dear LIZZIEJANE,

10 on 10: january

2012-01-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

I hesitated this month when it came to documenting another 10 on 10. What could I possibly do different than last time? How could I prevent it from being redundant each month? Isn't it a little soon to be asking these questions since this is only month 2? Well, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see that life has its own things in store, & the day I documented ended up being wonderful. This month was another lesson in seeing the beauty of everyday life. I was able to capture the sweet personalities of my two children, as well as my husband & wonderful friends. I'm grateful for these preserved memories that this project gives me.

8:00 am - Ruby Jane is sleeping soundly.

9:00 am - retrieving some cereal that dropped on the barstool.

10:00 am - Will gets so excited when his daddy comes home. he can't wait to tell him all the fun things he's been up to.

11:00 am - Ruby finishes her shower & kicks her feet & talks to us while waiting in the bassinet.

12:00 pm - getting ready to drive down to the bay area when Scott notices we have a flat tire. Will did his part to help.

1:00 pm - on the road. sunglasses on & baishie in hand (Will's lion blanket that he takes everywhere).

it didn't take long before this guy was out. he seriously has the most beautiful eyelashes & has since day one. i just can't get over them.

2:00 pm - Ruby meets my other mother & sister for the first time. we've been life-long friends, & they're practically family.

3:00 pm - love this girly.

Ruby bonds with her godmother & my best friend, Caitlin.

4:00 pm - i loved capturing the look on my husband's face while he smiled at our sweet daughter. it's these tender, natural moments that i treasure.

5:00 pm - buckled up & ready to head back home.

to continue the blog circle, head on over to Julie Ander's 10 on 10.

my week according to my phone {1/52}

2012-01-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

Sunday -

1. enjoying the christmas tree for a little longer before it needs to come down.

2. Ruby lounging on the rocker in the mother's lounge at church. she's looking pretty content. haha!

Monday -
3. delicious breakfast of eggs w/ peppers, mushrooms & salsa and Will eating peanut butter & honey toast.
4. getting ready to pack up the christmas decorations
5. Will took an unexpected nap around 5:00. it was impossible to wake him up, so we just had a late night.

Tuesday -
6. i love watching Scott when he's telling his paramedic stories. he's so passionate about it!
7. we drove down to danville to see my best friend & godmother of our children, Caitlin.
8. sweet babe nursing - such a blessing to be able to provide for her.

Wednesday -
9. Ruby had her 4 month checkup & shots
10. Scott cut down the christmas tree - he found 3 cars & a toy grasshopper & bee.
11. admiring all the beautiful christmas cards we received.

Thursday -
12. Will loves to help me do the laundry.
13. worked on a self-portrait for my photography project.
14. I wear this necklace practically every day. it's a reminder of those who are most important in my life.

Friday -
15. we went to Boudin's for my favorite, clam chowder, after finishing a few holes of frisbee golf.

Saturday -
16. Will helped Ruby with her tummy time.
17. Ruby was wiped out & more than ready for her nap.

feel free to follow me on Instagram: @lizzie_jane

52 on Fridays | 1 - Be You {tiful}

2012-01-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

This is the start of a 52 week project I'm participating in with a group of photographers from near & far. Each Friday, we will post an image representing our weekly theme & then link to the next photographer to complete a blog circle. The purpose of this project is to challenge ourselves, to learn, experiment, & grow in the art of photography. I hope you come back often to check on our progress. It should be a fun year!

WEEK 1 - SELF-PORTRAIT

I was amazed at how difficult it was to take a self-portrait this week. First of all, I felt kind of ridiculous in front of the camera, especially being the only one in the frame. I felt even more ridiculous having to constantly play around with focus, set the timer, run & jump into my bathtub so I could stand in the correct place in front of my window, & then pretend like I wasn't a total dork for smiling at the wall since I had no one to interact with (at least someone who was eye-level with me). I'm telling you, it was awkward . . .

But at the same time, it was fun & empowering. I felt a lot more comfortable with me by the time I was finished. My inhibitions melted a bit, & I realized that this was something I could do. Maybe not perfectly, but that's not always the point. Do I wish I had more pictures to choose from that were in perfect focus &/or had great composition? Yes! But that doesn't really matter. What matters is that I had the courage to try something new. That I was able to put myself out there & risk making a fool of myself. There is a quote from one of my favorite movies, Strictly Ballroom, that says, "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived." I don't want to look back on my life regretting that I didn't take more chances, that I didn't share more of myself with others, that I feared failure too much to even give myself a chance at success.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

~ Marianne Williamson

Make sure to continue the blog circle with photographer, Jackie Petersen.

a new year

2012-01-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

It's the start of a new year! I love this time of year for all the new beginnings. It's a time to reflect on life, to set goals, to reevaluate my attitude & how I spend my time. It's a time to look back & celebrate the acomplishments of the year before, but more importantly, it's a time to look forward & decide how to improve as a mother, wife, friend, daughter of God . . . . It's a time to embark on new adventures, grand ones & seemingly small ones from my every day. It's a time to develop talents & to take on new challenges . . . or old ones with renewed force.

While thinking about things I wanted to focus on this upcoming year, I decided to set very few lofty goals. Instead, I'm breaking them down one month at a time (one week at a time if necessary). Planning for an entire year is daunting, but planning for a week or a month is doable.

our JANUARY family goals:

- read the scriptures every night

- do FHE each week

- take a family photo (it's nice to have evidence that I'm in this family too :)

- make a weekly meal plan & make one big trip to the grocery store each week instead of mini trips scattered throughout

- do one bigger family activity (I'm leaning towards sledding. Will's never really played in the snow, & I bet he'd love it!)

- get a bedtime routine down for the kids

- POTTY TRAIN WILL!

my PERSONAL goals for january:

- do my 10 on 10 photography assignment

- complete my weekly photography theme assignments

- set up an Elevate photo shoot (a fine art challenge) - If it's not obvious, I'm really jumping into photography this year with both feet, hands, & my head - completely submerging myself (without losing focus on my family & home!!!), so I can improve in technique & creativity.

- focus on decluttering my house for 15 minutes a day, rotating zones each week (you can't organize clutter!)

- read my January books - Matched, The Happiness Project, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Night Circus, The Greatest Knight

christmas lights

2011-12-13T22:45:00.000-08:00

Last night, Scott & I called some of our friends up to go look at Christmas lights for Family Home Evening. We started at our house where we had some hot chocolate, & then we drove to a neighborhood that is completely decked out for the holidays. We bundled up nice & warm & strolled around looking at all the fun displays.

(me w/ Will, the Taylor's, the Fisher's, & Ruby in her carseat)

racquetball tournament

2011-12-11T22:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the kids & I jumped in the car to drive down to San Ramon, so we could watch Scott play in a racquetball tournament. (His dad & he arrived there earlier in the day after Scott got off of work at the station.) It had been such a long time since he'd competed, & Will & I had a blast watching him. Will already idolizes his dad & wants to do everything he does.

Although Scott & his partner, Kevin, didn't win, they still played hard & had a great time!

We can't wait to watch him compete again!

just another day

2011-12-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

There is something infinitely beautiful about everyday life. It's the small & simple things that make us who we are . . . the small & simple choices that add up, one on top of the other, until our values & priorities are defined. Slowing down & capturing our lives as they are instead of just showing the "pretty" or idealized moments, gives us a glimpse of what is truly important to us. It offers the opportunity to see beauty all around us, even in the seemingly mundane moments.

This 10 on 10 project gives me the chance to capture life as it really is. Time moves so quickly, & before we know it, it has disappeared with so many intimate & precious moments lost with it.

Here's the gist:

10 photographers take

10+ photographs spaced over

10 hours of a single day

posted on the 10th of each month

I decided to post an extended version of the project on this blog b/c I'm too sentimental & want to share more pictures than is necessary for the actual project on my photo blog.

8:00 am - Will was throwing a tantrum & wouldn't stop crying while in the shower & after getting out.

