Its Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

S~N~O~W~

In Oregon! Its heavenly I have to say. Sigh.. I miss the winter snows of Montana, but it seems that this year it has come to visit us here! We got a couple inches the other day and now we are getting dumped on again- and the forecast says yet another storm is headed our way on Sunday! Needless to say this week has been a snow week for the kids- well yes it is only wednesday but I'm fairly positive they will be calling the nest two days as well! Looks like my boys will get a 3 week Xmas vacation instead of two! Wink




So on a belated note- I;ve been a slacker. I have had tons to blog about but by the end of the day it seems sleep has been more important! The holidays have not only brought stress and fatigue- as per usual they've brought all the yummy germs along with it! (I even got strep.. UGH!) So in my attempt to keep those pesky buggers at bay- I have now implemented the "Sanitize or I sterilize you rule!" I'm still working on that front door decontamination room.. although somehow I don't think it will be welcomed open armed by the public! HA HA

I will... attempt to do my best at keeping up with all the news as this year slowly winds down... as always.. Thanks for your patience! *cheers*

~From Trash To Treasure~

I am addicted.

Well, lets say I have a new obsession. Its treasure hunting at the Goodwill Outlet. Did you know they even had those? Its FABULOUS with a capitol F. (no.... seriously!!)

The first time I went I admit I was taken back, I walked in with my sons and noticed there was quite a few people with not only gloves, but surgical face masks. (I just about walked out.)
However, I'm not one to be frightened off that easily, so I took my time and walked around a bit before I dove in.

Dove in? Yep... Diving in to a table that is. The Outlet is filled with these extremely long table bins. A table bin?!- I guess you would describe it like the old cafeteria tables in elementary school, only instead of a table top its one huge long bin. The bins are random. (By random I mean they don't sort anything out other than shoes, books and clothes. everything else goes into catch all bins.)

I'm a bargain hunter. I dunno if I would call myself a diver, but I found my way.

So this last trip I took I made out like quite the bargain bandit! I've never been one to be huge into brand names, I just liked clothes that fit me nice and looked good and didn't break my pocketbook. Since finding this Diamond in the rough, I've become a brand name snob! (teehee)
Fendi, Banana Republic, Gap, Armani,BCBG, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, only to name a few!

I even found an adorable REI vest for one the of the twins and some North Face sweats for my oldest. (which he hasn't even taken off the past couple days!)

Long story short (I know too late right!) I brought home my loot and started sorting. Some of the clothing had tags on it from the regular goodwill stores.
This gave me an idea, a wonderful money saving show-my-husband-how-much-I-saved idea! I counted the items I purchased (which mind you was THREE huge garbage bags full) and then added up the total of each of the items that had tags and took that total to the Hub.

Now the Outlet charges you by weight.
Can you believe that?
AND its cheap!
Like 1.69 a pound for up to the first 10 lbs then the price gets cheaper for the more weight you have! So its a bonus to find more and save more! Wink

My totals were:

62 items (in the three bags)
Of those 62 items- 15 had price tags
Total of price tags: $90.85
How much I paid for my loot: $27.25
A Savings of: $63.60
~And that's just the total for the items that HAD tags! AMAZING!

Like I said, I am obsessed. Its a wonderful place, its a treasure hunt every time. Why go to a store and window shop for stuff I know I don't have the money for when I could go here and find other people's trash that I can make my treasures!
(and the best part- if the kids destroy it I don't feel so bad as I didn't pay an arm and a leg for it!)

Thank you Goodwill for your Outlet stores! Cheers!

SHOTS!

Flu season is yet upon us again... UGH
We have never taken part in the whole flu shot event. I have always believed that you would get sick from the shot, I mean after all practically every story I had ever heard about someone getting horrible sick had been after they had gotten the shot.
Our fabulous in home nurse assured me that you can't get sick from the shot. (possibly the new flu mist as it is live virus, but not the shot.. its dead. wink)
I agreed, after she told me how badly the flu could affect the twins if they did in fact get it. My kids are my everything, and the idea that one of them would end up back in the hospital was not an option for me. After a wee but of persuasion, the hub agreed too.
(and besides my good friend's family all got them and no one got sick-and they even got the mist!)

