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.

• Insurance is a necessary evil. We recently switched insurance policies because of Rob's new job. All of my family qualified for the cheapest rates except me. Apparently since I've had IVF (in-vitro fertilization= how we got the babies) in the last two years my rate is really high. High like Tom Petty. Rob's premium is like $124 a month, but mine is $937. The kids are like $133 a month, but mine is $937.00 a month. That's crap.
• When I called to dispute this (I didn't know why it was so high at the time), she said it was because of IVF. I said it was an elective procedure that wasn't medically necessary, AND ANTHEM PAID FOR NONE OF IT. I told her that I didn't plan to ever do it again, and even if I did ANTHEM DOESN'T PAY FOR ANY OF IT. I just don't get how this affects them or my premium. Apparently I'm a threat. I like the sound of that.
• I dislike being a grown up. Good news is that I can re-apply exactly two years from the start of my IVF treatment, and that is July 1st. She said there was no reason my premium wouldn't be the same as Rob's after July. Still crap.
• In other news, I am thankful we have insurance for the family and a paycheck. God is good.
• We had such a relaxing weekend. So relaxing in fact, that I didn't leave the house all day Saturday or Sunday until church at 4:30pm. 
• We took a huge family nap Saturday from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. It was awesome. Now don't get crazy- family nap just means we all slept at the same time. The twins always have & always will sleep in their room. 
• Courtney hung out with us during the day and night Saturday. She hadn't seen the babies in 9 days which is the longest she's ever gone. She might have had the shakes from withdrawals.
• Danielle joined us in the afternoon, and soon after, her husband Dan followed. I cooked up some chicken tetrazinni, green beans, and my version of Red Lobster's cheddar biscuits for the gang. 
• Rob went and got us some Chick-Fil-a desserts! My dessert of choice there is a small ice dream cup with sprinkles- it's amazing! Everyone else got the new cookie sundae and they were a big hit. We ended the evening watching Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol. It's a really good movie. I still got nervous even though I had seen it before!
• I watched a rerun of Khloe and Lamar today. It was the episode where the Mavericks (Lamar's team at the time) played in LA (Lamar's former team). It was his first time back in LA since they traded him to Dallas, so it was emotional. It is incredibly hard to leave a place you love- we know because we recently did this.
• When Lamar entered the game, the crowd gave him a standing ovation to welcome him back.  The Laker organization also put a video tribute together of clips from Lamar's time in LA and played it on the jumbo tron for him. It made me tear up! I thought it was super classy. When he came out onto the court, Derek Fisher (a Laker) gave him a big hug.
• I love that they showed him respect and honored him that way after 7 years of playing there. Lamar and I are only 9 days apart in age. His dad was a heroin addict and his mother died of cancer when he was twelve. He's had a rough go of it, and I don't think he even has a team for the next season. He's successful, loaded, and married to a Kardashian, but seems so lost and broken. He needs Jesus.
• 7 weeks of school left! I guess I miscounted at some point. I can't wait for summer, a new schedule, and new adventures! 
• My mother-in-law and I are planning my sister-in-law's (Nicole) shower for baby Brody! We've picked a theme and are running with it! It's all I think about, look for on Pinterest, and brainstorm ideas about with friends. I can't wait!
• I went to Longwood in Farmville, VA, for college. At the time, they had like 4.2 places to eat that were not fast food. Macado's is one of those places. They are in most college towns in VA and NC, but not here on the peninsula. I love Macado's. Favorite meals include the Turkey Trot, the Babe Ruth, and the Chicken Cordon Boo. Everything on the menu is fantastic. Their menu is huge. I'm pretty sure I could get something different every day of the year. it would be dangerous if I lived near one.

Macado's is to me as Chipotle is to Rob. Rob traveled to Farmville on Friday, and he stopped at Macado's on his way out of town to bring me home food. It made for a perfect lunch on Saturday.

