Christmas Recap

We had a great Christmas this year, & as I always say, it was our best one yet. Ruby & Noah are at such good ages & I love creating a fun Christmas for them. Our month was full of Christmas activities & traditions & they couldn't get enough of it. After dinner on Christmas Eve we drove around & looked at all the Christmas lights & while Noah craned his neck to look out the window, Ruby talked about how beautiful it all was, & Tyler & I talked about all the traditions we want to have for our family. We came home & set out the sugar cookies we had made for Santa & Ruby asked Tyler to take her outside just one more time to see if they could see Santa before she went to bed. I realized this year that I really love Christmas Eve more than I love Christmas day. And I just know that I'm going to miss the days of having toddlers at Christmas. Ruby woke us up & loved seeing all the presents Santa had delivered & was wide-eyed throughout all the unwrapping. I love that girl's excitement. And I was amazed at how quickly Noah caught on to what was going on & got right in there ripping open his presents. And now we've packed away all of Christmas until next year, when we do this whole thing all over again. And I can't wait!

 

 

 

 

 



Merry Christmas!

I always love the Sunday before Christmas & getting to see all of the little kids in their outfits & listening to the Christmas program at church. It always makes me feel ready for Christmas to come. We are pretty pumped for Thursday to roll around at our house & so far I'm succeeding in making my children love the holiday as much as I do. I feel like the month is jam packed with activities & shopping & baking, etc. but I think this year will be one that I'll look back on with such great memories.

 

 

 

We've been making a conscious effort to make this time of year Christ-centered for our family. We've been reading books about Jesus' birth & reenacting the nativity & the video below has been on repeat at our home. I think on a daily basis Ruby asks to watch the baby Jesus video. She loves this story & is so interested in baby Jesus. I love how the simple beauty of this miraculous event can even affect a toddler. And I've found that as we've made this more of a focus in our home, the stress that inevitably accompanies this holiday has decreased, while our peace has increased.



It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

The month of December has been such a fun one so far for our family. I've decided that 3 years old is the perfect age for Christmas - Ruby seems to fully "get" what it's all about & is still at the age where she has no expectations. Everything has been so exciting & fun for her. Everyone needs toddlers at Christmas time! We've tried to start a lot of family traditions this year as we want to create fun memories for our kids over the years. We started our Elf on the Shelf & it's been a hit! As soon as Ruby wakes up she's searching all over for the elf she named Sparkly. And she gets such a kick out of the different places she finds him & will usually laugh & say, "That silly little elf!"

We made a gingerbread house & I think Ruby thought she had died & gone to heaven. I love how excited she gets over the little things. She kept saying, "This house is SO beautiful! Isn't it gorgeous mommy?" Gingerbread houses have never been so fun.

 

 Noah is still too young to know much of what this Christmas stuff is all about but he is loving all the decorations & just kind of watches everything Ruby does & talks about. And I'm amazed because he has been awesome about not messing with all of my not-so-kid-friendly décor. That boy is a good one & I'm looking forward to watching him open his presents this year. I love this time of year & I feel awfully grateful to spend it with these people that I love most.



Family Pictures 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Grateful

Today we went to church just like we do every Sunday. All through Sacrament meeting Ruby kept smiling & giving little waves as people around us waved & smiled discreetly to her. And during Sunday School Noah gradually made his way around the laps of so many people around us who showered him with attention & smiles. Their babysitters stopped me in the hall wanting to say hello to the kids & hold them. I left church with a full heart feeling grateful for the kindness & love that these two feel from so many around them. I can't help but see that the Lord is so mindful of these two & they have both been so blessed with lives full of so many people that love them. I want so much for my children to know how loved & important they are, & it's days like today that remind me that they are already learning just that.



Ruby & Noah Lately

 

I've started Ruby in a gymnastics class & she loves it! I feel like I've literally been able to watch her confidence grow each time she goes & it's been so fun for me to see. Ruby has really come into her own lately & has gotten so much better with not being quite so attached to me. She refers to Noah as "my Noey" & really is a great big sister. I know everyone says that 3 year olds are way worse than 2 year olds, but for me it's been so much better (knock on wood!). Ruby makes a great 3 year old & is a girl after my own heart. She is so expressive & reminds me of Anne of Green Gables the way she walks outside & says things like, "Oh! It's so, so beautiful out here!" She loves to talk & tells me everything she can possibly think of from the moment she wakes up until the second she goes to bed. And while sometimes I crave a little quiet, I hope that she'll always talk to me & tell me what's on her mind because I really, really love it.

