Miss You

my beautiful babies...

...i'm going to miss you so much.

Two New Features

I've added two new features to our blog.

1.  You can subscribe by email.  In the top left corner, you will see "Follow By Email".  If you type your email address in the white box and click submit, every blog entry I create will be directly sent to your email.  The email will include the entire blog entry with pictures.  From there, you can go to our blog if you so choose, but you don't have to.  I am a subscriber to several of my favorite blogs.  This way, I get updated through email with every new entry. 

2.  You can search my blog.  In the top right corner, you will see "Search This Blog".  If there's something in particular you are looking for, you can search by keyword.  For example, if you type in "babies", you will get a list of entries that talk about babies - whether it be about my babies - Makayla and Mason - or all of the babies that Makayla has birthed!

I'm always looking for ways to improve our blog, and hopefully these two additions can be another good way for readers to keep up!

Four More Days

4 more days. 

4 more days until mommy and daddy go on vacation.

4 more days until we leave our babies and miss them with all of our being.

We've grown used to sharing every aspect of our life with our children.

They do everything with us - go everywhere with us - experience life with us.

We're a family and everything we do, we do together.

  I'm going beyond my comfort level.

And although I feel like a week without my kids is going to be unbearable, I can't wait to be alone with my husband...

...just the two of us -

relaxing,

reconnecting,

rekindling

romancing...

I lose my breath at the thought of missing out on a week of Makayla's and Mason's life.

I'm going to miss kissing them, hugging them, holding them, and tickling them.

I'm going to miss tucking Mason into bed at night and I'm going to miss Makayla's conversations and facial expressions.

I'm going to miss their cackles, soft cheeks, picking them up from daycare, Mason stuffing his mouth, Makayla playing with her babies...

I'm going to miss every single thing about my every day life at home...

...and I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to make it through the week, but I do know that I will survive.

I will take advantage of my time with my husband, have endless fun with the family and friends who are joining us, and make some unforgettable memories. 

I'm going to be able to have fun and focus on the purpose of this trip because I know that Makayla and Mason are safe.  They will be in the best of hands while we're gone, being spoiled continuously without any interference from mommy or daddy.

But what I think is comforting me the most is knowing that Makayla and Mason will be together.  They won't be alone.  They will have each other while they're waiting for mommy and daddy to come home.

4 more days.

We're looking very forward to enjoying each other's company in ways we did before we had children and we're looking very forward to that strong embrace, filled with love, from Makayla and Mason when we get home.

Fabulous Ideas

A fabulous idea -

My favorite cake turned to cookies.  Oh ya, baby.

These cookies are so good.  They are so good they make me moan with the first bite, and I can't help it.

 Quick, easy, and fun to make with my baby girl.

A fabulous idea -

Displaying my kids' artwork.

Our refrigerator is already filled up with family/friend pictures, cards, invitations, magnetic alphabet letters, and a hundred other things - but I always found room to squeeze in or pile up artwork.  I think it's very important to be proud of your children's art and to hang it up on display.  It not only makes them feel good about themselves, but it also encourages them to do more.

As I literally ran out of space on the refrigerator, I decided to do a 'project' today.  I created this area on the wall, eye level to the kids, that will be our 'art wall'.  

A towel rod, curtain rings with clips, and art!
Voila! 

A fabulous idea -

Giving Mason a kit-kat.

I'm pretty sure the best part of his day was devouring a kit-kat.  When it was gone in 8 seconds, he wanted more.  And this picture below is what happens when you have your first kit-kat and mommy won't give you more. At first, he was sad.  He acted as if he wasn't sure how he was going to go on in life without another kit-kat.  Then his sadness turned into madness.  He was mad.  He was mad that I was sitting there laughing at him and taking pictures (of course) while he sat there and cried for more. 

It was funny, and sad, and he almost convinced me to give him another. 



Silence And Smiles

The kids are napping. I love it.

The house is quiet and the TV is muted. I love it.

