A Birthday Visit! And a Few Others :)

Things are a whirlwind at the minute in the White household.  Time keeps ticking and life keeps happening.  I got a wonderful birthday visit from my parents for a long weekend.  Ross and Ruby ate them up...or my parents ate Ross and Ruby up...either way - we all were quite content with the situation.  
 

Lovin the Grams!

It would be very believable that Ross would have tackled Grandpa - immediately after their arrival Ross kept asking to go to Grandpa's house (way more fun that ours!)

Gramps added to the collection of tractors - Ross was more than pleased!

Ruby cuddling with Gramps

We took the kiddos swimming one evening, and then the next day my parents did a babysitting marathon while they treated me to getting a pedicure and then let me go watch Steve give his amazing clinical presentation.

Steve worked incredibly hard on his presentation and did a stellar job with the help of his other four classmates - Sam, Tony, and Michael.  He was so relieved and relaxed after it was done.  I was so proud of him.  Way to go Steve!

They look so professional!

Steve opening with a joke - totally nailed it. :)

It was quite the presentation.  Incredible!

Getting some feedback from Dr. Jobst - the Jobst. ;)

The Back Row Boys

The amazing clinical patient. :)

To celebrate, we went on a date to a Vietnamese restaurant for some Pho and then to a posh movie theater, Cinetopia, where we saw Thor 2.  It was fabulous.  Thor is my guy - and he delivered in this movie.  Steve and I had a grand time.  Nothing like date nights.  Hooray for grandparents who love hanging out with the grandkids! ;)

The next day we took my mom to the Aviation museum which Ross loved once again until being there for so long and not being able to get in all the planes - he really wanted to fly them.  We enjoyed it nonetheless.

The one plane Ross COULD ride in. :)

Last time we were here this little number was hanging out in my belly.  She's MUCH cuter this way. :)

Taking a spin on a plane!

An actual passenger plane.

The passenger seats...I think I would have passed out I would have been so scared.

Her snarly smile - silly girl!

Steering a helicopter.

The kiddo Spruce Goose

The Boy Who Could Fly. ;)

This girl getting some serious grandparents time. :)

That evening we got a babysitter and took my parents to the Portland Temple.  It was a wonderful evening and so nice to be there with my parents.  I love that Temple.  It truly is the house of the Lord.  

Sunday was a nice relaxing day at church and a fun birthday dinner and more cake that evening.  Being 30 isn't so bad.  I sure love birthday month - it's the gift that keeps on giving. :)  

Monday came way too quickly and my parents were close to heading out.  My mom and I took Ross to this quaint breakfast cafe that had planes hanging around and a train they turned on for Ross to watch as well as a big bucket of trains - every boy's dream come true.  It was delicious.  And then, all too quickly - my parents headed back home.  It was a great visit!

Enjoying some breakfast

Group picture...a bit tricky to get everyone to cooperate. :)

Another try. ;)

Best one we got - Ross was pretty much done. ;)

Our good friends the Horchs headed out for another internship and we're leaving shortly for ours.  We had them over for dinner and a last good-bye until graduation.  Ross keeps asking for Wesley to come over and when I tell him they went to Colorado he just says, "Let's go to Colorado right now - see Wesley."  It's a bit heartbreaking actually.  We've skyped with them a couple times - hopefully the 6 months go fast. :)  There's nothing like making good friends!

The boys

Stace and Kim - we had some great times!

The friends - we love you guys!

We've also gotten to babysit some cuties here and there, and I can't help but take some pictures.  Here's a few more random pictures of things we're up to. :)

Our cutie neighbor Ayla came to hang out with us for a little bit.

Ruby was obsessed  - she was quite mad that she couldn't keep poking Ayla like she wanted to.

Had to show off Ruby's ADORABLE tights - love babies in tights!

She is WAY too adorable and she would just sit there contentedly and let me hold her.  It was SO nice!

Ross was ALSO obsessed.  He wanted to lay right beside Ayla.

Our little friend, Henry, came over to play too.  He and Rubes had a grand ol' time.  Ruby poked him to death and he grabbed her hair and never let go.  Look at his kissable cheeks.  I just want to eat him up all the time!

