An Update

Still growing larger day by day
Still retaining annoying amounts of water
Still can't bend down far enough to pick up anything
Still have no desire to look presentable in public
Still happy
Still waiting
No baby

Together Again

After a long week and a half- which I sometimes exaggerate and extend to 2 weeks maybe 3 (if I need the pitty)- our family is finally back together again!
Justin finished up his exams and got on the plane and came to us!
I am so glad....
Now to wait 16 more days for this baby to come...
I hoping its less then that- but am sure it will be more....
Ruby was so glad to be reunited with her dad- and consequently will NOT leave his side- not for anything- she isn't letting him get away from her again!
We are having a great time visiting our families and finishing up all of our Christmas stuff...
I only have 3 nativities and innumerable hair clips to make-
But it seems minimal compared to the list I had...
Well I am off to celebrate some more!
Ok I just said that- really I am off to bed- I think I'm getting sick and I have a long day of shopping tomorrow.
If only Justin would be happy with little girls hair clips for Christmas- then I could be done all of my shopping....

Seriously?

Yes this is my SNL inspired post about my adventures in arriving to Alberta.
Because I'm here.
I know what you are all saying- 'Seriously?'
Yes folks I am here- the only issue is that if you are here and want to see me- you probably have to come to me- at least until i recuperate.
We left Justin behind in waterloo to finish finals and then he will be following us in just over a week.
So it all began on friday- when I was supposed to get on the plane and it was cancelled-
Seriously? Seriously? There is that much snow in Calgary JUST before I leave- of course- seriously? I came from +5 weather to -35 weather- seriously? I didn't even have to wear a winter coat in Waterloo yet- seriously (I may have been the only one- I seriously am retaining an insane amount of body heat this pregnancy- if I didn't know better I would say i am carrying a werewolf baby)
Though I am not complaining about staying another couple of days with Justin- seriously- I am so glad actually- it was a lot less stressful for all of us
But I decided that since I was home i would do some of the 'nesting' things that most woman at my stage of pregnancy do- yeah seriously. I have never really had the opportunity to 'NEST'-
So I got really ambitious and got on my hands and knees and cleaned the floor-
Seriously
That is where my nesting ended-

So we rested for the rest of Saturday, went to church on Sunday and got on a plane that night.
Our flight was pretty good- except that the sandwiches that I wanted to eat cost 10 dollars- seriously- so we had a bagel instead.
Ruby played with stickers, watched the tv, and squirmed alot- but all in all we were good
Got to Calgary- were super tired- the weather was bad- and Ruby was super cranky
But we were safe
And then began the serious waiting for Justin to arrive and save us.....

SNOW DAY

Well this snow day wasn't caused by snow in Waterloo (which I am happy about for now) but it did snow in my destination city- Calgary- Hence why I am home and Ruby and I are having some snow days. We now don't fly out until Sunday.
I am NOT complaining however- this snow day means I get to spend some more time with Justin and we won't be apart for as long anymore which is nice...
It also means I am able to get a few more things done around the house before I leave-
Like thoroughly clean the kitchen
Wash the kitchen floor
Do more last minute laundry
Clean out some cupboards
Finish some projects that needed to be done
Pick up some last minute gifts
Clean the fridge
and eat the broccoli that we didn't get to last week....

Wait a minute.....

I was excited to be home for another couple of days- until I wrote that list.... hmmmmm
But another upside of being home is that it is giving me a chance to write this blog!
I have been working on alot of projects lately- mostly for christmas- but I thought that I would share some these projects with you!
So it is time for another segment of 'Did I Do That?'

INTRODUCING- Molly Dolly- Ruby's new favorite doll! I found the pattern on Martha Stewarts website- it is called a Black Apple Doll. They are super easy and fun to make!

I made this owl applique for my niece for christmas- also easy and fun to make.

