Roos News

Homemade Play dough

2012-01-16T11:51:00.003-07:00

When I woke up and heard the wind howling and saw how bleak it looked outside our plans changed. I've declared today an official inside day for the Roos'. The kids love play dough so I made a couple batches and thought I'd share a great recipe I found.

Homemade Play dough

1 c. water
1 c. flour
1/4 c. salt
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
food coloring

Put all the ingredients into a pot and stir. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly until it forms a ball. Take it off the heat and put it on wax paper. Wait for it to cool and then knead it until it is soft. I love the texture!

Gratitude

2011-11-24T21:06:00.006-07:00

There is so much that I'm feeling thankful for and since I'm feeling a little sappy and can't find my journal, here goes for all of you to read...

1) I am grateful for a kind brother and sister-in-law. Seriously. We have been staying in their new home for 5 weeks while we wait to move into our new home. They have been so good to us & haven't made us feel like "stinky fish" (you know the saying, "Company is like fish, they start stinking after three days").

It has actually been quite enjoyable to share kitchen duties & have friends to talk to each night. ZoZo & MB love having their cousins to play with & will go into serious withdrawals when it's just the two of them again.

2) We are grateful that someday soon (no exact date yet) we can close on our home and begin a new adventure as a family in Highland, UT. I'm super excited to get settled and begin the house decorating. Instead of nesting for one baby, I'm feeling the "nesting bug" for our entire family. I love making a house, a home. I look forward to our family filling it with lots of lasting memories and love.

3) What better blessing than one directly from heaven... we are looking forward to meeting our baby in January. This pregnancy has been an absolute killer on my bones & ligaments and I've experienced extreme amounts of pain which is no fun at all BUT when I hold that little angel in my arms, I know it will be worth it.

I didn't think it would be but it has been exciting not knowing the sex of the baby. That was HeRoos' BIG request and I hesitantly accepted after negotiating certain terms. Those terms are TOP SECRET because if you know what HeRoos had to bribe me with to turn my head during the ultrasounds you would definitely think I am spoiled. A girl has to milk it for all that's it worth when her man really wants something.

4) I am grateful that HeRoos finished remodeling our Master Bath (at our previous home). I need to post pictures because it turned out absolutely beautiful. He tore that thing apart and rebuilt it by himself. He has a talent for figuring things out and being a perfectionist. Yes, it took NINE months from start to finish and was a lingering headache for us but he did a great job on it. We listed & sold our house within a couple months of him completing it which is another HUGE blessing.

5) Good neighbor/friends are worth more than a million bucks. It was difficult for me to get excited about moving closer to HeRoos' work because I had a really great support group of neighbors & friends. It was such a comfort to have people to "swap" kids with and know that they were in good hands. ZoZo & MB made some good little friends and so did I. It was a win-win for all of us. I'm hoping and praying that we can create something similar in our new area.

6)I am grateful for my computer-nerd husband and his brains. He amazes me with his knowledge on various subjects and his dedication to his family & work. He loves his job and we feel so very blessed that he works for people who appreciate him and treat him well. Life is so much more enjoyable when you have a job you enjoy and I'm glad he does.

7) As for my "job", I can't say that I always enjoy it but I feel so grateful that I can stay home with my kids. I've tried repeatedly to make it a goal to not complain about "my job" and somehow I keep failing miserably at the goal. The truth is, being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most challenging things I've had to do but it's fulfilling one of my life long dreams. From the time I was a young girl, I've wanted nothing more than to be a mom. Now I'm living that dream and I'm so grateful for the blessing, even when I feel my brain cells shrinking & my vocabulary mostly consisting of words like "poopy, owie, and no-no."

8) I'm so grateful for my parents and in-laws. HeRoos and I are both very fortunate to have great parents. We were raised by loving parents that extend that love on to their grandchildren.

There is so much more but now I'm ready for some zzzz's.

Watch Out for Mr. Boy!

2011-10-02T09:33:00.004-06:00

We have discovered MB's passion...bike riding!

HeRoos and I went to a church firesdie and the speaker discussed parenting. There were some great tips that we started implementing right away. One was to tell your kids what you expect of them and for them to repeat it back to you. Our daily expectaions usually include:

1) Share
2) Be Nice
3) Have Fun

Another bit of advice was to make sure your kids are getting enough play time outside every day. I agree- fresh air and sunshine are a magic potion.

Next, focus on when they are doing something positive. We have been trying so hard to give compliments when they are playing nice together or sharing instead of gettng them in trouble when they mess up.

The next thing we needed to try was something with more leverage. Time-out does not seem to be effective with our little guy so we wanted to focus on something more positive.

The two of us went to the store and MB picked out a bike (I already read reviews and knew he would choose Lighting McQueen). The agreement is that he can ONLY ride his bike if he is a nice brother. Guess what? It is working. The two of them have been playing so much better together with significantly fewer fights. He knows that if he is mean to his sister, he doesn't get to ride his bike. He is getting a lot of exercise and fresh air and there is more peace in our house.

I really hope and pray this continues because being a mom is fun again and it does my heart good to see them play so well together.

Yee Haw! Utah State Fair

2011-10-02T08:45:00.004-06:00

We had a really fun family day at the Utah State Fair. We ate tons of greasy food, touched lots of dirty animals, and decided it would be really cool to have a pet bunny (at least that what SheRoos thinks). It really was a perfect day.

The kids were so interested in the animals. We think Mr. Boy may be an "Animal Whisperer." ;) When he stood near a cage, the animals would walk right up to him and they would share a moment. It was adorable. ZoZo on the other hand wasn't a whisperer. She was the "Animal Yeller." She was so excited to see the animals that she would yell at them to come closer. Sometimes they would make noises back or completely ignore her. It was hilarious to watch her and a lamb yelling back and forth at each other. They were definitely communicating.

Little Hands on the Farm was awesome! The kids got to be farmers/ranchers. They planted seeds, harvested the fruits & vegetables, milked a cow, groomed a sheep, sold their goods for money at the market and then got to buy a real apple with their play money at the end. It was brilliant. It is something we will look forward to every year at the Fair.

What is a trip to the Fair without a pony ride?

A Welcome Change

2011-08-27T21:59:00.008-06:00

Parenthood has been interesting lately (and by interesting I really mean TOUGH). Very difficult. Pull my hair out and scream kind of challenging. We're not exactly sure what the deal is but it seems our children have decided it is time to test our parenting skills and I'm sad to report that we just might have room for major improvement. For the past few weeks there have been numerous meltdowns, back- talking, hitting, biting, fighting, screaming, and even eye rolling. We've implemented a "Nice Chart" and when they do something nice, they get a sticker. We've been using time-out. We try to make a big deal when they are making good choices. Blah Blah blah Long story short: we are tired. Very, very tired.

BUT there is hope...

Mr. Boy starts preschool next week!

MB at his Preschool Open House

Some Mothers cry when their kids go to school. Not me. You might find me celebrating by doing back flips. It's not that I don't absolutely love my kids (even when they're being rotten). I just think there comes times in our lives when change is good. I really hope that this change will be an answer to a desperate mother & father's prayer for help.

Look at these two angels. How can they be any trouble at all? All they wanted was a snack before bed time. And their request? Cucumbers, mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, peppers and bananas. If the old saying is true, "You are what you eat," then I think we should be eating more sweets instead. ;)

Sighhhh. Oh joy to the ups, downs, and all-arounds of parenting. Good night.

Sweatin' for Sarah 80's Style

2011-08-27T21:34:00.005-06:00

This morning we went to Salt Lake City to support our friend, Sarah Hays-Shurtz. She has been fighting with everything she has to get rid of cancer. She has an amazing ability to look for the positive.

It was a fun-filled day with great friends, beautiful weather, and 80's attire.

Our kids had a very rough morning and did not want to cooperate & stay in their stroller for the 5K. We definitely weren't there to compete but we came in pretty close to last place. Of course this has nothing to do with "us" being preggo and out of shape (for real, there were people much slower and in worse condition than us).

Me and Melissa G.

Luuuunge, stretch...
HeRoos (don't look too close- you may see more than you want to) hehee, Katie J., Lori P., Me, Corrine R.

At the finish line each person was given a purple balloon to hold.

When Sarah arrived on the motorcycle we released the balloons into the heavens.

Hooray for Sarah!

Katie J., & Sarah

Sarasota Florida

2011-08-17T14:29:00.000-06:00

HeRoos and I had so much fun in April that we decided to bring the kids back to Florida in June. It was a completely different experience vacationing with little ones. There were no naps on the beach, novels to be read, nor romantic dining but we did create some great memories.

We decided to give Disney World a try. This is the only picture we have from the entire day. It was HOT. The kids are still a little young to truly appreciate it and I was feeling yucky from being pregnant so it wasn't our favorite day. It was much better after dark when it cooled down and people started going home. We were able to walk straight through the lines to go on rides.

We stayed at this hotel the second night but we didn't have a lot of time to hang out there since we were at Disney World during the entire day and had to check out the next morning.

Busch Gardens was a much better experience for all of us. There was an entire section geared toward ZoZo and MB's age. There weren't a lot of people there and we discovered a water park (too bad we weren't prepared with bathing suits).

Look at those pink cheeks. It was SO toasty in Florida.

I couldn't believe how shy they were around Big Bird.

Zoom-Zoom.

Mr. Boy and Zo love playing "Tigers" so it was neat for them to be able to see real tigers up close.

They got souvenirs in the gift shop and named their tigers "Snowflake" and "Mister." The tigers have become favorite toys.

We rented a condo for 7 days and it was right on Sarasota Beach. When we woke up in the morning we walked out to the ocean and played until lunch time and headed back in for naps. Then when it cooled off a little outside, we would walk out to the ocean and play until dark.

Rise and shine.

Zo wanted to try out what her daddy had on his face.

The sand doesn't get hot and the texture is smooth like flour. Zo never got bored of playing in it.

Mr. Boy is buried in the sand.

Mr. Boy was in his element. He crashed fearlessly in the waves over and over again. He loved being in the water and we had to drag him out.

Look how happy he is.

We played and played until the sun went down.

I love these little fish!

We rented a kayak and went out on our own.

The kids weren't sure what to think of being in the kayak and going through the mangrove tree.

We parked the kayak at this little island and played in the water for hours. The kids were in heaven.

The sun and water tuckered everyone out.

We went back to my favorite Italian Restaurant and I must admit we were terrified about taking the kids. They exhibited less than desirable behavior at the previous places we had eaten out at. I decided it worth the risk since I really wanted my Eggplant Parmesan dish. To our great surprise, they did well. Zo even decided to show off her dance moves when the musician started playing the saxaphone. She provided free entertainment for all the patrons.

What is a vacation without ice cream?!

We stayed in Orlando for 2 nights before flying out. It was my kind of hotel- nice sheets and an awesome shower. We went to Sea World. The boys had so much fun that they decided to go back the next day. Mr. Boy got to feed the dolphins. Zo and I hung out at the beautiful pool and then went back to our room for naps. It was a great day for the boys at Sea World and a relaxing day for the girls.

Random thoughts...

Vacationing with small children is not easy and we learned a few lessons:

* Never give Zo Benadryl if you want her to sleep. A 6 hour plane ride just might be one of the most miserable experiences of your life.
* When at restaurants and your kids start acting up, it's ok to pretend that they don't belong to you.
* Check to make sure the spray sunscreen works at the store before buying it and heading out on a kayak trip.
* While kids are little and still need naps, money may be better spent on something rather than amusement parks.

On a more serious note, we had a couple of experiences that taught me the importance of trying to help instead of sit back and judge & complain.

