Chris, Kera and the Girls

Trick or Treat!!

2009-11-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

This year was busy but fun!! We had two birthday parties to go to and then got home just in time to Trick or Treat. The parties were alot of fun and the girls made it through the day like troopers, no nap and all. I am sure all the sugar from the cakes helped : )

The girls had a blast trick or treating this year! They weren't skiddish at all going up to all the houses and chanted "Trick or Treat" all the way from the sidewalk up to each house each time. It was super cute!!!

3.20.09 ~ Trip to the Beach

2009-07-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's kinda nice to head to the beach when it's still a bit chilly out. It is totally different than being there in the summertime! There is hardly anyone there, no long lines for anything and really peaceful. The girls still got to play in the sand, long sleeves and pants of course, and we hit up Chris' favorite Pizza spot too! All in all a really nice weekend!

Girls 3rd Birthday Bash!!

2009-02-05T17:22:00.001-08:00

We had Callie & Sienna's birthday party today and they had a blast!! It was a catered event with all the extras, i.e. pizza and cake : ) The girls have been looking forward to this for about two weeks now, and the day has finally arrived! They were asking all day if it was time for their party yet. Finally after their nap I told them that we were going to get ready for their party now and they started singing, "It's party time, It's party time". It was really funny. The Abby Cadabby pinata was pretty good, although Sienna went second and picked the right string so it didn't last very long, but I think everyone liked the prizes inside. Then it was off to play and I think that was their favorite time! The ball pit seemed the most popular! Thanks to everyone that made it out to celebrate with us!! It was a great night!!

January 27th ~ More Snow!!

2009-02-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

January 27, 2009 ~

Can I just say how much I am LOVING this snow!!! I really miss the days when we were younger that we would get lots of snow every couple of years. We would miss a bunch of days of school and have a blast outside sledding and building snow igloos until our fingers were about to fall off or it was too dark out to see. Ahhhh, those were the good old days. Now it seems that we hardly get any kind of snow that ever amounts to anything, oh well I am going to enjoy all the little bits we are getting now and keep hoping for that BIG one again :) Here are a couple of more snow pics of the girls. Now we have promoted them from trash can bringer-inner to driveway shoveler ...

January 19th ~ Snow!!!!!!

2009-01-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

January 19, 2009 ~

Yeah!! We got our first measurable snow of the year today and I was so excited!! The girls were excited too, so I bundled them up and we headed out for a little bit to play in the snow.

The girls are such great helpers now, I am sure that won't last too long :) so we are enjoying it while it's here. They actually fight over who can help empty the dishwasher, do the laundry with Mommy and bring in the trash can. Who could have guessed those chores were so exciting :) Here is Callie helping out ...

My Kids Crack Me Up

2008-12-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

I am really enjoying this time in my girls lives. They talk really well and make pretty complete sentences, their personalities are really blossoming and they say and do the funniest things. Callie was on the potty the other day doing it by herself and Sienna being the always helpful sister was running back and forth from the bathroom to the bedroom where I was putting their laundry away giving me the play by play. Callie announced to me the other day that she thought it was fun to be "maked", that's how they say naked. It's so cute and makes you laugh, but we'll have to stop that or it could be a problem down the road : )

The girls love their baby dolls! They are really taken with our friends the Busler's and love to pretend that their babies are "Baby Joshua". It is really cute except for a few minor problems. "Baby" Joshua is now 17 months old and I am sure that when he is 5 he will not appreciate being "Baby" Joshua, also all of our baby dolls are girls and have pink on, oh well they have great imaginations!

Callie is a hilarious dancer! She really shakes it (she definately gets that from her dad) I don't know if that is a good thing or if we should be worried. I will have to post a video soon, it's just great! Sienna on the other hand takes after her mother and has NO rythm whatsoever.

It's not all great I guess, there are the "No"'s and "I don't want to"'s to deal with. About a week or so ago Sienna told me to calm down when I was upset with her. I wanted to be more upset, but it did kinda catch me as funny.

So anyway here are some pictures from the last month or so since I've posted : )

Enjoying the last of the warm weather . . .

2008-10-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

We have had some unusually warm weather the last two weeks or so, so the girls and I went out the other day and enjoyed some of the sun! They had a really good time running in the grass and reading their books outside. I am really going to miss summer!! It's cold now and all I can think about is the cold days spent inside all day driving mommy crazy : ) We'll have to plan some outings to the library or playdates with friends to keep mommy sane, but until then I am glad I took some pictures to remember the warm weather until it comes back.

