The Lombardi Family

meet tess olivia

2010-01-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's a girl and a pretty cute one if I do say so myself. She was born Jan. 4th. 7lbs 12 oz 19 1/2 inches long. Honestly we were kind of surprised it was a girl (sorry brian) and even MORE surprised at her head full of black hair! (p.s. our mailman is Asian) I so hope that it will stay dark and I'm pretty sure she's going to have blue eyes like her sister--beautiful!

My recovery from the C-section was so much better than the last 2. No throwing up, infection, or severe pain like before. The sadest part of the whole experience was during the surgery, the doctor said that I had a ton of scar tissue and my uterus is super super thin. He strongly advised us not to have any more children because there would be a huge risk of rupture and it would be very dangerous for me and the baby. Brian and I had always kind of felt like we wanted 4 kids and it has been very emotional for me.

On the positive side, it has made me savor every moment of this beautiful girl. I can't stop kissing her, cuddling her, and staring at each of her perfect little features. I don't even mind the middle of the night feedings, knowing that each day she will get bigger and less and less of a newborn, and then less like a baby until one day she is all grown up. I just want to freeze her.

We are so blessed and thankful for the 3 lives that have been entrusted to our care: each healthy, happy and each filling us with so much joy. Welcome to the world tess olivia--

p.s. thanks to my dear friend Kristy for this darling picture and more to come. so talented.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

We won't be sending out Christmas cards this year due to the fact that our newest family member will be here in 11 days and we didn't want he/she to feel left out of the family photo! (or it might have something to do with my swollen feet and face :) We feel so blessed this year! Especially this time of year we are thankful for the birth and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We wish you all the best and hope your family is happy and healthy. Stay tuned for some much needed updates and yes, a belly pic in there too! LOVE YOU ALL!!

i know..i know....

2009-10-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

This should stop the nagging while I'm working on a post with all the highlights of the summer. See they're still alive and they're still pretty cute!

I definitely needed this today...

2009-09-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

I have been know to enjoy a good dance party at my house every now and then. I now realize I need to start working on Jack's moves a little more if he's ever going to compete with this kid. I was especially entertained by the fervor with which he "slapped" the booty :) Hope it makes you smile--i needed it today....

Cure for sandy cheeks!!

2009-07-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

SO I recently went to the beach with some friends and picked up this gem that I HAD to pass on. I was stripping down Ruby after a few hours at the beach, swimsuit filled with sand. How am I going to get this all off to put her diaper on without rubbing her raw?! My friend Brittany says all nonchalant, "oh don't you use baby powder?" "What?" I've never heard of using that. She hands it to me, I sprinkled some on--and ALL of the sand literally falls right off when you dust it off--miracle!! Added bonus is they smell all fresh and baby-like! How could I have grown up my entire life on the beach and not know this...crazy! All you mommies, go out and grab some today seriously!!

and baby makes 3!!

2009-07-08T13:47:00.001-07:00

I am pregnant with Lombardi baby #3! I can hardly believe it. Sometimes I think we're insane and I want to take it back--but most days I'm excited to see what this new little member of our family will be like. When did this all happen? Life just seems to be passing much too quickly! I have been much more sick with this one, but I think I've turned a corner! and guess what....WE'RE NOT FINDING OUT THE GENDER!! Those of you who know me well know that this is so not like me. I found out the gender at 13 wks with Jack and 14 wks with Ruby. We figure hey we've got 1 of each and we have to have another c-section (so we'll know exactly when it's coming) so we would LOVE a fun surprise. Now I'm super excited not to know and surprise all of our friends and family on the big day.....any guesses??

p.s. I figure with a fun announcement, you'll forgive me for NEVER updating my blog and making you look at that lame pink ribbon every time you come!

Little Miss Ruby is 2!!

2009-07-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

I can't believe little Ruby is already 2! We invited family and some of her little friends and we had a great day with perfect weather at the kiddie pool. Brian was a champ and helped me cut out a hundred little fondant flowers to put around the cake and made all the letters. I think he secretly likes it when I force him to help me!She is definitely acting 2 lately too--little miss independent--wanting to do everything herself, temper tantrums flailing on the floor but with all of that she is filled with personality and makes me smile. She adds so much to our family and I can't wait to see her grow into a little girl. Ruby was so cute when we were singing happy birthday to her with this huge smile. Thanks to everyone for making her day special!!

Play it forward!

2009-04-05T20:04:00.001-07:00

Pay It Forward! So, here's how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and then sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Hurry -be one of the first three!

i just need to tell myself...

2009-03-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

potty training + sick kid + house bound for a week = unhappy mama

a little time with the girls

2009-03-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had a much needed weekend with some of my favorite girlfriends. Who doesn't love a little vegas right? We spent the drive up reminiscing about the good ol' days back in the alabama house. Immediately after arriving, we picked up Sara and drove directly to Cafe Rio which happened to be having "free food day" umm okay. We'll wait in line 20 minutes. If possible the $0 price tag made it all the more tasty! The next day in loo of the pool (turned freezing) we got our shop on. There might have been a mani pedi in there as well. I didn't change one single diaper and I didn't spend all of dinner trying to get Ruby to stop climbing out of her high chair. Most of all we just enjoyed our time together and remembering why i love these girls so much.

p.s. thanks to my dear husband for watching the kiddies all weekend.

meet molly.

2009-02-19T13:45:00.001-08:00

She is the latest evidence of our insanity. Don't let the cute face fool you--she's got razor sharp teeth and she knows how to use them.

I can't believe I forgot to add this little girl to the things that make me smile about Brian. We traveled all the way to Mississippi to get her. One might ask, "you couldn't find a lab puppy in CA?" yes, yes we could. But she wouldn't be a "wildrose dog"--the offspring of two of the finest hunting dogs bred with the finest hunting attributes and training. you think to yourself, "oh, i guess i didn't know that brian was a hunter..." He's avid. I think he went dove hunting one time with his dad last year.

But that's not the only part that makes me smile. A year and a half before we got the dog he ordered "training the wildrose way" instructional dvd and has probably watched it 20 times. (and has forced others to watch it as well--sorry!!) He's determined to make this a well trained beast. I have to had it to hand it to him. He's been doing training sessions every day. And for those of you that are concerned for my emotional well being (already having 2 under 3 at home--one being jack)--Brian takes it to work with him almost every day and he takes it out in the freezing cold at the 3am to go to the bathroom.

We did make a weekend out of it. We stayed in this cute little cabin on the wildrose property

You can't go to Memphis without visiting "graceland" right? Trust us, skip it. it's totally "underwhelming" not a very big house for a "mansion" straight out of the 70s with a "white trash" flare about it.

We also visited the Lorraine Motel--the site of Martin Luther King's assassination. They converted it into the civil rights museum. Very cool. Not the oppression, but the museum.

What is a visit to the south with out some down and dirty bbq eating? Which is yet another thing about brian that I left off his list--his bbq obsession.

i heart brian...and his mom!!