This is a little nativity set that I made with my activity day girls. I have to thank Kim Hawryluk for the idea and the instructions on how to make it! Thank you Thank you Thank you- I love it- and so does Ruby... Hence why Josephs arm has already needed to be crazy glued....Another applique- apparently I really like to do these....

Another clay ornament- I have seen these all over the place and they are so cute!! S'more snowmen... I did forget to make wire arms for them but they were a spur of the moment thing- I was just using left over clay... And they still turned out pretty cute- but they would have definitely been cuter with wire arms..... oh well, next time...
Gingerbread garland- they are salt dough ornaments that we decorated with paint and Martha Stewart sparkles (of course)My helpers....
Justin loves Martha's sparkles


Ruby.... she loves it all... she would carry them around with her and sleep with them until I finally tied them onto string and hung them up....
A little bit of supper still left on her face... OOPS...

Well I still have reusable bags to make, some hair clips and I think that is all for christmas... Unless another project comes to mind of course.
In the new year look for an upcycled coat rack, a duvet cover, and whatever else I have energy for- I mean I am having a baby SOON~
Less than four weeks.....

A Whole New Meaning to New Moon

I went to see New Moon tonight
I liked it
Yes its cheesy
Yes its awkward
Yes Bella breathes weird and really loudly
Yes Jacob is shirtless for most of the movie
Yes Edward has weird teeth
Yes the acting isn't the greatest
Yes the theatre is packed with screaming teenagers- and older women...
but I still liked liked it
It was fun
Even if we got the last 3 tickets and Heather had to ask some random ornery guy to move over and we had to sit in the 2nd row and i could barely fit between the people and the seats when I tried to get our seat- there was some serious butt in face and knocking over drinks and stepping on toes and squishing baby action...
I couldn't fit with my tummy and my bag- I almost had to leave one or the other behind. It took the whole 'please don't steal this movie and put it on the internet- that's a criminal act' segment just to get to my seat. I started before Kim and Heather and they were already seated and staring at the catastrophe that was me by the time I was able to make it to my seat. I almost gave up half way and sat on the skinny tweens lap that wouldn't move her legs but I made it and was able to enjoy my front row-everything looks a little distorted and blurry- but we have no other option- seat.
It was well worth all the hassle- and we didn't even have to wait that long for our row to clear out so the chubby preggo could make her way home. I swear the seats in the very front row are closer together than the ones in the back.....

The Little Van that Shant

So we have a van...
Yes we only have one child and yes we would probably (ok definitely) fit in a car- but we have lots of friends and we like to go on trips... and I love my van.
I will say that when Justin told me that he found a van for us to buy when we moved to waterloo I was a little shocked and critical. But it turned out to be the best decision and our van is awesome...
Well its awesome in the fact that it is definitely a van, and it definitely fits us and all of our stuff when we go somewhere.
But maybe not so awesome in the fact that it doesn't go anywhere.... well not anymore...
So I guess if your definition of an awesome vehicle includes one that runs then you wouldn't like my van... but part of me is emotionally attached- it has taken us so many places and given us so many memories....
So now the story of the Little (or large) Van that Shant
It all began in the fall of 2007 when Justin and his dad bought a sparkly new Chevy Venturer
Ok it wasn't sparkly and it was only new to us but we were glad to have it.
It served us well for the first year
unless it rained- because then it would leak all over the drivers side chair
and your bum would get wet every time you sat in it and it smelled really musty
and the heat wouldn't work in the back- just the A/C
and the unlock button on the drivers side didn't work
Then the next year came and the intake manifold gasket was replaced
then the A/C wouldn't work in the back- just the heat
And the Anti lock brake system stopped working
And the All Wheel Drive stopped working
And the wiper on the back window stopped working and started making a loud squealing if we turned it on by accident
And the power steering pump started making a constant high pitched squeal
But we left for the summer and forgot all of the problems the van had
Then we came home...
And the passenger window is now finicky and won't roll up sometimes
The unlock on the passenger side won't work
Then the major problems began
The van began over heating
And the head gasket had to be replaced
And the water pump
And then Justin discovered that one of the fans (that probably caused those 2 problems) wasn't working and it cost us $13 to fix....
What else could go wrong?
We were feeling pretty good
Like maybe our van issues were behind us
Until the transmission started breaking down 3 days later.....
After making that list it seems like we got a lemon
But still part of me is unnaturally attached to this van
It has been so good to us
I don't know if I will ever be able to say no to more repairs.....
When will this ever end?
And what else is going to happen when we get the transmission fixed?
I mean really what more could go wrong?
I hope that our mechanics- or the PJs- as we like to call them-
since that is what their names are
can work miracles
cheap miracles..........