…and if I hear the ice cream truck one more time, I’m going to…

Doesn’t he know my kids are sleeping and I’m loving this quiet time?

Last weekend, Kevin surprised me with a girl’s day out. We got pedicures, went shopping, and had a fabulous dinner at Osaka. Since then, I’ve been craving Osaka and can’t wait to go back.

This weekend, Kevin was involved with a surprise trip for his brother to a NFL game. Chiefs vs. Dolphins. The guys are gone in Kansas City having “guy time” for the weekend and Kevin couldn’t have been more pumped this past week.

…And next weekend, Kevin and I are going to escape together - kidless - for a trip the Caribbean. That’s a whole other post in its own. I’m not quite sure how I’m supposed to separate from my babies for that amount of time.

Anyway -

Makayla and Mason were playing in Makayla’s room the other day and Makayla was eating a sucker. Mason was going CrAzY because he wanted the sucker. He wanted it bad.

I told Makayla that maybe she should go downstairs to eat the sucker because since Mason can’t have one, it’s not very nice to eat it in front of him. She told me that "Mas would be okay".

When I went back upstairs to check on them a few minutes later, Makayla was crouched down by Mason, letting him lick her sucker. I was this close to stopping her, but I decided not to. I stayed out in the hallway so she didn’t know I was watching, and continued to observe the two of them. Makayla would take a couple of licks and then stick it back in Mason’s mouth for him to take a couple of licks. I let this go on for about five minutes.

She licked, he licked, back and forth, back and forth.

*Quiet time is over. I hear Makayla running full force into the living room.

So, after watching the two of them share Makayla’s sucker, I couldn’t help but smile. Makayla told me that Mason would be okay. And, she was right. Mason was okay. Makayla had a plan.  She knew exactly what she was going to do make Mason happy.  She was going to share her sucker.

I still can't get the scene out of my head.  Little Miss Makayla crouched down by Mason.  The room was filled with silence.  She proudly moved the sucker from her mouth to his mouth.  Then back to her mouth.  A smile across his face and a smile across her face. 

They were making each other so happy.

Silence and smiles.

Sister and Brother.

I love what they have with each other and in each other. 

I love them.

Here's Makayla after nap time, eating a Swedish Fish, begging to go wake Mason up.

"ya, dude, ya" - her new saying.



So Many Things Change, Yet Still Remain The Same

From 2010...

Makayla was a 2 year old pumpkin.

Mason was a one month old frankenstein.

We were joined by Alice and the Mad Hatter.

...to 2011

Makayla was a 3 year old kitty cat.

Mason was a 1 year old tiger.

We were joined by a pretty fairy and Peter Pan.

So many things change...

time.

seasons.

jobs.

family.

friends.

circumstances and situations.

life.

...Yet still remain the same

the joy.

the happiness.

the traditions.

the people

the love.

the things you know that will always be here with you and for you, no matter how many changes there are in this life.

so many things have changed over this past year. 

yet, despite all the changes, this halloween was just like last halloween.

we met up with cousins at grandma and grandpas house. 

the kids greeted each other with open arms, laughter, and squeals.

we held hands and marched the streets.

ran through the yards.

rang door-bells and filled our candy bags.

we hollered out 'trick or treat'!

we sat in grandma's living room and dumped the candy bags.

laughed and played some more.

it's a tradition.

and no matter what happens in the following year, we know that next halloween will be just like this past halloween.

no matter the changes we go through, we know that our love remains the same.

we can look forward to joy and happiness with each other.

and it's not just halloween - it's everything else in our life.

no matter what happens, our love remains the same.

Year 6

If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by. - Elder F. Burton

You know what they say...

Time flies when you're having fun.

And time keeps flying by

faster,

and faster,

and faster...

October 29th -

We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary.

Together, we've...

laughed,

cried,

worked hard,

played harder,

made memories,

and made babies - beautiful, smart babies.

We are blessed and I look so forward to the rest of our life together.

Before we know it, we'll be saying...
October 29 and we're celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary!

