November 28 ~ Sugar and Spice and Everything Ruby

This little almost 4 year old has recently stole my heart all over again. I don't know if it's the book I've been reading, having our last baby, or just her...but I just want to squeeze her in hugs and freeze time. She is in a really cute phase or maybe like I said above, I'm just noticing the cute stuff more?! Here are some things I really want to remember:

A month or so ago, she was at the home of one of our favorite babysitters and on their way back home, she said to Lacey, "I bet you had fun with me today because I'm so pretty". Ha!

She also has an unreasonable fear of bears lately. This at times is cute and most of the time is super annoying. She follows me everywhere and screams bloody murder if she can't find me for just a second. We go over again and again that no bears live in our city...but alas it doesn't seem like reasoning is helping.

This leads us to two other funny moments. I was singing a song to her the other night at bedtime and I interjected my own funny lyrics about "no bears, pirates or wolves are around"...she stopped me and said that "actually mom I like wolves". Okay then.

And supposedly, "I'm only scared on Tuesdays mom"...so every morning she wakes up and asks which day it is. An interesting attempt at bravery that doesn't seem to add up since she really is scared daily. Maybe she's just not used to her sisters being gone.

She can be really whiny and sometimes have an attitude that is new to her personality, and having no naps can make the late afternoon miserable for her and I...but over-all, she has good manners, the sweetest smile, the funniest big girl facial expressions and precious little talking voice.

Oh, and my ultimate favorite Ruby story lately was realizing that she asks to be the "tall sister" every time she plays house (her favorite pretend game). I love that in her little world she views the oldest sister as the "tall one". And even more that she must look up to her big sisters to want to pretend to be them:)

Our friends just found out they are having a third girl and it made me think of how happy I am that we had Ms. Ruby. She is her own unique person...and Mike and I are both so smitten.

Did I mention I think she's a little beauty?

November 25 ~ I Hope He Knows

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday..he would have been 62. I guess that is one thing I've learned; when you lose someone dear, time is marked on their birthday and the day they passed. It still feels really strange that he is gone. I think I reached to call him three times on Thanksgiving to wish him a happy one...

This year I would want him to know how well I am being taken care of by another dad.

Dear Dad,

I hope you know that this summer when I got a speeding ticket while caravanning to McCall, Idaho, Mike's dad drove me the rest of the way and made some judgements about the police officer just to make me feel better (even though it was my fault and I knew it).

I hope you know that this summer when I was nesting, Mike's dad came over at my request to fix a lot of things that were broken.

I hope you know that when I was 38 weeks pregnant, Mike's dad called to tell me he was sending their house cleaner over to clean my house - - because he didn't want me to work too hard in my state.

I hope you know that I get out of the blue phone calls from Mike's dad just asking how I am doing.

I hope you know that when I got a flat tire two days ago, Mike's dad came to pick up my van and take it to Les Schwabs. Two days later, he saved the day again when he took it to the tire shop and purchased me four much needed NEW tires and had it detailed. He gave me a bit of a hard time for not having any gas in it when he took it from me...but you would have done the same...it must be a "dad thing".

He and you might get a laugh out of the fact that sometimes I lose my keys or get places late or ..... but I know that when I do silly things like that, it doesn't really matter because I had your heart and I have his too.

How did I get so blessed to have been given the dad that I needed then and the dad that I need now?

Well, Dad you BOTH have my heart for now and forever.

You don't have to worry about me...but you knew that already didn't you?

Love, Rose


Dear Mike,

Thanks for taking such great care of me!

Stefanie Christine

November 26 ~ Creative Exercise

In our wonderful green northwest, the indoor months can be quite lengthy. What I mean is kids and adults get cabin fever often!

There are just so many art projects and movies and toys to play with and then a mom has to get creative. So, we resort to obstacle courses around here. I've gotten pretty good at constructing really fun ones too. We like to turn on the dance music for extra excitement and motivation to move fast. Sometimes they even keep track of how many times they have gone around with playing cards or little toys. Then it becomes a competition...and don't all kids love to win?!!

Last year around this time, Becca and I must have done a kid swap and Tobin, Jabe and Phoebe had a blast with our obstacle course antics:) Great for gettin' wiggles out:)

November 24 ~ Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Thanks to my sister, Lesley and my sis-in-law, Meghann for purchasing me a groupon at Yuen Lui last spring!

I got this beautiful picture out of the deal - 1 8x10, 2 3x5's, 6 wallets and one digital photo.

I'm tempted to use it for my Christmas card, but Henry has changed so much since we did this session.

Today I am most thankful for these four babies in my life...

November 23 ~ Stow-aways

Here are those lyrics hinted at in the last post:

Home, home on the range
Where Daddy and Henry hunt bucks
Where we hide on plateaus with our scopes and bino's
And we wait for those big bucks to show

Repeat til baby stops crying....

