Random pics

These are just some pictures from the last couple of months. I'm hoping this will buy me some time before my Christmas post.

I love Christmas!

Well I hope we're ready for Christmas because here it is. Ah! Last weekend we went to Utah for a family Christmas party. It was a quick trip (in between snow storms) we figured we were only there for about 20 hours! It was worth it though. Every year we have a Christmas party with my mom's family. We've been doing it for as long as I can remember. We eat yummy food (of course), play bunco, and decorate gingerbread cookies. This year I think we had more babies than adults. The Wyoming and Colorado fams weren't there so we were few in number, but we still had a good time. My dad's family has a caroling party every year on the Sunday before Christmas which is also an awesome tradition. August has only gone once or twice when she was pretty little and she still talks about it. We couldn't make it this year because of the storms but maybe next year.

Tonight we are having a Christmas Eve dinner at Brandon's parents' house and then tomorrow morning we are going to Grandpa Larsen's for Christmas breakfast. All of Brandon's sisters (except Robyn who is in Korea-love you, Merry Christmas!) will be here this week some time. I really love this time of year so that we can reconnect with our family. Isn't that what it's all about?

Here is my new favorite picture of the babies, doing their new favorite thing...emptying drawers! Don't they look so proud of themselves.

We're back!

Wow...it's been awhile! I guess my blog is a pretty accurate respresentation of my life. A lot of other things are being neglected in my life as well...ie: laundry, dishes, Brandon! :)

Instead of trying to catch up I'm going to start afresh with renewed determination to make this the best blog ever! (or at least a mediocre attempt to stay in contact with the few friends I have left)

August is as hilarious as ever! Today she added singer to her list of "what she wants to be when she grows up." The list also includes: moviemaker, author, and mom. She is extremely creative and writes and illustrates her own books. She wrote one titled, "Flowers" and took it to school for show and tell. Her teacher Mrs. Austin read it to the whole class (bless her heart) and August loved every minute of it. We've learned not to throw anything away around here. August can quite literally turn trash into treasure. Her book was written on some of our extra wedding invitations from 8 years ago.

Addie had her Christmas Dance Party today. They did their Christmas dances for us, Santa came and surprised them, and then we had some goodies. August was at school, Brandon at work, and Brooke babysat the babies for me so it was just Addie and I. She was funny during her dances. She would dance along, then stare at some of the other parents, pull some funny faces, and then do it all over again. When Santa came she looked shocked and confused, not necessarily happy. She told him she wanted a candy cane and a doll for Christmas...huh? She's been telling us for weeks she wants a bike and a Kung Fu Panda movie.
This was our ensuing conversation:

Me: Why didn't you tell Santa what you really want?
Addie: He wasn't the real Santa, so he doesn't have magic.
Me: Why do you think he wasn't the real Santa?
Addie: Because I saw his skin and it was different.

I don't know if she was talking about his beard, or what. At this point I'm just trying not to laugh my head off. After some more discussion I said that it was probably just one of Santa's helpers dressed up to make the girls happy. To which Addie replied: "but I wasn't happy, it wasn't the real Santa." HILARIOUS!!! She wasn't going to waste her real Christmas list on an impostor.

Avery & Aiden are getting so big! They each have 5 teeth and will be 11 months old tomorrow! They are very close to walking. Yikes! When I lay them down for their naps they stay up playing and laughing for about 20 minutes. I like to watch them from the hallway without them knowing I'm there. It's so cute. They like to touch hands through their cribs and they also swap binkies that way too. When I'm feeding them in their high chairs they like to hold hands sometimes. Precious. I don't want them to grow up! Sigh. Sniff Sniff.

Brandon is really liking his new job. He started about a month ago working at a local TV station. He still sells ad time but now on TV instead of radio. He liked his other job too, but this will be better for our family. It's hard for him to jump ship because he's so loyal and he'll miss all the friends he made, but we're really glad we took this opportunity.

