Snow? - maybe but not likely to stick around

My parents are going to come visit for Christmas! I'm so excited to see them again. They are probably more excited to see the kids again {totally fine with me}. When talking to my step mom a few days ago to see what they would like to eat on Christmas day, she said anything was fine wouldn't mind having Chinese food. Yum, I love the local Chinese take out place. They make a great Mongolian beef. We'll probably be a bit more traditional and make a honey glazed ham. Yum to that too.

She definitely got my taste buds going for some tasty Chinese take out. Guess what I had for dinner tonight? That's right. My tasty Mongolian beef.

Madison and Blake were on one today. Seriously, they tried to make sure every last nerve was rubbed raw. Guy got a small taste of it after his work today. He agreed they were out to get us. Not really, but they had a tough day. It must be hard to be 20 months old & your little brain exploding with all the things you are learning.

I'm not sure they ate enough today despite eating non stop. It started with dry cereal, banana, yogurt with blueberries, raisins, pretzels, & fig newtons. They also had cheese crisp, carrots, banana, chicken fried rice, animal crackers, cherries, some kind of Christmas bar & about 14 ounces of whole milk each. I bet they put on some weight the next few days in preparation for adding some height. Blake surprised me tonight when his jammies were kind of tight and almost to short.



We have one more item to buy for the kids Christmas presents. Amazon has been really good to us! I love their super saver shipping {Free.99}. Target has a great price on a complete doll set with all the cool accessories. It even includes a stroller. Every single place we go the kids are all over the baby doll stroller. It's going to be so fun to see them open their gifts on Christmas morning. They have NO IDEA what is about to come their way!

Christmas card 5

My mom loves kids. Loves them. She's always been known as the person who can put any baby to sleep. Babies just love cuddling with her and feeling her sweet spirit. Every friend I've run into again after years apart asks how my mother is withing the first few catch up questions.

Merry Christmas from my mom & the twins!


Now that we live far away in North Carolina it's so strange to me that my friends do not know my mother. Not at all. Yep, still weird.

Today Madison was all about saying, "I did it" or "You did it." She yells it very excitedly whenever she or we deserve the praise.
Blake was all about doing a board puzzle. He did it many times. He also recognizes when he doesn't pronounce a word correctly & will work on it until he says it right.
They have started holding hands a lot now. I'm not sure if this started when we played Ring Around the Rosie or when we all held hands in a line to check the mail {I thought the man driving by waiving excitedly at us was going to die from the absolute cuteness of our idyllic look}.

Today was a seriously cold day. Wow, was it cold. Like 22 degrees when I headed out to my early morning session. They were all freezing as we did most of the shots outside. The teens were both wearing short sleeve shirts! Oh, but it was so beautiful out. There is something really cool about morning light.

Some friends of mine need prayers right now. Their family has been blessed by a sweet miracle baby who is having a really hard time right now. He is documenting baby Ella's journey with a blog. Please pray that baby Ella will be able to get well enough to head home to her families care. Her big brother and sister would love to have her home for them to help take care of her instead of far away in the hospital. Ella's story can be found here. This awesome & loving family lost their infant son last year who was only 1 month older then the twins. I'm praying they do not lose another baby. Please join me {I know many of you already are and knew about Ella long before I did this week}.

Christmas card 4

Happy Friday! We all had a good day here in the super frozen South. Really, the super frozen temps are now until midday tomorrow. Oh, it will be time to layer my clothes for my early morning shoot tomorrow. I hope they layer their clothes too so they are warm and happy. Happy is good.

Madison figured out how to blow her nose today. Oh my that is hilarious. I've been talking a lot about Madison lately, but our Blake is definitely a rock star. My favorite word he says right now is 'Butsss' or bus as you & I would say it. Three days ago I got out all the legos. They hadn't shown much interest in them until that day. We cleared off the entire coffee table and the three of us sat there playing. I made them several structures & arches & a ton of towers. Then I showed them how they could drive their cars in and around them. Mostly they had fun taking apart my hard work. Since we put the bucket back in their toy corner Blake has made sure to have soem legos out. He makes a long scepter, as Guy calls it, and carries it around with him. He'll take it apart completely then build a new one to carry around for a while. The kid loves to know how things work and likes things put together after he takes it apart.


Front


Inside spread


Back


Hope you are almost ready for Christmas and feeling the Christmas spirit!

Christmas card 3

I have no idea why I picked this photo except it looks so perfect to me! lol I think it's the perfect question mark for the quote.


OK, from certain angles I see why some people think they look so much alike.



For those of you who do not read my photography blog here is your warning there are some more pictures of our family on there you will not see here. Check it out! We also aren't very busy right now so any referrals of your friends are extra appreciated! I also might be able to work in a couple extended family shoots when you are all gathered together for Christmas. Let me know if you are interested.

The mini stop sign on the chain was calling to me as we passed it. Guy was up for helping me put the kids behind it then we encouraged them to shake it. No additional effort needed. They had a blast & I got some adorable shots of them playing together. The sign cracked me up. It was really funny for Guy & Leanne who Got to stop for every 'hysterical' marker growing up. We all had a great time on the train & with the return of my wide angle lens we got the self portrait group shot! They loved sitting on the seat by themselves. Madison is getting really good at jumping & actually getting some air. She and Guy enjoyed a cuddle in his jacket when she was tired of riding in the stroller under the blanket as we walked around DC.



The first shot in this set shows the bottom part of our luggage carrier. Yep, the same one where the top flew off while Guy was driving. The shot just under it is of Madison pushing the alarm button in the elevator. Once the kids realized they put the alarm button on the bottom {nearest the kids!!!} in every single elevator we got into, they just HAD to push it. Oh, and the call button for emergencies was right next to it in the hotel elevator. Despite our diligence in watching them they managed to hit it at least once in almost every ride. Leanne even got one once with her booty! :-) What do you do with two one year olds in a subway station next to steep drop offs to the tracks? Make them sit! Don't they look so obedient?

In the last few shots above we have our super awesome stroller! {so worth the investiment & we'll never need a 2nd stroller. How many have you or your friends bought?} holding the two kiddos. Blake did an excellent job of taking a nap on the go. Madison? Not so much. She's a bit like me and can't miss any of the action. Especially if there are yummy snacks available!

Madison cracks me up here. The glasses all askew and her pants sagging big time. Blake was busy eyeing the rocks hoping to get more to throw in the river.

We only have two weeks to Christmas and about three to our next attempt to have a kid. Time is definitely moving right on by which is just fine with me right now. I hope you don't mind hearing all the details {cover your eyes Judy - you'll get TMI notices} of our cycle. It's great for my sanity to share and may help someone else in the same situation.

Christmas card 2

Ooops, I had the card ready, but didn't post it!

We stopped by a cool store front to take a couple of the kids. It was the normal only one kid looking and only one smiling {though I think they are all cute}. I wish I had video of when these card shots were taken. Both of them were giggling.

Front


Inside spread


Back