snow, snOW, SNOW

Almost a week ago we had our first snow of the season, and on a Saturday, so it was extra fun because we were able to meet friends (and their dogs) at the park to play. I was a bit disappointed when Ruby made her snow angel the "right way," as opposed to last year when she dove head first, face first into the snow and made them on her belly! I have tons of pictures, but refrained from sharing them all- including: Ruby helping roll snow into the body of a snow man only to destroy them as soon as we started to build (can you tell her BFF is a boy!), lots of running with the dogs, and throwing snowballs. I will never tire of the first snowday (notice I didn't say "snow" in general because come February and March and I'm still homebound due to snow I do not sing the same tune!) It is so beautiful and such a joy to watch the kids discover it.

And what did baby brother do? He stayed cozy and tried to take it all in, keeping an eye on his big sis the whole time. He really didn't get the full experience of the snow, seeing how I didn't exactly want him crawling in it, but we still call it his first!

Sitting, Crawling, and not so much Sleeping

He is 7 MONTHS OLD!!! I feel it is so cliche to say, but really, where did the time go! It's way worse with the second child, I'm just not as glued to the calendar awaiting the next milestone, I know it'll be here before I know it, no worries. Not to mention the splitting of my attention, loss of brain cells, and general fogginess. He is such a great baby, so consistently happy and easy to make laugh. It doesn't hurt that he's got the constant attention of a very entertaining big sis. He's almost more doted over than she was! I thought he was crawling sooner than she did, but as I looked for pictures with dates, I found evidence otherwise (the pic of Ruby below is when she was 7 months- excuse the poor quality). They look so much alike, don't they?!

There's one big difference- Ruby was sleeping through the night, as of yet, Lincoln is NOT. Granted, he does sleep about 8 hours then awakens to eat and goes back to sleep until 7am. Good enough for him, but you don't find me asleep at 7 in the evening, or even close, so I'm not benefiting much. It's okay, I guess this is the only time he and I get true one-on-one alone time! And, as I was just saying, it goes by so fast and before you know it I'll miss cuddling him in that half asleep state. He wakes up so happy and loves it when Ruby climbs in the crib with him (as below- that's her hiding under the blanket next to him). His two bottom teeth are in and as of this past week the top two are peeking out. I've noticed the pictures I post seem to darken, not doing his blue eyes justice, but they are big and sparkling with that bit of mischief I love. And yet, another cliche- I don't know what we did without him around!

Little Red Riding Hood minus the Wolf

We have dressed Ruby up for Halloween for the past two years, but have never taken her trick-or-treating. This is due, in part, to the fact that our town doesn't do it on the night of Halloween (don't ask why, I don't know) and I didn't catch on to this in the past. We have always had a party for RUF at our house, so she just dressed up for this. My plans for costuming this year have been in the works for a long time. I really think I should re-title my blog to something clever having to do with how many posts have the common theme of my plans vs. what actually happens. I am truly embarrassed by this, and yet, press on blogging in my humiliation. Anyhoo... back to my plans. Ruby got this wonderful red cape from grammy as part of many gorgeous dress up clothes she made for her last Christmas. She also got a collection of old children's stories with illustrations by Mary Engelbreit. I decided that she would be little red riding hood and it would be too cute to have baby brother as the wolf. As you can tell by the tell by the title and absence of pictures of Lincoln, only half the plan came about. I did get to make her dress and basket lining, but no wolf costume could be made or found. The poor second child was reduced to a shirt with pumpkins on it! Nonetheless, much fun was had going house to house! She must've said after every other house "this is the best trick or treat day ever!" The pictures aren't even that great because she couldn't focus with the kids walking down the street and begging to just go already! The thought of people just waiting to give her free candy was just too much! Can you blame her! I sure do love being a mom and experiencing the sheer joy of such events, even the sugar high is worth it!

Ian and Fiona

September 2009

August 2007

Ruby's favoritist friends are Ian, 5, and Fiona, 7. They go to our church and are close family friends that are super supportive of RUF. So supportive, in fact, that they have already "arranged" for Ruby to marry Ian, so they joke (or maybe not so much).The other day the kids were playing dress up over here and decided to put on a fashion show. Ruby could not have been more proud, as you can tell by the picture. She just loves having them over to play. She is so proud of her room and her toys, it is such a joy to watch them interact. They play so well together and I enjoy seeing the progression in how they have taught Ruby how to play with kids, as she usually is played with by students. I also enjoy overhearing "conversations" such as the one below:

Ruby (showing Ian a ball of hers): This ball has princesses on it. There's Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and Jingle Bells (pointing to Belle of Beauty and the Beast, which she's never seen, but I think I told her who it was)

Ian (with a puzzled look): Um, I don't think that's her name

Ruby (very matter-of-factly): Yes it is, that's Jingle Bells

Ian (shrugging his shoulders): Okay (fading as he moves on to something else)

Maybe not such a bad arrangement!

