2012 Fall Catch-Up

I've been so swamped trying to get my new Scentsy and Velata businesses off the ground, I have regrettably neglected my family's blog.  This is our "journal", so to speak, and although I tend to use my blog too often for my own philosophical thoughts or my soap-box rants, my family IS, in the end, what I want this blog to be all about.  It's what makes me such a lucky gal!

Here's what October looked like for the Taft family:

 Carson and Wyatt were our star baseball players!  

 Evidence that our children do receive a bath, once in a while!

 Ruby rolled around somewhere outside that apparently was a nightclub for slugs, getting seven of the slimy things stuck in her hair.  Having just paid for a trip to the beauty salon a week earlier, she had to settle for a home-done haircut by me.  She looked bad, and she knew it - the next morning she didn't come out of her kennel until 9:30!

Witches Night Out at Gardner Village with Grandma Dixie and Aunt Ashlee!

But first...at stop at the mall for dinner and getting some eyebrows threaded!  

 (Speaking of Klopecks, soon I'll post pictures of our trick or treating adventure, and how we live in our own 'Burbs!  The good DocTuh Klopeck lives in our neighborhood (or at least someone who suspiciously looks an awful lot like him!)

 Ouch!  Threaded hurts a bit!  

"Chalk" it up to a fabulous afternoon!

 Last week we took the kids to Main Street in Bountiful for the annual Sidewalk Chalk festival.  It was gorgeous weather, the art was impressive, and our picnic lunch was yummy.  We all had a very good time!  It makes me grateful to live in an area that does fun things like this.  We are blessed to have a beautiful, strong, family-oriented community to live in!

Spring Fever!

The weather the past couple weeks has been magical!  

Completely perfect - 

not hot, not cold, JUST RIGHT!  

We've been taking advantage of it 

with lots of playtime outside.  

Carson was very excited about the idea of changing his 4-wheeler into a 2-wheeler by taking his training wheels off.  At least he WAS excited...until he got on it.  He's been very nervous about it now and we practically have to beg him to get on and try.  

 I know he can do it, but he's so nervous that right now he doesn't pedal hardly fast enough.  It may be that the training wheels will go back on until he decides he's REALLY ready.  But in the meantime, we're trying to tempt him by promising that as soon as he can ride this bike very well, with lots of practice, we'll take him shopping for a new, bigger bike.  We'll see...learning to ride a bike without assistance is truly a right of passage for all youth!

Even Charlotte loves it outside!  

what's going on here?

Poor Ruby.
This little person is quite the mystery to her.

She's struggling to understand what exactly is

happening and what her role with this new creature is going to be.

She struggling to understand why suddenly

she's not allowed on the couch as often or why we don't

play with her quite as often as we used to.

Thankfully, Brett is fabulous at spending time

with the dog every night.

Thankfully, Ruby hasn't been aggressive or

acted jealous towards the baby.

She's just desperate for attention from anyone that

walks through the front door.

I can tell she's curious about Charlotte.

Anytime Charlotte cries Ruby

paces back and forth as if to say,

"Do you hear that? What's that sound?"

And Ruby smells Charlotte and her things

(blankets, baby swing, etc) constantly.

Hopefully we can make her see that

Charlotte's just another person here to love Ruby-Roo...

although I have a feeling it will be easier to convince

Ruby of that once Charlotte's out of the

tail-pulling stage in a few years!

Happy Birthday to Ruby Pearl - our little treasure!

We can't believe it's been a year since little Ruby-Roo entered our lives! She has been such a good puppy. It's true that if you're not careful when you open the front door she is an opportunist, out to roam the neighborhood for a few minutes, but she does always return, much to our relief (someday she just might not since she doesn't watch for cars, etc) but other than that we truly can't complain. She is friendly, sweet and well-tempered - and very, very loving. Give her a moment of your time and attention and she's your friend for life. Here are some pictures of our first-year's journey with sweet Ruby Pearl (she earned her middle name because last year she was born on Pearl Harbor Day: Dec. 7). Can you believe how little (and dark!) she once was?

* * * * *

sometimes a little mischievous,

but the occasions are rare

and usually very laughable!

* * * * *

taking a little snooze

Here's a song our family sings to her often:

(to the tune of the Scooby-Doo theme song)

"Ruby, Ruby, Roo,

We love you!

We love to see your tail wag!"