brown oatmeal container

it cooled off today

so

we (dylan and i) made cookies

finally

we use a neman marcus cookie recipe

we all love.

we were about to throw away the oatmeal

container

until

we realized it would make a great container

for something.

"a spy container" dylan suggests.

(but we would have to make a hole)

let's think of something else...

i said, "why don't we color the outside"

no go on that idea...bummer...

(dylan went outside to play with dad...soo...)

okay

well

i'll just see how many cookies will fit in it.

AWESOME.

lot's of cookies fit in the plain oatmeal container

yeah

this is so great.

~shelly

vacation in squaw valley

the easy chair

(while dylan and daddy were golfing we explored the area...well mostly napped...and then checked things out)

right below the high camp there is miniature golf for the kids, restaurants and shops.

another shot

at the hotel they had a couple of pools. this one is the kiddie pool with a huge i mean HUGE sand pit right behind the twins. the kids can actually go back and forth from the kiddie pool to the sand pit. if you new our challenges as a family you would realize how perfect the pool area is for our family. the drop off for the slide is right behind jason.

SAND...gotta love it! the SLIDE
us watching for dylan to come down

(i know i look terrible...still trying to get in shape)
"thumbs up for the slide mom... i've gone down about 100 times, still loving it."

101st time and a double thumbs up...wow.

believe it or not we have pictures of the twins going down on our laps as well. they loved it!

it was so great to get away and spend quality time as a family. we've had a really tough year. the resort at squaw creek is definitely a must if you want to splurge and get away and have a guarantee good time. i'm so thankful for my husband and our time together and so thankful to God for creating such a beautiful valley for us to enjoy.

~shelly

Jelly Belly

jelly belly

let's start at the end of our little journey as a family.

we had planned to leave at a specific time in order to make it to the jelly belly factory on the way home. unfortunately, we hit a little traffic and road construction.

soooo

we were running a little behind and had to make it to the jelly belly factory before 4pm...so we were jamming all the way home. it was jason's idea to go on the tour (great dad huh) and so he was motivated to follow through. after missing the turn, hitting some long lights and bad drivers we finally made it the the factor at 4:04pm. i ran up to the counter and said, "did we miss the last tour? we tried so hard to make it..." she said, "no problem the last tour just left, how many in your group" AWESOME "five" i'll be right back. i jammed to the car got jason and the kids and ran inside to get in on the last tour of the day.

it was SO cool.

highly recommend it for kids.

here's some pictures.

keep in mind we had been in the car all day rushing to get to the factory.

five of us after the tour (btw i would of worn the cute hat they gave us on the tour, but i had this hair thing in that made it so it wouldn't fit...they require everyone to wear the hats in the factory to keep hair contained)

the kids right after the tour

the Jelly Belly factory is in Fairfield, CA right off the 80west

~shelly

our first official vacation as a family of five

we decided to take the easy road this vacation.

no camping.

no cleaning.

we headed off to squaw valley or olympic valley in tahoe.

we stayed at this highly recommended resort called squaw creek.

i can't say enough great things about it. it's a awesome place for families. we got a really great deal on the room and just enjoyed every minute of it. luckily for the sake of the other people in the hotel we let them know we might be a little noisy so we were placed in between no-one, is that awesome or what? there wasn't anyone on our immediate right or left on the fifth floor.

after such a tough year it was a great treat to stay at such a

wonderful place.

we left on sunday and what a great road trip it was up to tahoe. we stopped in auburn for a picnic and hit a great park with water features and equipment. the kids had a blast.

on the way home we made it to the

jelly belly factory just in time to go on the last tour of the day.

we didn't know how the twins and dylan would settle in to new surroundings, but they did great much better than expected.

dylan isn't one to adjust quickly so we tried our best to set him up for success and have fun. after a day at the pool and checking out the grounds he seemed to settle with being in tahoe.

the twins did surprisingly well. nolan is just such a easy baby and has no problem having a good time anywhere he goes. taryn wasn't feeling well and was a little nervous so she took a little bit more of mommy's time than the others.

in any case we had a great time and when i get a chance in the next couple of days i'll post some pictures.

it was just beautiful up there.

love being up in the mountains.

what a beautiful world God has created for us to enjoy.

~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

$.97 cent Pocket T's

so today after swim lessons we wandered around a little due to having to keep dylan out of the sun...(antibiotics)... and we bumped into .97 cent pocket T's at the Gap downtown los gatos. AWESOME... they are five years and under, but Nolan definitely needed some T's...

good deal. they have chocolate, light blue, navy, white, and brownish white. they also had the basketball shorts for .97 cents.

i thought they were $1.99, but he checked and they were .97 cents.

Check your local Gap. Can't pass this deal up.

~shelly

webkinz on hold twins on the run?@$*&@^%

so i'm just documenting today on my blog...just because...

so after dylan's swim lessons we went to run some errands together one mommy plus three. all was going well the babies fell asleep for their first nap and so i was able to find a nice card for my honey at hallmark (we have an anniversary coming up). in any case, the twins were asleep and dylan was checking out beloved "webkinz". i picked out a card and then a lady at hallmark says right in my daughters face who is asleep "are they twins"? "yes" i replied quietly. "o' they are so cute...wow they are both asleep...o'close your eyes honey it's okay...looks like she's awake now...and keeps looking at her..."

