Happy Anniversary, Birthday, Father's Day and Mother's Day...Happy Everything!

Monday, December 15, 2008

"Invisible Mother!." This email was so great I had to post it.

Invisible Mother......It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phoneand ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'Obviously, not.No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor,or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see meat all.I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair ofhands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can youopen this?Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm aclock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer,'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Rightaround 5:30, please.'I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and theeyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude- but now they had disappeared into the pean ut butter, never to beseen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return ofa friend from England ..Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going onand on about the hotel she stayed in.I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together sowell. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself.I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with abeautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe ..I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:'To My Dear Friend, with admiration for the great ness of what you arebuilding when no one sees.'In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I woulddiscover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, afterwhich I could pattern my work:No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record oftheir names.These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyesof God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit thecathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving atiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man,'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam thatwill be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And theworkman replied, 'Because God se es'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I seethe sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcakeyou've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You arebuilding a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it willbecome.'At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not adisease that is erasing my life.It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It isthe antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. Asone of the people who show up at a job that they will never seefinished, to work on something that their name wil l never be on.The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals couldever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willingto sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friendhe's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom
gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemadepies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and pressesall the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine ora monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then,if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're goingto love it there.'As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen ifwe're doing it right.And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not onlyat what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to theworld by the sacrifices of invisible women.Great Job, MOM!Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does.We never know what our finished products will turn out to be becauseof our perseverance.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Two is SO much FUN!!!

There going to ask for my copyrights at Walmart again!!! Court got a new camera and all I can say is WOW!!! :)
































































Friday, December 12, 2008

Ali Carol & Ava Debi

We blessed the girls on Nov. 2nd. Our mom's had never asked what the girls middle names were. When Eric blessed the girls and gave them their names, our mom's were pleasantly surprised to hear the girls were given their names. We love our mom's and thought it was a great way to pay tribute them.

IMC NICU Reunion 2010

Spike it out the get these girls!

Hansen Planitarium at Gateway

I am thankful for...

Since it's that time of year, I wanted to list the things I am grateful for.
-our little miracle babies
-6 hours of sleep at night
-afternoon naps
-52 ounce Diet Dr. Pepper with 4 shots of vanilla from Holiday Oil.
-family
-friends
-my testimony and my eternal family
-food on the table
-a home to live in
-days when Eric has a job
-a loving husband
-and last but not least...$32 dollars to fill my SUV!!! YEAH!!!

More like the terrible three's!!!

Ashton turned 3 on October 5th.  He wanted a dragon, a real fork lift from Home Depot, etc.  We couldn't afford most the items on his birthday wish list so he ended up with a little four wheeler (thanks to some help from both grandparents).  He loves it and Tate can go for rides with him so its even better.  I thought he was a stinker at 2 years old but it seems that 3 is even worse.  He keeps us on our toes! We sure love our little Ashton.

Ali

Ali
4 days old

Can you tell which are our babies legs and which are Eric's fingers?

Can you tell which are our babies legs and which are Eric's fingers?






Our new family car...what do you think?

Eric was coming home on Aug. 7th after a play with his family at Desert Star Play house.  He had just gone to visit the girls and fill up the car with gas before heading home.  He was turning into our neighborhood and he slowed to let 2 cars pass in the opposite direction.  The women behind him was obviously not paying attention and crashed right into the back of him.  He is doing well and just has a little tingling in his arm and a sore back.  We are so glad that he is alright and that our boys and new babies were not in the car!

Ashton's funny comment about daddies car accident

Ashton asked what happened to our car because Eric was trying to explain to him about the car accident.  Eric said, "I got in a accident in the car."  Ashton said, "oh, you peed in the car?"  He thinks an accident is peeing or pooing.


New to blogging

I figured since I am on bedrest and always looking for something to do, I would start our family blog.  I think it's supposed to get easier with time but as for now our site is looking pretty bland.  Don't let that fool you though because we are a very fun family! :)  I think this will be a good way to keep everyone updated on the twins upcoming delivery, the boys and our family.

Ladies, these boys are spoken for!

Ladies, these boys are spoken for!
Days of 47 Rodeo
While I laid in bed, Eric took the boys to the Rodeo all by himself.  That is something that I would never attempt. He did meet Beau, Cavin and Sawyer there.  Ashton got new cowboy boots the night before so all my boys wore their boots.  Eric wore his big "E" belt.  Ashton loved the rodeo and can't stop talking about the clown who showed everyone his bum.  Tate couldn't sit still so he kept poking the people in front of him and spilling cousin Cavin's popcorn.  Maybe next year will be better.

14 days of bedrest and counting

14 days of bedrest and counting
31 weeks
Today is July 26th which means 18 days on bedrest.  Some people might think it would be nice to spend a few days in bed but after day one I was already going nuts.  I can only get up to eat or use the bathroom.  Needless to say, I get up to eat a lot because its one of two reasons to get a break from my bed.  So far, the girls are good.  I will be 32 weeks on the 29th.  My doctor is saying that is a much better place to be then when I went into preterm labor at 29 weeks and spent 4 days in the hospital.  I am dilated to a 2+ and 60% effaced but so far the bedrest and Nifedipine have minimized the contractions.  The average cm growth of a singleton pregnancy is 35 cm and I am measuring 40 cm and still growing.  The babies are extremely wiggly and between the two babies, I am getting kicked and stretched around the clock.  I can't wait to see what they look like but hopefully its not for about 3 or 4 more weeks.  Stay tuned and hopefully I can keep the blog current enough to keep you updated.  

31 Weeks

31 Weeks
40 cm...there are 2 in there!

4th of July

4th of July

Sparklers Anyone?

Sparklers Anyone?

I can see the parade but I can't hear it!

I can see the parade but I can't hear it!
Riverton Days Parade

Day Cousins at the Zoo

Day Cousins at the Zoo

Wilkinson Cousins

Wilkinson Cousins

Always trying to fill our daddies shoes...

Always trying to fill our daddies shoes...