Rudy Family Rukus~Parenting tips and humor meet in one big "rukus"

So Jeff's birthday was on the 24th of July which is also a Holiday here. Okay most of you reading this know that already but just incase someone from out of state happens to peek at this post. Anyway... He is now as old as I am and I am posting late because well he threatened my life if I posted any pictures of him so I waited until I got the flowers for the anniversary (see post below) and football started and now I am posting because pretty sure he won't have time to check up on me and my blog posting! Oh I am long winded today! Happy Birthday Jeff. Love you more than you know! Thanks for all you do and for keeping a little sanity here when somedays there is none!

Happy Anniversary to us. We have been married for 9 whole years. These are only a few of the things I have learned but wanted to keep it short! 1. There is no such thing as a 5 year plan (okay you can have one but don't be surprised when it doesn't go according to your plan) 2. Kids improve your relationship (I know this is not true for everyone but it has been for us!) 3. Love gets better the older it gets. 4. A Queen size bed really isn't THAT big. 5. I really do LOVE college football. 6. We have more in common than we originally thought. 7. Alone time with spouse costs a fortune. 8. Saying "I love you" is as nice as hearing it 9. Pick your battles, and sometimes no battle is the answer! These are kind of corny but they are true. We met 13 years ago playing intramural softball and who knew this is where we would be today. I love my husband. I love my kids. I love my life. It really is just that simple.

Looking a little nervous but ready to go! Once the sisters were involved it was less stressful! Okay mom can this photo shoot be over yet? Waiting in line with the rest of the cute first graders. I was so relieved to see that many of Dalton's friends from his class last year will also be in his class again this year. You know us first time First Grade Mom's tend to panic a little. We rush over during lunch hour to make sure that school lunch was actually served on the first day and that it was something that kids might actually eat. I know, I know you are all saying "How crazy is she really?" Luckily the new teacher was very patient with me and so now I am fine. ( well mostly!) Anyway it is good to be back on a routine gotta love year round school!

Peyton posing at the beach.

So picking just one would imply that I favor one child over the other right? Okay I know that is not true but I am one of those mom's obsessed with equal treatment so here are my favorite kid pictures of each of my three kids. Katie the "Red Devil" Halloween 2008 Dalton the swing king fall 2008 Peyton the poser Spring 2009

Wendy took these family pictures for us on Thursday. I think they turned out really great. Click here to see more of them and also some of her other fabulous work! Oh and leave a comment if you like them.

Got this idea from one of my fellow BlogFrog Community Leaders click here to see her blog. Her question for today was tell me something about your childhood. I don't have a picture but if you look at the pictures of my middle daughter we look and act about the same so there is the visual. Anyway.... When I started kindergarten about a hundred years ago I rode the bus. Back then we would go half the year to am then mid year we would switch and do pm. So I think I started with am kindergarten and so I rode the bus with all the BIG kids you know those mean 6th graders. Back story here: I come from a really SMALL town in Utah and there were about 5 small towns that went to the same school. So the bus would pick up from one of the small towns then come to my neighborhood. The meant giant sixth graders would all sit in the back of the big yellow bus and be loud and obnoxious. Then when we got to school and all stood up to enter the isle to exit the bus they would grab the seats a...

I am a little late posting this but I am trying something new with the McLinky BlogHop hope it works! grilled shrimp my husband makes the marinade so I am not privy to the recipe but let me assure you it is GOOD! Pork ribs can I just say melt in your mouth! BBQ chicken and large pork ribs again hubby did the grilling and marinating Fruit Pizza this one was made on a brownie crust but we also love one made on a sugar cookie crust. Just cover with cream cheese top with your favorite fruits and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

I would not let my kids leave this kind of mess in the family room when it is perfectly clear that everything has a place! I would never let my son bounce dangerously on the edge of the swimming pool! I would not ever let my daughters build a giant mud pond and then play in it in their swimming suits when there is a perfectly good swimming pool full of water not 5 feet away. And I would certainly not ever leave the dishes from dinner in the sink over night. This is certainly not me and I will just keep being not me all day long! To see where I got this great idea go here or here ******************************************************* Also be sure to check out the blog frog just click the link in my side bar they are making some changes you will LOVE it!!!

I completely skipped over the 4th of July this year. Don't get me wrong I celebrated just like everyone else but I didn't blog about it or scrap book about it this year. And I was really feeling guilty about that because I consider myself quite patriotic. I love this country. I know that no where else could I be doing what I am right now and I love that. I appreciate that and I wanted to tell all of you that. I felt it more so this year than before. I can't make it all the way through the Star Spangled Banner without my voice cracking and I am grateful for that love and feeling I get when I see a flag. So now you all now I am sappy and I don't care. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and God Bless America!

Dalton's favorite activity jumping in the pool. Katie and I at the splash pad. Serious discussion between father and daughter Sunny smiles by the pool. We were joined by Jeff's entire family this year. It was filled with golfing for the boys and bowling, swimming, eating for us all. We had a great time and were so glad they could all join us. We haven't seen some of them for almost 4 years, way too long so it was great to reconnect. Hey guys lets not wait that long next time okay?!

I just want to thank the honest person who returned my cell phone to the customer service desk in Target at the District. You have saved the "pearl" once again. It has needed rescuing several times and I am grateful to all those that have helped me and not stolen or abused the thing that I seem to keep loosing and yet somehow can't live without. Note to self "Do not allow your children to carry the current bag you have with your cell phone in it. They continue to fling the "pearl" out and it ends up in the most precarious places." Or simply get a new bag that will shelter the "pearl" from these sorts of accidents.

I was reading Holly's blog (one of the founders of The BlogFrog) and I was inspired by her post about mom super powers. I was thinking really hard to try and come up with my own "super power" and I realized that I didn't think I had one. That made me kind of sad so I have redeemed myself and dubbed myself "Mrs. Multi-tasker"! The powers included here are many I can dry teary eyes while changing a messy diaper and make sure that dinner doesn't burn on the stove. That is just one example of multitasking that goes on around here. Please leave a comment and let me know what your super power is or what your super hero name would be. Or just do a post of your own (but be sure to leave me a comment so I can read it!) And here's to all of us mom's who don't appreciate ourselves and all we really do!

Getting the kids ready to go. We all were separated into groups and had matching name tags for kids and moms. My group aren't they just too cute! I know that cow has seen a million kids but it looked a little like it wanted to charge! Going to see the baby calves. After feeding the ducks deep in thought. We had such a good time from the bus ride to the wagon ride to the lunch after and playing red rover. I am so grateful I got to be part of the field trip. Here's to many, many more!