9:00 am - Will watched neighbors outside the bathroom window while I got ready (& took pics). He saw a woman walking by & got super excited yelling out "Grandma!" (she wasn't even the same ethnicity - haha).

Will then played with his monster truck in the bathtub while Ruby started to get fussy.

I took a self-portrait (kind of embarassing, but hey, whatever).

10:00 am - Will helped me give Ruby a bath, & then I got her fixed up right nice, so she wouldn't "spill" (as Will calls it) all over the floor.

11:00 am - play time: the "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign says it all.

12:00 pm - cuddling with Ruby after she's finished her lunch.

1:00 pm - met up with Scott & some friends at Chic-fil-A

2:00 pm - stopped at the grocery store, apparently for chocolate milk. Will kept finding random goodies to throw in the cart.

3:00 pm - Our Christmas Elf came to visit our home for the holidays. Will named him "Elfie." I know, you wish your kid was this creative, but not everyone's so blessed. ;)

4:00 - Will & I made Jam Thumbprints.

5:00 - Enjoying our yummy cookies!

What a roadtrip to Tehachapi looks like

2011-11-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

This last week, we braved a fairly long roadtrip down to Tehachapi. While looking through some photography blogs earlier in the week, I was inspired by a project that many of them were participating in: "What _________ looks like." I decided to give it a try & document our roadtrip down to visit Scott's hometown. As it turns out, these ended up being my favorite pictures that I took of the entire trip. It was such a fun project to work on!

We started out with a stop to McDonald's to get Will a "cheese-booger," in other words, a cheeseburger with nothing on it but a bun & cheese - no condiments, & definitely no meat. This kid is seriously the pickiest eater ever!

After a couple of hours of being on the road, we hit a traffic jam. It took us about an hour to drive 7 miles. Thank goodness the kids were asleep, or it would have been Hell.

Every time we drive down Highway 99 or Highway 5, we always pass a bunch of stinky cows. If you don't turn the air on recycle, you will pass out &/or gag for a good 5 minutes. The stench is disgusting.

The sky & landscape were beautiful as we drove past (minus the cows). The vineyards looked like they were glowing in the sun. I just couldn't get over how pretty they were.

After driving about five hours, Ruby finally woke up & wanted a snack. By this point, we were 30 minutes from our destination, so we made it a quick stop & then hurried on our way.

It's always such a peaceful & relaxing feeling to arrive in Tehachapi. It's so secluded from everything else, & we have many fond memories of the place. We had a dream roadtrip, apart from the earlier traffic jam, & continued to have a wonderful stay with Scott's family throughout the Thanksgiving holiday.

it's already been seven years?

2011-11-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Scott & I celebrated our 7th Anniversary.

We started out the day by meeting up with my mom, so Will could go spend the weekend with Nana & Papa. On our way home, Scott proposed we walk around Old Town Sacramento for a bit. As it turned out, he had really bought us some tickets to take a ride on the "Capitol Hornblower" (nice name, right?). When we got on board, we looked around, & one of the first things out of Scott's mouth was, "Nothing's too good for my woman" while trying to hold in a laugh. Let's just say the boat wasn't the most appealing thing. While the boat was a bit on the cheeseball side, it was still fun to actually go on the river together for the first time since living here.

After our little river-faring adventure, we went for a walk through Old Town & drooled over all the beautiful architecture, old brick, vines climbing up the buildings . . . It was beautiful. Of course having Ruby along with us made it even more fun. She just sat in her carseat & smiled & cooed a good part of the time. She's seriously the happiest baby.

I wish I would have actually gotten some cool pictures of our walk, but I was too enthralled by everything to even attempt. I just wanted to soak it all up.

When we finished our walk, Scott surprised me with dinner reservations to Ruths Chris Steakhouse. And man is there food delish! It was only made better by Ruby needing to nurse through practically the entire dinner. Talk about romantic! Not only that, but the waiters kept coming over to see how we were doing & kept trying to ignore what I was doing even though it was awkwardly obvious. I can't imagine they see that too often in such a fancy restaurant. It was awesome.

And wouldn't you know this is the only picture of us together on our anniversary. That's what I get for relying on my phone.

Thanks for the fun babe! It's been an incredible seven years, & I hope to have many, many more with you.

a glance at a mini part of our day

2011-11-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today, we drove up to Auburn to look around town. I got the kids out of the car, & we explored for a few minutes. Seeing Will's curiosity as we walked around reminded me of the importance of seeing beauty & taking pleasure in the small & simple things. Any time we get down on the same level as a child, it can open our eyes to so many seemingly small wonders & joys around us.

Hunger Games Trailer - WOW!

2011-11-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

Whoa dang!!!! Am I a total nerd that I cried when watching this? I loved this series, & seeing the adaptation of it to a movie just gives me the chills. I am so excited for this one!

Maternity Shoot - Tiffani

2011-11-11T00:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, I asked my great friend Tiffani if I could take some maternity photos of her. I'm in the process of building my portfolio before officially starting my photography business.

Tiffani is very photogenic, & I came away from the photo shoot with so many beautiful pictures of her.

Here's a small sample:

my first photo shoot & a nature walk

2011-11-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have contemplated getting into photography for quite a few years now. I think the huge amount of photographers out there, many who are my friends, has made me question whether or not my own skills (or lack thereof) would really be valuable to anyone. And I was scared of stepping on anyone's toes who thought I could possibly be infringing on their hobby or business.

(I know . . . lame of me to think that.)

It wasn't until this last week, when I finally decided to brave a photo shoot of my beautiful niece, that I thought I might actually have the determination & courage to put myself out there & start working on this - after all, it's something I love to do, so why let fear get in the way of my trying?

Life's too short for that.

After finishing my photo shoot with Allyssa-Rae, I was on a high & immediately wanted to try again. I asked my great friend, Tiffani, if I could take some maternity pictures of her as well. She said yes, so yesterday, I went on a little excursion to get some ideas for her pictures, & it turned into a beautiful & peaceful nature walk.

Halloween 2011 - a gwragon & a peacwok

2011-11-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday evening, we went to a neighborhood potluck to hang out with friends & celebrate Halloween.

Will loved flying around in his "gwragon" costume while Ruby sat pretty in Scott's or my arms dressed as a "peacwock."

It was so much fun watching Will run around with his little buddies - Jake (the caterpillar) in particular.We practiced saying "trick-or-treat" before heading out, & by the time we finished, Will was a pro.

Ruby's baby blessing

2011-11-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Over this last weekend, we had a full house with all the family & friends who came to support us for Ruby's baby blessing.

Allyssa-Rae & Ruby - - - Scott & me

the men having lunch together

Aunt Marilynn made some beautiful beanies for Will & Ruby.

Allyssa-Rae & Kayla - - - me with my sweet little girl after her blessing

my brother Rich with Ruby - - - my sister Susan bedazzled Ruby's blessing shoes before sending the gown & acsessories to us. Ruby also received a pretty little bracelet from my mom.

all the wonderful men in Ruby's life (with the exception of a couple who had to leave early)

my dad, Dennis, Brad, Mark

Steven, Scott & the babe, Dwight, Rich

relaxing with my baby while my big boy runs around with his friends & cousins

The Tale of Lunarmorte series

2011-10-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

While looking at my friends' updates on goodreads, I noticed that one of them had recently read a bunch of books by an author named Samantha Young. I'd never heard of her before, but after looking at the books' descriptions & then seeing how inexpensive they were on the Kindle, I decided to give them a try. Plus the fact that they were YA paranormal fiction just added to my curiosity. If you didn't know yet, I'm a huge sucker for these types of books. I blame it on my Twilight obsession from a few years ago. From there, it just bloomed & grew (that doesn't sound nearly as good as "bloom & grow" (quick, name that song!) in fact, it just sounds awkward . . . oh well, I'm sticking with it).