While on our plane ride home, Zo had an extremely rough time. She was miserable and made sure she had company in her misery. There were some passengers on the plane who gave dirty looks and we could hear them complaining. We felt awful about it but we tried all of our tricks and were out of ideas. There were two families with small kids sitting near us who came to the rescue. They loaned us books and even a DVD player. This helped calm her down until she finally fell asleep.

Another kind act...Since we were on vacation, we ate out a lot which would seem like a wonderful thing but it was actually very stressful. Our sweet little kids aren't always so sweet, especially when it comes to sitting for long periods of time. We went to an Italian Restaurant near our condo and tried eating outside so we wouldn't disturb anyone. It was so HOT while we were waiting for our food so we decided to go inside. The owner, who was also a grandfather, was in tune with the situation. He came over and talked to the kids and brought them free orange drinks, shredded Mozarella cheese, and olives. He knew just what they would like and took the time to share his calm demeanor. It made our night so much better and I felt like hugging this complete stranger.

It's so much easier to sit back and judge people for their parenting or lack thereof. Thankfully, there are some who know that it's not easy and are willing to help out or even send an understanding smile our way.

ZoZo Turns 2

2011-08-09T12:53:00.007-06:00

Daddy got ZoZo ready for church. Don't you just love all the flowers in her hair?

In just a matter of months, this little girl went from hating anything girly to loving all of it- hair bows, dolls, dresses, sparkles. I don't know what caused this change to happen.

She was so cute pushing around her new stroller as her skirt swished back and forth.

Zo thinks Mommy is a horse.

G.G. tried to help her hold up two fingers but that was a little tricky. We'll have to keep practicing.

HeRoos once again questioned my cake creation skills. As I was making it, he kept walking by and saying, "I thought you were making a butterfly cake." A little while later, "That doesn't look like a butterfly." It wasn't until moments before her party that I put the butterflies in place.

Mr. Boy wanted to make sure everything was under control. She finally blew the candle out by herself.

HeRoos acting as the camera man. G.G. & Pops made some delicious homemade ice cream to go with the cake. We also had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner since ZoZo loves rice.

Our friends, the Terrando's.

Aunt Kim & Uncle Dave. The kids love to visit them!

Grandma & Grandpa Roos.

Butterfly treats for the kids to take home.

Happy Birthday to our feisty and sweet two year-old girl! Over the past year, she has learned how to defend herself against a very rough, big brother. She also makes sure her lungs are strong and her vocal chords are loud so she can be a great singer some day. She doesn't allow anyone to tell her what to do or push her around. She is very determined.

She has her daddy smitten and she can get away with just about anything. Every morning when he puts on his shoes, she runs & gets her shoes (it's always a disappointment when she can't go with him to work).

Zo can give the meanest scowl and then brighten up an entire room with her beautiful smile.

Some of her favorite foods are cottage cheese, shredded Colby jack cheese, green smoothies, bananas, rice, oatmeal, and chocolate chips.

Her favorite things to do are play in sand or dirt, pick flowers, read books, gather items and carry them around all day, go for rides in the stroller or wagon, play with her brother, chase the neighbor's cat, attend nursery on Sundays, and sing songs while making hand motions (Itsy Bitsy Spider, Popcorn, Pat-a-cake).

We love our ZoZo and hope that she continues to be her own little person, full of life and love!

Handsome

2011-08-03T11:40:00.003-06:00

As we were eating lunch at the table I told the kids, "You are cute."

Mr. Boy replied, "I'm not cute anymore, I'm just handsome."

Two in One Swing

2011-07-18T20:32:00.003-06:00

The kids love to swing and I have a confession...for some reason I dread pushing them. I really don't enjoy pushing them back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. They would be content being pushed for hours if it is done just right. Mr. Boy is very particular about how he is pushed. They are both so small that they fit in one swing and it does make me smile to see how happy they are.

Identify that Bird

2011-07-18T20:03:00.004-06:00

For all you bird watchers out there, what kind of bird is this? This cute little thing has been singing in our backyard all day. Usually birds stop in for just a minute or two but this one seems to be getting awfully comfortable, especially by the raspberry bush. It seems to be sending out a call/song that is actually quite pretty and loud. Other birds will respond by sitting on the fence but they are easily scared away.

It seems to be a Quail. Is this normal for them to fly alone and hang out in the same place for a while? I just found this article with some useful information. I would love it if the Quail & her mate decided to nest in our backyard!

Sweet Dreams & Random Thoughts

2011-07-16T21:55:00.007-06:00

I love seeing my kids sleeping peacefully. This sight made me especially happy. From the time our kids are just babies we try reading with them every night as part of their bedtime routine. For the longest time ZoZo had no interest in the books. She would play and walk around as if she wasn't paying any attention to us. We continued reading aloud anyway. Fast forward a few months and now this little girl loves books. She looks at them during nap time/quiet time and bedtime. It does my heart good to see that our persistence is finally paying off.

We went to the Meadow Canyons Park today for their monthly train ride and farmer's market. Some kids were selling their homemade crafts and when Mr. Boy saw the light sabers he instantly lit up and wanted one (he has never even seen Star Wars). A young boy was selling them for $2 each. We were at the park for a couple hours and by the time we left he had sold all 20 of them. His mom said that he was having a Star Wars birthday party and all the kids were getting them as party favors. What a fun idea!

Zo chose a little bracelet for $.50. My kids were so thrilled with their treasures and the kids selling them were equally excited to make a sell. Their day got even better when we ate our fresh peas (purchased for $1) and rode the train 4 times! We had a fun and inexpensive day.

Mr. Boy hanging on to his light saber long after falling asleep. Hopefully, he can scare away any bad dreams he may have.

Tonight, HeRoos and I went on a double date with my parents. They have been wanting to take HeRoos out for his birthday dinner so we were finally able to go. Out of all the delicious restaurants out there, guess what HeRoos chose... Sizzler. Seriously?! He loves the All-You-Can-Eat Shrimp. I will admit that I like the salad bar but I've never had a steak there that I've liked. We were stuffed by the time we left but decided to see a movie. We saw 17 Miracles and it was so emotional. This is the first time I have been to a movie where every single person sat through all of the credits. The theatre was full and completely silent until the lights came on. There was a lot to digest and tears needed to dry before re-entering the real world. My appreciation and respect for the early pioneers continues to grow and grow. I cannot even begin to imagine the heartache and pain they experienced. I have no doubt that they will be blessed for their faith.

Motherhood

2011-07-15T00:01:00.010-06:00

Every day, I experience these feelings:

Pure exhaustion.
No time for myself.
Unappreciated.
Inadequate.
Frustration.
On the verge of a mental breakdown. ;)

Every day, I also feel this:

Love.
Sense of adventure.
Guidance from Above.
Tender, innocent arms wrapped around me.
Hope for the future.
Reason to push forward.
A personal, sacred call that only motherhood can fulfill.

I wouldn't change being a mother for anything... which is why we're adding one more to our family in January. Yep, we may be crazy but if the next one is anything like Mr. Boy and Zo, we just can't resist. They are full of mischief, giggles, intelligence, attitude, sweetness, stubbornness, determination, and the list goes on...

Turn Those Frowns Upside Down

2011-07-04T20:05:00.009-06:00

We were afraid the whole 4th of July weekend was going to pass by this sick gang. HeRoos and I have been fighting some ugly stomach bug that has left us 10 pounds lighter and completely drained of energy. The kids have been healthy and full of their normal high energy. They have been so anxious to get out of the house but the two times we tried, it didn't turn out so well. In fact, it was very bad. So we decided to confine ourselves to staying at home. We missed out on some family gatherings, parades, firework shows and HeRoos missed two days of work (which he rarely ever does).

Fortunately, GG and Pops came to the rescue today. They came to visit us with bundles full of goodies. They brought food, bubbles, firecrackers, AND a swimming pool. It sure lifted all of our spirits and now I can type this as I listen to the fireworks going off outside and I don't feel like I'm missing out. We had our own little party & created some memories. Thankfully, whatever we had is gone and our energy is starting to come back.

Happy 4th of July!

4 Years & Still Diggin' My Man

2011-05-21T23:17:00.000-06:00

Our anniversary was quickly approaching and HeRoos told me things were under control. He had a plan. Part of that plan was to torture me and not tell me what we were doing or when we were doing it. When he looked at our calendar, he finally decided to give me 3 days notice. He took me to Florida for 4 days. 4 heavenly days.

While our kids got spoiled by both sets of grandparents & the grandparents got to change poopy diapers & underwear, we got to do this. I'm too tired to organize the pictures so here they are in no particular order.

Played in the Gulf of Mexico.

Kayaked through Mangrove tunnels.

Stayed in Lido beach- within walking distance to the town center and the beach.

Spent $55 to make sure we didn't get sunburned (2 bottles of sunscreen, a beach umbrella, & a hat for Rick). We succeeded.

Ate the most delicious Italian food. Twice. At the same restaurant, Ristorante Enoteca. I ordered the exact same item both times-Eggplant Parmesan. Did I mention we were only there 4 days? My mouth is still watering.

Discovered some of the most amazing flour-like sand that doesn't get hot. Siesta Key beach convinced us that we need to make a return visit SOON.

Went on a 2 hour jet ski tour and experienced a pod of dolphins swimming right next to my jet ski in crystal clear water.

Swam/Walked to a small sand beach island and played for hours in the sand & water.

Ate lots of ice cream. Have you ever tried Almond Joy Ice Cream? Yum!

Spent the day at Aquatica before catching our flight home.

Decided that we still really like each other (Whew, I was worried about that one)
and that time to ourselves (without our cuties) is necessary. On occasion.

Happy 3rd Birthday Mr. Boy!

2011-05-21T23:02:00.003-06:00

Our Mr. Boy loves trains! There is a fun little train in South Weber that runs along the park so we planned for his party to be there. It was windy and freezing cold! After a few rides, we loaded everything back in the van and headed to our house for the remainder of the celebration. I can't find any pictures of our birthday boy blowing out his candles.

MB has grown up so much in the past few months and has made a lot of progress. It is fun to hear his cute little voice as he talks. Every time he prays, he blesses his friends & cousins by name. He loves to read stories and sing songs. MB is a good little helper and we love him so much!

Are the Roos' Ready for a...

2011-04-06T08:49:00.000-06:00

Pet?

MB's cousin gave him Sea Monkeys for his birthday. These interesting creatures have our curiosity peaked. It took them a while to hatch and then a few days later all of them disappeared. Now, they're back! We love watching them.

For family night, G.G. & Pops brought over dinner. We know- we are spoiled. Then we planted some flower seeds. It was messy but fun.

Mr. Boy waters the flowers every day and gets so excited to see them grow.

I really want a pet. That's right- a live creature to love and feed. I just don't want to clean up its' pooh. HeRoos prefers cats. I prefer dogs. We took the kids to the pet store and showed them all of the animals. HeRoos and I finally decided we would meet in the middle and possibly get a turtle for MB's birthday. I was pretty excited since I also love turtles. We talked to the pet guru at the store and learned how to care for them. We asked Mr. Boy, "Do you want a turtle?" His response broke his mommy's heart, "No, I want a kitty cat." Now we're back to square one- no pets (except for our sea monkeys).

Kiss Me...

2011-04-05T09:20:00.004-06:00

I'm Irish!

We really do have some Irish blood in us. My mom is a McDermott and her ancestors came from Ireland. When I was visiting Ireland, it was neat seeing the McDermott name around. Ireland is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. As we were on a train to Dingle, there were green rolling hills with sheep grazing and even a rainbow. It was postcard worthy in every direction.

Mr. Boy cracks me up. He wouldn't open his eyes. I guess he was tired of getting kissed. Miss ZoZo has no interest in the camera and it's rare to get a picture of her smiling.

