Moved!!

Well, after months of kicking the idea of moving my blog to a different domain, and having one ready and set up i finally did it! So i will no longer be updating on this address, for many reasons a few i mention on the other site, i just feel it is time for me to expand. I will leave this blog up for a wile to make sure everything is saved and resaved!

Visit my new site: http://prettywithtwins.wordpress.com/

Earth Hour

Hey everybody just reminder, tonight is Earth Hour, for one hour turn off all unnecessary electronics, turn off all lights for an hour! It is 830-930, i think we can all withstand to use our lights or tv for one hour! Break out the candles and board games :)

Monday Musing - Relationships

Transitioning from the college age experienced into parenthood, careers, and family i have began to realize that the friends i share now are the ones that will be the ones i share years from now. I realize that things that use to seem so important are really not that all important.

We have a close knit group of friends, a group that has maintained their trust within the family we have formed...as in Meet the Parents, the circle of trust. Trying times for us, we have had not only our family step up, but our family of friends step up and do all that they can in order to know that we make it through the obstacles. In return we try our best to do the same in return.
I like to believe that family and friends throughout our whole life has molded us into the people we are, i would like to believe that we are good people from them. The friends that have not stuck around i do not regret knowing, instead i like to think of them as pieces to my puzzle of life that is building the bigger picture. What is that about the company you keep?
I understand that yes i have become a parent, that 90% of my conversations have taken a full swing from talking about weekend parties, men, and spring break trips to talking about Layla and Aidan...and more of Layla and Aidan. It is something that if you do not have a child of your own is probably seen as really obnoxious...i use to view it that way too i understand we do not reach the same paths in our lives at the same time, but once you do share parenthood, its like "wow...that is all we have to talk about...that IS our life!"
Relationships good or bad mold who we are and who we will become. Surrounding myself with good people, with the hopes of finding the good in myself, and raising my children to be good within this group. By weeding out those that bring out the wrong in me, the ones that do make me feel uncomfortable with myself. I have mentioned many times before, i want to teach Layla and Aidan love, compassion, faith, passion...the list goes on...each of my friends and family have something they can positively bring to our lives.

Even though the most exciting thing in my life is watching Layla and Aidan seeing a weasel for the first time and the excitement, then realizing that Kendall and I are acting the same way, for it was the first time WE had seen a weasel in the wild, 6 feet away with no cage around it.

Most importantly i think a relationship with ones own family is what makes us better with creating healthy relationships outside to bring new friends into the family circle. We realize that we only want the best people around our children, the ones that our children can look up to, ones that we can look up to and count on for different reasons. This may sound selfish, but when i look at the bigger picture, when Layla and Aidan grow to choose their own friends, i want to see them with friends that will mold them into young healthy adults, genuine, and a big heart. If they grow up seeing us with a loving family and friend circle, i can only pray that they will find the happiness and support we have in their future circles.

Even though Kendall and Layla are close little pals, Daddy's girl. Aidan is my little mama's boy, and even though i don't always fully understand Layla, Kendall seems to, and even though he may not fully understand Aidan, i do. We work as a team, we work as a family, we work together to be as good as we can for them, ourselves, and the family around us!

Just take a foot off...

So long story short, i had a coupon for a free haircut that Kendall got from work, i used it and well i had been thinking about doing locks of love for a wile now, and the lady brought it up and i just said sure! What sold me is she doesn't do it with a pony tail to cut it off but sections instead (can really make the back of your hair short and wacky looking) . So i did it, Locks of Love prefers 8-12 inches so i said ok sure lets do 12. So there you go. I chopped my hair, don't really like it because short hair makes my round face fat but i know it will grow back and someone else can use it that needs it more than i do up in a pony tail! :)

For more information about Locks of Love their website is: http://www.locksoflove.org/

Spring Cleaning and Weigh-In

So this past week i have been in the mood to clean...ok lets rephrase that, maybe not the mood but i have a little more motivation to clean with warmer weather here. Spring is Saturday so it isn't something too premature to do.

I have set a steady pace, cleaning each room, vacuum that room and under the furniture (although our vacuum stops in the middle of the room and cannot start up again for another hour for some reason so one room a day). I cleaned off the kitchen counters, cleaned under all of that crud, and continued to the kitchen floor and walls. uck! There is so much more on my list but i still have 2 more days.