• As I mentioned, Rob went to Farmville on Friday. Sadly, I couldn't go, so our great friend Ryan went with him. Rob headed to our college church, Concord, to speak. This church and the people are so special to us. Concord Baptist was my first real church family. Concord is where I met Rob. Many, many people from this church are still a huge part of our lives!
• Concord basically was having a church planting emphasis weekend, and invited Rob for a church dinner and to share about his vision for Next Level Church. They were so supportive and gracious and kind to Rob. We were blown away by their generosity and love how kingdom minded they are.
• Rob and I are dreaming of a three day vacation this summer. We've talked about heading back to Fort Worth to visit friends and eat at some of our favorite places in the world, but we'd like to check out a new town too. They don't know it yet, but we even talked about visiting Steph & Brian in Denver! We miss them and would love to check out Denver. We've never been to Colorado. It's mainly hypothetical because we have two one year olds, but we can dream! 
• At lunch yesterday, Rob and I were talking God. We are trying to figure out how we can love Jesus, love people, and make a difference. We want this to be our every breath, and lead our church to do the same. It's not easy though. 
• We have a Sunday night tradition after church. I pick up Taco Bell, and me, Rob, Ryan, Candice, Mim, and Did eat at the house together and tell funny stories. It's the best. I get two soft tacos and one order of cinnamon twists for the purpose of calories. Normally I would get a cheesy gordita crunch, a nacho, and a Mexi-melt with no tomato, but I have to be careful! One soft taco only has 200 calories, but a cheesy gordita crunch has 490! That's crazy!

What did you do this weekend? What do you get at Taco Bell?

Thinner Thursday Update

I started this blog weighing 223.4. This morning I weigh.....

208.6

Dang. That's a 2.6 gain for the week. It's my first gain though, so I don't feel too too bad. It's still a total of 14.8 pounds loss. I wasn't surprised at all because of the last week. Enter date night at Outback and a trip to Nagshead. I sure did eat some good food though! I don't regret it, and I'm still motivated to make good choices. I did a grocery trip Tuesday and restocked healthier foods. I only walked once this past week, so here's to hoping that increases as well. I'm not discouraged though, and I know I can do this. Goodbye weekend of onion rings, coke, burgers, pizza, and desserts. Hello Kashi, carrot sticks, water, yogurt, and fruit. Let's do this!

Wife Wednesday

In case you didn't know, Rob does crazy things while he sleeps. With his permission, I will share some of his antics.

Exhibit A: He often falls asleep on the couch well before bedtime. Over the last 11 years of marriage, I have learned how to wake him up from this scenario. He cannot and must not be startled. If you think that will be funny, wear a helmet and protective gear. I stand at a distance, lean in, and firmly place my whole hand on his leg. He cannot think he is being tickled; he cannot think he is being shook. I have to gently say his name several times. If I divert from any of this, he wakes with wide eyes going either "What, what, what?" or "Who are you?". That's my favorite. Last week I woke him up, he looked at me and said, "Who are you?" I laughed and said who are you? It messes with him.

Exhibit B: I rolled over the other night (Rob had already fallen asleep), and I accidentally brushed against his leg. He says, "Where's the camp? The one and the one and the one. The kids will fall down that you know." That was it. He started snoring immediately. I wrote it down.

Exhibit C: A few years ago, our flight was delayed due to weather, so we had to stay the night in a hotel near the airport. I woke up and couldn't find Rob in the bed. I leaned over the edge of the bed, and Rob was on the floor on his stomach rolling back and forth with his hands behind his neck. I laughed and laughed. Once I got him up, he said he was dreaming that he was on the runway and the plane was landing. Ha.

Exhibit D: About seven years ago, I woke up and found Rob kneeling at the end of our bed holding onto the foot board. He kind of looked like he was water skiing. Again- hilarious. He told me later that he was riding on a boat in his dream. Fantastic.

In conclusion, some things you won't find out about your spouse until you are married. Embrace it and enjoy it. I knew he snored, but I didn't know I'd be in danger if I woke him without being gentle or that I would see and hear fantastic-ness as he slept. Some nights are uneventful, but others make me wish I remembered everything he does.

Do you or someone you love do anything crazy while sleeping?

Twin Tuesday

Last Thursday the twins had a pretty traumatizing experience at the doctor for their 12 month visit. For some gross reason, Reese gets bad wax build up in her ears. The doctor has me help her hold Reese down and uses both a skinny swab and then a metal skinny hook to get all the build up out. Reese acts as though a zombie is attacking. She turns purple, screeches, and shudders. It's awful. One of her hands got loose and she scratched her face. Mommy fail. I started using a tiny bit of wax drops to help the cause before her 15 month appointment.

This adventure was followed by three shots for each child. They were not happy with us and were crying big gator tears. Plus, they have such sympathy for one another (twin thing?) and if one was calm and the other lost it, the other joined right in. It was exhausting.

Up next, they had to go downstairs for a blood draw. Apparently our insurance requires it at 1 year, but Reese also had a slight issue we were all a little concerned about. She had some small dark dots on her chest and stomach for about two weeks, but the doctor said they weren't related to a rash or eczema. She wanted her blood drawn and asked it be reported back to her stat. She called later that day to tell us everything looked perfect for both of them. Praise God! If the dots don't go away in a week or two, I have to call her back. I can hardly see them anymore.

The blood draw was gross too. They had to sit in our lap while one lady helped us hold them still and another drew their blood with a butterfly needle. They have little bruises from where she was digging around. This turned them into grumpy monsters until their nap. They were fine that night and most of the next day, but as mentioned in yesterday's blog, Hayden's temp spiked up to 104 Saturday. Stacy handled it like a pro, and both her and Mim reassured me that I should stay in North Carolina and he'd be fine. By evening he was playing, he slept all night, and his temp was completely gone in the morning. I kept them home from church Sunday evening just to be safe, and it had been a crazy weekend for those kids. I hated missing.

Here are some recent pics:

They LOVE when I do the laundry. I think it's cute how she's holding him.

They like me to give them a sock and they put it in the dryer.

When we are upstairs, their favorite place is in front of Mamaw and Papaw's door.

They just sit and laugh and wait for them.

Reese's new favorite game is to sit on the ledge of the fireplace, stand up, and fall over.

Sometimes she stands up and just dives into your arms. She's crazy.

Stand, fall, repeat....over and over. She just laughs!

They also like to sit on the step that goes down into the fancy living room.

I'll take that ball, sissy. They also enjoy smacking each other in the head.

Reese won't be allowed to have pets at our house, so she'll get her fill elsewhere. 

She's getting used to Stacy's dog, Max. She says dog and tries to bark. Ha.

Those Froyens are always finding a way to get Hayden in Boston gear. This we are ok with!

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 spent the weekend in Nagshead! On Friday, Stacy picked up the twins and took them to her house for the night & all day Saturday. We headed to NC with Ryan, Candice, Lee, Andrea, Courtney, and Lindsey. The twins spent Saturday night at our house with Rob's parents, Mim & Did. So thankful for their help this weekend & for loving our kids.
• We had a minor emergency because Hayden's temperature blasted to 104 on Saturday, but it was simply a reaction to the shots. Stacy double checked with a trusted friend who happens to be a pediatrician, gave him some Motrin, and he started acting like himself not long after.
• The eight of us shared a house and had a blast. We ate a lot of food and laughed a lot.

This was my favorite place we ate! I got a Steak Cobb Salad and it was delicious!

We'll definitely go back to Barefoot Bernie's. 

• Rob, Lee, Andrea, and Ryan ran a half-marathon on Sunday!! How crazy is that! Candice, Courtney, Lindsey, and I went along for the beach and the food. We cheered for them too.

Before the race circa 5:30 a.m.

After the race, circa 9:30 a.m. Rob's time was about 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Awesome especially for a first timer!!

• I'd like to add that it poured down rain the entire race. That's hardcore. Then we drove back home 2 hours, and Rob preached two sermons that evening at our church. He is beast.
• Candice, Courtney, Lindsey, and I were hardcore cheerleaders for the race. We paced with our friends above, driving around the Outer Banks with a map. We found them about eight times. We'd park the car, grab towels to cover with (it was raining), grab posters and cameras, and run to the trail. It was a big hit & hopefully encouraged all our friends plus some strangers.

I mean, we didn't run a marathon, but we got up early, braved the elements, and worked hard to support our friends. We were soaked, but fully realize it was no 13.1 miles.

• A few nights before the race, the Sparks dropped by with a gift for Rob. Rob's always talking about his jogger's nipples, so they bought him a pair of boobie tassels. HA! 

The back says, "These sexy boobie tassels will make you the center of attention every time! Glitzy, glamorous, and stylishly sexy! One size fits most." It also lists who they are perfect for, and one of the people listed are "sun seekers". Never ever have I ever seen someone at the beach with boobie tassels. Ha. For the record, he didn't wear them.

• I watch "Dancing with the Stars" each week with Rob's parents. My favorite is the British singer lady...not sure of her name. Do you watch?
• I also watch "American Idol" each week with Rob's parents. My favorite favorite is Phillip Phillips. Who is your favorite?
• I also watch "Revenge". It was new last Wednesday, and I was so excited it was back on!
• About 7 weeks left of work until I'm a stay at home mommy! Yippee!
• My nephew, Connor, loves my kids. Last week he kept running around the house yelling "Eesie Parkie!" Reese's name is Reese Parker, and we always call her Reesie Parker or Reesie P, so he's picked it up. He kept giving her kisses and she would just laugh and laugh. I'm going to miss having so much time with him next year!
• If you liked the Hunger Games trilogy, might I recommend another book to you. It's Divergent by Veronica Roth. It is fantastic and the sequel comes out May 1st. It's slated to be a trilogy as well. 

Do you watch Dancing with the Stars or Idol? Who is your favorite? 

More than a friend Friday

On Fridays I try to highlight one of the amazing people in my life; hence, Friend Friday. Today's person is more than a friend though! She is my sister-in-law, co-teacher/colleague, child care provider, and dear friend. Meet Nicole Shepherd!
Nicole is a much better version of me, but 5 years younger. She married a Shepherd (Rob's younger brother, Jon), is a teacher, teaches 4th grade, loves Jesus, and is a mom. (Side note- she's going to be a mother again in June!) She's a much better version of me because she's thinner, cuter, kinder, gentler, nicer, and more sensitive. I am judgy; she gives the benefit of the doubt. I am impatient; she is patient. I am too honest; she is wise with her words. Plus a lot more stuff. We both love God, our husbands, our kids, teaching, the beach, good food, and to travel.

Before Nicole & Jon got married, she would sub for my 4th grade class at Dare occassionally, and my principal fell in love with her! Her first year teaching was the very next fall at Dare in 4th grade with me! Enter M. Shepherd and N. Shepherd as two of the fourth grade teachers which apparently is really confusing. One time a teacher (from another school) was trying to figure out how we were related and she asked if we were married to the same guy. Seriously?!? You can't make this stuff up.

Since we were already family and now working together, the friendship grew naturally. Nice can be such a generic word, but it is perfect for Nicole. She is the nicest woman on the planet. As I mentioned earlier, she is kind and thoughtful. She puts other people before herself. She is strong, a talented teacher, and a beautiful mother to Connor and soon to be Brody. She is an amazing wife and I am blessed to be a part of her life.

Last year we proposed job sharing to our principal and school board, and it got approved. We had been dreaming of this for a few years! Here's how this little taste of perfection works. I teach our fourth grade class on Mondays and Tuesday. While I am at work, Nicole keeps Hayden and Reese. Nicole teaches our class every Thursday and Friday. While she is at work, I keep her son, Connor. We alternate Wednesdays, and teach an even number of days by the end of the school year. It couldn't be going better. We haven't had one parent complaint, the students love it, and our administration has been pleased. Each week passes flawlessly. We plan collaboratively with our team on the days we are there, we grade papers that fall on our teaching days, and we get to split the essays which is a small taste of heaven!! In addition, our kids spend every day of the week together, and they love each other so much.

We made the mutual decision to become full time stay at home mommies next year. It was very bittersweet because we love teaching, adore our team, LOVE Dare Elementary, and it is amazing job sharing. Our kids won in the end since we all know we can't get these years back. Best part?? We'll BOTH be off together this summer and next year! Two moms and four Shepherd cousins will be going on all kinds of adventures together.

Nicole, it is an honor to be your sister, friend, and aunt to Connor. You are so good at everything you do while staying humble and generous through it all. I love having you and Jon as friends and as a healthy marriage we can look to. Thank you for loving Reese and Hayden so much, and for being the best co-teacher in the world. I love you!

 Pre-children we loved spending all day at the beach together!

 This is one of my favorite memories with Nicole. We were body boarding and laughing so hard! I have it on video too. Ha!

 We went on a trip across Virginia with our friend & teacher Kathy. This is us at Manassas!

 We share an open love for New Kids on the Block. This was us at their reunion concert! LOVE!

 Open house for the 2011-2012 school year!

M. Shepherd & N. Shepherd

 One of my favorite pictures of our kids. They love to give each other kisses, but it appears Hayden is eating Connor in this one.

 Our first of many superhero Halloweens!

You can tell they are Shepherds because of the eyes!



Thinner Thursday Update

I started this blog weighing 223.4. Today, I weigh......

206.0 (I forgot to take the picture.)

That's a total of 17.4 pounds lost, and a 1.8 loss for this week. A small set-back this week was my health. Friday evening I started feeling yucky, and Saturday and Sunday were rough. It was just sinus/allergy junk, but I felt horrible. I drank a lot of calories in orange juice and ginger ale because my throat was sore and my snot was flowing. I know it is mental, but I just can't do water with snot throat. Plus, Mim (Rob's mom) made us homemade Orange Julius drinks Sunday and they were tasty! I cracked down on Monday and counted calories carefully. I'm hoping to sit down with Rob and work out a schedule for me to get some real exercise in. We plan for his runs (jogging type, not the poops), so we need to plan for mine too. You fail to plan, you plan to fail! Ha!

Say a prayer for me. I am going to Nagshead on Friday for the weekend with Rob and some friends. We've rented a house, and four of those crazies are running a half-marathon Sunday. I guess we should pray for them too, but we'll be eating out a lot and I won't have my normal options. You win some, you lose some, right? Just kidding. The fat girl in me just wants to say start over on Monday, but I am working hard on changing my mindset. Plus, in May I have three baby showers and a Mother's Day brunch, so I can't keep writing off weekends. Here goes nothing.....

What do you eat over the course of a normal day?

Wife Wednesday

I always tell my students that rules make the world go 'round. The same is true of relationships. Here are a bunch of rules we "follow" to make this an oh so happier marriage. Some of these were mentioned in a previous blog, but repetition helps people learn, right?

1. Go to bed together (at the same time).
2. Pray together before we fall asleep.
3. No TV in the bedroom- it kills the romance. (We are on a break from this rule, but hardly watch it.)
4. We don't use absolutes such as always, never, etc. I mentioned this one before but it's non-negotiable. The chances of someone ALWAYS doing that one thing are slim to none.
5. Hug & kiss before we leave for work when possible.
6. We don't put down or disrespect the other to our friends.
7. Ask each other if there's anything we can do for one another.
8. Serve each other when possible.
9. Don't send Monica flowers if you think you've done something wrong. It's cliche.
10. Be creative. Don't get lazy.

Any rules that you follow for a successful relationship?

Twin Tuesday

Question for you. Here's the scenario.

Our kids are usually very happy and sweet. They play without us, they don't have to be coddled, and they don't get everything they want. We are around people all the time. All four grandparents are active in their lives. They spend 2 or 3 days a week with Nicole while I am at work. Amanda babysits for them almost once a week. Courtney visits several times a week. Alicia comes over for playdates. We take them to run errands and to visit people. They do not live in a bubble. They eat great and sleep well. I thought we were past this separation anxiety phase, and things were going great.

Enter church two weeks ago. (Disclaimer- they hadn't been to church in 8 weeks because my parents were babysitting while we were prepping the start team. Also, they go to bed at 7:00pm every night. Church starts at 6pm and they don't get home until 7:30.) The first week they lost their minds in the nursery. I don't mind the crying because I know they were fine (fed, clean, changed, not injured, etc), but I felt awful for the workers and the other babies. They cried the entire time. This past week I sat in there with them to help them understand it is our new normal and it is a safe place. They both basically had to have one hand on me at all times. They were whiny and crying if that changed. If I leave the room at the house, nothing but me or Rob calms them. If I set Reese beside me instead of in my lap at times, she cries her face off.

How can I make it stop??

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.

• 8 more weeks until I am a stay at home mom! Yipee!
• That also means about 8 more weeks until my newest nephew, Brody David, is born to Nicole and Jon! Double Yipee!
• I've just started planning Brody's shower, and I can't wait!
•  This weekend I went to dinner with Courtney and Lindsey, and then we were joined by Danielle to head to Busch Gardens for the evening. For a part of the trip, I rode in the back of Court's convertible. It gets crazy windy on the interstate.
  

  

  
  
•  While at Busch Gardens, I saw way too many butt cracks and a surprising number of fanny packs as well. 
• While pretty horrible, I can respect the practicality of a fanny pack. I used to rock a black one with turquoise and purple detailing back in the day. I kept worrying about my pass sliding out of my back pocket or my sunglasses flying off my head; however, with a fanny pack- no worries at all. 
• Another sign of me & my friends getting older was that every time we passed a teenager, one of us would be like, "Are you kidding me?" Most were scantily clad, wet from dirty Roman Rapids' water, and probably chaffing. I get shorts if you have the right body type, but I don't understand if the shorts are way up....you know. I just can't support that. Keep it classy people.
• If you are a teacher, have been a teacher, or understand a teacher's life, you should visit this site. People submit pictures of handsome men with hilarious captions underneath about teachers. I check it everyday for a good smile.

How was your weekend? Do anything exciting? 

Thinner Thursday Update

I started this weight journey about 6 weeks ago. I weighed 223.4 on my first Thursday's blog. Today, I weigh in at:

207.8

That's a total of 15.6 pounds lost, but only 0.2 for this week. My bad. This past week was not fantastic. I lost a lot of the drive to do this well. You'd think I'd care more because of this blog, but I've never had a problem with honesty. I honestly stunk this week. I estimated a lot of calories and was not careful. I made a mean dessert for Easter brunch and couldn't resist it that day, the day after, and the day after that!! We ate out more because of spring break, and while I researched after the fact and calculated exact calories, I went over most days. We went to Busch Gardens for the second time this past Monday, and as we were walking in, Courtney and I decided that we were going to have an ice cream with sprinkles in a waffle cone. Come on- it was the last day of spring break, it was 73 degrees, and we were about to walk the park. Ha. Excuses, excuses. I told Rob if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and that I was planning to fail that day. Pathetic, but no regrets yet.

Tuesday morning kicked my tail right back into gear with having to pack a lunch and plan our dinner ahead of time. This worked Wednesday as well. I do well on a schedule. Plus, I'm stuck eating only what I've packed that day and drinking lots of water. The warm weather reminded me that beach and pool weather is right around the corner, so I have work to do! I would appreciate prayers for discipline and healthy eating choices. Also, my dear friend Stacy e-mailed me Wednesday to encourage me which meant the world to me. Thanks!

Is there something you can't resist when it comes to food? Chips and dip get me every time.....

Wife Wednesday

Here are some of our marriage highlights over the last week:

• We've lived with Rob's parents for just over three weeks and it is still going beautifully. I appreciate that Rob checks in with me regularly to make sure I'm still good. (Like I wouldn't tell him- ha!)
• Rob & I had lots of time together this week!
• On Wednesday night, Rob's parents babysat and we went to Carrabba's for dinner with Dan and Danielle. We were celebrating the fact that our house finally closed that day, and Dan was our realtor extraordinaire! 
• Side note- they ordered calamari, which I tried again, and it was creepy. I know that they are squid, but it looked way to much like weird octopus for me to eat. And it tasted like a chewy rubber band. I'm more of a spinach dip appetizer kind of girl. That thing looks alive!!

•  We are blessed to have Dan and Danielle in our lives. They encourage and support us in all we do, they love Jesus, and they are fun to be with on top of that!
• On Thursday we dropped the kids off at my parents' house for a sleepover. We had a fast dinner together just the two of us, and then Ryan and Candice picked us up to go have dessert. We were also able to go check out their new house they'll be moving into this summer.
• Again, we are blessed to have Ryan and Candice in our lives, too! We laugh so hard when we are with them and they are so real. Plus, Ryan jogs with Rob and is one of Rob's fake staff members at our new church.
• We had a lazy morning Friday (kid-free), had a 10:00 appointment that went great, and headed to lunch in Virginia beach. (We went to Jimmie John's for the first time and we were not impressed.) It was such a great day. As we were approaching my parent's exit, my brother called to tell us about the jet that had crashed in the apartments at the beach. It was soo close to my brother's apartment and my grandmother's house. What a miracle that no one died! Praise God!
• Friday and Saturday nights were lazy and wonderful.
• On Sunday, we watched Rob's dream turn into a reality as our new church launched! It was amazing to see how God had everything come together perfectly. We were honored at how many came to support us that night, called to check on it, and texted to let us know they were praying!
• It has brought me no greater joy than to support Rob through this. It hasn't been easy in some ways, but it also hasn't been hard if that makes sense. God is in this and we are honored to a part of it.

I guess my theme today is having the right people around you to have a successful marriage. We are so lucky to have two sets of parents that love us and do everything they can to support us. Rob and I have been blessed beyond measure in the friend department- single friends and married friends. As we celebrated the twins' first birthday and launched the new church, our support system has been even more evident in our lives. It makes such a difference in your marriage when you know you have people praying for you, you can ask people to pray for you, and other people take the initiative to love you well!

Who do you have in your life that makes life easier?

Twin Tuesday

Dave Barnes is a singer that we really enjoy. I recently got his latest album, and I fell in love with track 3. In fact, I started crying in the car when I heard it. I happened to listen to it for the first time on the twins' birthday. Here are the lyrics of "Mine to Love":

There's a weight off my shoulders

There's laughter in the air

You are the answer to every midnight prayer

You're mine to love

We have all been waiting on you

You're mine to love

Come into these open arms

It took some time to wait it out

But I see it now

You're worth all the dreaming of

You're mine to love

Every time my heart was broken

Every time I lost my way

I forget when I look into your face

For realz, this is our story! We prayed and prayed for these babies- they are our answered prayers. God is good! 

This is still one of my favorite pictures of our precious babies! I didn't get to hold them until the morning after they were born, and it was amazing! They are mine to love!

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.

