blame it on the dog

asher has been super into purses lately.

and i don't mean into like he enjoys rummaging through mom's purse

{because that's nothing new, he's always been into that}.

i'm talking, he loves purses, and actually insists on taking one with him wherever we go.

today he chose one of ruby's, which is in reality a cosmetic case that use to belong to me.

i told him that we'd be leaving in just minutes to get ruby from school, and that he had better pack his purse quickly, or he'd be forced to leave it at home.

i hurriedly grabbed my shoes, my phone, my sunglasses, and a 20 0z bottle of diet coke,

meanwhile ash grabbed his things;

and simultaneously, the two of us walked out the front door...

purses in hand.

it wasn't until we were headed home, two hours {and a trip to the mall} later,

that i was made privy {thank you, ruby} to the contents of asher's purse.

a toucan pencil topper

a silly band in the shape of a truck

a single sheet of notebook paper containing a scribbled design - probably created by asher himself

a few play tools

one of ruby's headbands

a fry's vip shopper's card

and a butcher knife from the kitchen.

yeah, you read it right...a butcher knife from the kitchen.

i about died.

how does this boy come up with these things?

and the fact that he's still alive, in spite of all the things he comes up with, is even more of a wonder to me.

i did my best on the car ride home to explain the dangers of carrying an open blade knife in one's purse.

i pleaded. i implored. and even disciplined.

but after all that, what does he do?

blames it entirely {along with his poopy diaper} on dix-d.

poor, defenseless little canine.

.

counterbalance

john and i decided to take the challenge (given by my friend sarah) to run 100 miles in 100 days.
that's just one simple mile a day...but it's a heck of a lot more than we're doing right now
{which is nothing...in case you were wondering}.
We ran our first mile together as a family {tonight for FHE} at the junior high track.
i was so proud of my kids...especially ruby, who ran the entire mile, taking only one or two short rests in between. we were all sweating and feeling so proud of our accomplishment...

and then we came home and made pizookies for dessert.



we've got problems.

we really, really love him

he comes to town bearing gifts for each member of our family.

he doesn't complain about having to sleep in the kids' room on a twin bed.

he doesn't mind being dragged out to the mall
{which i happen to know, is not one of his favorite places}
to get pictures of the kids in their easter clothes with the easter bunny.

{and after reading the sign prohibiting the use of personal cameras and other devices, he insists on paying for the pictures himself - and pays a ridiculous price for them, i might add}.



he squeezes in the back seat, between both kids and their car seats, and has a smile on his face the entire time.
{and the kids do too, because he tickles them incessantly, and they still beg him for more}.

he treats us to lunch...and carousel rides.



and then spends a nice chunk of his afternoon building volcanoes, reading books, crawling on the floor playing cars, and blowing bubbles with his grandchildren {in the freezing cold rain, no less}.



and then does the volcano all over again, because asher was asleep the first time.




he buys us dinner {five guys - my new favorite},
and joins us for a movie {true grit - my new favorite}.

and wakes up especially early on sunday morning to help me get the kids ready for church.

and pays an exorbitant penny for a plane ticket to arizona, to see his son-in-law {yes, my john} get put into the bishopric, and ordained to the office of high priest {say what?! yeah, this news merits it's very own post, wouldn't you say?}.

but THIS post is about my dad, because geez, what would i ever do without him?
and what would john ever do without his father-in-law?
and what would our children ever do without their grandpa?

{and how does that old saying go? behind every great man there's a great woman?
something like that?
well, my step-mom, lynell, IS the greatest.
i know she would have been right by his side, if she didn't have to be in new york running a festival.
in fact, i'm sure it was she who encouraged him to come, and maybe even gave him the idea of bringing gifts for each of us.
she truly is a sweetheart. i'll forever be thankful to my Father in Heaven for her, and for her continued love, encouragement, and support.}

we dropped grandpa off at the airport last night, and ruby cried the whole way home. and then in her bedtime prayer, she thanked heavenly father that her aunt angie is getting married this summer so that we can go to utah and see grandpa.

