THE CRAZINESS WE CALL LIFE

Stories that I don't want to forget...

2012-02-14T09:45:00.002-06:00

~ Driving around town are some of our best conversations. We were picking up Girl Scout cookies from a friend's house and they wanted to learn about girl/boy scouts. When I explained that our friend Reese was a "Daisy" girl scout, Abigail said that it reminded her of Daisy Duck. Then she asked, "What are the boy scouts called, Goofies?"

~ Again, driving around town, Abs asked what God's last name was and George answered "Holy Spirit". Ha!

~Saying goodbye to our beloved neighbor and G&A's adoptive grandparent Mark Lambert has been gut-wrenching. If I ever wondered if the kiddos understand death, I think these two illustrations sum it up.

After we told Abigail that Pa Mark was dying in the hospital, she quietly sobbed in a way I have only seen a few times. After the tears slowed, she said so sweetly, "Mama, what is Nana Millie going to do? She will be so lonely." Ugh.

George shows his feelings differently than his sister. He made a card for me to take to Mark in the hospital and when I questioned his choice to glue two strips of paper to either side of the card, he replied "those are the wings for the card; it's a flying card that will go to Heaven with Pa Mark." Wow.

Later, he wanted to talk about Pa Mark and expressed his sadness. He asked if we could put flowers on his grave to say goodbye (our family did this nearly a year ago when we buried Oma). Before, I had hesitation of taking them to the funeral, but this clearly shows that attending will help him to have closure with his Pa Mark.

To end with a funny story...
~ Me to Abigail as she chooses her clothes for the day, already dressed in her dance costume: "I'm thinking you need to put on..."(pause for contemplation of something to cover her legs)
Abigail: "High heels?"
Oie.

Going backwards into Fall...

2012-01-19T15:58:00.010-06:00

Glimpses of this past fall activities...couldn't let the memories slip away unrecognized...they were too fun!

Love our little Cleveland County Fair.

Petting Zoo, George holding a baby chick.
Abs with a sweet baby bunny.
George with the much handled bunny.

They still love fire trucks!
Miss Dare-devil...front row, no hands!

Mr. Brave rode this all by himself, go George!!
Nascar "Don Deere" Tractors!

Making homemade pizzas and sporting their cool new aprons...thanks Aunt Nay Nay!

Both George & Abigail played soccer this Fall on the YMCA Blue Jays team. George loved having his sissy on the team and Abigail...well, let's just say that she played so she could eat team snacks!

Time out Hugs with favorite twin friends Asher & Cache.
George steals the ball!
This was Abigail's preferred spot during soccer games!
But she rallied and got in the middle of the mix!
This is hilarious as she would sometimes only play if she could be Coach Matt's "helper." She liked being in a position of "power." Boy, are we in trouble! ha!
Scrambling with friend/teammate Jake Chapman.
We had the longest drought and hottest Summer on Oklahoma records. So when this wet stuff fell from the sky, George was super excited to put on his new rainboots and use his Spiderman birthday umbrella! It was barely a trickle...we had to search for puddles to jump in.
TEXAS/ OU weekend!!! Grammy & Grandpa came up to watch the game with us! Definitely a house divided....

George & Abigail went on their first field trip with their preschool to McFarlin's Pumpkin Patch and had snacks and story time. They got to pick a pumpkin and paint it back at preschool. What fun with their Pumpkin Shell friends!

Last soccer game of the Fall season. George gave Coach Matt a high-five after scoring his first goal!! Yay George!

Dancing a little jig mid-field.

Our cheering section...sweet friends Travis, Suzanne, Campbell & Hudson Brown, Daddy, Casey & Leah Wall- Pollan, and Nana and Pop.
Lovin' on her Pop.
Nana came out shortly after her shoulder surgery to root for her two favorite soccer players.
Lining up for congratulating the other team.
Sideline wrestling with A&C.
Proud Abigail to receive her medal.
And Happy Mr. George to receive his medal.
YMCA Blue Jays Fall 2011.

George & Abs had a blast at their buddy Hudson's 4th bday party. I caught these two off sneaking a peek at the birthday loot!
Riding Rowdy! They loved the horses.
One of our favorite things to do in the fall is go to TG Farms. They have cool slides & hay rolls to climb on, a petting zoo, hayride, & pumpkin patch. And Abigail had to wear her Halloween socks.
The Pollans came with us, and the kids loved feeding the animals.

Yes, George has a thing for tractors.
"Mommy, it's Snoofy!"

More fall pics to come later....

Deck the Halls with the Martin Mob...fa la la la la...

2011-12-29T14:44:00.012-06:00

I am basically postponing the Fall and posting Christmas 2011 because it's seems more fun at the present moment. I'll go back later for record-keeping purposes....

Right before Christmas, we had a great playdate with our sweet friend Camden. This picture was just too precious!

We hosted the Martin Family this year...our first Christmas with everyone together in many, many years. Mom, Dad, Sherry, Doug, Laura, Kevin, Cliff, Evie, Kirby, Brad, Carrie, Matt, George, & Abigail. And Tori, Boomer, Anna & Louise. We had a house-full but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way! The cousins loved being together...our house was VERY LOUD for 4 days!

Started off the vacay with a trip to OKC Snow Tubing at the Ballpark. The big and little twins and I rode the tubes while everyone else watched from the stands in the warm sunshine.

Here comes our little dare-devil, backwards of course...

Yes, we were the parents that forgot their coats, so we improvised!

Even Mr. George took part this year, and LOVED IT!

Whee Evie!
And you know I can't pass up the fun!

We attended Christmas Eve services at McFarlin after Chef Matt's big jambalaya dinner and then returned to our house for opening Christmas pajamas from Aunt GoGo and Uncle Kevin.

Off to bed....then to awaken to SANTA!

Abigail's response was hilarious, totally zombie-like, repeating the mantra "Santa, Santa" as she spied her new toys from Santa, including her requested Disney Baby Princess Tiana with a carrier! George jumped right in with excitement, immediately playing with his requested Shark Ship! He loved that Santa put the diver in the belly of the shark! They both couldn't believe how Santa knew they were almost out of toothpaste, needed new toothbrushes, and that they loved Pez. Too cute!

Nana & Pop gave Miss A a princess nightgown & slippers that she wore for 3 days straight. Had to beg her to put on regular clothes to leave the house...

We all received lots and lots of treasured gifts this year, more than we could count! With 14 people in the house, our cozy little living room was covered with mounds of great gifts, wrapping paper and smiles and laughter! We ate yummy food all weekend, napped with full bellies, and enjoyed each other's company while the kids all enjoyed their new toys. George was a bit obsessed with the boxes that his toys came in...to date, he is still stockpiling them in his room and will not throw them away. Yikes! And Pop had the most fun of anyone with assembling the toys....

George's new Thomas Zipline Train set

Even Boomer was exhausted after all the fun!

Brad illustrates the "peacefulness" of the season!

Tech junkies Cliffy and Doug with their new grown-up toys.

On the day after Christmas, Brad departed for Houston and Sherry & Doug left for Lubbock, but the rest of us drove down to Pauls Valley and shot skeet over the Washita River! Nothing like blowing up a few things after lots of family fun! Nana and Aunt GoGo sat/slept in the car while Pop, Kevin, Matt, me & all the kids went down to the river bank. George & Abigail loved exploring and shooting their first shotguns (with adult help, of course!). It was nice to be at the river and after covering ourselves in Oklahoma red mud, we visited Aunt Bernice in Pauls Valley (don't worry, we left our boots at the door!).

I love this picture....

Christmas has always been a special holiday for us, but since George & Abigail were born, it has taken on a whole, much more intimate meaning. It is hard to imagine that God gave his only-born son to live and die for our sins. But God also gave Matt and I TWO gifts on Christmas, forever reminding us of his grace and insurmountable love. Christmas will never be the same for us again....and we will praise His name every year!

Dear Georgie, your birthday letter.

2011-11-16T09:49:00.010-06:00

My precious Georgie.

In annual tradition, I wanted to capture the highlights of your year. You have grown and changed sooo much this year and I love having the honor of watching and experiencing every step!

You have had a great 4th year! You mastered many things this year, such as riding your balance bike and swinging on the swings by yourself. You and Abigail graduated to big kid bunk beds and you sleep on the top...we felt safest with you on top as you were less likely to take a flying leap! Though it takes you ab 30 min to settle in for sleep, you are still my sound sleeper. You sleep until 8:30am-ish and love to cuddle! Your Bunny and Little Blankies are still your cherished sleeping friends while others like Fezzy the Pheasant, Bert the Pig, and Spot the Dog (Daddy's from boyhood) rotate in and out of position.

(this pic was before we assembled them into bunks)

Your favorite things to play with are all things "boy": trucks, Hot Wheels cars, and tools. You also love to pretend play with your Sissy (that's what you call her most of the time), you are the dad taking care of your "kids" (sleeping friends) on a trip to a ficticious town. You are the driver and usually the trampoline is your "car" or "airplane". You always make sure everyone is safely buckled in! You also love to build forts using blankets and chairs in the living room. You are very creative and the things that you & Abigail come up with absolutely keep me laughing!

(Here, you two were pretending to be a camel.)

You are such a big helper and like things to be "just so." You are very detail oriented, craving order, habit, and structure. Your personality is the same as it's been since the day you were born...reserved, laid back, and shy mostly, peppered with bouts of stubbornness and intensity but tenderly sweet. You are slow to warm up in new settings and it takes you a while to become comfortable with new people or places. You like to hang back and observe, with your fingers in your mouth, and eventually you will come around to participating. You love to watch and soak it all in. In that regard, you are just like your Daddy, although he doesn't put his fingers in his mouth anymore! ;)

And most of the time, you don't like having your picture taken...

You love to be with your Mommy and Daddy, clinging to us in social settings and feeling very secure when we are near. But you have moments of high spirit and energy...roaring with laughter and rough housing with the best of them!!

We still battle certain clothes often. Your sensory issues are most pronounced when you wear non-comfy clothes. Your favorites are soft pants and t-shirts and anything orange. You will wear collared shirts and jeans or khaki pants to church after a little limit setting, but as soon as we come home, they are off quickly! You love character clothes now; Curious George, Hot Wheels, Toy Story and Cars are your favorites. You love your Buzz Lightyear light-up tennis shoes and wear them most days...sometimes I can get you to wear Cliff's old cowboy boots.

Soccer. You played your first team sport in the spring and fall of this year. You love soccer! Took you a few games to warm up to the idea (took you two games before you would even wear your jersey), but once you experienced the energy and fun, we couldn't keep you out of the game! You bonded with the Y Green Beans and had a blast running up and down the field following the other kids.

You also took swimming lessons this year with Ms. Skyler which helped to increase your comfort in the water. You accomplished blowing bubbles and putting your whole face in, but you still wouldn't get in the pool for most lessons. Next year...

You also love to go hiking. Our favorite spot is Wichita Mountains in SW Oklahoma. You are an amazing hiker...keeping up with the grown ups, hiking for literally 4 miles! You love to practice your bouldering skills and safely climbing down big rocks. You adore the outdoors!! I love that about you!

One big health accomplishment this year was finally moving out of chronic ear infections! Your tubes stayed in your ears for over 2 years and right before your 4th birthday, began the process of falling out. No more ear plugs! Also, no major illnesses this year beyond allergies and Croup once. Hallelujah!

Potty training!! Immediately after your 3rd birthday and with a little coaxing from Ms. Kim and Ms. Abby at Northhaven (plus a little orange Hot Wheels car), you decided it was time to wear underwear! And we did not look back...within a few weeks, you were done with cloth diapers completely! In your truest pattern, once you made up your mind, it was on! Determination runs in the family...

Another funny factoid about you is your obsession with PB&J. You eat at least one nearly every day and request one for lunch as often as you are able. I think you might turn into one. You are definitely a growing boy, standing 43 inches tall and weighing 42 lbs! You are very tall and solid for your age!

You loved going to Ms. Amy's house while I worked. You loved being able to arrive in pjs (since you would sleep right until it was time to leave our house) and eat your breakfast in the car or at her house. You loved "swimming" in the baby pool in her living room, learning your ABCs, going on nature walks, and playing with your best buddy Rachel.

But all things must come to an end, and it was time in our family life to change to formal preschool. Transitioning to Pumpkin Shell late in your fourth year was a bit difficult for you. You love it once you are there...you talk about your new friends, sing new songs, and make lots of cool art projects...but drop off is not pretty. To date (4y, 2mo), some days of drop-off are still not easy. But I know you love it there because you light up like electricity when I pick you up, eager to show me the things you have created that day!

Nana and Pop moving to Norman was a huge thing in your life this year. You love seeing them often and love spending time at their house. You beg for sleepovers at their house...and I can see why. The morning I went to pick you up after your first sleepover, Pop was teaching you and Abigail about pulleys and you suspended a baby stroller high in the oak tree with a long rope. You were also using his drill to drill screws into cardboard boxes and trimming his hedges with real loppers. YIKES!
Your favorite things at their house are the "Don Deere" tractor and ropes!!

You and Abigail love to travel more than ever! Trips to Texas are big fun! You spent the week at Aunt Go-Go & Uncle Kevin's house and a week at Camp G&G (Grammy & Grandpa's). You love having your own vacations separate from Mommy & Daddy. You loved traveling to Lubbock to the Ranch this summer to see Aunt Sherry & Uncle Doug & our winter vacation to Connecticut to see Uncle Billy, Aunt Missy, cousins Jacob & Nate and Reston, VA to see the Lees and godcousin Rebagrace. It was your first airplane trip, first Amtrak train ride, and first trip with part of it without Daddy. You also enjoyed the trip to Wimberly, TX to see your godparents & godcousins the Lands and lake cabin trip to east Texas to see other godcousins, the Hoffmeisters. I'm sure I've forgotten other trips too, but the moral of the story is we are a family always on the go, and you two are fabulous travelers!!

Two of the most revered people in your life are your Pop and Grandpa. You have connections with them that words cannot express. And the older you get, the stronger your bond with them.

