Seriously?! 11 months since my last post!

Cade and Claire are getting so big! It is so fun to watch them change and learn new things.  It amazes me how smart little kids are.  They remember things that I swear were only mentioned briefly or they had been laughing and dancing and appeared oblivious to what was going on, but then would know everything that had taken place.  They seriously amaze me!  Being twins, and therefore the same age, may have something to do with it, but they love so many of the same things! They both love:

-Puzzles!  They want to do them first thing in the morning and right before they go to bed.

-Cinderella and Monsters Inc are all time favorite movies for those two!  And yes They both love both those movies...they rub off on each other.

-Flip flops.  They both have a pair they always want to wear and so I would find myself hiding them when I didn't want them to wear them or they weren't going to match their outfit and as it is getting cold outside...I know, I'm mean and crazy!

-They are obsessed with killing flies!  "i see the bug!  Kill them!  Kill them!  Is frequently yelled over and over in our home!

-Potty treats!  They are doing really well at it, even though there are days I swore it was going to be the death of me, but we are surviving and living off sugar.  We do what it takes around here!  Claire tries to trick me with an empty potty, but swearing she has gone already and then when that doesn't work, she yells, "but I'm dry mommy! I'm dry! I need my potty treat!" (when we first started they would be praised for staying dry and get a treat.  That's no longer the case, but she will try anything for a treat!)

-They love for you to read books to them.

-They love their cousins, even though we never see them enough.

-Their stuffed doggy and stuffed bunny are part of the family, if you know what I mean!

These two also talk really well and are getting way too good at repeating what you say, which makes me very aware of what I'm saying. Things sound way different coming from a two year old's mouth!  They also have some really fun one liners and songs they sing.  I love their songs because they will start to put several songs together!  

So grateful for such amazing friends and that we got to have a girls weekend while everyone was nearby for the summer.  It was just like old times, and I mean that when I say it.  I felt like I was 17 again!  It isn't always easy to come by lifelong friends like these...so I'm thankful everyday.  Especially as we recently moved 45 minutes from Twin Falls and I am making friends all over again.

 We loved the Oregon Coast so much last year we took a trip out there over the 4th of July again this year.  The kids loved the beach.  It was a success!

 We got to spend some time this summer up at the Eichner Farm,  The kids loved riding in the Combine with Grandpa.  Cade went around stating, "Grandpa, combine?  Grandpa, combine?" for weeks.

Every day is such an adventure with these two.  I am so grateful for them and the joy they bring to our home.  They seriously know how to make me smile!  And let's be real, there are some discouraged frowns in there too, but those happy moments would never be quite as amazing without those frustrations!  I just love them so much!

Our little Trip

Last week Nate went to SLC to take a class for 3 days on Auditing (continuing education credits...). I immediately saw this as an opportunity for a vacation when he initially informed me of this obligation and decided to tag along! So naturally, I felt as excited and nervous as any mother of two 16 month olds would, knowing this would be our longest stay in a hotel with our 2 children and I would be alone all day long! Amazingly I felt capable, and confident that tagging along was a much better idea than staying home. Thankfully I found myself pleasantly surprised by their ability to adapt.  

We stayed at a nice hotel in downtown Salt Lake City which had two downfalls. We were essentially required to valet park our vehicle at the hotel and there were no meals at the hotel. This may not seem that horrible, but when you have two children who feel the need to feed themselves and are really messy at it, never eat much, and when they do, you're just hoping they'll eat what you place before them while feeling a great need to provide a nutritious meal, it can a bit stressful and expensive when eating out is your only option.  On the other hand, imagine how fun it is to get to your hotel and immediately you are having your door opened and suddenly you are feeling rushed to get your two little ones, along with a days worth of mess out of the car in what feels like 30 seconds. Not a trip killer, but these two things definitely added a nice little twist!

We found ourselves completely off schedule, actually, we had no schedule! I left early every morning and returned when Nate returned from his class only to take off for dinner.  We generally never got our kids into bed before 8:30 or 9. It may not sound late, but they are usually in bed by 7 or 7:30. And yet they did really well.  I was really lucky to get to see some really great friends while I was here and we got to visit and have some fun play dates for our kids too!  We went shopping, Visited Temple Square, had a nice couple hours at the McDonalds playland, went to the zoo, ate out way too much, discovered some garden boutique, and just had a really good time in a new city!

 The garden boutique was decorated with these witches everywhere. They were so cute and fun to look at.  The kids actually stayed in their stroller for the most part... and I'm sure it had nothing to do with the suckers I gave them! Bribing every once in awhile never hurt anyone, right?!

I was so happy to see Kels and her kiddos who were visiting from Texas! Hard to believe we survived our outing with 2 sets of twins under the age of 2 and little Luke...we must be super moms! Or at least that's what I tell myself.