2009-02-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

Four years ago, on a very stormy day, I married my best friend. It was honestly one of the best days of my life. I had everyone around me that I love and I started a new life with Brian. Some of the things about Brian that makes me smile:
He wants to buy a gyrocopter (who even knows what that is, right?) and talks about it every time we sit in traffic. Remember we live in CA right?
He hates stickers, or should I say what is left behind when you remove a sticker.
He loves jiu-jitsu
His amazing green eyes
He dreams about buying a submarine
He calls his brother and dad such endearing terms as "ogre," "fat face" and"porker"
He loves to clean, I mean, deep clean professional steamer kind of clean, but hates to pick up his underwear off the floor--go figure.
He wants to put Jack into jiu-jitsu (just what my boy with "anger issues" needs right?)
He and Jeff want to buy a beater VW bug, put a fast engine in it, and race it in the baja 500.
He loves to ride motorcycles
He could spend hours watching survivor man, how its made, and the military channel.
He gets an instant headache when he eats candy but he eats it anyway.
Whenever he's sick he tells me every half an hour about how sick he is (still)
He'll sit and eat ice cream with me while we watch "the biggest loser"
He begged me to buy a sprinter van instead of the town and country and now is adamante about buying an aptera--google it--straight up jetsons.

I love all of his little quirks, each and every one of them. I love how hard he works to provide the best life for his little family. I love that he loves us more than any of those other things in his life. I love what a great dad he is to them.

and I love that he is mine forever and always!

Happy Anniversary Lover!!

We love sharing our anniversary with one of my favorite people on the planet! Happy Birthday Kathy! We love you so much!!

Starting the 2 month recap...

2009-02-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

So Christmas (I know-I know) was so fun! We traveled to Boise to be with my side of the family. Boise doesn't usually get that much snow, but the week we were there it dumped! The kids had so much fun having snow ball fights and going sleding--Brian and I were able to get away and go snowboarding for a day as well. Jack and Ruby adore their cousins! Lauren and Megan each had called dibs on one of the kids before we got there. Lauren was assigned to Jack and Megan was assigned to Ruby. They were our own personal nannys for the week and the kids were loving it! It is so great to spend time playing games and the wii. Is the video of jack not hilarious?! Watch his little legs go!

This Christmas was so much more fun being able to see Jack start to "get it" I have always loved this holiday, but I can honestly say I have so much more fun now watching my own children get excited.

CRAZY!?

2009-02-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

For all you out there that get bugged that I never update my blog--this will all but make up for it i'm sure. SO I was reading my friend's blog and she was talking about how you can find unclaimed money. I thought what the heck, I'll check to see if I have any...sadly no, but 2 hours later, I've searched several of my friends and family and have found THEM money. My mother and father-in-law, Adam Koch, Kathy Weeks just to name a few and the biggest of them all $1000 for Jason Draeger! I expect my finders fees from all of you! Just follow this link and search away! First peppermint joe joes now unexpected money--you see it's quality not quantity of posts that matter! Love you!!

p.s. if you're not from CA you can type in "unclaimed money" and whatever state you live or have lived in into google to find your state's website. Each state has a free one, so don't go to any of the sites that make you pay to search.

another christmas miracle...

2008-12-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

I went to trader joes today and out in the front of the aisle was a huge display of peppermint joe joe's. I'm always up for a festive treat, so I picked up a box. I just sampled one & it might as well have been crack! I am wondering to myself...how have I never heard of these before? Or are you all just holding out on me since apparently they sell out every year! Well if you haven't had one, let me just describe the experience for you...

the cookie starts off crisp and clear like a Girl Scout Thin Mint. Then when you hit the creme filling, the crispness gives way to a lush, milky vanilla, infused with bright flecks of candy cane, reminiscent of sparks of sunlight against a fresh snow.

Doubt the power of these cookies? Just try Googling them, and you'll find people who have devoted pages to these inexplicably delicious joe-joes.

I will definitely be going to Trader Joe's tomorrow to stock up on these cookies, and will bring them out to my deprived family in Boise that have no trader joes.

Taking in some of that holiday cheer--Join us!!

2008-12-10T14:39:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post a few of the fun activities we're going to do in the next couple of weeks to increase our excitement for Christmas (if that is even possible)! We'd love to have any and all who would like to join us. Just give me a call and I'll give you the specifics:

Thursday 12/11--Disneyland! We're going between 3-4pm and they're open until late.

Friday 12/12--Dana Point boat parade (maybe a date night??)

Monday 12/15-- Visit santa and pic at Fashion island--FHE a few years back I learned a secret from the Draeger family that this is the REAL santa-SHHHH. Maybe a little dinne? Food court @ fashion island? We'll probably go on the early side to try & avoid crowds.

Wednesday 12/17- Newport Beach boat parade. This the 100 year anniversary and they're shooting off fireworks at 6:20pm before the parade. We're bring the kiddies.

Saturday 12/20- Christmas at the OC Zoo- 10 am. I guess it's all done up for christmas and santa will be there of course with reindeer! I mean for $2 bucks how can you go wrong with this family outing??

If not with us, we hope you're getting your holiday fix elsewhere!! Much LOVE!!

Much to be thankful for...

2008-12-03T14:03:00.001-08:00

(i'm on a roll, huh?) Thankfully Rachel was taking pictures and sent me these or else we would have none! What was i doing the whole night? We had an excellent Thanksgiving at Brian's uncle's house in Glendora. Brian was secretly glad about the morning rain, eliminating the annual turkey bowl football game, thus ensuring him not getting hurt or throwing up because he's so out of shape. (good thing he doesn't read our blog :) My parents joined us as well--it makes it so fun to have it together so we don't have to travel. Dinner was as delicious as ever and we packed it in! I made my dutch apple pie that i do every year, but added a chocolate bread pudding to the menu as well that was super tasty. I figured there is never enough chocolate at Thanksgiving dinner. We have been so blessed in so many ways this past year. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving us such wonderful family and friends in our lives. We love you!!

Yummy turkey!!

Brian's uncle has an enormous hallway leading from one end of the house to the other. It was so fun to watch Ruby and Marie trying to catch Jack as he'd run back and forth
(2million times).

I love marie's face in this picture!

If only you could hear the deafening "CHEEESSSEEE" that Jack added to this picture!

Hello my name is Dawn, and I'm a terrible blogger

2008-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

Admitting you have a problem is the first step right? I really do think I started out a pretty good blogger but I'm not really sure what happened. I think it's a combination of life getting busier with 2 and the anxiety that builds as time passes between posts and you think of all of the treasured moments that have come and passed unrecorded, that will be lost forever. I have guilt for many things in my life and I have voluntarily added another thing to constantly nag at me at the back of my mind. I mean how hard is it really--get it together! So for all you haters out there here are a few posts to keep you off my back for awhile.

p.s We put up our Christmas lights today--tis the season and I'm so so excited!!

Jack's way of showing Ruby and loves her...

2008-11-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

As much as Jack likes to hide his love for his sister, she really has become his best friend. If ever one is awake without the other, they are trying to go into their room to wake them up. These moments are becoming more and more frequent, making me so excited for all the fun memories to look forward to. Ruby adores her brother, is his constant shadow, partner in crime ( more often than mom would like) and puts up with anything Jack can dish out.

