Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Long Overdue Update and some Big News

I know it has been a long time since I have updated, but life is just a little crazy around here. We are all doing well. Ella and Emma are growing and learning new things every day. They are trying to figure out how to climb onto and into things right now. I could probably do an entire post of pictures of them sitting/ standing/ climbing in various locations. They are jabbering a lot and beginning to try to repeat some words. It won't be long before we will be able to understand all the wonderful things they keep trying to tell us.

Our New Bible Class
Our church family has been blessed with so many new babies in the last year, they decided to move our girls up to the next class. They seem to be doing very well sitting in their big girl chairs.


Wonderland
We took the girls to Wonderland this summer. They were too little for most of the rides, but they did enjoy the carousel.

Climbing into and out of the cradle is great fun!

Contrary to the looks on our faces, we love lemons!

New Big Girl Car Seats

Ella learning to use a spoon, "Use the other end, sweetheart."

Emma learning to use a spoon (only she wanted to hold onto it with her teeth).

Is this drawer for tupperware or toddlers?

We LOVE to play outside and try to walk in the grass.

Classic Pic: Sitting on the Dishwasher

Sweet Emma Smile

They thought having this bucket on their heads was the funniest thing ever.
(above: Ella, below: Emma)

And now on to the big news. NO, I am NOT pregnant. We are moving! Just across town, but still moving! A month or so ago, I was approached by a lady at our church who has a montessori preschool in her home. She is retiring and offered to sell it to me. After much deliberation, we decided to buy it. This decision requires me to get the Montessori training (which I plan to start in January), and we need room for a classroom. We had already been casually looking for a bigger house, but we really stepped up our search. About 2 weeks ago, we found a great house in a great neighborhood, with 1200 more square feet than we have now, in our price range. We currently have a contingency contract on that house and put our house on the market today. So, we are now doing our best to live in a pristine house until we can get a contract on it, (not an easy task with two almost 16 month olds running around). I will not start the preschool until the girls are 3 and can be in the first class. This will allow me to stay home with them and then follow their school schedule when they are old enough for that to be an issue. We are very excited about this new opportunity, and hope it will work out for the best. Your prayers would be appreciated that this will all work out for the best.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Click Ranch July 2009


We went to my family's ranch in Des Moines, New Mexico for a nice vacation in early July. The girls and I were there for 10 days, but Bryan was only able to be there the weekends. We had a lot of fun with lots of family there to help take care of the girls. At one point there were 20 of us in one house with only 2 bathrooms. Only my cousin, Derek, was not able to be there. Towards the end of the week, Ella and Emma were kind of grumpy, for reasons unknown, but we didn't let that ruin our week. They worked quite a bit on learning to walk while we were there, and really started taking off shortly after we got home. On to the pictures:

Ella and Emma "Riding the Quads"

Our Safety Team

Ella really riding with Daddy

Emma really riding with Daddy

We LOVE the swings Grandy put up for us in the front yard.


Ella

Emma

Reading with Cousin Bryan

Reading with Aunt Connie

Aleisha was a BIG help with her cousins this week!

A Beautiful Sunrise
(It was not I, but Grandy who was up early enough to take these wonderful pictures)

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ella & Emma's First Steps

Look out, Mommy and Daddy!  Here we come!  

Ella and Emma started taking just a few steps this weekend within just a couple of days of each other.  They can now each take about 5-6 steps before losing their balance.  Here is a very brief video of some of the first steps we actually caught on video last night.  Bryan would stand them each up, they would take a few steps, fall or sit, then crawl back to him to do it again.  This went on for about 10 minutes.  The first baby is Emma (wearing pink), then Ella (wearing green).  Finally there is a snippet from the traffic jam we now have in our living room thanks to this new found freedom.


We are super excited about this new milestone.  I guess I need to put on my running shoes to keep up with them now.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Junction, TX


A couple of weeks ago, we went to Junction, TX for vacation with Bryan's family.  We had a nice time visiting, resting, and playing in the river.  Ella, Emma, and I flew down there with Norman and Connie (a.k.a. Datt and Memaw), while Bryan drove with his brother Micah.  

Ella (above) and Emma (below) enjoying a Papa San chair



Emma getting to know Lindsay

Ella and Memaw

Ella and Papa


Ella (above) and Emma (below) playing in the tire swing.  This is very fun!!!

Daddy and Ella in the river


Daddy and Emma in the river

The beautiful house we stayed in

South Llano River

Cousins: Annmarie, Price, Ella, and Emma

Ella splashing and crawling.  Emma trying to eat a rock.

The flight home

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Memorial Day- 1st Zoo and 1st Swim

We had a marvelous Memorial Day.  On this beautiful day, we spent some quality time as a family.  We had been trying for about a month to go to the zoo, but cool, windy, and rainy weather had kept us from going.  However, this morning was sunny, warm, and calm.  We made it to the zoo around 8:45, and had the zoo all to ourselves.  The only other people there were the zoo keepers.   It was a great visit to the zoo.








Is it nap-time?

We decided to wait around for them to let the monkeys out, because what's a visit to the zoo without seeing the monkeys.  We had to wait for the moat around their enclosure to fill with water before they finally let them out.  But, it sure was fun to watch the monkey parade heading out for breakfast.


Later that evening, we went to Memaw and Datt's house for a cookout and Ella and Emma's 1st time in the pool.  The girls love their baths, so we were expecting them to have fun in the pool as well.  Ella, swimming with Daddy, enjoyed it almost instantly, splashing, smiling, and giggling.  Emma, swimming with Mommy, was a little more reserved.  She whimpered and clung to me until we switched girls.  Once she was with Daddy, Emma started splashing and smiling.  We didn't swim for too long, but the girls really had a good time.
Ella and Daddy

Emma's not so sure about all this water


Emma decided it was kind of fun after all

These are just some other fun pictures.
We LOVE our bath!!
  As soon as Mommy turns on the water, we come crawling as fast as we can, pull up onto the step, and watch the water fill the tub.  We just can't wait to get in that water.

Modeling the new dresses Aunt Clora Ann sent us for our birthday.  Don't we look cute?!?

Ella

Emma