Pumpkin Patch Fun

Last weekend we took advantage of this beautiful fall weather and took the girls to visit a family farm with a pumpkin patch and many other fun activities. It was absolutely gorgeous weather and we all enjoyed every minute outside. The girls are walking almost everywhere now and jabbering all the time. Needless to say they had a lot of fun picking out pumpkins, petting animals, and playing with Grammy and Papa.
We just got the girls' 15mo. shots last week (a month behind since they have been so sick). But we are happy to report they are doing great and growing by leaps and bounds. Reagan Kate now weighs 18lbs. 9oz and is 29" tall. We can't believe our tiny girl is getting so big! Still not ready for a forward facing car seat but nothing is going to slow her down.
Renna Ann weighed 20lbs. 9oz. and is 30" tall. We always laugh because she is consistently two pounds heavier and one inch taller. At least we know they are still right on track. Renna loved this unique looking pumpkin.
Trying to pick out the perfect pumpkin.
The girls were in love with this little bench. They didn't even seem to notice we were actually waiting in line to ride the train. Don't they look precious on it?
Petting the sheep, one of the many farm animals.
They both liked the carousel, but Reagan couldn't get enough. I guess she already loves riding horses, just like her momma! Thanks for sharing all of the Fall fun with us Grammy and Papa!

First Family "Vacation"

As I said in the last post we recently took our first two roadtrips away from home. This was pretty much the girls' first time to sleep away from home (they stayed at my parents twice but they were tiny babies). So we first went to a family reunion to meet up with some of Adam's extended family that had never seen the girls. It was fun but exhausting and to top it off the girls were sick. The highlight of the trip was the girls got to meet their Great-great Grandma. Two weeks later we took another roadtrip to the lake with Adam's parents and his sister and her family. It was a fun end of summer trip, but again the girls were still sick and very cranky. We enjoyed a lot of family fun but were definitely ready to be home. Adam and I discussed how apparently after you have children a "vacation" isn't really a vacation anymore because it is just a lot more work for the parents and in no way restful or relaxing. It is hard to have two almost 15 mo. old babies toddling and crawling around in places that aren't baby proofed. We had our fair share of screaming fits and sleepless times at night and we could never get the girls to take a nap while we were gone. Who needs sleep right? Needless to say it was never a dull moment but we made a lot of memories. Here are a few of my favorite pictures. They are in totally random order from the two trips.

Daddy pulled us around in the tube on the shoreline. Mommy wasn't ready to put her sweet babies behind the boat yet...and who needs a boat when you have a daddy to pull you? Renna really thought this was fun as you can see her clapping. They were a lot more relaxed as they could enjoy the water without lifejackets on for a few minutes.
Here is Renna playing in the sand shell her and daddy made.
Reagan loved this little beach chair of her cousins. She wasn't too thrilled about getting sand all over her for a very long period of time. Who can blame the girl? She needed a little time to relax in the shade.
Renna loved the water and wasn't scared at all to try and take off into it! As I said never a dull moment.
Our family of four after a little beach fun. As you can see everyone was a little tired and cranky.
Adam and Uncle Dustin made breakfast each morning. Reagan liked helping with the waffles too!
The first time we got them in the water at the family reunion. It was a quick "swim" because they were a little scared. It was a little stressful for Mommy as well.
The girls got to meet their Great-Great Grandma Nita for the first time at the Family Reunion. Not many little girls can say they have a great-great Grandma. Aren't we blessed?
Reagan and Daddy driving the boat.
Reagan modeling her life jacket. She might look okay with it here, but they hate their life jackets! Hopefully next year when they can walk and move around a little it won't be so uncomfortable.
Renna not too sure about the boat or the life jacket.
Grammy was a big helper on the two trips. It is so great to have grandparents to help out. What a lifesaver. We don't know what we would have done without having the whole family to help out.