These two are only two weeks apart.  They had to check out the toy box together...even though they couldn't reach anything in it.  It was just the place to be.

Rubes LOVES spending time with her big bro.  He's the coolest.

Especially if you're getting pulled on a blanket...her belly is so stinkin' cute!

Dad is so fun - he's the best. :)

This boys just kills me.  He's just too darn cute. :)

 Ross's pre-school is doing a little Nativity play and he gets to be a shepherd.  When I went to inform how exciting that was he looked at me and said, "No I'm not going to be a shepherd.  I'll be a giraffe!"  That will make things a little interesting yes?

Ruby has recently decided that she would like to master the somersault since Ross does them all the time.  Her progress is currently this:

This girl will try anything!

10 Month Old Ruby!

My little baby is getting WAY too close to being one.  Somehow I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick here with how fast she's growing.  
 

Little Sweetie!

BARELY holding still.

Flashing some teeth - her two bottom ones.

Our little Ruby is weighing in at 22lbs 11oz - 88th percentile, 29 3/4 inches long - 90th percentile, and 18 inches head circumference - 82nd percentile.

She has thrown in some new accessories to admire - namely her two bottom teeth.  She shows them off quite regularly with her big smile she's always flashing.  I've noticed her hair actually starting to come in more and get a bit longer.  Sometimes a little bow with some grip material on the clip will actually stay in her hair (if she doesn't pull it out first).  

This girl didn't think crawling was enough and immediately went for the climbing over and then up everything.  If she can get a grip (or even if she can't) she's pulling herself up it.  Loading dishes in the dishwasher has just become a circus act between loading a dish and distracting Ruby from grabbing at it.  

Miss Disneyland here has big dreams and big ideas for herself - which include conquering the stairs...even though she's not ready for it.  She's actually made the climb all the way to the top, but if she stops for a moment - the recollection that she can't just sit backwards isn't there - thus leaving nothing but a disaster wish in her future.  For this reason the stairs get blocked continuously...unless a sneaky older brother crumbles our fortress leaving an empty gap for her to pull herself through.  It's a tricky world with these two I tell you.

I will give the girl credit though - she figured out how to lower herself back down after pulling herself up - quite quickly as well.  Sometimes with a thump, but she's gaining more control.

Ruby is truly her own circus act.  From scaling (yes she's cruising around as well!) every piece of furniture and wall, crawling at top speed, and flashing winning performance smiles as well as throwing out her contagious laugh, she has been experimenting with her vocal cords.  

One afternoon Steve got home early and we were chatting only to hear the strangest sound coming from upstairs.  It was like a bit of a rumble, but not from a car.  I perked up my ear towards the upstairs and realized it was Ruby growling...like a bear.  She does it on command.  Another one of her great tricks is what sounds to me like a bit of a PeeWee Herman impression - but really like this clip from the classic movie Overboard.  She does it mostly when she's saying "Ma ma ma."  She says it more often which is lovely...but in her "falsetto child" accent.  

She loves to flick her lips while singing too...I'm not sure if she just enjoys the sound, or if it's related to teething.  She loves it when you do it for her though.  She still gets devastated if she wakes up in the middle of the night, sees you check on her, and leave her to go back to sleep.

Sometimes she acts like such a grown up.  We always say, "Heeey Rubes" to her and she smiles with a coo that I swear sounds like a "Heeeyyy" back.  She can mimic sounds sometimes that sound like words...maybe it's just in my head, but she's pretty good!

Eating is another phase.  She eats fairly well if she has something in her hands or you're belting out a song while you feed her.  She wants to be included in the feeding, so letting her go at a giant pretzel or large apple slice makes her feel accomplished while you slip in her baby food.  She has recently gotten fascinated by dropping everything from her high chair to the floor and then leaning over as far as she can to see it on the ground.  She studies it like she's on the verge of discovering E=MC2.  So funny.  She also eats better if she and Ross are eating at the same time.  She watches him eat while she eats.  I think she feels like it bonds them more.