We also have been dog sitting this week for our good friends Karl and Amber (boston terrier and dachshund) we also watched Geoff and Gina's dog for a few days since he was not behaving well with their other dog that was in heat(German shorthair). So to say we had quite the variety of dogs for a wile, back down to three at the time though...all batmans age, all rambuncious puppies.
This week as been interesting, i have not wanted to spend a moment inside due to the 60 degree weather we have had. This is very unnormal for Wyoming, and especialy our region we are in surrounded by mountains. No complaints, i know i have mentioned the weather the past few weeks a lot but oh my goodness it is crazy! We are just all keeping in the back of our heads the snow that will be coming...late into June.

Oh Look forcast says Monday for snow...
Being that it is so nice i have completely ignored all excersice indoors and instead have chosen to go outdoors and run, walk, and watch the kids enjoy the weather. We also were fortunate to greet a new baby into our close family of friends here. Cameron. The kids adore him, and we visited him twice in the hospital and now just giving the new parents and baby time to themselves. We will regroup to our Thursday night dinner when they are ready. Congrats Gary and Nikki again!
The kids have been finding flowers beginning to grow in our gardens, after i explained to them that does not mean they need to pull them up the rest of the way. I try and find a different outing each day, i figure that in itself is excersise. Plus, if i have a choice to do wii or enjoy time with watching the kids do something they enjoy, it is worth it to be with them.

You always hear the life is short live for today. I do that but not so insanely that i am risking my life, more of taking time i normally would use for the computer, tv, whatever to spend it with Layla and Aidan. They are growing so fast i feel as if i am missing such a great age when i am doing something else not as important.

The emotions they show, the conversations we have amazes me. We went to the geology museum on campus again, they have now been 3-4 times. I was suprised they actually had new exhibits, and what is neat about this tiny little museum is all the fossels, and bones are found in Wyoming, makes it more close to home...real. The newest exhibit ready to display ( there are others in the making) was a giant prehistoric bird. They had the whole display of the bones set up, it had to be over 7 feet tall with the large beak that could just tear something up. I was very impressed and almost missed it, i will be sure to take a picture with the kids near it when we can talk Kendall into going when he has some time off.
Everything we have done the past weeks, hiking, museum, parks, lakes, rivers, greenhouse, was all free (we have a goal to go to every park in laramie...i think we did unless there is one i am not aware of). It is so nice to be able to do things outside for free, and that the kids REALLY enjoy it. Although at the greenhouse on campus they were more interested in the lady bug on my shirt than any thing else, or at the museum the big metal dinosuar outside was more fasinating than the actual real skeletons, or in the mountaisn they enjoy picking up 40mm bullet shells rather than looking at the awesome scenery...it is still a great time for all of us to enjoy. I hope that i can continue to educate them on every outing we go on!

So how are you on your goals? Anything different? I have a goal of 3 pounds by the end of the month now...i have to get serious if i want to look good in my bathing suit this summer for the lake!

Wednesday Weigh In

Well, i have really been slacking on this blog lately, maybe that means i have been working out real hard? A little, just busy. I haven't seen to have lost much weight but you can tell my waist is slimmer...and that is what makes me happy.

Here is a quick sum-up of the past couple weeks of what i have been up to, physically, and just the more exciting of it, ill leave out the walks to the parks in our odd weather of 50-60 degrees, or the wii fit i try and get on everyday to avoid criticism from the wii fit...we get into it, i actually caught Aidan saying "What the heck?!?! That's not right!" every time he steps on the wii fit board...oops!
For Valentines day we went snowboarding/skiing with Gina, Geoff, and Kendall's nephew Shane. Although Gina didn't ski since she was 6 months pregnant, it was still a nice time away. I loved snowboarding and can't wait to get an opportunity to go again sometime. I am a lot better snowboarding then skiing, not to say im good at all but yea you get it. I was pretty sore from breaking and falling on my butt the next two days but well worth it! I realized how much i am out of shape, or atleast admitting it!

A few weekends ago when there was a cooler spell in the crazy weather, i decided if Karen would help me out i would take the kids swimming. Not like going into our knees is swimming, since the kids jsut wanted to wade in and play with noodles, water streams, and basketballs. It was a lot of fun and to this day everytime i take the kids out Layla pipes up "We can't go home, we need to go swimming". She even did this to Gina in the car, pretty cute.