So.. we got the shot. It was free and she even did it in the comfort of my own home.
As a Mom, especially a scrapbooking Mom, I felt it only necessary to capture the moment. (granted not ME getting it done, just the boys! teehee)

And now the proof.. that we are in fact Flu immunized----

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WELLA!

My mother in law is an amazing woman.
Its not often that a woman can say that she truly likes her husband's Mom. (are you with me here girls?) From the very moment I met her she had welcomed me with open arms. I have known her since I was 15 years old. I recall the first time I met her, she had her long curly hair down to her shoulders and came into the room doing spins in her car wash dress. (as she called it because the dress had long strips cut almost fringe like that twirled out when she spun) She was going out on a date with a tall man in a cowboy hat. (but he wasn't much for me to remember)
She was, and is now still so full of life. She would do anything for you and always remembers the dates of everyone who had ever had a birthday, anniversary, or even their death. She is a woman of God and some days I truly believe that she has a phone line directly up to the big Man himself. If ever a prayer was needed, she is the woman to call and pray with.
She has always excepted me for who I am, even in my dark days-and I thank her for that.
We have been so blessed to have her in our lives.. so today.. Its her day..

Happy Birthday Mama-Lupita-Wella-Sticker-Babes..and every other name you go by!
When God made you.. he truly did break the mold! XOXO

...Being Thankful on our Early Thanksgiving...

Its been three years now that we have had an early Thanksgiving. My brother, who resides in Seattle, comes over when he can get away from school and work to spend it with us. (Seeing as he works in retail and we all know how big the shopping days right around Thanksgiving are.)
We had a wonderfully Big Turkey bird and all the fixing- most of which I only make once a year!
With the old we did have some new, in the form of a pumpkin cheesecake. ( I was informed only this year that my hub dislikes pumpkin pie.) It turned out great and I was sooo happy to get off my feet and enjoy the meal!
As the holidays get closer I start to reminisce about my childhood and all the wonderful memories I had around the holidays. I KNOW that sometimes I go above and beyond what is necessary for my kids but I just want them to sit back when they are my age and remember all the wonderful times we shared together. To me, its worth it. All the stress and all the Holiday Hub bub fades when I see my sons smiling with holiday glee! (but this all in itself is a whole other post... we'll get to it soon enough! Wink)

!

Strep*da*ditty*do

Our Luck.
Sigh.
If it can happen, it will happen to us.
And it always does.

Its Scarlatina, yep.. that fabulous rash you get when you get strep.. only problem is between that and his Eczema it was a recipe for disaster. While he never complained about a sore throat, never even had a fever.. we didn't know what was wrong at all. We were shopping when he broke out and he told me in the dressing room how he was going to leave his jacket on so that people wouldn't think he was a freak. I could have cried :(
-The first Dr. we saw told us it was just an Eczema break out. But me, as Mom, knew this couldn't be true as he had Never had one like this before. (by the way his legs were even worse!!)
-The 2nd Dr. (at the Urgent Care- which I think they should rename Slow Care!) said she had no idea what was wrong with him. Each area of his body seemed to have a different look and she just couldn't seem to pinpoint it. She then told us to try to get in with our regular Dr. in the morning or go to the ER.
-The 3rd and Final Dr. finally tells us it is a Strep rash and the most horrible one she had ever seen! Lots of strong meds and 10 days later we are looking better. Granted He still has a rash on his arms and legs which won't seem to go away but I have a call in for a referral to a Dermatologist. Lets hope we can get to the bottom of this!
(I have done some medical research of my own, I mean come on this IS the digital age and all- But alas I am no doctor so I will get the referral and hopefully they will be able to tell us what I think I may have concluded on my own!) <--I'll keep ya posted!

Oh when the Saints...

