The Torbetts

Moooooooovin'

2011-12-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I've officially "moved" to http://therosylife.blogspot.com/

Come on over and subscribe if you're interested! Same Torbett family updates......with additional posts on my favorites, thrifting, God, cooking, books and magazines..etc! Wait and see! :)

Happy Half!!

2011-12-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Anna Ruth's half-birthday! She is a big six months old today and shares this special day with her Daddy, who turns 29. Life with Anna Ruth is so much fun. I never knew or dreamed that babies this age do so much! Anna Ruth is so curious and has her regular things she enjoys, like her plastic link toys, jumparoo (her FAVORITE-thanks Granna and Poppa!), and being outside. Lately I've been trying to think of new things to do with her to keep her interest. Bubbles are a new fascination!

This picture is a very real view of what Anna is like during the day! Very, very active and busy. :) :) and happy too.

Sometimes Anna Ruth sits in her highchair so I can cook dinner. She occasionally gets tired and leans over to chew on her tray and rest her head for a minute. :) Watching Mama is hard work!

Anna loves to eat! She has had carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, avocados, apples, pears, and prunes. And one teeny tiny black-eyed pea. :) She is the most still when she's eating. She doesn't even hold her arms out or move her hands like she does on a normal basis. She just sits opening her mouth like a baby bird!

I bought Anna Ruth a slinky at Target this week. What fun!!

She also got to play with some water and a plastic bowl on her highchair tray.

Anna Ruth started getting her first tooth last Monday!
               Anna Ruth loves: music and mama dancing, being outside, food, waving her arms up and down, standing, talking, squealing, and most of all smiling. She is such a big smiler! She will fight sleep 'till the very end but is slowly getting better. She's overcome her dislike of her carseat (praise Jesus!) and has gone in the church nursery several times.
              Anna loves to scratch at things and puts everything in her mouth, as all babies at this age do. She can sit on her own, but won't a lot of times. She loves looking at herself in her mirror, and almost always flips to her back after playing on her tummy a while. She enjoys books and "talking" to her Dada on the phone on speakerphone.
              Anna isn't a fan of getting dressed-at all. She almost always fusses to let me know her true feelings about getting her shirt put on! :) She is such a happy baby. She has her fussy moments...but they aren't that much. She likes to be cuddled and held occasionally. She always rubs her hand on my neck and chin to soothe herself..as well as suck on her index and middle fingers.
           She enjoys her bath and water! She likes things with different textures and sounds..she also takes a bottle from her Daddy each night before bed. Sometimes he plays his guitar for her and she "sings" along. Peekaboo is a favorite...and lately she's started rubbing her face in your shirt and grinning...then peeking at the person looking at her.
    She is the most wonderful girl I could have ever imagined. :)

Piggies and Ponies

2011-12-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

We had our montly Sister's Meeting today at Becca's house. The kids had a great time playing and Anna Ruth got to practice her sitting up some! Nathan has really taken a liking to Anna Ruth....he told me a time or two (where no one else could hear I think) how adorable she is. :)

One of the most fun things about having a little girl is that I can justify still playing dress-up. Except for now my doll smiles and talks and drools. :) Anna got her first "pigtails" and ponytail this week! She's also getting her VERY. FIRST. TOOTH. I had no idea how exciting that was! I guess it's something you can't explain until you become a parent. :)

Lastly, remember how I said changes were coming to the blog? Well, there's actually a new blog called The Rosy Life. Still going to be updated with family stuff..but I'll be blogging about other things too. My blog now is almost out of storage for photos.....and I've wanted a new look/format for a while. So, if you're interested in subscribing, or checking out the new blog, go here:

The Rosy Life: choosing to see through rose-colored glasses

I'll start blogging there next week!

This is so much fun

2011-12-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend was made up of the stuff that really matters:

Seeing old friends, and meeting new ones :) (and missing them all, already),

delicious food, but even better company,

eyes wide with wonder,

a show like none other (especially seen through Anna's eyes),

special moments with Dad,

getting dressed up for Daddy's office party,

God's breath-taking creation,

time with my dear husband,

watching Brett love on Anna Ruth,

visiting beautiful places,

and talking galore.

Brett and I think being parents is the most fun thing. We spent some time in Branson this weekend-and due to Anna's early wakeup times (after doing AWESOME in her pack and play) we beat the crowds to breakfast and shopping. We win! :)

Gifts! Presents! :)

2011-12-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

Anna Ruth loves to "stand". Oddly enough, this is one of her favorites ways to stand. I think she has dancing feet. :)
and Hallelujah for fat rolls! Our girl is growing at last :).

I didn't make this hat-but it is homemade! I purchased it from Krista, who runs the "Homemade Saturdays" blog, and The Sunshine Shop. Check the shop here: http://homemadesaturdays.blogspot.com/

To start, here are some of my store-bought gifts that are super neat! This is a "scanimation" book, which means as you turn the pages it looks as if the pictures are moving. So. COOL. They also have one called "Gallop" and "Swing"!

My favorite cooking bloggers ever (besides Jana and Becca-of course) have a cookbook!
I bought this for someone else. I want one very badly and want to open the packing to take a peek so bad! But I won't. :)

Two of my most favorite illustrators ever! This Charley Harper coloring book is awesome!
There's even one with just birds. Also on my someday list. Yes, a coloring book for myself :)

Let the homemade begin! This is a Photo Memory Game, made with small wooden squares from Hobby Lobby, paint, spray adhesive, computer printer, and Crystal Lite containers.

Next up is a Pen-Pal Kit. I have a niece who loves to write little notes to people so I thought this would be the perfect way for her to keep in touch with whomever she pleases. :) The original idea and Pen-Pal letter can be found on eighteen 25 blog here: http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/06/pen-pal-kit.html

Mini chalkboard books and chalk! For two of my mini nieces and nephews :). Found the idea via Pinterest. My suggestion for this is to use spray paint. I used regular chalkboard paint and it took a lot of layers and a lot of painting for them to turn out like this.

Camera kit! This is actually a digital camera we no longer use, and I am happy to re-gift it to my niece. I also found an idea via Pinterest for the "I Spy" page that someone had done for a wedding. I changed it up and made a little book she can take along on her photo journey :), wherever that may be. Some of the pages say things like "I Spy..something interesting, something funny". I'm curious to see what she comes up with for this particular page!

This is an alphabet book I made with photographs from the farm and our travels. Each photograph also has a page with text that accompanies it.

I Spy jars! I bought/gathered a bunch of miniature items and put in these plastic containers. I then filled the containers with rice. Before putting the mini items in I laid them all out and photographed them together, making the tag for the bottle. The point is to see if you can find all of the items on the tag, in the bottle. For the record-glue these lids on tight! I have two very curious nephews :).

This last idea is for Brett's birthday next week. He never checks the blog, haha,unless I specifically show him something so I really doubt he'll see this. We always end up at the weekend, wanting to spend an evening together (not doing chores or doing our own thing), but not knowing what to do that won't be centered around Anna Ruth, money, the house, etc. We love our girl more than anything. But, we need a strong marriage to make a strong family. So, I "researched" some and came up with one date idea a week for the next year. I typed them out, and put them all in this jar. Brett can pick one each week.

Some of the dates can be done with other couples if we choose,

some can be "family dates"...including Anna Ruth,

a lot are fun things to do at home (like cooking together, or having dessert in the backyard with twinkle lights),

and some are so that we can get out on the town.
I hope he's as excited about this as I am!

"Everything's Magical when it snows."

2011-12-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of interesting things behind our house. Plenty of deer, birds galore, and occasionally something out of the ordinary. Such was the case with this creature, we shall call "Hedwig" (Harry Potter, anyone?) Brett looked it up and told me this was a Hoot Owl.
He came two days in a row and sat staring at the house. He must be waiting to give me an important message. Let's pretend, shall we?

One of my "jobs" during the days is to keep the fire in the stove going. I must brag-I do all-right. Yesterday I kept it going from 7:30 a.m.to 8:30 p.m. ALL. BY. MYSELF. Woot!

We had our first snow yesterday. Just enough to make me think of Gilmore Girls and all their good snow quotes. :) It really was pretty. Hardly enough to stay though-looked like a bag of flour had accidentally been tipped from heaven, just barely coating things. Maybe God was mixing up a good batch of sugar cookies. Yuummy.

Most of my Christmas presents this year are homemade. I'll be doing a post soon showing you what I've been up to! I heart homemade.

Also, changes are coming to the blog in 2012. :)

and lastly-while cooking dinner last night I discovered a poor thing met his maker facedown in a jug of vinegar. It starts with an "m" and rhymes with "house." Insert gasping-for-air here.

Anna's Avocados

2011-12-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Anna Ruth tried avocados for the first time today. After smearing her hands in the bowl before I could stop her (I'm new at this-remember!) she wasn't sure of the texture of the avocados-you can tell that by her face. It didn't take her long to warm up to them though. After a few bites she was lunging forward for the spoon-trying to hold onto it like a big girl. She had several "bites" before losing interest!
She also sat in her highchair for the first time-whaaaaaat?! My girl is getting bigger. And more fun and sweet and curious by the day. She laughed in the grocery store today! Several times. A deep little chuckle. Cutest, most pleasing sound ever. :) :) :) :) :)

My Merry and Bright

2011-12-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

What's your "Merry and Bright" this Christmas season?

