Simply Shinpaugh

9 Weeks

2012-02-10T21:08:00.001-07:00

I almost made this her picture…check out those cheeks!
I was just worried it would be mistaken for crying…but not this time, it was all giggles!

She’s had a great week, I’m loving her smiles and giggles and coo’s! She had her 2 month well visit and everything is looking awesome. She’s growing like crazy, 13 lbs 1.5 oz (95% for weight) and 23.75 in (93% for height)…you go girl! And I’m pleased to announce last night, she slept for 7 hours straight…wowwers…that was awesome!

Just incase you wanted to see what the boys are up to…

Parker

Weston

A great weekend to turn 8 weeks!

2012-02-06T20:37:00.001-07:00

Hello little Miss 8 Weeker!

What was that Avery?
Did you say you love your new blanket?
Oh, you want to know where we got it?
Well I’m glad you asked! That’s the perfect segue…

Because we just had the best weekend!! Hooray for awesome friends from college that come visit!! First off let me start off by thanking everyone for their super thoughtful and super sweet gifts for all the kiddos.

Avery got that amazing play mat that she’s laying on from Rachael. How sweet is that, and it matches her room so perfect!!

Rachael’s talents don’t end there…check out these little football blankets. Can you get any more fun then that? I don’t think so.

You can tell, they’re already a big hit!

Next from Mark and Stephanie we got a personalized hanger thing for Avery. Is that not super sweet?!?! It is perfect for her room and I can’t wait to hang some of her cute little jackets on it. Oh and I can’t forget an Aggie onesie…every girl with Aggie parents needs herself an Aggie onesie.

Which reminds me, I don’t think I posted what they made for the boys last year. It’s perfect with the authentic Aggie maroon. And once they have little back packs, won’t that be so cute?!? They also got the boys some bath toys. Bath time is always a popular time for the boys…so it just got a little more fun!

And then from Monica and Evan, check these out…I don’t think there can be a cooler track suit!!

For a bonus…I think it makes them run faster.

Can’t you just tell Weston feels cooler with it on? Just hang’n with the laaadddiiiesss.

They also got Avery some sweet little Aggie onesies…like I said before…a must!

Y’all all did way to much! Thank you all so much for such sweet, thoughtful, and fun gifts for the our kids!

So what did we do with everyone here? Well, we played with the boys.

And we held Avery.

Rachael…major bummer, I don't have any pictures with you and the kids. I really need to work on my paparazzi skills and just go crazy when y’all are here!

We also spent a lot of time exchanging the best games for the IPad (and the android for those few who are not Apple fans). Plants vs. Zoombies…go get it right now! Then don’t plan on doing anything productive for at least the next 15 hours.

We went to eat at Joe’s Farm Grill.

Why did I not go crazy with my camera?!?! It was a beautiful day and we had everyone all lined up on a nice picnic table. But a special thanks to everyone who was so nice to follow the boys around while they ran free!

And of course we talked! I won’t mention any names, but I am really looking forward to a wedding and some more babies!!

I love y’all!!

Well, bestest friends from college…thank y’all so much for coming to visit! Thank you for adding on to our 10 plus years of memories! Thank you for all your generosity! Thank you for loving our kids! Thank you for just being awesome!

Let’s do this again!!

It’s over…

2012-02-01T13:59:00.001-07:00

Sorry Chick-fil-A Lemonade, I need to break up with you. It was delicious while it lasted. But drinking you by the gallon (literally, I was a little addicted) isn’t good for my little girl. Hopefully we can make up one day…but for now…don’t even think about it.

Ok baby girl…I did it. Now it’s just you and me sweet thing! If I would have known that was making you upset..trust me I would have never had 1 drop. I’m sorry baby girl! It’s bringing tears to my eyes knowing you’re feeling 100% better!!

Ok nursing mamma’s out there…if you have an upset baby, check on the amount of lemonade you’re drinking.

Scenes From The Couch

2012-01-30T20:59:00.002-07:00

This is the view I get. Look at that precious face!

Ok, this made me a little nervous…thankfully nothing happened. But my idea of throwing a bunch of cheerios on the floor didn’t keep them as content as long as I thought it would.

I thought I’d give this a try.
I don’t want to do it every day…but this was a good method of keeping them entertained for a feeding.

Hello smiley girl!

Wow…look at these angels. This is really what happened during a whole feeding!

7 Weeks

2012-01-27T23:22:00.003-07:00

Happy 7 weeks precious girl! You’ve had a rough couple weeks though, with that crazy reflux stuff. You’re growing like a champ but your poor tummy isn’t having a good time. Hopefully we can get that figured out so you can be back to feeling good!

Just for fun, here’s what your big bro’s have been up to. Weston is doing some sort of sun dance, while Parker is deciding what him and Mr. Lion will do next.

Sweet Lolly

2012-01-27T23:06:00.001-07:00

Well we knew Lolly couldn’t stay for forever, but it’s still so hard to see her go. Mom, like when the boys were born…you’re help this time was invaluable. I’m thankful for all you do for us, but most of all I’m just glad you were here! This is an exciting time for our family, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend welcoming our new little girl and watching our boys grow!

You were here to celebrate my baby shower.

You were here for Thanksgiving and played lots of wrestle mania.

You took the boys on tons of wagon rides.

You were here when Avery was born.

You and Dad took care of the boys while we were in the hospital.

You did 5 millions of loads of laundry.

You were here for Christmas.

You and Mamu took the boys on lots of adventures.

You fed the boys LOTS of meals.

You rocked Avery to sleep almost everyday.

You washed 10 thousand dishes.

You danced with the boys in the living room.

You treated us to enough Chick-fil-a to last a life time, although I could still eat it tomorrow .

You had fun carrying the boys like an Egyptian.

We celebrated your birthday.

You made sure to follow through and take them outside every time you promised you would.

You turned your house into a special place for the kids.

We were able to enjoy Maw-Maw and Aunt Robin visiting.

Best of all you were there for all 3 at the same time reading the Little Blue Truck.

Mom, thank you so much for all you did!

We all miss you already and can’t wait for you to come back!!

I love you!!

A special treat!

2012-01-26T19:51:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we had some very special guests. My maw-maw and Aunt Robin came to visit! It was so great to have them here and I’m so glad the boys got to see them again and that Avery was able to meet them. Thank you both for making the trip out west!!

It was a great weekend with lots of hanging out with kids, good food, and a game of scrabble.

