Birthday Fun

 

 

 

Birthday celebrations have come to an end. Summer is fun with three birthdays and I think the boys had fun. We went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse on Monday for Cris' birthday. Yum. Love those rolls. Grandpa Wood was in town so he came along. It is his favorite place too. Zach made sure the server knew it was his dad's birthday. He knew there was a treat in store. Then we went home and had more chocolate with the Randall's. Good times.

Thurs eve we had Zach's bday party. Pizza + rootbeer + 8 boys = funny conversations about armpit hair and a burping contest. They had blast and attacked Cris with water balloons. He armed himself with the hose. One hour of filling water balloons and they were gone in 60 seconds. It was a fun night. Thanks to all who came to celebrate.

HBday ZMacR

 

 

 

photos at Bear Lake

 

One of Zach's favorite things to do is to crawl in bed with me in the morning. We chat about various things and often he asks about when he was born. The story goes something like this.

I was really nervous about having another baby. Not that I didn't enjoy being a mom to Alex, but the first few months were a bit rough. Recovering, trying to nurse a baby, figuring about the whole baby thing and a very fussy baby at that. There are a few things I would rather skip. I was relying on the fact that most things are easier the second time. But, I also had an active three year old. I was scared. (I don't tell Zach this part of the story but it sets the stage for my first moment with Zach.)

Wed. July 23, 2003. I wanted to spend one final special afternoon with just Alex. A c-section was scheduled for Thursday, July 24 at 1:30. We ordered pizza and ate our lunch and cookies on a blanket in front of the TV and watched a movie. About half way through the movie, I was not feeling to good. So I drank more water, laid on my side and waited for the contractions to go away. They didn't. I was beginning to think Zach had his own timetable. Couple hours later called Cris out of a meeting. Told him it was time. Sent Alex to the neighbors. Finished packing my bag. The realization that I was having a baby began to set in.

Got the the hospital and sure enough I was in labor. Took two doses of tributaline to stop contractions because I wanted my doctor to deliver on Thurs. That was the plan and I am a planner. And I had eaten in the last few hours. You don't eat before surgery. Medicine did not work, but makes you really uncomfortable and your heart wants to jump out of your chest. Called the on call doc but he was delivering at the other hospital. Got prepped for surgery and waited. Finally, around 9:25pm we were ready to get this kicking child out.

Nerves set in again and I realized how much I hate the surgery part. Big needle in back. Freezing cold room. Numb from chest down. Laying on a small, metal table fairly exposed to all in the room. Arms strapped down with various tubes and monitors. And a husband wearing a shower cap looking thing who nervously rubs my forehead with more pressure than necessary. Better be worth it.

Minutes later, the baby is out and I catch a glimpse of him before that take him to the side to weigh, check vitals and clean him. I get my insides put back together. I hear his weight. 7 lbs 3 oz. Much smaller than your big brother was. Heard he was cute. Then they brought him to me. He was very cute. Perfectly shaped. Not smooshed, when you come from straight from the tummy and very alert.

(this is mine and Zach's fav part) I spoke to him and introduced myself. He looked sweetly at me and put his hand up on my lips as if to say. I already know you and I love you and I promise I will make it all worth it. It was just what I needed to calm my fears of having a second baby. He knew it and I needed it. He went away with dad and I was left to ponder the moment. Then as the doctor finished, he showed me the umbilical chord and the tight knot that was in the chord. It was unusual and surprising that with the knot came a healthy baby boy. I knew I had someone special.

The last six years have been special and it has been fun to watch Zach grow. He was a perfect baby and even though he has his stubborn moments I wouldn't have him any other way. He was born in AZ during the hottest month and is a boy who loves the sun. During the colder months in Idaho, he will ask on a daily basis when we can move back to AZ. His favorite attire is basketball shorts/swimsuit, t-shirt and flip flops. Today, the Sun God has shown on Zach. It is HOT for Boise with a high expected of 104 today. Perfect for his outdoor water party.

He is super excited for first grade and join his big brother all day at school. He has a current love for all things military, riding his bike, swimming, and loves to hit plastic golf balls in the back yard with his new clubs. He and Syd have really bonded over the past few months and can be found playing various imagination games. She is going to miss him when school starts. We LOVE you Zachary McKay Richardson and hope you have a great day.

Happy Birthday to my Boyfriend

 

Cris put a reminder in his phone today to let him know he was a year older --38 to be exact. As he put it, he is on the downward slope to 40! No worries, I say. Everyone says the 40's are the best. But I think we had some pretty good times in our 20's and 30's. Happy Birthday to my husband/boyfriend, best friend, father of our kids, hardworking traveling salesman and many other things. We love you!

