Cooper almost 8 months old

Cooper has been such a blessing to our family! I know that I was in disbelief for quite some time that I was even pregnant, but after he got here, I really got to see God's gifts and His timing.

Cooper has been sleeping through the night since 6 weeks old. He is growing like a weed and eating us out of house and home. This time around I am making my own baby food, and he is enjoying it. His favorite? Spinach.

December 2011

So my blogging days dwindled....how did that happen? Maybe adding Cooper Leyden to the mix....or new flooring throughout the house....maybe it was the need for all new appliances in the house, going back to work....I know work always gets the blame, but when you really want to stay home with your kids, it gets the blame.

What ever it was, it was never meant to let more than a year go by and not make a post.

Lets see 2011 was a Wonderful year!
January, February and March were spent teaching my class that almost did me in. Literally. I never got to teach last year, the students really struggled with listening, following directions, keeping hands to themselves and not bringing GUNS to school...yes you read that right, guns...anyways I survived and on March 30th we welcomed Cooper Leyden into the world. Now it was not the easiest labor story, but we survived and he is perfect. Love him dearly!

I got to stay home from work from March until August, and it was wonderful. We did get new flooring and then all the appliances went out. Thankfully my parents moved back to this area and we were able to stay at their house and use their refridgerator!

We are all excited for Christmas to be here in just a few weeks....we are also looking forward to getting the house back to normal without all of the decorations.

whoa...where did the year go!!!!

OK, so my blog took a nose dive this year. I wish I could say it was because I was super busy....I wish I could say that I was on a fabulous vacation.....but I can't....I just got lazy! So many things did happen, so many memories were made, I am sad that I didn't get them all down here!

From January to now....
The girls grew so much! They are FINALLY on growth charts. They are 25%tile in height and weight! YEAH! they turned 3 in September. It has been a magical age for them. They are talking so much, writing their names, naming letters and associating all letters with a person or an object. They are singing songs (and will be in the Christmas program at church) They are running, jumping, counting, talking and talking and talking....did I mention talking???

Rich got a job in May. That has been a blessing on us! He is loving being in the workforce again, and is up to the many challenges. He is continuing with his airplane models, and contests. The girls enjoy those too.

Me, still teaching. Another year in third grade. Many ups and downs with teaching, but still enjoy the hours and the time off!

As a family we have really started going to church regularly and feel part of the family. I have gotten involved with the worship team and will play the piano every so often. The girls love Sunday School and teach us their lesson when they get home.

Rich and I got to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary this year, kid free. It was so nice, and yet....so different without the twins. We went to the Drag Races....my fave! I have watched or gone to the drags since I was a young girl...it was a GREAT weekend away, thank you nema/papa/ and Aunt Melanie for watching the girls!

We also have news...April 5 or so....we will be welcoming a new baby sister or brother into the house. Never though I would be a party of 5, but here we are. I am 18 weeks along, and everything is going well....for as much as I can tell. When I was pregnant with the twins I went to the doctor every week....this one...every 4 weeks...so it is a different experience. The girls are excited to be a big sisters!!! They are both hoping for a baby brover with a peanut!

Halloween just passed...we took the girls trick or treating this year. They were not too sure about it for the first 3 or 4 houses but then loved every minute of it near the end of the evening.

New Year Goals....

I have decided that Resolutions are for the birds. I make a resolution and it is broken within a week....so I decided that I would make GOALS for 2010.....

For starters, I need to be a better me...I have been not taking time for myself. I have been so focused on work since Rich lost his job. I want to make sure we have a steady income....my time has been in the classroom, and I need to change my focus to know that the school will still be there whether I spend 10-12 hours there a day or not. I need to leave work at work and come home to be a mom and a wife. Rich and I used to go out for a date night once a week, and now that will have to change to once a month or every other month, so we can get to know one another again. I also need to get rid of built up anger.
A goal of mine this year is to make Church a priority in my life. God needs to come first, he has provided for us over the last 4 months so that we always have food on the table and clean clothes....we have stayed above water when our lives were suddenly flipped upside down...we as a family need to make Church a priority to have God guide us and keep us safe.
My last goal is to lose 25 more pounds...I know, I know, another diet fad....well over the last 6 months I have lost 21 pounds but want to lose another 25-30 pounds...

I don't think I am asking alot....I need to set my goals, to make a better 20101

Fall....

Fall is a great time of year for Central California. I love when there is a crispness in the air, and all of the fall scents. Pumpkin Spice lattes are in full swing at starbucks too! This fall has been a fall of change for us. God closed one door with Rich's work, and hasn't opened a new one for him yet. We are patiently waiting for the door to open, but know in his time, the door will open and everything will work out. Right now the girls are LOVING daddy time...and will continue to do so.
We had a twins club Halloween party at the park today. (The same park the girls birthday was) We had so much fun, and won the costume contest for the cutest costume!
Enjoy the pics!!!!

answered prayers

It is always a bitter sweet time of the year. Professional development days, long days in the classroom setting up and waiting for an eager 20 + students to enter the classroom...and I find myself here wondering if I gave my all to my sweet angels this summer. We have been full of giggles and many trips to the zoo, and many words of wisdom!

Hannah has began to come up and hug and say, " I Yuv you mama!' and Megan will follow suit with "I you" and a hug.

With everything a blur, I know one thing is for certain, prayers have been answered over daycare this year. You know mother's intuition when you take your children somewhere, and you know something is just not right and unfortunately the girls have been too small to tell me their concerns. Well....

Let's just say our day care experience was just that, sparing details, let's just say....my worst nightmare came true while the girls were in daycare. But God is good, and has provided me 2 wonderful daycare providers, that love the girls unconditionally, and it is a 1:1 correspondance to watch the girl! I love the fact that when I drop them off, they turn and say "Bye mama" and run to the arms of their care givers...

Note to self: Always follow your mommy's intuition, when you sense something is not right....chances are they aren't. Thank goodness prayers get answered!

We Are so cool

Today was a total girls day! Rich went out of town, so I took the girls to the mall. We had so much fun walking around looking at clothes and smelling perfume...Then we went to the Disney store! The girls are starting to show interest in Micky Mouse, so we had fun. While we were there...we couldn't resist some sunglasses and and "cincess" bups....

The girls are the pride and joy of my life, I wish there was a way to stay home with them indefinitely!

Pajama Day

Who doesn't need days like that, when you wake up with nothing on your schedule and no energy to even get dressed. Well summer vacation is a perfect time for that! This last week, the girls and I have been having pajama daze. We get up, eat breakfast and play and don't get dressed. This last monday was no change at all! By the end of the day after coloring, playdough, and puzzles the girls found tutu's and bracelets and were having fun....

Summer Fun

Summer fun with Toddlers comes in a variety of ways. We are part of a local twins club, as well as the national organization and it is wonderful to get together with other moms and twins that are older and younger than us. Through the summer we have weekly playgroups set up to just have fun together....the girls I feel are making some life long friends and are not so shy anymore. they are learning to climb on play structures and realizing that they are not as scary as they once thought they were.

So far we had a playdate at Oso de Oro park, then had taco family fiesta at the Bicentennial park in clovis....both events so fun! Enjoy the pics from the event.

Mini Vacation

This last weekend we got to take a mini-vacation. It is the first time since the girls were 9 months old that we took a trip as a complete family. Since the girls are older and didn't have double ear infections that we didn't know about, it was a blast!
It started out Saturday with us getting up and leaving the house by 6:30. We got the girls their morning milk, put an Elmo DVD on and drove to Modesto where we stopped for breakfast. It was fun because we went through the drive through at McDonalds, and got pancakes. The girls got to eat their pancakes in the car and were tickled pink!

We drove to Oakland, to see Elmo live. It was a wonderful show with a them of....Elmo's Green Thumb. It was educational and cute! Megan was enthralled in the beginning shouting out all the characters. Hannah was scared at the beginning, but near the end of the show, Hannah was singing and dancing with Abby, Elmo, Big Bird, Count, Cookie, Bert and Ernie, Oscar, Rosita, Baby Bear, Carrie and the lady bugs!














