Best Toy Ever

I think Reagan pushed this cart around one night for about two hours. She was obsessed with it. She continued to push it around on and off for about three days. Then we stopped at Aunt Lori's and she had one, then Aunt Melanie had one, too. Score! Reagan got her fill of shopping carts and we will see later today how she enjoys sitting in them and not pushing them!

I repeat...do NOT have a happy birthday!!

Yeah, that is a quote from Michael Scott himself and I have The Office on the brain since it is just days left until the Season 4 premiere. Feels like an eternity, let me tell you. However, I just wanted to say a big Happy Birthday to all our family and friends that were born in the month of September. There are many. Mom and Dad Roundy, my sister Loni, Matt's sister Lori, nieces Alyssa and Emma. And, of course, Matt is celebrating the big 29 on the 19th of this month. And my friend Jenn is going to welcome her little girl this month, too. I guess a lot of of people were busy during the months of December/January, if you know what I mean. I probably shouldn't have posted about this because I am sure I am forgetting somebody really important and now I will look like a big jerk. Oh, well.

Scariest Toy Ever

We are very proud of the fact that our child isn't scared of anything. Sometimes, when it is too dark outside and stuff, I take Reagan for protection because that is how tough she is. She will battle anything and everything. She SERIOUSLY does not get that from me...or her Uncle Lorenzo ;)

So we were pretty surprised on this last trip to the land of red vs. blue that Reagan became truly scared of this innocent train toy that my mom has. She freaked out. It chugga-chugga-choo-choos around the house on a battery and has a cute little face painted on the front. Every kids dream toy, especially those with a train fetish.

My rough daredevil of a child--for the first time ever--really let me down. She screamed like a hyena and hid behind the couch, occasionally peeking out at it to make sure it was still there and not an inch closer. I felt bad that we were kinda teasing her over it, but it was hard not to laugh at that one.

Roomies, Sand & Water

Last weekend we had the opportunity to head up north and spend some time with one of my college roommates Jamie. I have super fond memories of Jamie, especially since that was the semester I met Matt ;) No, but really, we had this awesome paper mache fish that we found in the dumpster and our apartment adopted it, painted it pink, and hung it in our living room. Then we went to Jamie's BYU swim meet and cheered really loudly for her. Hopefully she wasn't too embarassed. Oh, the good times we had. We got to visit and spend Saturday and Sunday morning together. Things are different now. Instead of enjoying our independent college days, we are enjoying our families. We went to a super cool park that has water (the best parks ever) and frolicked around.
We got to meet Jamie's husband and adorable little girl and ate the best baked fries I have ever had. It was great to see them.

Lake Tahoe is still blue, by the way. We stayed overnight in the south end and enjoyed a very Park City-like town and view. The lake is absolutely gorgeous, just this deep blue color. The area is surrounded by thick trees and there are ski resorts on the hills. We stayed at Harveys. A nice hotel and we were probably the only ones there not gambling! In this photo below, Reagan was NOT happy. She was tired and in need of a nap. There were people everywhere, she didn't want to be carried and I couldn't let her just walk or crawl around. I almost said, "lets pack up and go home, I have had it," but my level-headed husband took control of the situation and took Reagan off my care and insisted its okay to stay and try to have fun. And we did ;)

Reagan was trying to open this bathroom door. The woman inside opened up to come out, scared Reagan and she started screaming (this was during the bad moments I described above). The woman felt bad and I insisted that it was not her fault, my daughter should not have been pulling on the bathroom door that she was using.
The Berrett's let us borrow their handy-dandy kid-carrier and we hiked a mile down to Sandy Beach, also where the Vikingsholm castle is located. We had no interest in doing the tour, that is what all the old people who visit Tahoe do. Besides, no strollers were allowed. We did spend a little time on the beach, where we stepped in VERY cold water, Reagan splashed around in the nude (there was not sign about clothing optional this or that, so we figured it was okay) and Matt had to literally give her the shirt(s) off his back to wear back on the mile hike back up. Matt got some crazy looks as we passed many people who's bewildered faces said it all.
This part that we were in is located in the most photographed area of Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay. EB also contains the only island in Lake Tahoe, Fannette Island. See the photo of me below for a picturesque view of Emerald Bay and the remaining Tahoe waters behind it.

