Retainer

Oh, my retainer. Oh, my teal retainer with silver glitter and stars that I still put in my mouth every night after I brush my teeth. You have been with me a good number of years now and what a vital piece of plastic and metal you are to me in my life.

I know it's pretty common for people my age, who have had braces, to still own their retainer. However, the difference between me and them is that most people just need it every once in awhile and can go for long periods of time without wearing it, particularly for occasions where not having to worry about your retainer would be helpful...like camping. Not me though--I'm like a 13-year-old--if I go more than two nights without wearing my retainer I can feel my teeth move and can barely get the thing back on. Why is this? I don't know. I blame it on my wisdom teeth that still currently reside in my mouth.

This isn't a big deal, but it is annoying. For example, the times you go camping and you wake up take it out and look at those handy little side pockets of the tent and think, oh that looks like a convenient place to put your retainer...only to pack up go home, realize you don't have it and then, have to call your in-laws to ask them to search the tent they let you use to see if you can find their daughter-in-law's retainer. Hmmm...you think think this would make me embarrassed, but what I was most concerned about was if I had lost it forever. What would I do!?! I'd have to go to the orthodontist, that doctor guy who I haven't been to in over 10 years, and get fitted for a new one? Then, the fear that by the time that happened my teeth had gone every which way? Awful, awful. Luckily, this didn't happen and they did find it. Whew!

I tell ya, I hadn't had an experience like that since I was in 8th grade and I went and dumped my lunch tray in the garbage can and my retainer was still on it. I have to say calling my in-laws was far less humiliating than searching through the trash for a very aforementioned reason in front of my fellow adolescent peers.

Success!

We had a successful first camping trip with Ryder. He slept through each night, except for getting up at 6 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. for the day. But, hey, that's fine with me! We also discovered a few tricks for handling the heat...LOTS of sunblock and letting the little dude take his naps in this stroller with a fan propped up on his cup holder (we had electricity, thankfully). Most of the action happened on the river and in the pool, so here are some photos. Thanks everyone for the advice, the pack and play truly is the ticket!

Me skiing on one! Not to be confused getting up on one, however. I still have to kick one off and I still don't dare get in the water without a wet suit. Brrrhhh!!!

Ryder driving the boat...in a rather carefree manner :)

Ryder with dad tubing for the first time (at about 5 mph!) Isn't he adorable in his bite-sized life-jacket...he hated it, unfortunately. But he loved the tubing!

Ryder taking his morning nap on the boat.

Ryder in his floaty Speedo suit in the pool with Phil and Grandma. This was the first time he could actually get IN the water (the river was too cold). He was a little apprehensive at first but thoroughly enjoyed counting to three and jumping of the edge (while being held, of course!)

A Few Firsts

• We're taking Ryder camping for the first time this weekend. Wish us luck! I've very nervous about how he'll sleep in a tent and if he'll get too hot. If you have any good 'camping-with-baby tips' please let me know.
• First time going private on my blog. I don't know if I like it. I feel like no body is out there. Hellloooo!!! [echo] [[echo]].
• Ryder took his first steps a few weeks ago. We have a walker! I didn't know he'd progress this fast from a couple steps to clearing whole rooms. He walks with his hands in the air with a slight yell. Phil calls it his E.T. walk. The cutenosity level is off the charts.
  
• I'm in the process of sewing my first apron. Yikes! I'll let you know how it goes.
• This whole last week Ryder has slept every night (8 p.m. - 7 a.m.) with out a peep. We're hoping the consistency means it's here to stay!
• I had another 'first' I was going to mention, but now I can't remember?? Owell, wouldn't be the first time! (mwah, mwah)
  

Sweater

I just got back from Target where a female stranger asked me where I got my very favorite, 6-year-old, button-less sweater (keeping them all on was too hard to maintain so I took them all off). After I told her it was like 5 years old, she told me how cute she thought it was. How nice was that. I wanted to kiss her. Don't worry, I didn't. Anyhow, it's just nice to know my favorite, old ratty sweater is still hip and happenin', that's all.