* I also wanted to give a little shout out to the Hughes! They are visiting us for the week and we like them and never want them to leave--- they are fun....*

The Hop, Skip and a Jump Maternity Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Hop, Skip and a Jump Maternity Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!
Once again I hope I have a little luck. I should really let Justin do this- he is the one who wins everything....
But seriously I have about 6 weeks left and could definitely use a little lift to my wardrobe... if you can call it that....

Famous Neighbor

Yup- I bet you all wish you had a famous neighbor like I do!
You can check out her handy work here.
Pretty awesome!!!!
She is super talented as you can all tell!!
I have never seen a 4 color pen depicted in such an artistic way....
Thank you Jayne Hyde for opening our eyes...
*Ok- so the link apparently isn't working so I will just give you instructions on how to get there... Go to bicworld.com
click english
go to the very bottom of the page and click site map
Then go to the very bottom again and click photo gallery
In the drop down menu click august 2009
Then look for Jayne's picture (it is the first one in the second row)
Hopefully that works for you all....*

Once Upon A Time...

As I sit here Ruby is reading herself the book that I have previously read her about 5 times this morning... Dr. Seuss's ABC Book.
Her version is a little different that Dr.Seuss's however...
Hers goes a little something like this:
'Once Upon A Time there was a girl-o named Ruby and she was beautiful and she played alot and alot and alot Max and Ruby.' She then repeats this until she has gotten through every page and reaches the end of the book where she says 'A zizzer zazzer zuzz as you can plainly see.'
I personally think she would be a great author.
I would read her books....

Obsession

So I love a good bargain- I mean who doesn't?
Since I was young it has been ingrained into my mind that you always shop around and look for the best bargain.
It can be the death of me when I am faced with a good bargain and my better judgement kicks in and tells me 'No you don't need that' and I am forced to walk away.
It happened today.
I was on my daily trip to Michaels- (I don't usually go every day but I am in charge of Activity Days and have been making some purchases for that which have required a 50% off coupon- and those of you who know Michaels know that you can only use one a day- hence my daily visit to Michaels....)
I was quick this time we were trying to get to friends house on time and Ruby was a little bit restless- so we got our goods and got into the shortest line.
There was only one lady at the till and she was buying a whole bunch of Halloween and Autumn scrapbooking and crafting stuff.
It was ALL on major clearance
And I mean a major clearance- 70% off or more
I didn't ask exactly how much because I knew that if I knew I would be more inclined to buy more martha stewart glitter, and autumn brads than one could possibly use in a lifetime. I mean seriously who needs 3 different colors of orange glitter?
(on a side note I had indulged earlier in the week when I found a good deal on some Martha glitter)
I ended up going to another till- one to speed up the process- that lady was taking a long time- she had definitely indulged beyond her better judgement... and 2 to get out of the situation and stop myself from picking up Ruby and running to the clearance section bulldozing anyone who decided to get in my way just to see how much orange glitter I could possibly carry out of the store for a super deal...
I must say I got out of the store with only the one purchase I had to make.
But when I got to the car I seriously considered going back in- and that was AFTER I had strapped Ruby into her car seat. Yes- I was willing to unstrap her and haul her back in to look at the craft stuff and then buy it and then haul her back out... CRAZY I know.
I thought about it all the way to our friends house...
I told my friend about it...
I thought more about it...
I got in the car to go home after the play date and almost went again...
I got Ruby home and thought about it all through lunch...
I had a nap to stop thinking about it...(and I was tired- probably from thinking about it)
And then I told Justin about it
But I am proud to say my thinking about it has lessened and I no longer have the urge to run out and go get some unnecessary craft supplies.
Kind of lessened anyway.
I mean it is only 7:42 and the store doesn't close until 9....
I am not a shopaholic
Or at least I don't think I am
Maybe I am and it is going to be a long road to recovery because I haven't even made the first step yet- admitting that I have a problem....
I just find it so hard to pass up a deal like that.
What if I need a brad that spells autumn one day and I have to go out and buy one at full price?
Or what if one day I find myself needing 3 different shades of orange sparkles and I just don't have them?
Or Autumn ribbon?
Or Halloween stickers?
What will I do then?