Being with your cousins on both Martin and Jankowski sides of the family is by far your favorite. You adore your cousins and become "Cwiff's" shadow each time we are together. You talk about Evie & Kirby all the time and they teach you all kinds of things! You loved spending time with Nate and Jacob, playing in the igloo in their front yard and having water balloon wars at G&G's. Though your cousins all live far away, it makes the time together more precious, but leaves you longing for more. :(

Sadly, you said goodbye to your great-grandmother Oma this year. You were very special to her and I am very glad that you knew her. She loved that you were named for her husband, Daddy's grandpa. I hope that we can keep her memory alive for you. She and Grandpa George were very important to Daddy and I. This pic was taken at Grandpa George's grave when Oma was buried. You loved seeing on his headstone that you shared your name with him.

You have a way of melting my heart like no other, my precious baby boy. I love that we are connected to each other in a way that you have with no one else...I treasure that. You look at me with those big dark blue eyes and flash that adorable smile with your one dimple, and I am in love every time. I love watching you sleep, you resemble your daddy so much, and I am speechless knowing you two are so similar, as I know what an amazing man he has become. I pray that as you grow and mature, you will follow in his footsteps, embracing your gentle but confident and capable side. Always keep your growing faith and your love for God at the center of your being, just where it is now. I love you so much, George Christian.

love, Mommy

G&A's First Campout!

2011-11-05T15:22:00.002-05:00

(Our campsite is in the background of this pic below. Great view of the lake and cool breeze!)

When the temperatures started to fall after our record-breaking extremely hot summer, we took the kiddos on a quick overnight campout to Lake Thunderbird State Park just outside of Norman. We left after work on a Friday, zoomed down Hwy 9, and Daddy set up camp while the twins and I enjoyed the drought-produced sandy beach on the lake. G&A wrote their names in the sand, waded in the chilly water, watched the gorgeous Oklahoma sunset, and had fun "exploring" the beach with Boomer.

Another sunset pic...I love the lighting changes. And yes, had to capture G wave-hopping.
Their big highlight was getting their very own flashlights & water bottles (bday gifts from Mr. Kelly & Mrs. Sandy-thank you!). We made s'mores on the camp stove and all of us--Boomer included--slept in the tent under gorgeous stars and a full moon.

The next morning, we awoke, broke camp, and again zoomed down Hwy 9 to make it to G&A's first soccer game for the fall.
The first of hopefully many campouts to come...

George & Abigail's 4th Birthday Weekend!

2011-10-27T14:52:00.013-05:00

Had to start with this pic of "real life"...yes, George is getting ready to hit his sister in the head while sporting their birthday crowns from Pumpkin Shell Preschool.

We celebrated the twins' 4th birthday with our traditional backyard birthday party. This year's theme was a "Planting Party" and activities included painting terracotta pots and rocks (from our rock hunt in Colorado), planting flowers in the pots, and playing on the backyard fort. We loved having most of G&A's best buddies over to celebrate. In lieu of traditional birthday cake, we served "Dirt Cake" in painted birthday pots that we will re-use each year! Cannot believe my baby twins are 4...seems like just yesterday their little cloth diapered bottoms were crawling around chasing the cats!!!

My sweet 4 year olds hunting for snakes and bugs in the sand.
Abs modeling her new birthday dress.
And this is how the party started....the bucket of water was for rinsing hands, but leave it to these three to find another use!
Love that Kale and Kallie!
Our precious neighbors Jemellia and Evangeline (with Aunt Go-Go, Nana Mille and Paw Mark in the background).
She learned how to swing herself this summer! Yay!
The boys hanging out (Camden on the ladder, Kale on the swing, and Hudson).
Painting his heart out!
Our dear friends Missy, Mark, Brady, & Colin McClendon drove in from Wichita Falls for the party (also here with Emily Lane).
Helpful friends Evangeline & Stella.
Camden wanted to show off his sliding abilities for the camera!
And I think the grown-ups enjoyed it too!
Since this was the first year I have done anything artistic for their celebration, I had to capture it! Fruit shish-k-bobs & buckets of goldfish & pretzels.
Happy Birthday my loves!
"Dirt Cakes".
The chef. Hot dogs and bacon and jalapeno wrapped antelope balls. Mmmm.
Pop, Missy & Mark.
I think you're stuck, Campbell.

Their birthday gifts from us were big kid bikes without training wheels. They have been riding balance bikes for a year and after seeing how well they did in Colorado on Madeline's bike, we thought this was perfect timing. And it was!!!! Daddy gave G's bike (that used to be pink and purple) and custom orange paint job and it looked great. Within seconds, Abigail was zooming all over the place. It took George about 5 minutes before he was chasing his sister (foreshadowing for years to come?)!They rode for hours on their actual birthday and we were so happy that Aunt Go-Go, Cliff, Grammy, Grandpa, Nana, Pop, and Mr. Smitty were all here to witness it too!

That weekend was the first OU home football game so we continued our tradition of tailgating and enjoying the pre-game Pride of Oklahoma Band concert and parade.

Jerry Martin and Smitty Brown= best friends for 40+ years!

Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Oklahoma!
Opening more presents: bday pjs from Grammy. Posing with Pop and Aunt Go-Go in her fave poker hat.
New pom poms and Oklahoma football jersey from Nana and Pop!
Super G & A capes from the Connecticut Jankowskis! Thanks Aunt Missy & Uncle Billy!

And this is a true pic of the little diva, couldn't have just one accessory. Had to pair it with her new Dora umbrella from Grammy & Grandpa!

We also snuck in a Labor Day hike at Lake Thunderbird hiking trails. Beautiful weather!

July & August 2011--Evie, Cliff, & Colorado

2011-10-08T16:41:00.016-05:00

Our niece Evie and her friend Morgan spent 5 days here this summer the week prior to Kirby & Darwin's visit and we all had a blast! They volunteered at our church's VBS as teachers in G&A's class, ate @ Pop's in Arcadia, and swam in the swimming hole at the Chickasaw National Park area. We loved having them here and G&A were SOOOOO sad to see them go (Abigail's quiet tearful goodbye to them about broke all of our hearts). The Jank 4 loved having our nieces and their friends here and can't wait to do it again next summer!

Daddy on stage! What a great sport!

We also got to have Cliff in Oklahoma for a few days at the end of the summer. He came home with Nana & Pop from the Ranch and hung out lots. He enjoyed the OU Campus Tour, going out to listen to music with us, and having G&A follow him around (ok, maybe not that part, but G&A loved it!) CWIFF!!!

We headed out west this year for a week-long vacation in Colorado. What an adventure!! We spent time with Colleen, Drew, George & Madeline at their home in Denver. It was great to catch up and watch the kids play so well together. Got in a hike at Flat Irons Park in Boulder before Matt caught his plane heading home, and the twins and I stayed a few extra days. It was in the Roberts' alleyway where we saw the bike riding potential...Abs took off and Geo was really close to success (so we knew what their soon-to-be bday gifts would be!).

We loved spending lots of time in Elbert, CO at Papa Darrel & Granny Wally's house. We synced our trip with Uncle Robert, Aunt NayNay, and our precious godchild Rebagrace and loved experiencing Colorado with them! From playing all day at Santa's Workshop at Pike's Peak to hiking at Castlewood Canyon several times to the simplicity of hanging out at home...we just loved being all together again.

I took lots of pics on our trip, so bear with me!

Santa's Workshop was the coolest kiddie amusement park...kinda had the flair of times from our our childhood at Hamel's but with a Christmas theme. We had the whole park to ourselves and the kiddos rode ride after ride.

George was fixated on the map!
Even the motion-sickened adults captured a little fun too! Renee (Aunt NayNay) & Wally
Learned that Little Miss Abigail is our thrill seeker...the faster the ride, the better!! Yikes! She and her daddy were in heaven!
And this one went just as fast BACKWARDS! I got queasy just watching...
Love those motorcycles!
Two best buddies!
Looking down at Uncle Robert, RG, & George from the ferris wheel car above.
Gorgeous sight from atop the ferris wheel. Love those CO mountains!
Space ship rocket!
Mini ski lift...this was just my speed!
Cool airplanes that you can steer.
Supposed to be fam pic but you can see how well G cooperated. ;)
Taking RG up to overcome her motion sickness!
I had to put this one in. Hilarious! Matt had more fun on the rides than the kids! He rode the Scrambler all by himself! What funny looks he got...
I have become motion sick on rides in the past year and though I trusted my hubby ("this one won't make you sick, I promise!"), it will be my last ride for a long while!
Bellies to the frozen North Pole!
Group pic!
Sheer happiness. Can you hear their laughter?
Watch out! George & RG are behind the wheels!
Driving Aunt Nay Nay...
Like mother, like daughter...
George's favorite part of the whole trip, Papa's airplane.

Trailhead of Castlewood Canyon. Gorgeous hiking spot 15 min from Wally & Darrel's house.

Enjoying the natural spring pool at Castlewood Canyon. And they searched for crawfish!

Snuggling with my sweet girls on the back balcony.
Yes, we vacationed with a weatherman and a pilot. Yes, we took pictures of cool clouds. ;)
Group shot. That's Pike's Peak from their balcony! Love it!
After the kiddos went to bed, a hail storm came up and the noise on the tin roof scared the little ones. So, after we pulled the cars in the garage, Uncle Robert came to the rescue; he taught the kids how to read the radar!
And they loved watching the big lightning.
Another favorite from the trip: driving the tractors.

RG is being kind to Abigail while her knucklehead brother is trying to pull her off the rocks.
There's the daredevil again. Standing while driving.
2 boys and a tractor. Need we say more?

Hiking with the Roberts at the Flat Irons. Cute kid shot: Abs, George Christian, George Patrick, and Madeline.
Sweet friends!
Abs and her Dada.
The Georges.
Group shot with some of our most favorite people in the world. Hard to believe it's been 17 years of the best friendship ever.
Mad & Drew
What a backdrop.
The Foursome Sleepover! End of the story: GP moved out but the three little munchkins slept all night!
Ended the trip with my first cross-country drive solo with the twins from Elbert, CO back to OKC. 14 hours and one overnight stop...it was tons of fun! New books, pipe cleaners, DVDs, cool park, and a hotel with a pool was the greatest recipe. We are so blessed with fabulous car travelers! Already planning next summer's big roadtrip!

Goodbye McClendons & Stelzers

2011-10-08T16:24:00.004-05:00

Family and friends are more precious than words can express.

We had to say goodbye to two sets of our dearest friends this summer...and it was hard on all four of us. Here are a few glimpses of people who blend the two categories...

Playing diving board off Mr. Mark...
Swimming at McClendon's pool
One last group pic with Caine & Emma Rose
We get creative with our fun in Oklahoma...how redneck are we!?! Love it!
We wish you well in Rockwall, TX Misty, Wade, Emma & Caine! We wish you well in Wichita Falls, TX Mark, Missy, Colin & Brady! Love you all!

Abigail's Birthday Letter

2011-09-10T13:45:00.012-05:00

(Abigail proudly wearing her Pumpkin Shell birthday crown and her favorite dress in the world!)

To the sweetest, most expressive 4 year old I know.

In my annual tradition, here is your birthday letter (a little late this year). You began this fourth year with the most medical interventions in your short life...had surgery to remove your "pink angel kiss" (pyogenic granuloma) from under your left eye after it ruptured. Fortunately, the granuloma removal was a success with minimal scarring (should dissappear after you grow a bit). You had a second surgery a month later for diagnostic testing/scope done to figure out what was causing your very gassy, painful and cramping belly. Stomach testing was inconclusive, but we have followed your special diet this year and it seems to help your tummy (thanks to Aunt Go-Go's insight into colitis). You eat only cooked fruits and veggies, no juice, limited dairy, and no cow's milk, which keeps your stomach flat and with little gas. We try to re-introduce foods from time to time but no real success yet...cooked fruits and veggies seem to be better for your tummy. Thank the good Lord you are growing well, despite the challenges!

You are full of words all the time...talking non-stop. You are still very active...loving to be on the go. You speak in adult words and come up with insightful phrases all the time that blow me away. You understand much more than I ever thought you would at this age, inquiring about death and war and friendships. You are very tender-hearted, experiencing your first visible heartbreak this summer when you said goodbye first to your best friends Emma and Caine as they moved to Texas and then to your cousin Evie at the train as she returned to Houston after vacationing in Norman. It ripped my heart up to see you bury your head and cry silently with such strong emotion. Since then, you have handled saying goodbye with grace, understanding that most goodbyes are temporary.

You have adapted well to change this year as you transitioned from staying at Ms. Amy's house while Mommy worked to your current school, Pumpkin Shell Preschool. You miss playing with Rachel and mothering Gideon tremendously, but you love your new friends and experiences at Pumpkin Shell. Hard to trade Ms. Amy's creative play and showing up in pajamas in the morning with cereal in hand...but you were ready for the structure and formality of preschool. You also said goodbye to Northhaven Day School 1 x week, but I think Ms. Abby really helped prepare you for Pumpkin Shell with her classroom structure and pre-writing/pre-reading tasks.

Your family and friends are a big part of your life. Nana & Pop moved to Norman this year, and you LOVE seeing them all the time. You said "Can we move next to Nana & Pop so I can walk to their house any time I want?" So sweet! Trips to Texas are big fun too! You spent the week at Aunt Go-Go & Uncle Kevin's house and a week at Camp G&G (Grammy & Grandpa's). You love having your own vacations separate from Mommy & Daddy.

You loved traveling to Lubbock to the Ranch this summer to see Aunt Sherry & Uncle Doug & our winter vacation to Connecticut to see Uncle Billy, Aunt Missy, cousins Jacob & Nate and Reston, VA to see Aunt Nay Nay, Uncle Robert, and godcousin Rebagrace. It was your first airplane trip and first trip with part of it without Daddy. You also enjoyed the trip to Wimberly, TX to see godparents Don Kendal, Gaga Lauren & godcousins Carlisle, Camper, & Evie Claire and lake cabin trip to east Texas to see Aunt Monique, Uncle Jules, and godcousins Darby & Ellis. I'm sure I've forgotten other trips too, but the moral of the story is we are a family always on the go, and you and George are fabulous travelers!!