After the show, we drove to the City by the Bay! It was a perfect time to enjoy SF. We stayed about 1 mile away from the wharf, so had a great walk up and down hills with a stroller with 40 pounds of baby...yikes! When we were settled in the hotel we took the walk to the pier and ate at Cioppino's. It was a delicious meal! I just love seafood...pricey...but delicious!

The next day we headed back to the pier and enjoyed the aquarium. The girls named every "sish" "Memo" but we had a blast. We now understand why the song was written, I left My Heart in San Francisco, as every time you leave, a part of your heart stays. Can't wait til our next trip!

Family Night Planning

Sol I have been scrolling through blogs and found these "family nights" I want to plan them, but don't know how it is going to work. I want to have fun with the girls, turn off technology for a night, and have a theme. I have seen elaborate family nights, and others that are simple and easy to do. My thought is this....the girls are 21 months old, are they too young to enjoy? Could I really pull it off? This weekend we are going to SF for Elmo live, I was thinking of a Sesame street night and intertwine a rainbow theme. I thought that we could have shish kebobs, do rainbow art and color Elmo pictures. We could pack our bags and pack the car to leave Early Saturday morning.
What are your thoughts? Have any of you done a family night theme? What worked for you and what didn't....any info is appreciated.

Thanks!

a WALK

I decided to take the girls for a walk today before the rain starts. Now usually I know that most would get out the stroller and get walking that way, but I bought the girls these monkey and bear backpacks with the "leash" handles attached.
Well, have any of you had new puppies learning how to walk on a leash? Hannah and Megan were not too far behind that.....

We had a blast going to get the mail, and hope to take more walks if the weather stays dry!

17 months

17 wonderful months have come and gone by so quickly...I truly have been blessed to become a mom of twins...Yes, I would love to be a stay at home mom...and give kudos to those who can survive in this dying economy and stay home...but since teaching gives me the "best of both worlds" working 185 days a year, and staying home 180 days.....what more can I say?

The girls have been growing like weeds, even though they still have not cleared the 20 lb. mark. Hannah is just now at 20 pounds and Megan is at 19 pounds....

This last week has been very trying on me, and has raised my faith even more. The girls have been getting over ear infections and by Monday, I noticed that Hannah had this horrible cough...thinking that it was a "cold" I kept her home for 2 days....then on Wednesday, daycare called to let me know that she is coughing even more, and threw up...well I took her to the doc, and had her and Megan's ears checked...they were clear! YAY...but their lungs were a different story...Hannah was worse than Megan, the doc felt that this is the early signs of Seasonal Asthma...not the best of news.
We went in search of a nebulizer, and finally found one at Ray Fisher Pharmacy...they stayed open for 30 minutes longer to train me in using the nebulizer.
Thursday came, and I received a nightmare phone call....from daycare: "Megan is having a hard time breathing...you need to come check her out..." she couldn't get a breath in so, on a nebulizer she goes...

But now, 4 days on treatments our girls are back...
Please enjoy the next few pics!

Blogger Slagger

Ok, Ok,Ok...I know the new year came and now we are nearly into the second month of the new year...but I think I can honestly say we have been SUPER busy. The girls keep me on my toes and Rich too.

They are saying about 30-35 words.

Hannah can count to 3 and five with help. They both love the ABC song and Row Row Row your Boat.

I will work on posting more pictures soon!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

This weekend was packed full of events. It started off Tuesday night when we walked down Christmas tree lane. It is a must see if you are in the Central Valley...it is better this year, than it has been in the past. So many new things and always a joy when you get to walk down it.
Well...this weekend we also got the rest of the house decorated for Christmas. Rich was such a trooper last weekend to put the lights on the house...I'll remind myself to get outside to take a pic real soon! Then we went and got a tree. I wasn't sure how the girls were going to react with the tree in the house. But so far, they are full of ohhs and ahhs...it is amazing to watch!
Hannah also stood up and started walking this weekend, and looked at us like we were crazy when we were cheering for her. She gave us a look that she has been doing her steps her whole life. (Megan has been walking for about a week or so)

Oh and Megan fell and bumped her head badly...not only once but twice! She looks so tore up! My poor baby. I guess I am glad Rich already took the Christmas photos...which is why I am updating again tonight. We put together the photo for our cards, but I will not post that until a later time!
Here is a sneak peak though...enjoy!