Life is Beautiful

New Job

2012-01-19T10:11:00.002-05:00

Here is a new post to let everybody know how the new job is going. The clinic here in Colorado is just night and day difference from the one in Texas. This is a very nice clinic with all the amenities; I feel like I am in dental Heaven :) The staff is friendly and everything is well organized. Although I miss the kind and wonderful people from our church in Beeville, this has just been an absolutely wonderful move for us. Maggie is so happy to be able to have a selection in all of her shopping. Ruby couldn't be happier to have all her little playmates at church. It is so darling to watch her interact with little kids her age. Even if my job was horrible, seeing the satisfaction that Maggie and Ruby have from being here is worth it. I have really enjoyed my first week at work and hope that I grow to love it even more as the year rolls on.

We're Back!

2012-01-10T16:48:00.002-05:00

Yes, it has indeed been too long, but we are back in the land of the living...the land where the internet lives, to be exact. We made it to beautiful Colorado on January 1st, but haven't had internet until yesterday....and yes, that is way too long to be without. But, now we are wired again to the world, Ruby can watch Backyardigans, we can watch our TV and we can let all of you know our goings-on.

We got here on the 1st (Sunday) and our stuff didn't arrive until Thursday, so we had a great time *sarcastically said* sleeping on an air mattress and sitting on the floor to eat, and roaming around an empty house. Which, must be said, Ruby took in stride and did really well with. She did such a great job with the whole move and settled right into our new house, we are proud of her! But I was ready to start calling our house a home and was just about ecstatic when our truck came.

The home that we're renting is beautiful, it's almost unpacked and we've (I should say I've, because let's face it, Bobby doesn't decorate) almost finished decorating it and it's almost our own. I'll post pics in a couple days after all the unpacking madness has settled down, which is imminent.

We've had a great time exploring our new city. Being back in civilization is great...we've figured out that small town living is not for us. We can't wait to share our new adventures!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Printer

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our printer is in our closet...mostly because it's a huge black monstrosity that I don't want in the living room. Ruby is fascinated by it. Every time we print or copy something she has to check it out. And she always strikes this pose:

Butterflies

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

We have a few bushes in our landscaping that attract butterflies and during the summer we didn't see many, probably because it was so hot. But once fall hit and the weather cooled we've had tons of butterflies frequenting our yard. Ruby's loved watching them and trying to find them and it's been fun for me to see the plants that I picked finally doing what they're supposed to.

Can you spot them?

Thanksgiving

2011-12-18T17:27:00.003-05:00

We had such a great time in Utah for Thanksgiving. We saw Bobby's family and Ruby loved spending time with her Grandma all of Daddy's family. We ate lots of good food there, of course, and enjoyed being together.

We spent most of our time with my parents which was so nice because all of my siblings and their spouses were able to be there. With all of us and our schedules it's not a common thing for us to all be able to be under one roof too often.

Unfortunately Ruby got walloped by hand, foot and mouth disease and was understandably a crank most of the time. Luckily she's got such an easy going and sweet personality that she still had a great time, and we know how blessed we are to not have to have too hard of a time when she's under the weather.

She had so much fun taking a trip to the Wheeler Farm and seeing the animals.

And playing with Grandpa and his iphone and ipad.

And of course putting stickers on her aunt's and uncle's noses.

Going to Colorado

2011-12-04T17:20:00.002-05:00

A couple months ago our little family came to the conclusion that our little Texas town is not where we're supposed to be. Bobby started looking for a job and I reluctantly realized that we'd need to pack up our house and move (ugh, I hate moving!).

We narrowed down where we'd like to go either to Utah or Colorado, both being much closer to family. Utah ended up being a no go, but we lucked out with Colorado and Bobby has landed a great opportunity in Broomfield, Colorado. We're very excited, and feel very blessed that this has all worked out and that we'll be able to make a new home there. Especially since we'll be having a new addition to our little family in June.

We'll be moving at the end of the month, so Christmas will be celebrated, albeit somewhat abbreviated, and then we'll finish packing up and be on our way. It definitely will be a little bit of a shock going from 70 degree weather to freezing temps, but we are so excited.

We will miss the wonderful people we've met here in Beeville. They are honestly some of the kindest people we've associated with and our little congregation here is truly special.

So now our next few weeks are going to be a blur of packing, cleaning and trying (cross your fingers) to sell our house before we move. Our new adventure awaits!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-03T12:34:00.000-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Brownies

2011-11-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks, Ruby's loved getting in the kitchen with me and helping me make stuff. She'll pull a chair up to the counter and have to hand me things and dump things in a bowl and stir. She's not particularly good at it, but she loves to be there lending a hand, and I can't deny her because it's so sweet. She helped me whip up a batch of home made brownies a few days ago and we all enjoyed the fruits of our labors.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Enjoy a great meal, a full belly, time with family and friends and remember to be thankful for all the bounteous blessings we've received. We are truly grateful for all we've been given and for our relationships with all of our loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving!

Building

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, she did this all on her own. She was sitting on the floor working on her creation, and my only assistance was to tell her to stand up to put on more blocks.

Bubbles

2011-11-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

We've only done bubble baths with Ruby every once in a while, because, while she enjoys them, she's never really loved them. Until the other night. She didn't need any of her other toys, all she wanted was to play with the bubbles and put them on her chin. Another reason we know she loved it? She cried when it was over.

A Finished Quilt

2011-11-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I got my quilt back from the lovely woman who machine quilted it this week and I spent the next couple days working on the binding. And it's done! I absolutely love it, I can't believe I really finished it, and I can't wait for the day Ruby gets a big girl bed so that it can be used. When it was finally done I brought it out for Ruby and told her it was for her. She smiled, laid down on it and smooshed her cheek against it...the sure fire sign that she likes it.

I had so much fun working on it. I can't wait to do another one!

Another reason I haven't posted lately...

2011-11-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

So remember a few months ago when I mentioned that Ruby was loving getting her picture taken? That she would bring me the camera just so I could take her picture? Yeah, that doesn't happen anymore. Most of the time now she loathes to get her picture taken. Case in point: we were in Phoenix and I took a picture of Lilly with her birthday cake. Ruby just happened to be in the background, saw me coming with the camera and assumed I was taking a picture of her. My cute pic of Lilly has a protesting girl freaking out in the back.

