Three Months

So here are the two girls at three months. Even though Dalanie had a lot of hair, Ruby's makes it look a little sparse in comparison. Ruby's hair is getting so long, but I still can't bring myself to start with the ponytails already.

Uniform

My son has a self imposed dress code. One that includes button up shirts, gloves, boots, and a baseball cap. Here he is pictured with all of his favorites. Let me draw some attention to the footwear.
These well-loved and well-worn John Deere cowboys boots. They were the best thing I ever brought home from a garage sale- for free. (Some other boy had shown them a lot of love, broke them in, and wore holes in the toes already.)

Hudson insists on wearing them everywhere. He's gotten pretty good at sneaking them on right before we head out the door, so I don't notice in all of the commotion. I've tried to put my foot down and explain that they are inappropriate and that they reflect poorly on us as parents, but he continues to wear them. Let's see, he's worn them to preschool, out to eat, and even to my sister's wedding reception.

It'll be a sad day when he out grows them.

Faces

Queen of scrunched up noses, lopsided smiles, and crazy outfits

She still refers to herself as "me."
"Dat" is her favorite word. "Who dat? What dat?"
Her language skills are improving and providing us with lots of entertainment.

Bed Bugs

I have grown to cherish these lazy winter mornings where all of the kids come piling into bed with us. First they find Ruby and smother her with all sorts of loves and climb under the covers to snuggle up to her. Then Brent employs his reverse psychology tactics by saying that he doesn't want any loves. This inevitably ends in a dog pile of squeals and smooches. Aaaahh. What a way to start off the morning.

Sunny Days

The sun was shining and reflecting off all our snow, so the kids and I bundled up and headed outside. My first intentions were to go snowshoeing but the kids were playing with their sandbox toys before I could get them strapped in. Then they were right under my feet trying to pull out their lawn chairs and summer toys before I closed the shed door back up and instructed that it had to be warmer for all of that to come out.

I pulled them around in the sled behind the four wheeler but that still wasn't enough for them. They had to take the Kettcar for a spin, one pushing and one pedaling since the tires lack snow traction. We're all longing for warmer days and more time outside.

Get Away

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my family would vacation in Albion, some 15 minutes from the home I grew up in. But for the past two President/Valentines Day Weekends, we've done just that. We spend the long weekend with family and friends, visiting, eating, and recreating in the snow on the mountain.

Some of the highlights indoors included my Dad's Olympic games and his thrifted outfit, Valentine Exchange, driving contests, chocolate fountain and sugar cookie decorating, manicures, and the talent show.Outside we went snowshoeing and sledding.

There was quite a gang of little boys, 11 of them running around. They played so well together. Dalanie had no other girls her age, but 3 little baby girls to take care of.

It lived up to Hudson's expectations.

Here are the Valentines that I made up.

Family Fun

On Saturday we packed a picnic lunch and set out to find a little snow for some recreating. The white stuff was a little sparse, so we shared the trail with snowmobilers. It made for easy walking which is always good with 3 little ones in tow.
Dalanie enjoyed strapping on her snowshoes for the first time and did quite well. Somehow the sled was much more appealing and both her and Hudson were begging for a ride. We didn't make it far before we stopped for lunch (always a favorite for my kids.)Once back at the parking lot, Hudson challenged everyone to a sledding competition. He's got the running jump launch down to an art. We might not have form, but the parents have the weight advantage. It was determined that everyone who had fun was a winner.

Liahonas

Finally Monday rolled around and the kids were delighted it was finally FHE night.

After Hudson's prompting, Brent called the family together and welcomed us all. He called roll and turned the time over to the kids to accompany the opening song with their ukuleles. (It's really quite spectacular seeing how neither one of them have received formal training and none of us could tune them if we tried.)

We had a quick discussion about the Liahonas in our life and then we set out to create our own with styrofoam balls adorned with feathers, buttons, and rhinestones. It was an absolute hit!

