On the way BACK TO H-TOWN!!!

We are on the way back home..but decided to make this trip a 2 day ordeal both ways..so right now we are in Norman, OK at a very nice FANCY Embassy Suites! Talking about living the high life..this place is NICE! Just as nice as the hotel we stayed at in SA back when the babies were BABIES and we needed to take our first family vaca last year! YE-HAW...it's 2 weeks old and everything is crispy clean and you don't have to even think about any dirty anything. LOVE IT! BUT, the real reason i'm writing is b/c i've had a few funnies that i'd like to write about.

ONE, WHAT WOULD A TEN DOLLAR BILL REALLY MEAN TO YOU??? Here's a VERY VERY FUNNY STORY.. Hannah had to go to the potty while ago. #2..and this DOES acutally mean something. We were down at the MANAGERS reception, which included gold fish, gardettos, pretzels and a few other cracker type appetizers..that i don't really consider to actually be APPETIZERS. BUT, either way, they had FREE DRINKS! NOW, who could pass up free drinks after being in the car for 4-5 hours and ready to pull my hair out, on top of having a horrific sinus infection, which entailed lots of snot, plugged up ears and lots of stuffiness!!??? SO, we went and enjoyed the gold fish, FREE drinks and ordered some dinner to go along with all that. We were having a great time and Hannah had to potty. SO, i walked her on over to the potty, which was BRAND NEW! Anyway, she pottied and the toilet had one of those automatic flush toilets. WELL, as you would have it, i was wiping her butt, holding a 10.00 dollar bill(b/c i was getting ready to get MORE drinks and needed money for a tip) and low and behold, the toilet flushed and my $10.00 bill went slushing around in the pot..as i quickly( i mean one second) decided whether it was REALLY worth grabbing the darn thing that had fallen into the poop laced toilet..or just let it go DOWN!? Needless to say we aren't that rich..not even close...so I grabbed the poopy 10.00 bill and ran to the sink with it. YEP, my hand WAS laced in poo...but what was my other option...let the darn thing flush down the toilet. I mean talking about literally flushing money down the toilet!!!!! LOL! SO, it's now in our bathroom on the counter washed with soap and hot water. I wonder if i could NUKE it and not actually BURN the money??? Yeah, i'm STILL laughing and giggling b/c i truly stuck my hand in some poo..but what were my other options??? SO, take that you rich people...I STUCK MY HAND IN POOP TO SAVE MY 10.00 bill! AND, NOPE, we're NOT RICH..and NOT EVEN CLOSE! Back in the old days...pre-kids...i'm pretty sure i would have literally flushed it down the pooper. BUT, fast foward 10 years...i wouldn't dream of flushing a 10.00 bill. That's a LOT of money..a few starbucks drinks, a cute dress for one of my children, a cute toy, some lipstick OR TEN ITEMS at the dollar bins at TARGET! :)

NOW, one other funny, since i'm really in a funny/happy mood. The other day i was on the way to pick Hannah up from school. I had the girls ready to go and i was talking to melody on the phone. BUT, for some crazy reason my brain just wasn't functioning...and i seriously loaded up the girls and back out of the driveway but couldn't find the CELL phone i was actually talking on.. YES, i'm not kidding. I had the phone UP TO MY EAR..but for some reason it didn't click and i was searching feverently for my cell phone!(I'm seriously still giggling about this one too). I FINALLY pulled back into the house..went inside and couldn't find it. I think wisper to melody..i'm loosing it and just had a blonde moment. I was searching for the cell phone that i actually had ON MY EAR! Yep, i'm LOOSING IT! :) Luckily i found it and didn't search TOO LONG! :) SO, that's my other funny for the day..i'm still trying to figure out how in the world i couldn't find the phone i was talking ON...LOL!

In other news, Pauls grandfathers funeral was very nice. I was so sad that he is gone..and so sad that the girls didn't actually ever get to meet him. BUT, as i said earlier, i know he's in a better place. He was such a sweet man..loved his solatire and loved being catholic. I have a ton of pics of family i need to add..but i'm exhausted tonight so i'll try to do it on my LIVE writer tomorrow, while we're on the road and then actually post them tomorrow when we get home.

Hope all is going well for everyone. Goodness...it's been a long week. I have so much to say and all sorts of stories. BUT, my sinuses are killing me..my ears are plugged and we're tired! SO, have a great FRIDAY/HALLOWEEN and i'll update with pics later!

