Heavens to Betsy....Where have I been?

I can't believe how long it's been since I've "really" updated this blog. It seems like after Ruby was born I got busy (not just with her, but with lots of things) and I got out of the routine of blogging. I had a dear friend ask me (again) last week when I was going to update. I told her I had to go back to Thanksgiving and catch up. She suggested (Thanks, Susan!) that I just jump back in and maybe update as I go along, so that's what I'm going to do. I'll start with what's recent and here and there I'll toss in a backdated entry. So here goes....
So far this month has been hectic and fun. But I can't think of a month lately that hasn't been!! We have three grandkids with February birthdays, so that means three sleepovers/shopping trips/birthday activities/dinner out with them. The month started out on a high note. Our oldest granddaughter, Eliza, chose to be baptized. That happened on Feb. 6th. She was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church by her dad. What an awesome experience it was to be there to witness this event. She was beautiful and she just glowed that day. She had a sweet smile on her face all day long. She was able to wear the same baptismal suit that I'd made almost 24 years ago for her mother, Erin, to wear. After Erin wore it, her cousins, Emali, Audi (I think), Jodi, Katelin, Kacey and Stephanie all wore it. Now it's starting a new generation. What a legacy for them. She had a beautiful new ivory dress with a sage green sash that she wore, and her mom, Erin, made a cute headband to coordinate with it. Eliza was showered with love, well-wishes and thoughtful gifts on her special day. We look forward to Abigail's baptism next month. I'm sure it will be just as memorable for her.
This weekend started our three-sleepovers-in-one-week week. Abby's started on Friday night. She wanted to get her ears pierced for her birthday gift, but as the time got closer, the more afraid she became. She was afraid it was going to hurt. We told it that yes, it would hurt, but just for a minute or two. Then it would be over and she'd have beautiful pierced ears. All the way from her house to the mall, she had a worried, almost sad look on her face. She didn't think she could do it. Just before we got out of the car, I told her that she could choose whether to do it or not, but if she didn't, she would be disappointed in herself the next day and would be sad she hadn't done it. So as we went into the mall, she seemed to cheer up and get excited again. When we arrived at the kiosk where the ear piercers were, she walked right up to the counter and told the sales clerk that she wanted her ears pierced, but that she was a little nervous. The girl said that that was normal, but it would be okay. So we proceeded. She chose her earrings...both to get pierced with and another pair for after her ears had healed. And she got right up in the chair and was eager to get going. After they marked the perfect spot for each earring, the two girls there each pierced one ear at the same time. Abby looked up as me and said, "I did it! I have pierced ears! I did something HARD!" I was so proud of her for being brave and doing something she really wanted, even though it was hard. She wanted to go for ice cream as a treat for being brave, so we went across the street to Cold Stone Creamery. We then went to Deseret Book and she chose what she wanted for her baptismal gift from us, but she has to wait until her special day to receive it. Then she wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. She had a great time there...especially when they brought her the cutest little glass with an ice cream sundae with a candle on top. The waitresses sang Happy Birthday to her and she just beamed. Then on Saturday morning, we met up with her parents and brothers and took a trip (her birthday activity) to Flagstaff to play in the snow. What fun that was! There was a TON of snow and the kids had a blast sliding down the hills on their sleds/discs and throwing snowballs at each other. My mistake of the day was climbing to the top of a slippery hill so I could watch the kids from the top rather than from the bottom and having to dodge the sleds as they sped by. It was a mistake because as I attempted to walk down the slippery slope, I realized that there was only one way down....sliding. After I'd gone a few, unsteady steps with the help of Mark and Brian, I sat on my bottom and slid the rest of the way. I was afraid that I'd fall and get hurt, so I just sat down and away I went. I'm sure that was a sight for all to see! Luckily, I was the one holding the camera, so there was no documentation of the event.
Sunday was my lesson in Relief Society. It went well, I think. The good part was that I got about 30 minutes this time, so I got to actually give all of the material I had prepared. And we even got outo about three minutes early! Yea!
Then on Sunday, some of the kids and grandkids came over for dinner. Abby and Dallin (the birthday kids) got to choose the menu. They chose Hawaiian Haystacks. We had ice cream sundaes for dessert. Mark and I wanted to give the grandkids a Valentine of some sort, but we didn't want it to be sugary candy. So I got some cute fabrics and I made them each a new pillowcase. Ruby got a swaddling blanket from the same material. Then on Sunday night, Dallin spent the night for his birthday sleepover. We watched Snowball Express, which he thoroughly enjoyed. This morning we got up and met his dad and siblings at the dentist for their semi-annual teeth cleaning. Then we took Dallin for the rest of his sleepover activities. We started off at Wal-Mart so he could choose his gift. He got a Nerf rapid-fire rifle. He also chose a Spiderman car that transforms into four different cars and a rubber snake so he can scare his mom (sorry, Kamille!). He got a Hot Wheel car for his brother, Luke. That was thoughtful. Then we went to Red Robin for lunch and to Castle and Coasters for a round of goofy golf. He had a blast playing against Grandpa. And Dallin beat him by one stroke! Then we took him home and got his gun put together and everybody had a chance to test it out. It seems like a fun toy. Mark and I then headed back home after a stop at JoAnn's Fabric, a couple of Savers, and Safeway. We had leftovers for dinner and caught up on some TiVo'd shows....Amazing Race, Undercover Boss and Extreme Home Makeover. Then we watched a bit of the Olympics. I should be in bed by now. Yikes! It's almost midnight and here I sit at the computer. Tomorrow should be a fun day. It's our 37th wedding anniversary. Mark took the day off, so we'll spend the day playing....probably doing a little junkin' and tomorrow night we're going to see The Unsinkable Molly Brown at Broadway Palm. Should be a great day. Nighty, night.