Maw-Maw meeting Avery

Aunt Robin meeting Avery.

Maw-Maw had quite the touch with Miss Avery, Avery loved to snuggle with her! The boys also enjoyed running up to Maw-Maw and Avery.

Our game of Scrabble with some good and friendly competition.

Aunt Robin reading with Weston, she has quite the magic grandma touch with our little ones.

Group shots

Just for fun, these were the group shots from last time Maw-Maw and Aunt Robin where here.

Thank you so much Maw-Maw and Aunt Robin for heading our way! It was so great to be able to spend time with y’all!!

Field Trip #3

2012-01-25T13:17:00.005-07:00

This was the boy’s last field trip (well maybe not the last ever, but Lolly has gone home now...so it will be a while till the next one) with Lolly and Mamu who were on boo-boo patrol, while I was home with Miss Avery. It was such a treat to know I had a day where the boys would have a blast and I would have the opportunity to rest and be home with Avery. This time they went to the Rose Garden and then to Organ Stop Pizza.

So they didn’t get a huge smile with the roses, I think the more exciting part is coming up.

Weston Parker
Ok, so maybe looking at roses isn’t the most fun.

But I know what is…running around a rose garden!

It’s also super fun to take Parker for a wagon ride.

The pictures in Organ Stop were a little blurry, but I wanted to post them anyways…just for fun. But they said the boys did great. It took them a couple minutes to get used to the music...but overall they thought it was pretty cool!

Hooray again to Mamu and Lolly! Thank you so much!! If they boys could talk, they would say “thank you” too. And I’m not quite sure if Avery would say… “hey, I want to go too.” or “thank you, I love spending time with mommy.” Either way…thank you from me!!

6 Weeks

2012-01-20T21:56:00.001-07:00

My sweet baby girl…I love you! I’ve enjoyed our little photo shoots, I hope you have too. This one however I did while the boys were awake, and this is what happened…

Header Picture Update

2012-01-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

12 months old

13.5 months old

14.5 months old

Avery 1 month, Boys 15.5 months
Major, oops! I miss spelled our last name. Thank you Missy for letting me know!

Avery 1 month, Boys 15.5 months

Another Field Trip

2012-01-14T12:23:00.002-07:00

We’re starting to have some well traveled toddlers, first the Zoo…now the Children's Museum. Maybe that doesn’t qualify for being super well traveled…but it does qualify for some happy boys who have some awesome grandma’s!
Here are lots of pictures from a fun day with Mamu and Lolly at the Children's Museum.

Welcome to the Museum! Yes, I think the leashes are a great idea!

Getting pumped up with some jams.

A giant Lite Brite, what a great idea!

That fun snow ball stuff.

They love kitchen stuff.

I know this is an awesome amount of fun for 2 little guys. But I will say, these new skills make me a little nervous!

Thank you again for taking the boys to do something so fun! Something that I for sure wouldn’t be able to do on my own…so this is a huge treat for them!

5 Weeks

2012-01-13T19:27:00.001-07:00

Well she’s over 1 month old now, eleven more of those and she’ll be over 1 year old…that’s crazy to think about. She’s had a busy month, I guess being born in December will pretty much mean her birthday month will always be busy. Well I guess it wasn’t super busy, but it did go by fast.

1. She’s met all her grandparents and her funcle.

Mamu and Popps

Grams and Gramps

Pappa Bud and Lolly

Funcle Nathan

2. She had her first photo shoot (more to come soon for that one).

3. She had her first trip to the mall. This was also the first time we broke out the triple stroller.

4. She had her first bath at home.

5. She went to Christmas Eve Service at our church.

6. She celebrated Christmas.

7. She’s spent lots of time being “playing” with her brothers.

8. She’s watched a Cardinal’s game with daddy.

9. Celebrated my mom’s birthday.

10. She has enjoyed the view from on top of the table. Which means she’s nice and safe from a couple of sweet little wild boys.

Happy Birthday Lolly

2012-01-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Opps, sorry I’m a couple days late, January 7th is actually my mom’s birthday. It’s so fun that she’s here so we’re able to celebrate together!

Her card was signed with love!

Parker had the blue marker.

Weston had the green marker.

Avery had the purple marker.

We all went to eat at The Top of The Rock Restaurant at The Buttes. It was a great place with awesome food and an amazing view! We did have some issues getting there, because I-10 was closed down and caused some major traffic issues. Which meant the 20 minute drive turned into a 2 hour drive, so the poor boys were not super excited to sit down to eat. But considering the circumstances, all the kiddos did great!

Happy Birthday Mom!! I’m so glad you’re here!!

We had an Arizona cake made by Sugarlips Cakery…yum!!

And thanks to Brenda my mom had also had her favorite cherry chip cake. And Brenda was so thoughtful and made an “A” on top of the cake (for Avis)…so sweet and yummy!

I hope you had a great day mom! Happy late Birthday! I love you!!

Happy 4 Weeks Little Girl

2012-01-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

The First Real Hair Cut

2012-01-06T21:35:00.001-07:00

We’ve experienced the dreaded first hair cut. I guess it wasn’t really their first hair cut, but the first time at a real place. It went about as I expected. The boys thought it was some kind of torture and hated every second of it. But when they were done, they were super cute!

Weston is usually our braver one, so we started with him. Nothing to worry about just yet.

Still not to bad.

Avery did great! Parker, just lucky it isn’t him.

Phewwww…he survived. I’ll pass on posting the pictures of the actual hair cut. It just breaks my heart to much to see my boys so upset.

Then it was Parker’s Turn. He hated it as much as Weston did.

The boys did survive. And so did my mom and I, although we didn’t cry the whole time…I think we both felt like it on the inside. Our remedy was a trip to Costco. Shopping has a way of making things better.

Well little guys, you look super handsome with your big boy hair cuts! I hope next time goes better!

Field Trip Time

2012-01-04T20:50:00.001-07:00

A couple days ago we all had a special treat. Lolly and Mamu took the boys to the zoo! It was a first for the boys and a great day for Mark and I to hang out with Avery and get a lot of stuff done around the house. Lolly and Mamu reported the boys did great!

Since I wasn’t there, I don’t have a whole lot of details about what happened. But Lolly and Mamu did great and got a lot of pictures for us!

I did hear that Weston loved the petting zoo.

But Parker wasn’t so sure of these furry four legged friends.

And he got pretty shy when there was a crowd around.

