Birthday Celebration

Jed's boss passed away about 2 months ago, but his work wanted to do something special as a tribute to him. What better way to remember someone than to celebrate their birthday. Arno's birthday was yesterday, Jed and I got invited to go to a dinner party with the office team and some of his friends. It was such a fun night!



Most of the time we don't get a really special occasion that allows for dressing up and going out on the town. Jed's work went all out and we got to celebrate at La Caille. It was such an amazing place. Outrageously priced, but amazing.

We started off with drinks, something that if we were paying we rarely do. We had appetizers, Jed got escargot. He actually liked it, always fun to try something new. I went with the Alaskan King Crab cakes. They were delicious, I don't think I realized what I was missing out on. After that we were served salad, Jed got an avocado, crab, and grapefruit. I got the Wilted spinach. Nothing short of fabulous. For our entree's Jed got the fillet minion, and I got the tenderloin tips. It was really good, but I was so full by this point that I decided to save room for dessert and only ate a little bit of it and had the rest put in a to-go box.





Then came the dessert. Oh wow, was it ever good. Jed got Bananas foster, and I got the trio sampler so I could try it all. Truly the way to go. We loved getting to go somewhere that we otherwise would probably never venture. It was truly such a treat. We had a wonderful time, minus our servers outfit. She looked like a 1700's barmaid/wench.





We didn't get out of there until 10:15 and didn't get to the Romig's until 10:45 to pick up the girls. I was exhausted, but when we got there we had such a good time visiting that we stayed until midnight. We got into reminiscing and telling the silliest stories. Due to how late it was, we laughed all the harder. I love unexpected visits and enjoying fine company. We didn't get home until 1 a.m. And after that we all crashed. Sadly, morning came way to early.

The mamas and the papa, oh and C.C.

We have had a few fun adventures in the past week. We went to Gardner Village with my mom to see all of the witches on display and also for the scavenger hunt. Each time we found one, Ruby would take a quick look at them and be ready to rush on to find the next one. It was a fun day to get out of the house, part of the reason we went up that way was that I also had a Dr. appointment. The baby's heartbeat was 145 and the MA found it immediately. I commented on it and she said that it is pretty rare to find it that fast at 14 weeks.



Last Friday we also go another great surprise. Jed called and told me his parents were coming out for a visit. It was exciting because, the girls and I hadn't seen them since the day we moved into our house. Part of that was due to their trip to Hawaii, but it was very fun to see them again and hear about their vacation. The girls had Papa up and down the stairs and Ruby ran the official tour of the house. It is very strange to be far enough away that just going over to say hi isn't an option anymore. I really miss it, but the way I am choosing to look at it is that it will make visits more special and more of a treat.



Ruby learned about Christopher Columbus at school on the 16th and came home with this cute hat. The funny thing was is that the first words out of her mouth were not about C.C. But about something entirely different. "Mommy, Jackson, Summer and I are going to Disneyland!" Her teacher informed me that they talk about this trip everyday during play time. I also very much enjoyed hearing Ruby tell me about C.C. and what he did. "Christopher Columbus, swam in the ocean on a boat and looked through his skepalope and saw many people."

The magic of Spiced Hermits.

We were planning on making cookies on Friday, but I came across one of my most favorite fall cookie recipes and knew I had to make them today. I came across it last year in my Family Fun magazine. It is wonderful! I had never seen a recipe like it. It is such a great recipe because it is filled with spices, nuts and Craisins . It makes for a perfect cookie that allows little hands to help and take turns.

Being in the kitchen with my girls brings back so many special memories of being in the kitchen with my mom when I was growing up. I committed a fall faux paus and turned on some Christmas music, while we were baking. The girls had fun measuring spices and getting to smell them. Each on is so unique. Some they liked very much and other not so much. After most of the ingredience you have to mix it for about a minute. It made it easy to share the mixer. It may sound silly, but I just had such a loving feeling for my girls and I think they did for each other as well as we did this simple thing together. Moments like this are magic and matter so much more than I sometimes think they do.

