Where has the time gone?

I am DETERMINED to be better about blogging!! So many things have happened, so many changes and it has been months since I have blogged. I am going to get organized and I will blog at least once a month. This counts as my October blog, right? First blogging goal, do a real post on Wednesday. Will it actually happen? Stay tuned......

Welcome to Texas Bug!

One of the hardest things about moving from Oregon was not being able to see my sister any day that I wanted to. Even tough we are 17 years apart, we have always been very close. So when we got the opportunity to have her visit us for a week, we were BEYOND excited! I never thought that July 14th would get here. When the day finally came, I could not wait to get to the airport. Once I was parked I checked Chey's flight status and her flight was delayed 45 minutes. REALLY?!?! I did not want to wait any longer to see her!!! The flight was only delayed 15 minutes in the end, but now I just needed to get her from the gate to the security check point where I was waiting for her. Chey called me once she got off the plane and I was trying to explain to her how to get to me. I guess this is where I should mention that Chey has only flown once. I think it was around 9 years ago. So it was an experience trying to get her to understand what I was saying. It does not help that IAH is a large airport. So while I am trying to explain to her how to fine me, call drops, my phone freezes up, and I go into panic mode worried that I will never get her! As I am trying to stay calm and get my phone to work, I begin to have visions of myself busting through tthe security gate to try and find Chey. I honestly considered what would happen if I did. I mean they would completely understand that my "smart" phone was not working and I was worried about my 13 year old sister roaming the large halls of the airport not knowing where to go. right? As I was preparing to run, my phone rings and it is Chey. Thank you god!! I have no idea where she is and she says, "I see elevators that say Baggage Claim. Should I just go down them?" So down the elevators she went and I met her down there. When she walked around the corner it took my breath away. I just can't believe how much she is growing up. I didn't recognize her for a second at the baptism and it is a good thing I saw her then cause it may have taken me a second to realize it was her at the airport. Where the heck is all this time going? My Bug is growing up WAY too fast.

Bugs FINALLY here!!!!

For months we talked about going to Six Flags while she was here. As the time got closer Jared and I came to our senses and thought what in the world will we do with the babies while we are there? I mean they would go with us, but that is not necessarily a baby friendly type of place. If you have ever been to Texas during the summer, you know how hot it gets. The idea of being 3 hours away from home, pushing the babies around in the stroller, in the Texas heat (have I mentioned Bennett starts sweating even thinking about heat?) made my heart race. I hated telling Chey that we would not go this year, but promised that next time she was here, we would go. She said she was OK with it, but I'm sure there was a little heart break there. My goal was to make sure that she had a good time while she was here. I needed to insure that she would want to come back again. 

The night that she got here, we had some friends & family over to BBQ. Poor thing was exhausted, but she was a trooper and stayed up until the last group of people left our home. I knew she would need to catch up on her sleep (plus she is 13 on summer vacation!) so I told her that Sunday was the one day while she was here that she was allowed to sleep in. She was up before noon on Sunday! I have been wanting to make growth charts for B & E for awhile now and thought this would be a perfect time to do it while Chey was here. She could help me pick out colors and help me put them together and I knew she would enjoy doing it. We all loaded up and off to Home Depot we went!! We picked out the boards that I wanted to use, the paint color, and some other miscellaneous things that we needed at the house. The PLAN was to finish these before Chey went home....so this is as far as we got before she left. I know she wanted to see the finished product in person, but promised that I would text a pic as soon as it was done.

It's a work in progress. I am hoping to get them done this weekend. Will TRY to post pics once they are done!

We spent the beginning of the week working on these, making bouncy balls, playing cards, one day at the outlet mall, and watching movies. Jared worked one of the nights so Chey got to be my sidekick for the evening. It was nice to have someone around while Jared was working at night. After the lil monsters were sleeping, we made star shaped sugar cookies (and a high heel shoe cookie! I HAD to get the cookie cutter when I saw it!) I had left over frosting from the Pineapple Coconut cake that I made on Saturday. We colored some of it purple and some blue and frosted the cookies and of course added some sprinkles! My plan was to take pics during this process, but the following is the one and ONLY picture that was taken.....

