House of Rulis

Want more Avery & Paul goodness??

2010-10-04T22:03:00.001-07:00

Then head on over to www.brittanyrulisphoto.com/blog and get your fill of adorable Rulis babies.

Adventuredome

2010-09-04T21:55:00.001-07:00

Today we decided to play tourist and took Avery to the Adventuredome at Circus Circus. At first she was a little tentative, but soon her dare-devil side came out. We had a blast and wanted to share some photos from the day...

Creepy clown says Avery's tall enough to ride

The carousel was definitely Avery's favorite ride of the day

Avery's first time riding by herself!

Paul being such a patient little brother waiting for Avery

Most recent

2010-08-20T00:14:00.001-07:00

People have been asking, so here's the most recent photo of the kiddos...

New Camera = New Photos

2010-08-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

I was the lucky recipient of a box containing a new camera this morning, so I just had to take it out for a spin. Luckily, Avery is usually a willing subject. Here are a few photos:

This is Avery's new favorite game. She loves for someone to blow water at here through a noodle. She and Nate did this for nearly 20 minutes yesterady.

After a long swim, it's definitely time for some ice cream.

Missy the Missing Cat

2010-07-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is one of the funniest things I've read in a LONG time.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.

This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.
Thanks Shan.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
That is shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there cold, frightened and alone... possibly lying on the side of the road, her back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out "Shannon, where are you?"
Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
I never said I don't like cats. Once, having been invited to a party, I went clothes shopping beforehand and bought a pair of expensive G-Star boots. They were two sizes too small but I wanted them so badly I figured I could just wear them without socks and cut my toenails very short. As the party was only a few blocks from my place, I decided to walk. After the first block, I lost all feeling in my feet. Arriving at the party, I stumbled into a guy named Steven, spilling Malibu & coke onto his white Wham 'Choose Life' t-shirt, and he punched me. An hour or so after the incident, Steven sat down in a chair already occupied by a cat. The surprised cat clawed and snarled causing Steven to leap out of the chair, slip on a rug and strike his forehead onto the corner of a speaker; resulting in a two inch open gash. In its shock, the cat also defecated, leaving Steven with a wet brown stain down the back of his beige cargo pants. I liked that cat.
Attached poster as requested.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah thats not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how come the photo of Missy is so small?

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
It's a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don't come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window. I am willing to overlook this faux pas due to you no doubt being preoccupied with thoughts of Missy attempting to make her way home across busy intersections or being trapped in a drain as it slowly fills with water. I spent three days down a well once but that was just for fun.
I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing missy off it? I just want it to say lost.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,
I don't have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend's cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean faeces, I wouldn't have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He still goes on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go.
I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww

Thats not my cat. where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww

I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says "I haven't seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?" you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.
I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote control installed. I could charge neighbourhood kids for rides and enter it in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would call it Steven.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Please just use the photo I gave you.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

I didnt say there was a reward. I dont have $2000 dollars. What did you even put that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it.
From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Fine. That will have to do.

Cloth is Cool

2010-07-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Last week Nate and I made a big decision. We've switched to cloth diapers. With Avery we would spend $40 or so on disposables every other week and hated it.

It's awesome. Not only is it easy and great for the environment, but we are saving a boat load of money. Let's pretend we went ahead and used disposables with Paul for a second. 2.5 years at $100 a month (the average is $85-$135) equals $3000 in diapers that stink, don't work well, leach chemicals and end up in a landfill (which take approximately 500 years to decompose by the way). Hmmm...that seems awfully expensive.

Now, let's say that we had one heck of a cloth diaper stash - 24 all in ones. Those are the most similar to disposables, the easiest to use. For the sake of argument, let's also say that we chose a very spendy diaper. That would rack up to about $500. That's a $2500 saving so far. But wait, it gets better. You can make a lot back on your investment. Yes, cloth diapers are sold used, a lot! I'm going to be on the low side and say we get 50% back. So now you've spend $250 and saved over $2750 and the world a whole lot of space.

How much space, you ask? I'm being generous in favor of disposables here for fairness. Let's say the average baby is changed 6 times a day for a course of 2.5 years. I don't know about you, but most babies I know are changed more often than every four hours and many kids over 2.5 that aren't yet using the potty. I am also not including training pants or Pull-ups in this example. That's 5600 diapers in a landfill somewhere.

So if you don't use cloth, I urge you to at least look into and consider it. They are easy to use, easy to care for and you will be eliminating harmful chemicals from both your baby and the Earth.

Why having a toddler is like being at a Frat Party

2010-06-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

One Month Old!

2010-06-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

Paul is one month old and growing like a weed! He is 10lbs 5oz (60th percentile) and 22.25 inches long (75th percentile). The doctor says he looks perfect! I tried to take some photos of him today, but he wasn't really in the mood. The shoot went something like this...

You just want me to sit here and look cute?

How long is this going to take?

I don't know if I like this

Didn't you hear me say I'm done??

Forget you, I'm going to sleep

Three Weeks Old

2010-05-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update...

Today Paul is three weeks old and is doing great! He's up to 9lb 4oz from his birthweight of 7lb 11oz. The boy is a champion eater! Paul is truly a wonderful baby. He's letting his daddy and I get plenty of sleep and doesn't fuss unless he's hungry. Avery is a great big sister and is always eager to give kisses. She loves it when he watches movies with her and sits in for her bedtime story.

New pictures will be up soon!

Welcome to the World

2010-05-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Paul's Newborn Photos

2010-05-18T21:31:00.001-07:00

The Birth - sneak peek

2010-05-14T14:45:00.001-07:00

We were blessed to have an amazing photographer, Brooke Weidauer, shoot Paul's birth. My labor with Avery is such a blur, that this time, I wanted photos to be able to look at and remember that day. She did an incredible job and we are in love with the images. Click the link below to check out the sneak peek on her blog:

http://blog.brookeashleyphotography.com/

Paul Alden is Here!

2010-05-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

After 6.5 hours of labor, Paul Alden Rulis was born on May 6th at 4pm on the dot. He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz and is 19.5 inches long. It was love at first sight. We were lucky to have a fantastic photographer on hand for the birth, so those photos will be up shortly. Until then, here are a few that Nate took:

His first bath

First time I got to hold him

First car ride

With his namesake-my grandpa Paul

Hanging out with daddy and big sister

A quick update

2010-04-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all-just a quick update from our house. I'm currently 37 and a half weeks pregnant and more than ready to have this baby. Unfortunately, as of my doctor's appointment last Wednesday, not much progress has been made. Luckily, Nate is off all week except Wednesday, so we'll be taking care of last minute errands and giving the house a good deep cleaning.

In other news, Avery starts her swimming refresher course tomorrow to get ready for the summer. The weather's been so nice the last few weekends, we've been spending them outside in the pool and BBQing.

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers. We'll keep you updated on any news!

Easter 2010

2010-04-08T16:45:00.001-07:00

The Rulis family had a great Easter weekend. We did brunch and an egg hunt on Saturday and then church and dinner on Sunday. Avery LOVED meeting the Easter bunny and running around for eggs, not to mention all of the treats in her Easter basket. She is really starting to look more and more like a little girl and less like a baby, which is bittersweet for her dad and I. One thing is for sure, though, she sure is beautiful! Here are some photos from Saturday:

My Belly

2010-04-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

Well, as of Thursday, I am 34 weeks pregnant and we finally got around to taking some photos of my belly. I dragged Nate downtown and convinced him to snap some shots. Not bad, huh?

Sophia is here!!

2010-03-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that on March 28th at 6:45pm, Sophia Erin made her way into the world. Megan, Larry and Sophia are all doing great and here are a few photos from our visit to the hospital today. If you'd like to see more, check out www.brittanyrulisphoto.com/blog

We're so happy she's here!!

Avery's Birthday Party

2010-03-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

**be sure to turn off the site music at the bottom of the page**

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Avery is 2!!!

2010-03-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it's hard to imagine that it's been two years since this:

The last few years have gone by remarkably fast and Avery has grown into a beautiful, smart, funny little person. She talks nonstop and has a complete personality. She has her 2 year well check tomorrow, so stay tuned for official weight and height to be coming soon. Also, her two year photos won't be for another week or so.

Her official party isn't until Friday night, so you'll have to be patient for photos, but here is one from tonight's birthday dinner to hold you over.

Gymnastics

2010-02-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

Or, "nastics" as Avery likes to call it. Avery has been going every Thursday for a month now and really loves it. Today I snapped a few photos of what she's been up to. Her coordination really surprises me sometimes! She can do a summersault all by herself and a backwards roll with a little bit of help. She can walk forwards and sideways all by herself on the low beam and loves walking on the high beam and jumping into the "cheese". The classes are really helping her with listening and following directions. Each week she gets better at doing what her teacher tells her to do and waiting her turn. Her favorite reward is getting her stamps at the end of class! Here are some shots from today:

Welcome to Frugal February!

2010-02-08T17:39:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone, I know we've been lacking in the posting lately, but things have been crazy! Luckily, it's all good craziness. I'm now nearly 27 weeks and Paul is doing great! Looks like we're all on track for a May 13th due date. Nate has been busy at work and also putting some feelers out for potential jobs after his clerkship ends in August. Avery is growing like a weed and talking up a storm. She started gymnastics a few weeks ago and really loves it.

Now, as you may have noticed by this blog's title, our family is celebrating Frugal February. After December and January we feel like we need to get our spending back in control. Over the course of the month, I'll be posting about the biggest ways our family saves money. Today we'll start with the biggest...

-Using Coupons-

I know what you're thinking, how can using a coupon for 55 cents off soup really save money. Let me tell you, if you spend an extra half hour a week, you can save a ton. For example. Today I saved $41.27 and only ended up spending a little under $22. And if you're thinking I just bought junk, think again. Here's a rundown of what I bought today:

(2) half gallons of Horizon organic milk

(5) Quaker express breakfasts

(5) Stoneyfield Farms greek yogurts

(1) Reach dental floss

(2) Dove body wash

(1) Shave Gel

(2) Jumbo packs Huggies Pull-ups

(1) large V8 Splash

Here are the things to remember to use coupons the most effective:

1. You can't be brand loyal.

2. You have to know what things typically cost so that you know when you're getting a good deal.

3. Stock up on non-perishable items when you find a sweet deal.

And the most important: only buy things you would normally buy! Don't buy something just because you have a coupon, that's defeating the purpose!

Now, if you don't get a Sunday paper with all of the ads in it, fear not. Everything is on the internet these days! Aside from checking your local grocery store's circular ad, there are a ton of online places to look. These are some of my favorite:

hip2save.com

moneysavingmom.com

bigfatpiggybank.com

Each store has their own coupon policy. For example, Target/Walgreens/CVS all allow you to use both a manufacturers coupon in conjunction with their store coupon, which allows for even bigger savings. Check out your store's policy on doubling up and accepting competitor's coupons.

This all may sound tedious at first, but I promise, once you get the hang of it, it'll seem more and more like a game. And believe me, when you're saving an average of 55% off of all your receipts, it's worth it.

Congrats if you've made it this far. I know I was a bit long-winded. I'd love to hear about the ways your family saves money! Leave a comment and share the knowledge!!

Back in the USA

2009-12-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

Our family spent a wonderful week in Grand Cayman celebrating Christmas. Rather than fill this post up with words, though, I'll just show you...

For those of you that made it this far, I thought I'd share my favorite part of the whole trip. We opened the sealed ultrasound that let us know we're having a BOY!!!

Right on Track

2009-12-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

Today we went in for our "big" 20 week ultrasound. After lots of measuring, it looks like our little one is baking quite nicely and everything looks perfect. We feel very blessed and hugely relieved. We did not find out the sex for those that are wondering.

We are headed to the Cayman Islands for Christmas with both my parents, Nate's parents and my sister & her boyfriend. We are looking forward to laying on the beach and doing a whole lot of nothing. We hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!

Caitlin + John = Married

2009-12-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Nate and I headed down to southern California to attend the wedding of our friends Caitlin and John. Caitlin and I are sorority sisters and Nate and I were so excited to celebrate with them. We headed down a night early to catch up with our good friends John and Lauren. It's always good to see them, even though it doesn't happen nearly enough.

On Friday we headed down to the Langham in Pasadena, which is an absolutely gorgeous hotel. We relaxing in our beautiful room until it was time to head to the wedding, which was in true Caitlin fashion - elegant, extravagant, and every little detail thought out. The food was great, the band was amazing and the company was awesome. Not to mention, Nate is always looking for an excuse to break out his tux.

The short weekend went entirely too fast, but we were eager to get home to our little one. Here are some pictures courtesy of Lauren.

New website

2009-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I just thought I'd pop in and let you all know that my new website is up. Check it out at www.brittanyrulisphoto.com! I'd love to hear what you all think!

