Happy Halloween | 2016

Happy Halloween!

Life with Ryder just gets more and more fun the older he gets. He actually semi-understood the concept of costumes and trick-or-treating this year, and it was so fun to watch his delight!

He dressed up as a firefighter, just like Daddy... shocking, I know. 

The day before Halloween, we went down to the fire station to visit Stew so that Ryder could hang out with some real firefighters, as well as carve pumpkins and eat cupcakes with the other kids. 

He loves "driving" the truck.

And checking out all the equipment.

But mostly he just loves his Daddy, and we are so proud of him!

Stew actually had Halloween proper off work this year, so we were able to go trick-or-treating for the first time as a family. 

Ryder was a little apprehensive at first, but he got the hang of it pretty quickly. 

Especially when he realized that his reward for being brave and knocking on the door was CANDY.

He took home a ridiculous haul, and even with Stew's help I have no idea how we're ever going to consume it all. 

Unfortunately, I made a mistake and did not choose to just leave a big bowl of candy on our porch for the trick-or-treaters who came by while we were gone. And we ended up being out a little later than planned (even though we left pretty early with all the other "little kids" in the neighborhood). So by the time we got home, it had started to rain, and we didn't get near the amount of trick-or-treaters that we had planned for, leaving us with even MORE extra candy. 

Let's be realistic though... Stew and Ryder don't really mind. 

Overall I'd say it was a super fun and successful holiday for our family. 

Here's hoping your Halloween was extra spooky! 

 

Curses

It's been a rough few weeks here in the Alway Household. 

Poor Stew came down with a nasty virus that knocked him completely out of commission. Of course it wasn't too long afterward that Ryder followed, so that left me taking care of both of my boys while they tried to rest up and recover.

Then poor Ryder took a turn for the worst, and unfortunately (curses to the universe!) ended up with croup again.

For those of you who don't recall, Ryder got croup for the first time right about a year ago. That time, he was admitted to the hospital and spent four terrifying days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

It was probably the scariest thing I've ever experienced. 

Unfortunately, Ryder is part of a small percentage of children for whom croup can be extremely severe, and even life-threatening. Luckily, because of what happened last time, our doctors took the situation incredibly seriously. Ryder was seen at the pediatrician's office almost immediately after we noticed the tell-tale wheezing, and he was started on rounds of steroids every 48 hours to make sure that his airway remained clear. In the meantime, we tried to keep him comfortable and kept a close watch for some tell-tale signs that meant we were to immediately take him to the emergency room.

Poor Buddy.

Thankfully, it seems that Ryder's anatomy has matured enough in the past year so that he was able to fight off the infection on his own, without the help of any extreme medical measures. Now we just have to hope that this doesn't become an annual occurrence... 

Oh, and in the meantime, our practically brand new KitchenAid refrigerator stopped working.

We threw out what was several hundred dollars worth of spoiled food, and Stew began the tedious process of arguing with the company over whether or not the problem was covered under warranty.

Worst. Customer. Service. Ever.

After almost a month of arguing, several dozen phone calls, and one botched repair job, we finally have a working refrigerator again. But let me tell you...

We will never, ever buy another KitchenAid appliance again.

So that's all been pretty fun.

But for the moment everyone is happy and healthy again, and as the holiday season approaches, we're looking forward to having some fun and making some memories.

Fingers crossed!

Baby Seahawks

The last time I was pregnant during football season, we won the Super Bowl.

So naturally, I have high hopes for this season.

Luckily, I'm a little further along in my pregnancy this time, and don't have to blame any first trimester tailgate puking on faux hangovers from the night before. 

And even better, I have not only one, but TWO partners in crime at the Hawkwagon Tailgater Association!

Jessica and Haley are both knocked up, too!

Jessica (due in October) is currently winning, with Haley and I lagging a couple months behind. But by next year, three new little baby Seahawks will have joined the gang!

This season I quickly discovered that it's much more fun to be sober at a drunken tailgate party when you have a couple friends to share your non-alcoholic champagne with. 

Of course none of this means that our guys are standing with us in solidarity. I think they just see it as an excuse to drink our share of Fireball from the Shot-Ski.

