There's no one like Nonnah!

So, I was standing in the kitchen a few weeks back, looked up at the side of the fridge and discovered Scarlett had another twin...my mom!  We have a picture of my grandma holding my mom when she was a baby and I couldn't believe the resemblance!  It was such a fun moment when I discovered this, that I had to share the picture. 

I also decided it was time, long overdue in fact, to take a minute and recognize just what an amazing mother I have and what an incredible "Nonnah" the babies are growing up with!  She has sacrificed more than I could have ever imagined in order to raise me and my sisters.  Constantly providing us with the Love, the support, the encouragement and the strength to become beautiful women who believe in themselves and go after their dreams, even if that meant giving up her own (although she would probably say we are her dream come true haha).  I know this statement is used a lot, but I honestly don't think there are enough words to fully express my gratitude for all she helped me accomplish and become.  The woman, wife and mother I am today are all because of her.  She has always been there to wipe the tears and share in the laughter of all my life's moments...big and small.  My mother is deserving of more than I could ever give her.  So, simply put..."Mommy, Thank You for all that you have done and all that you continue to do in my life (and the lives of everyone you encounter).  You are what every woman should strive to be and I am forever grateful and honored to call you not only my mother, but my best friend!"

Grams, I also want you to know how much I miss you every day...your pennies always warm my heart and make me smile. I Love you!!!

We're 6 months old!

Tristan and Scarlett have reached the half way mark...6 months old already!!!  We went to the doctor last Friday for their check-up.  Tristan is now 14 pounds 14 ounces and 25.5 inches long!  Scarlett is 12 pounds 8 ounces and 25 inches long.  The 1 pound gap is now almost 2 pounds....and Tristan's head is one whole inch bigger than Scarlett's!  I think he is up to the 25th percentile in head circumference. Yay!  We have started rice cereal and a growing variety of fruit and vegetables.  Neither one of them liked the idea in the beginning, but Tristan now actually eats it and well Scarlett, still wipes it ALL over herself and her chair.  She would rather eat her fingers!  They are both doing great and we couldn't be more proud of our precious little munchkins!

 

Our week in Yachats

So, we decided it was time to venture out into the world with our traveling circus and spend a week at the Oregon Coast.  I guess you could say it was a success since we are still alive and able to share it with you haha  Really, we had a great time despite the sleepless nights the babies gave us, presumably because they were in new beds (pack and plays), a new house, and of course mom and dad forgot the sleep sheep that plays the ocean that helps with the sleeping. We thought opening the window so they could hear the real ocean would do the trick, but boy were we wrong!  I think they got accustomed to the new surroundings by about the same time it was time to come back home....of course it would happen this way!  We rented a moving van to make it up there with ALL the accessories needed when traveling with not one baby, but TWO!  The bath seat, the bouncy chair, the bumbo seats, the play mat, the pack and plays (yes that is plural), the bottles, blankets...well you get the point.  We didn't really rent a moving van, but I think next time that might be the better idea!  I picture us in a cartoon that reads "There's nothing like traveling as a family!" and a picture of a mini van where its doors are about to pop off with the kids standing on the side wondering where they're supposed to sit.  Luckily Darrell and Kristy invested in a mini van just before the twins arrived and assisted us with this very dilemma.  Lucas and Lauren rode with Grammie-K and Grandpa-D, while Tim and I drove up with Tristan and Scarlett.  Both vans were packed from floor to ceiling using up every usable square inch!

We had beautiful weather and the house we stayed in (which was generously donated for the week by friends of Darrell and Kristy) was located right on the beach!  Just a short walk got your toes in the sand and the ice cold Oregon ocean water.   I would say the babies are already beach Lovers as they thoroughly enjoyed playing and watching Lucas and Lauren run around in the freezing water as if it were 80 degrees.  Oh to be young again!  It was a fun filled week of sand castle building, bonfires, smores, good food (thanks to Kristy!), a trip to the aquarium and quality time spent with family!!! 