We also went bowling after swimming, the kids were beat by that night! They were only home to nap quickly and then head out to bowl with Kendall, Gina, Geoff, and I. It was a blast, my first time seeing the kids bowl, and Aidan's first time bowlling. (Layla went once when Aidan and i were away working for a weekend last year) Aidan played through 2 games, taking turns with Layla, by the second game Layla was completely uninterested and insisted that Eeyore pushes the ball down the lane or she isn't participating. Sassy girl!
This past weekend was fun, fun to be a couple and get away with Kendall. We went to Blackhawk, Colorado. Our room got bumped to a suit through Kendall somehow smooth talking his way after they messed up our other room. It was very nice, overlooking a shorter casino and mountains when we opened the doors to our mini overlook. The casinos were small, reminded us of deadwood minus the old west traded for gold minning feel. Although we did not keep our winnings...we decided to spend those too. haha, blackjacks my game, and poker for Kendall, so we took some time to do our own games why the other did theirs. That was nice too. We also ran into some family friends from way back, a family i have grown up knowing since i was 5 years old which was pretty cool.

How's your goals? How are you feeling, looking? :)

Four Years Time

Today marks the 4th year that Kendall and I have been together as a couple, before that we met at the previous May at my high school graduation. This past week i cannot get out of my mind the amount of growing up we have done...our whole college family has grown in the past 4 years.

In the past 4 years, so much has happened i cannot even believe that it fit within such a short time frame compared to our lifetimes ahead of us. Our first year was a party college scene, spontaneous, you name it we did it crazy. We spent a week on a beach with just the two of us, a tent and no vehicle. Every night we held our ground, holding onto the tent as winds blew so hard that we actually saw other tents being tossed across the lake beside us. Winds that drove people out of their camps at 2 in the morning and we were able to get up at dawn and walk the beaches picking through what was left behind. Weekends of driving to Chicago, riding a Ferris wheel and coming right back. This time was amazing, we had fun, we made fun, we did not have any worries and did not care to start worries between the two of us.
The next year was crazy in a whole new way. By time time we had a first year together we had a life-changing event that made us see things in a whole new perspective. We had to begin growing up and had less than 9 months to do so. Not only were we expecting a baby, we got a picture that shook us out of our carelessness of college life. Twins. I broke down in tears, tears of "how the HECK are we going to do this...i never have even babysat 1 child, let alone be given 2 of my own at ONE time?" They say a picture is worth a million words, this ultrasound changed our life in one moment...a change that bettered ourselves, our lives, and our relationship with each other and friends/family. When i see this picture, i think back to how young we really were mentally, how young and immature we must have seemed, how scared we were to be given such a large obstacle at this time in our lives. Our second year took a lot of growing up for us. I do not think any first time parent is truly prepared for what lays ahead when having their first child. Yes you can have everything you need, help, clothes, crib, diapers, food. But nothing can prepare you for the amount of strain your relationship will endure, the amount of stress, worry, and not to mention childbirth does to your body, the small amount of sleep you can survive on turning into almost a robot zombie at times. Nobody can explain the amount of emotions that will spill from you into that child or children, the amount of money that just seems to disappears over night, all for the survival of a small infant, survival of your relationships, survival of yourself.

I heard from friends and family about that first moment that you get to hold your child, that life changing moment that changes everything, our emotions, our view of unconditional love, that steps you forward in life from just a single couple to a family. Holding such a small helpless being that without us would not survive, would not learn of love, learn right from wrong, would not develop into their own individual through time, without us. I was unable to hold Layla or Aidan until almost a full day after they were born. I remember coming out from the anesthesia and Kendall running in, his expression something i can never explain except that of a proud father, one when men gather their buddies and smoke cigars to speak of how proud they are of their work creating this child. Kendall brought in his camera, showed me videos of the kids, he had tears, he was so excited to get back to them but concerned for me. That was my first view of my children, through a camera.
This was our second year together... One that tried us the most, we never had fought until we were so sleep deprived that we would take it out on each other. Yet, we both knew we didn't mean a word we said, we both knew we just needed to get it off our chests and then it was done. A friend of mine brought up about how he feels when he sees a new parent, almost a flicker of relief in a way, it sounds horrible but to see a new parent going through the sleep deprivation, the zombie point of life and feeling the relief that we have made it past that, then pity for that parent that they too will get through it.

