Sisters!

Last night, John and I took the girls to see the "Festival of Trees"up in Salt Lake. We went with Ricky and Mindy and their little girl Gracie. Together, we had a wonderful time. The trees were beautiful and the atmosphere was full of Christmas joy! When the children were letting us know it was time to go home, we braved the cold air and hopped in the car. After buckling up, we headed back home to Provo. Ten minutes into our journey home, however, Ruth began to cry. Knowing that she was warm and recently fed, I just reached back and stroked her hair to try and calm her down. After several minutes of listening to Ruth cry, I could hear Millie yelling something in the back seat. I stopped to listen to what she was saying and couldn't help from laughing. She was saying as loudly as she could, "MOM! The baby is driving me nuts!" John also began to laugh as he knew she was referring to Ruth crying in the car seat next to her. After a while, Ruth stopped crying so all was well. When Ruth began to cry again, however, Millie exclaimed in an even louder voice, "Mom! She is driving me nuts again!". In Ruth's defense, I am sure that she tries to say the same thing as Millie pokes her, tickles her, kisses and squishes her face, and attacks her with love. Sisters are so fun! I just know that they are going to be best friends! Until then, I can't wait until Ruth is old enough to play with Millie and not drive her nuts all the time. ;)

Pie anyone?

So, last night was Family Night. It was a special family night because it was just our little family. Sometimes we have Scottie with us, but most of the time he is off with some close family friends. Since John has been called to a Bishopric, we usually have FHE with the members of our student ward by going somewhere, or we have 40+ students at our home. Every FHE, no matter where we are or who we are with, is a special one. However, when it is just our little family it is extra special.

Last night I made spaghetti with homemade bread sticks. For dessert I made a chocolate pie with cream. Before we could have dessert, we had to have our lesson. John gave a wonderful lesson on Nehemiah and how it is important to build spiritual walls around our home to protect us from the world. Millie lead the music and said both the opening and closing the prayers. I love to hear Millie pray. Her prayers are short, sweet, and too the point and VERY unpredictable. I just know that Heavenly Father is smiling whenever he hears the prayers that come from her sweet little mouth. Last night, her closing prayer was this:

Heavenly Father,

bless us this day,

my book,

daddy, mommy and roofie,

my stars,

(her glow in the dark stars that I out on her ceiling earlier that day)

in name,

Jesus Christ,

Amen!

Millie's prayers are getting longer as she peaks around the room with one eye to see what else she can pray for. Sure love her!

After the closing prayer it was time for chocolate pie. I made little pie shells so that it would be easier, and more fun, for Millie to eat. We sat down at the table and after just a few bites, I had chocolate all over my face. This was thanks to John.

Millie started laughing and asked, "What did you do Daddy?" He then smeared chocolate on her face. Loving it, and not quite aware that the point of a "food fight" was to get your neighbor messy, Millie picked up her pie and pushed it into her own face. What a nut! I thought about grabbing the pie away from Millie because we had just bathed her before we had family night and dessert. I know, I know, what mother bathes her child BEFORE they have dessert. I guess I didn't realize that my "third child" was going to start a pie fight. ;) Anyway, she was having too much fun running around smooshing pie onto her face, so I just let her keep going.

Feeling that Ruth was being left out, John quickly made sure to get chocolate all over her face too.

By the end of the night we were covered in chocolate, but we had fun. I love my family! I Can't wait for the next time we have FHE by ourselves. Although, next time we just might skip dessert...

Isn't She Lovely!!!!!

Ruth is such a cutie! We are so blessed to have this little angel in our home!

Fun Fall Family Pics

John and his little girls

Me and my cuties!

Our sweet little Millie Millie and Ruth

Tribute to our Princess Millie

Did I mention that I love this man! John works so hard every day to support and take care of our little growing family. With all that he accomplishes every day at school and on Sundays with Church, I am just so proud of him. I love you John!

It was a lot of work, but she is totally worth it!!!!! I love my little girls and my wonderful husband! Life just doesn't get any better than this!

John is such an amazing dad! Millie adores him and so will Ruth. I love John with all my heart and more! I feel so blessed everyday because I am married to the most incredible man in the world!!!

Once Millie finally got used to the idea that she had a baby sister, she was so excited to hold her!!!

Ruth Ashley Guymon

We were so lucky to have both sets of grandparents there at the hospital when Ruth was born. It was so much fun to have them share this experience with us.

She is here!!!!!

Ruth Ashley Guymon was born on August 5th. She weighed 8 lb 11 oz and was 19 1/2 in. long. She has dark thick hair and what looks like to be big blue eyes! She is beautiful and we are so happy that she is finally here!

Words of encouragement

So John has been the 1st Counselor in a BYU Single Adult ward Bishopric for over 2 months now. It has been a wonderful experience and a great opportunity for us to meet new people. We love it!

John leaves every Sunday morning around 6:00 a.m for his early morning Bishopric meetings. Millie and I don't leave until about 9:00 a.m because Church doesn't start until 9:25. Random time, I know.

The Bishop and his wife only live a few doors down from us, so the Bishop's wife and I will occasionally ride to Church together. Yesterday, as I was opening my garage door to head out, the Bishop's wife was pulling out of her garage and asked if Millie and I wanted a ride. Millie LOVES riding with her. She calls her Grandma.

