Easter nostalgia

Some Moms do the Christmas Eve photo in front of the Christmas tree with all the kids in their Christmas pajamas. I'm not one of those Moms. In fact, despite that I really enjoy taking photos, it's rare that ask my own children to sit and take a photo all together. And getting myself in the picture is even more rare.

For whatever reason, Easter is the one time a year I hand off the camera and force beg coerce bribe my kids (and husband) into taking a yearly family photo. It rarely ends well (and by well, I mean that we are all perfectly posed and I've not issued threats or made unreasonable promises), but it always makes me laugh. At least, afterwards. Many years afterwards.

It also appears to be the one thing that Lucas hates most on the earth. Olivia, on the other hand, has always rocked the Easter photo. I'm guessing it's her favorite holiday, ever. Besides her birthday and Christmas and whatever holiday is exactly next.

Easter 2010 can be found here on my blog. It's hilarious. But for comparisons purposes, here's a quick picture.

That would be itty bitty Ella on my lap next to Olivia. Goodness

Easter 2011 was apparently not blogged about and this is probably why:

The best one we got that year features our dog's back. Again, LUCAS. He's probably mad because he's wearing the exact same sweater vest that he wore the previous year. Fashion is clearly his thing. Or not. Seeing as how he's worn the same pair of jorts for the last week.

Easter 2012 things seemed to go a big more smoothly.

That's teeny, tiny Abigail on my lap.

You know, except for Lucas. At least Olivia is rocking it out. And Aaron. Clearly they were being bribed with excessive amounts of candy. Momma had a newborn. Momma was tired.

Easter 2013 apparently did not exist because I have no photographic documentation of it. Not even looking back through all the pics from my phone. So weird.

Which brings us to this year. Easter 2014. I knew I wanted a pic of all of us. My parents, my two grandmas and all the kids. Please note Lucas' over sarcastic smile because it took several photos of him not doing pointy, happy fingers at the camera, or throwing up some sort of gang symbol or staring off into the yard in the opposite direction.

23 photos later, grandparent photo: check. I mean, one kid out of 8 isn't looking but LOOK AT ABIGAIL. The cute. I can't even handle it.

And then, I politely asked Abigail to remove herself from my Mom's lap and sit with me for a nice family photo. She also loved that idea. Or not.

Okay, Abs, please just stop before you upset your baby sister.

Well, at least Lucas is happy for once.

I hope your Easter was a scream.

Six, Six

Six years ago today my whole world changed. And isn't that just like kids? They mess you up, don't they? These little people squeeze their way into our lives (literally) and we are forever changed.

But twins.... ah. They're something different all together. When we found out we were having twins, I sobbed. NOT out of joy, either. Stupid, I know.

Each day I have with these two I am reminded how much I am totally dependent on the Lord. Not for the physical strength (although, that too!) but for the emotional, spiritual and mental strength it takes to lead their hearts to the Throne of Grace.

Two times the challenges but an infinite amount of blessings.





It's hard for me to imagine either of these two not being a twin. They annoy the snot out of each other one minute, then they're best buddys the next. I think the concept of being a twin is lost on anyone who is not a twin. In fact, I'm sure of it.
Sometimes, Elizabeth and I just look at them and shake our heads. We just don't get the twin thing, I'm afraid. Oh but these two do.
Lucas loves his sister with ferocity. Ashlee adores her brother with a love/hate affection reserved only for him. And can they ever make each other laugh.

It cracks me up to sit back and listen to them interact. Lucas acts so cool, calm and collected. Ashlee is the forever goofball. Like in the picture below. My instruction was, "Stand beside each other and just hold hands. Now, look at me."

I had released the shutter on my camera several times before I realized exactly what was going on.

Being totally cool, calm and collected, Lucas was squeezing the crap out of his sisters hand. All the while maintaining a nice, normal stance just like I instructed. Ashlee, however... not so much. Giggles abounded as I asked them to love each other, just for a second please.

Silly faces and wrestling matches began.

And I realized my efforts for a nice, normal picture of the two of them were futile. But then again, I guess that this is their normal.

My Ashlee girl is silly, affectionate, a math whiz, eager to please, slow to anger, quick to forgive and totally and 100% in love with her siblings, especially her baby sisters. It doesn't take much to work a giggle out of her.

Lean and lanky she's well into a size 6x in length but is often found wearing her younger sisters' 2T/3T clothes. I mean, after all, "They fit just fine Mom!" Scrawny little thing, she is. She's the fastest runner in the house and maintains the title of best cuddler. She's easily entertained and swings on a quick pendulum of enjoying time alone and being the family clown. She's the family peace maker. And I adore how she loves other people.

