More Christmas Eve Pics

We enjoyed the snow as it came in, and got out to play and dig the Jeep out to take Boomer to the emergency vet. Enjoy some more pics of our White Christmas Eve.



Editor's Note: In case you were wondering, Boomer ate Mary from the nativity scene, cat poop and cat litter (which is apparently toxic). Here we go again...

Hope Santa can get to us...

Here's our Christmas Eve excitement...a white Christmas!!! We just didn't expect it to be a blizzard!
This was early this morning when the sleet began...

...and this was a few minutes ago (3:00pm)...





And it's still snowing with 50 mph winds outside...

Christmas Festivities

G&A have had a blast this year with Christmas. In their own two year old way, they are starting to "get" the Santa and Baby Jesus concepts. They LOVE christmas lights, decorations, Christmas music, "Jingle Bells", tree, and most especially the sweet treats!!

They had great parties at school last week and though the pics don't show it, had fun at the Annual Norman Pancake Breakfast and Christmas Parade (gotta love the small-town feel of homemade floats, tractors, pets and wagons!) Abigail's favorite part was the "mooosic" (she loved the marching bands) and George's favorite part was the red "trakers" (vintage John Deere).


You gotta love a parade where the librarians push their library carts as floats and dance in sync and the local zoo walks porcupines and ferrets!!

Funny story that will haunt sweet A: She is petrified of anyone dressed up in costume. So of course, Santa is out of the question. Last Sunday the Children's ministry dept had a big birthday party for Jesus and all Abigail could say through her tears was "No Jesus, No Jesus!" I guess she thought "Jesus" was coming in costume!

Playing "Peek-ee-boo" with Baby Jesus!



Matt had his first "real" violin recital last Saturday and played beautifully though he was nervous about playing for a crowd. As our BIL said, "the audience can't hear anyway so I'm sure Matt was good!" (the recital was held at a nursing home, ha! ha!)
Seriously, he was great...the audience even sang along!


a smart mama brought stickers and found lemonade!! little abby didn't even cry at the wheelchairs (her nemesis).


Merry Christmas dear ones!

Just call me Bakerella of N-town...

Okay, I cannot take credit for these adorable sweet treats (thank you Pampered Chef and Aunt Go-Go), but aren't they cute? Balls of brownie goodness on a candy cane stick dipped in chocolate and showered with sprinkles....doesn't get much better than that!

Anybody else have any successes with class/teacher gifts this year? I'm always looking for new ideas!

Turkey Weekend in Texas

Big Thanks to Bill & Deb for a fabulous Thanksgiving in Texas! We had a wonderful turkey dinner upon arrival on Thursday and Matt and I enjoyed lots of R&R for the next three days while Grammy & Grandpa wore themselves and the twins out!

We did a little shopping in San Antonio, G&A had their first ever trip to the Zoo (the San Antonio Zoo is AWESOME if you are ever down that way!), ate fantastic food that we did not have to cook (thanx G&G), loved visiting with Oma who was feeling well they day we went, and had a blast at Schlitterbahn's "Hill Country Christmas". The trip was great and Abigail further mastered her potty training!!

hay slides, big girl panties, "punkins!", Nana & Pop, and Go Big Red!

I have been behind in posting pics....and we've had a bunch of picture-taking worthy opportunities!
So here's a smattering of photos and a few blips about life in the Jank house...

TG Farms in Norman on Halloween morning; highly recommend it for fall outdoor activities. Joined by Pollans and Stelzers, the kids had a blast running on the farm, sliding on the hay bale slides, following Emma through the corn maze, riding the hayride with friends and Nana and Pop, and petting the goats, bunnies, cows, and pigs!





Their cute little Halloween parties at day schools....
Mr. Cowboy sans cowboy hat (he just threw it across the room which is why he's laughing)




McFarlin Pumpkin Patch Annual Pics...
As of current, Matt is off crutches and weight bearing on his walking cast--yay! His stamina is rebuilding and it will still be a long road before he's able to run again (his ultimate goal), but every day his ankle gets stronger.