Brenda

Pauls Grandfather is in a better place now...

I'm sad to say Pauls grandfather passed away today at 1030a!  We are very sad but i know it was just his time to go.  We all know he had lived a very fulfilled life and enjoyed every bit of it.  NINETY FIVE & A HALF..is a LONG LONG TIME TO LIVE!  So, we are all selfishly sad..but know he's happy and well now.  Please pray for his family & for us as we make the trip up to KS to be with all his family for the first time.  It's always sad to get together with family at such a sad time..but it's also always nice to see all of Pauls family.  We don't look forward to meeting at times like this...but we're all so far away that it's always a wedding or funeral when we all meet up.  So, please keep us all in your prayers.  On top of this sad time, the girls have been very sick the past few days.  They are all 3 on Z-pacs, Hannah missed school Thursday & Friday and is now going to miss all of this up-coming week except from Monday.  It seems like today, the coughing has finally slowed down some..but i can still hear the congestion in everyone's cough.  On top of that, I tried to get Hannah to take some cough medicine a few nights ago and she decided to projectile vomit all over both of us before the medicine even touched her lips!  YUCK!  Then, today, Sam was coughing so bad she somehow got her fingers in her mouth and projectile vomited all over the floor!  YEAH, it's really been one of those weeks.  We still did have a good weekend.  In fact the weekend weather was GEORGOUS!  I mean soo nice.  We planted some flowers, at outside on a blanket for lunch both days and rode the battery powered cars more than ever!  Hmmm...those battery powered cars are really cool...i wonder if SANTA would buy me my very own 4 wheeler so i can ride with the little girls??!!  LOL!  Ok, maybe not, but it WAS worth a try! 

 

Anyway, i hope everyone had a fun, safe, nice weekend!  Hopefully i'll have wireless at the hotel on the way up and the way back and can update how our trip is going. 

 

Brenda

Gavin Alexander Born October 20th, 2008...

Gavin was born yesterday at 5:29pm.  He weighted in at 7.28 and was 18.5 inches.  He is ONE CUTE PRECIOUS Little baby!  I was so excited to get to see him today..goodness he's sweet and quite.  I didn't hear one peep the entire time I was there!  Everything about sweet little Gavin is perfect.  I just wanted to hold him ALL day long!  I can't wait to see him again.  I was sad the rest of the kidos didn't get to see him..but they'll get to see him soon! 

Baby Gavin Is here!

I didn't get to talk to my sister, but Baby Gavin IS HERE! He's safe and sound and everything is going just fine. I THINK he was born around 530p this afternoon. I didn't get all the specifics..but he's
18.5 inches
7.3 lbs

and i forgot to ask if he had any hair??? OMG, a baby boy to add to our family! POOR BABY...has no idea what's in store for him... 4 girls and HIM! LOL! I laugh just thinking about what my girls and Allison are going to do to that poor baby boy. He's going to end up in dress up clothes and lots of make-up! LOL! OK, so hopefully NOT, but we'll see!

Other than that, i don't have many details. Jeff called around 6pish to tell us the exciting news! I'm headed down there tomorrow after Hannah's jump rope for heart fund raiser at school! I can't WAIT to see him and hold him...and you know, give him back to his MAMA when he cries! LOL!!!

CONGRATS to my sweet sister & her wonderful husband Jeff and of course, my precious little Niece Allison! We are soo excited for ya'll & so happy he's healthy and everything went well! It's been roller coaster for them and we're glad it's over and baby Gavin is here and doing well! I will have lots of pics tomorrow after i go visit.

COUNT DOWN TO OUR NEW NEPHEW!

Gavin Alexander should be here TODAY! We're soo excited! My sister may be a bit more excited b/c i think she's ready to have the baby! Of course, we are so ready for another baby in the family..and of course a boy makes it so exciting!

P.S. i just snooped(called the hospital b/c she wouldn't answer her phone)...something ONLY a sister can do..and she is actually IN THE HOSPITAL! SO THAT MEANS...it should be ANY time now! OOOO I CANT WAIT!

Fall Festival/Halloween Festival 2008!

There are lots of differences in a year. I'm sure i'll say it 1000 times this year. Last year, we had the girls in the wagon. This year, we let the girls roam. They had a blast. I had to go early to work a booth for an hour..and then Paul brought the girls up to hang out and play all the games. We ate, played, danced, jumped in the jumpy thing, and i bid on some things in a silent auction(a first for me)! Of course it was like ebay and everyone went running one minute before the end to bid on the auction prizes! DARN! Either way, you can tell the girls had a blast, despite NOT having a nap today at ALL! :) Ahh...the fun of children missing naps x's 2! You don't really think about THAT when you think of having twins.

