Twice the Fun Plus One

HELLOOOOO Blog World!!

2012-01-19T09:14:00.001-06:00

I'm back! Well, maybe. We will see how this goes. I don't know how all you other busy ladies keep up with your kids, your husband, your house, and so much more AND keep up with your blog! The last thing I want to do at the end of the day when everything is finally quiet is sit down at my computer and try to put a coherent sentence together! I am going to give it a go anyway!! Look below to find new posts. I am going to date them by when they actually took place, not when I finally got them put on here!

My Big Girls

2011-10-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

Gracelyn and Ellie started going to Tuesday/Thursday school in September. It has been wonderful! They absolutely love going twice a week and it gives me a little time to spend with Ben one-on-one. He sleeps through most of the morning which gives me some time to clean up around the house without someone following right behind me messing it up again! I thought it was going to be harder to leave them but they are having such a great time and love their teacher. I am so thankful that we are able to send them to "school" a couple of days a week!!

The Many Faces of Ben

2011-10-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

I just had to share a few pictures of my little guy. Benjamin is a big sweetheart and I feel so blessed to be called his mommy!

Just because...

2011-09-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

It was a nice day today so we went in the front yard and played for a little while. The girls had fun running up and down the sidewalk while Ben just bounced away in his bouncy seat. Love watching these precious babies grow up!!

Gracelyn

Ellie

Benjamin

T Bar M

2011-09-19T09:32:00.001-05:00

We went down to New Braunfels the first weekend in September for a Reunion at T Bar M sports camp. Dave worked there a couple of summers while he was in college. We got to stay with Dave's uncle and aunt while we were there. Dave and the kids spent some time splashing around in the pool at their house.

Dave is determined to teach Ben how to surf early in life!!

Ellie loved playing with the noodles!

I didn't get a picture of Gracelyn during pool time because she loved getting out of the pool and putting her feet in the sand surrounding the pool. Since she got in trouble for it every time she did it, I didn't think it would be a good idea to reinforce the behavior by taking a picture....So, no pictures of G!

We had a lot of fun at the reunion. There was singing, Bible studies, lots of family time, games, food, and a playground!

Gracelyn

Ellie

Gracelyn

Ellie

This special weekend was such a blessing for our family. We had so much fun together and Dave got to see some old friends in a place that is close to out hearts! (We got married at T Bar M so it is always fun for us to go back and reminisce!)

Benjamin at 6 months

2011-09-08T09:14:00.001-05:00

Ben is such a joy! He is such a sweet, loving, cuddly, happy baby! Ben loves taking a bath. He will splash and splash and splash in the tub for as long as I will let him. We haven't started giving him any food yet. I can just picture the huge messes ahead and figure if I can put it off a little while longer, why not? I know, by the looks of him you would think he eats us out of house and home! He is a big guy and we love kissing on and squeezing every sweet soft roll!

Aquarium

2011-09-01T13:39:00.001-05:00

Vacation

2011-08-30T10:04:00.001-05:00

I don't have a lot of time so we are going to make this quick! We had a fabulous vacation to Corpus Christi full of fun at the beach, playing in the pool, exploring at the aquarium and relaxing at the house. A HUGE thank you to Dave's family for so generously sharing their house!

Gracelyn and Ellie were not interested in touching the sand, at all, the first day we were at the beach. We tried putting them down barefoot so they could walk in it and they just cried until we picked them up and carried them. They really didn't like the soft sand and never did walk in it. But, once we moved down closer to the water they really enjoyed playing in the firmer packed sand. I hadn't thought about it before we went, but I don't think they had ever played in sand before this trip!

Ben, ever the easy baby, spent some time sleeping while we unpacked everything and got some shade set up.

Dave with Ellie and me with Gracelyn watching the "waves." HA!

The next few pictures were taken the morning we left Corpus. We had only gone to the beach one day and couldn't leave without taking the girls again. It was a little stressful trying to squeeze it in early in the morning before our long drive home, but it was definitely worth the effort! The beach was practically deserted and oh, so much fun!

Dave walking with Ellie and Gracelyn along the beach. Those two would follow their Daddy just about anywhere!

Again, poor Ben spent some time in his carseat while the rest of us played in the sand and ocean.

Dave with Ellie, Benjamin, and Gracelyn enjoying the beautiful morning.

The whole fam right before we headed back to reality after about 4 days of relaxing vacation.

Benjamin and Dave. Ben could not take his eyes off the ocean. It was a lot of fun to watch him so intrigued!

Ben is up from a nap so this post will be continued later....

Preview

2011-08-25T07:10:00.001-05:00

Here is a preview of our recent vacation:

More to come!

Savory Saturday

2011-08-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

Oh, Mylanta!! You have got to try this cake!!

Granma's Earthquake Cake

1 German Chocolate cake mix (eggs, oil, water)
1 C chopped pecans
1/2 C margarine (I used butter)
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

Grease 9x13 pan. Place pecans on the bottom of the pan. Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Pour cake batter over pecans. Mix margarine, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Don't let your sweet child, experiencing powdered sugar for the first time, blow it all over the table and her sister! Gracelyn blew on the powdered sugar and didn't realize it was going to get everywhere. She was so upset at the mess she came over to me crying. I assured her the cake was still going to be plenty sweet, even without some of the powdered sugar. She did enjoy sticking her fingers in it on the table and then licking them!

Drop the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls on cake batter--do not mix!

Bake cake for 45-50 minutes at 350.

(Cover bottom of oven with aluminum foil--cake may buble over!)

End product is a pan full of gooey delicious cake!!

Let it cool, then ENJOY!!

Seriously, you have to try this cake!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

Savory Saturday

2011-07-30T08:37:00.001-05:00

Oh, so good pork chops! I found this recipe in the spice aisle at the grocery store! It was on a packet of that had all the spices needed to make it. I am not a huge pork chop fan, but you better believe I will be making these again!

Apple & Sage Pork Chops

1 1/2 t   rubbed sage
1 t   minced garlic
1 t   thyme leaves
1/2 t   ground allspice
1/2 t   paprika
1 T   flour
1 t   salt
4 boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick (about 1 1/4 lbs)
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 red apples, thinly sliced
1/2 C   apple juice
1 T   brown sugar

1. Mix spices, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned flour.

2. Cook pork chops in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Remove from skillet. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender. Add apples; cook and stir 2 minutes.

3. Stir in juice, sugar and remaining seasoned flour until well mixed. Return pork chops to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until desired doneness.

I forgot to buy apple juice so I improvised by adding 1/2 C or chicken broth and about a tablespoon of apple sauce.

We ate the pork chops over white rice with a side of broccoli. A little sauce from the pork chop pan over the rice=delicious!

Enjoy!!

Right now....

2011-07-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

Ellie

Gracelyn

Benjamin

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T20:33:00.001-05:00

(I think Gracelyn fell out of bed!)

Cherished Moments

2011-07-26T21:00:00.002-05:00

We had a prayer/blessing for Benjamin at church a couple of weeks ago. It was a special morning when our entire church family prayed for this special baby and for our entire family. We are indescribably blessed by our church! I think Ben knew he was the center of attention and he ate it up. He was talking at the top of his lungs (which is pretty close to screeching) almost the entire time we were up there!

I am still putting Ellie and Gracelyn in separate rooms during naptime. Gracelyn tends to sleep quite a bit longer than Ellie so having them in different rooms allows Ellie the freedom to do this:

when she wakes up. If you look closely, you can see that she had covered the bunny with her beloved blankie. I went in there because I heard her talking, but she wasn't very loud or calling for me. She was just reading to her stuffed animals.

Ben LOVES his toes! I guess this is pretty common, but his sisters never played with or chewed on their toes. This little guy can't get enough of them!

Gracelyn, Ellie and I sat down to dinner the other night. We were eating pork chops, rice and broccoli. I was getting forks out of the drawer when Gracelyn said, " I need chops sticks!" We had eaten at Pei Wei a few days earlier and we let the girls try chopsticks. I guess Gracelyn just figured anytime we ate rice we need chopsticks. She was thoroughly disappointed when I told her we didn't have any chopsticks.

I think I have an aspiring chef in the house. I am pretty sure this was Gracelyn! I did have a talk with both girls about how dangerous the stove is and how it can be really hot sometimes. I am afraid that warning might not be enough to keep two curious little girls away so I have increased my awareness anytime I am cooking! I look forward to the day when they can help me in the kitchen, though!

Fishing, Ducks, and Flowers

2011-07-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

My parents came up for a visit a couple of weekends ago. Pop brought a fishing pole and took Ellie and Gracelyn to the little pond in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, the fish weren't biting, but it was a good time with their Pop anyway.

We gave up on the fish and decided to just feed the ducks....

Gracelyn was so excited about the ducks!

Ellie, not scared a bit!

And, they picked some flowers....

And ran around....

So Glad I'm Here

2011-07-23T09:38:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a rough day around our house. Ellie and Gracelyn were into EVERYTHING! I know, I know, they are 2, they are going to get into everything, but this was more than usual. I couldn't leave them alone for 30 seconds. First it was wet red chalk all over the front of their clothes. Second was play doh in the carpet, Third was syrup ALL OVER Ellie, AND the kitchen table & chairs! All that by 10 in the morning. My attitude was in the dumps by the time Dave got home. Being the supportive husband that he is, he took the girls to Home Depot for a while so I could get myself cleaned up. Some good friends gave us an mp3, You are my Sunshine by Elizabeth Mitchell, when Ben was born. I just figured out yesterday how to download it onto our computer and listened to the first song right after Dave and the girls left. Here are the lyrics to the first song:

I'm so glad I'm here, so glad I'm here, so glad I'm here everyday
So glad I'm here, you know I'm so glad I'm here, I'm so glad I'm here everyday
I'm gonna sing while I'm here, sing while I'm here, sing while I'm here everyday
Sing while I'm here, gonna sing while I 'm here, sing while I'm here everyday
You know joy brought me here, joy brought me here, joy brought me here here today
Joy brought me here, joy brought me here, joy brought me here here today
And love brought me here, love brought me here, love brought me here here today
Love brought me here, you know love brought me here, love brought me here here today
I'm so glad I'm here, so glad I'm here, so glad I'm here everyday
So glad I'm here, you know I'm so glad I'm here, I'm so glad I'm here everyday
I'm so glad I'm here here today
You know I'm so glad I'm here here today
I'm so glad I'm here everyday
I'm so glad I'm here everyday

Instead of keeping track of all the things that went wrong yesterday, I need to remember how glad (blessed, thankful, joyful) I am to be right here with these precious children!

Savory Saturday

2011-07-23T08:33:00.001-05:00

Oh, Paula Deen! That should be enough to tell you that you HAVE to try this!

Easy Blueberry Skillet Cake

Preheat oven to 375

Streusel Topping:
1/4 C slivered almonds
1/4 C granulated sugar
2 T unsalted butter
2 1/2 T all-purpose flour
1 t ground cinnamon

Combine all streusal ingredients in food processor and pulse until large crumbs form

Coffee Cake:
2 T unsalted butter
1 T light brown sugar
1 (12 oz) tube buttermilk biscuits
1 C blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed

In a 9 inch oven-proof skillet, cook butter and brown sugar until melted. Place biscuits in a single layer in the skillet. Blueberries on top of biscuits, streusal on top of blueberries. Bake until biscuits are golden--about 30 minutes.

Gracelyn, Ellie, and I just had this for breakfast and it was delicious!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T14:12:00.001-05:00

Broken Heart?

