Twin Tuesday

The flash on my camera broke last week, so I've not been able to get many good pictures. I feel like I've lost an arm! I'm guessing there are a handful of people out there that roll their eyes at the amount of photos I take & post, but not my problem! I saw this on Pinterest and it made me laugh!

Some fun things in the last couple of weeks inlcude:

- Reese saying bye-bye, Papaw, da-da, and Momma very clearly!
- Hayden saying Papaw and Mamaw clearly along with giving the best kisses ever!
- They both love to blow kisses all the time, and Hayden will lean in and give kiss after kiss especially  
   at bedtime!
-They love to hide, either around corners or under blankets, and then spring out and yell "Boo!"
- They are still obsessed with dogs!
- They are so very interested in babies as they are all around us. We bought Reese her first baby doll,
   and she loves to give it kisses.
- They still lose their minds when they realize I am leaving them, whether it be at home or at church. I
   am working on cheap ways to leave once or twice a week for short periods to get them accustomed to
   it. Beside my kids being healthy, the only other thing I hoped for before I had kids was for them to not
   be uber clingy or to freak out when they weren't with me. At least they are healthy, right??
   Considering a mother's day out program once or twice a week. We'll see.
- Even though Hayden can walk, he still chooses not to. It's bizarre. Sweet Reesie girl wants to walk so
  badly, but her gimpy leg doesn't really allow it. She will stand up, take two steps, fall hard on her
  butt, and then repeat the process literally fifteen times in a row. Her left ankle just turns in constantly
  and she has weak legs. The physical therapist cancelled her appointment that was supposed to be last
  week, so that is frustrating. She said she was unable to reschedule at this time. Boo!
- We are going on week four of no bottles at all! We had been down to about 1 or 2 a week for about
  two months, but it looks as though we are totally done! Anyone need any Avent bottles?
- Hayden's new thing at meals is to suck the food and then spit out the soggy food. For example, if I give
  him a bite of pizza, he sucks the cheese and sauce off, chews & sogs up the crust, and then plops it out.
  It's a big no-no, and we are teaching him that it is not ok. Now when he does it the first time, he's done
  with that food item. It's a little bit funny though! Reese's new thing is to lick everything before she eats
  it.
- Hayden loves to dance! We watch one episode of Fresh Beat Band a day, and he likes to hold my
  hand and dance around to the songs. It's the best!
- I'm sure I have a million other things that I think are fantastic, but that's enough for one blog! :)

What is your favorite memory of you child/children? Did you keep a baby book for them?

Manic Monday

man·ic adjective pertaining to or affected by mania

mania noun excessive excitement or enthusiasm

Much like robshep.com’s Mind Dumps, Manic Monday is just a snapshot of the random excitement that is inside my head.

• We had our friends Jeff & Lauren over for dinner last Tuesday night. I taught with Lauren for several years at Dare, and we go to the same church, too. I saw a pin floating around Pinterest over and over last week, so I pinned it and gave it a try. I think trying a new recipe for guests is a risky, risky game!
• You lay four chicken breasts in a 9x13 pan, drain two cans of green beans and put them down one side of the pan, and cut up new potatoes and put them down the other side. Take a pack of Italian seasonings dry Italian dressing and sprinkle it all over (I focused on the chicken & potatoes). Melt one stick of butter and drizzle all over. Cover with foil and back just over one hour. Here are the before and after pictures.

It was really good and super easy! It will definitely enter our monthly dinner rotation!

• One of our favorite Pinterest finds is the recipe for Red Lobster's cheddar biscuits, so I made those to go along with dinner. I added a big salad and ta-da! For dessert I made a crushed pineapple/pretzel pie thing. Bake crushed pretzels & some butter for about 10 minutes, add a layer of cream cheese mixed with cool whip & sugar, and then drain two cans of crushed pineapple and pour over the top. It's a nice sweet/salty summer dessert.

Pre-cooked biscuits. After they bake, you brush on butter mixed with garlic powder and parsley- yum!