and then tonight, as we sat around the table for dinner, she looked at grandpa's empty chair, and again, she cried.

my mother-in-law, judy {who also came to town this weekend to support john - bless her heart}, always reminds me that it's a good thing to be sad when your loved ones depart...

because that means you really, really love them.

pre-trek trekking

i asked ruby if she liked this picture of me and john.
she hesitated for a moment and said, well when i first looked at it, my brain didn't really like it.
what do you mean your brain didn't like it? i questioned.
i really like it, she went on, i really do. i think you and dad look great.
but my brain just saw it and said ewww.



our stake is doing a youth pioneer trek this summer. john has been called to be over all the ma's and pa's. it's a pretty big job. he and a few others from the trek committee recently held a mini-trek for all the leaders so we might know what to expect come june. we didn't go to the actual trek site for our mock run, instead we went somewhere much closer to home - a place covered with popular motorcycle trails. as a result, we {literally} crossed paths with several motorcyclists {and forest rangers asking for our permits, which we didn't have...oops}, who i'm sure thought we were completely our of our minds. a colony of people pretending to be from the mid 1800's - dressed in pioneer garb and pulling handcarts. in fact, i'm positive that their first impressions of us were in harmony with the thoughts going through ruby's head when she saw that picture. ewwww.

we are a peculiar people. but that's something i will forever be proud of, and always take as a compliment. i'm so excited to have this experience. not only of working with the youth - which i always love - but also because i know it will give me a better understanding of what our dear pioneer ancestor's had to endure...
if only just a glimpse.

april fool's day flop

i thought i'd be so funny and trick the kids today by offering them styrofoam balls - dipped in chocolate.
totally backfired on me.
i mean, who would have thought they'd devour them the way that they did?
i take that back. i figured asher might. he's my child who loves chapstick and contact solution, and who voraciously inhales anything that goes into his mouth like it's the last thing he'll ever be given to eat.

i apologize for my annoyance in the video. i was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down my face.
poor ruby seems so confused.
i think next year i'll do chocolate covered brussels sprouts, or radishes.

on a different note, today we hit a record high temperature of 100 degrees.
no april foolsin' this time around.
it was a HOT one.

snuggle buddy

whether it's bed time or nap time, she is THE BEST little snuggle buddy.
and i'll tell you one thing, the two of us {while snuggling} have been known to giggle harder than a couple of school girls, especially when it's supposed to be 'lights out'.
although i hope that some day she outgrows wanting to sleep in mom and dad's bed {every night},
i desperately hope she never stops snuggling with her mother.

az living

we love living in arizona for so many reasons, but especially for it's gorgeous weather.
while our friends and family are scraping the snow off their cars back home in salt lake, we're sitting on the lawn watching a baseball game {in the 85 degree temps}. it just isn't fair, is it?
spring training is the best.
last year we hit up an A's game, this year it was the cubs vs. {our very own} diamond backs.
nothing like throwing down a blanket, and sitting around eating dogs, and nachos, and big tall ice-cold sodas, with the people who mean the very most to you in the whole wide world.
it's heaven.
and spring training wouldn't be spring training without all those sun bathers. in fact, i'd be willing to bet that more than half the lawn tickets were purchased by people who love the sun way more than they love baseball.
check out this bikini clad woman in the photo below. i was pretty impressed as she demonstrated her ability to multi-task. she was able to get a tan, watch the baseball game, and exercise, all at the same time. she was really working those legs while she was standing there cheering for the cubs. squats, leg lifts,
you name it, she was doing it.



we ended up bailing after about 4 innings because we were dripping from the heat. go ahead now, feel sorry for us now.
after all, AZ living can be pretty rough.

