Branson Vacation Magic!

Hey Everyone! We've been busy at my house.. A few weeks ago we all piled into Dolly (my Sweet Mini Van) and went to Branson with Gigi & Pa..

WE had an awesome time! Drive there was pretty and I'm not sure if I made us stop more to pee, or the girls.. but the beauty of having girls is I can blame it on them either way.. The girls watched Wizard of Oz and I read my book.. Overall not a bad drive with twin 4 year olds!

WE did a bunch of fun things.. But here are a few of the highlights.. First the place we stayed was incredible. IT was called The Lodges at Timber ridge.. From the Welk Resorts.. Holy Moly.. Awesome. 3 bedroom lodge/type place, 2 fireplaces, giant balcony, big Porcelain Tub.. I mean it was just beautiful and awesome..and we all loved it! The other great thing they had.. was tons of stuff to do, including a Christmas Elf that came to tell your kids bedtime stories, and gave them Cookies & milk! The girls loved that.. and even though the elf mispronounced "Rendezvous" (which made us laugh secretly at her because it was a rhyming story and she said "Ron-Dee-Voss).. she was still pretty awesome.. And the girls loved her. So that was amazing..

The Butterfly Garden was also great. We had bought a Groupon before we went, so it saved us a little money.. And we had a great time. Now, I realize in these pics the girls look like Snow White.. just welcoming Butterflies to land on and love them.. however, that was not entirely accurate.. Cross may or may not have swatted and ran from them at some point.. Londyn liked them pretty good and she was not bothered by them.. but Cross didn't like them swarming her (which they do b/c you are holding a nectar flower up to them) so there's that..

They showed a cool litter Monarch Butterfly Movie and the girls got some butterfly treasures that they liked.. Londyn is still talking about it..

Next Stop was the Drive-Thru Zoo.. (WHO KNEW).. The Drive Through Portion was not as awesome as the part where we got to get out. Cross got to see TWO huge live Owls.. which made her day.. Later that night when she was saying her Prayers she said "Thank you God for those owls".. lol.. We got to feed Kangaroos, Goats & Camels..

The weather was nice, so we just walked around and enjoyed the animals.. Next Stop was the singing Diner.. Mel's Hardluck Diner is in the Grand Village Shops, and the wait staff all sings songs while you eat.. Well one of the waitresses of course found Pa to sing too.. (this always happens to Steve.. they can sense fear and discomfort and go right for it) and the girls thought this was amazing.

Then we had to go to the giant Chair and let the girls sit in it.. (because thats what everyone who visits Branson does) 

We also happened to run into Santa and Mrs. Claus while we were there.. He was a really good Santa, and Mrs. Claus had Candy canes, so winning! There was a lot of times on this trip we heard "Are they twins?"..........Me-- YES.. "REALLY???".. We get that a lot.. 

WE saved one of our evenings for the Dixie Stampede.. Let me tell you Jordan was less than enthusiasitc about this.. He thought it was going to be a Dolly Parton Concert.. which would have been fine with me.. but we all had so much fun! The show was awesome, food was awesome, service was aweosme and the girls loved it! They bring you out chicken, bread, potatoes.. all to eat without utensils.. which yes, does get messy, but it was really good food! They did a really moving Nativity Story and some really funny horse-riding racing fun! It was great! 

The girls also got to sleep in a big Queen bed together which they thought was awesome.. I tell you, they may fight.. and tattle.. and everything else, but their sweet little bond makes my heart happy! Did I mention that our Lodge also had an Indoor waterslide? YUP! So Saturday we spent swimming and going down the giant waterslide 223 times.. I saw WE.. I mean Pa and Jordan.. Mom and I supervised from the side-lines.. But the girls had a blast with their daddy and Pa catching them at the end of the slide! 

Oh.. and did I also mention that we all dressed alike one day? Yeah.. how could I forget that magic!!! (Watch for matching PJ's at a later date) 

On Saturday we went down by Table Rock lake and looked at all the sites.. they had a Riverboat Party Cruise.. but it was docked because the wind was blowing really hard that day.. but it was pretty scenery.. the leaves were changing and everything looked pretty. We had pretty good weather the whole time we were down there.. 