This makes me laugh, but it is a memory for me :) 

We took our first trip to the zoo with B& E and decided that we wanted to take many trips there every year so we became members! We already have our next trip planned (Come on 1st birthday!!) Everyone had a great time and it was such a wonderful experience to see the excitement on the twins faces looking at all the animals. B & E do not go anywhere without Sophie the Giraffe I was so excited for them to see the real Giraffe's and had planned on taking them up to watch Chey feed the Giraffes. Chey has already experienced this before so I don't know if she was excited as I was. (Wait, which one of us is 13 and which one is 30?) By the time we got to the zoo, we did not have enough time to make it to the first feeding. Once the second feeding came around, the twins were asleep. I was super bummed, but that will be a nice little treat for them on their birthday. We went into the Aquarium last and B just LOVED it!! I think a huge part of what made him so happy was that it has A/C!!! OK he did get excited looking at all the bright colorful fish, but I know my son and he was happy about the A/C :) We purchased some zoo souvenirs on our way out and headed home. Chey and I had BIG plans that night, and needed to get ready.   

Can we get some ice water? It's HOT here!

I think Ella was ready to go lay in the shade with that bear at this point

What the heck is that? A woman next to us took a pic at the same time and in here's the reflection made it look like the ape was holding Bennett! Wish I gave her my email to send it to me!!

Had enough and needed a nap....right before feeding the Giraffe's

Timed this just right! We were the only ones in there feeding!

It's so cool in here...the fish are fun too!

Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming! 

Bennett loves shoulder rides

First trip to the zoo a success! 

Our trip to the zoo was for sure exhausting, but Chey and I had our BIG night ahead of us. Since we were not able to go to Six Flags this year, I let her pick something in Houston that she would be interested in doing while she was here. After looking online for some ideas, she decided she wanted to have a sister date at the Circus. Before I go any further, I should mention that I have NEVER had any desire to go to a circus. I have always imagined that it would be creepy and being a lover of animals, I did not want to witness any kind of animal cruelty. That being said, this is what Chey wanted to do, so I needed to suck it up, and take my sissy to see the Ringling Bros. Circus. As we are pulling up to the Circus, it starts to rain. As we are parking, it just starts to pour!! This is where we rewind back 2 weeks and I tell you the story about  Jared wanting me to put my umbrella back in my car and me making a smart comment about how I don't need it right now. As I say to Chey "We will just sit here for a second to wait for it to stop" All I can think is I should have listened to Jared! Being from Oregon, where it rains 11.5 months out of the year nonstop (small exaggeration) Chey looked at me like I was crazy for saying it would stop soon. As I predicted, it did not last for long and once it was down to a slight sprinkle, we made our way for the Big Top!

Waiting for it to stop raining. Should I mention the next day I found the umbrella, under the stroller, in my car?  Guess I did listen to Jared and forgot!! Oops :) 

We find our seats and not long after it is time for the show to start. A woman on an elephant comes out with the American flag and someone (I think the Ring Leader) sings the National Anthem. I'm thinking this is not so bad....and then it happens!!! The lighting is lowered, a million circus people/clowns, elephants, ring leader, a man on stilts, (did I already say clowns? Even at 30 I still hate clowns) come rushing out of the side and everyone is singing and dancing and then I remember, oh yeah, the circus freaks me out! I don't know how many times I thought there was going to be some kind of freak accident and I am pretty sure that the tigers wanted to eat the man that was in the cage with them. Now, all of this freak stuff that was happening very well could have been a part of the whole show. Again, this was my first time at the circus so I don't know. Everyone around me seemed to be having a great time, Chey included. There was even a baby about B & E's age across from us and I am fairly certain she was enjoying the show way more then I was. I'm glad I went, I'm glad Chey had a great time, but the circus is just something I do not enjoy. Daddy will be taking the lil ones if they ever want to go. Mama will have a spa day while they are gone :) 

Ok so these are not the best pictures, but I did not take many. I kept forgetting because I was too focused on all the chaos going on in front of me and just frozen to my chair from my anxiety!