You want to see the live action drama queen? We've got that too:

Sure, we do still get smiles every so often, but we never know what's going to happen when we take a picture. I hope this is one phase that is over very quickly!

Our trip to Phoenix

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

So Ruby and I went to Phoenix to visit my sister and her family. Yeah, we went over a month ago and I'm just posting about it now. But we had so much fun. The greatest thing to see was Ruby and her cousin Ivy become instant buddies. They played together, kissed, hugged, held hands during meals. Just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Ruby doesn't have any kids her age here in our small town, so it really tugged my heart a little seeing how much fun she had.

Our trip coincided with Lilly's fourth birthday and we had a great time making a cake, decorating and celebrating. Ruby had such a great time with her cousins, and we can't wait to see them again!

Back in the swing of things....maybe....

2011-11-09T11:35:00.003-05:00

Bobby's been bugging me the last week or so about getting the blog back up to par. I've used excuse after excuse (Ruby and my being sick was a good one!) but truth be told, I have no motivation to do it. It's the last thing on my list. I've really tried to get back into running in the mornings and since I've been doing that I've been pretty tired and working on the blog is the last thing on my mind. Though that really shouldn't stop me because blogging lets me sit on my behind and do nothing. I guess it's the working my brain part that stops me. Whatever it is, I'm going to try to be better.

Here's a quick pic of Ruby for you to get the ball rolling:

When it rains here in southeast Texas, these little white flowers pop up everywhere. They're called rain lilies (I couldn't tell you if they have an official name or not) and I just love them! Whenever we get a storm I can't wait for the day or two after when we start seeing them. Ruby loves them too and when we went for a walk one morning, she had to have one and held it tight for the whole ride.

Ruby Sick

2011-10-30T18:04:00.003-04:00

Ruby got sick a couple days after we came home from Phoenix. She's only been sick once with a little stomach bug and it only lasted a couple hours. This time a cold hit her hard...runny nose, fever, goopy eyes, the whole shebang. She was ultra snuggly, which was fun because she usually will just hug and run, but it was so sad to see her so miserable. Luckily she still slept really well and a couple days later all was well. But the first morning she was so sad and pathetic:

Protest

2011-10-27T22:45:00.002-04:00

I officially protest these lack of blog posts by all family members!! I have to resort to posting an entry myself. There have been some seriously cute events in the life of Ruby and if certain unnamed wives will not post them, then I am forced to do so :) I will start with this video of Ruby watching "Dancing with the Stars". I hope you enjoy.

Under the Weather

2011-10-11T19:38:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Ruby and I took a trip to Phoenix, which was a blast, by the way and we got back last week. And of course, the day after we got home Ruby got sick. And not just a little sniffly, but really sick. She had a runny nose on Wednesday, then Thursday got walloped by a fever, and Friday got goopy eyes...seriously, they looked like boogers were coming out of them. Super gross. We took her to the doctor, got some antibiotics, and she's starting to do better.

She's still got a runny nose and a little cough but she's so much better than she was. But now I'm not feeling well and all I want to do is crawl in bed, pull the covers over my head and sleep. Which is a little hard to do when you have an 18 month old running around the house. So, needless to say, there won't be any updates until this house is illness free and healthy again. Which I hope is very very soon.

The Burn

2011-10-05T10:40:00.004-04:00

My sister Annie has just published her second young adult novel! I've been her sounding board on this one and I think it's her best yet. If you like young adult literature and are in the mood for a great read, consider giving this one a try. Here's the synopsis:

The Burn is full of nuclear fallout, roving gangs, anarchy, unreliable plumbing. That's what Terra's father tells her. She has lived her whole life in comfort in a colony at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. She hates it. And she would pay any price to leave. But when Terra finally escapes the colony, she finds out her father is right.

She finds a group of survivors that quickly become friends, and every day with them is a race for survival. When she witnesses and commits unspeakable acts, she has to decide where her loyalty lies: with the colony she despises or The Burn, where every day is filled with nightmares.

It can be purchased at either Amazon or Smashwords. Check out her site for more info:

http://www.annieoldham.com/

Life

2011-09-19T22:45:00.003-04:00

Poppa Somers has often spoken of family and how very special it is to all of us and to Heavenly Father. One of the most memorable teaching moments he gave was one where he spoke of the entire purpose we are here is to have families; that our Heavenly Father has set up this experience for us to have families. Now of course we live, we laugh, we cry, and all along the way to try to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. I have lived a varied life. I have been all over the world. I have sky dived, I have hiked into breathe taking mountain scenes, I have danced in Istanbul discothèques until 3 AM, mountain biked through Moab, swam a kilometer into crystal clear Mediterranean waters, snowboarded into fluffy Utah powder, and helped thousands of people feel better and walk away with a healed mouth. None of these things compare to the feeling that I have when I am with my family. I snapped this shot of Maggie a few months ago and I just love it. Truly family is the most important thing that we can experience in this life. It helps us feel a small sliver of what our Heavenly Father feels for us. Thank you Lord for this amazing gift. Thank you Maggie for the gift of your presence in my life. Thank you Ruby for being such an amazing blessing to our lives. Each day waking up with this to look forward to literally is the best day of my life.

Sleeping in the Car

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby fell asleep in the car. Bobby decided he had to take a picture of the cuteness. And let's face it, there is a whole lot of cuteness going on. But my favorite part of the picture is Bobby in the back with his thinking face on.

A visit to Houston

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago we went up to Houston to visit my cousin Chris and his wife Ashley. They just moved there from New York City and have been enjoying more space, a slower pace and a less crazy life. We had a great time catching up and spending time together. Chris's sister Tara and her family came into town too, so it was fun times.

We took a quick trip out to the Kemah Boardwalk and enjoyed some good dining at the Aquarium restaurant, which Ruby adored. They had huge aquariums throughout and Ruby was mesmerized by the fish.

Then we let Ruby and Tara's little girl, Molly, run through a fountain after dinner. They had a live band playing and Ruby had a great time dancing, getting soaked and trying to get other kids' belly buttons. We knew she had a great time because she threw a fit when we had to leave. First one ever.

Thanks, Chris and Ashley for your hospitality! We had a great time!

