Hello

Hello All,
I'm sorry I am slow to blogging on Rylan's FIRST Christmas but we have been in Hebron since Christmas Eve and well I forgot my transfer deal to upload the pictures here in Hebron. So, hang tight we are going home today and I will try to blog about it tonight. I hope you all were able to have a Merry Christmas and were able to celebrate Jesus' birth with your loved ones.
Prayer request... please say a prayer for my Aunts father who lost his battle with cancer I believe the 23rd of December. It's never easy loosing someone over the holiday season. He's much better now and has no pain. He was a great man and loved by MANY!
Have a great week all!
Andrea

Thank you!

Thank you Rhiannon for making the new blog look awesome!

Merry Christmas ALL!
THE JAR FAMILY!

Prayers

Hey Guys,
Thanks for always reading my blog... and for those of you that that make comments I enjoy reading them... keep it up. I'm not real sure what is going on and what really is the full story however, please pray for my Grandma. She had emergency surgery this summer (end of June) to take her ruptured ependix out and since then she hasn't felt well. She's been going back to the dr. for now several months .. please pray for her she needs our strength. Let alone her health conditions she has a worry of her son. Please pray for him as well. He needs them as well to fight the horrible battle of alcoholism.
One other prayer goes out to my father in law... that he recovers from his surgeries that he had today.... I don't know much but I heard he is home. I pray the night treats him well and that he is able to get some good nights sleep and recover quickly. He's not one to REST! Maybe I can teach him... yeah RIGHT!
Be thankful for your health and count all the many blessings we have. I think we ALL take the LITTLE things for granted.
Have a great weekend everyone! Hug the ones close to you!
Love to all,
Andrea

MR

I am trying to walk and he is keeping up with me.... on his knees..... AND right before the picture he was getting ticked and then look what happened when I got the camera out. :)
My question is how could someone not want a look like this. STINKER!!!!

Oh, how could I forget... last night both Jeremy and I noticed him slapping one hand... or more like it having one hand stationary while the other one is hitting the other one like crazy! I can't tell you how funny it is.... auh! I kinda forgot about it this morning and then I receivied an email from my sitter saying something to the effect of yeah we are getting a kick out of Rylan today because he learned how to clap.... but clap with one hand being stationary. I love it! She has a coffee table and she said that he is now starting to walk around it... and then stand their without anything for awhile.... as much as I LOVE hearing how much he is progressing it also scares me a bit because I think he is EVERYWHERE NOW... let alone when he starts really walking... AUH! Her husband thinks it will be another 2 weeks before he is walking... AUH!

Stay warm tonight!! We have thick sleet and I am hoping for everyone safe travels (National Championship games tonight... GO HUSKERS).... Thank the Lord that I only have to drive a couple blocks to take Rylan to the sitter and I don't have to get him out in this nasty stuff too much. Although, putting him in his little snow gear for a 2 minute car drive is sometimes annoying. SUCH IS LIFE! Stay warm and hopefully we have power thru the night! This sleet stuff is THICK!

Love,

Andrea

New LOVE

Okay, so this is a picture of Rylan's new favorite toy. He LOVES this ball. It 1 makes noise on the wood floor and 2 the ball itself makes noise. He finds the ball out of all the other 100 toys he has and picks it up and it starts rolling... what the funny part about it is like all kids/babies do is he tries grabbing it and it starts rolling again. It is pretty darn funny!

During this Christmas Season

Ask yourself if you are living your life to the fullest, ask yourself if you giving back as much as you are receiving, question your relationship with God and ask yourself if you are where you want to be.
This is off the blog of Stephanie Vest. Her friend wrote a letter to everyone about Stephanie's family. Anyway, this little message is from there. I think it is so true. I guess I don't QUESTION God but maybe question how close I am and how I can better understand his love for my family and I. When I am working and I get a little stressed I come to quick understanding that it isn't worth being really stressed out about something especially if I can't control the situation. Do your best and that is the only thing you can do.
So, in that same idea.. I could be really stressed out that I have yet to begin my Christmas shopping but instead I think about those that don't get to have Christmas this year, those that just lost a loved one, those that have no family to celebrate Jesus' life with, those that don't believe. I hope to get in and out of the crazy stores so I can enjoy wrapping presents, and being with our little family.
Jeremy's been gone for a week and will have to go again soon... I could be totally stressed out because he does so much for us.. but I did what I could do, enjoyed being home with Rylan, and lived each day to the fullest. I am thankful for the time we have with him and pray that he travels safely... everything that doesn't get done will be there for me the next day!
This year I am remember how thankful I am... and that this year presents (material things) don't mean as much as gatherings with family and just being in your own home, celebrating a life a little one and being healthy. Thank God for the many blessings we have. Always remember someone else has it WAY worse than you!
Love,
Andrea

Daddy!!!

