A Teenager & The Twins

Jon's 33rd Birthday!

2010-04-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

Husband turned 33 years old on the 7th of April...he's still so young, (especially compared to me!) :) He had gone out of town for work-related training and returned on the evening of his birthday. The kids and I discussed his birthday and they decided to throw him a party. Grace wanted to throw him a "Princess" party, and Walker voted on a "Cars" theme... Unbeknownst to him, we put together a make-shift shin-dig at the very last minute.

We opted to go with some of his favorites...Things to eat: my homemade manicotti, steamed green beans, rice krispie treats topped with mini chocolate chips, cookie monsters with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, (a humongous chocolate chip cookie topped with ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream.) We strung up a make-shift birthday banner and a bunch of his favorite family photos from over the years for decoration. I even made coordinating party hats.

The kids gave him some of his personal favorite types of candy - If you know Jon very well, you know that he can put away some sugar! He got chocolate covered cherries, Reeses peanut butter cups, (the mini ones, of course,) black Red Vines licorice, and Peeps. He got a few personal items, and we hooked him up with a Scrabble since he's presently hooked on playing Words With Friends on his iPhone.

...Austin even "borrowed" some of our neighbor's flowers for the event :)

Dallas Arboretum Outing

2010-04-06T07:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the kids and I met up with a few of their cousins at the Dallas Arboretum to see their Dallas Blooms Exhibit. There were more than half a million bulbs planted this year, and that's not counting the rest of the seasonal blooms and trees already there. It was breathtakingly beautiful and the air was sweet and fragrant. The day was overcast and humid, which as far as I'm concerned, is better than scorching hot and sunny... Altogether, between the seven cousins and three moms in our group, I took over 400 photos - with that many, I'm bound to snap at least a handful of good shots! :) I love taking natural pictures of the children - they're just more realistic and less posed - you know, just like they are in "real life." I also tend to take close-ups of their faces, just the way I see them in my head... up close, expressive, and perfect. Here are a few pics from the day - there are more of Grace & Walker posted on their blogs. Just click on their names in the sidebar to view them.

The firey orange tulips were probably my favorite of the day - they were so rich in color.

The "money shot" of the kids - the only actual photo of the day where they are both sitting still and looking at the camera. Seriously... the only photo.

Here is Adam, the Camera Shy...

Walker. This is a new, never-before seen look on his face - glad I captured the moment.

Levi, the Quiet One...

Cooper, the Tulip Crusher...

Walker, the Innocent... (innocent only until he picked the flower.)

Greta, the Secretly Sweet One...

And Lincoln, the Charmer.

Did I happen to mention how much I love my camera?) Then there's Gracen, the Lovely.. She is so tender and sweet... And here are my two little monkies, being silly, as usual :) We will definately be going back next year - maybe by that time, my children won't mind holding a pose for more than 3 seconds.

ER and the Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Easter, or the novelty of Easter rather, was very low-key in our home today. The weather has been overcast and humid, and everyone here has been feeling a bit sluggish... I'm quite certain that sitting in the emergency room at the hospital until 1 a.m. this morning might have had something to do with our somberness, too.

Last night, after baths, the twins were jumping on our bed and wrestling around..nothing uncommon for these two monkies. The next thing I know, Walker is flying off the bed! He landed on his back, but the back of his little head made solid contact with the floor... Screaming and inconsolable crying immediately insued. Grace, "the Aggressive One," had literally shoved him off of the bed backwards, unknowing that it might hurt him... She knew instantly that she had made a mistake after his wailing began. Poor babies! Walker was hurt - one of his pupils was twice the size of the other one and he was gagging. I immediately became concerned that he might have a concussion. Grace dug herself under the pillows and covers, trying to hide her humility. The next thing I know, both are crying and clinging to me. And there I sat, trying to contact Jon on the phone, (he was at a Priesthood meeting at church,) a bit overwhelmed and concerned for my little ones.

It's moments like those that are a wake up call for me. I catch myself gazing and admiring my children often...they are a feast for my eyes and for my soul. My children are literally the loves of my life, my bouy when I'm destitute, my reason for wanting to be a better person than I feel capable of being. It seems like we live in our own little world most of the time...our safe, secure, fun, own little world. We rarely have any physical injuries in our home, aside from the occasional bumped head or scraped knee. I have always prided myself in that I stay calm in a crisis situation...at least on the outside, but I think my heart broke just a little bit at that moment. As a mother, I want to protect my loved ones from harm..It was upsetting to be so helpless...

