We're Back!

We just got back last night from a week long adventure in our favorite other country...Texas! If you are or ever have been a Texan, you understand this concept. Texas is big, and it has a little of everything. Plus, you can drive 12 hours and still be in Texas. Comprende?

Anyways, we went down for Aaron's youngest brother Alex's high school graduation and also his yearly family reunion at the Dixie Dude Ranch. I have a LOT to post. Aside from all of the wonderful traveling, visiting, celebrating, etc...I also finished up my second Nike Running Challenge. Let me spare you the suspense. I lost. I came in a respectable 2nd place with 116 miles. But not without putting up a fight and going out kicking and screaming. I will fill you in on all of the hot, humid, sweaty details soon.

For now, I have to figure out if I can fit a playset in the back of the Pilot. :-) Part of the twins' birthday is a nice big wooden playset that we've been eyeing for a while. It's in at Walmart and the site-to-store people are begging us to get it out of there. I have to measure to make sure we can get the boxes in the Pilot, or we'll have to find a truck to borrow.

I'll update on everything in detail when I'm a little more coherent from the trip yesterday.

Frustration

Today, the kids have pushed my buttons. Sometimes I think about how incredibly frustrating and infuriating it is when they don't listen, don't obey, throw fits, and are down right defiant. I mean, the things that I am telling them NOT to do, or am asking them TO do are for their good and their benefit.

And then a little voice reminds me that HE deals with my defiance and rebellion and refusal to obey when He obviously always has my good in mind. And He's always patient with me.

So...I guess I can be patient with them.

Plus, they're two and I'm nearly thirty...so what's my excuse?

Feet Smell Gooooooood!

The other night we we'd finished bathing the kids, and we were all being silly. Sometimes we'll smell their feet and tell them how stinky they are. But since they were clean, we were saying that they smell "goo-oo-oo-ood!" Alec thought that was hilarious. But then sometimes we'd say, "uh, this one is not so good" and he'd get sort of offended and well...here's a video. :-)

Caterpillar Sprinkler

One of the gifts that the kids received for their 2nd birthday was a caterpillar sprinkler. The arms/legs and antennae squirt water around. It was finally hot enough on a weekend for us to use for the first time. At first, Alec and Emma didn't know what the heck it was or why it was spraying cold water at them...but when Daddy and I started running through the water with them, they started to warm up to it. We ALL had so much fun. Here are a few pictures.

It's a Castle

I found some MegaBloks at the associate store a few weekends ago. For those of you who have no idea what that is: it's a store for Walmart employees and spouses only, that has overstocks and sample items. And things are usually marked down to half off. I've been wanting to buy the kids some MegaBloks for a while, but really didn't want to pay $20 for them. So, when I was able to get them for $10 at the asst. store, I was stoked. The kids have not stopped playing with them since I brought them home. They love to build towers and castles and robots (Josh and Daddy taught them how to do that. All I can really do is stack.) Anyways, here's Emma with one of her masterpieces. She topped it off with a toy snake and a birthday noisemaker. Nice.

A Nice Surprise!

Emma just peepeed on the big girl potty! BIG happy dance!

It's just the beginning, but we're stoked!

STEAMROLLER!

This post is kindof dedicated to Titi V. Apparently, I used to steamroll her a lot when we'd spend the night together in jr. high, high school, and maybe even college. For those of you who are not familiar with the steamroller, it's when you roll yourself over another person's body. It's a great way to wake someone up! Anyways, we've had a lot of dreary, rainy days here...and at times I've been at a loss as to how to keep my kids entertained (since we haven't been getting to the park so often.) So, I pull the mattress out of Emma's crib sometimes and lay it on the floor and let them jump. No, it's probably not the safest thing in the world, but I play lifeguard. The other day, I taught them how to steamroll. They don't roll over anyone...just across the mattress and into a pile of blankets and pillows yelling "steamroller!" Here's a video for you V.