August Activities

August has flown by for us. This post is a little long, I promise for shorter ones in the future. We have had several rounds of colds, fevers, and ear infections this month, but I guess that all comes with experiencing the world. We just keep reminding ourselves after every outing and inevitable sickness that we are strengthening their immune system. We actually took our first road trip and also had our first overnight visit this month. I know it seems strange but we just never go more than 40 minutes from our house, and certainly not since the girls were born. I will post those pictures soon. I had to post this picture of the girls using their new favorite toy, the diaper box. My mom cut a little door and window in it and they think it is a ton of fun. You can see here that Renna has barged in on Reagan's time in the box and is proceeding as usual to sit on her feet. Reagan doesn't take to the bullying or touching too well and always lets out a cry and this poor sad face. Doesn't that just break your heart? Reagan is my super sensitive girl...I can't figure out who she gets that from? Adam may have an answer to that question.
We recently took a road trip (our second ever) with my best friend Sonya, her daughter Natalie, and my mom. We went to host a baby shower for one of our close friends. The girls did great in the car together and they even all three napped on the way home. We did have a huge diaper explosion on the trip down. Poor Sonya had to clean up my Renna's nasty mess. You know that is a true friend. Thanks Aunty Sonya, we love you so much!
I love these next two pictures of my girls playing with the coke. Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I love my Coke. I couldn't have survived Vet School without it. I have now switched to the calorie free version and so far the girls love it too! Just kidding, I thought it was super cute that Miss Reagan immediately found it in the box and knew to put it to her mouth. Definitely my daughter! She obviously has great observation skills.
Renna got in on the fun too and decided she need to shake two at a time. These were full but luckily not open.
I love this picture of my sweet Reagan. It says so much about who she is. She is so into detail and constantly working on things to put them together or figure out how they work. She definitely gets that quality from her daddy. She will mess with trying to get things in a small hole for a long time. She is really good at studying things for awhile before diving in...complete opposite of her sister. So precious. Lately she has started dancing to music every time she hears it. She likes to bounce, shake her bottom, wave her hands, and even tries to sing/hum along. It makes me so happy to see how it affects her. I have music on a lot around the house (country of course) and we sing and dance all the time. Both girls actually seem to love music. Maybe I have some future performers on my hands. They might just take after their mommy. Reagan took a few steps on Aug.12 and she has kind of just done a few here and there. So not officially walking yet, but so close. She says mama, dada, uh-oh, and a lot of other words I just cannot understand!
Here is a new favorite past time...wrestling! They love to crawl over or wrestle anyone who lays on the floor. Renna is maybe enjoying this session a little more than Reagan.
Renna in one of her many "situations" she gets herself into. She got stuck in this drum toy and seemed to enjoy for a minute or two. Of course I had to grab the camera instead of rescuing her. This just shows her personality. She dives right into situations and isn't scared of much. If she can't figure something out pretty quickly she shoves it to the side and moves on. She is always looking for the next thing she can explore or trouble to get into. Reagan just calmly sits back and watches her as if she is saying, "I don't think you should do that." Renna has also come to love an audience and very humbly claps for herself after every new trick. She now says momma, dada, uh-oh, dog, ball, and is attempting a few others. She took about 4 steps on Aug 14 and has been taking some here and there as well. I guess you could say she is walking, just very very short distances.
The girls' doctor released us to start letting the girls go to Sunday School class at church. They had previously just been sitting on our laps through Church and Sunday school...talk about exhausting mornings. Anyways we were so worried they would cry and scream since we have never left them anywhere like that, and you guessed it...no crying! We were so proud of them. So far they seem to love going to class and playing with their new friends. They don't even give us a second look. I guess my little ladies are indeed growing up. Our Sunday morning routine is a little hectic but we have it down to a fine science. Here Adam is putting on the sandals while the girls watch intently waiting to see if he buckles them tight enough.
Our first trip to Adam's favorite japanese restaurant. We finally took the girls to this restaurant with Grammy and Papa for daddy's 29th birthday! The girls did great and were actually quite entertained by the cooking and the fire. They did leave a very noticeable mess of rice under their highchairs. At least we all enjoyed ourselves. Happy belated 29th Birthday to an amazing Daddy and husband. We love you!

Mommy & Daddy's Little Helpers

The girls have been playing together a lot more lately. It is so precious for us to watch them interact. They love pushing each other in their fairy car, of course sometimes a few wrecks will happen! They also enjoy kissing each other, biting each other, and playing hide and seek around the recliner. I just love sisters! They are also becoming my little helpers/explorers. They want to "help" mommy and daddy with everything.
Here they are laughing at each other's hairbows. The next move is always one trying to pull the other one's hairbow out. It is as if they say, "Look what you have on your head" "No look what is on YOUR head" Then the pulling starts! Kind of frustrating once I get their hair fixed, but oh well!
So yes Reagan is finally wearing a topknot ponytail! Yeah! I was very excited even to have a tiny amount to pull up. You can see she is less than excited. But doesn't she look beautiful?
Yesterday I was unloading the dishwasher and turned to put up the silverware for a second. I turn back around to find Renna the little climber helping me out! She was so proud of herself and of course I ran to get the camera. Then she started looking at me and saying "uh-oh." Luckily Reagan was still napping so we haven't had both in the dishwasher...yet! Renna has also started using her toys as a step to get up on the couch. Such a smart girl.
Here is Reagan riding the donkey, Tilly, at my parents' house. She was a little nervous and wanted her mommy to ride with her. They have been sitting on Tilly but this was the first "ride" they took. They both really seemed to enjoy it. We will slowly be working our way up to the horses, but for now Tilly is just the right speed.
Renna loved riding with her cousin, Sara. Sara was so good to share the riding with the girls and hold onto them. She is a great cousin. Tilly is a great sport as always, going round and round. Renna was upset when we made her get off. She loved touching Tilly's mane too! She kept saying "OHHH." Mommy was so proud...hopefully two little horse lovers in the making!
The girls are helping daddy check his email. You can imagine how much actually gets done with them near the laptop. They are so fascinated with it.
Here is Reagan helping mommy put the bottled water in the fridge. Who knew plastic bottles were such fun? Notice Reagan is actually wearing shoes...we have been practicing wearing shoes recently in case they start walking. They hated the shoes at first but seem to tolerate them now.
The girls also recently took their first four wheeler ride with daddy and Sara. They seemed to like it and weren't scared at all. My little farm girls were helping do chores. They were too busy looking at the goats to be bothered by a picture.
Here are the girls teaching their friend Natalie how to climb into her toybox! First went Renna, then Reagan followed quickly. Natalie watched for a minute and then went in head first herself. So cute how they teach each other new things. I guess they will just continue helping each other learn new tricks all the time. Always keeping Mommy on her toes! That pretty much sums up our last couple of weeks. Can't believe the summer is almost over. We still have so much we want to do this summer...

