Being 32

Well it official, I am 32 years old. The other day I was thinking that I am now closer to 40 than I am to 20 oiy!

So what did we do - Jeral took me out and got me my new Iphone 4. So excited for that. We aslo went out for dinner and saw a movie and the whole time I wondered how the babes were doing. I have never been gone from both of them for 7 hours so it was a stretch and yet it was nice to be on a date with the man I love and adore.

This past year of my life has been so full of so many experiences.

• I became a mother twice over through different ways, and both equally as beautiful as they were challenging. Kenzie and Jaris are my miracles. The ups and downs of sleep deprivation, just when you think the schedule is all worked out something changes.
• I got to be at the birth of my niece Madalyn - which was an amazing experience.
• I have gotten to see first hand how much joy both my babes bring to not only us, also to others around us.
• Jumped for joy when Kenzie rolled over, crawled, said Mama and new what she was saying, and walked for the first time. Oh and i better not forget all the times she has crawled up on my lap to read a book or just to give me kisses.
• Kenzie's Adoption was finalized, and she also had her first Birthday all in this past year of my life.
• Jaris - we had a big scare when we were not sure why he was so floppy, and then he turned it all around and we have gotten to watch him get stronger, and smile, and talk/babble - starting to crawl the way he does. Sitting up and playing.
• Lost a bunch of weight in one day thanks to giving birth :) Only to then over the next few month put a bunch of weight back on :( I will get it off in time!
• A relationship of approximately 4 years with one therapist ended and a new relationship with another one began.
• Enjoying a summer with babes and going swimming with them. They love to swim.
• Going to Soccer games with the big beast stroller and having everyone fall in love with our babes.
• Getting constantly asked if we have twins and finally coming to a place of just being able to say yes, instead of telling everyone the long, yet amazing story.
• Taking the kids out in the snow on a sled - I think we have years of that a head of us.
• Starting to do chores in the chicken barns again - not sure if I saw that one coming!

There are lots of other experiences that have been amazing and as I look back I think that there are only 2 big regrets.

• Regret number one - not listening to my inner feelings when I felt that we needed to stay home from a family function. Listening and staying home would have been the wise thing to do. I can tell you that will never happen again.
• Regret number 2 - being to afraid to tell someone I care about how much I was really hurt by certain things. Instead I pushed away and said I had said all I needed to say. Oh well such is life and the way it goes. Some things are easier to do than others. Maybe one day I will get to a point where I will be able to say everything or maybe one day I will get to the point where it does not really matter anymore.

So yeah it has been a full year. Mostly in part due to my amazing little babes. I am not sure if I really knew who life altering and busy I would be with two babes at once. However I would say that this last year for 31-32 has been one of the most challenging, heart breaking, and yet joyous and amazing years of my life. So with that I will say I am looking forward to the future!

LIfe as Of Late

Tuesday this past week both kids had dr.'s check ups and well my 9 month old son tipped the scales at 25lbs, 11 oz., and he is 31.5 inches long. Kenzie weighed in at 21 lbs and I do not remember how long she is. When Kenzie and Jaris stand next to each other Jaris is taller. Jaris also had physio yesterday and he started showing off for the ladies. At one point they were asking me if he was able to get up on all fours and start rocking back and forth, and I said nope not yet. Well no joke less than a minute after that Jaris was up on all fours and rocking and talking and showing off. I am so proud of both my babes.

I have started doing the chores on our farm which I am enjoying. Jeral has a really bad knee and some days can barely walk on it and since the barns are 350 feet in length and each barn is walked four times, there is no way his knee can hold out so I after about 4 years have gone back into the barns, and I liking it. The time to think is great. I may not give him back the barns after his knee feels better.

We are looking forward to a family trip in February when our birds have shipped. Once again the trip is to Abbotsford and Vancouver! We tend not to be too creative. Plus traveling to where family and friends are makes the trip great for the kids and we get that little bit of extra helping hands with them. As both of them get older it makes traveling harder, well the nights are more difficult however that is life! And give it a few years and life and traveling will be easier!

Life Lately

Kenzie has decided it is time to color, so I guess I need to order soy based crayons so that way when she decides to eat them I know that it is okay.