28 Things I've Learned In 28 Years

28 Things I've Learned in 28 Years

1. Life is good.  Life is beautiful.

2. Anger is poisonous.  And so are grudges.

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
~Mark Twain

3. Surround yourself with positive people and by people who enhance your magnificence.  Positivity will get you a lot farther than negativity.

4. A long talk with someone who loves you; popcorn and Coke; sitting under a covered porch listening to the rain; singing to your favorite songs in the car; These things will magically make your problem a little bit smaller.

5. The depth of a friendship is not determined my the length of time you've known each other.

6. The more water you drink, the better you feel.

7. Having a job that you love and look forward to going to every day is important to your health and well-being. 

8.  Bad things happen to good people.

9.  Happiness is a state of mind.  In every thing you do, you have the choice to find happiness within it.

10.  Someone who sincerely compliments your child feels even better than a compliment to yourself.

11.  The support and love you receive from your family is one of the most cherished blessings given to you from God.

12.This, too, shall pass.

13. When you have the extra money, spend it on trips and activities, not stuff.  When you're old, you won't reminisce about the fancy couch you once had, but instead, you'll think about the fun you had at  Mt. Baldy. 

14.  Parenting has been the most rewarding experience of my life. 

 

15. One kind word of acknowledgement, encouragement, or 'just because', can go a loooong way! When you look for the good in others and tell them what you see, you will lift their spirits, enhance their self-image and make a lasting impression.

16. It's soul-shattering to watch a family you love grow apart.  Family is precious.

17.  Pregnancy affects every piece and function of your body, not just the parts you would expect.

18. Seek out a mentor.

19. A difficult task can eventually become easy if you do it often enough.

20. If it is worth it to you, it is worth it.

21. We are not alone. 

22. Don't take anything personally.  One of my favorite quotes from The Four Agreements - Don't take anything personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

23.  No matter what, some people will think what they want to think, hear what they want to hear, and see what they want to see. 

24. Smiling and laughter is the best medicine. 

25.  Find what you want to live for, and live!  I live for my children. Everything I do, I do for them.

26. I've learned to embrace the moment.  To live in the present.  I've learned to stop dwelling on the past and worrying about the future. 

27.There is always hope. 

28. It sounds so trite, but it really is all about love.

Thanks to all of my friends and family, I had a great 28th birthday.

A special thanks to Makayla who blew out my candles with me, whispered in my ear every day for a week what she bought me for my birthday, and told me where daddy hid my presents. 

 



With Winter, Comes Christmas

We pulled the kids in the wagon tonight as we soaked in this perfect October night.  The stars were shining bright and the leaves were rustling in the unusually warm(er) air.  We took advantage of tonight's weather because sitting there in the back of my mind, I know what's coming...winter.  But, along with winter, comes Christmas.  And, even though I'm not anywhere close to being ready for Christmas, I still thought I'd ask Makayla what she wanted for Christmas. 

When I asked her what she wanted, she immediately answered...

A computer mouse.

It didn't take her more than a second to answer, as if she's always wanted one.

A computer mouse.

I Need A Wipe

The scene: 

I'm rocking Mason in the living room, filling his belly with warm milk.  He's very comfortable.  Makayla is laying on the couch watching Dora The Explorer, trying to wind down from a very fun night with her friends.  I looked down at Mason and thought that his fingers looked dirty.  Noticing that his eyes were rolling in the back of his head, I didn't want to get up.  I asked Makayla if she wanted to do me a favor.  She popped up and excitedly said YES.

Me:  Can you get into Mason's diaper bag and get me a wipe?

Makayla:  Ya!  (but on the way to the diaper bag, she saw a tissue on her table.  She picked it up and handed it to me)

Me:  That's a tissue.  I need a wipe.  I need something wet.

Makayla:  (squints her eyes and nods her head)  Okay.  (she spits on the tissue)  Here you go.

Me:  Hahaha.  No!  That was a good idea, but I need a wipe.  Please get me a wipe.