What A Smile A Mess Can Bring

I can't even remember what Chad purchased that came in this box but the girls were more than thrilled to jump in and play.

It was a huge mess but that look of pure joy on Violets face made it all worth it. It's all about the simple things.

Fun in Houston

Are you ready for a serious picture over load?? We had so much fun in Houston. Here is just a glimpse. (I promise, I was selective with my photos.) I had two little munchkins greet me first thing Sunday morning. My bed was nice and cozy. 

Blend in.... think camouflage.

Ethnie locked herslef in her room during her nap. Have you ever tried asking a 21 month old to unlock a door? She was giggling the whole time. When we finally got it open she was just laying there smiling in her pack n play. Next item of business... moving her bed!

The girls and I made a fort. 

Complete with window A/C units. :)

The cutest litte cow with a nasty head bonk. Poor Benicio!

There were presents!

Someone was excited.

 

E was seriously spoiled! Thank you Aunt Janet!

For quite some time I have wanted to get Mom some personalized clothing tags so that she could make her special gifts to the grandchildren just that much more special. Janet took the bull by the horns and got her some for Christmas. I think she liked them ;).

There were lots of baths... some of which included an Elmo bib.

There was mischief. Ethnie loved pushing the buttons on the fridge. She would push the stepping stool all the way from the bathroom, moving items out of her way as she went so she could reach. 

It was a fun game.

There was cuteness and slobbers. 

There was technology most of which the children operated by themselves. 

Mom joined Instagram and was a bit disappointed when her first post didn't work. :(

There were treats, goodies and delicious foods. 

There was lots of dancing! One of the favorites was the Freeze dance.

Ethnie's signature move. 

There was lots of snuggling!

 

 There were outdoor adventures.

E loved playing outside. I made me wish that our little court yard was all grass!

There were smiles!

 But most importantly, there was family. 

First Flight

 I was a bit nervous flying with two under two. obviously I couldn't do it alone. I was so glad to have Mom Tobler with me! We looked like a three ring circus boarding the plane with E crying, Mom's arms loaded and little Duke in my arms. Once we were seated however, everything was fabulous. We were lucky enough to have a empty seat between us which made ALL the difference. Most of our flight looked like this however...

 Both Peanut and the Little Man fell asleep almost instantly (I suppose that's what we get for waking them up at 4:00 a.m.)

 Of course Elmo had to make the trip too. He was rather excited about looking out the window...

 ... and playing with the kids. 

It was a good flight and the children were incredible! Let the Houston Fun BEGIN!!

My Birthday Pt 2 & 3

I was planning on having a party but once my birthday arrived I was so glad I decided not too. Between packing, cleaning, and getting everything ready for our trip to Houston, having a party was the last thing on my mind. We kept everything very low key. I took E to McDonalds to play in the PlayPlace with our Mommies group. It had been raining for a while. For the first hour or so E just stood outside of the playground watching and jumping. She finally made her way into he tunnel and I was quite proud of her. 

I spent the afternoon trying to stay warm, cuddling my babies and finishing up the never ending laundry!

Mom and Dad Tobler came over in the evening and they brought dinner and dessert. It was delicious. Thank you so much!

Once we arrived in Houston the festivities continued with a Tobler tradition of everyone sitting on my lap and telling me why they loved me. 

I love, love {love} this picture of Janet and I. I really don't know how I got so blessed with not only marrying into such a fabulous family, but I also got four incredible sister-in-laws. One of those sisters is Janet. It's amazing to me how close we are. I suppose that is because neither of us grew up with a sister of our own. Janet is such an amazing example to me and I look up to her so much. She really worked hard to make me feel extra specail on my birthday. THANK YOU SISTER! 

The girls helped decorate a cake, complete with easter bunnies and eggs. It was perfect. 

Combine that with turkey pizza and you have the best birthday ever! It has been a wonderful year and I had such a wonderful birthday week! Thank you to everyone who helped make it special!