Trunk-or-Treating Oz Style

The Rasmussen Rendition of The Wizard of Oz

Dorthy

Scarecrow

Cowardly Lion

We had so much fun at our multi-ward trunk-or-treat. They had a cute little carnival for the kids after they went trunk to trunk. The enjoyed: face painting, the bounce house, staring in the costume parade, playing games, braving the glow in the dark room, eating lots of cotton candy, ... When we got home Bridger exclaimed, "That was a very Happy Halloween day!"

Pumpkin Party!

So I love doing little parties with our family. We threw one very importune party last night and we had a great time. I hope we can make it a tradition!

We carved our jack-o-lantern family

We roasted pumpkin seeds

We made and even enjoyed homemade pumpkin juice

And of course watched Harry Potter to go along
with our pumpkin juice.

We are so loving this Pumpkin season!

Someone to Love

Life can never get too hard when you have someone to love. Stewart is just that for me. I think he is just about as wonderful as they come. He makes everyday I live full of love, sunshine, comfort, and friendship. Lately I have been needy and I know that is not very fun for him but despite that he holds my hand, wipes away my tears, weathers my frustrations, and kisses away my heart ache. And when it is all said and done he still thinks I am wonderful. He has given me thousands of my favorite memories and a promised future I know will be full of thousands more. He is my favorite. Stewy, I am so very grateful you are my someone to love.

I do.

For years I have looked back at my wedding day and wished I had spent more time picking out a dress. I was sort of a lost bride. I had no idea what was involved in being a bride or how one went about getting a dress or anything. I knew no one in my same place of life. I had no one to ask to go with me dress shopping. I wanted a close friend, someone who would really tell me if the dress was terrible. I wanted my sister to come but her coming meant her three kids coming including her brand new baby. So I decided to go solo. I picked a Saturday morning and set off driving around town by myself trying on dresses. Little did I know that was odd. I was in jeans and a sweat shirt. I had my hair pulled up in a sloppy pony tail and I am not even sure if I did my make up. I gave myself one day to go...it was the middle of a semester after all and school kept me pretty busy. I went to these fancy places and they wouldn't even let me in because I hadn't made an appointment. There were these little barbie brides with their mothers and five best girlfriends and sisters woowing and watching them as they spun in the 360' mirrors. I felt really embarrassed to be there in my state. One place did let me use a closet to try on dresses. Oh, that was awful.

But I found one place that didn't make me feel like the most depressing neglected bride on the face of the earth. It was Peggy's Bridal. Its the place on State Street in Orem with the bride in a box out in front...a little scary and awkward. The dresses there are not that pricey, they are totally mass produced, and the ladies who run it look like ladies you'd see running your Relief Society (baking casseroles and quilting blankets for all the new babies). I was once again the only solo bride but it was easier to fade away when the place was filled with tons of really old awful brides maid dresses and eight dressing rooms.

The entire day I tried on dresses only to find that I looked absolutely dreadful in wedding dresses. I was not built for them at all. Everything was going wrong. I had dreamed of this moment for years as a little girl and it had arrived but it was pathetic.

I tried on two dresses at Peggy's Bridal one was not my style but was actually pretty on me. The other was more my style but seemed a little too cheaply done. I felt encourage that I had found one dress that was ok looking and I thought I could handle going to a nicer place to try on more dresses. I left and it was dreadful once again. I was about to admit defeat when I thought I should head back to Peggy's and look at those two that weren't that terrible on me once more.

I pulled out the two dresses and tried them on. I was stuck. I needed a friend to help me decide. But no such luck. There was a group of girls outside my changing room waiting for their bride to come out so I ventured out to ask their opinion. They were completely rude. I think they thought I was stealing their bride's mirrors or something. I asked if they would be willing to help me decided but they gave me crusty looks and ignored me completely. So I stood there for one final look as a group of really rude women glared at me from behind and I tried to figure out if this dress was it. I liked the dress I was wearing. It looked the best on me by far. It just wasn't what I thought I wanted at all. It was sweet and simple. Finally I summoned the lady who worked there to help me unzip the dress. As she did she smiled at me and said, "We call this our temple dress." Oh, and of course it was. But I wanted to be breathtaking, glamorous, modern or romantic. I did not want a Utah Mormon standard temple dress! But as I sat there in a cloud of white I realized I felt like a bride going to the temple in it. I felt pretty, clean, and pure. I felt ready to kneel at the alter and covenant for eternity to be by Stewart's side. So in that moment I picked my path. That was it. The "temple dress" was mine. I was that little sweet Mormon girly, not a sophisticated glamorous beauty.