Well, once I got started on this series, I was hooked, & it took a lot of will power to put them down. They were fun & fast-paced, & after finishing, I didn't even want to start reading a new book b/c I was stuck on my high from these. Are they really that good? Maybe, maybe not. They needed a serious editor b/c the errors were everywhere! But being completely sucked into the story, I quickly got used to ignoring them. I loved the strong female characters, & the author's format in telling the story was so well done. It made me think of watching a TV show, namely Alias, where you'd see the character in a certain situation, but then it would suddenly take you back to . . . for example . . . earlier that day to let you know why such & such person is acting or thinking a certain way. By the time the series was over, I had laughed out loud, cried, wanted to b-slap some of the characters . . . . Perhaps it's because I read them so close together that I was so caught up in the story & felt so many emotions while reading. Whatever the reason, I really loved these books & would recommend them to anyone who loves a fun, creative, paranormal YA series.

(Warning, they are for older YA. The recommended age is 16+, but I might make it 18+.)

click on book covers to go to descriptions

curry chicken casserole

2011-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Last night, I made my mom's Curry Chicken Casserole, something I haven't done in a long time. I forgot how much I loved it!

broccoli florets (1-2 crowns)

2 cooked chicken breasts

1 15 oz. can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. mayonaise

1 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. curry powder

fresh bread crumbs

melted butter

grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook chicken breasts just until done (I boil mine with a little salt - don't overdue it, or they'll be tough). Cool & cut into bite size pieces. Lightly steam broccoli & drain well. Stir together soup, mayo, lemon juice & curry powder to make a sauce. Spray an 8" baking dish with cooking spray. Layer chicken & broccoli & then top with sauce. Make buttered bread crumbs by pulsing torn up bread slices in food processor. Pour melted butter over bread crumbs & toss to coat. Sprinkle sauce with grated cheddar cheese & top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350 until bread crumbs are toasty (about 30 minutes). Serves 4 (double the recipe to fit in a 9x13 pan)

(When I made mine, I baked the casserole & then added the cheese to the top & baked for another 5 minutes. Either way works.)

a mini reunion of friends & their babes

2011-10-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I met up with some of my great friends from the good ol' days. We went through 6 years of girls' camp together, frequented concerts (Reel Big Fish, Yellowcard, Ataris, Aquabats . . .), sang & danced in Showbiz, partied it up at the Stake Dances, roomed together our freshman year at BYU, played night games in the park, raided vending machines . . . let's just say we had a blast together over the years!

Marisa holding Ruby, her husband Rob & daughter Fara, Emily's husband Jason holding Jane

Emily & I have been great friends since 8th grade, & wouldn't you know it, we ended up having baby girls born within 9 days of each other.

Emily & Jane, me & Ruby

Now all we need is Caitlin & her Olivia to join in. Then we'd have a complete set of roommates with their baby girls.

Love you ladies & babies. It was grand seeing you all!

Will turns 3!

2011-10-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Our little boy turned three last week! How is that possible?!! It amazes me how fast time is moving, & it just seems to spin faster & faster.

Since Scott had to work on Will's actual birth-day last Sunday, we postponed celebrating until Wednesday. We originally planned to take Will to different places around town to ride the train at the outdoor mall, play at the park, pick out a treat at a bakery . . . but once we got in the car, we changed our plans to make the day more out of the ordinary for him - we took him to the Sacramento Zoo (a first for all of us, & we had a blast!).

Will ran from one thing to the next, making it difficult to even keep up with him. He was so excited to see all the many different animals. He finally settled down while sticking his head through the cardboard safari cutout b/c the train made its appearance while going around the zoo. He was enthralled by it, & had a look of such pure happiness on his face as it passed by.

As we prepared to leave the zoo, Will climbed up on a fence to look at some monkeys. I started taking some pictures (I know, even more - like I didn't already have enough) when he stepped down, lost his balance & fell backwards, smacking his head on the pavement. He was bawling, & when he finally calmed down enough to gasp some words out, he kept pointing at the cage & repeating, "Monkey hurt me. Monkey hurt me." How do you reason with a three-year-old that the monkey didn't push him or hit him, but that he just fell? It only made things worse that about a month ago, while we were downstairs in the kitchen, he heard a loud boom upstairs & got completely freaked out. He kept saying, "Monkey go boom upstairs." I don't know where this whole monkey fear came from, but he had nightmares for a couple nights following that. So of course it had to be monkeys he was looking at when he fell down & hurt himself. If only it could have been another animal. He still talks about the monkeys hitting him & making him bonk his head.

After leaving the zoo, we crossed the street to spend some time at Fairytale Town

(not nearly as cool as the zoo).

For Will's birthday dinner & dessert, we had Mickey Mouse waffles with whipped cream.

Talk about a happy kid!

We had an awesome day celebrating Will's birth into our family. We are so grateful for him & love him more than we thought possible to love a child.

Happy Birthday Mister!

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

our goings on according to my phone

2011-10-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Scott & Will take a lot of naps together. Will is such a daddy's boy, & I think the new baby has made it even more that way.

Will & I went to the park last week while Scott was at work. I met up with some friends & their kids while their husbands were at the priesthood session of conference. Will particularly loved playing with the trucks in the sand.

Will & Baby Ruby - he pesters her a lot, but she doesn't usually seem to mind. She shares most of her smiles with him.

I was sick earlier this week (I think from being overly tired), & I woke up to notes from Scott that he scattered throughout the house before going off to work for the next couple days. They were in the fridge, on the cereal box, in the car, & I finally saw this one while getting ready for bed. It made me especially happy.

Pictures never do a beautiful sky justice, especially when taken with a phone. This was taken after the rain had recently stopped. The clouds & light shining through them were incredible.

Will likes to get ready with me in the morning. He loves to put on my headbands, but was extra pleased when I put a rubberband in his hair. He couldn't stop staring at himself.

Today, Scott, Will, Ruby & I went to Costa Vida to meet up with one of Scott's friends from PA School. I sat in the car before going in to feed Ruby her lunch. There's something so gratifying about being able to offer nourishment to your child. I'm so glad that I've been able to nurse this time around without any sickness (keeping fingers crossed that it stays that way).

Love her little shoes.

1 month old

2011-09-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Ruby has already been in our home for 1 month! Time is moving so quickly - too quickly in my opinion. Ruby has been such a joy. She is such a cuddly, sweet girl, & we all love her so much.

- enjoys tummy time

- loves to sleep on her side & to spread her little body out

- starting to smile more & more

- laughed for the first time today

- doesn't cross her eyes nearly as much as when she was born

- loves to be held . . . a lot

- her arms, thighs, & chins are filling out more & more each day

Will Time

2011-09-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

After my mom & Susan left us & before Dennis & Gail came to take their place, Scott & I decided we needed to take Will out to do something fun & solely for him (& not the baby). Before the day got too hot, we drove to a neighborhood park we hadn't been to before & let Will run around & play with the other kids there. Scott & I took shifts with him while the other sat with Ruby in the shade.

Will had such a great time climbing up & down the playground & after some encouragement, he finally braved a couple of the slides. He also made friends with two little girls &, while they ran past him to one of the slides while laughing & screaming, he'd raise his hands in the air like claws & growl, "cookie monsterrrrr." He got so into it, his arms shook whenever he'd turn into the monster. It was so fun watching him with his new friends & seeing all of their excitement. It was great to have a morning dedicated to our sweet guy. I'm so nervous he'll feel like he's been passed over with Ruby joining the family. We're trying really hard to show him how much we love him.This is definitely a transition, but it's been a fun one.

1st week with a second child

2011-09-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

In the hospital - a few hours old:

When Will came to meet Ruby, the first thing he said was, "Oh wow!" He then got super excited & started pointing out the fact that she had a nose, eyes, lips, ears . . . . let's just say he was impressed by his baby sister.

1 day old:

My sister, Susan, flew out from Utah to spend the first week of Ruby's life helping my mom with cooking & cleaning while I started my recovery. Dennis & Gail were also able to come up for the first couple days to help out with Will & meet their granddaughter.