Sadly, you said goodbye to your great-grandmother Oma this year. You were very special to her and I am very glad that you knew her. I hope that we can keep her memory alive for you. She and Grandpa George were very important to Daddy and I.

You blossomed on stage this year with your dance class at Artworks Academy. You made new friends, loved ballet and tap, and acted very grown-up for being the youngest (and shortest) in your class. You loved being in the center stage and revelled in your independence of being with the girls!

You and George graduated into big kid bunk beds this year and you sleep on the bottom. You must have your two Monkeys and Boomer Puppy to sleep with each day. You still take naps as your little wiggly, busy body is not ready to give up yet. You love to play dress-up and baby dolls. You have been into princesses this year, and frequently go places dressed as such, complete with outfit, tiara, and leopard high heels. You have such a creative mind. One afternoon when you were on nap strike, I peeked into my room where you were supposed to be sleeping to find you setting up my things for a garage sale on the bed! You are already a pack-rat, stashing things in bags and boxes everywhere. You are super messy, fully embracing the artistic side of living. Every day you have stained clothes, messy face, and a big smile!! Kirby gave you your first Barbie dolls and dollhouse this year, and YOU LOVE IT! You play with it every day when we are home. You love pretend play, in fact as I'm writing this, you and George are pretending to be Mom and Dad taking your "kids" (sleeping friends) on a hunting trip to a ficticious town. You are directing George as he "flies" the airplane for your trip. Imagine that!

You are so spunky and still live up to your nickname "The Activity Director". You are a girl who loves to be in control (you come from a LONG line of strong women!) and having fun! You are a little slow to warm up but after a few minutes, you are leading the pack. You have always risen to the occasion, showing your maturity. One of the many things I appreciate about you is your desire to follow rules and take care of others. You have a very compassionate heart, even at age 4. You love to serve others and bring joy. You also have an amazing understanding of faith and love for God. You have definitely been listening during Sunday School and Wed night church.

You are still very attached to me, wanting to hold my hand, be held, or snuggle lots! You love the security that Daddy provides, and long for him to be home for bedtime prayers and stories. You love spending time with Daddy...hiking, swinging, working in the garden, and riding balance bikes to the park.

I love being with you and George two days a week and love the fun we have together.
I love hearing the stories from school when I pick you up.
I love your sweet little singing voice when you turn every day conversations into a song.
I love that you ask for VBS music in the car, reinforcing God's love for you.
I love that you are protective of your twin brother and that you always have to know where he is at all times. He is truly your very best friend.
I love that you are the first to arise in the morning, tapping on my side of the bed to climb in and have our morning snuggles.
I love that you pick out your clothes, matching perfectly, and have to be accessorized!
I love when people tell me you are just like me.
I love your precious smile and high-pitched squeal of laughter!
I love your energy, intensity and passion, though sometimes it makes me pull my hair out!

More than anything, I cherish who you are becoming...the most beautiful, sweet spirit that will grow into an accomplishing, faithful, loyal, and giving woman. I adore you, my sweet baby girl.
love, Mommy

Late Summer at a Glance

2011-09-08T14:17:00.012-05:00

Still yet to post about....
Evie & Morgan's visit

VBS

Trip to Colorado

4th bday & party

Birthday Letters

We were honored that "Ms. Texas Amy" and "Mr. Lellow Pants" (aka Drew) came to visit us in late July. It was challenging to find things to do with the excessive heat but we decided to go on a really, really hot (over 100 degree) hike at the Wichita Mountains and lunch at Meer's Hamburger Joint. Mostly, we hung out, swam, and played inside due to the high temperatures. Nonetheless, we loved getting to spend time with two of our favorite people!!

Snack in the shade of the big rock.
One of George's favorite things to do is pee outside, especially if there is a cactus to use as target practice. I could not resist snapping a pic...it was just too funny.

Little Lambert and Jankowski animals at the Zoo....one hot summer morning but worth it to have fun with our friends!
sweet friends.
I love this pic...look at Abigail and Gideon in the background.
Gideon & Ms. Amy
Building rock dams in the Children's Zoo.
Sweet mama and baby. Love this silhouette shot. (our new baby elephant at the Zoo)

G&A's new wheels at Nana & Pop's...practicing their driving skills! Big fun for this summer.

Our annual Sand Creek Ranch trip fell on the first week of August this year. Normally, it is much hotter in west Texas, but not this year... We actually felt a break in the heat! George, Abigail, and I rode out to Lubbock early with Nana and Pop and Matt came for the weekend. The kiddos loved the Science Spectrum (great hands-on science museum if you're ever in Lubbock) and having a "duck party" (feeding the ducks) at Aunt Sherry & Uncle Doug's.

G&A harvested carrots from Aunt Sherry's garden for our dinner.

Fun at the Science Spectrum.
Bubble wall.
G's fave, the crane and scooper.

At the ranch, George and Abigail got to ride the "big kid toys" for the first time ever. They rode on the motorcycles and four-wheelers and LOVED IT!!! We swam in the pool, went for mule rides around the ranch and down in the canyon, and shot BB guns. George hit the targets just like the grown-ups!

Lessons with Daddy.
New riders...
Took me back to childhood...memories of riding dirt bikes with my dad. Ever thought you'd see a 75 yo on a motorcycle? Here it is...
"Full Throttle" with Aunt Go-Go!
and Mama!

Aunt Sherry surprised George and Abigail with a early 4th birthday party so we could celebrate as a big Martin family. They were so surprised and loved their Princess and Curious George cake. They played with their new toys all weekend and stayed up late to watch the stars.

Even Fagen celebrated the twins' bdays!
Double horned species.

Light sword.
Uncle Kevin and Kirby shooting into the night.

Another first..they slept in the living room on blow-up beds with their big cousins...first time they have slept in another room while on a trip with Mommy & Daddy! They said the ATVs and sleeping with the big kids were the highlights of their Ranch trip.

Beautiful sun behind the clouds (Kirby shot this!)

Morris Twins in Oklahoma

2011-07-23T15:06:00.007-05:00

I have no pics from Evie's visit yet...I must hijack them from my Dad's camera. Her week = TBA.

Last Sunday we put Evie & Morgan on the train bound for Fort Worth and later that evening, Kirby and her friend Darwyn arrived via the same train. Though I was sick for the first part of her visit, we enjoyed dinner in Bricktown, cupcakes at Pinkitzel (where Kirby thought she had died and went to heaven!) and spending the day at Chickasaw National Recreation Center in Sulphur. What a great hidden Oklahoma gem! Everyone loved it!

"Exploring" up and down stream....sliding down the rocks...jumping off Little Niagra...George not letting Pop jump because "it is too deep for him"...picnic lunches...water fights...

Cute pic with Nana after swim lessons.
Is that Harry Potter?
Posing at Little Niagara...George, Kirby, Darwyn, & Abigail
AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saying goodbye to Kirby & Darwyn at the train station. Sniff, sniff.

Standing in front of their new preschool, Pumpkin Shell.
Such big kids. Still using their backpacks, Aunt Monique!

June and July with a BANG!

2011-07-12T14:52:00.006-05:00

Celebrating Father's Day with Pop before we left for Texas.

We were southbound to the Hill Country for a late birthday celebration with our godtwins Carlisle and Jackson Camper. We spent the day at SeaWorld, my twins' first time to go to a big amusement park type venue. With the exception of the characters for Abigail (tears and screams of terror), they loved every minute of it. We didn't see any shows, but they petted the dolphins, watched the penguins swim, played at the Sesame Street themed preschool playland (they loved the Shamu rollercoaster and carousel!!) and spent the rest of the time at the water park.

Perfect weather + very few crowds + cold beer= fun day for two sets of twins and their parents! I did not lug my big camera around, so check out Gaga Lauren's blog for cute pics: http://theholylands.blogspot.com/2011/07/sea-world.html

Loved SeaWorld and can't wait to go back next year!

The next day Matt and Kendal went fishing while the godcousins all played in the pool at the Lands' vacay home. Baby Evie Claire (who isn't such a baby any more!) didn't get in any pics as she was napping, but we loved catching up with the whole Land Clan again this year.

George, the chariot driver, and his riders plus a dolphin.
Sweet 4 year olds!
Awesome baby pool which overlooks the big pool at the Lands' vacay home. View from back balcony overlooks Devil's Backbone. GORGEOUS!

Matt and I snuck away after devouring our traditional anniversary cherry pie, leaving George & Abigail at "Camp G&G" (Camp Grammy & Grandpa as named by cousins Jacob and Nate) for the week. We spent one night in Fredericksburg, TX as a 10th anniversary celebration at the Fredericksburg Bed & Brew (yes, they served us beer instead of breakfast). We started the getaway at the wineries, loved Becker and Grape Creek! It was nice to be "away" and stroll the downtown Main Street of Fredericksburg. We even caught a bluegrass concert under the Texas stars. Cannot thank you enough G&G!

The next morning, we were able to take a morning run (which we don't get to do very often) and found Matt's Granny's house where she grew up. Granny's family helped to settle the German town and we were lucky to find their burial plots in the historic cemetery. Hanging out in a cemetery might seem creepy to others, but it was really neat to feel Matt's German roots, and remain connected to our beloved Oma.

Tasting Room at Grape Creek.
Wine cellar at Becker.
Granny's house where she grew up (minus a bedroom that has been removed from the left side of the house.)
Hitzfeld plot where Opa and Oma are buried in the main Fredericksburg Cemetery.

We returned home and enjoyed spending time together celebrating our anniversary. And in typical Jankowski fashion, we had to paint something since the kids were gone, so I repainted our bedroom as a gift to Matt!

Fabulous dinner at the Whispering Pines to "officially" celebrate. Added to our marriage book, which was given to us 10 years ago. Each year, we write down the highlights of the year and how we celebrated. Neat to look back at the events of the past 10 years.

Family life has been hecticly wonderful this summer.

~We have been house-hunting with Bill & Debbie, who are also moving here soon, hopefully by the end of this summer!

~The twins started swim lessons and they are little water-lovers! To date, Abigail is swimming by herself draped over a water-noodle. George jumps in the pool, goes all the way under, and loves to kick and make big splashes.

~We also said goodbye to some of our best friends, the Stelzers and the McClendons, who are both moving to Texas. My heart literally hurts, but we wish them the absolute best as they build their new lives!! Love you both deeply!

Also a new thing this summer....Pumpkin Shell Preschool!! George & Abigail started attending Pumpkin Shell 3 days a week and love their new school. They come home singing the songs, talking about their new friends, and head-to-toe filthy (which is a sign of a fun day!). This was a perfect transition time for them, and they love the independence and creative learning that is promoted at PS. They have most enjoyed the visiting artists on Fridays, who have taught about such things as making pretzels and camping.

We spent July 4th at our fave firework show at Reave's Park with Nana, Pop, Misty & the kids before they left, and were joined by Amy, Justin, Rachel and Gideon Lambert (whom G&A miss immensely since Amy does not keep them at her house anymore). This was G&A's first big firework show and they LOVED IT!! Sat there with eyes glued to the sky!

Currently, we are in the midst of VBS at church and Evie and her friend Morgan are here visiting for the week....pics and stories of our Oklahoma adventures to follow!

A few funnies & chilly bump moments....

2011-06-21T15:28:00.004-05:00

In the latest bout of stomach virus that plagued our house, Abigail was beginning to have symptoms following another croup and sinus infection. She wanted me to snuggle with her in my bed. She moaned a few times, and said, "Mommy will you pray for me because my tummy is hurting." Tears came to my eyes....she gets it! Praise be to God!

George was playing with his trucks and asked "Do monsters ride in the back of this truck?" Huh? "It's a monster truck, so do monsters ride in the back?" Ha!

I asked Abigail, who always wants the same as her mommy, if I got my hair cut, would she want hers cut short too? She responded, "Mama, if you got your hair cut short, you would look like Pop."

A BIGGIE THIS WEEK.....

BUNK BEDS!

They earned enough stickers by staying in their beds at night to have their beds bunked! George is on top (he's a bit more cautious and less likely to take a flying leap off the top) and Abigail is on bottom. They love their new beds and it has freed up a ton of floor space for playing!!! So glad we did it!

Hikers-in-training

2011-06-02T15:04:00.004-05:00

(above pic--these meadows of wildflowers were all along the hike in pockets. reminding me of God's beauty in unexpected rugged terrain)

We spent Memorial Day at our favorite Oklahoma hiking spot, the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. We spotted buffalo, longhorns, turtles and plenty of lizards! Pop joined us for our outdoor excursion and we hiked over 3 miles. The pics don't show the rugged part of the hike (probably because I was concentrating on not falling instead of snapping pics) and the twins did great! They hung in there for the whole hike...and loved every minute of it! Chatty Abby talked the ENTIRE hike (don't know where she gets that from!)...she kept telling the hikers behind her to "follow her Barbie" (thank you Kirby and Aunt GoGo). George perfected his proper use of the hiking stick and the skill of not falling while decending. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the top of a beautiful peak. Pop was very pleasantly surprised that G&A made it the whole way! Tough little hikers-in-training!!

The mountain behind Abigail is the one we hiked.
The beginning of our hike.

Target shooting...George turns everything into a gun these days.
Beautiful landscape.

Another hiker said this is our state lizard?? He was very colorful and fun to watch!
Taking a rest...

Cowboy up!

2011-05-29T15:21:00.003-05:00

Saturday, we spent most of the day with Nana and Pop at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Chuckwagon & Children's Cowboy Festival. It was blazin' hot and crowded, but the twins really enjoyed making ropes, sampling cowboy dutch oven cooking (we especially liked that part!), riding tractor-pulled wagons, throwing horseshoes, decorating bandanas, and making necklaces. Now if we can keep them from trying to tie each other up or rope the cats....

A little too close...

2011-05-29T14:59:00.004-05:00

**Editor's note: The tornadoes were ranked yesterday...the two that came close to us were EF4 and EF5. Yikes!**

May 24, 2011 will again set Oklahoma history. Several tornadoes went through our state, killing many (they haven't stopped counting yet) and obliterating thousands of houses in their path. Two came really close to us, much too close for comfort. Never a good sign when I got sent home early from work and our "personal meterologist" (dear friend Robert who lives near Washington, DC) sent me a text saying to take cover.

Fortunately, Matt came home from work and added humor to the situation, suggesting that we have a "tornado pizza party". During our first storm season living in Oklahoma, we would get Pizza Shuttle pizza and sit on our front porch to watch the storms roll in like "real Okies". But something changes when you have two little ones that you are responsible for....and a deadly storm comes within a few miles of your house.

So into our hallway we went... tennis shoes on, helmets on, flashlight close, insurance cards and purse next to me, water bottles filled, Boomer in his kennel and cats locked in bathroom. We were as ready as we could be. And then the sirens began to blare and my heart rate soared. Think we might look into getting a 'fraidy hole for next year.

Thanks be to God that we were spared yet again. Prayers for Oklahomans who were not so lucky and had to bury their children or other family and start fresh from their empty house foundations. Deep, deep heartfelt prayers.

Caddo Lake with the Hoffmeisters

2011-05-29T14:29:00.004-05:00

We had a great weekend in the fancy Caddo Lake cabin (aka double wide trailer! ha!) with our favorite New Orlean-eans, Monique, Jules, Darby and Ellis (my sweet godchild). The weather was overcast and slightly rainy all weekend, but it was perfect to enjoy a short hike, plenty of fishing, and riding in Matt's canoe.

This was George & Abigail's first time to fish and they had more fun casting with their Lightening McQueen and Princess fishing poles! George nearly caught his first fish, but of course it got away!!

Darby (with the help of his daddy) scored one on his first cast, what a pro!

It wouldn't be a family vacation without one medical situation...poor Ellis awoke Saturday morning with a puffy eye from a bite that progressively became more swollen and red throughout the day. Ended up in a trip into the Marshall, TX ER Sat night with one shot and antibiotics...poor baby!! Didn't slow him down though....he kept up with the big kids all weekend!
Hiking in the piney woods.
Pontoon boat ride.
Took a guided pontoon boat ride through the swamps of Caddo Lake...there is something mysteriously beautiful about the cypress moss curtains and quiet lilypad covered waters of North Louisiana. Took me back to when I was a child skiing on those waters.

We had a great time reuniting with our sweet friends and loving on their kiddos. One thing is true about your best and dearest friends...we always pick right back up where we left off last time. We love you Hoffmeisters and can't wait to do it again, just maybe not in a double wide next time!! Ha!

Honoring the mamas...

2011-05-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

We had an action-packed weekend to celebrate Mother's Day. Grammy was in town for Abigail's recital weekend and we were able to enjoy several events going on around the OKC metro.

We took Grammy to our OKC Zoo and we all got to see new baby elephant Malee who was only 3 weeks old and 350 lbs!! Adorable!! Happy Mother's Day to mama Asha.
Posing on "Playmates" with my little playmates
George & Abigail love the Children's Zoo and with temps in mid 80s, they waded in the cool stream, played in the water fountains, and petted the billygoats. We love our Zoo and plan to spend lots of time there this summer.

Saturday morning was spent at the Touch-a-Truck event. A local Mom's Club sponsors this event where there are hands-on opportunities for children and adults to crawl in and honk the horns of transportation vehicles we see on our roads daily. George liked the giant crane and Orange County Chopper/Chesapeake natural gas Chopper the best. I liked the Children's Hospital helicopter the best. George liked pretending he was a pilot like his grandpa.

His best buddy Rachel was there too and she and George ran from truck to truck, with little Gideon close behind.

Where was Abigail you ask? Within 5 seconds of being in the parking lot and still in the car, she spotted a costumed mascot (Braum's cow) and screamed and cried. She refused to go anywhere near the event, so she and her daddy hung out at the Farmer's Market the whole time. Her highlight was getting a new balloon and sampling fair trade chocolate...and NOT having to go near the mascots! Really ready for her to grow out of that fear....

Matt cooked a beautiful Mother's Day brunch at home after church...salmon with lemon hollandaise on english muffins, green and fruit salads and Grammy shared her Shari's Berries (huge chocolate covered strawberries) for dessert. Much better than any restaurant could have prepared! After brunch, we cracked cascarones (Mexican tradition of blown eggs filled with confetti) in the front yard and George & Abigail thought that was a ton o' fun. Even Nana & Pop joined in on it. And I was able to capture the excitement with my camera donning my new fancy burnt orange camera strap (gift from G&A for Mama's day)...I love it!!

Yes, that's confetti in his mouth.
The 3 Mamas!

The weekend was completed with Abigail's dress rehearsal and two dance performances....could not have asked for a better weekend. I was surrounded by people I love all weekend and the two precious reasons I celebrate being a mom...George and Abigail!

Our little Performer!

2011-05-10T15:20:00.004-05:00

Sweet Abigail stole the show! This weekend was her very first dance recital with Artworks Academy. Her tap number was Shirley Temple's "Animal Crackers" with her "dance friends" as she calls them (her dance class), her ballet number was "Topsy Turvy" with the entire preschool program, and she and Matt did a Father/Daughter Jazz number.

Preparing for their "boogie & twirls!"

She loved every minute of being on the stage....the lights, the makeup, the beautiful costumes!! As I walked her backstage to join her class before her first dance, she confidently waved goodbye and announced "Bye Mama! I'll be on stage dancing!!" During her tap routine, she slipped and fell, but got right back up and continued dancing. Made her mama soooo proud.

Grammy came in from Texas for the show and Nana, Pop, George, and Daddy were all there to cheer her on. She loved being showered with roses and carnations in celebration for the performance too. George enjoyed watching the dancing too...he was mezmorized by the music and costumes of the "big girls". He sat still like a statue on his Grammy's lap for the whole 3 1/2 hour show!

What a fabulous way to spend Mother's Day weekend....watching my precious baby girl dance! More stories & pics to come from the rest of the fun-filled weekend!

Easter, cont.

2011-04-30T14:15:00.006-05:00

The next pictures capture a few images of our family gathering that took place after Easter surrounding Granny's/Oma's burial. She died in October and her ashes were finally laid to rest with Grandpa George in the Fort Sam Hood Military Cemetary. The ceremony itself was very reverent and family fellowship was just as she would have wanted it.

We spent a beautiful 96 degree day at Zilker Park in Austin (and the kids even took a cool dip!), stuffed ourselves with BBQ at the Salt Lick the night before, joined up with Uncle George, Aunt Barbara, and cousins Dave and Paula for lunch at Tomatillo's in San Antonio, and spent more family time at Grammy & Grandpa's that night. It was nice to see Grandpa George's grave (we hadn't been there since his funeral 10 years ago) and we said goodbye to fabulous grandparents/great-grandparents. We love and miss you deeply.

Snowcones and limestone!
Just below Zilker Dam.
Yes, we were "those parents" who stripped our kids down to beat the heat! It felt so nice to cool off!
Jacob & Nate taking the plunge!

Salt Lick is a Texas Hill Country favorite of everyone's!

Bedtime story with Grammy.

George adores his big cousins Jacob and Nate. He was their little shadow the whole time!

Lunch before the service @ Tomatillo's.

My gorgeous sis-in-law Missy and precious nephew Nate.
George was joyous to see his great-grandpa's name on his headstone. The great-grandchildren decorated Grandpa's marker with flowers also. Grandpa George is little George's namesake...he has big shoes to fill.

The moment of this image took my breath away. Love those boys.

Praise the Risen Lord!

2011-04-24T13:53:00.004-05:00

I'm writing from Spring Branch, TX on the edge of Canyon Lake at Grammy & Grandpa's house. We are here to celebrate the risen Lord and also to honor Lorene Mathilda Hitzfeld Janning (aka Granny/ Oma) at the burial of her ashes.

George & Abigail dyed their first Easter Eggs, attended their first Easter sunrise Service, and hunted Easter eggs. We were blessed to place the crown on the cross as a family during the Reiker's lakeside sunrise service...such an honor! Could not have been a more beautiful, peaceful morning, watching the sun peek through the clouds with a cool Hill Country breeze.

We are awaiting the arrival of the rest of the Jankowski and Keller families who will help us to continue the celebration of the two risen Saints. More to come later....

Morning is breaking at the Reiker's house.
This picture WILL resurface at their weddings! ha!

Second Game and beyond....

2011-04-16T15:04:00.007-05:00

The second game fell on our multi-family garage sale day, so the dads got to take all the kids to the game. Much success!!! Not having Mama around can be a good thing sometimes...George was ready to get out there and tear it up. He played most of the game and had a blast!

Every game since then, he has been a fabulous team player. He scored one goal which made him beam from ear to ear! He runs the field with the herd of kids chasing the ball and it is the cutest darned thing ever. He loves playing soccer!

He has really built self-confidence lately. Not sure if soccer has anything to do with it or not, but he has been willing to try new things more readily, greet people independently, and has visibly "come out of his shell". He saw his buddy Hudson at last week's game and ran all the way across the soccer field by himself to go say hello...I was so surprised he did that!

Here are a few glimpses into today's game...

Water break after warm-up...like his new summer haircut?
Daddy and Abs on the sidelines

In the pack (look for the red shorts & green shirt)...
He loves running through the tunnel at the end of the game!

George WANTED to have his haircut at the barber shop for the first time. He and Pop got their hair cut and he was still like a statue! He loved getting to have a sucker while he got his new 'do! And he even asked the barber to put gel in his hair to make it spikey...definitely think he's overcoming some sensory issues!

Last night Northhaven Day School had their spring carnival and the twins had a great time! George WANTED to get his face painted (another first!!) as Batman and jumped for what seemed like hours in the bounce house. Sweet Abigail wanted her face painted with rainbows and hearts. G&A absolutely love their teacher Mrs. Abby...she has been so good for both of them! They will certainly be sad to say goodbye in June when they start their new preschool, but they are looking forward to feeding the bunny and dancing at Pumpkin Shell!

First Soccer Game update

2011-03-28T16:51:00.003-05:00

Battery on camera died, and I don't remember how to upload video. So....

It was freezing and blustery, not ideal for the start of the "soccer experience". It took George until after halftime to even put on his shirt, much less think about playing. Nana and Pop were there and bundled up, cheering him on! His daddy coerced him out onto the field for about 2 minutes but he cried the whole time. :( Not interested in kicking at all.

Post-game pancakes at J-Pat's went over well and all were happy and warm!

During reflection time, he shared that he did not want to play because he was upset that he didn't have his OWN ball, and was confused about why there was ONE ball everyone was trying to kick. Makes sense doesn't it? Guess we should have explained the rules of soccer a bit better...

George, the Little Soccer Dude

2011-03-24T16:43:00.006-05:00

George started his first organized team sport this week, 3 & 4 year old Soccer at the YMCA. He was so excited to have his own soccer ball with his favorite color orange on it and to wear his cousin Cliff's shin guards (Cliff is now 15)! His best buddies Asher and Cache are on his team which makes it even more fun!

Listening intently to the coach...

As his first practice began, George became unsure of it all, and cried, refusing to play.

In typical George fashion, it took him about 15 minutes of observing the other kids from the sidelines and soaking it all in....then he decided to join in! He made great shots into the goal and had fun running and kicking the ball with his new teammates. And he was even more pumped about the post-practice snacks!! What a great player...and so adorable (sure, I'm biased!)

I love 3 yo soccer...check out Cache's practice stance in the lower rt corner of this pic!

Ending practice pep talk (notice Asher's almost handstand in lower rt corner! love our friends!)

The Martin Invasion

2011-03-24T16:06:00.004-05:00

A pre-post for this post, Miss Ballerina loved posing with her daddy. She picked out her dance outfit for ballet class and dressed herself perfectly, head to toe. I think she has her mama's love for clothing! Doesn't every girl need a black & leopard print tutu? Thanks Grammy!

Nana and Pop are finally here!!!! It took four phases to get them here (with still one more load of Pop's tools to go) but they are here and unpacked and their Shreveport house is on the market! After George & Abigail spent five days with the Morris clan in Houston over Spring Break, Laura drove all five kids to Norman and Sherry & Doug came over from Lubbock for the biggest, fastest unpacking you've ever seen...and the most clutter-free living the Martins have ever experienced! Noooo, they're not pack-rats at all (slight sarcasm there!).

Ok, let's back-up. G&A had a blast in H-town with their three cousins and aunt and uncle. What a great seasonal introduction to pull out the shorts and flip-flops from our attic to send to Texas! They went to the Children's Museum and the Rodeo. George loved getting to sit on a real horse and Abigail loved seeing the pigs. They had tons of fun with the "big kids" and ate Laura out of house and home!! Another biggie of that week, Laura tried giving Abigail only cooked fruits and veggies (instead of raw) since we still have tummy problems with her, and her stomach responded well. So we may be on to something here....

Matt and I had a great kid-free week. We ate out tons, had dinner with long lost friends (love you, McClendons & Gannaways & Pollans), and slept in every day! It still amazes me how physically taxing raising twin toddlers is...got all caught up on my zzz's (and managed to work some too!). Matt installed our new lighting for the living room & I hung the new wall arrangements to make our living room makeover complete! We greatly appreciated the parenting break, more than words can express!

We enjoyed spending the weekend with the Morris' and Saffles. Laura, Kirby & Sherry are very gifted at unpacking and organizing...they were such a blessing! Amidst the sea of boxes and fights over the garage sale pile, there were fun times too. Several caught the OU baseball game and everyone took turns entertaining the littlest twins. Nana & Pop are now off to a good start in their new Oklahoma home!

Evie, George, Cliff, Kirby, & Abigail

Waaaay overdue....

2011-03-08T17:04:00.005-06:00

It's been a while since I posted. Realized I have left out a huge gap in our family record...maybe because I haven't been ready to write about it yet.

We spent a weekend in Shreveport a few weeks ago to load the last big moving truck for Mom & Dad. This has been a long process of relocation for Mom and Dad, beginning the week before Christmas when they closed on their house in Norman until now, nearly three months later.

I thought I said a tearful goodbye to my hometown in January, but Matt had to have his last hurrah as well. We decided to make one last pilgrimage and have our last weekend of eating out at our favorite stops in Shreveport...dinner at Herby-K's, breakfast of Southern Maid donuts, Sweep the Swamp pizza for lunch from Johnny's, dinner at our favorite Monjuni's, and breakfast and strawberry pie at Strawn's. It's amazing when you think of how food is always tied to culture and memories in the South. That's what life is...FOOD!