Sleeping Positions

2008-09-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Before we head to bed each night we tiptoe into the girls room to make sure they are still all covered up and safe in their beds. Over the past two years we have caught them in some pretty funny positions and just had to take a picture before we tucked them back in again : ) Here are some of the best!!

~ May '06 ~

We decided that Sienna didn't fall asleep, but rather passed out.

~ June '06 ~

Awwww ... I hope they always remain this close!

~ July '06 ~

Too much play!!

~ July '06 ~

All play and no rest makes Callie and Sienna tired babies.

~ July '06 ~

Two little tushes stuck up in the air. They used to sleep like this all the time : )

~ August '06 ~

Asleep, but making sure no one gets her bottle!!

~ September '06 ~

What??? How can that be comfortable in any way??

~ October '06 ~

My Birthday was just too much for her. She fell asleep mid bite!

~ July '08 ~

She really loves this book!! The lights were out and she must have gotten it

and was "reading" it in the dark : )

~ July '08 ~

Always a lady!

~ September '08 ~

This is the most recent from just the other night.

How in the world do you fall asleep with you legs hanging off the bed : )

We are going to see fish!!

2008-09-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Mike called yesterday afternoon because Hurricane Hanna had cancelled their plans for the evening and had read that the Baltimore Aquarium had just started their discounted admission after 5PM on Fridays. Since the hurricane had also put our plans on hold for a few days we were free and it sounded like a good night to me. My girls haven't been to the aquarium yet and I haven't been in about 10 years so I was excited to see it again. They were excited as well and kept saying "We are going to see fish!!" So we all packed into their car and headed downtown!

We were going to try to catch the dolphin show and the last one was at 6:30. We arrived at the ticket counter at about 6:15 and got in line for tickets. Just then a lady came up behind me and said that she had 4 extra tickets and wanted to know if we wanted them. I told her firmly that I would much rather purchase my tickets myself than take free ones offered to me, NOT! Wow, what a blessing!! They did not include the dolphin show but they told us that if we were in time we could purchase tickets for that on the second floor. So we had Mike jog up there ahead of us to make sure we could get them : ) Poor Mike! He was successful though and we were in! The girls really like the dolphin show!!

After the show we walked through the the first three floors of the aquarium and then we headed down for the 4-D Immersion Theater Show. I wasn't totally sure what 4-D was, but when we walked in the door they were showing a preview for The Polar Express that is coming soon and it was snowing in the theater! Whoa, now my interest was really peaked! It was really cool with water splashing in your face when the fish jumped in the water (the kids didn't like that part : ), bubbles when the scene was underwater, ticklers on your legs when the snakes were on the screen. So neat, I would definitely do it again!

We finished the last floor and the rain forest and then headed home. I think it was a good time had by all! And thanks to the kindness of strangers a really affordable night out!

Camping in Gettysburg

2008-09-06T15:09:00.001-07:00

Yeah!! This is the first camping trip that we have been on since the girls were born. It took alot of convincing to get Chris in the mood and I don't think he was ever totally convinced that this was going to be fun before we left, but we pack up all the camping gear and hit the road. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the girls did! There was about a zillion trips to the bath house to use the potty since they are now potty trained!!!! But I'll do it any day to not have to worry with diapers and pull-ups anymore!!

The first night we set everything up, cooked dinner and relaxed by the fire.

Chris brought the wood up in his car. He thought Kevin would be proud : )

Then next morning we had a good breakfast, got our showers and played cards while the kids got a nap in before heading to the pool for a dip.

The we headed into town and went to a malt shop and got a sundae. Now we didn't get just any sundae, this was the mega sundae. It was called "Dressed to Kill" and was 9 scoops of ice cream, 6 toppings, whipped cream and cherries!! It was humongous! We all forgot our cameras so we'll just have to go back and get another one to get a picture of it : )

We had another nice evening by the campfire and hit the hay for the night.

We let the kids play at the playground for a while before we left for home and they had a blast.

July & August Fun!!!

2008-08-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, here it is again I've been slacking off and haven't posted anything for waaaay too long. Well, here are some highlights from July & August:

July 4th weekend we went to the beach with friends and had a blast! Our camera battery died and I couldn't find the charger so you'll have to check out our friends blogs for some pics of that one : ) Kevin & Lauren and Mike and Melissa took some good ones of our trip. It was a great weekend to get away and the weather was pretty nice to us as well. We took the kids to a water park in Rehobeth Beach on the 4th. They were all very well behaved and I think they had a pretty good time too. The adults got some fun in as well on the water slides and the lazy river!! It rained that night so we just stayed in and skipped the fireworks, but were glad to get the kids to bed and have some adult time. The next day we headed to the beach and the kids really had a ball! We built a sandcastle (that lasted just long enough for a picture before the kids had their way with it) and then Mike decided to dig a hole looking for water : ) It then somehow turned into a sand slide with all the kids waiting in line for a turn, lol. It was great fun!! We hit the Ocean City Boardwalk before coming home and had some good funnel cake. What a great trip!!

