How do you eat your gummy bears?

Apparently, my dad likes to line his all up before eats them (notices the bears in the bottom left side of the picture). While playing cards in Ohio, we noticed that my dad had lined up his gelatin treats in such a neat little row. We couldn't stop laughing and he was concentrating so hard on his hand that he didn't even notice us poking fun.

Still oblivious to our giggling he proceeded to stack them on top of each other. Oh, Dad! I love the concentration in his face. Too funny! Maybe this is his way of escaping the demands of all of us girls?

Power Struggle.

I usually think Ruby's fashion ambition is pretty cute (see above). Well, not today. Getting ready for church this morning turned into a real power struggle between the two of us. I bought Ruby a cute new fall dress since all of her dresses are too short, apparently, Ruby is growing like a weed in the height department. I also had a pair of black sunday shoes (thanks Jasmine and Astrid) waiting to be worn in Ruby's drawer. The perfect match for her dress, but deep down I had a feeling she wouldn't go for it. So, I sneakily distracted her while I put the shoes on her. She immediately noticed and a complete meltdown quickly ensued when I told her she needed to wear those shoes to church. She began crying (more like sobbing), with big alligator tears, hands and knees on the floor, and then started saying

"I wan wear crocs....I wan wear crocs" through her sobs.

I kept saying, "Ruby, can you please wear these shoes, they look so cute with your dress?" I was not going to give up!

This is when Hugh enters the scene and gently asks me, "What is really going on here? Why does she have to wear those shoes?"

I began to defend myself and told him because they matched her dress and her crocs didn't. As the words came out of my mouth I realized I needed to give it up. For some strange reason I almost started to cry, was it because I wasn't going to get my way? I don't know. (I had just got home from a night shift, so I was pretty tired.)

At this point, Ruby was still rolling and crying on the ground, and now she wanted to take her dress off and said she did not want to go to church. So, here's the two of us, throwing tantrums because we weren't getting our way.

Hugh reasoned that since we forced the dress on her (she didn't want to wear that to begin with) we could at least let her chose her footwear. But at this point, Ruby didn't really care about her crocs either. She was crying at Hugh's feet while saying, "I don wan go to church." We were finally able to get her crocs on and she stopped crying and we left for church (ten minutes late.) And Ruby had a very nice time in nursery.

After all this I realized that this power struggle between the two of us is probably the first of many more to come. I need to stop and make sure the things I'm going to fight for are really worth fighting for. Does it really matter that my 2 year old's shoes don't match her Sunday dress? Probably not.

Off to Lincoln's Baptism...off to Ohio!

{The trip begins. SLC airport and a yummy cinnabon.}

Ruby and I decided to tag along with my dad and sisters to visit my uncle Hans and his family. Hugh was busy starting school, so he stayed home and held down the fort. Hans and Merilee have four darling kiddos, and their oldest, Lincoln just turned eight and decided to be baptized and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hans just finished his PhD in journalism and moved his family to Ohio where he is teaching at the University of Ohio (congrats again, Hans and Mer for getting through 5 years of school!). It was fun to visit them and see their neck of the woods. Ohio is beautiful...very green with lots of trees. Ruby loved playing with my cousins and being part of the gang. Thanks Hans and Merilee for letting us crash your place for the weekend and taking such great care of us.

{Enjoying lunch at the park...Holly posing next to the bug she found}

{Swinging and playing with Alex...Ruby was so tired she nearly fell asleep on the swing}

{Pretty much the scene whenever we got in the car...she was pooped from playing so hard. Mal and Call are out too!}

{Now the reason for the trip...Lincoln's Baptism.}

{Cousins}

{Ruby being her cute bald self. She convinced Grandpa to buy her a chocolate shake at the airport}

{It wouldn't be a trip to visit the Meyer's without a few rounds of Beatle's Rock Band...such a blast}

{Ruby running in Hans and Mer's beautiful backyard.}

{And Ruby dragging Mal to push her on the swing}

A couple weekends ago Ruby got to spend a lot of time with these cute kids...

{Lincoln, Ruby, Holly, and Alex..at a park in Athens, Ohio}

She is still wondering where they went. And she also keep telling me that Lincoln got baptized...(I know Ruby, I was there :). More pictures to come of our fun trip visiting my Uncle Hans and Aunt Merilee and their cute kiddos! Isn't Alex's grin priceless?

Whenever Ruby gets really quiet...

I find her doing this.

Which ends up into this.

Finally finished...almost.

Years ago, Hugh and I came across a box of his old t-shirts. Most of the shirts had holes and were not wearable...even still, Hugh could not part with these pieces of his childhood. So, last summer ('09) I decided to turn them into a quilt...after running into some obstacles (I couldn't get the t-shirts to iron on to the interfacing), I quit.

{My work station and the finished project}

This summer ('10), I made the attempt again. I got some help from my best friend's mother-in-law (thanks Caroline), borrowed my sister-in-law's sewing machine (thanks Kristina), and sipped at my diet coke as I sewed away...and about three months later (not counting my attempt last year) my project is complete. Well, that's if you don't count the corners of the binding that I botched because I had no idea what I was doing...still need to come up with a solution to fix those. But more or less, my project is complete. Let's just say I am quite proud. I keep telling Hugh that with our next boy we can use the quilt for his bed and hang up some fun comic posters...Hugh quickly reminds me that I made the quilt for him, not our future children. Guess he must really love those t-shirts! As for me, I filled my project quota for the year and will be taking a break.

Buy a Quran!

I just got an email from my sister-in-law, Kristina. Here it is and her great idea:

I am not one for mass e-mails, but I thought of something simple we can all do to protest Pastor Terry Jones' planned burning of copies of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, this Saturday, September 11 in central Florida.

This is like burning the Bible or the Talmud. Let's show our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world that we support them in their faith, that Americans understand that not every Muslim is a terrorist, and that we are willing to reach out and understand their faith by reading their holy book itself.

Join me on September 11 by buying a copy of the Quran at your local bookstore, and hey, maybe even read it. I've been meaning to read it for years anyway.

SEPT. 11, 2010

PROTEST THE BURNING OF THE QURAN BY BUYING THE QURAN.

Thanks for this great idea, Kristina! I usually just get mad and frustrated about this kind of ignorance instead of thinking of a solution. Can't wait to go buy my Quran on Saturday!

Dress Up Ruby Style.

Where did the time go?

{July 2006}

This is going to be sappy. Today is 4 years that Hugh and I have been married. I just looked through some of our engagement pictures. It's funny how we had no idea then, what was in store for us and our marriage. I love Hugh. I feel blessed to have him by my side...and my gratitude for him was magnified this year as we went through the loss of our sweet Hughie together. It is hard to feel lucky when going through the most trying experience of your life.

I can remember sitting next to Hugh, with our hands clenched together, across the table from Hughie's doctors during one of the care conferences held on our son's behalf. Dr. Yost had just given us sobering news and his opinion about Hughie's MRI and left the room to give Hugh and me time to talk and soak everything in. My world was spinning. My heart was broken. But as I sat there with Hugh, and felt the strength of his love and faith, I suddenly felt lucky. I felt lucky that Hugh and I had this opportunity to grow together and rely on each other. Lucky that I had Hugh by my side...I knew at that moment, with him, I can get through anything. Lucky to know that he loves me and our children. Lucky to know that he is mine forever. And just as suddenly, I knew that everything was going to be okay.

Here's to 4 years...and many more!