I'm realizing how this blog helps me find themes in our lives, since it's the only time I stop and take a collective look back at our whirlwind day-to-day. This week the themes are amazingly simple:
- Honoring our family by trying to find balance
- Trying to spend more time with the people we love that bring value to our lives
- Finding joy in the simple moments
These would be what Max and I are focused on. Ryan's list is a little less complicated, but still profound:
- Cali is my best friend
- Trying to help mom and dad
- Big trucks

Ryan has gone through another growth spurt. Example: I just purchased 7T wide shoes for him and had to send them back since they're too small. I'm pretty sure his feet are the size of most 15 year olds'. He's doing more and more dare-devil things too. You'll see below. The biggest change we see is in his language. I am pretty sure he's known a lot of what he's now sharing with us for a while, but now we can just communicate better. Words are now strung together in short choppy sentences. It takes me a while to realize he can do this. Like when I was driving with my hand on the back of the passenger seat, only to hear "Momma. No. No."....he had to repeat it 10 times before it registered that he was making a request so he could see out the window.

He's recognizing letters on his own. unprompted today he started verbally identifying every letter on my shirt that read "Disaster Relief". Our obstacles right now consist of his fixation on a toy snow plow we had to take away from him 3 weeks ago....it's all he talks about. And dropping him off at Milestones. The last two weeks he's burst out in tears when I leave him. It's heartbreaking, but other than that, he seems to have great days. Perhaps it's just a little separation anxiety since Max is working long hours coaching and I have been crazy with work. We're planning on him moving up an age bracket to a new classroom shortly and I think that will help. Part of the kids he had gotten to know moved up since they were older, but the center feels he skews older and might do better with older kids.

Max's team is doing great and posted another win Friday against Mona Shores... a school he used to coach against. We still know people he worked with on the coaching staff, so that was weird. Right now the team is 3-1.

Below is the best of the last few weeks. Lot's of multiples from the same events...but I cannot decide which ones are cuter. Enjoy.

Love,
Court, Max & Ryan

While folding laundry, I took a peak to see what Ryan was up to and this is what I found. One day he'll realize the other end is the better end to hug!

Tickle time is the most fun with Ryan. He has the best belly laugh that he now uses with most things. We call it the "maniacal" laugh.

Ryan thought Cali should also wear "big truck" pj's and Cali obliged.

When Ryan saw Max sweeping up last weekend, he immediately grabbed another broom and started to help.

Though he won't finger paint at school, he loves sidewalk chalk.

"No way! Blue and Black! This is the best day EVER." - Ryan Kerry

Ryan has realized he can dump out the toy bins and stand on them. Sometimes there is a line of five of them that he traverses like a bridge. Other days he just wants to get taller and stacks them all.

The rinse at bathtime is the best since our water faucet makes a waterfall and Ryan loves to put his face in it.

His top I-teeth are almost all the way through and I am sure the bottoms are on their way!


He's figured out that he can remove the bench cushion and pretend it's a slide or use it as a ramp for his cars. He trashes the living room at least twice a day...and we love it!

Henry Danger recently paid us a visit. Look at those tummies!

Henry LOVED my work heels and was wearing them all through the house!


Ryan—all on his own—has decided his chore is to put away the place mats after dinner. One day he just stared to do so. He also sets up his tray for dinner time and goes crazy if there's even a grain of cous-cous on his tray after he's wiped up.

21 Months

As you can imagine due to our lack of updates, August has been a super busy month. Between football staring back up, Ryan starting a new child care situation and me working crazy hours, there has been no time to post.

Max had his first game of the season last week. Though they posted a loss, the defense (an entirely NEW defense) looked great. The 17 points scored on them we in large part to the 6 turnovers close to the end zone. Tomorrow's game will be a great test.

Work has been insane. We've grown Stryker by 7 divisions, making for lots of travel for me and about 68 hours of overtime for me this month alone.

Ryan began attending Milestones Child Development Center three days a week. The other two days are spent with our friends Deb and her son Levi. He's doing great and is nearly always excited to go to school. In truth the transition has gone better than we had expected. We've noticed a growth spurt with the little guy and he's staring to string phrases together really well. Everyday he's asking for new words, saying "What's this?" He'd got his first three freckles, further proving he's my son! Trucks in every way shape and form are his obsession. Max recently scored an outdoor playhouse for $12 and he's super excited about that. He's also trying to imitate everything. Today I caught him trying to jump up and down...then realized the picture on the front of the magazine showed a kid jumping on the bed. He's really good at copying our dance moves now too.

So enjoy the pics like we enjoy the boy they're focused on. Though we're busy beyond belief, we're able to step back everyday, focus on him and feel incredibly blessed.

Love to you all,
Court, Max + Ryan

Ryan and I at the first football game of the season. He spent the entire first half walking in front of the bleachers. When the crowd would cheer, he thought it was for him. He'd strut so proud and clap as he did so. He'd also watch the cheerleaders and imitate their hands when they landed a stunt. The kids in the student section were cracking up.

Ryan and Max at the Red & White scrimmage.

Ryan had the best day ever getting to sit in a REAL firetruck.

Ryan wearing his backpack in preparation for the first day to school at Milestones.

Before he started, we took Ryan for a visit to get to know everyone. He was excited to see they had a giant truck in his classroom. Here he is with his new buddy Mason.

Happy boy had his first haircut three weeks ago. The curl is still there and it's still pretty red, though streaks of sun bleaches blond are coming through.

Ryan's starting to love giving kisses and hugs. He surprised Max with this one.

Look at the strength! He was holding himself up like this!

But here is where he started from.

Ryan super excited to watch Max mow the lawn. He watched the entire hour long process, running between windows at the front and back of the house to see.


Lots of time is spent building towers with MegaBloks. He spends half his playtime building, usually happy to be doing it on his own.

He's really into stacking the bins and making them into seats.

ddm is celebrating our 20th anniversary, so here's Ryan, Max with Debbie and Levi at the picnic. Ryan pronounces Levi as "Yahweh" (which ironically is Hebrew for God). In this photo, the boys were coming down from a serious sugar high. They did have smiles on their face for most of the evening. Promise.

The ddm party was at Blodger's Ranch (one of our partners) and Ryan was so excited to ride the tractor ... on the same day he got to drive the firetruck. And he got to pet a horse. Great day.

At a football family picnic we lost track of Ryan and found him on his own, sitting like a Ralph Lauren ad enjoying the scene. Hilarious.