2011-11-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

Dear God,
(Psalm 139:14) -I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Thanks for good boxes to kick, too.
Love,
Anna Ruth

*Anna got a glimpse of her wonderful self today and I just pictured God smiling in delight as she was so pleased with seeing her pretty reflection in the mirror. I wondered if she knew it was her or not-but either way-she knows a pretty thing when she sees it. And the box kicking was just plain fun!

Playtime and Projects

2011-11-29T05:34:00.001-08:00

Christmas is coming! -Quick DIY project-wrap trees in ribbon!

A peek into playtime with Anna Ruth. She's such a busy, active girl! We do all kinds of things during the day-practice sitting up, sit in the bumbo, swing, look at the Christmas tree, stand up, play on tummy (not for long though-she always rolls to her back), etc.

This is our new stove!! We got it set up properly yesterday and a fire is going in it today. Anna and I have enjoyed hanging out in the study since we have a warm, toasty fire going. I've been channeling my "inner Jana" and keeping a fire going at home! Jana was always the chief fire starter and keeper-upper at home growing up. :)

We set up our Christmas tree in the great room over the weekend. It sure is different/nice/new feeling have a baby and a house this year!

Just a few of our Christmas decorations! I sure love decorating and DIY projects, but this year I did them rather quickly. Sometimes, deciding to be done with something is the best decision one can make, I believe! I wanted to make sure and enjoy the season-not stressing over decor too much. I told Brett I might have "Christmas in July" next year and try to make some fancy stockings and a tree skirt. :)

We went to the Lights on the Square for about five minutes last weekend. Too cold-didn't have the proper attire for Anna Ruth, and we needed her stroller. However, I think when we go back better prepared she'll love it! She was wide-eyed. :)

Helping mama decorate the tree :) (for the record-she's already grabbed one ornament and dropped it before I could get it out of her hands. And yes-it broke! :0 ) Curious, curious..

There are all kinds of neat things to explore at Christmas time! Anna Ruth sure is a lot of fun. Having a baby changes everything. :) I just love seeing Christmas time through her eyes!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Anna slept in her pack and play for the very first time today for a quick nap! :)

Thankful, thankful, thankful, thankful,..........

Gobble, Gobble

2011-11-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

We are working through some new sleeping patterns with Anna Ruth right now. One day this week she got to scratching on her mattress while I was trying to pat her to sleep. So I gave her this lovey to hold to help get her to sleep. It worked! I sat and did my nails while she drifted off...then took the lovey away. :)
I haven't blogged about this book yet-but Jana got me this for my birthday. I am a HUGE fan of Martha Stewart books. I'm not necessarily a huge fan of hers specifically-but her creative crew that put together all these fabulous ideas are awesome!

I've been getting DIY ideas for Christmas. I love a good project :)

We gave Anna Ruth cereal for the first time last night! (thanks Aunt Becca for the cereal!)

She wasn't a big fan of the spoon-basically just didn't know what to do with it.

But she took it right down in the bottle! I can't wait to give her "real food"-veggies and things. I think she'll love it!!

I made Anna Ruth a Thanksgiving onesie. I plan on making her a rolled flower barrette to go with it too-if I get the time.

I've been a bit "under the weather" since Saturday-sinus/throat stuff pretty bad. However-water, Advil Congestion relief, and most importantly prayer and the care of my hubby, is helping! I am slowly on the mend. :)

although I haven't mentioned it yet...........HUGE CONGRATULATIONS
to my friends the Hendersons, and their new baby Liv! :)

2011-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

Brett met me at the mall this week so he could pick up Anna Ruth and I could hang out with Jana and Mikayla. We took her around and showed her the Christmas decorations that are up. Her favorite though? The lights in the water by the food court :).
(and yes-she's in her jammies already)

Playgroup! We had delicious chocolate cake and excellent conversation this week-as always. It's a very bright spot in my week! :)

Yesterday I cracked an egg to use for dinner and it came out in the shape of a heart.

I thought it was so neat! Brett was baffled I think that I took a picture of such a thing. Hey-some days any bit of fun will do :). Oh, and if you haven't heard, my sisters and I started a cooking blog: http://thricethespice.blogspot.com

hahaha-this made me laugh so hard! I'm not sure which of the sisters we inherited this hat from but I put it on Anna Ruth to wear outside today and it just looked so funny. I laughed and laughed. I have custom ordered her a mustard yellow hat with earflaps from the Sunflower Shop off of Homemade Saturdays blog. Go here: http://homemadesaturdays.blogspot.com/p/sunflower-shop.html to check it out! I looked at hats in the stores this last weekend and I think hers are so much cuter. Plus-I have to support handmade when possible.

Quick five-month update: Anna is very, very curious about EVERYTHING. she will put anything in her hands and mouth she can reach. She clicked her tongue for the first time this week. She enjoys rolling over both ways and has started pushing up some when she's laying on her tummy (or just balancing on her tummy with arms/legs flying in the air). She's gone to the nursery for the first time-and sometimes is a bit clingy. She has a certain huff and puff she does when she's upset (pictures of that later), she still loves to stand and be outside most of all. Her jumparoo is her absolute favorite. She also loves books..and peek a boo. Still loves music and singing...and clapping.She also likes being held up high in the air.

Doesn't like sleep. Hence-the reason for the flowers, tea, and hot cocoa. To bless my weary heart! (from Brett, sweet husband that he is). Anna Ruth fights sleep like there is no tomorrow...she'll fight it to the end-and then some. Problem is-she's then very grumpy during the day. I read in a book tonight that 5 month olds typically get 14 and a 1/2 hours of sleep a day......hmm-she gets maybe 11 or 12? Anyway, this too shall pass-I got advice from Jana on this today and her solution worked thus far.

Also, instead of nursing Anna at 7, then at 8 and having her fall asleep, tonight I just nursed her around 7:10, let her play for a minute, then Brett rocked her to sleep.

Fingers, toes, hair, crossed it sticks..and prayers!

Happy 5 month birthday Anna Ruth!

2011-11-17T19:40:00.001-08:00

Anna Ruth was too busy being a party animal tonight for me to get a cute 5-month blog post done. So, it'll have to wait. Sleep is "interesting" in our house right now.....so with that said, time to go give my good 'ol rose-colored glasses a good cleaning and get ready for a new day tomorrow.

p.s.-sleep or not-isn't she the cutest?

2011-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend Brett told me to "git"......in the most loving way of course. :) Friday night he sent me off to Barnes and Noble by myself and a bit of spending $. Woooohoooo! I browsed the decorating/sewing books and magazines and enjoyed a salted caramel frappucino. I did not want to leave Anna Ruth and may have been accused of being "too attached". Once forced to go I had such a great time!! Thank-you Brett for giving me time to just be Sara :)....and for bathing Anna Ruth and putting her to bed before I got home.
Anna Ruth is extremely curious these days. She loves sitting in mama's craft room and getting her hands on whatever's within reach! Lately, that's been a lot! I have plenty of handmade gifts and toys I'm working on coming up soon to blog. :)

Thankful for a devoted husband and dad.

And for living where Brett can hunt for a couple of hours and pop right back into the house.
I love my country life. :)

This stuffed, musical giraffe continues to be a favorite of Anna Ruth's. The friends that got it for her came over last night and brought pizza. It was so nice of them and we had a great time visiting!

Another first! Anna went to the church nursery for the first time yesterday! Sometimes she sleeps in church but the last few weeks someone's had to stand in the lobby with her and miss church. She made it 30 minutes before we saw our number flash up. Brett shot out of the pew to get her :) and then I went back too a few minutes later. Our girl was red faced and mad, complete with big tears. :( However, I went and fed her and then she went back in just fine for the rest of the service. Whew-we made it!
It was like passing my heart over the door for someone else to keep!

I've got SUNSHINE on a cloudy day :)

2011-11-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

12 lbs. has changed my life :).

No, not the typical weight loss saga most women dwell on endlessly, but this sweet, adorable girl we get to call our daughter.

She gives me a mind to notice the wind and shadows, fingers and hands to feel textures and cuddle with love, a voice for singing loud and making the silliest of noises, ears for listening for laughs and cries that mean I'm needed, feet for walking outdoors and in, observing every little thing along the way.

Most of all-new eyes. Eyes to see fun instead of fussies, a house of love instead of laundry and such, to see special moments instead of things fulfilling me like greed or money.

As I've said before, "rose-colored glasses, rosy world or not." :)

2011-11-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

I added a new touch of decor to the dining room.I saw this idea for flowers made from brown paper bags on pinterest and decided to give it a try. Brett liked it :). and I do too.

We had our monthly Sister's Meeting today at our house! The girls and I worked on our new cooking/food/entertaining blog which will be revealed soon! The kids enjoyed books, crayons, pretend play, and a picnic outside.

