Tuesday, January 3, 2012

marking another year...

 New Year's Eve came and went quite quietly at our place this year.
 We had dinner with good friends...
and then watched a movie together.

We had another occasion to mark over here on December 31st...
Ryder's birthday.
I can hardly believe that six years have passed since that memorable New Year's Eve when he arrived.

He has been checking for awhile to see if we would be here for his birthday this year.
He has not forgotten that we missed it last year!

We decided to have a wee birthday luncheon for him over here on New Year's Day...


...complete with birthday cake, of course.
He couldn't help but join in the singing of...
'Happy Birthday, dear Ryder'.


And when we were all done...
we discovered that one of the candles was playing his song too!


Once he had the fire out...
we cut into the Lego cake...
an idea I found on Pinterest.



It was quite easy to tell what colour Lego he picked!

And...sticking to the theme...


...he unwrapped his gift.
I think he'll have a little help in building his Lego police station.


Buying Lego and wrapping it doesn't take much time.
Giving Ryder a book of Grandpa's memories...
involved a lot more than meets the eye.
I met Pondside for breakfast sometime in 2009.
And after our meal we did a little browsing in a gift shop ...
and I picked up this 'memory book' for Grandpa to give to Ryder sometime.
Grandpa thought it was a great idea...
but that Grammy should do all the writing...
so that Ryder could one day read it.
So it got put in the 'someday' file!
It became our joint project on our trip to California this fall...
and we finished it up a few days ago...
just in time for Ryder's birthday.
As we filled out the pages of the book...
I realized how much life had changed since Grandpa was a boy.
But some things will never change!


A son will always be a joy to his family!

I  treasure the time I have spent with Ryder over these six years.
We have baked cookies...
and gone for hikes...
and played 'snakes and ladders'...
and read books...
and gone camping together. 

I can't stop the clock from ticking...
but I will always enjoy the memories of Ryder's pre-school years.

Ryder...
may you always be as sweet...
and kind...
and generous...
and funny...
as you are today!

Have a wonderful year, Ryder.

20 comments:

  1. Awww, he's a cutie! Great job on the Lego cake. I bought recordable books for my kids (yes, even though they're grown up) to write about my life. I hope to have all four of them done to give to my kids on Mother's Day this year. I thought it would be a good time to thank them for making me a mom! I know your grandson will treasure the book about grandpa's life growing up.

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  2. A Lego cake, now that is another great idea I got from you. And the book you are creating for Ryder, another wonderful idea! I learn so much for you...thank you! The picture of Ryder and his family is so good!

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  3. Happy Birthday Ryder, I love that lego cake! Oooh and you picked blue:)
    Grandpa book..that is the best gift!

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  4. What a special tribute to Ryder and I loved, loved, loved seeing his happy family all beautifully connected in their photo. (I always looks for those connections and I see them right across the lines.) As a grandmother who will have a six year old in less than two weeks (and a five year old in less than three), I find this post particularly timely. I do believe that Ryder is going to keep right on being the wonder person he is. He sure is a handsome fellow and I really like the blue smile!

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  5. What a happy birthday for Ryder! He's a sweetie. Love the Lego cake. Memories are a wonderful thing to pass down through the generations. The book idea is great!

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  6. So precious Judy! What a very wonderful gift of memories that book is and will be.

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  7. Great memories and what a clever cake!

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  8. You know how to put a big smile on Ryder's face! I'm glad you open the door from your front porch now and again for me to see the fun times and beautiful relationship you share with Ryder.
    Happy Birthday Ryder! That book from your grandpa is so special as he grew up on that same farm, and knows exactly what it's like to be the little man on the farm.

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  9. Love you Ryder! Hope you had a great day... will be stopping by soon! I still have a New Year's Card for you Grammy and your mom!!

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  10. You made my eyes tear up with this one. What a nice tribute to a boy we've come to love in bloggy land .. and is growing up real fast.Happy Birthday, Ryder!

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  11. I finally got caught up on all the holiday blogging and baking you did! What a great job you did on the cakes! it's one thing to see something on pinterest, it's another to actually do it! Way to go you carpe diem internet surfer!

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  12. Great job on those cakes! Love the blue icing smile too. Such a sweet story.

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  13. I jumped over to your blog from Vee's. I love the lego cake! The memory book is a wonderful idea!

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  14. A perfectly lovely family. Ryder is so so cute. I enjoy a special bond with my only grandson...well he was born on my birthday. What a great party!

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  15. Aww...I feel like I know Ryder too thanks to the great stories you have told these last few years.
    He is just the most loveable lad and so very cute too. I can still say that right?
    The cake is priceless...and I've seen that book too..what a great idea.

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  16. Good for you for completing Grandpa's book! My dad did that for our children many years ago and it is a treasure.
    The lego cake is great and I will pin the idea on my 'mental' board , as I'm staying away from any other time-eating temptations!
    Your wish for your grandson is beautiful - what more could we wish for the little men in our lives?

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  17. What a BEAUTIFUL family! Lovely post full of love!

    And you MET Ponside?! How wonderful for you both....two of my favorite bloggers!

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  18. A son will truly never leave a mothers' heart.
    That cake looked so cute and it even played a melody?
    That's a great book idea...John did one with his father this past year. Those are things that help adults pass on the legacy.
    You must of really enjoyed filling that out together.

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  19. Happy belated birthday to Ryder! A first grandson is always so special in a grandparent's life and his having this memorable book will mean so much to him one day when he becomes a father and then a grand father.

    The Lego cake is fantastic, especially as you found such vivid frosting dye to make the blocks look authentic.

    I was rummaging in my attic and found that we saved ALL my son's many Lego sets from his childhood. He really enjoyed Lego's. I know how expensive they are so I was happy to know that his two sons will "inherit" them one day soon :)

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  20. The book will be a special memory for Ryder and treasured always. I bet you have other projects in mind for the grands this year! Enjoy your Front Porch Judy! It looks like a lovely place to relax!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson