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