The only Schmowy, ruiney portion of the trip was Silver Dollar City.. A cold front moved on and it was COLD.. Now I realize this is probably user error on our part.. But I was calling it bad named that rhyme with "City" by the end of the evening.. WE didn't leave to go out there until around 3..and there had been a wreck on the main highway to get out there.. so traffic was backed up for about 1.5 hours.. in which I had to pee.. and I couldn't hold it.. so yeah, I had to pee on the side of the road.. #country And by the time we got to the front of the line for 'Preferred parking".. they were SOLD OUT and sent us on down to the commoner parking.. which was about 982 miles away.. in which we had to get on a BUS to get to the entrance.. so after we do that it was almost dark and we got in line to ride ONE ride.. That ALSO closed once we got to the front of the line #thisshouldhavebeenasign... But we powered on.. by then it was very dark.. lots of awesome lights, but we have no idea what we are doing, or where to go.. so we ended up staying for the Light-up Tree, and the Lighted Parade which was really good..  But overall.. we would do something different with that.. go earlier.. stay later.. etc.. We will be ready next time! 

ON Sunday morning we got up to go have Breakfast at this great little Place called Grandma Ruth's Cinnamon Rolls or something like that.. and it was great.. and we even had a guy.. at EIGHT O CLOCK IN THE MORNING performing.. He sang "Somewhere over the Rainbow" and Londyn was an instant Fan! She jumped on stage with him to help him finish and he gave her a picture.. it made her day.. 

Now.. why is he singing at 8? No clue.. Was he on key? Not really.. But.. We appreciated the effort.. What we didn't appreciate was Crosslee spilling her 'coffee' all over the floor..then somehow flipping out of her chair and into the floor.. Because that was NOT ideal.. but #kids  So there you go.. It can't be perfect ALL the time.. But we did have a pretty perfect trip. The girls loved it, and we also had a much better time than we thought we were going to have! We will be ready to do it next year.. 

Now we have moved into the Christmas Season.. Hope you guys had an amazing Thanksgiving.. ours was EVENTFUL.. but I'll write about that next week.. b/c too much drama for one post.. see you then! 

Fall Festivus

 OH Man. This year is flying by. I cannot believe we are already in October. This is by FAR the girls favorite month.. I think even more than Christmas. Cross was so excited to make our house "Spooky" and put out the pumpkins out.. Thankfully we had lots of decor left over from "Twin O Ween" their 4th birthday party..  We also inflated the Giant, they still really love him.. But of course... The most exciting thing.. was when we drove home and found that our neighbors had put out the girls bestie, "Bloody Clown"

They immediately jumped out of the car, and ran over with the other clown from our house.. claiming that that bloody Clown wanted to be with his "Dad".. and wanted to hang there by him.. I don't know what to tell you.. they are weird kids. Londyn even wants to be a 'bloody Clown' for Halloween.. I mean I can honestly say, I'm happy they aren't scared of things.. and I'm happy they even treat bloody clowns with respect and kindness.. lol

I even made them some weird creepy pumpkins with their eyes and mouths on them.. Most people found them bizarre, but the girls did enjoy them.

Radio gig is going well. I love being back on the air. I've been talking about all the Pumpkin Patches that are opening, and all the fall events. We went to the State Fair this year. It was the first time we had taken the girls and they LOVED all of it.. but Especially the rides. They wanted to ride every roller coaster and ride! They had a blast.

They are doing a little better with School, and I just love the place they are going. Their teachers are awesome and they come home talking about all the things they learn. They have "homework" on Mondays and we go over the latest letter they are learning drawing and tracing it.. its pretty cute.

We tried Karate.. we tried Dance.. We tried Gymnastics.. and I'm going to be honest.. I don't care. I mean I was worried about having them in things to do.. but honestly with school and church and all the visiting with the grandparents.. We don't really NEED more to do. They aren't that excited about anything we take them too.. they like it, they do it.. but they don't really ask about going again.. so right now we are just going to relax a little bit and enjoy them being kids. When they get home, they like playing with the Barbie Dream house and just hanging out, and thats ok with me. They have the rest of their lives to do Sports and activities!

