Sunday, February 28, 2016

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Photo Attempts

I'm learning its a little tougher to get a cute picture of both babies.  I posted a picture yesterday announcing that they are eight weeks old... and after many photo attempts, I posted this one because Caroline looks so cute:


This picture was a second-runner up because, again, Caroline looks so cute:
 

... And then I also shot these gems, where neither one looks good:
 







The photography fun is really just beginning... luckily, I love a challenge.

Friday, February 26, 2016

10 On 10... ish

This past month, I wanted to take 10 pictures on the 10th of the month... but I didn't remember until around 10pm the night of the 10th.

So, I decided to take 10 pictures on the 11th... and I started taking pictures that day... but it became the day I came down with mastitis and by mid-afternoon, I was basically immobile and sick laying on the couch watching my little ones entertain themselves.

But I don't really want to wait another month to post 10 On 10... so, here are 10 photos from February 11-25 -- maybe 10 over 14?

Here are 10 random pictures... okay, 13, I couldn't keep it to 10.  Here are 13 random pictures:

Here is the double-bassinet in our room... my day always starts with a feeding -- it might be 1am, 2am, 3am, or 4am... but my day always starts by taking these little ones out of the bassinet for a feeding.

Certain days of the week, Tracey Ann attends preschool in the morning, and the twins and I camp out in a friend's living room near the school -- here we are with the twins content, my computer off to the side, and birth announcements to address in front of me.

I have a cool pillow that supports both twins when they're relaxing, and comes together to create a great way for me to nurse both babies at the same time.

Tracey Ann has a muffin in her hand... and Lloyd knows it.

Some nights I lose my side of the bed to sleeping twins.

Sleeping twins, like these...

Sisterly love

Fun with play-dough

Sometimes it makes me happy to know that at least one member of the household is able to sleep anywhere, on demand, as much as she desires.

A Tracey Ann selfie...

Here we are again in the friends' home... aren't they adorable?!?!

Diaper boxes blocking our door... although they do make a cool fort.

What a cutie!!!
 

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Hearing Test

Recently our seven-week old twins passed their at-home hearing test...


A special thanks to our black lab, Lloyd for creating this opportunity.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

A Little More...

Ever since my parents left, I have tried to keep an overall goal of A LITTLE MORE.

In very baby steps, each day I try to do a little more.

The first few days I was home alone with all three children, the goal was to keep everyone alive.

Next, my goal was to keep everyone alive and fed (myself, and the animals included).

A few days later, I tried to keep everyone alive, fed, and do one load of laundry.

The next day, the goal was to keep everyone alive, fed, one load of laundry, and load the dishwasher.

... 

And so it goes life building on itself and attempting to do a little more every day.

Adding dishes,
Adding laundry,
Adding cleaning
Adding time outside,
Adding reading time,
Adding exercise,
Adding clothe diapers,
Adding potty training,
Adding homemaking,
Adding making dinners,
Adding unpacking the house,
Adding organizing

... 

Slowly but surely I'll get the hang of keeping everyone alive AND doing necessary chores by doing a little more every day.

Daily photo:

This is what I got when I tried to take a picture of Caroline's tongue...

 

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

No Water Needed

Some days a bath is fun, no water needed...




Monday, February 22, 2016

Either Or

I'm getting the hang of motherhood with twins... but, unfortunately, my days seem to be Either Or.

Either I am a good mother to Tracey Ann, Or I am a good mother to the twins...

I don't seem to be able to be both in one day yet.

Throw a good wife in there... and its Either Or Or.

Either I am a good mother to Tracey Ann, Or I am a good mother to the twins, Or I am a good wife to my hubby...

Thankfully, I get a new chance to try at all three every day -- good mother, good mother, good wife.  Or, at least BETTER mother, Better mother, Better wife.  Better than yesterday.

Every day, I get to love all four of my blessings (toddler, twins, and Hubby) and be better at taking care of all four every day.  Some days, loving them means being the disciplinarian or the "mean" parent... but every day I get to try to be better at taking care of the whole crew well, instead of only doing well at caring for Either Tracey Ann Or Howard and Caroline Or Hubby.

I think it is becoming a lifelong goal to do well caring for all my blessings in one day. 

P.S. Yesterday Caroline smiled at me... well, either at me or the ceiling fan directly behind my head.  :-D

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Mountain Living

Hubby and I love living in the mountains... the good, the bad, the ugly... the beautiful, the inconvenient, the isolated, and the excitement.

Our main line to all civilization out here is Interstate 70.  It is a main interstate... but its also like our Main Steet connecting towns.  We cannot get to church, the doctor, friends' houses, or different work obligations without traveling on or along I-70.



If we want to travel any great distance to a big city, I-70 is our most direct route.
 
But, mountain living has its adventures, and I-70 has been closed through Glenwood Canyon for nearly a week due, first to large boulders crashing onto the interstate... and then due to a rock slide caused by said boulders.







Its a little fun to sort of closed off from the world... for the time being -- to know that if we needed to go to Denver, or Eagle, we would have to drive a four hour detour.  But, we're also very fortunate that we live in a day an age of planes and trains in that our grocery stores are not running out of food and our mail can still be delivered.  Once upon a time, when a rockslide closed the canyon, all resources and lines of communication stopped until the canyon could be open again.

Praise God that no one was hurt in the rock slides, and prayers for safety for the road crews working to restore the interstate to working order as soon as possible. 

Daily photos:

When your twins take over your side of the bed...

... but they look so adorable!
 

Saturday, February 20, 2016

The Main Difference

There is one main difference between Hubby and myself...


That pretty much sums up everything...