Susan - - - Gail

2 days old:

My dad stopped by on his way home from Oregon to meet Ruby & have a mini birthday celebration (Ruby was due on his birthday, but decided to come a day early). Will was excited to help him blow out the birthday candles.

3 days old:

Ruby had her first doctor appointment & weighed in at 7 lb 6 oz.

6 days old:

Rich, Spencer, Chase, Kailee & my cousin Kyle came to visit Ruby on their way home from a Labor Day weekend boating trip.

Will loved "playing" Super Smash Brothers with his cousins while they were here.

Our first week with 2 children was a success, & we loved having so much family around!

welcome to our beautiful baby girl

2011-09-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, I had my 40 week appointment to see how my pregnancy was progressing. My doctor told me it wouldn't be long before the baby came, defnitely before the week was up. I was 80% effaced & dilated to a 2.5. To speed things up, he recommended walking & eating tomato & garlic pizza. Well, after my appointment, I was pretty uncomfortable & kept pacing around, hoping that would help labor start. Around 5:30 (6 hours after my doctor appointment), my mom & I got Will in the car to go get some pizza at BJ's Brewery for dinner. Once in the car, my contractions started. They got more & more painful, so I started timing them - about every 4 or 5 minutes apart. I wasn't sure if they were legitimate contractions or not, so we kept driving to dinner, got inside, & ordered our food (of course, I was in enough pain & having contractions every 3 minutes by now, so when the waitress asked me what I wanted, I couldn't talk & kept firmly tapping the menu to let her know. She didn't get the hint, so I finally had to tell her "BJ's Favorite" through gritted teeth & a hard contraction.). Before our dinner even came, I told my mom I had to get to the hospital. The waitress ran behind us with our boxed-up pizza. I couldn't wait to tell my doctor that just getting in the car on my way to get pizza, my labor had started. I didn't even have to take a single bite of it for the garlic & tomato to kick in.

We got to the hospital where I was hooked up & monitored to determine whether or not my labor was genuine. Turns out it was. My mom & Will sat in the room with me (actually, Will climbed around the different machines & kept saying, "Oh wow!" whenever he saw something interesting), & then Scott showed up. I was so grateful to have him walk in the room (looking all fancy in his firefighter uniform), & felt instantly better having him there with me. By this point, I was 80% effaced & dilated to a 4. The nurses took me to my labor & delivery room, & within the next hour or two, I had my epidural (thank goodness for numbing medicine!). After another couple hours, the midwife came in & broke my "bag of water" (does that phrase sound funny to anyone else?), hoping to speed up the process. She predicted the baby would be here in 4 hours. I thought differently, but kept my mouth shut. At this point, my contactions got so bad that even though I had an epidural, I got really nauseous & was shaking horribly (again, so grateful I couldn't feel the contractions very well). Two hours after my water was broken, the midwife checked me & said it was time to start pushing. Within four contractions, our little girl was safely delivered to us.

our new addition

My entire pregnancy, Scott & I could not come up with a name for a little girl. We had a long list of potentials, but nothing stuck. At one point, we even decided on the name Camilla Jane, but after hearing people refer to my baby girl as "Camilla" or "Millie," I just couldn't take it. It just didn't sound right to me. The week prior to our baby girl's birth, Scott & I finally narrowed our list of names down to 5, & these were the names Scott listed on the whiteboard in the labor & delivery room.

As soon as the baby was born & the nurses handed her to me, I instantly felt like she was a Ruby. This thought was confirmed even more to both Scott & me when everyone in the room kept commenting on her beautiful rosy lips (they referred to them as little rosebuds) & her healthy red skin. She was our beautiful little Ruby. While the nurses cleaned her up, weighed her & performed their tests, I looked at Scott & said, "She's not an Emma or a Clara." He went to the whiteboard & crossed those names off. I looked at her again & said she wasn't a Lucy - he crossed it off. It was down to Grace & Ruby. As soon as we were left alone for the first time after she was born, we both immediately decided on Ruby. After such a long time, it felt good to finally have a name for our sweet girl.

Ruby Jane

born at 2:20 AM on Tuesday, August 30

8 lb 2 oz, 20 1/2 in

enjoying some chalk art

2011-08-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

When I went to the grocery store this week, I couldn't help myself when I saw some sidewalk chalk on sale for $0.50. What better way to keep Will occupied & out of the house while not feeling guilty about my inability to chase him around & play with him? He had a great time, & it took up such a large chunk of the day w/o being in front of the TV - always a good thing!

even his turtle got a little makeover

Will also kept getting distracted by a big fat lizard in our yard. That thing is making out really well with all the bugs & spiders we have in the rock wall. I'm grateful something is helping control the "buggie" nastiness. Plus it's fun to watch Will chase it around - that thing is fast.

Family Reunion - Final Days: Stinson Beach

2011-08-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

We pretty much spent the rest of our family reunion time at the beach.

On our final day, Papa set up a pinata for all the grandkids - 18 of them!

Some of the best prizes were mustaches, which Drew & Timmy didn't waste any time putting on.

Until our next family reunion - we had a blast!

Family Reunion - Day 2: San Francisco

2011-08-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

The second day of our family reunion was spent in San Francisco where we:

went to a park

chased birds

ate lots of pumpkin & banana bread

and played in the water.

After the park, we went to the Ferry Building to walk around & check out the different Farmer's Market stands, followed by lunch at Tacolicious.

After lunch, all those with younger kids went back to Stinson Beach (pictures coming soon) while the older kids stayed in the city & walked around Pier 39 & Ghirardelli Square.

Family Reunion - Day 1: Muir Woods

2011-07-31T17:20:00.000-07:00

This last week, we went to Stinson Beach to meet up with my family for a big reunion.

Our first day there, we went to Muir Woods.

two quilts in the process - trying to make decisions

2011-07-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I took a long-arm machine quilting class, & since then I've quilted 2 quilts for Will - his baby quilt & his more-recent big boy quilt. I don't have pictures of the finished products, but here's his twin-size one in the process of being quilted. I love the way it turned out.

Now I'm just having a difficult time deciding on my next step for the Little Lady's baby quilt. I was first inspired by this picture for the quilt design:

via Anna Maria Horner

Then I started wondering if I should add sashing between the squares to break things up a bit. I googled some pictures & found this one, which I also like a lot:

via Film in the Fridge

I have my squares cut out & was leaning towards adding the sashing, but after staring at it for a long time & talking to my mom, I might be changing my mind. Decisions, decisions . . . . My mom says it looks more striking & dramatic without the sashing, & I'm starting to agree. But most people who've voiced their opinions like it with the sashing more . . . . Now I think I'm just more confused than ever. If I decide to add the sashing, I might add a small pale blue square at the joints (as shown in the last picture), but as of now, I think I need to take a step back & come back to it later once my mind isn't so crazy.

It's hard to see unless you zoom in on the picture, but the sashing I'm considering is white w/ small aqua dots,so it ties into the other fabrics as well.

via Diary of a Quilter

Family Reunion - Emigrant Lake in Oregon

2011-07-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

The last week of June, Scott, Will & I drove up to Oregon for a family reunion.

Here's our 5 days in (a lot of) pictures - there was a lot of playing in the sand & water, & for me, resting in the 5th-wheel. We had a great time & loved seeing everyone.

throwing water on Grandma & sword-fighting with Ben

FHE: Nikki, Will, Grandpa, Abbygail, Barbie, & Grandma

Aunt Karen bought Will an awesome Lightning McQueen bed.

- - - putting my feet up & enjoying the view

making sand castles/pancakes & searching for "buggies"

hating the life jacket

taking the baby-bump for a ride

Grandma spoiled Will with peanut butter & honey sandwiches. He ate about 4 in a row. All that sun & sand will make a boy hungry!