Avery meets Mickey

2009-11-24T21:03:00.001-08:00

A typical night at the Rulis house

2009-11-07T16:39:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T11:02:00.000-08:00

The Rulis family had a great Halloween this year! Avery was the cutest monkey you've ever seen and loved collecting candy. She was a bit hesitant at first, but definitely gained brevity as the night went on. Here are some photos from the night:

I'm not supermom

2009-10-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right, I'm not supermom. And a year and a half ago it would have pained me to say that. When Avery first came I wanted to do do everything on my own. I mean, that's what is supposed to happen, right? Wrong. Ever heard the phrase "it takes a village"? There's a reason that nearly every other culture in the world values the involvement of family and friends in the raising of children...because it works. I am blessed more than most with the "village" I have be given. From my parents, to Nate's parents, to siblings, aunts & uncles, cousins and friends. Avery is the most loved kid I know. I expect all of these people to be teachers, disciplinarians, confidants and caregivers. By loving her they have chosen a partial responsibility for her. Aside from having tons of people around who love her, I benefit by have people to teach me how to be a mom. I mean, how else am I supposed to learn? They show me different parenting styles, and from that, Nate and I can form our own individual way to train up our children.

Another benefit of having a "village" is knowing that I don't have to do it all myself. If I'm exhausted and Avery is being especially trying, I can call my mom and she'll give me a much needed break. When Nate and I are in desperate need of a date night, my cousin is always up for baby-sitting. These things keep me recharged as a mom and allow me to be better for Avery.

I look forward to being part of other people's villages. To share my limited knowledge and offer some relief. Remember, we're not meant to be supermoms.

Cause Nate + Brittany + Avery = 4

2009-10-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

HOORAY!!!! The House of Rulis is expanding! A few days shy of our 5-year wedding anniversary we are due to become a family of four. It's early yet and we have resolved (we'll see how long it lasts) not to find out the sex of the baby, but we can say that we are absolutely ecstatic for our little family to be growing.

We welcome any and ALL prayers - especially for Brittany.

Kyle + Jill = Maried

2009-10-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

This past week we were able to go up and visit Nate's parent's in Oregon. It was so nice to get away for 10 days and just relax. The biggest reason for our trip wasn't just to rest, though, but to get Nate's brother Kyle married off. The wedding took place at a beautiful hotel in Oregon called the Alison Inn. I definitely recommend it if you're ever in the area. Nate was honored to be best man and Avery made the cutest flower girl you've ever seen. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Second City

2009-09-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nate and I just got back from Chicago and we had a wonderful time! Our purpose for going was to celebrate our friend Jill's wedding to Dan, but as an added bonus, we got to explore a city we've never been to and catch up with college friends we haven't seen in too long. We flew in late Friday night, checked into the Hyatt Regency and hit the sack. We got up early Saturday morning and headed down to the Gold Coast to meet up with our tour group. About a month ago, we signed up for a food walking tour through some of the neighborhoods in Chicago. It was great because we not only got out of the touristy downtown area, but really good to see the Chicago that people live in. We spent the next 4 hours covering 4 miles and lots of tasty shops. We started at a Kosher Deli and tasted the most delicious reuben sandwich either of us had ever had (in all fairness, it was the first reuben sandwich I'd ever had).

Then we moved on to a Tea shop, where we tasted and got a lesson on how to chose and prepare loose tea.

After that, we walked to Old Town and visited a Spice Shop that your could smell down the block. Nate picked up some spices to make his Indian food with and I enjoyed tasting the 20 different kinds of salt they had.

Then we moved to a Olive Oil and Balsamic shop. We spent a lot of time mixing and matching the oils to make the best combos. Our personal favorite is Basil Olive Oil and Strawberry Balsamic. We bought some and think it will make the best salad dressing!

We moved on to The Chocolate Pot, which has been family owned for more than 40 years, where we tried the most incredible toffee.

Our final stop was down in Lincoln Park at a neighborhood pizza place. I tried my first stuffed pizza and was pleasantly surprised!

After our tour we caught a cab back downtown to get ready for the big wedding. Jill looks beautiful, which was no surprise to anyone, and she and Dan looks so happy for the day to finally be here. The evening was spent celebrating and catching up with old friends.

Sunday we slept in and decided to go see and take some pictures of The Bean.

It was starting to get really busy, so we got out of crazy, packed downtown. We headed back out to Old Town, but not before stopping at Portillo's for some yummy hot dogs. Definitely some of the best we've had.

Later that day we met up with Kate and Scott, friends from college to walk around.

We tried Navy Pier, but the sheer amount of people scared us off that tourist trap.

We decided to grab our other friends, Matt and Liza and get some pizza at Bacino's. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs and we ended up with lots of leftovers. After dinner, we walked the two miles back downtown and got a sweet treat at the Hershey store. Unfortunately, Nate had a little too much ice cream and got a tummy ache. We decided to call it a night and went back to the hotel.

It was a great trip and both Nate and I really liked Chicago. The weather was perfect and I really feel like we saw a lot of the city. We're looking forward to going back someday, and will definitely bring Avery.

Pump It Up

2009-08-31T21:46:00.001-07:00

Today Nate didn't have to be into work until noon, so we decided to take Avery to Pump It Up. For those that aren't familiar, it's just a bunch of bouncy things. Bouncy slides, bouncy basketball, bouncy house...you get the point. Here are some snapshots of the morning:

Daddy helping Aves dunk

I'm not sure who's having more fun

They must've gone down the slide 50 times

Aves first time by herself...big girl!

This is a little more her speed

Me & the Kiddo

2009-08-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

We have a whole lot of friends that are preparing or have recently had children of their own and I have been asked - "What's fatherhood like?" Well, for those of you that know it's like like nothing else - it's worrisome, it's stressful but by far it's the most amazing, rewarding, awe-inspiring, joyful and love-filled experience I have ever had, and it's something new every day.

So I thought that I would take this opportunity to discuss my approach to fatherhood and why I think it works for us. I think that taking every opportunity to be as involved in my daughter's life is important, and I guess that's sort of my philosophy - be as involved as possible. Do whatever I can to spend as much time as possible with my child: take her along with me for runs in the evening, change dirty diapers, put her to bed at night, watch soccer games on weekend mornings.

So what do you get out of doing all these things some might ask. Well, I think that the advantages/benefits of being involved include a lot of the following: I build trust just by being there - which becomes a foundation for other aspects of the parent/child relationship, i.e. discipline, respect; I create an 'individual' relationship with my child, and it gives us the opportunity to discover one another's personality; we can find shared interests; it gives me an opportunity to provide him/her with an example of how they should act; and lastly (but definitely not least - just ask Brittany) it gIves mom some "me" time.

So what does this involvement include? It, really doesn't have to be anything over the top ... just spend time with your kids. What is it that I do that I find rewarding - we go for a run in the afternoon/evenings, watch soccer on weekend mornings, go play on the golf course, I put her to bed, etc ... just spend time together!

I think it is also very important to talk about your role/expectations with your significant other. When you can clearly define what you expect your role to be and what your significant other expects your role to be it makes it a whole lot easier to meet everybody's expectations. It also opens up the dialogue for later.