2011-07-19T09:45:00.000-05:00

We took Ellie to the cardiologist a couple of weeks ago so they could check her PDA. Her last appointment was in December of 2009. At that time, they said the PDA was still there but it was tiny. This time was even better. The Dr. told us it is still present, but it is so small they really can't do anything to fix it. She actually said that it is, "tinier than tiny!" The PDA could still heal on its own, but there is no concern of it causing her any problems even if it doesn't go away completely. The tech who did the ultrasound said he would never have seen it if he didn't know to be looking for it. We will continue to monitor everything, just in case, but the Dr. didn't even tell us any symptoms to watch for. Our next appointment won't be until summer of 2013.

Just in Case You Were Wondering...

2011-07-19T09:13:00.000-05:00

rubbing alcohol will remove permanent marker from the wall. AND from littler girls' faces!!

I have the BEST picture of their remorseful faces covered in black permanent marker, but it is on my phone and I am not technology savvy enough to get it on this blog!! I will work on it....If you have any suggestions, let me know!!

Cherished Moments

2011-07-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

Gracelyn is such a wonderful big sister! If Ben is crying on his playmat or bouncy seat she will drop whatever she is doing and run to wherever he is and try to make him feel better. Sometimes she just puts his pacifier back in his mouth, but sometimes she will sit next to him and make faces or silly sounds trying to get him to smile.

Pigtails are my absolute FAVORITE!! (Even when they are a little lopsided! )

Pigtails AND Chick-fil-A. It doesn't get any better than that!

Naptime has been a struggle with Ben, and I don't remember having these issues with Ellie and Gracelyn when they were his age. He just has not gotten into a routine, yet. He has been sleeping through the night, about 8 hours, since he was about a month old and 10-12 hours since about a month and a half. But, naps are crazy! In the last week he has napped at around 1 pm for about 2 hours. Before he started that he would take 3 naps that only lasted about 45 minutes. He usually sleeps between 9 and 10 in the morning and between 4 and 5 in the afternoon, but he is not consistent. Maybe this is normal and Ellie and Gracelyn were just good sleepers, but I just feel like he should be sleeping more. Thankfully, he is a complete sweetie even though he doesn't sleep a whole lot!

Gracelyn and Ellie sure do love each other! Don't get me wrong, they bicker a LOT, but before you know it, they are back playing together like nothing ever happened. I pray that their relationship stays close through high school, college, marriage, children, and beyond. I know what a special bond sisters have, but I can't even imagine what it is like having a twin sister! I caught this special moment on the way to church last weekend.

I don't think I have bragged on my husband lately. Seriously, he is the absolute BEST! Things have been crazy (busy, disorganized, lonely, exhausting) around here the last several months. 1. new baby 2. moved for the second time in less than a year 3. Dave taking summer school classes 4 mornings a week and working 6 days a week 4. Did I mentioned we moved, again, less than 3 months after having a new baby??? Most of the unpacking and organizing has been my responsibility. For some reason:

it is going very slowly!! A couple weekends ago Dave got off work a little bit earlier than usual on Saturday and he kicked me out of the house. I got to eat lunch with a good friend, go shopping all by myself, and just relax! That's just what I needed to get myself pulled back together! Dave tries to take the girls to breakfast one morning a week. It is good daddy/daughter time, but it also gives me a slow morning. Ben doesn't let me sleep in, but a 4 month old is a lot less demanding than two 2 year olds! ;) They usually come home with a special treat for me, too!

That's all I have this Monday afternoon. It is a random hodge podge, but these are such special times I don't want to forget the little things!

Savory Saturday

2011-07-16T07:50:00.004-05:00

I LOVE using my crockpot!! Trying to cook at the end of the day when Ellie and Gracelyn need the most attention usually ends in a house that looks like a tornado came through. The kitchen will be a mess. The playroom will be a mess. The girls' room will be a mess. Ben's room will be a mess. The living room will be a mess. I think you get the idea. They have to stay busy doing something when I am cooking so they like to take every toy from where it belongs and put it on the floor in another room. Seriously, it is almost like they do it on purpose! Whenever I plan ahead and can get something in the crockpot in the morning, though, the afternoon/evening goes much easier. And, by easier I mean neater, quieter, happier....

Pot Roast is probably my favorite thing to make in the crockpot. Unfortunately, Ellie and Gracelyn don't eat pot roast, but that doesn't stop me from making it from time to time and at least trying to get them to eat it. My favorite roast so far is this easy pot roast. I didn't even make gravy.

Easy Pot Roast
Makes 6 servings

6 potatoes, quartered
6 carrots, sliced
3-3 1/2 lb. chuck roast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
2-3 T flour (for gravy)
1/4 C cold water (for gravy)

1. Place potatoes and carrots in crockpot. Add meat. Top with soups.

2. Cover and cook 8-9 hours

3. Gravy--Pour juices from crockpot into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix flour with water until smooth. Stir into juices in pan until thickened.

Nothing too "special" about this roast, but it is good and it is easy. And, that is exactly what I like!

What is your favorite crockpot recipe?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T06:59:00.002-05:00

Date With Daddy

2011-07-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

About a week before Father's Day I was driving through Chick-fil-A and saw a sign for Daddy Daughter Date night on the Saturday before Father's Day. I thought it was a neat idea so I told Dave he should take the girls. The sign said something about making a reservation but I didn't pay much attention because I didn't really think too many people would go. When I finally got online to make a reservation our local Chick-fil-A was booked! I found the closest one that still had reservations available and signed Dave and the girls up. Unfortunately, their reservations were for a restaurant in the mall. The manager told Dave that they aren't able to go all out like the normal restaurants, but the girls didn't notice!

I started talking to them Saturday morning about their date. We picked out their clothes and talked about what they would do. To say they were excited is a terrible understatement! They could not wait for Dave to get home from work.

Daddy helping Ellie put on her shoes.

Ellie waving bye-bye to Mommy.

Gracelyn and her "cheese" face.

All ready to go!

After they ate there wasn't much left for them to do, but no one (including me) wanted the date to be over, so Dave took the girls to Barnes and Noble. They had fun playing on the stage in the children's area.

Singing and dancing to their own made up songs.

They also went up to TCU to play outside. Dave knew it would not be too crowded and it is close to the mall, so they went to say hello to everyone. I had to include all 4 of these next pictures. They are almost all the same, but you can tell they are singing a song to their Daddy. In the last picture, Gracelyn is, apparently, telling him how old she is at the end of the song. That is how she shows you with her fingers that she is 2.

These girls sure do love their Daddy! They (we) are blessed to have him! What a special night that we hope to repeat every year! I was a little sad when Dave came home and showed me all the pictures. They had such a good time and I missed it all, but it was so much fun for them because I wasn't there. It was just the girls and Dave, no nagging momma, and they need that sometimes. I just wish I could have been stalking them from a nearby table!! ;)

Savory Saturday

2011-07-09T07:06:00.006-05:00

I made this recipe Wednesday night. It came from Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals cookbook. Took a little longer than 30 minutes, but not much.

Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini
4 servings

1   10-ounce box frozen spinach
2   T extra virgin olive oil
3   garlic cloves, chopped
1   small onion
2   T all-purpose flour
1   C chicken stock
1   C heavy cream
1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg
1   14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
A couple of handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
1   lb cheese tortellini or flavored tortellini

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Microwave the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet. (I didn't like doing this. Next time, I will mince the onion.) Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a bubble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.

Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini according to package directions, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain it well and toss with the spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T16:51:00.000-05:00

Naptime Nightmare

2011-06-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

For some crazy reason I decided today was the day to really start "training" the girls to sleep in their new beds. This was the end result....

Yes, that is their dresser laying in the middle of the floor. This picture was taken right after I lifted the dresser up just enough for both girls to pull themselves out from under it. Everyone is fine, but when I heard the crash from the kitchen I was afraid of what I was going to find. Needless to say, this ended what was supposed to be naptime today. Ellie and Gracelyn were not interested in taking a nap prior to the dresser mishap. I put them down around 1:30 and had to go back in about a million times during the next couple of hours. That is barely an exaggeration. I went in once and took their beloved blankies away because they were out of bed. That was the original punishment that we talked about when I first put them in bed. Obviously didn't work! Neither did: *the spanking, *the removal of every single toy from their room, *the removal of their fan, *the removal of all their blankets and pillows, *the crazy eyes of their mother who was on the brink of losing her mind!!! Apparently, I should have removed the dresser!

Ducks!

2011-06-28T22:44:00.063-05:00

We needed to get out of the house this morning so I took the kids for a walk down to the pond. We took some bread so the girls could feed the ducks. They had so much fun! Ellie (in yellow) didn't understand the concept of throwing the bread to the ducks. She would just walk towards them trying to hand them the pieces of bread. You might notice in almost all the pictures, the ducks are walking/swimming away from her! It was so fun watching her think about it and try to figure out what she needed to do differently.

Ellie--chasing the ducks back into the water.

For a brief moment she got distracted trying to tear her bread into small pieces. The ducks started inching closer and closer.

Ellie--calling the ducks back to shore.

Gracelyn--regathering her bread pieces so she can throw them again.

Happy as can be!

We are pretty sure Gracelyn is left handed so it is weird to see her trying to awkwardly throw with her right hand.

Ellie looks defeated! "Why do they keep swimming away???"

We encountered even more ducks on our way back home and had to stop one last time.

Ben was with us. I was carrying him in the Baby Bjorn so I couldn't get him in any pictures. He stayed awake until we were on our way back home and then he was totally out! That boy! He is as easy as they come. No fussing the entire time we were gone! Ellie and Gracelyn keep talking about going back to see the ducks. Hopefully next time Dave can go with us!

Play-Doh!

2011-06-16T21:49:00.000-05:00

Santa brought the girls play-doh and we just pulled it out for the first time! I grabbed a couple of forks and some clothespins for them to play with and they had so much fun!

Gracelyn: "To eat or not to eat?"

Ellie has gotten so shy lately, even in front of the camera.

Ben. Isn't he a sweetie!?!?!

2 Month Check-up

2011-05-11T17:30:00.002-05:00

I took Ben to the doctor for his 2 month check-up today. Unfortunately, his doctor was not their so we saw another doctor. She was fine, I just really like our doctor a lot! Ben weighs 13 lbs. 1 oz. and is 24 1/2 inches long. Both of those stats are in the 90th percentile for his age. I don't remember what his head circumference was but it was only the 25th percentile. He is one big baby, which is something I am not used to! I just pulled out the girls' baby books and found that at 2 months Gracelyn weighed 9 lbs. 4 oz. and was 21 inches and Ellie weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches long. Ben, at birth, was bigger than Ellie at 2 months! That is crazy to think about! Ben is doing really well, obviously! 2 month check-ups are not fun because they get a bunch of shots. Ben had these Daffy Duck band aids on both of his sweet little legs (I use the term "little" loosely!). We are so thankful for the blessing of our sweet, healthy, baby boy!

Irresistable

2011-05-05T09:13:00.001-05:00

I couldn't resist this sweet moment! Sleeping babies are one of the most precious things ever! (Yes, he is wearing the same shirt he was wearing yesterday! I am sure we changed it at some point during the day, but why rush it and just add more to my already mountainous pile of laundry?!?!)

Wordless Wednesday--Snack time

2011-05-04T17:05:00.001-05:00

Tummy time & Tuckered out

2011-05-03T22:59:00.001-05:00

Tummy time. Ben is holding his head up really well! He doesn't like tummy time very much but he will tolerate it for a few minutes. When he is awake he wants to be on his back, but he really enjoys taking naps on his tummy.