Grocery Shopping

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Which Ruby loves to do, by the way. When I ask her if she wants to go, she nods, grabs her shoes and quickly sits down so I can put them on her. We have a great time at the store. She gets excited about her favorite foods and I hand her the items we need and she throws them into the back of the cart. She waves to just about everyone who goes by and they smile and wave back. Occasionally a weird stranger will stop and touch her hand or hug her, which causes me to cringe inside while I smile at them. There's something magical about this little girl that makes other people happier when they're around her. Including me.

Kisses

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby loves to give kisses (when she wants to, of course) and has the best pucker. Who can resist this?

Rain

2011-08-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

There's one thing that Bobby and I were utterly unprepared for when we moved to south Texas. No rain. I've lived in Ohio pretty much my whole life, plus West Virginia for a couple years after we got married, and we never had to worry about rain. Everything flourished and was green and lovely pretty much all year round. If anything we got sick of rain and wished it would stop.

Since moving to Texas that has all changed. Granted, we're in the middle of a major drought that is destroying the livelihoods of many farmers and ranchers, so I really don't have much room to complain. But man, I do miss rain. It's rained twice, twice!, since we moved here. Once in June for an hour in the morning and once the other day for ten minutes in the afternoon.

Churches near and far are asking their congregations to pray for rain. When the clouds parted and it rained a few days ago, in my heart I said a prayer that went something like this: "Oh, Heavenly Father, thanks so much for the rain. Oh, thank you, thank you! Please keep it coming!" And when the rain stopped just minutes later, I thought, "Well, it's better than nothing."

I've never imagined living in a place where I would have to pray for rain. I've never imagined loving rain more than I do right now.

Sorry, Great Grandma!

2011-08-30T14:18:00.004-04:00

I've been a total blog slacker lately...I begged forgiveness a few weeks ago, but I can't quite kick it. Ruby and I were facetiming her grandma and grandpa and great grandma, when Great Grandma asked, "When are you going to put more pictures of Ruby on the blog? I keep looking but I never see any." And I knew it was time. Laziness must get put aside when Great Grandma asks for something. And may I mention how awesome this woman is? I had so much fun as a kid going to visit Grandma and Grandpa and always loved spending time with her. But I could ramble on for a very long time about that. What Great Grandma really wants to see is a picture of Ruby!

Ruby has been enamored with her belly button for a while now. She loves it, sucks her thumb and has her belly button in the other hand. Sleeps touching her belly button. She also has a strong desire to see other people's belly buttons, which can get a little awkward at times. But, she will proudly show off hers to anyone who asks.

Pigtails

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby's hair has been getting long. So I decided to try putting her hair in pigtails. She looked so cute! And like such a little girl...I can't believe how big she's getting! It's hard to imagine she's almost one and a half.

Another use for the music table

2011-08-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ruby has loved her music table. But for the last month or two she hasn't played with it as much. She'll push a couple buttons every once in a while, but usually she just ignores it. Until the other day when she found out that it has another use. She decided it would be great fun to start climbing on it. I have no idea how she got the notion to do it. But I looked over and she was sitting on it.

And then later that day she was standing on it to try and get stuff of our desk. I just about freaked out imagining falling baby, wails and head injuries. But nothing can stop this girl, because now she tries to get on anything she can. I just have to cross my fingers and look away.

Can you take my picture?

2011-08-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby used to love getting her picture taken. Back when she was 9 months old she would smile and pose and be a huge cheese ball. The last few months she gave all that up and it's been a struggle to get her to smile and stay still long enough to take a decent picture. So I was very surprised the other day when I was in the kitchen and she brought me the camera and smiled. I asked her if she wanted me to take her picture and she nodded. So here it is:

Laundry Basket

2011-08-07T20:49:00.002-04:00

One of Ruby's favorite things to play with is the laundry basket. I don't know why. She loves to just hang out in it. She'll grab a pillow from the sofa, dump it in, then climb in herself and chill. Sometimes she'll read sometimes she'll just talk to herself. She's seriously entertained herself there for 10 or 15 minutes. Not that I'm complaining. Anything that can keep her occupied for that long is fabulous. I just don't get it. Maybe you have to be 16 months old.

But Ruby's favorite part about the laundry basket? Going for rides in it. She loves it when Bobby or I will push her around in it. And she asks for more and more and more. She could seriously do it all day long. But Bobby and I can only last for one go...we're getting old or something.

An Ottoman

2011-07-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Our living room arrangement is a little pathetic to say the least. Let me break it down for you: We left our big TV behind in West Virginia and just brought a little 13 incher to tide us over until we get a nicer one. That TV is sitting on a console about 10 feet from our sofa. The room is too big to hear the little TV, so we always scoot the sofa up until we're about 4 feet from it and we prop our feet up on a little tiny stool. Comfy? Great show watching? Not really.

Well, we've solved one dilemma. I've wanted to get a big ottoman to use as a coffee table. Something cozy for propping feet up and something soft that won't bash in little baby heads when they hit it. Looking around the only things I found that I even remotely liked were upwards of $300, so I thought, "Why not make one?"

And so I did. I'm pretty proud of myself on this one. Totally built, screwed, stapled and sewn from scratch.

Now for a bigger TV...

Yoga

2011-07-27T10:38:00.004-04:00

I've started doing yoga again the last couple weeks. It's the first time I've really tried to get back into it since Ruby was born. Man, I am so not flexible anymore and I am so weak. I'm a sissy little girl. Anyway, I'm doing better now than I was when I first started, but I still have a long ways to go before I'm back to form. And I have another obstacle these days:

She really makes my workouts interesting, what with crawling over and under me and having to give me kisses and pinch my nose. But she sure is cute!

Something else I've been working on...

2011-07-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

My sister Annie is e-publishing her first young adult novel in a few weeks and I'm really excited for her! She asked me to create the cover art for her new book and I finished last week and sent it off to her. She finished the type and here it is:

If you're interested in more info about Annie and her work you can visit her here:

http://www.annieoldham.com/

Ketchup Lover

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby adores condiments. She would much rather take a big handful of sour cream or ketchup and shove it in her mouth than eat just about anything else. We had some fries for dinner the other night and she was really enjoying eating her ketchup. So Daddy decided to have a little fun with her. I can't say that I approved, but it sure was funny:

Another Project

2011-07-20T10:11:00.004-04:00

I can check another project off the list...ahhh it feels nice! I finally hung some valances in the kitchen and I love them! I ordered fabric and worked on them for a couple evenings last week and then finally hung them. They make such a difference in the room. It's no longer so stark, now it feels lived in and much cozier.