Sugar Cookies

Nothing says Valentines Day like a sugar cookie. Since I'm not much into the rolling out and cutting of shapes I found the perfect recipe that you scoop out and flatten. We make them festive by using appropriate colors and sprinkles for occasion.

Cream together:
2 cubes butter/margarine
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Next add:
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar [I substitute 3 tsp baking powder and an additional 1/4 t. soda when I'm out of cream of tartar]

Combine and mix well. Roll/scoop into balls and flatten.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

There's never a shortage of beater-lickers of frosters around here. And since both kids can't keep from licking there knives, I guess the entire batch stays at our house. . . Come to think of it, they must have had it planned.

Two Months

Tu-Tu Cute

The other day Hudson questioned if there was another baby in my tummy. He was a little disappointed when I told him no. He has loved every new baby that has come into our family and is a great big brother. I explained how Ruby isn't very old.
"But Mom, we have to fill up our suburban!" he replied.

Although she's not very old, she's growing and developing in leaps and bounds. Here are a few notables:
-she consistently wakes up at 3:00 and 6:00 to be fed
-she is filling out and getting all sorts of squeeze ems--double chins and thigh rolls are so cute on babies
-she will now smile and coo-- I love when they start interacting
-about every nap is interrupted by loves from her brother and sister (which are getting progressively rougher)
-her crazy hair continues to be the object of conversation (and just yesterday I had several people touch it. MEOW)
- she has more nicknames than my other two combined. [Roo, Ruby Doo, Rube-Up, Rubes] The other day I called her Sis and Dalanie corrected me. Apparently there is only one Sis in the family.

What's For Dinner?

It doesn't matter if it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner I always get the same response from Dalanie.

"EGGS!"

Scrambled with cheese is her favorite, but the kids and I also have egg sandwiches.

Little Town, Big Deal

A few weeks ago, the ladies at exercise were all abuzz with the news that Elder Oaks would be visiting our stake for a special stake conference. The stake was busy spreading the word and preparations were made for a youth choir, nearly 150 strong. We held a FHE focusing on Elder Oaks and the significance of apostles.

We attended the special conference and the Spirit bore witness to me that Elder Clark and Elder Oaks have been called of God. How comforting it is to know that amidst the scandals and corruption of national governments, we have a living prophet, President Monson.

Elder Oaks guaranteed no 401K's or real estate values and certainly no easy future but he did urge us to trust the church leaders. Once again, the Spirit confirmed that these men are called and directed by God and that I can trust them.

Strengths

I'm constantly after the kids to get dressed, pick up their toys, set the table, and eat their food. So it catches them off guard when I tell them something good they've done or what I like about them. Kids are no different that grown ups -- we all like to hear good things about us.

Hudson is master of compliments, and very sincere ones. Not a day goes by without him telling his sisters that they look cute or that my hair is beautiful or that dinner is good. Dalanie loves it so much that now when she gets ready she anticipates what Brother will say.



He has also become quite a little crafter/environmentalist. He's constantly on the lookout for things he can repurpose. So much in fact, I've started to throw things away when he's not looking, otherwise he finds a use for just about any container or box.

Hudson also enjoys using new vocabulary. It's surprising the words he picks up from PBS and can use in context. A lot of times he'll ask me what words mean.

-He likes making up his own songs for FHE and calling on people to say prayers when Brent isn't home.
-He loves primary and takes his teachers words as gold. If they make any announcements, he makes sure to remind me.
-He adores his sisters and loves to express his affection.
-He enjoys visiting and is good with names.

And Dalanie, oh my Dalanie. I once heard that things we view as our children's faults are actually their best strengths. This couldn't be more true with this girl. Her independence and determination have found plenty of trouble along the way, but what great characteristics she possesses.

She loves to help--whether she's fetching Ruby's diaper, feeding the chickens, or helping Dad. The other day Brent was assembling some chairs and she wanted to help. He gave her the assignment of putting the lock washers and washers onto the bolts. He showed her the order they needed to be in and she never missed one. She's always been good with communication even if she didn't say a word. Her speech has improved quite a bit over the past few months. I love listening to her put words together. "Mom, do?" "Me help Dad." And the notorious "What!?!" that is part pterodactyl screech.