This weekend we are going to take pictures with Ponies.. Because why wouldn't we? The lady (Tammy Hall Photography) that has taken our pics in the past now has ponies so we are going to take some cute family pics.. Jordan & I are not riding on the ponies, just FYI. It will be outdoors so hopefully this awesome fall weather will stay awesome. The girls went to Gigi's last weekend and found some kittens they loved.. they are also still obsessed with their chickens. They just love all animals really..

We are just plugging along in this thing called parenting and life. I'm so grateful everyday for the blessings God has given me. I watched the footage on the Vegas Shooting and it was just heartbreaking. Being a country air-talent, I've been in that same situation so many times.. just enjoying a great concert with good people around me doing the same.. and to think That some heartless moron would open fire on innocent people like that is just heartbreaking. I hate thinking that I'm raising kids in a world where people like that exist.. But I know I'm also raising them in a world where God prevails. We don't always understand why bad things happen to good People, and we Certainly can't fathom the evil of some people's minds.. But we can Trust in the Lord to lead us through the trials, and know that we will come out stronger on the other side. Hope you guys have a great week!

Knock Knock.. Who's there.. Its me! I'm baaaaack!

So.. I'm back on the airwaves! I know! Can you believe it! Its been 7 years.. a LONG 7 years... but a really good 7 years.. I've done a LOT in those 7 years.. Lets see..

I met the man who would become my Husband.. I became an IT project manager.. We bought a house..  I married the Love of my life... We decided to have a baby... ONE Baby.. We prayed about that baby.. God laughed at us and gave us TWO babies.. AT THE SAME TIME.. I started leading a small group at Church.. We survived years 0-4.. We changed jobs a couple of times.. And here we are! 7 Years later!

All of that.. its a Lot.. happened in those 7 years.. and while I've loved every second (well most of those seconds) I've never stopped wanting to go back to doing what I love.. which is Radio. I was blessed early in life to find out what I'm supposed to be doing with my career, and got to do it for 13 years.. and its true.. if you do what you love, its never a job.. Now.. does it still have crap that comes with it? Sure.. but I was still doing what I loved everyday.. at least for 4-5 hours.. and I could suffer through the other 3, and the other ridiculous people that came along with it..

But.. a few weeks ago I got to thinking.. I have a little more time now that the girls are older.. and I think I'd like to get back into it on a part time basis. But there was really only ONE station I wanted to start with, Hank FM 99.7. So I pulled up their website, and hit the 'contact us' link.. and emailed them.. Shockinly enough.. they actually emailed me back! Within a few day we had setup an interview and I went in and met with Hank's Program director, and Morning show guy, Joe Friday. I told him what I wanted to do.. which was to be a really great part-timer for Hank.. He was excited.. I was excited.. and the rest is history! I start the new Part time Gig tomorrow! I'll be on the air from 1-5 on Saturday and 12-4 on Sundays.. so please.. Crank it to hank! You can listen online, and they also have an app! What! So that is something I'm super excited about!

Hank App

In other news.. girls are still swimming up a storm.. Cross without Floaties, and Londyn with hers.. Pops & Grammy (Kirby and Joni) took us all (Grant, Lexi, me, Spouses, and Kids) to Great Wolf Lodge last weekend and man we all had a great time! We had 6 kids 4 and under! All the Cousins love each other, and were so excited to see one another! They all had a blast hanging out with each other and racing around Great Wolf.. doing slides, water guns, swimming, splashing and just having fun.. and we all got to hang out and enjoy each other and the kids! It was pretty crowded on Saturday, but on Friday and Sunday it wasn't that bad.. and the kids enjoyed it the WHOLE time anyway! Its actually really nice because you really don't have to leave the place if you didn't want to.. they have restaurants, little stores, arcades, shops, etc.. And.. there's a groupon right now for it if you want to check it out!  We were also celebrating Pops Birthday so we took him out to Pappadeax, which was excellent.. So Thanks Pops and Grammy for a great weekend!

