Wordless Wednesday: The Other Set of Ringley "Kids"

On the Home Front

Last week was an interesting one on the house-selling front.  We have only had 7 showings of our house in the last two months and 3 of them were last week.  I am not sure what has happened to increase the recent interest in our house, but whatever it is, I'll take it and hope it continues.

Yesterday afternoon we received word that someone was going to make an offer on our house.  They were coming over one last time last night, and then we would have their offer.  While we were at dinner (since we had to get out of the house) the scheduling service called to say the appointment to see the house had been cancelled.  Today we learned the people decided to make an offer on a different house (after telling us they were making an offer on ours).

To say we are disappointed would be an understatement.  Yesterday afternoon I had Suburbian visions of one story homes, excellent school systems, and large backyards dancing in my head and today I feel like we're back at square one. 

At first I decided a lot of moping was the appropriate response, but that isn't productive.  In so many ways our family is extraordinarily blessed and we have so much to be thankful for.  All I have to do is look at the faces of my two beautiful children to realize that. 

One way or another this house thing will work itself out, whether it is a month or a year from now, this too shall pass.  So onward and upward I say! 

Here are two of my favorite recent pictures of the babies.  How can these faces not cheer you up?

Wordless Wednesday: Look What We Can Do By Ourselves!



2011 Trip Home Part 4(B): Whitsett, NC (pictures continued)

More pictures from the Whitsett, NC part of our trip:

Brady with my wonderful friend from high school, Michelle



Brady and Michelle's son Jace, what cuties!

Michelle with Chloe

Brady loved Jace's Policeman motorcycle!

This picture cracks me up!  I like how Jace is the only baby being cooperative!

Chloe with my awesome friend since middle school, Katie!

Katie and Brady! 

The babies with Daddy in Grandpa's basement

Ha ha!

Brady getting some love from Fancy

Mommy and Chloe

Our third date night on the trip! 

Me, my parents, and the babies!

Family of Four

That concludes the Whitsett, NC update and pictures as well as the last 2011 trip post.  Whew!  I feel like I have been writing the Odyssey!  In all seriousness, we had an amazing time on our trip and we were so happy to have the privilege to travel for so long and get to see so many amazing family members and friends! 

Love to everyone!  

2011 Trip Home Part 4(A): Whitsett, NC

On Sunday night September 4th, we said bye to Meepie, Pap, and Jaden and left Virginia.  We followed the usual bedtime routine for the babies, tucked them in their carseats and headed for Whitsett, NC.  On this trip I was a little braver and sat up front with Chad.  We even ate snacks and talked!  The babies still slept the whole way and we arrived at my parent's house in Whitsett, NC at 12:30 AM. 

This was the last leg of our trip (apart from our day trip to New Bern on Tues. Sept 6th).  Although most of us were sick at this point (I came down with a cold, then Chloe got a stuffy nose, then Chad got my cold, then my Mom (Grandma) got our cold) we still had a ton of fun! 

Highlights from the Whitsett, NC trip:

• The babies getting to spend time with their Grandma and Grandpa
• Playing in the Jumperoo Grandma and Grandpa got them
• Homemade breakfasts almost every morning! 
• Getting to eat at Bojangles, La Fiesta, and the Village Grill (we don't have any of these places in TX)
• Brady running around like a crazy man in his walker in Grandpa's basement (nothing but tile there)
• Cake time!  (At 9:15 pm each night we would declare it cake time and eat cake, LOL)
• Playing "Mexican Train" dominoes with Mom and Dad each night after the babies were in bed
• Chad got to play golf with Dad
• Mom and I took the babies to the pool for their 2nd time (I managed to lose all the great pics of this)
• Chad and I had our third date night of the trip!!!
• Getting to spend time with some of my friends from middle school and high school, introducing them to the babies and meeting my friend Michelle's awesome son Jace! 

Based on all the pictures I want to include, this is probably going to be a multiple part post too. 

Brady and Grandma rocking on the front porch

Brady and Grandpa hanging out

Chloe having fun in the Jumperoo!



Zoom!  Brady loved Grandpa's basement because there was a huge open tile area to play in!

Sweet moments with Daddy

Grandma with Chloe

Grandma, Grandpa, and Brady

Brady started sitting up by himself on this part of the trip.  What a big boy!

My parents' dog Fancy Pants:  "Whew!  These babies are wearing me out!"

Next post will be more pictures from this last part of our trip!  

2011 Trip Home Part 3: New Bern, NC

On the third part of our trip, we took a day trip on Tuesday, September 6th from my parent's house in Whitsett, NC to New Bern, NC in order to visit my grandparents and introduce the babies to their great grandparents (on my side).