Not quite sure, but I'm pretty sure the move jack is using to tickle Ruby's foot resembles some kind of submission move I've seen on Brian's ultimate fighting shows. Proof that I was right when I said he can't watch that stuff or else he going to start using them on his sis!

Jack's Preschool (well sort of)

2008-11-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

Have I become a "home schooler!?" Since moving to Ladera, Jack and I joined a Co-op preschool group with 4 other kids his age. On tuesdays and thursdays from 9-12 Jack is starting to learn all the preschool essentials like the days of the week, his numbers, letters, using scissors (his favorite) etc. Each of the moms take turns having the kids at their house for 2 weeks in a row--then you get a nice long break (which you definitely need after having 5 soon-to-be 3 yr olds at your house!) I've really enjoyed the private time I've had to spend with Ruby.
We get ALL of the teaching curriculum and supplies delivered to us by this home school company--right down to all the little parts to the crafts they do. It's awesome. Jack loves his little friends and only steals their crayons and eats parts of their lunch occasionally...

Halloween 2008

2008-11-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

The farkle family

This was the first year that Jack really was starting to grasp one of the best holidays in existence. Although this was not one of my more creative years as far as costumes go (we've been a little busy around here lately) we had so much fun trick or treating and going to a super fun party at Michael and Rachel's house.

I love this boy

Although my little monkey was looking a little haggard by the end of the night, she still enjoyed the reward of all her hard work!

1st annual gingerbread haunted house decorating party

2008-11-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me, know I'm always looking for an excuse to party. This started out as a replacement for my annual Halloween party. I just figured its starting to get kind of hard on the actual day to get everyone home from work, dressed, kids rounded up & in the car....too hectic. SO I came up with this idea to have everyone get out their favorite fall recipes and have a haunted house decorating party instead. and let me tell you, it's a keeper! We had so many people, even more kids, tasty soups and breads (thanks all!) "fierce" competition--which is what I love so much of my friends, and did I mention, kids running all about?! I think it helped that half of our house is without furniture. We had some sparklers left over from our friend's wedding, so we busted them out and the kids had a great time. We managed to keep Jack from lighting the other kids on fire. We had a great time and there will definitely be a 2nd annual!!

Not sure Brian could ever top this one....

2008-09-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Buying a house has been anything but easy and anything but fun until now...our loan and how much we could quailify for kept changing from week to week so we put our house looking on hold until I got back from Las Vegas (steph and I did a trade show there--another post..). We got back late Thursday night--Friday night we met up with Brian's family in Ladera for dinner. Our agent called us & wanted to show us a house real quick before we left. It was a forclosure that just went on the market. It was a total fixer-uper & smaller than what we'd been looking at in the past. Brian proceeded to tell me that we no longer able to qualify for what thought we could. So I was trying to stay optimistic--it had potential. Our agent wanted to show us one more house--Brian said he wanted me to wear a blind fold so I wouldn't be distracted by the neighborhood and I would just see the house itself. I resisted and he insisted--so i conceeded. I was thinking it was in this area of Ladera that I didn't want to live in. We pulled up, Brian opened the door, helped me out of the car, handed me 2 dozen red rozes, and a key?! He took off my blindfold and my dreamhouse was in front of me with his whole family and our kids on the doorstep. Complete and utter shock. "Are you kidding me?" is all I could keep muttering between tears and a lot of kissing.

**side note** no way would Brian ever be allowed to do this but it was a house that we previously fell in love with and we didn't get--so he knew it was a sure bet!!

He knew that I had been having a hard time juggling all the change and uncertainty with the kids--so when the house we lost came back to us, he didn't want me to be disappointed yet again so he did it all on his own. I am shocked he was able to keep this from me. I'm notorious for having to know everything all the time and he's a terrible liar.

We ended up getting the house for $150K less than they were asking. I love a good bargin. All the drama and homelessness was worth it--we get to move in hopefully by Sat. the 27th. We're going to have a big Halloween party & everyone can visit our new pad. But don't expect any new furniture for awhile--we're poor... Here are a couple of pics--I'll post a couple of the big "surprise" as soon as we get them from Brian's dad. We will not, however, be posting the video that Brian's brother took of the whole thing--embarrassing.

It's around the corner from the other house that was on my blog forever & it has the exact same floorplan. We've got a guest room now so please please come stay with us!

Don't die of shock...

2008-09-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

Did you miss me? You all probably stopped checking my blog long ago but I'm making an attempt at a comeback (no promises). Life in the Lombardi family has been crazy lately. Just a quick recap on the summer's major events: A trip to the river with friends, Ruby turned 1, Payne family vacation in San Diego, started potty training Jack, 4th of July, Lombardi Family vacation at beach house in Newport and river trip, rented out our condo, and moved in with the in-laws...i know....

Tell your friends--Pink Lemonade is finally up!!

2008-04-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

It has taken us forever, but Pink Lemonade baby accessories is finally up and running! Ryan Blad designed the site and he did an awesome job---we're so stoked! He put so much time into it (a big thanks to Steph and Luke Blad as well for giving up their husband/dad)! It has taken a lot of time and work, but it is totally worth it--it looks great. There is a link to the site on my list. Steph and I sold our stuff again at the CUW (california utah women's conference) at the Disneyland hotel on Saturday so it gave us a date to shoot for and we got it done! We sell our products at some boutiques so we can't charge a lot less than they do so, if you go to order, enter "farmers" in the voucher section at checkout and you'll get 10% off the orders, so tell everyone about the discount too! Thanks to all of our fun friends who have been our "fierce" models--maybe we'll help you launch your (or your baby's) modeling career! Also a big thanks to everyone who has ordered from us to help support our little business--WE LOVE YOU!!

Ruby's 9 months!

2008-04-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Still teeny-tiny but still not a sign of a tooth! She's a party girl. She would go all day without a nap if i'd let her. She loves family mealtime and eating all the food we do (in mini-pieces). you better give her food fast enough or she throws a tantrum! Among her new tricks is "head banging"--usually onto a person, but sometimes any hard object around her--ouch! She climbs the stairs and is 100% in love with Jack! He can do no wrong in her eyes. She spends most of her days exploring, putting any and everything in her mouth and giggling at Jack. Whenever there are kids around, she can't wait to become part of the action--she practically jumps out my arms and squeels with delight at the top of her lungs. She has gotten so fun!

Easter at the River

2008-04-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's become the new lombardi family tradition--2nd annual--to spend Easter down at the river. It was fun to just go out on the boat, shop, relax w/ family, and eat of course (to the tune of 4lbs--yikes!) I have never seen Jack enjoy the boat so much! He couldn't get enough. "Da Boat, Da Boat" is all we heard from his mouth the whole day long!! irritating... The boys had fun riding their dirt bikes and cleaning all the toys--for hours! Rachel and I loved it because the kids all entertained each other and it was sweet to have so many babysitters around so I wasn't chasing Jack around every second ( just every- OTHER-second :)

Jack's first hunt

2008-04-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

A few of our friends got all the kiddies together for a little easter egg hunt which basically entailed us scattering some eggs on the lawn (the 2-year-olds hunting skills aren't too keen) Jack was a little slow at the gun, but he finally caught on. But once he figured out the eggs open and there's candy inside, the hunt was pretty much over and the pigging out began. He was shoveling it in as fast as he could because he thought at any moment I was going to come take it away. Jack and Ruby were excited their cousin Marie came down from Ladera to join them. They all looked so cute--we would never have been able to get them all to sit still for a pic if they're weren't gorging themselves on chocolate! They would have sat there all day....