I can't believe its almost time for the girls to start Pre-K.. They will go on August 21! So many things to worry about.. and so many things to celebrate.. but "School" makes it real that they are 4! I feel like age 3 just flew right past! The girls are very entertaining right now.. Cross told me this morning that she has 4 baby chickens at her work.. and she drives there in her purple car and makes 2 coins each day! lol.. Londyn will look at us and say "Hey Baby Baby" but it sounds like "Bay Buh Bay Buh".. They love Bruno Mars songs.. and their favorites are Uptown Funk, and 24K magic.. I've had to remind them several times how important the "N" is in Funk.. lol But.. they just love all music which I'm super grateful for.. Now to get them to love Me on the radio.. on Hank fm.. You guys have a great day! 

When you split your pants..

Well continuing the saga of my ever embarrassing, choking, life...

Last week Jordan and I decided to grab the girls and head to BJ's for dinner.. I love BJ's for a lot of reasons.. 1) They have big, round booths.. (Big Round booths are great for trapping your children.. while also giving them freedom to play and enjoy dinner..) 2)They have Dark, DARK beer. I am a fan of Dark beer. They have a Tatonka Stout which I find delightful. 3) They have Pasta.. and Pazookies.. Pazookies are half-baked cookies in a skillet full of magic and wonderment. Its delicious..

So as we are about to pull up, I reach down.. and realize I feel something weird.. That something weird.. is my flesh.. I have torn my pants in the crotch area..  Now.. at this point I have two options. 1) Go home, change pants, go back out.. or.. 2) Power through this.  I chose option Number 2.. Now you might be saying, "KC, have you no self worth?You are seriously just going to go into an eating establishment with torn pants?"..... Hi, sorry.. yes.. Yes I am.. Because I needed a Beer.. and I needed some Pasta.. and those car seats are a huge pain to get the girls in and out of.. Because we were already there and I didn't want to turn around and go back.. Because I was hungry.. I mean I could go on.. but I won't.. The good thing is.. No one seemed to notice the big pant rip.. I wore my coat.. and didn't gallivant throughout the restaurant.. So I felt like it was a win. You'll be happy to know, I did throw the pants away.. and not continue to wear them..

Crosslee's obsession with Michael Jackson is still strong. Its mainly about "Smooth Criminal" the song, and wearing sequins or glitter, or lame' or anything shiny. Those are the things she associates with Michael.. For Christmas, she got several pairs of sequin pants.. Silver and Gold seem to be her favorite.. This week she wanted to wear the silver ones to church, so we put them on.. but when we got home, we realized she had torn a hole in the crotch.. Jordan's response "Like Mother, like Daughter".. lol...

These are some more awesome examples of 'Jackson' pants.. As you can see, Cille likes hers pretty good too, but she doesn't demand to wear them every time she goes out of the house.. Its really unfortunate Cross wasn't born in the 80's.. she truly fits the part.. 

IN other news.. Londyn has officially become "Normal"... if you recall when she was 18 months old our Pediatrician recommended we have her evaluated because she didn't say very many words.. MJ and I were never really worried about this.. but we knew she wasn't where she was supposed to be vocally.. so we took her to Sooner Start.. We got synced up with an Amazing Therapist who has worked with Londyn Since then.. and now she is officially being discharged from the program because she basically never shuts up. I will say, that as her mom, its been hard.. its so hard not to compare your child to other kids.. or even their siblings.. Our Therapist always assured us that we were doing the right things, and told us little things to work with her on..and with her help, Cille Blossomed! She is now talking non-stop, counting, coloring, naming colors, and is a little social butterfly. 

Cross is a very Precocious learner.. She's weird, and does things way before she is supposed to.. being that we have 2, we wondered why Cille wasn't the same way.. but the answer is.. all kids are different.. and they all develop at Different times. At 2, Cille didn't know her animals, shapes, colors, or Numbers.. Cross knew all of this stuff and spoke full on sentences.. What I've realized through the process is that as long as your child is making any sort of progress...whether it be saying a new word, or even mumbling a new sounds.. ITS PROGRESS. So don't get too worked up about the timelines, and charts that your kids are 'supposed to be' reaching.. they will get there.. But.. also, don't ignore obvious things that they aren't doing, because early intervention is the key for sure.. So be aware. I was always reading and asking a million questions being that I had never had kids before.. 