Lucas is 1,000% boy. His newest obsession? STAR WARS. He's training to be a Jedi and trying to use the force to overcome the evils of the Dark Side. Or, to distract his sisters from their Polly Pockets. Either one.

Notice how Ashlee is not even phased at the louder than life yelling in her ear. Somethings you just get used to, I guess.

He's a risk taker, determined to test the limits of his body and my good sense. But he's also quick to shower on compliments and even faster to tell you he loves you. Which melts my heart each and every time.

He eats more than I could ever think possible, which makes me even more glad that we're moving to the land of rice and beans. Rice swells and beans are cheap. Both will be necessary to fill up this bottomless pit of a boy, I'm sure.

He's already missing 2 teeth, one of which he ripped from his head a mere 2 days ago. I'm not even sure it was wiggly for more than 2 hours. The threshold he has for pain is remarkable.

Words cannot express how much I love these two people. I've heard people say that bad things come in sets of 3's. I don't know about the truth in that but I can assure you that one of the best gifts I've ever received came in twos.

A six year old princess.

A six year old warrior.

A batch of silliness,

mixed with courage and valor.

I'm quite sure that these two couldn't have come any other way, than in a double dose.

Thank you God for this blessing of six and six. Six glorious years that went by in the blink of an eye. Six, six. Unique. Special. Doubled.

Happy Birthday Lucas!

Happy Birthday Ashlee!

Click here to see their 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd birthday posts.

Das Not Funny! Friday: Catfish bait

Oh mercy y'all, it's been way too long since I've written a Das Not Funny! Friday post. So many funny things happen around here every day. I laugh and try my best to remember them for longer than 37 seconds. Rarely do I ever remember them long enough to make it to the computer to get them down.

Paper is a lost cause around here. Do you know how many scraps of paper there are in my house thanks to my "crafty" kids? I think they're starting their own confetti making business.

Anyway, over the 4th of July we spent copious amounts of time at the lake. My Mom relayed to me the following interaction between she and Lucas.

Typically, as soon as the oldest 4 kids have on their life jackets they commence jumping into the lake from the dock, splashing wildly then swimming to the steps and repeating until they're water logged. One afternoon, the older 3 were sunscreened and lifejacketed up and the girls were already splashing and swimming. Lucas paced back and forth, up and down, side to side on the dock.



"Lucas," my Mom urged, "go ahead and get in."

"Meme?" Lucas responded, "Will you check my butt? Sometimes, you know, I don't wipe so good."

Lucas begins tugging at his swimming trunks while standing on the pier, stooping over for my Mom to get a good look.

"Lucas," she says, "let's go inside and I'll check you, okay? But not out here."

They walk inside and as soon as they enter the house, Lucas begins tugging at his swimming trunks again, struggling with the strap of his life jacket that is still securely snapped between his legs.

"Come on, Buddy, let's go to the bathroom." my Mom says, wondering why Lucas is so suddenly concerned with the cleanliness of his backside.

The make it into the bathroom, unbuckle Lucas' life jacket and he whips his shorts down, stooping over for my Mom to inspect his bottom.

"All clean Buddy!" my Mom says.

"Oh good," Lucas sighs, "because catfish, they like really stinky stuff. And sometimes, I don't wipe so good and my butt gets really stinky."

Happy 5th Birthday Lucas & Ashlee!

These two people are five today.

FIVE.

How in the world did that happen?

As I was cleaning out our school cabinet on Friday, I found an old prayer journal from 2005. Elizabeth was an only child and reading the words I wrote from 6 years ago I was reminded of how I felt when I found out Lucas and Ashlee were coming - as a double dose.

After seeing 2 shadowy babes with heartbeats on the ultrasound screen and subsequently sobbing in the doctors office and soaking Luke's shirt, I retreated to the car. With hands trembling, I call my BFF Amanda.

"Hello?" she answers.

Words can't be understood through the sobs and sobs and I try to tell her of the news I've just learned.

"Jess? What's wrong? Is the baby okay?" she asks urgently, herself having faced the difficulty of a miscarriage.

"No. Everything's fine," as I take deep breaths trying to gain some composure.

From somewhere deep inside me I muster a breath and say, with wails overtaking my voice once more, "Amanda.....IT'S TWINS." Anyone else walking to their car must have heard my cries.

"Twins?! Are they both okay?" she asks.

"THEY'RE FINE!! AMANDA, HOW CAN I EVER BE A MOM TO THAT MANY KIDS?!?" I wail again, then sobs overtake me and my words are drowned out.

Looking back I see now that the Lord was mocking me. Oh how the Lord has a sense of humor.