Our third year was busy. We had one-year-olds, Kendall was graduating, he was an active realtor, and i was still attending school full-time with 20 hours of work on the side. With all the business, finding time for oneself was something of the past, finding time for us as a couple was something we needed. We began to realize that time for us was necessary, and through great friends and family we did get time to spend together away from home, away from the stresses of parenting, work, and school. Although it was few and far between and still continues that way, we made it work, we made time after the kids were in bed to just relax, to talk, to catch up on each others life outside of the kids. We were fortunete enough to be able to have a weekend at Deadwood, my first gambling experience, we were able to have dinners without rushing to get the kids to bed or nap. We were able to be us, a couple, and to be able to relax. An important thing to our relationship is that we do make time for us, we do make time for ourselves, and we make time for friends and family. Although we are not out every weekend anymore, we have a switch system that allows us to take turns to be with our friends, to have girl/boy nights, to just get away and have our own individual time too. Funny thing now is many of our friends are having, have kids now so we actually have a dinner night with all the families and friends. Time changes everything.I remember my sister telling me from the beginning..."it gets easier...kind of. Depending which way you look at it." And i agree it does, kind of. The kids are more independent, they do not have to be carried all the time, they can tell us what they need, they can eat on their own, entertain themselves, and their personalities amaze me, and keep my smiling daily. However, the "kind of" part is the trial of discpline. This is something that as a parent team we need to stick by, stay consitent, and share each other's discpline ideas. We do. When i have people come up to me with compliments on our parenting, i feel great, just seeing the kids daily how healthy and behaved they can be makes me realize i am doing something right. Those who critsize, i take lightly and again look at my kids to get the true feedback i need.

This year we have had opportunities laid before us, we have bought a house together, we have bought a family car, a new pup, and we are growing closer. Although we have always had a relationship of seeing each other for maybe 2-3 hours a day, and even less alone time together. We have always had this since we started dating, and maybe that is what keeps us so close, it works for us. So here is to another year! We are fortunate to be getting a weekend away, and i cannot be more excited to be able to just be a couple for a day (and sleep in!).

Here Kitty Kitty

As everybody knows if you read this blog, we really enjoy hiking. Going up to different places to enjoy the beauty of nature. Even though we do not see much wildlife with two loud toddlers exclaiming at every little rock and sage brush, and a dog or two that run ahead of us insuring that every animal is now miles away...we still enjoy it!

When i go hiking, i am very alert, i keep an eye on my surroundings, watch the dogs reactions, and keep the kids within a few steps of me. I also keep a small 8-12 feet range pepper spray with me. Not that i think it would do much good but i would like to think i could spray a predator in the eyes from that range and grab the kids to book it. Hiking is something we choose, understanding about the wildlife that may go along with that (although bears are hibernating right now, it is just mountain lions that i usually keep an eye out for...checking for tracks, droppings, and up at the rocks since one lives near where we hike.)

When at home, ones guard is down. Here why not, we live in a rural area, and a very rural part of town where a block one way are cattle, another way are sheep, and then behind us horses. There is an elementary school close by that at recess and lunch we can hear the children screaming and having a good time. Around 3, a lot of these children are walking by our house to go home. It is a pretty safe neighborhood.

With our mailbox a half a block away, i often take the kids for a walk over there. Since it is fairly close, it only takes about 10 minutes in the time of toddler meandering. All our neighbors have dogs of different sorts so we always talk about the breed of each dog we see, such as "oh look those dogs look like Chloe, Molly, and Charlie Brown...do you think they are Dachshunds too?" or "Hey kids, that dog is a St. Bernard, is it a big dog or little dog?" I usually take them to the mailbox when we are playing in the yard, days when i just do not feel like walking to the park. Yesterday we were talking about a nice yellow labrador that was wagging his tail as his older owner watched from the door ("Look kids, he is waving at you with his tail! Wave back!". Oddly i had never seen him so concerned about his dog, until he walked outside and toward us. This is what he said that sent a shutter down my spine.

"Hey Miss...did you not hear about the mountain lion?"

uhhh..WHAT?? Ok so i have grown up in rural towns close to the mountains so i understand that young cougars will wander in to town looking for food when food is scarce or maybe they are just too young to understanding the dangers of coming to close to town...for them...and well us too.

Obviously the look on my face reflected that no i had not heard about the mountain lion. He continued to urge for me to get the kids inside immedietly and keep an eye on our dogs when they were outside.