 I was really worried the zoo would be a bust, but they loved it! They worst part was that I only have two arms and my measly human strength and abilities! AKA I couldn't carry them around the entire time or be in two places at once, so they had to get in and out of the stroller multiple times and they NEVER wanted to get back in. They would point at the animals saying words i'll never know, squeezed between legs to see the polar bears, begged strangers to pick them up at the rhinos, smiled at and loved the giraffes... let us just say it was worth all the effort, but I'm pretty sure we'll be taking daddy next time! :)

We truly had a blast and I just love my little munchkins so much! They are so entertaining and loving.  I cannot imagine life without them! (And Thanks to all our friends who made our trip so fun, Kels, Bre, Brooke, Steph, and Brittany!)

Summer's Days

The last few months have been filled with so many fun adventures and day to day thrills! I just can't help but want to post a million pictures of my kids, but wouldn't I be the weird one if I wasn't totally obsessed, feeling like they are the cutest kids ever!?  Either way, they are seriously my pride and joy.

The summer started off with a bang and a birthday bash!  Nate may have been a bit concerned when he saw my plans for their birthday party, but you can never be too young to party and everyone needs a good excuse to throw one...so I did just that.  I finally pin pointed a Dr. Seuss theme with thing one and thing two running through my mind and the kids may have seemed little, but they played hard.  We had such a good time, and I loved watching their differences: Cade destroyed his cake, and Claire took her time and was a bit dainty for the wild child that she is.  They were easily satisfied once the first present was opened...they wouldn't have known any different.  Running around outside and following the big kids would have been just enough for those two!

We also took a trip to the Oregon Coast over the Fourth of July.  Cade and Claire loved the beach!  Sand, Ocean, outdoors, Carousel, Splash parks...we were in toddler heaven for those two, except for maybe the driving. 

 A surprise visit from Kelsie was a big treat!  Her twins are about 6 months older than Cade and Claire.  I got a sneak peak of what I have to look forward two. Just note the picture below...the car is a one person vehicle, but they were not about to wait their turn.  Sounds like my kids already!

 Cade and Claire were in bed, but they both made an appearance during the evening while Kelsie and her kids were here.

 Can't forget a day at Raft River!  It is always so fun to catch up with the girls, especially now that we are all over the country these days!

 running through the sprinklers was more of a hit than I would have imagined, but Claire actually ran through by herself...they just love being outside.

 Claire is Miss independent.  She is a determined child and if she can't do something, but wants to, she will figure it out!  She can climb the slide and loves to splash in the pool!  She had also figured out climbing up on the couch and getting down. She is trying to reach for doorknobs already and is a little copycat! The last picture is of Claire copying me when I was making faces at them and she is sticking out her tongue... I love it

 Cade is our little sneaky child.  He appears quiet and sweet, but he can be full of mischief!  He holds his own with his sister a bit more than I realized!  He also loves dogs!  He chases them and loves to pet them and his favorite sign has to be dog!

They are just so fun right now.  They are running around like crazy and are totally understanding what I tell them and respond so well.  They are slowly adding words to their vocabulary and are my sweet little angels that we love so much!

Discoveries

New Discoveries:

-Rocks!  Playing outside has been our lifesaver. The kids are so happy when we are sitting outside playing on a blanket enjoying the outdoors...and so was I.  That was until they overcame their question over whether they wanted to crawl across grass, which didn't take long, and now they are all over and love to suck on rocks, try to eat them and drop them.  It might not be so bad, but I'm finding they are really good at taking off in different directions!-Biting, stealing toys, and fighting back!  Although this is currently mutual among them I have become surprised at Cade's sudden change and "toughness" as Nate would refer to it.  In the beginning, Claire was a bit of a bully and Cade just took it, but he is not afraid to stand up for himself anymore.  Just the other day Claire grabbed Cade's pants, held on, and crawled up his back like she was going for a ride as he was crawling away, but Cade was not okay with it and stopped, turned, and with both hands he swatted Claire. It was sort of amusing, but let's be honest, no one wants mean children!

-Dadada, Mamama!  Of course this is a favorite when your kids begin saying sounds and their first ones sound like mom and dad.  It just melts your heart.  I was especially touched when I left for a girls weekend and Nate said that Clair couldn't stop saying mamamama the whole time I was away!  Before that she had said it maybe once or twice. 