And I couldn’t help but ask how well they ate. And they said they did great with their picnic style lunch in their wagon.

Speaking of the wagon, it was again a favorite mode of transportation...

…of course second to being able to run free.

No, THANK YOU to Lolly and Mamu for taking the boys on their first zoo trip!

And of course, thank you for loving our little wild monkeys so much!

Changing Seasons

2012-01-01T20:31:00.001-07:00

This moment in our life seems to be a season of change. We just passed the Christmas season, Val and I ended our season of life as a four-person family and are entering a season of being out numbered by our kids. Arizona is also changing seasons to become a wonderful “winter”… it is a crisp 80 degrees today. Everything around me right now feels like change. Unfortunately for me, one of those changes is the end to football season. It all ended about as well as it could have. The Aggies finally won a bowl game (the oh so legendary Meineke Car Care bowl) and the Cardinals won their last game to finish at 8-8. To celebrate the end of the Cardinals season the boys and I all wore our Fitz’ shirts all day!

If you don’t know who Larry Fitzgerald is, he is a wider receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. He is one of the greatest wide receivers in the NFL. He is large and fast with great hands and is well known for his awesome work ethic. He seems like a pretty nice guy off the field too. Easily the most talented player on the Cardinals team. Here is what he looks like:

He did a lot of that type of stuff today against the Seahawks.

The boys and I started off our day by taking some laps outside… some great pre-game warm-ups.

That is me way up in the right-hand corner of the picture chasing down Parker.

Val took a picture in front of the ol’ Card’s “bandwagon” (aka Corolla with window sticker and license plate).

Then we went to go show off our matching jerseys by repping the Cardinals at San Tan outdoor mall were the boys love to run around. We then came back home to watch the last game of the season.

We started off like this

But the boys ended up doing more of this kind of stuff

So Avery and I had some good Father-Daughter bonding time.
Maybe she will turn out to be a football fan… you gotta start them early!

So even though we didn’t make the playoffs, it was easily one of the best Cardinal games I have watched because I got to watch it with my whole family. I got to hold my precious baby girl while I watched the Cardinals win all while Weston and Parked stopped by to give me looks like this:

It can’t get any better than that!

3 weeks and 68 weeks

2011-12-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Our little Avery is 3 weeks old and our big boys are 68 weeks old. I know this is random, but Mark brought up the point that the boys will turn 2 before Avery turns 1. Maybe it’s just the whole mom thing of “they grow up so fast”…but that is just weird to think about. Anyways, we’re still doing great over here. The boys have transitioned from just staring and laughing at their sister, to wanting to give her books and toys and trying to touch her. They still haven’t mastered the being gentle part, so poor Avery has been rudely awaken a couple times by a brother being a little too rough. I’m thinking with these big brothers she has, this little girl will grow up to be one tough cookie.

Speaking of big brothers…these guys just seem so grown up now!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T16:51:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas is always a great time of year. Val and I truly love everything about it. It means a lot for us to celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. It means a lot for use to spend time with our family… and we always enjoy an excuse to eat a bunch of wonderful food.

This year started off with an “Express Christmas” (fans of Modern Family will get the reference). Valerie’s brother Nathan was in town the week before Christmas so we celebrated an abbreviated Christmas with him. It was a ton of fun having him here. The boys enjoyed opening up their gifts.

I guess you could say it was pretty casual… the boys went shirtless. We may not have met the dress code for going inside a gas station, but it is just for express Christmas with the family.

And in typical toddler style, the boys were even more interested in playing with what the presents were wrapped in. They had a grand time with it.

Also, I want to thank Nathan for giving me a great quick lesson on photography while he was here. He taught me all about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and whatnot. It was a lot of information that he condensed down for me, but it gave me a good grasp of the basics.

Next we had actual Christmas. We had my Dad and Becky, my Mom and Charlie, Val’s mom Avis, and our own family of five. It was great! We made it to Christmas Eve service at our church where all the kids sat with us and did amazing! I guess Avery was pretty easy since she mostly sleeps, but the boys had fun sitting on one of their grandparent’s laps and playing with the offering envelopes. It was so nice to be able to all enjoy the service together.

On Christmas Eve my Dad gave me some lessons on making pies. My Dad makes a mean pie…and he was teaching me some of his secrets. Together we made a banana pie, chocolate chess pie, and an apple cobbler…all with home made pie crust. They were all super delicious!

I learned quite a bit. I am hoping I can pull off making a yummy pie on my own some time.

Putting the finishing touches on the cobbler crust. I guess I also had time for a wardrobe change.

And then there was Christmas day! This was our first Christmas as a family of five and the very first Christmas for our little girl Avery.

Our wonderful family now capable of completely filling a minivan (with three car seats and a triple stroller)

Avery had a great time being held

We started off with a great big awesome meal!

Thanks to all the parents who did all the cooking. It was AWESOME! Avis was there too… she just happened to be taking the picture above.

After lunch, we opened presents.

Avery just chilled in my mom’s lap… she loved being held the whole time.

The boys on the other hand…went right after the presents. I think everyone had a good time.

This was our gift unwrapping aftermath.

All-in-all, it was a WONDERFUL Christmas. Of course we missed the family that couldn’t be there (namely Bud and Nathan), but we were thankful for all the family that could be in town. Everyone was very generous and we had and wonderful weekend.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

Two weeks down! Our little Avery has still been doing awesome. She’s been eating and sleeping great, and has gained back all her birth weight, plus some. So hooray for nursing…it must be working!

As I’m typing this I’m holding my precious girl in my arms (well one arm holding and one arm typing) and she’s wide awake with a full tummy. I love moments like these, because now I know how fast they really do grow up.

Photo’s of the Week

2011-12-21T14:54:00.001-07:00

Weston

Parker

Avery

First Week

2011-12-17T16:49:00.002-07:00

Our little girl is a week old! It is so amazing how I feel like I couldn’t even imagine our family with out her now. She’s been doing fabulous! She’s been nursing great and doing lots of sleeping.

We decided to come from the hospital a day early and I’m glad we did. Both Mark and I were missing the boys and I just wanted to get started with our family of 5. I can’t really tell if the boys understand what has just happened…I’m thinking not. But they do like to laugh at her and touch her.

We move her little bassinet in the living room during the day (thank you Shelley for letting us borrow it!)…so the boys love to go up and check on baby sister. It’s pretty cute!

Sweet baby girl…we love you so much!! Welcome home precious one!