Going on a tube ride: Joy, Ben, Scott & Will, Mark

I loved going on the wave-runner with our little family - just the 4 of us.

some of the cousins (Kayla had to leave early): Kyle, Ben, Jessie, Noelle, Abbygail, Barbie, Nikki

Gail & her sister, Aunt Marilyn

Gail ended up in the water after trying to throw Jessie in.

Dennis, Michelle, Scott, & Mark - - - Karen, Gail, & Marilyn

On our last night at Emigrant Lake, we celebrated Grandpa's 70th birthday with cake & a pinata.

Thanks for the fun everyone!

back off perfectionism - I want to try something new

2011-07-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm the type of person who if something can't be done perfectly, it's hard for me to do anything at all. I second-guess & over-analyze to the point where hardly anything (as far as projects go) gets done. I am, in a sense, paralyzed by fear of failure or the inability to be perfect at something when first setting out to try it. My dad has even asked me (many times), "So, what have you done to fail lately?" His point in saying this is to tell me to take risks & to not be afraid of failure.

After all, "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived" (my favorite quote from Strictly Ballroom).

Yesterday, I had the thought come to me that I should try one thing each week that I've never tried before, whether it's reupholstering some chairs or discovering a new shop in town (today, it was Icing On the Cupcake - Will & I both devoured our confetti cupcakes.). I am always amazed at other people's talents & successes & wish so badly to have those same talents, but if I'm even going to have a shot at them, I need to have the courage to start & patience with myself for not being stellar my first go-around (or my second, or third, or . . .).

I've wanted to take art classes for such a long time. I loved art in elementary & middle school, but my interest kind of died down in high school when dance took over. When I finally remembered how much I loved art, I decided to fill my extra elective class up with an art class, which turned out to be run by the worst teacher ever. Let's just say she didn't last long at the school, & I learned squat.

For some reason, I never tried an art class in college - I was probably too intimidated by the fact that so many people in those classes already knew what they were doing (or did they?). So, years later, here I am trying to block out all the excuses, & just jump on in. Nothing has to be perfect, I just need to start & enjoy the process.

Lately, the thing to catch my eye has been watercolor (which I thought was weird since I always wanted to learn oils). I know absolutely nothing about this outside of the Crayola paint box, so I was shocked to find that watercolors came in tubes just like acrylics & oils! Who knew?! . . . probably everyone but me - should I really be getting involved in this? I spent way too long in the art supply aisle of JoAnn's today trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to start with & finally flipped through a beginner's watercolor book & read their list of supplies. Done. Paints, brushes, & other "things" that I don't understand in the cart, out the store, & in my home.

the materials

look dad! i tried something intimidating & completely foreign to me (& had a blast even though it wasn't done perfectly)!

Month of July - Interesting Holidays/Events

2011-07-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was thinking of ways to be more creative in my everyday life & hoping to come up with something that would incorporate some fun activities for Will. I had the thought to look up a calendar of "significant holidays or dates in July," & came across a lot of interesting (or not) holidays/celebrations I had no clue existed. This list should give me plenty of ideas to work with for the upcoming month. I'll be happy if I can do something related to at least one thing on this list, but the more, the better!

National Blueberry Month

National Ice Cream Month

National Picnic Month

6th - 1st Picture Postcard Made

8th - Video Games Day

9th - National Sugar Cookie Day

10th - Barn Day

11th - Cheer Up the Lonely Day

13th - Go West Day

17th - Sewing Machine Patented

18th - Cow Appreciation Day

20th - Armstrong & Aldrin land on the moon

29th - National Lasagna Day

30th - National Cheesecake Day

a change of color

2011-06-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

When I was originally looking at fabrics for the nursery, I decided to base everything off of the central fabric in the picture below: Amy Butler's Water Bouquet in midnight. But the more I've looked at it & rearranged fabrics, I kept thinking it was just a little too neon for me. I love the fabric, but I don't know that I want to be surrounded by it.

Last night at my baby shower, I got an amazingly cute doll made by my friend Julia . . . and the colors were exactly what I kept going back to in my mind. I am such an orange/coral & blue type of person. So today, I went to Beverly's to see if they had the same Water Bouquet, but in the mint colorway. Surprisingly, they did! I couldn't resist, & I bought it, along with a couple more coordinating fabrics. I am much happier when I look at the color combos together now. It just feels so much more like me.

Isn't this doll so cute?!!

I finally drafted the quilt out today, so I hope to get this bad boy knocked out in the next couple weeks.

It's finally starting to hit me that I'm having a baby girl, & I'm getting really excited!

New Quilting Project: Farmer's Wife Quilt-a-long - Week 1

2011-06-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, I went to my very first Quilt Guild meeting. It turned out to be more uneventful than I thought it would be, but I did come away with some great inspiration.

One of the ladies there mentioned a quilt-a-long based on The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt. The quilt-a-long was started by Fussy Cut & MsMcPorkChopQuilts & has been going on for almost 4 weeks now. People all over the world are participating & share their progress on blogs & in the flickr group made just for this project.

The inspiration for this quilt was based on letters written in 1922 answering the question:

"If you had a daughter of marriageable age, would you, in the light of your own experience, want her to marry a farmer?"

When this question was posed to readers of The Farmer's Wife magazine, it was during a time in history when World War I had recently ended, jazz, flappers & booze were gaining in popularity, & women had just received the right to vote. There were a lot of social & political changes going on in the nation. With all these changes, the answer to the question was in the affirmative by 94% - these hardworking women would want their daughters to marry farmers for a number of reasons.

For each letter shared in this quilting book, the author has assigned 2+ quilt blocks to go with it. There are a total of 111 - 6 inch blocks (this is pretty small for those who aren't very familiar with quilting), & the goal is to sew 2 blocks a week & have the quilt finished in about a year. When I started looking at all the amazing blocks people were making, I couldn't resist & had to buy the book. I got it yesterday & sewed my first two blocks today while Will napped. I can already tell I'm going to love this project. There is so much variety in it, & it's such a great way to expand my quilting skills (or lack thereof).

Getting Started:

I didn't realize how small the pieces were going to end up being.

I mean really, really tiny!

My first block ended up having 51 pieces in it - if I could make it through that one, then the other ones shouldn't be nearly as intimidating.

My first two blocks:

(going in order of the letters written in the book)

Reason why your daughter should marry a farmer:

"living in God's open air"

#26 - Cut Glass Dish

My Grandma Aileen had these tacky, but awesome green glasses that I loved drinking from. I couldn't resist throwing a similar shade of green into the block to remind me of her.

#54 - Kitchen Woodbox

I am loving how these are turning out so far, & I'm really shocked that they're actually the right size once all sewn up. Thank goodness.

2 down, 109 to go

playing at the pool

2011-06-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Will & I went to play at the pool with our friends Tiffani, Carson & Caitlin. I played the part of paranoid mom & had a hard time relaxing until a lifejacket was finally put on this kid. How do you make them understand that leaning over the side of the pool to reach toys in the water is not safe? Just wait for them to fall in? Maybe I would have been more willing to do this if I knew I could move quickly enough to get him, but this pregnant belly makes everything so much more awkward.

got to love the little butt crack peeking out - - -

Will enjoyed his first Otter Pop - I'm going to have to invest in some of these this summer. It's so hot!

camping in New Brighton

2011-06-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

June 14-17:

Last week, Scott, Will, & I went on a camping trip to New Brighton with 8 other families. We had such a great time & are excited for next year when we can do it again!

on the road

setting up camp: Will was obsessing over some banana bread that I made earlier that morning. He almost destroyed the loaf before we even took off for our trip. Thank goodness Scott noticed him with it (still warm from the oven) & grabbed it before it was completely demolished.

It didn't take long for Will to get filthy dirty. Scott tried showering him before putting him to bed the first night, but Will fought him too much, so he went to bed with dirt practically caked in his hair. Who said camping was supposed to be clean?

swinging in the Taylor's hammock

Our second day, we all headed out to the Boardwalk. The weather was beautiful, & Will had a great time watching the "trains" (rollercoasters) & chasing birds.

29 weeks along

After the Boardwalk, Scott & I headed to Ice Cream by Marianne's in Santa Cruz. They have so many random, delicious flavors to choose from. Scott got Peaches and Cream & Blueberry Cheesecake, & I got Horchata & German Chocolate. Will just wanted whip cream, so he got a cup of that for his lunch/dessert.

Later that evening, we headed back to camp for dinner. Scott cooked up some chicken quesadillas (thanks for the hook up on the taco chicken, mom).

Our third day, we went to the beach & played for a couple hours.

Will & Genna

Will got sand in his eyes.

looking for a lost frisbee - sadly, it was never found:

Ryan, Scott, Cory, Brent

Scott found a little crab in the sand.

playing Bachi Ball: Scott, Brent, & Ryan

On Friday morning, the ladies went out for breakfast at Gayle's Bakery in Capitola (the boys had their boys' golfing trip the previous morning). There were so many different foods to choose from: egg sandwiches & burritos, salads, pastries, hot chocolate . . . . It was so much fun to get out alone with the girls & enjoy some great food.

Gayle's had some beautiful flowers outside. These were super tall stalks w/ tissue-ball-looking flowers. They were pretty awesome.

After breakfast, we all gathered at camp to take group pictures.

I loved watching the ladies try to get all the kids' attention for their group shot. (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the whole group yet - it was on someone else's camera.)

THE KIDS (really sorry for misspelled names) - top row: Maddie (holding Lauren), Payton, Hailey (holding Aaron), Jake & Will

middle row: Allison, Hailey, Kaylee (holding Quinn), Mia, Genna, Keira

bottom row: Avery, Mason, Dillan, Ryan (holding Piper), CJ, Wesley (holding Meagan), & McKay

some details:

13 June - a little rest

2011-06-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

I came home from running errands today & found this in my bed:

I love William's long eyelashes. He's had them since the day he was born.

And I love this man's hardworking hands. They're one of the first things about him that I fell in love with.

Ward BBQ

2011-06-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Will & I went to the Ward BBQ where we hung out with friends, ate some amazing food, & played with plants, balls, & mud.

Will kept disappearing behind a little hill to play with some dirt & plants. I don't know why he kept going off to be by himself, but he seemed plenty happy, so I wasn't about to interfere.

And of course when it came time to eat, he wouldn't eat anything besides a hot dog bun & chips. I even tried coaxing him with some really good jello salad, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. Oh well . . . he'll eventually try something new, right?

Will probably spent the majority of his time playing with a big green ball - rolling on top of it, kicking it, trying to throw it over the volleyball net. He made some great friends this way.

Will & Hunter (one of my primary students from last year - an aweseome kid)

Will moved on to play with Aaron, but then had a meltdown when he got duped out of his ball.

playing with some nursery buddies - Avery & Mason (twins in the back), & Jenna & Will #2 (also named for William Wallace :)

We had such a great time going to the BBQ. I always stay home when things like this are going on b/c I don't want to brave it without Scott, but I finally decided that my whole life was going to be like this, so I'd better learn to do things on my own - not only for myself, but so Will can have these opportunities to make friends as well.

11 June - heavenly craving

2011-06-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite lunches this pregnancy:

tomato, avocado, pepperjack cheese, lite miracle whip, & honey mustard on wheat . . . heavenly.

Will's goings-on while we were in Mexico

2011-06-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

While Scott & I spent an amazing week in Mexico, Scott's parents came up to stay with Will. The night before leaving on our trip, I cried & told Scott that I didn't want to go to Mexico anymore. I was so scared to leave my baby boy (I can't believe I still call him my baby when he's almost 3!). I didn't want him to wake up in the morning & have us just disappear for such a long time. I felt like I was abandoning him.

After saying many prayers & talking to my mom who was able to help me relax, I felt much more secure in leaving him. It was encouraging to talk to Dennis & Gail while we were in Mexico & hear how well behaved Will was being. I'm just so glad that Will has such amazing grandparents & that they could have the week to bond even more.

They spent a lot of time at the park:

Will insists on sleeping with practically every toy he owns.

Scott & I brought back a Mexico soccer uniform for Will, & he loved it.

up & running again

2011-06-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

My book blog, Through the Pages, is up & running again. I took a break from it while dealing with morning sickness & just never got back into it. Here's to another attempt, but this time I'm slowing down & not blogging nearly as much as I was before.

Yesterday's post is a reminder why - there are too many other responsibilites to get too caught up in reading again.

7 June - thoughts on responsibilities & obligations

2011-06-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

I was previewing a book last night on my Kindle before deciding whether or not to buy it -- Camilla, a Biography of Camilla Eyring Kimball, by Edward L. Kimball, & I came across a quote that was in ways, a real slap in the face before even finishing the Prologue:

"Some people feel that their responsibilities stifle them. I feel that fulfilling obligations is the best way to grow. Any woman should be alive to opportunities--alive to public interests, to her family, to growth from Church service. I have no patience with women who find life boring. Life is so interesting, it just worries me that I cannot get done all the things I want desperately to do."

~ Camilla Eyring Kimball

What a great reminder of what life is all about - not the "What about me, me, me?" attitude, but about what we must do even when we don't feel like doing it. Our responsibilities are not a curse or condemnation, but rather a chance to grow, think beyond ourselves, & find joy & success in our everyday life. So much of our ability to see it this way, however, falls with our attitude. It's easy as a wife & mother to feel like a martyr & underappreciated for the work we do. My problem is that I vacillate between actually following through with the work & pretending I'm doing the work while bitching about how rough I have it. Give me a break - talk about a sour, pathetic attitude.

The happiest times in my life have been in recent years, especially, I have found, when I'm living by a routine & getting the basic things done in my life that are rightfully required or expected of me. I don't mean by dragging my feet & complaining along the way, but by tying my hair back (or actually washing & styling it), rolling my sleeves up & getting to work with a smile on my face. Life is a blessing. Work is a blessing. Family is a blessing. So why fight it? There is such a sense of accomplishment that comes from fulfilling responsibilities without rushing around last minute to do everything. Planning & organizing makes life so much less stressful & allows for more stress-free time & opportunities to accomplish things you didn't think were possible.

When I was on my A-game, my house was spotless, the cupboards were organized, my laundry pile was practically non-existant, I had meals on the table each night, I was exercising, I studied my scriptures instead of just reading a verse real quick to get it checked off my list of things to do, & I spent free time playing with Will & developing my talents (taking a photography class, practicing the piano, baking treats for my family & neighbors . . .). And I still had time to spare in my day! I did all this stuff throughout the day & had more energy than I had on days where I'd laze around the house & think how down & bored I was.

So what are my responsibilities (that oftentimes feel stifling when I have a poor attitude or don't have my priorities straight)? And what can I do to improve myself in each responsibility (w/o being overwhelmed by a sudden change in my routine, or lack thereof)?

Mother - plan activities with/for William; set up play dates for him; continue to read him scriptures at breakfast time
Wife - be positive & don't take my frustration out on a loving husband who works so hard for me & our family
Homemaker - stick to a daily routine (it worked miracles in the past, so get back to it); start cooking again
Church callings - review the next week's lesson throughout the week & prepare activities/object lessons when possible; prepare & schedule ahead of time
My health - set aside a time 3x a week to do simple exercise (walks, stretching)
Develop talents - work on one talent each week for 30 minutes on a designated day or days
Spirituality - get back to reading the scriptures daily after breakfast (can include actual scriptures, General Conference talks, Ensign articles - something's better than nothing)

Looking at this list seems so overwhelming, but when I've put all these things into a simple daily routine, my responsibilites no longer feel like they're taking me over, but rather, they enlighten me & bring an amazing sense of peace & accomplishment to my life. I just need to remember not to worry about doing things perfectly. Even imperfect work with a positive attitude, as oppossed to no work or perfect work w/ a frustrated attitude, still blesses my life, family & home.