This is the first time I've really tried to make nice curtains (before I've always just hemmed fabric as fast as I could). This time I lined them and worked a little bit more diligently to make them look nice. It was more work, but I'm pleased with the result. I also learned a couple things along with way, which is good since I want to make our bedroom drapes complete with blackout lining, so I have a better grasp of what I'll need to do. Bobby is happy that the sewing machine he got me for my birthday a couple years ago is really getting a workout.

I apologize...

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't been very motivated to blog the last week or so. Nothing new is occupying my time, so really there isn't any excuse, I just haven't felt like doing anything on the blog at all. And so, my family and friends, you are the ones that suffer. You don't get to see what we've been up to or any new Ruby cuteness (which, let's face it, is really why you're on here). I'm going to be better. I promise. Maybe.

But hopefully this will tide you over....

Ruby loves to give kisses. She'll be playing and wandering through the house and suddenly find the need to give Bobby or me a kiss. It's very cute and I don't mind it at all. I'd kiss this little girl all day long if I could. Anyway, this is the face she makes when she's coming in for a kiss. And a little humming noise usually accompanies it too. So here's a kiss from Ruby for all of you.

Hidden

2011-07-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

I may have mentioned that Ruby likes hide-and-seek. Yeah. Just slightly. What she's started doing now is squeezing herself into little corners around the house and waiting until we call for her. She doesn't think we can see her, which makes it even funnier. As you can see:

First Day of Work

2011-07-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Bobby started work this week! Woohoo! He's really enjoyed being home for the last month and a half, but he's started getting restless and was ready to work. He dove in this week and has loved it. He really is passionate about what he does and is going to be a great dentist!

Sampaguita

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few days before we moved Bobby was telling me about the national flower of the Philippines, where he went on his mission. All he knew about it was that they called it "Sampaguita". So I started googling it and found out that it's actually called Jasminum Sambac 'Maid of Orleans'. And I found out I could buy it. So after we got to Texas I ordered it as well as another variety called 'Grand Duke of Tuscany'. The Sampaguita bloomed a few days after we got it and man, that sucker is strong! It has a really beautiful, heady floral fragance similar to a gardenia. Bobby said that in the Philippines there were bushes of this stuff with thousands of blooms and you could smell them hundreds of feet away. I believe it.

First ice cream cone

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

While Ruby's grandparents were here, we took a trip to the Dairy Queen. And they decided Ruby needed to have her first ice cream cone. Ruby loves ice cream, but never has gotten any of her very own. Between not knowing what to do with it and trying to get over the cold, it was quite a spectacle, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's always fun when grandparents come...

2011-06-29T09:40:00.003-04:00

We had my parents here this last week and we had such a great time. Ruby adored having her grandma and grandpa to dote on her, sing to her, read stories, play games and just love, love, love her. And they didn't mind at all, not one little bit. We hadn't seen them since November, so it was great to spend some time with them.

Grandma and Grandpa quickly found out that we have a little beggar living in our home. Anytime anyone is eating anything, this little girl is by your side asking for some with the cutest little puppy eyes. Sheesh. You'd think we were starving this girl. Grandpa always gave in.

And Grandma was always ready for snuggles with Ruby. Ruby was right at home giving Grandma hugs and kisses from the start.

We took a trip out to a town on the coast called Rockport. It's a really cute little beach community with shops, a few attractions and fish. That's why we went. To buy fish that was caught that morning and bring it home and cook it that evening. There really isn't any food that's much better than fresh fish. Ruby had fun seeing the water, birds and the fish.

And of course we had fun cooking together. Dad was helping me and I asked him if he wanted to wear an apron so he didn't get anything on his clothes. And he put on one of my frilly, girly aprons. And then he posed for a picture. It cracked me up.

Mom and Dad, we had such a great time with you guys! Ruby misses you already and we can't wait to see you again!

The First Mow

2011-06-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened! Bobby had to break out the lawn mower and give our grass a trim. Not the whole thing, just a patch in the middle of the front yard that was getting way too tall. Like 8 or 9 inches tall. It was starting to block the water from the sprinklers. So we gave our grass a quick cut. I think Bobby felt pretty proud of his grass.

Playing the Piano

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby's love for banging on the ivories continues. Now she loves to sit on the bench when she does it. And the other day she did a little channeling of Ray.

One project down...100 to go

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

There is a list a mile long of projects and different things I'd like to do in our new place. It'll take me a while, especially since we're not rich *gasp* and I don't have a ton of me time with Ruby around. So slowly and surely I'll start chipping away at that list until it's done. Who am I kidding? I'm sure it'll never be done and I'll keep adding to it. I love decorating and making our home beautiful. It's always a work in progress and is never finished.

Here's the latest thing I've checked off the list: our gallery wall of family photos. We've got a massive bare wall in our living room and I thought this would be a great way of filling it. So over the last few weeks I've been gathering white and silver frames and I finally took the time to fill them and hang them. I love it.

When Ruby Plays...

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

...I find the funniest things. Like when she got into our empty water jugs and I found them here:

Sprinklers

2011-06-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

We've had to water our lawn every evening since we've sodded. Can I tell you how over it we are? We can't wait until this nightly ritual of Bobby and I running in and out of the house and moving sprinklers is done. The other evening as we started our watering routine, we brought Ruby out with us...and she saw the sprinklers. And took matters into her own hands.

Sure she was still wearing her clothes, but she was having too much fun for us to stop her. So we let her play for a few minutes before it was time to come in and take a bath. She was absolutely soaked, but gloriously happy.

Hide and Seek

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Over the last few days Ruby's really developed an affinity for Hide and Seek. Maybe it's the new house with all of it's new nooks and closets and new places to play...whatever it is, she loves it. Bobby will go hide somewhere and call her name and she'll run looking for him and squeal when she finds him. And then they'll do it over and over again and it just makes me smile to see him tearing through the house to hide before she can catch him and hear her peals of laughter echoing. I absolutely love it...there are few things better than seeing my husband being a wonderful father to our beautiful little girl.

