Fun Visitors

My Grandpa and Jane came to visit this week, and we had so much fun with them.  It really is amazing how much MORE I can do with the kiddos out and about when I have extra hands.

We were able to do so much with them -- out to dinner several times, out to a State Park, out to the shooting range, out for ice cream... we had a blast!

We all went out to eat at Shooter's Grill, which was fun for a lot of reasons, but it was different because both babies are eating solid foods now.  They had a blast sucking on dill pickles and tasting mac and cheese.

It was so much fun watching Grandpa and Jane interact with all the kids.

*A side note, all of our parents (the kiddos grandparents) are names other than Grandma and Grandpa.  My parents are Grammie and Papa, and Hubby's parents are Memaw and Peepaw, so it is fun that Chris and my grandparents can still be Grandma and Grandpa to our kids.  Tracey had a lot of fun with Grandpa Jacobs and Grandma Jane.

We spent time outside letting Tracey swim in our yard and run through sprinklers.

We went to the Rifle State Park and walked up to Rifle Falls

It was so beautiful... and amazingly easy with their extra hands to help!

Grandpa has four children of his own... but he admitted its been a long time since he pushed a stroller.

We made them experience the old west by taking them to our shooting range.

And finally, we all went to a local spheghetti dinner fundraiser together.  The babies LOVED their first taste of speghetti, and Tracey ran around playing with children from our church.

 I could only snap a few pictures there because we were introducing Grandpa and Jane to people, catching up with friends and trying to keep tabs on our three little ones.

It was the first time Grandpa and Jane have come out to visit us in Colorado -- they always make a point to see us when we're in Michigan, but it was so much fun to show them our home, let them witness our crazy life and show them around our little town.

We had such a great time with them and hope they come back soon... but also appreciate how special it was that they came so far and know that it might be a long time before they are able to come back again.

Not The Kids

My grandpa and his gal have been visiting us for a few days, and we have had such a great time with them.  They brought me some boxes of my old stuff from my parent's home (because my parents are moving soon) which we didn't have space for in our car when we drove back this summer.  Grandpa has been wanting to come visit us, and we needed these boxes transported to us one way or another, so he and Jane took that opportunity to come see us, and do us a big favor and deliver the boxes.

I will show pictures of their visit soon... but in looking through some pictures with them, I found if funny that, the only group pictures we had taken when they were here, it was not the kids I had to worry about taking a bad picture.

We went out to dinner to Shooters, which was a big deal because we were eating out with three kids under three, and everyone was actually eating (twins included).  The waitress was nice enough to snap a picture and I couldn't believe it was Grandpa and Jane who are not smiling in every picture.  Tracey, Howard, and Caroline are not being difficult, and are just sweetly looking at the camera... but Grandpa and Jane apparently kept forgetting to smile -- they might have been tired from their long trip, but I found it really funny.

First picture... okay, maybe they weren't ready for this one

Second picture... okay, maybe they just now realized someone is taking a picture

Third picture... "Say Cheese"

Fourth picture... really, she's taking the picture, say cheese.

Fifth picture, I think Grandpa is trying to crack a smile

Sixth picture... yeah, I guess that's a slight smile from Grandpa

Then the waitress changed directions, and Grandpa and Jane knew the picture was being taken, because they rotated to the other direction to look at the camera... come on, guys -- Smile!  It looks like Grandpa is trying to get on board...

 Even Tracey has turned around for this picture, and yet still no real smiles from the older crew

No smile...

Tracey got bored with the pictures and reached for some food... and still no smiles

... and Tracey brings the ketchup finger to her mouth... and still no smile from Jane.

I had no idea I should have spent my picture efforts, not on having the kids behave for the picture, but on getting Grandpa and Jane to smile for the picture. 

Maybe it was just settling in that they were about to spend three days with us and our crazy crew...

Solids...

We now have three children eating solid foods.  Now, Tracey has been on solid foods for two years, so that is nothing new but now we have two other little mouths trying to eat real food.

With Tracey, we never gave her mushed up baby food... we just gave her soft grown up foods -- banana, avocado, peaches, pears, pickles, applesauce, pasta -- pretty much anything that can be made small and soft.

With twins, we're trying to use that same method of feeding them real grown-up food... but feeding two babies and one toddler is more than three times the mess and hassle than feeding one baby.

We are getting by though... here are some pictures from our new mealtimes:

 

The Cousins

To us, St. Louis means loads of cousins... which is SO much fun.  I grew up with cousins, but on my mom's side, I was the youngest, and on my dad's side I had one cousin younger, and the rest were 18-plus years older.  And, my side of the family still doesn't really deliver on the cousin side -- there aren't any.

But, my wonderful Hubby has two siblings, and cousins abound.  

Zivah is the oldest and just turned three.

Tracey is seven months younger than Zivah.

Mayah is eleven months younger than Tracey.

Howard and Caroline are twelve months younger than Mayah.

Judah is three months younger than Howard and Caroline...

and baby Silas is expected in August (five months younger than Judah).

... and no one claims to be finished having kids yet.

WHAT FUN!  WHAT CRAZINESS!

Left to right: Baby Silas (in belly), Mayah, Memaw, Judah, Zivah, Tracey, Caroline, Peepaw, Howard

Here are some pictures of the St. Louis cousins:

Zivah decided that she and Tracey were going to be Disney princesses, so Cinderella and Belle hung out with us.

 Judah and Howard... the little men

Zivah is the perfect oldest cousin because she loves babies... she was in heaven with our twins

All the siblings and kids... Chris' sister, husband, and three children on the left, our family in the middle, and Chris' brother and pregnant wife on the right.  No one was dressed for a great picture, but there we are...

This couch isn't going to hold very many more cousins.

Summer Animal Fun

This summer Tracey got to see some animals in both St. Louis and Michigan and she had a great time...

In St. Louis we visited Grant's Farm, which is a wilderness sanctuary sponsored by Anheuser Busch.  All of us went (Hubby, Twins, Tracey, and myself) with Memaw, Peepaw, Aunt Mandy and cousin Zivah.  The girls had a blast together.

 

Then, in Michigan Hubby and Tracey went to John Ball Park Zoo with our Colorado/Michigan friends, Mr. Selbig and Ellery (friends we met in Colorado, but grew up in Michigan, and now have moved back to Michigan and live 1 mile from my parents).  

 

The dads and daughters played together two summers ago, and then went to the zoo last year and here are the picture comparisons:

2014

2015

2016

 Its so much fun to watch our little girl love animals and enjoy getting to see them with family and friends.  We can't wait for the twins to be old enough to enjoy these outings as well.