Grass and Anniversaries...

I remember one year for Christmas when my mom got a vacuum cleaner from "Santa." I thought it was a cruel joke. But she was so thrilled! Today reminded me of that day. As Justin and I celebrate our third wedding anniversary, the day has been overshadowed by the arrival of our sod! It is the best present ever! No more rationalizing with an 18 month old about why he shouldn't throw dirt, bury the dog with sand, or eat the mud he created from the liquid in his sippy cup. We finally have our grass. We are especially grateful to the Schneiders for their time, knowledge, and resources in helping us novices get it done right! Here are some pictures to commemorate our great day.

Here is our good friend, Justin Schneider, working away before it gets too hot!

Caden enjoying the finished product!

Fun with the hose...

I think I've got this down.

Oh, HAIL no!!

Today was one of those days where I was trying to catch up on the cleaning that didn't happen over the weekend. I love how people think its so easy to keep the house clean when you're a stay at home mom. It's actually pretty tricky! You've really got to utilize nap times and get creative with keeping the kids occupied when they're awake. And today Dallin wanted to be held and "cooed at" a whole lot. So when he finally dozed off to sleep, I went to town on my cleaning. I noticed the storm clouds start rolling in, and shorty after that, I heard banging against our bedroom windows. My first thought was that Caden had snuck out the doggy door again and was hitting the window with his baseball bat. He'd wake up the baby for sure! I couldn't believe it when I looked outside and saw the hail and downpour of rain! I quickly grabbed Caden to show him the spectacle and he was eager to check it out in person. So here are some pictures of our hail storm and Caden playing in the rain for the very first time!

Okay, so don't judge our backyard by this picture.. we are in the process of redoing the whole thing! But here's a cool pic of the hail and rain just pouring down!

Here's a closer look at the size of the hail!

Caden was a little reluctant to play in the rain at first, but when he saw mommy splashing around, he figured it was legit...

This is GREAT! I can't believe they're lettin' me do this!

Does this mean I don't have to take a bath tonight?

A glimpse of the rainbow...

But I don't WANNA come in!

Our trip to New York

We had a great time in New York visiting our family this past week. It's always amazing how long you wait in anticipation for a trip, and how quickly it flies by once its actually here. The plane ride was challenging at first, but we were able to keep Caden occupied with country music videos I downloaded on my Ipod. Gotta love the hair!

He got a kick out of all the random buttons on the plane. I also put together a picture book of all his favorite family photos. This kept him occupied for quite a while. We had a short layover in Cincinnati and then introduced the Dramamine for the second leg. Don't think I'm a bad mom, but this stuff is miraculous. For those of you who know Caden, he is not a calm child. I didn't realize how curious and busy he is until I met some other children his age. Needless to say, 5 hours of sitting still was alot to ask. But the Dramamine helped settle him down and actually fall asleep! Dallin did a great job and slept most of the time. The change in elevation bothered his ears a bit, but he was a trooper! Finally we arrived in New York and how happy we were!


Here is Dallin on his very first plane ride!

And we're off!

Caden and Dallin loved spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. We spent most of our days just sitting around visiting, enjoying a break from the Arizona heat. The weather was so nice! My grandparents have an RV that they park in my parents' driveway for the summer months. So we spent time outside under their canopy just enjoying the warm days and cool evenings. Caden particularly enjoyed playing basketball and legos with Grandma and riding the lawnmower with Grandpa.

Here is Caden and Grandma shootin some hoops!

Thanks for the new Legos, Grandma!

Caden and Grandpa, ready to go!

This is great!

Caden also enjoyed going to the horse races. I grew up in a small town in Western New York called Batavia. When I was young, I remember 'Batavia Downs' as a happening kind of place. The horses would race every night and attract people from all over. The track shut down for quite a few years and re-opened after I moved to Arizona in 2001. So it was neat to go there with my family after all this time. You can see Caden sitting on the fence watching the horses race by. We also watched from inside the restaurant, where we had a yummy buffet dinner. Dallin enjoyed sleeping at every restaurant we went to. He is such a good baby. Sometimes he slept on the floor at our feet, other times he opted for a quiet corner. A couple times he fell asleep right on the table where we ate!