Dress Up

2011-04-05T09:12:00.004-06:00

Our Halloween costumes are finally get some use. ZoZo was a fairy princess, Mr. Boy was Batman, B was Woody & A was Jessie. They played and played and played. This is such a fun age.

Here's to hoping that the kids will cooperate next Halloween and actually wear their costumes.

Paid Advertising Addict

2011-04-03T08:46:00.005-06:00

Hi, my name is SheRoos and I'm an addict. An info-commercial junkie to be exact. When flipping through television channels I instantly get sucked in to the world of paid advertising. I tell myself that it's OK to watch for 5 minutes but DO NOT buy. Well, the truth is... I've been suckered more than a couple times. 6 to be exact:

1) Proactiv- this product was seriously an answered prayer to my adult stricken, acne, face. I still use it on occasion when I break out & HeRoos also uses it. Sometimes I wonder if I should buy stock in the company.

2) Bare Mineral Makeup- I ended up giving this away because I didn't like the mess when I mixed it.

3)some work out program that I can't remember the name of- obviously I was under some crazy idea that I would actually work out to videos at home. The day it arrived, reality set in and I returned it for a refund.

4)The Magic Bullet- I L-O-V-E my bullet. HeRoos & I use it at least once a day. It's awesome for Green Smoothies on the go. I've gone through 3 of them because we use them so much. My favorite part is that I can just toss the cups & blades in the dishwasher without dealing with a mess. We're saving for a "fancier" blender but I just may cry when it's time to say good-bye.

5) Youthful Essence by Susan Lucci- I ordered this years ago ran out of the products but I still use the resurfacing tool. I'm still waiting for the day when I look in the mirror and see Susan Lucci smiling back at me.

6)Wen- my latest purchase. It has only been a couple weeks but I must admit, I like how soft my hair feels. I'm undecided if I will continue with it but so far it's a keeper.

My latest temptation that I'm fighting hard to resist... the Genie bra. A bra with no under wire & it claims to cut down on back fat AND overflow on the top AND it lifts?! Bring it on! What girl doesn't want a genie to make her wishes come true?

Slacker!

2011-02-01T19:57:00.012-07:00

Yes, I have been a BIG blog slacker. I haven't blogged or read blogs in ages. It's time I get caught up. We're doing well here. I am definitely ready for spring but we've survived the long winter and made the best of it. I finally joined a gym because it's a little distracting to run on the treadmill while kids are screaming at the gate for me. Instead of looking hotter & having more energy, it's just the opposite- I'm always hungry & tired. Hopefully, the benefits will kick in soon.

Here are a few glimpses into the Roos' life over the past couple months.

Mr. Boy has a best buddy & they get into some major trouble together.

They were alone in MB's room for 10 minutes while ZoZo & I unloaded & loaded the dishwasher. The little stinkers emptied every drawer AND a storage container with clothes.

Yep, time for Time Out.

After all that hard work, they were tired.

I've been doing a "Babysitting Swap" with two other ladies & I love it. We each have a day when we watch the kids for 2 hours. That gives us two days (4 hours) a week to get things done without the munchkins. I must admit that it is very nice. It's amazing all the things I've been able to do- a little pampering, clean the house from top to bottom, go to the gym, and shower without screaming children at the door. It has also been great for the kids to get some playtime in and have something to look forward to.

I started adding a little structure to it when they come over. I came up with a schedule and we have "school" for 40 minutes & the rest is free play. It reminded me of how much I enjoy teaching and preparing lessons. One day, we learned all about the letter "M." We had a Mystery Bag with all sorts of objects that started with M, we sang the Monkey song, went on a scavenger hunt to find hidden letter M's, and colored. It's fun thinking of activities for them to do.

ZoZo & my friend's 6 month old baby hang out on my hips while the three older kids do the things 2 year-old's do.

Mr. Boy still amazes me with his healthy food preferences (but we have discovered Cheetos & Doritos are his weakness) which results in this:

This totally cracked me up. I bought sprinkled donuts for them & thought they would think it was the coolest thing ever. Instead they nibbled a bit at the donuts and then went for the apples & cottage cheese.

ZoZo has done a lot of growing up lately. She's not my little baby anymore. She loves stacking & gathering things. She's like a little chipmunk- she gathers toys & objects (sometimes storing them in her mouth) and she does not like to let go of them. She will carry the same items in her hands from morning to night.

She also decided it was time to stop "crawlking" (crawling/walking on her knees) and start walking. It took her almost 18 months but she did it and there's no stopping her. Mr. Boy has decided she's actually kind of fun after all. She is quite feisty and can hold her own in a wrestling match & scowling contest.

These little kiddos of mine tickle me to the core. I love them so much.

HeRoos is amazing as ever. He is still commuting to Lindon,UT for work and doesn't complain although I know him well enough to know that it's wearing on him. As soon as we finish updating the master bathroom, we're going to put our house back on the market (boo hoo). The other day I was thinking about how blessed I am to have such a good husband. He is such an amazing father & supports me in whatever I do. My church calling requires me to be away one night a week and for meetings on Sunday. HeRoos watches the kids without needing any instruction and gives me time to prepare lessons. He even helps out with the housework. Although, he is off the hook with washing clothes after turning 2 loads strange colors. Maybe he did that on purpose. ;)

Life is good and we feel blessed.

DigiDisney

2010-12-06T21:41:00.004-07:00

HeRoos works for a very generous company, DigiCert. They took all the employees and their families to Disneyland for the weekend. HeRoos and I haven't been in years so it seemed like the first time for us. It's a good thing we took pictures on our phones because I accidentally deleted ALL of the pictures that were on our camera. I could cry about it but what good would that do?!!

This was Zo's first time on an airplane.

Our competitiveness came out. On Friday, we spent all day on a scavenger hunt. We had to find places & take pictures. It was crazy and the kids didn't enjoy it BUT we won 1st place (and a Kindle). The kids caught up on their sleep and we were prepared with plenty of snacks and a bubble gun. No joke, the Bubble Gun we bought for $10 was worth every penny. The kids made bubbles every where they went and it entertained them while we waited in lines. We kept buying refills.

The World of Color Show was awesome!

The kids were so tired that they fell asleep eating ice cream!

We are truly grateful and humbled with the kindness the people at DigiCert have shown. They put in a lot of time and preparation to make this a magical experience and we are blessed to be part of it. Thanks DigiCert!

A Texas Thanksgiving

2010-12-06T21:01:00.006-07:00

HeRoos, Mr. Boy, ZoZo, G.G., Pops, and I headed out before the big storm hit Utah. We drove 24 hours STRAIGHT to Texas. My dad and HeRoos took turns driving. The kids did amazingly well. They seemed content watching videos, eating junk food, and sleeping in the car.

This picture makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it. Can you smell the morning breath?

We arrived in Allen, Texas to spend time with my Aunt Bette Jo and cousin April. It was so fun to hang out with them.

Growing up in Texas, we spent every Thanksgiving together so it was nice to reunited again. My aunt cooked up a Thanksgiving meal that was divine and her apple pie was just as delicious as I remember. My aunt & I were craaazy and hit a couple Black Friday sales at 4 am. What were we thinking?!

Mr. Boy & ZoZo had a blast with their cousins and all the fun toys at my aunt's house.

My dad & his sister.

Since HeRoos is so difficult to buy gifts for, I got him an early Christmas present- a 4th row ticket to his favorite team. He enjoyed himself at the game. I'm not sure if he enjoyed this view more...

or this one.

Mr. Boy was exhausted from all of the fun. He fell asleep in HeRoos' lap as he was eating.

We also visited some of my friends who I've known since 5th grade. I'm so disappointed that I forgot my camera. It was fun seeing Christina & Leslie and their families. It's amazing we've remained such good friends for all these years.

I think the trip was definitely worth it. Easy for me to say, I didn't drive!

Young Women In Excellence

2010-12-06T19:55:00.002-07:00

I love working with the 12-18 year old girls in my ward (church). They are such amazing young women and my calling helps keep my focused on what is important. We had a Young Women In Excellence program last month that focused on the girls achieving their Personal Progress so they can marry in the temple. It was a spiritual night.

This was one of the leader's wedding gowns. All of the leaders displayed pictures of them at the temple. If you look behind the dress, the girls got to pick a picture of their favorite temple on a hanger to put in their closet as a reminder to dress modestly.

A wedding cupcake display with temple mints.

Each girl received a "Temple Can" containing quotes and other fun things that they are to look at to remind them of their goals.

The girls took turns talking about items they brought (such as temple pictures or Personal Progress projects). There were also some speakers who talked about the blessings that have come into their lives from attending the temple. I hope the girls enjoyed it and will avoid getting sucked into the pressures of the world and focus on what will bring lasting happiness.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T20:19:00.007-06:00

Friday night HeRoos' sister graciously offered to watch our kids while we headed to Lindon, UT for a party. The Bretschneider's hosted the Scallywag Soiree at their beautiful home. It was quite the event. People went all out in their costumes and the house was full of decoration & the atmosphere was amazing. The pictures don't do it justice. (Someday, I am going to take photography lessons so you can actually see some quality shots. For now, just use your imagination).

This was the sunset as we were dropping off the kids at their Aunt Kim's house.

The theme of the party was pirates. People were asked to bring food to donate that will be delivered to a food bank. Service & fun are a great combination, if you ask me. Come on, go ahead, ask me. jk

Part of the fun was taking a tour of their home. ZoZo & Max would be in heaven in this playroom.

There was even a mermaid...for real. ;)

We celebrated Halloween the next day with the traditional trick-or-treating. It was pouring rain. Can you figure out what Mr. Boy is dressed up as?

If you guessed: A stubborn 2 year old, or himself...you are correct! I decided that Halloween is about HIM, not me so I didn't force the costume issue. If he wants to be superman next year, he has a cape awaiting him. If not, I will still love his little boy guts.

He was so happy to get candy. His favorite selection was suckers. He passed up a full size candy bar for a sucker. He definitley doesn't take after his mom. When he got home he went through his candy and followed this routine 10 times: unwrap sucker, lick once, throw away, unwrap sucker, lick once, throw away...

Zo was more than happy to show off her Superbaby/Wonderwoman costume. She was quite fond of the suckers too. Don't worry, we took an extra long time brushing our teeth that night.

Some scary witch & her husband came by to visit us. The kids weren't sure what to think of G.G.'s new look.

I hope you all had a fantastic Halloween!

Cousin Party

2010-11-02T20:09:00.004-06:00

The Roos' had their annual Halloween Party. Only this year they added something really scary- cousin pictures! It was impossible trying to get all 14 kids to smile at the same time. When that was over we went all took deep breaths and headed to Gramma & Grandpa Roos' to make candy haunted houses.

I got a sugar high just looking at all the candy. Mmmm

The kids had so much fun eating & decorating their candy houses.

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-27T14:01:00.004-06:00

We went with my parents, brother & his family to the Black Island Farms Harvest in Syracuse. It was a perfect evening.

6 little pumpkins sitting in a row...

They even sold fresh produce.

Corn...

Corn...and corny grandparents!

The kids liked the choo-choo.

ZoZo even got to go. She rode with her cousin.

My bro & his kiddos.

ZoZo getting a ride on Pops.

Mr. Boy loves his G.G.

I'll admit it- the slide scared me the first time I went down with Zo. I didn't think I was going to be able to stop. Mr. Boy loved it and kept recruiting people to go down with him.

Time for the tractor ride & picking pumpkins.

Mel had delicious chili & rolls waiting for us at their house. It was a fun and exhausting night. Thanks fam!

