First Visit with Santa

What can I say...this picture says it all!

(Marc on left, James on right)

Best Friends

The other day James got mad at me because he burned himself on a hot pan after I told him not to touch it and constantly keep shooing him away from it. He touched it though and I tried to calm him down while he was crying and to see how badly he burned himself. However, he ran away from me and ran into his room where Marc was taking a nap. He went right to Marc's crib and sat right down next to where Marc was sleeping. I think he wanted Marc to make everything better since obviously it was all my fault. It was priceless!

Later in the afternoon after Marc woke up from his nap, the boys ended up watching TV together on the couch. James just wanted to be by his brother. He loves him so much!

And how cute is this...how many 21 month old boys would let some other kid lay on them? I think only if you're a twin. It was so cute to see them "cuddling" on the couch.

We are so lucky to have such wonderful boys. Even though there are times when I think I am going to go crazy, they are such well behaved boys and really love each other! There is no doubt that they are best friends.

Cuddle Time

Right now he is our easy going child and so much fun to be around. However, over the last few days he has been cranky and not himself. This morning was the worst by far, but dad was able to cheer him up with some back scratches and back rubs. Marc was in Heaven and so was dad. It was so cute!

Half Marathon...A Success!

I have always considered to be a sprinter over a long distance runner. When I was younger, I was always the fastest person on my soccer, softball and basketball teams. Since I was always among the fastest athletes, I preferred sprinting over long distance running. I always preferred to go fast so I could get the running over as quickly as possible. When I took anatomy at BYU, I learned that every one has slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. The slow twitch muscle fibers are found more in distance runners and fast twitch muscle fibers are found in long distance runners. Because of this and since I was fast and loved to sprint, I never gave much thought to running long distances...especially after I ran my first 5k in 2008 and I was so winded. However, over the last year, I needed to get back into shape and get my "athleticism" back that I felt I had lost. After I ran Pat's Run in April, I mentally and physically started preparing to run my first half marathon...and I did on Saturday! :)

Since I had worked so long to be able to run the half marathon, I got kind of nervous a couple weeks before the race. On my last long run, I ran 12 miles. I felt really good during the run, but a couple hours after I got home, I had some cramping in my stomach and didn't feel well. I was so worried that the same thing was going to happen after I ran the race. Fortunately it didn't! I loved completing the race most because it was something I worked towards for a long time and it was something I didn't think I could ever complete. As I kept passing the mile signs, I was more and more excited to finish the race and prove myself wrong...and I did! My goal was to run the race in less than 2 hours and 15 minutes and I accomplished that...barely! It was wonderful to see Billy and the boys at the last quarter of a mile cheering me on and I am grateful for their support!

Here I am rounding the last corner before heading into the stadium to the finish line. My cute little family was there cheering me on and gave me a little extra burst of energy to finish the race.

LaDawn and I after the race. Let me just say that I want to be like LaDawn when I grow up! She is an amazing runner!

Now it's time to figure out what race I will be doing next! People ask if I will do a full marathon next...the answer is no...I cannot see myself running for 4+ hours and I don't think I am ready for that challenge! :)

Veterans Day

This year, the boys and I had an opportunity to go to a Veterans Day parade in Mesa with our friends the Curry's. The boys loved watching the parade for about an hour. They were so quite and loved watching army tanks, boy scout troops and many American flags go by. I hope to be able to instill a love for America in our boys and hope that next year they will understand more what the parade was all about.

James and mom...by the time I got the camera out, James did not want to let go of me....so I had to take a self portrait of us! :)

Marc is eating his apple slice and intently watching the parade...priceless! :)

James, me and Marc all watching the parade together.

I am thankful for all the men and women who have served our country by being a part of the military. In the last ten years, I have known many people who have gone overseas, to Iraq or Afghanistan, to protect our freedoms and our country. I am so grateful for all of their service and the support, love and sacrifices their families make!

Halloween Festivities

This year we had lots of fun for Halloween. They boys dressed up as tigers and looked so cute! :) We were able to go to a couple Halloween activities to expose them to the fun holiday...Plus, I think Halloween is tons of fun for kids and I don't like dressing up so it is fun for me to dress up the boys!

The first thing we did for Halloween was go to a rest home that is about a mile from our house. There were a group of kids and mom's that all went together from our ward. They boys got to walk around and say Happy Halloween to the older people and it just made their day! There were a couple people who had candy to give out and that was a first for the boys. They definitely liked getting candy from people. Both Marc and James held onto a fun size Milky Way and Snickers for so long that they were melted by the time I took them away at home. They didn't really know what candy was until going to the rest home.