When we found out that Lucas and Ashlee were a Lucas AND an Ashlee I thought my world was over. Stupid, I know. I prayed to God often to prepare me to be a Mother to multiple young children.

The day they were born was incredible. My doctor was fabulous and so patient. Ashlee has been dramatic from the very beginning.

And with their birth came new meaning to having my "hands full."

From the start, God showed me my urgent need to depend fully on Him to parent our small army of children. I still fail pretty much every day. But each morning He reminds me that just as His mercies are fresh, as should be mine.

Five years after the birth of those precious babies, they are now big kids. We are beginning a year round schooling calendar in 2 weeks and they will officially be Kindergartners. How on Earth can that be so?

Ashlee is the most loving child I've ever met. I'm not just saying that because she's mine either. Okay, maybe I am partial but she really is. But she is quick to offer comfort to others, especially her younger siblings. She's eager to have her second choice if she knows it will make someone else happy. She's caring and affectionate and loves her baby sister Ella so much that I'm sure she's her #1 fan.

Ashlee is still the eldest drama queen in our family. As quickly as she wails with hurt over a bumped knee or bruised ego, she's equally quick to recover (especially if there's food - or candy - involved). She loves to cook and be my helper in the kitchen. She's the best snuggler of everyone in the family, knowing just how to fit into the right places so it's comfortable for us both. She gives awesome kisses, is obsessed with coloring and can still beat anyone in the family in a foot race. Ashlee lives life wide open. She's loud, very silly, happy and brings excitement to our family. Kindergarten is going to suit her well because she loves learning. And, did I mention she's a little silly?

I cannot even begin to think how incomplete our family would be had the Lord not gifted us with her. Her twin brother would be lost, I think.

Lucas is the total opposite of his sister in almost every way. He loves anything that is typical boy - guns, trucks and army men. He discovered Luke's stash of vintage GI JOE men and spends 100% of his time carrying one around or requesting to trade it for a different one from the box.

His newest love is all things super hero, specifically Spiderman. He loves watching "SuperHero Squat" He is thrilled to play anything outside, loves all things Toy Story and spends quite a bit of time in the bandaid box. He's still a Momma's boy and I am soaking up the free hugs and kisses while I can, knowing that in a few short years he'll be too cool to give his Mom a kiss on the lips. It's not uncommon for him to come to me, pat me on the leg and show me his lips. After a quick smooch he will often say, "I just love you Mom."

It melts my heart each time. How could it not? He adores time with his Dad, especially when they're "fixin' stuff." He's quick tempered but quickly asks forgiveness. He wishes he could swim without floaties and ride a bike without training wheels. He's usually the 1st to go to sleep and the 1st one up in the morning. He adores his littlest sister Ella and tries to protect her from so much - even though she rarely desires to be protected. He has so many questions about who Jesus is, what He did and about salvation.

He and I certainly have a mother/son bond that is unique as we are both strong willed, headstrong people. I cannot imagine how we would have ever felt complete without Lucas in our family.

My sweet babies are growing up. I've never been one to be teary or emotional on birthdays, but I can see myself become more and more of an emotional wreck each year as the baby faces of my children change into the faces of kids, then to teens, then to adults.

Somedays I wish I could just stop the clock and savor these fleeting moments. But then I remember that with each passing year it only gets sweeter. Each year I see more of the personalities of these people the Lord has entrusted me with and I am blessed more and more by their unique quirks, characters and what makes them tick.

Happy Birthday to my double dose of blessings! I love you both so much it makes me hurt!

Happy Birthday Lucas!

Happy Birthday Ashlee!

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To read previous posts about Lucas & Ashlee and their birthdays click here and here. (I'm not sure who those chubby faced kids are in that 2nd link. I vaguely remember them. Makes me sad.)

From a little boy to a man slightly older boy

Lucas has a slam good time at the beach. He's mentioned, on a daily basis, how he's ready to go back. He spent most of his time boogie boarding on ankle high waves and avoiding looking at the camera.



I bought some small dump trucks at the dollar store before we left and they proved to be a good investment. Lucas in particular loved running them through the sand and into the waves.



He "practiced" swimming in the shallow waters because he's just too upset that his eldest sister knows how to swim (in the pool) without floaties and he does not.



Several times over the course of the week I'd look at my oldest boy and marvel at how grown up he is. I know 4 years old isn't old, but for this Momma's heart it seems old. He still loves early morning cuddles and will usually give me hugs and kisses upon request. He still, unprompted, says, "I love you Momma" and it just melts my heart each time.



Yet I see glimpses of the young man he is growing to become. Eager to please his father and I, asking good (and tough) questions about God, loving his sisters despite their desires to only play the "girly" things and loving his littler siblings beyond what I thought possible for a little boy.