Other news where pictures are not appropriate (Matt wouldn't let me put them up--ha!)...ABIGAIL IS POTTY TRAINING!!! WOO HOO!!! She wears big girl panties except for sleeping and is completely motivated by candy--she is definitely my child! This is the best use of Halloween candy yet. I love that this has reduced my cloth diaper loads to a few a week!! We're still in process, but she's doing great!

Nana and Pop have become regular fixtures around the house, as they came up to help after Matt's surgery then left for a week and returned to spend Halloween with us. In typical Martin fashion, a few days intended stay turned into a week and a half, but I loved having the help since Matt's been swamped at work and G&A loved having Nana and Pop here! We finally have a working oven, completely sealed and electrified (aka Boomer proof) fence, and lots of other Daddy-do's completed thanks to Pop's diligence!!



We had date night last weekend and were able to go to the OU v. Texas A&M game (thanks McPhersons!!). Had a great time, walked too far for MattieJ, but cheered on the Sooners to victory!


Came home to find Abigail in respiratory distress with our sweet babysitter Amy so Abs had her first ER visit with dx of croup. We've been home all week this week sharing various viruses and now sinus infections and diarrhea....ah, life with twins. So off I go to clean with Lysol....

Halloween 2009

A few glimpses of trick-or-treating in the 'hood. Joined by Nana and Pop, the Pollans and the Hilfigers, we strolled the streets and had a great time! Daddy and Casey held down the fort at our house passing out candy and drinking homebrew since Matt's still on crutches. Perfect cool night and a great first experience for G&A....they were the cutest cowboy and cowgirl on the block!!

Our first stop, sweet neighbors Nana Millie and Paw Mark
Farmers, "Cowmom", dragon, monster, cowboy, cowgirl, fairy princess...we had the whole crew!


G&A rode in style in their straw-filled wagon!

Snuggling with Daddy after returning home and VERY tired....

Mr. Wobbly, Sr.

Matt is slowly but steadily recovering from ankle reconstruction. He had a rough start and had to be re-splinted after three days of intense pain and ineffective pain meds, but now he is rockin' his crutches! Honestly, he is still recuperating and moving slow (which warranted calling the grandparents into the picture to help with g&a). Good prognosis at the last check-up: splint removed, removable cast donned (which allows him to do exercises at night and let the skin breathe), and no weight bearing for 2 1/2 more weeks from today. Wonderful news since we were preparing for four more weeks. He started driving and working full days again this week which makes for pudgy toes and a very fatigued good leg at the end of the day. Every day he is able to do a little bit more to help with the twins and furry children, which is fabulous!!!

G&A enjoy reading with Daddy and "Daddy Owie"

I enjoyed the Texas/ OU game immensely, despite our offense not showing up to play. The teams were pretty equally matched which we were not expecting and it made for a very stressful, near-cardiac-arrest-causing four hours. Feel bad for Sam Bradford, wishing him a strong recovery for the rest of his career's sake. Final statement: Texas 16, Oklahoma 13. Go Horns!!!
G&A picked their teams for the day...

The "true faces" of G&A

Helping Pop to "fix" the step stool...one can never use enough duct tape...

plank by plank and two more screws...

We have a beautiful new cedar back fence!! Bill & Deb came up, and with neighbor Kelly and Mr. Broken Ankle Matt leading the project, our fence is up after two and a half days... start to finish!! I am have named myself Queen of the Screw Gun after putting up nearly all 90' of cedar planks! Matt had fun with the chainsaw clearing out brush and a dead 40 year old tree. He was a trooper! Big thanks to FIL who slaved away too and MIL who chased the little twin monsters. One more huge home project down...