Friend Friday- Sandi Munroe

2010-10-14T19:55:00.004-06:00

A while back I said I was going to start "Friend-Fridays," dedicating a post to someone who has influenced my life for the good. Well, here it is...

Sandi has been blessed with so many talents. She is creative, ambitious, caring, smart, adventurous, good at anything she puts her mind to, thoughtful, open-minded, beautiful, and the list goes on.

I met Sandi when I was serving a LDS church mission in Tempe, Arizona. She helped us out and gave us rides to places and we became great friends. Our friendship has grown even more over the years. She lives in New York and is always up to something fun. This girl doesn't know how to be lazy! I've visited her a couple times in New York & she's been to Utah. I laugh so hard when we're together.

She is super multi-cultural. By that, I mean, she has an appreciation for different cultures. People of all races & backgrounds gravitate towards her because she truly cares & wants to get to know people. She is probably the only Caucasian that lives within 10 blocks of her apartment. She teaches & tutors children and they adore her. She goes the extra mile and gets to know the families of those she lives by & works with on a personal basis.

Sandi has shared her creativity with us on many occasions. She typed up a cookbook for HeRoos and I when we got married with her favorite recipes & we use it all the time. She also made Max an adorable quilt that we treasure. If you want to be inspired by this truly amazing person, you can peek in on her blog http://www.nymanzanita.blogspot.com/

p.s. Since my pictures are so disorganized, I "borrowed" a Sandi's picture from her blog. Thanks Sandi!

New Zealand

2010-10-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

For the last 4 days of our trip, we stayed in Waitomo, New Zealand.

HeRoos learned to drive on the opposite side of the road. There were only a couple times my heart skipped a beat. He did really well and it was definitely worth renting a GPS to help us find our way around.

I had no idea how amazing New Zealand was! Every where we went, we were surrounded by beauty. It was the end of their winter time so things were cold & rainy but still breathtaking. We enjoyed the slow place of the country.

We stayed at the Somersal Bed & Breakfast. These were our hosts, Jenny & John. We had such a nice time visiting with them. They were so kind and gracious, we felt like we were staying with relatives.

This is Jenny & her sister who was visiting from Auckland.

The next few pictures are taken of the acres of land at the Bed & Breakfast.

We drove to Hell's Gate & it sure smelled like it ! :) I soaked in a mineral bath & had a massage & mud facial while HeRoos chose to look at the geothermal springs & erupting geysers. He doesn't know what he is missing.

This was the drive on the way home. We stopped at a cafe for lunch.

The Latter-Day Saint Temple in Hamilton.

This day was probably the highlight of our trip. We went on a hike in the rainforest and then abseiling in caves.

We chose the Haggas Honking Holes Adventure. We had no idea what we were in for. It was strenuous-we had to climb, crawl, and repel with water sloshing in our faces.

The girl in this picture is looking at "glow worms." It really isn't a worm. It's a larvae that glows because of the poop inside of it. Once it turns into a fly, it lives long enough to reproduce and then it dies. When we turned off our head lamps we could see them glowing all around the cave.

That's me- we had SO much fun!

HeRoos & I getting drenched. There were 2 guides and two other people in the adventure. One of the guides has worked there for 8 years and he had never seen so much rain in the cave. It was moving swiftly all around us, making it difficult to walk & get around.

The mud is supposed to be good for our skin so we gave each other facials.

Our guides were a hoot. They kept us laughing but we also felt completely safe under their supervision.

We were exhausted but it was worth it.

Someday we want to take our kids back to New Zealand and explore even more of the country. New Zealand is now one of my very favorite places.

Kuranda Train & Skyrail

2010-10-14T15:00:00.000-06:00

We went on a train ride to a rain forest town, Kuranda. We got to hold a koala & feed the kangaroos. I can't believe how much koalas sleep-up to 19 hours a day. Someday I want to be a koala. :)

This lady makes art with recycled copper out of old microwave ovens. I bought a turtle to put on our Christmas tree.

Rick made friends with an anorexic red head...

while I chatted with a miner.

Skyrail from Kuranda to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.

We learned about the Tjapukai Aborigini culture. They taught us how to dance, throw bumerangs & spears & prepare food, play the didgeridoo.

Rick was really good with the bumerang & spears.

It was interesting because on the train ride, we learned all about the sacrifices the settlers and families made for their families in the rainforest. While at the Aboriginal Park, we learned how they, the white people, led to the destruction of the Tjapukai culture. We left with something to think about.

Forward Facing Zo

2010-10-04T09:28:00.003-06:00

I can't believe how fast my baby girl is growing up. Her smile melts us. She has 4 teeth with two others working their way through & her hair is long enough for a "unicorn horn." She still has no desire to walk but can get around just fine on all fours. She surprises us on occasion with attitude/drama. I wonder what we're in store for when she turns 2. We love our ZoZo.

Sydney Opera House

2010-09-21T14:49:00.008-06:00

This is what I saw the first night in Sydney.
All.
Night.
Long.

(not the cell phone but a toilet-I found the picture online). I think I was land sick . Thankfully it passed but not without me apologizing profusely to HeRoos for laughing at him while he was sea sick in Oregon. I had no idea how horrible it could be.

Fortunately I felt much better the next morning and we left bright and early to check out Sydney. We didn't have any nice clothes to wear to the opera so we set off on a mission to find some. Did I mention that HeRoos & I packed very lightly? We each had one carry on luggage. That's why we didn't have nice clothes OR jackets so you're about to see lots of pictures of us in the same tourist sweatshirts.

We found a mall but even with the conversion rate being pretty equal for US$ and Australian$, things seemed really expensive.

I thought this would be a cool picture so I pulled the camera out of my bag and a gust of wind came up and blew everything from my purse to the INSIDE of the parking garage. I had to find someone to open it for me. Embarrassing and not worth the photo.

We rushed back to the hotel, got ready and took a cab to the Sydney Opera House to see the Pirates of Penzance. Yay, we made it! It was a fun performance and our seats were great. By the way, doesn't HeRoos look smokin' in his new clothes?! The funny part about us scrambling to get nice clothes- there were only a few of us not wearing casual clothes! Oh well.

We walked through a market on our way back to the hotel and had some delicious food. I had chicken, veggie & pork kebabs for $5 and it was probably the least expensive and most delicious meal I had on the trip.

This was the amazing view from the top of our hotel. We soaked in the hot tub and enjoyed the view of the bridge and Opera House.

Dreams DO Come True

2010-09-11T20:45:00.014-06:00

Something that I've been doing since I was a young girl is write wish/dream/to do lists. I like having something to look forward to and it feels good to check things off. I write them in journals or slips of paper and stash them away. I often forget about them. Some of my lists include material things, others are physical goals, and then the most difficult to attain are attributes I want to acquire & that's a never-ending process. As HeRoos and I were on a plane ride to New Zealand, I opened up a travel journal that I haven't used for a while and found one of my lists:

The timimg was perfect-we had just fulfilled one of my BIG dreams...to dive the Great Barrier Reef. I still can't believe we actually did it! HeRoos and I wanted to go to Australia for our honeymoon but he was finishing up his degree at the University of Utah and we were both working full-time so it was put on hold, until now.

We flew to LA then went on Quantas Airline to Brisbane then onto Cairns. This is my new favorite airline. The staff was extremely friendly, there was extra leg room, the food was plentiful and good. I was gitty with little girl excitement every time they delivered packages to our seats. We got our own personal zip packs with toothpaste & toothbrushes, a bag with goodies in it, headsets, pillows, blankets, popsicles and food throughout the flight and the flight attendants seemed to enjoy what they were doing.

After 23 hours on airplanes, not including ground transportation and airport time, we finally arrived in Cairns. Exhausted but thrilled to be in Australia, we ordered room service and went to bed. At 6am the next morning our wake up call startled us out of a deep sleep and we took a shuttle to the Pro Dive Shop to start our dive adventure.

Confession: not all of the pictures you are about to see were taken by us. We rented underwater cameras but a lot of the shots were taken by the Pro Divers.

This is the boat we went on and we were well-equipped with sea sickness medicine so we were able to avoid feeding the fish. It was a 2 night, 3 day trip. There were 32 of us from all over the world- Australia, the U.S., Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, Japan. My single lady friends would've been in heaven between the Australian Air force guys and the buffed out dive pros. (Don't worry HeRoos, YOU are my dream man).

Yep, this was our luxurious sleeping arrangement-bunk beds. We're such cuddlers so it was difficult for us to sleep apart but we were still suffering from major jet lag so we made it work.

Our cabin was right by the main area & kitchen. The cook was from France and he knew how to cook for a crew.

This is where we suited up and jumped off the boat for our dives. There were 11 dives scheduled in 2 1/2 days! We were suffering from such jet lag so we slept through 2 of the dives but 9 dives was still plenty.

Before each dive, our Dive Manager drew a map of the reef in detail and told us the depths, then sent us on our way. Since we were previously certified, they didn't give us much assistance unless we asked. It was a little scary at first but we managed and only got lost a couple times.

Some of our lookouts were: Kent, Coral Gardens, Petaj, Kent Tennis Courts, & Gordons. We saw all sorts of great underwater life. Turtles, white-tip reef sharks, nemo fish, coral, stingrays, clams and an assortment of other fish. The water was clear considering it rained for the majority of our trip.

.

On our way back to land, we were greeted by 3 whales. It was an amazing sight as they put on quite the show. It was the perfect ending to our dive trip.

Oregon Part 5: Multnomah Falls & Latourell Falls

2010-08-25T22:02:00.008-06:00

On Saturday we packed up and headed home to Utah. Jer and his family drove straight through! We took our time & got some hiking in before we left Oregon. We stopped at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area again. My parents checked out the Visitor's Center & we went on a hike. ZoZo was quite content in the Bjorn but Mr. Boy wasn't as much into hiking as he was playing in the rocks & dirt. HeRoos carried him most of the way and almost gave me a heart attack a few times. The trail was narrow and HeRoos kept tripping with MB on his shoulders. It was so scary but after some silent prayers they both survived without any broken bones. We loaded our dirty bodies in the car and drove to Pendleton where we stayed for the night.

It was a wonderful trip! Thanks family for the great time & fun memories!

Oregon Part 4: Devils Punch Bowl State Natural Area

2010-08-25T21:47:00.004-06:00

We went on an outing with just our little family to the Devil's Punch Bowl. Don't be fooled, the water was freezing! Mr. Boy and HeRoos developed numb legs and kept going back for more while ZoZo and I hung out at the beach.

Mr. Boy walked up all of these stairs all by himself! I think there were more stairs here than at the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. When we got to the top, some people were so impressed with MB's determination and stamina.

I need to get pictures from my brother for the next highlight of our trip. My parents, Jer & Mel went fishing while we stayed back with the sea sick crew and they caught tons of fish and crab. Mel fried up some delicious seafood and we were in heaven! Pictures to come.

Oregon Part 3: Food for the Fish

2010-08-25T21:33:00.004-06:00

On ZoZo's first birthday we went whale watching. Sounds fun, right? Not so much. The majority of our crew left food for the fish. Mr. Boy was green and eventually just shut right down and fell asleep in Mel's bosom. ZoZo cried and screamed loud enough to scare the whales away and then puked right down my shirt. No joke, she just kept throwing up and since she was facing me in the Baby Bjorn it had no where to go but down. HeRoos was no help- he was the greenest of all & we had some laughs at his expense. My brother's kids were sea tossed and ill too. The pictures say it all. We were a mess!

Oregon Part 2: Cannon Beach & Astoria

2010-08-25T21:24:00.006-06:00

Goonies was one of my very favorite movies growing up. We drove to Astoria to see the town where it was filmed, crossed the bridge into Washington & drove right back.