As you can tell it is really hard for me to pass up a good deal- but I am learning.
I am going to Michaels tomorrow for my daily jaunt so we will see how I stand then...
Hopefully strong....
Or maybe my arms will be full of glitter....

Seriously

*So I started writing this post- and then...*

What is with making bread in the breadmaker?
It is an art that I have not yet conquered- but Justin and I just keep trying....
This is Justin's attempt today-




We had to cut the extra flour out of each piece before we ate it- and it didn't rise AT ALL... It did taste good but just wasn't the wonderful loaf that we were expecting.

And my attempt today-

(photo will be revealed at the end of the post)


Don't judge us on our breadmaking skills we are still good people I swear...
I have been able to make one good loaf of bread and one good set of buns (Justin has not been so lucky) but they were with white flour- the two loaves pictured above were made with spelt flour....

HELP
*So I wrote that post- and then my loaf of spelt bread came out looking like this*
It overflowed the container and touched the top of our bread machine!!!
And the above post didn't seem to apply to me anymore... It is now somewhat irrelevant.
But I took the time to write about it so I thought I would post it anyway.
But apparently only one of us in this household is bread maker challenged now....
Sorry Justin...

Sunday, Sunday

Today was a great Sunday- even if Ruby only napped for 15 minutes and our car was in the shop so we had to hitch a ride to church and Justin had to speak-
It really was a great Sunday!

We were able to get to know some people in our ward better because of the service they gave us
Justin gave an amazing talk on being self- reliant
And because Ruby didn't nap we decided to take a walk and get some pictures of her cuteness- and she had the time of her life picking up rocks and running through the goose poo infested fields....

Some Pictures of OUR Cuteness....
And Seriously- WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN.......?????

Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I just saw this and it all looks amazing!! I think Ruby would look awesome in it all!!!
Now if only I had enough luck to win something....

One More Life Experience

Chalk another one up to a life experience for Ruby....
While travelling today to get a few errands done our van overheated- so after stopping and turning off the car- letting it cool down and then starting it again- it did it again and I was forced to stop in a parking lot with nothing to shop at except the dollarama.
Now don't get me wrong I love dollarama- so this wasn't the worst experience in the world.
So we went in and picked up a few essentials- you know- cinderella lip balm, a cinderella bookie, some hair accessories and a winnie the pooh reusable bag for her to carry it all home with. Just a few essentials of a 2 and something year old girl. (I do know what the something part is in months but I didn't think any of you would really care to know that information)
While we were browsing the aisles (which are very narrow I might add) a man on crutches came the other way-
And before I knew it Ruby stuck her leg out and tripped the poor man


Just going to let that settle in



and now I am going to let you know that that was just a joke....
She didn't trip the man-she's not a monster- he did have crutches and was missing one leg though.

No Really

he was

Ruby didn't do too bad in this new situation that she was encountering. She has never seen a person with just one leg before. She didn't point or say anything but she did stare with puzzlement in her eyes not sure what to think. The man didn't say or do anything though I am sure he noticed her stares- she was only about a step away from him.
In that moment I realized how innocent she really is- and all the life experiences that are yet to come for her....