One Foot Out the Door

I can't believe Ruby's off to preschool (actually, she started the first of September, little late in posting, as usual). Yep, she's 3 (and 9 months) now. I missed the opportunity to salute her on this blog when she turned 3 in January, so I think now's a good time to update you all on what she's about these days. While she still watches the usual kids programs and movies she has moved on to bigger and better things. First, it was Mary Poppins (or Mary and Poppins, as she calls it) and just about two months ago she settled in to watch The Sound of Music with me one night (Yo-de-le-i-yo-de-le-i-yo, as she calls it for her favorite scene with the puppets). She loves it! Nothing makes me happier than hearing her in the other room singing These Are a Few of My Favorite Things or Do-Re-Mi! Seriously, not exaggerating when I say it has brought tears to my eyes, I just love that movie so much and have such fond memories of watching it with my family when I was little or hearing my dad play any number of the songs on the piano while we got ready for church on Sunday morning. Speaking of church, she loves it and sits through the whole service like a big girl. She is more than fawned over at our RUF bible studies and is so spoiled by them all. The other day at supper with the grad students I am told she had a number of the male med students singing the little mermaid (the part where she is singing the scale as she gives the witch her voice, you know- ah ah ah, ah ah ah) just to get her to sing it! What a sight!

She has adjusted exceptionally well to no longer being the only child and absolutely adores her little brother. She is his biggest cheerleader, literally- we made up a cheer to get him to roll over and I hear her chanting it to him as they lay on the floor together. She talks up a storm and says so many hilarious things. Yesterday, she was hugging Lincoln and said "you're such a sweet boy, I wish I had a brother like you!" She is a foodie, definitely. She eats all manner of things, is a lover of cucumbers, salmon, and mushrooms, and the only thing I can think of she won't eat is tomatoes. She loves to cook with me, do "crafts," pet animals, and do pretty much anything I can convince her is exciting (I don't know what I'm going to do when she discovers some things aren't as exciting as I make them out to be). She is sweet and crazy, both at the same time. I feel so privileged to call her mine and feel both excited over and saddened by the fact that she's such a big girl now.

So Many Hugs

Blue Eyes

Lincoln's Baptism

As I was preparing for Lincoln's baptism I anticipated that it would be lower key than Ruby's and felt much more focused on what it meant. How special it was going to be seeing that it was on Father's Day and it would be Jason's first time to baptise someone, and his own son! I imagined a blog with beautiful pictures and eloquent rhetoric of the sacrament of baptism. Maybe someday I can share the beauty of this sacrament with you, but for now I must be honest about how it really played out..... This past year our church has started using actual wine glasses with wine or grape juice for communion instead of the usual mini "shots" in a tray. (please take note in above picture) The communion table is lined with the glasses. It was in front of this table we were to stand for the baptism. As soon as I realized this I subtly tried to push Ruby in front of me or at least further from the glasses. Just when I thought we were safe and Jason was reading a beautiful scripture (at least I now know it was beautiful, for I was having a hard time concentrating on the words given the situation at the time)- Ruby decided it was time for a gorgeous flourish of the hair. You know what I'm talking about- the kind you see girls do on TV in slow motion- using their arms to flick back the hair. Ruby was especially dramatic as she was in front of a lot of people. I can say this, I feel particularly thankful that only one wine glass was hurled to the floor spraying its contents all over the side of her white dress and the carpet before it shattered on the floor, and that my gorgeous superstar was not injured. And to add to it she immediately looked at me and said in desperation, "I'm sorry momma" in that way where you feel like everyone must be thinking your child is entirely too scared of you. And..... deafening silence. If only someone would've laughed! I just didn't know what to do, I could care less about her dress, but felt the need to start scrubbing the floor. Well, the rest proceeded without a hitch, but Jason and I admitted later we had a hard time focusing as there was still a whole table of glasses behind us! Linc was happily unaware. By the time church was over, Linc was asleep and Ruby could be bribed for one smiling picture. But this truth still holds, my God and his promises to me and my family are steadfast and unchanging even when I am distracted and the wine is spilt.