The next day we went to Galveston so Chey (and the babies) could see the Gulf. Our plan was to play on the beach for about 45 minutes and then off to Kemah. Once we got in the water, B & E kept trying to sit down in it. I'm pretty sure they thought it was a ginormous bathtub! I held them in the water for awhile, got a couple of pics and off we went to Kemah!

This is what happens when I let Jared be in control of the camera!

Once at Kemah, we ate and did a little shopping, and then I took Chey into the Aquarium to feed the sting rays. There were so many kids in there, it was beyond overwhelming!! We attempted to give the sting rays a couple of fish, but there was just too much going on. If I was overwhelmed, I can only imagine how all those poor sting rays felt. Off to the rides we went. I used to love going on rides, but now that I am an old woman, I just can't handle them anymore. I wanted to be the cool big sister, so agreed to go on some of the rides. The second ride that I went on spins around and around and up and down and around and around and.....lets just say there was no more rides for this mama!

We ended the week practicing pitching, watching movies, going on a bike ride, and just spending time together. I was so sad when it was time to take her to the airport. I was not ready for her to leave yet. Once she got on the plane, I sat down to wait for the plane to actually take off, and just started to cry. I'm sure I looked a little crazy haha! I am so glad that I got a week with my sissy and am already trying to figure out the next time that she will be able to come back. The kids will be older, we will get to do a little more exploring, and hopefully the visit will be more then a week next time!

The time has come

It seems like it was just yesterday that Jared and I made the decision to have the babies baptized......in Oregon! I have made this trip MANY times on my own, and occasionally Jared would join me. I began preparing for the worst with B & E, but inside was praying for the best. Once we booked our tickets, we needed to book a rental car. We flew into Seattle ($600 cheaper then flying into Portland!) and quickly learned that not many of the car rental companies had their cars still in the terminal. Sea-tac built a large off-site location for all of the rental car companies. Once you get your luggage, you take a shuttle to get your car. The location is right next to the airport, but I did not want to get on a shuttle with all of our bags. I found the perfect deal on an SUV with a company that was still in-terminal. Car BOOKED! Now onto the packing that was giving me some anxiety. I had several lists prepared weeks before we were going to leave. Before I knew it, it was the day before we were flying, and I had NO packing done. Oh, did I mention I always procrastinate when it comes to packing for vacations? Guess some things never change. Wednesday May 9th was finally here! After some last minute packing that morning, (shocker) our family was off for our first vacation!

My cousin Jesse was kind enough to take us to the airport. What a blessing it was to have him there to help with our luggage. Everyone was staring at us once we made it to check-in. Let me paint the picture for you. Jared had 1 large suitcase, a carry on suitcase, and a smaller carry on that is considered his personal item. I had 1 large suitcase and my purse. Now for the babies! They had 1 medium suitcase, diaper bag, stroller, and both of their car seats. I'm pretty sure it looked like we were moving! My bag was exactly 50 lbs and Jared's was 62, so we needed to do some rearranging. I had packed a bag to use as a carry on for the way home. Guess we were going to have another bag to take on the plane with us on the way to the Pacific NW. I can only imagine what all of the people around us were thinking. I'm use to people staring at us. That is just how life is with twins. I have learned to ignore it, but it was hard to ignore it in the airport. Everyone was looking at us and I just know they were all thinking the same thing. "Dear God, please don't let those people be on my flight!" We had enough time for Jared to get a sandwich, change diapers, and finally it was time to board. As we were taking off, we fed the babies. Bennett finished his bottle just about the time my ears started to pop. I gave him his paci, he laid back and fell asleep! Ella fell asleep while she was eating. I didn't want to get too excited, but maybe this flight was going to be so bad. B woke up after about an hour and a half and was so excited. He wanted to bounce and touch EVERYTHING! It was close to 3 hours into the flight and B was bouncing away as Ella was still getting her beauty rest. After several diaper changes and getting an awesome arm workout from B bouncing, 4 hours had gone by and it was time to land. Bennett fell asleep as we were landing and Ella was totally calm. Several people, including flight attendants, made comments about how great the babies did on the flight. All of that worrying for nothing! Then I remembered, we still had to fly home........