I hosted a murder mystery dinner for my church in August with the theme "Murder Among the Mateys". It was, you guessed it, a pirate murder mystery. It was a lot of fun and I think everyone had a great time!!

We had a mutiny ...

Poor Captain Redbeard was killed and his powder monkey Cutthroat McPherson has taken control of his ship The Jaded Jewel.

a murder (of course) ...

And the murderer is ... (drumroll please)

Sealegs Sam!!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2008-07-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Just a funny little blip : )

A few days ago we were in the car heading up to visit my Dad and it started raining. It was pouring buckets and when it hit the roof of the car it sounded like it was hitting a tin roof in a building so it was tremendously loud. The girls don't particularly like the rain to begin with so they really were not impressed with this. Callie started getting a little upset after a few minutes of the pounding rain and then said "Mommy, turn the rain off."

WOW, my daughter actually thinks I have the power to change the weather at my whim. First I thought slyly that this could be used to my advantage, hehe, but I am sure in no time she would find out the truth. Oh well : ) So I decided to tell her the truth and let her know that only God could turn off the rain, but I was sure that it wouldn't last too long.

It's amazing how our children go from thinking we are superman (or superwoman) when they are little to thinking we are dumb as bricks when they turn into teenagers. So I guess we should just enjoy this time and use it wisely because before we know it we will be the bricks.

Summer is here!!!!

2008-06-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well ok, so it's been here for a few weeks, but I'm a little behind : ) We have squeezed in some time to have some fun in the midst of our busy schedules. We went to Hershey Park on the 21st with a group from church and some friends. I haven't been in quite a few years and had a blast! We did the roller coasters, water rides and even saw a show. The girls stayed at home with my mom, I didn't think they would be able to ride much and would just get tired and cranky so she graciously watched them all day while we were gone. And with all the cranky kids I saw there in the afternoon I think we made the best decision.

This past weekend we had went to the Busler's 3rd Annual Crab Feast : ) And chowed down on some good crabs!! That was our first crabs of the season and they were yummy!! It was a good time as always and nice and relaxing without the kids! We love them, but it's nice to get out and have some adult time once and a while.

We are planning to head to the beach with some friends and have a whole house full of munchkins this weekend for the 4th of July. Wish us luck : )

The girls have recently found a new love for fruit snacks!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-06-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

We have a busy June planned so we decided to hit the beach our only free weekend in June and let the girls have some fun! They had a blast! They don't like the ocean AT ALL, but the nor'easter created a great tidal pool that goes almost the whole length of the beach. That was perfect for all the kids, big and small. The water was warmer and pretty shallow so they could have their run of it and the parents could relax some : ) Here are some pics from the beach.

There was beautiful sunset that we saw as we were taking a walk one evening. A great way to top off the weekend!

Beach Fun!!!

2008-05-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Well, gas prices didn't stop us from heading to the beach this Memorial Day Weekend. They are getting up there, but we are just cutting back in other areas like eating out and such. So we headed down for a beautiful weekend. The weather was great! We spent the first day just hanging out and relaxing at the house, then the next few days on the beach during the days and hit up the O.C. Boardwalk at night. We walked through Trimpers and Jolly Rogers with all the rides. The girls are just a tad too short to ride most so next year should be fun for that.

So here's the part where I get to plaster pictures of my girls up and not feel guilty about it : ) Enjoy!

New Pic's of the Girls

2008-05-23T13:03:00.001-07:00

Books vs. Movies

2008-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't read a book in a while. With kids, work, husband and other responsibilities I haven't taken the time to actually sit down and read in quite some years. My friend Lauren recommended a book that she was reading so I decided it was time to do it. I headed over to the library and got P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. I loved the book! I totally recommend it to anyone unless ... you want to see the movie.

I have been told that the movies aren't nearly as good as the books they are made from, so I knew it wouldn't be perfect, but I wasn't ready for what I saw. It was incredibly awful!! Now I am sure the movie could be fine on it's own so I'll have to get an unbiased opinion (someone who hasn't read the book) to see if it was good and I just was expecting something totally different or not. But, they changed EVERYTHING!! During the whole movie I just kept saying "that's not the way it should be", and after it was over I just had to shake my head.

