Happy LOVE Day

Valentine's Pictures for our Nana's, Papa's and Dad

We just got Ruthie's new duvet for her new big bed/guest bed. I have been eyeing this baby for weeks and Ryan found it on sale. Nice work. I have some pillow sewing to do now.

The funny thing is we have had the bed for 2 months and Ruthie insists on sleeping in Tate's room on her old twin. They love sharing a room, it is really cute how much they love each other.

Pink pancakes for V-day breakfast

My beautiful flowers for Valentines

Some friends had a little party for our kids

Ruthie loving yummy cookies

This is what our house looked like on Valentines Day

(see explanation below)

New cousin Lincoln born on Abraham Lincoln's 200th B-day!

His onesie says "Future President"

We had a great Valentine's weekend. Friday day the kids and I went to a party at our neighbors house and decorated bags and handed out Valentines and had treats galore! That afternoon I took the kids to see new baby Lincoln. He was actually on the news Friday night for his whole naming coincidence. He came over 2 weeks early and they had already been calling him Lincoln for months! Friday night Ryan got a babysitter and we went out on a date to see a movie in a real movie theater not just a red box rental! Saturday was more work than play. We are in the peak mess (hopefully) of project paint the cabinets. Oh my, it is a disaster zone as you can see in the picture! Ryan's dad is flying up Wednesday for a week to help us lay wood flooring. Yes, these projects will over lap. Yes, we are a little bit crazy. Yes, we will be even crazier after a month of mess! It will all be worth it in the end right!? We did get a small break from paint fumes to go to the Draper Temple open house. It was beautiful and Ruthie absolutely loved all of the "sparklys".

Museum Mondays

Tate was a little sleepy when we arrived at the Treehouse Museum

Ruthie and friends checking out the fire engine

Tate banging on instruments

Ruthie and Mikelle hiding out

Ring-around-the-rosie

The fishy's cute face

Whoa, that's one big fish!

Cute girls at the dino miseum

Dad, don't let him get me!

The past 2 Mondays we have gone to a couple of great museums. Last week it was the Treehouse Museum in Ogden and this week it was the Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi. The kids had so much fun at both. It is way worth it to get out with little friends every once in a while. Especially when we are waiting and waiting for spring!

Sick of being sick

Ruthie is a pro at temperature taking!
Tate can practically do it himself now!
A few of our recent favorite things

We are dealing with yet another sick spell! A couple of weeks ago Ruthie and Tate both had the stomach flu on and off for several days, Tate has 4 new molars that popped through last week, and now he has pneumonia and a double ear infection again! It has only been 4 weeks since the last bout with pneumonia. Poor kids.

I am trying out a new motivator for Ruthie. I made her a reward chart on a magnet board and she and I are loving it! Her reward of choice when she gets to 10 is watching a movie. I am surprised that threatening to move her back actually gets her to do things. She really loves movies, and I am willing to do whatever works at this stage.

Other than that we are just starting a few major construction projects. We are painting our kitchen cabinets first. You'll get to see pictures when there is more to show than my missing cabinet doors!

Our 13 Month Old Monkey

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tate is a crazy climber! This kid will attempt to climb absolutely anything. He usually celebrates his arrival to the top of the island with a dance. Tate was just excited that I didn't even try to stop him this time.

(Yeah for my new camera. I can finally post video!)

Catching up: Christmas, New Years and Reunion

We had a very fun and busy past few weeks! These are some of the highlights:
-A very Merry Christmas with a bilzzard, and no power on Christmas morning for an hour
-Ruthie got a new kitchen and a hundred other great gifts
-Tate got a workbench and lots more fun toys
-Ryan got a new putter and glasses
- Sarah got a new point and shoot camera and a trip to Chicago (in May)
-The trip is to see our cutest new niece Emery Kate who was born on Christmas Eve
-We had the Bevan family here for a week for New Years and a reunion
-The kids loved playing with cousins and Nana and Papa
-We had played some good card games
-Ryan and Sarah went skiing and snowboarding
-We had a hilarious variety show that everyone participated in (costumes and dancing)

A few low lights:
-Tate got an ear infection and pneumonia
-Ruthie got a virus and had a high fever for 4 days
-Ryan spent 2 hours under the cabin fixing the broken main water line and a plugged sewer line (Yuck!)

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday to my Ry! He's the best dad and husband anyone has ever had! He is the one who decorated Christmas tree grove (somehow we didn't get around to buying a real tree so he decorated some we already had) and put up the lights outside. Nice work! Just a couple more reasons why we keep him around.

Santa Baby

Notice Tate is dissing Ruthie for the cell phone, feel the love.

Ruthie takes a dance class at our 13 year old neighbors house once a week. She loves class, but apparently the performing thing didn't go so well. At her recital she just went and sat with Ryan. Ry actually missed skiing to be there. But I was working that night so he represented! What a guy!
Also, Ruthie has quite a scrape by her eye from tripping in a parking lot with her hands in her coat pockets. She skidded to a stop on her face! Ouch!

The rest of the girls bowing while Ruthie clings onto her teacher.


This was this morning at breakfast. Are we glad Tate's getting new pj's for Christmas or what?

Thanksgiving trip highlights

We had such a great time in Arizona! Here are just a few of everyone's favorite highlights.



These are the only pictures I have of me on our trip! My favs were:
-Going to see 'Twilight' with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. Loved it!!
-Learning how to make and can applesauce. Yum!
-Visiting with friends and seeing the Mesa Temple lights

Ryan's adventures included:

-Taking the Jeeps 4-wheeling in the desert and shooting shotguns.

-Mountain biking

-And of course played in a Turkey Bowl!

Tate:

-Chilled with his cousin Emmett. This is the best shot I got. They are not cooperative subjects.
-Loved playing with Dodge the dog! We are lucky he is so patient with the kids.

Ruthie:

-Had a blast playing with Orren (no picture:( )

-Watched football on Thanksgiving (see 3 pictures up)

-Dressed up in her aunts old dance costumes and dancing with them/wrestling Tate!