Daddy gets home today and both Mom and I are extremely excited!!!! The past two nights I have slept all thru the night so Mommy can get some sleep. She thanks me over and over again. :) He is still sleeping now... usually he wakes up around 7:15 to get to Kristi's... I just HATE to wake him. I even have the light on. Anyway, have a great day! Enjoy the people you get to share the day with and thank God for the little things in life that we all take for granted.
Thanking God it is Friday!
Andrea

Clean warm BED

Nothing like a clean warm bed to come to when you have had a crazy day. It's the L ITTLE things in life that I am really trying to focus on these days... which one of those is a clean MADE bed. :)

Crazy Week

So, I feel like I am going 100 miles an hour and I believe this is my life...

Rylan's clothes, pump, and tissue... Rylan's nose will not stop running!

As much as I am complaining... I wouldn't change it for the world. I love my family, are healthy for the most part, have a beautiful home, love being a Mommy, and am still on this earth to celebrate life. Please pray for the Vest family. The Mommy of three children lost her battle with cancer on the 3rd. Youn, 34 and full of live. Go to www.stephanievest.com her story will make you appreciate the little things in life a little more. Never met her but followed her blog for the last few months. Also pray for www.shawndraturner.blogspot.com she is also a young gal fighting cancer. I guess looking at their blogs makes me appreciate all the little things. I will keep my chin head a little higher and appreciate the LITTLE things we all take for granted. Hug the people you love a little tighter and never forget to tell the people you love that you LOVE THEM!

Andrea

Back to Rylan

So, why pay for toys when you have a thread from the carpet? I also caught him by our sink... on the floor there is a vent that of course blows out hot air.... well Rylan thinks it is pretty cool and the picture above was as close as I could get to what he was doing but really not a good picture. He was on his belly looking into the vent it looked like. It reminded me of when we would sit on the floor to watch tv. It was hilarious! I will keep trying to get a picture in action!
Don't tell my Dad I am playing with all of his gagets while he is gone... he may get mad... Tonight Rylan had his ball, and other toys all by this stereo.. not real sure what he was up too but I think he wanted behind the TV.
Can he get any closer to the TV? Usually he tries to eat it. Yes, tries to eat the glass on the stand. Holy Cow! He does have toys and he plays with them every once and awhile. Yes, his shirt is absolutely disgusting... why dirty 25 shirts when I am home all day with him. Our sitter was sick... so I got to stay home.
My Uncle Craig brought me dinner tonight (it was so good and even better because I didn't have to make it!!!!!!) After Craig left I found Rylan at the window. I thought it was pretty cute. He was eating the window but I am a little slow with the camera so this is how I got him. Still pretty cute.

Today was a rather weird day. My sitter called at 6:15 to say that she is sick and not taking any kids....(tomorrow either) so because Jeremy is gone I got to stay home. Rylan wakes up at that time crying (with tears) so I feed him and we both go back to bed. I then think that I should get up in case I could find someone for the rest of the day and 2 so I could get him in the doctor too. So, I get ready and take him to the doctor. Okay, so yes I take him in probably too much but after a FREAKING week of him not getting ANY better I am fed up and took him in. I did see yet a different Dr. and STILL NO MEDS! I don't like putting him on things but my LAND! This morning I was about ready to pull all my hair out. Rylan cried basically the moment we woke up till I took him into the doctor and then what do you know... he is the happiest little boy ever! AUH! Gee, that really makes me look good when I tell the Doc that he's been crying all morning! I think they think I am crazy!!!!!! So, home I go with nothing more than I came with. I called Jeremy and all I wanted to do was cry. I'm not sure what to do all day with a crying baby! Luckily enough I fed him and we took a nap. After an hour he wanted to get up... Mommy trick and I got him to sleep on and off for another 1 1/2 hours. THANK THE LORD! Then tonight we had fun. Hopefully with not being around many people today and tomorrow he will get better faster.

Say some prayers to those single parents out there. I'm not sure how they do it!

Good Night all and hopefully we have power and NO snow on the ground in the morning!

Love,

Andrea

This one is for you Rhiannon!!!

So, my sister encouraged me to do her December deal. I honestly don't really get it but I think it is just posting other things than your family. So, here it is. I haven't really done any more decorating around the house besides the Christmas tree, railing, and the famous candle deal... many memories go into that. My Mother in Law took me around town to get something for my party I had in Hebron... I think it was my Uppercase Living Party I had. Anyway, I wanted a center piece and well here it is. It was fun and fun to put it all together... and to do something with my Mother in Law besides do things for the guys. It was our time... and it was NICE! Although the end product was probably more than I should have spent we still had a good time and I am happy to display it each year... remembering what a fun time we had.