We stopped at Cannon Beach on the way back to Depoe Bay & it was SO beautiful! We had such a great time. I want to go back and spend the majority of my time there.

Oregon 2010 Part I

2010-08-24T17:34:00.013-06:00

It was a "first" in Oregon for many of us. The Halverson gang (my parents, my brother & his family & the Roos') took two vans, 6 kids, 5 adults (My sister-in-law, Mel, flew in a couple days later after her friend's wedding). We had lots of snacks & movies for the road trip. The kids were troopers.

ZoZo was probably the most miserable in the car. She doesn't weigh enough for a forward facing car seat so she had to sit rear facing with no videos to distract her and to top it off, her two top teeth came through. Poor Miss Thang! She is still so munchable.

We took some much needed stops along the way. Notice Mr. Boy smiling from ear to ear. He was in heaven- surrounded by his cousins and grandparents for 8 days! We stayed in Baker City, Oregon for the night & ate at a restaurant with little trains that went right beside the tables in enclosed glass. The kids thought it was pretty cool.

Fresh fruit & veggies AND ice cream- doesn't get much better than that!

Dirty faces and fruit for the remainder of the trip.

My nephew, James.

My nephew, Jack.

Mr. Boy.

We were in awe when we arrived at the condo...

and looked out our window to see this.

We went to Yaquina Head, the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, & took a tour all the way to the top. There were 114 stairs!

We played in the tide pools near the lighthouse.

This is the whole gang together in one picture.

The Newport Beach Aquarium was awesome.

My niece, Addi, checking things out.

HeRoos, Mr. Boy, and GG. This was my favorite part. I wanted to spend all day feeling the creatures and learning about them.

This sign made me laugh. There are times of the month, I should display it and cross out "Otters" and replace it with "SheRoos."

We went on a tour of the Tillamook Cheese factory. It was interesting to see all that goes into preparing and packaging cheese! We sampled different cheese and had some of the most delicious ice cream. The white licorice (which really tastes like black licorice) was tastyyyy!

G.G. & Pops at Maxwell Point.

After getting the kite un-tangled, Pops kept it going.

My nephew, Grey.

G.G. & our "Maxwell" at Maxwell point.

To be continued....

Friend Friday- Sarah Hays

2010-08-21T10:13:00.005-06:00

Life is precious. It's unpredictable. One thing that has been never failing in my life is the blessing of great friends. The kind of friends who truly want to see you succeed and be your best. Friends that inspire and uplift and make the world a better place by not being afraid to let their light shine. I have decided to dedicate a post each week called "Friend Friday." This week (even though it's Saturday morning) I'm dedicating a post to my dear friend, Sarah Hays.

Me. Sarah. Candace.

Sarah is an inspiration to many. She has a kind, genuine personality that radiates from within and shines through to the outside. She is gorgeous and her smile makes everyone feel like they did something right that day. I met Sarah when we were living in Salt Lake City, UT attending the same LDS church ward for single adults. She has a quiet confidence about her and is so much fun to be around. It seemed like there were always at least 5 guys trying to date her and she was so humble about it. What is there not to love about her-she is amazingly kind and beautiful! She loves to run, swim, hike, snowboard or do anything to push her body to new levels.

For the past two months, she has been trying to push her body (unwilling at times) through more serious battles- cancer & chemotherapy.

This is her story.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=12082624&hl=1

You can also read her blog written mostly by Candace.

My prayers and thoughts are constantly turned to Sarah. When I get on the treadmill in the morning, I think of Sarah and push myself to run harder, live better, and be kinder. I love you Sarah, thank you for your friendship!

Happy 1st Birthday ZoZo!

2010-08-11T09:06:00.004-06:00

It's hard to believe that our little Mohawk, smiling ZoZo is ONE!

We had an early family birthday party before going out of town. She was spoiled with presents and attention. HeRoos barbecued and we enjoyed lots of good food.

Notice how daintily she is investigating her cake.

That wasn't good enough for Daddy. He smothered her in cake!

The kids had their turn at the pinata. They had some pretty good swings! (I love the look on HeRoos' face in this picture).

GG and Pops made homemade strawberry ice cream & we ended the night with some fireworks (ZoZo was fast asleep by then).

This little girl gives us reason to celebrate every day with her contagious smile and beautiful blue eyes. We are so glad you're part of our family ZoZo!

Dude

2010-07-13T13:18:00.002-06:00

Our little Dude is not so little any more. He is sleeping in a "big boy" bed and loving it. It melts my heart when I peak on him and he has books and toys in his bed. I couldn't help but chuckle the day he had a train wrapped tight in his little hand and it was still turned on, chugging away while he was sleeping soundly.

Tomboy in the Making?

2010-07-13T12:53:00.004-06:00

Did you think that was a picture of a baby boy? Nope, that's our little girl ZoZo. I can't believe she is almost a year old & she has a mind of her own. This little girl is not a fan of accessories. She tugs and pulls until she get her bracelets, bows, and cute shoes completely off. She prefers everything simple. No frills. She is definitely not a "Fancy Nancy." Her favorite toys to play with are not soft cuddly stuffed animals or dolls- she LOVES cars & playing in the dirt!

We have purposely avoided referring to ZoZo as "princess." For some reason, I've never cared for the nick-name BUT I do love the book Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?

If this Angel Baby decides one day that she want to wear curls and bows, I will happily jump at the chance to help her accesorize but in the mean time, I'm going to enjoy her dirty fingernails and messy hair.

McDermott Reunion 2010

2010-06-23T16:17:00.007-06:00

Over Father's Day Weekend we headed to Willow Flat for the McDermott Reunion. A lot of family were able to make it and we had a good time chatting and creating new memories. Get ready for tons of pictures...

Campfire talk and warming up buns.

My cousin Destiny & Addilyn

My cute cousins. They are trouble!

I love this picture. It's so tender. MB & HeRoos engrossed in painting.

MB loved the river. We had to keep him close by. He seemed so happy to be outdoors and we let him get as dirty as he wanted.

My cousins Breanna & Reagan painted ZoZo's toes.

My brother Jeramie.

Tall Cousin Shelby on a nature walk with the littles: Grey, Addi, Jack, Preslie, MB

ZoZo's painted piggies.

Pop's big piggy went to the market and almost didn't come home. Ouch!

Cousin Dax, Aunt Nadine, GG

Aunt Marilyn & Cousin Jill

Jer, Grey, Addi

The Roos Gang

The Roos' after a sleepless night. Isn't my aunt's VW van awesome!

June Happenings

2010-06-23T14:41:00.012-06:00

June has been a whirlwind. It has been full of family get-togethers and outdoor fun. It seems that lately being on the computer is more of a chore than enjoyment, hence the lag in posts. Here is a quick catch up...

We went to S&S Shortline Railroad in Farmington and it was awesome. It is a family hobby and they open it up to the public once a month. They have tunnels, bridges, a park, a museum, and model trains. MB & ZoZo were in train heaven.

When we finished riding the trains, we headed to Lewiston, Idaho to watch our friend finish the Little Red Riding Hood 100 mile bike ride. She didn't have her cell phone with her so we just rode our bikes around hoping to see her. We never saw her but we had a nice time on our new bikes. I'm still a little insecure riding a bike but hopefully my confidence will grow.

2 Huge milestones... ZoZo started crawling and MB started smiling for pictures! I'll have to post videos later.

ZoZo,Braden (MB's buddy), & MB

My Uncle passed away so I headed to Las Vegas for the weekend with my parents and brother. This is the first time in years we've been together like old times, without our spouses and kids. I told them that the same rules applied from when we were young, "No tooting in the car." It wasn't my brother we had to worry about. I guess old age does weird things to people's sense of control...I'm not saying who but eweee! It was nice seeing my relatives from my dad's family and celebrating the life of my Uncle Lewie. Jeramie's wife (my sister-in-law) and HeRoos are such a great sport for watching the kids.

Allergies, allergies, go AWAY.

2010-06-23T14:34:00.003-06:00

Can I just say allergies are so annoying?! I want to take a tooth brush and scrape the inside of my throat, eyes, nose and ears. I love being outside but 15 minutes of yard work = 24 hours of insatiable itching. Grrrrr

Happy Father's Day...

2010-06-20T22:24:00.007-06:00

To 3 wonderful dads!

My own pops.

My father-in-law.

and the father of my children.

These three men are what great father's are made of. They are loving, supportive, accepting, respectful, hard working and kind. Thanks for being such great dads!

Random Friday Thoughts

2010-06-04T22:45:00.003-06:00

Isn't it nice to get freebies sometimes? Tonight we scored.

1) Free fish tacos at Rubios. I LOVE their food. They are promoting Utah's free fishing day (which is tomorrow).
2) Free donuts at Krispy Kreme

Why do coupons bug me so much? Well, let me tell you... I often forget them. I know I should keep them in my car at all times but sometimes I get them as emails and I forget to print them off until I'm at the store and it's too late. That happened tonight. We rushed to Tai Pan trading so I could buy a beverage dispenser before they closed. I thought it was a sale item and didn't bring the online coupon. Well they wouldn't give it to me for the sale price without the coupon so I didn't get it. They lost a purchase and a customer over a stupid coupon. What's the big deal about scanning a coupon if a customer asks for it?!! I still want that darn beverage dispenser but I need to decide how soon I can let go of my grudge.

Onto a much lighter subject-HeRoos and I have been like little kids. We've been saving our pennies for a new purchase. Before I tell you what it is, I should share our summer goal: FAMILY, FUN, FITNESS. So the donuts don't really fall into this goal but our purchase does.....new bikes! We each got a new bike and also helmets, a bike trailer, a bike lock, and a softer seat for HeRoos. It all adds up.

We are so excited to give them a spin as soon as we wake up. I would really like to try the Antelope by Moonlight Ride but it's on the 25th, 3 weeks away. I rode it years ago and have scars to prove it. I was trying to pick a wedgie and fell over just as the race was getting started. It was still a great time biking under a full moon and seeing people of all ages and abilities participate. Wish me luck talking HeRoos into it and getting my legs strong enough to actually enjoy it.

Random Fun

2010-05-26T20:58:00.006-06:00

Summer is definitely in the air. Even though our kids are not in school, we still try to keep them on somewhat of a schedule. Not lately- We've been having too much fun.

We went to the Riverdale drive-in on the spur of the moment. Our hopes were that both kids would fall asleep before the first movie even started. MB was having way too much fun playing around in the car and eating Pop Rocks & popcorn. ZoZo slept in her car seat for most of it. Iron Man II was the first feature which I thought was so-so. It's not my type of movie. The second feature was How to Raise a Dragon & it was awesome. MB even stayed up late watching it.

The next night, we drove to Lindon for HeRoos' family work party. It was at a place called 'Jump On It' and MB had the time of his life. He started out apprehensive and by the end of the night he was all over the place. ZoZo was tired but a good sport. By the end of the night, there were 3 wet diapers to change- childbirth changes the body. :)

I took the kids to meet my friend Lisa and her kids at the Kaysville Pond. We had a nice time watching them fish and walking around. When the kids are a little older, I can't wait to start fishing!

This is Spencer. He is such a cutie!

We've been selling lots of stuff on KSL and we had a garage sale. Guess what we're saving our money for...bicycles! Our goal is to be a bike riding family. Wahoo, we're almost there.

Riverdale River Parkway

2010-05-16T22:03:00.005-06:00

We took advantage of the nice weather and went for a walk on the Riverdale Parkway. There are some fun new attractions that I didn't know about- a Frisbee golf course and a dirt bike course. I love seeing people out taking advantage of the free entertainment & enjoying the outdoors.