Like when we drove home and had to stop 3 times because of the over heating of the van. So I was cheering the van on and the heat (because that wasn't working either) telling them to come on and get us home.
So Ruby joined in cheering- 'You can do it heat! You can do it van!'
And we got home.....

YES HE DOES...

YES He does and so do we!!!

I took Ruby out and took a few shots of her for Justin's mom and a book she is putting together for Christmas. I love this picture so much- and I hope that I can instill in Ruby and our future children a sense of the love that Heavenly Father really does have for them. We are all truly children of God and I am grateful for this knowledge...
AND I LOVE YOU RUBY!

Family of Supers

Introducing::::::
Golden Arms (his super power is super golden arms- of course...) and his family of supers-
Super Ruby (her super power is being the cutest ever)
Super Cheryl (my super power is making people)
I must say I love it
I love us
And I love being SUPER...



Perhaps the supers will be making an appearance at a function near you soon.
Or just anywhere because we feel like wearing our costumes.....
So keep an eye out for us!

*On a side note- Ruby has not removed the super ruby shirt since we put it on her. She even wore it under her dress to church today....
But seriously isn't she the cutest?

Water Lady update

Recently I have gotten word from my special agent OOJ (double O J) that there has been some recent activity on the water front.
A MAN this time was transferring water (or what we think is water) (or what we think is a man) to an unknown location and returning with empty jugs.
So much for the garden thought- I don't think many gardens are growing anymore.
Still no idea what it could be for.
One day I will take a pic for all of you to see the stash....

EW- GROSS

I have tried not to complain too much about the house I now live in....
Its nice NOW but it wasn't always.
I don't know who graced our halls with their presence before but somehow they managed to make a home that is only 5 years old seem ANCIENT and well... gross and dirty and icky.
Yes ICKY.
They took out the carpet on our main floor because it was beyond cleaning and replaced it with tile- but not the nice kind... think supermarket or hospital.
YEAH
There were ALOT of things that needed to be replaced or cleaned or fixed- but once those things were done and we got a VERY LARGE area rug I finally feel at home. I feel less icky.
I think that part of this less icky feeling is due to a chance encounter I had last friday. I was coming back from being out with ruby and our maintenance guy was knocking on Clark and Jayne's door. I didn't think much of it until I got to my door and he had suddenly appeared there. He told me that he was on his way over to my house to ask if I wanted to get my vents\ducts (I don't remember which word he used and frankly I don't really know or care to know the difference) cleaned. Apparently the guys were ahead of schedule and he thought that we could use a cleaning and that we would be willing to have them do it even if we didn't have the usual 24 hours notice.
Of course I said yes- anything that they will clean or do in our house I am willing to have done.
So Ruby and I left again and headed to chapters to read some bookies and returned an hour and a half later and our house was surprisingly minty fresh with clean vents.
The next day I went downstairs and I found this on my dryer.


NONE of this is ours.
Now can you see why I say ICKY? How else do you describe it?
I mean seriously that IS a shriveled up apple and an old used baby soother.
ICKY
(Though I did clean and keep the basketball- gross I know....)

Today

My Observations and Discoveries of Today:
a) M&M Cashiers equal nice.
b) a squished Boston Cream still tastes as good if not BETTER than a boston cream in the original state. My hypothesis is that this is due to the spreading of the cream- no more dry donut bites- every bite has some delicious cream. Try it some time- just leave a donut in your bag until it is sufficiently squished.
c) Chapters can be fun despite what you may think. It is fun and very likable- now I see why dad loves it so much.
d) I like Chocolate milk and may be slightly addicted....
e) Duct cleaners and their brothers can be exceptionally nice- and they will leave your home smelling surprisingly minty fresh.
f) Your house can smell minty fresh despite the fact that the air outside your house smells like literal pig poo- of no fault of your own- it is carried in the wind.
g) There is no way to control the wind
h) The words 'no' and 'way' ALWAYS go together. If you are ever going to say no to someone add on the way- it sounds way better... At least to Ruby... and if you are talking to her consider yourself lucky if you get a 'yes-way' those are rare but present in her vocab as well.
i) and last but not least- there are only 2 kinds of pedestrians- the kind that has a death wish and seem to throw themselves in front of my car constantly (luckily I was able to avoid these death-wishers)- and the kind that are scared to walk anywhere and ALWAYS run across the street even if they have a walk signal and are really old....
j) and lastly- when Ruby says 'Good Morning' it sounds just like 'Good Mormon' I think its great!
And to think I still have some of the day left to continue to observe and discover....