James, Marc, Stanton, Noelle and Winston all ready and waiting to go into the rest home.

A group shot of all the kids waiting to go inside the rest home. I think all the kids are anxious to get out of the heat and get inside! :)

Marc is holding onto the candy ready to dig in...if only he could open the wrapper! :)

Marc showing us a nice smile! :) (James just wanted me to hold him most of the time, so I didn't get many pictures of him. I think he was nervous to be some place new.)

The second Halloween activity we went to was a costume contest and trick or treating at our local Fry's grocery store. They boys won the costume contest for their age group and we got tickets to a performance of the Nutcracker in December. Can't wait! I think we have an advantage because everyone seems to love the boys costumes no matter what they are. They won the ward costume contest last year.

The Saturday before Halloween our church had a Trunk or Treat. Billy was gone at a Boys Scouts training ALL DAY so he missed the Trunk or Treat. The boys and I braved it on our own and we lasted about a half hour, but I couldn't survive much longer. 20 month old twin boys are A LOT of work and keep me on my toes 24/7. The boys had fun though going around to each car and putting their buckets up and getting candy. Nothing gets past them! :)

James (left) Marc (right) posing for a picture after Trunk or Treating. Neither one of them wanted to let go of their buckets. Can't blame them! :)

On Halloween, we went Trick or Treating for about 45 minutes with some friends. The boys were so curious to look in each new house and to find the pets that people had. They got tired quickly...I guess asking for candy is a lot of hard work!

We had such a fun Halloween and are so grateful for James and Marc. They bring so much happiness and fun times to our family!

Good-Bye Grandpa Dave

Eight days ago, Grandpa Dave left this earth and returned to his mother in the spirit world. We are sad that we lost him here on this earth, but we know that we will see him again. As we deal with his loss, it is important to remember the good times and what an amazing man he was.

As I remember Grandpa Dave, I remember how much he LOVED Marc and James and how he loved spending time with them. He was a quiet man and said few words, but by his actions, he showed his love.

In April, we went to Utah for Rowland's wedding and while we were there, we stayed with Grandpa Dave and Grandma Cathy. Grandpa Dave never had his own children, so when he married Grandma Cathy about 12 years ago, he inherited three kids and when he died, he had four grandchildren. While we were in Utah in April, Grandpa Dave spoiled our boys. He LOVED playing with them, holding them and loved buying them toys. He also was an avid fan of our blog. Since we live so far away, he would consistently check our blog for updates about the boys. He printed out each post and compiled them into a binder. We will miss Grandpa Dave and even though the boys won't remember the memories of him, Billy and I will always remind them of how much their Grandpa Dave loved them. Other than Billy and I, I think Grandpa Dave was the boys Number 1 Fan!

The gospel of Jesus Christ brings such comfort when dealing with death. I know that we will see Grandpa Dave again and I know that our boys will know of his love. While we will miss him here on earth, mortality is but a small moment and we will all be able to see him again some day. We love you Grandpa Dave and thank you for loving our family so much!

Trouble

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear your boys knocking in the laundry room?

Yep, you find James in the dryer because he climbed in and Marc shut the door.

What can I say...never a dull moment!

Our Darling Boys!

The boys and I were in California for about two weeks earlier this month. While we were there, my sister Kelly and her girls and the boys and I walked to the park close to my parents house. The boys had tons of fun playing on the playground in beautiful weather. While we were there, Kelly did an impromptu photo shoot of the boys. She got the cutest pictures of James right away, but Marc was a little stubborn, so Kelly took that as a challenge to get good pictures of Marc. I think she did a great job. Our boys are so precious!

Cute Marc just laughing away. I love his laugh!

I love this picture because Marc is just strutting his stuff! Do we have a future model on our hands?

James...such a happy boy...as long as he is not sick!

This picture makes my heart melt...I love the one eye poking out and that darling smile!

The Dirty Dozen 10k Race

I am scheduled to run a half marathon in November. With this being the case, I was adamant of running a 10k while I was in California this summer, since you can't really run races in the Phoenix valley during the summer. I signed up for the Dirty Dozen 10k and was nervous to run 6.2 miles outside. I have run that far many times on the treadmill, but it is different to run outside. While I was in California, the boys were sick with the stomach flu the whole time. The night before the race, I was worried that I was also coming down with the stomach flu. The morning of the race, I felt the same way. I was nervous to run so far without having a guarantee that there would be a bathroom whenever I needed. Even with all these types of thoughts going through my head, I decided that I had signed up and I would regret not running it. So my mom, the boys and I hopped in the car and headed down to Pinole, CA.

