Friday, August 24, 2012

Fill in the Blank Friday


My favorite thing to do on Friday is  go out! I try to plan our meals but the plan for Friday is usually just "OUT". I really need a break by the end of the week! I used to look forward to Fridays a lot more when I worked because I usually got off early and start our weekend fun! But now being home all day with Baby Ruby, it seems like every day is like a weekend!

This Friday I am going to an end-of-summer bbq at Dan's friend's house. I think I'm supposed to make a dessert or a salad or something to bring. I should probably figure that out...

 The best thing about a weekend is that Dan doesn't have to work! I'm pretty spoiled because he works from home and his job is really flexible so I see a lot of him but he always has that stress of work during the week. The weekends give him a chance to relax and spend more time with Ruby and me. 

 Now that summer is almost over, I'm feeling ready for the holidays! I pretty much have our Halloween costumes planned out, am starting to brainstorm Christmas ideas and have an awesome idea for a New Year's Eve party! I'm so excited to spend the holidays with Ruby. Everything is so much more meaningful with kids! 

The best thing I did this summer was get into the grove of being a mom and really bond with Baby Ruby. I thought that the slow-paced summer was perfect for settling into my new life. It was also great to have so many visitors this summer. I love visitors. 

The things I'm looking forward to about fall are baked pumpkin treats, crunchy leaves, sweaters and boots, cooler days, weddings, a trip to California,  Halloween and the return of prime-time television shows. I'm really excited for Fall 

If I had to be stuck in one season for the rest of my life, I would choose Fall! I love that it's still warm enough to be outside and that it's so beautiful outside. We have big old trees on our street that turn magnificent shades of orange, red and yellow. I love the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves. It's so calming and peaceful. 

One last thing about fall...Last year, I was just a little bit pregnant around this season. Unfortunately, I've associated a lot of my nauseous feelings with fall things. I'm too excited for fall to have it be ruined by sick memories! Let's hope this year is better!

Linking up with The Little Things We Do. 
Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Ruby 3 Months


Wow! Three months! Ruby is growing up before our eyes! Here is her three-month update:

Weight -- Again, she doesn't have a doctor's appointment this month but I think that she is packing on the pounds! She must have been going through a growth spurt this past week because all she wanted to do was eat. It was like she was a newborn again - wanting to eat every hour or so for 20+ minutes! I'm so glad that seems to have passed! 

Diapers -- Costco size 1-2, finally! Dan's mom gave us a bunch of diapers before Ruby was born and she finally fits into them! 

Clothing Size -- 3 Month (also 0-3 and even some 3-6, too!) My favorite part of Ruby's wardrobe would be her dresses. I love dressing her up for church on Sunday. She wore shoes for the first time this past week and they were so cute! They were pink Mary Janes. 

Likes -- Reading books, laughing at the weird noises her momma and daddy make, riding in the stroller, her pink elephant rattle and dolly, pulling momma's hair, rolling onto her left side (she can't really go right yet) and watching the Olympics. That last one kinda stressed me out. She likes the TV way too much. Even if she is lying on her back with the top of her head facing the screen, she will arch her back and look up and over at the TV. Oh brother! 

Dislikes -- The hours between 4:30pm and 6:00pm, being in the Baby Bjorn too long, being hungry and being stuck in a hot house all day long (maybe this is actually one of my dislikes). 

This next month we're embarking on our first family road trip! We'll see how that goes! 
Friday, August 17, 2012

Fill in the Blank Friday

  1. The best thing to do on a hot day is to stay inside for the day and then take a long walk in the cool evening. Or go to Target. I would love to go to a pool (I really want to go swimming) but I don't think they really suggest taking three-month-olds to the swimming pool. 
  2. The best place to be on a hot day is pretty much anywhere cool! We have a swamp cooler and when the days get 95 degrees or more it's pretty unbearable. This summer's been pretty hot and I'm really excited for the fall! 
  3. The best thing to eat on a hot day is anything light and cool! In the summertime, all I want to eat is ice cream, frozen yogurt and slurpees. 
  4. Hot days make me grumpy! Sometimes we need to just get out of the hot house and go anywhere with air conditioning to avoid a majorly moody momma. It doesn't help that I run like 10 degrees hotter with a nursing baby on my lap. Sorry if that was too much information. 
  5. My go to uniform on a warm summer day is a plain-colored t-shirt and a floral skirt with white sandals. Every. Single. Day. 
  6. The scent that reminds me of summer is the smell of neighbors BBQing wafting through the evening air! And Mango-Mandarin lotion from Bath and Body Works. 
  7. My favorite thing about summer is having tons of friends and family come to visit! That's one of the perks of living in Utah - it seems like everyone comes here! 
Linking up with The Little Things We Do.
Thursday, August 16, 2012