I love staying home with the girls. It is so challenging some days, but extremely worth it! I'm basically behind on every aspect of keeping our home, but my kids are clean and fed and happy (with one 3-year-old exception that apparently can sniff out fake Santas).

Happy Halloween!

Tonight was our ward's trunk or treat. Avery is sick...are they always sick? She is croupy and Aiden is acting like she will soon follow. Brandon took the big girls and I stayed home with the sickies. The girls also got to dress up in their costumes for dance lessons yesterday and then August dressed up for school today. They have had a blast. Addison especially loves the makeup and will do almost anything for glitter! She's such a girly-girl! If you can't tell they were Hannah Montana and a ballerina-princess-fairy (you get the idea, someone cute and sparkly...every 3-year-olds' dream, right?) This week has gone pretty good, considering. Brooke is gone, need I say more? Actually I'm just a big complainer, we're doing great. (minus the croup issue) August and Addison are really great with the babies and that helps me a lot. I put the pack n' play up so that I can have a quick shower if the babies aren't napping together. It's crazy that they're crawling...it really changes everything.

Anyone have any advice about croup? I don't think my other girls ever had it. Do the steroids really help a lot? Can they just get over it if it's mild enough? I see a doctor appointment in my future!

I hope everyone is doing well. Stay healthy! Happy Birthday Dad!! Love You!

The Stomach Flu, Two Crawlers, & A Wedding

We just got back home last night from my sister's Wedding Weekend Extravaganza! I thought I'd be relieved to have all the excitement behind us, but I'm actually having some post-wedding blues. We've had a couple of crazy weeks (actually months) around here. We've had a lot of wedding planning and many trips to Utah. The week before the wedding August got sick. I spent most of my time cleaning up throw-up (sorry, tmi) and doing laundry. I guess it was actually Avery who got us started with the throwing up, etc. I was feeling pretty lucky that Aiden & Addison had avoided it...until Addison started throwing up on Thursday night. We were already at my parents' house so they were a big help. My mom stayed up with her almost all night. Thanks!!

The wedding was Saturday at the Salt Lake Temple. The weather was gorgeous. We took all the kids and we had to leave Willard by 8:15 am. I was feeling so good about everything that morning because I had everything laid out and packed the night before. It takes a lot of planning to get 4 girls up and fed and beautified by 8:15! Then disaster struck! I couldn't find my recommend! Do you know why? It was in Idaho, in my closet, in my temple bag! Now, I am not really new to this predicament. I did the exact same thing when my brother got married. Only then my recommend was in Las Vegas, in my closet, in my temple bag. Brandon thinks this whole scenario is hilarious because I usually am so organized and I hate asking people for help. To add to the excitement of this long story...my bishop was in the hospital after just having surgery. Luckily they didn't even need to call him at the temple, they just look you up on the computer and give you a temporary paper to get in the temple. Actually they have a whole little office just for this situation and I even had to wait in line. That makes me feel a little less stupid.

The day was so fun. Everyone kept commenting on how good the babies were. They really were. It was a long day and we didn't stick to their schedule at all. All the grandkids looked so adorable at the reception. My nephew Tyson and Addison were especially cute. They held hands and danced all night. Tyson said that Addie was his princess. August was really into the whole marriage idea and had many, many one liners. At one point she asked Brooke if it felt good to be Brooke Evans? When Brooke & Reese left the reception August yelled, "goodbye Uncle Reese!" When we laughed she said, "well he is."

August had a hard time letting Brooke leave my parents' house that night. She just held onto her and sobbed. We all cried a little. It's good to be home after a long weekend away, but I keep finding reminders of Brooke everywhere. It's going to be an adjustment having her gone. We had so much fun this last year.

After the reception we were all sitting around talking and my mom asked where my dad was. She thought he definitely couldn't be in bed because the bed was covered with everything and anything you could think of. (a wedding dress included!) She came out of her room laughing and made us come look, he was so tired he just crawled under the covers under all the other stuff too. (refer to pictures!)

