Thank heaven for Mothers

If I didn't have a mother, I don't know what I would do. Packing up to move is a huge task all on its own. Doing it with a walking, busy body of an eleven month old is an entirely different story. I will put something in a box, turn to grab something new, then come back to find it is out of the box. Occasionally the object will be missing! Or Ryenn will put things that do not belong in the box inside. She also enjoys climbing into the boxes.

I enlisted the aid of Grandma Lisa. She has been a very patient babysitter. Chasing my little monkey here or there. "Don't eat that." "Leave that alone." I also benifit from her being around. I don't have to talk to an infant all day long! So here's to the moms of the world!

1) Ryenn hanging out in a box....it is very counterproductive...but cute!

Art in Motion

Ryenn has become very talented. She tends to walk more than crawl, she also "sings" and dances. She has learned to fake cough, which always gets the reaction she wants! She sticks out her tongue, and she strums her lips with her finger resulting in a "bubbubub" noise. Imagine my surprise when she discovered a pen and paper.

At first I thought, how cute, my little girl is going to be an author or an artist! Then, to my horror, she realized that the pen works on many other things. I was shooing her away from the couch. So what if our furniture has a little bit of ink on it! Oh well. She soon found another pen, and I was rescuing a favorite novel. I can still read the words, no big deal.

Now the real trouble starts. I find my beloved daughter happily drawing on her own leg! Now I have a walking art exhibit! At least she hasn't discovered that she can draw on the walls!

1) Ryenn with pen in hand 2-3) Ryenn's leg and onesie displaying her artwork!

My Greatest Acheivements

I'm sure, like me, you have been glued to the t.v. screen watching the race of for gold! While the U.S. women played a terrific match of volleyball, I began to wonder about my life. The lives of the athletes puts mine into harsh perspective. They compete for their country, for their teammates, and for the love of whichever event they participate in.

My daily routine consists of endless hours of television, cleaning house, and occasionally participating in city league sporting events. As I began to feel a that small tug of regret, my little gymnast put on her show. While resting her hand on her play chair, she began to tilt her head toward the ceiling and point her toes backward. I was never able to get a great shot because every time I pulled out my camera Ryenn would stop her "routine." The sight of her performance put a smile on my face, and brought joy to my heart!

So while I will never race to Olympic history as Michael Phelps did, but I already have my greatest achievements. As cliche as it sounds, I have my wonderful husband and beautiful daughter. That is all that really matters.

1-3) Pictures of Ryenn doing her gymastic move 4) Ryenn and John playing together during a Sidewinder's Baseball game

"Death and Taxes".....and Planning??

It seems that the reward for becoming an adult and leaving behind the comfy world of mommy's house is......planning?? NO, that can't be right! Adult hood was supposed to be about making the rules, endless fun, and spending the money the way you wanted. Because now you're the mommy and you said so!

Well, I've discovered that being an adult isn't as sweet as I thought it would be when I was a child. First begin the plans of a better education and career.....check. Of course sooner or later you find that special someone, and you begin wedding plans.....check. To accompany those, yes the family planning.....check. Prepare for the little one's arrival....check. You get the idea.

The Nunley family is currently planning for two exciting events. The first, and slightly daunting task, moving back to Safford, AZ. John, a graduate from UofA with a Bachelors in Optical Engineering, has received a job offer with the mine that we just can't turn down. This was not a difficult decision as we have plenty of family and friends in the town where it all began. My only real regret is leaving behind a great many choices in resturant and shopping venues. Not that we are too good for El Charro and Walmart. So packing up our valuables must begin and soon. John begins his first day September 5th.

Second, is to plan our Squishy's 1st Birthday Bash! I know that she will not recall a single event from this party, but I can't help myself. So invitations were sent, and now to the task. Food, party supplies, and everything else must be thought of. The special day is to be on September 13th. Hopefully I will not lose my head, but I'm sure that other parents have done worse!!

Just an adorable picture of Ryenn! Cute huh!

Picture This: It's my life

For those of you that know me, and for those of you that don't...It is important to note that I enjoy living life drama free. I lead a very normal, fairly uncomplicated life. I consider myself very fortunate as I am able to be a stay at home mom. I do have prior training as a Medical Assistant, and I miss it from time to time. Still, having the opportunity to see every milestone in the development of my daughter is more important than my sanity. I rarely speak to an adult until after 5:30 pm, thus the blog....

So here is a bit about my life leading up to the present. I met the love of my life at the tender age of seven. Of course, as is the case in most love stories, I did not realize it until senior year of high school. His name was John Nunley. When I first told my mother that I was beginning to date him she replied, "Oh, you mean Abraham Lincoln from the second grade play?"

I was an average student, while John graduated in the top 10 and received an academic scholarship to UofA. We were both very accomplished athletes. John was a State Champion Wrestler (189lbs.), and myself in softball. I even attempted to play at the junior college level at Eastern Arizona College. My career was sadly ended with a broken hand, a surgery to correct it, and multiple months in a cast.

We were married on March 12, 2005 at New Life City Church in Safford, AZ. We had a very large wedding party (11 couples), and a guest list to rival most. It was an amazing day. We then spent out honeymoon at Lake Tahoe. Amazingly enough we didn't do much. It was snowing, and I very ignorantly did not pack winter clothing! I was saved due to John's very practical planning (he packed two coats).

So we lived our lives in Tucson, AZ very happily for two years. After which I decided that we should begin our family. I was combating a "stomach flu" in early January 2007 when we learned I was pregnant with our first child! She was born on September 12, 2007. Ryenn was a small baby at 5 lbs. 1 oz., but was surprisingly without any complications. She has a vibrant personality and a delightful smile.

1) Picture of Ryenn just two weeks after bringing her home 2) Ryenn after a bath about two months old 3) Ryenn at 11 months

So for now, I will end my debut into the world of blogging.... I am looking forward to journey!