November 22 - Lost and Found

Yesterday I lost all the pictures on my computer due to a nasty virus. Are you familiar with the term "depths of despair"? That's how I felt. Today the computer guy in town, victoriously cleaned my computer and salvaged all my files. And my heart soared. I'm sure you've felt that way before too; when something very special to you was lost and the hope to find it was a dismal at best....and then there was a minor miracle and you FOUND that special item. I felt like celebrating and I definitely looked at all my pictures again - happy for each one of them retrieved.

There were Disneyland pictures, summer at the lake pictures, birthday party pictures, delivery pictures, newborn pictures and Thanksgiving and Christmas last year too. All day yesterday I kept telling myself, "you have your memories still and your blogged pictures too".."it's not the end of the world Stefanie". Self-talk helps. All those things were true and yet I still wouldn't let go of the possibility that I would get them back.

I don't think you've seen these ones of Henry. He looks so tiny in them now. I can't believe how he's grown. At 2 months he had gained about 7 lbs since birth, and he hasn't slowed down. He is smiling a lot and tries to babble, but it seems like the girls were much better at getting the coos out. He just started sleeping through the night (do I dare even write that in fear that it doesn't stay that way for long?) He loves his swing the best out of all sleeping spots. When he is awake he doesn't love to be on the ground on his blanket for long. I still hold him a lot, and sometimes I even manage to rock him and do my computer job at the same time. He looks a LOT like his daddy now. And his favorite song is Home on The Range - although Mike changed the words to include hunting terms. Who can blame the guy who's been putting up with Barbie movies and ballet performances for many years? The girls love on him and fight over him all day long. It's a wonderful problem to have as a mother. I'm so thankful I could give them a baby to ooh and ahh over. We love him so much!

November 21 - To Have and To Hold

Mike and I returned from our weekend getaway yesterday afternoon. And it really was a get-a-way. We shut the entire world out - even the view of the outside at times. I know it's just the time and place of our life right now, but when we get some kid-free time, we don't really want to do anything. So we watched 3 movies, made food in, read our books, held Henry, sat on the deck and watched the river run by...you get the picture. Yes, and that is why today is a bit of a reality thumper!

I have a few pictures to show you of our time at the beach, but today, I scanned a couple of our 13 year old wedding photos into the computer so that you can glimpse a bit of our wedding day! It's funny how finally when I look at these now, I can see a big difference in what we look like today.




As I wrote my title today, I realized something. For the past eight years, Mike has graciously and thankfully allowed me to hold my babies more than him (in a literal and figurative way). He knows and I know that this is the way it is meant to be - they need me! But as I have mourned the fact that I will never be pregnant again or deliver another new life into this world, I find comfort in that Mike will eventually begin to have and hold me again more.

Whenever I get sad I try to turn it around and be enthused about birthing a NEW body for myself and a new chapter in our lives. Oh, I know, I have a few more years of young kiddos around here. And I am so glad for that! Henry is totally spoiled because I pick him up whenever he cries and snuggle him dearly.

But this past weekend and today, I celebrate the wife in me - the one I want to be for him, for me, and for the little girls in my life watching me oh so closely.

November 20 ~ Mermaid Turkey

The home work assignment was to give Maisie's turkey a "disguise" - so the farmer wouldn't kill it for Thanksgiving dinner. We decided on a mermaid disguise. From what I gather the staff liked ours the best! What do you think?

November 18th - A Must Try

Winco carries these cocoas seasonally. I have used the candy cane one a couple times for moms group. It's divine. Make it with milk, not hot water if you want it to pass over to the divine.

I hadn't ever seen or tried the pumpkin spice, but picked it up this week for our November meeting. I gave it a whirl this morning (just to make sure it tasted good - that's code for just wanting to drink some) and it was an autumn divine. I added a splash of coffee since it was 4:45am and all.

If you are entertaining for the holidays...pick these up for sure!

(ps...i'm thinking about having a pajama open house here for my neighbors...home made waffles and yummy drinks...does that sound so great? if only I could order snow for the occasion. i watched a you tube video about how the pottery barn crew transformed an old house for their catalog this year...and they used fake snow. i won't be doing that...but it was quite interesting...and now i'm just rambling..)

November 17 ~ Raincoat Revisited

When I first started blogging, Daphne had just turned four and Maisie was about to turn two. I can't believe I've been at this for four years now! (best decision ever btw...I now have 4 years of parenting recorded!)

If you have been following me that long, you may remember a post about a cute little raincoat that I bought for Daphne's first field trip. It was a spendy one - but the only one I could find in town. I barely justified it by knowing Maisie would wear it and I think I must have been pregnant enough with Ruby by then to have known she was a girl:).

Well, I don't remember Maisie ever wearing it...can't say if it was because of her issues with clothes OR because I forgot to pull it out. As much as it rains here, it seems like their other coats do fine for the short sprints out of the car to our destinations.

Yesterday the long ago purchase paid off again when Ruby wore the little raincoat. She loves fashion and was so excited about her attire.


Here are pictures of Daphne from 4 years ago and Ruby yesterday:










Do you just want to squeeze that little girl or what? Oh my golly! I love her smiles so much.