the Twins first Haircuts

Grandma decided it was time for the girls to get their first haircuts.

She arranged (and paid) for the girls to get their hair done by Grandma's stylist.

Nellie

Rosie

They look so darling! And they are so proud of their new dos

Thanks Grandma

the Twins turn TWO

The girls turned two a week ago on the 11th. I didn't know how to make their birthday special. It was a Sunday and we were up in Mesa. So I got them birthday muffins. We also had cake and ice cream after dinner with their cousins. They also got a few gifts- a magnetic drawing pad, a water drawing pad, big girl underpants, and a Little Einestine DVD (which my brothers have decided were missed named and should have been called "little mozart"

They were adorable for church in their new Sunday dresses. I hope they enjoyed their birthdays and that it felt more special than just any other Sunday.

Sick all week

We get home from spending time up in Mesa and I was looking forward to spending time with friends from around here and such, we went to the park on Monday morning (we were visit teaching one of our sisters, we find the park nice because we all have children and our children can play and life is good). After naps on Monday Rose woke up with a fever. It is now Saturday and that fever hasn't fully gone away. Nellie has had a little bit of a fever.
I just want our lives back!

Park and Corn dogs

Back on the 23rd of May (last day of school around here) Sonic had 50 cent corn dogs. So we went by for lunch, got our corn dogs, and ordered enough that my children ate them for lunch and dinner that day. Don't judge my children love corn dogs and I knew we were going up to Mesa for the long weekend and leaving that night (having dinner in the car) what better food for children on a road trip than corn dogs. Especially since my children love them and eat every last bite.

While we waited for daddy to get off work and start our road trip we went to the park.

It was a short visit but they made the most of it and were so sad to leave.

Took this pic walking up to the park.

Nellie had hurried ahead, Rose called out to here
"Wait" and Nellie turned around and they ran to each other.

I just love this photo and I am totally smitten with the love and bond my babies have. There is nothing else so sweet to watch. 

18 Months

The girls are now 18 months. Yay for nursery! They turned 18 months on Monday.

11 o'clock church is really hard on the girls. Passing out on the way home from church is becoming a regularly thing. The other days of the week I am trying to get them use to taking a later nap so church won't be so rough.

Little Girls will be little girls

Our babies are officially little girls now....

wearing my shoes. Can't get enough of shoes

wanting to play dress up 

I hope they grow out of it. I don't know what to do with little girls that aren't tom boys

they are so carrying baby dolls around the house

Girls are Now One (15 months exactly)

I can't believe I haven't posted about the girls' birthday!!! I am a bad blogger. Bad Blogger (slap slap)

wow the girls are one (by now they are 15 months!) They were so tiny and now are so big and walking and are into EVERYTHING

they were so cute with their bow headbands I made.

the girls loved being the center of attention. 

 begging food off of everyone

 getting loves from everyone

 Both loved the cake

 and their new toys  

 We had so many family and friends come to celebrate this day with us.

 Such cuties. 

 All the foods were made from scratch and had strawberries.

 Here is how they look today at almost 15 months.

Spontaneous Trip to Disneyland

So you wouldn't think being "UNEMPLOYED" and "DISNEYLAND" go hand and hand. For some reason we seemed to think they did. In hindsight, considering we are still unemployed two months later, maybe it was a bad idea. But we had the money in savings and we didn't think we'd still be unemployed this long (now its looking like it could be A LOT longer). We did it on a whim because we wanted to take advantage of the time we had to spend as a family. I don't regret the memories we made or that we did it- just the money we spent. 

We left late in the evening and drove all night.

We arrive about 4am and checked into the hotel.

the next day we went to the Beach and the Newport Beach Temple

and then the following day to Disneyland.

Our children had no idea until we walked up to the gates where we were and then our son went all giddy shy on us and would say Disneyland. 