This was a very special day for me, and one that I had been looking forward to since I was pregnant.  Many of my fondest childhood memories involve my grandparents and the time I spent at their house.  I am so happy that we were able to spend the day in New Bern and that the babies got to spend time with their great grandparents. 

A few highlights of our day trip in New Bern:

• The babies getting to spend the day with Grandma, Grandfoder and my Aunt Tina
• Having an Eastern, NC BBQ lunch
• Enjoying a home cooked dinner (thank you Aunt Tina!)

Here are some fun pictures from our day in New Bern:

Grandma with Brady and Chloe



Brady with my Aunt Tina

Chloe and Grandma having a chat

Brady and Grandfoder

Grandma and a sleepy boy! 

Grandfoder and Chloe hanging out

Grandma and Chloe during lunch!

The boys

It was a fun day I will always remember.  At the end of the day we did our normal bedtime routine, put the babies in their pajamas and into the minivan, and drove back to my parents' house in Whitsett, NC.  My next post and the final part of our trip will be about our time in Whitsett, NC!  

2011 Trip Home Part 2(B): Virginia Pictures Continued

More pictures from the Virginia leg of our trip:

Meepie and Chloe in their matching PJs

Me and Chad getting ready to go out and celebrate our 4th Anniversary! 

Brady became a complete speed racer in his walker

Brady and Jaden one of the few seconds we could get Brady to be still

Love this picture of Meepie and the babies

We got to meet the adorable children (Laney,  Malachi, Liam, and Max) of our good friends Mike and Beth for the first time at the BBQ we had at Meepie and Pap's house.  Mike and Beth drove all the way from Asheville, NC.  We were so glad we got to visit with them!

Pap and Chloe at the BBQ

On our last night there:  Pap, Jaden, and Chloe

The grandkids

Meepie and Pap with all of their grandkids

Well, that does it for our time in Virginia.  We had so much fun and we got to visit with so many people I don't even have pictures of, but we had such a great time seeing everyone.  Next up, our day trip to New Bern, NC to take the babies to meet my grandparents (their great grandparents) for the first time! 

2011 Trip Home Part 2(A): Virginia

After going through the pictures of the Virginia portion of our family trip home, I realized I am going to have to divide the Virginia post into two parts in order to include everything.  I did a better job of remembering to document events in Virginia, but even so there are still a lot of family members and friends we saw that I somehow forgot to get a picture with.  If you are one of those people, we loved seeing you and I am sorry we forgot to take a picture. 

We left Raleigh on Tuesday night August 30th.  We followed our regular bedtime routine with the babies, said goodbye to Nana and Doodah, and set off from Raleigh to Coeburn, Virginia.  I sat in the very back of the minivan we rented, the babies were in the middle seats, and Chad was up front driving.  Chad and I were scared to talk to one another in case we woke the babies...so we didn't talk until 5 hours later when we pulled into Meepie and Pap's driveway!  The babies slept the entire way! We were so thankful they slept well on their first road trip ever! 

Highlights from the Virginia part of the trip: 

• Introducing the babies to their Pap (grandfather) and Mamaw (great grandmother) for the first time! 
• The babies getting to spend a lot of time with Meepie, Pap, and their cousin Jaden!
• Getting to meet a lot of extended family and family friends I hadn't met before
• Getting to eat at Pal's, Romano's, and Tavern on the Main, yum! 
• Celebrating our 4 year anniversary with a date night while Meepie and Pap watched the babies
• Having a weenie roast with hot dogs and smores...so fun and delicious! 
• Spending time outside on the front porch swing enjoying the cooler air
• Having a BBQ to celebrate Chad's 30th birthday and visiting with several of his old high school and college friends and meeting their children

Now for pictures, since they do a much better job of showing what fun we had:

Here is Brady with Rose Helen, one of the first people the babies met in Virginia and one of the sweetest people I know



Meepie and Brady playing Pattycake

Chloe with her cousin Jaden

The babies with Reba and Jess (Reba is Pap's Sister)

Pap, Brady, and the Digital Caller ID Globe (Brady was fascinated!)

Meepie and the babies enjoying the front porch swing

The front porch was a favorite spot for the week.  We loved being able to spend time outside!

Four generations: Mamaw, Meepie, Chad, and the babies

Little girl with her dolly completely tuckered out after our visit to Mamaw's house

Weenie Roast! 

Meepie and Pap enjoying our weenie roast

Chad with his Mom and Dad

Now THAT is what I call a Smore!  Loved it! 

I ended up getting just a little messy...

That is it for Virgina Part A.  Next part will be more pictures from Virginia!