I remember being a little kid, spinning around on the bar stools and drinking a Coke from a glass bottle while Jimmy the bartender made me laugh at Herby-K's after visiting Uncle Bill at his store in the West End.

I remember loving to see the "hot, Hot, HOT" sign lit up at Southern Maid which meant the donuts were fresh out of the oven and always looking for it when we were on I-20, begging to stop.

I remember going to eat Johnny's pizza with my neighbor Susan and her parents and being so excited to play Pac-Man in their arcade and wondering why the pizza slices were rectangles.

I remember loving the sweet sauce of Monjuni's and having its importance made permanent in my life when Matt took Mom & Dad there to ask for my hand in marriage...Oh, the hundreds of Monjuni's cups we used to have in our college cabinets and how tingly I still feel when I see the jar of sauce in my kitchen cabinet!

And the many mornings before school we would go to Strawn's for breakfast and love their big-as-a-plate pancakes and mile high strawberry pie...nobody else comes close. And the fabulous convenience of living across the street in the Centenary Dorms and being able to walk there!

These items of food carry so much significance, so many memories of growing up, so many rights-of-passage, so many transitions into childhood to being a teenager to college years to adulthood and now life with kids. Obviously, it is so much more than the food. It's my life, my history... the start to my story. And then sharing those pearls of perfection with my children. There was nothing more gratifying than taking George & Abigail to eat at Monjuni's and then to watch their joy while they played at the Duck Pond. Sharing with them the power of food and historical experience, priceless!

How do you say good-bye to the 34 years of constancy of Shreveport....going "home" to the house that you grew up in...driving streets that you could drive blindfolded, knowing every pothole and curve...passing my old schools and the old "cut-throughs" and backways...pointing to each house and knowing the families that lived there...remembering the stories only the walls could tell at 3014 Pines Road. This process of change has been more painful than I ever dreamed possible. Never thought I would get so emotionally tied to a city and a house, wasn't until it was time to leave that it's impact on me screamed.

And the parting is for a great reason, to have Mom and Dad closer and to be able to share experiences daily. I am thrilled that they will be building their new life here and though the transition will be a shift for all of us (first time in 14 years that we have lived in the same town), we have longed to have family in town. George and Abigail have already gotten used to this new idea of grandparents across town: they have their own toys and room there and have already discovered the "fun" of hiding in the pantry and playing dress-up or "working" with Pop in the workshop. It will be wonderful to share spontaneous lunches or have a family night all together and to have Nana and Pop at performances and sporting games.

But it's still tough to say good-bye. My heart will heal, of course, and life will go on. Some days I'll think of how ridiculous I'm feeling. And we'll have the occasional trip to Shreveport where we indulge again. But next time will be different because it's not "home" anymore. And that's okay because this is my home, Norman, Oklahoma. This is the "home" that will so deeply affect my children and where our story as a family began. That is the blessing in it all.

So off the emotional goop and on to fun stuff....

Here's a pic of my cuties "rockin' out" on a winter afternoon.

We were able to make a quick day trip to Alexandria to visit my dear Martha and her family. As my post of Facebook read that day, "Some people come into your lives and you are never, ever the same." Potluck college roommates never faired so well.

George LOVED the tractor (might be his next big gift idea).

Martha, Will, Abigail, Sarah Frances, George, Thomas, and Matthew.
How precious.

McFarlin hosted Mommy/Daughter PJ party..."Beautifully Made" was the theme, reminding girls that they are beautifully made by God inside and out!

We decorated pillowcases (can you see A's happy face that she drew all by herself?)...
had manis and pedis....

...,decorated cards and cookies and watched a VeggieTales movie! It was a treasure to spend time one-on-one with my big girl.

Snow Day #4

2011-02-04T14:21:00.006-06:00

We had a playdate with our twin friends Asher and Cache this morning. All four kiddos loved the sledding hill in our driveway. Matt built the coolest hill out of shoveled snow and G&A have enjoyed it every day this week. Mrs. Leah and I got a cardio workout running up and down the street pulling the kids in the sled. Afterwards, we peeled off the snowy clothes and enjoyed hot chocolate with marshmallows and yummy comfort food lunch.

The weather was perfect....beautiful powdery snow falling all morning, no wind, and 23 degrees. You could hear the tranquil peace falling from the sky....amidst the squeals of laughter and glee! I have always longed to live in Colorado...well, today I felt like we were there!

I think the kids will have a great nap today!

A little "behavioral redirection!"
Abs & Cache in the sled...if only you could hear the giggles through this pic!

Having a blast!!!! Go Leah Go!
Asher & George
Apparently three kids do NOT fit on our sled...
The four munchkins and one of the wranglers.

Three Sweet Friends!

2011-02-02T20:37:00.002-06:00

We ventured out today to visit our dear neighbors, the Hilfigers. Evangeline is a precious little angel whom G&A adore! Though it was 10 degrees outside, the sun was shining and the kiddos had a great time making snow angels, sledding down their front slope (into the street no less), and eating the snow!! G got a little cold and grumpy, so our visit was short, but they loved seeing their friend on yet another day home due to the "Snow-klahoma 2011"!!!
Mrs. Jemellia and the girls

It's an Abigail sandwich...
This is what E did practically the whole time we were outside! J, do you hydrate her?? ;)

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-01T18:20:00.005-06:00

Hard to believe that just three days ago, we set record high temperatures with nearly 80 degrees in January! We took advantage of it and spent Saturday hiking in the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. G even had a little sunburn on his neck. It was G&A's second time to go hiking and they loved it!! We chose a more technical hike this time and they went over the boulders and up and down steep narrow trails like pros. We brought Boomer this time and he loved it too!! Finished the afternoon with big cheeseburgers and peach cobbler at Meer's...couldn't have been a more perfect day!

And then the Blizzard of 2011 hit. The high today was 9 degrees and we had 40 mph sustained winds. Absolutely bone-chillin' cold....and we were out in it having a blast! We enjoyed the snow day with family snuggling, a big breakfast, making cookies, then ventured out to deliver the cookies to our neighbors. The kiddos loved our new sled and George loved doing belly-flops on it and sliding down inclines. Matt "built" a snow slide with the shoveled snow and both kids raced down the driveway. Even Miss A was a huge fan of the snow this year; we had to beg them to come back inside. We love winter weather....especially the hot chocolate and snow ice cream!

Our house pre-shoveling.
Cheering Daddy on from the warm inside...

All bundled up!

Even Daddy made a snow angel...
Look at those red cheeks!
Grammy, this face is for you! (In case you were wondering, Abs is making a snow angel)
More pics to come as the snow is supposed to hang around for several more days!!!

p.s. Happy Birthday Pop!!! See you soon!!

New Year, New Beds

2011-01-17T21:04:00.003-06:00

We are officially crazy. Well, only partially I guess. We bought bunk beds for G&A!! We decided to separate the beds at first and bunk them when they are a bit older. They spent their first night in their new beds last night and loved it! Another sign that my babies aren't babies anymore....

Then I am reminded of their creativity and sense of humor, which is the fun part of growing up. This was how they ran around the house tonight...in their "camel costume" (note: Abigail is the hump--see her feet?). Times like these I love being a mom of multiples!

The rest of the 15 days...

2011-01-10T15:31:00.011-06:00

A few days after Christmas, we took our first airplane trip with the kids to the East Coast...destination: Mystic, CT and Washington, DC/Reston, VA.

Watching our plane taxi in to the gate. They LOVED the airplane ride! G's favorite part was landing and "helping" the pilot with his airbrakes. Abs loved having ginger ale for the first time and they both loved being allowed to chew gum and watch new DVDs.

We were in Mystic for three days total and squeezed in a quick visit at the Children's Museum in Hartford with dear friends Lauren and Paul Friedman (& Halley & Noah) from Boston, MA before driving to Mystic.

We had a lovely post-Christmas celebration with Matt's bro Billy, sis-in-law Missy and nephews Jacob and Nate. Matt's parents were there for a few days as well. We enjoyed a bit of snow and the Mystic Aquarium (G&A's first time to go to an aquarium--they loved the penguins and sea lion show the best!) but mostly hung out with the family at their home. Wonderful food, great hard cider, and even better company!!

DONUTS!!!!
The four Jankowski cousins: George, Nate, Jacob & Abigail
Watching the Balouga whales...
Petting sharks...
It's a Christmas Miracle!! George has finally gotten over his fear of large costumed creatures...he WANTED to take a picture with the penguin. Billy & Missy gave G&A stuffed penguins for Christmas as a reminder of their visit to the Aquarium and they have slept with them every night since....

Then we hopped the Amtrak train and rode 6 hours south to Reston where we visited some of our best friends, Robert & Renee Lee, and one of our precious godchildren, Rebagrace. We saw Washington, DC for half a day--enjoyed the Natural History Museum and Old Post Office Tower where we saw DC from above. Gave us a quick taste to want to come back for more! We took tons of pics, here are the best of the batch.

In front of "George the Giraffe" @ Natural History Museum...
Pretending to be explorers...
These three are the best of friends...
On top of the tower overlooking the White House
Washington Monument in background
Snuggling under RG's new Christmas Blanket we made for her
"We're Matchin'!"
LeeKowski Crab Fest....we have a tradition of eating crabs for New Years
The whole LeeKowski gang
The vacation ended with me flying home with the twins by myself on a 6am flight. We were home by 1:30pm and all of us were ready to nap. Unfortunately, Boomer ate an adult sock while we were gone and his stomach had other plans for us. But by the grace of God, he skirted death one more time.

We celebrated Matt's birthday on January 7 with homemade decorations and the best red velvet cake evah! He loved his new running shirts, camo pants and pheasant hunting trip! Happy 34th bday to the greatest hubby!!

We had a great adventure and are ready to face 2011 with gusto!! And I'm really not ready to travel again for a while....

The 15 Days of Christmas

2011-01-09T20:49:00.006-06:00

We enjoyed an extended Christmas/New Year's/ Matt's birthday celebration this year, beginning with the Family Christmas Eve service with Nana & Pop and our dear friends the Pollans. Brad joined us for a brief time and we had a great Christmas eve and morning.

Asher, Cache, Abigail and George
Night-night hugs while putting out stockings for Santa

"The children were nestled, all snug in their beds..."

George asked Santa (in his head of course, wouldn't talk to the real guy) for drums and was so happy to see his new drum set!! Best story of the day was Abigail setting off the glass break sensor of the house alarm by testing out the cymbals....skip the coffee because that woke us all up and sent us running!!! Abigail was soooo excited to see her new Barbie dollhouse (complete with a new Ballerina Barbie from her cousin Kirby). They totally "get" Christmas and giving/receiving presents this year, which made it so fun for Matt and I.

We had a traditional Jankowski Christmas breakfast of holiday bread french toast before opening the other presents, playing with the new toys (reading their newest libraries of books, having hippy-hop races, and eating M&Ms), and then going to Nana & Pop's new house to put up their new blinds.

I have to split this into two posts as the spacing is messing up...to be continued...

Sights of the Season

2010-12-16T15:50:00.010-06:00

We have enjoyed several holiday festivities this year.

To start off the season, we hosted part of the Martin Mob for Thanksgiving. Mom, Dad, Laura, Kevin, Cliff, Evie, Kirby, Jack and Tori came up for the long weekend. Matt was the chef for our turkey feast and outcooked himself!! We hung out inside most of the weekend due to frigid temps (per opinion of the Houstonians), but ventured out for Bass Pro Shop Christmas events and Snow Tubing at the Bricktown Ballpark. Of course, the big kids (Carrie included) loved the tubing, and our adventurous spirited Abigail even tubed all by herself!! George stayed in the cheering section with Matt, Kev & Laura drinking hot cocoa and eating cookies. The biggest success of the weekend was Jack (Morris' 100 lb. chocolate lab) did not eat our cats and managed to somewhat peacefully coexist indoors! We had a wonderful time with family!

bk row: Judie, Jerry, Laura, Cliff, Kevin, Matt, Carrie

frt row: Evie, Abigail, Kirby, George
Where's Boomer?
First gun shooting experience (he wants a gun sooooo bad!)
coloring with Evie
Our little drummer boy
Abs and Geo were excited about their happies from Aunt Go-Go & Uncle Kevin's trip to Hawaii...palm tree stir sticks, A's coconut bra & grass skirt, and G's hawaiian shirt & shorts!! Aloha!

Next came the McFarlin Annual Advent Festival, tons of fun. Mom & Dad were able to join us too. They had tons of crafts for kids and adults, which are hanging all over our house!! George loved the jazz band and Abigail loved decorating gingerbread cookies. We hope to support our church's tradition for many years to come.

Abigail and Ms. Fatima, one of her favorite workers at church

Becoming one with the Nativity...it's what we call "experiential learning".

Another fun tradition we have is the Holiday Happening at the Sam Noble Natural History Museum. The kiddos LOVED the huge dinosaurs and playing in the children's area. Caught a glimpse of Santa, but quickly escaped before the tears began!

The largest Pentaceratops skull in the world...even made it into Guiness Book.
Excavating in the Children's Section
A little man and his tools.

Matt's parents came up to go with us to the Christmas Train in Dry Gulch, OK (near Adair, OK--3 hours NE of Norman). We stayed the night in Tulsa in a hotel and the twins thought that was the coolest thing ever! They had a blast riding the train, eating the homemade cinnamon rolls (best I've ever had in my life), and riding the carousel and horse-drawn wagon. Late night, VERY VERY COLD (when we got out of the car @ 7pm, it was 34 degrees), but totally worth it! Hope to do it again!

Enjoying hot chocolate with the Nutcrackers at Utica Square in Tulsa
Our family Christmas Tree
Bundled up for fun at the Christmas Train
Steam Engine in the background.
Waiting to board the train after the wagon ride and lots of sugar!

Attended our favorite Norman event, the Kiwanis Annual Pancake Breakfast and Norman City Christmas Parade. George ate his weight in pancakes and Abigail put her share of bacon away!! Bundled up and walked across the lawn to watch the parade. Gotta love a parade with tractors, horses, homemade floats, animals, and lots of candy!!