Showing off his skills for mama! Jaris was commando crawling and rolling all over the living room floor this afternoon.

A birthday present for a friends son. I have started making blankets again. I made a fuzzy one for Kenzie with flowers and decided I would try a teddy bear one for my friends son who also had his first birthday party recently.

Getting ready to go for a walk with Mommy and Auntie Karen!

Kenzie out like a light on our way to Kamloops on Christmas day! She was so adorable we took a picture!

Jaris and daddy on Christmas day before we went over to Mark and Jodi's for lunch! We had a great time hanging out with them and the Baylis family.

Our Christmas at home with the kids. I went crazy and got them lots this year! Kenzie loves sitting and relaxing in soft chairs so we got her a very soft chair to lounge in and she decided it was nicer to lounge this way than the way the chair is meant to be sat in! She is a smart cookie my daughter!

Jaris and one of his new toys!

Jaris pulling at the paper. Really we could have given them boxes and paper and they would have had a great Christmas!

I think I managed to find every Fisher Price Surprise Pop Up Block and by it for them

Christmas Eve and Jaris in his suit! Looking snazzy my son, looking snazzy!

Ready to go to Church for the Christmas Eve Service. This was the best shot I could get, before the kids rebelled . I love the dress we had for Kenzie I even had a head band thingy for her to wear however I had to settle for a clip because she kept taking the head band with a flower off!

So I know I have been not blogging as much lately. I have preferred to spend time snuggling with my babes. I guess I am saying that things are going to be slowing down from here on in. I know that my friends and family who read the blog enjoy seeing pictures of the kids and getting to watch them grow and develop, and yet I am feeling the need to spend less time on the computer and more time with my babes and husband (that is once the babes are in bed).

So what is new for us?

Jaris - we are so proud of him, he is such an amazing little boy. He is commando crawling these days. Basically when he wants something he pushes with his feet and uses his arms to drag himself. This was a goal that was set for him to meet in a 5 - 6 month time range and he did it in 2 months!!!!!!!! He is talking up a storm theses days. Not sure what he is saying however we know he is talking and trying to tell us stories. My favorite time of the day with him is right after he wakes up from his nap and he is making noise to let me know it is time to get him. When I walk into the room and say mama is here he stops whatever he is doing and pushes up on his arms to get himself as high as he can go to see me and gives me the best smile in the world. My heart melts and I am a mush ball! Jaris still is not sleeping through the night, however I can hardly complain about that since Jeral chooses to get up for Jaris 4:30 am feed and then snuggles with him until 7:30 am.

Kenzie - she is walking by herself these days. She still is faster at scootching, however she is taking more steps on her own every day. I know that once she is walking I will be running non-stop after her, however I think it will be fun most days. Plus I need to start running around. Kenzie has also started to crawl up to me just to snuggle for a second or two, give me a few kisses and then go right back to playing. I love that! Once again something in the day to melt my heart. Kenzie for the most part is sleeping through the night!!!!! Yeah for that, since I am the one who gets up with her normally, and yet I do not mind the odd night that I need to go snuggle and cuddle for a little while.

Jeral and I had our 4th anniversary. Wow 4 years where has the time gone? This year we chose to spend our anniversary with Jeral's sister and her family. They were in Oliver for a while so we went and joined them. Honestly it was the perfect way to spend it - with people we love plus the extra hands with the kids is always a bonus.

Jeral just bought a new to us farm truck. It is a 2007 Chev Silverado, with a full crew cab. Jeral knee has been giving him problems so it was time to retire the big standard diesel. I am looking forward to driving it too! Seriously in the past year we have bought Van, Jeral bought a motor cycle, and now a truck. Oiy an expensive year it has been.

Me, well what can I say I am going to be 32 soon. Wow that used to seem so old and now it just doesn't any more. My biceps get a good work out every day carrying both Kenzie and Jaris around. This afternoon after I got Jaris I was walking out of his room with him in my arms thinking man having one kid would be so easy, and yet I went straight to Kenzie's room and scooped her up in my other arm and then carried them both down stairs at the same time. Yeah that is an extra 50 pounds of weight, and i could not imagine life without either babe in my arms. In February I see a ENT Specialist to see if there is anything that can be done to help me breathe better.