Pappa Bud

2011-12-16T18:44:00.001-07:00

This time in our life is a very special time for Mark and I. Our boys are more fun then ever and of course the addition of our little Avery is more then we could ever ask for. With my parents living in Egypt it’s not often they’re able to be here and it’s even less often they’re able to be here when something as special as having a baby comes around (not like we have babies all the time, but you know what I mean). So we were so thankful both my mom and my dad were able to be here. But today’s post will be how thankful I am my dad was able to be here, spending time with the boys and getting to be there for our sweet Avery.

My dad has always been a rock for our family. He’s the hardest working person you’ve ever met and has to many accomplishments to count. But more importantly, he’s an amazing dad that has unconditionally loved and supported Nathan and I. I had opportunities growing up that were once in a life time, with a loving home with parents who were always present. I can remember my dad driving up to College Station just to help me study for chemistry and saying “one test at a time, one semester at a time, and you’ll get through it”. I can remember my dad always helping me practice softball and go to every game he could. I can remember being so proud that my dad would come to my elementary classes to teach us about science. I can remember my dad taking us to help fix up homes for the underprivileged. Thank you dad for a wonderful childhood! And thank you for all your love and support as I’m growing up and starting a family of my own!

It’s been so fun to watch my dad turn into a Pappa Bud. I love seeing my dad’s eye’s light up when he sees the boys and now seeing his eye’s light up when he see’s Avery.

I love seeing my dad read to the boys and I can tell he’s almost in tears reading them a book that he read millions of times to me.

I love seeing my dad playing horsey with the boys.

I love seeing my dad take the boys for a walk and do manly stuff like climb a tree.

Thank you so much dad for being here! Thank you for taking care of the boys while we were in the hospital!

I love you so much dad!!

t-val

Happy Birthday to Miss Avery Lee

2011-12-12T11:59:00.001-07:00

Avery Lee Shinpaugh is here!

Happy Birthday Sweet One!

We are so in love with our little girl! There is something very surreal about being pregnant and fully comprehending there really is a baby in there. But once your little one is out, you immediately couldn't imagine what you would do with out them. It's amazing how God designed the family! Thank you Lord for giving us the opportunity to raise up this precious little girl!

So how did Avery get here...well we decided to have a scheduled c-section. To be very honest this was a tough decision for Mark and I. We didn't want to take her out to early, what if I could have a successful VBAC, could I nurse her if I had a scheduled c-section? But with lots of prayer and council from my doctor, we decided the safest thing was to have a scheduled c-section. The main reason being the risk of a uterine rupture, although very rare...I was at a higher risk because we got pregnant so soon after our first c-section. So December 9th was the scheduled date at 39 weeks pregnant. And amazingly I started to go into labor while I was getting ready for the surgery. The doctors told me, you would have been having this baby today anyways. So that was a total answer to prayers and a reassurance we had chosen the correct date.

Let's get ready to do this!

I could feel my little girl moving around and I thankful I was able to get my nails done (thanks mom!).

Hus is ready too!

With my doctor. She is super nice!

I think stuff is happening here.

There she is!

Getting to hold her for the first time.

She got her first bow.

Hi there happy girl.

Out little Avery is healthy and doing great. She was able to stay in our room with us the whole time. We couldn't get enough of holding her. Mark and I took turns holding her all day and all night.

Lolly and Pappa Bud and Mamu getting to meet her.

Weston and Parker getting to meet her.

Weston was my little snuggle bug when we were in the hospital.

Our little family of 5

I just have to show these comparisons. It is amazing how much Avery looks like the boys looked when they were born.

My dad holding Avery and my mom holding Parker

The boys and Avery

Isn't that funny? We might have a little triplet girl.

We are so thankful for my parents and Brenda and Charlie who watched the boys while Mark and I and Avery were in the hospital. A huge part of making this experience so great, was knowing that our boys were well taken care of. And I'm really excited that this begins my mom's next tour of duty, she'll be a huge part of our making our family run!

Well here we go...we've got 3 kiddos now!!

Happy Birthday #1 Husband and Daddy!

2011-12-08T08:38:00.001-07:00

Well my sweet husband has turned another year older and wiser (on December 6th)! I just love my sweet man so much.

Another wonderful creation from Jodi! I wish I could send each one of you a little taste through the computer…because it was amazing! Please don’t count the candles…I’ll give you a hint, we didn’t have 29…but we had enough to look like there were a lot on there.

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband!

Happy Birthday to the best daddy!

All of us, just a couple days before our little daughter gets here!

Well it seems to be kind of how we do it these days…forgetting to get the group shot. But thank you to my parents and Brenda and Charlie for celebrating with us!

I love you my sweet husband! Happy Birthday!

Happy Thanksgiving–Round 2

2011-12-07T09:08:00.001-07:00

Yay, my dad made it Arizona! And since he didn’t have a chance to celebrate Thanksgiving we made up all the traditional stuff. It was all delicious!

There is the bird…it was so yummy mom!

Mark - The Turkey Carver

Our little apprentice turkey carvers

The boys enjoying some time with Popps.

So they don’t seemed super thrilled to be eating yummy turkey. But it wasn’t the best time to be trying since Parker fell asleep in his high chair and Weston just wanted to throw his food on the floor. That’s ok…maybe next year they’ll really love it!

So after we were all stuffed, Lolly and Mamu read books to the boys…it was so cute. Books are the new favorite thing around here!

Well I would say Thanksgiving-Round 2 was a great hit! The food was amazing and we enjoyed all being together!

After Bath Time

2011-12-05T17:44:00.001-07:00

Our little guys are so fun after they take their bath, they get a little spark and just want play. Their other favorite thing is to play in the pile of clothes after they come out of the dryer…so these pictures are the perfect combination.

Our Very Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T15:25:00.002-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Man, we have so much to be thankful for. I can’t mention a list of things to be thankful for with out mentioning my Savior! And of course our family! We are so thankful my mom and Nathan were here (Dad, we wish you could have made it too) and Brenda and Charlie are here to celebrate with us (Jim and Becky, we wish you could have been here too)! There is definitely something special about being able to come together as a family and celebrate.
Well with all the excitement of Thanksgiving, I didn’t get any pictures of our food selection or a group shot. We had a different spread this year, tamales, fajitas and chili and the side stuff that goes with Mexican food. We decided to change it up since this year…and I would say it was a hit. Everything was delicious! Although we will be having a round 2 when my dad gets in town with all the traditional stuff…which I’m equally looking forward to!
Here is the fun part…pictures.

