The Boys

I just have to say a little something about my boys - not the little boys, the big boys. (Yes, we are trying to figure out what to call everyone - we used to call Gavin and Kaden "the boys" or people would say "the twins", but that doesn't really work now, since the same could be said for either set of twins. So for the time being, we distinguish between the two sets by calling them "the boys" and "the babies". When the babies get older, we will just have to figure something else out.)
Anyway, sometimes I feel like these two just kind of get lost in the mix. There is always a lot going on with Sam since she is in school, and well, it goes without saying, the babies take up a lot of my time and need a lot of attention. But, I have to say, these two boys have really been super. I have seen so much growth in them within the past few months. I think they will always be busy, crazy boys, but lately they have just seemed a little calmer. It seems like I'm not getting after them all the time, and they aren't spending most of the day in time out, which wasn't exactly the case a few months ago. Granted, I'm sure their current obsession with the wii does contribute quite a bit to keeping them out of trouble. I just look at my little boys and don't see babies, or even toddlers anymore. As they like to tell me all the time, they are big boys.
They are going to be 5 in a couple months. Life with twins is so busy all the time, and time definitely moves quickly trying to keep up with them. These two have definitely kept me busy, but honestly, with their cute personalities, all the frustrations are worth it since they keep me rolling every day. They always have something to say! Gavin told me he was "fabulous" the other day. Kaden likes to explain to me how things are going to happen, and exactly what the plan is going to be. The other day they saw something they liked and both told me it was "wicked." They have awesome imaginations! Whenever we see a yellow sports car while we are driving they tell me that it must be "Bumblebee" and every red and blue semi we pass is "Optimus Prime". Once they even told me they saw "Doofenshmirtz" driving around (he is from Phineas and Ferb on the Disney Channel). The other day we were getting them ready to go to their speech class and Gavin came up to me with his sunglasses on and his hat backwards and said "Mom, I'm a PJ". I had to ask him a few times what he was saying, and then he said, "You know, a PJ, the guy who does this (and he moves his hands back and forth) with his hands." "Oh, a DJ!" Yeah, I have no idea where they picked that one up. Kaden also had his hat on backwards, then decided he didn't want to be a DJ, so he turned his hat around right, put on his hoodie, and said, "Mom, I'm a Jedi." They love to make up their own names for things. For instance: Luke Skywalker is "black suit guy" and Wolverine is "scratch man". They love dressing up, and I often see Spider man walking around the house. They also love to wear helmets and masks, can you see a pattern here:
Yes, they love all the boy things; Transformers, Iron man, and right now, their favorite is Star Wars. I can't even tell you how many times we have watched those movies in the past few weeks.

But, my absolute favorite thing about these two is despite their mischievous nature, and the fact they love to tell me "no", they are two super sweet, adorable boys! Pretty often, and for no reason at all, they will come up to me and say "Mom, I love you!" and give me a big hug. They love for me to read to them, love hugs, and even still like to cuddle with me sometimes. I don't even mind it when they tell me, "Mom, you're the man!" (Yes, that is a sure sign there are too many boys in my house!) They are super big brothers, and absolutely love the babies. They also love each other! They are always worried about each other when the other is hurt or not feeling well, and love to give each other hugs after they've hurt each others feelings. These two definitely keep me on my toes, and like to make life interesting for me, but I couldn't love them more!

Filled with Gratitude!

So often in our lives, Mike and I have been reminded that we are definitely not the ones in charge. During the past few weeks, we have yet again seen the Lord's hand in our lives and have felt such amazing gratitude to our loving Father as He continually guides and blesses our family.