amazing

we were running late this morning.
i was rushing to get myself and asher ready for a dr's appointment,
and john was jumping in the shower with the objective of being ready for work in 20 minutes flat.
that left no one to get ruby ready...except for ruby.
i told her to run fast and pick out an outfit.
i figured she would throw a fit because she hates going anywhere alone - even if it's just to her bedroom.
surprisingly, she complied, obliging dix-d {our vicious yorkie guard dog} to accompany her.
she came back a few minutes later, looking like this.
not only did she pick out her own outfit, but she fixed her own hair too.she was so proud.she came back into my room - totally beaming - and said, mom, isn't this the most amazing hair-do? everything inside of me wanted to say no, it's a bit troubling, actually, {i'm so grateful i didn't}.
alternatively, i smiled, and said,
it IS amazing ruby...and so are you.
{because she truly is.}

elizabeth and rosie

i'd like to introduce you to elizabeth and rosie. ruby's babies.



we have had these pig hand-puppets for gosh, i'd say two years now...
so it's funny to me that ruby has just now discovered them.
over the past three days, she has taken a personal interest in their comfort and well-being;
and in fact, has hardly left their side.
she makes sure that their diapers are changed regularly, that they have food to eat, and that all other needs are being met.
yesterday she informed me that elizabeth had just thrown up, and that she had taken care of it already.
i told her she was a wonderful mommy.
on friday she and the piglets watched charlotte's web upon her request.
she told me that she thought her babies would like it since it was a story about a pig. you know? something they could relate to.
this girl kills me with her sense of humor and downright unimaginable...

imagination.

little helper

i experienced a brief moment of panic today when i couldn't find asher anywhere in the house.
i ran from room to room, calling his name.

and then i noticed that the back sliding glass door was open...



and there he was,
in his favorite pair of sister's boots,
pushing his trusty mower back and forth across our sad looking grass.

but hey, the lawnmower seems happy to finally be doing what he loves.

teacher

ruby just finished her 15th book this evening, meaning that tomorrow at school, she will become a 'teacher'. she has been talking about this for weeks, and is totally excited to receive her teacher badge and be able to help her classmates with their reading. she was a reading machine last week over spring break. she took home 4 books, and finished them all. in this reading program, each book must be read {to an adult} a total of 20 times. that means she read almost 80 times last week. whoa! that's a lot. at one point during the week, though, she had had enough. she announced to me that she no longer wanted to be a teacher, that she would rather just be a mom. actually, she said, i want to be an artist mom, NOT a teacher mom. i think what she really wanted, and most definitely needed at that point, was a nap. she woke up feeling good, and ready to read again. today, as she was finishing up her 15th book, she said to me, mom, this book is hard, but it is so funny. and then she asked, mom? why does ms. arlene use such old words? i wasn't sure i understood what she was getting at, and had to ask for some clarification.well, it's weird because ms. arlene puts all the old words in the books, like, nephi. ha. this girl is so funny. it's been such a joy being able to witness this learning process, and then to watch as she develops a love for reading. who knows, maybe she actually will become a teacher some day.
although, she's still pretty set on being an artist mom.

drab

what happened to the beautiful spring weather we've been having? saturday was the best. we spent a good portion of the day outside just soaking up the beauty of it all. the scent of the orange blossoms was overpowering. i couldn't get enough of it. i even blogged about it, but sadly, that post still sits in my drafts folder. i have way too many of those...you know, the ones that were started, but for one reason or another, never finished? it makes me sad. maybe one day i'll just go back through and finish them all, and then publish them. wouldn't that be fun. there's probably 20 or more of them. not today though. that rain makes me want to do one thing, and one thing only...get back into my bed, and snuggle with my rube. so that's exactly what we'll do. and i'm pretty sure the rain decided to come today, just because we had big plans to hit up a middle of the day spring training game.
just my luck.

i can cabay the mandments

We recently decided to split our family home evenings into two nights. On Sundays, we have a spiritual message or lesson; and on mondays, we go out and do something fun together. Tonight we were reviewing Ruby's primary lesson from earlier today -which was on baptism. We talked about the importance of baptism, we talked about Christ's baptism, we talked about John the Baptist, we discussed the significance of wearing white,and the symbolism in being immersed fully in the water.We talked about the importance of being baptized by one who has the proper authority. And we explained to her that once she reaches the age of 8 - which is the age of accountability - she, herself, will have the opportunity to follow the Savior by entering the waters of baptism. Her eyes lit up at that. We then proceeded to ask her a few questions, Ruby, what are some things you can be doing now to prepare for your own baptism?
Ummmm, well...
I can read my scriptures, I can say my prayers, and I can cabay all the mandments.
So befitting of such perfect childlike innocence.
I wish she could stay like this forever.
Plus I've been loving her pajama ensembles lately. Tonight she picked out a Christmas top, some Halloween bottoms, and a pair of Easter ankle socks.
I love her so much, I can't stand it.

