Randoms...

Sorry for the lack of posts, I just can't seem to find the time during the day, and at night I am exhausted! Here are several posts within a post...pics to come later BTW

*Both Marshall and Presley are walking/running everywhere. In fact, it's weird for me to see them crawl now!

*We spent Memorial Day weekend at my parents' house with my dad. My mom was/is up in Joplin helping Catherine get settled into their rent house. Post and pictures to come later!

*Marshall had his appointment this morning with a pediatric surgeon here in FW. He has a congenital cyst on his left side of his chest that has to be removed. His surgery is June 17th and he has to go under anesthesia. Even though it's an outpatient procedure, mucho prayers are appreciated. The thought of him being by himself in there (without me) makes me sad. :(

*Kyle is on babysitting duty this weekend. I have my annual Girls Weekend with my college friends, and last year I wasn't able to go for obvious reasons, so I am super excited! We have been doing this since 2003, the first year after we graduated from college. It is always a blast and hopefully I will remember to take some pics!

*This summer we are going to Costa Rica for 8 days and I can.not.wait! Kyle's mom bought a condo in Coco Beach in April and we are dying to get down there and see it! Carter will be with us and I know she will have a blast. To say that Kyle and I are looking forward to it is a serious understatement. It will be a much needed break/relaxation time. Yes M and P are coming with us, but so is Kyle's mom and possibly some of his siblings so I will hopefully be able to steal some "me" time in there. :)

*I have a four day training to attend in a couple of weeks and the twins will be going to their babysitter for next year for the first time. Makes me teary-eyed just thinking about leaving them!

*Speaking of going back to work...I'm teaching GT (gifted and talented) next year and I'm a little concerned they'll be smarter than me. This sounds stupid to anyone who hasn't gone through chemo (which is the majority of people yes I know), but ever since I finished treatment I feel dumber. A big part of it is my memory, it's no bueno now. Which really ticks me off because I used to have a good memory! I still have those times when I know what words I want to say, they are in my head, but I can't get the message to connect with my mouth. It's like the opposite of "Oh it's on the tip of my tongue...I just can't think of it!". It's "I can't make my mouth say the stupid words that are in my head!" This is not the best thing to happen when you are trying to educate students! I have a feeling there will be a lot of "look it up tonight and let me know what you find out tomorrow" going on. It should be interesting!

How You Can Help!!!

Here are some ways you can help the people of Joplin:


*Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross, or donate, give blood or volunteer by signing up online.

*Text "JOPLIN" to 864833 to donate $10 to the Heart of Missouri United Way, which has dispatched medical help to the affected areas of Kansas and Missouri. Volunteers are also welcome by signing up either online or at 1-913-764-5200.

*Text "CONVOY" to 50555 to donate $10 to the Convoy of Hope, which is delivering disaster supplies to victims. Donations may also be made online or by calling 1-417-823-8998.

Here are some other agencies you can donate to:

• AmeriCares

• The Humane Society of Missouri

• World Vision

Even if $5 is all you can spare, every little bit helps!!!

Devastation

My sister's life was changed forever Sunday night. She lives in Joplin, Missouri and they lost their house in the tornado. It was almost a mile long, and their house was in it's path. The only thing that is left is the front facade, the master bedroom (not the bath) and the connecting study. The upstairs (where my nieces bedrooms are) is pretty much no longer there. Basically they lost everything, including both their cars.

It hit without a lot of warning. She said it started to storm and then the sirens went off, but then they stopped. They all went down to the basement to turn on the news to see what was going on. The weatherman said that he wasn't quite sure if it was a tornado or just a thunderstorm (I'm guessing now because of its size). All of a sudden they see one of their biggest trees rip out of the ground and hurl itself at one of the windows of their house (their basement has windows and a set of french doors that lead out to the backyard along one side). Immediately after that the electricity went off. They ran to the safe room, and within seconds of my sister shutting the door, the tornado hit and ripped the house apart. Had they waited thirty seconds later, they would have been dead. Thank goodness they had a safe room! They had to dig their way out. It started storming again so they went across the street to a neighbor's basement for a while. She sent out texts and prayed that someone would receive them. They did, and they sent someone to come and rescue them, but Catherine, John and the girls had to walk 7 miles to even get to the vehicle because of the roads. Their neighborhood was destroyed.