We are headed to Western Oklahoma this weekend. Pa & Gigi.. They will be gone the next month of weekends to stock shows and such.. so we are going for a quick Visit this weekend... Then we have Cousin Luke's 1st Birthday Party on Sunday.. should be a fun time! 

Toddler for Rent...

Man.. I have to just get this off my chest.. Its been bothering me for awhile, and I've been praying about it.. Because I'm the first to admit, I don't really have all the answers when it comes to marriage, Kids, or parenting.. or about 90% of other things.. But I am one helluva Whistler, so there's that.. Anyway..

I've realized I have become pretty cynical when it comes to being a parent.. If you have kids, you will know what I'm about to talk about.. and if you don't, prep yourself.. Or don't.. because you may be one of the "Rainbows, Unicorns & Magic" parents that posts on Facebook all the time about your perfect life and children that are made of roses and magic beans, and how no sleep and screaming kids has only brightened your complexion and made you lose weight.. Good on ya' but thats not real in my world.

My life is not perfect.. but its pretty great. I have amazing Parents, an Amazing Church, Healthy, Happy Kids, Great Friends, and I serve an Awesome God.. But I have found that lately.. if and when I have to do anything that is out of my comfort zone (My comfort zone is driving to work, working, and going home, lol).. I'm just put-out with the whole thing. Part of this is because I'm TIRED. Truly Tired.. MJ & I have our house on the market and I don't know if you have ever tried cleaning a house, staging it, and keeping it clean with twin toddlers, but its not easy.. Keeping it clean will be the hardest of all! lol.. So I'm tired.

Cross is going through (What some are calling a stage, but its been going on for a year now, lol) a stage in which she is clingy, whiny and repeats things 3210 times. The Irony is that she is only like this with me. She is a perfect darling with everyone else..She acts amazing with my mom, with Jordan, with Leslie...  But with me.. She's kindof a terror.. Like the second I come home this is how it goes:

Crosslee--"Icicle.. Icicle... Icicle?" 

ME--Cross, you just had a popcicle, so No

Cross--Icicle, Icicle Icicle Icicle Icicle Icicle, Icicle Icicle Icicle Icicle?

Me--Cross, You Just had one, we are going to wait till dinner for anything else. 

(Lays down in the floor and starts to cry and whine, then gets backup)

Cross--Cheese?

Me--No, we are waiting to eat dinner

Cross--Cheese?Cheese?Cheese?Cheese?Cheese?Cheese?Cheese?Cheese?

Me--Crosslee, No. We are waiting to eat dinner. You have had plenty of snacks

Cross--Milk?

Me--No, you just finished your milk. 

Leslie the Nanny--Yes, Cross, you have had 3 snacks already.. 

Cross--(Lays down in the floor again and begins to cry, then goes over and pushes her sister)

Me--CROSS. We do NOT push our sister, Go sit in your naughty Chair..(I proceed to walk her to her room and sit her in her chair while she is sobbing. 

Crosslee then comes back out of the room.. 

Cross--Puffs?

Me--Crosslee. We are not having any snacks. We are going to wait to eat dinner, then you can have more food. 

Cross--NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (begins to cry and sob again, so I walk her back into her room and sit her in the naughty chair, and I go back in the living room. 

Wait for 1 minute..... Here comes Cross.. She has the naughty chair IN HER HANDS and sits it down beside me..  

Cross--Toads?

Me--Ok. we can go outside and look for Toads.. ( I begin to walk outside to look for toads)

Cross--MAAAAAAAAA MAAAAAAAA!! Lays down sobbing because I have walked 2 ft away from her, and she is certain I'm never coming back.. (Even though she knows the back yard is not a door to oblivion)

So.. yes.. this is how my days go when I come home. Yes, I know its probably just a phase.. but its a ROUGH phase.. Its even worse when we are in the car because she will go on for hours..

Cross-- "Get in car? Get in Car?

Me--Yes, lets go get in the car. 

