the happenings

note the mirror close at hand. she had to see how she looked after every sip of her tripple berry shake. fabulous! sip, look, wipe. sip, look, wipe...

I think I should start documenting some of the outfits that Anne comes up with more regularly. As my mom and older sister have told me, I used to be just like Anne about changing my clothes a bajillion times a day. Man, I guess I deserve it, but in my old age I really hate having clothes all over the place. We have been working on confining the clothes to her room.
P. S. It was about 80 degrees outside the day we took this one.

she had a gallon of drool all down her front by the time we got it away from her.

This is Ruby having a turn on the coveted rocking chair. Isn't she cute?









































Anne and Dad try to climb trees every night after dinner. They have a regular tree climbing route before bedtime.

Happy Birthday Anne!!!

Anny guesses what she got?

She was so excited!

Not the greatest presentation, but it still turned out looking like a butterfly

Anne chose the colors herself. Green and purple, some of her very favorites.

She was so excited about her new bike until it got going down the (slight) hill without her pedaling it. We worked hard to help her figure out the breaks, but she still has a little anxiety over hills.

Happy Birthday Anne!!!

Feelin' it

Rock on!

...she's soooo into the primary songs.

Ruby wanted to push for a change.

The following are some pics from a picnic we had on campus with dad during finals week. Incidentally, Anne refers to ISU as "my school" and whenever she practices writing or drawlering (her own word that perfectly describes what she does on paper. She uses the word all the time too.) she claims she is doing her "homework". (I hope the good habits stick)

Life after Spring Break

I know--not the best picture you've ever seen, but this is the valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahmen. We really loved this stop on our church history tour.

Here's another shot of us walking to the lookout point at Adam-Ondi-Ahmen. It just looked like a really well groomed plot of land, but it was worth driving out there to see.

The story of our lives begins: "Randy checked out a book at the library today..." This picture represents the fruits of the latest book. He even used our new wheat grinder to make flour for this yummy whole wheat bread. (woot.) Currently we have books on pasta, vegetarian diets, William Tyndale's 1526 New Testament (really fun to read), and obviously whole grain breads to name a few. Seriously...you might ask what we did on Friday night. The answer is: Randy whipped out Tyndale's Bible that he was so excited to show me and we read the introduction together.--What else is there to do for a date when you have no funds? (we have exhausted our movie selection...suggestions are welcome)

Can you spot the egg?? (or the trash)

Easter morning.
Anne's face says it all.

We would also like to inform you that Ruby took her first steps this last month. She's not much for crawling (it's more of a pull with her arms and drag her face on the carpet crawl), but we're proud of her for no longer being content to just sit in herself anymore.

Spring Break with the Browns

Happy as a heap of rocks. Rubenstein really liked the freedom from her carseat on the day we explored a wildlife habitat near Kansas City. She sat and munched rocks and dirt and grass and anything else she could get her pudgy, cute little hands on. We had a picnic here at this little lake and I'm surprised there was a lake left by the time we left. Anne was throwing rocks in to her little heart's content--after several lessons on throwing from dad.

Ruby liked poking and prodding dad while we toured Nauvoo. We had a fabulous time with Hillary and Rand who were so nice to meet us there and then watch the girls while Randy and I attended a session at the temple. We all met Friday night and stayed the night in a little log cabin that was reconstructed to be like a cabin from back in the day. Anne loved sleeping on the top bunk and could hardly contain her excitement for Aunt Hillary and Uncle Rand to arrive and sleep too. The best part about the log cabin was the bathtub. No shower. Just a really old bathtub...

We stopped for a picnic lunch in a grove at Nauvoo. It was swampy. Anne had a run in with the ground and we had to change her pants. I guess they used to (and still do) hold outdoor meetings in groves like this--- I wouldn't mind going to church outside sometimes :)

Randy got a sweet shot of the temple, the Browns, and Anne while on our horse-drawn wagon tour of Nauvoo! (As you can see) Ha! --note how Anne is sitting with Aunt Hillary. Hillary became her replacement mom on this trip...she even took over helping with bathroom duty for Anne. She wiped Anne's never sticky hands and got Anne her milk at mealtimes. She was fabulous!! And Hillary, I want you to know Anne is still talking about you and Rand. She talks to you on her play phone all the time. We'll have to call sometime and let her talk to you for real.--Anyway, the Nauvoo temple is my new favorite temple. I loved how it was decorated. They used the funnest, most beautiful colors and patterns inside. Wow! It is gorgeous!! Anybody want to come out? We'll take you to Nauvoo and the Church sites...

I just really like this picture. Oh, the love!

Violin

This one is for Anne's namesake, Anne Francis.

February

February has been a most interesting month. Thanks Mamma & Pappa Tovey for the Valentines Day package. The dancing dresses are Awsome! (At no extra charge for awsomeness.) We were all sorry to have to retire Ruby's head piece because her head is so large.

Some of you have heard how we were shown at Ruby's 7 month doctor visit that she had gained 2 lbs. since her 5 month visit, but had barely grown 1/2 inch in length. Yep. She's fat. But she's growing now (and more active to boot). I was just informed by the editor that the head piece is not being retired. It's too sweet.

I wish the weather here could make up it's mind. We've had everything from negative 20 to 60 (all in one week). It seems that every week we've had some in the teens and some in the 50s. The girls are tired of being cooped up in the house and we are looking foreward to warmer and more active March (fingers crossed).

School for me has been rough this last month, but I continue to be amazed at what Statistics has to offer. I just have to step back occasionally and not get bogged down in the math to see what an amazing field I have the priviledge of studying. It really is beautiful stuff.

A few weeks ago Megan woke up and couldn't move her head and the back of her neck was swollen. We were very blessed to find a good chiropractor. She has most of her range of motion back now and is feeling much better. We look forward to having her back to normal (though the chiropractor thinks that the last time she was normal was probably when she was 15). The X-rays of her back were cool. I wish I had a copy of them to post so you could see her twisted spine. Though I'm afraid mine looks similar. Because of all this we have renewed our T'ai Chi practicing. I hope you enjoy the video of Anne and what she has been getting out of all this.

This past week I had a viral eye infection. It was terrible. My left eyelid started swelling up on Monday morning and by Tuesday morning it was swollen shut. Thankfully on Thursday morning the swelling was down a little and I could read again.

With the frustrations that come from trials like those of the last few weeks I have a greater appreciation for the bodies we have and look foreward to resurrection when we will have perfect bodies. I was thinking about the scripture in Ether where Christ tells the Brother of Jared that he gives men weakness so that we will be humble. I am thankful for the weak and imperfect body that I have that reminds me of my nothingness before God.