Real. Women. Love. Football.

Stew can always be counted on to photobomb an otherwise great group pic.

Stew and I really don't get out much anymore, so football season consists of some of our main social activities for the year. We feel so lucky to have made such great friends over the years as part of our Hawkwagon Family!

Now let's do this, Seahawks!

Smiling Irish Eyes at 90

My incredibly amazing Grandma Sally is 90 years old! 

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating her 80th birthday, and I honestly have no idea where the last decade went. She sure doesn't look even a day older, although I can't say the same for myself... 

To celebrate this important milestone, my mom and her siblings planned quite an elaborate party, and everything turned out fabulous! 

Most importantly, there were CUPCAKES, which of course was pretty much the only thing that mattered to Ryder.

Ryder and his second cousin, Lexie. (I had to use an online "relationship calculator" to figure out what they were to each other, ha ha). 

Grandma Sally and her fifth (I think) great-grandchild. 

Grandma Sally with just 10 of her 15 children!

I could go on and on about how amazing my grandma is. 

She has played a huge role in my life ever since the day I was born. She's watched me grow up, cared for me when my parents couldn't, and taken me on amazing adventures, including my first plane ride to San Francisco when I was just seven years old! She spoils all her grandchildren not only with thoughtful and personal gifts and cards, but most importantly, with time and love. Her energy, even at 90, is enviable. She is a great listener, and makes me feel special every time I see her. She's literally been through it all and always amazes me with her life stories and spot-on advice. She has fabulous style, and she makes the best deviled eggs in the world. She loves her family, and even the smallest things make her happy -- a visit, a lunch, a phone call, a card. She is proud of who she is and where she came from. She has love for everyone around her, and constantly puts others' happiness first. She always has a smile on her face. 

She inspires me, and is an example of who I want to be in the future.

She is seriously the smartest, sweetest, most thoughtful, generous, kind, selfless, happy human being I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. 

Happy birthday Grandma Sally!

I LOVE YOU!

Here Comes the BOOM

I haven't talked about football around here as much as I once did. 

Let's be honest, ever since we lost that heartbreak of a Super Bowl, I just haven't felt as inspired to post about our Sunday Shenanigans. 

But not to worry, friends.

Stew and I are still the same dedicated Seattle Seahawks fans that we always have been, and we look forward to the start of football season all year long. To be honest, mainly because it's our only regular, adult, kid-free social activity these days.

In any event, the Hawks played their home opener this weekend, and we were so excited to be reunited with all of our friends and fellow fans at the Hawkwagon Tailgater Association!

Just a few of my favorite Hawkwagon Tailgaters...

Sadly there will be no Shot-Skis for me this season...

My brother and his lovely wife.

Cool 9/11 tribute before kickoff.

Rock out with your Hawk out, folks!

It's going to be a great season.

Lakehouse Vacation - Labor Day Weekend 2016

And another summer draws to a close...

Pretty much ever since we stopped going to Sunland for Labor Day Weekend shenanigans, we have spent the holiday at Priest Lake with the Alway Family. 

Although Ryder had a great time last year, I felt like this trip was the first time he was really old enough to enjoy and appreciate all the amazing things that the lake house has to offer. 

And even though the weather wasn't as cooperative as it's been in the past, we still managed to spend a ton of time down by the water. Ryder could remain occupied down there for hours and hours, building sandcastles and throwing rocks into the lake. 

I seriously don't even know why we bother to buy that kid toys at all...

Starting to get a Baby Bump!

Ryder's first s'more. He actually wasn't that impressed, I was shocked!

Celebrating Patty's belated birthday.

Sometimes I actually kind of like it at the lake when the weather isn't amazing, because I love just sitting around inside relaxing, watching movies, and playing games. 

Even Ryder was into it!

Ryder and Grandpa Russ getting in some quality coloring time.

Labor Day weekend and saying goodbye to the lake is always bittersweet.

We had an amazing time, as usual, but after a very busy summer full of trips it will be kind of nice to return to our regular routine for a while. Plus, fall means the start of football season (yay!) and lots of fun events and holidays.

But it was fantastic to finish out the summer with one more awesome family trip. 
Until next time...