We did kiddo things all day

.It was the first time in my life since being 10 that I went to Disneyland and didn't ride one ride I couldn't have rode the first time I ever went to Disneyland (when I was 4).

 Everything we did was focused around Al having a great time.

 We were able to go to CARSland. It was fun but I was very disappointed that the babies couldn't do even ONE ride there.

Al did find CARSland really cool 

 It was a *really* hot hot day. Too bad I thought it was going to be a bit cooler and packed our clothes for the low 80's and not for 100's.

Also it must have been twin day at the park. We met TWINS everywhere. 

These grown twins were there celebrating their bday. They told my girl that they have no idea what fun is in store for them. Since it was first thing in the morning at Disneyland I thought they were talking about Disneyland But then I realized that they meant 'in their lives as twin'

Breakfast with Justin

We met up with Justin for breakfast while we were in Mesa.

Justin suggested this cute place with excellent breakfast food (they only do breakfast and lunch), called T C Eggingtons.

I had their french toast, Justin and my husband both had one of their omelets.  

We had a delicious breakfast and it was great to see Justin again.

We have Climbers

Nothing is safe. At this point in order to baby-proof our house any further it would involve moving chair and tables out of the reach of my daughters. Al was never really a climber. He started to climb on the counter to get into the kitchen around the time the girls were born but after getting in heaps of trouble for doing it, he moved past it.
But these girls are climbers and they have no fear. I am constantly turning around to find them on the couch or in this case the table (she had climbed out of her high chair onto the table). The biggest problem is they haven't figured out the climbing down thing yet.
Oh my what am I going to do with them. I'm in trouble now.

Oh the Mischief you do

We rearranged our master bedroom. There are more rooms in the planing to be rearranged but we haven't got there yet. Before rearranging our room the girls were interested in our room but rarely ventured to the far side of the bedroom. NOW they make a beeline for daddy's side: the book shelf, daddy's shoes, his nightstand. Apparently everything fun about the room is on daddy's side. I pick everything up and put it back at least twice a day. I am looking forward for this to get old and they get board of it. 

good morning sunshines

Our girls are so happy every morning. Rose is on the left and Nellie on the right. some days they look so different, but other days I spend the whole day trying to remember what outfit I put on who.

Weekend in Mesa over

We went up to Mesa to see the family and go to the dbacks game.

When it was time to go home, Rose wanted to help daddy put the crib away.

The Verdict is In

Our DNA tests came back and we're identical.
We suspected it. The doctors all said in their opinions and experience they would guess their identical.
Now we know they are right.

Aren't we the cutest Identical twins.

Reasons why I'm glad to finally know:

1. Now I can give people honest uncomplicated answers when asked if they are "identical or fraternal". Before when people asked I'd say "we think they're identical", then people would ask what that meant and I'd have to tell them the whole story. My mom kept telling to just say "they're identical" but I couldn't because identical means more than just looking alike. I can't be untruthful. But now I can be scientifically right, simple, truthful.
2. Now I can stop looking every little tiniest difference between them and wonder if its because they aren't identical. I can now look at those differences and be grateful they have differences so that I can tell them apart.

Hiding from Mama

Nellie had crawled down my parent's kitchen. I thought Rose was there too. But I went down the kitchen to retrieve them and there was only one baby. I then walked all around the house. I didn't know where she was I felt slightly panicked.  Then I saw here there, on the shelf with grandma's vhs tapes, under the fish tank. She was so quite, when she realized I found her she squealed loudly.  Al thought it was so funny he decided to join her under there. 

Mothers Nursing Lounge

In my own ward, I am the only nursing mother. I sit in the mother's lounge for all or almost all of Sunday School every Sunday. Its really lonely sitting there all by myself. The only time I have company in there is a visiting mother to our ward.

Last Sunday I was visiting my parent's ward. At one point there were four of us mothers in the nursing lounge. That is just awesome. We had four babies on the floor they kept stealing each other's toys. It was a party in there.