10 Points

Guess what Devin said today when he got home from work and saw that I was still in the middle of making dinner and that 2 of our 3 kids were crying and that the toy room was a mess and that I was pretty much completely frazzled...

He said, "What can I do to help?"

Did you guess that?  10 points if you did.  He got about 100 point for saying it.

Yeah, he is amazing.  It was so wonderful that he offered to help instead of criticizing for dinner not being done or any thing else he might mention.

There have been a few instances when he walked in and the first words he said to me were something like, "Why does the house smell weird?" or, "Did you make sure the cereal was on sale before you bought it?" or, my favorite, "What did you do all day?" (Men, take note:  That last one is seriously the worst thing a man can say when he gets home to his wife and house full of kids.)

It is unbelievable the difference it makes when the first words he speaks are kind.

Him & Her

I am in the process of putting the pictures from our old computer on our Mac.  It has been fun to see some old pictures.  

Here we are, Christmas 2005.  We had been married 1 year.

12/25/05

5/27/06

4/8/07

6/9/07

8/10/07

12/15/07

5/17/08

5/20/08

12/26/09

12/11/10

Past vs Present

I read this on a friend's blog and was cracking up in agreement so I wanted to post it too.  Let me know if you agree with any of these statements:

PAST: how can i get this guy to kiss me tonight?
PRESENT: how can i get out of sex tonight?

PAST: i hate when guys fart. nasty.
PRESENT: i love when my baby toots! maybe then he'll sleep better...

PAST: i love my boobs they are perky and great!
PRESENT: ugh...boobs. saggy and gross. only needed for milk.

PAST: *talking to a friend* want to use the restroom with me?
PRESENT: *talking to your kid* mommy is going to the potty. do you need to use the potty? do you need to go pee-pee in the potty?

PAST: $50 purse? its super cute...ill buy it.
PRESENT: $20 jeans? im pretty sure i can find some cheaper...

PAST: going out with friends at 8pm? thats a little early but ok see you then.
PRESENT: going on a date at 6pm? hmm well it'll take like 2 hours to eat and then that puts us home around 8 and then its bedtime...i dunno can we do earlier?

PAST: the gym is such a great way to meet guys.
PRESENT: the gym is a necessity so the "mom butt" doesnt appear.

PAST: sorry my car is dirty! just move my school stuff and water bottle and running shoes.
PRESENT: sorry my car is dirty! just move the crushed-into-the-seat-cheerios, and lost sippy cup and old diapers and tissues and wrappers and dirty clothes and pardon the stains.

PAST: if its rated PG-13...we'll call it good.
PRESENT: there are little ears. PG is pushing it.

PAST: hey sorry im late! there was traffic.
PRESENT: hey sorry im late! i was walking out the door i got pooped on and we all had to change and then we got in the car and totally forgot the diaper bag and when i went into the house i had left every light on and when we got back in the car i realized i had put the keys in the diaper bag to remember to grab it. and i forgot to grab the bag. and there was traffic.


Can you think of any more?

Valentine's Day

This weekend Devin and I had a little Valentine date.  We went to the temple and to a cute little Italian deli on Main for lunch.  

The temple was wonderfully uplifting as usual.  The sealer reminded us that we go to the temple so the Lord can "mold us, shape us, and polish us" to be the person he wants us to be.  Then, we go back into the world and they use sandpaper on us to dull and scrape us up.  That's why it's important to return to the temple often so we can be close to the Lord and he can continually shape and polish us.  I thought that was a great visual example to remember.

I'm so thankful he chose me and that there is no "until death do us part" in our marriage.  We will be together for eternity; even death can't break the ties.  That is true happily ever after!

We're featured on Busy Bee here for Valentine's Day!

No Strings Attached

Devin knew I didn't have a very good day on Monday so he came home with a note that said,

"Hey Sweets.  I love you so much.  How about a back rub?  No strings attached.
Unless you want strings..."

Isn't he thoughtful?  I'm sordof being sarcastic, but mostly serious.  He is thoughtful and funny too.

I did get a nice back rub and that's all I'll say about that.

A Date

Devin and I got to go on a date last night!  Every time we go, I am more and more sure he is definitely the right one for me.  We have such a great time together.  He makes me laugh, he listens to me, talks to me, laughs at me when I'm ridiculous.

