My Life With Twins

SICK

2012-01-26T13:29:00.000-06:00

What do YOU do when you're stuck inside with sick kids? We've been dealing with fevers, runny noses, and coughing for over a week. They've been watching a lot of Mickey Mouse and Cars while I'm busy spraying all the toys and trying to keep Bethany and Zachary from drinking out of each other's cups. Hopefully we'll be back to normal soon!

Thanks for your help :)

2012-01-23T09:20:00.000-06:00

In less than 6 months we'll be going to Nicaragua again, so if you or your church would like to collect some things for us to take, here are some ideas:

Books for the mobile library! Last year they were just starting to let the children "check out" books to take home. That means they'll need more Spanish books. They can be new or used, picture books or chapter books...and Bible stories are even better!

Casa Materna is where pregnant women go to receive medical care, and each mother-to-be gets a Baby Bag while they're there. It's filled with things like cloth diapers, diaper pins, baby socks, onesies, baby lotion, body wash, powder, and personal hygiene items for the mom. Start saving your travel size toiletries from hotels!

Something else they do at Casa Materna is make baby blankets. We're collecting fabric (especially baby-looking colors) to cut into 6x6 squares. Then we'll stack 42 together to give to the moms, and they get to quilt their own blankets to take home when their babies are born.

This summer we'll be giving a seminar for the teachers, and we'd love to have some craft items and other supplies for the teachers to take back to their classrooms. These need to be light weight items we can pack in our suitcases like Post-its, pens, stickers, pipe cleaners, etc.

Let me know if you'd like to help!

Western Day

2012-01-20T15:45:00.000-06:00

Poor Bethany had a fever on Thursday and had to miss Western Day at school. Zachary had fun for both of them. She's feeling better today though, and we're enjoying this AMAZING January weather!!

Rest Time

2012-01-16T18:13:00.000-06:00

We're dogsitting for Aaron's parents this week. Their dog, Max, pretty much sleeps all day. I got a picture of him and Bethany resting on the couch together...so cute!

Baby Shower

2012-01-14T15:54:00.000-06:00

These are some girls I went to college with, and it was so good to be with them today to celebrate Amanda and her baby (due next month)!

Brad and Amanda are about to have a baby girl.

Future Rockstar

2012-01-13T16:12:00.000-06:00

Katie's gonna be a rockstar!

Artists

2012-01-09T10:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was our 7th anniversary. Aaron and I got to go to a nice restaurant on Friday night called Eddie V's. The dessert was definitely my favorite part! We're just getting back into a normal routine around here, and since it's rainy outside, we've been doing some serious coloring this morning :)

2012 started off with a bang...

2012-01-03T13:14:00.001-06:00

My new year started off being sick, and I'm still getting over it. The kids aren't 100% either, so we've been spending even more time at home. I haven't left the house since Saturday! Anyway, I snapped some cute pictures this morning because the kids were playing so well together.

Hopefully the rest of our year will be happy and healthy. We've got many things to look forward to...potty training, moving the kids out of their cribs, and getting rid of Zachary's pacifiers. He's gotten quite attached to having THREE pacifiers. He likes to have one in his mouth and one in each hand! I hope all of your years have gotten off to a better start :)

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T13:31:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd end the year with some videos. This is also my 600th post. Wow!!

Sickness

2011-12-30T20:33:00.003-06:00

As of now, our whole family has had the stomach bug except for me! Katie actually had it the week before Christmas, then Aaron, then Adam, then Zachary, and today was Bethany's turn. We had already planned a trip to our friends' land, and since Bethany ended up getting sick today, we took Zachary and Katie. Well, Katie had a blast driving around in the jeep AND the big ATV.

Here's a picture of the bridge the guys have been working on for a while. Aaron's out in the middle (soon there will be planks all the way across to drive the 4-wheelers on) while John is down below fixing the center supports. I think I got that right.

Our Engagement

2011-12-28T10:59:00.002-06:00

Aaron proposed 8 years ago today! I was living in the apartments across the street from our church, and my friend Christa lived in the same apartments with her husband. She knew Aaron was going to propose, and they set up a surprise engagement party for me. This is a "reenactment" of the proposal!