And then, just when I think he's getting so mature and growing so quickly, I see this in our attempt at a family photo....



And I realize that maybe he's not as grown up as I thought. But then again, neither is his Dad and he's technically considered an adult.

Happy 4th Birthday Lucas and Ashlee!

Four years ago today my status as a mother was redefined. I went from being a Mom to one child to a Mom to three. Just like that my world was forever changed. And isn't that just how these little people are? They are life changers. They change the way we women think, what we call our selves and how we structure our days.

(Lucas and Ashlee, 3 days old)

Being called "Mom" is one of the greatest blessings I've ever known. Most people say that the transition from one child to two is the hardest. Some people say that going from two kids to three kids is the most difficult. For us, going from a family of three to a family of five has certainly been the most challenging days of our young marriage. The first three months of Lucas and Ashlee's life is a complete blur. How I WISH I had known about blogging then, so I could have recorded and captured some of those first memories with three babies, all under two years old. Not that I would have really had time to blog, mind you. I was basically a milk truck, servicing the needs of two people on an almost continual basis.

(Our family of 5 on May 30, 2006.
The first time Elizabeth met her brother and sister.)

Now, just four short years later my babies aren't babies anymore. They are kids who no longer need my help to get dressed or brush their teeth or eat their food. They don't need me to help them put on their shoes or go down slides. They don't need me to do nearly as much as they used to. And a huge part of that makes me sad. Just this week, the older three all worked together and got their entire breakfast ready, by themselves. They got the bowls out and the cereal poured and Elizabeth poured the milk. I was thrilled, then sad.

Yes, my babies are growing up. At the homeschool convention I attended this weekend, one of the speakers said something that resonated with me. She was speaking on having lots of little ones (she herself has 8 children, 6 of which are boys...the Lord has a special place in heaven for her, I'm quite sure) and she said these words, "Moms, cherish these early years with your children. Because, even though the days are long the years are short."

How true those words are. Many times I look at the clock and say, "Wow. Only 11:00am! You've got to be kidding me!" But then, on days like today, on the birthdays of my babies I think, "Wow. Four already. You've got to be kidding me!"

(Lucas and Ashlee - 2 months, Elizabeth - 2 years)

Yesterday we had a cowboy and cowgirl birthday party for Lucas and Ashlee. We had a rootin' tootin' good time, that's for sure. Here are some of my favorite photos from yesterday...

Cowboy Aaron with Cowboy PawPaw

Fearless Cowgirl Olivia

Cowboy Lucas blowin' out his birthday candle
(Note that there were no Cake Wrecks this year)

Cowgirl Ashlee blowin' out her birthday candle
(Note that even though it was a Horse ridin' party, she chose fairies for her party decor. I love it.)

Cowgirl Sisters

Cowboy Lucas and his horse Noah

Cowgirl Ashlee and her horse Chico
(Could Ashlee be any sassier? I think not.)

At four years old, Lucas loves all things cowboy. He loves horses and boots and guns. He is amazingly affectionate towards his littlest sister, Ella, and takes his role as oldest brother seriously, on most occasions. He is determined, energetic, loving and a complete Daddy's boy. He's an early riser and has recently begun forgoing his afternoon nap. He adores bugs and dirt and sticks. He is eager to please his Momma and still enjoys handing out hugs and kisses when they are requested. He's been asking Luke tough questions about Jesus and sin and we are praying over his little heart and that he will one day be a man living for the Lord.

From tiny baby...

...to a big boy, we know that God has great things planned for Lucas' life. How we pray we will be parents who equip him to study God's word for himself so that he can live boldly for Christ.


At four years old Ashlee is the life of every party. Ashlee loves life. And, her love for life is most clearly shown in her affection toward her family. Free with her kisses and hugs, especially on her younger sisters, Ashlee is known to shower them with love, often to the point of making them less than cheerful. Luke and I both agree that Ashlee lives life full throttle. She runs just about everywhere she goes and she experiences, joyfully, a life that is filled with abundant laughter. Even though she is the reigning drama queen (at least until Olivia dethrones her) she is also the peacemaker of our little brood. She freely gives of her toys and often settles for her second pick so that someone else can have their hearts desire. I pray that her attitude of service and love for other people continues to grow as her relationship with the Savior does too.

From an excitable baby...

...to a joyfilled little girl, we pray God will use her servant's heart to draw her to Himself and, ultimately, a life devoted to sharing with others where ultimate joy truly lies.

Lucas and Ashlee,

We love you more than we could ever express. Happy 4th Birthday, sweet babies!

Love,

Mommy