Our Christmas Vacation

Our Christmas vacation has been quite an adventure. We spent most of it in Oklahoma with my family. Christmas eve we spent getting the last of our presents and wrapping them up. We saw lots of family, except we didn't get to see my Grandma. She was sick and so we postponed our time with her.

Christmas morning, the girls opened presents and had a blast. They loved everything they got. The girls slept later than normal and everyone accused me of waking them up (I get really excited about Christmas morning). Later, cousin Sydney and Sam, with aunt Laura and uncle Paul, came over and gave them more presents. We then went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Potter. The girls had so much fun.

The girls opening presents with me.

The big sack of presents from Grandma and Papa.

The day after Christmas we spent with my cousins, Chris, Angie, Kassidy and Katlin. It was a great time! The girls loved playing and they even got cute little monkeys. Gracie was too excited at lunch and fell out of her chair and bumped her head. She was crying so hard she threw up all over me. That really cleared the kid table. It's a new Christmas tradition because last year, the day after Christmas she got sick all over me. I personally do not like this tradition and would like it to stop. She is better now, just a little bruised but still as active as ever.

Gracie with monkey and bruise. Lizzie with monkey

The next day Lizzie decides to catch some virus and had a fever. That lead to a trip to the urgent care because we thought it could be an ear infection. Fortunately, it was just a cold that we had to let run its course.

Wes and I did get a night out on the town. As part of our Christmas present, my cousin gave us a gift card for dinner. It was really nice to get out.

We did get to take the girls to look at Christmas lights. They were so cute, they would say "wow", "pretty lights" and "white lights". Lizzie talked the whole time and Gracie just looked.

Our last Christmas activity was over New Years. My dad's family has the tradition of meeting in a hotel, spending the night, eating dinner and playing dirty Santa. It is the family reunion that meets every year. My dad has 4 living siblings and all of them made it. Most of my cousins made it with their kids. All total it was around 35 people. It is always a fun time. This year it was in Wichita Kansas during a cold spell that the highs were only in the 20s. This Texas gal was cold!

The girls loved it and played, but that nasty fever came back on Lizzie. She was pretty yucky the first night but got better. Gracie tried to see how many laps and hugs she could get. Lizzie was herself and watched people from afar and made them work for her attention.

We finally came home after 10 days way and have to get back to reality. Most nights the girls went to sleep around 10:00 and woke up at 8:00!

Our Christmas Card

Well, here is our Christmas card for this year. Like last year, I decided to not print and mail the cards and just email them to my friends and family. Call it lazy or green, I'm fine either way because it is a little of both.

This year has had it's ups and downs but ended well for us. Wes is working, I am not and that's the way I like it. Since I quit my job back in July, I have loved my "new job" so much. Being home with the girls is so rewarding. They teach me so much and stress me out all at the same time!

Wes loves his job. He works with some great people. I know he misses being home with his girls, but he works 10 minutes from the house so we can see him at lunch (if we aren't out and about).

The girls are growing fast and learning so much. It's amazing what they pick up and say and do. I am still noticing what they picked up while staying with Grandma and Papa.

Hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Merry Christmas!

Visit with Santa

Today the girls met Santa. We have gone to see him the last two years but they haven't really liked it too much. But, today's adventure with Amy was to go see Santa with all the girls. There were four of us moms and six kids! It was crazy all the kids did really well.

A Little Break

Last week, the girls spent the entire week with Grandma and Papa. We left them on Sunday after Thanksgiving and then picked them up Saturday. We met half way to pick them up.

The girls had a blast while in Oklahoma. My sister and her kids would visit daily to "help" out. The girls were spoiled rotten. Now, they think they are too big for high chairs or bibs. Thanks Grandma! My aunt and uncle from Tulsa even made the drive to see the girls. They also got to visit Aunt Betty and go to movie night at her house with the big kids.

What did Wes and I do while they were gone? Absolutely nothing! Wes had to work, but I got to sleep in everyday, shop and craft. It was wonderful. I did meet Karla for lunch one day and shopped with Amy another. This was the first time that the girls and I had been apart since I was pregnant and they were born (not counting NICU time but that's different). It was a needed break but I missed them a lot. I got a little sad on Thursday because I missed them so much.

The girls came back taller and with longer hair! We felt like they had grown a foot! They seemed like they had changed so much and were big girls. They have more words and are now saying stuff like their Grandma and Papa. Gracie now says "hi guys", which is something my dad has always said. They tell me that they miss everyone everyday but they seem happy to be home with us and all their stuff. I think they got a little home sick too.

Been Crafting this week!

I had a busy craft week this week. I made fabric flowers, clay flowers and photo necklaces. The clay flowers are new to me. I just started that one this week. I really like it!

Fabric Flowers

Making photo necklaces, what a mess!

Clay flowers, I love them!

A Great Idea!

My friend Amy asked me to donate something for her sister Leah's auction going on right now! I donated a button necklace and a flower headband. There are tons of other items up for bid! What's so awesome about this auction is that it's to raise funds to adopt a baby! This is such a great idea and so creative. Please click on over to the site to see all the great stuff.

Thanksgiving

We are home from our Thanksgiving with family in Oklahoma. We had a great time. We saw tons of family and ate tons of food. It was fabulous!

On Thursday, we had a low key day with lunch and naps (even me). We even got the traditional paper with Black Friday ads. We poured over them to decide where we were going to go. Thursday evening, we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Potter's to eat and visit some more. The girls love playing with their great grandparents.

On Friday, my sister, mom and brother-in-law were out of the house by 3:30 am to go to the mall. We waited in the cold for 30 minutes for the mall to open. We shopped there until 7:00 am and then picked up my niece and nephew. My kids were smart and were still asleep. We shopped with them more and then went home and napped. Then out again to buy cowboy boots for the girls. Then lunch and then out again! We really shopped!

On Saturday, we had lunch with my cousins. It was a great lunch and then on to watch the OSU vs OU game.

On Sunday, we traveled to see my grandma and have lunch. She lives out in the country and the girls loved playing with her kitty and doggie. They also loved playing outside with Sydney and Sam.

Of course, I forget to bring out the camera until the very last day and only get these pictures of the kids on the swing. I tried to take enough until I got the right one.

The Cough

Well, its that time of year for us to battle the cough for little Gracie. Last year, we discovered that she took after her daddy for respiratory issues. The doctor diagnosed it as Reactive Airway Disease which is similar to asthma. Last year, we had about 4 ER visits to help her through some attacks.

This year, we started seeing a pediatric pulminologist. He is a great doctor and has put her on some great medicine that seems to control her breathing. He also switched us to a puffer (inhaler). Which is great because that means no more 30 minute breathing treatments! Now she and Wes are on most of the same medicine!

Now, we just have this yucky sounding cough. She is breathing fine, she just gets the old lady hacker cough. It sounds terrible but she is still fine and running around! We have figured out the difference between the ok cough and the gotta do something quick cough.

The thing that I have learned the most from these little girls is that everything is trial and error. Nothing is a given and if it's not broke don't try and fix it!

Dinner Conversation

While we were eating our spaghetti dinner tonight, I thought we had a really funny conversation. Before dinner, I turned off the TV. I told the girls after dinner we would watch Sesame Street (one of their favorite shows along with Olivia and Wonder Pets). Spaghetti is one of their favorite meals. So after a couple of helpings, Gracie is ready to get down. Then the conversation goes like this.

G: Want down. Sesame Street
Me: You can get down but you have to wait for L to finish before we can watch
G: Hurry up L! (with arm gestures)
L: (Silently stuffing her face with spaghetti and the sauce is all over her face)
G: I go over to L. (she was on the other side of the table from L)
Me: OK
G: (with shocked expression) L FACE!
Me: It's dirty isn't it?
G: Yes, napkin please.
Me: Are you going to clean her up?
G: Yes. (She then proceeds to wipe L down with her napkin while G's face still has sauce on it.)
G: (When finished) All done-Sesame Street!
Me: L are you done.
L: (Still eating) No.
G: GET UP!
(L keeps eating and her face keeps getting dirty. G gets mad and keeps wiping L's face.)
L: All done!

At this point, we all head to the bathroom to wash up. Then we sit down and turn on Sesame Street. All is well in the Potter house.

Announcing....

My new Etsy shop Monkeybee Designs. I've actually had it for a while but have let it sit for too long. I finally got updated pictures (thanks to LiaLezon Photography). Allison came out to the house and took pictures for me. She is so awesome.

As some of you may know, I've been beading for several years now and have sold stuff off and on for awhile. Most of what I do, I give as gifts. I make stuff but then don't wear a lot of it because I feel self conscious. Do people tell me it's nice because it is or because they know I made it. Now, other people can enjoy my work!

Some of the stuff on the site.

Beaded Jewelry

Custom Photo Necklaces

Glass Pendants

Come check out my shop, Monkeybee Designs!

Our Busy Weekend

Every weekend, I tell Wes that we are going to take it easy and then it becomes a whirl wind of activities. On Friday night, we went to the circus. It was the first time the girls have been and they really liked it. They stayed up late and weren't fussy at all. They really loved the animals. It was a bit chilly and there weren't many people there.

The girls are playing at McDonald's with their friend Lauren.