Find joy in the seemingly mundane things. It will make all the difference in the day-to-days of life & will surprise you with how much you've grown when you can look back & see where you started.

Punta Mita, Mexico - final days

2011-06-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY:

The boys woke up early Tuesday morning to go deep sea fishing while the ladies slept in & had a very lazy day by the pool (too lazy, actually). After the boys got back from their escapade, we all got in-home massages & spent the rest of the day relaxing.

(pic taken by Andrew)

Andrew, Eric, Sean & Scott

WEDNESDAY:

This was probably my favorite day in Mexico. We drove to Kupuri Beach where we spent the day snorkeling, reading, bobbing in the waves (you could walk out so far & still only have the water come up to your chest), & boogie boarding.

yay for another belly shot, even if it is from a distance

After coming back to the house, cleaning up & eating the delicious snacks that Francisco & Reina made for us (homemade salsas & guac), we headed out to Restaurant Row for dinner.

I guess I should also mention here that Francisco & Reina come to the house every day & pamper us. Reina cleans & cooks while Francisco cooks, drives us anywhere we want to go, & takes care of absolutely anything we could want or need, & patiently tries to teach us Spanish. They are incredible!

(pic taken by Tiffani)

THURSDAY:

After eating another amazing breakfast made by Francisco & Reina, we headed off to Puerto Vallarta for a day of shopping. We planned to be there for about 3 hours, but since the bus (which we insisted on taking instead of having Francisco drive us all the way into town) ended up taking forever, we only ended up with about one hour to hurry & find our souvenirs for the kids. We ended up buying William a Mexico soccer uniform & maracas & bought the Little Lady a beautiful embroidered dress once she's made her debut.

such a pretty church in downtown Puerto Vallarta

FRIDAY:

For our last full day in Mexico, we couldn't resist going back to Kupuri Beach for more relaxing & boogie boarding. The waves were much bigger this time around, & I'm pretty sure we all fell victim to them at one point or another - salt water up the nose & in the back of your throat are never fun.

Robin & Eric

Liz D - - - Tiffani & me (who says pregnant women can't boogie board? you just have to turn a little sideways & then can't complain when your belly drags in the sand to slow you down at the end)

Scott & Andrew

After finishing our day at the beach, we went home for our last Francisco & Reina made lunch, rested for a bit, & then went to our favorite restaurant, Anclote, on Restaurant Row (the fajitas & drinks were so good!).

SATURDAY:

After packing everything up & taking a couple last minute pictures, Francisco drove us to Bucerias to do some last minute shopping before going to the airport. We scored on a bunch of great items at the outdoor market & were so happy to redeem our shopping day in Puerto Vallarta a few days before.

We had such a great time & hope to do this again in the near future.

Couples' Retreat Mexico - Part 1

2011-05-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

One of the major things that got Scott through PA school over the last year & a half was knowing we were going to Mexico when it was all done.

So, last Saturday, Scott & I, along with 3 other couples, headed off to Punta Mita, Mexico where we had the most incredible time!

SATURDAY:

We arrived in Puerto Vallarta the first afternoon, where we had a shuttle waiting to take us to our first night's stay - a family friend's condo in Punta Mita - talk about a luxurious condo!

these birds (the one in the tree) were everywhere. It must have been their mating season b/c the males would not stop puffing out their chests & strutting for the ladies.

- - - Scott walking along the very rocky beach.

some cool glass centerpiece gave Robin multiple heads

Robin & Eric

SUNDAY:

Our second day in Punta Mita, we gathered all our stuff from the condo & hauled it back & forth via golf cart to a house just down the beach (other guests were still staying in it the night before).

(pic taken by Tiffani)

(pic taken by Sean)

one of my favorite places to sit - on the shaded patio overlooking the pool, golf course, & ocean

Eric, Robin, Tiffani, Andrew - - - Francisco picked up a chocolate cake for us from Costco, & it was delicious.

MONDAY:

Monday, the other three couples went zip-lining (I passed - not so sure it would have been the best thing to do while 6 months pregnant), while Scott & I went into the little surfing town of Sayulita (everyone else joined us there a couple hours later).

Scott & I had some incredible smoothies while people-watching (you know you do it too), practicing our Spanish, & trying to keep the countless passing vendors at bay. The smoothies were completely fresh - they sliced & diced everything right there in front of us (no frozen fruit, thank you). Mine was our overall favorite: pineapple, mango, & plain yogurt - yum.

me (in all my super-white glory - I hadn't seen the sun in a few years), Robin, & Tiffani

cute face, right? but hey, I had to get a belly shot

Later that evening, we went back to Punta Mita & had dinner at the Beach Club. The food wasn't as good as Scott & I remembered, but the view was awesome.

Eric, Robin, Andrew, Tiffani, me, Scott, Sean, other Liz

nothing like a private beach

"Who's this hermano guy?" (quick, name that TV show!)

And yes, they are brothers.

The rest of the trip to come . . .

11 May - all things coming together

2011-05-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

After feeling like my head's been spinning in circles over the last couple weeks, things finally seem to be coming together.

I'm over halfway finished with Will's quilt . . .

I got a new runner for my kitchen, & I love it. It looks so fresh & oh the cushioning on my feet - beautimous . . .

Will's mind has been like a sponge, & he is impressing me so much every day with how smart he is - he "sings" along with Tangled's "Mother Knows Best" (hand actions & all), sings "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" & his ABC's, helps in the garden & chases buggies, jumps naked from the rock wall in our backyard (every smart boy does this, right?), & reads books to me (& his grandparents over the phone or Skype). He is at such a fun age, & I'm just loving every moment of him (minus the scratching problem we're still having, but let's not focus on that right now).

Love this boy (. . . & my new rug he's playing on)!

And the Little Lady is growing & growing. She likes playing peek-a-boo with my feet.

Where'd they go? . . . There they are (barely).

24 weeks today.

constructive messes

2011-05-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

I decided Will needed to spend more time being creative & getting messy instead of spending the majority of his time playing with his trains, cars, & dinosaurs, or getting into things he shouldn't: remember this?

So I asked the Easter Bunny to bring Will some handpaints.

And Will loved them!

He didn't waste much time before swirling his hands all over the plates & squeezing the paint between his fingers. It's always so much fun to see his excitement when experiencing something new.

love this little handprint

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

2011-05-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's just pregnancy hormones or the fact that this movie marks the end of my favorite YA fantasy series, but I couldn't help but cry when watching this trailer. I know I'm going to be bawling like a baby in this movie. Please tell me I'm not the only one???

smell the roses

2011-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have been in love with flowers this year. I notice them everywhere & just can't get enough of them. When I was at my parents' house this last week, I went out back with my mom to cut a bunch of roses. Even with my nose itching & running from allergies, I couldn't resist smelling them every chance I got.

When I drove home on Saturday & was getting ready to pull the car into the garage, I opened it to find 4 rose bushes lined up blocking my way. Scott (in his few hours off from work, so he could DJ a wedding) bought me my very own rose bushes for Mother's Day. I can't begin to tell you how excited I was! I jumped out of the car & just had to smell all of them & show them to Will.

This morning, Will & I went outside to cut roses from our new bushes. They smell incredible, & look gorgeous! Scott got me the perfect gift - even better that it was a surprise.

Thank you Scott! Love you!

Loving This Quilt

2011-05-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

I posted this quilt on my blog a few years ago & just came across the picture again today. I am still loving this design & the beautiful colors & fabrics. It's so soothing to me. I think my reward for finishing Will's & the Little Lady's quilts will be to finally buy the fabric to make this one.

On another note, I'm trying to decide on a pattern for the baby quilt - perhaps something like one of these?:

(leaning towards this one)

Easter!

2011-05-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny left a trail of chocolates leading to Will's Easter basket. Will loved following them, but struggled keeping them all in his hands. He got creative & shoved some under his chin, so he wouldn't lose any.

This kid loves chocolate & passed the toys right up. I don't see that I blame him.

Before eating dinner, all the cousins went on their Easter Egg hunt.