Visitors

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

We had Bobby's good friend Johnny and his wife Sarah come visit us this weekend. We had such a great time catching up and having some time to relax, since that's all there is to do in this small town. And Ruby loved having a couple more people to dote on her and give her their undivided attention. By the end of their short trip, she was already giving Sarah kisses and snuggles. Thanks for coming guys! We had a great time!

Shades

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby's never really worn her sunglasses all that much. West Virginia never had crazy sunny days and she's never spent too much time outside, especially since we just came off of winter and a very wet spring. But now that we're in Texas and the sun is blazing we've been trying to get her used to wearing them. And now sometimes she just has to wear them in the house.

Some cuteness...and look at all those teeth!

2011-06-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Horsey ride...without the horsey

2011-06-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

So we do this little song with Ruby while we bounce her on our knee. It goes like this and with each line you bounce her faster and higher and higher:

This is the way my Ruby rides, pace, pace (repeat)
This is the way Mommy rides, trit-trot, trit-trot (repeat)
This is the way Daddy rides, hoppity-gee, hoppity-gee, hoppity hoppity hoppity-gee!

Anyway, she loves it, but lately she's decided she doesn't need our knees, all she needs is us to sing it to her:

Peaceful Sleeping

2011-06-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Landscaping

2011-06-04T09:55:00.003-04:00

We've spent many hours this week beautifying the front yard. I was getting tired of having a dirt pit and what an eyesore it was. And I'm getting seriously tired of dirt in the house. By the end of the day the bottom of Ruby's little feet are black and I'm sick of sweeping and mopping nearly every day to get rid of it.

So we ordered some sod and compost and had it delivered on Wednesday. Then we went to the nursery and bought some shrubs and plants. Bobby and I laid out and planted our flower beds Wednesday evening. A lot of work, but already the yard was looking a thousand times better.

As for the sod, we had kind of thought we'd be doing the labor ourselves (and dreaded it) but Wednesday afternoon our doorbell rang and I answered it and there stood a teenage kid. "We noticed that you had some sod in your front yard and wondered if my brothers and I could help you lay it?" Ummm...yeah! So said kid and his younger brothers came over on Thursday and spent 7 hours in the hot hot sun making a lawn for us. They were really good kids and did a great job.

So by the end of the day on Thursday, we had a front yard (and part of a back yard...the rest will come in the fall). Can I tell you how happy it makes me? We still have to finish mulching since Walmart didn't have enough, but that's easy-peasy. I can't wait to see how it grows!

A reminder of what we started with:

And the almost-finished product:

We've got a bunch of things in there that are new to me, so we'll see how it goes. We put in a few native shrubs, some ornamental grasses as well as a grapefruit tree. We're hoping it does well and we don't kill it! The bare spot is being reserved for daylilies I plan to order in the fall. I can't wait for those, they're some of my favorites!

Wife of the Year Award

2011-06-04T00:47:00.003-04:00

And the winner is............Maggie. She made me a deep dish pizza the other day because I asked for one, she hates deep dish pizza. The pizza was amazing too. Did I mention it came with a homemade blueberry pie? She is more than I could ever have wished for in any of my dreams. I cannot possibly begin to describe how special she is to Ruby and I. Thanks babe, for everything you do.

Swimming

2011-05-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

We went to the country club yesterday and went swimming for the first time here in Beeville. Ruby had a blast...she enjoyed floating, kicking and especially being tossed between her daddy and me. She would giggle and giggle and then make the sign for "please" to do it again. We're excited that we have the pool to help us survive the insane heat we've been experiencing!

Our House

2011-05-27T18:18:00.004-04:00

Here's the pics you've all been waiting for. Our new house. And here is my disclaimer: everything is a work in progress and nothing was straightened or cleaned up for these photos (we're family and friends, after all, so you don't mind, right?).

The entry:

The living room:

The kitchen:

The dining area:

Ruby's room:

And for those of you who have little ones or love to sleep in dark rooms, we got Ruby's blackout curtains from Overstock.com and they are fabulous! They don't have the stiff rubbery backing that a lot of these types of drapes do and they make her room nice and dark.

The master bedroom:

The master bath:

We also have a guest bedroom and bath that are incredibly boring right now and I didn't take pictures of. Once everything is in some sort of "finished" state I'll post more pictures, but that could be awhile. I'll keep you updated as things evolve.

An Update

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

We're about half done unpacking and getting the house officially moved-in and livable. Here's a run down of our activities over the last week:

Monday: Ruby and I flew to Texas...a while ago Bobby and I decided that Ruby would be a much happier girl if she and I flew and Bobby and his mom drove. Ruby does not enjoy being in the car for extended periods of time and we thought three days of driving would just about do her in and seriously jeopardize our sanity. We stayed with the Huckmans, who will forever be in our book of fabulously wonderful people for their generosity and hospitality.

Tuesday: Ruby and I went over to the new house to meet our realtor, pick up our keys and make a list of stuff we needed to buy and projects we needed to start working on. We went shopping, I ordered some things, called around to find Ruby a pediatrician, made some more phone calls to get blinds ordered and our new bed delivered. Back in West Virginia, Bobby and his mom started their drive and made it into Louisiana.

Wednesday: Blinds installed! Now people won't be able to see us naked in our house! Woohoo! I started some cleaning and putting away the things that we bought the day before. Ruby loved running around the empty house yelling at the top of her lungs and listening to the loud echoes. Bobby and his mom got in later that afternoon and we went back over to the house so that she could look around.

Thursday: We all went over to the house to do some serious cleaning. Our new bed was delivered and it is absolutely heavenly!

Friday: Our trailer arrived and Bobby and I, along with a very sweet guy from our ward, Mike, started unloading. We got quite a bit done and our empty house started looking more like a home.

Saturday: A bunch of men from our ward came over in the morning and we finished unpacking the trailer. Everything made it safely! I was so relieved...there really isn't that much that we own that if it broke I would care about, but my piano is one thing that I would be pretty crushed if it bit the dust. Needless to say, it made it safely. We packed up our things at the Huckman's and officially moved into our new house. Then we found out the dryer didn't work. Yuck.