Tuckered out. Ben worked so hard during tummy time, by the end of the day he was exhausted! :)

Botanic Gardens

2011-05-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

Getting out with all 3 kids is a work in progress to say the least, but we can't just stay cooped up in the house all the time. So when Lindsay asked to meet up at the Botanic Gardens I figured some fresh air would do us some good. It definitely makes things easier having another pair of hands to help corral the girls when I am occupied with Ben, and Lindsay doesn't hesitate to help a friend out! The wind nearly blew us away, but the sun was shining and the girls had a great time!

Nothing like a good friend, or two!

Ellie, Mia, Gracelyn

Stop and smell the roses!

Gracelyn

Ellie

Curious little fingers playing in the dirt. I thought it was just boys who did this!

So much space to run and play.

Sitting on a rock, watching the turtles in the pond.

Gracelyn, Mia, Ellie

We are looking forward to taking Dave along next time!

No promises....

2011-05-01T17:20:00.001-05:00

I am trying to make it back to blogging but I am not going to make any promises. I am just not motivated to spend time on the computer these days. I would rather sit on the couch and hold my newest little bundle during naptime. I would rather sit on the couch and read books with the cutest 2 year olds around. I would rather sit on the couch and eat a bowl of ice cream. As you may have noticed, I do a lot of sitting on the couch these days. One day soon I am going to have to change that, but for now we are enjoying our simple, laid back life.

Dress Up

2011-01-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

Gracelyn

Ellie

Going for a Stroll

2011-01-08T20:07:00.001-06:00

Dave went to the Rose Bowl last weekend. He had a late flight on New Year's Eve, so before he left he took Ellie and Gracelyn for a walk while I made dinner. The girls decided their babies needed to go for a walk, too. It was the sweetest thing to see Dave walking down the street with his girls!

Ho, Ho, Ho

2010-12-22T09:51:00.000-06:00

The first picture is the girls with Santa last year. They weren't crazy about him, but we were able to take several pictures. There weren't very many smiles, though.

This is how it went this year....

No smiles at all. Gracelyn held it together for about 30 seconds. Ellie screamed and reached for her daddy the entire time. We took them the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I thought the mall would be really busy and we would have to wait in a long line. Nope! We had a chance to talk with Santa before he held the girls. We thought if they could get acquainted then maybe we could get a good picture. It didn't really work out that way, as you can see. I will occasionally ask Ellie if she wants to go sit in Santa's lap and she promptly responds, "No way!" Maybe next year....

2 year pictures

2010-12-21T17:12:00.001-06:00

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. Sorry about that, but I just don't have the energy these days to sit down and try to type a complete sentence. So, forget the sentences and enjoy some pictures....

Come back soon and see Santa pictures and 2nd birthday pics.

Yummy Fried Rice

2010-11-22T19:05:00.001-06:00

I know, it is Thanksgiving week so I should be posting my favorite Turkey Day recipes. But, I made this tonight and it was such a hit I had to share. It is the perfect meal to prepare during this busy week because it is super easy!! I have included the entire recipe as I found it on the internet but have made my changes in red.

3 large eggs
vegetable cooking spray
2 T vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t grated ginger (omitted)
2 C small broccoli florets
1 C shredded or matchstick carrots
1/2 C sliced celery (omitted)
1/2 C sliced red pepper (omitted)
1 C sliced snow peas (omitted)
1 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1/2 C vegetable or chicken broth
2 T soy sauce
4 cups cooked brown rice
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Scramble eggs. Transfer eggs to a clean bowl and set aside.
2. Wipe skillet clean and add oil. Heat over medium-high heat, add garlic and ginger, and cook 30 seconds. Add broccoli, carrots, celery and red pepper and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add snow peas and yellow squash and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in broth and soy sauce and simmer for 3 minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender. Stir in brown rice, green onions, and scrambled eggs. Reduce heat to low and warm through, about 5 minutes.

Since I omitted so many of the veggies, next time I will probably add more carrots, broccoli, and squash or find other veggies to include. I might also throw in some diced chicken breast with the garlic so it has a little more substance. Dave isn't used to eating meals with no meat so this was a bit of a change for him!

You really need to try this rice! I could not believe how quick and easy it was, and, better yet, my picky eater ate a bowl and a half!!

Beautiful Butterflies

2010-11-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

Saturday night after the pumpkin patch we went to a nearby trunk or treat where our church was participating. Dave and I had so much fun with out little butterflies. Ellie and Gracelyn loved being dressed up!! We only went to a few trunks because the girls don't really eat much candy. (I guess I should say we don't give them much candy to eat.) We got to see some of our friends and the girls enjoyed their first ever lollipop.

Gracelyn checking out her loot!

Both girls were so excited to see their friend Tinkerbell!

Sorry the picture is a little blurry, but I wanted you to see the pure happiness on Graceelyn's face!

Ellie is perfectly content with her lollipop. Gracelyn kept getting tired of hers and she would want a new one. We just asked Ellie to trade with her and she did so happily every time. She is so sweet to share with her sister!

Butterfly G and Butterfly E on the walk back to our car.

Had to include this one of my sweet hubby!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-30T21:36:00.001-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today when Dave got off work. The girls had a GREAT time. They loved running around patting, kissing, and throwing the pumpkins.

Ellie, Gracelyn and me

Gracelyn

Gracelyn loves pumpkins!!

Ellie

Ellie about to throw her pumpkin.

Dave and Ellie

Ellie and Gracelyn looking at the goats.

Ellie and Gracelyn sitting with Dave on the hay.

Ellie playing in the hay.

Gracelyn throwing hay.

Gracelyn

Ellie

Ellie's New Favorite Accessory

2010-10-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

Fish Faces

2010-10-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

Too cute not to share!

Ellie

Gracelyn

It's been MONTHS!!!

2010-09-28T14:26:00.000-05:00

I am not even going to try and catch up on all that has been happening around here since my last post in June. I will just hit the high points....

1. We have moved. Not too far from where we were before, but closer to Dave's work, my work, church, and friends. There are clothes (all mine) piled up all over our bedroom and closet. We have boxes of office stuff where our office will one day be, but we need to find a desk first. And half of the garage is still full of stuff. I don't really know what most of it is, but we didn't get rid of it in the garage sale so I guess it is important?????

2. Galloway #3 is in the oven. Yep, we are pregnant. I am due March 7, and yes, we have had a sonogram and we are definitely only having one this time!

I was planning on posting pictures of the girls but my usb cable is still packed and I can't figure out where. Ellie and Gracelyn are getting so big I can't stand it! They are so much fun these days! I will try to get some pictures up before too long...just as soon as I can find that stinkin usb cable.

DO try this at home!!!

2010-06-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

Back in January I asked for recipe ideas from all of you. I have received a few that I have tried and enjoyed. My good friend, Amber, went out of her way to help me out. She sent me an email with 5 or 6 of her favorite recipes. I haven't tried all of them, but the ones I have tried have been delicious. Here is my favorite so far....

Garlic Lime Chicken

1 t salt
¾ t pepper
¼ t cayenne pepper
¼ t paprika
1 t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
½ t thyme
Chicken breasts (The recipe calls for 6. Leftovers?)
2 T butter
2T olive oil
4 T lime juice
½ cup chicken broth

Mix the first 7 ingredients. Pound out the chicken in a Ziploc bag until thin. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of the chicken. Heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and add lime juice and chicken broth to pan. Whisk the mixture around until it is reduced, mixing up the brown bits. Pour over the chicken. Enjoy!

You need to change whatever dinner plans you have tonight and make this instead. It is that good! Enjoy

Canada, river walk, Zoe, and a ranch

2010-06-17T19:20:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday of our week long stay in Montana, we headed to Cranbrook, BC. This was Dave's and my first trip to Canada, AND it was Ellie and Gracelyn's first international expedition anywhere. We knew that we had to go while we were close enough to make a day trip because we might not ever get the opportunity again. I don't know what I was expecting. After our other international travels, I figured Cranbrook would be different than the U. S. in some way. It really wasn't. I mean, I know it is different, but not in an obvious, you're in another country, kind of way. It was just more beautiful scenery, wild animals, farms, rivers. We are so glad we went, and now Ellie and Gracelyn can say they were international travelers when they were 1.

We did find a cute little deli for lunch. While we were eating Dave had to leave and put money in the parking meter. On his walk to the car he passed a park so we headed that direction after lunch.

Ellie, Jake, Gracelyn

Have I mentioned it was cold the entire time we were at Jill's? I checked the weather before we went and it was supposed to be in the upper 60s and 70s while we were there. Nope, 50s and low 60s was what we got. So, Gracelyn and Ellie had to borrow a couple of Jake's jackets when we spent time outside.

Ellie putting rocks on the slide.

Daddy pushing Gracelyn on the swing.

Gracelyn was so excited about the swings.

Gracelyn, Dave, Ellie, and Jake swinging at a random Canadian park.

Ellie loves clapping.

Our family under the Canadian flag.

Thursday was pretty packed. We finally had sunshiney weather with warm (relatively speaking) weather. After breakfast we loaded the kids up and went to the local river walk. The town where Jill and Jeremy live is pretty small and not too fancy. They have a few touristy places, but not much. This river walk was an unexpected surprise. It was so nice! We all had such a good time exploring, throwing rocks, leaves, branches, etc. And, surprisingly, all Jake wanted to do was ride in the stroller. All Gracelyn wanted to do was NOT ride in the stroller.

Gracelyn and her first dandelion.

Gracelyn NOT riding in the stroller.

Ellie and Gracelyn sporting their shades.

Me pushing Ellie and Jake, Dave with Gracelyn NOT riding in the stroller.

Ellie and her daddy.

Meet Zoe.

She is a sweet horse that lives behind the fence that runs along Jill's driveway. Literally, right outside their backdoor. When we got home from the river walk we took some apples out to feed her. Jake was an old pro. He just walked right up to the fence and started feeding her, no fear. Gracelyn and Ellie were much more timid. It was a neat experience for them and got them ready for what we had planned for that afternoon.

Zoe, Gracelyn, me, Ellie, Aunt Jill

Jill and Jeremy have some good friends who work on a ranch. Man, ranches in Montana sure look different than ranches in Texas!! Look at all those trees!

We tried putting Gracelyn on the horse behind Jake, but she was not having it. Uncle Jeremy wanted to get her in the picture so he stood behind the horse and held her up. Ellie and Jake had a good time sitting there, though. Gracelyn is definitely my cautious girl. (She just might get that from me....)

Ellie

Gracelyn

Get me off this thing!!

Ellie picking dandelions in the field. She was such a sweet girl all afternoon. They didn't get a morning nap and then slept for less than an hour as we were driving to the ranch, but she didn't fuss at all. There was too much going on for her to mess with fussing!!

There are no words.

We had such a wonderful time with Jill and her family. We got to see some beautiful places, and new animals. My favorite times, though, were the mornings when all the kids were up playing together. It was such a blessing just to spend time together and see our children enjoying time with each other. Jill was worried that we weren't seeing as much as we wanted to see, and there are a few places that we would have liked to have seen, but when you are lugging 4 kids under 2 around with you it is nice to just stay home and relax! Thanks Jill, Jeremy, Jake and August! We had a great time and we love you very much. I guess we are going to have to come back and visit so we can see the places we missed, AND see your new house!!