green grub

One day, when my kids are older, and have {hopefully} developed an appreciation for fine foods - our St. Patrick's Day dinner menu might read something like this:

emerald-isle green on greens salad
blarney soup
glazed corned beef, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage
irish brown soda bread
dubliner cheese tart

But because they are kids - and would just as soon eat chicken nuggets and macaroni & cheese every night for dinner - our special st. patrick's dinner menu, in reality, was a far cry from anything irish, and more of just a giant green spread:

fruit platter - granny smith apples, green grape clumps, sliced kiwi, cubed honeydew
green fruit dip
veggie tray - celery sticks, cucumbers, broccoli florets, green bell-pepper strips
green veggie dip
green and white glass block jello
dad's white irishman and jones sodas to drink
and key lime tarts for dessert

added bonus: mini pot of gold place settings for everyone.

The kids {and john} thought it was the coolest...which in mom's book, translates to - SUCCESS.



And also, in honor of St. Patty's day,

An Old Irish blessing
for all {five} of my readers:

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

lucky

i'm the luckiest.



big big plans for today. stay tuned.

extraordinary

this little boy is the best. i seriously love him more and more every day. he's quirky, and fun, and adventurous, and full of more life than anyone i know. he's happy, and funny, and good natured, and just so completely unique...sometimes even downright crazy. but that's exactly what i love about him. today i told him we were going to the river with some friends. he ran into the garage, and came back with this snow hat (woven by yours truly) atop his little noggin', and his favorite pair of hot pink vampire teeth inside his mouth. i'm ready, he insisted.and so off to the river we went. it's 90 degrees out there, for cryin' out loud. you see what i mean? he turns every ordinary moment into something extraordinary. i'll tell you one thing...my life turned far from ordinary the moment he entered it, and i thank my Heavenly Father every day for trusting me {and blessing me} with such an extraordinary gift.

blackmail

i'm hanging on to these. they may be of great use to me at some future point.

a little piece of sunshine

the world lost a little piece of sunshine today


we just found out that our dear friend and "grandpa" george passed away this morning.

our poor little hearts can hardly handle it.

so many memories and so much love.
may God bless and keep you, sweet george...
'til we meet again.

the whole live long day

does anyone else loathe ironing as much as i do? i doubt it. i guess if i wouldn't let it pile up like i do, then it wouldn't turn into such a daunting chore. but alas, this is what i did all day long...



...while the children watched episode upon episode of charlie and lola. when they started speaking to each other in british accents, i concluded that they had viewed one charlie and lola too many.
on the plus side, i should have a pretty happy husband tonight when he takes a peek into his closet - which has been completely destitute of work attire for...well...probably months now.


rango for family night tonight. hip hip.

the joys of sharing

john and i are down to just one car right now. the one i usually drive has been sitting in our driveway for a week now, with either a bad battery, or a bad alternator. hopefully we can get it taken care of soon, because i feel like i am now spending more time in the car, than i am at home. makes me realize just how much john does for me when we both have a car to drive. just the fact that he takes ruby to school every morning, i've discovered, is HUGE. already today, i've backed out, and pulled into my driveway, probably more times than i have fingers to count. to bootcamp and back, to the grocery store and back, to drop ruby off at school and back, to pick ruby up from school and back, to the grocery store and back (you'd think i'd just go ahead and get everything in one trip...but no, i like to complicate things), and finally, to pick ruby up from playgroup and back.
all before 1:15 in the afternoon. phewww. i'm ready for a nap.

and i'd like my car back.