Tomorrow we host playgroup at our house! I'm excited to have more company :).

To end-"Imagine a life free from the need to prove yourself to anyone. Imagine a God who actually enjoys watching us rest." Thanks to Pastor Josh Foliart's Facebook page for this quote!

Oh no. Girls just wanna have fun

2011-11-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

"Oh no." This was Brett's reaction when he saw the following pics. :) Anna Ruth and I loaded up to go to Malachi's first birthday (road trip! Sorta....) and Becca had the most FUN photo booth set up at the party. I may have gotten a bit carried away. ...(Really, is there such thing as getting too carried away? I behaved like a five year old and had a blast :)

Kyla was so excited to be in a picture with the aunts-haha :)

Lainey lovin' this new look on her mama!

I'm contemplating a nose job.
What do you think?

bahaha!! Sadly I was clueless that my poor girl's face was completely covered during this pic. Don't worry-Aunt jana came to the rescue. (after we got the silly picture of course! Poor Anna Ruth)

Later on in the day we walked around Fayetteville and went to the library and saw this neat plane.

Lainey made a new friend at the party. Mick was so kind to talk with her :)

Way cute party decor!

The party boy! (love his shirt Becca made)

Anna Ruth chillin' on Granna (thanks to Momma for holding Anna and giving me a bit of a break-Anna Ruth really likes her Granna!)

Sweet time with Granna showing Lainey how to do stickers (I adore the concentrated look on Lainey's face here)

Sweetness!

Double-take, fun crafts for the kiddos!

Nathan being silly for Anna. I've noticed he'll get over by her when no one else is around and talk sweet to her :)

In other news...I made this little "Give Thanks" banner for our entry table and rearranged it a bit (excuse the wrinkly runner) The plan is to write down thankful thoughts and put them in the jar or hang them on the branches and then read them on Thanksgiving.

I cut the banner shapes out, printed the words on the computer..

and hot glued the whole thing! This was during naptime so fast finishing was important!

View of our house on our walk the other day. Anna and I take walks around the yard frequently. I like how the sky looks like it has an ombre effect.........

We heart books.

The signs of a stay-at-home-mom...everything starts to make logical sense in your own brain! I stuffed this material in the sides of Anna's bumbo seat (on loan from the McCraines-thanks!) to help her back be aligned straight so she wouldn't lean too far over to the side..

me-pj's, heart at rest and so full with my girl tucked in on my chest..

and back to having a blast in the bumbo!

Raising our country girl right!

I sure am enjoying living on the farm in the falltime!

Anna Ruth "getting to know" Charlotte at play group! We are continuing to go on Thursdays and have the best time :)

Soon a new blog will be up and running for the former Capper sisters to share their good eats, such as this pumpkin pie milkshake I made Brett and I this week. :)

We so enjoyed having Grandma Capper over for a visit last week. It was her first time to see our house!

Trunk or Treat at church last week! This is one of my favorite families-our music minister's family:). What creative costumes!

ps.-just felt my first earthquake. NOT kidding. I felt my chair and the floor shaking a bit in the craft room...the report is about to be on the news too (thank you Jesus I'm not imagining things!)

Anna the Owl

2011-10-31T08:49:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!!

We get to take Anna Ruth to her first Trunk or Treat at church tonight!!!!

We are so excited to have our little girl here for the start of the holidays :).

2011-10-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Anna Ruth enjoying the jumparoo! What a fun, life-changing girl she is.

Date night! Brett and I had some great conversation this week ("great" meaning we needed to talk some things out and we did) and then had a very fun date Friday night. Isn't it sad I feel guilty posting we needed to talk things out? But, let's keep it real folks. Having a baby changes everything. Life and marriage take work. I encourage progress and communication for all couples. It makes marriage so much sweeter....and makes being in love better and better! Brett gave me butterflies walking up at Fall Party this weekend. Married for 3 years, a 4-month old, and butterflies?! I'll take it :)

Oh! We ate at Red Robin, visited the game story in the mall, and had our photo taken in a photo booth. So fun :)

We had Fall Party yesterday! It's the something annual party of the season! I just have a few pics.....Anna Ruth was busy singing "It's my Party and I'll Cry if I want To!"

Basically-she wanted her mama. Someday, I'll long to be needed. So for now I try to enjoy the constant holding at times. She's entered a bit clingy stage...

Caleb getting a tractor lesson from Uncle Brett and his Daddy....later on everyone went on a hayride on the tractor! (well, almost everyone....I stayed in with Anna, along with a few other family members and friends)

Catching up at Fall Party. Little did Grandma know we would see her the very next day for her party!

We had a surprise birthday party for Grandma today!! The girls and I were in the bathroom getting our picture made (Daddy was hiding in there, being the Watch person) and all of a sudden we saw Grandma and Papaw pull up. So we start screaming "Get DOWN, they're here, hide!" Brett took this quite literally and fell to the floor. Of course, Caleb wanted to follow :)

Lainey was a little giggle-box while waiting for Grandma to come through the door, so funny!

Here she comes.....we all jumped up yelling "Surprise!!!"
So. MUCH. Fun.

Grandma was very surprised to see her house full of people and treats!

What joy at what a surprise!!!!!

Fun pink party decor for Grandma!

Jana trying to coax Malachi to walk...such a sweet, sweet boy!

My teeny-tiny. :) Sometimes this is my nick-name for Anna Ruth.

I'm thinking cereal is in her near future! She'd rather be doing just about anything other than eating. Worries me, but she seems to be happy! She'll eat when she's hungry I suppose.

Playtime with Daddy!
Sometimes us girls would stay in this room at Grandma and Papaw's. It's so random but yesterday Jana and I both chimed in at the same time saying the sound of the heater is so relaxing to us because it reminds us of being cuddled up in bed in this room.

Showing cousin love with a finger in the ear-haha

Lots of help for making wishes!

Thank-you God for blessing children with the curiosity of their feet! What a great built-in toy.

Is Lainey jabbering or begging for bites? Doesn't matter, either one is sweet and cute!

Ashley taking a turn with Anna Ruth :)

We had tea parties (with real finger foods and sugar cubes) with Grandma growing up.

I love my sisters, these kids, and these photos. :) I want to get a big, big version of the not so posed one above to hang in my craft room. Pure joy in my eyes :)

my love

Pretty momma and a sneak peek at the "Anna's Owl" post that will come tomorrow!

Lots of fun was had on the trikes and bikes! Papaw offered $50 to a charity of choice for anyone who could ride a particular red trike that takes a certain amount of coordination. Of course Kyla did it and already had a charity in mind (an orphanage)

The Birthday Girl-a very young 75 :)

Hanging out on the sun-porch!

Scenes from Grandma and Papaw's house I remember vividly since childhood!

The "Narnia" closet-a seemingly normal looking coat closet full of toys and enough dress-up clothes to keep the imagination running wild for hours :)

Daddy got up at 4:00 yesterday and had been busy ever since! Catching some zzzzzz's.

The simple joys...

2011-10-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

We sure are enjoying our cozy fall nights in the country!

Still not used to it getting dark soo early. Brett and I need/want to purchase a treadmill soon! We miss our nightly farm walks.....something to anticipate in Spring!

Anna Ruth has mastered putting her feet in her mouth so Brett wanted to give it a try :)

We had a Halloween party for playgroup yesterday! :) I'm enjoying these new friendships so much!

Anna Ruth has decided she is too big and busy to sit in her seat while I cook dinner so now she plays on the floor :) (or cries for me to hold her-she likes to be where the action is!)

Examing her little gourd she got at the pumpkin stand!

Sometimes when we're home all day Anna sleeps good and takes naps. Sometimes.

A lot of times she just refuses to give in to sleep. This was one of those days! She waited until about 6:45 to decide it was ok to take a nap. Haha, silly girl. I let her sleep for about 10 minutes and then made Brett wake her up!

Anna Ruth enjoys playing on her side quite often now!

She is so a joy. She smiles so big she crinkles her nose (reminds me of someone else near and dear) She laughed a bit yesterday!

2011-10-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Autumn.

I know a girl..she puts the COLOR in my world

2011-10-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

This girl puts a lot of color in my world.

After naptime we took her to a produce stand/orchard with lots of pumpkins.

It was so. Much. FUN! I just adored getting to see Anna Ruth by all those pumpkins!

We got to buy some sweet pepper relish as a treat. I can't wait to try it!

We are only about a fifteen minute drive from here.

Of course Anna Ruth got her hands on some hay as quickly as possible and wanted to see what it tasted like. :)

Her little expressions just make me laugh. They are just so Anna Ruth!

scratch, scratch

What a treat to have my own little daughter to start fun traditions with :)

Field Trip and Fun

2011-10-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Notice anything new in these pics?

:) Yesterday my mom delivered a surprise to each of my sisters and I. A new quilt! I love the detail on the bottom that says "Torbett, est. 2008". I adore the prints, colors, houses, embroidery, everything about it! Thanks momma!

Let the fun begin! The rest of the pictures are from our Field Trip to Terra Studios, where they make the famous bluebirds. We had a lot of fun! Anna Ruth wasn't quite herself-but she took full advantage of Granna holding her as much as she wanted (and Poppa got a turn too) :)

2011-10-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

I made Anna Ruth a hat.
haha-It's either cute or so homemade looking it's ugly and we'll let her Daddy decide when he gets home. :)

A look at our fallish mantle, complete with painted pinecones.

You should give this a try! Especially if you have kids old enough to paint and don't mind a little bit of mess. This would have been great fun to do in the classroom!

Anna's 4-month shots and check-up were yesterday.The Dr. said she's doing great, is strong, and sorta on the small size. He wants me to nurse her any chance I get. Now if I can just get Anna Ruth to clear her schedule long enough to eat we'll be good to go!

Brett is learning about stone work and building us some steps up to the front porch, using the native stone from the mountain I wrote about earlier.

We took a very short walk around the historic home part of Fayetteville last weekend....our favorite!!

We spent some time at momma and daddy's house last Sunday after church. Fun times playing outside!

We are looking forward to a cousin/Granna and Poppa Friday Field Day tomorrow!

Happy Four Months!!

2011-10-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

All about Anna:

~She chews/slobbers on everything, but a few of her favorites are the camera strap, her hands, her taggie blanket, the front of her dress or shirt, someone's shoulder, or a toy

~Anna can pick something up, especially if it's laying on her chest. She holds onto things with both hands

~She adores her Daddy and the great outdoors-We usually await his arrival home on the front porch

~She rides much more peacefully in the car on short trips now-if she's hungry or tired, she jabbers loudly, sometimes putting herself to sleep

~She goes to bed around 8:30 or 9:00, and usually only wakes up once

~When she wakes in the morning she raises up on her arms and grins at me

~Anna Ruth can rollover both ways, but usually does from tummy to back at least once a day

~She jabbers quite loudly at times and has a very expressive face-especially her eyebrows

*Anna Ruth loves "standing" on something and also likes to look at herself in the mirror :)

*She enjoys her jumparoo, laying on a blanket outside, sitting on my lap on the deck steps, sometimes her bouncer seat, her swing on "high"

*She is cuddly in the morning and evening and sometimes when she wakes up from a nap

*Anna loves to be sung to-especially Jesus Loves Me, Doe a Deer, and You Are My Sunshine

*She stays on the move almost always-arms, legs,body,etc. Even when eating!

Life sure is different, blessed, and rich with our little girl.

Buddies and Books

2011-10-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

We made it into town today and Anna got to see one of her favorite buddies-Granna.

This is one of my favorite pictures ever. :)
We also started a new playgroup today, to meet new buddies! The babies are all young so they all laid, "talked", and rolled next to each other while the moms got to talk. I hadn't formally met anyone in the group and was brave by going to one of the girls apartments for playtime. There were 4 other moms and they were all so funny and nice. I was impressed by their true friendliness!

We love books and Anna Ruth does too!

Granna and Poppa got "Baby Torbett" this book before we even knew we were having a beautiful daughter. :)

This and That

2011-10-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

This was our stunning sunrise this morning!

Sometimes life needs a bit of processed perfection, a.k.a. "white cake mix, straight from a box."

more of these pics below-Anna Ruth has tried out the jumparoo a couple of times!

Yes, she's probably too young.

Yes, she loves it :).

Yes, she is the most active, alert baby and not even four months yet. :)

A big thanks to momma and daddy for meeting us for breakfast Saturday morning! (and to momma for taking Anna Ruth in the hallway at church Sunday so I could stay in service!)

This picture sums up last week, and so far this one too. Anna has had her first stuffy nose :( She hasn't been herself at times and I just can't wait for it to go way! Poor thing, I never realized how badly I would feel for my child when they were sick.

Prayers please that she'll feel better!

Janice came over and we ate Chinese on what would have been her wedding anniversary. It was nice to have company.

Anna's favorite two fingers and her first leaf!! (This was before the stuffy nose-we usually go outside several times a day)

oops.

see mower.

see window bust, along with door.

find tiny rock.

The not so rosy moment of life, but life goes on, things get fixed, and God provides for moments like these.

:)
This week I'm excited to meet some new moms (more on that later), go see Grandma (we had to miss last week-boo), possibly start a new book, and cook some yummy meals.

Speaking of,
Menu Monday:
*Pesto Pizza with mushroom, artichokes,sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, and mozarella, Salad
*Chicken and Dumplings, Steamed Carrots
*Lemon Pepper Parmesan Noodles, Glazed Mushrooms
*Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos, Refried Beans, Chips and Salsa
*Burgers, beans, chips and Salsa
*Cheese Sandwiches,Tomato Soup

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-10-03T03:13:00.000-07:00

Rock hunting, grilling, junkin', porch time, time with Brett and Anna Ruth, cousins, and most of all-time in this divine weather. What a weekend this was! But we'll get to that in a minute. Didn't you hear? October is the new most wonderful time of the year.
At least we sure are enjoying it. :)

First, Anna Ruth got her very first piece of mail last week!

It was a very fun Ben and Jerry's postcard from Granna and Poppa. She studied this for quite a while...

Thanks Granna and Poppa for the fun surprise! We love a good mail day in the Torbett house.

I thought someone was walking up our deck stairs last week while I was in the bedroom feeding Anna Ruth. I got up to look and this ornery guy was on the run.

What a tease!

I found these free, printable vintage hankies on Pinterest and hung them on one of our mirrors. I heart Pinterest. :)

We spent all weekend outside. Every minute, except for church and a run to a few stores for our porch. It was fabulous! Anna Ruth has started focusing on items in her hands very well now. She can even grab onto something with both hands! As Brett says, "Everything gets the mouth test". She chews and slobbers on whatever she can get her little hands on.

:)
Saturday we met Jana and the kids at a thrift store and then went to the park! The weather was beautiful and the company, even better!

Those curls! Those eyelashes! That sweet face!
Does it get any sweeter?

Caleb works really hard at obeying Jana and Seth. I was talking to him at the park and told him that Anna Ruth was watching him when he was obeying and she can learn from him! I said "Do you know what that makes you to Anna Ruth?" (a hard ? I realize), he said "A Daddy!"
I smiled and said "A Blessing!"

I made this taggie blanket for Anna before she was even born! I'm so glad I did because she has definitely been enjoying it.

This weekend was the start of Project Porch. We have an enormous front porch. We already have a dining room table on it, but that's about it. We want it to look welcoming and styled so that's our current house project. I'll post more details and pics later! Something Brett is working on is a rock step up to the porch and rock path from the drive
way to the porch. So, all packed in his truck, up to "the mountain" we went.

Saw family on the way, herding cows up the road.

THIS is the million dollar view. In my opinion.
The mountain is where Janice and her 13 brothers and sisters grew up.

We stopped at Ed and Norm's house (family) on the way back. Anna Ruth got to meet a little dog for the first time! She kept bobbing her head around to watch it :)

Not quite ready to be let go of yet,

but still Anna Ruth loves flying with her daddy.
I saved the best pics for last. :)

Watching Daddy build!

I'm a poet...and I didn't know it :)

2011-09-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I wouldn't give myself "poet" status, but I did write a poem.
Lillie,Brett's cousin, asked me to help her with a scrapbook project
for junior high. They read a famous poem and were then supposed to
write their own about where they're from. 4 family members could
 contribute a poem as well to the scrapbook she asked me to write one.
and I did.

Here it is:


I'm from "two babies"-surprise, it's twins!
Tiny bodies,
immensely close spirits

I'm from the giggles of three sisters,
Secret talks, imaginations running wild,
Best friends for life

I'm from supper 'round the table
Sara pie, daddy's name just for me,
the gentle guidance of momma

I'm from "all things work together for good"
Do your best
And learnin' to love Jesus

I'm from the clink of tea parties with Grandma,
The reelin' in of fishing with Papaw,
The sounds of childhood adventure

I'm from leavin' home to find independence
Learning, growing,
Winning at lifelong friends

I'm from the classroom as teacher
Challenges and victories
Lessons no book can contain

I'm from falling in love
Farm livin'
And rose-colored glasses, rosy world or not

I'm from coming full circle,
giving my daughter
part of her own
"where I'm from" story to tell

2011-09-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to make an effort to not look the part of potential "What not to Wear" candidate :)

Menu Monday is back!

I've been capturing glimpses of our time at home lately so I can remember this sweet stage of life. Here's Anna Ruth with sleepy eyes as I'm first getting her ready for the day.

A few times a day I go in to find that Anna has woken up and rolled herself over :)

She really likes soft clapping!

A HUGE, enormous thanks to Aunt Becca for this mirror! I had been wanting to get Anna Ruth one, and she just adores this..

Here she is "talking" to herself

She has her fingers in her mouth almost all day!

She's about to get too wiggly to keep doing this, but for now she has a front row seat to mama's cooking show.

Last week I made oven-roasted basalmic brussel sprouts-They were great!