The cookies were delicious and probably one of the things that made it so fun and special for me is that each of us were wearing matching aprons that were giving to us by my dear friend Jody right before we moved. It was such a sweet gift that I treasure. Jody and I served in the Primary Presidency together and she was like my ward mom. She truly is an incredible woman, she raised six children and all while they were growing up she had to take them to church by herself. I am so grateful for the things I learned from her. If I had to name one thing it would be this, In every moment and sitution we can find something to be happy about or to be grateful for. Today I am feeling especially grateful for each life that has touched mine for good.

I almost forgot

Yesterday I went to see my dear friend Jessica, who had her baby about a week ago. she is a smidgen older than me but just had her 4th baby. I think she is incredible and we had a wonderful visit. Her new son is so precious. As we were visiting she was telling me that her son Owen who is Ruby's age reminded her of our little hike to Bell Canyon Reservoir about 5 weeks ago. I am so glad she reminded me of this. I was going to write about it, and then I forgot with everything else going on.

It was a week before our move, and each day I would try to think of something to get out of our apartment that was filled with boxes and allowed very little room to play. I called my friend Jessica to see if she wanted to get together. Her husband had a few days off and they were going on a hike to Bell Canyon Reservoir and doing a bit of fishing. She kindly invited us along. The hike was special, especially to me, a 9 week pregnant out of shape plunk who had to carry her almost 2 year old the whole way up. In a word, it was grueling. Ruby was a champion and was happy and energetic the whole way up. It was so nice when we reached the top.

Scott went out to fish, while Jessica and I had a fun visit on the shore. Ruby, Morgan and Owen went to play on the rocks and ended up playing "Peter Pan." Emma and Evan stayed with Jessica and I and occasionally Emma would slowly inch her way down the shore and get close to the water. I would have to hurry and go get her back up close to us. Did I mention that Emma has absolutely no fear of water?

After a few warnings she was getting to close, she hurried up and to the waters edge and fell in. I was up on my feet in an instant and ran to grab her. I was about 10 feet from her and by the time I got there her head was under the water and she was flailing. Without a second thought I was in the water, I took a step to get close to her and slipped putting me in shoulder deep. I quickly grabbed her and we turned around to head out of the water. The strange thing of it all was how calm she was. She didn't even cry, and she had to have been under the water for at least 5-8 seconds. I can't even tell you how relived I was that she was ok. It happened so quickly and I am glad my reaction was quick.

Once on the shore with both of us dripping water, I looked at my friend and just started to laugh. I wasn't sure if I was in shock or if it was laughter of relief that she was ok. We cuddled on the shore and ate fishy crackers for the rest of the time. Evan who is Emma's age got really scared when Emma went in the water and never left his mom's side after that.

It was quite the adventurous outing.

Saturday is a special day

It has been a new experience with our house having Saturday chores. I think in the apartment, I took care of everything because there wasn't a ton of room to give instruction and then stand back and let them help. So I always did most of the chores. It was fun however this week to work as a family to achieve our to-do list around the house.

Ruby was very helpful and specifically told me she was my special helper. We changed sheets, cleaned bathrooms, and unloaded the dishwasher. It was fun to let her help, I know she loves to be a part of whatever is going on. For instance when we first moved in and Jed was setting up bed frames, she would ask every few minutes what she could do to help and when we told her we would call her when we needed her, it was nearly impossible to get her to go play because she felt very strongly that her help would be missed.





Emma wanted to be where we were and did her part by making sure the quilts didn't sneak off while Ruby and I changed sheets. She also helped herself to the green apple shampoo and was trying to work up a lather while we were working on the bathroom. I asked her if she wanted to go and play in the toy room while Ruby and I finished up. She gladly obliged.



Before we started chores Jed started a game of hide and seek with the girls. It was so funny to hear them squeal with delight when they found daddy or he found them. I had to take a picture of the best hiding place. Jed and Emma hid together while Ruby was looking and she burst into the laundry room and shouted "Found ya!" Only to realize she didn't see them. Then they started laughing and she found them.



Jed also has been working on a project of his own. My dad generously bestowed a garage door opener on us as a house warming gift. He bought it for himself when he thought his wasn't working and then it started working again. He didn't ever return it so when we moved he put it in my car. I snapped this picture when Jed was telling me not to snap anymore pictures of him on the ladder. I know what a distraction I can be. lol



As for me I am 14 weeks today. I have my next appointment on Tuesday and wanted to take pictures to document this pregnancy this time around since we didn't have a camera when were expecting Ruby, and then I was just a loaf during Emma's. And maybe the real reason is that I can take my own pictures now that we have longer mirrors. I also have been really enjoying styling my hair this way, the A-line was cute but very time consuming with my wavy hair. Now that it is a little longer I can just gel it and then add a few curls. It is most convenient.