• I love the original CSI. Spike plays reruns all day most weekdays, and that is my go to channel while I get things done as the kids nap. I can't get enough of it! That's my random fact of the day for you.
• What are your thoughts on preschool? We plan for the twins to go a couple days a week when they are three and then whatever is normal for four year olds. We have heard such amazing things about several preschools in the area (specifically Yorkminster and Bethel Baptist). For us it was never a discussion about whether or not they would go; I think it's really valuable, especially after teaching Kindergarten. Totally respect the choice to not go though. What do you think?
• Due to vacation, I haven't met with my trainer face to face in over two weeks. I am scared about tomorrow morning. If you don't hear from me after tomorrow, I will be passed out on our living room floor from exhaustion. Even though she gave me work-outs to do while we were apart, it's not the same as being with her. Sigh.
• The Bachelorette ended last week. I shamelessly watch it, and I am fully aware of all the reasons I shouldn't. She picked Jef! Yes, it only has one f. I am happy with her choice and thought she did it with class. She knew before the last date with Arie that she wasn't going to pick him, so she met with him to tell him to save him the embarrassment of proposing to her. There's not much worse in previous seasons to watch the guy pour his heart out, propose, and then get told he's not it.
• I have been packing my days full and love it! It's crazy how busy life gets. Last Monday, Nicole and I spent the day together with the kids at our house, and then I went to dinner with friends to celebrate our friend Angela's birthday. On Tuesday I did our big grocery trip and we had company over for dinner. 
• On Wednesday Courtney watched the kids for me in the morning, so I could meet with Amber. Amber is Rob's fake staffer who is in charge of our kid ministry. We meet almost weekly to write curriculum for the kids and I love it! We are pretty much finished through September. I ran a couple of errands and headed home.
• I've recently become obsessed with Downton Abbey, and Courtney and I finished season 2 on Wednesday! I love it! It makes me want to talk like I'm from England in the 1920s. I'm not very good at it, but it makes me want to use words like fancy and grandmama.
• On Wednesday night, Mim (Rob's mom) cooked dinner for the Virginia Shepherds- all 10 of us. I did the salad & Nicole did two yummy desserts. Mim made a chicken spaghetti casserole that was tasty!
• I started the day Thursday with a dermatologist appointment at 7:15- crazy early! It was the first time I had to set my alarm since school got out; I'm used to waking up to the twins talking to each other in their room. At 10, the kids and I met Alicia and her two boys at a consignment sale in Hampton. We love a good sale! We came back to my house for lunch and some hang out time. 

I recently bought this train off of a Facebook yard sale group, and the kids love it! Abram was giving Hayden rides around the house. It was really cute!

• I spent the day at the beach Friday and it was simply marvelous. Shout out to Rob for hanging with the spoofers all day so I could hit the beach!

This was my view all day. Taste Unlimited is one of my all-time favorite places to eat!

• Saturday was super spectacular! I mentioned on an earlier blog that my dear friend Shima was engaged, and we celebrated her engagement in Virginia beach on Saturday! Her parents sure can throw a party! My camera is broken, so I had to use Rob's phone, but here are some photo favorites:

Shima & Eddie dancing for us!

High school girlfriends! Britt, Megan, Shima, Hunter, and me!

Love these two & so happy for them!

• Today is another crazy day followed by a crazy week. I wouldn't change a thing!

What do you have going on this week? Do you like to stay busy?

Wife Wednesday

We are on vacation. Kind of vacation, but vacation for us. We're staying at my parents' house in Virginia Beach. This means lots of family time, naps, eating out, and doing whatever we want! My favorite part is that Rob is home with us each day and only doing minimal work when necessary. We've snuggled, watched movies, and just hung out. We love hanging out together. He's my ultimate bestie. That's all for today. I'm glad I'm married to him. The kids and I will miss him when he goes back to work.

Twin Tuesday

On Saturday morning, we randomly decided to run the kids up to Blue Bird Gap Farm in Hampton, VA. We had never been there before, plus it's free! It was horribly humid and hot that day- quite miserable actually! My upper lip was sweating along with everything else. The kids pointed at most animals and said dog, with the exception of the ducks. I promptly downloaded some animal apps for practice! Here are some photos of our farm and park adventure this weekend!

My favorite of the day!

They love to look at each other and laugh while swinging!

We will definitely go back, especially once they are both fully walking. And maybe when it's cooler! They loved the animals, loved the big park there, and there were picnic tables if we wanted to eat there. I give it two thumbs up and can't wait to start meeting other moms & kids there for play dates. Free is good!!

 Here are a few more pics of our week:

Their new favorite game is to open and close this door. Who knows, but it's free!

When they shut it all the way, the use sign language to say please for me to open it again.

Checking out baby Brody!

Connor & Reese played here forever and just laughed and laughed!

They love their new cousin!

She kept yelling at me, and I'm pretty sure it was to take her shoes off.

Serious when walking.

Get them off!

Uhhhh, mom!

Sweet girl! I love this photo!

Manic Monday

man·ic adjective pertaining to or affected by mania

mania noun excessive excitement or enthusiasm

Much like robshep.com’s Mind Dumps, Manic Monday is just a snapshot of the random excitement that is inside my head.