Friends since high school :)

More Christmases

2011-12-26T14:45:00.000-06:00

Christmas is officially over in our house (ALL decorations are down inside and out)! I think the pictures show we had a very, merry Christmas and enjoyed spending time with all of our families. The kids love playing with all their new toys, and I'm having fun doing laundry and hanging up all the new clothes. We celebrated at our house on Thursday and in Granbury with my dad's side of the family on Friday. On Saturday, we spent the day with Aaron's family, and then on Sunday we had Christmas with my family after church. We also stopped by Aaron's aunt's house on Christmas night for one last round of presents. We're definitely taking it easy after a busy weekend! Hope all of your Christmases were full of fun.

1st Round of Christmas

2011-12-19T09:47:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Raders (Aaron's dad's family) on Saturday. There's 8 little kids now, so they got to draw names and exchange presents. They played so well together!!

Then on Sunday we got together with my mom's side of the family. We had lots of fun!

Ice Age

2011-12-16T20:56:00.000-06:00

We seem to go through movie phases, and right now our favorite movie is Ice Age.

They especially love the beginning...as you're about to see.

Christmas Party

2011-12-16T10:18:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was our party day at school. The kids enjoyed their cookies, and they got to see Santa. He gave them each a book, and as we were leaving, they both waved bye-bye.

Eating snacks with all their friends.

Bethany was braver than Zachary, but she's not so sure about Santa.

The best picture I could get of Ms. Hollee's class.

Gift Giving

2011-12-13T12:34:00.002-06:00

Zachary and Bethany gave a Christmas present to Ms. Hollee this morning. We've been so lucky to have her as their teacher!

Santa Claus

2011-12-11T16:18:00.000-06:00

Aaron's parents took the kids back to the Gaylord this year to get their picture made with Santa. They're not smiling, but at least there's no tears!

Last year's Santa picture they weren't even looking at the camera :)

Green Day at School

2011-12-09T12:36:00.000-06:00

Each month we focus on a different color at school. This month's color was green. Here's the kids with their class (minus one boy).

After Bethany woke up from her nap at home, she spent some time playing Legos.

Zachary pushed the stroller around...he likes to collect blocks and things along the way.

Then we watched the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" cartoon after dinner.

Cheese Face

2011-12-05T14:29:00.000-06:00

It's been cold and rainy outside, so we've been staying inside a lot. Here are some random pictures of "cheese" faces...and Zachary showing me his best Guns Up sign!

Cold = Fire

2011-11-30T13:02:00.000-06:00

We made our first fire of the season, and everyone seemed to like it. Notice Bethany has her "night-night" in hand. She has to have her blankets to go to bed...not really any particular blanket, so that's good.

Rudy enjoying the fire.

College Football

2011-11-27T20:33:00.000-06:00

All our Christmas decorations are up, and it's really starting to feel like winter! This picture was taken a few weeks ago when it wasn't so cold. The kids always have fun jumping in the leaves at my parents' house.

Yesterday we got to go to the Tech/Baylor game with Aaron's parents. It was fun (especially since we were in a suite at Cowboys Stadium). Too bad Texas Tech lost!

Here's our Christmas lights and decorated tree :)

Our Favorite Movie

2011-11-26T08:35:00.002-06:00

We watch the movie Cars daily, and the kids LOVE when the airplanes fly across the sky at the end. You can hear Zachary screaming like a girl!

Memories

2011-11-25T00:09:00.000-06:00

I can't sleep. I've been thinking about my Grandma Hodges, and I feel bad because I miss her. How can you miss somebody who is still alive? Because of Alzheimer's Disease, I feel like she's already gone. I was just looking through some old pictures...Grandma Hodges was the best cook, and I think having family meals together was one of her favorite things to do. We would always take a picture at the table together like this one taken a little over 5 years ago.

This picture was taken 3 years ago on Thanksgiving.

I hope you all have a blessed holiday season, and remember to enjoy the time you have with your families. I'm truly thankful for mine!

Happy Family

2011-11-22T21:00:00.001-06:00

We took some family pictures the other day. I really like the one of the kids...

Feast

2011-11-17T14:57:00.001-06:00

We're now officially on our Thanksgiving break! It's time for colder weather :)

We had our Thanksgiving Feast at school today. Doesn't Zachary look excited?

Daddy came to eat lunch with us.

Bethany and Zachary's class performing some turkey songs.

LEGOLAND

2011-11-12T13:53:00.001-06:00

This morning we got to meet Baby Stratton! Congrats to April and Justin on the newest addition to their family.

