Ballet + Taryn = WOW

 So here's the bottom line :)
(btw this was princess ballet and the last day of class they got to wear anything they wanted) :)

Taryn is our first daughter and I am just amazed at how natural she is at ballet.  Crazy natural.  She has her arms out her toes pointed.  After a couple of community classes I'm starting to really notice how talented she is (i'm trying not to be biased or make assumptions, but when your daughter is the only one who can do somersaults in a row and who is pointing her toes like crazy and arms straight out I'm thinking she's a natural)... She also hears the music and dances according to what she hears, cool huh.

Do you think that is nuts? 

This young?

I kinda do, but it keeps making itself so known to all around her.

The focus when she is listening to music.

Keep in mind these are with the local community center she has had no regular dance classes, except mommy (which was only a couple years and a ballet course at local college)...

Anyway, I feel nuts but i've gotta get her plugged in somewhere.

Check out the focus here...

And here. 

I'm not trying to brag here, just amazed.

Okay I gotta let the other kids shine in another post to come.

Dylan

All about Dylan

Dylan's favorite spot when we visit grandma and grandpa in SLO, Avila.

My little baker, he just adores cooking with me. Those are rice crispy treats we made the other day just for fun.

so creative and always has been, he comes up with the most amazing lego designs

Mr. Adventure at Happy Hollow; he takes after me...he loves the outdoors SO much.he loves his brother and sister and can barely wait until they are up in the morning and from their naps...so cute...

Dylan just graduated from 1st grade and we are SO proud of him, he has worked really hard this year and done great.

Some of you know and some do not know that we had two huge scares with Dylan last year.

1. Started out the school year with MRSA and was in isolation for days due to getting the antibiotic resistant staph (a long story, but if you have any question please send me a email).

2. They thought he had a brain tumor/or cyst due to a cycle of headaches and throwing up, which turned out to be a spot in his brain that does need monitoring (and are due for another MRI right now)...

In any case, we are currently doing great. He is being treated for childhood migraines and is doing SO much better. AWESOME actually and i'm not one to use that word frequently. This new Dr. has helped us so much and in so many ways he's just doing so much better, which leads us to believe he had more headaches than we originally thought. We (along with the doctor) have some theories as to why Dylan gets such bad headaches, but that is another story and has been a LONG journey.

I know this is about Dylan, but I do want to say that Dylan is seven and all these years we have prayed and asked God for wisdom every step of the way and looking back I see God's hand so clearly in providing the right Dr. at the right time and just overall wisdom in every way.

I wanted to share a glimpse of some of our story with our oldest in order to encourage others out there. This is only a glimpse, we've learned SO much as parents and especially as a mother and continue to do so.

I know our journey is not over and we still have a lot of work to do, but

I'm so thankful we can ask God for wisdom and He gives it to us.

We are so proud he is our son. We love him so much.

and so we will end on this note...

Coming up a Post all about DYLAN

Dylan is graduating from 1st grade this week and a little post about our big man is WAY overdue...

Grandparents stay tuned.

Guess whose TWO

Nolan & Taryn are TWO!

Birthday Party Pictures coming soon...

Gymnast-ballerina-princess meets princess-doctor-cowboy?

My Struggle

My struggle.

I struggle finding a balance with the kids.

(I'll write since i can't find my cord I've been endlessly looking for)...

I try so hard to cherish the moments i have with our kids. After having one i know this time is so brief; our oldest is going into second grade next year i can hardly believe it.

I want to enjoy this precious time with them and make cookies, play, be creative and just enjoy each stage of their little life.

I get tired though, really really tired.

Kids get sick and i know it's temporary, but lately when one kids sick it's the other and the sleepless nights continue. Thankfully i feel like we are going to get a break and be well for awhile, but then it's something else.

I want to enjoy getting up with them and cherish our time together in the middle of the night.

But i get so so tired.

I need some tips here on keeping my perspective.

This morning it was just precious.

I took Dylan to school and read his "big boy devotional" in the car (part of it while driving) i know terrible huh.

Then i came home and the twins were just craving mommy time. So i sat down with them and had them each sit on a pillow on the floor (so they would stay put for more than 20 seconds) and did a toddler devotional with them.

O' my goodness.

They just laughed and giggled and it was so delightful.

However, being a twin mom it is so difficult to just stop sometimes and make them giggle and enjoy them it's just so busy and tiring.

So i guess that is where God steps in to guide me (us) raising them; enjoying the little precious times i do have with them and not regretting the times i don't and relying on Him to give me the strength i need to keep going each and every day with enthusiasm and energy.

Our kids need us, but it is a struggle isn't it?

the giant wiggly tooth finally emerged

the big giant wiggly tooth finally emerged!
dylan finally lost his front tooth. he's been waiting and waiting for his tooth to come out and while he was at McDonald's with his grandparents it fell out while drinking milk. it was a big deal because we have been watching, feeling and waiting for some time now (actually months).

since we are on the topic of dylan i just want to say how completely proud i am of him. he's been doing so great in school on such a consistent basis. he has (most of the time) a great attitude towards his homework and needs very little helps and is doing awesome on his spelling tests every week.

great job dylan we are so proud of you!

Photo Shoot continued ...these are for the grandparents

these are specifically for my mom & dad...who wanted to see some more...i still didn't have time to go through all of them...but here's some more until we see you thursday

love you

(bear with the many pictures...)

(my only regret in the below picture is that i didn't have taryn's curly hair down)

dress up and on to the new location

blowing kisses

nolan is such a joy...when he gets tired he just gets crazy "happy"

A couple of my favorites from dress up time
nolan & taryn still learning to hold each others hands

back shot...

stacy your awesome and i'm looking forward to our next photo shoot in november. i'm so thrilled you got so many new photo ops from this one. i think you are well on your way.

Photo shoot with Stacy (in progress)

a friend of mine is an aspiring photographer and so she was trying out her skills on us. we loved how the photos turned out and are looking forward to getting some family shots in November.

more later. for now i gotta run, but here's a few from the photo shoot. i need to edit and put my favorite ones on the blog, but don't have time right now...

(I wish i did have time to post these in order and pull out the ones i love the most...just can't busy busy busy...)

1st grade

our proud son headed off to first grade last week

boy was he excited (and a little nervous)

he really enjoys school

i can't believe he is in first grade now, wow.

it seems like yesterday he was in pre-k.

they grow up so fast.

(i tried my best to get him to stop for just a second by the door...but no go...)
cute though huh...
what a jump up first grade is

three hours to six hours

no tests to a weekly spelling test

they sure do move them along quickly

dylan on s skim board in the backyard

we love you dylan

~shelly

Adventures in Odyssey

i found a new outlet for dylan and he just loves listening to them. adventures in odyssey has online programs for kids with a great lesson to each one. such a great afternoon outlet for our older ones.

http://www.whitsend.org/radio/

Slide

going to the park and up stairs and down slides is tricky with twins. however, since mine are so incredibly different it's usually doable. the day before this video the slide was a little wet due to rain (yes rain in august) and i wished i brought my camera the day before because nolan went flying off the end of the slide to end up on his rear just staring and then smiling...then down again... so i thought i'll bring the camera today and try to get a shot of them going down...together...this park is at our gym so while dylan is at swim lesson we either hit the kiddie pool or the park.

kids are so funny...nolan never stands on the slide...and of course while i take the video he stands in the middle...

joy...

~shelly

Soccer

Soccer

Bagels and Grass yummy!

Nolan and Taryn watching Dylan play soccer

Twins can even swing together


Go Dylan...