Did I mention that both babies are crawling now. It is so cute to see them crawling side by side. People always ask me if I can tell them apart and if they have different personalities. The answer is yes, I can tell them apart. It took about 4months though. They are identical and hence look very similar. Second question, yes, they have different personalities. Aiden is a little more reserved, she likes to observe a situation for awhile before jumping in. She is a great eater. She has 3 teeth and babbles more than Avery. Avery is a picky eater. She weighed 1/2 pound less than Aiden at the 9 month appointment. Avery has 2 teeth and is always on the go. She warms up easily and is very free with her laughs and smiles.

We're looking forward to Halloween this week and our first Parent Teacher Conference!

Uh Oh!

Oops, I've been neglecting my blog. Let's just do a quick run down: We went to Utah last weekend for Brooke's bridal shower and stopped in Tremonton on the way down to wish my brother Shelby a happy birthday. (His 30th...welcome to the club Shelb!) The shower was a lot of fun. My parents have 6 granddaughters and our cousins also have a lot of little girls, so there were cute little girls running around all over. Brooke got a lot of great gifts and it was fun to see everyone and to meet Reese's mom and grandma. Back at home I had an activity days activity on Tuesday. (one of my favorite callings by the way) We decorated cupcakes and talked about talents, how we're all different-just like the cupcakes we decorated. (thanks sugardoodle!) The girls in my group are precious. They are so cute and helpful! On Thursday we had a friend birthday party for August. It was great weather here so we did everything outside. I think everyone had fun. We just did the usual: games, presents, etc. We did let them decorate their own cupcakes. We had a lot of cupcakes and sprinkles around here this week. :) On Friday my parents came for the weekend. It's awesome how August's birthday usually falls on Conference Weekend. Right before they came I blew up our microwave by cooking (burning) popcorn for about 5 minutes. They were greeted at the door by the nasty odor. Before you judge me-I do know how to make microwave popcorn...actually it's a staple around here. The number panel has been broken for some time so it's a mystery as to what cooking time you actually picked. Ooops I think I pushed 5 instead of 2. I'm glad I did that while they were here because they felt bad for me and bought us a new microwave. Wow, it's getting expensive for them to come visit! Okay...I'm running out of time: conference was great, August's family party was Saturday-Penny & fam and Becka were up, and April & Robyn were here via Skype. Whew! Okay I'll try to get some pictures up later!

You're gonna miss this...

Have you heard the country song by Trace Adkins titled YOU'RE GONNA MISS THIS? This has been my theme song since I heard it. "What's that...you're tired of nursing babies 10 times a day-well you know you're gonna miss this someday, babies do grow up. Come again...you just cleaned the living room 2 minutes ago and it's already filled back up with the same toys you just put away...that's right you're gonna miss this too someday." It's hard to not wish away this crazy, demanding, out of control time of our lives so every once in a while I remind myself that I really am going to miss this. Or am I? It's hard to think that I'll ever miss baby food splatters on all my clothes, changing 16 diapers a day, loading and unloading the dishwasher non-stop, etc. But I know that it's the baby giggles, the kids' artwork just for me, FHE lessons taught by a 3 year old, and little girl hugs and kisses that I'll really miss. And who knows maybe cleaning my house and having it stay clean will even become boring eventually...Nah, I don't think so! So to all you awesome Moms out there going through this stage with me...hang in there, enjoy this time, it won't last forever! :( And to you moms who made it through this stage I salute you! Yahoo, great job, you made it! And could you just reassure me...do you really miss this? :)

Live-In Nanny/Housekeeper Wanted!!!