Every person has their own style of parenting and I'm not here to tell people that they should do this, or do that when it comes to raising your child. I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell people about how we do it and why I think that some of the things we do works. Take it as you will. Hopefully you read this and find something to think about. I'm no expert. I've only been at this for a year and a half - and in the grand scheme of things that's not real long. I understand that. That being said, I've had friends ask me what it's like being a father so I thought I'd pass along what I've learned from my experience.

Big Wheels!

2009-08-15T20:44:00.001-07:00

Today is a momentous day because Avery got her first big wheels. It's a pink and Disney princess, which Nate wasn't thrilled about, but she LOVES. Here are some pictures of us outside taking it for a test drive.

Daddy's showing her how it's done

A little help getting started

Big girl

Flying with daddy

I didn't do anything to her eyes, promise!

I would kill for those eyelashes

My handsome husband

New Photography Blog

2009-08-14T15:27:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I'm really excited to tell you about my new photography blog. I've been working really hard to get it ready and now it's time for you all to check it out! www.brittanyrulisphoto.com will be the place to go to see all my recent sessions.

Fear not, we'll still be using this blog for our family happenings :)

Bo's Sneak Peek

2009-08-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of spending the day shooting a college friend's family. Bo is 13 months old and definitely gave me a run for my money! He charmed not only me, but Avery too. He is quite the lady's man! Steph, I hope you enjoy your sneak peek:

Walden Twins sneak peek

2009-08-05T21:45:00.001-07:00

Today I have the wonderful opportunity to photography C & J, beautiful 4 month old twins. They may be small in stature, but they are BIG in personality!

In need of some portraits?

2009-08-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I've been focusing most of my extra time and energy into my photography. I'm at a place where I starting to build my portfolio and that means I need more subjects! If you've been wanting to get family photos done, or just want some recent pictures of your little ones, I'd love to shoot them for you! In exchange for your time and modeling skills, I'll provide you with a CD of the edited images and the full rights to print. Shoot me an email if you have any questions (brittany.m.rulis@gmail.com)!

Cuteness

2009-07-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

I took this picture for Avery's God-mother's birthday gift, but I thought it was too cute not to share with everyone. Is she not the most adorable thing you've ever seen??

Long Weekend in Oregon

2009-07-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Our family just got back from spending a long weekend in Oregon. It was wonderful to have some time with Nate's parents and just relax. We went for walks, got Avery's haircut, Nate spend one day fishing with his dad while us girls had a play date with the little one from down the way. Nate and I spend a day in downtown Portland and even squeezed a date night in there. We're very excited to go back in September for a whole week! Here are some pictures from the trip.

Going for a walk with Nana

Avery loved feeding and "mooing" at the cows

Walking the property around the house

Picking wild blackberries on our walk

Avery LOVED the firetruck

McKenna's not so sure about Ave's kisses

Checking each other out

Not a bad view, huh?

ummm, yes please!

Got to love Mexican coke

One of the best sandwiches ever

We waited 30 minutes in line to get donuts--it was worth it.

Yes, that's a maple bar with bacon on it

This pretty much sums up our day downtown.

The view from Nate's front yard.

April's Maternity Session

2009-07-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was lucky to have the opportunity to take some maternity pictures for a good friend of mine. With her permission, I wanted to share some of the photos. I'll just say that taking good pictures is easy when you have a beautiful subject.

It's been too long

2009-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay in updating. We've been busy playing in the pool, celebrating Nate and my sister's birthday, and Nate went to Denver to celebrate his brother's bachelor party. Avery is saying new words everyday, with her current favorites being "yellow, green, blue and shoe". We leave for Oregon on Wednesday to spend four days with Nate's parents. We're so excited to get out of town and the heat. I promise we'll have lots of pictures when we get back on Sunday!

Adventures at the Splash Pad

2009-06-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Today was sweltering, but instead of hanging out in the pool, we went to the splash pad at the park. It's great because it's pretty much a contained area and Avery can just run around and go crazy. Here's a few photos of our day (the last one is showing off her pretty toe polish):

Sea World & The San Deigo Zoo

2009-06-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we all went down to San Diego to go to Sea World and the Zoo. Auntie Cilla even drove up from LA to meet us, which was really great. On Friday we got up early and headed to Sea World.

The weather was great and the park was really sparse in the morning. Avery loved looking at all the animals and really enjoyed holding the starfish at the tide pool.

We had reservations for Lunch with Shamu, however Avery wasn't really interested. Even though Shamu was only a few yards away, she was much more excited about the helicopter flying overhead. Go figure.

The highlight of the day (and maybe the weekend) was meeting Elmo at the Sesame Street Bay of Play. I was afraid she was going to be scared of him, but boy was I wrong. She gave him hugs and kisses and had a fit when we had to give the next kid his turn.

Avery loved her souvenir from the day, a Shamu stuffy.

On Saturday we decided to lay low and go to breakfast at Seaport Village, which was just behind the hotel.

After Avery's morning nap, we drove across the bridge to Coronado to play on the beach. Avery was a little hesitant about the cold water at first, but she's always braver with daddy.

After playing on the beach for a while we walked up to the Hotel Del for some ice cream.

After Avery took her afternoon nap, we headed down to the fire pit and roasted some s'mores. Avery wasn't too interested.

On Sunday we got up early to head out to the Zoo.

Avery spent a lot of the day pointing and "ooohhhhing".

We saw all of the different animals and Avery came face to face with a lion.

He walked back and forth staring at her for a few minutes, probably thinking about what a tasty appetizer she would be. She wasn't scared at all. Another highlight was the petting zoo. She liked one goat in particular and even tried to give it a kiss and feed it sticks from the ground.

Avery was all tuckered out by late afternoon.

It was a fantastic weekend and thanks to Grammy for making it all possible! Here are some more pictures...

Happy Father's Day!!!

2009-06-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a minute and say happy father's day to all of the great husbands, dad's and grandpa's out there...especially Nate, Michael, Dean and Paul. Today Nate got to sleep in and then wake up to his little girl giving him the card she finger-painted him (with just a tiny bit of help from me to add the pictures). We had French toast and then headed over to my parent's house to swim, relax and make one of Nate's favorites for dinner, paella. Here are some pictures from the day.

Congrats Elysia & Paul!

2009-06-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the honor of attending the wedding of our friends Elysia & Paul. Elysia looked beautiful and you could tell that Paul was a very happy man. We wish them all of the happiness in the world. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera to the actual event, but here are some pictures from just before we left.

