Sweet Moments

I'm learning that life is filled with the sweetest moments.  Things mean so much more to me now then than they did before.  I'm not sure if it's because of my kids, or where I'm at in my life or my life's journey's but I'm so filled with gratitude for everything I have.  The boys and I have been a bit under the weather for the past week or so.  This past Saturday, the boys went down for a nap and woke up quite early.  Erik was watching football so we all laid on the couch together.  Erik had Max on his chest and I John on my chest.  Erik with his head at one end of the couch and I had my head at the other end of the couch.  We don't have a big couch so all of our legs were overlapping and intertwined, including the boys.  We napped for a good hour like that until one of us had to finally move one of our legs.  I remember laying there and thinking, "I am the luckiest girl in the world".  I wouldn't trade that hour for any other in my life.

A Year in Review

It's been over a year since my last post.  Gosh, what a year it's been.  We no longer have babies, we have toddlers now.  Independent, amazing, strong willed, adorable, and very happy toddlers. 
When I last posted the boys were just starting to crawl.  Now they are walking, running, climbing and their little personalities are starting to really shine. 

This is a pic from when I last posted.

Here a couple recent pictures. 

We survived our first football season and are in the midst of our second.  The boys celebrated their first Christmas.

Were baptized.

Played in the snow for the first time with their cousins.

And celebrated their first birthdays.  They got their first horses...courtesy of my sister...she doesn't spoil them at all.

They also got their own cakes. 

They were dyed blue for two days afterwards. 

I couldn't have asked for a better first birthday weekend for my boys.  All of the grandparents were there to celebrate.  My sister went all out with the birthday cakes and hosted everyone at her house for dinner.  I really can't thank her enough...it was truly perfect. 

We also went to see the Easter Bunny.  Max was not a fan. 

I still can't get over the difference.  It seems just like yesterday when I look as some of these pictures and yet if feels like a lifetime ago that they were that little. 

Then:

Now:

It's been such an amazing year.  These little boys have captured my heart in so many different ways.  I still look at them every day and thank God for my little miracles.  I wish I was more consistent with blogging in the past year so I had more information to give them when they get older.  Little stories, pictures, etc on how things happened.  I hope to be more consistent with blogging, not only to share their growth with the family but to share it with them as well.  It goes by so fast.

Some Quick Updates

1. Viva la mice. After two appointments with two different exterminators were no shows I felt the mouse Gods were trying to tell me something. I was already apprehensive about having all the chemicals around the boys so I did some research and it turns out mice don't like peppermint. We have little cotton balls now with peppermint oil all around the basement. Don't know if it will work but it sure smells nice.
2. We have teeth. John now has two bottom teeth which he actually has had for about a month now. Max is getting ready to break his first any day now. There is lots of drool and gnawing on anything that is around. 
3. We are close to having mobile kiddos. They want to crawl so badly. They're not sitting up quite yet but they are getting so close to that as well. Gosh, this first year is so exciting.
4. We are nanny-less. We are going through the search process for a new nanny. That's a whole big crazy mess of a story that I will have to blog about on another day.

I think that is it for now. I know there was something else I was going to update but can't remember, it's late and it's been a long day.

First Family Trip

At the beginning of June we headed out to California.  Yes, that's right, a plane trip to Cali with two 4.5 month old boys.  Erik's brother was getting married so we made the trip.  Erik does not like to fly...period...he would rather drive.  I love road trips so this usually works out well.  Unfortunately due to having the two boys and taking my full maternity leave, I really have no time to take a road trip to California.  In fact me being able to go to California at all was due to an amazing boss.  We felt it was important to make the trip.  After telling Erik several times why I would not be willing to leave the boys behind for a long weekend he gave in and it became a family trip.  It was that "thing" in our future that neither of us were looking forward to.  Let me make myself clear here though.  We were looking forward to the trip and the wedding, we were actually very excited to see everyone and be at the wedding.  It was the plane trips to and from California that we were dreading.   As Erik put it he did not want to be "that guy".  I get that too, I didn't want to be "that lady with the fussy baby" or worse "babies".  I had to suck it up and play Mrs. Pure Positive Energy for several months.  I found myself saying to Erik on a weekly basis, "It's going to be fine", "We can do this", "they're going to do great", "I need you to hold it together if it gets bad or I'll start crying".  Yes, I used the "I'll start crying" card.  That one came about the week before we left. 