Our Little Wild Turkeys

Their little hand print feathers.

Just for fun…here were our babies last Thanksgiving.

Parker

Weston

Our little outfits didn’t last long. Only because I was scared their shirts would get ruined…and I have a little idea of what I want to do with them next. And Nathan, our personal professional photographer, took some amazing pictures through out the weekend. Here are a couple of Weston, Parker hadn’t woken up from his nap yet.

Here was my mom feeding the boys…they really seemed to enjoy some yummy Mexican Thanksgiving food!

After their tummies were full…it was bath time. I think that’s their favorite time of the day, they love running around all nice and clean.

Well we didn’t get a group shot, but this might be the closest we got.

The next day we met my mom and Nathan for breakfast and took the boys to a park. Here are a couple great pictures Nathan got.

Well bubba’s we had a great time for our Thanksgiving weekend didn’t we?!?

Now it’s off to bed little ones.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ok, Ok…I admit it

2011-11-07T21:43:00.001-07:00

I’m totally addicted to PINNING (in your best Charlie Sheen “winning” voice). Pinterest has become my new favorite way to spend time while the boys are napping. It’s all over the blog-o-sphere and a lot of the blogs say, Stop Pinning and Start Doing. So here ya go, here are my pinspiration creations.

Magnets

These were so easy! I think I could have made a million!

Turkey Shirts

I decided to put a little twist on this one and combine 2 different ideas. The hardest part was just getting the hand print. But the rest was super easy easy!! I did put the first letter of their name on the sleeve, so I could remember who’s hand turkey belonged to who.

Yarn Wreath with Felt Flower and Pennant Banner

Everyone is doing it, and they got me…I had to make one. I actually didn’t pin any of these, but there are millions, so after some scrolling I had an idea in my head.

I had fun frugalizing this one. I didn’t want to buy a wreath hoop, so I decided to just cut it out of a diaper box. So because of that, I wasn’t sure how it would hold up outside. Thankfully, I had magnets left over from my other project. So ta-da…now our fridge has a welcoming wreath.

And don’t worry, I had a good ~~eye~~ ear on the boys during all this crafting…but I did find this in the toilet.

Photo Shoot

2011-11-06T15:50:00.001-07:00

When everyone was here for the boy’s birthday, we were able to get family pictures done. We are so thankful for the awesome talents of Lindsay Hallam! Here are some of our favorites…be prepared to do some scrolling.

Weston

Parker

How our conversations have changed

2011-11-04T20:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T21:56:00.001-07:00

Our little monkey and tiger hope everyone had a wonderful fun filled Halloween!

We are so thankful Mamu and Popps could join us! Mamu was on BooBoo patrol while Popps was our official candy hander-outer.

Our little animals favorite part was walking! Although it is quite the task to guide them down the side walk, keep them from falling off the curb, staying out of the street, and hoping they don’t have a melt down from all the rules.

They enjoyed some candy…just kidding. Just enjoyed slobbering on it, don’t worry we didn’t hand out the candy that was in their mouth.

Happy Halloween little guys!

Just for fun…

Halloween 2010

Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween Morning

2011-10-31T10:01:00.001-07:00

We have had a great morning so far!

First I put on their costumes. It went much better then I expected. They didn’t like wearing the head pieces, but the rest of the costume stayed on just fine. We’re hoping to wear them tonight, but I figured I should at least get a picture now…just incase tonight doesn’t go well.

Then they got our giggle boxes turned upside down!

Then they discovered how to take off our contraption we installed to prevent them from turning on and off the receiver a million times.

Then they had fun walking and screaming.

Here is the video if you want to hear for yourself.

Then they played hide and go seek.

Then they played a little wrestle mania.

Pheww…they wore themselves out! They’re already down for their first nap. Well as I’m typing this, I just heard one of them talking. Well now they stopped. Oh I just heard something again.

Baby Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-22T16:23:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer, I saw this idea on another blog…but it seemed so fun I had to try it!

So our little guys might not really be ready to wield a knife and carve a pumpkin…but they can paint a pumpkin!

1. Using masking tape, mask off something fun for them to “carve” out.

2. Paint away! With something non toxic and washable of course.

Well, there you have it! Super easy! But the thrill of painting didn’t last long…Weston decided to take off and Parker wanted the camera.

Our final product!!

So they didn’t turn out exactly like the pictures on the other blog. Which I take full responsibly for, apparently I skimmed over the part where you should take the tape off while the paint is still wet. Either way, they are beautiful to me and are displayed with pride!

Schnepf Farms

2011-10-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

On Mark’s Friday off we went to Schnepf Farms with Mamu and Popps. It was so big and there was so much to see and do! I will say, I think the boys will have more fun next year. We weren’t able to stay that long, because poor Weston wasn’t feeling so good and it was pretty hot. But we did get some pictures while we were there.

The sippy cups of juice were a must!

We started with a little face painting. Parker got a spider and Weston got a ghost. I’m surprised they sat really still and didn’t seem to mind someone painting on their face.

Do you like those mohawks? We loaded them down with sunscreen, which was perfect for some hair styling!

We did the face in a cut-out thing. They boys weren’t sure what was happening. But when available, this is a must!

We did the petting zoo. I think this was their favorite part.

We did a carousel ride. This one was slightly scary for them…but still cute.

Well this was the last picture we got…at the pig races. Haha…I love Mamu’s face, poor Weston was crying and you can tell this loving grandma was feeling bad for her little man.

Well boys..we’ll try this again next year!

Learning The Two-Step

2011-10-12T20:27:00.001-07:00

We have a new walker in town!

No, not of the Luke Skywalker variety.

But the Shinpaugh variety.

Weston is a walker…and we are so proud of him!

We figure he is 1/3 of the way to being one totally awesome WALKER Texas Ranger.

Some day Weston… some day.

He may not have as much facial hair as Chuck Norris (which I have heard can cut diamonds)…but he is one determined little walking man. He has been doing a lot of practice every day…and at this rate it can’t be too long before he is running laps around us.

Val took a really good video of him walking after bath-time tonight. Just as a disclaimer…as with many of Val’s videos it is a little long (but you can’t blame a loving mom wanting to capture every little move of her boys). Also, Parker is crying through most of the video…but it is just because he is sleepy and can see me preparing bottles for them in the background.

Go Weston!!

Happy Fall!