More from Montana

2010-06-10T21:43:00.004-05:00

Most of our days in Montana were spent relaxing until Jeremy got home from work around 4 in the afternoon. Monday, Memorial Day, he was off work so we decided to make the drive to Glacier National Park. We left Jeremy and Jill's house just after 10, stopped for an early lunch and then headed for Glacier. Unfortunately, our visit was a little too early in the summer and we could only drive about 16 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. What we saw was breathtaking, though!

Ellie, Jake, and Gracelyn watching a video before we ate breakfast.

I had to include this picture of Ellie because this is how she and Gracelyn ate most of their meals--sitting in the middle of Jill's dining table. Jill only has one highchair and Jake used it most of the time, so the girls just sat in the middle of the table and ate off their plates and anyone else's who happened to be sitting with them. Ellie just made herself right at home!

On the way to Glacier, we got to take a detour and see some bears. This picture makes it look like they were in the wild, but they weren't. We drove through this little park where they had five bears just lounging around. It was still exciting, though.

Ellie sitting in my lap watching the bears.

We finally made it to Glacier National Park.

Lake McDonald

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Waterfall where we stopped to stretch our legs and explore.

Me with Ellie, Dave with Gracelyn in front of the waterfall.

Gracelyn, Jake, Ellie

Gracelyn was sleepy.

Jake just threw a rock.

Ellie looks a little mischievous.

This is how we all felt on our way home. Jake was completely exhausted. All the kids slept for a while on the way home, but Gracelyn and Ellie's carseats are still rear-facing so I couldn't get a picture of them from the front seat.

Once we got home Gracelyn wanted to hold her new cousin. She was so sweet and gentle with August.

Gracelyn sure does love August!

Ellie decided she wanted to hold August, also, so Aunt Jill helped her.

She wasn't quite as gentle as Gracelyn, but she sure did love him, too.

That was some kiss. He will be feeling that one for a while!

Tuesday afternoon we went for a drive to find a pretty place to take some pictures of all the kids. We found a great spot, but it was next to impossible to get all the kids together AND looking at the camera. Forget about getting them all to smile! It was about 55 degrees so we kept jackets on the girls most of the time. My mom got all 4 of them these cute white shirts when she was staying with Jill a few weeks ago so we wanted to get pictures wearing them. The weather didn't cooperate, but we got a few anyway.

Gracelyn, Ellie, and Jake exploring. Isn't that view gorgeous!!!

This was taken about half a second after we put them all down. They didn't stay sitting for long. There was too much to see, touch, throw....

Ellie giving Jake a kiss. They were so sweet and loved playing with each other so much!

Jake just had to teach Gracelyn and Ellie how to put grass in their mouths like the boys.

Ellie

Gracelyn

Yes, there is still more to come. Next blog will include Canada, the local river walk, Zoe, and a ranch. You won't want to miss it!!!

Montana

2010-06-09T21:02:00.002-05:00

We spent last week in Montana visiting my sister and her family. We originally scheduled our flight to leave around 10 Friday morning. The airline moved us to an earlier flight. 6 AM!!! No joke. We had to get the girls up and to the airport to make a 6 am flight! Dave and I got up just before 3 and were loading the girls up by 3:15. We thought they would sleep the entire drive to the airport. Nope. We thought they might sleep in the stroller while we were waiting to board. Nope. We thought they would sleep on the airplane. Nope, and yep. Ellie stayed awake the entire time, but Gracelyn slept almost an hour. We had a layover for about 3 hours in the Denver airport. We strapped the girls in the stroller and I walked and walked. Finally, they slept. And, I got my excercise for the day! We made it to Montana without too much drama. We got our rental and drove to Jill's. It was so nice to see her standing out on her front porch waving as we drove up. We got to meet August for the first time. He was asleep on our bed and I couldn't wait to get my hands on that sweet baby! Gracelyn and Ellie got to play with Jake for a little while before we put them in the bath. The airplane germs had to go!

Jake, Gracelyn, & Ellie

We usually take a bath after dinner, but decided to do it before dinner this once. Gracelyn and Ellie had a great time playing with all the "new" bath toys. They actually had a great time playing with all of Jake's toys all week.

Saturday we rested and watched the kids play until Jeremy got home from work. Then we set out exploring. Jill and Jeremy took us up the road a ways and we went into a state forest and we found a stream. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating. It was drizzly most of the time we were out, but we didn't let that stop us from having fun.

Jill with August, Jeremy with Gracelyn and Jake

Ellie holding a tiny pinecone.

Jake loved, loved, loved picking up everything he could get his hands on and throwing it into the stream. That kid showed no fear. Even when he almost went for a dip.

Jill and me. Doesn't the setting behind us look like a backdrop in a photo studio? It was so pretty!

Ellie and Gracelyn watching Jake throw rocks, twigs, pinecones, grass, limbs...into the water.

Ellie, still holding that pinecone. Gracelyn was a little unsure of what we were doing.

Mommy and Gracelyn

Our little family

Gracelyn finally got comfortable enough to start exploring a little. It just takes her a few minutes to get warmed up.

This was the first time the girls really got to admire their newest cousin. Boy did they love that baby!!

Sunday was another relaxing day. We went to church with Jill and then took it easy. Dave and Jeremy mowed/weedeated (is that even a word, or is it weedate??) and I pulled Jake, Gracleyn, and Ellie in the wagon up and down their driveway. They had more fun than what it looks like in these pictures. I promise! Look at Jake with a rock in his hand. There were puddles in their drive and he wanted me to stop every time we got to one so he could throw a rock and make it splash.

We were in Montana for a week so stay tuned for the rest of the trip. We got to see real live black bears!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T04:08:00.002-05:00

Funny Face

2010-05-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

I just stumbled across this picture of Gracelyn. I guess Dave took it about a week ago. It made me laugh out loud when I first saw it. I know it is a little blurry, but I think it is too funny not to share.

Just a Phase???

2010-05-07T15:51:00.004-05:00

That is milk. Milk that my precious, sweet girls decided needed to be spit out all over my kitchen and living room. Yep, on the carpet. The first picture is Gracelyn pretty upset because she does NOT like getting in trouble. She wants you happy and smiling at her all the time. She knew as soon as I saw the milk everywhere that I was not happy and not smiling and she did not like it. Can you see the milk all around her mouth, running down her chin, pooled in her neck crease and covering the front of her dress? Ellie doesn't usually mind getting in trouble so it is ok with her that I was not happy and not smiling. I am hoping this is just a phase that they will quickly become bored with!

It is with great relief that I update this post. It was, in fact, just a phase. I guess after having their milk taken away after such an incident, both girls quickly learned that spitting milk was not at all acceptable! It lasted a week or so, but I am glad to report, we are spit-free these days!!

Today

2010-05-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

Well, today was a pretty normal day. I worked this morning and came home to have lunch with Dave and Ellie & Gracelyn. My friend, Lindsay, came over and brought her sweet little girl, Mia. Ellie was so cute...when Mia came in I told Ellie to go say hi to her. She walked right over to Mia and gave her a big hug. It was just about the cutest thing EVER!! The girls napped a while and then we played in the front yard for a few minutes before I had to get dinner started.

Gracelyn-left, Ellie-right

Gracelyn-she is lovin that mulch!

Ellie-digging for some kind of treasure.

When we were getting ready for bed Ellie decided she was going to try and climb on the coffee table.

Silly girl!!

Her legs aren't quite long enough to get up there, but she sure did give it her best effort.

Just a little info on my wordless post yesterday....No, Gracelyn does not sleep on the wedge anymore. She only lasted about a month (when she was a couple of months old) and then we gave up. I pulled the wedge out of the closet yesterday to loan to a friend and thought it would be fun to see how Gracelyn would react if I put her in it. She really liked it. I couldn't believe it. She actually got pretty upset at me when I took her out. A lotta memories were made with that wedge. Unfortunately, I don't think any of them were good....Until yesterday!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T22:40:00.001-05:00

2/13/09

5/5/10

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T22:41:00.001-05:00

Hodge Podge

2010-04-26T23:19:00.000-05:00

So much has been going on around here since my last post. This is going to be a crazy hodge podge of information, sorry, but if I don't get it all down now I don't think I ever will.

We started the month by going to visit one of my very best friends, Casey, and her little boy, Noah. Casey and I met at A&M and don't get to see each other nearly enough. It was so much fun to have our kids play together. Noah is 18 days older than Ellie and Gracelyn so I am sure you can imagine how they kept us on our toes all day!! This is the best picture I got of all three. They were never all still at the same time.

These next couple of pictures are of Gracelyn and Ellie eating (or in Gracelyn's case, not eating) lunch. As you can see from Gracelyn's tray, she did not like what we were having for lunch--strawberries, grapes, bread, and shaved turkey. I think she did end up eating the grapes and bread.

Ellie, on the other hand, cleaned her tray.

Can you tell who my picky eater is? Gracelyn turns her nose up at everything we put in front of her, even if she has eaten it and loved it before. I have to quickly maneuver the spoon between her hands and to her lips just to get a little taste on them before she turns her head away. She will either lick her lips and hesitate before taking the offered bite or she will lick her lips and then stick out her tongue in disgust. Sometimes it is hard to keep my cool when she refuses to eat, but I know this is just part of having a toddler. Thankfully, Ellie eats everything put in front of her in about 2.5 seconds. No kidding. This girl loves to try new things. She doesn't always like it, but she will try everything.

On Saturday, Dave and I took Gracelyn and Ellie to the NICU reunion at the hospital. I didn't really know what to expect, but we definitely wanted to say thank you to all the doctors and nurses who took such good care of our babies when they were in the NICU. Unfortunately, we didn't see our doctor or any of our nurses while we were there. But, we had a good time anyway.

Dave helping Gracelyn figure out the straw.

This is Ellie and I talking with nurse Linda. She never took care of E or G, but she was assigned to some other babies in the same room with them towards the end of their stay. She also taught the CPR class that Dave and I took before we brought the girls home.

Dave taking a picture while Gracelyn stuffs animal crackers in her mouth. She did NOT stick out her tongue in disgust at her first taste of animal crackers, obviously!!

Ellie and Gracelyn in their stroller ready to go home. They were pretty worn out by the time we left the hospital.

Lately, anytime Ellie wakes up, first thing in the morning or from a nap, the first thing out of her mouth is "Dada, Dada, Dada." It is the sweetest thing I have ever heard. These girls L-O-V-E their daddy! This morning when they got up from their nap, Dave and I were getting some lunch ready and both girls were calling for their daddy. I said something about how much he loves them being such daddy's girls. His response...."Yeah, why do you think I wanted to have twin girls!"

Oh, what an Easter

2010-04-06T22:16:00.001-05:00

Not much to say about our Easter. No cute Easter dress photos. You wouldn't want to see them even if there were because the girls didn't get their morning nap on Sunday morning so there weren't too many smiles or happy faces. We thought about trying to get some after church but decided it was better to feed them and put them to bed. Ellie and Gracelyn did have a good time Sunday afternoon playing with the baskets and eggs my Granma gave them on Saturday.

Look at Gracelyn's face. She is so excited playing with that "grass". She was dropping it on Ellie's head and having a ball.

Saturday my parents, Gracelyn, Ellie, and I went to my grandparent's house to celebrate my Granpa's birthday. My grandparents, 3 of my aunts, an uncle, cousin Mark and his girlfriend, my Auntie Fran and Uncle Newell and cousin Laurie were all there. We had a good time with everyone. My Granma had baskets and eggs for the girls. There were little cookies hidden inside the eggs and once Ellie figured that out she became a lot more serious about finding the eggs. You know me, no pictures because my camera stayed in the diaper bag the entire afternoon.... It was a long day but we are so thankful that we got to spend so much time with some of the people we love most!