Cross--OK (we go get in the car and drive away)

Cross--Get out? Get Out? Get out? Get Out? Get out? Get Out? Get out? Get Out? Get out? Get Out? 

Me--Cross, we can't get out until we get there, so just wait a few more minutes. 

Cross--Go Play?

Me--yes, we are going to the church to play. We will be there in just a few minutes. 

Cross--Ice Cream?

Me--No, we are going to play. 

Cross--Starts sobbing.. ICE CREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

Me--No we are going to go play.. don't you want to go play with your friends at church?

Cross--Go play? Go Play? Go play? Go Play? Go play? Go Play? Go play? Go Play?

This is seriously how it goes. If you don't believe me, you can Ask Leslie Or Jordan... I mean its EXHAUSTING. And remember, this is just part 1 of my 2 kids.. Thankfully Londyn Lucille is pretty mild Mannered, but she has also decided to start laying on the floor and acting out.. but since she doesn't really talk yet, I haven't heard as much of it.. Hers is mainly just whining and crying. She has her moments, but her moments are a lot fewer than Crosslee's.. But I'm guessing she will catch up, then I can write a blog about her..lol

Now Granted, this is just one aspect of their personalities.. They have moments when they are shiny happy little people.. But unfortunately they sometimes save those moments for people other than their mom. I have read about this, and I know its normal.. but as a result, it doesn't make me real likely to want to get in the car and ride with them.. And this kind of thing can happen in Restaurants as well (they don't like to be confined).. so MJ's and I solution to this.. is just to stay home, or only go to 'safe zones' or places that require us to drive for about 15 min at the Max.. But we realize that we have people that want to see the girls that live farther away than 10 min.. so we make the trip.. But by the time we get there I literally am wanting to pull all the hair out of my head, lol..

So I'm going to have to re-group. I'm going to have to get more patient. I'm going to have to suck it up..and get through this, and realize that this is something most parents go through.. Its just that they usually have ONE kid and I have TWO.. But I'm writing this to let you know that OTHER PEOPLE DO GO THROUGH THIS.. My kids are freakin cute.. Really adorable.. and at times they are AWESOME.. and Hilarious, and well-behaved! Cross has the most amazing manners.. She said Please, and Thank you, and counts to 10... She's Crazy smart.. And Londyn is so squishy and funny. She speaks in weird robot talk, and could play in the sand for hours entertaining herself..

But its not all rainbows and roses when you are a parent. Its TOUGH. Its Guilt-inducing, Its maddening, Its Tiresome, Its Selfless, Its Annoying, Its Confusing!! But.. Its also Inspiring, Rewarding, Special, Spiritual, Hilarious, & its limited.. because even though you will always be the parent.. There will be times when I know I will look back on this phase of life and be sad that Cross doesn't cry anymore when I walk away from her.. Or wonder why she quit giving me 20 hugs a day and asking to sit on my lap. Or Londyn running over to me and saying "TEN!" Time is passing.. and it goes quickly..

So instead of viewing all these things as nuisances.. I'm going to try to view them as opportunities.. Opportunities from God to raise a good child. Opportunities for our families to form lasting, awesome relationships with our babies. Opportunity for me to learn to be more patient, and not always be in a hurry for the next phase to start. Opportunities to be silent and know that God is God, and he is going to see me through whatever trial I'm having, Whatever trial the girls are having, and know that he is present and he doesn't make mistakes.. Even when I think I have screwed it up beyond Measure. Its all perspective.. and mine has sucked lately.. But the good news is.. I have time to change it, and I'm going to start right now.. But lets be honest.. this is not easy. Its hard to get excited about your kid having an all out tantrum, and viewing it as an opportunity.. but I know that God doesn't' give me more than I can handle.. However, I can only handle it so many times a day, so if I don't meet you for dinner, or come to your party.. don't be mad.

Two Lanes of Freedom

I think its pretty safe to assume by now that everyone is sick of Winter.. I was thinking it was extra terrible this year.. then I read my blog last year where I was also crying about it.. so I think the theme is by this time of year, we all get sick of Winter..