Salt Lake City- Here We Come!

Well- not until September 2010... but we are so excited I just felt like I needed to mention it!
Justin and I have been stressing- well mostly me, I seem to be a super stress case these days- over where and when we will get certain externship placements.
And we got where and when we wanted.
We will be in Waterloo for the summer- so we can do all the summery things here that we want to enjoy (African Lion Safari, Pageant, Wonderland!!)
And then we will be off to SLC and then finally back in Alberta.
We truly have been blessed and I am grateful to our Heavenly Father for watching over us.

24 Carat Gold

At a recent Relief Society Enrichment I had the good fortune of being given this-
And yes it is dusted with 24 Carat Gold- I have never eaten such expensive chocolate....
And we all enjoyed a bite!

Did I Do That?

Yes it is time for some self proclaimed bragging- I figure every blogger deserves a little time to brag about themselves- so it time for you all- and especially me- to enjoy a new segment of Snelldogs- 'Did I Do That?'
And the answer is YES!
As I mentioned in previous blogs Justin and I had the good fortune of finding a Children's table and chairs for $4 at a garage sale- the only issue is that it was a light pink and in pretty bad condition. But with a little 'snellbow' grease and some paint anything is possible!!!

Here are the before pictures (well this is after I power sanded it)
And the during pictures

And here is the beautiful after picture!


I seriously LOVE this table and chairs now- LOVE it!!
And just to give credit where credit is due- Justin did all the painting of the chairs and alot of the table too (but I did do some)- and he did an AMAZING job- even with me hovering over his shoulder....
Ruby loves her table and chairs too...

And one more project---
This is my most recent sewing project-
Which Ruby also loves!!
(Even though she looks unhappy in the pictures)

Freebies

UW Homecoming can be summed up as follows:

Free Bees
Free Bears
Free Battlestar Galactica

Ok- no free battlestar galactica- that would have been too perfect...

Where they were lacking in Battlestar Galactica they made up in other free B's
Free Bibs
Free Books
Free Beanie babies
Free Balloons
Free Bandanas
Free Babies (ok no free babies but there were lots of babies)

As for other freebies that don't start with B
There were free:
t-shirts
stickers
food
ice cream
cotton candy
pins
face painting
slime
and Fun!!!

I am not kidding about the free bees- they were swarming
As for the free bears they may have been Bernstein but they were still free!


Other pictures to document this momentous Waterloo Homecoming
Justin finally got the balloon wand he had always wanted...

It was really fun! I mean how could it not be- we got free stuff!!

Star Sighting at Home Depot

I am working on redoing a Children's table and chairs that Justin and I snagged at a garage sale for $4... so needless to say we have been regulars at Home Depot lately... This Friday was no different.
We made a quick stop at Canadian Tire first to pick up a few 'needed' items and then headed over to Home Depot and began our journey by looking in the paint- I didn't need much to recover these items so I was looking for the littlest containers possible. It turns out small containers of paint aren't the easiest to find. They had one variety so we picked up the colors we wanted and were walking past the paint desk where some good sized sample paints caught my eye. THAT was when it all happened. A 'home depot-er' (that is what I like to call home depot employees) asked us if we needed any help. We told him our project and what we had picked out- he gave us his advice (which we heeded- I mean who are we to go against what a home depot-er is telling us) and we walked away. As we walked away neither Justin nor I said a word we were both mesmerized by this employee.
Until Justin finally broke the silence and said- (and I quote) 'He captivated me with his good manners and gentle eyes'
He took the words right out of my mouth
I then said- 'He reminded me of someone famous'
Justin agreed and then almost instantly he said
'Matt Damon'
I agreed...
We had just been helped by a celebrity look-a-like. I think I heard that his brother is going to UW- but don't quote me on that.
Justin and I may just be making extra trips to the paint aisle at home depot to be captivated by good manners and gentle eyes.....



