Hooray for Fall

I always enjoy the start of fall. It is so much fun to be out in the crunchy leaves, pull out the cuddly blankets and sweaters, shop for coats, and breathe the crisp cool air. We have been making the most of this fall as a family. We attended a great outdoor concert where Dan Tyminski and his band performed. We have also bravely wandered for an hour through a corn maze with our dear friends, been on a hay ride, and put hedge apples in the basement to get rid of our spiders. This weekend we carved our pumpkins and had a Fall Food Fest with our office peeps. Roughly 30 of us got to hang out, eat yummy food,  and stood in line for the bathroom since there is only one in our house! A few of us were even brave enough to learn the pumpkin dance. 

Unexpectedly this fall has also been great for personal reasons too. Beyond all the experiences that fall has to offer, this fall has brought with it a new appreciation for the things in my life. I went through a time this year where I was really angry about how unfair life can be. I'm not sure what has changed, maybe just the passing of time, but I think my funk is over. Simple things that I had a hard time enjoying are now fun again. It has been years since I felt excited about anything and now I find myself anticipating doing even the smallest of things. There is nothing fair about life and I wish it hadn't taken me to 30 to figure that out. I want Will to learn it sooner than I did. As a parent, I find myself wanting to protect Will from life's harsh realities. As his friend - I want him to know how special it is to have all the opportunities he has. 

It has also been fun to do a little bit of work on the house. We finished painting the hallway earlier this year and have finally put a desk in the nook. As odd as it sounds, it was really great to spend an evening last week lamp shopping. Few husbands are good shopping partners - I love that mine is happy to do it and enjoys the hunt as much as I do. Phil also ran electricity to the hall so I have a place to plug in the lamp. There are now some decorations on the wall and I am in the process of painting a mirror to hang up. The screen on my computer is also fixed so I can actually sit here with my own space and work on my projects in peace. I love it when a plan comes together! 

For those who want to see more of our fun fall activities, click on the link below. 

Fall 2009

Nostalgia

Time as been slipping into the future in our neck of the woods.

Kenny and Jo (Maranda) got married on August 1st.  These two are perfect together but it is hard to believe they have grown up and entered the adult world. Thinking back to our wedding 10 years ago it is amazing to look at the family and see how much everyone has grown and changed. Phil's sister AJ was 2 when we started dating and for Kenny's wedding she was standing on stage playing Clare De Lune (which she rocked). 

We had lots of fun getting Will into his tuxedo for the big day. In order to do this we convinced him that he would look like a penguin. Then we took his penguin toy and put it in his pocket and told him to waddle down the aisle. There was much debate and bribery associated with the ordeal but he did in fact make it through the day. The major hiccup for our portion of things was that the tux was no where near the size it should be. We are talking a good 5" past his feet. Hence the roll of duct tape in my hand! 

In other bits of nostalgic news, we recently subscribed to Netflix and I saw Inspector Gadget on the instant download que. I remembered this show with great fondness and wondered what Will would think of it. He didn't want to watch it the first time but I convinced him he wouldn't know if he liked it till he tried it. I told him all about how Mom and Dad watched this show when they were little. With some grumbling we turned it on and he was instantly transfixed. The next morning he woke up and asked if he could watch my show. This was very confusing to me because at first I though he meant West Wing. Then he started talking about cars in lakes and helicopters and I remembered "my show" was Inspector Gadget. For 3 weeks now all he has wanted to do is watch this show. Being a typical boy he is particularly fond of the scary episodes with ghosts, monsters, and LOTS of gadgets. "Spector McGadget" as he likes to call him has made a big come back in the Reynolds home. Will has been sitting in our living room in his Dad's old toddler rocking chair watching one of his Dad's favorite childhood pastimes with great affection. It is funny how life comes full circle.

I was supposed to go to an 80's themed party this month but never made it due to a wretched virus that overtook Will for 4 days. It was sad to miss the party. They would have made some great pics for this nostalgia post! My last bit of news is that I am keeping busy with my running. In October I am planning to run for a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I'm not sure if I am going to do the 5k for a decent time or the 10k and just try to finish - either one will be a big feat. One of my favorite movies is Return to Me. For those who haven't seen it, it is the story of a woman who has a heart transplant. After her recovery she never drives but always rides her bike because she CAN. There is a scene where this grown woman has a bike race with some kids on the block. The sheer bliss on her face was priceless. I remember being struck by how great that must feel the first time I saw the movie. I now have a deeper understanding of that joy. Words can't describe how good it feels to be able to run at all!

Do I have a big boy?

Will woke up today and told me he was done with diapers. He said he wanted to wear big boy underwear! I have been waiting for the day when he would say he was ready. Yippee. Though I do have a minor frown for the mountains of laundry I will have till he gets this figured out, I am very excited. Last night I told him he was making a lot of trash on the earth and the Lorax and WALL-E would be really happy if he would stop making a mess in his diaper. He seemed kind of sad about that. Then this morning he was rearing to go. Who knew it would work!

Will is Two

Each day is new and full of wonder. Yesterday he told me that when he grew big he wanted to be a firehouse boy. Less than a minute later he had changed his mind to growing up to be a penguin. We have no idea what our little man will become, but we are certain he will do it with gusto!

Starting Over

Since our life has changed so much we felt our blog should too. Hopefully this blog will be filled with happy memories and good news to share. The list of changes in our life is so vast I don't really know where to begin. Below is a nutshell update on our family as it stands today...we will have to see how tomorrow unfolds.

I am busily writing a memoir, knitting, and gaining some energy from my 7 day a week workouts. Phil is managing his rapidly growing business and office, enjoying as much sushi as he can eat, and falling in love with the piano again. Will is two, full of wonder, needs a hat or helmet for every occassion, is becoming quite the jogger, and is learning that life doesn't always revolve around him. The cat is still lazy, a bit grumpy, but enjoys a good snuggle. The four of us take things a day at a time and try to enjoy what we have.