Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Pebble Beach, Arizona!

prepare yourselves-

(you'll need plenty of extra time to view our crazy and exciting lives as of late)

Dear Lindsey and Ashton,

This will be the last post of your first book. Your dad and I have decided this is the best way to record memories of you both. You each have your own personal journals that we write in too, which we will also bind into a book, but this one is loaded with pictures!! Someday when you two are old enough you'll enjoy looking back on your first year as babies from mommy's perspective!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009

Lindsey especially loved Santa!

These two picture were taken the beginning of December. We only had a few of our presents up before we noticed Ashton had a new thing she loved. She was taking the bows off all the presents and trying to eat the tape. After that we waited to put the rest of the presents out.

My favorite books when I was a child were Eloise Wilkin books. She is dead now and they are out of print. But if you're lucky; you can find them, maybe. My mom found an assortment of her books all in one hardbound copy. The pictures are fantastic and I was so so happy! Here I am below showing Ashton her new book.

I love my cat, Duke. I was so tired. I just laid down on the kitchen floor while my mom made the rest of the treats. My cat came right up and snuggled. I think he misses the days when he could do that anytime he wanted.

Gingerbread Houses

 ...and the hardest I laughed all month!

Just seeing these pictures is making me laugh. My mom was taking them and I can't even tell you the things she was saying but we were laughing so hard.

Look at their Christmas socks! Last year the elastic didn't even touch their teeny legs and they kept falling off when they kicked. This year they fit much better (notice Ashy and Linny are on the same side in each photo. How funny)

I laughed so hard when they opened their barbie 4 wheeler. Lindsey just wanted to sit ontop of the box.  They love this quad so much! We bought it thinking they won't know how to use it for another 4-5 months but no-no, they get on that thing, push that button, and crank it on high speed until they run into something. This morning it was the christmas tree. (I will have to post the cutest video of Ashton driving it)

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The night before the girls birthday we went to the Polar Express. It was our first time and we had a great time. We had the 'caboose' car which was fun. It was a little long for the girls, especially Ashton who had a small meltdown, yes believe it or not I said Ashton had the meltdown for a change. We'd definitely like to do it again! I even got to enjoy my hot chocolate without a child spillng it all over me

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The next few days were pretty busy getting ready for our family Christmas party at Aunt Cheri's house. We had lots of baking and preparation to do for it and Lindsey was in a particular needy mood but with all the excitement  of my parents shopping and being in and out and upbeat christmas music we manage to keep her distracted.

Grandma and grandpa Goff gave the girls cute christmas ornaments and both girls wouldn't stop staring at them! lol

Lindsey spilled a bunch of her puffs on the floor....

Lindsey LOVES her puffs... and when we tried to clean them up...

...she laid down on top of them. I'm pretty sure she'd like to take a bath full of puffs.

Then when we were in the very middle of our Christmas program Lindsey wanted to play peek-a-boo. She'd hide then sit up and scream with laughter. Shane had to stay upstairs with her. Ashton was a little Angel sitting in my dads arms quietly during the program. I think she takes after me :)

Playing with cousin Vander a week before Christmas!!

This picture above really is so funny in so many ways to us. Do these tshirts looks familiar to anyone????

Maybe because they're the CATS! Hahaha I was doing laundry after Christmas and when I pulled these out I looked at the twins and couldn't resist. Its even funnier how the sayings on the shirts are very fitting to the individuals (human or animal) wearing them.

I feel like I havent really had a Christmas in two years. Last year the twins were only 6 days old and we spent the days literally in our bedroom upstairs. I didn't even come downstairs until evening where my mom and sister made us a great big Christmas dinner and I thought I was going to cry. Maybe I did, I can't remember. So I especially enjoyed myself this year. I went all out with our Christmas decorations and I had the best time just watching the girls as they shook each present, pulled off every bow, bounced to the Holiday music, hid behind our Christmas trees, slept with their jungle bells, and watched their faces light up as I let them lick the dessert bowls when I was baking.

