New Calling

I was asked to meet with the Bishop at 9pm on Tuesday night. 9pm? I am in bed by then because Ruby usually wakes up at 5:30.

I wasn't going to dress up, but I decide to dress up.

The Bishop goes on this long speech about how this calling was totally inspired, everyone had prayed and gotten the conformation that I was the one, and that God really wants me in this calling.

So...I accepted the call to serve in the YW's presidency as 2nd counselor. I've never been in YW's before, so this will be interesting, but I know I will love the girls!!! I am excited and scared all at the same time!

Poison Control

I went to my second "Play Date" ever today. First, Ruby fell down the stairs at the house. Next, Ruby thought it would be fun to sling her roman noodles on the floor. Third, Ruby grabs a dishwasher soap tablet and eats the soap. Forth, she cries and throws up. Fifth, she spills chocolate milk shake all over my friends clean cream colored carpet.

I am a bad mom. Just when I thought I could keep up with Ruby and her tricks, she develops new ones. I'm falling behind.

Luckily Ruby is fine. My nerves are shot. Good thing my friend who hosted the play date has 6 kids, and has "see everything that kids do." She even told me of a time she found her oldest hard asleep in her bedroom, naked, after she managed to play with her poop like play dough and get it EVERYWHERE!

At least Ruby would rather eat soap then play with her poop. (hehe)

On some happier notes, her are some cool things about Ruby:

-She loves play places at fast food restaurants. She won't eat while she's there because she is so excited to play, so I don't even have to pay for crappy food. She's a cheap date!

- She figured out how to go down the stairs all by herself. I didn't even teacher her. She likes the scoot down on the butt method.

- When she hears Brad on the phone she says "Hi Dada!!!" in the cutest, most excited voice ever!!!

- She is starting to wear 24 month and 2T clothes! ...too big, to fast. What happened to my baby?

- She loves helping me out! Ruby will obey commands like, "Go throw this away please." "Hand me this please." She assists with dusting, folding the laundry, and even helps me unload the dishwasher!!! I seriously could ask for a better helper. And she's only 14 months old! I guess that means she is going to be an excellent big sister.

Well, maybe Ruby and God will forgive me for not doing my best for looking after my sweet girl. I love her so much, and hope to be a better mom, because she deserves it!

Happy 4th Anniversary

Us Now!

Us 4 years ago!

Well a lot has happened in 4 years! Here is our four years in numbers:

6) The number of times we've moved

8) The number of jobs we've had

1) The most beautiful little girl who is now apart of our family

2,000) The number of strands of hair brad has lost since being married. Bald is beautiful!=)

2) The number of bachelor degrees in our possession.

What an amazing ride!

Off the Richter Scale

My dear friends and family, my its been a long time. Four moves, 2 semesters, one internship, and one graduation later, I'm back! Back to the blogging world. Being a new stay at home mom, I'm going a little bit crazy trying to fill my time with MEANINGFUL enjoyment. I don't know a single soul in VA, so now is a great time to get caught up on our blog.

Ruby eats. Ruby is, according to her pediatrician "off the richter scale for weight." However she said it wasn't necessary to put her on a diet. I find it funny that her cousins struggled with gaining weight, but not my Ruby! Home girl is well above the 100th percentile. But I don't think she looks like she is. She's in the 70th percentile for height, she is so active, and now she's starting to walk.

I love how she walks as though she is walking through mud puddles, lifting her legs so high and deliberately. She is so cute!

Ruby speaks. Ruby says things like "hi", "Bye", "Mama", "Dada", "Poppop", "Gigi", "Baba", "woof", "Thank you", and "Charlie" (Charlie is my parents dog). Turns out she loves dogs.

Well, Ruby woke from her nap. Time to read, play, and look outside at the rain!

Ruby is 6 months!