Dressed up for Grandma Capper!

We had Connect Group this weekend and went to our friend's house to watch the Razorbacks.....lose :( No, I'm not a huge fan of football (basketball is another story), but Brett is :)
Thanks to Aunt Jana for giving Anna Ruth her bottle! She and Lainey are becoming cute together!

These are peeks into our walk last night on the Torbett property around our house lot

Anna Ruth adores her daddy. We celebrate his arrival home and look forward to family of three weekends :).

Praise Report! Anna Ruth had been struggling a lot to be happy in her car seat and it was making trips very hard for me. I'm happy to report that the last few trips into Fayetteville have gone well and she's happily smacked on her hands the whole time! I pray out loud over her every time she goes in her seat. God answers prayer! I'm going to wait a week or two and then we'll try an even longer drive, maybe! :)

Return from La La Land

2011-09-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Alas! Here are the photos from last week! I went out with Jana and Mikayla last week and Brett watched Anna Ruth. When I left she had on a onesie that said "I love Mommy". When I returned......well, you get the picture :)

Sure do love these girls! First funny quote of the night "That's gonna cost ya", in reference to me trying to get the healthier option of fruit on my fro-yo at Cherry Berry...my response "But at least it won't cost my waistline". Majorally cheesy :)
Speaking of-I'm back in my pre-pregnancy pants! Ok, so that really means I squeeezzzzeed myself into one pair of jeans, which are bigger than some of my others anyway. No photos allowed. At all. Or you would see that I really do mean squeezed!

And yes, I did this as triumphantly as if I'd won the Olympic Gold. :)

pretty Jana

What do you think? Is this me or what?!

bahaha :)

So many choices..Thank-you Forever 21.

Caleb is kicked back and relaxed....while Kyla, the event planner for the day looks on. :)She arranged all these things in the yard for a picnic during our monthly Sister's Meeting. If you
read my sister's blogs this is a repeat. So I'll just stick to pics :)

Bumbo for the first time! "Look mama, no hands!"

These two are becoming friends :)

secrets ;)

The neat "after" of my closet...look down for the scaaaaary before. In my defense I was huge pregnant when we moved in. :)

Before.

p.s. Brett was baptized today!!

jibber, jabber, chitter, chatter

2011-09-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Anna Ruth has moved past the sweet baby coo's and has moved on to her "I will be heard by all" voice. What can I say? The girl loves to talk :) She may look a lot like her Daddy, but this trait (if it lasts) is all mama.

pictures, pictures, pictures galore coming soon!

lost in la la land

2011-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

my last blog post that is. I had an incredible post (in my opinion) loaded on the Ipad...and it refuses to post it. Every time I try it says "FAILED". Such a positive, uplifting message after working on a post :).

So, those pics will come later. Plus a "Day in the Life" post to see what it's like around here when we're home all day. BUT for now...my favorite blogs/websites!!! (of strangers! Yeah!) I'm not including family and close friends here. I've never met these people in my life. Yet I find them inspiring. Inspiration knows no strangers :) I don't read these all everyday, but they're there when I have time for a quick read-Enjoy!

Inspiring Women:

1.) favorite. blog. EVER. mom to five. Christian. Wife who still "dates" husband. Crafty.

http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/
2.) www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/
3.) flowerpatchfarmgirl.blogspot.com
4.) www.chattingatthesky.com
5.) alisaburke.blogspot.com

Learning/Playing:

1.) http://www.theimaginationtree.com/

2.) tinkerlab.com
3.) www.thecraftycrow.net
4.) www.playfulearning.com/Playful_Learning/Blog/Blog.html
5.) www.modernparentsmessykids.com

Cooking:
1.) www.ourbestbites.com (You knew that was coming, huh? Did you know they sell a cookbook on amazon? )
2.) www.tastespotting.com (called a "Visual potluck"---umm, yes please)

Relationships Rule:
1.) www.thedatingdivas.com -If you need no help in this area and constantly have awesome date-filled weeks this is not the site for you. If you take yourself too seriously-not for you either. However, if you're exhausted at the end of the day and don't remember sometimes how to have fun with your spouse-and want to fall more in love, not less, THEN this site is for you.
*Tip Idea*-I thought of one date a week for Brett and I and printed them out a neat calendar to give him tonight. Most of them are things to do once Anna goes to bed, no babysitter required! I'll share a few ideas as they come...this Sunday night will be "Smores and Stargazing"....Remember our tiny, tiny grill on the back deck? My plan is to make s'mores on that and spend some time chatting on the back deck after A.R. goes to bed. :)

For fun:
1.) www.giverslog.com - A place full of fun and thoughtful gift ideas to make or buy. Divided into great categories...even a section on sending "Happy mail". This isn't your typical make a gift in a mason jar kind of site.
2.) blog.amyatlas.com - my dream job-party/event planning!
3.) onecharmingparty.com :)
4.) www.ohhappyday.com -parties, DIY, printables, so much fun :)

'till next time-

Brett blogs too!

2011-09-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

When we first found out I was pregnant, I already had a hunch.

Dizziness, extreme fatique, and "butterflies" in my stomach for a few days made me wonder.

Yet we stared at the one strong line and one faint line like we just couldn't believe it.

And we couldn't. We even googled what a "faint" line meant...could it really be true?

It was and we wanted to hide-part excitement, part nervousness. We went straight to Barnes and Noble and bought "What to Expect When You're Expecting", tucked under my arm so no one could see!

By that weekend we'd share the news-against some people's advice to keep it quiet in case something went wrong. I like to err on the side of optimism. Snow came...days and days of it and we found out our baby was a girl.

Fast forward to the hot month of June-we could. not. wait. to meet Anna Ruth! I had to be induced, and she still wasn't ready to come. At last though-she was here! I first said "ooohhhh, Hi pretty girl!"

The hospital was a blur...once we got home I noticed a day or two in something was "off". I kept crying, right in the middle of nothing! With my head stuck in the fridge-tears! (Which is normally a quite happy place for me :) ) I e-mailed some girl friends, and three specifically helped. Heather and Stephanie wrote the most honest, helpful e-mails back, with prayers for me to feel like myself again. Jana came to visit on Brett's first day back at work (which was waaaay too soon) and brought a bag of treats-just for me. Previously my mom had brought over a beautiful bouquet of flowers, the kind I always remember being at my house when I was younger.

My prayer was simple-to fall in love with Anna Ruth. I was excited about her, but so exhausted by this little tiny girl who needed care and attention 24 hours a day. I wanted to cherish each moment taking care of her, not be overwhelmed by it.

It didn't take long-and God answered my prayer above and beyond what I asked for. I soon felt not just like "myself", but like an even better version of myself. I fell deep in love with our sweet Anna Ruth and now can honestly say I couldn't be more in love with her if I tried! Sure sometimes are stressful, and I want to cry right with her, but even in those moments I just know they're not worth dwelling on. They're teachable moments....for me to teach Anna Ruth how I love her, even with her tears or sleepiness.

I wanted to write all this for a couple of reasons-One is I remember Heather saying that moms do each other an incredible injustic by pretending like we have it all together. I agree. Second-God is waiting for us to ask him for what we need. If I asked my Daddy for something right now I know he would do anything to help me! Now how much more does our Heavenly Father love us? We can't even fathom it. God is waiting to bless you! Ask, Seek, Knock.

p.s.-my "short and to the point" husband says I didn't tell the whole story. So in his words
"God blessed us and answered our prayers the entire way through our pregnancy. We were very excited and eager throughout our early pregnancy. Our first doctor's visit went well-we thought. We received a phone call a week after our ultrasound to return for a visit so that our doctor could express concerns regarding our once thought normal visit. The Dr. had idenified some concerns regarding the ultrasound. Our baby's heart didn't look normal which could indicate many different complications and potential problems. The best would be heart problems and more severe case-downs syndrome. We had no point of reference as to how to take this news. We prayed. Our doctor scheduled us another ultrasound appt. at UAMS. We both went and the doctor examined for what seemed like an hour, which was probably more like thirty minutes, looking at everything. We waited in fear, faith, and anticipation. In the end the Dr. concluded that it was just an incidental finding, and that our baby was healthy! What a relief it was to know that it was unlikely that our baby had downs syndrome.

After she was born the Dr. noticed some inconsistencies and concerns in her heart rhythm. Long story short-the dr. was concerned that our baby had a heart murmur. We already knew she didn't have anything wrong with her. We went through the dr.'s recommendations and had her checked out and she was fine!
Dr.'s will tell you a lot of things-but you need to have some faith and prayer. These will do much more than any Dr. can do for you."

2011-09-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Date night?
Yes please. :)
Barnes and Noble, Chick-fil-a, Toys R Us
Life is what you make it-we made this night fun (and silly and cheap)

Anna Ruth sits in this seat on the kitchen island while I cook. This week she was waaay more interested in the fall bouquet than her baby toys. She has an eye like her mama :)

This week was great. All weeks are great :). We visited Grandma Capper, went to Fayetteville Monday and got to go to Target, spent a lot of time outside, had a friend Sydnee and her boys over, and spent time with Jana and the kids today. I got a cute shirt, outfit for Anna Ruth, and 5 books at a neat Thrift Store Jana took me to. Waay fun!