Here is Dallin camped out on our table!

Caden enjoying some "bones" with Grandma and Grandpa!
Caden was brave enough to try his first lemon. We've given him tastes of a lemon before for mere entertainment, but this time he ate a big bite. It was hysterical to watch his face change as the taste got more and more sour! You could almost read his little mind wondering if it would ever end. Finally mommy spoiled the fun and let him spit it out. We did get it on video and as soon as I figure out how, I'll put it online. We laughed so hard, we were crying. Here are a few pictures, which of course don't do it justice!

We also got to see Uncle Ryan and Uncle Cory before they headed off to college. Ryan starts his sophomore year at SUNY Delhi and Cory will be a freshman at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). I loved this shot of Cory and Dallin talking to eachother. Dallin was just smiling and cooing like it was the greatest conversation ever...

Justin got to enjoy 3 straight days of golf with my Dad and brothers, bless his heart. We also got to play lots of Euchre with my aunts and cousins. This is a popular card game in Western New York, but I don't find too many Arizonians who have heard of it. My family is always playing some sort of game, mostly cards, and the competition is brutal!

Caden and Grandma playing their own little card game!
With the weather as beautiful as it was, we took Caden to the park down the street as often as possible. He enjoyed the slides, the swings, and all the great new things to climb. He just loved being outdoors and getting dirty!

Here is a view of the beautiful greenery and the leaves starting to change. But don't let it fool you.. the snow will be here SOON!!

Caden and Daddy taking a "guy" break...

Caden really loved these swings because he could sit by himself and go "high" (as he kept saying!)...

Okay, so Dallin wasn't so crazy about the whole park experience. His little expression says it all!
One night, at a loss for what else to do to occupy Caden, my Dad took him outside to play catch. Caden got a kick out of Grandpa throwing the ball up on the roof and trying to catch it as it rolled back down. These shots are priceless!




We are so grateful to have been able to make it home and see so much of our family. We miss everyone so much already.

Brothers forever!

Now we need a vacation from our vacation! Oh the laundry!

Washing the Car...

Taking your car to the carwash seems like such an ordeal. Or maybe its just me. Where I grew up, you didn't get out of your vehicle and drop it off with a stranger. There was no waiting in a lobby (sometimes for a rather long time!) and then being flagged down when your car was finished. There wasn't that awkwardness about whether or not its appropriate to tip. Where I grew up, you stayed in your own car (which was the perfect temperature and had the best songs playing) and drove it through an automatic car wash. There were a few different cycles to make sure it was cleaned thoroughly, but overall, it went pretty quickly. There was even a "dry" cycle that left your car both water and spot free. You didn't have to worry about tipping anyone because there wasn't anyone to tip. If you wanted to clean the inside of your car, you drove it around to the "vacuum section" and did it yourself. It was a little extra work, but it always turned out cleaner than the car washes today seem to leave things.

So on Saturday, we opted for a Ramirez car wash in the good ole driveway. I say "we", but I really had no part in all the hard work. Of course Caden had a great time being outside spending time with Dad. He was a great help to Daddy by spraying him with the hose and throwing rocks in the clean, soapy water. Thanks to my boys who did a great job getting our car fresh and clean!

All About My Husband...

Okay, so I stole this idea from Carly Reese's blog. But I thought it was such a good way to honor husbands! As you all know, we recently had our second baby 6 weeks ago. All my family lives in New York and haven't been able to see our little guy. With the price of airline tickets and the inconvenience of time off work, they just haven't been able to make it here. My husband has had a little money invested in a fund through an old job for a few years now. We received our quarterly statement last week and the darn thing just continues to DROP! So we decided to pull the money out and have some fun with a little extra cash. I know he had been talking about a new motorcycle for Caden. He even mentioned some parts he needs for his mountain bike. There are also a few things we need to do to our third vehicle to get it in good shape and of course a few unfinished "projects" around the house. So much a little extra money could go towards. But guess what my husband let ME spend the money on??? You got it- airline tickets to New York!!! I called my mom and she was virtually in tears. My dad called it an answer to prayers. So in just 18 quick days, we will get to spend a whole week with my family. Do I have the best husband in the world, or what??? So Carly's post seemed quite timely. I hope you learn a thing or two about my one of a kind man....


