Happy Birthday Ryan!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Ryan!
Happy Birthday to you!


Love you!

Then! And now!

I love home

You realize when you've been gone for a few days how nice it is to just be at home.  I got back from Louisville Saturday night after my flight was delayed 2 hours.  Ryan picked me up from the airport and we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Rooster in Belleville and then headed home.  I was ready for bed.

Then Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early and headed to church and then met with Pastor Tom about joining the church and if he would marry us.  And he agreed!  We feel that we have developed a strong relationship with him and then he knows us a lot better than Paster Rob who has only met us twice.  I think Pastor Tom will do a great job!  This Sunday we will officially become members of Christ Our King and Ryan will also be confirmed.  Such wonderful times and I'm so glad we are going through it together.

After church, it was back home to spend some quality time outside working.  We raked leaves, cut the ornimental grass, mowed some grass, cut branches, and cleaned up by the barns.  Ryan had finished rolling the yard on Saturday.  The yard is looking pretty good!

Louisville Trip

Off to Louisville for 4 days to work the Mid America Truck show... one of the biggest truck shows and a great time for people watching.  You just never know what you are going to see.

But on a totally different note... as I sit in Louisville, I remember last year when I was here.  It was when I winked at this cute guy on Match.com.  And what a great surprise and blessing that he wrote me back and a few months later asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.  So Louisville will always have a special place in my heart.  It's where I winked at my future husband.  LOVE YA!

Also, while here I got to experience one of Ryan's favorite places from when he lived down here for a Ford launch... Irish Rover.  A cute little pub outside of downtown Louisville with amazing food.  I also had a taste of my first Scotch Egg - which is a hard boiled egg, wrapped in sausage and then deep fried.  Not so healthy but very tasty!

Until next time Louisville!

Our First Christmas

Ryan and I celebrated our first Christmas and had a great night!  We started the evening with a few drinks and then decided to open presents - so I would finally get to find out what was in the big box that had been taunting me all week.  We started opening... first box - Ryan asked what I thought it was and I said definitely not a faucet... haha!  That's exactly what it was - a new faucet for our bathroom... Ryan opened a new Craftsman toolbelt from me.  Next gift - he asked again and I said a new shower joking... and yup - that's what it was!  Ryan opened some clothes next.  And then finally... it was time for the big box.  He asked again if I had a guess... and now I'm clueless as to what could be in it.  And I open it and it's a new countertop

 for the bathroom!  Woooo hoo!!!  It's getting a complete facelift!  Ryan then got to open his big gift... and set of nailers... most importantly a framing nailer!  Then Ryan opened a bunch of socks - which were on his list.  Stockings were next... I got some new perfume - Flower Bomb - so good!  And Wii Dance 3 - which is really funny because I had it in my hand at Target to buy to but decided not too (we played it tonight - so fun and a great workout!). 

Then we grilled some fillets and I made some pasta and we had a bottle of red.  Great evening!  We then spent the rest of the evening organizing and packing for our trip to Fort Wayne first and then Unionville for Christmas.  Our 6 day Christmas trip was almost here.

Christmas Tree hunt

So off we go on our first Christmas tree hunt with Ryan's Mom and Dad.  We found a place close to home that we could cut down our own.  After a drive around, nothing good and nothing we liked.  Off to the second place, we all get out and walk around, and nothing big enough.  So off to place number 3 that we saw a sign for.  And when we arrive, it's a parking lot with a few trees, 3rd time was not the charm.  So now I'm sad and frustrated, we drive back to the place 2 miles from our house, Colman Produce for a pre-cut tree, but they had some good ones... and we find our perfect Christmas tree!

They shake it and net it up... and we bring it home!



Perfect height... about 9 and a half feet



Ta - dah!

Our first tree!  (Now it just need lights and decorations!)

Thanksgiving #2

After we packed up from Unionville, it was off to Greenwood, Indiana - where Ryan grew up.  A nice Friday drive with very little traffic - and it only took us 6 1/2 hours - not too bad!  We were greated by Mom & Dad Delaney, Ian, Jen, Evan and Ian - who were all helping get ready for our engagement party / meet Colin party.  Mom Delaney had done an amazing job making all kinds of yummy food and getting the house ready for the party - she's one talented lady!  And Dad Delaney helped too!  :-)  We even were successful with a family picture!

