Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving! It's so nice to be living in NC and not have to travel for the holidays. We are still getting used to it as we traveled for over the past 10 years, but we are not complaining!

We were hosting Thanksgiving at our house with Dan's parents and my mom. Dan was in charge of deep frying the turkey and I was making a spiral ham to go with it. Everyone was contributing with sides, and we were definitely not going to go hungry! We decided to try to eat when Luke and Olivia were napping so we could actually eat a meal, and then have dinner with them when they woke up. The timing worked out almost perfectly as dinner was ready just after they fell asleep.

Luke and Olivia aren't big meat eaters, but Olivia did enjoy a little ham for dinner. They both liked the sweet potato casserole and homemade mac and cheese, along with a dinner roll. No surprise, they didn't touch the green bean casserole or cranberry sauce!

It was a nice, relaxing day filled with family, football and full bellies!

Last trip to Asheville for the year

Since Dan has to travel next week, he decided to take a few days off before Thanksgiving so we could spend some time together and celebrate Luke and Olivia's birthday a little early. Since our passes to the Biltmore House expire in two weeks, we wanted to make one last trip for the year to see the house decorated for Christmas.

Thankfully we had already spent a lot of time outdoors touring the grounds, because today it rained and rained. Our intent was to just see the inside of the house and then have dinner before heading home. We headed out just after lunch and arrived early afternoon. We took the backpacks instead of the stroller thinking that would be the best way to contain L and O and they could still see the house. This plan would have worked out well except for the fact that Olivia can't sit still for longer than 2 minutes! It wasn't long before she started saying "down, down" so we abandoned the backpack plan and let her walk around. Soon Luke joined her. It's definitely different touring the house with almost 2 year old twins vs just by ourselves.

They actually did really well and didn't try to touch everything in sight. Thankfully there were lots of stairs for them to climb (one of their absolute favorite activities) so we just kept telling them there were stairs ahead to keep them moving. Some folks commented on how cute they were and how well they were doing, and they were gracious enough to allow them time to climb/walk by themselves, even though they we were holding up the crowd a little.

After our tour (we survived and nothing got broken...success!) we went to the courtyard to warm up with a cup of coffee and snack for Luke and Olivia. It was good for them to be able to run around for a bit, although keeping Olivia under the cover and out of the rain proved to be a mini workout for us! It was late afternoon, and we thought it would be good to walk around the local mall for a bit and let them play before dinner and drive home.

We found a little play area by the food courts and they had SO much fun playing in a new place. They are typically really good playing with other kids, and wait their turn to go down slides, etc. I am so proud of how well they are doing and they are truly the sweetest little 2 year olds I know. Ok, I know I'm partial, but still....

We had originally planned to go to a local restaurant for dinner, but it was getting late and we were already at the mall, so food court dinner it was. After we ate, we put their pajamas on and got them settled into their carseats for the drive home.

Luke has been coughing for the past week, which has been sticking around even though his croup is getting better. On the drive home, he started coughing so badly he threw up. We had to pull over and change his clothes and started driving home again. About 30 minutes later, the same thing and another outfit change. I told Dan I was out of outfits and I hoped it didn't happen again. No suck luck! Before we got home, he got sick again and I had to put him in one of Olivia's too small onesies. Thankfully we made it home before another incident, put Luke in clean pajamas, and put both of them to bed. Dan and I soon followed as we were worn out from our fun but not quite planned day!

Happy Halloween!

Time for Halloween already?!?! Man, where has the year gone? Dan was in Japan last year for Halloween, so we were excited to have the entire family together and make some wonderful memories.

We had a busy few days leading up to Monday. On Saturday, we took Luke and Olivia to my Oma and Opa's church for their fall festival. It was L and O's first time wearing their costumes that I made-Pebbles and BamBam. They fit perfectly (whew!) and seemed happy wearing them. Thankfully Luke LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to wear hats (I know-go figure) so it was a perfect costume for him. And Olivia loves wearing bows so the bone in her hair was a great addition.

We arrived at the festival around 5pm and spent some time playing games and coloring treat bags. Olivia had fun dunking the ducks in the water tub while Luke was enjoyed throwing balls at cans. Then it was time for a quick dinner with Oma and Opa before heading for home. Dan and I had a Halloween party to attend in our neighborhood, so we wanted to get Luke and Olivia bathed and ready for bed before we left.

Thanks, MauMaw and PauPaw for staying at the house while Dan and I went out for a few hours dressed at Dorothy and Bad Banana. It was nice to have some time out with just the two of us. On Sunday, we pretty much took it easy and spent lots of time playing together. I also did a photo shoot for my sister and her family, which was lots of fun. I truly can't believe how quickly my nephews and niece are growing!

On Monday, we had a Halloween parade in our neighborhood that started at 4:30pm. I attended the parade last year but didn't know too many neighbors at that point. This year was extra fun as we have met lots of great people over the past year and Luke and Olivia have their friends to play with. We got to see the Mount Holly Fire Truck and all of the kids looked fantastic in their costumes. Dan and I even got into the spirit and dressed up as Wilma and Fred-we were the Flintstone Family! We then had a mini parade through the neighborhood. Dan and I took turns pulling Luke and Olivia in their wagon while we followed behind the fire truck. Afterwards, we all met back at the clubhouse for a bit before heading home for a quick dinner. Then it was time to trick or treat for our first time.