As it turns out, a man who John works with is on vacation with his family through the weekend, so they said John and Catherine could stay at their house and use their car. Friends have brought over toiletries and other donations, and Catherine and John are just so humbled and blessed by everyone's generosity.

Catherine and John went back to the house Monday morning to see if anything was salvageable and they were able to get two pick up trucks full of stuff, but that is it. Most of what is left is water damaged. They are still trying to figure out what they are going to do. Over 30% of the town was leveled, and I'm not sure if you have seen images of the devastation but it is horrific. Joplin is by no means a wealthy town, and I don't know how most of them are going to rebuild their lives.

I worry about my oldest niece, Sophia. She is almost 7 and is pretty traumatized, as you can imagine. She has no more stuff, her room vanished. I can't imagine how scared she must have been in that safe room, and how awful for her to see complete devastation every where she looked. Emmie is only 2.5, so she won't remember. But Sophia will.

My sister's baby is doing fine, kicking and moving up a storm, so that is good. She herself is extremely shaken up, and it is hard for her to get out of her head that her children (and herself) almost died.

I've seen footage of damage from natural disasters, but it has never truly hit me how awful it must be for the people who have lost their homes, possessions, and loved ones. Until now. Having my sister involved in such a horrible incident, and thankfully survived, has rocked me to my core and left me sick to my stomach. When you know someone who is directly affected by it, everything changes. I just want to see Emmie and Sophia and give them a big hug and tell them everything will be okay.

Pictures, momentos, jewelry, favorite dolls, furniture, china, family silver, your daughters' baby books, clothes...gone. Think about what is in your house right now. What if it all went away? Some of it will be easily replaced, but some things are irreplaceable.

The most important thing is that they walked away physically unharmed. The mental/emotional scars will remain for a long time. There are so many people in Joplin who do not have the funds to completely start over from scratch. If you can donate, please do so. Even if you just donate blood, the hospitals need that too. I believe you can text Red Cross to 90999 and it will donate $10 to the Red Cross. I heard that on the weather channel, but you might want to double check it. You can also go the the American Red Cross website and donate there, just make sure to check that you want it to go to disaster relief fund.

Just remember that life can change in an instant. Make sure you are truly living and loving the life you lead every day. Please pray for the people of Joplin.

One Year

Well, I survived! I am amazed at how quickly time has passed in my first year of motherhood. I'm even more amazed that my twins made it with no ER visits or anything traumatic happening (such as falling and busting their head open while learning to walk)! Let me be the first to say that it has not been an easy road, but it went pretty smoothly. I didn't have any expectations really, I just knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park, and that I would learn as I go. My Mom has been a huge factor in my survival. When I have called her and questioned my ability as a mother, she has always supported me and lifted me up. Having my mother tell me that I am a good mom is the biggest compliment I could get. After all, she set the bar pretty high! Even though Kyle and I don't have any family within 4 hours of us, both of our families have ben huge support systems for us throughout this year. I know not everybody has that, and we are extremely lucky.

I'm also lucky to have a supportive husband, who has never once told me this year that I was crazy! :) He got up with me at night, even when he had to go to work in the morning. He listened to me cry on the phone when I was feeling down or stressed. He babysat the kids while I met up with friends. I could go on and on with all the ways he has helped me (and the twins for that matter) this past year. I could not have asked for a better husband and father to my children. I love you so much Kyle, and I am so thankful for how much you provide for our family. Thank you for working your tail off so that I could stay home this year with M and P. I will treasure this year for the rest of my life. :)

It's weird that Marshall and Presley are technically toddlers, and not babies anymore! They are both walking, although Marshall walks more than Presley. Up until last weekend, Marshall would take several steps at a time but nothing that was long. Presley, even on Saturday, showed no interest in walking. Being the princess that she is, she just wanted to be held. :) I guess being around their cousin Grayson (who is 3 months older) helped boost their walking desire, because last Sunday morning Marshall walked across the living room, and then did it several more times! By the end of the day he was trying to walk more than crawl. Now he wants to walk everywhere! Sunday afternoon, after all the family had left, Presley walked across the living room to Kyle! She had taken maybe one or two steps before, but this was a long walk! Then she did it over and over again! She is determined because she will be crawling, then will stop...stand up...get her balance...then walk to you. If she falls on her bottom she will get right back up and keep trying over and over till she gets tired. Marshall on the other hand, will mainly start off walking from a stationary object like a piece of furniture. Anyway, they are improving every day and I am so proud of them!