Waving at Santa...that's as close as they will get this year.

Sitting on the curb waiting for more candy!

Last night George and Abigail had their Northhaven Dayschool Christmas Program and since Miss A recovered from her surgery like a rock star, she was ready to belt out her song on stage later that night! George was not a fan of being on stage and cried in Ms. Abby's arms the whole time: "I don't want to sing!!" Abigail, however, stood in between two of her favorite friends, Camden Lane and Hudson Brown, and sang "Away in a Manger". She was so adorable doing all of the hand motions with her 3 yo class!

"...asleep on the hay"....pick a good one, Hudson?
Love it!!

Another fun thing this year was putting up a small Christmas tree in G&A's room. They LOVE looking at it, redecorating it often, and reading scripture nightly to prepare for the birth of Jesus. Thank you, Ms. Amy, for the wonderful Advent Bible Verse chain that adorns their tree. They have also enjoyed reading our Christmas books given by Aunt Go-Go and other friends over the years.

Other noteworthy Christmas season stuff: they have developed a love for hot chocolate [especially Starbucks! ;)], they love looking at Christmas decorations and lights, and listening to Christmas music in the car.

Combine all this with working, navigating Abigail's gastrointestinal issues & facial lesion, and George's minor throat infection....I'd say we've been a bit busy!!!

No more pink angel kiss

2010-12-15T16:40:00.003-06:00

Abigail had her second and last surgery of the year today. She had her facial lesion shaved off & lasered by Dr. Glade. She was a trooper...she was more scared this time and cried saying "I don't want them to cut off my spot". Upon investigation about her sadness, she revealed that she didn't want to stop wearing her favorite accessory, the princess band-aids! She liked playing on the dry-erase board, walking the halls, and "dancing" on the rolling chair.
She was slower to come out of anesthesia this time and a bit grumpier, but rallied when she saw the purple popsicle.
As soon as we were home, she asked for her Georgie (who played at the Pollans, thank you muchos!!), nachos (her favorite meal), and she took a great nap. Now for the healing process to begin!!!

This pic was taken one week ago, Dec 8, 2010, prior to her MRI.
Chair dancing with her daddy
Lovin' on her newest lovie, "Scrubs".

Snuggles while coming back to reality...

Facebooks & random stories...

2010-12-09T15:50:00.003-06:00

A few funny Facebook status updates to record as family memories...

Dec 8: As we are snuggling @ bedtime...G: "Mama, you so boo-ful...no, you not boo-ful cause you don't have a dress & long earrings." Little stinker.

Nov 30: The coconut bra and grass skirt have replaced the obsession with princess dresses for the moment. Thanks Go-Go!

Oct 28: In regards to the OKC Thunder Girls, George says, "they're neked, where der clothes go?" I don't know either, G. Too funny.

Oct 7: Loved "rockin' out" in the wag last night with my excited kiddos with all windows down drive-dancing-singing "Sweet Caroline, da, da, da"! Happy moments to be greatful for...

More funny stories:
~ Every time we round the corner on 36th & Tecumseh Rd, G says, "Look Mama, I see the stem!" (referring to the steeple on Northhaven Church Day School)

~When I told A&G that we were going on the Christmas Train with Grammy & Grandpa, Abigail excitedly asked, "Will Santa be dere? And unicorns?"

~One afternoon we were driving around town and Abigail randomly starts listing all the things she wants for Christmas: Baby Dora bike, Baby Dora kite, dollhouse, pink kitchen, pink scooter...I remind her that she may have to pick her one or two favorite things, that she probably won't receive all those things. She pauses, and responds emphatically, "but Mama I want it all!!!"

~G&A love to come on our bed in the morning to snuggle as we awaken for the day. They love to talk about their dreams. One morning, George said, "I dreamed about animals, but I didn't shoot them." (A favorite dream he tells about is going shooting at Grandpa's and he tells me about shooting lions, deer, foxes, etc.)

Update on Lesion.

2010-12-09T15:34:00.002-06:00

Thx for much love for Abs. The good news is the lesion is shallow & Dr. Glade will be able to shave it off and laser to remove redness; the bad news is that's one more time under anesthesia. Three times in four months is enough!

Dr. Glade tried "strangling" it with suture string in office today but the shape of the spot did not allow a secure hold. Needless to say, Abigail was NOT a fan of the papoose board and the attempts re-ulcerated the lesion, so we had a bloody mess!! Disappointed that the least invasive option did not work, but at least we tried. So off to the surgery center we go....thank goodness for good insurance!

She is scheduled for next Wednesday morning.

"Pink Angel Kiss"...

2010-12-08T12:59:00.005-06:00

...is what Abigail calls her spot on her face. It popped up on Sept 3, 2010, the day before her 3rd birthday and has been growing ever since. It is located on the lower left eye socket bone (not sure of technical name). First thought it was a scratch but it kept getting bigger and did not heal, then about 2 weeks later, it became 3-dimensional. While we were waiting many weeks for the dermatologist appt, she complained of it becoming itchy (thanks to Sasha and Amanda for the heads-up that it might ulcerate) and a few nights later after she was in bed, she came out of her room in tears. She was covered in blood, from her blonde hair to her toes...talk about freaky. Knew exactly what happened as the blood was pulsating out of her little spot and calmly got the bleeding stopped with compression. She must have scratched it in her sleep which opened up the lesion. She became calmer once we got her blood-soaked pjs off of her and into the bath to wash off. Yay for laundry detergent that removed all crimson remnants off her best "sleeping friends"!

Now that her spot was an open wound, the derm would not touch her. We were prepared to travel to Little Rock or Dallas to see a vascular surgeon who specialized in these anomalies, but Amanda Lowry worked her magic! She located Dr. Glade who completed a fellowship at Children's in Little Rock in the vascular clinic and recently relocated to Children's Hospital in OKC. YAY!! We now have someone local!!!

Dr. Glade recommended topical treatment to hopefully reduce its size. Unfortunately, within a few days, the spot re-grew and was back to its size prior to ulceration, but closed. So here we are...

Abigail had a MRI this morning where Dr. Glade will determine exactly what type of spot it is and its depth, which will tell us if it can be treated with injectable steroids or will have to be excised...obviously, we are hoping for the former, but want the most effective treatment and least scarring.

"Nothing more sobering than holding your child as they go limp from anesthesia. Thank you, fabulous people of Children's Hospital for that grace." ( my Facebook status from today)

Little Abigail is a fantastic patient, always willing to do what med professionals need her to do. She has been really excited about having a vast array of band-aids to wear daily, from Toy Story to Dora to Shrek. Note to 3M: don't advertise Princess Fiona on the box of Band-Aids but not have any with her picture on it...very upsetting to 3 yo little girls.

Here are a few pictures of the progression (thanks Sash for this recommendation and fancy camera assistance--cool [in a weird way] to watch its growth).

September 3, 2010...can barely see it, looks like pin-prick

October 9, 2010

October 31, 2010

November 22, 2010...day after ulceration

November 24, 2010...growing again

Check back soon to hear prognosis and please keep little Miss A in your thoughts and prayers.

3rd Birthday revisited.... (only three months late!)

2010-12-02T15:37:00.009-06:00

This is the theme of our lives with twins: Flying by the seat of our pants in the moment, going back later to pick up the pieces and fill in the gaps where possible, and letting the rest fall by the wayside.

So, appropriate now to fill in the gaps of remembering their 3rd birthday. We were blessed to have a two part celebration. The weekend before their birthday, we threw a backyard party. The weather was perfect and we were able to have a pleasant evening party with hotdogs & hamburgers on the grill, "princess" and "construction equipment" themed birthday cake (split down the middle in colors of pink and green/orange, of course!), and friends and family to help celebrate! The kids had a great time picnicking on the grass, swimming in the kiddie pool, playing on our fort, playing a few simple games, and checking out their treat bags with whistles and crazy straws.

A few pics to record memories:

G LOVES CAKE!!!

Caine in the pool and Baby Campbell in the swing
Hudson chowing down on cake with Evangeline in the background
Cache and Asher loving the sweets!
Abs and Rachel with Ms. Amy
Backyard celebration, simple style!
Neighbors Yelin and Crystal

On their actual birthday over Labor Day weekend, our best friends and George & Abigail's godparents "Don Kendal" and "GaGa Lauren" and Carlisle, Jackson Camper, and Baby Evie Claire came to visit from Arkansas. It was pure insanity with five kids 3 and under in one house, but we all had a blast spending time together & playing outside. They all got along beautifully and fell right into step as if we were together all the time. Makes us sad that they live 6 hours away :( but sooooo thankful that they made the trip. Needless to say, second round sweet treats of Dora, Diego, and Boots pink and orange birthday cupcakes...why not have a bit more sugar to ring in Year #3!!!

Okay, this was the funniest thing. The kids found an empty bucket and within mere minutes, all four twins were stripped down naked and filling the bucket to "take a bath". It was hilarious!!! Can't you here the shrills of happiness?

Nighttime rituals of story and song...

We decided to take George & Abigail on their first hike on Labor Day at the beautiful Wichita Mountain Wildlife Preserve. It was a gorgeous day and we ate our picnic lunch overlooking the lake (with their new birthday lunchboxes- thanks Morris fam!). We hiked approx 2 miles to an overlook. We looked for lizards, learned how to climb boulders and walk on "slippery pebbles", walked over a dam, and the importance of staying hydrated. G&A had a blast and did great--G made it the whole way and A was only carried the last little bit. They also loved seeing the buffalo and "fairy dogs" (prairie dogs). They have the love of outdoors in their blood!!

Fall memories....

2010-11-06T17:26:00.011-05:00

I just recently realized I completely skipped over the twins' 3rd birthday celebration...

I have been re-motivated by my dear sis & bro-in-law to capture the funny stories and moments that make up our daily lives. So I renew my vow to be more consistent with blogging for the sake of capturing memories for our family. Lord knows I cannot remember anything if I don't write it down!!!

So before I reflect on George & Abigail's birthdays, let me share about a recent huge loss for our family. Matt's maternal grandmother, Lorene Mathilda Hitzfeld Janning, died on October 12 at the wise age of 89. Our lives were strongly affected by Granny (called Oma by great-grands) and she was a fabulous woman and grandmother. She has always been an important part of Matt's life and I grew to love her when Matt and I began dating and took our first roadtrip to Austin to meet her and Grandpa (my little George's namesake). She will be greatly missed and her legacy will live on forever. One positive thing that came of her passing was the family gathering in San Marcos for her memorial rosary. It was fabulous to be with Billy, Jacob, and Aunt Donna at length and wonderful to see other extended family members. She and Grandpa were smiling, we just know it.

Grammy and three of her four monkeys.

"Head rides"
Fam Pic (missed you Missy & Nate!)
First ride on the Zilker Park Zephyr, they loved it!!
Can we say ornery???
Our favorite place to be @ Grammy & Grandpa's...on the porch! Love you Donna!
Mullinax & Long's Fall Party in full costume!

With favorite buddy Hudson the monkey...
Halloween night was fun....started off with all four of us dressing up for the Monster Mash at church with great preschool games. We finished up with trick-or-treating at a few houses with neighbors. Abigail got spooked by a scary mask and didn't mind heading home with her daddy to pass out candy. George was happy with "lotsa candy in my pail"!! Lucky for us, we had so many trick-or-treaters that we ended up passing out most of the candy we collected. Happy Fall!

Buzz & Woody

Trick-or-treating in the neighborhood

Another note: We also said goodbye to another family member a week later, Carrie's paternal great aunt "Sis" Lorean Pittman Perry. Favorite memories of Sis: her famous sweet tea (with at least 2 cups of sugar per pitcher), coming up to visit the pig farm when I was a child, learning to play Chinese Checkers with her, and her smart wit, dry humor, and sarcasm that could not be paralleled. It was unspeakable to get to know her better in my adult years while living in Oklahoma. My heart was warmed to have extended family members tell me at her funeral how much she adored George & Abigail and that she talked about them all the time. I pray that through G&A, we will do our part for the Pittman legacy to live on. (Abigail is named for my grandmother Bessie Pittman Martin, who was Sis' older sister)

Halloweeeeeeeen!!!

2010-11-01T19:42:00.002-05:00

A sneak peek at more pics to come....Janks Halloween 2010: Mama Witch, Big Girl Nice Witch, Buzz & Woody.

Birthday Letter to Abigail

2010-09-23T15:40:00.006-05:00

My sweet baby girl,

Where to begin? You are the sunshine in my eye and melt my heart so quickly. You are a little charmer and at moments, I have to catch myself to not give in to your every whim. You and I have a very close bond that I pray never severs.

You and I are similar in many ways. You cannot get physically close enough to me...when we snuggle, you want to be nose-to-nose. Your favorite place is still on my hip! Your personality is vibrant and vivacious, full of spunk and fire. You are so passionate and take things with gusto. You squeal with a high-pitched shrill when you get excited, which is often!! You take control and report on what everyone else is doing, right or wrong. You are a social being; you love to play with same age peers and "big girls"--you love for Emma or Ashlea to carry you around! "My Georgie," as you refer to him, is your very best friend and you play very well together. You do not like to be apart from him and you are caring and nurturing with him. Yet, you love to play the "victim" role with him to get him in trouble. You want to be with people and have to know everyone's names. You amaze me with your memory, remembering people's names of whom you met months ago. Ms. Leah appropriately nicknamed you "Miss Activity Director" as you tell your friends what we will be doing and when. You are very strong willed and have met your match with Mama on stubbornness...

Your vocabulary is unbelieveable...you learned an adult vocabulary early and have been speaking in full conversations since you were 2 1/2. You are such a smart little sassy thing, answering questions correctly before anyone else has a chance to process the question.

And such the girlie girl....you're all about dress-up, dolls, purses, shoes, makeup (though I won't let you wear it even though you try to convince me that Grammy lets you do it), and playing "house". You love anything pink or sparkly!! But then you put on your tutu and play tools with George...you have a variety of interests!!

