I have been changed for good....

I've feel like I have been writing this post for months now in my head.... wondering how you possibly say goodbye to friends you truly don't know how you will live without...I've come to the conclusion that you simply DO NOT. Leaving Albany, Oregon is one of the hardest things we've ever had to do. I have dreaded it. I have cried more tears than I thought were humanly possible anticipating this day. I have devised ways in my head to stay. I have devised ways to enable my friends to come with me. But the point is... we cannot change things sometimes and I am trying to live by my own motto...."We do not want to do this but we need to do this". Seattle is going to be a huge change and in thinking about the time we have spent here I was reminded of a night on the town with friends. In one of our many adventures we dragged our husbands to see WICKED and what a time was had by all. I remember sitting through the performance and listening to a song that literally brought tears to my eyes and still does. It is a constant reminder of how blessed our family has been since we moved to Albany.

Here are the words....

I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason--bringing something we must learn-- and we are led to those who help us most to grow---- if we let them and we help them in return... I don't know if I believe that that's true--- but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you... like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun, like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood...who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good------

I have thought and thought of the right words to say and the right gift to give but really when it comes down to it I suppose there isn't much you can give a friend other than your thanks, your admiration, your respect, and your love. I hope you all know that I am the person I am today because "I knew you" and I know that I HAVE been changed for the better having had you in my life. I hope to take a little of you all with me to Seattle. Your candor, your wit, your sensibility, your sense of humor, your listening ear and most of all your willingness to accept us just as we are. I hope to meet up with you all again soon. I know that good friends are friends for life but I will miss the day to day "stuff", the phone calls, the playdates, the holidays , the long talks, and the list could go on forever. Visit us soon. We miss you all already!

Love, Sheridan and the Ringhiser clan

Busy week here in Albany

We too have had a very busy week here in Albany, Oregon. Ray turned 38!!! Hard to believe he's getting close to the big 40! We hope we surpised him with his new "smartphone". He truly is like a kid in a candy store. I'm not sure how smart it was to buy that one. Such total joy but gees louise he won't put the dang thing down. He seems to be settling in a little more to Amazon.com although he admits it's definately a little HIGH stress. This is big business at it's best and I know he will rise to the challenge.

The kids have been busy with their activities and I have been busy cleaning non-stop for people to come see our house. Carson finished off his first soccer season. Ray and I were so sad to see it come to an end. He is our first to love organized sports and I have to admit we as parents have enjoyed seeing his competitive spirit. He is quite the little athlete and Ray has loved gloating a little (or a lot) at the games, calling Carson "Pele" and casually mentioning how many goals Carson has scored. This past game was 5 goals!!! He also had a field trip to the children's museum and Carousel this week in school. Mommy rode the bus with him and had a great day watching him have such a good time with friends.



Olivia had her school musical where she landed the part of Cinderella. She had a solo and did such a good job. She was extremely nervous and I could see her doing "breathing exercises" until her moment arrived. She has been dealing with stage fright over the years and it was cute to see her overcome it once and for all.



Alec is busy with the things "tweens" are busy doing. Is this what we were all really like as teenageers? If so, I apologize profusely to my parents. :) I didnt know it was humanly possible to send as many text messages as he does. His favorite Saturday activity now is to go to the mall with friends. The highlight of his week is when Ray comes home and lets him actually drive the Mitsubishi. He primarily pulls it in and out of the drive way but he has also mastered driving around the block and around the school parking lot. Gosh I hope no one turns us in after reading that.



Addy is learning new things everyday. As seen here in the pictures she had her first taste of cookie dough and couldn't get enough of it. Ray calls these pictures "Manna from heaven" :)

We are enjoying our family time more now as it is limited to the weekends. We are looking forward to being together again as a family and hope that time comes soon. Pray that our house sells and that we can have a smooth transition as we begin this new phase of life.

What a great day to be a MOM

I'm grateful to be a mom today. I loved my breakfast in bed prepared by 6 little hands. French toast not quite done in the middle with brown sugar on the top??????, ice cold eggs and 2 year old bluberries from the DEEP freeze. :) How do you not just scarf that down?? I have to admit I had to be a little creative on that one.

