Ridenour Ranch: April 2019

Easter

For Easter this year we celebrated on Saturday night at my mom and dad's. It was another gorgeous day and we were outside most of the time. I made my first batch of Deviled Eggs and I am proud to say they were a success! Easter morning we went to church in Laurel and then had a brunch at home. That afternoon we dyed Easter eggs, watched Mary Poppins Returns, went on a bike ride, and a 4-wheeler ride as a family. Then we had some BBQ chicken out on the deck and more outside time. Such a nice weekend...until Monday was rainy and cold!

Thomas just wants the candy!

Mikey found one!

Cora filled her bucket

Luke found something yummy!

getting some big brother help

Hail, Hail, the gang's all here!

New twinning outfits from grandma

new cups for the kitchen, and bubbles and candy

the kids, boy's new shirts from Grandma Lori

After church Mom's mandatory photo

I went to San Diego!!!

So I went to California (San Diego) for the first time ever for six days and six nights (April 10-16) with six (including myself) college friends. I cannot even believe that actually happened. Ashley (the doctor!) got us hooked up with a place to stay and some wheels to drive and got the ball rolling on the whole idea. Valerie and Kelly and I flew out of Omaha together and met Ashley (from Tennessee), Amy (from Rapid City), and Anna (from New Ulm, MN) there. We had a fabulous house situated between the Pacific and Mission Bay. We went whale watching (saw some giant Fin whales), kayaking at La Jolla, sight-seeing at Mt. Soledad and the Sunset Cliffs, to Old Town, and to Coronado Island. Most of all we enjoyed the ocean and each other's company. And the weather really is as amazing as you think it is! What a blessing to have these friendships in my life all these years.

watching the sunset

well said

in Old Town

first morning

in Old Town

Mt. Soledad

Coronado Island "gold" sand!

first morning together

at the Pier

selfie time!

Jude...DOUBLE DIGETS!

My baby turned 10! How can this be!?! 2009-2019...wow! Well I got back from my San Diego trip on the 16th, so I tried to prepare a little ahead of time and got his presents all ordered and his sign for the door made. The 18th fell on the Thursday before Easter so they had an early out from school. We were able to drive to Wayne and pick up Eli Hansen for a sleepover that night. The boys played nerf guns, trampoline, basketball, destroyed the piñata, ate pizza, watched Ralph Breaks the Internet, and played some Nintendo Switch. Friday morning they went fishing for a while with not much luck. That afternoon after dropping Eli off we stopped at the Concord park for a long time. It was a beautiful day!!! We have had a lot of those lately. For his birthday we got him an Avengers Endgame Lego, Gil is going to take him to see that movie tonight, and a Mario shirt and a Cabbage Patch doll (he was the only one who didn't have one yet!).

Jude, you are all the things your birthday door sign says you are! Most of all you are YOU and we thank God for you. It has been so fun to see you grow and change and learn these past ten years...maybe not ALL fun, but definitely all JOY! You are our experimental child (just like dad and I both were in our families), so sorry that we mess up and expect more than we should sometimes. Thank you for being patient with us..."patience is a virtue!" Some of my favorite things about you are your love of reading (dad and I have that too!), love for creating, love for humor, and general enthusiasm. I love that you are a good communicator and have so many interests. I love that you are playing basketball and baseball. I like to watch you play and improve. I am happy you are going to try camp for the first time this summer. I love that you are doing 4-H. And I love that you are 10! I know I feel that these years go by too fast, but they have been good and we have done them, every one, every day, together. Thankful and grateful and joyful.

Love you so much biggest boy!

And sorry, not sorry for the overload of pictures.