A Wedding and an Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T20:24:00.003-05:00

We drove to Atlanta a couple of weeks ago because Dave was in a wedding there. We were a little worried about how Ellie and Gracelyn would do traveling that far. They did GREAT!! We left on a Wednesday night and drove straight through the night. The girls slept pretty well most of the night. But, we were ALL ready for a nap by the time we got to Dave's parent's house. On the way home we drove a little over halfway and stopped for the night. Thankfully, Ellie let us all sleep until about 7:30 the next morning. While Dave was driving I read to him. I recently bought Same Kind of Different as Me and it sounded like a story Dave would enjoy. It sure did make the time go by so much faster!! We got about 3/4 of the way through it before we got home. If you haven't read it, I would recommend it. It is a very touching story. We had so much fun with Dave's family and friends I didn't take very many pictures. The only shots I got were at the wedding reception and after church on Sunday. There was an egg hunt after church so Ellie and Gracelyn had a fun time looking for eggs. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate so all the eggs were "hidden" inside the building.

Gracelyn at the wedding reception

Ellie with her handsome daddy!

Me and my man

Ellie, Gracelyn, and Claire watching the beautiful bride and her groom taking pictures outside.

Gracelyn loves having her daddy hold her.

Our little family. Both girls are doing some major teething, can ya tell?

Ellie does NOT know a stranger. She went right to the Easter Bunny and would have let him hold her all day, but there were other kids wanting to meet him, too.

Gracelyn is much more reserved than Ellie. She didn't seem scared of the Easter Bunny, but she didn't want him to hold her, either.

Gracelyn

Ellie

Gracelyn figured out pretty quickly what to do. She tried to grab as many eggs as she could, but it took some time for her to figure out she had to put the eggs in her bag before she could pick up more.

Ellie and me. She carried that one egg around for the longest time. Once she found an egg she just held onto it and wanted to go around and see what everyone else was doing. She is definitely a social butterfly!!

This is the only picture I got with both girls. It isn't great, but you can definitely see how excited they are.

Gracelyn and me. This was after the egg hunt was over and we were getting ready to leave. I don't think she was ready to go....

We had so much fun, but it was nice to be home, too. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed, right?!?!?!

Sunshine!

2010-03-13T20:49:00.000-06:00

We have been able to spend some time outside this month. Ellie and Gracelyn LOVE being outside. As soon as I say the word "outside" they both walk straight to the front door. After we are outside, as soon as I say "inside" they turn and run in the opposite direction!! Usually we just hang out in the driveway. They will walk back and forth from the street up to the front door and then back again exploring everything they see along the way. These first two pictures were taken the first week in March.

Ellie-left, Gracelyn-right

This could be trouble....

Gracelyn-left, Ellie-right

These two were taken on the 9th. It was a beautiful, warm day.

Gracelyn on the front porch.

Ellie LOVES digging in the mud. And, she LOVES showing off the treasures she digs up!

Today....

You think Gracelyn is excited about the sunny day we got to enjoy today?

Sweet Ellie smiling at her Daddy.

Priceless.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T17:04:00.001-06:00

A little of this, a little of that

2010-02-15T16:16:00.001-06:00

I started this post last Thursday....

I know I haven't had much to say on here lately and there is a good reason....We haven't been doing ANYTHING but staying inside and playing! Gracelyn had a double ear infection 3 weeks ago and while we were at the doctor's office I asked the pediatrician if their prematurity could still cause problems if they get sick now even though they are over 1 year old. Apparently, RSV could still be a potential problem. I know it is never good for a baby to get RSV but since Ellie and Gracelyn were born so early, it could pose a greater threat for their little lungs. The pedi said if they got it they would probably be fine, but she advised us to keep them out of the public until April again this year just to be extra careful. This has put a serious kink in our social calendar!! Thankfully, we have less than 2 months left!!

We officialy have two walkers on our hands! I can't believe it!! Gracelyn has been taking steps for just over a month and then on Monday she just started walking! She will still lose her balance, sit, and then crawl, but she will stand up and walk quite a bit. Ellie just started taking steps last week so I was thinking she might be walking in about a month. Nope! I guess she sat back and watched Gracelyn long enough to learn what she needed to do. She doesn't walk as often, but she has very good balance. It is so funny to see how they approach the whole business of walking so different from each other. Gracelyn is all about getting to her destination as quickly as possible. She just stands and goes, off balance, arms flying, mouth open, free for all. Ellie is not like that AT ALL. She will stand up and take very small, well balanced steps. This makes me rethink what I thought I knew of their personalities. We have always said Gracelyn is the thinker and Ellie is the doer. Most of the time, that is the case. However, when it comes to walking I think they are the opposite.

My parents came up last weekend for Dave's birthday. I called and asked them to come so Dave and I could go to dinner and see a movie to celebrate. We have only been out alone a handful of times since E & G were born, so this was a real treat!!

I don't know if any of you remember the story about Dave's birthday cake last year. In case you don't, check the link here. I decided in hopes of not reliving the past as a "Terrible Wife" I would just buy a box cake mix and call it a day. Dave requested strawberry with strawberry icing, so that was easy. I guess I should mention that my mom put the icing on the cupcakes while we were at the movie....Thanks, mom!!

We went and saw Dear John after we had dinner. As soon as the movie was over, Dave looked over at me and said, "That was disappointing." I will try not to give too much away, but they leave you wondering at the end of the movie. Dave was disappointed that something didn't happen one way or the other. I kind of felt like it was resolved, but I guess he wanted a little more. We enjoyed it for the most part, but everyone I have talked to who saw it have all asked the same question--"Why did she do that???" I guess if you want to know what "that" is, you will just have to go see the movie for yourself. Make sure you take some kleenex!

I have another recipe I want to share with you. Friday night I went to dinner with some friends, but since my parents were coming in I thought I would make soup for them and Dave. My friend, Amber, shared some of her favorite easy recipes with me and this potato soup was the first one I made. I realized it was a hit when I came home from the restaurant and put my leftovers in the fridge. I looked around for the leftover soup that I was most definitely going to try for lunch on Saturday. I was dumbfounded when there weren't any leftovers! Obviously, Dave, mom, and dad enjoyed every bite!! Here you are....

1 package Ore Ida frozen cubed hash browns (plain)

1 box of chicken broth (at least 32 oz.)
1 package of cream cheese
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup diced onions
1-2 cups cubed cooked ham
Dill to season ( a few tsps.) (I sprinkled in some dill weed, I don't know if that is the same thing, or not but I didn't see just dill in the spices)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the onions in butter until transparent. Add the chicken broth and frozen hash browns and bring to a boil. Turn the temp to low and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, just until the potatoes are cooked, but not falling apart. Add cream cheese and stir until dissolved. Add ham and dill, salt and pepper to taste.

Dave already asked if I would make it again. He hasn't done that with any of the new recipes I have tried. He never complains, and always seems to enjoy whatever I make (and the leftovers), but he rarely requests something in particular. Hopefully, I will get to eat some the next time I make it!!

My First Award

2010-02-15T16:01:00.000-06:00

Another SUPER old blog I started in JUNE of last year!!! Talk about being behind....

I have received my first award as a blogger. Thanks, Charla!! Before I get started I have to tell you that it is a little ironic that this is my first award because, not long ago, Dave and I were talking about how I am not a very passionate person. I will do my best to share with you what I AM passionate about....

5 things I am passionate about

1. Personal growth

There are areas of my personality, if you will, that are not what they should be. I think it is so important to take a good honest look at yourself and find things that you can change to make yourself a better person. I am constantly trying to grow as a Christian. Stretching myself and growing in my faith is a lifelong process that will NEVER be complete. There will always be something that I need to work on to make myself a better person.

2. Prayer

The results of faithful prayer are nothing short of amazing. I have seen them personally and whole-heartedly believe that God works in our lives when we fall to our knees and lay our burdens at His feet. There is nothing more freeing and comforting than being able to talk to God and knowing He can handle my worries and concerns better than I could ever possibly hope to do on my own.

3. Dave

Dave is a man of honor and integrity. He is such a loving and self-sacrificing husband. God truly blessed me beyond my wildest dreams when he sent me Dave. He is my best friend and I am so excited about our future together. My new favorite thing about David is the wonderful father that he is. Gracelyn and Ellie definitely only have eyes for their Daddy. It is so much fun for me to watch him interact with them and see that sweet, sensitive, patient side of him.

4. My girls

Ellie and Gracelyn are such sweet, perfect gifts from God. Motherhood is not exactly all that I expected it to be. It is a lot harder and more exhausting. I have never questioned my ability to do something as much as I question myself as a mother. It is such a huge responsibility and I want to give my girls the best of me everyday! It is so unbelievably worth every frustration, every day! Motherhood is also more rewarding than I ever thought it would be. Seeing Ellie and Gracelyn grow, learn, and play is so unbelievable. I am truly blessed to be their mother.

5. Traveling

I love going to new places, especially foreign countries, and seeing how other people live. I enjoy learning about other cultures, trying new foods, and experiencing life in other parts of the world. Planning a trip to a far away place is so exhilarating, but I also enjoy traveling to new places a little closer to home, especially these days. I am afraid our foreign travel might get put on hold for a few years as long as we have little rugrats running around. Shorter flights or destinations than can be reached by car are our new criteria!!

Now for the business of awarding:
1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Write 5 things you are passionate about apart from blogging, because we all know this thing can consume you.

3. Pass it on to 5 other people.

I want to pass this on to:
Jill
Michelle
Liz
Shelly
Kyley

Have fun, ladies!!

I LOVE....

2010-02-14T17:33:00.002-06:00

God
Dave
My girls
Avacado
Sunshine
Books
Coldplay
Walking toddlers
Colbie Caillat
Travelling to other countries
Granma
Being an Aggie
Jack Johnson
The Notebook
Broccoli
Sweet tea
Tucker
Photo albums
Orbit Sweetmint gum
Babe's Chicken
Plumeria
Survivor
Cheeseburgers & french fries
NeedToBreathe
Shade in the summer
Snow
Dustbuster
Bubble baths
Family
Third Day
Lost
Baby giggles
Pictures
Sweethome Alabama (movie)
Sunshine
Sushi
Cheesecake
Neutrogena Moustureshine lipstick
Reading
Hotdogs cooked over a fire
Clean hair
Candles
Historical Fiction
Lavendar Vanilla from Bath and Body Works
Spaceheater in my bathroom
Mascara
Jeans
Olive Garden
Hillsong United
Girlfriends
Leeland
Harris Methodist Fort Worth NICU & Antepartum
The Amazing Race
Experiencing foreign cultures

Gracelyn has found her nose!

2010-02-13T09:20:00.000-06:00

No, she is not picking her nose. She just loves poking her fingers in her nostrils! She did the exact same thing when she discovered her ears months and months ago. People would ask all the time if she had an ear infection and we would tell them, "No, she just loves putting her fingers in her ears." I don't think people are going to wonder about a nose infection, they are just going to assume she is picking away. Maybe this is a habit we should try and break. I am afraid she is going to hate me one day for putting this picture on the internet for all of you to see, but this is what she is doing these days and it cracks me up.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T18:53:00.001-06:00

It's all about the accessories

2010-01-26T22:32:00.000-06:00

Dave made Ellie and Gracelyn a "necklace" yesterday morning. Gracelyn doesn't like wearing hers. She will pull as hard as she can until one of the links gives way and the necklace comes off. Ellie doesn't like taking hers off! Here she is wearing it at breakfast yesterday.

And here she is playing this afternoon.

We take it off for naptime and sometimes when she is eating. I took it off at lunch today and put it on the table next to her so I wouldn't forget about it. Well, needless to say, I forgot about it. A little while later I noticed her putting another set of links on her head. I went and got her necklace and as I was walking toward her to put it on she started kicking her feet and flailing her arms in the air she was so excited. She will crawl around all day and not be bothered by it at all only stopping occasionally to chew on it. It is a bit gaudy for my taste, but the girl knows the importance of her accessories!!

Who Knew?

2010-01-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

Who knew playing with an old beach towel on the coffee table would be so much fun???

Yummy, Easy!

2010-01-18T17:59:00.002-06:00

Those are my two favorite words when talking about a homemade dinner. I discovered a new recipe today, thanks Katie, that is definitely yummy and easy!! I have been struggling a lot lately with cooking at home. I feel like I make spaghetti and meatballs ALL THE TIME!! It is time to start mixing it up a bit. In order to encourage me to keep trying new things, I decided to share new recipes that I try. I might throw in an oldy, but goody on occasion, too. If you ever make something that you think the blog world, and me in particular, needs to know and enjoy, just leave me the recipe in my comments. I would LOVE to try some of your favorites!! My only requirement is that it be yummy, and, yes, easy!! Here is what we had for dinner tonight....

Meat Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:3/4 LB. GROUND BEEF 1/2 C KETCHUP 1 T MUSTARD 2 T BROWN SUGAR 1 CAN BISCUITS 1/4 C SHREDDED CHEESE

DIRECTIONS:PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES. BROWN THE BEEF AND DRAIN. MIX KETCHUP, MUSTARD, AND BROWN SUGAR TOGETHER TO MAKE A BARBECUE SAUCE. ADD THE SAUCE TO THE BEEF. SEPARATE DOUGH INTO BISCUITS. FORM DOUGH INTO CUPS ON THE MUFFIN TINS. SPOON THE MEAT INTO THE DOUGH CUPS. BAKE AT 400 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES(OR UNTIL THE BISCUIT DOUGH LOOKS DONE). SPRINKLE THE TOPS WITH CHEESE

I copied the recipe straight from Katie's blog, but she has a picture of what these "cupcakes" look like when you are finished. Mmmmm, they were very good, and did I mention how easy they were to make? Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Sleeping Gracelyn

2010-01-07T22:26:00.002-06:00

Reflecting on a Year

2010-01-06T22:59:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it has been a year! My babies had their first birthday on December 19. We had a fun party a week early. We decided to keep things small and simple. We were so glad that my mom, Jill and Jake, my Granma, Aunt Janice, Dave's parents and our nieces, Libby and Emma, all got to be here to celebrate. Late one night last week Dave and I just sat at the computer and looked through pictures from this past year. It is amazing to think about how much Ellie and Gracelyn have grown and learned in just one year! It seems like they have just started doing so many new things in the last week. All of a sudden it seems like they are turning into little girls. I don't like it!!!

What are they doing at 1?

Ellie:

Pulling up and standing, cruising around furniture

Loves waving--all the time, both hands above her head, usually only waving with the left hand

Big smile when she is getting attention

Loves crawling in to meet Gracelyn when Gracelyn wakes up from her nap

Says Mama, Dada, ba (ball)

Enjoys taking whatever toy Gracelyn is playing with right out of her hands

Dances--bounces up and down--whenever she hears music

Loves bath time!!

weight: 18 lbs. 8 oz.

height: 29 in.

5 teeth--3 on top, 2 on bottom

favorite foods: Everything!! Ellie is such a good eater! I rarely put something in front of her that she doesn't gobble up immediately!

Gracelyn:

Pulling up and standing, cruising around furniture, lets go and stands independently for fairly long periods

Very, very close to taking some steps

Waving occasionally

Says Mama, Dada
Loves listening to music, dances--sways back and forth, seems very interested in the music
Likes having Ellie, Mommy or Daddy chase her around, she will turn around to make sure you are following then she will scream and crawl away as quickly as she can
Loves bath time!!

weight: 19 lbs. 11 oz.

height: 29 1/4 in.
8 teeth--4 on top, 4 on bottom

favorite foods: avacado, spaghetti, blueberries
dislikes: black & pinto beans

Over the past couple of months I have thought a lot about what was happening a year ago. What a crazy time, and most of it has not been documented. So, in order to help me remember what all happened, while I still have a calendar with everything recorded, I am going to write it all down. Some of you know the events that led up to the birth of my two precious babies. Some of you don't. Here it is, in case you are interested.

WARNING: LONG and probably uninteresting prebirth stuff. Close to the bottom is the never before published birth story.

During the middle of October I started feeling pretty yucky. I didn't have any energy and just didn't feel good. I figured I was just really starting to feel my pregnancy. It had been such an easy pregnancy. During my first trimester I was pretty tired, but it was summer so I got to rest as much as I wanted, and I felt a little queasy. Other than that I felt great the entire time. So it was kind of strange when I started feeling bad at about 22-23 weeks. I remember being at a baby shower for a friend and I just sat there. Everyone else was up visiting, looking at gifts, eating yummy treats, etc. I can't even explain how I felt. It was just strange. I just knew something wasn't right, but I wasn't ready to admit it just yet. Around this same time I started noticing a tightening in my stomach. It didn't hurt, but sometimes when I was laying in bed completely relaxed I would feel this pulling across my belly. I didn't know what to think about it. It didn't last very long and just came and went every once in a while. I never noticed it while I was at school (now I know it was probably happening, but it was so slight I just didn't feel it).

The last week of October, I was about 24 weeks, I started feeling the tightening a little more, but I still didn't know what it was. I called my OB and talked to one of the nurses. She told me to take Benadryl and if it was braxton hicks contractions they would stop. I guess she just figured they would stop. "Well," I said, "What if they don't stop?" She said to give it about a week and call back if I needed to. On Thursday, November 6 I called back. They had, in fact, not stopped, but had gotten worse. I had felt them ALL day at work. I was starting to get a little worried because I had just figured they were braxton hicks. I mean, for goodness sake, I am only 24 weeks pregnant. Babies are not supposed to be born this early! When I called that Thursday afternoon the nurse told me I could come in on Friday, but that is my doctor's surgery day. I would have to sit and wait for who knows how long until she made it over to her office between surgeries. Or, I could wait until Monday and sit in the waiting room until I could get squeezed in between appointments, again, who knows how long that wait would be. This is the nurse saying this. She didn't say, "What? You are 24 weeks pregnant and having contractions! We will fit you in first thing." Well, I was not a cute little pregnant woman at this time. I was getting large and couldn't imagine sitting in an uncomfortable waiting room chair for an undetermined amount of time. Plus, I was starting to freak out!!! I finally asked if I could just come in that afternoon. It was almost 4 so I left school immediately and went straight to my doctor's office. When I got there the place was empty and a nurse met me in the waiting room. She walked me around the corner into the OB wing of the hospital because they couldn't monitor twins in the office. I spent several hours being monitored in the hospital. The babies' heartbeats we great the entire time, but I was definitely having contractions. That evening they gave me a shot of terbutaline. I remember talking to my friend, Michelle, on the phone right after I got the shot. All of a sudden my entire body started shaking, my heart was pounding. I couldn't hardly catch my breath to talk to her and I was laughing because everything felt so crazy! I got to go home that night but I was told to stay in bed until Monday when I would go see a maternal fetal medicine specialist. No problem! I don't mind missing a day of work!!

I stayed in bed all day Friday, but that afternoon I started feeling even worse than I had on Thursday, but I didn't really know what to do. Another good friend, Lindsay, called me on her way home from work that afternoon and asked how I was feeling. I told her and she came straight to my house, picked me up, and took me back to the hospital. More monitoring, another shot of terb., then a sonogram in my doctor's office. Yep, my cervix was beaking (I think that is the word the sonographer used, maybe it was peaking, but I think it was beaking....) which means all those contractions were changing my cervix. I went straight back to the hospital and they gave me a steroid shot for the girls' lungs. That was my first night in the hospital. Lindsay stayed with me for a while until Dave got off work. I told Dave to go home around 10 because he had to work early Saturday morning. Everything looked good during the night. There wasn't too much activity so they sent me home Saturday morning. Michelle came to pick me up and take me home. I was sent with two prescriptions. One was for procardia and the other was for terbutaline. I had to take the procardia all the time and only needed to take the terbutaline if I started feeling the contractions frequently. I made it through the weekend with no more problems. On Monday, Dave and I went to see Dr. T., a maternal fetal medicine doctor. During the sonogram that day we saw that my cervix had shortened even more since Friday so I left the appointment on strict bedrest. I stayed in bed all week then went back to see Dr. T the next Tuesday, November 18. Nothing much had changed during that week which was a relief. Dr. T made it very clear to me, however, that I was not to get up to do ANYTHING except go to the restroom and shower. So, my mom came into town to take care of Dave and I. She did so much for us. While I was in bed reading or watching movies, mom worked on laundry, cleaned the baseboards, cooked, went to the grocery store....I don't know what we would have done without her!! My third appointment with Dr. T was on November 25.

We took these pictures the morning before that third apointment. I told Dave and my mom that since we were taking pictures I just knew I wasn't going to be coming home. Sure enough, I was put in the hospital that afternoon. Go here to read about everything that happened at that appointment. I spent the next 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital. I watched 4 seasons of Alias (I was halfway through the season finale of season 4 when I went into labor). I read the Twilight saga. Watched a little TV, a few movies, ate a lot of hospital food, and had quite a few friends stop by to visit. It really wasn't too bad.

Birth Story:

December 19 started out like any other day in the hospital. It was a Friday. I spent most of the day watching Alias. Lindsay called me when she left work that afternoon and came by to visit for a little while. She had been there about half an hour when, around 4:45, it happened . I went into the bathroom because I thought my water broke. When I came out I told Lindsay, "Don't freak out, but I need you to call Dave. I think my water just broke." I stayed so calm when I told her but I knew I couldn't call Dave because I would lose it! Lindsay just looked at me, mouth gaping, and exclaimed, "Don't freak out?!?!?!" As she was calling Dave, I figured I had my emotions under control so I called the nurses station. As soon as they answered I started crying. I kept thinking, "I am only 31 weeks and 2 days!!" (I know to some of you it sounds funny for me to add that 2 days, but believe me when you are that early and have had a complicated pregnancy, every day is a huge deal!) I cried until they got me into the operating room. The nurses kept telling me everything was going to be ok and I knew they were right, but I just couldn't believe it was already happening. I was going to get to meet my babies that night!! Thankfully, when I went into labor, Dr. T was just finishing up his last appointment in his office. We caught him before he left so he was able to be there to deliver Gracelyn and Ellie.

Dave was giving a tennis lesson when Lindsay called. Dave told his lesson he had to go, I was having the babies. The guy told him to just go, he would take care of picking up all the tennis balls and get them put away. Dave left immediately and made it to the hospital in a matter of minutes. As soon as I saw him I was able to calm down a little bit. I had been taken downstairs to a labor and delivery room before he got there. We spent some time trying to relax as the nurses were getting me ready for surgery. When Dave got into the operating room with me he started talking and didn't stop until everything was over. Neither one of us remembers what he was talking about. It really wasn't important. He was just doing anything he could to keep me calm and occupied.

