One More Week

yikes. One week from today and baby Eric will be here (assuming he cooperates and stays put until then!

Groundbreaking!!!

Ray's (Grandpa Riek) new business made it to quite possibly the second biggest milestone, they broke ground for their first plant. Basically his company will take shredded tires and retrieve carbon black and heating oil. Sue organized a surprise visit by both their son Jon and Javier. He knew that we were coming so we met them for lunch. Much to his surprise walked in more family than he was expecting. It was a cold windy day outside. In his usual fashion Ray downplayed the whole event. He kept saying it was just going to be about a dozen guys in suits in the middle of a cornfield. As it turned out there was probably closer to 100. It was a very big deal for both the city of Maryville and Carbolytic Materials.



It may be cold outside but this cookie sure is yummy. :)





This was a gift of a weather vane for the plant. I can't remember if it was the city, an engineering firm, or someone completely different but it is really cool.



Getting ready for the posed shot...(notice that Ryan is wearing his own hardhat)



I wasn't really sure what the other guys thought about Ryan being in the shovel pictures with his little plastic shovel. But as long as Ray was ok with I don't think anybody else had much to say about it. Ryan was the epitome of the perfect gentleman. He stood and posed with his shovel with all the other guys. We are so proud of Ray and all the hard work he done over the last few years. It is really nice to see something tangible come from all his efforts.

Halloween

Ryan has discovered that he REALLY likes drums. Just about anything that resembles a drumstick gets beat on any surface nearby.



Ella, Ryan, Grammy prior to going out to gather lots of candy.

Brayden, Ella, Ryan. The epitome of cuteness!!!

Buzz and Woody, a classic duo.

Halloween parade

Hanging out...
Halloween parade...

Woody too...

Grandma sent Ryan a new hat so he could be Woody. "Yee-haw" and an arm pump are the first things Ryan did when he put on the hat.

Bob also wanted to be Woody - but the hat just doesn't have quite the same effect...

Football Man

Daddy and Ryan found Mommy's Joe Montana football in the garage - and apparently it is a big hit - both for playing, and as a pillow.

Every day Ryan tells us what kind of guy he is - it depends on the shirt he is wearing:

• If there is a soccer ball on it, he is a "soccer man"
• back hoe - "back hoe man"
• striped shirt - "stripe man"
• etc.

the one unchanging clothing item is his shoes - they are "soccer shoes" and any pants like the ones in the picture with the stripes on the sides are "soccer pants"

It's Buzz Lightyear!

oh yes - it's Buzz! We introduced Ryan to Toy Story while on vacation, and he was immediately engrossed in the story and all the toys. Or as he says "T-O-Y -- toy!" I think the coolest part of this is he has finally started finding humor in movies - he laughs when "Potato Head" puts his face on wrong, he loves when Woody says "oooohhh yeah" to Bo-Peep, and he thinks Buzz and Woody are just too cool. Therefore, Ryan will be Buzz for Halloween. When asked what Buzz says, Ryan will always start with "To infinity and beyond" but it is amazing to us what he picks up from this show. For example - Ryan will tell us that Woody says "you can't can't can't fly" (with finger shaking) then Buzz will say "Can fly" and sometimes adds the "with my eyes closed" part. What really made me realize we are in for it with this kiddo was the following story...Ryan had just woke up from his nap and was in my bedroom sans shoes - not his favorite way to be. So he went and got his shoes and wanted me to put them on for him. I told him he knew how to put his shoes on, to which he replied "I can't". Well of course I said, "yes you can, Ryan"He retorts with "NOT TODAY, Mommy" in a large voice. Of course I busted up laughing, but I asked where he got that from - "Buzz says it mommy". Sure enough - at the end of the movie, Buzz yells "Not today" just before the rocket explodes.

My Skeleton

I have been trying to get these pj's from Gymboree for 2 years now - but always waited too long and they would be sold out of his size. Not this year. I ordered them right away, figuring Ryan would think they were pretty cool (they glow in the dark). Of course when we got them he was scared of them. SWELL. For days I would ask if he would wear them - NO.Somehow, Daddy convinced him they were cool - as you can see.NOW he likes to scare Mommy with them - did you know that skeletons growl? Neither did I.