When we got the the race site, it was so cold and windy! The temperature was in the high 50's and the wind was blowing strong. We loaded up the boys and bundled them up in their blankets and headed up the hill to the starting line. I was nervous but resilient to my commitment to run the race. Right before the race started, I put my iPod on and went to start the music. But it didn't turn on...Bummer! I always run while watching TV or listening to music, so this made me even more nervous to be running without any kind of distractions. Before I knew it though, the buzzer sounded and we were all on our way running. I didn't run the course as quickly as I wanted, there were a lot of hard hills and the wind held me up too, but let me just say that I am so glad I ran it!

It was amazing to run along side the bay and listen while the ships were being loaded. We ran along a peninsula, so we were able to see the bay on most of the run. It was beautiful!!! I am grateful that my iPod didn't work so I could enjoy listening to the waves crash, the boats being loaded and the other runners feet hitting the ground. It was a great experience and I am thankful that I pushed myself to do it. Next on the running checklist...the half marathon in November!
James chillin in the stroller while I was running. My mom said they were perfect! :)

Marc chillin in the stroller...I was a bad mom and had them wearing shorts because the weather report said it was going to be in the 70's. Sorry boys!

My coming to the finish line after 6.2 miles! The guy behind me was older and he and I kept up with each other throughout the whole race. I that is one of the fun things of running races is that you find other people running at your same pace and almost play tag throughout the race.

Here I am before loading into the car and heading home. You can see the bay in the background. It was so beautiful!!!

Growing Up

Our little boys are growing up! Today when we were at church and they both were happily playing with other kids and people, I realized that our little boys are growing up WAY TOO FAST! When we are out in public, people still refer to them as babies, but I have news for you...they are little boys! It is a reminder that I need to cherish every moment we have with them because they will want nothing to do with us before we know it. Tomorrow they will be 17 months old and both Marc and James are changing daily. Marc loves to climb up on the kitchen chairs and then onto the table. James loves to flirt with girls and flash his dimples at everyone. Marc and James both love blowing kisses, saying bye and waving and say a few other words like door and done.

Both Marc and James love to sweep the floor. They are so fascinated with the broom, that I sometimes think it's their favorite toy!

One day the boys were playing by the front door. James started to make funny noises and so I went to check on them and found him like this. I guess he wanted to play in the laundry basket! It amazes me how much our boys are growing up! They are doing the cutest things...by just mimicking what Billy and I do.

Marc is playing on the train and James in the laundry basket. (notice James has shaving gel :)) They are definitely little boys!

15 Month Check-Up

Our boys turned 15 months old! I can't believe how quickly the time flies! It is so fun seeing how their personalities are developing more and more. I love that they can understand us and sometimes they purposefully disobey and just smile about it (especially James). They think they are so funny too.

Marc has bit James a couple times and left bruises, but I think he knows now that he is not supposed to bite. Thank goodness! Something that is funny though is that both James and Marc pretend to bite my toes all the time and get so close and turn and smile at me. It is so cute!

The boys aren't saying too many words. They say mom and dad but that is about it. The doctor had told me previously that she wanted them to say three words at their 15 month check up. Billy and I were worried that they hadn't reached that milestone. The doctor reassured me though that they are fine and twins often talk later than single babies since they speak their own language. And they definitely talk to each other in their own language. It's so cute!


James at 15 months old. He weighs 23lbs 7.5 ounces and is in the 25th-50th percentile. He is 32 1/2 inches tall which places him in the 75th-90th percentile. James' head is still on the smaller side. It is 18inches in circumference which puts him in the 25th percentile.

Marc at 15 months old. He weighs 25lbs and 8.5 ounces which puts him in the 50th percentile. He is 32 inches tall and puts him in the 75th percentile. His head is 19 inches in circumference which is in the 75th percentile too.

This is a typical sight I see at home. The boys love to throw their food on the ground. Most of the time it's not because they don't like it, but I think they like to "save it for later!" Once I get them down and cleaned up, they almost always go back to the high chairs and clean up after themselves. Love it!

Utah Trip

We went to Utah for a week after Easter for cousin Rowland's wedding. We were able to see both Billy's and my family. Unfortunately, I didn't take enough pictures, especially when we got to Salt Lake. :(

We left after Billy got off work on Monday and drove to Vegas to stay the night. Tuesday morning we loaded up the car and headed to my Grandma's house in Saint George. My Aunt Susan and Uncle Tony live next door, so we were able to see them too. We hung out and had Taco Time (Billy's fav) together and it was fun to see the boys interact with their Great Grandma Watts and Great Aunt and Uncle too.

Marc is playing with the blocks that Great Grandma Watts had for them to play with

We were able to get a group shot with Great Grandma Watts, James, me, Billy Great Grandma and Marc.

