Chickens!

Ruth was so excited that we got her 27 baby chicks from our county fair!! Everyday we go out and look at them at least once!!

We also got some bigger pullets so that we could get eggs right away!! (a racoon took care of our previous chickens) I just love having fresh eggs!!  This morning Fritz went out to get eggs and I cracked one open and it was a double yoker!!

My new favorites

Each day I have a list of chores that I try to get done... dishes, laundry, feed everyone, and get Ruthie to nap... but each day I also have great moments that I look forward to... I wanted to share those great moments because these are the ones that I know I will remember :)!

One of these moments is when Ruth decides to read by herself, she climbs into her chair with her book of choice... too cute!

Another new favorite of mine is when Amiya is awake and smiling!  She is starting to be awake more and more each day and will follow my voice.. I love it!

Last is when Ruth shows off her vocabulary and pulls out a book to tell us all the objects she knows!  It's so fun because each day she says a new word.

 :) love

Ruth loves summer!

This summer we have been very busy! Ruth was in her Uncle Andy's wedding!  She was the ring bearer and looked sooo cute in her dress and pearls that her Aunt Dana got for her!

We have been swimming a lot at Uncle Andy and Aunt Dana's house!  Ruth loves the pool and can swim on her own with only the help of a life jacket that Opa bought her!

Ruth did her first watercolor painting today!  Actually she did more than one, and when I tried to switch out the paper the first time it was met with a lot of tears and crying.  I really hope the paint doesn't stain her skin...

Time to play catch up!

So if anyone is wondering why its been so long... I had a baby!  Amiya Raine Phanor was born on 6/12/12 and was 8 lbs 11 oz and 20 in long!!  Needless to say life got a little busy!!

We are all doing well and Ruth has adjusted super fast!  She loves her new baby sister and gives her hugs and kisses all day long.  She has turned into my 'little mommy' and always wants to help me with Amiya, somtimes she's just way too helpful....

Apple girl!

Ruth is officially a toddler and she reminds me of this every day! No longer can I cut up her apple for her because she is getting independent and wants to eat it on her own!

I had to get a baby gate for the kitchen because she has figured out the cabinet locks and wants to help me cook. She has eight teeth now! Where did my baby go?

The Lord has truly blessed us with this little girl! I am excited to meet her little sister and to see how Ruth will adjust to a baby in the house. I continue to pray for both of them and for Fritz and I to be the best parents we can be, especially in a world that is full of temptation and sin.

Snow!

This winter has been so mild I was pleasantly surprised to have snow today! It started out as rain so I figured it would all just melt away... but I was wrong!

Catching snow on her tongue!

Ruth enjoyed this trip out in the snow more than her first. She could actually walk this time, which I am sure helped, and she really wanted to go see the cows, her favorite animal so far. Her favorite word happens to be moo (sounds more like boo) and every morning we have to check to see if the cows are outside getting a drink.

Ruth's first fingerpainting

Ruth Before we painted

Painting her own creation

The cards we are going to send out

We tried to finger paint for the first time! Ruth wanted to hand me to paint more than anything, but it was still fun! I used the opportunity to make thank you cards to send out as well! Of course I kept with the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme :)

Today I realized that my child is very neat. I noticed this before with food, but I figured that her love of food caused her not to be so messy, however today I fully expected paint in the hair and all over... which didn't happen, instead she was asking me to clean her hands when she decided she had enough painting. I am sure this comes from her fathers side!

Thanks to these bloggers for their ideas (which I found on pinterest!!)

Homemade finger paint: Easie Peasie

Very Hungry Caterpillar Card idea: Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Ruth turns 1!!

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Today Ruth turned 1 year old! It has been an exciting day! We had some family and friends over to help us celebrate! I used pinterest to find some really fun ideas for her party. My Mom made a super cute bib for her special day! We used The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle book as our theme. Ruth loves eating and loves reading so it seemed very fitting!

I really enjoyed making her caterpillar cupcake cake and apple cake! She had fun eating it :). I also tried a new recipe from pinterest for baked brocolli, it was good! I also made my own fondant for the caterpillar head! Here are the links to the blogs that I used to make these fun foods:
Brocolli - http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html
Apple Cake
caterpillar cupcake cake
homemade fondant

Walking, walking, walking!

Here is a shot of Ruth walking! Her balance is getting better every day and she is getting more independent! She has started leaving me and going and playing in her room or walking up and down the hall.

Ruth has continued to bless us every day with her giggles and chatter. Her new favorite thing to do has been reading books, we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle at least 5 times a day! I love it, she'll bring me her books and we sit together and read. Ruth loves turning the pages and feeling the holes in what the hungry caterpillar has eaten. I couldn't imagine anything better!

Everyone told me my life would change, and they were right, being a mom is the best and my life has changed for the better!

Ruth at 11 months

I've been so busy enjoying Ruth that I haven't updated here in awhile!!

We have been doing very well. Ruth is now walking and talking!! I still call her my baby but she is acting so much like a toddler these days!! She has two teeth and has two more coming in on top! She can say Dada, Mama, up, uh-oh, baby, and more that I still haven't been able to decipher :)

She is still eating everything!! Her favorite are the grabber pouches, any brand, any combination of fruit and veggies, she barely comes up to breathe before its gone! Mom and I were laughing the other day at an article that talked about average amount for a baby her age... Ruth would scream if I gave her only 6 Tablespoons per meal!

We also are expecting another BABY!! My official due date is June 5, 2012! Ruth will be a big sister and we are soo excited! God has blessed us so much already we cannot wait to add to our family :)