It's official, my sister is engaged! We are so happy for them. I'm especially glad she found her future husband up here in Idaho while helping my family, then I don't feel so guilty. At least she got something out of it, right? I'm also glad that she'll still be living close, at least for a little while. I can't tell you how much I appreciate her and all she has done for me. She moved in with us when I was 5 months pregnant. She has done laundry, cleaned bathrooms, wiped bums, changed diapers, bought groceries, shuttled kids to school and dance, made dinners, fed babies, scrubbed floors, changed sheets, wiped noses, and on and on and on. She also stayed with me during the 10 long days in the hospital when the babies had RSV. She was there almost every day and a few nights too. She made the time there bearable and even humorous sometimes. Without her there I would have gone crazy. She also was one of my three breast-feeding assistants. :) Nursing twins can be tricky and it took 2 of us to get them fed and burped every feeding. She made middle of the night feedings fun. We would get laughing so hard (everything is funny at 3 AM)! We talked about all of our LOST theories and about our inventions that were going to make us rich. (baby armor) Looking back, how did she even have time to date? The other interesting tidbit is that she has done all this while living in our unfinished basement. A little Cinderellaesque don't you think? Hmmm. Does that make me the evil stepmother? Anyway, thank you Brooke for helping us so much. I don't know what we would have done without you. You're the best and we love you so much. We love Reese too, and know that you will be so happy together!

First Day of Kindergarten

Yep! Today was August's first day of kindergarten. She did great! She did have to give me a few extra hugs as I dropped her off (which I needed by the way). I actually held it together...no tears from either of us. (Probably because I cried them all out last night! LOL) As she was eating breakfast I overheard her talking to herself and giving herself a little pep talk. She said, "Okay, I'm going to remember that I believe in Jesus and I'm going to listen to everything my teacher, Mrs. Austin, tells me." Isn't that the cutest?!

The babies are already 7 months old. They are so funny. It's fun to see their different personalities coming out. The both have 2 teeth, they sit up, and can somehow maneuver themselves around to their toys: they pivet, scoot, whatever it takes.

Grandma's Book Review: 5 STARS!!

The babies had their 6 month checkup yesterday. The doc says they are doing great! Aiden weighed in at 15-15 and Avery 15-7. August and Addison weighed about that at 4 months! Oh well, they are growing that's the important thing. I think them being premature has made me obsessed with their weight. I find it a compliment when people call them chubby because I know how they started out...teeny tiny. Aiden also got her first tooth on Sunday. They are eating cereal and loving it. That brings me to my birthday and some presents I received.


My birthday was last week. Two weeks ago I was at my in-laws after a rather intense afternoon with the girls. The babies can't sit up yet, but they want to be entertained all of the time. We had been looking at bouncers, exersaucers, etc., but I hadn't bought any. Anyway I was saying how I really needed something to entertain them and pronto. They then decided to give me my present early...two, beautiful, life-saving exersaucers! They were the exact ones I wanted! I wanted to cry. My sanity was given back to me in the shape of two big baby toys. Thanks again Pam & Leon!


My mom came for a few days around my birthday and all 7 of us girls had a great time together. She bought me a second high-chair to round out what's become feeding station #2. (Feeding station #1 is the recliner in my room where I usually nurse the babies for what feels like 90 percent of the day!) So basically I got a lot of stuff for the babies but it makes my life so much easier. The night of my birthday my mom babysat and Brandon & I went out, like on a date. Do I need to repeat that...A DATE! As horrible as this sounds it's true... I can't remember the last time we went out, just the two of us. We had a great time. We ate at Johnny Carino's (yum) and then went and saw Indiana Jones (and it wasn't even at the cheap theater!) Thanks for the visit mom...we didn't want you to leave!

