Fifteen

"If I could save time in a bottle"...this seems to be my frame of mind lately on so many different levels and today was one of them. It was Cody's 15th birthday. How is that even possible?? It seems like just yesterday I was waiting, wishing and hoping for Cody to arrive. He was 2 weeks late and I was given a dose of gel that was suppose to start the process of labor. It didn't work as fast as I had hoped, but within 24 hours I was back in the hospital having Cody on Memorial Day in May of 1996. We didn't have our holiday picnic, but we celebrated the birth of Cody Warren Ritz, which was quite memorable. What a sweet blessing he has been over the last 15 years.



In some ways he has changed so much and in others he is still the same sweet little boy that I loved to cuddle.

Cody was our water dog. Life-guards would cringe at the site of this little 3 year old jumping off of the diving board with his water wings.



He loved the water -



Even if it was coming out of the bathroom sink...





Or bathtub. This is something that has not changed. He is the one who takes the LONGEST showers.



Cody Enjoyed his food...



every last bite-



He still very much enjoys his food. He is the 1st to ask what's on the menu for dinner. He also enjoys cooking and makes a delicious breakfast omelet.



These next two pictures speak for themselves...





Cody was not a fan of Halloween/trick-or-treating and would only go if Kaitlyn was going.



However, he would dress up in Kaitlyn's dress-up clothes and parade around the house without hesitation...



Cody is a wonderful big brother. Ryan loves his Cody. If I was having a hard time with Ryan, Cody would always find a way to cheer him up or cuddle with him like only a brother could.



There are so many things that make Cody fun and unique, things you probably would never know about him unless you really spent the time getting to know him. He is pretty quiet on the surface, but when you know him, he is a fun, quick-witted, sensitive, sweet, smart and caring young man. What a joy you have brought into our family Cody Wody...we love you lots!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Graduation Day

Today was Kaitlyn's graduation. What a fun, exciting and sad(for mom) time.





We were there early enough to get a front row seat. We harassed the graduate a few times in an effort of getting a picture of something other than the back of her head.



It worked a couple of times. Unfortunately, they turned out a bit blurry.



We even tried to throw a few shout outs to the stoic usher(a good friend)for a picture, but he didn't budge. He took his job too seriously and didn't have time for posing. Darn, we even had the lady behind us yelling out his name, but it still didn't work. Good Job Usher Alex.



We were there for over 3 hours, but the two boys did a really good job keeping themselves entertained.



The most exciting time was watching Kaitlyn walk up to receive her diploma.


*The girl screams are provided by Cody Ritz*

After the ceremony, we were able to catch a few friends for pictures.





As well as a few with the family...









We came home and celebrated with a big feast - low country boil with a few of Kaitlyn's favorite salads + some yummy cupcakes from Gigi's in Athens.



It was a perfect day. We are so proud of our Kates and all that she has accomplished during her 4 years of high school. Now it's on to the University of Georgia in the fall...GO DAWGS!

Our Senior

This weekend is graduation and we have one very happy young lady...



She's not alone in her happiness, as we have 6 seniors in our neighborhood who are graduating this year. One of the mothers thought it would be fun to have a banner placed at the entrance of our neighborhood honoring are hard working seniors. They definitely deserve it - Congratulations to you all!!

Last Day

Today was officially the last day of school and nobody is happier than Mr. Ry guy.



Maybe now the tummy aches and sore throats will subside.

Turtle-a-saurus

This was on the edge of our lawn and the road this morning. We have seen a lot of things in our yard before - deer, racoons, rabbits, an armadillo, and lots and lots of squirrels, but we have never seen a turtle. We were all a little surprised by the size and the dinosaur looking tail.





It didn't take long for Casey to realize it was a snapping turtle.



We all jumped in response to the first snap.



Casey attempted to use a stick to lure it back to wherever(creek or pond) it came from.



It wasn't taking the bait, so "brave" Casey picked it up by it's tail and moved it several feet in the right direction. Ryan was very concerned the turtle was going to bite Casey's leg and warned him several times to be careful.



It disappeared into the bushes toward the creek but came back up at some point. We're not sure where it was going, but Ryan has decided he's not playing in the creek anymore!