Our sweet baby girl is 6 months- we just can't believe it! Brad and I love being Ruby's parents. Here are some things to note about our ever-growing girl:

• She LOVES her mom and dad. While she prefers mom over dad, she still missed Brad while he was in Vegas for 5 days. As soon as Brad walked in the door from his trip her face lit up with excitement, and she was literally jumping for joy to see him. When she got in her exersaucer that night, I've never seen her jump so hard, as if to say, "Dad! Look what I can do." She knows us, and loves us. That unconditional love is unlike anything we've ever felt.
• Ruby has proven to be quite the drama queen, or just a typical girl I guess. She cries if you leave her sight (she's going through her stranger/anxiety phase). She cries when mommy passes her off to anyone, even if it is just for a little while. When granny came out to visit she said she's never seen a baby so attached to their mother. Ruby wants me to hold her all the time! I've gotten to the point where sometimes I just wear her in my infant carrier Melani made me because I'm sick of hearing the whining, and I NEED to get stuff done. So, she's strapped to me when I vacuum (she's scared of it), when I do the dishes, when I make her baby food, and when we go for walks. Other than that I try to get her to play with toys on the floor, enjoy her jumper, etc. Teaching her independent play has proven rather difficult. However, I don't mind holding her. She's growing so fast, I don't ever want to have the regret that I didn't hold her enough, because I know soon she won't want to be held.
  
• Ruby loves technology, just like her daddy. Cell phones, Ipods, laptops, anything with a screen that has colors and makes noises, she's crazy for it. Every time we Skype with the family I have to set back the laptop really far so she can't reach it, and yet, she still lunges for it!
  
• Ruby sits up on her own, rolls over both ways, supports her head really well, and eats cereal, green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples. This coming month I'm going to introduce avocado and bananas. I've enjoyed making my own baby food. Not only does it save money, but I feel it's better for her.
  
• Ruby loves the outdoors. We take a walk ever single day- rain, snow, clouds, sun we are outside! Whenever she gets fussy, but I know she's had a nap and ate, I know she needs her outdoor fix.
  
• We got to go to the park on a nice day with friends a few weeks ago, and Ruby had her first experience with the swings. She stayed in the swing for 20 minutes while I pushed her back and forth. It was a fun experience.
• Ruby sleeps through the night, and has been doing so for 2+ months so far, and it's been fabulous, especially because she's so demanding throughout the day now that she's teething and always seems to catch a bug at church.
• Speaking of church, I seriously want to become inactive, because Ruby gets sick EVERY TIME we go to church!!! She's sick all week, get better around Friday night, we go to church on Sunday, and then she's sick by Monday morning. I don't know why she always gets sick then, I don't even let a lot of people hold her! Ugh, it's really frustrating, but I know church is important, so I'm trying really hard not get upset after she gets sick.
  

Well, I guess that's it for now. We love Ruby, even all her personality quarks!

What Shall We Give?

http://lds.org/pages/what-shall-we-give?lang=eng

Anyone overwhelmed with the commercialism of the Christmas season?

Here's My List of Things to do this season:

1. Give meaningful, personal, or useful gifts to family and friends.
2. Be a secrete Santa.
3. Bake cookies with Granny.
4. Eat cookies with Granny.
5. Read the Christmas story in Luke.
6. Watch uplifting Christmas movies with my family.
7. Put up all my nativity scenes.
8. Look for people who need help.
9. Give to our churches mission fund.
10. Take Ruby to see the lights in Ocean City.
11. Go home and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

That doesn't sound too bad, does it?

Happy 3 year Anniversary Mr. Twining

Happy Anniversary Mr. Twining!
I love you so much more now than I ever have;
I never thought it would be possible to love you more,
but I do!
I love the way you can cheer me up when I'm having a bad day.
I love when you tell me I'm the hottest mom ever.
I love when you encourage me to reach my true potential.
I love how tender you are with Ruby,
she's so blessed to have a wonderful dad like you!
I love that you love my family.
I love that you are so successful at everything you do.
I love that you hate waking up in the morning,
and sometimes I have the privileged of waking you up.
I love how opened and honest we are with each other;
I can tell you anything!
I love that we've been married 3 years!
I LOVE YOU!