He's been replaced....again

In February I found this on my stairs (they've taken to hiding together while I vacuum)

Then, the other day I found this while I was getting ready in the bathroom

(Yes, that face on Ruby is her doing the huff and puff of the three little pigs)

2 Months Old!

I can't believe the boy is already two months old (actually 9 weeks as of yesterday). He had a check at the doctor yesterday and is weighing in at 11 pounds 9 ounces and 23 inches long- right in the 50th percentile, not too big, not too small, just average! :) He is so precious and has evened out and cries to eat and to be put to sleep. Oh yeah, he doesn't cry, but screams bloody murder with baths and car seats and if you take too long changing his diaper in the middle of the night! He has been smiling since at least 4 weeks old, but I always got the smirk from people assuming I'm just a gushing mom and then the comment, "it's probably just gas." Nope, not at all! It's hard to catch that smile on camera because it has usually just been with his parents and Ruby when we're holding him, but I was able to catch him smiling at the mobile on his swing which he just started to tolerate this week. He is so sweet and according to everyone looks just like Ruby!

Summer Conference

At the very last minute (3days prior) we decided to accompany Jason and the Marshall students to RUF summer conference in Laguna Beach, FL (right next to Panama City). It's a longer story why it was such last minute, so I'll spare you. Other than the 14 hour drive down there which is not fun with a baby that absolutely hates the car seat (why have I not yet gotten one of the normal babies who is lulled to sleep by the car?!- this was my cry, literally, as we traveled), it was a great week. It is a working week for Jason who taught a seminar every morning and was in charge of one of the kitchens at most meals, so it left me with the kids. But, at least we had the beach, at least 5 swimming pools, and the fellowship of old and new friends in the other campus ministers' wives. Lincoln spent the week in the sling since it freed up my hands and he loves it so much. Ruby spent the week getting to know some of the many small children their with their parents. Mostly she hung out with Knox and Owen Westmoreland and JayneMac, Asher, and Eloise Rhodes (see their blogs for more pics, I haven't figured out how to allow you to click on the text to get to their sites.). It was refreshing and encouraging to see friends and also to see the enthusiasm and work of the spirit in so many college students (I think there were over 700 there, and this was just the first of two weeks they hold summer conference). I cannot reiterate enough how blessed I am to be a part of this ministry!

Happy Easter

If you've read any of my other posts or even just looked at the pictures, this look on Ruby's face should be familiar- so cute, but there's that twinkle of mischief in her eyes. Nothing naughty necessarily. Like a sweet sister she colored an egg for "brother" with an L on it. After getting home from lunch with friends on Easter Lincoln was asleep in his car seat so that's where he stayed (we did bring him in from the car, don't worry). Ruby decided to hide her eggs. We soon discovered she gave one to brother, too. See, not naughty, actually she was sharing! It made me laugh because my mom tells the story of when my sister was a newborn and at Easter she found her in the cradle surrounded by jelly beans that I decided to "share" with her (I was two at the time). I guess Ruby more than just looks like me! Happy Easter to all!!!

The President

I am so overjoyed to announce that on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 5:06pm Lincoln Matthew Driggers arrived safe and weighing in at......8 pounds 11 ounces- causing a great gasp to go out amongst those present (and now those reading!). He is 20 inches long and absolutely precious! Big sis Ruby could not be more excited and attentive! I really don't know what to say without gushing, so I'll just leave it at this- I am blessed beyond measure and feel the love of my heavenly Father so lavished on me as I sit on my bed with my little family around me reading stories, giggling, and saying bedtime prayers- truly tasting heaven here on earth!

Flour Child

Isn't that picture perfect- sweet little girl, cookie cutter in hand, apron tied neatly around neck and waist, helping grammy make Christmas cookies. And it was, to be sure, but if you think the memory ends there, you haven't met my Ruby. It's a good thing I love a little personality and spunk, even if it means a mess- that's where all the fun is! So, if a little flour on the cheeks gets a smile.....
Then the recipe calls for a little more.....
Until the whole room is in an uproar and what was left of the picturesque little girl now looks like someone out of national geographic magazine, a tribal ritual of some sort!

Who's Your Favorite Uncle

I know it's been a while since I posted, so I'm having to play a bit of catch up, so stay tuned...

Just before thanksgiving my brother, TJ, decided to stop by WV for a long weekend on his way back from business in NY or NJ or something. He even drove through a bad snow storm to get here! Some of my favorite memories were made that weekend. We didn't do anything special, but seeing Ruby bond with her uncle was priceless to me. One morning, she was trying to patiently await his emergence from bed, but his door was cracked open and the temptation just became too strong. She stood in his doorway fake coughing and slowly pushing the door open to be sure he heard her. When I told her it was okay for her to go give him a hug and wake him up, she said no, he was sleeping. But that didn't seem to keep her from feeling guilty over continuing to stand in the doorway and cough! He taught her, through endless repetition- "who's your favorite uncle?" To which she even still replies, "UNCLE TJ!"