"Arty" Birthday Party!

What a great idea. My girlfriend threw an "arty party" for her little girl, Brynley's third birthday last Saturday. She had a table with several different colors of paint, along with a little blank canvas for each child to paint on. Not only that, she provided personalized white T-shirts to make sure they didn't get paint on their clothes! She had sidewalk chalk and there was also a face-painter but we didn't attempt that! I was pretty positive they would not be still for that long with someone drawing on their cheek!

Brian went too and we had a great time. Nate and Lilly were very quiet, just observing all the other kids and grown ups around them. Most of the kids there were a little older than they were so they were quite fascinated.

Birthday girl Brynley, working on her master piece!

Lilly left these glasses on the whole time! It was hilarious.

She didn't want to let go of hers to let it dry after she was done.

Of course Nate wanted to get messy! See all of that red on on his hand? Two seconds later it was on his face..

I think he is already embarrassed of me!

Checking things out in his t-shirt dress..

Side walk chalk!

A Walk in the Rain..For a Good Cause

The March of Dimes Walk-a-Thon was held on a yucky rainy Saturday, but it was so inspiring to see how many people showed up to walk in the rain. It's funny, I didn't expect it to have the effect on me that it had. I mean, it's just a bunch of people walking, right?

I was dreading getting the kids out, as unpredictable as their little attitudes have been lately. We got to the starting point just as everyone was gathering at the front to begin the 3.5 mile walk. It was very crowded and difficult to get our double-stroller moving in any direction. Since we were moving so slowly I was able to look around at the other people who came out on this gloomy rainy day to support this cause. Some people wore shirts "In Memory of.." with a picture of a baby who was born too soon or with a birth defect and did not survive. Some people walked in teams and had shirts that said things like "Our Little Miracles" with two, three or four pairs of little foot prints. Then there were some whose babies were in the NICU as they walked that morning, and some whose babies had been in the NICU in the past and now they walk every year to show support and gratitude for the help they received from March of Dimes while in the NICU. It was very touching to see everyone join together and I was very happy to be a very tiny part of it all.

We didn't have print-screened shirts, but we had our own reason to walk. Two very special reasons, in fact. Though Nate and Lilly were born four weeks premature (pretty normal for twins), they were very healthy and needed no time in the Neo-natal ICU (thank God). I am so grateful there are no words to describe. My heart aches terribly for people who are not as lucky as we were. It aches for the sweet babies who do not have a chance at life and for the family members who are left behind to grieve. I hurt for the moms and dads who have to go see their new babies every day for months in the NICU instead of taking them home where they should be. My main concern when our twins were born was that I did not want to be in a situation where I had to go home and leave them at the hospital. That scenario seemed unimaginable to me but I know that so many parents (especially when it comes to multiple births) have to do exactly that.

I signed up for this walk because it is the least I can do. To show my thankfulness for my healthy children, my sorrow for losses, my joy for miracles. To show my support. I hope to continue raising money for March of Dimes and volunteering in any way that I can (what with all my free time!). But seriously, every small or large action counts and seeing all the people who came to walk in Fort Worth on that rainy Saturday proved it!

Thank you to friends and family who sponsored me! Donations can be made year round by going to the March of Dimes website or by clicking on my March of Dimes button on the right side of this page.

Everyone walking in front of us. We walked the last half along the Trinity River. Pretty, but a little stinky.

So this is me at 8:30 on a Saturday morning in the rain. No need to enlarge this picture, trust me (please)! Brian was happy to support the cause too, no matter what his face is telling you in this picture!

These were the only pictures I was able to get that morning. The kids actually did pretty well but the last mile or so Lilly started crying and I had to bend down and hold her little hand the whole way back to the car (another two miles from the finish line)!

For Now..

I have so many posts that I need to do, so many things to report and to catch up on (March of Dimes walk-a-thon last weekend was good!), but for now I just want to get these pictures posted from a couple of weeks ago of sweet babies playing outside with Mattie.

We go outside almost every night now, weather permitting. Two nights ago I pulled them around the block in the wagon (I also have some pictures of the wagon to post) to kill time while the chicken was baking in the oven. They are so much happier outside!

Gender Sterotyping? Nah..

Miss Lilly loves walking around the house in my shoes these days. And she doesn't just wear them for a few minutes. She trots around the house in them for a long while. She didn't even take them off to do the dishes in her little kitchen!

Look out, I can see this girl's attitude coming from a mile away!
Here she is about to mix us up a batch of something tasty..

Nate wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so he tried on a pair of my shoes (I know the pajamas don't match- don't make me explain!) but he didn't think it was as much fun.

He does however, LOVE to play with the pots and pans! Move over, Jamie Oliver!

Cuteness For Your Thursday Morning!

These pictures are from Good Friday. We got to stay home and play because our babysitter was closed. Look at these cuties in their little summer outfits. It cracks me up that they can still fit the same clothes they were wearing last summer just because they were such porkers!

Opening Easter presents from out babysitter, Donna. So sweet! Thank you Donna!

Easter 2010

Happy Easter everybody! Better late than never..

I am choosing to talk about the positive things about this day, which were being with family and enjoying each others' company, not the embarrassment and disappointment that I felt when my kids were both throwing tantrums in church, basically forcing us to leave before it even started. (I know, I know.. they are just toddlers!)

Unfortunately these are the only pictures I got of them in their Easter outfits.. You would think someone who takes 500 pictures a month of their kids would get a few of them looking at the camera in their Easter outfits WITHOUT their sippy cups.. Nope!

Okay, on to the positive family stuff. After church, we changed into our comfy clothes and went over to my mom's with my sisters and their kids. Eight cousins total- WOW! We were also celebrating my sister's birthday (I won't say which bday- but it was an important one)! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS! :)

The girls were making Lilly laugh with "BOO!" over and over.. It was so funny to watch Lilly laugh every single time!

We spent a lot of time in Grandma's backyard playing with cousins and hunting for eggs (mostly Nate and Lilly were just walking around with their buckets watching everyone else).

Looks important.. They must be swapping insider trading tips..

It was great to see everyone last weekend. We love you all very much!!

And last but not least, thank you Jesus, for all the pain you endured to take on the sins of the world, so that we who believe in you would not die but have everlasting life.. Thank you for your love, mercy, forgiveness and sacrifice. We are undeserving, but forever grateful.