Swimming Summer Fun and More

The summer is rapidly flying by. It seems like things have been in turbo speed since the girls' birthday. Here is a quick catch up on pictures for a few things we have been up to. These first two are of the girls one year photos. These two are our favorite of them together. I haven't decided on my favorite individuals but when I do I will post those. What can I say, I am one proud momma. It was really difficult trying to get both of the girls to look in the same direction and we never succeeded at getting both of them to smile at the same time. I thought they turned out great anyways. I can't believe how big they look. My friend Crystal made their dresses as a baby shower gift, aren't they cute?
Our Little Serious Ladybugs.
Big news for our Miss Renna...our first topknot ponytail! I was super excited to be able to put this in her hair....I can't wait for more hair adventures. It seems like it is taking forever to grow. I was glad to see she can do the ponytail because she refuses to keep on the headbands anymore and mommy loves bows! Look at that silly grin! Renna has officially started say Dog this week. We were really proud of her, of course having two veterinarian parents what other word do you expect? She excitedly says it at Laney (our Maltese) as she chases her around the house. Renna now has four full teeth and two more on top working their way out! She has bitten me three times now...those teeth are sharp! I am sure it is only a matter of time before she turns them on Reagan.
My sweet little brown eyed girl Reagan, trying to make a quick escape thru the baby gate. Our living room has become a baby fortress of play. Any chance the gate is open they do a turbo crawl to get to freedom. Here she is caught in the act. Reagan started saying UH-OH this week! She doesn't always use it properly but it is adorable. She is becoming such a momma's girl lately and I love every minute of it. No ponytails for her yet, her hair isn't as long on top. Reagan has two full teeth and two on top that are beginning to make their presence known. No walking from either girl yet but they are standing on their own for about 10 seconds, I think any day we may have some walking girls on our hands.
Here are the girls sitting on the new deck Daddy put it. They are eagerly awaiting their first swim in our pool. This was over a month ago, but what can I say we have been a little busy. I will post pictures of the finished back porch area with outdoor kitchen soon. My husband is one handy guy and did it all himself. We are very proud of him.
Reagan modeling her swimsuit.
Renna not too sure about the water at first.
Reagan loves splashing in the pool! These floating crabs are a lifesaver when you swim with twins...or any little ones for that matter. Don't worry, I don't take them swimming by myself.
Swimming with Daddy.
The three girls getting some sun. Well that was a quick catch up for what we have been up to. We are just trying to enjoy this summer, play outside, and just be grateful we aren't where we were last year at this time. What a difference a year makes! God is so good.

Our Little Ladies are One!

Yes it is hard to believe but our Little Ladies turned one on June 11!! Wow! It seemed like such a huge milestone for us, it even made Mommy a little sad that they aren't babies anymore! What a year it has been. We started out with over two months in the NICU at 2lbs. 15 oz. and 2lbs. 10 oz and now they are thriving. Renna weighs a whopping 18lbs. 3 oz. with Reagan close behind at 16lbs. 6 oz. I never thought they would be growing into 12 month clothes but they soon will. We had an amazing Ladybug birthday party and cookout. The girls actually had coughs, runny noses, and ear infections but enjoyed the party anyways. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family who have supported us all year with visits, encouragement, and prayers it was nice to have everyone together for the first time. Thank you to everyone who came. Here are some pictures from the girls' big day. We actually were so busy we didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked but we had several friends who stepped in and helped with pictures. Aren't our little Ladybugs cute in their tutus?
Allison, Owen, and Stacey with me and the girls
Moose, Amber (baby Gil on the way), and us
Renna wasn't so sure about all the new faces in her house, it makes a girl a little nervous.
Reagan wanting to investigate the presents.
Reagan, Natalie (she wore her ladybug outfit too), and Renna
The girls each had their own individual cakes to eat. Aunt Lindsay made them and they came out so cute! Thanks so much Lindsay, we loved them so much I hated for the girls to dig into them.

Reagan enjoying her cake.
Renna got covered in her cake head to toe.
This is the only picture we remembered to take of all four of us, after the girls had their clothes off.
Presents, presents, and more presents. What fun! I think I am enjoying the new toys to play with as much as they are.
The girls' favorite NICU nurse, Kathy, came to their party. We were so lucky to have her take such wonderful care of our girls while we couldn't. Thanks so much for coming Kathy, it was great to see you again. Reagan wanted to touch her face!