Gracelyn's first cry was a wonderful sound to hear. I asked Dave if he heard it, and he asked me what. He was still talking so much he hadn't even heard her. One track mind on that man! Dave got to see both the girls as soon as they were born. He took pictures and got to touch their precious little hands. I got to lay there on the table for what felt like forever!!! I just wanted to hold those sweet little girls, but it would be a few days before that could happen.

I was taken back to my Labor & Delivery room for a few hours of observation then they took me back upstairs to the Antepartum floor. On the way back up, the nurses rolled me into the NICU so I got to touch Ellie and Gracelyn for the first time. They were just precious. The rest of the night is a blur. I finished watching the Alias finale which ends with a big car accident that surprised me--not good after having had major surgery a few hours earlier...OUCH!! Dave and I went down to the NICU and spent some time with the girls during the middle of the night. I think we got some sleep, but it all runs together. I just remember being so thankful for the beautiful babies God had blessed our life with!

Snow!

2009-12-24T22:13:00.001-06:00

This was the first snow of the year on December 2. We stayed inside where it was nice and warm. I don't even know if Ellie and Gracelyn even noticed it was snowing.

Second snow of the year on Christmas Eve. We ran outside real fast to get a couple of pictures. Fortunately, the house was blocking most of the wind because it was blowing very hard. The girls were only mildly curious. I think they liked being outside where it was so cold as much as they liked the snow.

Santa Claus

2009-12-23T21:05:00.005-06:00

Ellie & Gracelyn are wondering who the big guy in the silly hat is!

We didn't ever get any real smiles, but at least there weren't any tears!

Here are some pictures of the first time Ellie and Gracelyn met Santa. They were still in the NICU and Santa and Mrs. Claus visited every single baby there. Santa sure is a selfless guy!

Ellie's nurse wrapped her up and let Santa hold her.

Gracelyn looks so teeny tiny. I can't believe that was just a year ago!

First Glimpse of a Christmas Tree

2009-12-17T17:11:00.002-06:00

I put up our Christmas tree one night after Ellie and Gracelyn went to bed. It was plugged in and waiting for them when the got up the next morning. Here are their reactions....

Ellie isn't sure what to think.

Gracelyn is super excited!

In the morning, Ellie got up first. She looked around for a while, but she soon got comfortable and wanted to touch everything! By the time Gracelyn got up, Ellie was going after all the ornaments. Gracelyn sure did get a kick out of it! Both girls are very good about being gentle with the tree, lights, and ornaments. (I did make sure to put all the glass ornaments out of reach.)

GREAT afternoon!

2009-12-02T14:28:00.002-06:00

We were supposed to got a football game on Saturday. We were all packed up half way there when Dave remembered our tickets were in his truck at home. We were already running late so we decided to skip the game. Instead, we went to the park. This was Ellie and Gracelyn's first time at the park. They loved it and have been asking to go back soon! ;) It was a beautiful day. The temperature was very nice, just a little breezy.

Dave with his girls

Ellie on left, Gracelyn on right

Having fun swinging.

Gracelyn on left, Ellie on right

Me and my sweet girls!!

Ellie looking at the sky!

Gracelyn happy as can be!

Gracelyn and I had just slid down the slide. She wasn't too sure about it.

Dave took Ellie on the big twisty slide. Looks like he had more fun than she did!!

This is probably my favorite picture from the afternoon. It completely captures Gracelyn's inquisitive personality!

Sweet Ellie talking away!

We were a little disappointed in missing the football game, but ended up having such a great afternoon to make up for it!!

Look what I made....

2009-11-29T14:30:00.003-06:00

The girls' bows have been an unorganized mess for months. I finally got around to making these...

My Little Monsters

2009-11-18T20:27:00.001-06:00

Just HAD to show you the CUTEST jammies EVER!!!!

Yes, they say BFFs!

(E on left, G on right)

Thank you, Nana, for the pjs. We love them!!

Fight For Preemies // Bloggers Unite

2009-11-17T20:52:00.004-06:00

Fight For Preemies // Bloggers Unite

Posted using ShareThis

My preemies born at 31 weeks 2 days.

Gracelyn 3 lbs. 13 oz.

21 days in the NICU.

Ellie 3 lbs. 3 oz.

30 days in the NICU.

Look what I can do....

2009-11-07T09:41:00.000-06:00

Ellie has finally mastered the art of pulling up! She has been able for a couple of weeks, but she has really perfected the skill in the last few days. She has also started to wave more often. Doesn't she look so proud of herself in this picture. Now that both girls are pulling up I know it is just a matter of time until I have a couple of toddlers on my hands! That is going to be interesting....

Yummy!!

2009-11-04T22:13:00.003-06:00

Gracelyn LOVES avacado!!

Atlanta

2009-11-03T20:34:00.001-06:00

We visited Dave's parents in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. Both girls were so good on the airplane. As long as we had snacks they were happy!

Look at our Halloween books Nana gave us!

Sunday afternoon we went to a local pumpkin patch. Dave didn't make any of the pictures because he got left at home - asleep. Gracelyn and Ellie had fun exploring the pumpkins and pine needles all over the ground. Unfortunately, most of their exploring is done with their mouths!

Gracelyn was so excited to be at the pumpkin patch!

Ellie--I don't know how we got this precious picture because she had a pumpkin stem in her mouth the entire time!!

Sweet girls

Every Halloween since we have been married, I have told Dave I wanted to carve a pumpkin, but we never have. We finally carved our first pumpkin this year! I got most of the goop out, but Dave did the hard work.

Turned out pretty good, don't ya think?

Ellie and Gracelyn had such a good time in Atlanta. They can't wait to go back in March!!

Happy Halloween & more!!

2009-10-31T21:06:00.003-05:00

We had a fun First Halloween. Unfortunately, both girls have had a virus so we didn't get to go to the Funival at our church tonight. We didn't want them around other kids, so we went to a football game instead. We went ahead a dressed them up for the game.

Ellie and Gracelyn before we left for the game.

Gracelyn

Ellie

Pop holding Gracelyn and me holding Ellie

The whole fam sitting in the stands at halftime.

I was just looking through all my pictures on my computer from September and October and realized there are a LOT of pics I haven't put up here so here you go....

Gracelyn and Ellie at 9 months old. I know, I know, they are now almost 10 1/2 months, but I just had to show you these pictures.

Ellie--She had just discovered her tongue so she loved sticking it out.

Gracelyn wasn't having a great day. We couldn't get many smiles out of her.

This picture was taken in early October. We have had sooooo much rain I can't believe Gracelyn is still so excited about it! ;)

Here is Dave holding Ellie and pushing Gracelyn after their first football game. They had a good time but once we finally left they were pretty tired.

Ellie and Gracelyn soaking up some Vitamin D. They love, love, love being outside. It has rained so much lately the grass has stayed really wet so we have had to put a blanket in the driveway just so we can go out.

Gracelyn

Ellie--my little gymnast doing the splits!!

Ellie and Gracelyn playing together last week. Doesn't Gracelyn just look so excited?!?!?

I am really going to try and stay up-to-date, but we will just have to wait and see what happens!! Hope you all had a safe, happy Halloween!!

I thought this day would never come....

2009-10-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

Now that both girls are holding their own bottles while eating, I might be able to get a few things done around here!!

Happy Birthday, Jill!!

2009-10-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

Wishing my sweet sister a happy, happy birthday. You are such a wonderful mommy, understanding sister, and loving daughter. I am so blessed to have you as my sister. I wish we could be there to celebrate with you. Hope your day was special and full of love from your boys!!

Mommy's little helpers

2009-10-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

Ellie and Gracelyn are getting so good at helping me keep the house clean! Take a look....

Ellie helping fold the laundry.

Gracelyn folding the laundry.

Gracelyn helping me load the dishwasher.

Ellie couldn't let Gracelyn have all the fun so she came to join in.

Gracelyn cleaning the windows. If you look closely you can actually see the "cleaner" running down the window right about where her mouth would touch the window when she was standing up.

Ellie cleaning the floor with her tummy. (Ellie has started crawling on her hands and knees sometimes, but she still prefers staying on her tummy and pulling with her elbows.)

Ok, now I need some help from you. I have never been what you would call a "neat-freak," but now that I have four little hands constantly touching my floor I feel I need to keep this place pretty clean. The only problem is that I have also become quite cautious, not only about the germs that get on those little hands, but also about chemicals they might pick up from the floor. I have been hesitant to use any kind of cleaner, but I don't feel like just using water really gets things very clean. That is where you come in. If you have any great suggestions or if you have done research about this please, please leave me a comment. Any ideas are welcome. Let me know what you do to keep that floor spic-n-span!

Labor Day and Birthday

2009-09-27T20:30:00.004-05:00

My mom and I celebrated our birthday together last weekend. She and my dad drove up and we had a mini party on Saturday. Three of my mom's sisters came over for the afternoon. We picked up Babe's Chicken for lunch (yum, yum!!). My granma sent a cake with my aunts that was delicious. It was a great day.
Grammy and Pop with Gracelyn and Ellie.

Me, Aunt Jackie, Aunt Janice, Aunt Linda, mom

Dave and I got to take Ellie and Gracelyn to visit my grandparents for Labor Day. He doesn't get much time off from work so it was a special treat to have him go with us. We had such a good time visiting my granma, granpa, and aunts. It is such a blessing having such encourabing and supportive family nearby!!

Gracelyn is eating up all this attention!

Granma with Gracelyn

Granpa with Ellie

Hope we get to see you again before too long!!

Has it really been over a month????

2009-09-23T21:56:00.009-05:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month. Two girls on the move really keeps a Momma busy!!

I guess it is time for me to finish up our Colorado vacation post....

Dave, Ellie and Gracelyn at a rest stop on the way from Denver to New Castle.

Catherine, my cousin, feeding Ellie. This was one of the nicest parts of vacation...lots of hands to help feed babies!!

Catherine and Gracelyn. I think Gracelyn must have just gotten up from a nap-she still looks awfully tired!

My nephew, Jake, sitting out on the deck taking in the view.

Pretty, huh???

Dave and his trusty horse. If you knew Dave's luck with horses as a child you would be surprised to see him in this picture!! My dad, bro, bro-in-law, and Dave took an overnight trip up the mountain. Thankfully, they all made it back in one piece....

Dave working on dessert!

Nathan making a delicious dinner!

Ellie and Gracelyn holding hands watching Baby Einstein. I tell you what, those videos were a life saver on this trip! Isn't it so sweet to see them lovin each other!

Uncle Jeremy feeding Ellie.

Me and Ellie with my cousin Bryan. We were down by the stream that was a short walk from the house where we stayed.

My little family at the stream.

The whole fam! Dave with Gracelyn, me with Ellie, Jill, Jeremy with Jake, Nathan, and my parents in front. Look at what a ham Ellie is....

Dave relaxin on the front porch.

Jake with my cousin's son, Cameron.

We had such a great time visiting with family! We can't wait to have another "reunion" before too long!!

8 Months Old

2009-08-20T19:33:00.005-05:00

Gracelyn and Ellie turned 8 months old yesterday. Instead of a long wordy post here are some recent photos....

Gracelyn LOVING her bubble bath!! Doesn't that face look like she is having so much fun!

Ellie thought it would be tasty to eat the bubbles.