2011-10-11T11:20:00.001-07:00

What says fall like pumpkin pancakes? Actually that has never said fall to me, because I’ve never heard of pumpkin pancakes. But it seems like every other mom in the blog-o-sphere was doing it…so I decided to give it a try. And I’m glad I did!

It was super easy. I didn’t exactly follow anyone’s recipe (mostly because I didn’t have eggs, and most of them suggested to use eggs) I just kind of made it up my own as I went. I didn’t measure out any of the pancake mix, I just poured out some in a bowl, added a couple good scoops of pumpkin puree, a little vanilla, and some sugar and cinnamon just for fun. Then added water until it was a good pancake constancy. Easy Easy!

Cook them up…and serve!

It’s kind of hard to tell, but I cut out a little face to make it look like a jack-o-lantern. I forgot to take a picture, but that’s ok, because I think the boys are a little young to appreciate that anyways.

Then I added some pears (Are pears a fall food?). Weston likes to take a big piece, but Parker prefers it to be bite sized.

But it was so fun, and healthy, and tasty, and very fall-like!

The post below this suggests there was a little breakfast aftermath. But I’m going to chalk it up to being sleepy, because they did end up falling asleep for a nap way earlier then they normally do.

Thank you for making me laugh

2011-10-11T09:43:00.006-07:00

I really do love my boys more then anything, but some mornings don’t really start out like I would want them to. Like today for instance, both boys screamed and cried for a good 45 minutes after breakfast (which I’m going to post about what they ate…it was super fun) and I couldn’t quite figure out why (I hope it wasn’t related to what they ate). I ended up letting them scream while I sat just watching them and waiting for them to be done. They did eventually finish and then life was good again.
To pass the time, I took some pictures so Mark could see the fun we were having at home (it was with my phone, so sorry for the quality wasn’t the best). This is how the email conversation went:

Me: They've been screaming the last 30 mins and I have no idea why. They both ate real good breakfasts and both had a sippy cup of milk. This is not a good way to start the day!

Mark: Ahh.. poor things. I recognize that "face on the ground" thing from the
pic. Maybe go for a van ride to McDonalds.

Me: Still screaming

Mark: Have you considered that he is just screaming because he is "mad for the
game" as his shirt says?

Haha…oh my sweet husband. Thank you for making moments like these something I can laugh at!

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2011-10-06T19:45:00.001-07:00

I’m always trying to think of new things to do. I can’t quite tell if the boys get bored with our daily routine…maybe it’s just me that’s worried the boys are bored. Anyways, so the other day after lunch…I thought, you know what would be fun?? If we played with the water hose in the back yard!

So although it wasn’t the messiest lunch on record…it was messy enough to warrant being sprayed down outside.

So I wheeled the them outside.

I set up my little home made splash pad.

I should have taken note from these faces, because this was the last picture I was able to get.

As I started with Parker, he started to SCREAM! But I thought this would be fun…we could splash in the water, play with the water hose…doesn’t that sound fun? Well they did not think it was fun. I tried to finish as fast as I could, before a neighbor heard and started to get suspicious. Well feeling a little defeated, I got my very wet and very unhappy campers inside, dried off and freshly diapered. But I still had myself a job to finish outside.

So once they recovered…I brought them back outside while I finished up cleaning the high chairs.

So hopefully if any neighbor started spying on us because they were wondering what was going on in our backyard…they could see they boys had survived my homemade splash pad.

It also turned out to be the day a dust storm blew though. So by dinner time, the clean high chairs were covered in dust and all the food I had sprayed off attracted ants. So it wasn’t my most successful fun idea I’ve had. But maybe next summer we’ll try again.

I’m thinking…

2011-10-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

someone might have been in here.

Our First Wagon Ride

2011-09-29T10:42:00.001-07:00

Well not really, because pre-sitting up the wagon had a very special purpose. But now, our wagon can be used for it’s real purpose…to go for rides! Last weekend the weather for perfect for a little trip to the park, which meant a perfect time to break out the wagon again.

Daddy lead the way and we headed to the park.

The park by our house is so nice, with lots of stuff for all ages. We taken then swinging a couple time, and man their faces really light up! Now that the weather is so close to being so nice…I see lots more days at the park in our future.

We even enjoyed going down the slide a couple times. Well I say enjoyed loosely…they tolerated it. But one day, I’m sure they’ll love going down the slide!

Of course a parents loves their baby at every stage…but man it does get so much more fun the more they’re able to do! Well it’s more work too, because of the same reason…but the fun part out ways the more work part!

We’ve been busy walking

2011-09-24T21:18:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Lolly and Grammy…we have walkers! The boys are loving them! This walking stuff has become a must for our daily routine.

I know I’ve already used a mustache joke…but I couldn’t help it!

This picture was just to perfect, I had to do another one!

The Big O-N-E

2011-09-20T10:39:00.004-07:00

Happy Birthday my ~~little~~ big ones!

I think every mom says this…but I can’t believe it’s already been a year, it has gone by so fast! It still blows me away to think that our little tiny preemies are growing up into these big and handsome boys.
Well since you only turn 1 once, we wanted to make sure we celebrated!
Of course, you can’t do something special with out something special to wear. And to make sure no one forgot how old they are, I made little shirts for the boys.

And you can’t have a special birthday with out an amazing cake! Can you believe this cake?!?! Is that not the best looking cake you’ve ever seen? Jodi-Jodi-Jodi…thank you so much for creating this master piece!

Of course the best part of a party is having all your friends and family there to celebrate with you!

Oh buddy…we can’t forget the presents. The boys got some really cool new things! Thank you to all our VERY generous friends and family!

And the moment we’ve all been waiting for…the C.A.K.E!

Weston

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Parker

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Well boo boo bears, we did it! We’ve made it a year and have had an amazing birthday party to prove it. Thank you again to our friends and family or celebrating with us and making this such a special day!

Weston and Parker we love you!!

Adventures at the Splash Pad

2011-09-10T09:59:00.001-07:00

A Little Fun in the Sun

2011-09-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Before these triple digits slip away, we just had to take the boys swimming in their little blow up pool.

Our Mamu and Popps

2011-09-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Oh our sweet Mamu, I can't tell you how many hours she's spent watching the boys, how many loads of laundry she's folded, how many bottles she's washed, diapers she's changed, or how many toys she's picked up. And even though we are so thankful for all the support and help she has provided our family...most of all we love her sweet spirit. We love her gentle words that come at the exact right time, her sweet songs she sings to the boys, her friendly smile every time we see her, her love that only a grandmother could give to her grandsons. I'm thankful for the amazing mom she is to Mark and the wonderful mother-in-law she is to me. I love that I have the privilege to call her family.