I sometimes take for granted how blessed my family is. Just like any human family, we have our own set of trials, we have bills to pay, a home to maintain, responsibilities, scheduling conflicts, and the pressures that come along with having small children in the house - it seems like Jon and I never have actual down-time. Alone time. That's something I've forgotten how to even enjoy when I find a glimpse of it from time to time. There was a time, not so long ago, in our lives before the twins came to be, when our home was empty...so empty that the silence was deafening. Austin's sweet spirit kept me alive...gave me the courage to keep following my path. I love our children beyond all imagination. I wouldn't trade the world for them...

Jon rushed home and we loaded the babies up, jammies and all, and made a b-line for the Children's Hospital down the road. (Austin is away for the weekend.) After sitting in the ER for an hour, we saw the doctor on-call. She confirmed our concerns that he might have a tiny concussion. Jon was smart, as usual, and brought our laptop with some of their favorite movies on it to watch. We stayed at the hospital, keeping him under observation, praying for no further signs of trauma, until he was released at 1 a.m. Talk about a long night... Needless to say, neither of the toddlers were thrilled to be there...in the least...at all...at any point in the evening.

Nights like those are my wake up calls...reminders that life is fragile. That no matter how cautious and overprotective we are of our babies, fate still has her hand in our lives. Jon and I both have hearts full of gratitude and thankfulness today.

Anywho... On to Easter. I was a total slacker today and only took a few candid shots of the kids gathering their eggs. They weren't even dressed in their Sunday Best. They had a busy day - played in their sand box, visited 2 local parks, fed the ducks at the park our old stale bread, ran amuck and climbed all over their "Aunt Melli," took tiny naps, played rugby in the front yard, had a wagon ride around the neighborhood, went on a bike ride with their daddy, and alas, hunted their Easter eggs.

Here they are, running toward the front door, on their way out to collect thier eggies.

I thought this next photo was so sweet and tender - there was an egg hidden in the bushes that they were both reaching for at the same time. Walker graciously allowed Gracen to pick it up after he had jiggled it free from it's resting place. In return, Gracen handed the egg to Walker and said, "Here, Walker can have it..." So sweet.

Grace has proven to be an egg-cellent egg hunter and gatherer. She can spot one from across the yard...

And here is my little man, pupils intact and almost back to normal. :)

I have the feeling that next year will not be so relaxed and easy for me. By that time, the kids will have a very good understanding of who Jesus is, of what the Easter Bunny is... I might even have to cook an actual sit-down meal next time!

We Are The World...

2010-02-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

This chokes me up inside, each and every time I watch it...

...It's No Secret

2010-01-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

OK. So it's no secret that keeping up my blog is pretty low on my very long list of to-do's and priorities. I enjoy checking our friend's and family's blogs, and blog surfing is a favorite past-time of mine, assuming that I ever have any time to pass! Jon and I both stay incredibly busy keeping up with the family and with one another, so actually sitting down and being still long enough to upload a photo or two alongside a quick blurb of our most recent holiday or happening is a rarity. It shouldn't be that difficult to do, but somehow, it is....

Life with Austin and the twins is like being in a 24/7 cage-match...Jon and I just tag one another in when we need a break! I'm very thankful that he's so hands-on and incredible with the kids. It turns out that this parenting gig is waaay more challenging than the pamphlet made it out to be!

This year, I make a solemn resolve to TRY to post once a week, (or so..) For now, I leave you with this recent picture of my little stinkers:

Hoping this Gets you in a Goulish Mood...

2009-10-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

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Like Trying to Herd Cats...

2009-09-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Grace & Walk's cousin, Adam, came over to play for a few hours yesterday. He's a cool kid.

They totally ransacked two bedrooms and the entire upstairs living area in a matter of minutes! Walker and Gracen usually don't do too shabby of a job on their own, but with Adam's help, I think a new house record was set...

They even found the time to practice being cool - it's a must for every pre-2 year old, you know...