We planned to go to one of our favorites, Buca Di Bepo, but when we arrived, the parking lot seemed unusually barren.  We were a little suspicious.  When we walked up to the door, there was a sign saying it was closed for some repairs.  We were so bummed!  But, we were craving their salad so bad that we drove all the way across town to the other Buca!  We had some great discussions in all the time we spent driving in the car.

Have you ever been to Buca?  If you have, have you been in the restroom?  They have the wackiest pictures decorating the walls!

Shark Week & Coconuts

A couple of weeks ago on the Discovery Channel it was shark week.  One one of the episodes, the narrator said sharks kill 15 people a year around the world.  He then went on to say that falling coconuts kill 10 times that many people a year!  Really?  150 people die every year from falling coconuts?  I never knew.

I debated whether I should post this or not, but then I decided, sure, why not?  It's a little embarrassing, but whatever.

So...
One night after watching a show from shark week Devin and I were kissing before bed.  It looked like things might be going somewhere, but then Devin said, "I keep thinking about sharks."

Really?  That's too weird.  Yeah, I wasn't really into kissing after that.  So we went to sleep.

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

I don't want to have a cake or eat one.

Devin and I had an interesting discussion last night.  Well, I thought it was interesting, maybe you'll think it was boring (should you decide to read this now).

Anyway, he asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday.  I told him I didn't want one.  I said I would rather him spend 3 hours doing pretty much anything else besides spending 3 hours in the kitchen.  (It really would take like 3 hours since he does it all from scratch.)  Plus, I don't want the kitchen to be a mess of dishes and cake ingredients.  He said, "How can you not want cake on your birthday?"  I told him I don't really like cake anyway, so it doesn't matter.  "But it's your birthday!" he said.  Yes, since it is my birthday, I am deciding to have no cake!  Living 3 hours husbandless to get a birthday cake in return is not worth it.

On his birthday, he can bake himself a cake.  I'm not being sassy, that's really what he'll want--to bake his own cake.

I think he'll try again to convince me to let him bake me a cake.  It won't work.

Left-Brained or Right-Brained

This little quiz was in my Real Simple magazine and I thought it was interesting to see the results from a married couple, so I had Devin do it too...

1. When I'm finished using an item, I put it away immediately. --R
If only Devin did this too...

2. I love being surrounded by vibrant colors.

3. Whether I'm looking at a work of art or a room, I tend to prefer symmetrical design. --R, D

4. I like to move around my furniture a few times a year rather than stick with the same arrangement.

5. I'm the go-to party planner for friends and family.

6. Keeping current projects where I can see them is a must.
No!  Put your stuff away!

7. I love having a designated spot for each item in my closet or drawers. --R
Yep, when something seems to be lost, I don't even know where to look because if it's not in the "designated spot" I can't think of anywhere else it might be!

8. On my computer, I often have multiple windows open at once. --D
Nope, close it if I'm not using it.

9. I have a specific morning routine that I always follow to a T. --D
I would have picked this one too, but there are always surprises with the kiddos in the morning that keep me from having a strict routine.  But, we do have a schedule, it just has to be flexible.

10. When making major purchases, I usually follow my instincts rather then do research.
We both do lots of research before making big purchases.

11. I often wear the same jewelry everyday. --R, D
Wedding rings, small stud earrings unless it's date night, then I'll put on some fancy stuff.

12. If I have to explain directions to someone, I'll draw them a map instead of telling them verbally. --D
I can't stand a map!  I want sentences with directions and street names!

13. When I find a great dish at a restaurant, I order it every time I go there. --D
I like to try new things.

14. I often drive with the Empty light flashing.
Way too scary!

15. I always bring a shopping list to the grocery store. --R, D
We have to or else we forget stuff!

16. I have a lot of knickknacks around the house.
We both don't like clutter.

17. My books and CDs are in order, so I can always find what I'm looking for. --R

18. My desk is filled with piles of papers, sticky notes, and business cards. --D
Oh his desk at work drives me crazy!  I wouldn't be able to get anything done there!

19. I feel guilty if I don't follow the rules while playing board games. --R
I totally can't ever cheat because I feel bad!

20. I'm fine with other people making last-minute changes to plans.
Usually, it's not a big deal, but with kids, it's hard to make different arrangements at the last minute if we need to.

Ruthann:  1, 3, 7, 11, 15, 17, 19 -- 7 left, 0 right
Devin: 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18 -- 5 left, 3 right

Left brained:  "Think in words (list makers), do a lot of advance planning, and approach challenges in a rational, linear way.

