Halloween Cuties

We had a beautiful Halloween this year...the weather was perfect for trick-or-treating! Katie was Minnie Mouse, Lauren was a genie, Preston was a horse, and Parker was a chick. They were pretty cute little kiddos!!

We're Still Here!!

Well, I've said it before, but I'm sorry for not keeping this blog up-to-date. I admit, I post things on Facebook but I have neglected my little blog. I was recently admonished by my mom, who is not on Facebook, so I will try to do a better job of posting new pics of her little grandkids! :) Well, what's new?? David, the girls and I took a wonderful trip to Walt Disney World during Katie's Fall Break in October. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, accomodations, etc. Really...just a perfect trip (except for the fact that the boys weren't with us...they stayed with David's parents because we thought it would be more "work" and not so much "fun" if we took them)! The girls were able to meet so many characters, we ate dinner inside Cinderella's Castle, they loved Space Mountain, we visited the beach...and the list goes on!!! I'm hoping to put together a great scrapbook of our pictures, but for now, you'll find a few of our favorite pics above.

Summer of Surgeries

All "gowned up" and ready to go!!

A little pre-surgery rough-housing...

Preston in recovery (I forgot to take my camera back there for Parker but he looked the same...)

Katie playing doctor with her new baby doll

Katie in recovery with her nurse Audrey, who also took care of the boys the week before!!

Although we kept busy this summer with vacation, swim lessons, and church activities, we also had many trips to the doctor's office for strep, ear infections, and the like. The boys also were circumcised in the middle of July, and then ten days later, Katie had surgery for bilaterial inguinal hernias. In fact, some of the same nurses took care of both the boys and Katie! The staff at the Children's Hospital at St. Francis in Tulsa are fabulous! We are glad these surgeries are over and everyone has healed nicely. You know, if you are going to meet your health insurance deductible, you might as well meet it in a big way!!!

Summer Fun

We spent our summer vacation at our favorite spot, Big Cedar Lodge, which is 10 miles south of Branson on Table Rock Lake. The kids had a blast swimming, fishing, and doing activities at the resort. They even went to a "dive-in movie"--a large movie screen was set up at one of the outdoor pools after dark and the kids swam/floated in the water while watching the movie. So much fun!! (The third picture shows Katie sitting on a lounge chair with Preston during the movie while they took a "popcorn break.") One morning the girls wanted to eat breakfast on our balcony, and when Lauren left her muffin on the table, a friendly little squirrel helped himself to it! We made a lot of fun memories on our trip...and we'll be going back in December!!

End of the Year...AWANA & Preschool

The girls finished another fun year of AWANA (Cubbies for Lauren, Sparks for Katie) in May. They were both proud that they received awards for finishing their books. I think the parents deserve an award, too! Ha!! Lauren also completed her first year of preschool at our church. She has grown and matured a lot in the past year!

Back to the Blog...

Where has the last month gone? I can't believe I haven't posted anything for over a month now. So here I go...my promise to myself...is that I will do a much better job of posting. So here is a snazzy little picture of our family on Mother's Day!

Wedding Fun

On Saturday, April 24th, my cousin Julie got married to her sweetie, John. Julie had asked Katie and Lauren to be the guest book attendants and hand out the wedding programs. The girls took their jobs VERY seriously and were so excited to be wedding "helpers." I was supposed to stand with them and make sure that everything went smoothly, but, really, I was not needed! Those little girls had things under control! :)

A Beautiful Easter Day

We celebrated Easter at our house this year, and it was such a beautiful day! The weather was warm and sunny (so different from recent years when the kids wore coats to hunt Easter eggs), and all of our children were here to celebrate! (Last year, the boys were still in the hospital on Easter, but they did get to come home two days later.) The grandparents Ross and Shoesmith were here as well. After church, we had a big lunch, and then the kids hunted eggs. Really, just the perfect day!

Happy 1st Birthday, Preston & Parker!!

The boys celebrated their 1st birthday on March 18th. Wow!! I can't believe they are already 1! The past year has flown by. It's amazing to watch the boys grow, learn, and discover new things every day. It has also been very special to see the bond between the two of them. We celebrated their birthday with a party at our house. They were such little troopers...first eating dinner, then opening presents, then eating A LOT of cake! Both boys enjoyed eating their cake, but Parker did make more of a mess...I was up very late cleaning high chairs and the kitchen floor. But it was worth it! Love you, Preston and Parker so, so much!!

First REAL Hair Cut

Preston & Parker before their hair cuts...
Preston cooperating pretty well!

Yea!! We're finished!

Parker started off pretty well...

...but he ended up on Daddy's lap!

Last Thursday, on the boys' 1st birthday, we took them to a local children's salon to get their first "official" haircuts. Boy, was that an experience! Overall, it didn't go too badly, considering they were only a year old, but I was exhausted when we left. Preston went first, and he just looked so cute sitting in the red car, wearing a tiny little cape. He actually sat pretty still for awhile, but his patience did wear out before the stylist was finished. She was a good sport; she had to assume many different positions to get that hair cut! Parker went next, and his good behavior didn't last quite as long as Preston's (maybe because he had to wait for Preston to get done...who knows?). Parker ended up sitting on the floor board of the car (instead of a regular beauty shop chair, they have a couple of cute little cars for the kids to sit in), and then he decided to start jumping up and down. I tried to hold him still, but that was a challenge, too. Finally we put him on David's lap (crying) and after a few minutes, we said it was "good enough." Poor lady, she deserved a bigger tip! :) The boys did look really cute when they were finished, and much more like "big boys!"

Happy 4th Birthday, Lauren!!

I know I'm a month late in posting this, but I am trying to get caught up. Lauren celebrated her 4th birthday on February 12th, and we had a party with her friends two weeks later at the ConocoPhillips Gymnastics Center. It was a lot of fun! She chose a "My Little Pony" theme, which is funny because we don't have many "My Little Ponies" (just the ones the girls got in some Happy Meals a few months ago), but it was cute! The kids had a lot of fun running, jumping, and falling into the "pit" (a big hole in the floor full of foam blocks). Happy birthday to my sweet, precious little Lauren!

First Hair Cut...Sort Of

Preston before...
...and Preston after!

Parker before...

...and Parker after!

Where has February gone? I didn't get many tidbits posted last month, so I'll try to do better in March! A few weeks ago I decided I was so tired of Preston and Parker's hair looking shaggy, so I got out the scissors and started snipping away. The pictures above show a "before" and "after" for each one. Although I am not a professional, I do think they looked better when I was finished than they did when I began! So mission accomplished! :) However, they do need to go to a "real" barber/stylist to get their hair evened up and cut a little straighter (that's a pretty lofty goal with a wiggly, squirmy, almost-one-year-old!). Maybe within the next couple of weeks??

Twins' First Snow

Although it has snowed a few times earlier this winter, the boys had their first encounter with it on February 1st. I bundled them up and set them on a blanket in the back yard. At first, they were kind of happy to be outside, but they weren't too excited about being all bundled up. After several pictures, their little faces started getting cold, and it was all downhill from there. When I tried to drop some snow on their hands so they could feel it, well, let's just say they weren't impressed with the cold, wet white stuff and they wanted to go INSIDE! Maybe next year they will want to build a snowman??