• Happy birthday to my little, but much taller, brother~ Mark Aaron! Thankful you'll be home safe on Friday!
• Summer Staycation 2012 has begun! We moved in with Dan and Danielle Saturday for a couple of nights. You know what that means- my kids say "dog" 432 times a day! The best part about it is getting so much time with Dan and Danielle. They are special to us!
• Rob's sister and family of five are visiting from Ohio for the week, so we've been evicted from his parents' house for the week. We love that they are here and we are excited about our upcoming adventures and photo opps with our family!
• On Sunday morning we all had brunch together at Bob and Marcia's house, and it was wonderful to be together. We are a family of 15 now which is mind blowing! We've got eight adults and seven children- we are close to being outnumbered, but I think we are all done having kids. 
• In the last 15 months we went from three grandchildren to seven, so it seems to have happened so fast.
• We try to snap a few photos each time we are all together, but with 7 kids ages two weeks through seven years old, that gets complicated. I think they turned out great!

This was our first attempt. I love it because at least three are trying to escape. Ha!

  

Mamaw and Papaw with their seven grandchildren! Love! In birth order we have Selleck, Slade, Connor, Hayden, Reese, Sawyer, and Brody!  

We took this one because out of the seven kids, only two are girls! They have to stick together, but knowing their personalities already- they will hold their own!

Here are all the Shepherds that have actual Shepherd blood. :)

We snapped one of our family too!

• After some more family time today, we are heading to my parents' house in Virginia Beach for the week. We are hoping to relax as a family with Rob off work, but have lined up some play dates and visits with some friends and family while we are down there. If anyone else wants to hang, hit us up!
• I feel I should confess a random fear today. I have a bizarre fear of steps and escalators and those grates that cover sidewalks that you can see down into. I bring this up because the staircase at Danielle's house terrifies me! Not only are the steps wood flooring (hello slipping in socks!!), but there is only a wall on your right as you are coming down, and NO RAILING ON THE LEFT. It's like a death trap to a ninny like me. Needless to say, I cling to the wall, and will probably have to wash their walls of my hand prints. I go really slow when carrying a child up and down the stairs. 
• Last night at church we sang an oldie but a goodie- it's actually one of my favorite songs. I think it's called "You Never Let Go", but not 100%. I vividly remember singing this song before we became pregnant as tears streamed down my face holding on tight to the promise of it. We sang it again many times at church while I was pregnant, and I cried again because of the truth. We sang it last night at church, and I cried again. God is good. Here are the lyrics that get me every time~

I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on.

There will be an end to these troubles, but until that day comes

Still I will praise you, still I will praise you, Lord!

 Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me.

Do you have any bizarre fears? Care to share a time you saw God's faithfulness?

Thinner Thursday

I weigh 211 pounds today. Frustrating because the number went up; not frustrating because of the week I've had.

It's been a good week. I went to the gym for cardio on Sunday, Tuesday, and today. I worked out with Faith at her house on Tuesday. (Visit www.flairforfitness.net!) Faith is out of town Friday, so she sent me a workout to do on my own. I got serious about my calories too. For breakfast each morning I had one hard boiled egg and one piece of toast. For lunch I had a can of tuna with a touch of mayo with baked Lays and a 100 calorie cookie pack. I did have Wendy's on Wednesday with Alicia, but I worked out twice that day and only went over my calories by 50. With the exception of one soda, I had water all week. I cooked regular dinners for the family since I had calories to use for the day. They shouldn't suffer for my weight problems and I don't have time at this point to cook two different things. I'll slowly work on dinners getting healthier. We had bbq chicken sliders Monday, beef drip subs Tuesday, poppyseed chicken Wednesday, and we're having chicken ceasar pasta salad tonight. This is one of the first weeks I have really counted & watched my calories closely along with working out. I like it & hope to keep it up!

I'm not even thinking about giving up or stopping what I'm doing. I've said all along a number doesn't bother me. It would be encouraging to see some tiny gains whatever they might be. We'll be on "vacation" starting Sunday through Sunday, so hopefully I'll make good choices. We're just staying with my parents in Virginia Beach, so it will be pretty normal each day.

Ideas for healthy dinners?

Wife Wednesday

A few weeks ago at church, Rob said his prayer for our marriage was for people to think we were still newlyweds even though we are going on 11 years of marriage. While out together last week, I casually mentioned that I didn't really think we acted like newlyweds and he was taken back. Now, I think our marriage is great and I wasn't complaining, but wasn't sure what classified us as having newlywed behaviors. Thus begun us randomly calling out "newlyweds" every time one of us did something that seemed newlywed-ish. It was funny. I think laughing at each other is a good sign of being newlyweds. Here are some things that caused us to holler "newlyweds!"