On the way to Church we talked about how my pregnancy was going. After Church, on the way home, we talked about it again. She was very nice and said that we could call her at any time, day or night, to come over and watch Millie when we went to the hospital. After expressing to her my gratitude and also my concerns about going into labor while John was at work, I was waiting for some reassuring words that everything would turn out alright.

She just smiled and said, "Well Rebekah, you may want to have several back up plans in case John is gone and you can't wait for him to take you to the hospital...... I was born in a car".

Still great with child.....

Well.......as you can see, I am expecting a baby. A baby girl to be exact. We are all very excited and can't wait to meet her. Millie calls her baby Guymon. She loves giving my tummy hugs and kisses. I have no doubt that they will be best friends. Now, if we can just get her here.

Technically, I am not due until August 9th which is still 10 days away. However, according to the numbers, she should have fallen out by now. For the last 3 weeks I have been dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced. I am now at a 4 and 85%. Most women would have already gone into labor by now. Thanks Mom for your wonderful genes. :) I say that because the women in my family can go from a 3 or 4 to the baby coming out in just 30 minutes. Of course, if they make it in time to get an epidural, it slows the process down. I think the longest labor my mom or any of my sisters ever had was 5 hours long. I was only in labor with Millie for about 4 1/2 hours. 3 1/2 of which I couldn't feel a thing because of the epidural. Although a short labor sounds great, it can be nerve racking because you don't know if you will have time to get to the hospital. I barely made it with Millie. John has been working up in Salt Lake the last couple of weeks and will be until the end of September. So, if the baby decides to come during the day, I am not sure what I am going to do. Hold it in I guess.... ;)

I have an induction date set for next Friday, August 5th. So, if the baby does not come this weekend we are hoping that it waits until next Friday so that John will for sure be with me. Normally I would not induce my baby and just let it come when it wants, but with John working so far away and already being at a 4 and 85%, I feel more comfortable having a date set up so that I know for sure we will all make it to the hospital when it happens. Not to mention that I am ready to get rid of some of the 72 lbs I gained with this baby. An extra 72 lbs. can sure do a number on your hips, back, ankles and well.....pretty much your entire body.

The bottom line is that no matter what happens, we have faith that Heavenly Father will bring our little baby girl to us when she is supposed to come. And even though we are extremely excited to have her here, we will wait. In the meantime, John continues to "help" me go into labor. We went on a bike ride yesterday, he takes me on walks around the neighborhood, has me riding his scooter over bumpy terrain, and even has me jumping on the tramp at Grandma and Grandpa Guymon's house. I don't mind though. He is so excited for this baby, I think it's cute. Painful,.....but cute. So when it comes to Baby VS. Daddy......Baby is winning.

24th of July Bountiful Parade

So...every 24th of July, we go up to my parents house in Bountiful to watch the Bountiful parade come down main street. It is a huge tradition in our family and for Bountiful. My Aunt Jenna (My Dad's older sister who is in her mid 80's) lives along main street. In fact, she lives in the same house that my dad and all of his siblings were born and grew up in. Anyway, back on the parade. My aunt's house is located near the beginning of the parade and is in the shade during the parade. She has a huge beautiful and very green front yard always full of the prettiest flowers. So sitting there for the parade, we really have the best seat in the house!

Growing up we used to wake up at 3 in the morning to rush down the street with our chairs and blankets to put along the perimeter of my aunt's lawn. We never had a problem getting up because we knew that afterwards, my aunt would give us pop and cookies. It was the best breakfast to a little kid! Anyway, Bountiful has since changes their policies on how to save spots. Now, you can't put anything out until 6:00 am. So my aunt wakes up really early and stands guard on her front porch. She sends away anyone who dares to even park in front of her house with the intention of waiting until 6:00 am and lay their stuff out on her private/public property. Is it legal for her to send away people who want to sit on the public owned strip of lawn in front of her house? Probably not, but she does it anyway and has no problem with it. Who would argue with an 80 year old woman anyways. ;) She has even gone as far as to turn the sprinklers on getting their blankets wet. As you can see, the Bountiful Parade is a big deal to my aunt. Mainly because, she knows that she will have a group of 70+ family members spread across her lawn watching the parade so she wants ALL of her yard saved. She is so sweet and provides, along with my Mom, several folding tables full of treats and snacks for everyone. There is also always 4 or 5 coolers full of bottled water, fruit drinks and pop. We have a great time at the Bountiful parade and look forward to it every year.

After the parade we drive up to my cousins house, also there in Bountiful, and watch the best fireworks in the state. They are seriously the best I have ever seen. We did't watch them last year, but we did this year. Millie loved them and kept shouting out, "Oh Wow!" It was cute watching her lay next to John, completely adorned with glow sticks, enjoying the fireworks.

The next day, we headed over to the Bountiful Carnival with my parents and my brother Anthony. We all had a great time watching Millie on the rides, getting her prizes from the fish pond and eating yummy food! It was a great Pioneer Day weekend!!!

Hanging with the Babcock Kids

So, we got to keep the Babcock kids while Nicole and Austin went around the world. We promised the kids that we would document our adventures with them. So, in order to keep a promise and because we think some of these pictures are really cool, here you go.

At the Park

At Chuck E Cheese Millie Showing the Babcocks How It Is DoneMeg At the Pool Maisie Rocking the Pool Andy Jumping In

And then there was Maddie. She stopped crying once, but that made the whole experience better. These two pictures pretty much sums up her entire time at our house... At least she is doing her best to smile in the first one.