• Having this extra Monday off makes all the difference! We are enjoying a family day with Rob off as well.
• Lots of adventures & firsts over spring break! We took the kids to Plaza for their first dining experience. They went to Busch Gardens on Thursday with us, Alicia, Abram, and Elijah. Then on Thursday evening, they had their first sleep-over at Grandma & Grandpa's house (my parents). On Saturday they ate for the first time at Chipotle, and we had a double family date day with the Froyens!
• We took a decent sized financial hit on Thursday morning, and I was a little teary eyed over it. Rob was like, "What's wrong? It's just money." Good perspective and very true. I literally snapped out of it and was thankful.
• Only 9 more weeks of work and I will be a stay at home mommy! Yippee! Job sharing with Nicole has been amazing & worked out beautifully. I wish we could do it forever, but we want more kid time at home!
• Rob and I had a discussion about grilled cheese sandwiches this week. I think a slice of ham makes a good grilled cheese even better. He said bacon. (He's never even had that though.) He posted it on Facebook and got about 40 comments. Serious business. Someone said a slice of tomato would make it perfect. Puke! I hate raw tomatoes!
• I have an observation while I teach this Wednesday. I'd appreciate the prayers. I still get nervous.
• Our church, Next Level, had it's first public service yesterday at 6:00 p.m. I thought it was beautiful. Our band did an amazing job leading us to worship, and Rob's talk was spot on.
• We had about 240 people attend; however, those numbers won't stay that high. A lot of people were just checking us out or supporting Rob on opening Sunday. We felt so loved by the people who came simply to support us on the grand opening. We were humbled. Rob got a standing ovation when he walked out on to preach.
• We were judged by handfuls of people when we started this adventure, but being obedient to what God calls you to do trumps that mess and is way more rewarding. 
• Our mission at Next Level is to love Jesus, love others, and make a difference. This month we are partnering with Compassion International to buy mosquito nets for children around the world to help reduce the negative impact of malaria. Did you know that every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria? Yikes. You can buy a net here. It's just $10.00 and you don't even have to go to our church. Think of something you can sacrifice so a child can have a better chance at living.
• I'm really proud of Rob and how hard he is working to make this church happen. I got him an Easter Basket full of goodies to encourage him. It had some Body Glide for his jogger's nipples, a new cd, other running stuff, gift cards, and a toy, as well as a few of his favorite candies. It wasn't just an "Easter" basket, but a way to show him love for all he is doing for our family. He loves gifts.
• Speaking of Easter baskets, our kids got 4 each. FOUR! On Saturday, the Froyens gave them each their own basket full of goodies, jammies, sunglasses, food, etc. They each got their own basketball which they LOVE. Reese's is pink! The Peters dropped by Saturday evening with bunny baskets, but the best part is that they were for the "kids" but filled with stuff for me & Rob! Yessss. My parents brought Easter buckets for the twins Sunday filled with baby food and a sweet book. Of course, on Sunday morning, they got baskets from us too. Spoiled rotten & I love it! Ha!

What Easter traditions do you have? Did you get or give anything for Easter?

Friend Friday: Barb Spencer Edition

Barb Spencer entered our lives with exquisite grace in February of 2011. We basically met through a mutual friend, and we will never ever forget her! Barb took our pregnancy photos, Reese & Hayden's newborn photos, their six month photos, and their one year photos. While those four reasons are HUGE, it's not why we'll ever forget her.

Barb is gracious. Barb is giving. Barb is gentle. Barb is kind. Barb is generous. Barb is talented. Barb is humble. Barb is peaceful. Barb is joy. Barb is patient. I could keep going, but auto correct keeps changing her name to Barn. Ha!

Please visit her website and share her with your friends if they have a newborn or are having a baby soon! You absolutely won't regret it. No need for pictures right now? Pray for Barb, her family, and her business!

http://www.barbspencerphotography.com/

or visit her Facebook page here.

If you are still not convinced, check these out!

These newborn photos were done in our guest bedroom.  Seriously, she's amazing.

Our nephew, Connor, was with us for the 6 month pictures!

We spent some time with Barb and her friend Pam this past Tuesday taking the twins' one year photos. Here is a sneak peek! I can't wait to see the rest of them!