Our next stop was to Legoland at Grapevine Mills. We got to watch legos being made, go for a ride, and play with lots of Legos.

The kids with Dirk!

The "Lego" Texas Rangers

Bethany found a dog to sit on.

And of-course Zachary found a slide!

Zoo Day

2011-11-09T21:40:00.002-06:00

The kids went to the zoo with Aaron's parents last Saturday. Zachary and Bethany LOVE elephants, so I'm sure they enjoyed seeing them! They also got to ride the train, which is a favorite. We live close to the railroad tracks, which means we see the "choo-choo" often! Thank you, Papa and Gigi, for a fun day.

Our Weekend

2011-11-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share some pictures of what Aaron's been working on whenever we have free weekends. Our friends bought some land about a year ago, and there's a creek that runs through it. The guys have been planning to build this bridge that will be wide enough to drive the four-wheelers across.

You can kinda see the four cables going from one side to the other. Now they have to put the wood planks on, which will probably take some time.

Here I am trying to get the hang of the dirt bike!

And a picture of the kids...they were acting silly on the way to church.

Not much going on!

2011-11-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

I don't have any new pictures to share, so I guess it has calmed down around here. I've already got quite a bit of Christmas shopping done, and I'm ready to start listening to Christmas music! I'll try to hold off until Thanksgiving though. My friend posted this on facebook the other day...I thought it was funny!

I know most people look at my blog to see the kids, but since I don't have anything recent, I'll leave you with a video from a couple of weeks ago. This was a Sunday afternoon when it was much warmer outside :)

24 Months

2011-11-01T16:11:00.000-05:00

I forgot to give updates from Bethany and Zachary's 2 year checkup. Bethany weighs 25 pounds, she's 34 7/8 inches long, and her head is 19 3/8 inches (pretty big for a girl). Zachary weighs 26.5 pounds, he's 34 1/8 inches long, and his head is 18 7/8 inches. They got flu shots, and we don't have to go back for another "well baby" appointment until they're 3 years old!

Here's the end of our Halloween pictures from last night. We went around Aaron's parents' neighborhood for about an hour. The kids seemed to enjoy it.

Running through streamers in a neighbor's yard.

Ready to go trick-or-treating!

Haisley joined us this year :)

Fall Festival

2011-10-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe, but I think I'm actually "Halloweened" out! The kids got to wear their costumes again at our church's fall festival. I think they had fun riding on the train, visiting a petting zoo, playing games, and especially jumping in the bounce house!

Here's one of the best pictures I could get with Jake, Katie, Randal, Zachary, and Bethany.

Clowns

2011-10-27T16:22:00.001-05:00

My grandma made these adorable clown costumes, and the kids got to wear them for our costume parade at school today. After singing songs in circle time, we got to "trick-or-treat" through the church offices.

The 18 month old class.

Bethany and Zachary with our preacher, Mr. Lyle!

Hope they got some good candy for me to eat :)

World Series 2011

2011-10-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

We got to see the Rangers win a world series game last night!

The kids and I spent the night at my parents' house, so here they are eating breakfast this morning and telling me how old they are...notice Zachary does "guns up" to show TWO. Guess who taught him that!?

Happy Birthday

2011-10-25T15:08:00.000-05:00

Zachary and Bethany are 2 years old today! We got a picture with my dad before school. I think they've had a fun birthday.

Enjoying their birthday cookies!

What a circus!

2011-10-23T16:14:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Zachary and Bethany's birthday on Saturday at Papa and Gigi's house. It was a circus theme, and the weather was SO nice. The kids had fun playing outside with their friends!

Here's the cousins celebrating today at my parents' house.

It's Party Time

2011-10-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Today starts a busy week with birthday celebrations, Halloween, and of-course the Rangers (hopefully winning the World Series). The kids have a pumpkin decorating contest at preschool, which happens to be on their birthday. I let them put stickers on their pumpkins, and I stuck birthday hats on top. Zachary and Bethany don't look too thrilled, but I think they turned out pretty cute.

Picture Preview

2011-10-20T23:32:00.000-05:00

These are some of my favorites from Bethany and Zachary's two year photo shoot. A big thank you to Gigi (Aaron's mom) for setting it up!

Pumpkin Patch & Baseball

2011-10-16T15:51:00.000-05:00

When we took Bethany and Zachary to the pumpkin farm last year they couldn't walk yet, which made it a lot easier on me. This time they were sliding, riding tractors, picking out pumpkins, and their favorite part was the house made out of hay. It's hard to get pictures of them looking at the camera, but you can see they were having fun!

Aaron and I also got to see the Rangers win last night, so that means they're going to the World Series AGAIN!

State Fair

2011-10-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

We took Bethany and Zachary to their first Texas State Fair yesterday. I think they enjoyed it. We did the "farm" for the kids, and they also got to hear a story and song from Mother Goose. Zachary fell asleep as we were about to leave, so Bethany and I used the rest of our coupons to ride the carousel. She cried :)

F is for Firetruck

2011-10-11T21:13:00.000-05:00

The kids got to see a firetruck at school today.

Bethany was a little more into it than her brother.

Zachary sat there just long enough for a picture.

Here's some of the 2 year olds posing with the firemen.

Birthday Dog

2011-10-10T18:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our first baby's birthday. Rudy turned 5 years old, which means he's like 35, so he's actually older than us!? I found a picture of Rudy as a puppy...

He's not so little anymore!

When did my kids start looking so big?

2011-10-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we got to go to Jake's birthday party. Here's a picture of Zachary, Bethany, Katie, Drew, Jake, and Randal. There was another little boy at the party, but he was running away.

Cousins playing in the treehouse.

Coming down the hard way...the slide was a little fast for them!

Just a random picture of Zachary using the bowl for a hat.

Cowgirl Bethany!

Time to go on another ride. Yee-Haw :)

Book Character Parade

2011-09-29T15:24:00.002-05:00

We dressed up as Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, and Thing 2 for our book character day at school.

Randal dressed up as Buzz Lightyear!

Here's Bethany and Zachary with their class.

I snapped a picture of them playing together on the playground...I love my little Things!

Friends

2011-09-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

Bethany, Zachary, and Jake got to have a playdate this morning...

I think Jake won the race!

Eating popcorn and watching a movie.

Look how all the cars are lined up. It's so fun to watch them play together!

Go Cowboys

2011-09-26T16:00:00.000-05:00

We're ready for Monday night football!

Homecoming Game

2011-09-23T21:36:00.000-05:00

I got to see my grandad (Bob Hodges) in the Grapevine homecoming parade on Thursday as the 1941 Coming Home King. Then we went to the football game tonight, and he was introduced on the field. It was so fun!

This was before the game...too bad he didn't get to throw a football. He used to be the GHS quarterback!

I think he enjoyed it :)

The kids LOVED their first football game and were taking everything in.

Future Food Network Stars

2011-09-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

I got a video of Bethany and Zachary "cooking" this morning. They love to pretend they're stirring and eating, and Bethany always says she's cooking an onion. Saying onion can also mean she wants to watch a cooking show on tv. I guess I was watching the food network one day, and that's where it started.

Getting Pampered

2011-09-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

What a fun weekend! My best friend came into town with her family, and we got to have a girl's day. We got pedicures, shopped around the Southlake Town Center, and even got feathers in our hair. Hope you have a happy 30th birthday, Christi!

Pedicures!

We tried to get a picture of all of our kids. Not too bad :)

Park

2011-09-07T12:53:00.000-05:00

We met my friend Kim at a park by their house this morning. Bethany and Jake were having fun on the swings!

While Jake and Zachary were running around, Bethany was busy eating snacks :)

Zachary climbed right up the stairs...

And then he went down the slide (over and over).

We played in our backyard after lunch, and Bethany has been obsessed with "cooking" lately. She stirs her spoon in a bowl, and when you ask what she's cooking, she says ONIONS!

Back to School

2011-09-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

We survived our first day of preschool. Taking pictures at 7:30 in the morning is never a good time to get smiles. At least they're dressed!!

Labor Day

2011-09-05T20:14:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed spending the night in Granbury, and as you can see, they sure need some rain! The lake was as low as I've ever seen it. We got to walk around on the "beach" by their dock. And the weather was SO nice...I think we spent the majority of our time outside!

Aaron covering Katie's feet with mud.

Hunting for shells and sticks.

Playing on our own beach!

Bethany and Uncle Adam

We always have fun at Grandma and Papaw's house. I think they were ready for naps!