F.or Y.our E.ntertainment

Here are some family funnies that just had to be shared, that I didn't want to forget.

-Last week Emma was crying in the middle of the night, I went to go get her and discovered that she had stripped down to the suit she was born in and proceeded to mark her territory in her crib. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 2:30 am. Which meant there was no chance of sneaking a pair of fresh jammies from the dresser in Ruby's room, no going back to her own bed, and there was no way I was changing sheets that early in the morning. So I took her frigid little body back to bed and finished out the night sleeping like a champ since she cuddled with Jed.

-Ruby has been going back and forth on what she wants to be for Halloween and could spend hours pouring over costumes on the internet with me. When I picked her up from Preschool last Friday we had this little conversation.

Ruby: "Mommy you promised I could be Ariel for Halloween. "

Me: "Ruby don't you think you would make a good Emily Elizabeth and Emma would make the cutest Clifford the Big Red Dog?"

Ruby: " No! I think I would make a cute Ariel and Emma would be the cutest Ursula ever."

Me: "Where did you get that idea, Ruby?"

Ruby: "The Holy Ghost."

-My girls have come down with a serious love of washable body art, which was inspired from a little visit from Grandma Cook's house while I was at a Dr. appointment. I came back to Ruby being fully tattooed with glasses, spiders, flowers, chair on her leg, a rainbow, and a purple mustache. Mind you my mother did beautiful work, in fact it could have become her full time profession. Ruby assured me it would come off with a wipe. To this day the girls love a little self produced body art, Ruby always has a rainbow on her hand and Emma whatever contact she can make with the marker. Yes, my girls had fun yesterday.







At preschool yesterday, they made witches hats. When I came to pick Miss Ruby up her teacher stopped me at the door to tell me of a tangent Ruby went off on in class. She told her teacher that they "Aren't witches hats but wizard hats like Mary Potter wears. I listen to Mary Potter in the car but mommy won't let me watch it because it is too scary. But when I am older she will let me and Emma watch it." I am so glad that Mrs. Rodabaugh shares these little tidbits with me because I wouldn't know about them otherwise.



As for the pregnancy everything has been going extremely well. I have had a cold and sometimes in the morning the congestion causes my stomach to constrict when I cough. One morning when I got sick I had to use the girls bathroom because Jed was in ours. Ruby came screeching into our room screaming "Daddy! Mommies throwing up!" Once I came out I told her I was ok, and she said "Someday mommy, when I get big, I'm going to throw up just like you."

Homemade decor

I have things that I want to put up decoration wise for Halloween but we don't have furniture in our upstairs living room, or the Rod works sofa table I have my heart set on. Which should all be remedied soon. So yesterday afternoon I was trying to think of a way to put up some decorations that wouldn't require something to set them on. Ruby was a great helper at putting on the googly eyes and putting the paper chain together. It took a lot more time than I had anticipated, but I really enjoyed the time spent with her.





I also took our first picture of the girls on the porch. Did I mention I love having a porch? I also really like the little people sitting on it.





I am really looking forward to this upcoming weekend. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Ruby has school pictures tomorrow.
2. We are headed to Sandy to get Ruby's glasses adjusted. (They are a slightly askew since she has been introduced to our neighbors trampoline.)
3. Maceys is having their cereal extravaganza .98 cents a box. What's not to love?
4. I am purchasing cable knit tights for the girls and a few other essentials.
5. Jed and I will be going to the BYU game Friday evening together, and freezing ourselves silly. Mother dearest is watching the girls so we can go. Jed's dad will be in Hawaii so it was only appropriate that I ask to mooch his ticket.
6. Conference weekend! I love hearing the Lord's servants speak to us giving sound council and encouragement. I am also secretly thrilled about the roast in our fridge for Sunday dinner. It is quite possible that no one loves roast beast more than I.
7. Most of all I am ecstatic to have the whole weekend with my girls and the hubs. I think they are pretty cute.

Bring on the weekend!