The little stage where everyone was dancing

The man sitting on the edge in the black is Father Clint...he was dressed as Elvis. Too funny! Hannah is dressed as the candy corn..but had to wear a t-shirt underneath b/c it was itching her neck.

Mommy and the twins on the dance floor. I was in the usual position. This floor is where i sit, every Mon, We & Fri with the girls while Hannah prays with the rest of the kidos at school. I try to keep the girls calm for the whole 5 minutes..sometimes i end up walking out carrying 2 kids however i can. Sometimes that involves carrying them as they are hanging & screaming from my arms, just to make it out the door w/o too much embarassment!

Hannah's best friend Lilly! She's so cute and very sweet!

This is my favorite pic below. Pauls behind didn't fit in the train...LOL! I was rolling the entire time. I don't think there were many men that actually brought themselves to get in this make shift train...but Paul did! HA HA!

Happy 4th Birthday Allison!!!

Today was my sweet little niece's 4th Birthday Party!  We had a blast.  We went to the MAD POTTER, which is a place where you paint pottery.  It was so much fun and the girls all had a blast.  I have lots of things to post...I had one of the busiest weeks ever.  From the march of Dimes luncheon to our meeting with Hannah's teacher, etc.  But, right now i'm  exhausted beyond belief. so i'll leave you with some fun pics from our day today. 

I'll write more tomorrow when i'm not so tired!

P.S. Please keep Praying for Pauls grandfather.  He had been on a roller coaster ride of being sick, then getting better.  We hope and pray that he's on his way out of his illness and doesn't go down hill again.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. 

 

The Pool in the Middle of My Kitchen

This morning was crazy.  The girls are all a bit on the sick side.  Not horribly sick, but a bit snotty along with a small cough.  SO, this morning i was rushing to get everyone up and ready.  As i was getting Sarah's hair fixed my sneaky middle daughter(because she IS technically my first born twin, which would make her my middle daughter) was having a pool party in the middle of my kitchen.  As i came around the corner of the kitchen i knew something just wasn't right.  She was standing there crying and soaking wet.  Here is what i found:

Just in case you were wondering what my kitchen looked like(you can't tell because it's slate..but the entire kitchen was pretty much wet and i was very thankful for the fact that we have rough floor that aren't slippery and definitely NOT wood):

This is what my children do as soon as i accidentally forget to LOCK the fridge water button for TWO MINUTES down pat.  I swear they sit there and wait for the second i forget to lock the fridge and turn my head.  I WILL catch those little sneakers in the midst of un-organized water play sooner or later...and someone will be punished(and sit in time out for two whole minutes). 

On the funny side of things..the sweet baby really was trying to help out.  This is what i found as she ran to the table crying, as she was soo proud of herself for getting everyone a glass of water:

Wasn't my baby sweet?  To get in trouble for making sure her and her sisters all had a nice big glass of water! :)  And what was really funny...she didn't actually make that big of a mess getting the water out of the fridge since she is already such a pro.  She got drenched as she walked all the way over to the table to put the water on top of the table all organized in a row.  She makes me so proud!  :) 

 

On another note: please pray for Pauls grandfather.  He has been moved over to a new nursing facility and has pneumonia.  He just wasn't acting right yesterday and they took him over to the hospital for some x-rays.  He is doing better this morning, thank goodness.  We are all praying that he gets better and gets over his pneumonia quickly. 

My little dirty secrets...

Barbara's sister recently found a book called Dirty Little Secrets from Otherwise Perfect Moms by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile. The general premise of the book is: "...Every good mom has a few Dirty Little Secrets that help her...get by....the indulgences we rely on in times of need, the shortcuts we take when no one's looking (showers are overrated!), and our real, honest thoughts about motherhood and family... know you're not alone." . I have not read this book myself...but now i'm definitely going to have to go check on amazon and see if i can find it. It sounds like a funny book that i'd enjoy reading...although i have yet to finish "Ready or not, there we go", just yet. Yeah, that's how much time I HAVE these days. SO, with all that being said, here are just a few of my DIRTY SECRETS...GO AHEAD AND Giggle...i'm not bashful.

1. Sometimes, when i get lazy, i throw all my clothes into the washer together...don't seperate a thing. Sometimes it's OK, sometimes i end up ruining something.