Jasmine: The flower

I saw and smelled one for the first time the other day. I'm sure I've done both of those things before without realizing it, but my in-laws had one in their yard and pointed it out to me. The blossoms are much smaller than I had originally envisioned, probably because the pictures I saw were of the blossoms only. Anyhow, I've always wondered and now I know. My flower is quite beautiful, if I do say so myself.

Private and Pics

Hey all, as promised I'm posting photos from our vacation below. Before I do however, just in case you didn't read my post about my exciting vacation adventures, you probably didn't see at the end I was thinking about changing my status to 'Private'. This is still the case, SO if you want access to my blog please jot down your email address or send it to me at: jasmine[dot]shorten[at]gmail[dot]com

This makes me tad sad because I'm giving up the whole exciting mystery aspect of blogging. Ya know--who is going to find your blog? Or who already has but is just to chicken to comment on it? (Luckily, it doesn't take away from who's blog can I find but I'm too chicken to comment it, so just because I'm doing it doesn't mean you need to, okey dokey :) This is one of the funner parts about blogging to me, but my reasoning (mainly safety issues) is important too. However, with that said, don't be shy and send those emails people! Because if you like my blog (or me for that matter), I like you :)

Now for photos:

Ryder bathing at Grandma's. He's a little excited he's getting away with breaking the rules (standing in the bathtub).

Fouth of July family photo. Arent' the matching boys so cute!? (I did that).

Ryder and me at Bar J Wranglers. That good lookin' woman on the left is my mom. Woo, woo!

View of Jenny Lake from our boat

A little worse for the wear--me in front of a water fall

This is the best. Ryder fell asleep on our hike--sideways. Phil had to walk 2 miles with his elbow out to support his head. What a good dad.

Ryder swinging in front of our hotel. That kid just kept talking to us and to sum him up, you just have to read his T-shirt, "I'd so rather be playing video games."

The last and final photo ever taken by our retired (broken) camera: my foot and Phil's knees...ah memories.

va-CAY-tion

So after youth conference, Phil, Ryder and I headed out the very next day to Utah. We tried out driving through the night in hopes Ryder would sleep most of the time and unfortunately worked like a gem so we decided to drive though the night on the way home as well. We got home early yesterday morning and think we're almost recovered from our week-o-fun. We arrived at my parents house last Monday and did some shoppin' and chillin' for the first couple of days we were there. Thursday we took off to Jackson Hole for the 4th of July weekend. I have been to Jackson a number of times on family vacations and hadn't been there for years. It was the first time Phil had ever visited the area so I was excited to say the least. Thursday we went to Jenny's Lake first, took the boat across and hiked back. It was beautiful and Ryder fell asleep sideways in his backpack on the way back, so cute. That evening we took it easy browsing shops and getting ice cream. Friday the boys went whitewater rafting while the babes and ladies went to the parade. After the men got home we switched and the girls went to lunch and did some more shopping. That night we went to the Bar J Wranglers dinner and show (very fun). Saturday we went to breakfast and headed home. This was my family's first attempt at a vacation all together (except for my brother and his family, who were greatly missed) with babies and toddlers and it came of as a success! Thanks mom and dad for putting it all together! It was so fun for me to visit that area again. I love, love, love it there. I'm definitely more of a mountain girl. Hopefully, we'll get to do it all again sooner than later. (More photos will come soon...our camera broke while we were there (sad) but here are a few I was able to copy from the website of the rafting trip).

This isn't the best photo, but you get the idea. Phil is the second one back on the left. My dad is behind him and Bro-in-law, Sean, is second one back on the right (this was right before he got thrown in :)

Here is the best one of Phil, but you can't see my dad or Sean :(

Now we're safely back home trying to get back to our routine. I feel like I've been out of my life here for weeks, so getting back into the swing of things will be nice. I have to write a post about Ryder and all of the cute things he has been doing. He does something new every day. And finally, I plan on making my blog private here in the next couple of weeks so get ready to send me your emails! That is all.