Ross is still the funniest person alive in her boat.  She follows him around wherever he goes, and want to play with all his toys - much to his dismay.  She prefers this little stop sign that goes to Ross's train set.  If she spots it anywhere she drops whatever was in her hand/mouth and makes a beeline for it that moment.  She loves it when I put him in her crib with her or if he jumps on our bed and collapses for her.  He also likes to give her lots of hugs and crawl over her sometimes as well - she's a good sport. 
 

Ross was trying to help her smile...which meant giving her hugs haha.

Ruby likes to poke things when she's first introduced, and lately it's been with just one finger not her entire hand.  

Ruby also has a constant need to scale the perimeter with whatever we're doing.  If I'm sitting in a chair she always climbs up me, whines to be picked up, when she is - she does a quick take of what's going on up there - and then immediately wants to be put back down...only to have the whole routine repeated again and again and again.  Hardly ever does she let me just hold her.  She's a busy lady!

If I'm reading a book to Ross she likes to come sit for a few pages, but then needs to do a perimeter check - just around us - before coming back for maybe a few more pages or a poking of the book for a minute.  She will sit sometimes for a whole book.  
 

She loves playing with her mouth - these fish lips are too cute!

I love that if I say her name a certain way - Ruubyyyyyyy - reach my arms out for her and say, "Come here," she turns and looks at me with a big grin, plops herself down, and comes right over.  I LOVE it.

Some of Ruby's favs:
Giant pretzels or YOUR food for that matter
Being chased (she still doesn't get she needs to run away - she just sits there and laughs when you get her)
Climbing everything in site - especially the dishwasher and stairs
Following her brother around
Being sung to in her rocking chair at night
Getting tickled
Facing out when you hold her so she can see EVERYTHING going on
Clapping her hands
Practicing waving
Playing with sounds, "Dadadada, Mamama, NummmNummNummm, NeeNeeNeenNee"
Putting herself RIGHT in the middle of the action (whether it's sitting ON the train tracks while we play trains, sitting ON a blanket that's supposed to be swaddling a baby, or wedging herself where there is absolutely no room - just so she can make sure she's in on the fun.  This is a fun loving girl people.  She's got to have her kicks!

We just love this little Rue more and more.  My heart wants to burst with how much I adore her.  She and Ross add a light to my life that nothing else could fill.  I love that they are MINE.  Steve and I are so blessed to have them.  We're enjoying every second...even the trying ones!  Ruby just gets more fun everday.  We love our little girl!
 
     

Happy 10 Months Rubes!

  

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!

Well it happened...nothing quite earth shattering outwardly...but maybe inwardly.  The big 3-0 happened to me today.  Steve thinks I'm just silly, but it's because he's still enjoying the fruits of the 20's.  I've approached middle aged...but to introduce myself to it, it all started with a delicious breakfast in bed by my deliciously hot husband, Stephen.  An omelet with homemade salsa, tortilla, and strawberries.  It was - oh - so good.  I also got to get a shower in BEFORE the kids got up.  This made me feel 10 years younger in and of itself.  

Ahhh - it feels good to be showered and teeth brushed!

I decided being 30 meant I was going to go for some new goals...like a clean house.  So that's what Ross and I while Ruby crawled around trying to help.  The end result was everything I hoped for.  The other nice thing today was how gorgeous the weather was outside, we spent a good part of the morning out with friends, soaking up the sun, chatting, looking for worms, and digging in the dirt while eating pretzels.  Fabulous.

The kids ate their lunches well and settled down perfectly for their naps.  I enjoyed some me time finishing up my clean house in time for Steve to come home and start the set up for a little cake and ice cream get together.  

He took me and the kids to Red Robin for dinner which was also fabulous since I got to order my favorite drink - the freckled lemonade.  That never gets old.  Their bruschetta chicken sandwich is the other item I'm always pining for.  Ross and Rubes did splendidly and we got home just in time for some friends to arrive and hang out and have some cake.  The kids ran wild with balloons (only two popped which was miraculous) and the rest of us talked over all the commotion.  
 

