It's a Puddle-Jumping kind of day...

Gone Fishin'

We recently got a super fun package from Auntie Amanda...

 Fishing poles!!!!

And fish!!!

 

We've had soooo much fun playing with these! Thanks so much Auntie Amanda!!

(when viewing these pictures, please do like I do and ignore the messy floors and furniture)

Cindy Lu-Who

Our Baby-Wearing Babies

The Pumpkin Patch!

 The other weekend we attended our Mom's of Multiples annual Pumpkin Patch trip...

"Let's go!!"

We started out with a tractor/hay ride around the Patch...

 

And played on the scenery...

Then off through the Corn Maze!

 

 ...which we only made it through about 40%, then bailed through a side exit. That maze was way too intense for two toddlers!

 This Patch had an indoor play area for little kids...

Nothin' like being buried in corn kernels by your Daddy!

 Our little scarecrows...

 Off to the actual Pumpkin Patch part...

Daddy and Abigail trying out the "Pumpkin Pult"

And finally, time to pick out our pumpkins!

Abbey decided pretty quick on this tiny little one...

 Whereas Lucas took sweet forever to select a pumpkin. He finally decided on a medium sized white one.

Carved pumpkin pictures coming soon! =)

Yellow

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Our Dory

 We haven't even officially had her two weeks yet, and sweet Dory has already become a part of our family.

I don't mean to insult you other dog owners out there, but I'm pretty sure we've got the best dog on the planet!

She is SO sweet, and so calm! Yet she comes alive when you take her for walks or really get down on the floor and play with her.

She loves to cuddle...

She's been SO gentle with the kids. And the kids have been SO gentle with her! The day we brought her home we had a long talk with Abbey and Luke about how they would need to be very gentle with Dory, and how she might be nervous in her new home. We made the laundry room "Dory's Room", and told the kids that when she goes in there, they need to leave her alone, that way she has a safe spot to get some respite from two crazy toddlers, should she see the need =). We talked with them a lot about not jumping around her or running towards her, as it might make her scared. I've been SO impressed with how seriously both kids have taken these orders. The first couple days, they literally tip-toed up to her =). 

So far, Dory seems pretty unflappable. She doesn't seem to be jumpy around the kids, even as they relax around her a little. She loves to give them kisses and roll over so they can scratch her belly.

So why get a dog when we have twin two-year-olds? Well, we'd been talking about getting a dog for a long time, but just couldn't decide when the "right" time would be. We'd been considering getting a Chinook, like my Aunt Kay, as those seem like GREAT dogs, and it'd be nice to have an expert on the breed in the family =).  But after we took a visit to some friends house and watched our kids love up on their dogs, we knew we'd be getting a dog sooner rather than later.

That weekend we took a trip to the Humane Society "just to look", and ended up leaving with a dog and all the gear a dog requires. =).

From the minute we met Dory, she seemed like she'd be a great fit for our family. She's five years old, already fixed and caught up on shots, and has a mircochip implanted (that now has our info on it) in case she is ever lost. 

Plus, the Humane Society had already named her Dory, and we're pretty big Finding Nemo fans around here =).

We knew we weren't looking for a puppy, as we just didn't think we could handle that kind of excitement and activity level in our home. Also, we haven't even potty trained our toddlers yet, so why would we want to potty train a dog?? 

She loves going for walks and playing outside, but is also content to hang around the house. Dave's been taking her for runs in the morning, and the kids have loved all the family walks we've been going on lately.

The cats have adjusted pretty well too...so far. They are predominately outdoor cats during the summer, so we'll see if they have any adjustment issues when the weather changes and they are inside more.

I never had a dog growing up, and always wanted one. Dave did have dogs and loved it. I feel like it's a great gift we can give our children. Luke and Abbey have had so much fun getting to know their new dog. They are still so excited every morning to see her =).

And I'm happy for the entertainment she provides!

Our Family Beach Trip

Ya know, the one that took place in August?

Better late than never, right? =-). Our family vacation this summer was a trip to the coast for three nights and four days - our longest vacation since we became a family of four! As the twins get a little older, packing and planning for vacations is getting easier, and being away from home isn't as disruptive to our routine as it used to be. Vacations are slowing starting to feel more like actual vacations again, and less like working harder away from home =). 

The kids were SO excited when we arrived, they ran right out our hotel room door to the balcony and started jumping up and down, exclaiming "we at the BEACH!!"

 The weather was a little overcast that first afternoon, but it was still perfectly pleasant weather for a little beach exploring =).

 The next morning we had a lazy start to our day, reading stories and playing with some toys...

The weather was gorgeous that day, as well as each day after...

The kids had an absolute blast playing in the sand, digging, building castles, running along the beach, jumping into waves with their Daddy...

But even more than that, I'd say their favorite part of our entire trip was the hotel swimming pool...

 They became guppies while we were over there! And thanks to our puddle jumpers, we were free to let them splash all over the pool with some freedom.

When we weren't swimming or playing on the beach, we had plenty of fun just hanging out as a family...

On our last morning there, we asked the kids if they'd rather go down to the beach or swim in the pool...

"GO SWIM IN THE WATER POOL!!!!"

  We were blessed with such a wonderful little vacation away, making memories as a family.

So grateful that the artistic and powerful God who drew this sunset loves us enough to bless us so.