With all of the anticipation we made it through the 3.5 hr flight to California just fine.  The gentleman that sat next to us actually volunteered to do so.  We thought it was going to be the poor sap who was last to get on the plane but this guy actually offered to sit next to us.  I knew he was weird at that moment...I mean he volunteered to sit next to two babies.  He actually was a very interesting person...weird but interesting weird, not just weird weird. 

When we got there, of course the part we weren't worried about, that's we we had a bit of baby trouble.  Poor Max got sick, 102.6 degree fever sick.  I know you other mother's out there are saying, "that's nothing, he's fine".  Please note these are my first children and they have been perfectly healthy up to this point so it freaked Erik and I out a bit.  Your heart just breaks for them.  Luckily I was surrounded by family and many mothers.  The really high fever broke after 24 hrs and then completely by Sunday.  Our happy little man was back. 

The wedding took place in a very scenic part of California.  They live outside of LA in Valencia.  We had to drive just a little bit to get to this breath taking scenery.  I have to say the mountains outside of Los Angeles always look so fake to me. They are so pretty but look like someone drew them up as the backdrop.

The wedding was beautiful.  They got married on a mountain and it was really very pretty.  It was immediate family only at the ceremony and then they had a reception at Erik's father's house.

We made it back fine too.  The plane trip back was not a packed flight and both of the boys did awesome.  I sat next to this wonderful woman who actually had twin 19 year old girls.  One of her girls was at Columbia and the other at Princeton.  She definitely did something right!  I still think of her because we had such an intimate conversation.  I felt like I got to know both her and her family.  She had been through a lot in the past 18 months including losing her husband unexpectedly due to a heart attack. When we were talking it was never a pity me conversation, just a matter of fact conversation like we were old friends catching up.

When we got off the plane I was rushing around and don't feel like I gave her or the conversation we had the proper good bye.  She pulled up a holiday card of her family on her laptop to show me some pics while we were talking so I have her last name.  I think I may send her a little card to let her know how much I enjoyed talking with her.  I'm not sure if that's too stalker-ish weird though.  I mean I don't want to freak the poor woman out, she's been through a lot lately.
 
As soon as we got off the plane I think Erik and I both gave a sigh of relief.  We made it, we survived, and we are better for doing so.  We are so glad we made the trip, what wonderful memories we will have of his brother's wedding.  We are happy though that the flights no longer lurk in our future.

Summer Bliss

There are so many things I love about summer.  In all truthfulness, I really love all of the seasons.  I love living in an area where they are all so pronounced.  You really experience all four seasons even though some years it feels like you go straight from winter to summer or summer to winter.  But summer, ahhh summer.  The warm sun on your skin, the smell of sunscreen, fire flies, sweet tea, and for me one of the major loves is locally grown fresh fruits and veggies.  I have to say that farmers markets are one of my most favorite things.  They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  You pick it farms are right up there too.  I love knowing that the produce I'm eating is from where I am living.  I love supporting local farmers, I love talking with the person who grew the food.  With you pick it farms, there is something so satisfying about going out and picking something and then either eating it there or bringing home the bounty for later.  Of course I have a garden but I'm not very good at growing things other than weeds...yet.  So far we do have a few tomato's, I think we are going to have lots of zucchini, and a few cucumbers.  The okra, jalapenos, and bell peppers are debatable.  This is my first non-planter true in the ground garden, so it's a start.  Watch out next year, I'm already planning that garden and how to do things.  I'm a trial and error girl & not much of a planner the first go around.  I have to do something to see how it turns out and then go at it from another angle. 