Then of course I have to show you another year of a perfect tree... yes we do pick a PERFECT REAL tree out each year.
I can't figure out how to work my camera just right but this is the best picture I can take right now... another one may come later! :) When my better 1/2 is home. :)

Saturday at G. Grandparent Swanson's

When we were leaving to go back home we wanted to stop and say hi to G. Grandma & pa Swanson's. So, I got to meet some more family... I never knew I had so much family....I wasn't tired or anything... and I guess I needed to keep hanging on.

This is my Gr. Aunt Cheryl ....

G. Grandpa Swanson... I sure wish I got to see him more often... he is a pretty cool Grandpa!

My Daddies cousin Andrea from Wisconsin. I also got to meet her Mommy, Daddy, and Sister

Me, G. Grandma Dar & Daddies cousin Anna. The GIRLS trying to teach me to play the pianoI had fun with everyone... it was very nice to meet all of you! The pictures don't show even have as much fun as I really had.

Lots of Love,

Rylan

Happy Thanksgiving!

After our tummy filling lunch at G. Grandma Richardson's we played and played and played. It was just Rylan for majority of the day. He did get to meet his cousin Ellie and also got to see his cousin Colton...he's almost heavier than me. Oh well... that is just how it goes. This picture below I tried to get this darn plant but I would get so close and then they would tell me no and move me so I couldn't get it. My mom and dad say what actually happened was a lot funnier than this picture.

Playin' cards with G. Grandma Betty and the BIG BOYS

Playing by myself...

I got to meet my Dad's cousin from IL her name is Daniel and I really liked her. Daniel and G. Grandma Betty would put these animals in front of me and they would dance. They were pretty funny!

I PUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN MY MOUTH! ....EVEN CARDS!

On the move!

Okay, so I thought scooting and just rolling around was busy... nah not even close. I am sure that it will be even worse when he actually starts crawling but MY LAND! Why didn't anyone tell me that they would be EVERYWHERE! I always have to take a double take and see where he is at. Then the next second he is crawling up my leg and fussing like he wants me to pick him up, or climbing up something and falls.... it is constant. Tonight expecially. Let me also add that today at the sitter she told me that he wanted to eat like every 2 or 2 1/2 hours. Yep, tonight he ate 3 #2's. HOLY COW! I stopped him at that otherwise I am not sure when he would have stopped.
We FINALLY got a high chair. He likes being in it too....
Yes, he really is playing in the dishwasher... I opened it up to put something away and then looked back and found him playing!!!!!! Of course when I get the camera out he looks and me and smiles.

UGH!

8 favorite tv shows
Biggest Loser
The Bachelor
The Bachelorette
American Idol
HGTV
Flip this house---- I don't really watch too much tv anymore
How could I forget... Animal Planet ... the ones where they save animals.
Ugh, the last few months it's been the LOVELY FOX & FRIENDS.... I am SO GLAD the election is OVER!!!!!!!

8 things I did yesterday
Went to Church
Fed Rylan
Played with Rylan
Read books
Put lights on my Christmas Tree
Decorated my PERFECT tree
Spent time with Jeremy
Took a long nap (I won't say how long) with Rylan

8 things I look foward to
Coming home on Friday... going to Nashville from Wed - Fri.... for work. Not that I am not looking forward to it but it is my first time away from Rylan and I am really dreading it!!!!!!
Getting Rylan on Friday
Finish decorating my house for Christmas... I just love this time of year.
Giving my neighbors the cookies my family and I made together. - That was fun!!
Spending more time with family for the holidays.
Sleep
To see what my future holds
My sisters wedding in July

8 Favorite restaurants
Any home cooked meal I don't have to make... it's always better when someone else makes it!
Olive Garden
Texas Roadhouse
Firebirds
Godfathers.... auh the day I get to have pizza again!
Jimmy John's
Geee this is horrible that I can't even think of 8 food places. HORRIBLE!

8 things on my wish list - some realistic and some not!
Shoe organizer
Clothes basket for Rylan's room
Bookshelf for Rylan's room
Clocks for all rooms in my NEW house
To not have to work, but have the income we have, so we can spend more time with family
To figure out if I want to go back to school.
Decorate in a cool way that fits both Jeremy and I's taste
Win the lottery... I guess I gotta play first!

This took a bit longer than I thought but fun to do...now it is: Sorry I am not going to send it back to you Rhiannon or Tay so enjoy that I ACTUALLY did it!