Little Buddies...

2008-04-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

All the hard work is finally starting to pay off. Now that Ruby is mobile, there's no keeping her away from Jack! When he's not stepping on her, or throwing toys at her head :( He's tickling her, giving her his blanket, feeding her her bottle/snacks, trying to pick her up, or giving her a slobbery kisses!

April Fools!

2008-04-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

The previous post was part of a little april fools j0ke on Brian yesterday. Surprisingly he was really excited. I don't think he realizes what that would even mean for us. (basically triplets!) For sure that would push us over the edge! We'll at least wait until there would be 2 years in between!

Does anyone know what this means??

2008-04-01T21:22:00.001-07:00

A much needed girls night....

2008-03-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Nora planned a little girls pamper night, because we deserve it of course! So a few of us met up for $25 dollar facials at the Marinello school of beauty. Don't get me wrong, I will forever be a fan of the mani-pedi, but now our eyes have been opened and there's no going back. Let's face it, if you go for a pedicure on a Saturday, you're lucky to get a half-way decent massage--not here, we went back around 8:15 and they finished up at 9:40!! They started off putting us under the black light so we can see all of our imperfections and sun damage (hurray) and then we got a deluxe treatment with several kinds of masks, steaming, massage-the face all the way down to the hands! Not to mention the extractions--Nora's girl was even more excited to pop zits than Nora (which is hard to believe!) capped off with a little fro-yo from GAYS. I'm content with my mini from golden spoon but there you make your own--not good. I cannot be trusted with my own toppings..."hmm, one more scoop would be better!" I've decieded that I can only go there on special occasions! We are going to make it a monthly outing! For all you ladies that are now dieing to go, we discovered going to the last appointment (8pm) is best because they're open till 10 so they give you extra long ones :)

Does anyone need some work done on their car?

2008-03-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

Brian needed an oil change and alignment for his truck, so he took it to Big-O tires on Beach. It turns out he needed new brakes, rotor, etc (that always seems to happen) anyway, they're having some kind of give-away promotion right now and we got a free Royal Caribbean Cruise to Mexico! So yah it sticks to have to pay the money to fix your car, but we would have spent it anyway and now we have a get-away too! SO if anyone needs any work done, go there and come on our cruise with us!!

I swear I have a life...

2008-03-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been the best blogger lately, but looking at my last posts, they all have Ruby on them. Don't get me wrong, she is adorable, but I thought I might let some of you know what is actually going on with ME, my life outside of kids. (Let's be real honest, that's about 2-3 hours out of the day)! First off, got my hair "did" yesterday and chopped it off. A little A-line to the shoulders number. Steph and I have been busy still doing our "Pink Lemonade" on Fridays at the Farmers market and trying to get our website up! ARG! We're selling at the California Utah Women's Boutique (free admission) at the Disneyland Hotel on April 12th and doing a huge trade show "ABC Show" in Vegas in September, that we're completely not ready for, but hopefully it will force us to get ready.
I was all motivated to get "toned up" for summer and then I hurt my knee at kick boxing last week and it's all swollen up. I had surgery on that knee before, and i'm pretty sure it's messed up pretty good--which has depressed me all week. I was excited to have a summer not pregnant or w/a newborn.
For the past few months, Brian and I have been trying to figure out where we want to raise our little family and take advantage of the "down market" to get into a bigger place. We are just busting out of our little 1400sqft condo and the neighbors up partying all night and their nasty smoke filling our house! After looking at several different neighborhoods, I think we've finally decided on Ladera Ranch. We have spent the several of the past weekends out looking at houses. It's fun, but hard at the same time. Do you go with the one you LOVE but is a stretch, or settle for one that's smaller but would do? and then in a few years, when you want something bigger, the prices will be back up and you won't be able to afford it! So hard!

a little side note--I was pleasantly surprised to see the bachelor pop up on my DVR the other night! A little recap on the haps of the people previously on the show AND revealing the new bachelor--a British guy--can't wait. Deanna is going to be the new bachelorette! It's sure to be "the most dramatic in Bachelor history..! (anyone up for a girls night "bachelor" party?)

Ruby's 8 months!

2008-03-04T20:46:00.001-08:00

This is how she looks when she sees her daddy. I really can't believe she is 8 months already! Time has just flown by too fast--i want to freeze her. This is my favorite age. She's crawling around everywhere! She will always give up a smile (especially to strangers). She's still a little peanut. Just 15lbs 6oz (10th percentile) and 50th percentile for height. She is so chatty and squeels all day long. Her favorite toy is a little baby doll given to her by her grandma Lombardi. Her favorite person is Jack. I'm not sure why, because he's constantly mauling her, but she can't get enough. Whenever he sees her, he stops what he's doing and climbs up to her and gives her a big old slobbery kiss on her head. It's so sweet. Brian's favorite thing is she does this sniffing thing when she get's excited and scrunches her face. My favorite thing is her sweet little breath, breathing in my face as she's about to bite my face...

She just started making this kissey fish face...in this picture, she's giving one to all our friends and family!

Big Day

2008-02-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

On monday, my mother-in-law came down for her birthday. We spent the day together and then we went to Michael and Rachel's house for dinner, cake/ice cream, and presents! The cousins had fun playing together and Ruby had a major breakthrough...she'd been spinning around in circles on her belly for a while, and even going backwards, but today she learned to army crawl to whatever she wants. I think she was jealous of Marie and Jack. Then she also started to pull herself up to her knees, and then later that night she pulled herself up to standing! All that in 1 day! Even since i took this video (yesterday) she's gotten a lot faster! I used to be able to plop her down in one spot and go chase after Jack. Now she's not in the same spot and usually has something choice in her mouth (i.e. Jack's shoe). Two on one --they've got an unfair advantage!

This one deserves it's own post!!

2008-02-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

We might be close to the line of TMI, but...our little man went poo poo in the potty! A couple of days ago he said "poo poo" and I said, "do you need to go poo poo? Let's go on the potty!" and I sat him up up there and he gave a serious effort, with no success. Then the same situation this morning--except...his efforts produced a poo right in the potty!! I was shocked! We haven't thought he was showing any of the signs of potty training. who knows if it'll happen again any time soon--but i couldn't of felt prouder of my little guy!

(at least i didn't include a photo right?--the thought did enter my mind :)

The curse of 2008!