I loved my handmade cards. Olivia was quick to point out that she gave me a tiny waist and HIPS in order to flatter my figure. Carson's beautiful card seems to be missing a family member and when asked about this he explains, "Alec (who he fights with quite regularly) is in our family but not on a happy day like today." Hmmmmmm. Ray wrote in only a way he can (quite gifted with words) about mothers and heroes and how they are one in same.

I loved my gifts. Alec spent the day making one thing or another in my new Magic Bullet. I think he may have suggested that one for selfish reasons. :) I was able to get ready for church this morning in my new robe because evidently I spend far too much time wandering around in my underwear. Last but not least I loved the hand-painted box in the shape of a heart for me to store my tiny treasures. Once again, my kids think I lose things and this would be a good place for me to keep them safe. "As if..."

I have been blessed to know so many good mothers and have learned so much from each and every one of you. A little more patience, a little more dedication, a little more laughter and a little more love. Yes it was a great day to be a Mom. Here's to hoping all you great Moms out there had a fabulous day!

What a difference a year can make.........

This time last year, we here in Oregon were waiting............Waiting for our little girl to arrive. Little did we know that Miss Addy would make her grand entrance almost 8 weeks early. When the phone rang on Sunday morning at 6 a.m. I knew a baby had arrived. We had decided not to go with Addy's adoption agency and were planning on calling them Monday morning to let them know we were going to go with a different situation. I was suppose to have called the week before but for some reason I had procrastinated and really struggled with the decision. Saturday night I asked Heavenly Father (half-kidding) to make the decision for me---little did I know he would do exactly that. There are times when I look at Addy and it brings tears to my eyes to realize how unbelievably grateful I am I had waited to make that call. I remember seeing her for the first time and being so completely in love and so completely terrified at the same time. She was so tiny and seemed so fragile--- although the first time I was able to hold her she mustered the strength to lift her tiny head and look me directly in the eye as if to say "I'm yours if you'll have me" and I was hooked. Scared yes, and begging the tiny thing to EAT EAT EAT, but in love. After two weeks of being away and several nervous break downs on my part we were able to bring her home to a family that has loved her unconditionally ever since. Some people wonder why we would want to "start over" after not having had a baby for 5 years. You start over to smell that new baby smell. You start over to feel that warm tiny body fall asleep on your chest. You start over to hear your baby coo, then babble, and eventually say her first words, like "hhhhi" and "hhhhot" and "da da". You start over to touch her chubby little fingers and toes. You start over to see a baby once so small turn into a thriving, happy, healthy girl.

We love you Miss Addy! Happy 1st birthday.

Daddy, Mommy, Alec, Olivia and Carson

OUR BABY BOY ----IS A BABY NO MORE

.Carson turned 6 today and what a fun day it was. For those of you that have experienced life at the Chucky Cheese---what could be better??? The kids ate crappy pizza, licked the waxy frosting off Safeway cake, collected 250 tickets to purchase minature blow plops, junky race cars, plastic rings, etc. etc and danced the with the Man himself (Chucky) for an afternoon of complete bliss. A parent's worst nightmare but a child's dream come true
Carson got a new bike from grandma and grandpa and endless action figures. Ray and I really enjoyed watching him have so much fun with his "posse" of friends that have literally grown up together. It brings tears to my eyes to know that next year it will be a new set of friends in a new city, a new home altogether. The realization that we are leaving the world as we know it is beginning to set in and we are purposefully trying to enjoy the here and now--- "freeze time" as Ray would say. How many times do we catch ourselves saying, "how fast time flies" and there are not truer words for us today.







It's hard to believe that its has been six years now since Carson joined our family. We are forever grateful to a sweet girl who loved him enough to share him with us. He is the "life" of our party with an infectious laugh and a heart the size of a giant. He is daddy's little helper, mommy's best friend and snuggle bug, a great big brother to Addy, a playmate to Livvy and a fellow lego guru for Alec. We can honestly say he was so needed in this family to make us all take life a little less seriously. Happy Birthday baby boy----:) We love you Carson!!!

"We've only just begun"

Happy Easter, everyone!! Well on a day of new beginning's we too have entered the blogging world. Perhaps it will be a way to do the things I have needed to do for quite some time now---Take more pictures and keep a record of our life's events. We hope this will be a way for you all to keep up with our busy life and stay in touch with those we love and cherish most. Visit us often, we truly feel blessed and hope you are all well and enjoying the arrival of Spring.