15 Month Well Check

2009-06-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Today Avery went into the doctor for her 15 month well check. We were happy to hear that she's doing great! She now weighs 20 1/2 lbs (15th percentile) and is 30 3/4 inches tall (50th percentile). She had to get one shot, but was a happy camper once she got her lolli (see picture below). Praise God for a happy and healthy baby!

Summertime BBQing

2009-06-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Just a note of clarification - if you follow this blog (and we know there are some of you out there that do), then you are going to be seeing/hearing/reading a lot about BBQ of the course of this summer. Why is that, you ask ... well it's because we Rulises love BBQ.

However, up until a couple of weeks ago got get good BBQ we had to go find a BBQ restaurant. Well, not anymore! We found ourselves an amazing BBQ cookbook (Serious Barbeque by Adam Perry Lang) and we're working our way through it. Each week we'll be trying out a new recipe and so far so good. Over the course of the last couple of weeks we've had brisket, pork spareribs, barbecued chicken wings and Worcestershire glazed Delmonico steaks. Each and every recipe has been amazing.

If you are serious about learning the art of barbecue/BBQ/barbeque, this is the cookbook for you.

Lazy Saturday

2009-06-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent the afternoon BBQing and just relaxing. Avery got her first little apron for helping mommy in the kitchen (she's best at stirring and licking the spoon). Also, since for most of the summer it's too hot to play outside, we got Avery a new toy to use inside (see below). Since Avery is obsessed with stickers, we decided to go ahead and get her the first tattoo. What do you think? She picked the design herself. I've also included some pictures of her just being cute, and to answer your question...yes, her eyes really are that blue.

A Recap of the Weekend

2009-05-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was boring...just how we like it. Friday night we made dinner, played board games, and watched a movie with my cousin and her husband. Saturday was spent running errands and then we did something in the evening we haven't done in quite a while - make a pizza! Avery even got in on the action. She helped me roll the dough

Nate was in charge of grating the cheese

and then Avery, oh so carefully, placed the pepperonis.

The finished product

Of course, everyone enjoyed the eating part.

Today we got up bright and early to make brisket. After 10 hours of cooking, it was a valiant first effort. Not too many things we would change, maybe using a different wood to smoke. Since we couldn't go too far from the grill, we got a little pool time in.

It was a great weekend we hope everyone enjoyed theirs as well!

A Great Summer Day

2009-05-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a perfect summer afternoon. It began by going out to Boulder City to the BBQ competition. We walked around and ate some great food.

Avery particularly liked the ribs

and the macaroni and cheese.

She also really enjoyed the funnel cake, but since I was enjoying it with her, I had too much powdered sugar on my hands to take a picture.

After our tummies were full, we walked over to the playground and Avery spent 15 minutes going up and down the slide over and over. She really likes the slide.

After a few hours at the park, we were all hot and came home to jump in the pool.

Avery is most definitely a water baby. She loves to splash

and to go under

and to practice her float.

The perfect end to the day was popsicles of course!

This was Avery's first one, and although her hands got cold half way through and I ended up holding it, she loved it nonetheless. We hope everyone else is having a great long weekend too!!

Avery is a faker

2009-05-22T20:53:00.001-07:00

Although she had her test yesterday, today was Avery's official last day of swim class. The idea was for me to get in the water with them and for her teacher, Miss Frankie, to show me how to reinforce the things she's learned over the course of the summer. I held Avery as I got in the water and all of a sudden she reached out to her teacher!! She laughed and giggled the whole time (while still doing her float) and the only time she cried was when we made her get out of the pool! So, bottom line is, she's a faker and full of drama. I guess she's more like her Auntie Cilla than we thought :)

Avery's Summer Ready!

2009-05-21T22:44:00.001-07:00

Today, after four weeks of class 5 times a week, Avery tested out of her ISR swim course. She can successfully bring herself to the surface and keep herself afloat for an extended amount of time. We are so proud of her and her teacher said that in 6 months (when she has a little more weight behind her) she'll take the swim portion of the class. Right now, she's just too little to be able to control her body in the water. Here's the video of her final class today. Mind you, it was the first time she'd been in the water fully clothed.

Warning: I promise you that she is safe the entire time she's in the water.

** Mind you, we brought her home and did the same thing with nary a single tear or whine. As a matter of fact it was all giggles and smiles. What a girl, we've got!

A Weekend in Coronado

2009-05-18T16:11:00.001-07:00

We spent this past weekend in Coronado for two reasons. The first was to celebrate our 4 year anniversary, and the second was to celebrate the wedding of our good friends Josh & Jessica. We drove down Thursday afternoon and checked into the Hotel Del.

Our first order of business was food so we walked down the street to a burger place we'd heard about. It did not disappoint.

We headed back to the hotel and decided to have some drinks and dessert at the wine bar there.

We decided to call it an early night and get a fresh start in the morning. Although the weather wasn't exactly what we expected, we changed our plans and had an awesome weekend. We spent the next few days enjoying the beautiful hotel, eating yummy food, and even visited the USS Midway.

On Saturday evening we got all fancied up and headed down to the marina. We were lucky enough to be able to celebrate Josh & Jessica's big day. The ceremony was beautiful and everyone had a great time at the reception. She was, of course, a beautiful bride and Josh cleaned up pretty well, too.

Sunday came quickly, but we were excited to get home to our bug. Although she had a great time with Grammy and Grandpa, we would like to think she was excited to see us too :)

4 Years Later...

2009-05-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

...I am more in love with you than I ever thought possible.

Vote for Avery!!

2009-05-11T15:32:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, we entered Avery in this cute baby contest at the radio station, and it's time to vote! If you have a few minutes, please go to this website and vote for her. If you're really bored, there's no limit to the times you can vote :)

p.s. Vote for "Avery" not "Avery2"

What a Great Weekend!

2009-05-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

This was one of those weekends that was filled with fun and friends. It all started on Friday when Nate got off work at noon to join us at Avery's swim lesson and lunch. Friday night we went scored tickets to the Jason Mraz/Dave Matthews Band tickets. My mom's cousin drives their tour bus and was nice enough to hook us up with some awesome seats and all access passes. Saturday night was Bachelor and Bachelorette parties for our friends Josh and Jessica. A good time was definitely had by all, however, since we were sworn to secrecy, I can't give any more details than that :)

Today I was blessed to be able to sleep in and then wake up to a clean house and clean laundry, and then went to brunch with my family to celebrate Mother's Day. I'm truly lucky to have such a thoughtful husband.

I hope that all the other moms out there had a wonderful day and were told how special they are. Here are some photos from the weekend:

A Mile High

2009-05-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

We spent the past weekend in Boulder, Colorado for my cousin's wedding. It was a wonderful event and it was awesome to see the entire Rulis clan - even Kyle for those 3 minutes in the airport. A hearty congratulations to Steve and Julie on an amazing event that everyone was happy to join you in celebrating.

