Pumpkin Patch Visit

We finally made it to the local pumpkin patch at Corley Ranch.  We never made it last year when the boys were seven months old because it got really hectic with Eric starting his new job.  At the time I thought, "It does not matter because next year they will actually be able to walk and it will be a lot more fun and the pictures will be a lot cuter."  Oh man, I can be naive sometimes.  At least with seven month old twins you can lean them against a pumpkin, make some funny noises and get them to smile for pics. Instead we had two little boys who had just woke up from their nap and were being really strong willed. I imagined taking pics of my little guys walking amongst the pumpkins and laughing in the late afternoon light.  Again, I was totally deluded.  These kids took off in opposite directions and thwarted any efforts on my part to take posed shots.  That is not to say we did not have fun though.  We did have fun knowing that the boys were so excited about the pumpkins and all the cool stuff there.  Eric and I were talking about how next year the boys would enjoy the mazes, the animals, train and all the other good stuff much more.

Here are some of the better photos that we were able to snag.  Thank goodness for being able to shoot continuously on a SLR.  There is no way there would be any photos of the boys smiling otherwise.

"Boys, this way, to papa.  Please, go to papa."

This kid and his million dollar smile.

Abraham was interested in the pumpkins for about thirty seconds and then took off again.

 

Winston:  "Look at all this dirt I can play in!"

Yep, that is dirt on Abraham's face.

This was as good as it got for the cute posed picture.

And Winston is off yet once again.

Abraham was really into pushing the wagon.

They quickly became obsessed with this wooden train car.

I am laughing because I tried to get them to sit with me for a pic but they just wanted to go back inside.

 

These boys are exhausting but also a complete joy.  I love these moments that we get to spend as a family.  I love having a family.  It makes me all the more excited for the holiday season this year. 

Weekend Visit

My mom and stepdad came to visit us over the weekend and stayed for a couple of days. The weather here in autumn is absolutely lovely.  The leaves are just starting to change and it is the perfect weather for taking walks and other outdoor activities. The visit was really low key and we mostly hung out at home, watched movies, took walks around the neighborhood, etc. On Monday, we went to the Capitol and took a look at the museum inside.  Unfortunately all the local antique stores were closed because Mondays are the really slow days and they tend to close until later in the week.  We ended hitting up a local brewery for some appetizers and my stepdad and I had some brews.  It was a nice visit and the boys love having visitors.

Winston and Opa checking out the Chargers game.

Opa and Mimi

Mama, Mimi and the boys.

Opa can always get a laugh.

We love seeing family and are grateful for when they come to visit us!

Random Friday

Happy Friday everyone!

The jumble in my head:

-This week has been really long and I am glad it is almost over. Eric started his new job (yay!) but it also meant extra early wake ups and a shift in the routine for the whole family again. It always takes a little while to get acclimated.

-Our friend Caitlyn has started watching the boys three days a week. We are bringing the boys to her house and I was nervous about them being in a new environment and being difficult but so far so good (thank you Jesus).

-Yesterday I got one of those “You look tired” comments. Yeah, one of those. Doesn’t that make a girl feel grand?

-Fall is really here. Last week it was gloomy and we had our first snow in the valley. I was not ready for that at all. This week has been bee-you-ti-ful however. All the leaves are changing color and I love, love, love it.

-Apparently Downton Abbey Season Two has premiered in the UK but won’t be showing here until January which means it’s going to be a long time until I actually get to see it (we don’t have cable).

-The boys are “talking” up a storm. They are using their real voices (instead of the coos) and are running through the sounds they have learned to make. Abraham will repeat ‘da-da-da’ but does not associate it with Eric. Winston is still the ‘ma-ma-ma’ maker but does not associate it with me. They can also make the ba, ra, na and ga sounds. Who knows how long it will be until they start saying real words.

