Someone is Mobile!

She started out wearing clothes and dragged her bum all over the kitchen. When I picked her up, her bum was all wet and I figured she just mopped my floor with her pants. 

It turned out she was really poopy, but her pants were dark and I couldn't tell. 

We've found a new dynamic. She opens all the cupboards and pulls everything out and slams the doors gleefully while I cook.

Naked babies are more fun anyway. 

Ruby Dooby Do!

We all sing "Ruby Dooby Do" whenever we see Ruby. She inspires music in all of us:)

She'll be 7 months in a few days, so some updates are due. She is the best baby ever. Not much fussing, no teeth to bite me with, no illnesses, she still doesn't roll over on a regular basis (although she can)(see, she's so good to me), and she smiles at the drop of a hat. Gabriel and Claire love to make her laugh. They're so sweet with her.

She's already doing nails with big sister and mommy. This is Claire showing (or not showing) me her freshly painted nails. We had girl night while daddy took Gabriel to the Pinewood Derby.

Gabriel teasing and loving her.

Claire trying to get her to smile.

And she will eat your hair for breakfast.

Trip to Grandma's

We were lucky and got to go to Idaho to see Grandma before we moved. This, of course, means a trip to the GC to visit my wonderful grandparents. I love that they still want to hold the babies. They have a lot of grandkids and great-grandkids, yet each new baby is still a novelty to them. Every mommy likes that.

Ruby and my Grandpa Curtis

Ruby and Grandma Shirley

My grandma was very concerned about how I went about taking 3 kids on this little road trip. I told her that I pulled over into a church parking lot to feed the baby and let the kids run around and she nearly had a heart attack. She said she wouldn't go anywhere for anything. I guess I needed to see my mom pretty badly.

Grandma Peggy was so much fun to visit. She took us swimming and to the petting zoo. Just a few great days with Grandma. No Grandpa this time. He was off being a boy scout that week.

Claire has been introduced to underwear. One pair is never enough. It's all or nothing.

Hanging around the house in August. Gabriel loves to hold Ruby. He'll often tell me what she needs to calm down, as in "she needs her binky", or "you need to feed her". It's very sweet. He's been a good little helper, especially in the car when she's crying. Maybe it's because they're twinners born 3 1/2 years apart. They have a special bond.

Really? Here again?

Claire is excellent at finding hidden accessories, such as socks and hats and jewelry. And she can't pass any of them without putting them on. She wore socks all summer. It drove me crazy. I thought it would be nice to not have little socks all over the house and to sort through the laundry for a few months, but no.

My sister and her family came to town this summer, too. If only Jennie and Melissa's families could be here at the same time. Jennie and Melissa happen to be the best story tellers. I can not stop laughing when I'm around them.

Jennie, Nicole, and me

Aunt Jennie with Ruby

I love that Jennie's boys are all looking at the camera. It gives me hope that one day I will be able to have a picture of my children all looking at the camera.

Graduation: August 11, 2011

This year I finally complete my long journey with BYU.

I started school here in 2007 while pregnant with Gabriel. We didn't know it at the time, but found out that the school offered insurance to students with great maternity benefits. So we signed up. Little did we know that this long, drawn out process would pay for all 3 of our babies. Thank you, BYU.

I say long and drawn out because I started here with my associates degree already completed. I took a class here, skipped a semester there, and now I get to just be a mommy again.

This last semester and summer were by far the hardest and most rewarding few months of my life. Pregnant with Ruby and going to school full time with 2 other kids at home. I could not have done this without David's sister, Jessica. She gave up a lot to come live with us in Utah to take care of the kids while I finished school. I made all A's and B's because of her helping. I think one of those grades was only awarded because I never missed a class and my wonderful teacher took pity on the poor pregnant girl with perfect attendance in the 7 am class.

Technically I have 3 more classes to complete, but I am doing them online in the Fall and they let me walk early because I would not live in Utah in April. So, as my sister Nicole loves to say "A cap and gown does not a graduate make", it's a great motivation and step to a huge reality for me.

Two weeks after my last final exam in the summer, I gave birth to little Ruby.

Thanks to Rob and Claire for coming to support me. I love this picture because none of us are looking at the same camera, not even Ian.

My parents drove down from Idaho and got there just in time to hear my name being read as I walked across stage. So glad they made it!

Here's my hero, David, who supported me all the way and made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to do this.

29 years old and 3 kids, finally finishing school. It's a great feeling!

Swimming Lessons August 2011

Gabriel took swimming lessons this year. It was hilarious to watch because he was the youngest kid in the class, yet he was the only one who would talk to his teachers. While the other kids would cry as they were standing on the diving board (DON'T MAKE ME JUMP!!), Gabriel just said "Hey, I need help!"

And as kids cried going down the slide, Gabriel told them several times that he was going to just go slow. He inched his way down the slide,

and placed himself in the water. I was very proud of him for never holding his nose and always putting his head in the water when the teacher told him to.

Happy Swimming!

Duck Pond!

Oh, what do you do in the summer time after you've made 100 different train track patterns?

And when Tia Jessica is nappin' with baby Ruby?

You go feed the ducks! We have a duck pond near our house where we like to bring our outdated bread and have a good time.

Gabriel was brave and let the duck eat out of his hand. He was very nervous about being so close to the ducks, but it's all good at arms length.

The wheels in her head are turning. "Should I eat this pizza, or feed it to the ducks?"

2 seconds after this photo was taken, the whole piece of pizza was in the pond. And the ducks did not eat it.