Happy Thanksgiving!

Well is everyone ready for Thanksgiving?? I can tell you..that scheduling holidays with 4 sets of families is not a ton of fun.. there's never really a good time. With Grant & Lexi having Joe, Ava, and Luke.. we like to all try to get together so the kids can play, because they are all so close in age.. but with them having in-laws, me having in-laws, and me having 2 sets of parents.. its really a scheduling nightmare.. I'm sure you all know the feelings.. lol.. But.. Its such a blessing to have people you actually like to be around on the Holidays, so that is the ultimate blessings.

So with Thanksgiving just around the corner we have been trying to decide what to get the girls for Christmas.. We are going to be doing Advent with our small group this year and try to establish some fun traditions for the girls as they get older. I'm super excited about this. Terry & Laura (Our Sunday School teachers) wrote an Advent book that showcases songs, little events, and fun things to do with your friends and families to teach your kids about the importance of Christmas, and the true meaning. We are really excited. This will really be the first year they are excited.. and I say "They".. but I mean 'Cross'.. Londyn Lucille doesn't get excited about much.. Mainly bracelets, puffs, and magnets.. So she will be excited about that..

We did Phase out the Giant.. (Grim Reaper).. He has been in our yard since October.. Cross's best friend.. "The Giant".. but it was getting really windy and cold. So we decided to take her to Big Lots and let her pickout her own giant.. There were plenty to choose from.. Giant Santa's, Reindeer's, Shivering Snowmen, Norman Snowmen, Olaf, a Polar Bear.. I mean there were some good options.. She wasn't really that excited about any of them honestly.. but she picked the Reindeer.. Now, the one thing she DID get excited about.. was a giant Monkey.. but this one didn't inflate. He was just a super soft stuffed monkey. She hugged him.. (I should have known better than to take her over there.. but I'm a glutton for punishment apparently) and when I told her she had to tell him goodbye, she said "Ok Monkey.. I have to go bye bye.. I see you next time" It was so sad.. She will probably get him for Christmas because I'm a sucker.. #dummy. I can't stand their little faces to be sad. LL has the perfect sad face..

This is not the full extent of it.. but if you were to take away those markers.. you would see it come in full form.. So we'll see what Santa has in store for them. I wasn't really going to do Elf On a Shelf.. but.. They both really loved the Pout Pout Fish Book they got for their birthday.. so I think they would like reading a story and then searching for their elf.. so we'll see. Cross is already super excited about Christmas Lights and Christmas tree decorations. This is going to be a really fun year with them. Cille gets excited about bling.. which means she will really love the trees at Gigi's house!

I thought about working on Potty training for about 30 minutes.. then realized we would be driving 3432 places this week, so I should prob wait until we get back into town. I feel like Cross could be ready.. but I'm not sure.. We'll see.. I know for a fact that Cille could care less. She would be happy Poopin' her pants all day long.. lol.. Hopefully.. HOPEFULLY.. she will grow out of that.

But.. as this time of year approaches.. and as I've gone through the whole Nicu/premature baby thing with my friend Kristen.. I've realized I have a whole lot to be thankful for. Don't know how many of you have been following the Blog from Rory, and "Joey+Rory".. but its just been heartbreaking. She's 40 and dying.. and her baby is not even 2. When I think about leaving my girls, it hurts my heart.. I can't imagine anyone else raising them, or laughing with them.. or teaching them.. They are such unique children that I know no one else in the whole world would love them like I do..and she's going to have to leave that baby to a world without her mama in it.. It just hurts my soul. When I look at my girls, I can't imagine anyone choosing to not be around them, or squeeze them, or play with them daily.. but I know that is always a possibility.. So I always want to be here for them.. to protect them, and to raise them. So with that said, I have a lot to be thankful for.. 

1) My Amazing God, My Amazing Church & Church Family.. 

2) My Beautiful Healthy Family.. Sweet Husband, My Sweet girls and dog babes

3) My awesome family of people who love me and take care of me, and more importantly HELP me.. lol. Some days I need a break, or a day off, and they are awesome about coming to my rescue! 

4) The fact that I am healthy, and for the most part, my body still works. And the fact that I was able to carry twins..That makes me proud of my body.. flabby and all.. 

5) That I have a good job, that allows me to live in a beautiful neighborhood, drive a nice car, and provide for my family. 

So with that Said.. Have a great Thanksgiving!! 

March Madness!

I have recently found out that 2 of my friends are pregnant again after having their first baby a couple of years ago..And I have two other friends pregnant with Twins..When I first heard this and we were talking about those first few weeks when you find out.. You are so nervous! You have to wait until 8 weeks to find out if those words "Pregnant" on the pregnancy test are really true.. I found out I was pregnant when I was only TEN DAYS pregnant.. So yeah, the wait to 8 weeks seemed like FOREVER..

You are also, at that point, just pregnant enough to feel weird, but not awful.. Your body has no concept of whats about to happen.. Or at least mine didn't.. Every Twitch, nauseous feeling makes you think.. "Is The baby ok,? Is something wrong with the baby? Is something wrong with me?".. I mean those first 8 weeks are rough..