2008-02-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

Finally some updates! You get so outdated that it's hard to come back because so much has happened. To my defense, 2008 has been a little rough for the Lombardis so far:
1)Jack and Ruby caught some nasty cooties from the runny-nosed kids at the daycare in McCall
2) Ruby got RSV and we had to do breathing treatments 3times a day and a round of antibiotics.
3) Jack then got some kind of infection in his lymph nodes, which made his neck swell up. He looked freakish--like two golf balls on either side of his neck--another round of antibiotics
4) I caught a cold from my diseased kids
5) Brian got food poisoning/or the stomach flu
6) I got sick again with an intestinal something or other....

geese, can we get a break?! Let's hope we'll just get it all over and done with for the year!

"The Destroyer" turns 2!

2008-02-04T20:39:00.001-08:00

February 3rd Jack turned 2! We had a great day at the park with tons of our friends and family! The weather was great and it turned out so fun (despite the fact that there were 2 other bday parties there that day and we got banished to a picnic table on the edge of the park!) The kids had fun playing at the playground, running through the giant bubbles Brian made, the pinata, and some monkey impressions for a prize (I was surprised how shy they got on me!) Jack is still too small to really get what was going on, but I like to think he still appreciates all my hard work in his own special way. He's been a "terrible 2" since about 18 months--with all the temper tantrums and freak-outs, so we figure we should be out of it by 2 1/2 then right? The boy is seriously crazy and 100% boy. Anything he can find to climb, jump off or smash. He's still not too verbal, in English, that is! He goes on and on about all kinds of things and explains in great detail how he got hurt, in "jack language!" Although this last week, he's picked up quite a few new words. He can be so rough and tough, but has such a tender little heart. My favorite are the unexpected kisses--he gives them to everyone--and everything (his stuffed animals, a toy truck...) and he is so sweet with his baby sister! He has such a fun personality and i cherish my time with my little buddy!

Bad Mommy- Ruby is not only 6 months but 7 months old now!

2008-02-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

This is Ruby at 6 months! Christmas is her half
birthday!

January 25th little miss toots turned 7 months! I can't believe how big she's getting--even though she still isn't quite 15lbs yet! She is still in the 25th % for weight but jumped up to the 75th for height! Tall and skinny--let's hope she stays that way! So smiley and never fussy. She is the best baby (during the day that is) the stinker is still getting up once in the night to eat. She's been spoiled while she's been sick, but that will all be ending shortly! Let the sleep training begin! She drools worse than jack did (if that's even possible) for no reason--i see no signs of teeth! You may have noticed her buzz cut--it had to happen. We tried to wait out the mohawk to see if it would blend--it was too hideous! She's getting really close to crawling. She goes backwards pretty well. I just love to kiss her little face! She is such a blessing in our family!

Here's a little reminder of the old hair-do!Publish Post

Payne Family Trip to McCall

2008-02-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

The end of December we met up with my family for a ski trip to McCall Idaho. It's located about 2-3 hours away from Boise. Cute little ski town. I've been pregnant for the past 2 winters so we haven't been able to go snowboarding for awhile. The snow was amazing and we were able to put the kids in daycare right on the slopes. It made us remember how much we love it! Jack loved the snow--so much that he had to put his hands in it every chance he got. Then he would freak out when they would freeze. It was so fun to spend time with family, staying up late playing games and skiing (just like old times!)

Modest swimwear finally!!

2008-01-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

With the holidays behind us, we've got to start gearing up for summer. I got this website off of a comment on the jensen's blog. What a great concept in modern and modest swim wear. No more tankinis for me....

www.wholesomewear.com

(its no wonder some people are afraid of mormons...)

Some Pics from Christmas..

2008-01-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Guess who's back....

2008-01-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

I'm just trying to get back in the groove after Christmas and the holidays...We had a fabulous Christmas. We spent Christmas eve at a big fancy party at Brian's relatives house. We were the only ones with little kids so i'm sure we were very entertaining trying to get Jack to sit at the dinner table for more than 5 minutes. All of the kids were in town w/ their babies so we all stayed the night at Brian's parents house. There were pack n'plays in every closet and room of the house! We woke up and spent hours opening all kinds of fun presents. We're so spoiled, but it's a lot of fun. We were really bummed because we thought that Jack would be way more into Christmas this year! He had more fun pushing the princess doll stroller outside in the bushes while we did Christmas inside. We were so excited to give him his present--it's a Skuut Bike. For most who don't know what this is, it's like a miniature bike with no peddles, so they fred flinstone it with their feet and learn to balance and steer--so they learn to ride a real bike really fast without training wheels--another disappointment, it was about 2 inches too tall for him :( Those lombardis with their short legs! Brian surprised me with an iphone--which is the coolest most fun toy. I love it! I got him an electric long board that weighs 50lbs that i've been lugging around and wrapped all without him knowing. It is so fun--don't worry, i also bought him a helmet!!
That afternoon we cruised down to HB to spend Christmas night with my parents. We're so lucky to be close and not have to choose. Mom cooked a delishious turkey dinner with all the fixings and we exchanged gifts. One of which was our most cherished present this year---a portable dvd player for jack. I rank it right up there with computers and cell phones, how did we survive without it? No more headaches from car rides filled with him screamming. It's a beautiful thing!

All the awesome gifts aside--i was so grateful just to spend time with family. We feel so blessed to have such amazing examples in our lives. I have the best parents who are so giving and there for us at a drop of a hat. I could not have asked for better in-laws. Never any drama and always never ending love and support. I am so grateful for this time of the year when we get to focus on the birth of our savior and his atonement, the greatest of all gifts. Christmas is always surrounded by a special spirit where everyone is a little more kind and grateful....

And all this time we thought he didn't know how to dance...

2007-12-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

Don't send a lame Starring You! eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

After about 4 failed attempts at a christmas card photo, we finally just snapped a shot at my parents house. Jack would freak out every time we tried to get him to pose for a picture. Don't you just want to kiss Ruby's little face?!

Scary news

2007-12-06T22:49:00.000-08:00

We are reaching a point in our lives where we start to realize ( if we haven't been forced to already) that our parents are not the invincible people we have always believed them to be. My parents, in their desire to protect us, didn't share what has been going on for the past little while. My dad has had some chest pains, when he would cycle or exercise--that landed him in the ER last week and a trip to the cardiologist and into the hospital today to have a stint placed in the artery of his heart! Everything went really well with the surgery and he was looking very well in the hospital today when i went to visit him. We are so blessed to have modern medicine, where they can go through an artery in your leg and fix your heart--being awake the entire time.

The doctors say that 99% of his left artery was blocked and he was a heart attack waiting to happen. It is so scary to see these types of things threaten the life of someone you love so much. I will take this moment to say how thankful I am for my father who has always been there to support and love me in every single step of my life. You are so special to me--so take care of yourself so we will have many more years of memories! I love you papa...

coming out all ends...