Additionally, we got to stop by our friends the Wagner's for Sunday Brunch. Thanks again, the food and company were incredible - and Avery found a new friend in the form of a giant stuffed bunny! We were so very glad to see all our friends and family and we hope to see you all again very soon!

Swim Lessons Update

2009-04-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today was day 3 of Avery's swim lessons. She screams out of protest the entire 10 minutes, but she's doing really well! She's holding her breath and going under water and even kicks her way to the surface. I'll take a picture of her in her little speedo tomorrow, she's so cute! Also, I took some video today, but I need Nate to show me how to upload it to the blog and he's in the gym right now, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Hope everyone is well!

Balloons and Sunday Dinner

2009-04-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

Avery has a ridiculous fascination with balloons. Every week we go to Trader Joe's and the first stop is to get one from the nice lady behind the counter. It not only makes for a happy shopping experience, but provides hours of enjoyment throughout the week.

Tonight we went to the club for Sunday night dinner with my parents. Avery looked especially cute, so we decided to take a few pictures. Oh, and she tasted, and LOVED, her first chocolate covered strawberry.

ISR Swim Lessons

2009-04-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

On Monday Avery will start her 4-6 weeks of ISR swim lessons. I heard about ISR when I was pregnant, and Nate and I are both adamant about her being able to self-rescue, should she fall in the water. If you have a little one you might be interested in checking it out. Here's a video to show you what it's all about:

A Food & Wine Lovers Weekend

2009-04-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Nate and I just got back from our weekend in San Francisco and Napa. We had an incredible time eating and drinking, but are glad to be home with Avery. Here's a synopsis of the last few days.

We flew out on Virgin America on Friday morning and were able to upgrade to first class for $50. The seats were great and we drank champagne and watching TV and movies the whole flight.

When we landed we took BART to our hotel, the Le Meridien, down in the financial district. The front desk lady seemed nice, so we politely asked for an upgrade and got a corner room on the 12th floor with a view of the harbor and bridge. We dropped our luggage and headed out to the Ferry Marketplace. We walked around all the food vendors and grabbed some yummy sandwiches at a place that bragged about "tasty salty pig parts". How can you go wrong with that?

After lunch, we had the chance to meet up with a good friend of mine. I've been friends with Jill since we were 14 and she's one of the sweetest people I've ever known. It was great getting to chat with her for a while.

After drinks with Jill, we went back to the hotel for a nap before our night out. First we went to Bourbon & Branch, a speakeasy reminiscent of the 1930's. There's no sign or markings, just a doorbell along the wall that you ring and then give a password through a cracked door. The drinks were great and the atmosphere was really cool. Unfortunately, there's a strict no camera policy, so we don't have any pictures.

After Bourbon & Branch we caught a cab to our dinner spot. We really wanted to try a restaurant we'd heard great things about, Gary Danko. Unfortunately, the only time they could get us in was 10:00pm. It was a late night, but so worth it. The food was incredible and the service was spot on. Nate had the lobster risotto, horseradish crusted salmon and lamb. I tried the foie gras and beef tenderloin. Then we shared the cheese course and buttercake for dessert. Gary Danko is known for this incredible cheese cart that has 15-20 cheeses at any given time, and you get to select 4 from the cart to enjoy. The whole meal definitely ranks up there with some of the best food we've ever had.

Saturday morning we got up early because we had a rental car delivered to the hotel at 8:00am. Before we left for Napa, we stopped in North Beach to get some focaccia bread from Liguria Bakery. It's a tiny store front with two little ladies inside that bake fresh focaccia every morning. They sell a few different varieties, but when they're out they close up shop.

With yummy bread in hand, we headed across the bridge to Napa. Our first stop was Plumpjack Winery. We'd heard good things and Nate really liked the Cab. It had a great spot to sit and look out on the valley, also.

After Plumpjack, we went to Taylor's Refresher for lunch. Taylor's is everything a burger should be. So delicious.

With full tummies, we headed over to Madonna Estate. Madonna is owned by a friend of ours family. I was roommates with Taylor in college and it was great to see her and her boyfriend Dom. We tasted some wine and she showed us how the wine gets made, which was very cool.

After Madonna, we headed right across the street to Domaine Carneros. Domaine has a beautiful chateau with a great patio in the back to sit and try their sparkling wines. We sat, drank and enjoyed the beautiful 70 degree day.

Finally, it was time to head back to the city. We wanted a low-key night, so the concierge suggested a spanish restaurant tucked back in an alley called B44. We were a little hesitant, but when we got there, we found this alleyway full of European restaurants. It was a beautiful night, so we sat outside and ate tapas and paella.

After dinner, we were both exhausted, so we just headed back to the hotel, rented a movie and crashed.

Sunday morning we slept in (a rare luxury) and then headed down to Chinatown. I love walking around looking in all the shops and outdoor markets.

For lunch, we rode the cable car over to Pier 1 to try a place we'd heard a lot about. The Slanted Door is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant and was a great place for lunch before we headed to the airport. Definitely some of the best Asian food either of us have had.

The rest of the day was spent getting home and catching up with Avery. A BIG thank you to my parents for letting her have a slumber party at their house all weekend. It was an incredible weekend, but it sure is good to be home.

4/09 - 4/13

2009-04-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Wow this past weekend was a rough one. Just as Avery was getting over her sickness, Nate and I came down with it. Most of Thursday, Friday and Saturday were spent on the couch like this

Luckily, everyone was feeling up to brunch on Easter. Avery looked beautiful in her dress, but for some reason, she didn't like her bunny ears. I can't imagine why.

Today the weather was beautiful so of course Avery wanted to be outside! Her favorite outdoor hobby is trying to eat sticks and rocks.

Everyone is starting to feel better, although Nate thinks he might have an ear infection. Hopefully all will be better by the time we leave for San Francisco and Napa on Friday. We're really looking forward to out little getaway and I'll be sure to post pictures when we return.

We hope everyone had a blessed and relaxing Easter weekend. xoxo

Reflections for Easter

2009-04-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

If you want to check out something beautiful, watch this video and then go to www.reflectionsofchrist.org and see if the exhibit is coming somewhere to your neck of the woods. Happy Easter weekend.

Tales from the sick side

2009-04-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, Avery has not only cut 5 teeth in the last week, but she's had a terrible cold. Today seems to be a turning point for her, though. She's eating and drinking better. Her fever is gone, and she's not nearly as congested. I have to tell you, she was pretty miserable for a few days there.