...okay anyone whose had kids knows they go in and out asleep...best not to notice if they open eyes slightly...thanks to the woman at hallmark i have one awake now...

i'm departing hallmark and another lady says to me, "by the way i just wanted to tell you that your older son asked me to put this one "turtle" webkinz on hold until his birthday on september 22nd..." HILARIOUS!!! dylan is so funny sometimes. "thanks for letting me know" (with a chuckle) i reply and move on.

things are going good i take dylan to a special store walking distance nearby and get a jamba juice with him.

we go to the next place we need to go and i decide it's time to teach nolan and taryn to hold onto the stroller and walk with me. (what was i thinking...who am i kidding i am not supermom) so i take both of them out and they don't move very fast (thankfully), but they are just curious and doing there thing in two different directions. so i try to teach them to hold on and push the stroller. okay i have one on...turn my back to get the second and the one takes off with the stroller and dylan is just laughing so hard because they never usually move that fast... what is my deal, i could of prevented all that by locking the wheels...duh... anyway so i get the second and then the first and back and forth for like what seemed to be ten minutes...and then the heavens sang because i finally got two on the back helping me push the stroller!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH....

btw: dylan got so tired of waiting for us to get on the ball that he sat in the stroller, which must of looked really funny, but actually helped slow the stroller down.

okay the end

~shelly

Life with Two + one

okay remember awhile back i did a post on taking the twins to the pool and what a breeze it was... well now the twins are almost 15 months and not such a breeze anymore. at the pool since it's just me i have to keep the babies in the pool and i have to be super consistent. i will not be chasing two kids around the pool deck! every day is a CRAZY day for me. the twins have decided to assert their wills and i know it's all about consistency, but if anyone is reading this that has twins knows it is NOT easy once they hit a certain age. every time i turn around someone is into something...just imagine your one at this age + one more, it's wild! i pray every day for wisdom and grace with the kids, but two has definitely become a challenge lately. we have very funny times now as you can see below.

i've heard every family has a goof ball and ours is hands down, nolan...he is just funny...
nolan can not be seen without his beads on. after a bath he goes straight for them as if they are an essential to his outfit, which he is lacking

rambo style

then there is our trip to costco. when i looked down taryn had her arm around nolan's shoulder, just happened to have my camera...so cute...

any advice from moms of more than one is welcome...

~shelly

4th of July Weekend

4th of july

4th of july picnic with grace church in slo

the girls with Dylan out front (hey where's your shirt Dylan...)
my dad with Taryn...taryn after a nap and picnic

my mom with taryn (does she like to be held or what??)

the little scavengers...they remind me of "Huck Finn" a new hide out at grandma and grandpa's
These are at home...
Dylan's good friend, Grace our neighbor
twins cooling off...my neighbor and i were watching the kids and looked over and saw Nolan upside down in the bucket...luckily there was only less than a half of foot of water left from the water gun fights...whew... (we were only a couple of feet away)
Some shots of Nolan and taryn in their matching little outfits
Yes they are both officially walking and "Yes" it is crazy at our house...

Jason took these pictures (before clean up)

~shelly

Flip Flops

anyone in Bakersfield knows what i'm talking about when you find a new "cool" pair of flip flops. in Bakersfield flip flops are an essential. i was in downtown Los Gatos wandering around with the kids when i found these flip flops at the new jcrew store. They were a hit with me just because they are so cute and on sale. i brought them home tried them on with a couple of things and still think they are adorable, but do i need them? My husband knows me all to well... "another pair of flip flops!" ... What i wonder is will they break in a couple months due to my nature and the running around i do in flip flops? They have to be able to take abuse...to be on my feet. So hummm i'm not sure they can stand the test of time...but they sure are cute. Who could i give them to as a gift...or should i return them... decisions...?

~shelly

Swimming with Twins

Logistically with twins it is just tough; if you have other children it just makes it a little tougher. I think that is one of the trickiest things with two babies is the transportation and just getting here and there. Once they start walking you breath this huge sigh of relief because you realize you just have to take a hand not a whole body. In any case we have made it to the walking stage and what a joy the year has been, but what a challenge as well.

One of the most challenging is taking the kids to the pool. I'm up for the challenge because i love water and want to expose Nolan and Taryn to the water, but it's a little tricky. There is always a mother or two at the pool that offer to help and i have learned this past year to say, "yes" to anyone who seems to genuinely care.

In any case, this is one way i travel around the kiddie pool with Nolan and Taryn. Nolan is a bit nervous in the water and feels most comfortable touching me so i put him on my back and he is just so good with being there. Taryn on the other hand is little miss busy in the pool so i travel around the kiddie pool on my tummy making sure Taryn is enjoying herself and not drowning. Dylan is just SO busy swimming so i keep one eye on him as well, but he's good in the water. It's really tricking getting in and out and you just have to be a little firmer because there are two, but it's definitely doable and o'so much fun.