Justin with Caden and Dallin when they were born.

What is his name? Justin Jared Ramirez
How long have you been married? 3 years next month.
How long did you date? We dated a year and a half before we got married. I was a little gun shy.
How old is he? 32

Justin's 32nd Birthday. He got a gift certificate from the whole family for a new mountain bike!

Who eats more? Usually Justin. He comes from a family of 9 kids, so you don't leave ANY food on your plate. He cleans up my plate nicely. When I'm pregnant, however, my plate is MY plate.
Who said I love you first? He did, but it took a little prompting from me
Who sings better? Definitely Justin. He has a great voice, even though he denies it. I remember the first time I heard him sing. We were driving in the car and he sang to Randy Travis's Forever and Ever, Amen. I know it sounds dorky, but I totally melted.
Who is smarter? Depends on the subject. If it's book knowledge (which is really only good for Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit), probably me. For everyday, common sense kinds of things (the stuff that matters), definitely Justin.
Whose temper is worse? Mine. Unless we're driving.
Who does the laundry? Usually me
Who does the dishes? This is Justin's least favorite chore, so that one's usually me, too. But ask me the last time I've vacuumed or scrubbed the bathtubs and I couldn't tell you. Justin always handles those chores and I don't even have to ask! Don't hate!
Who mows the lawn? Lawn? That's funny. See below for explanation.


Our backyard... a work in progress!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do. I just took it over when Dallin was born because there's more room for the bassinett on that side. But sometimes I creep to the left side, too =)
Who pays the bills? I do. But I wish neither of us had to!
Who cooks dinner? Mostly me. Not that I cook every night, though. We justify getting Taco Bell at least once a week. Luckily Justin eats just about anything, whether I burn it or not.
Who is taller? Not even close! Justin clocks in at 6'4", a whole foot taller than me!
Who drives when you are together? Whenever I can help it, Justin drives. I'll admit, I'm not the best driver out there. I get sidetracked with things like babies, a good song on the radio, or the driver next to me picking their nose.
Who is more stubborn? I'm gonna go with me on this one. But Justin can hold a good grudge.
Whose parents do you see the most? Justin's parents live here and mine are in NY. So we get to see his family most.


Justin's parents on our wedding day and my parents with Caden at 3 weeks old.
Who Kissed who first? Guilty.
Who proposed? Justin proposed in April and we got married in September. We wanted to leave enough time for my family and friends to make travel arrangements and of course to get all the planning done. The night Justin proposed to me, we went out for ice cream (my favorite!) and then for a walk down by Tempe Town Lake. As we were walking, a bird pooped all down the front of Justin. I told him that was good luck (someone had told me that once), not knowing he was about to propose!

Our Wedding Day
Who has more friends? Justin probably has more friends. At least it seems that way because alot of my friends live out of state.
Who has more siblings? Justin has 8 and I have 5.
Who wears the pants in the family? We each take a leg.

The Music Man

I had to do a quick post to show these cute pictures. We had family over this weekend and Caden confiscated an Ipod from his cousin, Marissa. He walked around the house enjoying a little hip-hop, country, and good ole rock and roll. It's amazing how mesmerized he was with this little device. I couldn't even get him to look up at me and smile. I even tried Brandi's "bug in the hair" trick, but no luck.

I've got this ALL figured out....



Jammin'


Can I get one, Mom???

What a Blessing!

Dallin received his blessing at church today. His Daddy did a wonderful job and was truly inspired in the things he said. It made me stop and consider all the things I hope my children will have in their lives. Of course you wish for things like good health, normal development, and obedience =) But even greater is my desire for Dallin to know his Heavenly Father and his Savior and how much they love him. I pray that he will make good, righteous choices and always be kind to those around him. I truly believe if that foundation is there, everything else will fall into place. I better like his wife, too.
Here are some pictures of the big day. Thank you to all our friends and family who made it. Thanks to Fuzz, Danny, Scott, and Tata for being a part of the blessing.

We caught a little smile before Dallin drifted off to sleep. So handsome!

Dallin is obviously getting irritated with our photo shoot.