My New Discoveries:

How much I could love a Van!  Nate and I made the switch.  We bought a van and I have not regretted it once since we bought it.  I love it!  It is spacious, comfortable, and I never have to feel cramped or wonder where I might put my bags...diaper bag, purse, shopping, etc.  It reminds me of when my college roomies and I would brag about Boise and tell everyone it was the greatest place on earth because now you would think I was a car salesman.  I want to tell everyone to buy a van who has a child! -The amount of love you can have for your children! I am sure every mother feels this way, but it is so true. No matter how hard being a mother can feel some days, I wouldn't change it for the world!  I once heard someone state that we will learn more from our children than our own parents could ever teach us.  As much as I love my parents, I believe it's true.  I had to become a parent myself to understand certain things.  I learn and grow everyday by watching my precious children grow in their innocence and help me to understand the meaning of becoming like a child. We love them so much! -The importance of time management! There are so many things to do, want to do, and that I actually do....I have finally accepted a few things.  One being that as much as I would like to sleep in, I can't.  Generally I wake up when the babies do, but even that is not really sleeping in.  It's 6:30-7 a.m.  Therefore, I may as well wake up at 6 a.m. when my alarm goes off and start doing things to prepare myself for the day...hate it, but love it.  I feel so much better in the end!  Today was my first day giving in to my rotten alarm clock!  But by doing that I get to: blog, read scriptures, eat breakfast and shower before 10 a.m. and the list could go on!

Overall, I am so grateful for my family.  We are happy to see the sun shining and love having dad back! 

The Final Days

We are so happy to be counting down the final days of tax season, but we have found many ways to keep ourselves busy and entertained!

Climbing on top of the end tables is a favorite, especially if we have books or magazines there!  Sadly Claire wasn't sure how to get herself down...but she quickly figured that one out.

 Our very own jungle gym is found in our dining room! They are both usually pushing each other down to get where they want to go.  

 They are extremely helpful around the house with daddy gone so much...they love helping with laundry.  AKA eat all the clothes, especially the socks.  I'm assuming this helps with their teething since they both have 4+ teeth!

 Claire loves to explore.  Here she is discovering herself in the mirror.  She was having so much fun playing I just had to get some pictures!

 They both love to play and have such a fun time together.  Water bottles are a favorite among them.  The crackling noises always grabs their attention!

 Ready for bed and so happy to see daddy before sleeping all night.

 A trip to see grandma was definitely the the needed medicine to help make it through the last few weeks without daddy around much.  We spent a whole week there visiting all the family and even baby Kallie who was only a week old.  So cute! But Cade and Claire loved grandma if you can't already tell by their snuggles!

And of course...we made it to a fun easter egg hunt a lady in the ward hosted.  The kids were more taken by the crowds of little ones running around than the Easter eggs, but they had fun shaking the eggs and hearing them rattle with candy!

We have had some great times and lots of fun and laughter but we are so happy to be seeing daddy home more often in the next week!

And Happy Easter to Everyone as we remember the great gift of our Savior and the Resurrection.

Tax Season Blues and Babies in Twos

So I have to say that tax season feels like it has been here for months already.  I just wish I could fast forward a couple months, but at the same time I would miss so much of the things I have to be grateful for.
The Blues are minimal...

• Nate gone from 4:30 am to 6:30/7pm on a daily bases, including Saturdays with slightly shorter hours. (okay Nate wakes up at 4:30 and works more like 5/5:30, he corrected me! Guess it still feels the same)
• Winter winds and just less than favorable weather.
• Loneliness...the weather seems to lock us in the house and we need company and a change of scenery.

Babies in Twos...

• They definitely keep me busy all day long...feedings, diapers, playing, reading, naps, toys, you name it, but it helps some days go by faster.
• Learning and Growing. Everyday they smile and laugh and seem to be learning and doing new things. I wouldn't fast forward  minute of it, but I would wish daddy was here to witness it first hand.
• Crawling, biting, pulling oneself onto things.

I found Claire just like this after walking into the kitchen to grab my breakfast...she just turned and smiled when I called her name!  They truly are so fun and such a blessing in our lives.  I have discovered how difficult parenting can be, but I'm learning one day at a time to look for the positive and be grateful. Now although that hasn't made it easy, it has helped me through the tough times and most especially a very loving husband who is extremely supportive and positive.  I love my family so much and couldn't think of a better way to spend Valentines Day than with them!  

Happy Valentines Day!

Winter Happenings

Cade and Claire are now 7 1/2 months and lots of fun. These are a few things they have accomplished and love to do (Disclaimer: I hope we don't bore you with all these things our kids are doing.)

• Claire has officially advanced from extreme army rolls to crawling. She love to follow Mommy everywhere and explore the house. 
• Claire loves to hold her own bottle and feed herself. With two babies to feed, I have no objections!
• Claire and Cade are doing great at eating solids. They both love sweet potatoes and pears.
• They both love to feel textures. You can always hear them scratching and rubbing different surfaces.
• Cade's favorite song is "I Love to See the Temple." It immediately calms him down and puts a smile on his face. 
• Cade is getting really close to crawling. He gets in the crawling positions and rocks violently back and forth. From the noises he makes when he sees his sister crawl, I can tell he is going to be competitive like his Dad and it won't be too long before he's crawling too. 

We've been really blessed to have such happy, loving, good-natured babies. They always seem to have a smile on their face and don't get grumpy very often. We are definitely always busy having two babies to care for, but we can't imagine not having both of them. Heavenly Father has blessed us so much!

I can't believe how much babies grow and change in such a short amount of time! Here are a couple of recent photos: