StoryTime!

We try and go to StoryTime at the Library every week. Most often, I try not to be the Paparazzi Momma and bring my camera, but last week the twins were having such a great time playing with these scarves, I couldn't resist using my phone to attempt to capture the fun.

A Picture Post

Lil' lady...

Mr. Cool...

"Polar bear!!"




Auntie Nessa got them this superfun book for Christmas, and we have had a blast playing with it...

Man-Jammies...

Abigail loves watching football with Daddy..."TOUCHDOWN!"

Sibling love...

Apparently, Luke and Abbey felt their friends made some poor choices, because they put them Time Out.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...my family!!!

Last weekend we celebrated my sister Vanessa's birthday. She and a friend had rented time at Sky High Sports.

Dave and I were excited to go celebrate with friends and family, but not sure how Abigail and Lucas would do at a place basically filled with trampolines.

Turns out? They freakin' loved it.

They both walked right on and started jumping, moving and exploring like they owned the place. It was SO fun to watch them try new moves and have such a great time!

Luke and Auntie Natlalie



Abbey and Auntie Natalie



Momma playing Ring Around The Rosies



3 outta 4. (Luke was wayyy too busy jumping to take a photo!)

We all jumped and jumped and jumped and then jumped some more. We were sweaty and exhausted when we were done, but we had SO much fun! AND the twins slept until 9:15am the next morning...hellllloooo love!!!!

Carpe Kairoses

A sweet friend of mine sent this link (at bottom of post) to all the Moms of Multiples in our group, and I just wanted to share it here in case anyone else needed to hear it today.

One of the best gifts I ever gave myself (and my family) was when I realized -and accepted- that as grateful as I was for the blessing of my twins, some moments just aren't "enjoyable". Because we had waited for so long and wanted them so bad, I only made the challenging moments worse when I allowed guilt for not soaking up every second to be piled on top of an already difficult moment.

I remember it exactly. Both babies were SCREAMING bloody murder at the same time, and all that would make them calm down was to be held and bounced as I paced up and down the hallway. Back and forth. For an entire morning. After only about 3 hours of broken sleep the night prior. I remember feeling so incredibly stretched and exhausted, and wanting to just cry. And then the tears did stream down my cheeks as the guilt set in when I recognized I was not enjoying every second of my precious babies.

And then it hit me.

Some moments are just plain not enjoyable.

Fact.

And ya know what? That's ok.

It didn't (doesn't) mean I love my children any less.

In fact, if anything, recognizing that has freed me to love them in a different, better way.

Now whenever I meet a new Momma, I always say "enjoy the good moments".

I still struggle, and probably always will, with stopping to savor the good moments (this blog was titled as such for a reason), but I have been a lot better about it since then. And I pray constantly that God will keep my eyes and heart fresh to recognize and take in more special moments. But I really believe accepting that some things (moments, days, weeks, seasons...) are just plain hard and not enjoyable, assists you in recognizing and soaking in the good ones.

For your reading pleasure:
http://momastery.com/blog/2012/01/04/2011-lesson-2-dont-carpe-diem/

Planes, trains and automobiles

We've had lots of fun in the last two months that I haven't made the time to blog about. For shame...gotta document these memories =) !!

In December we went to the Zoo Lights with some of our favorite family friends. Unfortunately, it was FREEZING, and Luke and Abbey refused to wear their adorable gloves I had bought them. So even though we had every other part of their body triple layered (including double socks and their warmest shoes!) their poor little hands were too cold and thus we had some cranky toddlers. I only managed to capture one picture:


Awesome, right? Ha. I was too busy comforting an unhappy toddler (or two) to take any pictures. Hopefully next year we can get some gloves on those precious hands!



We've also made several trips to OMSI recently and the kids seem to love it more each time we go. I love that the little kids room is only one (giant) room with only one manned exit. It helps me feel so much more secure when I take them there by myself, especially as they continue to explore further and further away from Momma.


Luke was in Heaven playing with all the cars and trucks on this car mat!

While Abbey dug the sand...

...and the water play! Sis was right at home playing here!




And then last weekend was my Moms of Multiples winter party at The Children's Museum. It was our first time there, and David wasn't able to go so it was just me and the twins, so I was busy chasing and playing with my babies most the night, but I did manage to grab a few pictures...

Both kids loved this train table!! I see one in our future...




Driving a bus...





A couple of cuties!

A photo session with two toddlers

Sweet as my babies are, they are at a stage where sitting/standing still to pose for photos is not high on the want-to-do list.

I forgot to grab photos of Abbey and Luke in their Christmas outfits on Christmas Eve, so they wore them again to Church on New Years Day. I had high hopes of documenting their precious outfits and even more precious smiles as they stood together, arm in arm, perfectly still, beaming at me.

Instead, we got this:







No halo's and arm links, but still pretty precious!!

A New Year

Today we begin 2012. I am so excited to see what God has in store for this year.

2011 was a blessed one for me and my family.

It was the year in which we transitioned from being just the two of us (that we had grown accustomed to for nearly 6 years) and two babies (that I once, during their newborn days, described as two angry house guests that wouldn't stop yelling at me), to a Family of four distinct individuals. It's been the year that I really started to see Lucas and Abigail as these little people that I like - nay, adore - and have so enjoyed watching them grow. I really look forward to seeing more of who they are. When I think of "us", it's no longer Dave and I and the babies. It's us. All four of us. Our Family.

Thanks be to God.