Great Grandma helping Marc walk. Both he and James could walk, but it was one of the first times they walked on grass and were a little unsure of it. It was so cute.

I love, love, love this picture of James!

After spending the afternoon with my grandma and aunt and uncle, we drove to Orem to see my Uncle Nick and Aunt Wilda. We stayed with them for two nights, but I didn't take any pictures at all. We also were able to see my former roommates Laura, Monica and Elizabeth, and Kyle too. No pictures of that either! :(

On Thursday we drove to Salt Lake and stayed the rest of the time with Billy's family. We stayed with his mom and Dave and the boys had a GREAT time! They love all the toys, attention and keyboard that Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Dave gave them. We brought the keyboard home and still love it. They play it just about every day! Thank you Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Dave for loving our boys so much. They love both of you and it is so fun to watch you guys interact with them and build relationships...we are grateful for everything you do for our little family. Thank you and we LOVE YOU!!!

James loves the ducky that quacks at you and it can even go in the bath tub. Marc still tips over the basketball hoop, picks up the basketball hoop and drags it across the floor. I swear that thing is all over our house. :)

James smiling for the camera!

On Saturday April 30th, Rowland married Amanda in the Draper Utah Temple. It was a beautiful ceremony and both of them looked so happy! Billy was cute and said that was by far the happiest he has ever seen Rowland. We are so happy for the two of them!

Amanda and Rowland coming out of the temple. The reaction to Amanda's dress was priceless. Everyone loved it! I found out later that Amanda designed the dress. I think she did an amazing job! The reception was beautiful too. It was at Sundance up the Provo Canyon and it snowed the whole time. There was a river that ran right outside the reception hall and it was beautiful!

Amanda was living in Provo, so we had the opportunity to transport her stuff from Provo to Phoenix. Let's just say that all of our stuff and her stuff just barely fit. We were so grateful for the opportunity to transport everything and to use the Cunningham's truck.

We had a great time seeing and visiting with our family. I promise I will take more pictures next time because I already regret that I don't have any of Grandma Cathy or Grandpa Dave...sorry!

Easter 2011

We had a good Easter this year. It was laid back and relaxed but the boys LOVED the Easter Eggs. It is so cute! We went to church, had Easter Baskets for the boys, and went over to Uncle Bob and Aunt Shelley's for Easter dinner. We love our family and especially our little boys. It is amazing how fast they have grown up from last Easter to this Easter. Crazy!!!


The Easter Baskets...bubbles, candy (which they didn't eat:)) and eggs which they still love to play with!

Marc is putting a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup in his mouth...I guess it looked so good!

James playing with an Easter Egg!

Of course they decided that everything looked better outside the basket instead of inside it. James is tipping it over with Marc encouraging him...We love messes!

Marc (left) and James (right)

At Uncle Bob's and Aunt Shelley's, Marc is loving the yellow chick that Preston got in his Easter Basket.

We love our family and had fun celebrating with our family here in Arizona. We miss everyone that lives out of state...California and Utah. Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Our First Hair Cut!

So, we finally got the boy's hair cut! I was in love with Marc's curls and didn't want to chop them off...but I must say, it was time! I think both boys look totally different and more grown up. This also true because the boys are both walking all over the place (More about that in a different post).

We went to an Easter Egg hunt on Thursday morning, (thanks Kimmie) and I thought there were some good pictures of the boys' hair. You can see how long their hair was. During the egg hunt, the boys found one egg each. That was it, but that is all they needed! :)

Notice Marc's curl...almost a mullet...

Here James is playing with his egg...notice the long "bangs"

Our good friend Julie was doing my hair yesterday, so she so kindly fit the boys in! Thanks Julie!!! Here Marc and I are hanging out in the chair right before the cutting began.

Here Marc's hair is after it's done! He did such a great job. He didn't cry or squirm or anything! He was sooooo good! He looks so handsome with his new hair cut and he looks so old. I have to admit that a little part of me misses the little baby curl, but I will have to get over it!

James is frantically holding onto me. Let's just say that James did not enjoy the process as much as Marc did. He was a little concerned about the scissors and the shears. Fortunately, the hair cutting was a success and we got...

This cute cut! James...you are so handsome and now your hair is all even...no long baby hair on top or the thick hair on the back of your head. I am so proud of you!

Here is a close up of James' hair while he is eating dinner! Love the cute expression!

Here is a close up of Marc's hair. Their hair is so short, and it's so blond, that it all blends into their head.

Here is a warning for everyone...I think the boys look more a like with their hair cut. So for those of you that struggled telling them a part before, good luck now! :)