That's A LOT of candles - Steve made the cake from scratch - it was delish!

 

To end the first day of my 30's, Steve showed me my present I get to pick out - a brand new bike!  Woot woot!  He's been building up this present for the last six months - it has literally driven me crazy with how much he's bragged about it - how good it was going to be and how he couldn't wait to give it to me...for six months he's said this.  The funny part is - I had not a clue, but kept mentioning to Steve over the last few months how we need to get bikes so Ross will be more into bike riding (and it would be good for us).  I'm so excited!  We just have to make sure we don't move somewhere with ridiculous hills...like from my mission in England hills.  
 

Can you imagine biking up these babies?  WITH two babies.

I've been dreading this big 3-0 age, but I've gotten some hope from friends who are already in their 30's.  They are amazing, beautiful, and still seem so young to me.  Here's to following suit my friends - here's to following suit. :)

SO - here are thirty things about me you may or may not know...

1)I have a no-mess-around laugh...I've been told I may be located easily when I'm laughing.
2)I hate - let me emphasize - HATE - being hot - any rationalizing with me is no longer possible when my temperature is messed with.
3) I get passionate about things and push encourage people to follow my suggestions on certain things such as items to choose at a restaurant, hairdressers, books to read, movies to watch, photographers to choose.  If I love something - I'm all in.
4) I have had gas permeable contacts since I was 10 years old...I am now attempting to switch to soft lenses.
5)I prefer sleeping on my side curled up in the fetal position.
6)I sing ridiculous songs to Ruby during breakfast/lunchtime to distract her enough to feed her rather than her playing with her food.
7) My favorite feature about myself is currently my hair.
8)I consistently fall asleep in bed while trying to read books I've been excited to get to all day long.
9) My favorite movie is Joe vs. the Volcano...it NEVER gets old.
10) I converted to listening to Christmas music in November instead of December on my mission when my companion and I were sick in bed for three days and could not STAND any more of our other music.
11) I can't handle having my fingernails painted - I just pick at it till it's all chipped off.
12) I'd like to get good at photography but never seem to find the time to find out how.
13) My favorite way to eat oreos is in a cup with milk poured over them - cereal style...it's been an awfully long time since I've had those babies.
14) I once was an incredibly journal writer - getting married threw a wrench in the trend.  I have 15+ journals documenting mostly embarrassing truths about my life.  They may only be read by my children after I'm dead.
15) I love playing the piano, but never seem to do it as much as I'd like, because I'm used to practicing when I'm alone...ask me how often that happens these days. ;)
16) I still do cartwheels and handstands to the delight of my children (hey - cheap entertainment is still entertainment) - my body definitely feels different doing them AFTER bearing children.
17) I get extremely upset if anything sad EVER happens to children or babies...I can't handle it after having my own.
18) While skyping with family I like to use my fingers right up close to the camera to look like they're pinching my husband's head off...or driving one of Ross's cars close up past the camera and laugh my head off...I'm totally mature like that.
17) I like to wear socks to sleep in, but never seem to wake up in the morning with them on.
18) My favorite scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 88:63 "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
19) My husband and I have a secret, yet absurd, sign to do to each other when we find that we're talking to much in a group....yes - we talk too much.
20) My ears ALWAYS perk up whenever I hear ANYTHING about England mentioned.
21) I made Ross tell me Happy Birthday all day long today...he happily complied all day long - sweet kid.
22) I'm a Rascal Flatts fan through and through.
23) My wardrobe currently consists of solid colored attire and striped attire...I just noticed this a few weeks ago...I'm not a brancher outer when it comes to clothes - I don't have a defined style enough to do it.
24) I thought about cutting my hair short for the first time literally a day before I actually did it.
25) I get on binging bursts with sewing and then don't do anymore for months.
26) I can't properly go to bed without washing my face, brushing my teeth, and putting my retainer in (like a teenager)...you know that part on Date Night?  That's me.
27) I actually like organizing and sorting Ross's toys and books...even though they get mixed up and strewn around the house five minutes later...it's so weird.   
28) I always prefer baked goods over candy or any other goodie - and I always crave them - which is always bad.
29) I would be extremely good at eating healthy all the time if someone else did the cooking.
30) I am ALWAYS a sucker for flowers - the cliche generic roses - they make me so happy, and thankfully Steve has set aside his feeling of not understanding why and gets them for me on special occasions.