Tomorrow-a heart wrenching story of love about Anna Ruth-our 3 MONTH OLD! :)
Ya'll come back to read it!
(ok-so it might not be that dramatic but it is a piece of my heart put to words, which hardly ever happens in blogville)

Kicks and Giggles :)

2011-09-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Crummy lighting, yummy menu

Go to http://www.ourbestbites.com/ for Cheesy Garlic Herb Bread (your tastebuds will thank you), and Asian Barbecue Chicken

Still trying to eat non-processed around here as much as possible.

Still loving to cook, and enjoying flavors and food, with some treats along the way. Balance :)

Our tiny, yet all we need, grill which we used Saturday night for some turkey sausage and chicken breasts! Delicious.
A sign of the Torbett men on the farm:)
Anna Ruth and I went with Brett to check the cattle last night! We plan on going again. We saw around 25 deer total. Hunting, anyone?

Saturday night was spent on the back deck, grilling and listening to the Razorback game. I meandered between the inside and outside of the house, doing some decorating for fall. Such a fun night! Simple. Saturday we spent time at downtown Fayetteville, one of our most favorite spots.

Yesterday was an epic day for Anna Ruth. I bet she slept maybe an hour total all day. Stayed up 'till 10 like a big girl and even got to sit in the chair and watch t.v. with mama and daddy for a minute. (I know, I know, the "experts" would probably gasp at that but what are you supposed to do with an almost 3 month old-all.DAY.long?) :) :)
Today, Anna's overzealous body caught up with her. She got a case of "The Grumpies" and vocalized them the entire way home from town. My girl has a voice that will be heard and there's nothin' wrong with that! :)

Of course, when Brett got home she was all kicks and giggles. He thinks I made up the grumpies.
I love my girl, grumpies and all. :)

2011-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Video of today! There are two videos because it wouldn't let me e-mail the full thing. That's why you catch bits and pieces of the conversation. A neat glimpse though :).

We went to see Grandma Capper for our weekly visit today. She adores Anna Ruth :) and we always have such a great time visiting! Her fellow residents enjoy Anna Ruth too....they loved her little feet and pretty hair in the dining hall today. I almost didn't think they were going to let us leave! !

Afterwards we stopped to visit and sit in the neighbor's yard for about an hour on the way home. Lovely weather, nice conversation and fellowship. A good day :)

Oh-and to solve our need of a new computer around here Brett and his mom got "me" an Ipad for my birthday. Super portable, and I picked out a case in pink. Brett uses it a lot anyway :), pink and all. Just getting him ready for Anna Ruth days ahead.

The Ipad is fabulous but takes a lot of figuring out since it's an Apple, not what I'm used to. Sometimes this is very frustrating, but overall I like it. :)

The Skinny

2011-09-07T17:44:00.001-07:00

I love being a mom.

It is not what I expected at all. Most things aren't though.

It's so much BETTER than what I expected!
These two are best buds and look-alikes too :). We celebrate when Daddy comes home each evening!
In case you can't tell so far by these pictures Anna Ruth is into all things slobbery. She loves to have a hand or fingers in her mouth, or the top of her onesie. She's smacking on everything!

Sometimes when she's really tired she'll lay limp on my shoulder like this, all cuddly. She is almost three months old so I'm realizing the cuddly moments might not happen quite as often when she gets older. I am taking full advantage of them now!
A big blessing I enjoy about being a stay-at-home-mom is being able to go outside. Whenever I want. I could at school too, but it's not quite the same with a class full of 28 sweet, but active kids.

Today we chilled out on the back deck for quite a while. Makes a girl sleepy!

What you looking at? :)
Grilled (in the oven) Flatbread Pizzas for dinner!
These were yuuummmyyy....maybe not the healthiest, but made from non-processed ingredients. Found on www.ourbestbites.com, best cooking site EVER. The bread is "Naan", which can be found in your Walmart Bakery section.
Here's our weekly menu, a bit late. The Asian Lettuce Wraps are also from Our Best Bites.
Remember how I mentioned we had tried a new kind of bun on our burgers last week? Well, you're looking at it! These are called "Grillin' Thins" and are very good. Great for sandwiches or toast too!

Being skinny isn't everything, unless of course you're an almost 3 month old wearing her first pair of skinny jeans. :)
And then it's just about the cutest thing out of everything you ever saw!
Anna had to get all dressed up for a mall date with daddy and nana, while I got to shop with Jana and momma for our birthdays. SO much fun! Thanks again Momma :).

Happy birthday to us!

2011-09-05T07:47:00.001-07:00

Another semi-healthy meal from last week that was delicious! Just google "avocado salsa pork chops" for the meat recipe, sprinkle cheese on corn, and make a box of couscous (sp?)

Friday night we got to meet Jana, Seth and kids to eat- fun times! We ate at qdoba, delicious mexican food!

I tried it and didn't blow anything up! Put 1/4 cup popcorn kernels in brown paper bag, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and a bit of salt. Fold bag over twice, and put in microwave- listen for popping. Yummy, and so much healthier, cheaper than the boxed kind.

We had our family birthday party yesterday! I am a twin for anyone that might not know and sharing my birthday with Jana is my most favorite part! There was plenty of cousin fun and love as you can tell, although Caleb and Seth were greatly missed! Caleb was getting over a little fever .

Jana,
Thank-you for being my voice of reason, my giggle and laugh, my best friend for each season. The calm to my storm, the answer to my endless questions, the fun to my "norm". A fantastic wife, momma, sister, and daughter are you, who else compares? There are so few. Talented at sewing, cooking, organizing, and math, God gifted you to bless my opposite talent path. You teach me so much, love God above all, life with you is such a ball!
Happy birthday dear "womb-mate"! I love you.
Sara :)

Country girls-sorta :)

2011-08-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's fair time ya'll!
Today Anna Ruth and I headed to the Washington County Fair to meet my parents and Jana and the kids. I haven't been to the fair in a long, long time. One year for our birthday Daddy took us girls and we got our picture in the paper of the four of us walking around :)
For those who don't know-growing up, and even in college, I wasn't exactly the "country" type. I wouldn't touch a cow with a 10 foot pole if my life depended on it! I remember Lisa Roys, from the Wesley Foundation, telling me one time "I bet you're going to marry a farmer!" Made me so mad.
And yet she was right. :)

So now I find myself married to a man who thinks of cattle farming as a hobby, and have cows practially in my front yard.

And did I mention I know how to build a fence on the farm?
The Pioneer Woman beat me to telling a classic story like this, or else I might have a book deal right now :) anyway, we took in the sights of everything people had entered to be judged. Who knew there was such a variety of things you could enter?!If Lainey had her way, she would have been inside the pens at the petting zoo!Ride 'em cowgirl!

Shortly after Anna Ruth decided to wake up and join the fun!

Disclaimer: I took LOTS of deer photos one evening and was fascinated by them. Showed them to Brett and he laughed. :) I told him to stay at home with a baby all day and you'd learn to be amazed at the simple things too. :) These were all taken behind our house, from the back deck.

Spaghetti from earlier this week. I made the sauce in the food processor with whole canned tomatoes and spices.

You'd have to see it to believe it

2011-08-30T17:14:00.001-07:00

Anna Ruth rolled over today.

No, my eyes didn't witness it, but my ears did!
I was in making a mean tasting hummus and heard my baby girl's cries over the food processor. She was napping on her tummy in her crib when I put her down, about 20 minutes earlier.

I peeked in and my girl is laying flat on her back, squalling with red eyebrows (a sign she's VERY upset)

Surprised the nap right out of her!

How I wish I had been a fly on the wall to see how the little one wiggled herself over. ;0

Moby! Moby! Moby!

2011-08-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Check out this sporty car!
No, sadly, it doesn't belong to us, but to my mom and dad!! :) Whoohoo!
Momma and Daddy called to see if they could stop by yesterday on their way back from Branson for a quick visit. Anna's response? "You bet!" She gave lots of smiles while they were at the house.
Dressed up for church :)

Growing, learning girl! She is getting much better control of her head..
Although this picture makes her look like a redhead she really isn't, just has tints of red.

I look so annoyed, but I'm really not. :) How could I be with a visit to Eureka and a frozen mocha from The Daily Roast, our favorite coffee shop?

This did not fit in at all with our new way of eating and it was absolutely DELICIOUS, :) :)

Enjoying our weekend time as a family of three !

Three cheers for the Moby!
and for my sisters :). Becca let me borrow the Moby wrap and it is WONDERFUL. So, so comfortable and Anna Ruth loved it. She was so happy to look around and then take a nap in it. I am so blessed to have sisters who let me borrow things constantly for Anna Ruth and who answer all my "IS that normal?!" questions :)

Friday night we went to eat and then walked around Gully Park!

*Etsy shop announcement coming within the next week!!!!!
Also, Jana and I have a birthday coming up a week from today!! Hooray! I love birthdays, and loving sharing mine with jana. It's double the fun.

Oh yeah, here's the short version of Menu Monday:
1.) Spaghetti and meatballs, green beans
2.) Corn and ham salad, crackers, hummus
3.) Pork chops with avocado salsa, brown rice, corn on cob
4.) Hamburgers (with a new healthy kind of bun, will post later), sweet potato fries, veggies and dip (made with greek yogurt)

5.) Chicken wraps with avocado, salsa, lettuce, cilantro, etc., fruit
6.) Cheese sandwiches, tomato soup (weekend meal)

Rattle, rattle! :)

2011-08-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Look !! Anna Ruth can hold her own rattle now! Yesterday I managed to get her fingers open and get this rattle in. She started shaking it and looked so pleased with herself.

Her mama was pleased too! I may have even celebrated with clapping and "yeah's!" :)

This room (craft, laundry) is probably my top favorite room in the house currently :). It is where I go to get inspired and sew :) and have some quiet time with Anna Ruth. "Quiet" because this is where I usually feed her. She's not too still the rest of the day :)

Remember that awful "Before" shot in the post below of the fruit picture? Well, here's the after! This will be hung on this wall in our kitchen soon!
Look who already had fun with the chalkboard! (I realllllllly want a chalkboard wall, but this will have to do for now. :) )
yummo. I made the whole wheat bread off the back of the whole wheat flour bag yesterday. It is delicious!! While I was finishing up the bread so that it could rise I heard Anna getting quite upset in her crib.
I went to look and she had her foot stuck in between her crib slats! Silly girl wiggles all over her crib now. It was so pitiful looking with her tiny foot stuck!I heart pinterest. :) and the great ideas I find there! Such as this "Chocolate banana sipper".
It is delicious, better than icecream, and healthy.
Find it here: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-recipe/chocolatebanana-sipper.aspx
A little bit of God's love We went to see Grandma Capper for a bit today. We weren't there very long and I wished we didn't have to leave so soon at lunch! We will go earlier next week. Anyway, Anna Ruth had a VERY dirty diaper while Grandma was holding her! She did the last time we were there too! Grandma said "Well, if you ever need her to have a bowel movement just come bring her to me."! Hilarious. :)

and now-more of what you really came to this blog for!

Thanks to momma and daddy for coming over last night for dinner! (and trying another new recipe-chickpea patties...just ok, not worth posting and I didn't even get a pic)
This is the only picture from the night because we were too busy playing and have fun!

I'm not usually a fan of big bows. (Gasp!)
However, this one I really like :) Isn't she the cutest?

*A special "hello" to my Aunt Lynda :). In response to your question, my mom doesn't smock anymore. She doesn't have the time with all these grandchildren we keep having :) . She still makes beautiful quilts though!

a mixed bag :)

2011-08-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit of everything! We've been super busy and have enjoyed staying at home today. And to think I used to wonder what I'd do all day as a stay at home mom! Haha. :)
I realize the above photo looks like a good guacamole gone bad, but it's actually the edamame dip I made. DELICIOUS. The "recipe" for this wasn't flavorful enough so I kinda made it up as I went. What is it with healthy food recipes being so boring and bland? Come on, I still want to eat good, not just push the tasteless food around on my plate. Anyway, first puree shelled, thawed edamame in a blender or food processor. Also, add some olive oil, lime juice, and a bit of water in while you're doing this. Then, put in bowl and add more olive oil and lime juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (the crushed kind), chili powder, garlic, red onion, and red bell pepper.
We ate ours with tortilla chips. Totally processed, but that's what we had. Could be improved with making pita chips possibly?
This is the "before" of a project I'm working on. My style hasn't gone bad, trust me on this one. :)

The "during".....
The After picture soon!

My sweetie. Who smells like a baby. In a wonderful way! She's not angry here...this is just her "serious" face. She has this face a lot.
She's been very "bubbly" lately. :) Bibs required.Morning playtime with mama! I have a gymboree book that suggests activities to do with each age....I try to spend hands-on quality time with her when she's awake, which is a lot. She likes to kick--a lot! She already tries to climb my stomach while I'm holding her, burping her. She doesn't typically like to cuddle during the day anymore-too wiggly!
She got her two month shots yesterday and was so brave! She squalled for a minute, but it didn't last long. We braved the health department for these.

I told ya she was busy!
We celebrate Daddy's arrival home each evening! What a great dad and husband. Brett is still liking his new job and is working really hard there in the human resources department for now.
We are so blessed to have two HUGE Rhea Lana sales each year in NWA. I went with Jana and Anna Ruth :) and got Anna some pretty things...

This is a sleeveless dress underneath with a matching jacket. Just couldn't pass up the sweet, girly details. :) Dressed up for church and Rhea Lana's! Rhea Lana's! So many clothes! I read there were over 1,000 consignors.In other news, I'm opening an Etsy shop! It's called "Sunshine by Sara". These are the fronts of the business cards I'm making to send in the packages I'll hopefully be sending out. :) The back will have yellow polka dot fabric sewed to it. Even though it says on Etsy I've been opened since August 4th I don't have anything listed yet. I've just been working on the shop since then. One can only take so many chores during naptime! Sewing and crafting is such a fun mental break. :)

fun fabric inspiration from Joann's!
Last Friday we met up with Jana and the kids at the park. It was Anna's first park playdate. She got plenty of attention as you can see. :)

Hahaha-it totally looks like Caleb is putting his finger in Anna's nose in this pic. I'm sure he isn't though :). He adores Anna Ruth.Snack break and red faces from playing hard. Lainey is fiercely independent and so sweet too. She went over to Jana and started patting her on the back and hugging her. Too cute!

Brett loving on Anna Ruth.
We both adore being parents. It's the best job in the world. By far!

Look who has grown! Anna use to wear this as a dress, but now this makes a cute green top with black capris. She weighed over 11 pounds at her check-up last week and was 22 inches long.

This week we are excited to host momma and daddy ("Granna and Poppa") for dinner and go see Grandma Capper as well. :)

2011-08-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Menu Monday!

The best meals we had last week are the ones I posted.

The homemade whole wheat mac and cheese wasn't good. It tasted "healthy", a.k.a. "bland". Which I am NOT into. at all. However, hooray for finding some unprocessed things to cook that DID taste good!

Here's a look at what's on the menu this week
*Thai peanut whole wheat noodle salad

*Roasted eggplant spread whole wheat pasta, corn on the cob

*Pork tenderloin, Mediterranean Chickpea patties, salad

*Ground turkey tacos, edamame "guacamole", refried beans

*Veggie stir-fry

Anna's first park playdate post later. My girl had her 2 month shots today and needs her mama a bit extra. :)

Just Fishin'

2011-08-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of Brett and Anna Ruth someday :)

Happy (late) 2 months! :)

2011-08-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

We're making changes in our diet at the Torbett house! I have always cared about what we eat, however my love of Coke, junk food, and sweets has stayed strong as well. Especially during pregnancy! I pretty much ate whatever I wanted. It's time to reign that sweet tooth in! I really want to have healthy eating habits established for our family for life. I don't believe in diets, cutting out food groups, or drinking a weight loss something. So, I'm on a pursuit to find healthy food that tastes good, while indulging a bit along the way. (I refuse to show you how much movie theater popcorn Jana and I ate this week) :)
We saw The Help. It was wonderful! I'm reading the book for a second time and loved the movie. "You is kind, you is smart, you is important."

The meal you see above was DELICIOUS. Brett rated it a 5. We don't even rate meals around here so it must have been good! Improvements for next time: I fried the fish in Canola oil, so I'll try olive oil next time or even baking it would be best. Recipe here:http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2010/09/fish-and-chips-my-way.html
I love a good farm rain.

Dessert so far this week: frozen mixed berries, banana, honey, milk, natural peanut butter. Also, delicious! Brett didn't like the peanut butter in there, but I did.
These two pals are living in the screen in the window of my craft room. Neat or gross? I can't decide.

yummmmmmy! This meal was also so tasty! Baked honey mustard chicken and asparagus with brown rice with a basalmic vinegar sauce. Recipes here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baked-asparagus-with-balsamic-butter-sauce/detail.aspx and here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baked-honey-mustard-chicken/detail.aspx
Now,to the most important part of this entire post. I saved the best for last-Anna Ruth :)
She turned two months yesterday! We were too busy playing with her for a blog post, so this'll have to do. Anna went to the heart doctor yesterday and is just fine, praise God! It made her momma's heart very sad to see her hooked up to all these things for well over an hour (combined time we were there). I held her all afternoon to make up for her tears :).
These pictures are dark because they were taken after our nightly walk. Anna Ruth LOVES her ride in the stroller! Last night she was smiling and cooing, almost giggling even. She loves to look back and forth from her mama's face, to daddy's. Afterwards we come home and play, then Daddy gives her a bottle before bed.