• Rob opens my door for me every time we get in the car. Always has, always will.
• When he got in the car, I told him I missed him while we were apart.
• We gave each other random kisses for no reasons.
• He rubbed my back and played with my hair during a movie.
• A sneaked swat on the butt in public.
• He turned off the monitor twice this week so I could keep sleeping in the morning while he played with the twins. I'm not sure if that's classified as newlywed behavior, but whatever it is, it's awesome.
• We held hands in Costco when we weren't eating samples.
• I got a frozen yogurt and occasionally fed him bites as we drove around.

Rob asked me to brush his teeth for him Sunday night because he was too tired to get up. I said no as any self-respecting woman would. He said that was NOT newlywed behavior and it was old-fart behavior. He said one day when he's old and I had to take care of him, I would regret not practicing brushing his teeth. It made me laugh hard, so I say it's newlywed behavior.

What are other newlywed behaviors? Keep it PG please! Ha.

Twin Tuesday

I was going to blog about the poop-tastrophe of summer 2012, but Rob got to it first. Most of you probably read it on Rob's blog, but to save time- here it is again!

Read Rob's version of this poop-tacular event here.

It was gross and hysterical all at the same time. I almost took some pictures, but that is a little embarrassing for both the picture taker and Hayden in the future.

Manic Monday

man·ic adjective pertaining to or affected by mania

mania noun excessive excitement or enthusiasm

Much like robshep.com’s Mind Dumps, Manic Monday is just a snapshot of the random excitement that is inside my head.

• We had a wonderful week! It was busy, but that's our normal.
• On Tuesday we had to take the twins to their 15 month check up, and you need to know that they hate the doctor. Well, Reese hates nurses and doctor's and Hayden responds to her terror. It was exhausting. I couldn't even hear the doctor talking to us because of their crying.
• Reese has two follow-up appointments, and the thought of that already exhausts me! She has to see an audiologist this summer because of her low birth weight and a physical therapist to check out her gimpy left leg. I might need to medicate both of us.
• In other news, Hayden started walking and it was amazing!
• We had a wonderful 4th of July! Rob had the day off so we headed to our friends' pool, the Colgans! The kids loved it.

Poolside snacking on watermelon and Doritos!

• That evening, Bob and Marcia graciously put the kids to bed for us so we could play with friends! The 4th of July was also the Eve of Dan and Danielle's 10th wedding anniversary, so they had people over for a double cookout! We celebrated the 4th and their 10th! We ate delicious food and hung out with some of our favorite people. We watched the fireworks in downtown Newport News and sweat our tails off!
• On the 5th we headed to my parents' house for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday! She makes an amazing spaghetti. They had offered to keep the kids overnight and all day Friday, so we were just a couple for over 24 hours!
• After dinner Rob and I saw Spiderman with his dad. I really enjoyed it! We went to bed without a monitor and it was bizarre! I kept looking for it and wondering why the light was off. I finally put it on the floor.
• Friday morning I worked out with Faith and Rob ran the Nolan Trail. After that our day was one big adventure!
• I also tried a couple new Pinterest recipes this week. One was a keeper, but it wasn't really a recipe- just an idea.

This looked super easy, so I tried it. 4 chicken breasts, 1 low fat cream cheese block, 1 can of corn, 1 can or Rotel, and 1 can of black beans drained & rinsed. Cooked on low for 6-8 hours.

It looked nasty!! It didn't have a ton of flavor- trying to decide what I can add to spice it up, even if it is just a packet of taco seasoning. Some of us ate it over chips, some ate it in a flour tortilla. We added some salsa and cheese, too. It was okay. It was better heated up the next day with some chips. I like my white chicken chili much better, and it's just as easy.

I followed a link on Pinterest on how to improve a box cake mix, and they were ok. They were moist and alright. I used regular frosting from a can- should have made it. For the sprinkles, Pinterest also had a link to mix sprinkles with Pop Rocks on top for the fourth of July, and it was supposed to be like a firecracker in your mouth. Not so much. The moisture from the icing took most of the pop out. It sounded fun while I sprinkled them though!

This is the one that is not really a recipe, but an idea. I've done fruit kabobs before, but added pound cake and a white chocolate drizzle. I thought they were delicious!

• Saturday was uneventful. We drove home from the beach in the morning, hung out at the house, and did our weekly grocery trip.
• Sunday was special because Connor came to spend some time with me and the kids and it was like old times! It was so fun to watch the three of them play together again. 
• Church at Next Level was awesome! We had a night of worship with communion as we kicked off a series called "Worship Happens". I teach the 1st- 5th graders, and they are learning about worship being a lifestyle- not just singing a song at church. It was cool to see them connect. One kid said tonight that it was cool because he never realized the songs we sing at big church teach about who God is and what he has done for us.

What are your plans for this week? I'm trying to figure out ways to be a blessing to people this week whether through a meal or a gift , etc. Is there something you can do to be a blessing to someone else?