Thanksgiving {2013}

Late last week I was admiring some amazing photographs taken by my cousin's daughter Ana, when I stumbled across some words on her blog that really resonated with me. Words that remind me to approach days like today, Thanksgiving, with a gracious heart...even when I know that there are parts of me that hurt. 

Ana ever so wisely said...

"Thanksgiving isn't only about the good stuff.  The delicious food, family gathered, new jobs and a blossoming photography business. It's about finding the good in the not-so-good. Thank you God for my difficult college classes, they helped me appreciate my free time more fully. Thank you God for that terrible cold, it gave me a week to rest. Thanksgiving is about recognizing God in it all and bowing down in praise."

And while this kind of graciousness doesn't always come as second nature, her words hold so much truth. 

Today (and every day) I am thankful. Thankful for the good days - those filled with family, laughter, snuggles and new milestones. Days where I can sit back at the end of the day and watch my baby boy and his daddy roll around on the floor, play catch in the living room and chase each other around our kitchen island, screeching and giggling all the while. But I'm also thankful for those inevitable days that are a little more challenging.  Days where tears seem to outweigh giggles, where new teeth get the best of us all, where a determined spirit feels more like down right stubbornness.  Days where I just want to be angry that my little family will always feel somewhat incomplete. Despite it all...and in it all...we remain so incredibly blessed.

So today among all of the obvious, I'll say out loud...

Thank you God for little boy tears, for they provide the opportunity for extra snuggles and loves.

Thank you for teething.  CRAZY, I know, but Charlotte never had teeth. Each new one that pops up in our little guy's mouth is a reminder of how blessed we are to have had him for 17 months, 8 teeth and counting.

Thank you for stubbornness, for it teaches me much needed patience.  

Thank you for early morning wake up calls, for we know that tomorrows are never guaranteed.

Thank you for this life that we have been blessed with.  It hasn't been, and probably never will be, easy, but I have learned so much because of its challenges.  I appreciate and celebrate the little things in a way that I know I didn't just 3 short years ago. Today we are thankful.  Thankful for the good and for the ability to find the good when it's a little less obvious.

Baby Ritchie #3 {29 weeks}

This showed up in my inbox today...

Day 207:  Excuse Me

"It's any lady's worst nightmare:  flatulence in the presence of others.  But as your uterus continues to grow, it may be harder to control these impulsive bubbles."

Bwahahahahah!  I can't stop laughing!  I should probably try to get a hold of myself...I wouldn't want to let any "impulsive bubbles" escape!

So here we are, 29 weeks and 5 days into pregnancy #3.  I'm feeling well, sleeping okay, eating like I'm carrying triplets, starting to have more and more heartburn, and struggling a bit with the whole tying my own shoes thing!  Harrison routinely uses his baby brother as a step stool (sorry buddy!) and officially called my "bump" a baby this morning.  I won't lie...I've started to freak out a little bit at the fact that d-day is only 10 weeks away!  Time has gone so quickly with baby #3 and I'm struggling to comprehend how much this new addition to our family will change us, our routine, our everything.  It's a challenge I'm excited to face head on...yet still grateful at all of the helping hands that we have nearby.

28 weeks with sweet baby Chuck

28 weeks with crazy Mr. H

 28 29 weeks with baby #3...more commonly known as "Raymond Cassanova" 

Bring on the turkey, mashed potatoes and now that I learned that I passed my glucose tolerance test, any sort of dessert other than pumpkin pie.  This lady's wearing her big girl maternity pants to dinner and she's ready to eat!

Harrison the Entertainer

Do responsible parents let their kids play with the string on their blinds?  Let them drape the cords across their head, fling them over their shoulder, walk with them until they can't walk any farther? 

When they're this cute, they do!

Luckily he's not strong enough (or doesn't realize he's strong enough) to actually raise and lower the blinds....cause you know....then I might have to lay down the law!  You know...because I'm responsible like that.

Halloween 2013 {Herbie Husker}

October came and went in the blink of an eye, and with it came a flurry of activity and excitement in the Ritchie home.  We kept busy with a rapidly growing baby boy (well...2 for that matter!), work schedules, a road trip to Indiana for our godson's baptism, late birthday celebrations, trick-or-treating, and capped it off with some exciting news!

Last week we wrapped up October, like most of you, with Halloween festivities.  When Halloween rolled around last year, Harrison was only 4 months old.  We dressed him up like an adorable little football, snapped some pictures, and then went into full "Ba-Humbug" mode (translation: turned our lights off to ward off trick-or-treaters).  This year, however, we had a crazy little 16 month old on our hands, and we were excited to start implementing some Halloween traditions.  We knew that H would love showing off in his costume...and show off he did!  Meet Nebraska's biggest little Husker fan....Harry "Herbie" Husker!  (the University of Nebraska mascot for those of you non-Nebraskans!)

He knew he was the center of attention and absolutely loved it!

I wasn't sure how the hat would go over, but he's a big fan!  

And of course Herbie needs an ear of corn (courtesy of the owners of the lot next door to ours...thanks whoever you are!)

One of the best parts of living back in Omaha is knowing that Harrison will grow up surrounded by his family.  This year (and hopefully years and years to come) we were able to spend Halloween night with Matt's sister and her family.  Harrison and Benson are only 9 months apart in age and I'm positive that they will be best buds growing up.  Here's to many more Halloween pictures of these two cuties together.

I mean really...Isn't Benson Knievel the cutest little daredevil you've ever seen!  AHHH I LOVE HIM!

Our best attempt at a family picture (with the hat).

This little boy doesn't have time for silly things like pictures with his mom and dad!

Last year our Halloween was all closed-doors, and this year it consisted of more photos than actual trick-or-treating, but we still had lots of fun!  Hard to believe that this time next year there will be THREE little boys to corral!  What do you think....the 3 stooges??

Curious about the "exciting news" I mentioned at the start of this post?  This lady landed herself a new job!  No more working every other weekend.  No more 11 hour days or getting home at 8:30 at night.  No more shuffling H from house to house when our schedules overlap (which happened way too often).  I'm beyond excited for what this means for our little family and can't wait to get started in a few weeks!  YAY!