You have always excelled at physical abilities. You have started to learn to "pump" the swing on our backyard fort late this summer. And you love to climb and slide. Your new favorite game is hide-go-seek. You have strong dislikes, such as water sprinklers (though you love the pool) and spiders. You mastered the trike very quickly even though your legs were too short to reach the pedals. You zoom all over the place and ride as often as you can! You love to go to the park or ride in the bike trailer or go to new playgrounds. You recently began dance class and ballet is your favorite. You took to it very quickly and love to twirl and gallop. You love to dance and sing and twirl and jump...we had an indoor swing during George's OT and you would beg to swing every time you could!! The pink papoose and cacoon swings were your favorite...."it's my faborite mama!!"

Your stomach problems have been our family focus for many many months now. You have severe stomach cramping and gas every 1-2 days, mostly after awakening from your afternoon nap, and your stomach stays distended most of the day. Our Pedi GI is directing diagnostic testing and you are such a fabulous patient! You hold out your arm for blood draws, crawl up on the xray/ultrasound tables willingly and always remind them you get a sticker!! You accept when we say "Dr. Altaf says no" to your food requests and you say "oh-kay" to reminders of how certain foods make your belly hurt. You would be a perfect vegetarian as your favorite foods are fruit, veggies, and bean nachos. But since July, you haven't been able to eat those foods, so you've responded well to redirection to the foods on your new diet. You have your first surgical procedure tomorrow, an upper endoscope, where we will learn about your esophagus, stomach, and intestines as well as your gut enzymes. We are praying for answers as we all hate to see you in pain.

You potty-trained yourself at 2 yrs 2 months and haven't looked back. You loved earning M&Ms so it didn't take but a few days before you were fully potty trained, even during sleeping. You have been a huge cheerleader/motivator for George's potty training recently. But you must have separate potties as you don't like to share or wait and you love to read books together during your potty time.

Childcare....going to Ms. Amy's house was the only childcare setting that you were happy about...you idolize Ms. Amy and you love to play with Rachel. Even though you battle female dominance with her, you are still the best of friends. We have started dealing with bullying at a much earlier age than I ever dreamed, but it's a good life lesson for you in 2 y.o. moderation. You adore Gideon and all babies in our lives...you love to kiss them and make sure they are okay. Day School has been much better this year, you enjoy being challenged to learn letters and new tasks and love to tell me about your friends and what you did that day.

You love TV (Dora, Mickey Mouse, and Lawrence Welk are your favorites)..."are my dancing friends on?" When we drive around town, you love to read books and sing too; you love to listen to "Jesus Rock", country, sing-along kid music or rock-n-roll on the radio. You get so excited to hear the OU marching band!

Your blond ("yellow hair" as you say) soft curls are precious...your hair is past your shoulders now and we've decided to grow out your bangs...we'll see how that goes since you don't always leave bows or barettes in your hair for long.

Your face looks just like your Daddy...your baby pictures are carbon copies of his. Your features mirror his, yet your expressions are like mine. You inherited my long waist, blue eyes, and short little legs, but they don't slow you down as you NEVER stop!!! Your metabolism must be sky high as you are so wiggly and full of energy constantly!

You awaken each morning asking for breakfast and would eat continuously if we would allow it.

You don't require as much sleep as George and you are gracious to quietly leave your room to allow him to sleep in. You sleep about 11-12 hours at night and about 1 1/2 hours during nap. You are a bear if you don't get your rest. Your beloved Monkey, Boomer Puppy, and Quilt all accompany you to sleep, and I don't think you have slept a night without Monkey since you were about 2 months old.

You are my beautiful angel and I cannot wait to see how you grow this coming year. You are dynamic and full of life, and I cannot wait to see where that takes you. You are a natural leader and I pray that you will continue to show compassion and beauty towards others. I love you, my "sweetheart". Happy 3rd birthday, Abigail Bess.

My big 3 year olds!!

forgot a few things

2010-09-14T14:09:00.003-05:00

Editor's note: I forgot to mention a few things about G, so I made a few additions. There's so much to say!! He's a funny fabulous little guy!!

Birthday Letter to George

2010-09-13T21:42:00.004-05:00

Dear George,

Cliche but it's true....tears fill my eyes when I think about you and how you've grown in the past year. To think that you have overcome mild torticollis (no head tilt lately or left sided weakness!), battled chronic ear infections (got 2nd set of tubes and tonsil & adenoidectomies this past June), and were on the "late" end of reaching physical milestones....now you outrun your twin sister, hop repeatedly on one foot, throw football spirals, bat a pitched ball, and turn somersaults like they are no big deal.

You have the sweetest little deep man-voice and since your surgery, talk in full conversations and show great compassion, insight and problem solving abilities through words and actions. You are so determined and passionate and energetic and rambunctious about things you do. You frequently help Mama with chores; vacuuming and sweeping are your favorites and you are a stickler about wanting everything picked up and put into its place. You even take dishes or cups to the kitchen counter without being asked!! You are slow to warm up in crowds and new social settings, very cautious and observant. You love all things "boy": sports, tools, trucks, body-pinning Abigail to the floor, watching sports on tv. In your quiet play, you have a zest for reading, playing with cars, and using fine motor skills for turning screwdrivers or cutting precisely with a knife (supervised of course; might be a budding chef like your daddy?).

You adore your Abigail, though you usually call her "Sister" . You are one of the few that Abigail allows to call her "Abby". You want to know where she is at all times, and truly miss her when she is gone. You love to hug her (though sometimes a bit too hard!), kiss her, and play with her. She is your very best friend.

You are slow to awaken, just like your mama, and you take a while to get going in the morning. You still love your sleep, thriving on two hour naps and at least twelve hours at night. You snuggle with a pile of sleeping friends in the corner of your bed daily, with favorite "Bunny" and "Blankie" always in your clutch. You excel in routines, especially our bedtime routine of bath, brushing teeth, reading 2 books (you pick one, Abigail picks one), saying prayers, thanking God for the day's blessings, and singing "Jesus Loves Me". You just started singing about 6 months ago and in typical George fashion, waited to make a peep until you knew the song perfectly.

You just graduated from OT to tackle some sensory defensiveness. You resisted wearing woven shirts, shoes other than your favorites at the moment (Crocs or blue or brown tennis shoes), brushing your teeth or hair, eating new foods, wearing hats, or dressing yourself. With great interventions such as brushing, deep pressure, crashing, and assistance with modulation, you have mastered many of those issues. You wanted to wear new baseball cleats all on your own, wore a 3 piece suit for Ms. Texas Amy's wedding without a fight, and eat whatever I ask you to eat. You brush your teeth much better now, and love to wear your new Texas Longhorn hat!!

You recently mastered riding your tricycle full-speed ahead! You were so proud this weekend when you rode all the way down our street! You still love to be outdoors more than anything, including going to the park, hiking or searching for bugs. You love to help with grown-up projects, whether it's weeding the flowerbed or watering the plants or using tools with Pop. You are not such a fan of coloring, but you love music/ marching bands (drums, violin, and trumpet) and painting and play-doh. You are definitely a lefty, using your left hand for everything! And you have to have your daily "pb sam-ich". Unfortunately, you got your mama and daddy's incredible urge for sweets...you love chocolate anything, ice cream, and cake!

You love to be on-the-go. You spend most of our time in the car noticing things we pass, searching for fire trucks, tractors, and construction vehicles. You love our childcare setting at Ms. Amy's with Rachel and Gideon (both whom you adore) and NorthHaven Day School with your new favorite Ms. Abby. You enjoy going to church, playing at the mall, going on playdates with friends, and roadtrips to visit family and friends. "No home Mama!!" is what you tell me often! But then again, you enjoy being in our safe space with all of your things...

Males in your life are still significant. You adore your grandfathers, begging for horsey rides on Grandpa and "working" with Pop. You love to shadow/copy anything Cliff does, wrestle with Caine and Hudson, be silly and scream with Asher and Cache, and watch any other big boys playing! But there's a tender side to you too, as you love on and gently care for Gideon and the many babies in our lives.

You wear 2-3T clothes, skinny and tall. You recently started paying close attention to clothing, wanting to wear shirts with your favorites, such as sports ("Oka-homa or Longhorns"), Thomas, firetrucks, diggers, or animals. You just mastered putting on tops and bottoms by yourself though you still have difficulty with shirts going over your head. You began potty training this week. You had to come to it on your own terms in your own time and now you are finding success!! You love to wear underwear and think it's great to have the choice of peeing outside or inside. You have taken great pride in this and all accomplishments.

I love to stare at your sweet face, stroke the back of your hair, kiss on you...all the things I know that I have finite time to do because you won't think it's cool in a few years. You are stingy with your hugs and kisses with everyone; it's a real privilege when we get them!! I love it when you see me and say, "Mama, you so booo-ful (beautiful)". You have a sweet or sneaky, sly smile and a contagious laugh that fills the room!! You love to say, "Smile, Mama!" as a reminder when I get caught up in tasks at hand or discipline. You love life, and love to be happy in it. You brought tears to my eyes when we were out for a walk/run tonight and in response to thanking God for the sunset, you said "God is in my tummy, um, my heart!" I pray that you always know how blessed by God and loved you are, my precious son! I am blessed to have you in my life. I love you Georgie. Happy 3rd birthday, my big boy.

Two more birthdays right around the corner!

2010-08-24T15:39:00.006-05:00

My sweet babies will be THREE next week. They are not babies anymore...not even close. They are talking in full conversations, showing complex reasoning abilities, understanding consequences, having very definite opinions about everything, and are the smartest little boogers on the planet. They are the most beautiful, precious creatures and I adore them.

We had a fantastic summer and because we've been traveling so much, it's been hard to find time to post anything. Here are a few images from our adventures.

Riding the Heartland Flyer Train part of the way to Lubbock--first train ride for G&A!
The Martin Mob @ Ranch Weekend 2010--tons of fun riding the mule (ATV) all around 1000 acre ranch, swimming daily, Kirby learning to ride motorcycle, riding "4 liters" (as G calls them--four wheelers), looking at beautiful west Texas stars, family walks/runs, and meeting the newest Saffle, 4 mo old yellow lab Fagen. Best Ranch trip yet!! Thanx for your amazing hospitality S&D!
Visiting the cool Science Spectrum in Lubbock--they loved it!!
Celebrating their birthdays a bit early with Grammy & Grandpa- hiding from the sun indoors using her fancy new parasol.
Swimming in our backyard pool with G&G & Boomer...

Doing a little hammering in her new ballet leotard & tutu.
G testing out his new hardhat and tool set...he is such a "boy!"
Celebrating Monique's and my birthday weekend in Shreveport--had a fab time hanging out at Mom & Dad's, waterskiing, visiting SciPort, playing in the sprinklers, swimming for Sonny Kirby's bday and loving on Coll & Drew's clan too! Isn't my sweet godchild Ellis precious??
Ellis
Stinky kids after sprinkler play in the yard
G's first tractor ride with Pop.

We start our "fall schedule" this week, complete with my new work schedule, back to NorthHaven Day School, and we start their first extracurricular activities of ballet/tap class for Abigail and percussion for George. I am ready for cooler temps, college football, routine, and structure to our lives. Welcome Fall!!

Lots of sweat and tears!

2010-07-23T15:11:00.008-05:00

From extracting tonsils to catfish noodling to training for a triathlon to witnessing two precious loves join their lives in our beloved Texas Hill Country, our summer has had its share of heat and tears!!!!

Here's our summer to date:
Our rainy July 4th was spent indoors watching fireworks on TV following George's surgery. Took him 10 days, but he has finally recovered and we got the thumbs-up check up last week. Hearing has fully restored and tonsils are healing on schedule!!! PRAISE!!! We celebrated our national holiday with a cookout with Mom and Dad and our dear twin friends, the Pollans. The kids loved being with A&C and adore Ms. Leah and "Mita Casey".
Can we say four helpings of trouble???

We also enjoyed our nearly-daily visits with Nana Millie and Paw Mark (our neighbors)--they keep the kids filled with cookies! We had fun on our park date with the Stelzers and A has adopted Emma as her big sister. It has been so fun to watch the kids grow up together. A&G talk about Caine constantly--and Wade, if you're reading, they can't wait to go fishing with you and Caine!!

Every year that we have lived here, my dear sweet hubby has wanted to go back to my "Pauls Valley roots" and watch the catfish noodling weigh-in. This year, we spontaneously decided to drive south and see the 80+ lbs. creatures ripped out of their pond nests by some poor souls' bare hand. I think Abigail was afraid one would eat her. Best people-watching event in the state. Anybody wanna join us next year??
These were the ones I caught, and my hotties who carried them in from my truck...ha!ha!

Two of our favorite people got married and invited George and Abigail to be in the ceremony. We felt blessed and honored to be a part of their day and we love you Mr. and Mrs. M!!

Of course Little Miss A carried her flowers and her brother's ring pillow since he didn't want to...we weren't sure if it would happen, but Mr. G walked independently down the aisle following his sister, hand in the mouth the whole time, that sweet little boy!! G&A loved being in the wedding and precious moments were created!
Daddy tries to bribe A with skittles to be in the group photo...verdict: no go.

Memories:
~G called himself the "wheel barrow" because he couldn't say ring bearer.
~After our new therapy technique of brushing, G wore his adorable seersucker suit and suede bucks without a fuss!! YAY!

~The little princess was ALL about the dress, the shoes, the "crown", and the Skittles she earned for walking down the aisle!!
~G&A made a new friend at the events, and proudly announced that Katie was their new friend and they were happy because she didn't hit them!
~When I was dressed for the ceremony, G crawled up in my lap and said "Mommy, you look beautiful!" I almost cried...
~To this day, they still ask "can we go see Miss A from Texas? Can we go to the wedding?"

My sweeties at the rehearsal dinner...don't they look so grown up?
A glimpse of the loves of my life during prayers, what a precious sight and 3 blessings from God.
Love this one: taken before the ceremony. Can you tell G's mood by the photo? He was in the process of kicking his sister.
Where our friendship began...11 years ago under the eyes of Texas. Love ya Joan!