Marshall will still eat pretty much anything you give him, but Presley has become a picky eater. She has slimmed down lately because she is so active. Here are their stats from their 12 month check up:

Marshall: 24 lbs 8 oz, 31.25 inches
Presley: 22 lbs, 10 oz, 30.25 inches

We all thought that Marshall would weigh a lot more than that, he is so heavy! They are growing like little weeds!

This sounds dumb, I'm sure, but I feel like ever since they turned 1, they are acting more like toddlers. Even in just one week I feel like they have changed and seem more grown up.

Marshall and Presley, you have given me more joy this past year then I have ever felt before. It wasn't easy, and I know I made mistakes, but I have cherished EVERY second I've had with you (even when I was having a mental melt down)! I hope some day you will be proud to call me your mommy, because I am more than proud of what you have accomplished in just your first year of life. I love you more then you will ever know and that I could possibly put into words.

I didn't take the "12 month" sticker pictures because honestly, it is such a beating to try and get them still, facing me, looking at me, and not looking like they are miserable. :) So instead here are some pictures from their actual birthday.

Birthday Festivities

Last Saturday we had a "fiesta" themed birthday party here at the house. We kept it small and simple and just invited family (and my surrogate but in my eyes she is basically family). I get VERY stressed out when I entertain because I want to make sure that everyone is having a good time, and everyone has someone to talk to. Therefore, I end up not enjoying myself because I am so worried about everybody else! I ordered fajitas from Don Pablos and got cupcakes from Tom Thumb...easy! When it came time to sing Happy Birthday and for M and P to have their cake, Marshall dove right in and LOVED his cake. Presley, on the other hand, would NOT touch it! I tried putting some icing on my finger and touching it to her lips, was.not.having.it. Um, is this my child? We tried again that evening and then again on their actual birthday and she still refused the cupcake!

Kyle's mom, sister, and brother-in-law gave the twins this super cool water splash mat/pool thingy. You hook it up to a hose and the water runs out through lots of different holes and fun animals. The twins were not interested (I think the water was too cold) but our nephew Grayson loved it! I know M and P will like it once they get used to it.

Kyle's dad and his girlfriend gave the twins his and hers Cozy Coupe cars. Um, let me just tell you they are a HIT! They love them! Marshall's favorite thing is to push Presley around in it. We took them "driving around" the street on their birthday and they had a great time. Some times you'll look down and they will have their arm sticking out the window, it's too cute!

Since all the guests except Sarah were from out of town, people just hung out at our house all afternoon. Babies napped, people ate, presents were opened. It was the perfect party and we are so blessed that our families were able to be there.

In all the excitement, we didn't take one single family picture! Here are a lot of pictures from their party and then their actual birthday.


Presley and Carter


The birthday boy!


Roby looking beautiful in the sombrero


Hurry and take the picture before she takes it off!


You want me to do what?


No way!


Dig In!




He loved the cake and the hat. She wanted no part of either!


The reason we are here!


Excited about Mammaw's present


Grayson loved Mammaw's present!


Chillin with Daddy and Uncle B. Yes, it was empty!


Getting kisses from mammaw


Opening Presents


Round 2 of Cake


We printed off their monthly pictures for decor


Goofing around with Aunt Nikki


My uber-talented friend Shelley made him this shirt


So happy to be 1!

Come on guys, I'm bored!


She l-o-v-e-s the car!




Round 3 and he still loves it!


Hmm, this looks neat but I'm still not going to eat it!

