More Birthday shots...

Birthday #2...

Wow a little slow on the post here, and now doing so great on getting caught up either! The twins had their second birthday party at the same place we held their 1st, at a beautiful camping area with lots of wide open space for all to run! We had the party on May 8, and I was so worried of it being cold or raining, um it was almost 90 degrees. As you can see in the picture the boys were warm and rosy cheeked, as was everybody else. I had a camping theme all drummed up, but I didn't get the supplies ordered in time, and we didn't get our camper ready in time either; a common occurrence around here for the last two years, things going undone!!! But the boys were so into Toy Story (watched it more times a day than I can count) so that was our theme, we still did the campfire, which wasn't as appealing as I had planned for 60 or 70 degree weather but still fun, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, played sand volleyball, did some fishing, and had a great afternoon and evening with the family playing games and getting caught up. I am one to take advantage of family time, if I have everybody gathered for a birthday party, I'm going to do all I can to make it fun for everybody, because we don't all gather near as much as we should. I love getting all the cousins together and letting them spend a day together, it's all about the kids for me.

May...

We love May, gorgeous weather and BIRTHDAY time!!! Digging in flower pot fun and fishing fun pictures with daddy!!! Birthday post to come next!

Easter...

Here is my Easter update! Just some pictures of the twins hunting eggs. We do a big family hunt with plastic eggs and candy, but then we did a little hunt with just mommy, daddy, and big brother with real eggs that we dyed. Oh my they smashed them as fast as they hunted them, and the dog was right there below them to snab up all the egg crumbs. Short and sweet once again, just getting caught up here.

Strike a Pose...

Just a couple of close-ups I found. Funny you can see their personalities shine through in pictures. Dylan (top) is such a serious lil' guy, and Ashton is such a flirt.

Getting Caught Up...

Where oh where do I begin? I guess I will pick up in March with a few of the pictures I found. Here March is the beginning of nice weather so we try to get out as much as we can, getting out comes with running wild toddlers so we are limited on where we can go. Near us there is a historical site that is nothing but trees and grass with lots of open space to run and explore. There are tons of wild turkeys and peacock wandering around so one of our games is feather hunting. Silly little game but it keeps them from just running off, and they seem to like it, and it keeps them close to me so I LOVE it! I just have to wander what they think while they are exploring, all the things they see and touch, all new and fun things for them. They pick up everything and we usually end up with several feathers and flowers and weeds that just have to come home with us. When I think back to these pictures I remember that this was one of the first times that they really showed an interest in picking everything up and seemed to be such curious little boys scavenging around in the great outdoors. I am going to keep this short and sweet and head back to the picture disaster and start working on finding my next post. So keep reading, hopefully I will get caught up on 2011 before 2012 rolls in.

WTH how did time fly so damn fast...

So here I am for the first time in months, ugh. I've told myself I need to get to my blog and my pictures, but ya see I have these two little guys that take up all my day and at times my nights as well, and I just have no energy for things past the have to do's like cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Well I am making the time!!! I have months of stories and pictures to share, and how in the hell am I ever going to get caught back up?!? I guess just jump in!!! So the boys are a little over two, we had our "camping" birthday party, yearly camping trip, lots of lake fun this summer, I am moving from assistant registrar to head registrar for our soccer region faster than expected, and now are just in the back to school swing of things. Ethan has started Jr. High football, which I was really nervous about, but he is loving it and seems to be doing great. I guess you just always think of you kids and "little" and things like football just scare a mama :(. Oh and he has to ride the bus each morning, holy freaking hell I am petrified of buses, they scare me and there are no seat belts!!! I know they say they are built to be safe without the seat belts but I tell ya I'm really liking the newer ones that have them. Hmmmm what else...well there is tons, I just have no idea where to start without spending hours at this laptop. I guess I could give a update on my photography, ugh busy mama + busy children =very little photography time. Really that is the saddest thing to me. The last few months I just haven't allowed myself time for what I love to do. I think about it each day, I tell myself I will make time, and then I go all day chasing toddlers, dealing with pre-teen drama, and realize I'm just to tired to attempt doing anything extra, oh and the twins do not stop running long enough for me to capture a decent shot! I do have hundreds of pictures of the kids, and tons of things we have done to share, and a few decent photographs to share, it will take me a little time to get it all caught up! So stick around because I am back to blogging and I swear my photography needs a part in my life, no matter how hard it is to find the time, I just love and miss it so much!

More Snow Fun...

Breaking out the sled this snow! Dylan loved it, he just giggled the entire time, where Ashton wanted daddy to hold him most the time. Playing in the sled or being held by daddy, either way, I think I have two of the cutest lil' snow babies ever!!!

No...

It would seem it is only natural they would catch on to "no" beings they hear it more than anything else throughout each day, but oh dear I am not ready for this.  So I have just accepted that each day brings something new and "interesting", for lack of a better word, but this cute but aggravating new trick could just drive this mama insane.  I tell them "no", and they look at me and say "no" and keep doing what ever it is they are doing.   Awww come on boys, lets sing a different tune just one day, and listen to what mama has to say, really it is important!  So now not only do I have two, very adorable but very naughty lil' boys, getting into everything they shouldn't, but now when I tell them no, they think they need to tell me no.  Oh geesh life just gets more and more interesting as the days go on.  I know you all think this is funny and have surly got a chuckle out of this story already, but living this is sure to be a nightmare, frustration levels run high anyway because they refuse to listen to me, and get into everything imaginable and several things you can't even begin to imagine.  I still think nobody can even begin to understand what a day is like in my shoes, really do other kids act like this?.?.?.?  No way, it isn't possible *laugh*.  I never imagined anything like this, such wild, active, naughty, not listening lil' toddlers.  I guess I was spoiled with Ethan and his good happy go lucky behavior.  I guess one thing is for sure, I can't say I am bored, life never has a dull moment for me, heck I pray for dull moments!  These are things all children do, but with two it just seems to be a little crazier to deal with.  Some people look at me like what is the big deal, yeah those people have never had two toddlers at one time, but no lie dealing with two is crazy difficult, even the simplest things are difficult.  Loading up to go somewhere, no biggy with one, now with two different story; A baby on each hip (they would run off in separate directions otherwise) a bag full of "just in case"(I over pack, but when I don't it always ends in disaster!), not the grab a baby and throw a bag over your shoulder you would imagine with just one.  Oh and don't forget the actual car seat fiasco, ugh one fights you, while the other climbs throughout the car, and don't dare put a cup of coffee in the front because the second one to be buckled in will surely find that and spill in on the gray carpet on mama's Suburban for sure.  Just the moments of my life that people have no clue about, but they are my moments and no matter how crazy they are, or how much I may seem to complain, I love every single moment!

Winter Wonders...

Finally Snow...

Mid-January and FINALLY some snow to go explore!! Dylan took one step out and plopped on his back and just smiled, Ashton dove right into shoveling. They had tons and tons of fun with big brother Ethan, while Ethan and a friend dug tunnles in the yard. Now Ethan and his friend lasted for over an hour, the twins on the other had had about 20 minutes of snow fun and had rosey cheeks so mama made them come in. And we can all guess what that led to...TANTRUM! More snow fun was what they thought they needed, ugh another day boys. I was really looking forward to sledding with the boys this year, but with the below zero temps we are not able to go out in search of that perfect hill, hopefully we will have a warmer day with daddy home before it melts away.

Times Two...