Sammie, Timmy, Zach, Cole, Wes, Lily, Drew, Will

Zach

Drew

Sammie - Timmy

Cole - Will

my brother Brad w/ Wes & Will

who needs a jungle gym when you have a truck?

2011-04-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

He was scared to get down on his own, but he eventually got up the courage. Of course, he came close to letting go & falling backwards onto the pavement, but the little guy surprised us all & hung on tight!

projects in the works

2011-04-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

Scott & I are each doing our part to get Will's "big boy" room put together. I'm so glad to have the nasty sour apple walls repainted in my former sewing room. That color was a definite mistake when we chose it 3 years ago.

Scott painting while Will climbs the step ladder in his Toy Story Pull-Ups (we're hoping to potty train soon.)

I love the new blue. These pictures don't do the horrible green justice - it's way too bright in person.

I finished the back of Will's new twin-size quilt today. Here are the fabrics for the front (minus one that I'm waiting for in the mail).

I discovered a new quilt store today in Folsom called "Sew Fun." While trying to find the rest of the fabrics for Will's quilt, I couldn't resist buying some fabrics for the Little Lady's baby quilt (I already had some of these, so I just picked up a few more fabrics to balance out the colors).

It feels good to see things coming together!

friend reunion & the start of a courtship

2011-04-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I was so excited to go to Danville to see my best friend, Caitlin - visiting from her current abode in Hong Kong. We had a great time catching up over lunch at Pasta Primavera & then watching Livi & Will start their courtship once we were all fed. Just you watch, you're going to witness their love blossoming over the years on this blog - haha! I wish! :)

Trying to get a decent picture with two kids who'd rather be chasing each other is not as easy as you might think.

would have worked, but it was fuzzy

this will have to do

Will & Liv found a "buggie" (nasty yellow spider) & were trying to catch it - oh the joys of a first date.

they spent a good part of their time jumping off a little curb

the ladies - me w/ baby girl, my mom, Caitlin, Livi, Silvia, Kathy (Scott was good enough to come along as a babysitter for Will)

"huggy"

Liv took such a liking to Scott. She cried when it was time to say goodbye to him.

holding hands

There were some beautiful ranunculus outside the restaurant. I love this time of year & all the awesome flowers & colors everywhere.

Thanks for the fun Cait & Livi! We are so glad that we got to spend the afternoon with you & can't wait for the next time to get together!

Seeing Pink

2011-04-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official! We had our 20 week ultrasound on Friday, & we're having a . . .

GIRL!!!

Can I just tell you how shocked I was?!!! I thought for sure we were having another little boy - we even had a name picked out (which will remain anonymous until we do have another boy . . . I guess if we have another boy). When I realized we were having a girl instead, I was so surprised. Everyone kept telling me that's what we would have, but I didn't believe them. Even Scott knew it would be a girl. So as I went back and forth between laughing & crying, absolutely giddy, Scott sat there with a calm smirk. Apparently he was so prepared for a girl already that it wasn't such a big deal. Talk about anti-climactic! I was practically jumping out of my skin, & he had hardly anything to say about it! Don't get me wrong, he was really happy, he just wasn't blind-sided like I was. So in conclusion, we are both looking forward to this baby girl & are starting to get things ready for her arrival in the next 20 weeks.

some pictures that have me thinking girl:

The Dramas of Infertility

2011-04-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

I thought that after being 20 weeks pregnant, it was about time I posted some of the drama we had with this pregnancy, so I can have a record of it.

As you know, it took us a miscarriage, followed by a few years of infertility before Scott & I were finally able to get pregnant with Will - Clomid was our miracle drug. This second go around, I kept putting off fertility treatment b/c I thought my body had regulated, & I would be able to get pregnant without the aid of medication. After eight, often frustrating months, I'd had enough! I decided I was ready to start jumping through all the infertility hoops again, hoping we would find greater success with that than we were on our own. I did the bloodwork, had to do the horrible HSG (the main reason I was putting off fertility treatments), & then waited for the next step - hopefully Clomid.

About six weeks after my HSG, I got a call from the Fertility Clinic to set up an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner for an ultrasound & to figure out my options. I went to the appointment with Will in tow & was so relieved to finallly get to the part where they would give me my Clomid perscription. Well, it wasn't so easy. There were some complications with the NP telling me she wasn't giving me the medicine, & I would have to come back on day 5 of my period, which would end up putting me back in there in another week. I was extra stressed b/c if I was going to have the chance of starting Clomid that month, I'd have to start it on day 5, & this NP was possibly not going to allow it. She said my lining was really thick, & she wanted to make sure it shed enough before giving me the medicine.

After the initial appointment, I met the NP in her office to discuss things some more, & I just started bawling. I was so frustrated with having already waited so long to be pregnant, & they were having me jump through more hoops! I blabbered to her & told her how ridiculous the whole situation was since I already knew Clomid worked for me. The whole time, Will just stared at me like I was crazy, which I guess I was. The woman kept a serious, unemotional face, which aggravated me even more! Was she a robot with absolutely no feelings?!!! Finally, she told me that I had signs of pre-uteran cancer & they may have to do an endometrial biopsy. They weren't going to give me the medication I needed to get pregnant until they felt I was "safe." What?!!! Talk about a slap in the face! I started crying even more, & the whole time the nurse was talking to me, I kept feeling like she was on some power trip & just trying to scare me b/c I was crying & complaining about all the hoops they were making me jump through when other insurances didn't do that. I left a complete emotional wreck & didn't recover for the rest of the day. Poor Will was plopped in front of the TV with movie after movie playing while I researched pre-uteran cancer & felt like my possibilities of having another child had come to an end. Let me tell you, I never realized how terrifying the word "cancer" was until it was applied to me.

Scott happened to be doing OB/GYN rotations at this same time & talked to the PA there, who said my NP was full of it - I didn't even begin to fit the criteria for someone with pre-uteran cancer. This gave me a little comfort, but I still couldn't pull my head out for the rest of the day. The whole week was horrible, actually. Scott was so upset with how my NP handled things that he told me to drive up to where he was working his OB rotations, & they would write me the Clomid prescription. The night before going, Scott made me take a pregnancy test just in case. I fought it b/c every time I'd taken one, it was always negative, & I thought it would be a waste of money & just make me upset again. Well, I took the test, & it showed positive right away! It turns out I was pregnant (why the clinic didn't have me take a pregnancy test before coming in is a mystery to me). I was absolutely shocked & ecstatic! I had miraculousy gotten pregnant without the medication & was already 6 weeks along, which would have made me 5 weeks pregnant when I went into the fertility clinic, hence the thick lining! I wanted to march into the NP's office, show her the pee-stick & then punch her in the face for scaring me so bad.

It's taken me a long time to realize that I really am pregnant, even though I'm now halfway through. It was such a shock that I didn't need the Clomid that I still don't feel like it's real. I'm just so grateful that things have turned out so far & am reminded that the Lord's hand is in our lives & things happen in his time, not ours. The outcome of this whole ordeal is truly a miracle!

Working in the Garden

2011-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

My grandmother, Sammie, gave us a lemon tree for Christmas two years ago. We've had it planted in a pot on our patio, & it just seemed to be getting worse & worse as time went on. So Scott & Will took it out of the pot & replanted it in our backyard. Here's hoping the extra space will help this tree out! I'm looking forward to some lemons!

William was filthy by the time they were finished. Look at those shoes!

a few suds never hurt anyone ~ the value of working as a family

2011-03-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

The other morning, I went outside to find this:

I was laughing so hard when I saw Will's face, I could hardly take the pictures.

tripping over the hose ~ soaked almost head to toe

climbing the step-ladder in the garage - he loves playing on this thing any chance he gets

It was so awesome to watch Will & Scott washing the car together. I love seeing them work together & am just reminded of how blessed we are to have this sweet boy to raise. Children really are a miracle, & I'm so grateful that we will soon have the blessing of another one in our family.