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving!

Here's to the big 3-0!

Fabulous November and a 30-life crisis

We've been moving along lately.  I've been in a baking mood more which is delicious not a good idea when you're wanting to be healthy.  Somehow our bananas haven't been getting eaten so quickly which results in them being turned into banana bread...with chocolate chips.  Also pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have been made about seven times in the last month.  My friend, Jen, also made an amazing pumpkin pie that I got the recipe for which I'm dying to try out.  I can still taste the slice I had at her house.  Oh blasted holidays - why do you have to be filled with delicious baked goods?

Steve has been working hard on his clinical reasoning seminar (STILL) and had to go to some horse stables to get some footage of a patient riding.  We jumped on that bandwagon so we could see some horses.  We had a grand old time (until Ross saw the backyard of a house filled with tractors and trucks in a sand pit...then it was a bit of a meltdown) and had fun looking around.

Ross was really excited about the skid steer (and no I didn't know that name until this expert came along).  He really wanted to stand in the bucket.

Ruby has decided she has legs she might as well use them.  She's been climbing up everything - including our stairs.  Multiple times we've caught her up the third step, and because she will just sit back whenever she's done climbing, she can't be trusted with those babies.  We had to lower her crib due to being able to pull herself up.  She's started cruising around as well.  Ross is a huge motivation for her to get going.  She gets sad when she's left out and doesn't like being left behind.  

I LOVE tights!  I love love LOVE these - I love having a girl. :)

I was attempting another picture and Ruby seemed to lose her grip and this is what we got.  She was okay - don't worry.

Her tights may be a little big...just a bit.

Cutie!

I've finally gotten her to say "Mama" and it's music to my ears!  I love it!  She also LOVES to growl...like a lot.  Like - in a not girly way at all.  I still have yet to get that on video.  
Got the growling! :)

 

She can be so girly at the same time with her cooing and talking, and then out of the blue - a bear sound comes out of this adorable, smiling face.  Silly girl!

She LOVES to stand.  Ross's foot is photo bombing.

She's so proud of herself.

Ross's foot really wanted some picture time too.

With my babe.

Still trying to hold her...she's trying to get to her next appointment...the green truck over there.

Ross is starting to grow out of some of his 2T clothes which is depressing.  He's such a kid.  He loves to go jump in puddles lately (since it's started raining more), ride his trike (okay I've been making him since he never has an interest in it...until I started making the truck driving sounds while he's riding it - then he thinks it's cool) and be rocked to sleep.  Last Sunday, due to no naps, I was nursing Ruby after church and she crashed asleep right after.  She's never still in my arms, so I enjoyed just holding her and rocking for a while...makes you love those little rascals even more.  And then that night I was rocking Ross and singing a few songs and he fell right asleep too.  I've realized he's our little snuggle bug.  He likes to be rocked and held and cuddled.  It's nice.  He's getting so big.

He wanted to see his face on the camera so I convinced him to cheese for me.

LOVE this face. :)

Oh and with my birthday looming just four days away - I must be feeling like a 30-life crisis, because I chopped and colored my hair.  And I LOVE it!  No more dead-mommy feeling.  It feels pretty good.  Hopefully that's a good omen for the big 3-0 coming up.  

Woot woot!

I'm lovin' the cut!

Other than that...we've been starting to organize ourselves for the big move in December (although we're still trying to find a place to move to).  It's too depressing to me!  We've been friending it up a lot lately for that reason.  I'm going to miss all these peeps I've met and come to love.  Oregon - what have you done to me?! :)   

Our place (in all my sentiments) notice how my dead flowers have come back...and it's because I left them alone!

I was running to drop something in the mail and ran over this.  Is this red not the most gorgeous thing ever?!  Just outside my back porch too.