2007-12-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

I must really love Jack to put up with everything he has dished out this week. Of course we have become accustomed to the daily diaper changing (times 2 ,i might add) but i have had some serious tests of my love for my dear sweet son. He threw up in the middle of the night on Tuesday--which he was completely unaware of by the way. I went in to get him in the morning there was a horrible odor that permeated the entire upstairs. I seriously thought a mouse had died in the vent or something. he was all smiles and was completely unaware of what had happened. I have no idea how he could not have noticed--he was all nuzzled up to his blanket that was full of chunks of meat and pasta (the overshare was for you Katie :) His crib was a nightmare and his hair was covered in a think goo-like substance--arg. Wed. we were okay--Thursday I pick him up and suddenly feel a warm sensation on my leg--if figured his diaper leaked, bummer, but didn't realize at the time WHAT had leaked--even bigger bummer. The poor little guy had severe diarrhea-that was a fun diaper change. Time for a shower for both of us!

Then finally, i'm making dinner tonight, and Jack loves to help. He took his place on his chair next to me. I got busy cooking and i look over to find a cloud of powder raining down. turns out that he shoveled a man-size spoonful of flour into his mouth. He quickly spat it out (thus the cloud) and when he inhaled in, the flour was making him cough. He produces a large amount of drool, as most know, which was at this point was creating a dough of sorts in the back of his throat and was beginning to choke him. He was freaking out which in turn made me freak out, so I stick my finger in his mouth to dislodge what was choking him and he throws up the contents of stomach all over me, the counter, the floor etc (don't worry dinner group--it wasn't in the food) I think this is all the nastiness I can handle for one week.

For my family that doesn't get to see ruby

2007-12-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

Happy 29th Steph!! I love you!!

2007-12-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows stephanie knows how much fun she is to be around. She is always so excited to hear anything you have to say and has an energy that is infectious. She is always the life of the party! Thank you so much for always being such a great friend to me when I have needed you the most. I have the best memories of our fun adventures being roomates, our travels together, and having "the time of our lives!" After all, we are two halves of the perfect woman!! I hope you know how much I love you and I can't wait for all the fun memories we will create in the future!

Ruby toots is 5 months!

2007-11-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

She's weighing in at a wuaping 13lbs 2 oz. Such a little peanut! She has been such a joy and blessing to us! I can't believe how big she has gotten! She's eating rice cereal ( & is still terrible at it--unlike her brother was!) Most of it ends up on her face & spit out down her chest. Her smile always brightens my day. It is rare that she cries unless she's hungry or tired (again, unlike her brother :)

How do you get mad at a face like that?

2007-11-30T14:42:00.001-08:00

I should have know better. Whenever it's quiet for even a second, I know he's up to something. I couldn't find him initially (hiding is his new thing) then I opened the pantry to hear "mmm" he had opened the drawer, got his little spoon and got into the nesquick in the pantry and was shoveling it into his mouth! Little buster is a quick one!

night out on the harley

2007-11-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

being married, your horizon's get brodened all the time. Growing up on the coast, no one i knew every owned a motorcycle or dirt bike. But apparently "inland" they are all about them. Brian's dad owns a harley as well as a few of Brian's buddies--so they planned a date night where we we go for a nice ride and end up at Louise's for dinner. I'm all excited with my helmet& leather jacket & hop on the back. The helmet, by the way, belonged to brian's dad and was enormous and so i'm pretty sure my brains would be splattered on the road if we had actually gotten in to an accident! Sounds exciting until you saw the size of my seat. After about 2 minutes my undercarriage started to kill! I thought for sure after a few minutes i'd adjust and be fine. An hour later i am nearly in tears and have to stand at every red light. I didn't want to ruin the night by complaining, how could i be such a woose and it not be bothering any of the other girls. Then I took notice of their nice WIDE and cooshy seats that EACH of them had. WHAT!? apparently there is a different seat that Brian & his dad could have put on but Brian said "oh she has a small butt, she'll be fine!" though i was thankful for the complement--such a boy to think that! Needless to say, i hitched a ride back most the way with some friends that met up w/us in a car!

Thanksgiving (finally!)

2007-11-30T13:36:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy lately, so no time to post, but we had a fabulous Thanksgiving up in Glendora w/ Brian's family. My parents came too. It's so nice to be able to merge holidays and not have to choose. We went up in the morning for the annual Turkey Bowl--Brian get's to relive the glory days and I get entertained by seeing the man actually run (it only happens a couple times a year :) To his defense, he actually had a very impressive sack of the QB. He made us proud, but he was spent after that! We hung out at the house and finished cooking for 25--totally fun night though we missed Mikey and Rachel (in UT) and my sisters! (in ID) Brian was all excited to deep fry his very own turkey, which turned out delicious! (don't worry we had a back up just in case)!

Our little Halvey is all grown up!!

2007-11-16T23:38:00.001-08:00

Beautiful day, and even more beautiful couple! Finally he has taken the plunge. Take a deep breath & relax. He has been stressing over this day for so so long. No wonder he has no hair! He publicly expressed his love for his new bride. It was very sweet but i was afraid he was going to break out a rendition of "endless love." We love you guys!
Nice work on the get-away car
boys! I won't even begin to explain what Bear is holding--oh no! Those who were there will not soon forget!

Happy birthday "VINCE"!!

2007-11-16T23:26:00.001-08:00

Brian turned the big "3-1" on Nov. 9th (also my sister's bday-kiss kiss Heather)! Surprise! He got a disneyland pass from his parents--so we acted like kids without our kids. We went to Disneyland and hung out w/some of his high school friends and Mikey & Rachel. I guess Mikey and rachel didn't realize they were on the "Tower of TERROR" not it's a small world--geeze. With his newly aquired "maturity" he decided to take on a new look and embrace his going-baldness. He gained inspiration from his pals Manning and Halvey. He got "Halo 3" & "Call of Duty 4" yippee I'm sure all the boys will be over shortly--My favorite is when he plays until 1am in his underwear (are we sure he turned 31)?

Miracles never cease...Jack graduated!!

2007-11-16T22:59:00.001-08:00

So jack deserves a follow-up post. After Jack's first "gymastics" class. I was sure we would never go back. Many will remember the
take down moves &
the "mounting" that occured the first go-around. I am happy to report that each week he got better & better.

This is his last class and not only did he not pull any of the girls hair, he actually did what his teacher asked (in an almost-2yr old way) & sat on the mat! Take note of the balance & technical jumping skills he has. We're proud!

2007-11-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's kind of annoying to be "tagged", but these are kind of funny. I tag: Nora, Nicki, Katie, Lisa, and Lynnley!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
freckles touareg

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
malted crunch macaroon

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
D-Lom

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Blue Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),
Marie Torrance

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Lom-Da

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Brown Diet Coke

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Fred Maurie

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
princess peanut butter cup

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
kay ray

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Jones Jersey

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Winter Lilly

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
strawberry pajamasy

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Oatmeal walnut

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Traveling Thunderstorm Tour

Little Miss Toots is 4 months!

2007-11-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

We've been crazy busy lately, so I've been slacking on the updates. SO she actually was 4 months on the 25th of Oct. but adorable none the less. I can't believe how big she has gotten so fast!