Gracelyn sat up by herself a few days ago. She isn't crawling yet, but it will be any day! Ellie doesn't even seem interested in trying to crawl or sit up independently. I think she is just watching and learning from Gracelyn and then she will surprise us one day.

We got home late from church Sunday night so we just left the girls in their carseats watching Baby Einstein while I got their baths ready. That is part of our nightly routine--I put on a Baby Einstein video and the girls watch while I am giving baths. That is just about the only way I have found to keep them from getting too upset while they are waiting for their bath and bottle.

Gracelyn and Ellie sitting in their Bumbos looking out the door at the dogs. You can barely see Mae. She kept walking up to the door and licking it. She kept the girls entertained for a while.

Gracelyn

Ellie

Gracelyn and Ellie on their brand new swings. When we were in Denver, our friends that we stayed with had an infant swing in their backyard similar to these. The girls both had such a good time swinging that we had to get us a couple. It is a great way to keep them smiling at the end of the day when they are starting to get a little fussy.

Gracelyn after her bath last night.

Ellie

Gracelyn playing in the pack and play this afternoon.

Ellie--Everything goes in their mouths these days!!

People often ask if we can see a difference in their personalities already. I always laugh a little when I get this question because Ellie and Gracelyn are soooo different. It is so much fun to just watch them and see how differently they react to things. Gracelyn is so sweet and easy going. She doesn't get worked up very often so when she does it always worries me a little. Ellie, on the other hand, is quite spunky. If she wants something, she is going to let you know!

They love each other so much already. I love watching them first thing in the morning or right after a nap when they see each other for the first time. They will look at each other and just get these big grins on their faces. They are starting to "play" together a little bit. That play usually involves stealing toys from each other, pushing each other in the face, or in Ellie's case, kicking each other. Gracelyn is such a good sport about it, though. She doesn't usually mind unless she is being kicked in the face.

I can't believe that another month has gone by so quickly! I am starting work in a couple of weeks. I am tutoring part time at the school where I taught kindergarten last year. I will only work about 9 hours a week and we have worked out my schedule so I will only tutor in the morning so Dave will be able to stay home with the girls. He will just go into work after I get off. It has worked out better than we could have hoped! I am a little sad that I won't be home with the girls all the time, but I am also looking forward to being able to get out of the house some. I am excited to see Dave and the girls spending more time together!!

Airport Hassle

2009-08-15T11:17:00.003-05:00

Just a quick story about the Denver airport that I can't believe I forgot to include in the previous post....

Dave and I were hoping our flights would not be completely booked so we decided to take the girls' carseats with us to the gate. Turns out they were booked so we just checked the seats at the gate in Dallas and were supposed to get them in Denver. They were not on the jetway with the stroller in Denver so we go ahead to baggage claim and get all of our bags and then have to find the carseats. Our flight landed at almost 7 (TX time--all times will be TX time in this post, otherwise I think we will all get confused!!!). Ellie and Gracelyn are usually going down for the night by at least 7 so we were pushing it. I was afraid it was just a matter of time before my sweet, happy girls were transformed into hungry, sleepy monsters. Dave still has to get the rental car so I tell him to go ahead. We were planning on the girls and I waiting at the airport for him anyway. So I wait in the area where car seats, skis, and the like come from the airplane. And I wait. Nothing is moving anymore so I asked an emplyee about it. He said it hasn't been very long since your flight arrived, just keep waiting, "They will be here." Well, I decided 30 minutes was plenty long since we had our other bags for about 15 already. I proceed to the missing baggage office only to find several others already looking for bags. None from our flight, though, so that gives me some hope. I wait, and I wait, and I wait some more. I don't think anyone realized the drama that was about to ensue if E and G don't get some food and sleep soon. At one point I am sitting, patiently waiting my turn, and this leggy blonde just walks in and steps right in front of the stroller, which was obviously waiting next in line. I wanted to say a few things to her, but I refrained. I figured the guy behind the desk saw that I was there first, he had even talked to me already, so surely he will help me before her. Turns out she stepped out for a second, rumor was more bags from her flight had arrived, so I got on my feet and made sure she knew I was next in line. By this time it is after 8. Ellie and Gracelyn are just soaking it all in, having a blast. They look at the people in the office, smile, talk to each other, no fussing what-so-ever. I can't believe it, but I was still awaiting the the inevitable. So, when I finally get some help they call around the airport and no one has seen our carseats. They decide to give us loaners for the night. Actually getting the loaners takes about half an hour. Our airline only had one infant seat so they had to borrow one from another airline. So, about 8:30 I am finally meeting up with Dave outside the airport. We had a slight malfunction with one of the carseats so I had to go back inside and wait to get another one. Well, security at the Denver airport is pretty tight. They wouldn't let Dave sit outside and wait for me for any amount of time, so I had to cart both girls in the stroller back into the airport. They are still as happy as can be, thankfully!! I exchanged the defective carseat and then head back out to meet Dave. It took us a while to get both carseats installed because they were probably the cheapest carseats on the market five years ago, but we manage eventually. We get both girls in the car and we are on our way, still NO fussing!!!! Ironically, when we are about 5 minutes from the airport, the airline called and said they had located our carseats and would have someone deliver them sometime during the night. We finally got to our friends' house at about 9, which is about 2 1/2 hours later than normal bedtime. I think Ellie and Gracelyn knew that I could not have handled them being fussy with all the other stress going on. They are such sweet little blessings and we are so thankful for these girls. When we bought our tickets for this trip, we thought we were flying with the airline that never lost bags....I guess their stellar reputation is for not LOSING bags completely??? Because they sure did "misplace" a bunch of baggage the night we were dealing with them. More pictures of Colorado coming soon.

Colorado Vacation--just the beginning

2009-08-11T20:15:00.010-05:00

Dave and I took the girls to Colorado last week. We met my parents, brother, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and family from California (aunt, uncle, cousins) in New Castle, CO. We had such a good time!! Before we met up with my family, we stayed with some friends in Denver for a couple of nights. It was so nice to catch up with friends that we haven't seen in YEARS!! Ellie and Gracelyn got to fly for the first time. They did really well getting from Dallas to Denver. We had a 3 hour layover in Amarillo. That is what we get for booking our tickets about 5 days in advance. We decided to fly at the last minute so we kind of got stuck with a not so great itinerary, but it got us there and home....

This is Ellie and Gracelyn hanging out in the Amarillo airport. They look excited, don't they???

Dave planned ahead and made sure to bring the laptop and some Baby Einstein videos. This kept them entertained for about half of our time in Amarillo.

Dave making shadow puppets on the floor at B & H's house. Gracelyn was mesmerized!!

She got tired of just watching and decided to play with that shadow dog!!

Gracelyn and A. A is 2 and just about the cutest thing ever!! She was so shy when we first got to B & H's house, but once the girls were awake, A just wanted to look at them and play with them.

This is C. B & H's oldest--he is 4 and full of energy. He, also, loved the girls!

This is Gracelyn with B & H's youngest, R. They liked playing together, looking at each other, and talking to each other. They were so cute.

You might be wondering where Ellie is....She was sleeping late so she missed out on pictures. We have some of her from later in the week.

H holding R and B sitting.

Kelly and B sitting on the patio.

Dave and Josh enjoying the nice Colorado weather.
B grilled buffalo burgers for us. They were delicious and I didn't even know they weren't beef until after dinner.

Gracelyn on the chair. Ellie on the floor with R.

I have lots more vacation pictures I will have to get posted later. This was just the first couple of days.

7 Years and Counting!!

2009-07-30T13:42:00.008-05:00

Tuesday, Dave and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. It was a very low-key day. However, we did our celebrating a week before our actual anniversary. We went to see Coldplay in concert. We had a good time. Coldplay is one of our all-time favorite bands. They played here a few years ago and we decided not to spend the money to go see them. I think we both regretted it so we were not going to let the opportunity pass this time around. It was our anniversary present to each other. We have been looking forward to it since February!

Dave and I sitting on the lawn. Not my favorite venue, but it was relaxing just hanging out on our blanket. The weather was really nice so that helped!

Yeah, that is Coldplay way up there! Can you guess what song this is??? Yep, Yellow. This is still my very fave Coldplay song (along with about 3/4 of the other people there!). Those big huge balloons were full of confetti. They just bounced around the crowd through the whole song and then through part of the next song. Dave got a pretty good pic, don't you think?

Here they are playing an acoustic set in the middle of the lawn. They just walked from the stage up front through the crowd to a small stage set up on the lawn. We still weren't close, at all, but we could see a little better. They played 3 or 4 songs and then walked back up to the stage.

We had a great time. Our friend, Amanda, came and kept the girls, who were asleep the entire time we were gone! We haven't used very many babysitters so it was nice to have someone we really trusted keeping G and E! Thanks, Amanda!!

This Tuesday, the official anniversary, we just had a quiet dinner at home after Ellie and Gracelyn were in bed. Dave got in from work a little bit late so he brought lasagne home. It was yummy! We enjoyed just hanging out, not having to worry about babysitters, crowds, and traffic.

In honor of our 7 years together, I thought I would post 7 facts about my hubby that make him so special. I actually woke up this morning and started thinking about these. He is definitely one of a kind!!

1. Dave is a dreamer! I am not talking little dreams, either. I am talking grand, detailed dreams that have been thought out. One that has been a dream for a loooong time is to own a surf shop. He would love to just pack up and move to the beach and own a surf shop. I guess part of the reason I love this so much about Dave is because I am such a realistic thinker. I don't dream big like Dave, but I love that he does.

2. Dave trusts whole-heartedly in God. Even when we have gone through rough times, he always reminds me that God is going to take care of us. He never doubts that God is by our side.

3. He is a loyal friend. Man, if I wasn't married to this guy I would definitely want to be his friend! Dave's friends are so, so, so important to him. They are like brothers. Dave is always calling his friends to see how things are going, what they are up to, and if there is anything new in their lives. He really cares about his friends like no one I have ever seen!

4. He doesn't take himself too seriously (aka--he is a BIG kid)!!! I remember the first Christmas we were married we went to Las Vegas with my family. Dave was so excited and just wanting to have fun. He was being crazy! I can't even fully describe what he was doing. All I remember is that it involved running, jumping, and twisting down the streets of Las Vegas. I was a little embarrassed, but then I realized that he was just embracing the moment and enjoying it to it's fullest! Dave just informed me that he was "freestyle walking." It is like skateboarding without the skateboard. Apparently, they used to make special shoes for it. (Dave never had a pair.) BTW--He just demonstrated it for me in our living room!!!!

5. Dave is soooo patient (unless he is low on sleep). He just takes things in stride. He is very laid back and doesn't get worked up about things very often.

6. He is a FANTASTIC dad! I am not just saying that because he gets up with Ellie and Gracelyn almost every morning before 7 and lets me get some extra sleep! (That is just a bonus!!) The way he looks at, talks to, and loves those girls is the sweetest thing ever! You should see the way their faces just light up when he gets home from work and starts talking to them. He is already wrapped around their little fingers!

7. He loves me. I don't know of any better way to say it than that. Even when I am being nutty and irrational. He loves me. Even when I am being moody and mean. He loves me. Even when I try and manipulate him into doing something (no, not me....). He loves me. Even when I haven't taken a shower all day and look (and smell) less than my best. He loves me better than I ever thought anyone could.

God blessed me beyond my wildest dreams the day He brought us together. I am so happy to be married to such a wonderful, loving man. Happy Anniversary, Dave!! I love you!!!!!