August and Addison had swimming lessons this month. They finished up while my mom was here so she was able to hang out at the pool with me and watch. The girls really enjoyed lessons and looked forward to them everyday. No olympic swimmers yet, but boy can they play a mean game of "Fishy in the Basket!" They both had "boy" teachers and they loved it. They guys were so cute with them. (Brennan & Addison-August & Sam)

I just finished reading my Grandma's life history. She is so amazing. She has always kept journals and has written a few books. She wrote her history, had it bound, and then gave one to all her family members. Brooke and I have enjoyed reading a lot of it together -it is so entertaining. It has been so fun to look back on her wonderful life (so far) and remember how great my childhood was with her. She lived just around the block from us and we would see her pretty much everyday. Not only is she wonderful beyond description, she is also hilarious. We love how she named sections of the book with crazy headings, trying to incorporate all that happened in that section. Here are a few examples: "MINERAL OIL AND A MELODRAMA", "A SNOW FORT & SCHOOL LUNCH", "WAYNE'S WAFFLES & LOTS OF KIDS." To all you family members out there that haven't read it yet...I give it 5 stars. It's a great read...you'll laugh, you'll cry, it has something for everyone. I love you Grandma, you're truly one of a kind!!!

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July this year. It's my favorite holiday! We went to Brandon's Aunt Debi's the night of the 3rd and had hot dogs, smores, and watched fireworks. Some families in their neighborhood put on a great fireworks show. It was awesome! I didn't think the babies would last until the fireworks, but they did and they weren't scared of the noise or lights. Good babies!
The next morning Brandon took the girls with him to the parade. He had to drive the Arrow van along the parade route before it started and hand out flyers. The girls waved flags out the window and had a blast. After the parade we had a BBQ at Pam and Leon's. Lots of good food and good company. Brooke came too because Reese was working. The yard at the new house is just awesome. Lots of shade and space for the kids to play. All the cousins played great together. August, Austin, and Addie were pretty much inseparable. Becka and her friend Lisa had crafts for the kids to do and that was a big hit. They made cute, festive, visors.

I opted to stay home with the babies and not go to the BIG fireworks that night down at the river. Brandon said they were awesome as usual. If you've never experienced an Idaho Falls fireworks show you're missing out. They do them by the river and they reflect in the water. I could hear them...and we live across town! We had a great time with Brandon's sisters too. It's fun getting together and seeing everyone. Thanks for a great holiday everyone! I especially appreciate all the help with the girls.

KooKoo for Kookaburra

I have always loved licorice. I always have a package of Red vines handy. My little sis introduced me to this new treat and I'm hooked. It's called Kookaburra Liquorice and it is soft, chewy, and Yummy!

Check out my Slide Show!

The Vernon Reunion

Last weekend we went to Utah for a family reunion. What an adventure. On the way down we had to stop at Fort Hall to change a poopy blowout diaper. Real classy...we were in the casino parking lot changing diapers on the floor of the van. Then we stopped at the Malad Pass rest area to feed the babies in the van. Oh my goodness. I didn't think we'd ever get to my parents' house. The reunion was on Saturday in Hoytsville. It was a fun day. Brandon had never met that side of my family or experienced the Coalville/Hoytsville area in all its glory. We got to see adorable baby Eli for the first time, and all my cousins and their kids that we haven't seen for awhile. My siblings and I contributed 4 new babies to the family in the last 7 months, anyone that was baby hungry probably wasn't by the time the day was over. No, actually they are all really good babies. We came home Sunday afternoon and this time the babies slept the entire way. Yeah!

My Aunt Debbie from Denver came over for the reunion and then she is staying for the 4th at my parents' for a good old fashioned Willard Celebration! My mom, Debbie, and my cousin Cody came to visit yesterday. When Brandon got home from work we went down to the river. We ate Scotty's burgers and fries and then walked along the greenbelt and attempted to feed the ducks. I think they were already full, because they weren't interested in our bread.

This year we're spending the 4th here in Idaho. Three of Brandon's sisters will be here, and we don't get to see them much so we're looking forward to catching up. We'll miss you April! Just think, when you come to visit you'll get the girls all to yourself!

Happy 30th Birthday Brandon!!!

Wow, it's been awhile...I need to play catch up. A couple of weeks ago August got a haircut. She had been complaining about her hair always being snarly. She wanted it really short, but I chickened out. She did end up getting 5 inches cut off though. It was kind of a traumatic experience. (for me, not August!) She rarely keeps her eyes open for pictures so I feel pretty good about those two.