This year was our first year participating in the Saints Alive! Parade as Church. The boys had to come up with a Saint they wanted to be and then I got the pleasure of trying to figure out just exactly how I was going to make it work. As per usual, myself, the last minute Queen, whipped up both costumes the night prior to said event. I think they came out alright.. but no worries I won't break my arm off patting myself on the back or anything! *wink





Chugo went as St. Patrick










Kata went as Noah








The boys had a really good time. Each one was able to get up in front of the church and tell who they were and why they chose the Saint they did.
Some of the teenie kids were adorable and couldn't remember who they were- or if they did they didn't know how to say the name. So glad we participated!!

Ooo0 Happy Halloween!! 0ooO

Kata as Boba Fett (he even had a backpack jet!)

Chugo was my Robot. (So GQ with his sweet tie too!)
We spend many hours wandering Ace hardware and brainstorming our plans for this suit! I am so glad it turned out so well!







And how could we not forget Thing 1 and Thing 2! I lucked out having a great friend who found these blue furry pimp hats that I was able to cut the brim off and size down for the wee lads!
They got their first taste of candy in the sucker form and booooooy did they LOVE it!
(then they continued to run ramp id for the next couple hours!)



And then ofcourse there is all the loot the boys made out with after their trick or treating extravaganza!


And just for your viewing pleasure... yep... you guessed it me! As Pipi Longstockings herself! Wink

Pumpkin time..

Carving pumpkins, always such fun. (and of course messy!) This year was no different, well other than the two additional bodies sitting around (or ON rather) the table hard at work. I look back at last year and having spent so much time in the hospital crying and praying- waiting for my sons to arrive home. And now here they are- home where they belong with us making huge messes along side their older brothers! Its been WONDERFUL!
So... onto pumpkin carving-





And how could I not add in the finished products.. all the hard work that went into these bad boys made them all the much more awesome! (wink)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATA!

Oh Kata.....
Always so full of energy- your imagination never ceases to amaze me! Your costume collection has grown so big over the years that we had to buy a new larger bin!
You've taught me so much over these past SEVEN years:
-How to love unconditionally
-How to laugh at myself
-The names of every superhero and villain known to man! (and then even some of your own made up ones!)
*And those are just to name a few!!

Thank you for being you- For never changing even though as we get older and meet knew people it gets harder to still be yourself! (You still wear your batman mask to the grocery store- and I love that!)



Since he wasn't able to have the kid party he wanted last year as I was fresh out of the hospital from having the twins- we did this year! It was a costume party and everyone had a wonderful time!

The Party for the ONE Boys!

I have to say, I was stressed out trying to make sure that everything would be done around the house before the guests arrived! Luckily for me, I always worry more than I should and it all turned out great! The food was done on time just as everyone was arriving. It still hits me at odd times during the day, My babies are ONE! How did this happen? More importantly...When?!
*sigh*
I made it through the party, I teared up just a little when people were looking through the NICU scrapbook. I can't believe they were ever that small! With no further ado.... onto the photos!


The Cakes! I made them each their own little mini cakes so they could "have at it". (and of course a bigger one for all the guests!) Moose was careful with his cake and picked it up to nibble off it. Bus, well when he got his cake he grabbed it with both hands, squeezed it through his fingers and shoved cake into his mouth with both hands! (this was truly the first experience the boys had with sugar and omg they were on the craziest sugar high! Didn't end up going to bed until 10:30pm! Needless to say we did a lot of sleeping the next day to make up for it! *wink)

They boys loved their birthday blowers. They kept trying to figure them out and then said, what the heck lets just chomp on them instead!

Moose

Bus

Singing Happy Birthday

Both Chugo and Kata helped blow out the candles and when it came time for presents no help was needed, well for Bus that is! Its like he had been opening present all his life! He ripped the paper open and kept banging on the present in excitement! He even looked over at Moose during one point, who seemed in his eyes to be taking waaaay to long to open his and crawled over his own gift in order to starting ripping away at Moose's! It was too cute! (maybe it was the sugar I dunno, but they both really enjoyed the day!)
All I can say is, I can't Wait for Christmas! YAY!!