While in Texas, G&A had tons of fun at Grammy & Grandpa's house. On our family swim, Abigail swam by herself while wearing her lifevest and George is not far behind her! G loved shooting the airplane gun, watering the birds, and watching for the deer and fox. Abigail loved playing with Barbie "Mommy" and "Abby" and "George" and the fishing pole and plastic fish.

And the latest big announcement.... George went pee-pee in the potty with Grandpa!!

So we're re-entering potty training with kiddo #2 and he's been in underwear all week. We've gone through about 6 pairs of underwear per day and he's been successful in the potty once since home... it's a start!!! Potty training boys is a whole new world.

Mental notes for next post: VBS, Abigail's tummy issues, Tye-Die Tri

Tough Week.

2010-07-01T14:02:00.003-05:00

G's recovery from tonsil removal has not been easy. The doc told us that it would be painful. He was not lying. George has been in incredible pain this week and living on narcotics round the clock to get him through it. Poor baby doesn't quite get it...he has shown the gamut of behaviors of lethargy to acting out and pouring medicine on the table because he didn't want to take it (our biggest challenge lately). We're back to sleepless nights...up and down every few hours. I thought this was supposed to end when they were out of infancy...snicker, snicker.

Mom and Dad have been here to ease the brunt of household and kid tasks but it has been really stressful. Little Miss Abigail's world has been rocked as she is not center-stage this week and had a rough transition in understanding that "Dorge is still sick". She rallied the past few days and played on her own quite a bit, loving all the TV time and snuggles. Supposedly Days 5-7 are the worst post-op for Mr. G so I'm praying we're near the end....

To explain the pic above: This morning, they were playing under the computer table and taking care of Abby Baby by feeding her and giving her medicine for her "sick ears and fever." Too precious. Unfortunately, they have seen a lot of that this week.

All good!

2010-06-25T14:10:00.002-05:00

Mr. George was a trooper this morning. He gave his lungs a workout going back into surgery, but the procedures went well. Doc said his tonsils were "ginormous" as were his adenoids which blocked his airway 75%. Tubes went in well and infection should clear soon. Came out of anesthesia and calmed down in Mama & Daddy's arms.
Now home, day has been touch-n-go. He doesn't feel well but found the strength to play with his new toy crane! Hopefully with prayers, good drugs, and chocolate milkshakes, he'll perk up soon. Blessings to those who lifted him up today!

a little less of georgie

2010-06-24T12:03:00.002-05:00

We will be coming home with a few less ENT parts tomorrow morning. George is having a second set of PE tubes put in and adenoids and tonsils removed. His ear infections resumed after the 1st set fell out over Mardi Gras in Feb. Poor sweetie has had hearing loss that will hopefully be corrected with the tubes. We trust that this will put him on a healthier path.

Please keep him (and my nerves) in thought and prayer. We know the Lord will take care of him!

Ahhhh....the loves of summer...

2010-06-13T15:20:00.006-05:00

G has been begging for a "basebat" set and we were able to find a great deal on matching bats (of course Abs HAD to have a pink bat!). Though it was 95 degrees, we found a little shade under our magnolia tree and had batting practice. Lo and behold, Mr. G can actually send the ball packing with his switch hitting style. He hits the sweet spot on the T and sometimes makes contact on a pitched ball--wow! Abigail had a ton of fun learning too!! Love baseball!!

Random pic...G&A brought their pillows and blankets into the dining room for a little "nap" before going to Ms. Amy's. I loved this pic b/c no doubt they are twins!

This afternoon after church, we had a picnic lunch and the twins had their first experience in our new-to-us canoe, "The Banana." (Thanks V&B!!) Lake T-bird was hot but we found a great cove and G&A took turns with each of us paddling them around. They loved exploring the water and shore, searching for butterflies, tadpoles, and waterbugs. Made it back home for naptime and they are currently sacked out!! What a blessed way to start the week....

I loved this shot. She was so concerned about her Georgie and Daddy going out without her.

Loving the start of summer!!

2010-05-29T22:08:00.005-05:00

We have been spending lots of time in our backyard this month. G&A love our new "fork" (as G calls it), translation...fort. They have both learned to swing on regular swings and can scale the rock wall and rope ladder like Spiderman. They love to help in the yard: following behind my mower with their bubble mowers, weeding, harvesting lettuce, collard greens, and spinach from our garden. G learned how to work the sprayer on the water hose and loves to water the grass, flowers, and his favorite, wash the cars...I will remind him of that when he's 16.

We had fun Mother's Day weekend with Nana and Pop. Norman Public Library's benefit Touch-a-Truck was G&A's dream event. Their favorite vehicles were of course the firetruck, helicopter, cement mixer truck, and school bus.

JAIL BREAK!!!! You may not believe me, but this was my first experience in the back of a police car.

Since I'm an Oklahoma mama, my cuties gave me new cowgirl boots for Mother's Day.
Of course, Miss A and her shoe fetish had to try them on! They covered her entire leg, that short little thing!
Mr. G wants to be big like Daddy.
Since these pics, G&A spent the week with Grammy and Grandpa in Texas, I had a fabulous bachelorette weekend in the Hill Country with my dear friend Amy, we've built a new fence again, and hosted Grammy and Grandpa at our house! My camera has been collecting dust since all of that, so I'll try to find my trigger finger soon!

Three favorites: grandparents, fire trucks, and friends!

2010-04-28T20:56:00.007-05:00

We had a great relaxing weekend with Grammy and Grandpa here. Spent time outside playing on the new playscape (Stewarts, you rock!) and attending the 89'ers Day Parade in Norman and UMM pancake breakfast (my camera battery died so no pics). G loved the tractors and the historic cars while Abigail liked the tubas, horses, and the candy!!! Gotta love Norman parades!

Abigail got to have a pedi with her Grammy....pink is her favorite color, you know!!!

Matt and I got to have a night out listening to music at the Norman Music Fest (think ACL but on much smaller scale). We heard the Gourds, Leon Russell, and Camille Harp. Took us back to the days before kids....Rock on, little Norman!!

Part of what I love about working part-time is getting to do fun stuff with my kiddos during the week. This week we went to our neighborhood fire station with our twin buddies Asher and Cache. George hammed it up by being a #1 Fire Station Fan! He loved driving the firetruck, learning how to work the valve on the hose, and watching the firefighter slide down the pole. Abigail was a trooper, enjoying being a spectator on each; she liked the grass firetruck the best. Sweet Cache was mezmorized by the John Deere lawnmower in the back and Asher just soaked it all in. Being 4 x 2.5, I think the foursome did great!!!
"I drive big firetruck!"
Where is Cache? On the lawnmower....love it!

Splish Splash...

2010-04-17T17:38:00.002-05:00

G&A enjoyed a rainy Saturday stomping in the puddles.

Arkansas and Animals...

2010-04-13T20:19:00.005-05:00

I would write about our fun this past weekend in Arkansas with the Land Clan, but I could not do a better job than Lauren did on their family blog. Click here to see the adorable pics and story. Love love love the pics of the twins in the "eggs"...I did not record a single photo as I was a bit overwhelmed with anxiety of being on single mom duty since Matt was three shades of white with a stomach bug. Thanks Lauren for capturing the weekend. We are totally in love with sweet Evie Claire and wrapped even tighter around Carlisle and Camper's fingers! What a precious family!

Today we set out for a Zoo adventure. I was skeptical as behaviors have been less than desirable lately, but G&A had a blast and were perfect angels amidst the hundreds of kindergarteners (it was Kinder Day at the Zoo for all of OKC metro schools--yikes!). G's favorites were the giraffes and zebras and A loved the monkeys and lizards. Enjoyed the new Children's Zoo where they got to play in the water. Matt met us for a picnic lunch and A had to take him to see the lizards!

On our first trip to the OKC zoo earlier this winter, I was too chicken to pull out the camera since I was piloting solo. But today was gorgeous and they were hamming it up so I got a few good shots. Cracks me up...some pics they look identical, and others they barely look related....power of genes still amaze me. They are hardly my babies anymore...so grown up!

The cool waterfall and stream where the kiddos could play and explore....our water-loving babies took off their shoes and had fun wading in the water and throwing rocks.

This pic was taken when Abigail decided she did NOT like the giraffes anymore because they were a little too close for comfort. She likes animals from a distance or behind glass. Mr. George loved it and wanted to feed them his goldfish!
Matt thinks this is the first picture ever where either of our children look like me....can you guess which one?

They figured us out!!

2010-04-07T22:25:00.005-05:00

Our strategery has been foiled!!

This is what I saw when I nervously walked into my bedroom this evening. G&A were being "too quiet" and now I know why. In case you don't get it, read the book title.

WE'RE DOOMED!!!

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-06T14:18:00.011-05:00

Let me back up our lives for a moment to retell recent exciting events. First of all, we enjoyed Grammy and Grandpa's visit prior to Spring Break. They came up to hang out and their timing couldn't have been better as Abigail had been sick earlier in the week, so they babysat while I made-up some work. Muchos gracias! And of course the twins LOVED it....
Grammy fixed Abigail's hair, isn't it beautiful?
Playing play-doh, their favorite!!

When they packed up to head back home, we loaded up to take the twins halfway to Houston to spend Spring Break with their cousins! Aunt Go-Go was a brave soul and wrangled 5 kids for 6 days....she is an amazingly strong and patient mother! G&A adored getting to spend nearly the entire time outside in shorts (it was still the tail end of winter and snowing in Oklahoma), going for wagon rides to the park and playing with their Houston cousins. "Aunt Go-Go" and "Unkie Tebin" survived and the kiddos thrived all week! My favorite comment was Kirby who responded "Bless you Aunt Carrie, those two are hard work!" Thanks for the validation Kirbs! BIG THANKS to the Houston crew for taking such great care of G&A!

While the babes were away, Matt and I had a romantic night away in Dallas, went to the most fabulous restaurant...if you're ever in Dallas, check out the Bishop Art District and Eno's Pizzeria, and got to see Baby Brooklyn, Josh, and Jenn! We came home, worked our regular jobs and worked at night like crazy to switch the twin's room with the guest room and set up new beds for G&A. We felt like we were on TLC's Trading Spaces show (working until midnight every night!) but their room turned out pretty adorable. It was all worth it to see their excitement!

I must interject a few developmental topics for record keeping purposes....

Little G is 32 lbs, 37.5 inches tall, wearing 2T clothes and beginning to show interest in potty training. He is still all "boy" with his love of trucks, tools, balls (the kid has quite an arm, we may have a QB or baseball player in our future), playing in water, cooking, and playing music. He has his mama and daddy's sweet tooth as cupcakes are his fave! He has great affection for father-figures in his life and loves to be outside. He takes a while to warm up, but soon is all smiles and giggles. His laugh will fill an entire room with joy!

Miss A is 27 lbs, 34 inches tall, wears 18m-2T clothes and has potty training mastered (dry all night!). She is sassy, opinionated, and is affectionately called "The Activity Director". She will charm you with her smile and talk a mile a minute. She has great balance and physical ability (zooms on her trike and climbs everything with ease) and loves books, eating (that child can put away some food!), doing anything active, playing dress-up and Mommy, and shopping at Target!

We were overjoyed when they took to their new room so well....they never skipped a beat with sleeping! They love their new beds and love having more toys in their room. Miss A's fave part is being able to reach her own clothes in her new closet. Mr. G loves bouncing on his new bed! I think they both love being able to see each other better and talk....melts your heart when you hear over the monitor, "Good-nite Georgie. Go sleep!"

We had an amazing Easter this year. Our two are really starting to learn about the love of Jesus and how much we are blessed by Him. Nana and Pop came up to spend Easter with us and we enjoyed McFarlin's Easter Egg Hunt and Festival on Saturday.

G wasn't too sure about this whole hunting eggs thing....
...but when he saw they were filled with candy, he changed his mind!

Miss A dove right in and started stockpiling eggs!
They brought their pails of eggs and dumped them in their Nana's purse to go back for more!

The inside toddler play area was awesome! G loved "planting" plants while A loved the bounce house (look in the background of the pic).

Precious times...we can't get them to easily brush their teeth but when their Pop comes to town...they suddenly love it!

We spent the morning at church and after Sunday School, our breaths were taken away by the beauty and awe of the Easter Lily cross at the altar. Once again, we remember the ultimate sacrifice and grace given by God and we appreciate the blessing of our recommitment to Him.

The flowers were in beautiful form at OU. May we rejoice in the love of Christ!

Can we say fiesty?

2010-04-06T13:19:00.004-05:00

A little glimpse at Easter....

I am waaaay far behind in posting. So when I get a chance soon, here's reminders to myself:
~pics from Grammy & Grandpa's visit
~Spring Break in H-town
~New Room!
~Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Sunday

Water Twins....

2010-03-30T17:16:00.003-05:00

George and Abigail graduated from their first swim class at the Y in March. They were fish!!
George's favorite thing was jumping on the platform in the water and Abigail's favorite was doing the "Hokey Pokey" every class! They were blowing bubbles on the first session and both were kicking with legs and arms by the end of the 3 weeks. Looks like swimming and kayaking are in their future...we love water sports!!
(We appreciated photographers Grammy and Grandpa who were present for the last class--juggling a camera was impossible with wet twins!)

Cutie Patooties

2010-03-03T15:25:00.004-06:00

Are they not the cutest things evah????

A couple of glimpses of their creativity and "helpfulness" in the past few days...

My little lefty...
Picasso? No, Jankowski...watch for it, they'll be worth millions!
"Helping" to make homemade beer bread (thanks Wally!) with Matt's yummy pumpkin homebrew.

I must end with this story from yesterday....

I guess we're doing something right, though somedays I wonder. Yesterday George was throwing a fit because he wanted me to help him take off his shoes and jacket. He is fully capable of doing both, so with encouraging words to him, I turned my back and proceeded to unload groceries. After 5 minutes of his fit, his sweet sister went to him and in their own words, she offered to help him take off his shoes. She explained each step of the process, using words such as "undo strap" and he then instructed her about pulling off the "heel". They gleefully ran off together and when George noticed Abigail's shoes were still on, he told her "shoes off, I help Tister?". He knelt in front of her and took off her shoes.

I feel so blessed that at 2 1/2, they are already learning servanthood. Praise!!