Sunday

1. Cameron is exploring, learning, and growing
Both boys are growing up so much but it is extra fun right now to watch Cameron grow and learn every single day. He explores, tests his limits, and then continues to the next adventure. He is determined, stubborn, and persistent. It doesn't phase him when I say "no." He just stares at me and continues to be destructive. And yes...he does know what "no" means....he just doesn't really care. Here are some pictures of when he taught himself to pull the safety plugs out of the wall.

2. Fall

This fall weather has been great. The boys love to be outside. It is freezing in the morning and warms up in the afternoon. We have been super busy with play dates, appointments, and runny noses. Sorry that I never update the blog. Now that they crawl everywhere it is hard to find time to actually sit down and write. These pictures are from an evening this past week when we were playing outside.

3. New Toys

Birthdays are AWESOME. We have so many new toys that the boys love. Here is a picture of Cameron in the new car. They do great just playing in the toy room. They are usually playing with the same toy. They are starting to fight over the toys and it is pretty funny...right now. I am sure it will be a disaster soon. I am able to put them in the toy room while I wash dishes, do laundry, and clean up the last meal. We also have a huge play house that we got from the Fangs and it is a HIT. We will be playing with that thing for the next 10 years!!

These pictures are from a morning when the boys were playing together....sort of.

Owen doesn't look to thrilled that Cameron wants to play with the same toy....

So Cameron decided to bite Owen's finger....

4. My hair

Amongst the madness of this week I was able to get my hair cut and colored. It is nice to get a trim and get a fresh color. Even though I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open, it is nice to feel like a real adult.

5. Friends

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This week has been fun....and busy. I am a lucky girl to have such great friends. Wednesday night Shelby came over after work to catch up. That night ended up being a late night of moving furniture, listening to Deuces on YouTube, and pouring a full teapot of water on the floor....who are we??? I couldn't function on Thursday and during our play date Tanya cleaned my kitchen and washed my dishes. It was amazing. The rest of the afternoon I walked by my clean dishes grateful to have such a good friend.

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Last but not least....this flower sits next to my sink right now. I feel like I spend a lot of the day washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. Fresh flowers are a favorite...so it really brings a smile to my face.

The boys are a year old!!

1. Sleep
In a few short minutes I am going to take a nap...hopefully for a few hours before I go to work.

2. Catching up on chores
This weekend I have been able to get laundry done, dishes, and hopefully make a few meals for the next week.

3. Laura working nights
Friday night Laura Hoover worked the entire night. It was great to have her there and at one point I was actually laughing so hard, for such a long time, I was crying. Quote of the night: "Why do planes have windows if when pilots look out all they see are clouds? Like what are they looking at anyways?"

4. Forward facing car seats
It happened!! I turned the car seats around and I can now see the boys when I drive. It is a whole new world.

5. One year old
I can't believe a year ago I just had the boys, was looking forward to leaving the hospital, and spending hours in the NICU. This year has been crazy, it has been wonderful, and it makes me look forward to the years ahead with these two little monsters.

Here are some more pictures from the birthday weekend!!

Birthday Party!!

1. Help
I got not tell you enough how grateful I am for my family's help. They essential put on this amazing party. Not only did they make all the food but they watched the boys on Saturday while I was gone, and set everything up this morning. I could not survive without them. Thank you is just not enough.

2. Beautiful day
Holy moly it was wonderful out today. Perfect day for a first birthday party.

3. My bed
Ok...so I am exhausted. This is going to be a QUICK post. The boys are asleep and I plan to be there in a few short minutes.

4. Birthday gifts
Lots of new toys, hundreds of diapers, gift cards, and tons of new books. Yay to birthday parties!!!

5. Amy's wedding weekend
What a STUNNING bride. I had a blast this weekend at Amy's wedding. From the rehearsal dinner to the late night dancing, it was a blast. They are off to Hawaii tomorrow and I can't wait to see all the pictures. She did a great job planning. FUN FUN FUN!!!

Owen refused to take a nap today...which was fine...no melt downs. As you can see in this picture he is exhausted. When the boys are tired they refuse to look at the camera. Strange...I know.

We had 11 kids here. Ten of them were three years old or younger.

Help

1. The new shed doors
This deserved to be on the list a few weeks ago. My shed looked like a mess sitting in my yard but my dad gave it a face lift and now it is beautiful. New paint, new doors....it is like a whole new shed.

2. Cleaning
So thankful for the visits from my parents when my mom cleans the highchair trays, the bottles, and the kitchen. I feel like I always have a rag in my hand and I am constantly cleaning. So grateful when it is done for me.

3. Amy's wedding
I am excited for Amy's wedding this weekend. She has put so much time, energy, thought, and emotion into this huge event. She is great with details and it is going to be a blast.

4. Night of sleep
I have not been able to sleep much lately because of working at night. Last night my parents took the boys at the last minute, I turned off my phones, and I went to sleep. Wow it was wonderful.

5. Taking time off
With Amy's wedding this weekend and the birthday party on Sunday I decided to use some PTO and take the weekend off. I am pretty excited not to work for a week. I might still pick up late Sunday night because my checkbook will not be thrilled about this decision.

Wednesday

1. Apple Pie
I made apple pie for the first time last week. It turned out pretty good. I still have tons of apples left.

2. The boys are at my feet
So this doesn't happen every day...but most. The boys want to hang out with me most of the time. (Which yes...is wonderful.) When I was making the apple pie they were just sitting at my feet so I opened up the cabinets. As you can see...my cooking station on the counter and my little men right there at my feet.


3. Wednesday
This week has been dragging for me. I haven't worked out, the boys have been sick, and nap time has not been on schedule. I actually can't even believe it is only Wednesday!

4. Bananas
These are Owen's new cheerios. His eyes light up and he starts to get excited when he sees me grab a banana.

5. Therapy
Cameron still has therapy twice a week. The hour gives me a workout. I have to keep Owen occupied not in the toy room, but still keep my eye on Cameron to see what is happening. Owen's only goal for the hour is to play with Julie or Linda (the therapists) and all of the toys that they bring. So basically he is in my arms for an hour. This picture is from therapy yesterday morning.

Weekend

1. Dinner
Last night the grandparents came over for dinner and play with the boys. It was great to enjoy a beautiful evening together.


2. Owen helping with dishes
No...Owen does not help with dishes but he is trying to do things that I do. He is always at my feet helping me with laundry, dishes, vacuuming....

3. Maternity clothes
These clothes are so freaking comfortable. I am trying to weed all of my clothing of huge, unattractive attire but it is just to hard. Last night I realized that my entire outfit was maternity...I added a picture so you can see how awesome I look in over sized clothes.

4. Camera

I am glad that I have a camera so I can catch small things in our lives. Here is Cameron about 30 minutes ago trying to take a nap. He kept talking in his crib so I went in to see what was going on. He was thrilled to see me. He was laughing and smiling, but also had his legs stuck. Now he is asleep and I am catching up on life.

5. The weekend

It is another weekend. I have people coming over to help watch the boys and I am off to work. Owen is feeling a little under the weather so I am taking him to Kara this afternoon. It is beautiful out and I am excited to be able to spend my time hanging out with them this weekend when I am not at the hospital.