Right brained: "Visually oriented.  They tend to think in images rather than words, focus on the big picture rather than the details, and go through life in a somewhat seat-of-the-pants (a.k.a. scattered) way.

--Real Simple, June 2010, page 198

It's interesting to me because he and I picked a lot of the same ones, but I think he seems way more right brained than me.  He is pretty good at picking up after himself.  It might not be the thing he would naturally do, but he knows I like him to do it, so he does.  What a great man!

Backwards

I've been having "morning sickness" at night.  It seems backwards to me.  I've heard that happens to some women and I consider it a blessing because if I was sick in the morning with the daycare kids here, it would be plain awful.  At least if I'm sick in the evenings, when only my own kids are home, usually Devin is home to help take care of everything (including me).  And he is so good at it.

Yesterday I got a call from a lady in my ward to see if I could make a salad of some kind for a funeral.  I agreed to make it and drop it off to her later that evening.  Things were busy all day and I still hadn't made the salad by the time Devin got home.  By then I was so tired and felt so sick I just couldn't stand up and had to lay down.  He was so sweet to make the salad and deliver it so I could rest.  Then, when I was so nauseous I thought I was for sure going to be sick, he came to the rescue with a bowl of Rice Krispies just in time to settle my stomach.  (Eating when you feel like you are gonna barf is kind of the last thing you want to do, but with pregnancy nausea, eating is the cure.)

Then, tonight when he was giving the boys their baths, I heard him telling Jaxon to be extra good for mommy because she hasn't been feeling good.  What a sweet daddy and thoughtful husband!

Stinky Feet

This post isn't really about "stinky feet."  More like "dirty feet" I guess, but I thought "Stinky Feet" was a fun title.

Okay, so Devin and I had an interesting discussion the other day.  We were in the shower and I noticed he didn't wash his feet.  I asked him about it (I figured he forgot or something) and he said he doesn't wash his feet.  He thinks that by just standing in the shower his feet get clean from the runoff water.  I don't know about that...

I had no idea that my husband doesn't wash his feet!  They don't ever stink, but still, who doesn't wash their feet?  It's not like it is hard and takes a long time.  Seriously, 10 seconds a foot, 20 seconds total.  I thought everyone washed their feet, especially my smelly-good, well-groomed, clean-cut, handsome husband!

The Power of An Envelope

Devin and I have a budget.  I use a spreadsheet I created to track where all of our money goes each month. We are usually pretty good about staying within the budgeted amount...except in the food category.

We were getting tired of going over so we tried something new for April.  We withdrew cash for our budged amount for groceries and kept it in an envelope and used ONLY that to pay for food this month.  That was nice just for the fact that I didn't have so many debits to keep track of.  So, how did we do?  We have $20 left!  That's such an improvement from going like $100 over sometimes!  It was nice to see that when we really tried and planned, we were able to stay within our budget!

Baby Time

Might as well throw it out there...Since I'm done with serious training and my races are over, I'd really like to have a baby soon.  So, I wasn't very excited when I told Devin I don't think I got pregnant this month because I was having some cramps so I think I'm gonna start soon.   His response was, "Darn.  Well, I guess we'll have to try harder next month."  He's so sensitive...

(Incase you are new to this blog, that's sarcasm.  You'll see it a lot around here.)

Then later he asked what a cramp felt like.  How crazy would that be to have never felt a cramp?  I told him it feels like a charlie horse like he gets in his calves, but in the lower tummy area.  Like, literally, your muscles are all cramped up.

Ladies, how would you describe a cramp?

Dirty Laffy Taffy Joke

The other night Devin was dishing out our ice cream so we could sit and enjoy our cuddle time while watching our show.  He was jokingly struggling to scoop it, like it was rock hard or something.  So, I asked him, "Why is it so hard?"  He wittily replied with, "Maybe it saw you naked."

I love my man and his attempts to flatter me!

Heating Pad

Every night when I brush my teeth I put my heating pad under the covers at the foot of my bed and turn it on.  Then, when I'm done brushing my teeth and get in bed it's nice and toasty on my cold footsies.  I'm glad I came up with this great idea because my feet are always cold when I get in bed.  Then I try to warm them up on Devin and though he lets me, I feel kinda bad doing it because I don't like it when he puts his cold feet on me.  But he is so sweet for insisting that he doesn't mind.

Oh, but I have to turn it off when I start dozing off or else I wake up all sweaty.  Ew.

Registered Mom Gear

"Is that what you're wearing?"

