Thanksgiving Apple Turkeys

Last Monday night for family night, we carried on the apple turkey tradition and it was a hit! There were lots of smiles and no tears from these two. And that hug from Olivia in the last picture was completely voluntary...she's such a sweetheart.

Painting the Mantel

Robbie is an absolute saint and took on a spur of the moment project I decided I really wanted to do before the Christmas season started up! I wanted a white mantel so my Christmas decor didn't clash with my blue mantel. First world problems, I know. I love how it turned out and I love that it feels a lot easier to decorate now that the color is way more neutral. 

Umbilical Hernia Surgery

Towards the end of Madelyn's pregnancy, I noticed a small umbilical hernia. They told me it would probably go away, but after almost a year, it was still there. We found a great surgeon, Dr. Shane Lewis, and got that sucker removed! Like I mentioned before, my hernia surgery was scheduled for October 17th, but I woke up sick that morning. We went in and, after talking it over with Dr. Lewis, decided we should reschedule for the following week (the 26th) when I was better. My mom had already arranged to take school off and we had everything squared away, so it was a bummer to have to reschedule. But you just have to roll with life sometimes. More like all of the time. It was a tender mercy because my mom was able to still help me when I was feeling pretty sick. And to have Dayna available the next week after surgery was another tender mercy. These women, I tell ya.

I was super nervous. Surgery terrifies me. But Dr. Lewis was fantastic and Robbie kept me laughing and distracted. I had the least invasive version of this surgery, with only a small incision and no mesh. Besides an awful rash that lasted for a couple weeks over my entire stomach, it was a really smooth recovery (and Dr. Lewis told me I was allergic to Chloraprep, so I know what to avoid in the future when they do IVs or an epidural or something like that....yay!!!!!!). I didn't lift Madelyn for about a week, and the twins for about three weeks. We got creative and the twins used a step ladder to get in and out of bed. All of the sister-in-laws brought dinner, and even sweet Mallory had Brett drive up here with a gourmet meal. We had so much help from family and friends and were so blessed. God watches over us, I know that.

Last Taste of Fall

November 2 felt like the last taste of fall, where we could go outside with a jacket and still feel warm enough to stay out for a while. These girls soaked it all in and had a wonderful time playing together. They sure love each other and we sure hope their relationships just continue to grow stronger as they grow older. I love these sweethearts.

Family Pics with Kristi Burton

We had Robbie's cousin, Kristi, take some photos to us the second weekend of October. We sure love her and love how she captured our sweet family! Family photos are my most prized possession!

Waiting for Daddy

We spent many afternoons sitting on the porch waiting for daddy to come home from work! Some days I'm that crazy lady that jumps for joy at the soonest sighting of his car because #ineedabreak #imgoingcrazy BUT most days I'm just glad to be together with my girlies. They're the greatest gift. And I love so much that they love each other.

Simons Water Slide

Our last hoorah with the warm weather was the water slide with the Simons cousins! It had been pulled out a few times in the summer, but we hadn't even been able to make it for various reasons. Olivia liked it right off the bat, but Kate took some time to warm up. By the end, she was zooming down and loving it. It's so sweet watching theses girls conquer scary things. And as always, fun times with the family fill our hearts!

^That face!!! Oh, pure joy.

Halloween 2017

The girls and I had a fun Halloween morning with ghost bananas and a fun ghost craft while Madelyn took a nap! They waited so patiently all day to put their costumes on and go trick or treating. We listened to Halloween music to pass the time.

I scrambled to get these pictures taken before meeting Robbie over at his parents' house for dinner (traditional chili and rolls), but I'm so glad I did because the lighting was great and I didn't want to have to dress them up again just for good pics. The girls LOVED dressing up and chose their costumes this year. Cutest butterfly, princess, and monkey you'll ever see. After we got back from dinner, Robbie took the girls trick or treating for the first time around our neighborhood, and then came back to find G&G Bean here. We love our cute, supportive grandparents that love our kids like we do.

^this picture of Madelyn cracks me up...it's about as good as you get with a mobile one year-old!