Londyn has now had two appointments with her therapist.. so far it consists of Londyn running from  her. lol Londyn is very independent and her favorite thing in life is exploring.. So it is very hard to convince her to stay in one place very long.. She was not much fun at Christmas opening presents because she just ran off! But.. the nice thing is the therapist is very patient and just follows her around. Right now we are working with her asking for things. She's never really had to do that because if Cross asked for a snack..we just automatically gave Londyn one.. Or if Cross wanted a banana, we just gave Londyn the other half.. Plus Londyn is just not a demanding child.. Cross is.. So when she wants something we just give one to LL figuring she will want one eventually anyway.. lol

We'll see how it goes. I'm not too worried about it..She is a super happy girl that loves to explore, play in her sand, and drink her smoothies, so life is good. Being that we have had such crummy weather we have been looking for fun things to do with them.. So we went to the Science Museum last Sunday and had a great time! Londyn loved just running all over the place and they have a nice, enclosed place for the younger kids to play safely.. They both loved the tumbling mats.. Except for Cross thought she was 10 and could tumble with the 10 year olds.. So I had to move her to keep them from smashing her.. But You couldn't convince her that she couldn't 'flip' like they were flipping.. Its a fun place to take Toddlers..and while they are 2 and  under, they get in free.. which is good because for adults its like $15, and we don't get to have that much fun, lol

Mom came up yesterday and stayed the night..then she took the girls to the farm this weekend.. Dad will probably come and get LL tomorrow morning to play with him and Grammy J in Sentinel.. They had Cross last time, so now its LL's turn.. I think its important for them to spend time apart and get to enjoy some 1 on 1 with their grandparents.. plus watching ONE of them is so much easier than BOTH of them.. Other Twin parents tell me that once they turn like 3 or 4 it is much easier than having just one because they will play and entertain each other.. I hope that is true..because right now its just trying to keep them from fighting each other.. Cross wants to play with LL..but LL wants no part of it..

Cross has been getting in trouble this week for being mean to Londyn by pushing her, and taking all her stuff.. and for being mean to the dogs. She LOVES the dogs.. LOVES them.. but has no concept of why she can't chase them.. squeeze them.. or swat them with her broom.. so we have been learning hard lessons this week. Hopefully that will be short lived. Cross has such a kind spirit for animals that I don't think it will take too long..

We aren't looking forward to the so called "Terrible Two's".. Several of the folks in our small group have 2 year olds and it sounds frightening so far.. No one wants to have 'that kid' that bites.. spits.. or hits other kids.. So hopefully they will learn that those things are not acceptable..

I was looking back at my Timehop from a year ago and its been a year since the girls  had their Church Dedication, and since Leslie (nanny) started with us.. What a difference a year makes.. Its been a great one though. So thankful for all the people in our lives that love the girls..and so Thankful for our new small group at church.. We are all so excited to watch our kiddos' grow up together.. What a cool blessing.

I have to say, and this is going to sound pretty sappy for me, since I'm NOT a high-feeler.. Watching the world turn through the eyes of a child has been pretty incredible..

 Everyday Cross finds something new and exciting..and its as small as opening up her play dough container.. she will say "Ohh!!" like its the most exciting thing.. Watching Londyn trek through the snow and smash it with her boots..taking in every step that she takes and listening to the sound it makes.. Seeing the shock on Cross's face when I tell her that Payslee does NOT like to be swept with the broom.. Laughing at Londyn who sings herself to sleep each night with the prettiest little voice.. Giggling at Cross when she says "byyyyeeeee" in a southern Accent when I leave.. or "Oh No!" when something drops on the floor.. The innocence in their faces and the joy is just so awesome to watch..














Here's some things I've learned from my Toddlers

1) Be Careful who you trust-- Cross is very picky when it comes to people she loves.. but when she loves them, she loves them with all her heart. She's scared of strangers, but she warms up pretty quickly once they prove they are 'good' to her..

2) Appreciate the Details-- Londyn loves to examine the tiniest details on things.. the way things work. Sometimes we overlook the details because we are in such a rush to get to the next big thing. She will study magazines, her books and her blocks to see how they are made.. the way the work, and whats inside. She can't be rushed when she is reading her books.

