Abby-isms

Last night my parents took Abby and Ashlynn for the day to decorate cookies, go to dinner and then look at Christmas lights.  While they were at my parents house each girl was able to open one present.  Abby got a holster and to little guns.  Its pretty cute when she puts it on.  She is John Wayne when she wears them.  Anyway....today as she is playing with them she was calling the holsters "toasters".  Mom I can't get my gun in my toaster!

Abby's 4th Birthday!

December 18th was Abby's 4th birthday!  I can't believe she is already 4!  She chose a Strawberry Shortcake theme.  It turned out really cute.

I covered our coffee table with paper ( like in Italian Restaurants) and then made copies of Strawberry Shortcake pictures.  The kids had a lot of fun coloring on the table and the pictures.  

 I have no clue what these two are doing.  I think she was looking at something on her face, not picking her nose.

 I made cupcakes again this year.  We has strawberry cake with green frosting and pink sprinkles and white cake colored green with pink frosting and green sprinkles.

When Abby opened these she said "John Wayne boots!"  She loves him!

 Abby's Uncle Mathew and Auntie Lauren gave her a game called Angry Birds!  The funny thing was she loves this game on my phone.  So perfect!

 The three beauties.

 We had one melt down.  I think it was overwhelming and a lot going on.  But she recovered quickly.

 Happy Birthday my little girl!

This is just a small glance at the aftermath!

Abby had a great birthday.  Thank you to our parents for helping with ice cream and balloons.  Here is a list ( for her memories sake) of the wonderful gifts she received:

Grandma and Grandpa Brown:  Took her shopping at the Disney Store.  She had a blast and came home with a plush Rapunzel doll, a beautiful Arial doll, Bambi, and Lucky from 101 Dalmatians.

Grandma-ma and Papa Lee:  gave her a much wanted Princess scooter and Belle pajamas.

Rick, Amy and Micheal: A Furry Frenzies play set

The Pelinga's: Princess Roller skates/blades

Ryan, Kyla and Ashlynn: A Tag reader and two books

Kyle, Katie and Colin: A white Fur-real Cat.  It moves, purrs, licks its paw, and rolls over so you can scratch it's tummy!

Lindsey, Josh and Brooke: Rain Boots!

Jodi, Ian, Gabby and Mailey: Disney Princesses, lip gloss, Arial pencil and a picture from Gabby

Grammy Twitchell:  a baby that acts like a real one

Matthew and Lauren: Angry Birds game

Auntie Eloise: A purple pony

Camille, Dan and Brevin: Cute Purse, and chap stick

Tim, Becky, and Riley: Play-Doh

Mom and Dad: Bath Belle, and a Strawberry Shortcake remote control car

After the big party we had pizza with some great friends and fell into a deep sleep!  :)

God is Good....

WORK IT GIRLS!


What a great three weeks of maternity leave I have had. It has flown by so fast though. I am going to be so sad when its time to go back to work. Some great things have happened while I have had the chance to spend time with my babies.

First of all Daniel got a job yesterday! We are so happy and proud of him. He will be working at the Oregon Gardens here in Silverton. He will be doing maintenance and grounds work. What a great job for him. I think he will be really happy there and that is what is important.

My mom's best friend Debie makes adorable tutu's for little girls. She has spoiled our girls a number of times with these cute creations. Ruby has 3 tutu's now and looks so cute in all of them. I will be posting more pictures later of the girls in them. Thanks a ton Debie! We love them!

Dec. 3rd was the annual Silverton tree lighting. We went to the fire station ahead of time to see Santa. Abby loves him. She would not stop talking to him and asking him questions. Ruby also seemed to like him. She smiled at him the whole time. Maybe we will have two girls not scared of the Jolly Old Guy!

This Santa was a fire fighter back in the day. Very sweet man!

Monday the 12th we went and got our tree. Abby was so excited! I love the picture of the two of them watering the tree. She had a blast getting the tree with dad. Ruby and I went back to the car soon after Daniel cut it down. We were cold and done! :) I love decorating the tree. Each ornament means something different, and special in our lives. This year I bought Abby ballet slippers to put on the tree to represent her dance classes. Ruby will get a 1st Christmas ornament.

Ruby is growing by leaps and bounds! I can't believe she will be 5 months this month! She amazes me each day with all she can do. She is starting to play in her little bouncy seat. She is also a pro at raspberries and this little growling sound she makes....its pretty funny. She loves her big girl food and can't wait for it to get into her mouth. She dive bombs the spoons! She is always happy unless she is hungry, tired or poopy. Other than that there is always a smile on her face. I try so hard to memorize the feel, sounds, and time I have with her. I totally understand why last children are spoiled....he he he .

It has been a blessing for me to have the time and stay home with both of my girls.

GOD IS GOOD!

Quotes of the Day

Abby had a lot to say today. Most of the time it was "Why?" We are in the "why" phase of life and its driving me nuts. :)

Here are a few things she said today.

About her dad changing a light bulb: "He is so cool!"

While looking at movies at BI-Mart: " OH DADDY LOOK! John Wayne!!" She found a movie with his face on the front and freaked!

Ok here is one I am not proud of, but secretly laughed on the inside. The Salvation Army was out ringing their bell when we went in to BI- Mart. When Daniel got change to give her as we left they were gone. Here is Abby's quote: "Where did they fing go" She didn't say the word....she said F-ing. I smacked her dad....HARD! Again one more reason to watch what we say. I am just praying she does not say these things at school. But I think I am asking too much!

My quote of the day: "Yes Abby you can play Angry Birds (she calls the game Red Bird) but don't download anything!" Which she did last night. Thank goodness it was a free game.

Much more to share, but I am tired and have presents to wrap!

Ruby..4 months Nov. 20th

Ruby is...

12 lbs 8 oz

24 1/4 in long

head is 40 cm around

Ruby has rolled over one time

She has started laughing (11-27-11)

She sleeps often

She wakes up twice at night to be fed

Has started eating cereal and a fruit or vegetable twice a day

Smiles all the time

loves to sit up like a big girl, even though she can't on her own yet

Has a sweet little voice when she talks

Adores her big sister! Whenever Abby walks in the room Ruby lights up!

Abby will be 4 on Dec. 18th!

As of 11-8-11 she weighs 30 lbs

and is 37 inches tall

She has only gained 2 inches and 8 pounds in the last two years. I thought that was good, but the nurse said not at her age. She is happy and healthy though.

Halloween 2011

Friday the 28th we had Daniel's family over for pumpkin carving. My Nephew Colin is in the background climbing on the giant pumpkins we got!
This is my little pumpkin! Uncle Kyle is holding her shirt in the back to keep her up. She was 3 months on the 20th. I can't believe how much she has grown. She loves to sit up and adores her big sister.
The Princess and the Pea. Halloween Night was a lot of fun. We trick or treated my parents, aunt and brother. Then we headed home to trick or treat with Colin and Gabby (Abby's BFF).
Notice how they all have something in their mouth? The candy consumption was crazy! But its for one night! Who can resist????
Ashlynn was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. So Cute!
She is so shy in front of the camera...:) She posed just like a princess every time I took a picture. She was (is) the prettiest Burnett Cinderella ever!

Pumpkin Patch or Three Ring Circus?

So the girls and I went to a pumpkin patch....that shall remain nameless. It was CRAZY! I have never seen so many people crammed into one place at a time. What happened to the simple have some cider, a doughnut, hayride pick a pumpkin, pay an out landish amount of money for the pumpkin and go home feeling warm and fuzzy inside, with the smell of good old fashioned mud in the car?

This place had everything you could imagine. Zip lines, bouncy houses, some huge pillow people were jumping on and around 5 mazes. Not to mention ROOT BEER FLOATS! Root beer floats? at a pumpkin patch?

