Happy Birthday Rob!

Last weekend was hubbies birthday. Unfortunately he spent it studying for finals, but did enjoy some B-day cupcakes. I'm so grateful to have met him that warm summer night in Camarillo. I'm thankful for his hard work and his example of following inspiration and the spirit. He takes good care of our family and always manages to find a little time through all the studying to spend with Sophia and I even if it's just a few minutes. We think he's just awesome. How many people can say at 35 that they have owned and operated there own Entertainment Consulting Business, lived and worked in Abu Dhabi doing oil and gas consulting, traveled to the far places of the world like China and Australia just to name a few, and then chose to pursue medical school. He's super Honey!!! :) We just love him so much!!!! Since we didn't do anything exciting this last weekend I thought I would leave you with some pics from one of our previous adventures. Our life in Abu Dhabi.....Some wonderful memories.

Dune Bashing

It was so amazing. Like riding a roller coaster.

Experiencing the Beautiful Desert

Of course the beautiful beaches and warm water. I worked hard on my tan everyday and honey worked hard at the office :)

There was time for play though.....Wild Wadi says it all. This is the best water park in the world. Well, at least we think so. I found the perfect description of our favorite rides there on Wikipedia:
"Master Blaster slides are best described as "uphill water roller coasters". Riders can sit in either a single or double ring, and are propelled uphill by high-powered water jets."

And of course the beautiful skyscrapers..... this is the famous Burj Al Arab. They charge you to even go in the lobby.

Our Little Snow Bunny

So today we got the first snow of the season. I know it's not much and it's already snowed in other parts of the country, but it's our 1st snow. In the past 2 1/2 years that Rob and I have lived on the east coast it has never snowed before Christmas. This is the first time. Looks like it'll be a white Christmas. Too bad our family will be soaking up the Southern California Sun this coming holiday.

I couldn't wait to introduce Sophia to the snow and put on her Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit, pink snowsuit. She couldn't move very much in it, but she looked adorable!!! It kind of reminded me of The Christmas Story where they get all suited up to go out and can barely walk. I just love that movie. Anyways Sophia and I braved the cold long enough to get a few pics and practice snow angels. The snow fall made all the barren trees look beautiful.

4 Months

On Saturday Sophia will be 4 months old. I can't believe how fast she is growing. She loves exploring the world around her and is becoming quite aware of her surroundings. She likes to grab at my glass of water and my cell phone when I'm talking on it. She also becomes easily distracted now when nursing. If she hears me talking or Rob walks in the room and says something to me she will turn her head to see what's going on.

She loves smiling, giggling, and her baths are becoming a new favorite. She had started to grab at the blue water cup that I rinse her with so I thought we should bring in a few toys for her. But nothing is more fun that the blue cup. She loves to just hold it and stare at it in the tub. She just coo and goos whenever it's in her hands. Sorry Mr. Rubber Ducky. You'll have your day :)

She also likes to put weight on her legs now. She thinks it's fun to "stand up", with help that is. She also loves to be carried around the house. She could watch me do chores and things all day long.

So here are some pictures of our little Angel baby that we love so much. ( any baby that will sleep through the night most of the time is an Angel!!!) By the way my favorite day to dress her is Sunday. Can you tell? There is nothing more fun than dressing a little girl in bows, headbands , tights and dresses!!!

Temple Christmas Lights

Last Saturday we drove to Maryland to see the Washington, D.C. Temple Christmas lights. We bundled up because it was a cold evening. The grounds were beautifully lit and temple always looks amazing at night. When you see it from the beltway it looks like it's floating on trees. It's really a something to see. The newscasters even use it as landmark when describing traffic jams around the beltway. "It's backed up from Mormon Temple to......" Sophia loved being carried around to see all the lights. She was quite entertained. I always love visiting the Temple even if it is just the grounds and visitors center. The spirit can always be felt there.

Thankful Hearts

We had a quiet Thanksgiving. We were able to spend it with some friends here in town, the Reddingtons and Jurgensmeiers. We feel very grateful to have such wonderful friends that can take the place of family that is so far away. Besides being thankful for friends, here are a few other things we are also thankful for:

• our families that love and support



• Sophia: we waited a long time for her to bless our lives



• the beautiful fall we are having, the leaves on the trees here are amazing



• our health



• opportunities of life: education and motherhood



• living in a free land



• The Church of Jesus Christ if Latter-Day Saints

We also decorated for Christmas this last weekend. We just love the holiday season.

Happy Birthday and Anniversary!

So my birthday was about a week ago. I was sick that weekend so we didn't do anything. Two of my friends Alyssa and Amelia brought by some yummy B-day treats. They are both so thoughtful and sweet to think of me.

This last Sat. was our 7 year Anniversary! I had a great day. In the morning Rob watched Sophia so I could go to Super Sat and craft away. I was only gone about 3 hrs, but it was the longest I'd ever been away from her. Rob gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and then took me on our first date since Sophia was born. That had been 3 long months. We put Sophia to bed and our friends Cory and Alyssa came over to watch her. We went out to a late dinner for some steak and seafood. It was delicious and such a treat to just be out with Rob.

Rob is such a sweetheart. I'm so in LOVE with him! I feel very blessed to have such a loving husband. He is an awesome Dad, I love watching him with Sophia. He is one of the hardest workers I know and is very dedicated to his education. He is very supportive of me in everything I do and encourages me to always try new things. There are so many things I never would have experienced and missed out on if it hadn't been for him. Our marriage has been amazing! We have been on so many adventures together whether we are traveling overseas or just moving across the country away from all of our family. Our relationship has also become stronger over the years through enduring some small bumps in the road of life. He is my best friend and I couldn't imagine life without him. I love you Honey!

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Rob's Famous Ribs!!!

Ok so they're only famous among a small group of friends, but they are soooooo good. Rob's got his recipe and technique down to a science. This is one of his favorite things to cook/ BBQ. I even eat them which is saying a lot because I have this thing about eating meat off of the bone.