Sunday: Church. Our new branch is so lovely! Everyone is very kind and helpful and Ruby was a huge hit. In a branch full of mostly grandparents and no babies, our little girl was the star of the show. We also got a surprise visit that evening from one of the members. I don't remember his first name, but everyone calls him Frenchie because he's from Louisiana. He had just killed a wild hog and brought us a cut of meat. Bobby was in heaven!

And that brings us to do this week. We're still unpacking and settling in, but the house is looking great, Ruby has made the adjustment beautifully and we're all happy! This week's projects are to organize the garage and put some shelving up in there and to really start making our yard look nice. I'll put some pics up once we get internet and we're not mooching off the Huckman's!

Balls

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

One of our good friends gave Ruby a big bag of balls before we moved. He had them laying around (who knows why) and thought Ruby would have fun playing with them. Boy, has she ever! She took them out of the bag, then she had to put them into the bag, then she put them into a box. She even took a few into the bath with her. David, Ruby will forever remember you for this absolutely fantastic gift you've given her!

Captain Berry

2011-05-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Since Bobby graduated he was able to be promoted to Captain in the National Guard. And what made it special was that he was able to have Bishop Chapman promote him (since the Bishop is a retired Major). He'd been looking forward to this for awhile, especially since it was just another affirmation that dental school is over. I've always thought Bobby looked very handsome in his uniform, and this was no exception.

And what makes the relationship with these two wonderful people so fun is that they have family in Houston, so when they come to Texas we'll be able to get together and catch up. Bishop and Sister Chapman, we love you and can't wait to see you again!

Little Spaces

2011-05-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

The whole time we were packing Ruby made a habit of climbing into any small box or bin that she could. She totally got in our way and made herself a bit of a nuisance, but she was so cute the whole time we couldn't help but laugh.

Cousin Hailey

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

We had such a great time with Bobby's family during this last week. Ruby got to spend quality time with her Grandma and her Aunt and Uncle and especially her cousin Hailey. They've met each other once, right after Hailey was born and Ruby was five months old and couldn't have cared less about her. But this time they had fun following each other around and playing with toys.

Graduation

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Bobby graduated on Saturday and we had such a great time! Bobby's mom, Xax and Shannon and their girl Hailey were able to come and celebrate with us.

And here's Bobby getting hooded and receiving his diploma.

Leaving West Virginia

2011-05-15T20:41:00.003-04:00

Today was Ruby and my last day in West Virginia. It's a little bitter-sweet leaving...maybe more sweet than bitter, but we've made some great friends here and we have a lot of fun memories. We're excited to go to Texas and start our new life there, experience new things and meet new people. Life is very good and we're going to have a great time together.

Thanks to all our friends that we've loved in West Virginia. You have made our stay here so wonderful and we are going to miss you. We love you.

Pickles

2011-05-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've chronicled many of Bobby's pack-rat tendencies on the blog...I'm sure the toilets come to mind when I make that statement. As we've been packing he's been a real champ about letting go of some very odd items.

Case in point: We were cleaning out the fridge and he pulled out the pickles and said, "I'm going to throw these away." What's the big deal you ask? Well, he's been hanging onto these pickles for 7 years. They moved with him across the country. So it was a very big step for him to bite the bullet and throw them in the garbage.

Congratulations, Bobby!

2011-05-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

After four years of hard work, countless hours spent studying and stressing, you are now officially a dentist! I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. I can't wait to see what life will bring for us in our new adventures. I love you, Dr. Berry.

New places to play...

2011-05-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

As we've been packing Ruby's had a great time exploring and playing in our disrupted house. She's climbed onto and into boxes, thrown papers around, and generally made herself a nuisance, but she's been really cute doing it. I wondered when we started this whole process how it would affect her, but she's loved it.

My Birthday

2011-05-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

So I turned 32 last week and it wasn't a big deal. Honestly it wasn't. Birthdays are fun for me, a time to eat dessert and open presents and not to stress out about getting older. I really don't feel much older than I was in college (10 years ago...how crazy is that?!) and I never have a crisis when my birthday comes because really, who cares?

So I spent my day with these two fabulous people:

Bobby made me dinner and we had a relaxing afternoon playing with our girl and enjoying being a family. What could be better?

Bubbles

2011-05-08T13:58:00.002-04:00

Sorry there hasn't been much on the posting front lately...packing and getting the house ready to move has been our big project and there hasn't been much time for anything else. Fortunately we're in the home stretch and we'll have some free time on our hands.

The Easter Bunny gave Ruby some bubbles in her Easter basket and so we took her out and she experience blowing bubble for the first time. She was totally amazed and spent a good ten minutes chasing bubbles in our little patch of front yard.

Halfway There

2011-05-03T17:14:00.002-04:00

The packing is going well...we're probably half done. The attic is finally empty and the storage room in the basement is about 99% done. Those areas are the black holes of our little home and having them done makes me smile. We've planned out how we're going to tackle this week and we should be in great shape. Bobby's mom comes on Monday and she's planning on doing a lot of work and helping us a ton. And I don't want her to...I just want her to enjoy being with us and spending time with her granddaughter, who she hasn't seen for 9 months.

Playing with Ruby....

2011-04-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

...is always so much fun, so silly and leads to lots of giggles...

Flip Flops

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

A trip to Columbus

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

We took an overnight trip to Columbus this weekend to visit friends and attend the temple. We had a wonderful time catching up with my friends and spending a little time away from Morgantown. Thanks, Dan and Ciera, for your hospitality and giving Ruby a little someone to play with. She had such a great time hanging out with their little girl, Emory...and getting stuck in their toy basket.

On our way home we stopped in Cambridge and ate at Theo's. You might remember it from when we were dating, it was a frequent stop of ours. It was fun to wax nostalgic as we ate pretty good diner food and gorged ourselves on pie. We made some really great memories there and it was fun to be there again a couple years later with our little girl with us.

Celebrating Easter

2011-04-25T09:27:00.003-04:00

We had such a great Easter. Church was wonderful with lovely music about our Savior and inspiring messages. We enjoyed spending time with our friends afterwards, eating good food and having good conversation.

Ruby looked exceptionally cute. We put her hair in curlers for the first time, and she actually left them in her hair for most of the morning which was a miracle in and of itself. And she wore a cute dress that her grandma gave her.