McBride's Briar Patch

I just got a new calling in our ward and I am so excited about it: Activity Days! I liked my previous calling where I taught the 16 and 17 year-olds Sunday School class, but I feel like Activity Days is a little more up my alley! This past week was our first activity and we went berry picking. This field trip was the perfect low-key activity to introduce me to the girls.


First off, McBride's Berry Patch in Mapleton is awesome. They have rows and rows of raspberries and blackberries that you pick yourself. Each of the girls got a bucket and we set off down the rows to get our berries. I must say, it's kind of tough to maneuver the tight rows with a stroller, but I made do! We picked for about a half an hour and then took the berries to be weighed and payed for. One problem though - I remembered that they only accept cash and I had totally spaced it and only had a debit card! My Activity Days partner, Laurie, said that we both must have "new mommy brains" because she'd forgotten cash too! Laurie asked the owner if we could come back and pay with cash later that day but the lady was so nice and said not to worry about the cost! She said as long as we spread the word about McBride's that would be good enough! I was so taken by her kindness and generosity. I hope to be that kind someday. So needless to say, I am spreading the word! But I would have recommended berry picking at McBride's anyway because it was so fun.


Here's the info on McBride's Briar Patch: 
1849 S. 2100 W. 
Mapleton, UT 
8am-Dark Monday-Friday
8am-3pm Saturdays
The berries are $3.00/lb 
Friday, August 3, 2012

Turning the Big 2-4

Well, I've gotta say that I had a pretty darn good birthday. I am blessed with great friends and family that always make me feel special. This year was no different. Here are some highlights from this years' festivities!

- Ruby slept all night and we didn't wake up till about 7:15! I'm always happier when I'm well-rested. I'm considering this Ruby's gift to me!
- Dan hijacked my blog. He totally surprised me with this one and I loved reading what he wrote about. It made me so happy.
- Every year, I look forward to reading all the Facebook posts and texts and such that flood in on Birthdays. They're so fun. Thanks everyone!
- Another year of Netflix! Thanks Carlyle and Karylee!
- Elise treated me to lunch at Cafe Rio! And let me borrow her clothes. Keep reading to find out why...
- Mini Shopping Spree at Target with the Gift Card from Mom, Dad and Sam.
- Oyster Crackers and Trader Joe's "Apple Walks into a Bar" Bars from Jenny. She knows me way too well!
- Mary brought me Ice Cream Sandwiches!
- Jason, Ellen, Gavin and Millie came to town! It just happened that their trip coincided with my birthday. How lucky am I!? We all went to dinner at the Art City Trolley. Yumm.
- An impromptu Birthday Party with Dan's side of the family with Funfetti Birthday Cake with Rainbow Chip frosting. :)
- Dan's gift is to help me update and revitalize my wardrobe. Nothing seems to fit well enough and I feel like I have nothing cute to wear so I'm going to work on that over the next couple of weeks.

And now for the not-so-fantastic part of my birthday:

I got thrown up on twice. Once in the morning (pre-shower so that was okay) and then right when we were picking Elise up at her apartment before lunch. Thank goodness we're the same size because I was soaked! Ruby threw up, grinned a big grin and then fell deep asleep. So we still went to Cafe Rio and Target...

That afternoon, we ended up taking Ruby to the pediatrician because she'd thrown up everyday since Sunday. Four days. They thought that she had Acid Reflux since these episodes always happened right around when she ate but wanted her to get an Ultrasound on her stomach just to rule out anything more serious. So...we spent a couple of hours in the doctors office and then at the hospital getting the Ultrasound done.

Everything's come back normal and she hasn't even thrown up again so I'm not sure what the problem really was. Oh well! I'm glad she's back to normal.

Overall, my birthday was filled with great food, family, friends and fun. I didn't even mind getting thrown up on!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012

.08/01/1988.

