Picture Update: Christmas in July

It's that time of year again - the bell ringers are standing outside every retail store, Christmas lights adorn neighborhoods and shopping centers, Christmas carols are running through your head, and the evergreens are looking beautiful.  Well, at least that last part is true as we have a regular Christmas tree farm growing on our back hill, but July does seem like a somewhat appropriate time to post our white Christmas pictures.

We had a pretty extended Christmas this year (though it still doesn't quite match up with our one from 2008-2009 where it started mid-December and lasted until late January), so you can find pictures from our three state celebration here.  Ryan, Cheryl and her parents also made a trip north over the holidays and spent a lovely few days with her Grandmother.  It was the first year that Ryan really understood all of the hubbub going on around him, and he absolutely loved it.  Eric and Cheryl were getting ready to transition to new jobs, so it was a a little crazy, but great, holiday season.

In the spirit of giving, we've also got a few Ryan stories to share:

• Ryan loves his cousin "Merdedith" (known to adults as Meredith) and had a great visit with her this spring (we'll be posting pictures from that visit in the next six months or so...)

• Ryan washes his hands all by himself, and can just barely see into the mirror in our downstairs half bath without a stool.  When he does, he sees a double reflection, deemed "two Ryans!" and thinks it's pretty hilarious.
• Cheryl painted her toes red one night this spring after Ryan was asleep.  When he spotted them as she was making dinner the next day he said "Your toes are painted."  A pretty good observation, but a few seconds later, Cheryl had a three-year-old with a cotton ball rubbing at her toes.
• Cheryl: "Ryan, what are you doing?"
• Ryan: "Trying to get it off, but it's not workin'".
• Cheryl: "Why are you trying to get it off?"
• Ryan: "Because, I want them to be lighter.  Maybe it needs water."
• A couple more seconds pass...then Cheryl has a three-year-old with a wet cotton ball rubbing at her toes.  (For the record, it still didn't work - and Ryan moved on to other things).

Merry Christmas in July!