I had to ask where the cougar had been spotted...and he pointed,"right beyond that house." Yes right behind the dachshound house, near the St. bernard house...two houses that i could throw a rock to from my front yard, houses that i can see through my front window. So....we are having an inside day, only to venture out into the front padio to draw with chalk..with pepper spray and two dogs out there with us.

Simple Things

As life gets busier, and more chaotic i have noticed that taking time to just disconnect from the stress and technologies that bring "busy and chaos" to us is hard to do. Taking time for oneself is almost out of the question, let alone taking time to enjoy a free spirited adventure with our kids, outside the normal routine of life. Oh sure we make plans with all good intentions, but when it comes down to it, the amount of work it takes just to load the car up with 2 kids and 2 dogs is almost not "worth" it at that exact moment, not to mention dressing toddlers for the weather.

This past week we have been fortunate to have warm weather, warm winter in Wyoming is a nice 45-55 degrees with minimal wind chill. Although we all are enjoying the warmth, in the back of our minds is the thought of snow storms in June due to a mild winter right now.

I find myself reading other blogs, with 65 degree weather in Southern California, and 75 degree weather in Phoenix. Some days i am envious when the wind is blowing so hard i can feel it coming under the doors, and the beautiful snow we did have is blowing past building large drifts shutting all roads to and from our town down from any sort of travel. Other days i am thankful that my kids are able to get to build snow forts, that the days it is 52 degrees and still 2 feet of snow in the mountains, that they can still go play, their choice of in the snow or next to it. The excitement of a green spring when it does come because of the Snowy Mountains above us just received over 100 inches of snow in the month of February.

To be able to set the cell phone, laptop, and stress aside for a few short hours to plan a trip hiking. Although i still bring along my pepper spray and camera i would like to think that this is as disconnected as i can get at this point in my life. Being able to the see the bright expressions on the faces of my children as they see moss, caves, tree stumps, and snow still spread deep among the bare trees in 52 degree weather. The joy they get to be able to explore in their own time, which for toddlers is slow time. Slow time that i have forgotten about over the past years, slow time that has been traded for super speed time...such as the realization my babies are going to be 3 in less than 6 months!
I have reached a point in my life that watching the simplicity nature of children has made me go back, go back to enjoy the little things that make my life great. Layla and Aidan picked up some beautiful quartz rocks when we were up there, and it makes me remember when i would actually notice the different types of rocks when i was young. I miss that. Those few little quartz came home with us smuggled in little pockets, and i cannot believe the amount of excitement and how proud they are showing them off to others. Yes money is a stretched, time with Kendall the kids and myself at the same time is VERY limited, and the wind sometimes can cause madness, i have to look beyond that. Look at what we DO have.We have the opportunity to be able to drive 15 minutes to such a beautiful area to disconnect from what stresses us and embrace what keeps us going, Family, Love, Health, and Faith.

Wednesday Weigh In

Well here are another week, another week that has been warm and causes no excuses for exercise...besides just wanting to sit outside on the porch in the sun and enjoy the warmth.

I have been pretty good about keeping up with the wii fit...minus this week well i have chose to go outside and walk with the kids, or explore with them instead. Now i know that Amber, Karen, and now Mom and Dad all have the wii fit, so i hope to hear more on the fun and what it is saying about weightloss. If i could swim i totally would start that, be a lot more interesting than me trying to do lunges on the wii fit and having Aidan crawl under me each time i go up to start another lunge...sometimes he isn't fast enough and i am forced to stick him to the floor with my knee in hopes the Wii will give me a high score and not tell me i am slacking (not that it KNOWS im trying but there is a KID under my knee thinking it's fun and games.)

Something that i enjoy is the ranking issues in Wii fit, being able to work to get anybody else that uses it to a different ranking...behind yourself as first. It is a constant battle and competition here between Kendall, Emily, Sky, and Me...or whoever played it this week. The most frustrating one is Aidan. He has had a highscore in the ski slolum since the first week we had it...31 seconds and no misses? Cmon already! Although i am third, it isn't enough, a 2 year old is passing me up on this game now too?!
So. How is everybody else doing? Getting out and enjoying the weather, even with the wind it not too bad! Just the worries of a late spring meaning most likely snow in June again...ugg. Let me know, send me a comment and lets see who is getting closer to their goal?
Ps. i have lost 3 pounds.