Halloween in Ladera

2007-11-06T21:32:00.001-08:00

finally updating the blog...our annual party was transported to Mikey and Rachel's new pad in Ladera Ranch. It was so fun to see Jack actually enjoy halloween (somewhat) hated the lion head LOVED the candy! I tried and tried to think of a costume for jack to beat last year, but how do you beat nacho libre? I for sure did not have the time this year to make all of the costumes but Brian stepped up in true boyscout form and lashed a cage for our little lions. He gets so into stuff like that--he spent hours with his bamboo and YouTube! It turned out sweet. The costumes were all out this year--Nora & Rachel busted out the sewing machines & did a fabulous job. Jeff & steph's costume was awesome (plus it was "green"--nice use of recyclable materials)! I think it was inspired by Bear's transformer blog. Ruby wasn't getting enough attention--so she decided to have the biggest blowout I've ever seen. Up the back, up the front, the sides--everywhere! We had to throw her in the bath. I was shocked at how well my kids did--they were able to hang until 10pm. Anyone who knows jack, knows he usually melts @ 7. It might have been the fumes from the dry ice that he was inhaling. For 2 days afterwards he would knock on the doors of our house and wait for them to open and someone give him candy. I love love halloween!

Freakishly long tounge

2007-11-06T20:38:00.001-08:00

Few have seen it--but all who have are amazed. And this isn't even full extension...

10th Annual "frightening hallows eve"

2007-11-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

Such a fun night to get you in the mood for halloween! We carved pumpkins and ate yummy food. In loo of the football game, this year we had a crossing bar challenge. it's sad how hard it is compared to when you're a kid--i thought the skin on my hands was going to rip off! Jack had a great time going on wagon rides w/ his buddy Cole.

Kennedy Meadows

2007-10-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog so go easy on me. The boys and I had the opportunity to go to Kennedy Meadows for some serious motorcycle riding and eating. So dad and I drove up together and I have to admit he is pretty good at finding places. He had been deer hunting 20 years ago with some of his friends at Kennedy Meadows and, to my amazement, he drove right to it. Boy I sure wish I could do that. So we finally got there about 10:30 at night, then proceeded to drive around until 1:30 in the morning then finally gave up trying to find the rest of the group and went to sleep in the truck. I forgot how bad sleeping in the front seat of a truck is. Next day we went to breakfast at some little hole in the wall and almost got bit by two dogs on the way. The trip was a lot of fun we got to do some riding and ate a lot. The Jackson's let us stay in their new trailer it was awesome! Had a great time. Wish Mikey could have made it, looking forward to next year.

How did I become a thirty-something??

2007-10-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

I had a great 32nd birthday! We had a fun girls lunch @ corner bakery. We were quite a spectacle, 5 babies, strollers, and a huge mess (courtesy of Jack and Zoe)! The kiddies were surprisingly good, allowing us girls to get caught up on the latest and for Nora, Lynnley, and I to compare bald spots! Thats right, not only do you give birth to your little darling, but you continue to sacrifice your body months later. This might be a little surprise to those of you who haven't had babies yet. Don't worry, it comes back (& you have to come up w/ a creative hairstyle to incorporate the regrowth). Whoa--didn't mean to get off on a tangent--Back to the Bday--Brian and I dropped the kids off at his bro's house and we got to enjoy a night out @ p.f. changs and actually have a conversation and we both sat down and ate dinner at the same time!! Brian gave me a Disneyland pass, so excited!

Jack's metro?

2007-10-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

So Brian is going to be really mad but i think it's super funny. Jack absolutely loves putting on lipgloss? Who am I to deny him full,shiny, kissable lips? Plus it keeps him from freaking out during diaper changes!!

Conference

2007-10-10T20:56:00.001-07:00

Our buddies ,the Jensen's, came over for a tasty breakfast of German pancakes (or puff puff pancakes, as steph calls them). They are so good, but of course they have to be--have you seen how much butter is in that recipe--umm delish! I was shocked, but Jack actually allowed us to watch both sessions! (of course he was napping during the 2nd :) I managed to stay awake through 89% of conference and I was very glad. I was really impressed by all the talks. My fav had to be claudio with the "kiss kiss & hug, hug" in a spanish accent. We were dying! Can you believe how much they emphasized the family and the roles we play as parents? It really made me look at my own family and made me want to be a better mother and teacher to my children. We are so blessed to have direct revelation from prophets to help us get through the trials of life and the specific things we need to be happy!
Afterwards, Jeff and Brian graciously volunteered to watch the kids (& play XBOX) so Steph and I could go visit Amber Simm & her new baby in the hospital. It was a win-win because we didn't want to sit & watch them play. BTW amber's baby is adorable! Congrats!

Our Camping Experiment

2007-10-06T21:11:00.001-07:00

We'd been wanting to go camping but we weren't sure if it was possible with 2 kiddies under 2. So, Friday night Michael & Rachel, Steph & Jeff and us went for a quick camping trip locally. We thought it wise to go close in case we needed to bail out of our experiment. It was a lot of fun but chilly! We bundled up the kiddies w/ 3 layers of clothes! Jack had a blast exploring nature and making "soup" in the dutch oven. The main ingredients consisted of leaves & rocks with a touch of dirt for seasoning. We had a great night making catalina chicken and peach cobbler in the dutch ovens and you can't forget my favorite--smores! Jeff & Brian were inspired by "survior man" and spent hours trying to light a fire with their stick, wood plank and bow. Got close a few times, but not sure they should camp w/out matches any time soon! It got pretty cold, so we had to rotisserie our selves to keep warm evenly. That's the worst part of a campfire--burning on one side, freezing on the other. We just hung out and talked by the fire but NO SCARY STORIES for steph! So much fun, that it until we went to bed...jack is not ready to sleep in a tent. He woke up about 10 times screaming and he slept everywhere except his "spot" I swear I got about 1-2 hrs of sleep. He was lieing on me and forcing me to stay in the most uncomfortable positions for fear of waking him up. My favorite was when Jack pee'd through all his clothes and even his sweatshirt so we had to make a run to the car in the middle of the night to change him because he was freezing. It was probably because we kept giving him bottles each time he woke up! Ruby was a champ, although feeding her in the middle of the night in a sleeping bag & 3 layers was quite a feat! Each time we'd wake up we thought "it has to be morning now!" I was a seamingly endless night. I just felt so bad for the Jensens in the tent next to us. They must really love us to be put through that torture! But sure enough daylight came and we had a tasty breakfast dutch oven casserole and some DELICIOUS hot choc (thanks mikey)! We came home and all 4 of us took a serious nap to recoupe!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Streusel Cake

2007-10-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

He's a recipe I got from my sister and I made it at Jody Moore's baby shower tonight. It was very tasty and a lot of people said they wanted the recipe, so here it is:

Pumpkin Gingerbread Streusel Cake

Streusel
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons cold butter

Cake
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice **see note below
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Topping
1 cup caramel ice cream topping, heated

1. Heat oven to 350°F Combine all streusel ingredients except butter in small bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
2. Combine sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cake ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
3. Pour cake batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan.
Sprinkle evenly with streusel. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Serve cake warm or cool with caramel topping.

