Modge Podge Blog Post: Catch-All

With so much going on in life, I haven't had much time to blog...so here is catch-up for everyone!

A few weeks ago, my dad came in from Pittsburgh to visit us. My mom was staying with us, so it was a nice family reunion. My brother came into town and we hung out for the 36 hours my dad was able to be here. Ronan spent the greater part of his Pa's visit trying to impress him with his batting skills...and he did.
Riley enjoyed scooting around and getting out early from school to spend time with her Uncle Mike and Pa...

Then, came Ryan's big 3-2 birthday. With my mom visiting, we were able to get out and go on a date... I don't know about you, but I think he looks great, for 32! Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Along the way, we celebrated 9 glorious years of marriage. Truly, it has flown by so quickly and lucky for both of us...we are still in love with each other and are looking forward to many more years! We didn't go crazy with a celebration, we did do dinner...but we plan to do it big next year. 10 years is going to be a BIG deal!

But, the big news. On April 1st, Ryan advanced and made Chief! He's officially Chief Egal! I'm so proud of his accomplishment and having been in a little less than 14 years...I feel like it's a huge deal. I was so honored to be a part of his day and held back tears when I heard all the nice things that were being said about my husband...

This is the pinning part...Ryan had asked me to do it, but being the nervous wreck I am in front of crowds, I politely declined and watched with my kids.

They read what his certificates said...

And then Chief Egal was asked to say a few words...

He held back his tears when he talked about his Grandfather and how he wished that he was there to share this moment with him...it was so emotional, but a great side to see of someone who is usually so strong...

And then here we all are...

I'll have to scan in his bootcamp picture at some point, but I swear, he just gets better looking every year.

Congrats to my husband on achieving what he has and looking forward to sharing many more of those moments with him in the future. I truly appreciate everything he has done for our family and the choices he has made to keep our family stable...love you, Ryan.

Ah yes, and then Easter. Well...we didn't do as big of an Easter as we have in the past. Mainly because our kids have so much and we thought about what else we could possibly do that would add to their stash of stuff. With Ronan's food allergies, it seriously limited our selection of candy...so I opted to not do baskets like I've done in the past and give each of the kids a few books. We did a cheap-y egg hunt at home...which they were totally entertained by...and just enjoyed each other's company...

We only have a few more weeks left in Tampa before we make the big move...so I'll make sure I try hard to keep the blog updated... We've still got some things going on here and I'll need to document those!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!