Walk even pulled it off while wearing a diaper.

They had such a fun time playing...but for me, it was a little like trying to herd cats...

Our Family

2009-09-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent and rare family photo of us, taken mid-August, while vacationing in Utah. We had pulled over on the side of the road at a scenic overlook on the way to Capital Reef National Park, and thankfully found a volunteer to capture our moment in time. It was a very impromtu, yet a very accurate depiction of each of us. We're not perfect, but we've got what we've got!

2009-06-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is beautiful. It kind of sums up what we, as parents, owe to our children to know about themselves... What a different world we would all live in if only all of our parents had told us the same.

2009, So Far...

2009-02-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a breif slideshow everyday photos of the kids, so far, this year. Gracen officially loves Tigger, her daddy, wearing hats, singing E-I-E-I-O, picking on Walker, and eating everything you feed her. Her favorite all-time thing to say is "Uh-Oh!" Walker likes to snuggle with his mom, scare you when he roars out loud and chases you, his big brother Austin, doing the itsy-bitsy-spider hand motions, and watching Jack's Big Music Show on Noggin. His new word lately is "Go!" and he pretend gasps and points like he's startled at least 30 times a day. They both are crazy for Cheetos, their ball pit, riding their 4-wheelers, playing with their bazillion toys, and being out doors. Both children can read and identify about 30 words each, and they are both picking up new words to say each day. They've grown up so fast!

Austin has been very elusive of the camera this year - when we pull it out, he tends to dissappear! He has been working hard at Boy Scouts, and is simply waiting out his time to earn his Eagle Scout rank. He keeps busy with scouts, school, church activities, and video games...your typical pre-teenager, and is already making plans for another vacation to see his cousins in Utah this summer! Aus has grown into a wonderful, kind, and considerate young man - we are so proud of him and his accomplishments!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Walker & Gracen's 1st Birthday Party

2009-02-11T22:01:00.000-08:00

For the twin's 1st birthday, last October, (I'm just a little behind on blogging!) we hosted a small "carnival" in our front yard. We had a bounce house, popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, face painting, wagon rides, balloons, and lots of clowns! It was very nice to have our friends and family turn out for our little shin-dig. Lincoln and Cooper, Walker and Gracen's cousins, were even delivered by emergency c-section that morning because they wanted to make it to the party on time! Needless to say, there was lots of excitement in the air, and all of the children who came had a great time. Everyone had had their fill of junk foods and sugar when it was all over...

This may come across as corney, but we honestly just wanted to celebrate our babies' birth date - we are still so enamoured by these two little sweeties! We are so happy that they are in our lives, and we are so thankful, every day, to be blessed with their presence. A simple "thank you" could never fully re-pay all of you for being such a dear part of our lives... we would not be the same without each and every one of you.

Here are some quick snapshots of party scenes from the day. If you missed this one, we hope to see you at the next!

P.S. ...And we owe a HUGE shout-out to Melanie, Amy, Kelly, and Jessica for helping pull the whole party together. There is no way we could have successfully done it without each of you helping.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

4th Picture in 4th Folder Tag

2008-10-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

Seriously, everyone else is doing this 4th picture thing, so... it's easy and quick enough for me to knock out. This is the fourth picture in the fourth file in my pictures folder:

This is Grandma Lois holding Ginger, with Kelly & Mike standing, Aug 6 1974, Fair Oaks, CA.

Time is so fleeting...

2008-10-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Time is so fleeting... One day, you're lounging around in your pj's at 2pm wondering what you're going to do for entertainment, if anything, and then, what seems like the very next day, you have a 12 year old and two babies! What just happened?! I'm pretty sure that we thought we knew what we were in for...

Our children bring us so much happiness and peace inside that it's unimaginable what life would be like without them. Like any devoted parents, we completely adore our kids... Austin's sense of humor and good spirit, Walker is such a sweet boy - so smart and strong, and then there's Beautiful Gracen with her many attitudes! (We all work for her, by the way...)

Despite our exhaustion and a home with rooms that look like a Toys R' Us toy store, we are so very grateful, every day for all of the challenges - you know the old saying, "Without bad times, there could be no good times." Well, it's true. We've learned that anything truly worth having never comes easy or cheap. What we have as a family is priceless.