I realized as everyone was talking about the woes, and joys of being pregnant.. that I don't really remember much of my pregnancy. I remember little details, and things that happened, but it really was a whirlwind.. and for a second, my ovaries twitched thinking "Would I want to have another baby?"... The answer is NO.. but it made me realize that when I found out I was pregnant...then pregnant with TWINS....then pregnant with twin GIRLS.. that it all just went by so fast! It seems like it was just one shocking event after the other!

For those of you who have never read the story about MJ and I finding out we were pregnant... then having twins.. Here's this link.. I seriously could not tell the story better than this time.. KC IS PREGNANT! 

So needless to say, it was one shocking event after another.. then the girls arrived.. I realized that when you are pregnant with twins, there really is no 'blissful' period in which you get to sit back and just enjoy being pregnant.. I went from feeling sickish and bloated.. to feeling HUGE... to not being able to stand for more than 5 minutes.. to Modified Bed Rest.. to even BIGGER and Heavier.. And not being able to move without pain, and not being able to sleep.. To worrying about having them early (Pre-mature labor happens frequently with twins).. to worrying about having them naturally.. I mean it was kinda never ending..

The good thing, for me, anyway, is other than all those things, which I think is the result of building two giant babies, was that I had it pretty good.. I never had high blood pressure, heartburn, preeclampsia, swelling.. nada.. Everything was pretty good on that regard.. but I swear its because I took a million vitamins a day.. I mean I seriously took 25 Vitamins per day.. For real.

So maybe if I wasn't an old bat.. I might think of having another baby someday.. like when the girls were four or five and they could HELP me.. I have no desire to have one when I have Toddlers. Crosslee doesn't even want to share me with Londyn, who has been here FROM THE BEGINNING.. So yeah, she's not going to want to share me with some new little being.. But I do wish I had had the opportunity to enjoy it more.. I think when you have two babies you miss some of the magic of pregnancy, and the magic of infancy. I'm also WAY more likely to have twins again, after having spontaneous, fraternal twins the first time outta no where.. so yeah, you all know I would be THAT guy that had another set of Twin girls.. and then MJ would cry himself to sleep at night.. lol

I was not a fan of the infancy phase..The First few months are pretty terrible.. Two crying, hungry, small humans that are literally sucking your life.. lol.. Now they are 22 months, and I wouldn't have it any other way.. but the no-sleeping, no reward infancy phase is ROUGH with twins.. People don't get it until they have ONE baby.. then they will come up to Jordan and I and say "Man, I don't know how you guys survived".. Honestly, we don't either.. but now we agree its awesome, and we are super grateful for our healthy, happy girls.. But I will say.. Yes, if you only had one, your life was easier, and I'm jealous of your pregnancy bliss, and bonding time with baby.. I will also say, if you are reading this and pregnant with twins.. Check yourself.. Crap is about to get real..

So in other news.. Londyn saw her speech therapist last week. It went well.. Is she saying any more words? No.. but she did get her to ask for More by bringing.... wait for it...... Conversation hearts candy! lol.. Both Londyn and Cross loved those. Its funny because when the therapist comes over Cross really kinda thinks its for her.. so she takes all her toys and trinkets and plays with them and just loves it.. not realizing that its really supposed to be helping Londyn. Londyn did stay in the room this time though, so we are making progress!

Gigi and Pa took the girls last weekend. Mom had some puppies at the farm that she was placing and wanted to take the girls pics with the dogs.. However, Cross hated the dogs. Which is shocking. Cross loves all animals all the time...but there were 10 puppies and I guess it was a little overwhelming.. so it didn't really happen.. But they had a good time with Pa and Gigi..

On Sunday mom brought the girls back and stayed the night.. so the next day I took off work and we took the girls to the Science Museum.. They LOVE going there.. mainly because they have so many places where they can just run, be free, and play with stuff.. Londyn loves going up and down things.. and Cross loves the tumbling blocks.. and they both love the Water Tables.. They were soaked, but had a great time.

I also found a treasure on Craigslist.. A Climbing castle with a slide.. So Lance, My co-worker and I successfully picked that up over a lunch period without being stabbed, shot at, or having our Achilles cut.. Craigslist Success!

This weekend our neighborhood is having an Easter Egg Hunt. Not sure the girls will care much about it.. but Cross loves opening those little eggs and finding treasures, and Londyn loves running.. so it will be a win either way!

Oh! And I Love Amazon Prime.. I already loved it because you get free 2 day shipping on everything.. Which is awesome.. but now I love Amazon Prime MUSIC.. They have all the Il Divo Songs! I'm in heaven.. thank you Amazon Prime, yet again...

So.. one more thing.. If you didn't watch EMPIRE on TV this season.. you are missing out. Seriously one of the best shows on.. Oh, and that new show Secrets and Lies is pretty good too.. But not nearly as good as EMPIRE, so on demand it..

Oh, and one more thing, can you believe its been 5 years since I've been off the radio? Yeah.. I know.. tragic.. I still feel it everyday too.. But I'm still drinking from my Saucer.. Cuz my cup has overflowed.. Tis true.