(On a silly note, I seemed to have dressed the twins for their personalities: Moose in a button up and sweater vest and Bus in a Hawaiian shirt. My BIL thought this was quite comical and has decided on nicknaming the boys Gene Hackman and Tom Selick. Maybe for the hair, I dunno. I can't wait til his daughter is born and we can come up with silly nicknames for her! *Wink)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

Mom... I don't even know where I should begin!
You are the woman I aspire to become everyday. You have taught me so much about life, and being a mom. You have helped me through so many rough times, I don't know if there is ever any way I could repay you for that!

To the woman who...

Birthed me
Taught me right from wrong
Bought me my first bra
Told me that when a boy broke up with me, it was his loss, not mine
Went through Lamaze classes with me
Counted my breaths as I pushed
Shared in the joy when I became a mother for the first time, and the second, and the third!
Taught me how to play the Glad game :)
Reminds me everyday to be a better person
And for all of the stuff you still have to teach me...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I have been blessed having you as a mother, and a friend.
I am so thankful that we have had such an amazing relationship over the years and I look forward to all the new memories and stories we still have yet to share!
All my love and hugs and Kisses to you on your big day! Wish I could be there to Help you Celebrate!! XOXOX

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUS! & HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOOSE!

....and then they were ONE!


BUS- Carrying you was a dream! You were so predictable and loved to snuggle in down on my left side. The nurses never had any problems finding you to monitor! Little did we know that once you were born that would all change! *wink
Your first two weeks of life were so hard, and yet you proved to me just how much of a fighter you were! Everyday you surprised me with your progress! You were the first baby home just as you were the first born. You came out and immediately screamed and peed on the doctors; I should have known then that you were going to be my wild child! Your laughter is infectious and your dancing makes us all smile! Your adventurous nature will definitely keep me on my toes! I love it when you sing to me and all the stories you tell! (even if I can't understand them I can tell by the look in your eyes how excited you are to share them!) Happy Birthday my sweet boy! Happy First Birthday to YOU!








MOOSE- You were the wild child in my belly! The nurses always had to end up calling in the ultrasound tech to find you for monitoring! You were always kicking me but would settle when I would sing to you. I loved being pregnant with you! You came out silent but fighting, everyone reassured me that you were ok, just needed a wee bit of stimulation to get you going. You are so patient with everyone and so shy! (who would have thought it!) Your "Hotcha Chacha" Smiles sends me into a giggling frenzy! Even though you were second born you have taken command being the first to both crawl and now walk! It amazes me to see you hobble around everywhere and even try to dance! You are such a professor, always watching to see how things work. You've even mastered how to find the weak spot in the baby fence and push your way to freedom! (with of course your brother in tow behind you!) Happy Birthday my big boy! Happy First Birthday to YOU!

The day before...this time last year...

Everyone says the first birthday is emotional.
Twins.. that means emotional times two right?
Last year was a whirlwind of ups and downs. Tears of fear and tears of joy, so many tears I recall telling my family that I wish I could take my eyeballs out and soak them they stung so bad! We're almost there, one more day, and as I prep the "party" I recall thinking back to this time last year.
Baby B's heart rate had been having decels. The rate at which they were deceling was increasing and his heart started dipping into the 'not so good' zone. The team of doctors had come in and told me that I was going to be put onto 24 hour monitoring so they could see if a decel pattern was forming. I admit I was scared and I kept thinking, I know I told the nurses the other day that I was so uncomfortable and ready to be done.. BUT I really wasn't! (Especially now that they told me things were getting iffy.) I had made it to that 30+ wk milestone, and everyone kept assuring me that if the boys needed to be taken they would have a great chance. So scared, sitting in that little hobbit hole of a hospital room alone and praying that everything would be all right. I think I had squeezed my cross pendant so hard and for so long that it was embedded into my hand!
Amazing how fast time passes. God does work miracles, he works them everyday, and I guess it took me 7 mos of hard pregnancy to finally see it.
I am soooo glad that we've made it through this first year mostly unscathed, but even though I sit here now, watching these two little men come into their own, I still can't shake the emotions of their pregnancy and their birth. I'm sure one day it will go away, or maybe it won't.. perhaps it will be a little like ptsd, only post traumatic pregnancy disorder instead! *Wink

So To celebrate the months of carrying the twins I give to you... An Homage to the Belly!