Bounce House

2011-09-01T14:41:00.000-05:00

While I'm on hold with the AT&T customer service people, I thought I'd update with some pictures. We've been going to the Grapevine Community Center on Thursdays for playtime, and the kids have loved jumping in their bounce house. See for yourself!

Cool Kiddos

2011-08-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

I'm amazed that it's almost September! Next week we'll be starting Preschool...just two days a week. I'm excited for the kids to have Ms. Hollee, and I'll be their Music & Movement teacher for 30 minutes every day. Plus, I'll get to spend more time with my nephew!

I was cleaning out Bethany and Zachary's closet today to make room for some bigger fall clothes. They found their sunglasses and had fun playing with them :)

Time for some exercise!

2011-08-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

I got a new dvd called "Let's Move!" We tried it out this evening, and the kids seemed to like it. Zachary loved jumping :)

Care Now

2011-08-23T13:52:00.001-05:00

What an afternoon! The kids were playing in the living room after lunch. I heard the drawers open to an end table we keep books in (there's also a lamp on top). Both drawers were full, and Bethany pulled them out...which made the table AND lamp fall on her. Anyway, she got a little cut on her forehead. The doctor at Care Now was able to fix it with some Dermabond glue instead of stitches. We'll go back in a couple of days to make sure it's healing well.

I tried to get an "after" picture, but she didn't want to look at the camera!

Dessert

2011-08-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

We had an after dinner treat tonight!

Bethany likes to hide behind the grill. Silly girl!

I think Zachary enjoyed his popsicle.

Slumber Party

2011-08-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

My niece spent the night last night, and we got pedicures before she starts kindergarten tomorrow. I can't believe my little Katie is starting elementary school. She's going to knock the socks off of those teachers!

I thought this picture was cute of Bethany and Katie...even though they're not looking at the camera. Poor Zachary wasn't feeling well, so he missed out on some of the fun.

Bye to Summer

2011-08-17T11:07:00.002-05:00

We're trying to enjoy the last few weeks of summer, and even though it's still HOT, we've been able to go outside for a little bit here and there. I can't believe Zachary and Bethany will be 22 months old next week, and then we'll be starting preschool in September! It's going to be an exciting year for sure :)

Circus

2011-08-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Today was fun because Daddy took the day off and we all went to the circus. My mom and dad also went with us. Here they are with all four of their grandkids!

Me and Aaron with the kids before the show started.

Although the two hour show got to be kind of long, the little ones did great! I think the animals were the highlight of the circus. Bethany LOVES elephants, but she wasn't too thrilled about being close to them. We got to see this elephant "paint" before we headed to our seats.

Pool

2011-08-08T21:15:00.000-05:00

Aaron took the kids swimming at his parents' house a couple of days ago, and they got these pictures of the kids underwater! Bethany and Zachary have been taking swimming lessons all summer, and now they're like little fish.

Play Date

2011-08-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

My friend Kim brought her boys over to play today. Here's Zachary, Bethany, and Jake taking a break!

110 Degrees

2011-08-04T14:04:00.001-05:00

I feel like Bethany and Zachary grew quite a bit while we were gone. She can open doors now, which has been interesting. They've also been picking on each other more...I guess it's the "soon to be 2" stage. Here's some pictures from when we were playing at my parents' house yesterday. You have to get creative when it's way too hot to play outside!!!

Central America

2011-08-01T21:36:00.002-05:00

Aaron and I went with 16 others from our church to Jinotega, Nicaragua last week. It was an amazing trip, and I'd love to go again someday! The first day we stayed at Mision Para Cristo with a few others from our group to put bags together for Casa Materna (where pregnant women live until their babies are born). Aaron and Bill played soccer with some kids in the garage area. FYI...the lady who works with Casa Materna is always in need of cloth diapers, baby socks, onesies, blankets, and especially fabric. They cut material into 6x6 squares and bundle 36 squares together. Then the mothers make their own blankets, so if you have any material (baby fabric would be great), I'll be collecting supplies to send before the end of the year.

The next day I got to help the doctor who came with us at a mobile medical clinic. Here's the line waiting to see him. I was in the building you see at the back, which was our "pharmacy" for the day. I handed out a lot of vitamins and tylenol, and most of the patients were kids.

Aaron stopped by after they finished building a house.

On Wednesday and Thursday I got to go to two different schools. Aaron and I both went with the mobile library. What a fun day! This school had 22 students that day. We sang songs, and Aaron read the story of David and Goliath...in Spanish!