We came home and gave Ruby her Easter box. Yeah, all our Easter baskets have been packed up already, so Ruby's gifts were in a little card board box, but she didn't mind one bit.

Of course there were sweets involved and Ruby devoured her cupcake. This girl doesn't mess around when it comes to dessert.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

Blue Eyes

2011-04-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Getting ready for a bath...

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby loves her baths. And she lets you know how excited she is. As soon as we say, "It's bath time!" she starts doing the sign for bath (rubbing your fists over your chest)and makes a beeline for the bathroom. She loves to watch the water running and has to be in the middle of Daddy's bath preparations. My job is to try to get her into her room so I can undress her. It's a lot of work. She's so beside herself with excitement that I have to chase and coerce her just to get her clothes off. It usually ends with me grabbing her and she erupts in a fit of giggles.

Our Ward

2011-04-20T08:46:00.003-04:00

Our ward had it's end-of-the-school-year activity this weekend. It's the last ward activity we're going to have before we move. We had a great time. We cooked out at a local park and enjoyed chatting and talking with our friends. And of course Ruby was the star of the show. As soon as we arrived a few girls scooped her up and immediately took her to go swinging. One of our friends told us she should have her own facebook page. And I said that she's probably have more friends than we do.

Our ward here has been the best part of our time in Morgantown. Our bishop is a wonderful, kind man and his wife brings such a sweet spirit into church meetings. We are really going to miss them and Bobby will really miss serving with the bishopric. It was a lot of work for him, especially with dental school, but he learned so much and loved working with our bishop. He was released on Sunday and it was great actually being able to sit with him during sacrament meeting. I'm going to love being able to do that for awhile.

We've made such good friends and will miss them all. We've seen some incredible things happen in our ward: marriage, lots of missionary work, and wonderful people doing wonderful things. We're going to miss it a lot.

Packing

2011-04-16T14:34:00.003-04:00

Ugh...that's all I have to say. I hate moving. And the reason I hate moving is I hate packing. Nothing gets me more frustrated than sorting, boxing and just knowing that all this hard work will be undone in a month when we move to our new home. It also reminds me how much Bobby and I don't see eye to eye when it comes to stuff. I'm of the mind to donate or toss it if we don't use it. He wants to keep it just in case. And so our two stubborn mind-sets collide and make me want to bang my head against a wall.

I will be so amazingly glad when this moving business is over and we can enjoy our new home in Texas and all of the frustration is behind us. I can't wait to just enjoy living life with my man and my little girl. Because packing does not a happy mommy make.

Just call me Doc...

2011-04-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

In exactly one month!

A Favorite Game

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Feet

2011-04-11T09:23:00.002-04:00

It seems like every day there's something about Ruby that I find to be so munchable and cute. The other day it was her feet. Whenever she eats her little toes are finding someplace to cling to. Those little feet are always busy!

Learning

2011-04-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

Something that I'm having so much fun with is watching Ruby learn. Seeing her mind grow and develop is an extraordinary thing. As she's grown from a baby to the cutest-little-toddler-you've-ever-seen it's miraculous to observe her connect the dots about the world around her. She understands more and more how things work, how she can manipulate objects and how to communicate with us.

We decided early on that we wanted to teach her to sign. We started watching Baby Signing Time dvd's when she was about 6 months old so Bobby and I could learn along with Ruby. Around 10 months she started making her first signs. Now she has a handful she regularly does. But the most exciting thing is that she learns them so quickly now.

When I say, "Do you want to watch Baby Signing Time?" she gets so excited and crawls over to the TV. It's the only show we let her watch and she adores it. And she learns signs all on her own just from watching. She started doing "baby" a couple weeks ago and it totally caught us by surprise. And she started doing "banana" this week along with "shoes". Sure, she doesn't do them all perfectly, but it's absolutely amazing being able to share this language with her.

So now her repetoire that she signs includes: more, eat, milk, all done, wash hands, banana, strawberry, baby, shoes and dog. She also understands a few more signs that she hasn't started doing on her own yet.

Gosh, I love this girl. And I love seeing her learn.

I know Bobby's going to be a good dentist

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Because his patients regularly send him home with presents for Ruby. His patients love him and his talent, gentleness and honesty. And they show him how they feel by gifting his family. And that's not something that you see everyday.

Walking

2011-04-02T15:33:00.002-04:00

Yup, our girl is finally getting around by walking. She's been doing it little bits at a time for a couple weeks but yesterday her walking ability suddenly exploded and she's now doing it all the time. And she is very proud of herself.

A few things we did on our trip

2011-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Bobby and his family used to live in Corpus Christi, so we visited the apartments they called home.

Took a trip to Padre Island and introduced Ruby to the ocean. She was pretty amazed. We didnt' know what beach to go to so we ended up with a lot of seaweed. We'll do some research and find some nice sand next time.

Had fun watching Ruby playing with dogs. Fluffy, the Huckman's dog, is a sweetheart. All Ruby wanted to do is sit by her and touch her nose.

Queenie is the neighbor's dog who made her rounds every morning and stopped by the house. Ruby loved watching her through the window.

One Year Checkup

2011-03-31T10:36:00.002-04:00

Ruby had her one year exam today and she's doing great! Despite three pesky shots and some poking and prodding, she did just fine and even gave some smiles on her way out. The funniest moment was just after she had her shots, she was crying bloody murder and the nurse was leaving the room and turned to say good bye to Ruby. Ruby, her face streaming with tears and scrunched from crying, waved bye back. Poor girl, she was just trying to be polite!

Her stats:
Weight: 18 lb, 10 oz...5th percentile. Her growth curve has finally established itself! Every appointment she has fallen in her weight, but this time she's kept right on the 5th percentile. Go Ruby!
Height: 28 1/2 in...30th percentile.

Bluebonnets

2011-03-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

The wild flowers were all in bloom when we went to Texas. The drive from the airport to our new home was gorgeous. Flowers in blue, coral, orange, white and pink were everywhere. The Huckman's back yard had a little patch of bluebonnets and so we planted Ruby right down in the middle of them and took her picture.