So I guess from now on when I read a book I will just have to skip the movie : )

Love that Spring Weather!!

2008-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

What a great Saturday we just had!! The weather was a tad chilly still, but I am so glad because it shows that warmer weather is on the way!!

We started the day early going to some yard sales with my friend Lauren. It reminded me of how much I missed them from last year. I can't wait to go again!! I didn't really buy anything, so my husband thought the day was a success : )

Then later in the day we went up to visit my dad and had a picnic outside with him. It was a Burger King picnic, but that is what time allowed : ) They have a nice big grassy place and the girls were having fun playing with some balls and blowing the dandelions.

Cancun, MX !!

2008-04-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

Wow, how that week went by waaaayyy too quickly : )

We had a blast! We did some tours and activities and then we did nothing, which was great too! We went down with friends of ours, Becky and Tom, who also have twins that are 3. No kids, no work, no stress, it was great : )

So here we are on the airplane getting ready to leave BWI. It earlier than any human should be awake, but we were excited to get going.

So after an uneventful flight ( Thank you Lord!) We were there in sunny Mexico!

We went to Chichen-Itza, went shopping, rode ATV's, snorkeled, then while Becky, Tom and I went scuba diving Chris rode the ATV's again : ) Other than that we relaxed by the pool and contemplated our most difficult decision of the day ~ What should we have for dinner? After dinner they had lots of cool shows outside of the hotel lobbies that we went to. Michael Jackson was definitely the most popular night : ) I never imagined a Mexican Michael Jackson could be so good! They also had Karoke, and a Fire Show that were really good. There was also a different drink of the day was really neat so we could try new drinks that we had never heard of before. Here are some fun pics from the week : )

Vacation

2008-04-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we are two days away from a week of nothing to do!! Chris and I are so excited to be heading down to Mexico for the week! This will be the longest we have ever been away from the girls and I think I am starting to get a little anxious. Not because I am worried that anything will happen to them since they are staying in the very capable hands of my in-laws and parents, just because we haven't been away from them for that long and it seems weird to not be taking them with us. I am sure I will adjust just fine when the time comes : ) Chris on the other hand is ready to drop them off somewhere now : P

We will have lots of pictures to post when we get back and will be thinking of all of you while we are gone wishing you were there : )

What a Gorgeous Day!!!

2008-04-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, it was supposed to be a rainy mess today, but it has turned out to be a beautiful day!! After some early morning deals were had at the Mother of Multiples ReSale, we headed outside to get some of that greatly missed sunshine! It was so much fun playing with the girls outside and watching them run with their ride-on cars all over the driveway and up the sidewalk. I am really looking forward to warm weather!

Then the fun turned into "Hey why don't we mulch today?" (hubby)
"Sure???" (wife) was the answer and off we went to find the perfect mulch. Who knew there were so many different kinds and so many different prices also! After a lengthy discussion about which was the perfect one that also fit into the price range we were wanting to spend we finally headed out of the door 20 bags of mulch richer : )

Then the real fun began : ) 20 bags of mulch later I am sitting here wishing I were soaking in the tub with a really sore back, but the deed is done!! I am quite proud of our accomplishment and surprised that we really did use all 20 bags.

So here's to a wonderful spring day!!!! Come back soon : ) !!!

Visiting Poppy!!

2008-04-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, as some of you might know, my Dad is in the VA Hospital at Perry Point right now. He has some bad infections in his legs and needs IV Antibiotics and his dressings changed 3 times a day so they are keeping him there until he heals. He has been there for about month and a half now and we try to visit him twice a week to play some games and talk. Here are some pictures from our most recent visit on Sunday.

My Dad loves seeing the girls and the nurses spoil them something feirce with cookies or jello and juice everytime we come : )

Please pray for my Mom right now as she is playing the role of "single parent" right now to my brother and younger sister that are still living at home. She is starting to run ragged having to take everyone where they have to go before and after she goes to work and still fit in all those mundane everyday details like cleaning and laundry.

Willow Valley Fun!!

2008-03-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month we went to Willow Valley in PA to visit with Chris' parents and let the girls get some pool fun in : )

Blogging

2008-03-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!! Well here goes our first attempt at a blog.

Hold on, it could be a bumpy ride : )

Here is Grammy and Poppop with Callie and Sienna at the Easter Egg Hunt at Church.