It made sense but I was always a little disappointed. I thought I gave in too soon. I should have looked harder. I never felt like showing it off or showing off my wedding pictures. I thought I looked to simple, so very plain. I would always admire other brides and wonder why I hadn't been able to have a dress more like theirs.

Today Angeli was looking at pictures from our wedding and she was saying how beautiful I looked, that I was a princess. I asked the kids if they wanted to see my wedding dress. They were thrilled that I still had it.

I got it out to their gasps of adoration and awe. I was pleased they were so taken with my $400 dress. On a whim I asked if they wanted to see me in it. They of course were even more delighted. I put it on (it still fit yay!) and it was magic. That same feeling came over me. I felt beautiful. I did feel like a princess. I felt like a girl who could kneel at the alter in front of her creator. I realized why they called it the temple dress it just felt like one. And this time was better, I had an audience to tell me I was beautiful.

Bridger asked me to dance and so we did. Angeli wanted to try it on and that was about the cutest thing you have ever seen. In those moments I fell in love with my dress. As I stood there looking at my reflection with my children staring up at me I realized I had chosen well. It was the prefect dress for me. I wouldn't have wanted any other dress.

That dress had come to symbolize all the things I had to set aside when I picked my life with Stewart. I would not do study abroad. I would not travel the world. I would not get some advanced degree. I would not be that sophisticated girl I thought I wanted to be. I would be just another sweet little Mormon girl. Now five and half years later I looked at where that choice had brought me. I looked into the eyes of my son as he danced with me in my wedding dress, watched my daughter sparkle as she stood drowning in a mass of white feeling the most beautiful she ever had before and it was so very clear. I made the right choice. I do love my dress. I do love being that little Mormon girl.

I lost it somewhere along the way

I have lost my long term memory somewhere along the way. It is just about gone. I have almost no childhood memories. Almost no teenage memories either. They vanished soon after I got married. Now I don't mean to sound overly dramatic but could my mind have blocked them out? I have often wondered if I embraced my new life with Stewart so wholeheartedly that I accidentally blotted out my life pre-stew? My life was so crazy right when I left home for college and so many changes happened so fast. In a matter of 8 months I graduated from high school, had family crisis at home, moved out on my own for the first time, started college, met Stew, got engaged, got married, and all of this was done at the age of 18/19. I didn't really slow down after that. Three years later I had two children, graduated from BYU, was working on starting a business, buying a home, and moving away. Life was busy. I was going as fast as I possibly could to keep up and I wonder if I just stopped thinking about my past because I was so thoroughly focused on the future. I have been trying to remember things about my childhood. Trying to think about things more and more and ask my siblings questions to help me fill in the blanks. It has been coming back a little here and there. It wireds me out. I used to be the girl that could remember everything. I guess it is a good thing that I am keeping a blog and a journal so that I can at least read about my past if I cant remember it on my own.

Play Group at the Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch with play group this week. We had a really fun time. The kids watched the farm animals gorging on pumpkins, played on the tractor, jumped in the bounce house, raced around crazy with their friends, and basically had a ball. The kids are in such a fun place right now. Love them. Loved it.

I love how the kids are picking their noses in this one! LOL

New Leaf

My life has gotten really complicated lately and it has been making me slightly miserable. But I am turning over a new leaf. I am getting back to the basics. I am thinking that the rest of this year is going to be magical, fun, and meaningful after all. I am embracing the things that make me fulfilled and happy and shedding the things that pull me away from that satisfaction. I am going to try and enjoy every moment of my absurdly blessed life. I'm not going to let things get me down no matter how awful they seem in the moment. No winter blues this year! Not a chance. I am embracing what God gives me and running with it.

Oh, I am loving autumn's arrival here in Reno. It feels so good just to breath the crisp air. Absolutely Lovely.

"You are 28 years of aged Stew perfection."

Yup, my man is just that. He has aged 28 years into Stew perfection! Happy Birthday Love! This weekend was HIS weekend. We went to Sacramento and spent the night with our favorite people there, Uncle Shaun and Aunt Sue of course! We hit up Sierra's soccer game, cheered Shaylin at her 24 hour dance-a-thon, visited Aunt Sue's awesome kindergarten class (the kids thought they had died and gone to heaven), and then headed to Apple Hill. After our afternoon at Apple Hill we headed home via South Lake Tahoe (loved the pretty drive), and then finished it off with a movie night. On Sunday we had Stewart's birthday dinner complete with homemade snicker's pie and orange chicken. The kids and I decorated with streamers, made party hats, and cards. The kids were in awe of their creations. :O) We love our Stewart and thank Heavenly Father everyday that he is ours. Here are some picture memories...