Our New Home

2011-03-28T09:45:00.004-04:00

Our trip to Texas was a mixture of lots of fun and lots of frustration. It was so nice to bask in the sunshine and warm weather. The wild flowers were in bloom and everything was beautiful and green. The frustration came because there's a huge oil and natural gas boom in the surrounding area and there are absolutely no rentals available. Bobby and I were planning to rent for a year or so and get a feel for our new town and then build or buy. No luck. All rentals big or small were gone. Unless we wanted to pay $1500 a month for a little dump that we'd hate. No thank you.

On Friday, after dealing with me being very bummed the day before about our prospects, Bobby went driving and came home very excited. He had walked through a house which was almost done being built and was a great price and very cute. So Ruby and I went back with him. It was like a ray of sunshine! For the first time that week I felt like I had found a place I would love to live, that would be great for family coming to visit and that Ruby would have fun in too.

Here it is:

I brought the camera fully intending to take pictures of the inside. Sorry. In all my excitement I totally forgot. You'll just to wait until we move in to see it. It's 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Should I tell you what I love about it? Here's the list: it has a big dining area that when we have company we can actually all eat at a dining table instead of in the living room on TV trays; our master bedroom has a walk-in closet, no more having our clothes split into two tiny closets in different rooms; an actual laundry room instead of a closet; more than the mere 3 feet of kitchen counter space we have to work on now; a two car garage; floors that don't creak! I really could keep going but I think I'll stop now. I think you get the point, though, this new little home is going to be great for us!

Our move to Texas is now filled with more hope.

A little change....

2011-03-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Between me never doing my hair anymore and the idea of the insanely hot and humid Texas summer, I decided it was time.

Another Nice Day

2011-03-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

I think Ruby's loving that the weather is getting nicer and nicer. I sure do. And it gives us something to do other than go grocery shopping, since we can get out and enjoy the sunshine. Now I just need to prepare myself for the crazy Texas summer that we're going to experience in a couple months.

Her Dinosaur

2011-03-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

One of the gifts we gave Ruby for her birthday is this dinosaur. It's a push toy when she's learning to walk and then a riding toy for when she's a little bigger. And she. loves. it. Majorly. She gets a huge smile on her face when we bring it out and ask if she wants to play with it. We just wish our house was a little bit bigger so she could go a little farther before crashing into something.

A New Seat

2011-03-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

I ordered Ruby's new car seat this week. Talk about a hard decision! There are so many choices and price points to consider. And with me being so cautious about Ruby's safety and Bobby experiencing major sticker-shock with all things baby related it was a tough call to make. But in the end I bit the bullet and decided on the Britax Marathon. It has so many great features and my sister has loved hers (as do most people who have gone the Britax route)and I think Ruby will like it too. As shown by these photos:

We haven't installed it in the car yet; she can still fit in her bucket seat but it was on sale so I decided to get it now and save a buck. I think she's going to enjoy riding in her "cadillac" as Bobby calls it.

Bathtime Cute

2011-03-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Just a little gratuitous Ruby cuteness to brighten your day...

Balloons

2011-03-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

We got some balloons for Ruby's birthday and she loved them. We could have done nothing else but gotten her balloons and she would have been perfectly content. You would have thought there was nothing better in the world than a helium balloon.

And then we took a little video. Just wait until Ruby realizes we're filming her. You'll crack up. We did.

Bobby and I were talking later that night about how much wonder and joy Ruby gets from the world around her. He expressed some concern that as we grow up we lose that. I told him I don't think that's entirely true; we just don't allow ourselves to feel it. The world is such an amazing, beautiful place and I think that everyday. But how many times do I see something beautiful or awe-inspiring and I think, "That's cool" and then go about my business? I need to enjoy the moment and give myself permission to bask in all the incredible blessings around me. Life is too short not to recognize everything we've been given. So there.

The First Birthday

2011-03-15T09:20:00.003-04:00

Ruby had such a great time on her birthday, and we had fun watching her try new things. We sang happy birthday and had cupcakes and ice cream.

Then we opened presents. Ruby got a cute card from her Great Grandma, and a fun toy from Grandma and Grandpa, and a couple things from us.

We had such a wonderful time spending the day with our girl. We can't wait for more birthdays to come!

Dear Ruby,

2011-03-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today you are one year old! I can't believe how fast this year has gone! It seemed like just yesterday your daddy and I were at the hospital welcoming you to this world. We were sleep-deprived and a little loopy, but we knew immediately how much we loved you. You are our most precious gift and we thank Heavenly Father every day that He entrusted us with you. You are our little angel and we marvel in all you are and what you will become.

You have grown so much and we love spending all our time with you and watching you grow and learn. Your energy and joy make us smile every day and we can't imagine not having you in our lives. Our little family is so happy and it couldn't be that way without you. You've stolen our hearts and turned us into babbling idiots, but I wouldn't change anything. Not even if it meant I could sleep in whenever I wanted. Being your mommy is the greatest thing I could ever do and I cherish every moment I spend with you.

Let me tell you a few of my favorite things about you:
-your fun hair...it's in your eyes, makes for great bed head, and is so fun to play with.
-your sense of humor...you make funny faces, sounds, dances, everything you do makes us laugh and we love it.
-how happy you are to see Daddy and me when we come to get you in the morning.
-how much you love to eat...and yes, "eat" is your first official word. You do say, "dadadadadada" and "mamamamama" but the word that you've got down cold is "eat". No surprise there.

This list could go on and on and on but I'll just stop there and save some for another day. We'll be moving to Texas and trying all sorts of new things this year and we'll have so much fun experiencing them together. I love you so much, Ruby, and I can't wait to see what this next year will bring.

Love,
Mommy

Ruby's Favorite Game

2011-03-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

On the outside looking in...

2011-03-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the view you would get if you were walking by our house and happened to look at the front door:

Catching Ruby on Camera

2011-03-07T10:07:00.003-05:00

I try so hard to take videos of Ruby when she's playing. She is so so cute when she's playing by herself and doesn't realize we're watching her. The trouble is, she knows when I'm taping her and looks up and sees the camera. Then it's all over. She does the exact same thing whenever she notices the camera: first, she looks up and sees it; second, she gets a huge grin; third, she squeals, "ahhh!"; fourth, she rushes over as fast as she can and tries to grab it. Every. single. time.

My case in point:

Oh well. I guess I'll just have to settle for videos of Ruby being cute when she sees the camera instead of Ruby being cute when she's playing. I suppose it's a win-win.