We also brought face paint, which was a hit!

The brave little boy who was the first to let me paint a cat face :)

Reading Dora (they read more to me than I read to them). The mobile library is also going to start letting the kids "check out" a book to take home, so they'll be needing a lot more children's books. I'll be collectiong them to send next summer, so if you're at Half Price Books, don't forget to look in the Spanish section!

Nicaragua has the best coffee!

There were 10 of us from our group who decided to HIKE a mountain on Friday morning. I'm getting too old for this kind of thing!

That afternoon we spent an hour or two with probably 100 children. We had our own little field day with races. We were team rojo!

We randomly saw a baby with a Kimley-Horn shirt on, where Aaron works.

The Grapevine Church of Christ group.

We got to be tourists on Saturday and started off by seeing a volcano.

Then we went ziplining. Aaron had already been twice, but I'm glad I did it!

It was a lot of fun :)

Flying home!

Gymnastics

2011-07-23T15:18:00.001-05:00

The kids have been doing their exercises at home! Zachary LOVES getting on the couch, and his latest trick is "flipping" over. He can almost do a forward roll on the floor, but doing it on the couch is easier.

Then Bethany saw him in action and had to join in on the fun!

Vacation Bible School

2011-07-19T20:22:00.000-05:00

We've had a lot of fun at VBS. I'm pretty tired, so I'll just leave you with some pictures!

Keepin' Busy

2011-07-18T13:26:00.003-05:00

This month is already flying by! With VBS going on at church and us getting ready for our mission trip to Nicaragua, I haven't had time to take many pictures. I'll try to get some of the kids at Vacation Bible School. This was Bethany after swimming the other night. She fell asleep in the car and never woke up!

Bethany and Zachary were looking Hawaiian on Sunday.

Water Toddlers

2011-07-16T20:14:00.000-05:00

We went swimming this afternoon to cool off!

Me and my two little fish.

Big Day

2011-07-15T14:48:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture I took last weekend of the kids enjoying their popsicles.

Grandpa and Zachary were chillin' together.

And finally, Bethany's first haircut! We didn't cut much at all.

She got a certificate and sucker afterward. Thank you Grandma for helping!

Running off some energy...

2011-07-11T12:42:00.000-05:00

The kids love to watch Aaron mow. Then we played in the backyard after he finished. I think the popsicle gave Zachary a brain freeze!

Here's another video I took today of Bethany spinning her brother around and around. That's what sisters are for!

Time for pics of the kids :)

2011-07-07T16:20:00.000-05:00

Since it's SO hot outside, we've been having to play inside most days. I found Zachary in his toy chest the other day. What a cutie!!!

Maybe Bethany will get Daddy's good cooking skills.

Jet Boat

2011-07-04T22:28:00.022-05:00

Our official picture (before leaving).

Here's the CRAZY video...we're on the third row!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T21:54:00.002-05:00

We spent this past weekend with Tony, Sharon, and Anthony in Niagara Falls. On our way from Toronto, we stopped at a winery where they made their own honey. It was good!

Here's our first time to see the falls.

One of the first things we did was take the Maid of the Mist tour.

This is the American waterfall.

The guys got wet on the hurricane deck!

The next day we took a jet boat that went over class 5 rapids...we got completely soaked!

The classic tourist picture.

The Horseshoe Falls at night.

You can see the Bridal Veil Falls on the right (it's the smallest of the 3 waterfalls).

Ready for some fireworks.

Niagara Falls

2011-06-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

Stay tuned...more pictures to come!

Grandma & Grandpa's House

2011-06-28T21:36:00.000-05:00

I got to "babysit" my brother's kids today. The cousins play together very well, and I think Brady (my parents' dog) enjoyed the company.

Let the races begin!

Girls win!

Dress Up

2011-06-27T08:40:00.001-05:00

We had a busy weekend starting with the Ranger game on Friday night. Aaron and I also got to do some shopping on Saturday since the kids spent the night at his parents' house. Here's some pictures of the kids in their new Old Navy shirts.

I have a feeling Rudy will get to play "dress up" a lot!!!

He didn't like the hat :)

Another Find

2011-06-25T20:57:00.001-05:00

Here's my latest deal from Kid to Kid in Keller. I also bought some play food from Target. It gets so hot in the afternoons, so I wanted to find something else for the kids to enjoy inside. Bethany and Zachary are 20 months old today, so I guess this is an early birthday present! We also celebrated Aaron's birthday this weekend...he caught up to me again. Hello 30!