Lots of Ryan's friends and family friends came over, about 25 or so.  They were all so nice and welcoming.  Made me feel like part of the gang.  We ate and drank and mingled until about 1:00 am. 

Zach, Ian, Mia, BJ, Brian, Doug

Delaney Family/Neighborhood Friends



Ryan, Brad, Craig



Then Saturday, we had a lazy morning and enjoyed a great breakfast casserole and watched Michigan finally beat Ohio State.  Then it was off for my tour of Greenwood with Ryan, Ian and Jen.  First stop, a new wine bar and then off to the famous Oaken Barrel - great times and lots of laughs.  Then a drive around the neighborhood.  And back home to hang out with Mom and Dad Delaney.

Sunday, we ate breakfast and loaded up for our trip home.  A quick stop in Coldwater for lunch and some shopping at Maurice's!  Does my man rock or what?!  Then in the home stretch on M-12 and finally home to unpack and rest up... back to the grind.

Dancing

So every once in a while Ryan and I get crazy and do some dancing around the house... we love to dance!  So last night I convinced Ryan to do the Bernie (after seeing someone during Monday night football do the dance). 

I promised I wouldn't post it on facebook, but since only like 5 people check the blog, I thought it'd be okay.

Love you honey!!

Mondays

Happy Monday!!  And a great one it was!  Mondays are also my really long day as I get up at 4:55 am to get to the gym and teach Kick & Sculpt at 6:00 am and then work all day and then off to the gym again to teach Kickboxing at 5:45 and usually end up at home about 7:30 - almost 15 hours later.  On a side note, I thought I lost my keys this morning, only to find them under my purse  (after I woke Ryan up to help).. think it's time to hang up that key hook thing!

So today I asked Ryan to get some ground turkey out when he got home from work (since I forgot in a panic this morning) so we could make spaghetti and he said that was his specialty!  Yippee for me!  No cooking as he offered to make it.  So when I got home from the gym about 7:45, a wonderful fragrance greeted me at the door and dinner was ready!  I told him he could make spaghetti every Monday for us.  A man in the kitchen, now that's a great thing!

Busy Weekend

Another great weekend on RAD Farms.  We had a movie night in and Friday and watched 2 good movies... Something Borrowed - a romatic comedy and then The Fifth Quarter - based on a true story - I cried a lot during this movie! 



The big tree (almost at the start)



And the tree is gone!



Then Saturday.. up and at 'em!  Ryan wanted to cut down this huge tree (like 45 feet) because it was definitely dead and if it fell, it would land right on the power lines.  A big project for just 1, well 2 if you count me!  Lots of trips up and down the burm to remove each "little" tree that made the big one.  Then reinforcements came in (aka me and Joey), who picked up sticks and rakes and stacked wood.  That's just plain old hard work!  But we finished it!

Also had our first brush bonfire!  A great day for it... low winds that were blowing away from our neighbors!  Our pit is now empty again!





Our first tree planted



Then Sunday... it was time to plant the apple trees!  Holy hard work again!  And I realized how similar my dad and Ryan are.  Lots of measuring and plotting things out before starting to dig.  Me, I would have just started to dig and laid it out as I went.  But I'm very thankful for Ryan who takes the time to do these things because it definitely looked awesome in the end.  We plants 6 trees and let places for 2 more after we get the pollinators.  So RAD Farms is officially underway!!  We still have to plant the strawberries and rasberries, but lost steam after several hours in the 80 degree sun.



Our orchard



Crane Road... so pretty in the fall



Things learned so far at the house....



1.  Cutting trees down is an all day job... don't let anyone tell you otherwise unless there is like 10 people helping.

2.  Planting trees is not as easy as it sounds... dig a hole and put the tree in right?  HAHA, yeah not so much!

3.  A pickup truck is a must have when living on 7 acres.

4.  I don't know how the Amish do it!  Power tools are a must!



So sunny on October 9th



I love the Quad!