Pictures from 5-10-10

This past weekend we had the twins' birthday party and it was so much fun! I'll do a post for that later this week. In honor of their one year birthday tomorrow, I've been looking back at the pictures from the past year and I am in awe at how tiny these little guys were and how healthy they are even after being frozen for 2.5 years! I was so lucky to be able to be in the delivery room and hear their first cries. I started sobbing when I heard Presley cry for the first time (she came out first). I just couldn't believe they were finally here and this amazing roller coaster we had been on was ending, and a new one, called Parenting, was just beginning! It was the BEST day of my life. Here are some pics from 5-10-10!


This was Sarah the day she delivered!


She lost 38 of the 44 lbs she gained in the first week after they were born!!!



My doctor had to deliver another set of twins first, so our c section got pushed back. Here we are waiting, and waiting and waiting.



Presley


Marshall



Chillin with their eye goop on. This was the first time they were in the same bassinet. Marshall on left, Presley on the right.



My little man in the NICU. He was in there for 6 hours for observation, but was never officially admitted!


Marshall grabbed Kyle's hand in the NICU. It was so sweet!


Showing off Presley's hair, I couldn't believe she had any!

It's Hard to Believe

That Marshall and Presley have gone from this...





To this!

Petting Zoo Party

This weekend was M and P's friend, Ella, first birthday party. She had a "tutu and buckaroo" with pony rides and a petting zoo. Her mom, Jenya, did an awesome job with the decorations, food, party favors, and of course the animals! Presley wore her tutu, but Marshall did not sport and "buckaroo" gear since it was 90 degrees outside. We are gearing up for the twins' party next weekend so Kyle stayed home and did yard work (7 hours of it! and it looks awesome) so I flew solo with the twins. It was my first time taking them to a social event like that by myself since they have been mobile. Thankfully I have great friends who helped me wrangle them! Marshall is very good at walking holding one hand, and takes solo steps here and there. I got many compliments on how well he walked from my friends which made me one proud mama! He immediately went towards the horses when we got there, smiling and laughing at them. Once he was on top though, he wasn't quite sure what to think. Presley on the other hand, was a natural on the horse! She held on to the saddle horn and went several laps around the yard and just loved it! The petting zoo had pot bellied pigs, chickens, a goose, rabbits, a lamb, and a goat. The twins didn't go in the petting zoo, but the man held up the pig for them to see. The goat was laying right in front of them through the fence, and they thought he was hilarious. However when Marshall started to lick the fence, our petting zoo time was over. :) Jenya and Craig also had a bounce house, but I didn't let them get in it because I think they are still a little small. Even though it was super hot, we had a great time.

M and P had Chik-fi-let for the first time Saturday at lunch. Kyle was on his way back from the nursery and I was craving it, so I had him pick up a kids meal for them. Marshall ate it no problem, but Presley didn't like it! What?!?! Is she my child? Just kidding. I guess it's probably a good thing that she didn't like fast food. :)

This morning as we were finishing up their breakfast, I realized I hadn't given them their sippys, as I normally do with each meal/snack. I told Kyle just to "give it to them in a regular cup" thinking/intending for him to fill up a cup and hold it for them while they take a drink (it was quicker then putting together the sippys). Well the next thing I know he had filled the cup of the sippy with water and just gave it to them! Marshall immediately spills it all over himself, then turns it upside down and water goes all over his tray. However, Presley held it with both hands and took sips like a big girl! She did get some water on herself, but not too terribly much. She was so proud of herself and had a huge smile! It was a mess, and not what I had intended, but I'm glad Kyle did that because they need practice drinking out of a cup. I just hadn't really ever thought about it to be honest. Presley's fine motor skills (I think that is the correct term) are a little more developed than Marshall's. The best way I know to describe it is he kind of moves/uses his arms and hands like a caveman. But we are going to keep practicing!

I didn't take too many pictures at the party but I did get some horse pics. Have a good week! I can't believe they will be ONE next week!!!

I'm a natural!



I like them better on the ground...


That is Presley's hand going for the pig


Marshall playing with his party favors. P got a pink hat!


Holding like a big girl


Drinking like a big girl


Marshall LOVES to walk!