After we went to the farmers market last Saturday we went blueberry picking.

We have LOTS of blueberries.

I think we ended up with around 15 pounds. I'm going to be like Bubba in Forrest Gump. We have blueberry pancakes, blueberry pie, blueberry jelly, blueberry smoothies, blueberry cobbler, etc., etc., etc. I'm so excited to make all of those goodies. We have frozen the majority of the blueberries so we can enjoy them all year long.  I just bought my first canning kit so we can make some blueberry jams.  Erik is just praying I don't poison us...I am too!

Cowboy Boots & Flip Flops

So a few weeks back it was my birthday. I turned thirty something...of course I shouldn't tell my age for privacy reasons on the internet. Yeah, that's why. Anyway, my parents were in town and watching the boys for a few days for me. It was really nice having them here. They were taking us out for my birthday dinner. I decided to get dressed up a bit. Since I work from home my wardrobe is pretty much jeans and whatever shirt I can find. Makeup is optional. Since I've had the boys usually there is a bit of spit up somewhere on my attire. My footwear is pretty much cowboy boots and flip flops. I used to wear heels all the time, not kidding, everyday. Even my flip flops would have some sort of heel. Every year I have one pair of black boots with a thick heel. They pretty much had become a staple of my wardrobe. When I was pregnant I wore my black boots to the Dr. and was told that I should not be wearing heels of any sort while pregnant, esp with twins. Great, so I just became very short and very round. My cute black boots sat by the back door for at least a month looking very lonely. They then got moved to the closet. They sat there for many months. So on my birthday I was getting all fancied up and decided to pull the black boots out of retirement. I slid one on thinking about how much skinner I was going to look with that inch or so added to my height. I slid the other one on and my toe stopped at something in the toe of the boot. I jerked out my foot and didn't want to but had to turn the boot upside down to see what fell out. A DEAD MOUSE!!! I shrieked, jumped around a little bit and then ran in the next room to tell my parents and husband my horrible discovery. My husband took away the corpse.
How did that mouse get into my boot you ask? You see, my lovely cat, little Miss Daisy has been bringing up mice from the basement and letting them go upstairs. I guess she just likes to have something to play with or giving the dog something to play with. Trust me we have had much unwanted entertainment chasing mice up here. I've decided that it's really a form of entertainment for the cat. When she is not getting enough love or is just bored she probably thinks "I'll bring a mouse up to shake things up a bit." Although it really didn't bother me at first now with the babies, it's driving me crazy. So crazy that the poor mice in the basement are going to have to go elsewhere, we are having an exterminator come today.

I think my parents and husband still get a chuckle every time they think about it. I still get chills when thinking about it. Unfortunately the boots didn’t make it either. There was a bit of a stink in them so they have been thrown away. Back to the cowboy boots and flip flops...they are much more my speed these days anyway.

Mother's Day

Sunday was my very first Mother's Day. It was a good day, nothing too exciting. Little J was not feeling well so we stayed in all weekend and just got things done around the house. Erik made me breakfast and then gave me a gift that has been getting me out of the house every Monday night for the past three weeks and a couple more weeks to come. I will write more about that at a later date.
Motherhood has been everything I thought it would be and more. I look at my two beautiful healthy little boys and thank God every day. Every single day. People always say, "I don't know how you do it with two". I really can't imagine my life without two. I sometimes think how easy it would be with just one but would NEVER trade my twins for anything. I get everything double. Double smiles, double excitement when reach a new milestone, double the love and eventually I have no doubt double the trouble. Bring it on my boys, bring-it-on.
I have to say that watching my husband with them makes me love him more. He tries so hard and is so hands on with them that I find myself loving him in a way I hadn't before. It's amazing how that happens. How these two little beings have made such a profound impact on my life. They say "kids change everything", isn't that the truth!

I look at my life and feel so blessed. I look around and just feel overwhelming happiness. I've never felt such a quiet in my life where I'm just at peace.