Three weeks ago we rushed to get our house on the market in hopes that we would attract some of the buyers who are trying to take advantage of the tax credit incentives going on right now. As well as trying to sell our house, we have been anxiously looking for a home that will be big enough to fit our family's growing needs. We've had a really hard time trying to find something that will be big enough and still within our budget. Two weeks ago, we stumbled on a spec home in a new community not far from where we live. We instantly fell in love with this house. Because they were going to use it as a model home, then decided to bring in a new line of homes instead, it was built with all the extras, not to mention having a floor plan we love. Both Mike and I got teary eyed when we walked into this home, since it was the first one we had found in a year that would work for our family. We both felt a strong confirmation that this was supposed to be our home. Through the amazing efforts of our Realtor, she was able to negotiate the price of the home down into our price range, making it impossible for us to pass up. So, two weeks ago, we signed a contract on the new home, contingent on the sale of our current home within 30 days. Needless to say, since that time we have felt both excited and very anxious. The inside of the new home is not finished yet, so it has been fun for us to be able to pick all the design elements and colors, but they won't start working on it until our current home goes under contract. Within the past few weeks we've had 10 showings but no offers. As the clock ticked by we grew more anxious each day.
Yesterday, we had a second showing for a young couple who was deciding between our house and one other. All day we waited to hear back, and prayed we'd get an offer. Finally, at 9:00 pm last night, our Realtor called to tell us that we had an offer. I can't even begin to explain the relief and elation Mike and I felt. This afternoon we heard back from the buyers that they had accepted our counter offer and we are now officially under contract!
So, here is a picture of our brand new house! It still needs to be painted on the outside, and as of today they can start working to finish the inside as well. If all goes well, we should close by the end of June.
Finally, our babies will have a room of their own, and the kids will have space to be kids! This house is such a huge blessing for us! We have felt guided to this home and I know the Lord has definitely been watching over us. We have been blessed to come across so many amazing people during this process who helped make this happen. It seems that everywhere we turn, people have been going out of their way to help us. I can't even count the amount of tears I've shed, or the prayers I've offered in gratitude. Thank you to all our family and friends who have helped with our kids and have said so many prayers on our behalf. We could not have done this without you! We are ever grateful for your love, your prayers, and your faith!

Taking it one day at a time

I've moved quite a bit in my life and it has never bothered me, in fact I actually enjoy it. I love moving to new places, meeting new people, and just the change in scenery that comes with it. But, in all the moves I've had to make, I haven't had to sell a house until now, and selling a house is something I definitely do not enjoy! We've had the house on the market for about 3 weeks now, and I do have to admit, keeping it clean and show ready really hasn't been as hard as I expected it to be. Of course packing up half the house and moving it to storage has definitely helped quite a bit, but I've gotten into a routine that has helped me keep it clean and able to have it show ready within 30 minutes if I have to. Unfortunately though, the kids have to live with a mother who has become obsessive about cleanliness! The hard part has been the constant anxiety over if we will be having showings, how the people felt about the house, the feelings of "is there anything else I can be doing", hoping and praying for an offer, and the disruption for the babies who are in definite need of a good nap. I am really proud though of all the kids and how well they have handled all this. They have really been good sports, and the babies have been troopers, even though they still live in our closet, smooshed together into one pack-n-play and don't always get their naps. Hopefully soon, they will get their own room, their own cribs, and we can all start getting better sleep.
And life continues...
No, life doesn't stop while you are selling a house, so here are a few things that have been happening amidst all the other chaos:
So, first off, here is just a little glimpse of the Wii junkies the boys are turning into. Honestly, I can't complain, it is a clean toy and it has been my saving grace while trying to get the house cleaned up and ready to go. Thank heavens for LEGO Star Wars! (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!) Sam's little first grade class has done some really neat things in school this year. Each child in her class wrote a few sentences on what they loved about first grade and then had their writings published in a hard back book. Here is Sami with her very own page from that book.
Sami also recently was the "Star of the Week" for her class. Each child gets a turn at being the "Star of the Week" for one week during the school year, in which they get special treatment at school, get to bring in special things they like, and pictures to share with the class. The class then compiles a little book for the "Star" about why they are special that they get to take home and keep. Sam was so excited to finally have her turn and definitely took advantage of it by taking any little "treasure" to share with her friends at school. As part of her special week, I also took Sam to get her very first pedicure. Her toes turned out super cute and she totally loved them. And finally, a couple weeks ago Sam had her little First Grade Musical, "Manners". The kids had been practicing for weeks during their music class and it turned out really cute. The songs were darling and of course I recognized all of them since I had been hearing Sam sing them around the house. She looked so cute and of course wanted to dress up super nice. After the play Mike gave her flowers for doing such a great job. (Of course Sam put a little bug in his ear that she wanted flowers, but I'm sure he would have come up with the idea on his own.)And yes, we even had Easter at our house! No, there were no decorations, but we did color eggs and the Easter Bunny did come and hide everyone's baskets. Of course Sam found everyone's baskets first, but she was a good sport and let the boys have a chance to find them too. The babies even got a few things, but the Easter Bunny was very practical with their gifts. :)Ok, I just have to say it, these two little munchkins are the cutest things ever! Honestly, I can't even stand it. They are so fun and so sweet! There will be many more pictures of them later, but here are just a few to get you caught up. They will be 7 months on the 25th, and I honestly can't even believe how quickly they have grown. Knowing they are my last makes me a bit emotional about it all, but I am trying to enjoy every second of them.Mike's parents got them these little "Bumbo" seats a little bit ago. When I saw how cute they looked sitting in them I couldn't help but take a picture.So often I will look over at the two of them and they will have each others hand. It is so cute! So, the other day while I was feeding them, I had to get a picture when I saw they were holding hands. And this one is for Grandpa Don. Don't worry, it's still "Go Broncos!" in this house!