We haven't posted in a few months, so I have tried to put together a slideshow of the kids over the last couple of months. They have a birthday coming up this weekend, so I'll try to post pics of that event before Christmas gets here!

How Time Flys - 10-22-08

Dinner with the Nunn's

2008-07-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a typical dinner with Walk and Grace... they are so fun! They generally aren't messy eaters, but this was an exceptional day. They both love to have the camera on them and will do what ever is necessary to get your attention. Walker's favorite thing to do right now is spit his food everywhere - he's busy cutting his first teeth, finally! Gracen, on the other hand, with her six pearly whites, thinks she's ready for grown-up food. We always have lots of smiles and giggles in our home...

Summer Fun

2008-06-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

If anyone knows how time consuming posting on your blog can be, it's the mother of twins! We stay so busy all of the time! Our family is doing great. Here are some scenes from the past couple of months at our house. We are always playing, swimming, and being silly!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Mom Song

2008-03-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

Every Mom out there can relate to this song - it's hilarious!

Attitude Bibs

2008-03-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

The babies have these silly "attitude bibs" that are really cute. Gracen's fit her profile perfectly. Check out the latest photos of our smiley bunch:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Big Lou's Photos

2008-02-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

Our good friend, Lou Goodrum, is a very talented photographer. He generally specializes in outdoor events, portraits, weddings, ball games, parties, etc., but since Lou is such a nice guy, he came over one evening when Walker and Gracen were only one month old and took a few pictures of them for us. Jon and I were hoping to get a few good shots of the babies to put in their nursery, but were suprised at how many photos we loved. We ended up purchasing a CD of the entire session. Unfortunately, Austin was not home on the evening these were taken, so unfairly enough, he's not in any of them...

You can check out Lou's website at: www.biglouphotos.com; his contact information is listed. Give him a shout if your're ever in need of his services. Here is a portion of the pictures that he took, keeping in mind that babies are not his specialty, and the fact that Jon and I were not even planning on being a part of the shoot:

Every Day is a Cute Friday at Our House

2008-02-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

Jon's sister, Amy, is diligent about posting a super-cute photo of her sweet baby, James, on her blog each Friday. She always titles it "Cute Friday." I was just thinking of how lucky we are, because every day is a "Cute Friday" around our house! The babies and Austin are always so sweet to watch, and, of course, we have a ba-zillion photos of the kids. Here is a slideshow of the everyday glimpses of the adorable-ness that we are constantly blessed with.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Holiday Photos 2007

2008-01-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

I know, I know - it's taken us quite some time to post any recent photos of our new additions. For those of you out there without twins, let me just tell you... life is very busy! We are finally catching up on some sleep now that our 10 week old babies are sleeping 4-5 hours between feedings at night. Having our whole family together for Christmas this year was such a sweet blessing; Everyone finally got what they had been asking for over the past 5 years - Gracen and Walker! The pictures above were taken between Christmas and New Year's Eve this year, with the first photo being the exception, (I just thought it was cute.) We hope that your lives will be enriched and blessed this upcoming year in whatever way your hearts have been desiring. Thank you all for being our support system for so long. We look forward to many more smiles with you all in the months to come!

Hello World!

2007-10-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

Our little ones have finally joined our family! Everyone is healthy and doing well.

Walker Teegan
6 pounds 5 ounces
19 inches long
11:09 am

Gracen Elizabeth
5 pounds 11 ounces
18 1/2 inches long
11:07 am

Our Heavenly Family Ice Cream Sundae...

2007-10-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know us well, you're probably familiar with how many years we have been praying for and working towards expanding our family. After over seven years of trials, heartaches, and near-hits, we have finally and successfully defied Mother Nature and practically forced her to give up a couple of sweet little spirits to us.

This Friday morning, October 26, we have scheduled a Cesarean section that will introduce our little loved ones into the world. Jonathan, April, and Austin are anxious and thrilled about meeting the whipped cream and cherry that will top off their much awaited eternal family sundae.

Though Austin wanted two boys, he's conceded to "raising the girl up to be a tomboy," and has decided it may not be so bad to have one of each. We are all so much in love with them already!

The Long Journey to Home

2007-10-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

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