You can't tell from the picture but I have on roller blades that I've had since high school. I feel so free when I'm rollerblading. The only problem, and it's a BIG problem, I can't stop. The only way for me to come to a complete stop without falling down is going up a steep hill. MB begged for me to carry him so I gave it a try. We did just fine until we went down a hill at a very fast pace. Luckily the path started inclining so we were able to slow down but that was the last of his ride. ZoZo was so content & happy the entire time- except for taking off her hat and throwing it on the ground.

MB is determined & stubborn. He refused to ride in the stroller with Zo so he either walked or rode on HeRoos's shoulders. The paved trail ended so they walked on the dirt trail and MB kept pulling HeRoos' hair like he was holding the reins on a horse, trying to steer HeRoos to the very end. I got worried about them so I took off my roller blades and Zo and I set off to find them.

We caught up with them and MB led the way to the railroad tracks, of course. MB loves trains and is totally fascinated by them.

When I was in college, I spent 2 summers working for a program called AmeriCorps to earn scholarship money. A team of 10 of us worked our buns off doing environmental work all over northern Utah. One of the projects was making this nature trail that breaks off from the main trail. We made bird & bat boxes, benches, a sundial, and designed the signs along the trail. It was a lot of hard work but fun to see my own children (13 years later) enjoying the fruits of my labors.

Someday, I'll take them to Antelope Island on a trail that we started from scratch. It was hot, exhausting labor. I learned what a pulaski was and how to use it. I haven't been back since because I've had no desire to climb it for the 100th time and there were no trees for shade. At the beginning of our project we would go to the van to eat our lunches and after a few days we started packing them because it took too long to hike back down & then back up with full stomachs. If I can ever locate the pictures, I'll post them.

ZoZo at 9 months

2010-05-13T12:59:00.006-06:00

ZoZo is a little one but super healthy. Here are the stats from her nine month check-up.

Weight: 15 pounds,14 ounces (5%)
Height: 27 inches (25%)

And the other great thing- her Mohawk is long enough for a little barrette. yea, no more bow glue!

A few things about this angel girl...

ZoZo has no desire to crawl but she will sit and entertain herself for long intervals of time. She adores her brother and he can get her laughing so hard. She does not like wearing hats, hair bands, or bows and will keep at it until they are off of her head. She has Inspector Gadget arms and grabs anything in sight within a half second. Her favorite toys are cars or anything with wheels. She only takes her bottle warm and will eat mixed grain cereal with baby food mixed in. She is a great night time sleeper. During the day she doesn't want to miss out on anything and takes little cat naps. We love listening to her babble and say mama. The only people she will let hold her without crying is Daddy, Mommy, GG and occasionally Pops. She is growing bigger and sweeter every day.

Observant

2010-05-07T21:12:00.006-06:00

It amazes me what kids observe parents doing without us realizing it. Sometimes it's good other times it's not. This happened to be a positive observation. I've been trying to keep a challenge that the Young Women in our stake(church congregation) were asked to participate in- Have you 'Red' your Book of Mormom? We're encouraged to read for 5 minutes each day and mark the words with a Red pencil. It looks like Mr. Boy is more observant than I thought. He found a mini Book of Mormon and pencil and started marking away. I wonder if he thinks it's coloring time. Regardless, it tickled me to see him doing it.

Lunch

2010-05-03T12:07:00.002-06:00

MB has become a helpful little guy. When ZoZo cries, he leaves the room and comes back with her pink waffle blanket. He likes feeding her much more than she likes being fed by him (ZoZo is a girl underneath the boy bib and green clothes).

Hairy Situation

2010-05-03T10:34:00.002-06:00

Did Mr. Boy think my head looked like a train track or did he want to bring back childhood memories of when I got the wind-up frog stuck in my hair? After finally figuring out how to turn the train off and looking in the mirror I was able to untangle it with only a few strands left in the wheels. Pain is only temporary, right?

Savoring the Good Things

2010-04-28T09:44:00.003-06:00

Last night we ate at one of my very favorite restaurants, Bombay House in SLC. I crave Indian food from there. I love it. I'm still thinking about how delicious the food was. It satisfied me to the core.

I finished reading The Glass Castle Saturday and it's still lingering in my thoughts. I felt happy, upset, hopeful and sad while reading one page. Then the same emotions on the next page. And the page after that. There were so many lessons to be learned about parenting, resilience, and choices. The human spirit is so strong for the most part. And people can only be helped/assisted if they choose to be.

I like savoring good food & good books.

Lava Hot Springs, ID

2010-04-19T20:03:00.005-06:00

HeRoos and I went to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho to celebrate our wedding anniversary. My parents watched the kids at our house and the munchkins were on their very best behavior which made it easier to enjoy our weekend without worrying if my parents were pulling their hair out.

It was an absolutely relaxing, wonderful weekend. I got a great massage at our hotel, Riverside Inn . I tried talking HeRoos into getting one too but he had no interest in it (he has no idea what he is missing). Our hotel was within walking distance of the main hot spring pool so we got a day pass and went there a couple times. We were some of the last to leave that night. It's so fun soaking when the sun is down and you can see the steam coming off the water.

I had one of the BEST meals of my life in the restaurant hotel. The wait took forever but the food was definitely worth it. I had crab legs & fillet min on. It was so tasty. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

The massage and soak in the hot pots was erased with an extremely hard mattress. Neither of us slept well and we woke up with knots in our backs. I overheard another guest commenting about how great her bed was. I couldn't believe it! There must be very different mattresses in each room.

We enjoyed nine holes of golf and even though we didn't keep score, we felt like we did ok.

We went to the cemetery and located my grandpa Lavell's grave. He married my dad's mom after both of their spouses had passed away. He was such a neat man and I always felt so loved by him.

I'm so glad HeRoos and I were able to spend some time alone together. I love his stinkin' guts! And a BIG BIG thanks to GG and Pops for watching the kiddos so we could enjoy some much needed R&R time.

SUU Night with the Bees

2010-04-19T19:54:00.004-06:00

It was the annual SUU alumni night at Bee's Game. This year, the SUU marketing department provided the tickets AND t-shirts. How cool is that! It was fun to see some of my college friends. ZoZo & MB seemed to enjoy it too until MB caught sight of Thor, the Thunderbird. He freaked out! Then their bedtime came around and we had to leave early and miss out on the fireworks. These kiddos definitely don't know how to party all night long.

Curious Georgette

2010-04-19T19:49:00.001-06:00

Our ZoZo has serious monkey skills.

Buyer's Remorse, almost.

2010-04-15T23:21:00.005-06:00

Last week I bought a season pass to the Hogle Zoo. Sounds fun, right? Let me explain. I love animals & am fascinated by them. However, I'm not such a fan of them being in captivity. I much prefer watching them in their natural habitat (Animal Planet is closest I can get to the real thing).

For some reason, I associate the Zoo with a happy childhood and of course I want my children to have the most fulfiling, joyful childhoods that I can possibly provide so I bought a season pass for 90 whoppin' dollars. The instant I bought it, I felt the sting. How often am I really going to drive to Salt Lake? ZoZo and MB are under 2 years of age so they're free to get in. Silly me, why didn't I think all of this out before.

My mom came with us that day, along with one of MB's little friends and we met up with HeRoos' sister and her 2 kids. MB was a nightmare (probably because he didn't have a nap). I think that is the worst he has ever been for that extended amount of time. The only time he wasn't screaming or throwing his body limp on the ground was when I was holding him and on the train ride. By the end of the day, my back was aching and my buyer's remorse was confirmed.

There is a no return policy so today after naps, I decided to attempt it again- just me and the two kids. We made it in the gate at 4:55 -five minutes before the gates close but the zoo is opened until 6:30. First we rode the train, then took our sweet time and actually saw more animals than people. It was awesome. I loved spending quality time with my kids and talking to them about the animals. MB didn't have one meltdown and he seemed to truly enjoy our time at the zoo. The weather was perfect and I was reminded of how much I love my kids and enjoy being a mother. The pass paid for itself today, just having that special time alone with my ZoZo and Mr. Boy.

The train ride. MB's latest fascination is Cho-Choo's.

MB figured out a way to see the animals. Anytime we stopped, he climbed on the front of the stroller and held on to the fence. What a smart cookie.

I can't even begin to explain what a good sport this little girl is. She is so sweet and rarely complains. I L-O-V-E her!

I've discovered the trick for a good day at the Zoo: leave after naps when the kids are in a good mood and the people are gone.

3 Years Later...

2010-04-13T15:06:00.000-06:00

and my favorite sound is still the garage door opening when HeRoos gets home.
The most comfortable place for my hand is in his.
April (Friday), the 13th 2007 was the day I made the best decision of my life.
Happy Anniversary HeRoos, you still Rock my world!

Easter Fun

2010-04-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

It was another fun Easter celebration at the Roos'. I'm 95% sure MB isn't color blind but he tried picking up his cousin's eggs (our little family only looks for the green eggs). When he picked up the wrong color, HeRoos and I would throw the egg back. Mr. Boy thought this was how the hunt worked. He picked up an egg and then threw it. The kid has a pretty good arm. It took us a little longer to find all of our eggs but it was a good time.

They Do Share...

2010-04-09T09:30:00.000-06:00

even without being asked to.

Computer Geeks

2010-04-08T04:04:00.001-06:00

The Search is on for the Perfect Pair of Jeans

2010-04-08T03:19:00.005-06:00

Pregnancy changes the body. Even when the weight is gone, things have shifted. It has been a challenge finding jeans that don't reveal crack, shift the soft spots into a mushroom shape, or scream 'MOM'. After owning plenty of jeans that are just OK, I've decided it's time to fork out the cash for a pair that I really feel good in.

HeRoos & I went out for Sushi and a trip to the mall. The cash that I have been saving for this occasion was tucked safely away. I tried on lots of jeans and HeRoos was surprisingly patient. When I was debating between two pairs he suggested that I get both. I was giddy and even more excited when he treated me to both pairs.

Then I got home and tried them on.
Then again the next morning.
And again in the afternoon.
And again before going to bed.

My mirror was a sad reality check. It looks like these jeans will be returned to the store to find a happier owner, along with the other two that have been returned this month- making that a total of 4 imperfect jeans. (Yes, please let me blame the imperfection on the jeans, not my lack of diligent exercise).

After recommitting myself to some serious work outs & looking forward to results, my goal is to once again be on the prowl for the perfect pair of jeans in May. Oh no, then bathing suit season is just around the corner.

Six Pack Family Night

2010-04-06T08:21:00.002-06:00

Do you ever wish that you could record parts of your life to play over and over if you're having a bad day? Last night was one of those nights. We've been trying to do a better job at having "Family Night" on Mondays with prayers, songs, and a lesson about Jesus and His teachings. It was HeRoos' turn to give the lesson. After flipping through the Children's Hymn book for what seemed like hours, he settled on a song. The minute we started singing, the ab work out began. We couldn't contain our laughter- our singing was off tune and HORRIBLE. That didn't stop us. We started over and over again. HeRoos had the nerve to tell me that I was off key & that he knew because he sings this song with his primary class every Sunday. Excuuuuse me. We laughed and sang, sang and laughed until our stomachs ached. In our closing prayer, we asked for help improving our singing. Watch out *MOTAB, you may have some Roos' joining you!

*Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Dress Rehearsal

2010-04-01T21:30:00.003-06:00

Here is a little "Easter Candy" early, especially for the grandmas. Why is it that I love to dress my kiddos up and they hate it (well ZoZo didn't mind as much as Mr. Boy). It was a serious wrestling match to get MB to try on his clothes and then he wanted them off asap. If they knew how cute they looked, they would want to leave them on until next Easter. There will be more to come and maybe, just maybe, MB will smile at the camera. Notice ZoZo ready to say grace-she is such an angel baby.