Picture update

We had a couple mommy and daddy photo shoots the other day, so I thought I would share some of our favorites! Tristan and Scarlett are smiling and laughing all the time and it is so fun! They continue to keep us on our toes and we are always wondering what's going to come next haha






And no, she is not wearing blush haha

Arts and crafts

Remember when you could sit and draw for hours and it would seem as though minutes had passed? Oh to be young again! Lauren Loves to draw and create just about anything. She has quite the imagination and creative mind! We were looking through a Land of Nod catalog the other day and she decided we needed to make something to hang from her ceiling. So, I took her back to the paper chain days and we made some to hang in her room. We were up until about 9:30 cutting and pasting and then requested the help of Tim to hang them up. Lauren was so proud of them-it's the first thing she shows everyone when they come over, so I thought it would be fun to share with everyone who doesn't get to come over to our crazy house! I also included the latest sign she has made on how to get in her room. These tend to rotate every few weeks. She makes a new sign every time she decides who can come in and how they need to enter haha so funny!



That is a self portrait she drew of herself in the background.





I personally Love the green duck tape used to hold the pieces of paper together.

Dinner at the Childers

The Childers were the first to brave the Meter Circus last Friday and invited us over for dinner! Let's just say the night went as smoothly as it could have considering it was our first 'outing' and Tristan and Scarlett got their shots that day and hadn't taken very good naps!

We took turns holding our precious little ones while we ate amazing barbecue chicken, potatoes and yummy salad! Jeff makes barbecue chicken to die for, so I have to say, I ate enough for myself and the two little ones I am feeding haha

Luke, Sarah, Lucas and Lauren all had a blast playing and wondered why we had to leave when "we had just gotten there" three hours before. They all get along great and I think Lucas and Lauren enjoy the fact we are joining our social life again...slowly but surely.

Having the twins definitely makes social outings a bit more difficult, but just as enjoyable...especially when we have great friends who understand and welcome our every day crazy into their home!









Our attempts at getting a picture of all 4 older kids was a little challenging as they had much better things to be doing, so we will take what we get. Fake smiles and all!

Feeling Blessed

So, I find myself sitting here ruminating on where I am in my life and realize I am smiling. I have experienced my share of 'Love' scars, but now know that they are not Love scars at all, yet small and large stepping stones that have helped me reach this place. The place where I stand right now. My destiny. Feeling truly proud of this family I am creating and the life I am building with my true best friend and partner. I often forget to take the time to tell Tim how honored I am to have been fatefully chosen to be his lifelong partner, wife and best friend. True Love seems to be a rarity these days, so I feel fortunate beyond words to experience such a pure and honest Love each and every day. Never in my life have I felt so adored and Loved for the woman I have been and the woman I strive to be every day. My imperfections, my quirks and my neurotic tendencies are the things I would most like to bury in a deep dark hole never to be found, but yet it would seem as though it is all those things that Tim Loves most about me. How is it, that the things we wish we could change the most are the things that somehow make us more beautiful? Those imperfections are my reminders that I am human. My quirks and neurotic tendencies are the guardians of the one and only me. And although I don't see them that way every day, Tim somehow does. I think back to that moment the stars decided our hearts were meant to find and protect one another and not only feel thankful, but feel honored.

Tim your heart is my most precious treasure that I promise to protect always! Thank you for being the man, the husband and the father you are as our lives would not be the same without you! Ti Amo mi Principe...Per Sempre!

Then there is Tristan and Scarlett. An extension of this Love we have found in one another. Being a mom has opened my eyes to the possibilities of what my heart is truly capable of. Every day I think I couldn't Love them any more, but yet every day I do. They can smile a million times and every smile feels different from the last. We share a new moment every time we sit in the exact same spot. And I hear something new, something different every time they laugh as if I'm hearing it for the first time. The discoveries that accompany motherhood are endless and they teach you something new about yourself you probably never would have uncovered. I have learned I am capable of a lot more than I ever thought possible and I have our precious twins to thank for that.

My life is enriched with Love, laughter and unforgettable moments and I thank everyone who shares in that!