Congratulations

After Ty proposed to Hannah, he surprised her again when we were all waiting at dinner to celebrate! (I would LOVE to share the proposal story with you all, but that is Hannah's story to tell SO... Ahem. Hannah. A blog update soon. Please.)

We met at the Riverside Grill in Glen rose and it was SO good. I couldn't help but take a picture of the food.

They had a gingersnap ice-cream sandwich over a strawberry puree with whipped cream and strawberries... It was SO good!

     I am so incredibly excited that my sister will be getting  married! Ty is such a wonderful compliment to the woman that Hannah is. I cannot wait for them to begin their lives together as husband and wife. I am so glad that Ty included us on such a special night. We had a great time at dinner celebrating both of them.

Congratulations Hannah and Ty. We love you both!

A Cowboy Named Sam

Once upon a time, a long time ago, (about 5 weeks ago) a special cowboy celebrated his 3rd birthday. 

His name was Sam.

 The party was complete with "cow" cupcakes with sherif badges! There was "cowboy chow", hay bales, a waterin' hole, and we even had campfire roasted hot dogs!

One of my favorite birthday "traditions" is to have family and friends leave birthday notes and wishes. I look forward to reading them each year. 

We gave Texas Trail Mix to all of our friends that came to play.

This is one of my favorite photos! (thanks Cait) He got to wear his daddy's belt for his Cowboy party!

     We had a great time celebrating our little cowboy! Sammy boy continues to impress and surprise me. We were all set and ready to have a pirate party when Sam boldly announced that he wanted a cowboy party. Ever since he got a pair of boots, he has been SO into his boots, hats, and guns!
    I am so thankful for the little boy that Sam is. He is so full of adventure and loves to make people smile. In so many ways he reminds me of Ryne, and that makes me love him even more.

It's A Wonderful Life

     I can't even believe how much time has passed since my last post. Furthermore, I can't believe how much has happened since then. I am finally catching a moment to myself tonight. Lately, I have just been so overwhelmed by the wonders of life. And life, sure is wonderful....

     Now that graduation has finally come and gone, I cannot believe how much easier life is when you don't add school into the mix! It feels so wonderful to have such an accomplishment behind me. I am so excited to be celebrating with Ryne in about 3 months as he finishes up school. Graduation was wonderful and filled with so many surprises. My parents, Ryne's parents, and Ryne and the kids, all chipped in to get me a new computer! Ryne also got be a new "graduation ring" that has a blue sapphire and diamonds. It makes me happy every time I look down on my finger and think about the past 4 1/2 years at LeTourneau. The day was a celebration and I was so happy to enjoy it with friends and family. 

     After graduation celebrations, I went back to work for one more week. Then the Christmas vacation began. The Bergren's, Nate, Ryne, the kids, and I, all headed up to Colorado! I was SO excited about this trip. I had been asking to go to Colorado for Christmas since we got married. This Texas girl was hoping for a white Christmas. Monarch did not disappoint, and we had a wonderful time. I have never seen snow so powdery and soft. To make things even better, Ryne had a surprise in store for me...

A second proposal.

    I have had a variety of comments regarding the proposal. I know that some people don't understand why it was so significant, but I have come to realize, that it doesn't matter. It was very romantic and extremely sentimental to us both. 

     

     Next up over the break: my trip to Israel. I have no idea when I am going to have the time to sift through the photos and try to organize my thoughts. The trip was more than I could have ever imagined and I am determined to go back again one day. (hopefully with Ryne and the kids that time) The trip has definately made me want to travel even more. This is a picture of me in front of the Sea of Galilee. I will have to post about each day later. 

    And last up... I can't believe that this week my Sammy boy will be turning 3. We have been getting ready for his party this next weekend and he is SO excited. This is the first year that he really gets it. He is having a "cowboy" party and he is so excited. (as you can see)

    We have been enjoying birthday parties with friends, sunny afternoons, and lots of snuggle times during the past few weeks and I am finally ready to start blogging and keeping track again :) 

Colorado 2011

 These next few pictures are very special to me. Ryne had been planning for a very long time, a surprise second proposal. He took me to the top of a mountain and asked me if I would marry him, again. Ryne and I knew we wanted to marry each other, but it is no secret that we ended up getting married quicker, and sooner than we had "planned." It was incredibly romantic, thoughtful, and sweet. I am super excited to renew the commitment that we made to one another. I have the sweetest husband!

 I just love our little family SO much! This picture makes me SO happy!

 This is Sam's "it's not fair" face. He was not very happy about coming in from the snow. (even though he was SO cold and red.)

And this was Riley's "it's not fair" face

Caiter, Hannah, and Me!

I loved this picture with Ryne and the kids.

The following are of Riley at Ski School. She was making me laugh constantly. She LOVED talking to the instructor and was telling him what to do. She did a really good job and I was proud of her. When we asked her if she wanted to go to Ski School again, she said "Um... I don't want to go. That man, kept trying to tell me what to do, and I already know how to ski!" Oh Lordy...

I was equally impressed with Sammy. He can be a little whiny at times, so I didn't know how he would do in the cold, but he did great! I got a great video of Sammy skiing and he did really well too. I was impressed with the instructors and thought they did a really good job. 

Here we are in the car, showing off my new ring :)

Tuesday was a rough day for all of us, after receiving news that a grandparent had a stroke. No one hit the slopes that day but we did venture out to a nearby town. I was so glad that we did too! We loved this little cafe in Salida Colorado. The food was good, the coffee was wonderful, and the company was fantastic!

Here are some misc pics from playing outside in the snow:

     We are so glad that we had a chance to have a family vacation. Apparently Ryne had been planning on my "proposal" for a while, which made the trip even more special. The snow was wonderful and the views were so breathtaking! I hope we get a chance to go back again.
      Today we are enjoying celebrating Christmas with my family. I can hardly believe that Leah and I will be leaving for Israel in just a few days. I am loving this Christmas break!!