Photos do not do justice to the size of Tahoe. It is enormous. Our hotel was equipped with a mighty small bathroom, just sizable enough to squeeze a tired Reagan and her pack-n-play into. That made midnight bathroom trips a little difficult, but we managed. She loves to cover her face while sleeping, as if to say, "don't you DARE wake me up. I am grumpy."

This is a very non-grumpy Reagan and dad enjoying the coolest part of Lake Tahoe, a beach called Zephyr Cove. It is actually a resort and you have to pay $8.00 to park there, but it was worth it. There are zillions of little beaches all around the coast of the lake, but for those of you who ever venture out to South Lake Tahoe, I highly recommend this one. It is beautiful, with nice facilities, including a gift shop, restaurant, and bathrooms. There is a portioned off area for swimming.
Reagan is a sand girl as much as a water girl. She played in the sand so much that we ended up buying a $2.00 bucket and shovel at the gift shop. Best $2.00 investment ever. She hasn't put it down since.
Reagan slept almost the whole way home. After a two hour nap in the hotel that morning and a two hour nap on the car ride home, Reagan was DELIGHTED to be free from the carseat and running around at home. Matt took these shots of her...happy and enjoying leftover clementines from the trip.

High School Musical 2

I am totally lame. I love the Disney Channel.

Last friday morning, Matt called me and said that they were talking about the premiere of High School Musical 2 on the news. He quoted the newscaster as saying, "Millions of 13-year-old girls around the country will be glued to their television screens Friday night." Little did they know that someone twice that age would also be glued to it.

So, I watched it and it was a fun movie, filled with all the cheese and happy endings that only a Disney Movie could offer.

Then on Matt's favorite sports show, PTI, they said that it broke the record for viewers and actually beat out football that night. Tony Kornheiser admitted that he actually contributed to that record. HA! So now I don't feel as bad. A 50-something man watched this show?? Then it is really not a big deal if a 26-year-old woman watches it either.

Reagan is growing up

For those of you who couldn't view the video, here are some photo stills of Reagan. She is really growing up fast. She loves her little cloth shoes that she wears outside. This morning, the first thing she did after waking up is go right over and get her shoes to bring to me. She loves being outside, as do most kids, I think. She is walking all over the place. She still loves to eat, but should start matching her caloric intake with her activity level. As much as I love my little chub, clothing doesn't fit her well. She is really into Baby Einstein still, but also loves to watch a little Disney playhouse, too. We enjoy tuning into Little Einsteins and Mickey some mornings. She loves her morning walk with Adelaide and Laura a few times a week. In fact, she doesn't really like to ride in the stroller unless Adelaide is riding right next to her. Her favorite song is still Old MacDonald, with Itsy Bitsy Spider and Popcorn Popping close seconds. Reagan really doesn't care to ride in the car much, which will make our trip up north this weekend a little interesting. And she loves to walk around Target. She runs circles around all the clothing aisles. She loves to look at herself in the mirror and play with the cell phone and remotes. She loves to drink milk and she loves her daddy like I have never seen. Yeppers, all is well in the world of Reagan.

Check THIS out, Dunderheads!!!

If you are a true Office junkie, you will want to visit the official Dunder Mifflin website. Read under the MEDIA heading. Its hilarious.

Accountant by Day, Firefighter by Night

Last night, a near-catastrophe occured. A fire (roughly the size of an oven range hood) next to the dumpster threatened the lives, cars, and other trash sitting next to it. In comes the super-hero: Matt. After the use of three fire extinguishers and a better-late-than-never call to the fire department, the flames were successfully put out.

Next time you notice a small, entirely contained fire, just call the Rasmussen's. Matt is now a pro at extinguishing those buggers!

Reagan walking!