*On a side note if anyone near me has unsanded tile grout- I NEED 2 tablespoons- and I don't want to buy a 2 kg box... HELP!*
Also watch for a new segment on Snelldogs called- 'Did I Do That?'- its coming soon- and you guessed it our first subject will be a childrens table and chairs- as long as they turn out nice....

Crazy Water Lady...

Ok- so as many of you know I live in a town house complex with my family while Justin is in school- since being here I have seen many interesting things. What can I say? I am a people watcher- not much of a people ASKER. So I sit outside with Ruby while she plays at the park and I watch people- it is a way to pass the time and every so often I get a good story to tell Justin and we sit and speculate about why a person would do such a thing- whatever that thing may be. But today we are S-T-U-M-P-E-D.
Seriously stumped.
I thought you could help- atleast one of you 11 followers would know what the *SNELL* she is doing....

Here is the situation:
There is a family who fills water bottles (the 4L size) with water and places them on their back patio- I never see what happens to the water but every day or so they are refilled and placed on the back patio- so they have about 10 bottles out there.
Today is the first day that I have seen any water movement- as I sit looking out my window (and listening to Justin play guitar and Ruby accompanying him on harmonica) I have seen her pass by 3 times with full waterbottles- walk across the complex to a neighbor and then return with different bottles that are empty. No idea what she is doing-
any clues?
Like I said I am a watcher not an asker....

My best guess is that someone is in labor and their water has gone out so the only water they have is her stash and she is being a good neighbor and giving up her water food storage for them to boil and use for whatever they do during labor.....
hey it could be true...

Oh there she goes again-------

My Prince

Seeing Justin through Ruby's eyes:


Ruby thinks Prince Eric looks just like her daddy- it must be the rugged good looks.... I think Justin is flattered even if Prince Eric is a cartoon...

Another Sniebe Adventure!

Recently Justin, Ruby and I were able to take a trip with the Wiebes to Nauvoo and Chicago. This one had a little bit more excitement brewed in since we had a 9 month pregnant woman (who by the way had to pee all the time), a 6 month pregnant woman (who by the way had to eat all the time) and a van which seemed to make a new sound every hundred miles or so....
Compared to all of this the two 2 year olds we had in the back seat were a breeze (I will partly thank a dvd player for that and of course our uncanny ability to entertain small children)
We packed in everything we could during the 2 days we were in Nauvoo/ Carthage and the 2 that we were in Chicago.
It really was a wonderful experience... I have always wanted to visit the Nauvoo area and was glad to be able to it before our time in the east ended (not that it is ending soon but I am glad to have it off my 'bucket list' of sorts).
Nauvoo was alot to take in in 2 days- ALOT of history- but definitely interesting and I was able to learn alot. I am both impressed and grateful with the sacrifices the saints made. We were able to see Joseph Smith's grave site, the Nauvoo temple, the Mississippi River, Carthage Jail, the place where the Relief Society was organized, LOTS of other historical sites, and a plethora of corn fields (and a mystery field which turned out to be beans) thanks to Justin and the scenic route we took to Carthage... which I will of course never speak of again.
Some pictures for your enjoyment...
*Notice Rosie (the doll in every picture) she has been Ruby's constant companion since we came back east*

In front of the Nauvoo Temple

At the Pioneer Village playing with a wooden sheep

Cuties in front of the temple

Ruby and Eli both got their own little Book of Mormon and carrying case- they seriously carried them around everywhere and 'sang' the words from their pages....

