things

Here are some things that are important enough that I can remember them right now:

THANKSGIVING
It was wonderful to have my family here for Thanksgiving.  Our theme this year was ROLLACOPIA, with sub-theme BUTTERPALOOZA.  We had plans to have many kinds of rolls, buuuut most of that fell through.  We at least had a couple different kinds, 3 or 4 different butters, and a genuine ROLLACOPIA that I made (with an eggwash assist from Katy).  Katy also made us Rollacopia shirts because she's awesome.

The fam was in town all week, which  meant lots of shopping and eating out.  My favorite meal was definitely at Pat's BBQ in Salt Lake.

SLEEP PATTERNS
I have been in a horrible insomniac phase.  The worst was the night I didn't fall asleep until 7am-- hours after Kyle went to work.  This last week, though, I've been taking melatonin and it actually works! Now, instead of waiting 2-3 hours to fall asleep, it's only like 30 minutes.  I am much happier and much nicer now.


WORK
I have a job.  Just until Christmas.  I work at the Riverwoods as a gift wrapper, and I actually really love it.  I started work at the Riverwoods Lighting event, which was wild and fun.  Now I'm just wrapping in the North Pole.  Really, I just LOVE the Riverwoods during the Christmas season.  Free Santa (you can even take your own pics), 4 million lights, free carriage rides, free gift wrapping, free kids crafts.  The Santa is even a really good one--when Ruby asked him for a hot dog (because she's crazy and loves hot dogs) he totally went with it.  I work 15 hours a week with Kelsie and it's awesome.  We have such a good time together and working with so many cute bows and kinds of paper brings me GREAT JOY.  Plus I haven't gotten a paycheck in sooo long--I forgot how fun it is.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
Every year, I am obsessed with picking out the perfect presents for my loved ones.  Gift giving is totally my love language and it brings me a lot of happiness.  Except this year I am basically sucking at it.  Bummer.

EXCITING THINGS
Soon, CELIA IS MOVING NEXT DOOR!!!! Ok not actually next door, but the next stairwell.  My upstairs neighbors will share a wall with them.  I could not be more excited.  And then Ashley is coming to visit for like a week!  If Katy was here, it would be the old gang back together again, and my joy would be complete.   I'm also going to see The Hobbit on the day it opens with a couple of my girls from YW--I'm flattered that they think I'm cool enough to go with them, and I'm so excited to see it! I also think it's funny that I can't see it at the midnight opening...because it's a school night and their mom won't let them.  Ah, youth.

EVERETT
Nieman and Alan's baby boy is adorable and I love him.  We've been lucky enough to hang out with him several times and I'm so happy for his parents.  He is a well-dressed and studly kid--I think Ruby has another arranged marriage in her future.  This makes, what, number 4?  (4 potential suitors, not 4 marriages.)

RUBY
What an incredible darling girl!!!!  I want her to always be 2.  Lately she is always kissing me and hugging me and crooning "Mooooommmy" in her sweet sappy voice.  The only unfortunate thing--she's obsessed with Caillou.  CAILLOU.  THE DEVIL'S SHOW.  I reaaaaaally hate that kid. But reaaaaaaally love Ruby.

Halloween! Oh my gosh so many pictures.

We had an awesome Halloween this year!  Ruby was an ADORABLE Batman.  We trick or treated a couple times--once at the BYU Law School (we tagged along with Kelsie and Landon, who were actually invited).  She was a little timid, and only talked to one guy the whole time.  THE GUY DRESSED LIKE DOCTOR WHO.  She is such a discerning child.

We met Christy, Danny, Katy and the girls at Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point--a yearly tradition.  The kids had a great time, although Ruby managed to look forlorn in every single picture I took of her.

Ruby didn't love the slide, but Kyle did.

Lucy is so pretty.

I loved Ruby's Tinkerbell dress.

Danny had some sweet moves on the giant air pillow jumpy thing.

I didn't take any good pictures of our ward Halloween party that Kelsie and I were in charge of.  WHAT THE HECK.  I snapped a couple quick on my phone, and Kerry took a few of our gang, so I at least won't forget  it happened.  I WILL say that people told me it was the best Halloween party they'd ever been to.  WILD SUCCESS.

I bought 96 donuts. My car smelled sooo good.

Oh gosh I forgot that I was in the donut eating contest with Kelsie and some of our YW.  Awkward.  Also, Ruby participated in a different round, and she was adorable.

The day before Halloween Ruby and her best bud Caeden went to a cute neighborhood carnival.

Our pumpkins.

On Halloween day, we went with Kerry and Caeden to Sonic because they were selling fifty cent corn dogs!  Heaven.  It was Ruby's first corn dog and she loved it.

Trick or treating on Halloween night was sooo fun.  Ruby went door to door with Caeden, who was a scary wolf.

First we stopped at Mike and Morgan's, our friends and Ruby's nursery leaders.  (Mike and Momo, as she calls them.)  They gave Ruby and Caeden fun Halloween gift bags and Mike looked awesome in his hick teeth.

This picture of Ruby kills me.

Next stop before we hit the neighborhood was our good friend Jordan, who gave Ruby her own box of donuts.  Can you believe it?  He came along trick or treating with us too.

Ruby and Caeden loved going door to door.  They were slow but delighted.

I really wish this wasn't blurry.

 We ended the night at Council Bluffs and Emily's 4th (or 5th) annual Halloween party.  We had to be kind of brief unfortunately, because Kyle had to get up at 4 the next morning, but it was still way fun.