as we started to pull back out, a wave of strength washed over me, and I turned to my husband and said "We have a weigh in on Tuesday, and I don't want anything to jeopardize it." He agreed, reluctantly, but thankful that I was the strong one (for once...most often he is the voice of reason). We came home and had a very yummy lunch of Shrimp and White Bean Ragout.

This diet has tested me to the very core of my being. For years now, we have prided ourselves on the delicious meals we have created for our family nightly, complete with everything that has now been taken away from us due to the program that we signed up for. Rolls, fried foods, gravy....mmm, gravy....just good Southern cooking that we enjoyed immensely but it wasn't doing anything positive for us nutritionally. We were taking in too much fat, too much salt...just too much, period. Now we are watching our intake, planning meals around what our bodies need, not just what we think sounds good.

It definitely hasn't been easy. And knowing that these are permanent changes we are making has taken some getting used to. When I asked our sons what they wanted to see on our family menu for the week, Pumpkin Pie said he'd like "some chicken wif gwavy on it,", and I said, tearfully, "Me too, baby! Me too..." The kids are getting used to the new way of eating around here as well, and Sweetie Pie and I both feel good about the example we are setting for them, not just with our diet, but also with the exercise we are fitting into our daily schedules, a model of healthy living that we hope they will catch onto and continue to live into their adult lives as well.

With all of this healthy eating around here, I've replaced almost all of my daily beverage intake with water. However, I am allowing myself to indulge, while still following the diet plan from the program, which allows me to have 8 oz of my favorite soft drink a day. So, once a day, I blissfully partake of one of these small cans of Pepsi.

We are committed to sticking with this way of eating for the rest of our lives, because we know its the best way for us to be getting exactly what our bodies need nutritionally. We are already noticing changes in the way our clothes fit, and of course, the numbers on the scale are going down...though Sweetie Pie's are going down much quicker than mine...

Perfect Pairings - Pot Pie

My little Pot Pie is growing so big! It doesn't seem like it is possible that the little baby we brought home back in 2004 will be turning 7 years old this week! He's such a hilarious little guy, and very smart and so fun to be around. I look forward to whatever God has laid out for him in the future. The bible verses I picked are the ones he was given when he was dedicated at our church.

Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, of good report, any virtue, or praise, think on these things. -- Phillipians 4:8

The God of peace...make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight. -- Hebrews 13:20-21

The Dangers of Romance Novels

In the past two weeks, under a blanket of the most snow and the coldest temperatures Oklahoma has ever seen, I've occupied my abundance of time at home with books 1-10 of the Southern Vampire Mysteries (thanks to the Kindle app on the iPad, which allowed me access to any book on Amazon I wanted without having to leave the comfort of my warm home), as well as its TV adaptation, seasons 1 and 2 of True Blood (also on the iPad....truly the greatest invention ever!).

Being a huge fan of the television series already, it makes it even more enjoyable to be able to put faces with the characters in the books. I imagine the enjoyment is similar to what the fans of Twilight experience, except that these characters aren't boys...they are men. Sorry if this offends any Twihards out there...just stating a fact...

Exhibit A: Vampire Eric...he flies. Take that, Edward. He also the bluest blue eyes and a cool voice with just a hint of foreign accent. Played by Alexander Skarsgard, who has five times been voted the sexiest man in Sweden....smart people, those Swedes...

Exhibit B: Vampire Bill....played by British actor Stephen Moyer...I could listen to him speak for hours, whether as his character with a proper Southern drawl, or as himself in his own British accent with a penchant for cursing. (If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for accents....my husband is aware of this, and he is fine with it, truly. He uses it to his advantage from time to time...)

Exhibit C: Alcide the Werewolf...in the novels, his character is described as having "arms like tree trunks"...He trained for 5 months to get ready for this role, and from the many, many, MANY shots of him on the show devoid of any shirt, I'd say Joe Manganiello does not disappoint. I liked him as one of Marshall's fellow law students on "How I Met Your Mother"....I LOVE him as the hunky general contractor/werewolf who runs a little hot...

I don't normally make a habit of posting pictures of other men on my blog...

Let me first point out that I am extremely happily married...I love my sweetie pie more than anything in this whole wide world.

And secondly, in my defense, I spent quite a bit of time trying to find pictures of these men fully clothed, so as not to be disrepectful to my sweetie pie, because, like I said, I love him, and I find him even more attractive today than when we first met 10 wonderful years ago.

And thirdly, there is a point to this post...

As I read these books about the heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, and watch the episodes of this show, I can't help but notice a few effects that these activities have on my mood and actions.

For one, after watching this show, I notice a definite increase in the appearance of my Southern accent. Most often it is hidden behind my mom voice or my 'Yes-I'm-in-my-20's-but-I-do-know-what-I'm-talking-about' work voice, but after hearing Mr. Stephen Moyer's portrayal of Vampire Bill Compton's drawl, I can't help but add a few extra syllables in my own conversations.

Secondly, I can't help but feel a little bit jealous of Sookie's, albeit fictional, life. Sure, she has anti-vampire rights activists, maenads, various shape shifters, vampire kings, witches, rogue fairies, etc. trying to harm her or kill her in some capacity or another, but she also has a number of gorgeous (see exhibits A, B, and C) men vying for her attention and doing absolutely anything to be with her. Now, granted, she does have fairy blood, which is extremely intoxicating to vampires but for a couple of technically dead guys who don't have beating hearts, they certainly have a way with words. When Bill proposes to Sookie after vampires and humans are given the right to marry in Vermont, he rents out an entire restaurant because he tells her, "The sight of you is not something I wish to share with others.". How romantic is that? To think that one person finds you so desirable that he wants you all to himself, that he would spare no expense in making sure that he is the only one garnering your attention, and that he makes it a habit to let everyone know "Sookie is mine!". It's very romantic, as well as being very detrimental to the psyche of a woman who spends days trapped in the house, cooking, cleaning, and working while simultaneously keeping three boys occupied enough that they won't harm each other or destroy the house while her husband works 12 hour days and shovels the snow that just keeps falling, leaving him no energy to woo his wife of almost 10 years who, because of the partaking of the romance novels, so desperately wants to be wooed but doesn't bother to change out of her pajamas!?!?!

I know my husband loves me, and that I love him, but everyone wants to feel captivating and desirable, and some days, he's just too tired to make me feel like I'm 1/8th fairy and he's a 173-year old vampire who finds me absolutely intoxicating...

But then, this wonderful man of mine, does something that brings me back to reality, and makes that supernatural wooing sound like a bunch of nonsense...my sweet, handsome husband, who functions on very little sleep to provide for this family at a job that he does so well, and then comes home to clean, cook, and care for us so that we can enjoy family time together, and then alone time together after the kids are in bed...watching him play with our children, being the best dad that he can be, and then sitting on the couch as he listens to my thoughts, ideas, dreams, and ramblings, he makes my heart go pitter-patter much more than a Southern drawl or arms that resemble tree trunks.

Who needs vampires and werewolves? I've got my own hunk right here.