Now don't get me wrong...I am really not complaining just in a bit of shock. Abby had a great time, and was done in about 2 hours. Ruby slept through pretty much the whole thing. However she is suffering from shaken baby syndrome from riding in the stroller in gravel for 2 hours.
One thing I really wanted to do was get a pumpkin from a patch. Get some cute pictures of the girls among pumpkins and so on. I had a stroller so the hayride to the patch wasn't going to happen. We walked everywhere looking for the dang pumpkin patch. I asked someone where I could find it, and they handed me a huge map with animated characters all over it trying to point me in the right direction. After giving up Abby found the perfect pumpkin in a BIN! LOL We will get our pumpkins from Uncle Kyle. The good news was, I found the pumpkin patch as I was exiting the parking lot.
It was a good day. The girls and I had some great time together, and we got in a long walk for the day. I just don't think I will be returning to that patch. I think people need to realize less is more during the holidays.

Pumpkin Patch or Three Ring Circus?

eight weeks old!

Ruby is 8 weeks old today. How cute is she!

She loves to sit up on the couch. Her neck is getting stronger and stronger.

Abby...

Abby.....

weighs 28.5 pounds

is 36 inches tall

wears size 7 shoes

still a size 3T but can wear a 4T

Is very sassy

needs to be a better listener

loves her baby sister

has 2 best friends: Ava and Gabby ( from across the street)

prefers the color blue

is starting to ride her big girl bike

is scared of bugs

hates spider webs

loves candy

has one more cavity to fill

follows her daddy around

cries when the party is over

is learning to write

works better with routine

has a few catch phrases: "isn't that amazing?" "I totally....." "won't that be fun?"

Has a lot of love to give her family and friends. She is such a caring person!

Abby and Gabby
Not the best picture of Ruby, but can you see the sisterly love?

Ruby Mae 7 Weeks

This picture wasn't taken at exactly 7 weeks, but close enough.


Today Ruby had her 2 month doctor appointment. Poor thing had 3 shots! I am so glad I am not a nurse.

Ruby.....
weighs 10 lbs 2 oz (50th percentile)
is 21 1/2 inches long (25-50th percentile)
has a head that is 37 1/2 cm (not sure)
laughs
does pretty well holding her head up
loves when Abby talks and plays with her
absolutely hates being put in her car seat
smiles and responds to people talking to her
still eats 2 oz every 2 hours ( come on girl eat more and sleep longer!)
coos, and talks back
sucks on her hand ( I predict a thumb sucker...I hope not)
loves to be held and cuddled, even in 90 degree weather!
poops every 3-4 days
never cries unless something is really wrong, just makes grunting and squawking noises.
is laid back

Ruby,
You are so precious! I love watching you play and sleep. I miss you so much when I am at work.

Oregon State Fair 2011

Yesterday we splurged and went to the fair. Holy cow it can be expensive and we didn't really do much. Did you know its $4.50 for a corn dog!! It felt good to get out and have some fun with the girls. Abby was so excited to see and pet the farm animals. At first she was a little nervous, but Daniel helped her warm up to them.



Then we got her face painted. She surprised us by sitting still while the artist painted her face. We thought for sure we would have to convince her some. I think she even fell asleep while he worked.



As we were walking out to see the cows again and go home she spotted the pony rides. Daniel and I saw them but thought we could get away with not doing them. Then she looked up and said, "I want to ride one!" She was so excited we couldn't resist! Again she surprised us went right on the horse. She beamed every second she was on that pony. It was well worth the money to see her happy. We had a great day as a family, and gave Abby some new experiences to remember!

Hughes Family Reunion 2011

This year we noticed many wholes in our family reunion. Many of the older generation has passed and left it to us to carry on traditions. It was kind of weird because this years reunion was smaller, but there were a ton of kids. It was like looking into the future of Hughes reunions.
Rick and Amy Olivarez
Grandma Hughes with Ruby Mae.
Jennifer and Jody (sisters, my 2nd cousins) and Uncle Steve. Steve just under went open heart surgery. He looks great and it was such a nice surprise to have him come! We are so glad he is healthy and healing quickly.
From left to right: Aunt Bev (who was married to my uncle Man), Aunt Bonnie and Aunt Annie. These two ladies are my granddad's sisters, and Uncle Man's sisters. Bev is now married to a man named Allen Vance.
Of course its my child picking out her w edgy!

The pool was a hit! You should have seen the color of the water when they were done. We think it was just from the sun screen...or we are hoping it was. LOL
Papa Lee and Abby!

The temperature was record breaking but it was a great reunion. I hope next year more people are able to come.