On Saturday, we got up really early to have our pictures taken Allison at Lia Lezon Photography. She took AWESOME pictures. Because it was chilly, the girls wore their hats and coats the whole time. I decided to make their hats cuter by making a flower on each. It turned out really well.

That night, we had a Sunday school pot luck dinner. It was really fun and the girls loved playing with all the kids!

Sunday, we went to church and then celebrated our friend Chandler's 3rd birthday at the Children's Museum. The girls had a blast playing. Here they are going down the slide in their own way. For people who ask me if the girls are starting to show different personalities, this is a good representation of how they are different. Lizzie goes down face first and Gracie doesn't.

Lizzie going down the slide

Gracie going down the slide

Happy Halloween

What a busy week we had ending with a busy Halloween weekend. First Gracie came down with croup and Wes had to leave town. That meant my next call was to Grandma and Papa to come for a visit. They happily came. We had a busy week with Daddy coming home on Friday.

We picked him up from the airport and headed straight to a Halloween Party. Our wonderful friends from our Sunday school class invited tons of kids to eat, decorate cookies and play. Here are the girls decorating cookies.

On Saturday, Wes went to the FC Dallas playoff game and I stayed with the girls. After the game, we met up with friends for dinner. It was a crazy night with 6 kids and 6 adults. It was the second night in a row to be up way past their bed time.

On Sunday (Halloween), we went trick or treating with the Shers, the Halsteads, and the Popes. We first ate dinner and then headed out in search of candy. It was quite a quest. We had to travel a couple of streets over to find anyone giving it out.

Here is a group shot of course no one co-operates.

This is Gracie running down the side walk to the next house. The wised up to us trying to skip a house or two.

This is Lizzie with "hands in pockets". She didn't want to hold my hand because she discovered her pocket. She kept them in there most the night.


The girls and I walking down the street. Wes took the pictures that's why my head is cut off. I'm not even that tall.....

Trying to get the girls to take a good picture with me. It didn't work out as planned.

The girls really loved Halloween this year. They are starting to get it. They loved their costumes and getting candy. Now for the third night in a row they are up really late. I hope this next week goes well for me... The nice thing about staying home with them is I don't have to worry about getting them up early for school.

Twins at the Zoo!

On Friday, Amy invited us to the zoo to meet up with some other twin mommies. It was a crazy time. The girls loved to see the animals. They saw almost all the animals in the book Good Night Gorilla, including the Gorilla! They got a close up view and loved it. They kept saying "good night gorilla". They would wave and say hi to all the other animals. It was so much fun to watch them. It was the first time they understood all the animals.

It was fun to meet all the other women and kids. They were all really sweet.

My sweeties

The whole gang

Playing Dress Up!

The girls love their dress up clothes. They love hats, shoes, socks or anything. They put on my high heels and walk better than me. They put on Wes' cowboy boots stomp around.

Here are some pictures of dress up.

Lizzie with sunglasses and fire helmet

Lizzie

Gracie with her glasses and hat

Gracie and her bracelets.

Our First Hair Cut

Getting our hair cut is a family affair. Wes and I have gone together to get our hair cut since we were first married. We go to Cristi Figueroa where she owns Salon Amis. She opened up the salon a couple of years ago and it's beautiful.

The girls don't have much hair but it has been getting a little unruly lately. Lizzie had pieces that were always in her eyes that needed to be cut. Because we have always taken the girls with us, they love Cristi. She is really sweet to them even though they are always trying to break something. She put them in the chair and put a cape on them. They thought that was amazing. They have watched mommy and daddy sitting in the chair with the cape on so they thought they were big girls.

Here is Lizzie sitting sweetly in the chair. She held really still for Cristi.

Gracie wouldn't keep her head still. She kept trying to look around and flipping her hair.

I love Gracie looking up at Cristi to see what she is doing.

They love sitting in the chair that goes up and down. It was really fun for them.

Pumpkins with Twins

Today was the Fall Fest for my multiples group. Amy and I are the co-chairs of children socials. This is one of our "big" events for the year. We both love to plan parties so this was our thing.

We picked a cute pumpkin patch here at the Rejoice Lutheran Church. The church let us use everything free! It was great. We had the pumpkins, a great picnic table and a playground. The kids loved it.

Here are some pictures from today.

We get this same shot every year. We use to all fit in the shot better.

Lizzie holding hands with Reese

Gracie holding Riley's hand. Gracie was a social butterfly. She loved the party and ran around to everyone!

My sweeties and me

The sweeties and Wes

The whole group

What I've been up to....

I've been busy crafting lately making jewelry. See my finished products.

I liked the key necklaces so when I saw this charm for $3, I knew what to do.

I saw on a blog something similar to this necklace and wanted to make my own. It's buttons and a chain

Here are some flowers I made for Halloween.

I made this one for a friend's birthday.