-I think my kids have fat feet. I was given the cutest 6-12 month shoes and I cannot get the boys’ feet in them. In theory they look long and wide enough but the height (fatness?) cannot be crammed in there. I just bought them 12-24 month socks. I have a hard enough time getting them to keep socks on nonetheless shoes. I am thinking if I bought them shoes right now they would need a 4 or 5 to accommodate the girth of their feet. Isn’t that big for how old they are? And that is not a rhetorical question; I am really wondering about that.

-I am totally thinking about a Thanksgiving dinner menu (because we’re hosting this year) as well as Christmas card photos. I am so excited for the boys’ first Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

-We are planning (Lord willing) on going to So Cal for Christmas. I have been home sick the last several months and want A&W to meet my extended family as well as friends.

-There was an incredible potluck hosted by the Bureau of Waste Management this past week. There was pumpkin cheesecake. Enough said. I am telling myself I will get back on the band wagon with healthier eating again.

-I forgot some parts for my pump today. I normally keep spare parts handy for that exact reason but I had used them recently and, of course, had failed to bring them back. This meant a frenzied run to Target on my lunch break. Breastfeeding is a labor of love. Breastfeeding and having to pump because I work full time? Labor of love plus a little insanity thrown in there for good measure.

-My family (mom, stepdad and brother) is coming in tomorrow. My house is a disaster and I am trying to get myself motivated to power clean once I am home. The laundry monster never seems to be one I can slay. I cut it down but then it comes back for more.


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Random Friday

-This past week was pretty difficult on the sleep front. The boys were both waking up to eat every three hours. Pretty sure it was the standard six month growth spurt. Last night was so much better. They each slept over eight hours before waking up to eat again--thank you Jesus! I was getting a bit frazzled there but am seeing strong hope for more sleep.
-Made a ton of pureed carrots for the boys last night. So much more economical than jarred baby food and it does not have all the preservatives and added junk. Think I might have to post about making baby food as I do more of it.
-The boys are picking up eating with a spoon pretty quickly. Hopefully the cereal and vegetables in their diet will help with the spitting up. We gave Abraham the first dose of his reflux medicine today. He has been more irritable the last couple weeks so maybe the meds will help.
-Tomorrow we are going to try to do photos of the boys again. Hopefully it will go better than last time.
-I am hoping to post about Adam and Alisha's wedding this weekend. I just have not had the energy this past week.
-Starting to see hints of fall. The mornings have been cool enough that I use my heater on the way to work. Then afternoon comes and it's hot again. Today had a cool breeze though. Looking forward to sweaters and scarves and pumpkin, lots of pumpkin.

Happy Friday everyone!

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Fall Pictures

Our friend Harmony took our pictures at the beginning of November when I was twenty weeks pregnant.  One advantage to living in Northern Nevada is experiencing real seasons and seeing the fall colors come in.  I wanted pics for Christmas cards and ultimately just to remember this time in our life--expecting our baby boys and our little family comprising of our two little dogs, Eric and myself.  Harmony did a great job and I had a lot of "favorites."  Basically, that was all of the proofs.  Here are some the pics.  You can check out more of Harmony's work on her website and blog here.  As you can see I am doing some major overhaul to our blog and have used some of the fabulous pics to update the header.  It really needed it.  Isn't the picture with the sunset over the mountains amazing?  For those who aren't familiar with our scenery, Lake Tahoe is directly on the other side of those mountains. 

 

Fall Wrap Up

We have had a busy but wonderful 2009.  Some fun things we did in the fall was go hiking with friends from church, wood cutting, host a poker night, watch UFC Fight Nights at Firkin and Fox, attend Street Vibrations in Reno, Youth Night Activities and go to the greater Seattle area for Thanksgiving.  We have much to be thankful for.  A big change is headed in the way of work for Joleen in 2009.  She was offered a job with the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection in the Bureau of Air Pollution Control.  This job is much closer to home and will mean less of a commute.  The next weeks will be a transition as we are wrapping things up in Mono County and heading into the holidays.  We are grateful for the opportunity for the job with the state of Nevada and are looking forward to a New Year!

Please check out the rest of our Thanksgiving album pictures here.  Praying all of you have a blessed holiday season!