Lisa's Wedding

2010-03-30T19:36:00.006-06:00

One of my college friends got married Saturday. She is such a great friend to so many people. It was fun sharing this day with her. It was also nice catching up with friends that I haven't seen in years. People flew in from all over to celebrate with Lisa.

Lisa & her friends.

The White Coat Ladies- Katie, Me, & Kathie.

HeRoos. He is seriously hot. And I'm just not saying that because he's my husband.

Kathie, Jeneil, Jaime, Katie, Me

Jaime flew in from California and we had so much fun spending time together.

Bombay House the night before Lisa's wedding. Jeneil, Alicia, Stephanie, Lisa.

Katie, Mary, Jen, Me, Jeneil, Alicia, Stephanie, Lisa

Alicia, Stephanie, Lisa, Kathie

Me & Katie

The Do-rag Family

2010-03-30T19:23:00.003-06:00

My friend spoils my kids in great clothes & gifts. ZoZo and MB decided to share their do-rags with us. Thanks Lisa!

Spring is in the Air

2010-03-25T12:36:00.004-06:00

I am so ready for this time of year- Spring is my very favorite season! Any time the sun is slightly shining, we head outside. Last Sunday we went to Syracuse to visit my brother and his family. There is an awesome trail to walk on. MB and ZoZo love riding in their new wagon.

Buddies

2010-03-25T12:17:00.004-06:00

MB has a friend who he really enjoys playing with. They've known each other since Mr. Boy was 9 months old and they see each other often. They are growing up so fast and doing all the things little boys do. They are fun to watch.

It's Official- Mr. Boy is 2!

2010-03-18T04:12:00.014-06:00

MB is one special Birthday Boy. He is very curious and determined. Planes, trains & automobiles of any kind are his latest interest.

We kicked off his birthday weekend by meeting GG and Pops at HAFB Museum.

Of course the birthday boy needed some airplanes from the gift shop to remember his special day.

Pops went back to work and GG treated us to lunch at McDonald's.

ZoZo keeping a close eye on her brother as she chews away.

On Sunday in nursery, MB got all sorts of attention with a birthday song and treats. He was gearing up for his birthday bash. It was a great birthday. Both sets of grandparents were able to attend and some cousins & friends. He loved the attention and we let him get away with just about anything- he didn't get any time outs.

At the last minute, I decided to make an airplane cake. It was a lot of fun to try out a marshmellow fondant and get creative with snacks from the cupbooard.

GG provided glider airplanes for the kids. They were a hit and I'm still finding them all over the house.

My sister in law, Mel.

MB's biggest fan, his sister ZoZo.

MB loves his cousin Will. Will is so nice to MB and plays with him. Mr. Boy lights up when Will is around.

Cake time.

Awesome presents.

Train from his mommy & daddy. He also got his traditional birthday gifts- a book 'Where the Wild Things Are.' and a piggy bank to go with his party theme- an airplane (he broke his Monkey bank from last year).

This card is a treasure. MB's cousin, Jack, told his dad exactly what to write. Then his dad handed it over to Jack to sign and draw a picture. Jack didn't like the way his dad spelled birthday so he erased it and made a change. Too cute! I guess that's what happens when teeth are missing- the "f" and "th" are very tricky.

MB and his buddy enjoying thier potatoes and cupcakes outside.

MB got stuck in the chair and it was so funny watching him try to get out.

We LOVE this silly little guy and we're so glad he's part of the family. It seems like I've known him my whole life- I can't remember life without him. I hope he has a wonderful 2nd year!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T10:20:00.006-06:00

HeRoos refused to wear green today...little does he know that there is a sign on his back that reads, 'Pinch me. I'm not wearing green.' I thought he would get suspicios when I kept hugging him over and over and patting his back. I wonder how long it will take for him to realize it's there.

South Weber Home For Sale... Boo Hoo

2010-03-12T15:03:00.007-07:00

For those of you who know me, you realize that this is a very sad time- we are moving from the place I love. South Weber has been my "dream town." I love being close to the mountains, I enjoy our neighbors, I've made some good friends in the area, the house is great, and my parents are 20 minutes away. Boo Hoo, cry me a river!

The company that HeRoos worked 10 years for was sold and all the employees were laid off. Fortunately, with help from Above, HeRoos found a job right away. He loves the new company and is happy to be there. They treat their employees well and he enjoys what he's doing.

The only sad thing... his new job is all the way in Lindon, Utah. It takes him at least an hour to get to work each morning and then another hour to drive home. Even with my old reliable, gas efficient car he still fills up every three days and we miss him being gone for so long.

If you know of anyone who wants a really great home in an awesome community, have them contact me.

Angel Babies

2010-03-03T15:24:00.011-07:00

The other night, MB and I were reading a book and I asked him to point to the "Angel." Instead of pointing at the figure with shiny sparkly wings, he pointed to the little boy on the opposite page. How could I dispute this? These kids truly are my angels from heaven. I have an "angel boy" and an "angel girl" as I call them. Do you ever love your kids and husband so much that it almost hurts. Strange I know, but it's the good kind of hurt, kind of like sore muscles after an intense work out.

Can I just say that play dates are awesome?! It's good for the kids and good for the moms. MB has become quite the social little guy. If you remember his personality from his infant days, you may think I'm fibbing but I'm not. He loves being around other kids and he also likes playing with their toys. I'm glad I didn't stop going when he was hitting other kids (soon after ZoZo was born). I was mortified until I read an article that said it was normal and his way of trying to get attention since he can't verbalize it. The article also said that's it's important to be around parents that are understanding and accepting. Check. Check. I love the other moms in the neighborhood and have learned so much about parenting from them.

MB also goes to our church Nursery on Sunday. His Nursery Leaders are so good with the kids and they can feel the genuine love the leaders have for them. When MB gets stinky pants, which is at least once every Sunday during nursery (and it's not even 2 hours long), he is so anxious to get back to be around his friends. I love that my baby boy is happy. I guess he's not really a baby anymore- he'll be two in a couple weeks.

ZoZo continues to tickle me to the core. She is so sweet and good natured. She constantly smiles and seems so happy about life. Her curiosity and babbling is endless. The other really GREAT thing about Zo- she sleeps through the night now! When I came back from my weekend trip to San Diego, she was sleeping through the night. Her daddy "forgot" to turn on the baby monitor at night. Thanks to his forgetfulness, she learned to self sooth and I didn't have to hear her cry it out.

I am so grateful that I am a mom and wife.

Pennies

2010-02-25T10:52:00.003-07:00

HeRoos' co-worker gave MB a big bag of pennies. He was so excited and it entertained him for hours. He figured out that he could fit more pennies in through the bottom than through the slit on top.

ZoZo wanted in on the action.

MB didn't want anyone stealing his treasure while he slept.

PVC Bangles

2010-02-18T09:44:00.003-07:00

I have a very talented friend, Nicole, who always has great ideas. I decided to give the bangles a try with the Young Women at my church and we had a great time. If you want a fun, inexpensive project for a lot of girls, this is a good one.

I bought 2 inch and 3 inch PVC pipe. My friend let me use her table saw to cut varying widths and it worked awesome. I felt so independent using a power tool without the help of a man. ;) .

The 2 inch pipe was too small and the 3 inch was too big so we hot glued cardboard on the inside of the 3 inch pipe to custom fit the bangles. Then the girls chose material. They ripped it into strips and wrapped it around the PVC pipe. Hot glue worked well on the ends of the fabric.

They got super creative and made bows and combined different patterns. They had a fun time. I didn't get a picture of all the girls because they finished at different times. There were plenty of supplies so some of the girls went home with multiple bracelets.

SaN dIEgO

2010-02-12T22:44:00.008-07:00

This was in August of 2008 when I was in San Diego to visit Katie, my friend & roommate from SLC, with Mr. Boy & HeRoos.

This time it was just the girls. Katie and I had a great time! It was fun catching up and having good conversation. I ate my way through San Diego- sushi, In-N-Out, Thai, fish tacos and Godiva Chocolate. Hanging out on the beach, watching chick flicks, eating good food, reading, relaxing, and shopping are good for the soul.

HeRoos is AMAZING and completely encouraged me to have a good time while he took care of the kiddos. They love hanging with their daddy and as you can tell from the picture below, he even dressed them well. It looks like the three of them are ready for a photo shoot with their matching outfits. This picture was my candy- I couldn't get enough while I was away. I love my gang-they're pure trouble and so irresistible!

Beware: Deep thoughts by SheRoos.

I've found that finding balance with motherhood and the person I was before children is more challenging than I imagined. There are parts of the old me "on hold" while I try to do my best as a mom. I do miss hanging out with my good friends, traveling, having a career, and having time to read & relax. I was single for 30 years. Then came marriage (which is much easier and more fun than I imagined) and 2 kids within 3 years. There was not an adjustment period so now I'm trying to figure out how to balance it all without losing who I am (or was). I'm not sure if any of this makes sense to anyone else. Basically, being a mom is hard work yet I wouldn't trade it for anything. I absolutely adore and love my kids. I just really want to enjoy it more and have more energy. I'm also thinking that it may be time for me to take a class- photography, sewing, aerobics or something to force me to get out of the house and work on SheRoos. I think that it's important for me to figure out how to take care of myself so I can be the best mom and wife possible. HeRoos and I also agree that it's super important for us to put God first then each other, then our kids. If we put our kids before our relationship than our marriage could suffer and then inevitably our kids suffer. I think to have a happy & fulfilling life it takes effort and a lot of trial and error. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. So, on that note, I think I better end my deep thoughts and give my hunk-of-burning-love husband some attention instead of staring at the computer. Sweet dreams to my friends in cyber space!

Thespians in Training

2010-02-09T19:57:00.003-07:00

Can we say drama?

I took ZoZo in today for her 6 month appointment. The tears started flowing before the needles were even out. She wailed and cried until the nurses left the room. When I was making her next appointment, I handed her a sticker to play with. Bad idea. She put it in her mouth so I took it away. The water show started all over again. Tears and screaming all through the lobby until we hit the front door. Come on, she is way too young for all this drama!

Two hours later it was MB's turn to show off his skills. I took him in to have the stitches removed. The nurse said, "Oh, this will be easy." WRONG. She had to call in another nurse & warned her that he is much stronger than he looks. It took all three of us to hold him down. As soon as we left the room, his act ended and he was ready to be his sweet self again.

Don't be fooled, these two kiddos know how to use their crocodile tears. I love my drama King & Queen. They make my life interesting.

By the way, ZoZo's 6 month measurements:

Weight: 14 lbs. 3 oz. 20%
Height: 25 inches 30%
Head Circumference: 41.5 cm. 25%

She's small but healthy!

Pancake Fun

2010-02-08T10:22:00.006-07:00

I thought we would try a new way to present pancakes since MB hasn't been a fan of them in the past. MB had more fun making the pancakes than actually eating them. The smell of syrup is one of my least favorite scents, especially on people so we experimented with some alternative toppings. Applesauce was a no go. Then yogurt- still no luck. Finally avocados did the trick. Strange, I know.

Time For A Helmet

2010-02-05T19:49:00.006-07:00

This kid is a climber. Nothing gets in his way. He pushes bar stools up to the kitchen counter so he can walk on the counter. He pushes his train up to our bed to give himself an extra foot of leverage so he can climb & play on the bed. He tips garbage cans on their sides to reach things. He jumps off the couch. He climbs out of his crib.

At times he overestimates his ability.

This is when he tried to jump from one couch to the other and hit the end table instead.