Someone enjoys sleeping on the plane, just like his mama! 

Getting her beauty rest. She wanted to look her best for everyone in Oregon.

Landing & sleeping yet again! Should have taken some pics of all the bouncing!!

Nice and rested for the long week we have ahead

Diaper bag, 1 carry on, my purse, and stroller not in picture :)

We have arrived!

Jared and I were on cloud 9. The babies did an amazing job on the plane and now we could relax, sort of. Jared loaded all of our bags, we got the babies settled in (I was set on keeping them on their regular schedule. Did it really matter that we were now in a different time zone that is 2 hours behind?) and we are off. That's when I see it! The stupid tag hanging from the rearview mirror brought back all of my anxiety. As of May 17th, ALL car rental companies would be functioning at the new off site location. Thursday May 17th, the day that we would be returning our car and flying home. Looks like we would be stuck taking a shuttle after all! There was nothing I could do about it. We had a busy week ahead of us, and I needed to focus on all of the craziness that was about to take place. From Seattle, we drove to Portland to stay with my Aunt Belinda. Once we got there, I knew the idea of keeping the babies on their regular schedule was out the window and I needed to just deal with it. Here's a small idea of how our week looked:

-Wednesday fly into Seattle then drive 2.5 hours south to Belinda's for the night.
-Thursday morning drive even further south about 4 hours to Jared's parents.
-Friday have babies baptized.
-Saturday morning head north to meet some friends/family for pizza. After pizza even further north to stay with Aunt Gwen.
-Sunday spent my first Mothers Day laying under a tree and spending time with the family at Gwen's.
-Monday/Tuesday back to Belinda's where we spent two days just hanging with the aunties and my mom.
-Wednesday back to Seattle to stay with Uncle Wade.
-Thursday good bye Pacific Northwest!!!

The flight home I really do not want to relive. Lets just say it was NOTHING like the flight to Seattle and we will leave it at that.....for now.

It was such a busy week, but I would not trade one minute of the time that we had with family and friends! Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to see us at one point or another while we were there. We love ALL of you and know that there were so many that we were not able to visit. Hopefully we will see you all next time, August maybe? 

Getting Ready for The Color Run!

Many moons ago, I made it a part of my routine to run at least 5 days a week. I would grab my headphones and walkman (which eventually turned into a disc man and then an iPod, thanks Apple!) and off I would go. It was very rare that I would plan out my path. I would turn my music on, and just run and be alone with my thoughts. It may not have always been the best plan. There would be days I would get to a certain point and think, "Great. Now I have to run ALL the way back!" I would tell myself each time, I am going to set a path tomorrow. I would for a few days and then go back to my carefree ways and the cycle would start all over again. I was in shape, and felt GREAT about myself!

In 2007, life became hectic. Jared graduated PA school in August, we were married in September, and made the big move to Texas in October. That is when all the excuses started. I didn't want to go for my normal carefree runs. We were new to the area, and I did not want to get lost. Yet, I did not make an effort to get familiar with my neighborhood either. Once I started working, I would not get home until after dark. That quickly became my next excuse. In February 2008, we began looking for our first home. We purchased one in March and again we were in a new area that I was not familiar with. At the time, I started to get sick and quickly gained 40+ pounds within 3 months. My doctor ran tests and figured out that I had a thyroid problem. She started me on meds that would take months to figure out the correct dosage for me to be on. At this point, I was out of shape, depressed about my weight, missing Oregon, and a million other emotions. I had every excuse to not go running.

