Dear Paxton and Kellen,

Happy 1-Year Birthday my angels! I cannot believe this day has come, you two are 1 year old today. Gosh, my eyes are already welling up with bitter-sweet tears. The four of us have come so far. We have nurtured you from newborns to healthy happy 1 year olds. That one sentence entails so much...many sleepless nights, questions about being good parents, trips to the pediatrician, prayers, 5 different bottle types, even more sippy cups, books read aloud, rattles shook, wiping noses and tushes, eating solids, saying no-no, singing songs, hugs and kisses and lots and lots of laughs. The pair of you are simply 'what life is all about' and mommy and daddy just cannot believe you belong to us.

My wish for you two in the coming year is to learn more about yourselves, the world, and each other. While having a twin must be tremendous, you must learn to be individuals. Each of you are incredibly unique from the other, I love you both equally, loving each and every part of your whole.

Paxton: When mommy was in recovery from delivering the two of you, you were handed to me first. You stole my heart. You were perfect, you are perfect. Your personality is large, and you have never met a stranger. You pose for the camera, with a smile as big as the moon. You are a charmer, flashing those big blue eyes with the longest eyelashes. Your laugh is a grunt, you can be sneaky, and love to play with anything that looks like a hammer.

Kellen: The first time I held you I am quite sure I could see a halo around your head. You melted my heart. You were perfect, you are perfect. Without question, you have the sweetest nature of anyone. That doesnt mean you dont have fight, you like to steal your brother's binky! You can be shy, but once you warm up your laughter will make a room stop. You would eat an entire dump truck of food if we would let you. You are extra ticklish, brilliant, and love to throw a ball.

Fellas, there are not proper words to describe the connection between a mommy and her babies. I could literally squeeze you so tight I could take your breath, but I quickly remember you are not a stuffed animal!! Happiness X Infinity = the year I have just experienced as a mommy. I love you so so much. Happy Birthday my loves and many, many more.

King of the Present!

Merry Twin-Mas!

Well, its official...I have a Christmas hangover. And no, it is not from the many glasses of fabulous red wine I drank over the holiday! I love all that entails Christmas, the shopping, seeing family, traveling, laughes, the MUSIC, and having the hubby off work for a few days, just to name a few. When it is over, I am left with my Christmas hangover...back to work as usual with a 365 day wait until next Christmas!!

This Christmas, with the boys, was just plain delightful. Aaron and I cannot wait for next year. The boys have a bit of hangover themselves, a nasty cold. Between the Christmas Eve service at church, traveling to see great-grandparents, going to a friend's Christmas day party, and back to grandparents that night, they are exhausted and sick. Ugh.

As I mentioned we had a busy Christmas day. Which started with opening gifts at our house (just the four of us).

My first pic of the day!

Whohoooo, its Christmas!


Opening gifts from Papaw and Gisha!


Thanks P&G!

Then the boys opened Nana's presents. Thanks Nana!

Then we were off to Granddaddy and Grammy's house to open presents!




A one hour car trip and a short nap away we were at the boys great grandparents house!





A one hour car trip back to Nashville, a short nap, and a wardrobe change, we were at the Ochab house! We love our friends!!





Mr. Ochab has a train set from when he was a little boy, Mrs. Ochab sets it up every Christmas. The boys were fascinated!




Our Christmas Day ended back at Grandaddy and Grammy's house to watch the Titans lose to San Diego and eat some yummy lobster. I took over 300 photos on Xmas day, thanks to my new Nikon camera the hubby gave me:-), but of all 300 this one is my favorite.

Can you see those dark circles under my eyes??!! Aaron and I were worn out. But every second was worth it. Now, I am going to attend to this hangover, gotta rest up for New Year's Eve!!!

Breakfast with Santa

I had purchased tickets to a Breakfast with Santa at Davis Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills. So off we went at 8 am this morning, with a Papaw in tow. This event was terrible at best. Davis Kidd was so disorganized, children were literally melting at their parents feet. The Santa, well...he looked like he had a few Christmas cocktails last night. And when he finally made his way to our table, during the lousy breakfast, he quickly said "Ok, Santa has got to go sit down." WHAT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!! I am pretty sure I paid $15 per adult, and $9 for each kiddo to have Breakfast with Santa...not watch him sit in a chair.

As I regain my Christmas spirit and take a deep breath :-)...I will post some pics. This is EXACTLY what I thought this picture would look like. Pax all smiles, and Kel staring at a beard trying to figure the whole thing out! Better luck next year, at least I know where we will NOT be!!!! HO HO HO!!!!

The boys and their Papaw!

Presents...and Boxes!

The UPS delivery man has become a dear friend this week. Boxes have been arriving sometimes twice a day. And while the bugs love the presents, they really love the boxes!!!!!!!!!!

Paxton is in awe of the peanuts!

My shy bug is not quite as sure!

They played drums on Aunt Stephanie's delivery for 10 minutes!


Gosh, babies are so easy to please. Im sure it will be just the same when they are 10 years old...or NOT!!!!

"Open this GATE, Mommy!"

Have your babies pulled your tree/ornaments down yet?????

I Heart Twins...and their MOMS!

Yesterday, the kiddos and I spent a great day in Murfreesboro, with lunch at Demo's and a day of play at the Discovery Center. Now, before I get to all of deets from our day I must say I LOVE OTHER TWIN MOMS!!!

After 45 minutes of waiting at Demo's, sitting with two adults at a table for 10 because of our strollers, having other diners get out of their chairs so we could sandwich them to the table, Brandi says to me "I am so sorry." I think she forgot for a second I had a set of twins too! Which she quickly added, "Oh yeah, you are probably the only other person that would not be totally embarrassed by this whole situation." And she is right. Other twin moms just get it, and we dont get embarassed. Twins definitely experience what I refer to as 'twinism', every twin mom knows what I am talkng about!! People, rather they realize it or not, act like we should just stay home. For example, restaurants. I wish you could have seen the look on the hostess' face and other diners when Brandi and I walked in with our two strollers. I guess we took up too much room. So sorry.

And all twin moms have those friends that rather just come to our house to visit than ever dare to go out to lunch with the twins in tow. Gosh, what a hassle it must be for them...because twin moms always ask other moms to take care of our babies while out in public...can you hear my sarcasm??! Or our friends that act like they are saving us from all the hassle of an outing, when really it is they that dont want to be bothered.

And no, twin moms do not want to talk to every single stranger in a public place about so-and-so's uncle had a set of twins, and oh, I am a twin, and I have a granddaughter about their age, and on and on and on. And, no we dont want you to ask us if our twins are natural? What the heck does that mean? Yes, they were sent from Mars and we just love them like any other alien!

Even with all the crazy, twins are the funnest thing since Disney. And I wouldnt trade it for the moon.

But I digress.

Pictures from a day of play at the Discovery Center. They had a room just for kiddos age 0-2. It was so much fun for twins and their mommys!