And here are all 5 of our kiddos! Life is good!

Moving onward and upward

Yes, we are still here! Every day I think about how much I need to update the blog, and then I get distracted by something else that needs to get done. In a nutshell, life is crazy busy at the moment as we are trying to get the house ready to put on the market by April 1st. We've tried to make it work in this house for far too long and are in desperate need of something bigger. Our poor little babies need a room of there own since they can't live in our closet forever! Now the fun begins! We have already been out with our Realtor once last week searching for homes, and will be continuing the search again this week. We are crossing our fingers that the perfect home is out there somewhere - as well as the perfect buyer!! Please cross your fingers for us, and a little prayer or two can't hurt either! Don't worry, I have plenty of pictures to share of the two cutest babies in town - at least I think so anyway - that will be coming as soon as the mad dash to get the house ready to go is completed. Wish us luck!

Motherhood

I think it's safe to say that Motherhood is a difficult job, and yes it is a job. It is the only job in which we are required to spend money, and yet never receive a paycheck. We voluntarily change our bodies, and not for the better, for our "clients" and are never again the same. In no other working environment are the people we work with so honest and say exactly what is on their mind, for example:

While I was about 5 months pregnant with Carter and Taylor, I had just gotten out of the shower when Sam walked in on me in all my natural glory. Her first words were: "Mom, you are getting really big. You need to lose some weight!" I said, "Sam, when you are pregnant, you are supposed to gain weight to keep your babies healthy." She then replied, "But the babies are in your tummy, look at your legs!" After that day, every time she came into my room while I was changing she made sure she had her face covered so she didn't have to look at me. Yes, that worked wonders for my self-esteem!

About 2 months after I had the babies Gavin touched my tummy and said, "Mom, do you have another baby in there?" Again, a great self-esteem booster.

And last night, after having my hair in a clip all day, I had taken it out and came downstairs after feeding the babies. When I walked in the room with my hair down and curly, Gavin looks at me and says, "Mom, you are having a bad hair day!" I really didn't think it looked all that bad!

Yes, honesty is great, but sometimes it's really overrated!

Motherhood isn't just hearing your worst fears realized through the words of your children, but is also about the sweet moments you spend with them. For instance: playing with your babies and smothering them in kisses. Nothing is better than kisses from your baby, until that baby decides to unload everything he just ate, mid-kiss right into your mouth. Yes, that did happen - thank you Taylor! Gavin and Kaden thought that was both pretty hilarious and totally gross. In case you were wondering, no, spit-up does not taste very good!

I've decided that with all the unpredictability and ruthless honesty that comes with motherhood, you have to have a sense of humor to survive. It's just a whole lot easier to deal with when it's funny. Having the ability to laugh makes those "Calgon" days a lot easier to handle. I don't know about you, but a good laugh definitely gets me through my crazy days. Luckily, my kids provide a lot to laugh about.