5 stitches later.

The day after a visit to the E.R. and he still hasn't learned.

It's a good thing he is so darn cute, even with a black eye and stitches.

Haiti

2010-01-30T21:33:00.010-07:00

Did anyone else see the episode of the Doctor's when they went to Haiti to provide service after the horrific earthquake? It brought tears to my eyes and I tried explaining to MB why I was crying. His innocent face & curious eyes caused me to cry even more. I wanted so badly to scoop him into my arms and hold him like a baby again.

I cannot even begin to imagine what the people of Haiti must be going through. I pray for them. I pray for the people who are serving them. I pray for peace to be their companion as they endure. There is a loving God who is aware of them, every single one of them.

Someday HeRoos and I want to adopt. When I heard about the Haitian orphans and saw their beautiful brown eyes and dark skin, a part of me wondered if we could open our hearts and home to them. As quickly as the thought entered my mind, another replaced it, "There is a time and a season for everything." I know that now is not that time nor season in our life. I pray that when it is, our family will be prepared.

Yellow Means Caution

2010-01-30T16:26:00.003-07:00

It has been years since I've been downhill skiing. That's really sad since we live so close to the "Greatest Snow On Earth." We decided it was time to lift our spirits and get high enough to see blue sky.

My brother, Jer, prefers snowboarding.

My brother and his Yellow Puffer Sister.

The Yellow Puffer & HeRoos. It's a good thing I didn't look at these pictures until we got home or I may have frozen due to shedding the Yellow Puffer coat. I should have known I was an eye sore when the ski lift guy said he'd look out for the yellow coat to slow down down the lift next time I approached. That was after I caused my brother to fall of the lift then the next time I fell and they had to stop the lift. Ooops, it's been a while.

It was a fun day, sore muscles and all!

Little Mermaid

2010-01-25T11:57:00.005-07:00

ZoZo is a peeing machine. She saturated her clothes and needed a bath at her grandparents. She fit quite nicely in the sink.

I love how clean babies smell after a bath. This picture is proof that my kids do have a mom and just not a dad. I am usually the one taking the pictures and rarely in them. Yes, my hair color is another shade of red. I don't know what changes more often- my hair color or the paint on my walls.

Busted!

2010-01-25T11:48:00.002-07:00

How else would MB know that he can drink milk from the carton?

HeRoos, you're in BIG trouble! I thought your bachelor bad habits were over.

Entering the Terrible Two's

2010-01-21T21:37:00.010-07:00

Since the blog is our baby book/family history, I thought I should post some pictures of MB entering the "Terrible Two" stage.

He puts his matchbox cars in his onsies and pajamas. When I change his clothes I find hidden treasures. Maybe he's tired of being a light weight and is trying to put on some extra pounds.

He'll try anything...at least once.

MB likes to talk to his Grandma GG (a.k.a. Grandma Reta) on the phone. Well he likes to listen and make grandma do all the talking. When I attempt to take the phone away, he runs to a different part of the house. I have to hand it to GG- she can carry on a one sided conversation for a very long time.

He also likes her in person.

Mr. Boy LOVES water. When I cook, I let him play in the sink with the tap barely turned on. He can't get enough of it and it keeps him occupied while I cook or clean. MB turned ZoZo's Dr. Brown's bottle parts into a drinking fountain. Pretty ingenious.

He is not afraid of heights. We haven't decided if this is a good or a bad thing.

If Mr. Boy does not like what he is wearing, he takes it off.

Every time we're at GG and Pops' house, he insists that they set up this little table and all four chairs just for him (the other two chairs are on their way).

This photo is misleading. He HATES getting his hair cut. I usually end up sitting in the chair, holding him on my lap & holding him as still as possible while he screams, kicks, and twists. If his hair looked good long, I would let it grow but unfortunately it doesn't so instead we have to subject innocent hair stylist to this torture.

He is stubborn, determined, a pain in the behind, funny, and lovable all at the same time. I really hope I can enjoy this stage instead of wishing away the Terrible Twos. I better get myself to bed so I can laugh instead of cry when he does what he does.

Nice Plaid

2010-01-21T21:29:00.003-07:00

I couldn't help myself. This opportunity was priceless. MB enjoying every second of making cookies with his Dad and me enjoying every second of HeRoos' sexy outfit.

p.s. don't worry, I would never allow him to leave the house like that. :)

Shhh, he doesn't know I took this picture of more plaid.

Tired Boy

2010-01-13T11:23:00.002-07:00

His newly discovered independence is exhausting.

He wanted to play & splash in the tub for 45 minutes this morning. Fine.
Mr. Boy wanted to wear his Halloween shirt today. Fine.
He wanted to put medicine on his burn by himself. Fine.
He wanted to play on our freshly made bed. Fine.

While he was turning on the lamps and the baby monitor, I decided to check my e-mail. I heard the baby monitor beeping very loudly because it was on the wrong channel and I assumed he was still playing with it.

When I went in our bedroom,this is what I found. Better than Fine, it's only 11 am.

Rice Cereal for Zo

2010-01-12T22:25:00.002-07:00

Risky Business

2010-01-12T13:52:00.002-07:00

This is Mr. Boy's impersonation of Tom Cruise (minus the singing and dancing).

We'll Miss You Grandpa Charlie!

2010-01-08T16:54:00.005-07:00

HeRoos' grandpa passed away. We are glad he didn't suffer long. It will be a wonderful reunion for he and Maida (his wife of 58 years). Below is his obituary.

Grandpa Charlie & Grandma Sharon.

Charles Anders "Charlie" Roos, 86, of Idaho Falls, died Dec. 28, 2009, at his home.

Charlie was born Dec. 19, 1923, in Green River, Wyo., where his father worked on the railroad. His parents, August Roase (Gus) Roos and Nellie Luella Randall Roos, bought and operated Star Valley Ranch. He and his sisters, Alta, Verla and Mathel attended schools in Cokeville. After the crash of 1929, the banks closed and his Dad lost his money. They moved to Freedom, Wyo., and later to Goshen. After graduating from Firth High School, he went to college in Logan, Utah.

On July 28, 1943, he married his high school sweetheart, Maida Johnson, in the Logan, Utah, LDS Temple. On Aug. 22, 1945, Charlie was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in field artillery in the Philippines and as company mess sergeant in Korea. He was discharged Aug. 8, 1946. Charlie returned home to farming and for 50 years was a truck driver for Sam Bennion, Clark Concrete, and for 30 years drove for H-K Contractors hauling heavy equipment. He retired in 1989. After retirement, he and Maida bought a trailer and enjoyed traveling. Maida died Nov. 18, 2001. Charlie was always restless to get things done now. He got up early each morning, anxious to begin the day. He was always happy to help his friends and neighbors.

An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Charlie held many positions in Scouting, Elders Quorum, ward mission leader, Seventies president, High Priest group leader, executive secretary, single adult representative and as bishop of the Poitevin Park Ward for six years.

He married Sharon Fowler Jackson in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple on April 26, 2003. They enjoyed traveling and sharing their lives together.

Charlie is survived by Sharon; sons, Vinn (Trudy) Roos of West Valley, Utah, and Raeo (Cheryl) Roos and Danny (Laura) Roos, both of Idaho Falls; 15 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; sister, Alta Barber of Salt Lake City; stepchildren, Brent (Susan) Jackson and Chris (Debi) Jackson, both of Idaho Falls, Nancy (Scott) Widney of Provo, Utah, Brian (Khris) Jackson of Phoenix, LeAnn (Nathan) Vance of Tacoma, Wash., Brad (Taryn) Jackson and Kelly (Shanda) Jackson, both of Boise, and Tom (Angela) Jackson of Twin Falls; 18 step-grandchildren; and two step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Maida; and two sisters.

The family wishes to thank Hands of Hope Hospice for their loving care of Charlie in his final days.

Natural Consequence

2010-01-08T16:33:00.005-07:00

This is what happens when little boys and not so little girls don't listen.

I LOVE our fireplace. HeRoos has been opposed to using it because he was afraid Mr. Boy would get burned. I've been warning Mr. Boy before he could even crawl that the fireplace is DANGER. I thought he would never touch it even when it was off because of how forceful we've been about this warning. Obviously, I was wrong.

If you've ever had a burn, you know the throbbing sensation MB experienced. I felt so bad for him. He kept his hand in a cup of water all night and we let him have whatever he wanted. He watched way too much TV, ate whatever he wanted, stayed up past his bedtime, and even slept in our bed. He fell asleep on HeRoos' chest with his hand in a cup of water. He's doing much better & is very careful to not use his hand.

This weekend we're headed to Lowe's to get a fireplace guard.

2009 Christmas Letter

2009-12-23T19:35:00.004-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

We feel so very blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. Thank you for all the great memories and for the ways you inspire us. We love you all so very much!

2009 has been a great year. We feel very blessed in so many ways. The move we made last October to South Weber was a great one. We are so happy living in a small town, yet close enough to larger cities. I love driving down the road and getting stuck behind a tractor. It forces me to stop and 'smell the roses' or hay.

Mr. Boy (21 months) continues to enrich our lives with his strong personality and innocence. He is definitely a daddy's boy but occasionally flatters me with a hug & kiss. We are amazed with his food preferences- he often chooses fruits, vegetables, & beans over sweets & meat (he evens eats guacamole & edamame). He likes drawing, playing with cars, and looooong baths. He still prefers whining over actual words.

ZoZo (4 months) radiates such a sweetness. She is so lovable and happy that it's difficult for us to stop gawking at her. Her eyes are constantly following her busy brother. Her dainty little fingers are fun to watch as they explore new objects. We are thrilled that she joined our family.

Being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has blessed us in so many ways. We enjoy learning about the Savior and His teachings. We've had opportunities in our congregation/ward to get to know our neighbors. HeRoos is a Sunday school teacher to the 11 year old boys. This has been quite the challenge for him since he has never taught before. He comes home exhausted on Sundays (or at least that's his excuse to watch football) but he really enjoys getting to know the boys. I work with the Young Women (ages 12-18) in our ward and I have grown to love them. They are such strong young people and they inspire me to be better. Sometimes I feel like there is not an age gap between us and then I look in the mirror and am reminded otherwise.

There are a gazillion things we are grateful for- good health, employment, family, faith, peace, friends, a home, relationships, and the list goes on and on. There are so many good people in this world and we feel fortunate that we know some of them, including YOU! Have a Merry Christmas!

Love,
The Roos'
HeRoos, SheRoos, MB (Mr. Boy) & ZoZo

Stocking Stuffers

2009-12-23T19:02:00.004-07:00

ZoZo barely fit in the stocking. The formula supplementation must be working.

Mr. Boy is trying to decide if he wants to be on Santa's Naughty or Nice list. He put the ornament back. Whew.

It may be short but there are some benefits of waiting so long to get a tree, it was only $10 and it smells wonderful!

This is closest smile we can get on camera. He waits until after the camera 'clicks' to smile.

Can you tell how much Mr. Boy loves getting his picture taken with his sister (notice the knee pinching)? ZoZo is very tolerant.

ZoZo's 4 Month

2009-12-10T22:47:00.005-07:00

Our little ZoZo is definitely little. When I took her in for her 4 month check up, she only weighed a little over 10 pounds which dropped her to the 5-10% (from the 50%) for weight. Her pediatrician, who we really like & respect, suggested that I supplement with formula in addition to breast feeding so we can fatten her up. (I wish my doctor would tell me to have a milkshake after every meal).

We took her to the doctor today for a weight check (a week later) and she gained a pound-yea! She is sleeping better through the night and is even taking longer naps during the day. What a relief! I absolutely love this little gal and am so glad she is part of our family.