...happy birthday, dear ruby...

twins? NO. sisters? YES!!!

March 17th, 2002

Dave proposed eight years ago today on a rooftop in Gaeta, Italy. We went to Italy to visit Dave's brother and sister-in-law over Spring Break and little did I know (I only hoped) that I would come home engaged to the most wonderful man in the world. Here are a couple of pics that I scanned from our trip.

This is a recreation. The official proposal was in the evening and I was wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. Oh, so romantic! Dave's brother was stationed at the Naval bas in Gaeta and the apartment that they rented allowed them access to this rooftop patio that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.

Nice view, huh?

Rebekah & Don on one of our many outings as we explored Italy.

A scenic view from the highest point on Capri...Mount Solaro. We rode chair lifts through the clouds. Needless to say, it was amazing.

A beautiful shot of Gaeta. This was a trip we will never forget.

Ciao!

bragging about my zoey michele

My sweet Zoey Michele is 3 years old and such a little lady. She amazes me everyday with her sweet heart. Not only is she gorgeous, she is incredibly smart, too. She can count to 20 and has almost mastered counting to 30. She can also count to 10 in Spanish...thank you Miss Katie! She recognizes all her letters and can spell her first and last name. She has memorized 5 Bible verses and LOVES her Sunday School teachers. She loves to watch Veggie Tales, Sesame Street and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but loves to be outside even more. When we go for walks she likes to ride her big girl bike with training wheels or push her babies in their stroller. She makes friends with everyone she sees and wants to know everyone's name. She definitely challenges me with her three-year-old moments, but she blesses me more times than I can count. She is funny with a desire to entertain and she is tender and wants to make sure everyone is doing alright. She is a peacemaker and cares for her sister with a tenderness I could have never anticipated. She loves to teach and finds great joy in seeing Ruby master a skill. She has a great imagination, too...just ask her imaginary friend, Norga. :) I could go on and on about how amazing this kiddo is. I can't believe I'm her mom and I have the privilege of hanging with her everyday. Thank you, Lord, for the best job in the world. I love you, Zoey Michele!

bragging about my Ruby Ellen

Little Miss Ruby is 11 months old and I truly cannot believe that she will be one year old in a month. She is such a sweetie and always has a smile on her face. Here are some of the things Ruby has accomplished in her first 11 months in our family.

Ruby can clap & wave. She can sign eat/hungry, more and all done. She can "say" mamamama, dadadada, papapapa. She can cruise, climb on the couch with the help of the pillow, push her cart, dance, play peek-a-boo, and nod. She raises her arms in the air when you ask her, "How big is Ruby?" and she loves to play peek-a-boo. She is very good at mimicking sounds. Some of her favorites are clicking her tongue and making smoochie noises. She is so sweet and loves to be cuddled, tickled and bathed. She squeals with excitement when she sees Zoey and she loves to climb on her daddy. She is a great eater...some of her favorites are peas, yogurt, banana, oatmeal and cheese. She is also a great sleeper...she takes two, 1 1/2 - 2 hour naps each day and sleeps about 11 1/2 - 12 hours at night. I love the stage she is in but I also look forward to the new things she continues to learn everyday. I love you, Ruby Ellen!

9 inches and counting

Surprise snow day with Daddy!!!

Let's make a snowman!

Ruby wanted to be outside, but she enjoyed watching through the glass.

"Zoey, don't leave me."

"Don't you turn your back on me, missy."

"I can't believe she left."

The finished product. Nan, the snowman.

A snow day from Ruby's perspective.

"Now, I'm a ballerina."

We signed Zoey up for her first ballet class. Each Saturday for 4 weeks, we took Zoey to a nearby rec center and for 30 minutes, she got to dance around in her leotard, tights, tutu and ballet slippers with several other little girls. She absolutely adored her class. She wasn't really interested in becoming friends with the other girls, which surprised me a little, but she was absolutely in love with her teacher, Miss Rachel.

The first week, Zoey seemed to enjoy class and she watched everybody very intently but she didn't really participate. She kind of floated around and stood around but she didn't allow herself to have fun and get down with her bad self. The second week, she had a fever and we had to skip class. Thankfully she doesn't know her days of the week well enough to know that she missed out on a Saturday. :) But, by the third and fourth classes, she had transformed into a precious little ballerina. Well, I take that back. I would tell her periodically during the week, "You are such a beautiful ballerina." And she would always reply, "Not, yet." I guess she thought she wasn't officially a dancer until Miss Rachel had taught her everything she needed to know.

So, here are some clips from her classes.

Here she is stretching. Favorite part?...how she looks back at me to see if I'm watching and how stinkin' flexible she is

More stretching. Favorite part?...her beautiful hair pulled back in a ponytail and her little panties poking out

This is part of a little dance routine Miss Rachel taught the girls. Favorite part?...the hug, of course, and it just seems like she is truly having a blast!

They are supposed to pretend to be mermaids jumping over a "poisonous fish". Favorite part?...not quite jumping over the fish, but definitely avoiding it.

Second try. Favorite part?...how she runs to Miss Rachel but realizes there's someone already on her lap so she finds a spot at the end and lets out a squeal!

Time for some work at the bar. Favorite part?...the whole thing :)

Doing her ballerina walk just like Miss Rachel. Favorite part?...Her cute ballerina arms and never taking her eyes off Miss Rachel.

This is some sort of ballet hop. Favorite part?...how quickly she makes her way to the other side and waits patiently for the other dancers to join her.

Even though Zoey was so quiet during class, Miss Rachel made a huge impact on her. During the week, Zoey would say so many things that Miss Rachel had taught the girls. She would show Dave and me the moves she learned and sing the little songs she remembered. She is a little sponge. This was such a great reminder for us that Zoey is constantly learning and retaining information, both good and bad. Many of the parents signed up their girls for another 4 weeks of ballet, but I think we'll try something else next time. Maybe soccer!