Here it is 5 years later, and I have found myself still making excuses. Once you have kids, it is hard to get into a routine of working out. Taking care of twins is a workout in itself! Sometimes I am so exhausted, the last thing that I want to do is put my Adidas on and hit the pavement (especially now! Have you ever experienced Texas humidity?) I try to take the kids on walks everyday, it just does not always happen. I keep telling myself I need to start running again, I NEED to get back into shape! This is where The Color Run comes in.

A few weeks ago, some family members in Seattle posted on Facebook about a 5k they would be doing on Mother's Day, The Color Run. I was so interested I had to click on this link http://thecolorrun.com/ to see what all the fuss was about. I was instantly hooked and knew that this would be my motivation. I was going to take part in this 5k no matter what it would take. This is not a competitive race where you are timed. Perfect for my first time back on the saddle! It looks like it is completely laid back, and TONS of fun. You actually get paint thrown at you at certain markers. I know sounds crazy, but I'm telling you, take a look at the website! It looks like so much fun! After discussing it with Jared, I am signed up. On November 17, 2012 we will be in New Orleans and I will be taking part in this colorful race. MOTIVATION!!!!!!

I have made a promise to Bennett, Ella, and myself that I will go for a 30 minute (minimum) walk at least 5 times a week. I am going to work my way up to running again and I can't wait to get back into shape! Let the training begin.......

It was a little windy on our walk. B & E loved it and went right to sleep

6 months already?

Today was an emotional day for me. Bennett & Ella turned 6 months! I know this may seem silly to most people, celebrating monthly "birthdays" I just feel that we have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Six months ago today, I gave birth to my little monsters and had no idea what was in store for us. Anyone who has ever had a child in the NICU knows what a hard time this is. Regardless if your child is in there for a day or for several months, it is a very stressful time. The 3 weeks that Bennett & Ella were in the NICU seemed like eternity. I can't even begin to explain the feeling of seeing your tiny angels with several cords/tubes attached to their bodies. The worse is not being able to hold them whenever you want, or be able to just take them home. We waited for them for over 3 years, and it was so hard FINALLY having them here and just feeling so helpless. I don't know that I have ever prayed as much as I did when they were in the NICU.

Bennett Lee & Ella Mae 10/7/2011

They are my little fighters and I thank God every day for them. This is a reason why we celebrate monthly "birthdays" in our home. Silly or not, I love doing it and it brings me such joy seeing how much they grow each and every month. The last 6 months have been such a wonderful experience and I can't wait to see what the next 6 months have in store for us!

Rainy Oregon...I mean Texas day!

As most of you know I have been missing Oregon A LOT these days. So to remind me of what it is like, God is having it rain for us here in Houston. Difference is that it is still 70 degrees outside! It may be warm outside, but it is rainy days like this that I miss having a fireplace. I wish we had one to sit in front of, cuddle up with a book, and have family nap time. We WILL have one in our next home. 

We are getting excited for our trip in May and can't wait to see everyone! Amber got our room reserved for Papa's Pizza and we are really looking forward to the pizza and time with friends and family! Bennett & Ella are very excited and can't wait to meet everyone!

Getting our warm clothes ready for Oregon!

And so it begins!

Where do I even start? I've been thinking about starting this blog for some time now. My intentions will be to try and post something once a day, but we will see how that goes! "I love you to the moon and back" is something that I have said to my sister for a long time and say it to Bennett & Ella several times a day. This blog is meant to be a place that I can share things that I have loved or have found a new love for. The title seemed very fitting for me and my new venture.

Please bear with me while I learn how to become a PRO blogger. Welcome and thanks for stopping by!!

Oh and I want to thank Denise @ Gisele Photography for my profile picture. She is an amazing photographer! We have been working with her for a few years now, and love all that she does! If you are in the Houston area and need a photographer I would highly recommend her! https://www.facebook.com/giselephotography