Backtracking

Once again it has been several months since my last post.  I can't imagine why I have such a hard time keeping up with this blog, can you?  Take a few minutes and catch up on some of the things that we've been up to.  There are probably plenty of events I have missed, but I think I have hit most of the highlights.

Dustin's Got Braces

We have our first child with braces.  Dustin has a cross bite with his two front teeth and so for the next 5-6 months he has a mouth full of metal.  It's amazing how fast it can work.  He's only had them one week and the out of place tooth has already moved in front of the bottom row of teeth.  Crazy.  Here are a couple of toothy grins :)

Trailer-Blazin'

 This summer Keith and I decided to buy our family a tent trailer.  It makes camping much easier for us.  Don't get me wrong, with the babies it's still quite hard but it gives us a fun way to get out together for a day or two (because that's all we can handle right now).  It sleeps all 8 of us, at least until the kids get a little older and gives us a good place to let the babies down without them eating dirt all day :)  These are pics from the camping trips we took this year.

Back to School

Hillary, 1st Grade

Dustin, 3rd Grade

Rachael, 5th Grade

Hogle Zoo

We took a quick trip up to the zoo to use up the last vacation day Keith had before he changed jobs.  It was HOT, HOT, HOT but the kids had a good time and Mom and Dad had fun pushing the double stroller up all the hills.

Riding the Carousel

Riding the Carousel, Part 2

What a bunch!

Waiting for the Bird Show

Avery Baby

Mom's best monkey face.

The Twins Turn 1!!!

What a year it has been!  Good to have behind me, and yet hard to look back on.  I have grown by leaps and bounds (and so have Avery and Kole).  There have been many memorable moments, more than I  could count.  I have laughed, sobbed, smiled, screamed, panicked, collapsed from sheer exhaustion and eventually slept better than I had in months.  There also have been lessons to learn.  Patience, humility, long-suffering and depending upon others so that you stay sane.

We had a small party for the babies.  Both of our families are so big that for birthday's we keep it simple with just the grandparents and us.  It was fun watching them attempt to open their presents and caring more about the wrapping paper instead of the gifts.  But the most entertaining part was watching them dig into the cakes that I had made for them.  Too bad the mess had to be inside due to the rain.  Still, definitely much more fun with 2!!  Enjoy the picture overload.

I Have a Ten Year Old!!!

How did Rachael grow from this….

…to this so fast???      

Rachael had a great birthday full of swimming, presents, cake and her favorite…hamburgers BBQ'd by Dad.  What a grown up girl I have!!!  I love her to pieces and am so proud of the young lady she is becoming!