In addition to the screws in the cedar planks, two more screws were added to our family. Matt had ankle surgery this morning and don't ask me the medical name for his procedure, but they sawed off the fibula, extracted the broken bone and scar tissue, filled the crater with fresh bone, and screwed the fibula back together. What does this mean? Pain and 6 weeks of crutches and cast with no weight bearing. Not sure how title opinions, running after twins, and keeping Boomer from eating more socks factor into this equation, but I guess we'll find out shortly. Thank you so much for the prayers...please keep them coming as we face the next phase of his recovery.

Here are a few recent pics from the St. Joe's Fall Festival...G&A LOVED riding the ponies!

Day at the Farm

We spent the morning at Peach Crest Farms in Stratford, OK with friends. Imagine 9 kids under the age of 3 (three sets of twins!!) and 5 adults amidst tractors, chickens, pumpkins, and lots of beautiful organically grown produce! George had the most fun watching the tractors, chasing the chickens, and throwing dirt clods. Pretty fitting since the meaning of the name George is "farmer!" Abigail had a blast picking beans, beets, and arugula and observing. We came home with a bushel of fresh veggies and exhausted toddlers! Thank you Susan for the personal tour!

To parents who cook...

How exactly does one do this task with one, let alone two, crazy toddlers tornado-ing around the house when you are the only parent at home?
What strategies have you found effective? I would like to cook again someday soon. Please share....

B-day Weekend Park Pics with Aunt Sherry and Pop

I'm slowly but surely getting the pics posted from the birthday weekend. Please be patient!!

Goin' on a walk to our neighborhood park

Sliding with Pop..."One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and GO ABBY AND GEORGE GO!" (their new fave sliding song, thanks Misty)
Climbing with Aunt Sherry
Bummer, I'm still too short...

A quick "Sneak Peek"

To see our latest pro shots from the ever-so-talented Trina, check out her blog to the right and scroll down to her post on 9-20-09 entitled "Sneak Peek".....what adorable 2 year olds we have!!! How will we ever decide which to get???

Happy Birthday Georgie and Aberdoodle!

Yes, we still exist. Life with two-year-old twins has been more nuts than usual. Fall is in full swing...I'm back to working at least 4 days per week, which means no more naps at home and g&a are full speed ahead when they hit the door until they crash at bedtime. No more relaxed contemplative computer time for me. Crazy busy after their bedtime and early to bed for me each night so I can make it to the Y at 5:45am. Yikes, makes me tired just writing it. Here's our sweet toddlers blowing out their candles prior to the sugar high...more pics another day.

More random pics...

What cutie pies!

Snapshots of life

Weekend at Grand Lake with the Wall-Pollans...thanks L&C for a fab time!!
Our first time to the NE corner of OK, wonderful hospitality from the Pollans (still dreaming of the biscuits & gravy), and fun times at "Wrap It Up" party...
sorry no pics of "Ashey"...

Sand Creek Ranch Pictures

Abs is screaming from her nap, so no time to comment...see this post another day for more details though the pics tell the story well.
Thanks Uncle Doug and Aunt Sherry for a fabulous weekend!!!

Post-Ranch

Weekend before last G&A & I went to my sis & BIL's ranch in Lubbock with my bro and other sis & fam. But you'll have to wait for those pics....ohhh suspense!

Had to post this one from last night. Too funny.
They really do love each other. Yes, Grammy, your precious granddaughter is wearing a doo-rag. And no, she would not take it off all night. To date, it is still in her crib as she HAD to sleep with it! And Coll, thanks to you, G's fave words are fire truck and am-lance!


This pic was how G left his "friends" for the night. Funny random things your kids do that make you chuckle. It's okay if no one else finds this amusing.
Keep your fingers crossed that they take a good nap tomorrow so I can catch up on ranch, beer, splash pad, etc.

Another first...

Georgie has his first shiner....Mr. Wobbly got into a fight with a tree root and the tree root won! Poor little fella...



But he's always a happy little trooper!