As independent as she thinks she is, she still is very much in need of her mom. Especially at bedtime or when the babysitter gets here. I still rock her to sleep for her nap. Deep down I've decided it's okay for her to need me (guilty pleasure) because all too soon she won't.

One of my favorite things about Dalanie is that she is great about anticipating others' needs. One day she was into Brother's drawers and I asked her to get out. She replied with an irritated "Mom" and showed me an armful of clothes- shirt, pants, socks, and undies for Hudson who just happened to be in the bath.

-She loves to tease and can get into a giggling fit that is contagious.
-She loves to get in on the wrestling matches although she usually comes away squished.
-And of course she's pretty darn cute. I keep trying to remind her that it's more important to be pretty on the inside though.

Denver

We loaded the kids up and drove the 9 hours to the National Western Stock Show in Denver. While there we enjoyed the more mild weather and took in some of the local sights.

eating alfresco at Chipotle- they gave us a free meal since it was our first timeswimming at the hotel, always a favorite
Denver Temple and visitor annexDinosaur Ridge where Hudson could show off some of his knowledge he's been accumulating from Dinosaur Train- therapods and carnivores.
Sissy was delighted with the pink stegosaurus
Free day at the zoo on MLK day, really a zoo!
Tour of Hammonds Candies and candy shop
Denver Mint- where the government makes cents!
Hudson proudly displaying his new pair of spurs he got at the stock show.
If you ask him, it was the best day ever and his favorite part of the trip.
Glo-sticks, a must have for the end of a long road trip.
Entertaining and educational- guess the letter or number.

Old School Radio

The kids and I were looking for a cassette player to listen to some Scripture Scouts tapes and found my old radio. The cassette player was jammed, but Hudson kept fiddling around with it. He moved it to the tuner function and waded through the fuzz until he picked up some music. You should have seen his smile as he got up and started dancing. I remember similar feelings of accomplishment and feeling so grown up, all from capturing those radio waves.

I went to finish dinner, but as I walked down the hall, the music got louder until the point of being unbearable. I had to request a decrease in volume several times.

I expressed concern to Brent about how this might really become a problem when Brother's a teenager. His reply, "that's why he'll have and ipod an earbuds."

Daddy Let Me Drive

It was just an old hand-me-down Ford
With a three-speed on the column and a dent in the door
A young boy two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it mode me feel
And I would press that clutch
And I would keep it right
And he'd say, "a little slower son you're doing just fine"
Just a dirt road with trash on each side
But I was Mario Andretti
When daddy let me drive

I'm grown up now three [children] of my own
I let them drive my old Jeep across the pasture at our home
Maybe one day they'll reach back in their file
And pull out that old memory

I still remember driving a blue Chevy to feed Dr. Mellings cows when I was little. I'd put it in low and bounce across the pasture while dad pushed off hay. So now when our family loads up into the old flatbed Chevy, it does my heart good. . . the nostalgia, the memories.

Brother is becoming quite the little driver at 4 1/2 years of age. He has a tendency to let his eyes wander and chat too much, but he's getting better. Since he can't reach the pedals, I do the manipulating there. We make sure to slow down around the corners so he has time to get the steering wheel turned. If objects start approaching too fast, we crawl past so he can avoid them. His only complaint, "Too fast, Mom." His other job for chores is cutting the strings on the bales of hay. It's really cool for a little boy to be able to use Dad's knife.

Sister is responsible for feeding our heifer a can of grain to help fatten her up. For some reason she's really not understood the pecking order and intricacies of the food chain. At first she thought the cows were going to eat her. "Cow, me, eat." But now that Brent has explained that we're butchering the cow to eat she says, "Me, cow, eat."

And Ruby bounces happily along in her carrier, enjoying her life without responsibility.

As a side note, this was the pickup Brent's parents bought a few weeks he was born. It's been in the family ever since.