I Heart Boise Weather (on Monday)

 

 

 

 

One of the great things about moving to Boise is getting to enjoy seasons and summers that don't make you want to scream because it so HOTTTTT. Monday was perfect!! High of 78 degrees which is cooler than normal. However,Thurs was 99 and today it is going to be 100. But it is still cool and perfect till about 1:00pm, then it starts to heat up.

We took advantage of the beautiful day and headed to the Zoo. Our season pass expires the end of the month so we wanted to go one more time. After my first visit, I was a little disappointed in how small the zoo is. But I have changed my tune. I love that you can get up close to the animals. I love that we can walk through the whole Zoo in two hours. And they added giraffes and lions. It also a beautiful place to just hang out with all of the trees. Right now everthing is so rich and green. I love all of the shades of green!

Camping at Phillips Lake

 

 

 

 

Father's Day weekend we set out on a camping adventure to Phillips Lake. It is 20 miles from Baker City, Oregon (a short two hour drive) and it was picture perfect. We went with our friends and their parents and had such a wonderful time. I am not much of a camper and have pretty much avoided it as I don't like camping with a toddler. Since my baby is growing up I no longer have an excuse. I don't think I need to look for excuses anymore. It did help that there was a real bathroom close by with running water and we slept in an RV. The weather was almost perfect. It did rain a little and we skipped the nice Father's Day breakfast and came home early. There were lots of great trails and the kids loved riding their bikes. Alex just got a new bike for his birthday and it passed the test.



We also went fishing out on a boat. The kids were successful in catching perch. Syd caught the most. Well, she thinks she caught the most. I got her a Dora fishing pole and it was the best $10 bucks I had spent in a while. She would cast and reel in over and over making sure we all saw her 2 1/2 inch plastic pink fish she had just caught. They each caught some fish and Scott's dad cooked them up for us that night. I am not much of a fish eater, but anything dipped in flour and deep fat fried in butter is always good. It's fish..so it's healthy right! Alex was reeling in one of his fish and Zach exclaimed, "Holy Mackerel." Alex was quick to respond, "No, Zach. Holy Perch."



There was plenty of good food to eat, ham/sweet potato/pineapple tin foil dinner, smores, and roasted hot dogs. I especially loved the smores. Yum! The boys also took a liking to the fire. They poked and stirred and poked and stirred and were fascinated.

Needless to say, I think camping will be added to our list of future summer activities.

Thank You for being my friend

 

Jen, Jen, Jacque, Jaime, Tami, Krista

 

Back in May I had one of the best weekends I have had in a long time and I don't think I ever laughed or talked so much. I got together with my high school girlfriends, but really we have all been friends since kindergarten. It was the first time we have all been together in 15 years. We pretty much picked up where we left off for a weekend in Burley with the girls and Tami's cute baby boy. We stayed at my friends parents and visit some of our favorite places, Al's Pizza, Dairy Queen, and of course Taco Bandito. The highlight was when we went back to a tunnel that we used to frequent in highschool. It is really just small tunnel under the road where a canal goes through. Back in the day we each professed our love in Graffiti. We went back and found our original artwork and of course replaced it with our true loves. I think we were all thankful none of us ended up with our high school crush. The best part was when we walked out of the cave, Jen forgot that it dropped off and landed face first in the water. Poor Jen, but she was a good sport as we all laughed and laughed and laughed.

Thanks to the Tami's parents for hosting us, and my parents for keeping Syd. She loves going to Grandma's house and the boys enjoyed their weekend of "man time." As, I drove home, I realized how lucky I was to have such good friends not only then but at all stages of my life. So, thank you all for being my friend and example. It means the world to me and it has made me who I am and my life much more enjoyable.

4th of July Celebration

We had a great time celebrating the 4th of July. Last year, we were out of town and had a long flight home so it seemed as though it didn't really happen. This year, we got in the spirit by attending a 4th of July music celebration last Sunday in Burley. Lots of patriotic music and reminders about this great country we live in. Saturday, Cris had to work :( but the kids and I headed to the neighborhood clubhouse for a bike parade. The boys loved it. Syd...well I carried her and her scooter around the block. It was my workout for the day. They had lots of snacks for the kids and it was fun to visit with everyone. We had friends over for a BBQ and some fireworks at our house (thanks Scott) and then went and watched the local fireworks. It was a fun day and some new traditions for celebrating 4th of July in Idaho.

ps: the scrapes on Syd's cheek and chin are compliments of the pool deck. It's a bummer when you fall and your hands are tied up in the towel you have wrapped around you.