We took a little nature walk at half time during Sierra's soccer game...its so pretty there. Every where you look there is a perfect little trail to explore. Stew's top pick for residency right now is UC Davis. We'd love living there. Time will tell...right now we've just got to survive third year!

Us at Able Apple Acres:
Bounce house, kiddie roller coaster toy, ridding horses, and exploring the craft shops.

At Denver Dan's we ate lunch, picked apples, and visited the petting zoo.

Sunday's Birthday Dinner!

Yes and even my orange chicken! Yum.

We're Talking Double Digits Here!

Yup, the littlest Rasmussen Rascal is in the double digits now. 10 months old! I cant believe he is so close to a year. My life is going too quick for me, I am seriously having more and more freak out moments these days with all of us getting so old so fast. Benjie, we have cherished watching you grow and learn every step of the way and we look forward to a life time of more and more of them. Thanks for being one of us Benjie.

What this kids is doing as of 10 months:
- standing on his own
- taking steps on his own
- growing in two more teeth (7 in total)
- loving getting patted on the back...when I hold him and he is tired he rests his head on my shoulder and then pats me on my back urging me to pat him on the back. And then he hums. I love how he is learning to communicate his wants.
-Loves drinking from a straw
- dancing
- waving
- signing
- playing catch
- clapping
- hugging
- kissing
- breaking his mother's back (carrying him a round has given me a permanent back ache)
- copying sounds we make
- eating everything in sight
- loves driving (dragging) cars around the house
- giggling and smiling

Here are pictures we had taken of him for his 9 month pics. They were taken two days before he turned 10 months so I figure they count as his ten month pics too. ;)

Thanks for the Love

I just wanted to say thank you for all you who sent me cards, phone calls, gifts, notes, and little messages for my birthday. You have no idea how much they meant to me. I had a really nice birthday. Stewart cooked dinner, cleaned the house, rented me a movie, bought me my favorite movie, gave me my favorite shirt of his - yay!, and helped the kids make cards for me. What a fabulous husband! In just three days I get to reciprocate. Thank You Everyone!

Twenty Five

So it is my birthday. I am twenty five years old today. Well, at 5:10 pm to be exact. I feel old. I know that 25 is a young age but really its not that young anymore. I am now closer to thirty and I am sorry all you thirty or forty or fifty or sixty or seventy somethings but in my book 30 is the mark of not being "super young" anymore. My whole life when I tell people my age they gasp and tell me I am so young for having so many kids or whatever...but I know that response is fading as I get older and older. Soon I will tell people my age and they wont bat an eye. That is fine. Maybe I should be offended that they assume I am older then I am but really "wow, you are so young", whether meant as an insulting judgment or flattering compliment I don't care, it has become part of being me. I will miss it a little bit. Anyways, moving on...

We are celebrating this weekend with a joint thing for Stew and I. Therefore today is going to be low key but I am still looking forward to soaking up every moment of it. I have no where to be and nothing pressing to do! Oh, that feels so good. I am going to go the pace I want all day long and drink in the freedom of having a "me" day. For my treat I am making a prune cake. I thought it'd be fitting as it could mark the celebration of my becoming a dried up old prune! ;o) I found it on The Pioneer Women's site and she said it was a must try so we are doing just that. I love trying new/odd recipes. If Pioneer Woman loves it then I am sure I will too!

Happy Birthday to me!

"It's Bootaful!"

This summer we have been looking forward to Angeli moving into a big girl bed since she was very ready for one but with our crazy lives it hadn't been able to happen. However, when the Daddy returned we excitedly ordered a cute little toddler bed. It arrived this week and we got busy setting it up for her. When I mentioned to Stewart that I wished we could paint her room too he said that could be a fun birthday gift for me if I wanted. I jumped at the offer. Six hours later we had completed her room. Here is her big girl PRINCESS TEMPLE bed. Yes, that is all from her. She keeps saying that it is "Bootaful", that its like a "pincess, temple, oom!" We are so glad she likes it. I feel that every little girl should have a magical room since my room was very magical for me growing up. This little room seems to do the trick for Angeli. Daddy, thank you so much. You are such a good sport with all my home improvements that you end up doing most of. Angeli, we love you!


PS It does look more impressive in person. ;) But you get the jist.