Skin flapping in the wind

2007-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

I know that we've already told a few of you about this experience, but everyone has to hear this...So Brian and I were on a leasurely drive the other day, when the funniest thing came riding up beside us. Picture this..a Harley motorcycle with those high handle bars. Riding it was a woman with patton leather, thigh high, spike healed, WHITE leather boots a black triangle top leather bikini, black leather holdster around her waist, with a midevil daggar of sorts inside it. long wirery hair flowing from beneath her pink spike helmet. Oh wait did I forget to mention that the woman was about 68 years old!?! We were not even trying to hide the fact that we were staring. We couldn't take the chance of missing a single detail of this. Could she be serious? Then the light turned green, she picked up speed, and then began the flapping of skin. This woman wasn't fat (thank goodness) but her excess skin, fluttered in the wind, not only from the obvious places like under the arms, but EVERYWHERE--her legs, back, stomach etc. I don't care what anyone says...I love living in California!!

Fall TV

2007-10-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just a shout out to fall! I'm so glad to wear jeans and layers and even more stoked that all my shows have started up again. LOVED the office premiere--and can you get better TV than The Bachelor? The first episode was filled with even more awkward moments than any other season. That show is genius and by far one of my favorite guilty pleasures. "Heroes "is as crazy as ever--who killed Hiro's dad and where's Syler (sp?)? OOh, can't wait....and last but definitely not least"America's next top model"--fierce! I love to watch how much Tyra is in love with herself! Anyone know when "Lost" starts up again?

Toddler Gymnastics

2007-10-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to decide if this is was a good idea or not, but I enrolled jack in his first little toddler gymnastics class. If you can picture it, about 20 munchkins ranging in age from 18 month to 3yrs, jumping, climbing, rolling, sliding, laughing, crying and screaming all in a room about 20ft by 20ft. The first week was a bit stressful. Of course you want your child to be the most coordinated & talented kid in the class, listening intently to his teacher, playing nicely with the other children. Jack was pretty much none of those things. He started out all cute, giving each of his classmates a huge that turned in to him tackling them to the ground. As the class progressed, he became more and more hyper and worked up. Way to much stimulus. At one point, all the kids were underneath a parachute, and jack decides to lie down on top of this cute little girl. It didn't look too good, so of course, I rip him off of her. Then he proceeds to mount her again. As I tried to pry him off of her for the 2nd time, he had a death grip on her golden locks. Arg! Looking to the postive, he was really good on the balance beam. Dare I go back for a 2nd helping??

LA county fair

2007-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Friday night Mikey, Rachel, Marie and Brian's dad and us headed up to Pomona for the LA county fair. We didn't make it to the OC fair this summer so, I was so glad we were able to go. I didn't think I was going to make it. Ruby screamed her face off the entire drive up in traffic! An hour and a half straight, no exaggeration. After we got there she was fine--the little stinker! SO sad, but we forgot our cameras! Jack had his first encounter at the petting zoo. He was feeding the goats and those nasty beasts were jumping up on him and knocking him over! Then they jumped up on Ruby as I was holding her so i started to kick them away when they got too close. Of course we ate way too much--the delicacies included: GIANT turkey legs, corn on the cob, funnel cakes and ice cream. Jack even stayed up until 10 o'clock. Anyone who knows Jack, know that's a feat. The kid has to sleep by 7 or else he's melts (we only had a couple meltdowns)! Good times....

Ruby & Jack's first professional photo shoot

2007-09-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

After many requests from grandma, we got some professinal pics of the kids taken. They turned out cute & Jack looks like a little boy!

Sandy Buns

2007-09-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?? Jack's entering a new phase... remember swimming in the ocean and sitting in the sand and finishing the day with a pound of sand in your crotch? it's been fun taking jack to the beach this summer and actually get to swim and build sand castles.

2nd Annual River Trip

2007-09-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

The 2nd annual river trip occured this last weekend. It's crazy--last year we only had 1 baby (jack was 2 months) and this year we 4! Fertile year. The Lombardis, Jensens, Kochs, Duncans and even the Reiwerts (from CO) made it back for another year of good times. Unfortunately the Weeks weren't able to make it! The highlights from this year's trip include Bear breaking through the center of the raft while floating the river, skeet shooting, wakeboarding, and airchairing (new this year). The air chair was surprisingly difficult but way fun. It was so crazy how high you got and how sweet the wipeouts were. Too bad the best wipeout went to Brian but it wasn't captured on film, but will live forever in our memories. "Jamion" won the competition but I represented the ladies in 2nd place! It was definitely different with all the babies, but we took turns babysitting and I think everyone had a good time. A special thanks to Jeffe for getting "chocolate rain" stuck in my head the whole weekend and the ENTIRE drive home! Can't wait for next year!

2nd Annual River Trip

Sea World

2007-09-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

We got some free tix through Brian's work to go to Sea World. We went down w/ Mikey, Rachel and little Marie. It was super fun--even in the blazing heat. Jack loved it! He got to hold a sea star and touch bat rays. All the excitement tuckered him out. He looks like a hog in this pic but I love it!

Ruby's Blessing

2007-09-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of friends and family down in HB on July 29th for Ruby's blessing in church. It was a special day and we were so grateful that so many people traveled and made an effort to support our family! We love you guys!

Lake Tahoe

2007-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Okay--so we're just catching up on a few happenings of the summer. We managed to make it to our Payne Family vacation in Lake Tahoe just 2 weeks after Ruby was born. Traveling there we experienced quite a bit of drama. We thought we'd avoid the 8 hour drive w/ 2 kiddies under 2 and fly! Bad idea. They canceled our flight and we didn't end up getting there until 11 o'clock at night. Brian almost got into a fight w/ a line cutter. To top it off, we were "randomly selected" by airport security. They proceeded to take everything out of our bags and made us go through this air puffer. Jack freaked out so Brian refused to take Ruby through it. I think the quote went something like "you can strip her down, use your little wand thingy, but I'm not taking my 2 week old baby in that thing!" Once we got there, we had a great time hiking, playing in the lake and playing games. Poor mom was pushed around in a wheelchair all week. She broke her leg on my stairs while carrying Jack--:(

4th of July

2007-09-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Draeger Family annual BBQ. Considering Ruby was a 1 1/2 weeks old, our 4th of July activities were a bit limited. However we did manage to hang with our friends by the pool. The Robertsons dropped by for a visit and Camden and Ruby got to meet. (one of these kids is not like the other...) No fireworks this year, but we'll be looking forward to our bike ride/decorating and beach going next year!

Baby Ruby has arrived

2007-07-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

Baby Ruby has arrived

Ruby Kathleen was born on June 25 @9:37am. She was 7lbs 18inches. Jack was born by emergency c-section, so Ruby was scheduled. It was strange but cool to know exactly when you're going to have your baby. Everything went really well during the surgery. The problem came shortly afterwards...I was nauseous and throwing up for the first 10 hours. The room was spinning. Once we got past that, the rest of recovery went well. Ruby is perfect and she has been such a little angel. Look at those lips. It has been fun playing dress up. All her little features are so petite. Let's hope she's a little calmer than her crazy brother.