Stay tuned for scenes from Chicago next....

Back

We are back- yes we are now in the east
Well technically at this specific moment we are in the mid WEST
but soon we will be back in the east again- back home- well homeish.
Somewhere Ruby can finally have a permanent residence and not be continually confused about where home really is.
We flew into Waterloo on the 25th, drove to Detroit the next day (Ruby's 2nd birthday), and finally we then embarked on a 9 hour journey to Burlington Iowa so that we can visit Nauvoo and Carthage over the next two days- then Chicago for a couple of days.
Surprisingly the 9 hour journey with 2 pregnant women and 2 toddlers was surprisingly enjoyable. I will say thank you to movies and knitting......
Tomorrow onto Nauvoo and some Sniebe adventures!

We Got the Goods...

We got the goods-
We are proud new owners of an SLR camera- a Canon Rebel XS
So you can all expect better pictures- once I figure everything out.
It is just the basic of the SLRs but we got a really good deal on it that we couldn't pass up. There is now a whole new joy in picture taking... And it is only going to get better!!!


And even Ruby feels the joy!

THE DAY HER BFF WENT IN THE FREEZER

Recently we were holidaying with my family in Radium and had a great time.
We went to the park, the pool, the beach, watched movies, played games, went for hikes and did whatever we could to keep everyone occupied for the 7 days we were all together.
There was one thing that we were lacking- Toys
We just didn't have the room- we were all packed to the hilt...
So we had to improvise- and we did- with Freezie Friends.
Mega supersized freezies- unfrozen mega supersized freezies- and the kids loved them- they all got into carrying around their freezie friends.
And the proof:


So after Radium we took a 12 hour drive to oregon to spend time with Justins family at another resort. If it wasn't for Little Mermaid and our pink freezie friend we wouldn't have made it through....
Until the plastic had taken all that it could- and leaks started sprouting. We tried duct taping it but the pressure was too much for our little freezie friend and it was time to change it from liquid to solid...
It was quite a sad day- and still Ruby asks for her freezie friend and everytime we mention it or open the freezer she cries for her freezie friend.
It was her BFF you know (Best Freezie Friend).
We are working on a replacement.....

The Foremost in Fun

First of all I am finally starting to feel like a real person- though I am not totally there- but it's coming...

So because of my recent humanness- We were able to have a Super Awesome week in foremost! It was alot of fun!

We had July first festivities with my parents ward at Centennial Park in Bow Island- It included food, family, fun and the sun- what could be better then that?

We had campfires- which of course included smores and hot dogs and fun!

Ruby loves it at grammie and papas house because she can be outside ALL day- and she definitely took advantage of that! We were outside from the moment after she woke up and ate breakfast until it was bed time.

She loved playing with her cousins- and if I was feeling better I would have more photos-

A common phrase in our house now is 'Where LILY go?' (one of rube's older cousins)

We were able to take advantage of the great weather and go to 40-mile (a lake and beach near Foremost) It was so nice to be out in the sun and enjoy family---- oh and FRIENDS- we met our long lost neighbors Clark and Jayne there- just out of the blue! It was quite the surprise- so Ruby and Ainsley were able to be reunited after this long few months....

And Ruby had her first pony ride ever!!!!

Hopefully since i am feeling a little more like a real person I will post more- I have got some definite summer adventures coming up- Hello Radium and then Oregon!!!

Water Park

Ruby has many favorite places this summer- but the one that tops them all is the spray park in crossfield.
Any time I ask Ruby what we are going to do or where we are going to go she immediately says 'waterpark'.
This is what happened the last time we went:
Happy to be there- but still not in the water...
What happens after she accidentally gets a little bit of water on her....
More crying....
Receiving comfort and warmth from her cousin...
Hiding from the water.... But doesn't she look so cute???

Regardless of all of this- she still loves the water park and wants to go everyday.... I am sure she will love it one day.... Until then it is towels covering our bodies for us!