We met up with our friends Meredith, Dave, little Lilah, Anna, Rich and little Ava to go trick or treating around 6:15pm. My mom also joined us as I was having my tonsils out the next morning. More on that later... It took Luke and Olivia just a house or two to figure out the candy thing! They loved holding out their bucket and saying "treat please". They were real troopers and we walked around for almost an hour and a half going from house to house of neighbors we knew. It was nice to have the wagon with us, too, so they could take a break when they needed. At one point, Luke opened a reese's peanut butter cup and was eating it, black wrapper and all. He looked so proud of himself! Olivia preferred the suckers and held onto the same two for much of the evening. By the time we got them home and settled, it was almost 8:30pm and we had two tired but happy little trick or treaters in our home! Now what to do with all of this candy!

So long tonsils

After months and months of constant sore throats and tonsillitis, it was inevitable that my tonsils would have to come out. I used to have sore throats as a kid, but they seemed to subside over time. They seemed to return over the past year, but especially over the past 6 months (pregnancy induced?). It was beginning to be a nuisance to be on antibiotics all of the time, and I couldn't take care of Luke and Olivia at my 100%.

I had a consultation with an ENT recently and we decided I was a perfect candidate for surgery, which I was luckily able to schedule pretty quickly. He warned me it would be painful and require a 2 week recovery, so it was time for my independent self to reach out to family and friends-all of whom I can't thank enough!

Tonsillectomies are outpatient procedures now and we had to be at the surgery center early-6:15am. We decided it would be best if my mom took me to the procedure while Dan stayed home with Luke and Olivia. By 7:30am, I had my IV in place and it was off to surgery. The next thing I remember is waking up around 9:15am in a daze and in pain. It took me a little time to get my bearings, so mom was able to get my prescriptions filled while I was waking up. We were able to be home by late morning, and it was so nice to get hugs from my babies. It's so different having surgery once you become a parent-the worries are much greater and the hugs and kisses so much sweeter. Of course, they had no idea that I was in a fog and I tried to spend a few minutes with them. Thankfully MauMaw and PauPaw were here to help as well so mom could help me get settled. Dan was also a great nurse as well, changing his travel plans so he could be here with me for the week and making sure things are taken care of at home.

I ended up sleeping a good bit of the afternoon. Anyone who knows me understands how hard it is for me to sit still, but it was honestly all I could do to take my meds on time. I knew the recovery would be tough, but dare I say it has been harder than my c-section.

My mom left Tuesday afternoon and Oma and Opa came over on Wednesday. Dad was leaving for FL for business, but Oma offered to stay and help for a few days as needed. What a life saver! I can sit and do things stationary ok, but trying to keep 2 almost 2 year old entertained all day was a bit much for me this week. She was great at letting them play outside and having play dates with their friends. She left yesterday afternoon.  My neighbors have been awesome at bringing food (none of which would stay down for 24 hrs) and I'm slowing starting to be able to eat some soft things again. I can think of a less painful diet than the tonsillectomy diet!

I hope to be getting back to my normal self soon and can't wait to be able to eat like everyone else.Pizza sure does sounds yummy =) Hopefully this will be my last time ever having a sore throat again!

Two jobs

Being a stay at home mom of twins and trying to start a photography business has proven to be a lot of work; good thing I don't like to sit still! I have really enjoyed embarking on my new career, and I'm staying busier than I thought I would. I have been lucky to have already had some photo shoots, and I have a couple of more scheduled in November/December. I am also excited (and anxious!) to have my first wedding on my calendar-January 21st, 2012. Sleep is so overrated, right?

Trip to Zootastic

There is a cool little petting zoo in nearby Troutman (about a 45 min drive) that friends have told me would be a great place to take Luke and Olivia. On Thursday we decided to go check it out. So much to see and do!

There were lots of school groups, so we just joined one of their tours around the place. We saw a tiger, baby tiger cub and lots of horses, camels and other animals to feed in the barn. Olivia jumped right in and started feeding the animals right away, while Luke was more cautious about sharing his food at first. He was content to just walk around and play in the hay. I love their different little personalities!

We walked around a lot and then jackpot-a HUGE corn sandbox for them to play in. Who knew corn kernals in a box could be such fun? They played for at least 30 minutes transferring corn from one bucket to another, kicking their feet and making "corn angels". So cute!!! Luke also decided to walk around with his hands in his pockets for much of the day. He looked like such a little guy! We then took a break to have a picnic lunch, and we happened to share a table with 7 year old identical twin girls who were there with a field trip. It's amazing to think Luke and Olivia will have their own school field trip and adventures all too soon.

After lunch it was back to the corn for a little more playtime before we headed for home. It was one of the most fun days we've had together, and I definitely look forward to going back with Dan and the kiddos one day.

Banana and Blueberry

Luke and Olivia are really into fish, so we thought it would be fun to get them a small 1.5 gallon tank for their playroom. We got a little blue and yellow fish, and named them after their favorite fruits-blueberries and bananas. They love to see the "fishies" swim around and smile when they go to the top to eat. Happy swimming!

Trip to Asheville

This past Saturday we decided to take advantage of our membership to the Biltmore House and spend the day in the beautiful mountain area of Asheville. We were worried the weather would be too cool, but it ended up being a perfectly gorgeous fall day and the trees were in peak color change. We decided to skip the tour of the house again and spend most of our time in the gardens and surrounding areas.

We spent lots of time in the rose garden area, which had been converted to row after row of stunning fall flowers. It was so much fun to see Luke and Olivia stop to smell the flowers-literally!-and run around with such joy. Other visitors enjoyed seeing them and talking with us as well. After a trip to the petting zoo, a walk around the garden gift shop, and an adventurous nature walk to a waterfall, we decided to have dinner at a local southern diner-a new favorite of Dan's.

Luke and Olivia did awesome during the day, especially considering they only had a short 45 min nap in the car the entire day. We got them changed into their pj's and headed for home around 8pm, where they transitioned straight to their beds and fell fast asleep.

We look forward to making another trip in December to see the holiday decorations and seeing the beauty of the house from warm indoors!