Bethany and Daddy practiced her swimming in the pool today!

At least Zachary's NOT crying :)

Aaron blowing out ALL 30 birthday candles!

Field Trip

2011-06-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

The kids and I went to Cabela's this morning. We saw "animals" and lots of fish. Don't they look SO excited? This is the second time we've used our new stroller, and I give it a thumbs up!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-20T07:53:00.002-05:00

Here's some of my favorite pictures from yesterday. Aaron is such a good daddy to Bethany and Zachary! I love the picture of Aaron reading with Zachary (he usually doesn't sit still long enough to get through one page). And happy father's day to my dad too! Hope you all had a great day :)

Airplanes

2011-06-17T09:11:00.002-05:00

Bethany and Zachary have started noticing airplanes in the sky. They always point them out, and sometimes they hear them before I even see them. Bethany's also fascinated with trains and starts saying "choo, choo" when we get close to the railroad tracks. I used to not want to get stopped by the train, but now it's fun because she gets so excited!

Baby, it's HOT outside!

2011-06-15T13:05:00.002-05:00

There's not a lot going on...just trying to stay out of the heat! We met a friend at the mall to let the kids play and then ate at the food court. Now Bethany and Zachary are napping, and I hope they're asleep ALL afternoon!

Sunday Funday

2011-06-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

More pictures of the 5 and 3 year olds. We've had fun celebrating, but we're just getting started. Next weekend we'll have Father's Day, and then Aaron turns 30 on June 24th. It's a busy month!!

My Kids

2011-06-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

Party Time :)

2011-06-09T17:24:00.000-05:00

My nephew turns 3 tomorrow. We'll be celebrating some more this Sunday...here's when I first held him!

Randal blowing out his "3" candle.

New toys!

First Day

2011-06-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

We survived our first day of mother's day out, which is really a trial run for preschool :) I think Bethany did a lot better than Zachary! Here's my attempt at a picture with their backpacks (at 7:30 in the morning).

When it rains, it pours!

2011-06-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hopefully the end of our week will be better than the beginning. It started with Zachary getting bit in our yard by fire ants. You can kind of see the bites on his feet in the last picture. We gave them their first popsicles after the incident. Katie and Randal came over as well (and Katie got to spend the night on her birthday). We met my friend Christa at an indoor play area yesterday, but before we left, I noticed our house was not cooling down. It was getting hotter and by the time we got home for lunch, it was up to 85 degrees! Aaron called the air conditioning guy, and thankfully he was able to replace the broken part for about 200 dollars...better than paying for a new air conditioner. So, we spent the rest of our day at my in-laws' house. We swam, played, took baths, and by the time we got home it was close to 80 degrees again.

Katie looking down from the top.

Zach mastered the slide!

Oh, I forgot to mention that while we were dealing with the fire ants, Rudy got up on the table and ate all 6 rib bones from Aaron's dinner. I've been watching him, and he hasn't gotten sick yet. Dumb dog!

Celebrations

2011-06-05T21:04:00.001-05:00

This is birthday week for my niece and nephew! Katie turns 5 tomorrow...I'll never forget when we first met.

We got a Toy Story cake for Katie and Randal.

She's such a good big sister!

Ariel is her favorite princess.

Swimming Lessons

2011-06-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

First, I have to tell a story about my fearless daughter today. We went with a friend to Chick-fil-A, which has a big indoor play area. My kids have never crawled up to the top, but they did today. I could hear Bethany's happy voice and see her every now and then, but when it was time to go, I had to get an older girl to find her and slide down with her. Thank goodness I didn't have to climb in there to bring her down!

I took pictures after our swimming lessons tonight to show we actually went. It was our second time, and it went much better...at least for Bethany. Going under water is their least favorite part. We let Zachary keep his pacifier in most of the time. I was feeling bad for all the other people having to listen to him cry! Hopefully Zachary can get over his water fears before the end of the summer.

Craigslist Toys

2011-06-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

Pillow Fight

2011-05-31T11:43:00.001-05:00

Aaron, Zachary, and Rudy being boys :)

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T11:38:00.000-05:00

We went to a friend's party on Saturday, and Bethany was fascinated with this balloon. We'll definitely have to get balloons for their second birthday!