I cannot imagine life without her. She's my joy to hold and laugh with. There's nothing else like it when she sets those deep blue eyes on you and won't let go. Some of my favorite things at this stage are watching her smile and hearing her little "voice", watching her work very hard to open her hand up to try to grab onto something, hearing her breath in my ear, rubbing her head/hair, watching her kick her arms and legs, walking with her in the yard, holding her up on my shoulder so she can see the world up high :)Brett got to come for part of her doctor's visit! He is such a good daddy. He loves to make all kinds of sounds and noises for Anna Ruth. He gets quite a reaction. This stuffed giraffe is Anna's favorite! It is a music box and almost always gets a smile. Anna also really likes rattles of all kinds.

She likes to lift her head while in her crib, or while you're holding her. It's funny when she lifts her head up and stares at you while you're holding her.Seriously, how cute is this?! She's been working very hard to get her thumb in her mouth at naptimes. Anna Ruth is such a good baby. People ask me or tease me about her keeping me up all night or "Is she a good baby?!" She's a GREAT baby! She sleeps between 5-7 hours straight in her crib at night and then wakes to eat. After eating and a diaper change she goes right back to sleep, no rocking necessary. When she's awake she likes to lay on mama and daddy's bed and watch the fan/play with me, play on her ocean playmat, sit in her seat with the rattles in mama's craft room, go on walks, or listen to books. Somedays she's fussy and wants to be held, but I never mind. :) She takes a bottle great, and has been babysat twice by her Nana. Her most common expression on her face are eyebrows furrowed in a serious look. :)

The little one calls! Better go. Crafty projects and weekend fun coming soon!

2011-08-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

Menu Monday

My plan is to start recording our weekly menus on Mondays, so that I'll have a good record of them for future use! Also,maybe I'll inspire someone along the way! Our eating goal for our household is to start eating less processed food, or at least pay attention to the ingredients in what we're eating. For example, some of the icecream we were eating had a ton of ingredients (basically very processed). Now, however we plan on eating Breyer's or the Haagen Das 5 ingredient icecream, for the occasional times we eat icecream for a treat. So, here's a look at our meals/snacks for the week!
Dinners:
1.) Veggie Stir-fry with brown rice
2.) Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese (homemade!), steamed broccoli, corn on the cob
3.) Baked Tilapia (with coating), sweet potato fries, spinach salad with basalmic vinegar
4.) Baked honey mustard chicken, asparagus, brown rice
5.) Homemade chicken pot pie (with whole wheat crust and homemade sauce)
6.) Salad with crackers/hummus
Snacks:

*Air-popped popcorn (Can do in microwave in brown paper bag)
*Fresh fruit
*Triscuits (only 3 ingredients!) with cheese, all-natural peanut butter, or hummus

*Raw nuts
*Greek yogurt
******Dessert Treat***** Rasberry and nut Smoothies

Happy Eating!!

Rise and Shine!

2011-08-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Brett, Anna Ruth and I took a drive to Mount Sequoyah this morning. The weather was gorgeous!
Brett is really into stonework lately and has been reading up on it. He has big plans for the landscaping in our yard someday, involving the native stone that is on the farm.
Of course, Brett had to make the trip a bit more adventurous. :)

What a view! We love Fayetteville.

We started the morning with breakfast at the "Schoolhouse Cafe", right here in Goshen! It is about five minutes from our house.

The inside is clean and cool, food is delicious, and the prices are great! I wish them great success!
Chill time with mama in bed this morning :)
Yesterday we had the first of our monthly "Sister's Meeting" (and cousins too!) Kyla set up a beauty shop and Jana and I had the privilege of having our hair done by her. What pampering!
Thank-you to Becca for hosting and providing a yummy lunch too!Guess who slept in her crib for seven hours straight last night?!
Despite the look :) she actually loves her crib! She sleeps on her tummy and rustles around when she needs up. I ran to get the camera the other day after I started to pick her up and she didn't like her mama setting her back down! She's wiggly, as you can tell by the escaped leg! This friendly dog meandered into our yard this week and decided to stay awhile. Even went with us on our nightly walk. I call him "Low-rider", or "LD" for short :)Anna Ruth loving on her Granna and Papa...

We went to see Grandma Capper last week, and plan on going back for weekly visits. She's needing some extra care in this stage of life and has moved to a home about 15 minutes away. She was delighted to meet Anna Ruth!

Don't worry fellow parents, the crib has been cleared now! This is how Anna sleeps, bottom in the air. SO cute.
Our neighbors brought us two watermelons from their garden on the 4-wheeler one night this week. We love country livin' and are blessed with great neighbors!
I made homemade pizza this week too....yum!
Anna and I take a couple walks a day in the yard to take in the great outdoors when it's not too hot. We see all kinds of things! (and hear a lot of sounds too)

Can you spot the deer?

We've had quite the storms at the farm lately. I'm so thankful for the rain! Bring on the fall!

This week: Anna Ruth turns two months and we go to the doctor for her heart.

She makes my heart melt.

THAT mom

2011-08-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

I never expected to be "THAT" mom.....you know, the one who drops their child off at the babysitter's only to immediately miss them.
However, it happened last night. Brett and I got to go on our first date by ourselves since she was born....we simply hadn't asked anyone 'till now to keep her and have plenty of help around to do so. I wanted to drop her off quickly (I've never been away from the girl for 7 weeks people, give me a break! ) :)

So, we dropped her off at her Nana's and headed to Hugo's (underground burger place...site of our first date). I had a delicious bacon cheeseburger, and great conversation with Brett. Then we walked around the Fayetteville Square and took these neat pics you see. Also, enjoyable. :)

After that I started to think about Anna Ruth's expressions and her little face and started to get teary. Oh no, another "never say never" moment (story of my life!) I missed her! I told Brett to think of something else to talk about (yes, we broke date code-we discussed our children some on the date) and he goes "Uhhh....I wonder what kind of hair Anna Ruth will have when she gets older!" Really? THAT'S the change of topic? :)

On we traveled however, new topic in conversation to Andy's Frozen Custard. We went all out with our eating on this date, as you can tell. We then went for a drive, and stopped and looked at a mini van. Yes, you read that right.

Last, to pick up our sweet, beautiful girl. Whom I missed very much.
However, what fun it was to be out with Brett!!!!! We even got to hold hands. :)

Summer peaches from the fruit stand-what a treat!

The grass and yard sure aren't anything to look at....yet God continues to fill His sky with the most beautiful sights. Thanks God! :)

Our little clean monkey

Look who grew with the help of daddy's socks!

2011-08-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

The 90's called.......they want their backpacks, keychains, and fanny packs back from Target.

Oh yeah, and I got a haircut. Big time. Thank-you to Sarah, hair genius.

Seriously. In. Love. with our girl !

2011-08-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

"Oh, hello."

"How are you today?"

"Mama and daddy love me thiiiiis much!" (and then some)

Anna Ruth adores her playmat. :) Sometimes I'm able to set her on it while I cook dinner. She is able to randomly hit the ball and rattle now! She's not running short on self-confidence either-a few times after she's hit them I've looked down to see an enormous smile on her face. :)

Last weekend our sweet neighbors hosted a shower for Anna Ruth at our house! We have the kindest neighbors around. One of the ladies made this quilt for Anna. So precious.

Anna Ruth got so many cute clothes that say so many precious things. This one says "Daddy loves me".

Oops-this picture got in the shower pictures. I covered the back of the armoire/now turned china cabinet. The verdict is still out if I like it or not. :)

Our neighbors across the street, Jim and Hazel Bowerman. Hazel is the one that made the quilt.

Anna Ruth was adored and fought over the entire time. :) I've never had so many offers for a babysitter!

Occasionally Jim sneaks across the street to see Anna Ruth :) and tells his wife afterwards who he got to see!

We also went to Fayetteville Farmer's Market last weekend. So much fun! There was this man painting....the Human Society has dogs walking around, there are food vendors, musicians playing, lots of veggies and flowers, and a whole lot of people. We almost always see someone we know which is fun!

I sure do love Brett.

Anna Ruth loves it when her daddy comes home from work!
Brett is loving his new job....the people and type of work are such a blessing to him. He's being challenged, learning new things, and excited to go to work each day. Thank-you Jesus!

Anna Ruth is almost 7 weeks old. She still sleeps in her seat (similar to this one) at night, but without the swinging motion or vibration. I've started trying to put her in the crib when she's sleepy during the day but so far it usually wakes her up. We'll keep trying! Her sleep is getting better and better at night. Last night she slept a 4 hour stretch (is that the Hallelujah Chorus I hear?)!

We've also started her on a bottle at night.......sweet times for she and Brett and a mini break for me. (She's a gulper...so I emphasize the "mini" part) :)

I lit these candles on our mantle the other evening and they smelled so good and looked pretty too.

A potentially unflattering photo, yet I just can't resist putting it on here. Anna Ruth is becoming much more active and doesn't like to cuddle quite as often as she used to. When she does cuddle though sometimes she wraps her little arms around me and rubs on my side. Does it get sweeter than that?

Haircut tomorrow! Now you see it...tomorrow you don't! I'm going short. :)