Nate and I, on the other hand, think that we may have caught her bug though. We're hoping that it's just a huge lack of sleep (averaging 3-4 hours a night) that is causing us to feel so bad, so we're going to take some Nyquil and call it a night early. Fingers crossed that we all wake up feeling better tomorrow.

More exciting posts and pictures to come.

xoxo

Flashback-circa 2003

2009-04-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

Just for fun

The Latest and Greatest

2009-03-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took Avery to the 'Secret Garden' at the Mirage. I've been wanting to go for the past month, since finding out they had a new baby leopard. Since the zoo here is a joke, we figured this was the next best thing. I think it was a little difficult for Avery to see some of the animals, but she LOVED going underneath the dolphin tank and seeing them swim around.

On a completely different note, I wanted to share with you how proud I am of Nate and how far he's come in the last nine weeks. He started at 202 and as of this weekend is 180. We've both been diligent about working out and eating well. It's so great to have a built in support system. The ultimate goal isn't just to lose weight, but to be the healthiest we can for each other and our child(ren). I always tell Nate we have to make it to our 75th wedding anniversary, and being healthy is the best thing we can do to make that happen. He's some pictures of how far Nate's come.

Goings on in the last week

2009-03-27T19:58:00.001-07:00

This past week has been busy and we're all happy the weekend is here. Avery has been enjoying watching NCAA playoffs with her daddy and tonight he took his two girls out on a date. We decided to go to the family friendly Cheesecake Factory. Plus, it's always so loud in there, that if Avery decided to have a fit, no one would really notice. It was pretty great because the waitress actually brought her her own plate of bananas and bread. After dinner we went over to the nearby carousel and then ran around the park for a while. Enjoy the pictures!

Did you see that shot daddy??

Avery enjoying her kids plate at Cheesecake Factory

I'm not so sure about this carousel thing

Sweet shades!

Do we have to go home already???

Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Getting a ride back to the car

Quick Update

2009-03-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since we posted, life has been busy! Here are a few pictures of Avery enjoying the nice weather and her bubble machine; I promise a proper update soon!

Weekend in Phoenix

2009-03-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I took Avery to Phoenix to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins. Although it was a long trip, Avery enjoyed the new DVD player in the car. Some of the highlights for Avery were riding George (the horse), chasing Ranger (the dog), trying to put things in the potty and getting to know a new part of her family. Also, she's now added "hi" and "purse" to her vocabulary. Enjoy the pictures of the weekend.

Happy Birthday Avery!

2009-03-09T21:57:00.001-07:00

March 10th is Avery's first birthday and we are so excited to have had the opportunity to spend the last year with her. In honor of the last 12 months, here's a little flashback (p.s. pause the music at the very bottom of the page before you hit play):

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Photos are Up

2009-03-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

Avery's entire one year session is up at www.studioatg.net The password is "averyrulis". Enjoy!

Smash Cake time!

2009-03-01T16:44:00.001-08:00

This weekend we decided to let Avery go to town on her smash cake. She loved getting all messy, but the funniest part was, she wanted nothing to do with eating the cake. Apparently, I'm a terrible baker. Anyway, enjoy!

Pro Pic Sneak Preview

2009-02-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a little sneak preview of Avery's one year pics:

www.studioatgblog.com

Avery's latest trick

2009-02-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Parenting Lesson #37

2009-02-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

If you don't put your kid to bed with pants on, they may figure out how to remove their diaper.

An Update

2009-02-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Things have been pretty mellow here in the Rulis household. Nate and I are on week 5 of our working out/eating healthy plan. So far it's been going really well! Nate's down 12 lbs and I'm down 14. We still have a ways to go, but the progress is encouraging!

Avery's eyebrow is healing nicely and we should be able to take the bandage off tonight. She is supposed to get her 1 year pictures on Sunday, so hopefully the weather up alright. She woke up this morning with a new tooth! So far she has the two middle ones on the bottom and the two "fangs" on the top. I guess the top middle are usually the second set to come in, but leave it to Avery to be different!

Priscilla was in town for the last few days and it was really nice to be able to spend some time with her. I think we all wish she was around more often.

The most exciting upcoming event will be the Bug's birthday party. She has a lot of fans coming in for the occasion. Including her Nana and Grandpa, Uncle Kyle and Aunt Jill, Joel and Erin (her God-Parents) and John and Lauren. It'll be so nice to see everyone. I can't wait!!

That's about all we've got for now. We hope everyone is well!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

On the menu:

French onion soup

Braised lamb

Ginger carrots

Chocolate lava cakes

but mom, you should have seen the other guy!

2009-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

So today, Avery re-opened her cut so back to the doctor we went. Needless to say, it was not a good day. Since it's been three days, they can't suture or re-glue it. Instead, they put some butterfly bandages on it and a sterile pad on top of that. Now our main goal in life for the next 7-10 days is to keep her hands off of it. Nate's brilliant mind came up with having her sleep with mittens on, and so far it's working. We'll keep you posted.

A Fantastic Weekend and a Horrible Night

2009-02-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went up to Park City with my mom, sister, aunt and cousin. The goal was to ski and relax and we were successful at both. Unfortunately, they didn't have boots and skis small enough for Avery, so she was limited to just playing in the snow. Nate and I enjoyed two days on the slopes, which was great. We can't wait until Avery's big enough to go with us next year. After a long drive home we were excited to have a relaxing night before the Monday craziness. Well, Avery had different plans. Not 20 minutes after we got home, Avery was walking around and fell against the couch. She split her eyebrow open and we spend the rest of the night in the ER. Luckily, she didn't need stitches, they just glued it closed. The doctor said it should heal great, and hopefully won't have much of a scar. Needless to say, I was a wreck and nearly passed out, while Nate was the calm, sensible one. Thank goodness I wasn't here alone. I'm now even more of a basket-case. I'm so paranoid about her falling again, or even just bumping into things. I mean, she's a pretty good walker, but most of the time looks like a drunken sailor. It's the worst feeling in the world that no matter what you do, you can't protect her from everything. Anyway, here's are some of the better pictures of the weekend:

It's Official!

2009-01-23T19:52:00.001-08:00

Nate is officially a licensed lawyer. He got sworn in today and everything. Here are some pictures of the day.

Avery's First Piggy Tails!

2009-01-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

And I'm not sure if she's happy about them...

Walking Lady!!

2009-01-15T19:24:00.001-08:00

This Weeks Happenings

2009-01-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

This week we had a lot going on, but most of it was really fun! We had a play date with our friends Erin and her twin boys Peter and Nick and Megan and her little girl Stella.

We also had our monthly dinner party, and this time it was a wine tasting party hosted by Tom, Heather and Owen. Tom made yummy steaks and Owen even let Avery play with some of his old toys. Below Avery is playing a concert on the piano.