We took the kids out on the boat...even though it was WINDY. This is on Lake Granbury, where my dad's parents live. Bethany got to "drive" the boat while Grandma held Zachary. He didn't move the whole time!

Relaxing outside.

Great grandparents (this is the best picture I could get).

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-27T09:28:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Katie graduated from pre-k last night! I still remember my niece as a 2 year old in Ms. Stormey's class. She's going to do GREAT in Kindergarten!

I picked out a special book for her.

Grandma gave her flowers.

My brother's family with the graduate!

Winners

2011-05-25T09:53:00.001-05:00

I've been watching Dancing with the Stars since I first started my blog, so I have to report that Hines and Kym won last night. I almost didn't get to see it with all the storms that came through. We only ended up getting rain, but Aaron took a video on his phone of the swirling clouds. Yes, all of us got in Bethany's closet for a while...even Rudy. The twins are also 19 months old today! We start swimming lessons again on Friday, which will hopefully be fun. Can you believe it's almost June?

Ready for Summer

2011-05-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Grandma Hodges! Today is her 88th birthday. It's hard to believe this picture was taken two years ago, the summer before she went into the nursing home. She never really got to know Bethany and Zachary, but she would have loved them so much!

Sunday afternoon we let the kids play in my parents' backyard. Here comes summer!

Sharing with her Brother

2011-05-23T10:27:00.004-05:00

I always take videos and then forget to post them. Here's one I got on Saturday. Don't pay attention to Aaron talking; just notice how Bethany shares her snack with Zachary. She's so sweet!

I've got a couple more random pictures. I love this picture of my boys watching the Ranger game, and then here's my cowgirl on her horse!

Deviled Eggs

2011-05-23T09:19:00.003-05:00

Hard-cooked eggs

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1/4 tsp. salt

Speck of pepper

1/4 tsp. mustard

1 tsp. minced onion

Paprika

Cut shelled eggs into lengthwise halves. Carefully remove yolks to small bowl; set whites aside. Mash yolks until very fine and crumbly; blend in rest of ingredients. Generously refill hollows in whites with yolk mixture, slightly rounding each. Garnish by sprinkling with paprika.

Aaron made these last night for our fellowship dinner at church. Here's a tip for boiling eggs: place them in single layer in saucepan. Add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the eggs. Cover; bring quickly to boil over high heat. Watch carefully; as soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off heat and remove pan from burner. Replace cover and let eggs stand, covered for 15 minutes. Immediately pour off hot water and run cold water over eggs or place them in ice water until completely cooled. To remove shell, crack it by gently tapping it all over on a hard surface, roll egg between hands to loosen shell, and start peeling at large end. Hold under cold running water to help ease off shell. Although they have a stinky smell, I LOVE deviled eggs!

"The Land"

2011-05-21T20:25:00.002-05:00

We had another fun-filled day at John and Jacki Dennis' land in Hunt County. It was quite different this time because of the MUD! Zachary loved to step in the puddles and go for rides on the 4 wheeler. Bethany was a little concerned about getting dirty. We took her in the go-cart, and she held on pretty tight while Daddy was driving. The kids also played upstairs in their loft. Here's Bethany happily swinging :)

Jacob Dennis (their cute grandson)!

Zachary before going on the trail...

And after!

Playing in the loft.

Hanging out with Jacki. What fun!

Sleepy Heads

2011-05-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

Smoked Sausage

2011-05-16T12:30:00.003-05:00

Smoked Sausage:

1 lb. Eckrich Smoked Sausage

1 cup Hickory-Flavored Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup Honey

2 tbs. Brown Sugar

Cut sausage in 1/2 inch pieces. Brown in skillet. Place in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over sausage and cover. Cook on Low for 2 hours and serve over rice. Or, I always liked this meal with Mac & Cheese as a kid! Any other yummy crock pot recipes?

Twin Love

2011-05-15T21:22:00.000-05:00

Here's some pictures from today. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

He was loving the hammock!

She likes "playing" baseball.

Great day for Baseball

2011-05-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

Even though the Rangers lost today, we couldn't have asked for better weather. Chris and Mindy Geddie went with us, and we even got to go to dinner afterward! I can't remember the last time we did that :)

Oh, don't you think Ian Kinsler and Zachary resemble each other? Maybe we have a future baseball star!