3) Appreciate Surprises-- Some people hate surprises because they like to be in control of what happens next. When you surprise toddlers with something new, or show them a new trick, or even jump out from behind the chair.. its seriously the best thing in their world.

4) Mom's Make Everything Better-- I've always known this about my mom, and I hope my girls always feel that way about me. Cross is going through a phase (its been a LONG phase, lol) where she wants all my attention, all my hugs, and all my playtime. Being that she has a twin, I can't do this all the time, but I always make time for her, even if that means stopping what I'm doing just to pick her up and carry her for awhile. I know she won't always want to be around me every second.. I grew up having the mom everyone loved, wanted to be around, and i was always so proud she was mine. Thats what I strive for. My Mom and My Grandma were the best examples of how to be a good Mama. I'm so fortunate to have both of them.

5) Outside is a beautiful thing--I spend all day indoors, but I've always loved being outside, and so do my girls. They love going to the farm to explore new things.. They love sunshine on their face.. They have no concept of why they can't go outside when its 15..all they want to do is go outside and enjoy that freedom. They don't even need a reason to go outside.. they just want to be out there in God's Canvas..

6) Never overlook an opportunity for an adventure--I let Crosslee walk around the block in the falling snow.. because she thought it was awesome. I can guarantee you that I would NOT have done that had she not kept walking, but she did...and we both had an awesome adventure making tracks in the falling snow, tasting it on our lips, and dancing in other people's yards!

7) Love Your Spouse--My girls are so happy when we are all sitting around the dinner table, or at a resturant. Cross loves to do a "roll call" of who's there.. "Da Mome! (me) "Dae!" (daddy) "EES" (sissy) JA! (the owl) and she smiles so big once she checks off the fact that everyone is sitting there.. Londyn loves it before bedtime when we are all sitting and reading books. They both KNOW we are present, we are there, and we always will be. MJ hugs me the second he gets home at night and gives me a kiss.. I love that they see how much we love each other, and I love how much he loves them, and sees how much I love them.

8) Enjoy your food-- It takes Londyn LITERALLY an hour to eat.. Why? Because she savors each piece. She cracks me up because she smashes the food into her mouth.. but then chews and chews it.. She picks up each piece, looks at it, and then eats it. She loves biscuits.. and she will pick off each piece and enjoys it. Her face lights up when I bring out fruit.. she literally cheers. I've always been in such a hurry when I'm eating that I forget to enjoy the food sometimes, but Londyn is a true example of enjoying her food!

9) Its good to feel pretty-- When I get the girls ready for church I will say "Go Show Daddy how cute you are" and they run into the living room and he picks them up and tells them how pretty they are.. We all like to feel pretty..and like to be told we are pretty.. With all the pressure these days to be 'perfect'.. sometimes we forget to feel pretty with what we have, even if its not perfect.. I'm healthy, I'm able, and I have great eyelashes.. I'm celebrating that.

10) Its Ok to cry when something, or someone hurts you-- I suck at this. I'm not a cryer. I'm not very emotional.. but sometimes I should be.. People assume that because I'm not eat up with feelings that its ok to hurt mine.. Or to speak to me a certain way.. Well even though I'm not a high-feeler that doesn't put up with a lot of crap... it doesn't give people the right to talk to me ugly, or say things that hurt my feelings.. Toddlers are all about instant gratification.. If something happens they don't like, they cry. I sometimes wonder if I could get away with more if I just started kicking, screaming and falling out when I didn't like something someone said or did.. lol.. That would be SO great.

So even though they are little ego maniacs that seem to have some sort of a death wish.. we could all stop and learn a lot from our Toddlers.. The most important being God's Grace. Don't you know he looks down and watches us make the same mistakes every. single. day.. Just like we do with our kids.. but he never quits loving us.. He never quits believing in us.. and he never gives up on us. His  Grace, his love, and his compassion over rides every single stupid thing we do. His love is unconditional, just like my love is for the girls.. Even when they test my patience, test my boundaries, and test my intelligence.. they never test my love.. Just like the love of Our Father, its never ending..