Spring?

At this time last year, I was just a tad busy. I didn't really have time to tend to the backyard. So I'm trying to be better this year. I've planted pots of flowers here and there, and I'm determined to see them make it to, at the very least--June!!! Keep your fingers crossed. Every time we visit San Simeon, Monterey, Mountain View, SF, and the like, I'm always amazed at what they're able to grow all year round. While I'm so happy to have sunny weather at last, I'm not looking forward to the record heat that makes everything wilt. I'm clinging to the good stuff: time with my girls, swimming, baseball (Go Giants!), summer movies, ice cream, camping, and VACATION!

Rachel had fun helping me water the plants. ***I kept her away from the Morning Glory, Grandpa.***

Skirts at Grammy's...

Rachel-- getting up-close and personal with Einstein.

Rachel--cruising on the patio.

They LOVE their dinosaur!

...Aunt Vera and Aunt Judy got the girls these darling skirt outfits for their birthdays, and Grammy took some pictures of another one of their fun days together.

Charlotte....

...using all of her senses to fully appreciate her birthday experience. This is SO her. Sabrina caught it on film.

Some people have been asking....

...where I get the digital scrapbooking freebies from. Well, first of all...Amy B. got me totally hooked on this site, this site, and this one. The last of which ended up leading me here. The rest, as they say, is OBSESSION! I started chatting up some pals on my twin moms forum, as well as Jen, and got some great links.

Here are a few good ones:
Scrapbook Bytes Photoshop Tutorials
More Tutorials
Scrapbook Elements (they also have tutorials
Click Chic Designs
Shabby Princess

There are just tons out there.

Renee Pearson has a dig. scrapbooking class on Big Picture that I should probably take.


Oh....and I really want this camera now. Darn you, Amy!!! (I'm shaking my fist at you! hehe)

Ever Heard of a Rendezvous?

...I have! I just got back from one. It's an opportunity for people (mostly men, but some women) to get together to re-live the days of early settlers and shoot black powder rifles and buy/sell their wares. Although I was pretty reluctant at first, I've come to enjoy the rare Rendezvous that I get to go to. They are full of colorful characters and beautiful scenery. Well, not all of them have the greatest scenery, but Railroad Flats (near Jackson) is very pretty. In the morning, you can see buffalo grazing in the pasture across the road. Of course, my camera battery died that morning. I've put together the pictures that I DID get, and stole some of Donavan's.

This was also an opportunity for Adrian to try out his 'tentler'--a recent purchase, and a good one, in my opinion. I like not having to get dressed laying down! As with any trial run, we came home with a 'to do' list for the next trip. All in all, a great weekend with friends and nature.

Okay, it's not letting me load my little collage, so I'll try again later. These are some of Donavan's pics.




This is how I camp. Book and iPod. Ahhhh, nature!

I caught me a frog! You can barely see him, but he was cute. They were alllll over the place.


I caught Aarin and Donavan napping with Abby watching over them.

Charlotte

Meanwhile, Charlotte was content to play with Mommy's book cover and take a milk break by the kitchen.

Rachel

Well, we're both teething, which is always super-fun. Rachel was pretty upset until Mommy let her sit by the back door with a bowl of Cheerios. Of course, the Cheerios ended up everywhere, but she was a happy girl again. If you look closely, you can see great big crocodile tears.

Ah.....sleep

Don't you love sleep? I do. When I was little, and even into my early 20's, I wasn't a napper. Friends of mine would take naps here and there to recharge, and I would never understand why! That all changed once I was working and going to school full time. It changed even more once the girls came along. All parents recall those early days of little or no sleep. Some of us were missing sleep even before they came along (gotta love pregnancy heartburn). I was just sharing with another new mom how Adrian and I did shifts. Once the girls were down for the night (ha!), he would have Midnight-3am and I would have 3am-6am. So, if either one of the girls were to get up during our shift, it was all us. Even if both got up at the same time, we'd just strap em in their bouncers and double feed. Although, there were the rare CODE RED situations where reinforcements were necessary. I remember falling asleep on the nursery floor several times, either holding a bouncy seat, or with one hand stuck in a crib. We tried our best to sleep whenever they slept, which brings me to this picture. We made it a rule not to nap them in our bed and/or on the couch with us, because of the cushions--but we bent the rules this day. Adrian and Charlotte--both zonked out. I loved those little rompers!!!

I can't seem to stop!

The girls are real 'nappy' today, due to Rachel getting shots and Char having an ikcy cold. So I just keep playing! Laundry? Dishes? Painting? HA! I think not!

Still learning....

..still playing.

Donavan's pics

Donavan takes some great pictures, so I'm always stealing them from her! Here are some great ones from our party, with one of Mom's thrown in. Here is her blog, as well. Thanks, Donnie!

First attempt....

....at a digital scrapbook page (with the help of some online freebies). I'm trying to decide whether I'm creative or not. My little Rach looking at her sis in the NICU. So small!

Happy Easter!

The girls got to spend the day w/ some family today. We got some wonderful birthday gifts, and had lots of fun visiting. My folks actually managed to get better pics than I did, so I'll have to add more later!


...and I just thought this one was cute.

It's official....

..we're ONE! It sounds a bit cliche, but time has just flown by! A year ago, they were these tiny little fighters in the NICU, and now they're rambunctious toddlers. We had a small get together this evening and had a great time visiting w/ friends and grandparents. We'll see more yet on Easter Sunday. Thanks to all for the company and the goodies!

Good Books and Good Friends

Our little book group gets together every other month to eat, talk, drink, talk, eat, talk, and eat. Oh, and sometimes we discuss what we've read! Well, this month we got together at Patricia's house (I want a red couch!!!) and had a blast. There were friends in every corner, and you couldn't beat the food. The girls had a wonderful time making friends with Patricia's kids, Sophia and Brando. I'm just bummed that we didn't manage to get a shot of Lannie! Next time.....

She calls herself The Reason

My dear friend Jeanne fixed me up with Adrian. She likes to remind the girls that she's 'the reason' that they're here. We were just lucky enough to catch her at book group. Lots of laughs.

Only a Grammy...

would make you wear t-shirts under your blouses on a chilly day. What's next? Winter coats over our Halloween costumes?? hehe..

Playing with Black and White

Happy Birthday Megan!!!

Megan (R) and Donavan (L) during an infamous
Target spree.

Happy Birthday to our dear friend Megan. She became a member of our little group back when she dated one of Adrian's pals. She's since fallen in love with a budding chef/rock climber/engineer and we wish her all the best. She's a true pal who knows the value of a good bag of gummi bears, MUST shop at Target with you, and who has a DVD collection that would rival a Netflix warehouse. She rocks!