Mamu and Popps we love having you here in Arizona! We love that our boys have grandparents close and it makes my heart melt to see the boys get excited to see you. We always look forward to when we can all get together and we love being able to spend not only the special occasions together but the casual dinners together too.

Popps, thank you for all your love and support too! Thank you for always putting a smile on our faces and having a special spot in your heart for the boys. We love you so much and are looking forward to lots more fun memories together!

We love you Mamu and Popps!! Thank you both for all you do for us! And thank you for loving us and our boys more then we could ever imagine!

A little stroll...

2011-09-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about my sweet husband lately. Well I'm always thinking about him, but I guess I've just been so thankful for him lately...well I'm always thankful for him. Anyways, you know what I mean. I just love him so much! I love him as a husband, as a father, as my best friend! So I thought it might be fun to take a little stroll down memory lane....

May 2004 - We went on our first date, Mark left for an internship for the summer
August 2004 - He came back, I left for an internship for the whole school year

October 2004 - We became official boyfriend/girlfriend
~ Even though we were about 4 hours apart, we burned up a lot of that highway between Dallas and College Station!

May 2005 - I came back
May 21, 2005 - We get engaged!!

End of May 2005 - Mark left again for a summer internship. I stared at my left hand and did a little summer school.

August 2005 - We get to spend out fist semester together in College Station!

December 2005 - Mark graduates and moves to Arizona

~ This was a hard time, Arizona and Texas are a little more the 4 hours a way. But I will say I got my best grades this semester!

May 2006 - I graduate

July 1, 2006 - We get married!

Then we go on a honeymoon

Then we move me to Arizona where we have lived happily ever after!

2 + 1 = 3

2011-08-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mark and I are so excited to announce we're expecting a baby girl!

We are looking forward to meeting her some time around December 16, 2011!

Our New Favorite Place to Play

2011-08-26T11:11:00.001-07:00

Where do the trail of toys lead to...the kitchen!

Our 15 Minutes of Fame...In the Netherlands

2011-08-13T14:34:00.001-07:00

Several months ago I received an email from a lady who had found our blog while searching for co-bedding twins. She mentioned she was a lactation specialist from the Netherlands and was in the process of translating the book Sleeping With Your Baby by Jim McKenna from English to Dutch. There would be a section on twins and the benefit of them co-bedding after birth and she wanted to know if she could use the picture we posted of our boys. I said, "Yes!". My thoughts were, if this could help another mom of twins...it's worth it. So we traded emails back and forth for awhile and I sent several pictures of the boys to her that I felt comfortable with her using for the book. So yesterday I received an email from her saying the book was complete and the boys were on page 113. I am so excited my sweet boys are in a book! I can't wait to order the book, even though I won't be able to read it...I can look at the pictures and see my sweet boys.

The Cover

There they are! On page 113

Our name is mentioned in the forward.

So there you have it...our 15 minutes of fame!

Parker's First Hair Cut

2011-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well we finally decided the time was over for the micro mullet...it had a good run. So tonight we gave Parker a little ear hair trim. He wasn't so sure at first...I think it was mostly because he had to sit still. But Mark accomplished the task...and now he's free to crawl around with out all that ear hair holding him back.

1: Entice with a little friendly rocking with daddy.

2: See if he'll sit still on the floor...nope.

3: Didn't like being held back.

4: Thought this became a pretty fun game.

5: Go Daddy! You got some hair and avoided the ear!

6: Now the other side.

7: There it is! Yes mom, I did put it in a baggie for Parker's Baby Book.

8: He's free!

About 2 Minutes of Our Day

2011-08-07T06:37:00.001-07:00

Weston bird watched.

Weston got excited he saw one and Parker joined him.

Weston hits Parker.

Parker looks for toys under the couch.

Juice break.

2 Little Movers

2011-08-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce that Weston is now crawling!! We are so proud of our little guys!! We didn't share this on the blog earlier, but during their 9 month appointment the dr. had put them at a 6 month development. So of course we were thankful they were nice and big and healthy...it was a little hard to hear they were behind on their motor skills. The dr. did say the delay is mostly due to them being 6 weeks early, and it's normal for twins to be a little behind. He said there is nothing we can do at this time, just wait for them to have that desire to start moving. And I'm sure everyone can relate that waiting is not a whole lot of fun. But Mark and I just prayed for our little guys that one day when the time was right they'd want to crawl. And they did it...praise the Lord! So with out further a due...here is Weston's crawling debut! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, they know how to clap their hands! You just say..."clap your hands" and they're little hands start (well maybe not start right away, but eventually) clapping!

Go Go Little Clappers and Movers!!

Micro-mullet

2011-07-24T18:28:00.003-07:00

Parker has been working on a great new hair style since he entered the world, that I think could really start a trend. It is simple yet intriguing... and formal yet playful... both practical and fun. I have named it the micro-mullet! Just envision short hair all the way around with the exception of some really stupendous growth of hair just behind the ears. It is business both in the front and back... but a party on each side! It is like he is constantly ready to jump into a suit to go to some formal event... but he is too busy listening to a party go down (in stereo) whispering into his ears.

It has got many practical advantages. Besides Parker finding it awesome to twirl with his fingers, I am sure it keeps his ears nice and cozy warm. It is hard to capture on film... but here are my best shots.

Oh... and one nice over the shoulder look.

All business from this angle!

I also thought I would throw this in just for fun... like a two-for-one. Parker is also continually getting better at crawling... which means he has been much more curious about his surroundings. Here is some of the latest things he has discovered.

"Oh WOW... so this is what those furry things are eating!"

"Borrrrrrrriingggg... ohhh... whats over here?"

Another one for the Grandparents

2011-07-18T09:38:00.001-07:00

Parker crawling...isn't he just the cutest little mover you've ever seen (once Weston starts crawling they'll be tied for the cutest of course)?!? This one is a little on the long side, but it's just to hard for me to stop filming. But it does end kind of quickly...you'll see why. He didn't fall, I was able to get him just in time.

How Twins Are Made

2011-07-14T14:46:00.001-07:00

Out Takes of Our Photo Shoot

Thank you Grammy Becky!! We love our new onesies!!