BTW: Taryn so didn't need another swimsuit but i found this one at gapkids for $2.99 yes you got it right, $2.99, can you believe it... I couldn't pass it up for $3

~shelly

Firsts (Continued)

Taryn and I had a little Sunday outing to my cousins house in Gilroy to celebrate the graduation of his daughter. All my mom's sisters were there and what a joy it was to introduce Taryn to them. I wish they were all closer to shower on the love, this was a first for Taryn and boy did she seem to soak it all in.Aunt Joan, Aunt Pat, Aunt Sandy, my mom, Aunt Sharon & Taryn

Firsts

We thought this was pretty funny at our house. The other day Taryn was caught sitting in her high chair with her finger in her nose. Just exploring the hole and fasinated with her nose.

So it must be a mildstone because a week later Nolan was doing the exact same thing.

The twins both started walking. Taryn started walking about a month ahead of Nolan. Amazing for a child who was born at 34 weeks and weighed only 4.14lbs. The doctor said they may have their firsts a little later than normal and boy was he wrong. Nolan and Taryn are just doing awesome. I have to admit it is a little crazy around here since they both started walking. Wanted to get Nolan's first steps in something other than a white onesie, but o'well. Just feel a little guilty because Taryn is all cute in a dress and ponytails and Nolan is in a plain onesie; not to mention Nolan's video is o'so short, but it's hard to catch him walking far, he's up and down. Since Nolan started walking Taryn is giving him more love on the head and hugs. It's almost like she is proud of him for making his way upward.

The Twins Turn One

Nolan and Taryn are One!

Taryn is our 110% girl, even the way she holds her hands she is just "girly" She is so precious. She's a cuddle bug with anyone she gets to know. She loves to watch me get dressed, do my hair and make-up and loves to do choirs around the house with me. I'm not sure if she is afraid of the boys or just "loves" her mom...

"Happy Birthday Tear bear"

Cute Nolan. Our little dress up boy. He's such a funny kid. I guess every family has to have one, right? We call him our "goof ball" he just does funny stuff. Any time he sees clothing or beads he puts them on (including Taryn's hair things)... Nolan this year has been a complete joy

"Happy Birthday Nollie pollie" (poor Nolan i forgot his blue shorts...)
Opening Presents

(Thank you Colleen for making the T's)

Of Course we can not forget wonderful big brother who makes every day so exciting for the twins...

The twins had three weekends of parties at three different locations due to family being in so many places...so the pictures above are from different weekends...

Looking forward to many more years of fun

A Fight to get my body back after Twins...

So this may seem really lame to some of you, but i am definitely fighting to get my body back after twins. I didn't realize what a toll it took on me until i dove into the pool and started swimming with the Masters team; however it was swimming which help longate some lazy muscles and get me prepared for cycling and running again.

It is a fight though i mean you really have to make a conscious choice to get back into shape after babies. I have to say though that because i did nurse the twins for some time (longer than i thought) that really helped get the weight off initially (i dropped fast). One old man in the hospital asked me "do they have a treadmill in the maternity ward"... Thank you...that was nice...

In any case just to encourage all the moms out there and those that want to loose weight. Lately I have just made a decision on top of my normal exercise routine of swimming, running and cycling to just move a lot and also drop sugar. I've never had to take my eating to this extreme, but i'm there...I mean i am thirty four now i don't NEED sugar... I feel good....Lot's of tuna, salad, fruits, veggies...and LOTS Of moving. I don't want to be sedentary, i mean i have three kids...I've got to do it for my kids...and for me... It's a choice don't you all agree, but i tell you to all mom's out there that have child after child and get themselves back in shape so fast, "my hat goes off to you"... It is not a easy journey.

I'll post some new pictures soon...

Easter 2009

Easter

Easter. What a wonderful day to celebrate Jesus's Resurrection.

We spent the twins first Easter in Monterey California at my Aunt's house. We enjoyed spending the day with the kids and my parents. It turned out to just be a beautiful day at the coast. This year I decided it would be fun for Dylan (and the twins next year) to find one special egg first with a clue in it to find his Easter basket. So the clue for the "special" egg was in a delivery spot (mailbox). So he found the big blue egg and then the clue read "you will find your Easter basket in something big and round".

It made finding the Easter basket so much fun.

So here's the pictures...

He finally found it The perfect hiding place for a Easter Basket

What is that binky doing in her mouth? So funny to see her with a binky (so funny, but not funny huh...) In any case for some reason after i stopped nursing Taryn at eight months she found a binky around the house and started sucking. Both boys love their blankets, but no binky's. Nolan thinks it's a game to take her binky and suck on it and then give it back. In any case we are in the process of weaning her from the binky so it doesn't become a issue... We are down to naps and bedtime...but on this day she was really tired so she clung to it in the early evening.



There were so many great photo opportunities at this house. I have some more photos to come on the other camera...so more to come...