Reagan is now officially a walker! She struts her stuff all over the apartment like she is all that and a bag of chips. You wouldn't believe it. I have been trying all week to capture that "perfect" video of her. Instead of catching that one, I got tons of "okay" videos. They are meshed together in this montage below. It is a bit long, but a goodie, especially for those of you who don't see her everyday. Enjoy :)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Matt's favorite deep thought

Notice our new ticker to the right for Jack Handey's deep thoughts. Matt loves these. Below is one of his favorite deep thoughts.

One day Dad asked me to go fishing with him. I got scared. I had the feeling he was going to try to drown me. I don't know why I thought that, because so far he had never tried to kill me. But he had never taken me fishing either, so I was suspicious. When we got to the lake, he walked right up to it. “Hey, son, come here,” he said. “Look at these minnows.” “Nice try, Dad - if that's your real name!” I yelled. Then I ran back to the car and locked myself in. Dad never took me fishing again. So I think that proves my case.

Pictures for the Office

The bottom one is how I feel when I going running with Lacy.

The week that was – Lacy’s birthday week 2007

I’m posting so that Lacy doesn’t have to post about her own birthday. Here is the week in review.

Tuesday– we went to the temple because Lacy is into spiritual stuff

Wednesday- Martina McBride concert

Way too much estrogen and hicks in one location. I always feel a little bit out of place at these country events especially when I start to worry about brokeback mountain breaking out. Martina was a pretty amazing performer and we had awesome seats. Highlights of the concert include:

• The couple in front of us making out the whole encore when everyone else was standing up.
• A fat guy 3 rows up from us singing “I’m a happy girl” at the top of his lungs and dancing around with a lighter
• Lacy dancing and singing while I just sat their watching – I don’t even pretend try anymore.

Friday- In-N-Out Burger, Waterpark, Olive Garden

Highlights include:

• Being 20 years older than anyone going down the slides
• Double double animal style
• Reagan walking around the pool holding on to the edges as she sang to herself
• 3 desserts for the price on none- they gave us two desserts and a cake to take home on the house because they forgot about serving us on Lacy’s birthday

Saturday – Bourne Ultimatum and Rollerblading

Highlights

• Watching a kid sneak into the theatre as we left
• Lacy having slower roller blades than me

Sunday -Roast and Settlers of Catan

Highlights

• Breaking our fast
• Ganging up on Ashlee in Settlers of Catan

Birthday quotes from the office

Jan: I’m returning your call. You said it was urgent.
Michael: It is urgent. I just wanted to call and wish you a happy birthday.
Jan: Well today is not my birthday, so …
Michael: Really? Cause I thought we had the same birthday.
Jan (after long pause): Happy birthday, Michael.

Toby: Who brought in doughnuts?
Michael: Somebody got doughnuts for my birthday.
Toby: Happy birthday!
Michael: You didn’t know it was my birthday.
Toby: I guess I forgot.
Michael: Well I guess I forgot to give you a doughnut. (Closes lid on doughnut box.)
Toby: You’re serious?
Michael: Mmm.

Fun facts about Lacy's birthday:

She share a birthday with Martha Stewart and Martin Sheen

Cool stuff that happened on her birthday

• The NBA was formed
• Columbus set sail from Spain
• The Mickey Mouse Watch was introduced

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LACY!!!

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

Pillow Talk

Matt has many fun quirks about him that I just love. He insists that the toilet paper be on the holder just a certain way. He likes to have a pair of tweezers and nail clippers handy at all times. And now...here is his latest...a cold pillow.

Now, Matt has always enjoyed going to bed at night with a cold pillow. He talks about how he used to tease his brother, a cold-pillow lover as well, by going and laying down in his bed before he did, just to warm it up. Lately, on cooler nights, we open the window and he sticks his pillow by the cool air. I have to stifle a laugh every time he does it.

I am not kidding when I say that I am married to a guy that makes me laugh every single day!