Why do I take as many photographs as I do? Simple I have an obsession with letting a single moment slip by unrecorded. Here is a sample of one of those moments, one that years from now I may have forgotten, but by taking this photo I will always remember just how precious the twins were on there first ride out on their new tricycles they got for Christmas! All the craziness that has poured into my life the last couple of years will not easily be forgotten, but moments like these are ones that should be remembered forever. Each day something new for them, so many undiscovered things, that something as simple as taking a ride on their trikes filled their minds with wonder as they explored one of the new fun things of toddler hood. So I guess I can take all the guff that I get when I say just wait I want one more shot, I know once laid out in print they always understand and appreciate the moment that I have captured. And as look through my photos and begin to do the hours of sorting, saving, and backing up, I get to relive the precious moments and the chaos of the day seems to fade from my mind as it is filled with awe and amazement on just how precious and wonderful my life is.

Where to go from here...

Many of times I have heard so many twin moms say they have "lost" themselves along this crazy journey of twin motherhood, it is understandable and so very saddening.  I think I have covered this before, but it is something that pops in and out of our minds frequently, so what the hell here we go again.  What makes this ugly lil' monster rear its head today?  Hmm where do I start?  First you have the holiday stress, then you have the New Year...New beginnings, then do I dare admit this.... ugh turning 30 soon!  Needless to say my mind has not stopped for months now, and really it is doing me no good thinking about it, but I just can't shut it off.  So here I am rambling on my blog to my fellow twin mama readers, because they are sure to know just what I am talking about.  First no I am not "lost", as I said I have covered this before in one fine quote, "Life is not about finding yourself, Life is about creating yourself".  My new motto, and what gets my mind back into positive mode, amazing how one sentence can be so empowering.  Here it is all laid out, first off all holidays are just crazy stressful, enough said there.  New Year...New beginnings, ugh now that is depressing because last year wasn't that great and we are only into this year four days and it seems as though it is running pretty much parallel to the last.  I know, I know, it could be worse, I am grateful, I know I have it pretty good, and not much I should really complain about, minus all the damn stress and craziness that goes in and out of all my days!  I am hoping this year is better, or I guess, different would be a better term.  Less stress with the twinadoes would be great, Jeff having better hours would really help tremendously, and a move would be great!  I am no loven' where I am at, no feeling the hours Jeff works, and the twins...holy crap they are wearing this mama down FAST!  I don't get where they come up with the things they do, I find myself saying "NO" a million times a day, followed by "Things would be so much simpler if you would just be nice to brother, and listen to mama".  Really simple concept, they just haven't caught on yet. *ugh, soon hopefully*  Okay time to the big bomb!!!  TURNING 30 in just over a month.  For those who know me would know I have been dreading this day since I turned 23, yes 23 was my wake up call that those years are just gonna keep rolling at me.  I am not ready to say I am *gulp* 30.  All these things are just a reminder that time passes, and with passing time there is always wasted time.  Time that could have been better spent and more opportunities that I let pass me by.  Funny how it all works now that I look back on it all, it is like that commercial for college that says "I don't have any money because I don't have a job, I don't have a job, because I never went to college, I can't go to college because I don't have any money."  So what did I do, work, then I finally realized that was getting me nowhere so I went back to school, then had twins, and still nowhere.  Okay it isn't as bad as that sounds but still there is regret.  I wish I would have asked myself what I wanted out of life, what direction I wanted it to go.  Really come on what was I thinking?  Clearly I wasn't thinking much beyond the end of that week, stupid me!  Had I just asked myself that I could have totally redirected my path to a much brighter present.  Now this is all sounding pretty gloom, it isn't that bad.  Life is good, family is great, but my dreams have been long lost and now I am turning 30 and all I can do is blame myself, and think of what could have been with some better planning.  My family now no way I would change that, but I can tell you this mama would have a photography business, and would have moved from this area years ago.  No sense in dwelling on it, though I find it hard not to, just need to move on and make up for lost time!  I guess even at 30 a mama can reach out for her dreams, it is much harder, but hey I have twins...NOTHING SCARES ME, well except for turning 30.  Really not much to change just relocate and a hobby to pursue, easy huh.  Thankful that I have a wonderful husband beside me, and three amazing and healthy sons right there with us!  Really what more do I need, nothing but me standing in my way, so this New years new beginnings are about seizing every opprotunity and not letting one precious moment pass me by!