I feel like this year came and went especially fast. At one point I remember I was  trying to do a million things all at once and while I was on my way to Target one night I called my mom for a little 'mommy talk' (I'm never too old for those) and she kindly reminded me what Christmas is really all about and how easy it is to forget during all the hustle and bustle. When I got off the phone, I turned the car around and came home to wrap presents with Shane. On my way home I kept thinking about Mary and this immense sense of gratitude took hold of me. Can you even imagine being the mother of Christ? Do you think Mary realized just how glorious this was? I suddenly felt intimately connected to her for the first time. When I got home we made popcorn and hot chocolate and I had to smile to myself.  I was so glad I called my mom.
 Merry Merry Christmas!

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The Birthday Gals!

Our ladybugs turned one. They turned one already! I feel like just last week my stomach was all bruised and swollen from the invitro shots. It feels like we just had an unexpected visit to the hospital where they performed an ultrasound at 5am showing us we were having twins! And I remember all too well Shane and I praying for their health and pleading for their survivial during my pregnancy. It really feels like only yesterday I was holding them for the first time and I can't believe how choked up I feel right now.

Bear with me this is emotional:

Sometimes I find myself saying "I can't wait until they can walk" or "I can't wait to see who will love Cinderella and who will love sleeping beauty" or "I can't wait until they can tie their owns shoes." Awww, and now, as I sit here typing, my memory has served me with this unexpected deep sense of wishing they could nuzzle so perfectly into my arms again. I wish I could see the way they fold their teeny legs flat underneath them like a little bird one more time. I even wish I could still see the newborn fuzzy hair on their ears and cheeks. All too soon and sometimes all at once it seems they grow up on you.

 The tiny fingerprints that show up on almost everything I clean, the piles of laundry and what seems to be a diaper or bottle in all the wrong places will disappear all too soon and I know I will miss them profoundly. Lately, I've been finding the beauty in nearly everything. It's like the more I look, the more I find. It's been natural and easy to recognize the moments when they're happening. To absorb and appreciate them. There are so many moments of genuine joy and meaning so tender that all I can do is kneel to thank god for the gift of children and the trust he's given me to be the mother of these two precious souls who just turned ONE! Yes my babies are one. They are standing up, waddling around and talking jibberish. I feel like they're not even babies anymore...No, they will always be my babies!

Aunt Toni and Uncle Matt celebrated the ladybugs birthday the night before because they were headed to Boston for Chrisstmas the same day as the party. Look how cute these pictures are and how enthralled and absorbed they are into the wrapping paper. Watching them upwrap their presents was so fun that night. They were enjoying themselves, fully. Look at Ashy's face and then Linny's on the left. It's like she's telling Ashton how cool their present is going to be. And IT WAS! They especially love the basketball hoop. They get right in there and dunk the balls.

The birthday party!

We started them off on the table and that wasn't working. I think it was too vast and they were distracted by all the commotion easier. So we moved them to their highchairs.

After a few minutes, Lindsey thought it was pretty cool her "L" came out of the cake and Ash found her hair bow, which was more exciting.

did NOT like when daddy put my hand in the cake!

But...when I licked my fingers it did taste pretty darn good!

Ashton just happy to be alive....

This picture isn't very good, in fact its hilarious. (Dad, look at your face!)
But it's the only on e I have of the food. I made cheddar corn chowder with chicken and a beef stew with breadsticks and bread bowls. We had a zillion desserts: oreo fudge, rice crispies with chocolate, we had cake of course, sugar cookies, ice cream, mint covered oreos, chocolate covered pretzels and strawberries, homemade peanut brittle...

Presents!
There were so many presents. SO MANY! I think I enjoyed unwrapping them more than anyone. Next to Lindsey of course: She 'ooood' and 'ahhhhd'  as I opened them. I realized she did this each time I did it first. She was just too cute and such a girl!

 Guess who else came to the party.....Uncle Doc. The girls invitro Doctor has officially been renamed Uncle Doc, naturally.

Its natural to say that when you become a mother or a father, your children become your whole world. Whats special about twins is not only are WE THEIR world but they are EACH OTHERS whole world. I'm so delighted these two came to earth at the same time!!

It was nearly 2am when everything finally got cleaned up and put away. (Thanks mom and dad for doing everything!) However, there was one thing left to do! Dig into the girls birthday cakes. I can EASILY say, these were the best tasting cakes I've ever had. Simple- Vanilla cake with vanilla custard and Hands down THEE best!

Happy Birthday Pumkin Heads.

 I love being your mommy!