Smiley Riley

The last two weeks or so, we've been getting smiles out of Riley. At first we were convinced it was just gas, but as it continued we're thinking otherwise.. Could they be intentional? Daddy is especially great at eliciting smiles! Whether they are intentional or not, it sure makes us smile from ear to ear when ever his face lights up!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

A night at the speakeasy- which by the way, I had no idea what that meant since I am as far from a history buff as possible. Long story short: John's squadron gets tasked 2x a year to work the races at PIR (Phoenix International Raceway) as a fundraiser. Well everyone hates it... So they were throwing ideas out for alternative ways to make money and ultimately decided to just charge each of the pilots a fee (yup- making it not a fund raiser at all, but more a mandatory tax) but John had the idea to at least make it fun and feel like more than just a tax. So he and a co-planner put together Speakeasy Night. Girls for a night were flappers as the men sat back in their secret, smoke filled rooms (They rented fog machines) playing Texas Hold'em. The guys did a great job and everyone seemed to have a good time!

Up the Big Hill

Our little family took Riley on his first road trip as we traveled to Flagstaff for an extended weekend stay. John first tried to sell it as an anniversary get away (our 3 year anniversary was September 3rd), but when we wanted to avoid the expensive lodging costs and decided to bunk up with family, it became apparent that it was more of a hunting outing than a romantic get away. Well, our celebratory weekend is coming... We're now holding out till Grandma W gets here so she can spend some one on one with Riley- thus giving John and I some one on one as well! Anywho- we got to Flag on Friday evening. John would play mountain man in the early am (4:30am-ish) and every evening, looking for his prize buck... Well, not knowing the lay of the land or having any familiarity really, it was more like guess work. But none the less, he saw many of God's creatures... just couldn't shoot them since they were of the female variety and his tag was only good for the males.

While he was out in the wilderness, I spent time with his aunt, uncle, cousins and even second cousin(?)! We happened to catch the Rt. 66 Car show as it passed through town on Saturday. We scoped all the old, yet beautifully restored cars- although John was disappointed at the lack of Mopar showing.

One of John's fellow pilot friends from Korea is now out of the military and living in Flagstaff so I got to sit down with her and her new baby (7 months) and do tea. It was nice to get to know her better since John has nothing but great things to say about her. John even got to join our little girl pow-wow the following day. I had a stranger take a picture, but apparently the auto feature is too complex.. Just kidding. I should have put the flash up.

I got to break out some of the 0-3 month clothes for cooler weather. Since Riley is such a big boy, and growing quickly (he's over 10 lbs already) I am happy to get him into the adorable outfits before he's outgrown them!

The Angel we call Noni

After about 10 days following the birth of Riley, my mom headed back home to Texas. What a blessing it was to have her here to keep me company, help with all the house stuff (dishes, laundry, etc.), teach me the art of being a mommy and reminisce of days gone by when Trav and I were babies. She did get off relatively easy when it came to being our family chef- since our church family really took care of us, bringing us delicious, home cooked meals every day for the first week and some! None-the-less... our time spent with Noni was wonderful and we are so thankful for the opportunity!! Love you!

Riley's first bath

Noni you are special
Your love knows no bounds
A room takes special warmth
whenever you’re around
You think I’m cute and talented
and maybe even wise
But I know that's why all grandparents
see though loving eyes
Every day with you is precious
I’m so grateful for the time
Of all the grandparents in the world
I’m thankful that you're mine

-Love- Riley

The First Outing

I'm making good on my "phantom" entry.

Life has changed ALOT! John and I have grown accustomed to the freedoms of couple dome- recreating often, heading out whenever we feel like it... and having Riley sure has challenged that. I'm not saying it's bad... No! Not at all! Riley is so much fun and I feel so much purpose for my life each time I look at his little blue eyes. We hope to incorporate Riley into our lifestyle instead of molding our life completely around our new addition. So last Saturday, we were both eager to get out of the house! Most of the first week home was just that... at home. We watched an inordinate amount of telivision, and there were days where I did not ever step foot outside. So needless to say, we were really wanting to get out and do something.

We headed over to Cabella's (hunter's haven) and from there strolled over to West Gate, a nearby shopping/sports complex (in fact it's where the Superbowl was held earlier this year). We had meals coming all week from our Church family and that night, our good friend Notch brought us over sandwiches for dinner. So we packed up those sandwiches, threw in a few other snacks and had a little lawn picnic in a grassy area near a waterpad where tons of children at play froliced through the spouting water as parents observed from the dry outskirts. During all this fun, a live band was set up and playing harmonious melodies to be enjoyed by all! It was the perfect "first outing!"

Our boy's a super model...

At least you would think so with how many pictures I've been snapping of him. This is only a sampling of the many shots but for fear of redundancy and your interest diminishing, I'll keep a limit on them. Even though his daily activities consist of sleeping, crying, a little looking around and lots of feeding (which you will NOT see any pictures of!), I still manage to snap off a bunch for your viewing pleasure!! Anyway- we're gearing up for our first day in the outside world... Wish us luck and enjoy the pics!

The first Family Photo

Father and Son

Naked Baby!

in the Peanut Shell- grabbin' onto my shirt strings (and heart strings for that matter)

introduction to Cana (he was crying before the licks.. Cana was just trying to cheer him up)

Doing what he does best- Sleep

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Grandma Winslow checking out her grandson
The adoring Grandma's
Homecoming Welcome Committee

Say Uncle!

Most of you have kind of figured this out, but to make it official via blog I want to welcome our new perfect and handsome nephew- Baby Brenden! I have to chuckle since I became a Mom and an Aunt all with in a day- that's right... My brother, Trav and his wife Pam gave birth to their bouncing baby boy THE DAY AFTER us! Wow- imagine how much fun the boys are going to have at family gatherings.. I envision best of buddies growing up! Anyway, if you haven't already, check out baby Brenden on their site and admire the awesome Anne Getty-esque photography of their new son!!!

It's been actually quite busy with the crazy feeding schedule- this kid really eats!!! And I haven't had much time to update... So please forgive my late updates but between feedings and naps and other house stuff, we'll get 'er done!