Today we went to Shark Reef with Grammy. Avery LOVES fishes and "oooohed" and "ahhhhed" the whole time.

Blazer's Weekend in LA

2009-01-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we took a rather impromptu trip to LA. Our friend, John, offered Nate a ticket to join him in the luxury box of the Laker's/Blazer's game (who could pass that up??). We stayed with our friend's John & Lauren and it was great to see a lot of old friends. While Nate had fun at the game, Avery and I went to the Grove to meet up with her Auntie Cilla. Although we didn't get home until really late Sunday night/Monday morning, it was worth it.

Avery had her first Chick-fil-a experience

Playing Settlers of Catan, we love and you will too!

At the Grove

Welcome to 2009

2009-01-01T00:14:00.000-08:00

This has been a very good year. As we ring out 2008, I can't help but think about how special this year will always be because of Avery's birth. I think about how many times she will write 2008 in her lifetime. She's the highlight of the whole year. With that said, our family welcomes 2009 and all the wonderful things it will bring. We wish all the best to you and yours. May we all experience blessings beyond our imagination.

CHRISTmas

2008-12-25T23:31:00.000-08:00

Our family would like to take a minute to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. We are fully aware of how blessed we are, not only today, but everyday. Our family enjoyed a wonderful few days, and are looking forward to the having Nate home on vacation for the next week.

Santa was good to us again this year, the highlights being a new dSLR camera for Brittany and a Blu-ray player for Nate. Avery received a plethora of toys and clothes, and we're actually thinking of putting about half of them away and giving them to her in a month when she's bored with the current ones.

Here are the highlights:

It's Christmas!!!

Eagerly awaiting breakfast

She LOVES her Christmas lollipop!

Her first blue box...we're training her well :)

Hanging out with daddy

Her new ride

You mean I'm not supposed to stand on the presents???

Can't I just play with the bow?

Peek-a-boo!!

Merry Christmas!

Because we can

2008-12-20T19:14:00.001-08:00

There are some things you do as parents simply because you can. This is one of those times...

Christmas Party

2008-12-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

Every month or we get together with four other couples for a dinner party. This month was our Christmas party and in the rotation, we happened to be at our house. It was great to have everyone over and we even made it a pajama party. We did a gift exchange, ate yummy food and enjoyed some good wine. Here are some pictures:

I guess it's a white Christmas!

2008-12-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Tis the Season

2008-12-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend we continued enjoying the Christmas season! Saturday night we got to partake in the Clark County Christmas Party at Sam's Town ... which was AWESOME! Seriously, does it get any better than a lackluster buffet, door prizes no one wanted (except Joan and her DVD players) and drunk government employees. Notwithstanding all that Brittany and I had a good time.

Despite our extreme partying Saturday night, we managed to make it out of bed and enjoy our Sunday. We hit the Mandalay Bay for some lunch at the Border Grill (excellent by the way) and got to celebrate the season. Only one more weekend before it's Christmas! YAY! We are very excited to have Avery's first Rulis family Christmas. The stockings are hung, the tree is decorated and lit and now all we need is for Santa to deliver the presents... although the best present was already delivered about 9 months ago and gets bigger by the day.

Avery's Photo Shoot

2008-12-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine met us at Bellagio and took some beautiful pictures of Avery.

9 Months Old!

2008-12-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

Today the little bug is officially 9 months old! She is growing bigger and stronger everyday, and some of her new favorite things are blowing raspberries, saying "dada" and "mama", and walking along all of the furniture. She had her well-check today and the doctor said she is doing great. She is officially weighing in at 16 lbs 12 oz and 27 inches long (15th and 30th percentile respectively). She small, but mighty. Avery also got her first dental exam today (well, kinda). We are happy to have our cousin Sara staying with us tonight, and since she's a year away from being a full-fledged dentist, she took a look. Avery's one tooth looks great :) Here are some pictures from the day (excuse the blurriness, it's hard to keep her still these days!).

Deck the Halls!

2008-12-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

2008-12-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend we took advantage of the cooling weather and Christmas activities around town. Friday night we went to the Magical Forest with our friends Karli and Kyle. Avery rode the carousel (her favorite) and the train. We drank hot chocolate and listened to the little people choir.

Today we went with Grammy and Auntie Cilla to the Country Club to see Santa. Avery didn't really know what to think of the big guy, but at least there weren't any tears!!

2008-12-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Hi all! We just got back from a wonderful long weekend with Nate's parents in Oregon. We haven't been up there since Avery was born and we were all very much looking forward to it. We left on Wednesday and after a short 2.5 hour flight

we were there. As soon as we got in, Avery was eager to try out the kneepads that Nana got her for crawling around on the tile floor

We went to bed early and got up on Thursday ready for Thanksgiving! First order of business was to show Avery the cows (daddy dressed her...)

Most of Thursday was spent most of the day cooking and relaxing. Avery LOVED her first Thanksgiving! Her favorites were turkey, rolls and of course, her own mini pumpkin pie!

On Friday, Nate got up early to go fishing with his dad, and us ladies lounged around the house. Later that night, the neighbors brought over their 8 week old daughter, McKenna. Avery loved her but couldn't understand why she didn't want to play!

Saturday we ran errands and then were eager to watch the OSU, U of O game (moment of silence please). Since Nana and Grandpa can't come to Las Vegas for Christmas, we celebrated at half-time! I have to say that Avery liked the wrapping paper just as much as the gifts

All three of us are very thankful for the gifts we received

Our last day there was the most special because Avery was dedicated in the church. Since we haven't found a home church here in Las Vegas, we decided that we would do it in Nate's parent's church so they could be there too. My mom made the most gorgious gown with the material from her wedding and Avery looked beautiful.

After the celebration we went back to the house to hang out before having to head to the airport. Nate and I assumed our regular positions on the couch to read while Avery played with Nana and Grandpa. (I have to admit that I've become somewhat addicted to this series and read nearly 1500 pages while there)

We all really enjoyed our visit and are looking forward to Nana and Grandpa visiting for Avery's 1st Birthday in March!

Nate and I are so thankful for our family, friends and most of all, our beautiful daughter. We hope that you all had a blessed holiday.

Sangria and Tapas and Paella, OH MY!

2008-11-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

Last night we went over to our friend's Karli and Kyle's house for a little Spanish inspired dinner party. We got to hang out with some of our favorite people and eat some good food (and drink some good drinks too :)) Avery had fun hanging out with Owen. What can I say, she likes older boys.

Avery's 1st College Basketball Game!

2008-11-18T21:41:00.001-08:00

All decked out in her Rebel Red...

Christmas Picture Preview

2008-11-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a little sneak preview of Avery's Christmas photo session. I'm not done with the edits, but I think they look pretty good!