Brandon turned 30 on Friday the 13th, how appropriate huh! Pam & Leon, Grandpa & Peggy, and Grandma came over and we grilled some burgers. Brandon's parents gave him a trampoline. I told him I want to see him on it every day! Actually it's been more of a present for me. The girls are out there all day. It's the kind with the net around it and it is great for the girls and their neighborhood friends. Today Brandon was jumping with the girls and doing flips and my camera batteries died!!! Stay tuned...I promise to get a video of that on the blog.

The babies are 5 months old today. CRAZY! Time is flying! Tonight I took them for a walk and they screamed the entire time. I stopped at my friend's house and she helped me calm them down while we visited and then I put them back in the stroller for the walk home and they screamed the entire way back. I was thinking it would be nice to get out of the house and get some fresh air...well that was counter-productive. Anything but relaxing! I'll just keep trying though. They are such happy little babies, that's the weird part. They rarely cry and never scream like that. They just HATE the stroller...great! Are your necks kinked yet? I don't know what happened with these pictures...but something went terribly wrong! Sorry! Any assistance with this situation would be greatly appreciated. Avery left, Aiden right

I just had to add this last part. I think I'm getting old because I find myself talking about the weather all of the time. Sorry, but just indulge me... these pictures were taken on JUNE 11th! The middle picture shows my flowers I had just planted. AARGH!

Check out my Slide Show!

Stroller Fun

Yeah! We got our new stroller yesterday. Isn't it funny what excites a person! I am really excited about it. (hence the pictures of it in our kitchen, I couldn't wait for a test drive!) Today we took the girls to the park and the second we put the babies in the stroller they started screaming their heads off! We were close to loading everyone back up and heading home, luckily we got things under control and had a fun time. The babies fell asleep so that was nice.

Let me just tell you about this twin thing though. I feel like I'm a first-time mom. We had to pack half the house just to drive across town. Most of the time I look at the babies and think, "wow, how lucky am I- TWO cute, adorable, little babies"...the rest of the time I think, "what did I do to deserve this?" Just kidding, but the words overwhelming & intense have been coming up quite a bit these days!! :) It definitely has been an adjustment, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

August is learning to ride her bike without training wheels. I hope I can get the video on the blog...it's pretty funny. That's me laughing like a hyena in the background. It was funnier up close watching Brandon zig zag behind her so she wouldn't crash. Too Cute!

We hope everyone is doing well. We're on baby watch for Shelby & Lynette. We can't wait to hear guys...good luck on Monday, you're in our prayers. My guess is girl- 8 lbs. 8 oz. What does the winner get? Dinner at Maddox!? :)

Preschool Graduation

Well, last week brought a dance recital, preschool graduation, and a great memorial day weekend. August's preschool graduation was fun. They sang 17 songs (all about 20 seconds long, thank goodness!) and received their "diplomas." It was pretty cute. Afterwards we had Pam & Leon over for a "pizza party." That's what August kept calling it. It really wasn't much of a party, but we did eat pizza. :) Brandon's sisters Penny and Rebecca came with the kids over the long weekend so we were able to visit with them. We had dinner at Brandon's parents' house on Sunday afternoon all together. The kids had fun playing and us grownups just passed the babies around all afternoon. On Monday we worked in the yard and got our flowers planted. I love doing stuff like that. During the week Brooke and I deep cleaned the girls' bedroom and moved furniture. Man, I love cleaning and organizing!! It was a good week. The babies are getting big...they smile and giggle a lot. They still don't sleep through the night-big sigh...but they are going for longer stretches. Not much going on this week. Brooke went to Utah with her boyfriend for a few days, so I'm flying solo. Yikes! Actually all of the girls (all four) have been on their best behavior...luckily. I've been looking forward to tonight all week...Lost season finale! Yahoo! :)