Hello Readers - this is Candace's husband Dan and I am hijacking the blog tonight!  For my birthday, Candace posted 25 things about me in honor of my 25th (if I knew better how this blog thing works, I'd have a link to it here___).  Anyways, it was really sweet and so I thought I should respond in kind.  Here's my humble attempt, as a birthday gift for her:

24 Things About Candace on Her 24th Birthday


1.  Candace went to summer school once or twice…but the crazy part is that she signed up to go, even though her grades were good!   To her, more school sounded fun.

2.  Candace can tell you everything there is to know about Disneyland, down to the basketball court on the top of the Matterhorn.  She’s been to the park scores of times and even got to fulfill her life-long dream of eating at Club 33, the super-exclusive and semi-secret club that Walt had built for his friends!



3.  The Beatles band history is the only topic that rivals Disneyland in terms of Candace’s enthusiasm and depth of knowledge.

4.  Candace eats most things (mashed potatoes, vegetable sides, etc) plain, foregoing the usual butter, salt, and pepper that I so enjoy.

5.  Candace can sing every word of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel; this is a hard one to memorize and shows how smart she is with cultural references!

6.  Candace is so happy to be a stay-at-home mom and absolutely gives her all to making our house a home.



7.  Candace has incredible stick-to-it-ness: she ran cross-country in high school as a way of meeting people even though she was almost always at the back of the pack.

8.  As a kid, Candace use to tell people that she was allergic to dogs and cats because she didn’t like being around them!

9.  This is a sad one – Candace is the current owner of a US Passport….with no stamps in it.  I will work to change this one by taking her on a vacation!

10.  I take # 3 back actually.  Candace is also a Wizard of Oz guru and is excited about the prequel currently in the works.  She is also known to watch a pirated copy of Wicked on occasion!


11.  Candace does funny things with her fingers, using them as her primary movers when she dances and exuberantly pointing skyward when she makes a point. 

12.  Candace has the most luscious lips I have ever…seen….

13.  Despite being such a goody-two-shoes, Candace loves loves loves the musical “Rent” and breaks out into song regularly while watching it.

14.  Candace has had her paintings up in city museums and has some wicked natural talent in art.

15.  You know Candace is the one in the bathroom if you hear whistling or singing.  Just this past 4th of July I awoke to the Star Spangled Banner being belted in my echo-chamber of a shower!  What makes it even more endearing is she’s sometimes super off-key / uses different accents while singing.

16.  Candace is very thoughtful (and better at this type of thing than me).  She once gave me a deck of cards with 52 reasons she loves me – WAY more than my measly 24 posted here.

17.  Candace is such a good friend to our daughter Ruby and talks to her all day long.  I already know they will have a great relationship.

18.  True to her name, Candace or “Candy” loves her some sugary confections.  She blames heredity for our high dentist bills but every time she knows I am going to the BYU Bookstore, Candace mentions how she’s “been a good girl” just in case I want to get her “a treat.”


19.  Oh I almost forgot – Candace can fall asleep anywhere.  She frequently will bend over forward in the passenger seat and fall asleep with her head on her knees during our drives home.  I envy her talent in this area!

20.  When it comes to Halloween costumes, Candace is a group / themed kinda girl.  I complain about it every year, but every year we have awesome costumes.

21.  It has nothing to do with wanting to be fit, but Candace loves going on walk every evening.  It’s a social thing for her and we plan our routes based on whom we hope to walk by / run into.  The best walks are the ones where we go the shortest distance because we’ve stopped and chatted forever.

22.  Candace loves Christmas so much.  For example, she currently (in July) has a book of Christmas recipes and stories checked out from the local library!  Her favorite things to do Christmas-wise would have to be filling stockings and making neighbor-treats.

23.  This one may seem like a cop-out but those who know Candace well will agree:  Candace is the happiest person I have ever known.  That’s what strongly attracted me to her was that she balanced my dark / cynical self and I knew I was in for good times whenever she was around.  I feel like she has changed me for good and I know she will be the best mom to our kids (we have tons of fun)!



24.  Candace always says that she prefers to come to peoples’ doors with food in hand.  I can’t tell you how much sugar, butter, and flour we go through because Candace is thinking of others (and thinking of baked goods to send their way).  

I thought this would be hard, but I actually have thought of many more little things that I cherish about my wife - too bad she isn't turning 30 so that I'd have more to write!  Anyway I should probably give Candace control of her blog again....so this is Dan, over and out!
 

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