Bits and Pieces

We recently went to the Jelly Belly Factory with Reagan's favorite person, Miss Adelaide. Reagan was not a nice person this day. She refused to ride in her stroller, insisting that she push it. This did not bode well for the rest of the people on the tour. We were basically in the way. Then she threw up on the front of her shirt and the carpet. Luckily, she had the binky in and it blocked the projectile property of the throw up. Despite the embarassment and messiness of the situation, we walked out of JB with bags of belly flops and the best chocolates ever from the candy kitchen.
I paid my first visit ever to the town of Berkeley last weekend. We stopped in at the Kite Festival and Reagan had a ball checking those huge things out. We didn't stay long and I was a horrible parent by not putting sunscreen on my child. Yes, I am an idiot. It was a chilly, windy day, and we weren't there for very long, so I guess I assumed there was no need to have her walk around with spiked hair.

This is Reagan 24 hours after her sunburn.

On Sunday morning, Reagan and I dressed alike for church. I know...CHEESY!!! But I had to do it. I have this photo of my mom and I, when I was about 4 years old, in matching green jumpsuits and it is a treasure to look at. You cannot tell in the photo I posted, but I am wearing a necklace that Matt's sister, Lindsay, made for me. It is a seashell from the Sea of Galilee and she made it into a necklace. I have worn it a few times now and it still receives compliments. Thank you, Lindsay!

Old MacDonald Had a Farm...

What is the next line? Just ask Reagan!

...E-I-E-I-O!

She LOVES this song. So much, in fact, that she will actually sing along with it. I am dying to get a video of her doing this, so that is my project this week. We have a cd and she goes nuts when it comes on. Matt and I sing it many times a day for her and she will start to babble right along with us. The first few times it happened, I thought it was just a coincidence, she isn't trying to sing, but multiple times later, we realized it was her trying to sing. I am excited. Since I cannot carry a tune for my life, maybe one of my kids will!

Reagan's Red Crabbie Sandbox

Here is a fantastic story behind our newest, bright red addition to the household. We had a gift certificate to Toys R Us and since our child is a hydromaniac, we thought what better way to use it than to get a kiddie pool. Matt and I (mostly Matt) did our research and discovered a red crab sandbox that could be used as a pool as well. The biggest bonus: it came with a lid so that we could keep the water clean and hopefully off the deck and dripping down on our neighbors below. We went to Toys R Us to make our grand purchase and discovered they were all out and had discontinued the product. The kind folks at the Pleasant Hill store made some calls and found that they had one left at the store in Dublin. We called to reserve it, but to our dismay, they couldn't put it on "hold" for inventory reasons. We also ran into another problem along the way: it wouldn't fit in our car. We would need someone to pick it up for us or have it shipped (the latter being very costly once we looked into it). I sent out an email to all the sisters in our ward and was AMAZED at the response we got. Over 15 people emailed me back, saying they would be glad to help, either picking it up on their way home from work or letting us borrow their car, just about anything. And for those of you who don't live around here: Dublin isn't down the street. It is a good 20-25 minute drive. We have an amazingly kind ward here. We were able to pick up Reagan's sandbox last Thursday and it has proven a big hit in our household. She spent the first day playing with her toys inside it because our deck was being worked on that day. We moved it out to the deck on Friday and filled it with water. She played in it Friday afternoon and Saturday.
Don't you just love her thunder thighs? Since swim diapers are so expensive, I just put a normal diaper on her. That was a mistake. It poofed out so much that Reagan's bathing suit was busting at the seams. When Matt and I removed it after swimming, this gooey plastic stuff fell out everywhere. So now she swims without anything and we pray that she doesn't feel the urge to "go" while out there because I don't want to be anywhere near here to clean that mess up.
A confused Reagan pulled at her suit, wondering why in the world she is wearing clothes for her bath????

A Good and Easy Dessert

If you love Chili's Molten Lava Cake dessert, then you will like this product, available in your local grocery store. Matt and I are huge fans of the Chili's Lava Cake and when I ran across this in Safeway, despite the cost, I had to buy it. Sunday night is our dessert night, so today I made this. Prep time was 10 minutes and baking time 20. We didn't have the ice cream, chocolate shell, and caramel sauce to complete the ensemble, but I did sprinkle some powdered sugar on top (see the product photo) and Matt and I both found it rather tasty that way. Warning: this product is RICH!

Pioneer Day

I am sharing some of my ancestry (my maiden name is Roundy).

Look up D&C 124:141.