Fun with the Mesh Feeder

2011-07-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Have y'all seen these things? It's a Nuby Mesh Feeder.

Good job for whoever invented it! It's a great way for beginner eaters to really start to enjoy some fresh food. We have just started using them and so far it's be so great. Well let me re-phrase...awesome for Weston, Parker is still not sure he's a fan. But hey...50% ain't bad and I like them eating fresh fruit, so that's worth something too (maybe we can be up to 70%).

It's pretty easy, stuff the little mesh thing with something yummy. We've tried bananas (#1 fav), watermelon, and peaches...then hand it over to your little one(s).

Parker enjoys the handle part more.

But look at that Weston man...chow down little one!

Super yummy! He ended finishing his and then ate Parker's.

Parker thought it's be fun to make a hammer.

I hope I got up all the banana splatter...cause that stuff is sticky!

It's a little yucky when they're all done.

Isn't this a fun little eating thing?

Header Picture

2011-07-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband had a wonderful idea (no surprise, he's super smart), to document every time I update the blog with a new header picture. Blogger doesn't keep a record of your templates, so this will be a fun way for us to remember which pictures we've used for the header. I hope this is fun for you to see too!

9 months old

7 months old

5 months

Here's one for the Grandparents

2011-07-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

Sweet Faces

2011-07-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Oh Parker, I could have sworn you were super tired!

This is not what I expected when I laid you down for a nap.

Oh silly Weston...you got a pretty good sour milk face.

5 Years Together!

2011-07-01T16:36:00.001-07:00

Today is Val and my five year anniversary!!

This really has been the most fun I have ever had in my life and our life is only getting more exiting. Each year with my wonderful wife has been spectacular. In appreciation of all that she means to me I gave her a special gift this year for our anniversary. I went a little beyond what I typically do for our anniversary... but it was a lot of fun to do something that I knew would be meaningful for her.

This year I got Valerie an iPad 2. I knew she had been wanting one... but they are quite expensive. But I splurged a bit... and I also said it was her birthday gift as well (which is in August). However, I decided to wrap her gift in a very special way.

Here is what it looked like all wrapped up:

Just one big box in white wrapping paper.

However... this one big box had inside of it 5 other boxes, each progressively smaller. Each of those boxes were wrapped... and represented a year of our marriage. On each box I had a hand written note and I also printed out, cut out, and taped all kinds of pictures all over the boxes from that year of our life together. I did take photos of all the sides of the boxes... but I won't bore you with all those details... but here is kind of what they each looked like from the top view.

The box for our first year.

On it was the note:

Our first year together couldn’t have been any better! The wedding was the best (and still is) that I have ever seen… and the honeymoon was pretty awesome too! It felt great to be married to the most beautiful woman in the world as we started our new life out here is Arizona.

Next was:

The second year box

On it was the note:

The “honeymoon” phase of our marriage may have technically been over, but we didn’t live it that way! We were just warming up! We had a great time getting our house personalized with all kinds of projects. You contracted a green thumb and started planting all kinds of stuff. We got to go to several wedding (but we know ours was still the best!). We got to see your brother graduate, and you made the big decision to cut your long hair short. We had a great time growing closer together and more in love as our marriage grew.

Next was:

You got it.... year 3.

The note was as follows:

Our third year was filled with fun and new experiences! It started off SUPER AWESOME with a surprise vacation to Payson that only a #1 wife could have planned. It was one of the most thoughtful/romantic/fun time I have had with you. We spent this year taking family bike rides, you got attacked by a cactus, we got introduced to Rockband and DDR, the Cards went to the super bowl, and we went camping! It was a busy 12 months but I can’t imagine a more perfect person to experience life with. Some would say we good as good together as bacon and eggs J

There was another box inside that one... it looked something like:

Another box with pictures and a note... this from year 4

I wrote a note saying:

Our fourth year was spectacular… and it was year for a lot of change for us! We said goodbye to cute and feisty Bonnie Bean and we brought in a energetic young puppy name Cooper. We took great trips to Texas and had tons of fun. Then we had an AWESOME trip in Egypt right after finding out we were pregnant (with our future twin boys)… and you got your first grey hair! I love growing old with you!

Then we got to the last box... the actual iPad box itself. It was wrapped as such:

The year 5 wrap.

The writing on it:

This past year has been one of the best! Now, more than just the best wife I could want, you are the best Mom to our wonderful growing family!

Underneath that layer of wrapping paper though (same box)... I wrapped it in happy birthday paper (happy 30th birthday paper to be exact)... with a note saying "sorry this is your birthday present to".

Valerie accepted my apology

All in all, it was a lot of fun to make for her... and I am glad she enjoyed it. I have to give a special thanks to my Mom who secretly came over for two weeks in a row and baby sat the boys while Val was at Bible study so I could do all this wrapping! I don't think I could have pulled this off without her help.

Here is some pictures of sweet Val unwrapping her gift!

Happy Anniversary Valerie! I love you!

All-Star Dad!

2011-06-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Look at what this proud daddy wore to work on Monday!

Is he just the sweetest ever or what?!?!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T20:28:00.002-07:00

Oh to my sweet husband and the bestest daddy in the whole world...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I feel like don't know how to tell you enough how much I love you and much I love you as a daddy. I know our boys love you soooo much too! They love sitting in your lap and rocking every night. They love when you read them books, especially your signature "Caps for sale" voice. They love when you come home and we sing "Daddy's Home!!". They love when you dance for them while they sit on our bed. They love playing boats with you during bath time. They love when you snuggle them at night. They love their daddy and so do I!

Thank you so much for taking such great care of us. Thank you for being the leader of our family. Thank you for loving us so much.

Oh my sweet husband I love you and I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day!

Also a shout out to my dad...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Thanks for being an awesome dad and always loving me and supporting me!

Another cool thing...today was Baby Dedication at our church. The baby dedication is a way for our family to publicly commit to follow biblical principles in raising our children in a Christian home where God is honored and His word is taught. It also serves as a reminder to our fellow church members as they promise to continue teaching the Bible in the church so that our children will never lack hearing the truth of God's Word. It was really special and I'm glad Mamu and Popps were able to be there with us.

No More Swings

2011-06-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've had to move past my trusty swing method to feed and nap the boys when I saw Weston sitting up and rocking himself on the edge of the swing. This is for the best though, because now we've been practicing holding our own bottles and the most exciting part...they're napping in their cribs!

My Favorite Little Helpers

2011-06-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

I love when they help me with the laundry!