 

Noah has been full of changes lately. He's talking a lot & is at that stage where he understands most everything we say. He's obsessed with dogs & is fearless around them regardless of their size. He thinks it's hilarious when they lick his face & anytime he sees one he excitedly says, "Doggy!" over & over again. He's figuring out how to tease Ruby & can be such a little brother. It cracks me up & reminds me of growing up with my 2 brothers. He is all boy & loves playing with balls & cars & throwing things as hard & fast as he can. He loves to be outside & can spend hours exploring, playing & getting dirty. Oh, I love little boys! He's wanting more independence but he still loves to be held & hangs at my legs throughout much of the day & will literally try to climb up me if I don't pick him up. My favorite part of the day with him is getting him out of his crib each morning. I'll hear him call, "Mama! Mama!" in his deep voice & as soon as I walk in the room he sits there flashing me one of his biggest smiles like he has some great secret he can't wait to tell me. I feel like I'm hanging on for dear life to every last bit of baby left in him.



"Fall" Is Here

 

 

 

We're finally enjoying some cooler weather around here & so we're back to playing outside & family bike rides. Every year around the end of August I get so sick of the heat & start dreaming of living in a place where there are actually seasons. But then as soon as the first chilly morning comes I remember how much I hate the cold & fall in love with Arizona all over again. Fall in Arizona gets me every time. Ruby just learned how to really ride her tricycle & Noah is loving getting to explore & acts like it's his job to try to get to the street before I grab him. I think he must love seeing that look of panic in my eye on the regular. But give us some nice weather & time together outside & we're all happy campers.



Halloween 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween was so much fun this year. Ruby & Noah went as Little Red Riding Hood & the Big Bad Wolf. I'm not sure how many more coordinating costumes I'll be able to get these two in, so I'm loving it while it lasts. When Ruby saw Noah in his costume she said, "That is SO cute!!" Those two really make everything so much more fun. After each house Ruby trick-or-treated at she would say, "This is so much fun, Mom!" And it was. The early years of trick-or-treating are pretty priceless & I can't help but feel so lucky to have this family of mine. Happy Halloween!



"I love smiling, smiling's my favorite"

Tyler & I went to our annual Halloween party last night as the characters from Elf. Both of our kids thought our costumes were pretty hilarious & couldn't stop staring at us with this mixture of confusion & amusement before we left for the night. Tyler kept saying, "I just never knew tights were so hot." It was a fun night & now I can't wait to get the kids in their costumes & take them trick or treating. Ruby has been doing things like practicing knocking on doors in our house & saying, "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!" for weeks now.



Friday Night Family Night

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Few Little Things I Want to Remember

Sometimes I dream about the days when my kids will be a little older. The kind of days where I feel like I have a spare moment to myself & can just catch my breath for a minute. But more often than not I find myself wishing that I could somehow bottle up these moments that are happening right now & save them for a day down the road when I don't have babies to hold & chubby cheeks to kiss. Because there really are so many times where I stop & try to permanently imprint on my mind the way Ruby's voice sounds in combination with her animated expressions as she tells me something important. Or the way Noah looks up at me with those big brown eyes & muscles his way into my lap because he just needs to be closer to me. Those are the things I hope to remember forever.

My absolute favorite thing lately is watching these two be such good friends. Ruby now wants Noah to sit right by her any time they're eating & she loves to feed him & get him whatever he needs. And Noah will eat anything that Ruby gives him & kind of seems to love it as much as her. Can this stage please last forever?!

 Noah is now obsessed with this blanket & sometimes doesn't want to come out of his crib after naptime because he's too busy rubbing his face all over it. And he's getting really close to becoming a full-time walker. I'm convinced there is nothing cuter than a baby learning to walk.

 

 Ruby got this dinosaur puzzle for her birthday & probably does it about 5 times a day. She can now put it together really fast all by herself & is super proud every time. That girl is a smart one.

 

 And look at that mischievous little face. He has the worst poker face & I can always immediately tell when he's been up to something he shouldn't be. And I'm a total sucker for this little boy. It's a wonder I haven't eaten him up.





Ruby Lately

 

Here are some of Ruby’s latest gems: 

After she came into my room in the morning & woke me up - “Mom, I love your beautiful hair. Can I watch a movie?”

While sitting at the table eating – “This cookie is delectable!”

Ruby - “Hey, I have an idea! I’ll get a sparkly white dress & get married.”

Me – “Who are you going to marry?”

Ruby in a whisper, “Everyone.”

As she watched me mop the floor, “Good job Mommy!”

When Tyler kissed me – “Hey guys, stop that!"