2. My girls get a bath every few nights..i make sure they get a bath the night before the twins go to MDO...Poor Hannah has to go to school dirty every other day. Now, if THAT'S not a dirty little secret, i don't know WHAT is! LOL!

3. There are days i'd like to crawl in a hole and just sleep all day. Most of those days are the days i just can't make the girls happy for the life of me. These days normally include a LOT of crying and stress. On those days i dream about working a normal job. Of course there are days that make THOSE DAYS worth while...those days include lots of giggling, hugging, kissing and NO BITING!

4. Since Paul gets up so early in the morning naturally. Sometimes when the girls get up and i hear them crying for me...i cover my head with my pillow and let him get them out of bed while i lay there for a extra few minutes before i get up to start the day.

5. I always have one little pile of "STUFF" on the counter..and when we have company i shove it in any drawer i can find that it will fit into. I don't think Pauls ever known me NOT to have that pile. Why i can't find a drawer to put it in..i'm not sure. Perhaps b/c if i put it in a drawer, i'd forget about it and the things i NEEDED to do that were in that pile, would NEVER get done.

Ok, now that i've confessed a FEW of my little dirty secrets...it's your turn.

I'm tagging a few of my blogging buddies...but the more that play, the better. AND, if you are as bad as me and don't get around to doing it...no big deal. I'm REALLY BAD at doing tags most of the time...Maybe that's another dirty secret i should have revealed. :)

JAMIE
DEBI
ANNIE
ALYSSA
BRIANNE

THERE YOU GO. SO go have some fun and tag more friends who can air some dirty secrets! :) I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW THAT I'VE AIRED MINE!

BRENDA

Dewberry Farm 2008!! What a difference a YEAR makes..

Today, we went to Dewberry Farm. What a difference a year makes! We got there right at 10a & didn't leave till 130p! We all had a great time. There was SOO much to do. We rode the hayride, pet the animals, picked pumpkins, picked fresh flowers, ate a YUMMY lunch & the girls jumped on the jumpy thing they have! FUN FUN FUN! Last year, we didn't have much fun. The girls were tiny and we were so scheduled that we only stayed for an hour or two. Here are a ton of pics...ENJOY!

Mom & the girls on the hay ride.

The girls on the hay ride!

Out in the pumpkin patch

Dad & his girls on the hay ride! Hannah in the pumpkin patch with the skinny pumpkin! A really good pic of the twins..I don't care what anyone thinks about bow heads..these bows totally make them look soo girly!

Sarah & her baby pumpkin...soo cute! Hannah & her big girl pumpkin! Playing in the hay(Hannah & Sarah)Sam was very bashful and didn't want to play..but Sarah was very playful..

Hannah mid-air! Sarah, feeding the goats! Hannah watching the baby chicks!Hannah watching the baby pigs stick their nose through the bottom of the fence

Of course we HAD to wash our hands after mommy anti-bacterial'd them 10x's! Sarah with chocolate cake all over her face! Sam ate some cake too...did you think otherwise?Hannah in the flower!

did you EVER think we could get a pick where everyone was looking..NOPE..i didn't either! Sarah posing in the sunflower Sam wasn't so sure about the sunflower! Picking flowers..these are my favorite pics! This is a really good pic...SOO SWEET Sarah with the cup full of flowers! Hannah & Sam checking out the flowers! Hannah with the cup of flowersThis is my FAVORITE FAVORITE pic...It's very cute and Sarah looks so serious in the background. I'm not sure what it is about the pic that is soo good!

All in all we had a great day. After our trip, we decided to take the long road home and drive through a couple of neighborhoods we wanted to check out for potential homes. FUN FUN! Paul is pretty much set on one neighborhood with big lots..the houses there are ranch style and look like beautiful houses right out of a magazine for farm houses. The only problem we are finding is that they are WAY too big. The neighborhood is like ours..not many houses since they are soo spread out which we really like. Now that we've lived here we can't imgaine living CLOSE in proximity to another house. We like our privacy. One other problem we found is that the neighborhood's like this do NOT have a school IN the community. So the girls will end up going to a public school across the street in another community, which will be fine, but the won't be able to ride their bikes since it's across a busy street. It won't bother me, but Paul really wantd the girls to be able to ride their bikes to school I don't think there's a *perfect* community for anyone, so this will be something we'll just have to deal with since the neighborhood is soo nice!