That's what Devin asked me when he got home Friday because we are actually going out to dinner for once.  He said I was in my "registered mom gear" shirt.

It actually made me laugh because he is totally right.  I have clothes, that I prefer not to go in public in (t-shirts, sports bra, jeans from high school) that I wear daily when I'm at home with the kids.  I don't wanna wear my nice clothes when I get food and boogers smeared on me.

So the answer to my question, after I got done laughing, was "Nope."  I got dressed in nice jeans and a real shirt and put make up on.  But, I was still sporting the pony tail with clipped back bangs!

There's Still a Little More

I'm talking about the toothpaste here!  This is what a tube looks like before we throw it away.  Devin kept insisting he could get a little more out, and he would.  I wanted to get a new tube already because my thumbs would hurt every time I wanted to brush my teeth because I would have to squeeze it so hard.  

Is that what it's like at your house?

Pillow Talk

The other night while Devin and I were talking before bed we discovered something interesting.

Men keep track of the days between making love.  (That wasn't the discovery.  I'm pretty sure it's a solid fact in most relationships.)  Generally, women might keep track, but the accuracy or importance of the number is no where near as serious to her as to him.

So, he was insisting it had been a whole 5 days.  I told him I was sure it was less than that.  We figured out that our last time had been on Wednesday night.

Then he proceeded to count, "Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.  Five days" he said.

I recounted, "Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and it's now Monday so four days."

We were in agreement that the last time had been Wednesday and that the current day was Monday, but we  still did not agree on the number of days between.  We count differently.

He explained, "Wednesday to Thursday is one, Thursday to Friday is two, Friday to Saturday is three, Saturday to Sunday is four, Sunday to Monday is five."

I figured we shouldn't count the "Sunday to Monday" because well, we were gonna do it, so that day isn't factored in.  He disagreed and said it was five FULL days.  I still see it as four.

This was a discovery to me because now I know 5 days to him means 4 days to me, 4 days to him means 3 days to me, etc.  This knowledge is very helpful for me when I'm trying to understand what the heck he's thinking when we disagree on these statistics!

So, do you say it was 4 or 5 days?

Nickname Pressure

Devin has some crazy nicknames for me.  Some are sweet, funny, cute, but mostly, he just has a lot of them.  I, on the other hand, have none for him.  It's kinda been a joke because I have plenty for our kids:  Jaxon, Jax or Stookie; Henry, Wen Wen or Wennie.  For some reason, I just haven't found one for Devin.

Now that we have been married for so long {5 year--long, I know} and I only call him by his name, there is all this built up pressure to come up with something good.  He says it should come naturally, but after 5 years it still hasn't come!  I've tried to say, what if I call you this or that, but he says I shouldn't "make an announcement" about it because that ruins it.  Pressure!  He says there's no pressure, but there totally is.

Fresh off our honeymoon he called me Freak in the Sheets in front of his parents and I wanted to DIE!  Now he pulls that stuff all the time and it's not a big deal, but then, wow.  I couldn't have been more embarrassed!

So, last night we were talking about it and he was listing all the things he calls me:  Sweets, Ruthieannie, Sweetums, McSweets, Sexy Malexie.

I laughed and asked him how to spell that last one and he said, "I don't even know how to spell real words."

True, very true.  He's known for being kind of a terrible speller, but that's fine because he teaches math anyway!

The other day when Jaxon wrote his name on the fridge with letter magnets Devin said in kindergarden he just put a D on his paper because he didn't know how to spell his name.  He claims he could do addition and subtraction though.

But, I don't know how to spell it either.  It's made up anyway, and it rhymes with sexy, so just sound it out.

Husbands' 2010 Goals

I've got a few goals for the new year, which I won't post here, but one of them I will be able to check off on January 17th when I cross the finish line!!!

So, I'm not all about "resolutions" where people think of things they'd like to do, but hardly have the intention of doing.  I really set goals and work on them.  I think it's good to constantly try to do better and improve yourself through out the year, but every once in a while take time to go over those things and the new year is a good time for me to do that.  

After thinking about what I really wanted to accomplish this year, I wrote down my goals and I asked Devin if he wanted to write down a few things for himself to work on for the year.  This is how it went down...

Me, "Here's a paper if you wanna write some goals down for the year."

Devin, "K" and he proceeds to name things for his list starting with..."make love everyday."

Me, laughing, "I'm serious.  Put some things you really want to do this year."

Devin, "I know.  You don't think I'm serious?"

I should have known, of course he was serious!