Mr. Potato Head Creation

I was so proud when I saw the front of this Mr. Potato Head.

And when I turned him around... it was even better!!

6 Flags Adventure

Derek and I felt so cool. We decided to join Auntie Fran, Uncle Bill, and Angela on a spur of the moment trip to 6 Flags. Spur of the moment...meaning 8 hours before we planned to go. We had a great time, rode three roller coasters (front seat on two of them), and felt like we were 25 again! Thank you for a great evening!

Miss. Emma loves her carousel rides. Love the excitement in her eyes :)

Not so much excitement here... 

Flying the airplanes, notice how both are steering with their right foot!

We may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves on this one... 

A pirate ship that went back and forth but also spun in circles. Woofster!

This is more our speed, driving in the cars.

First ride on the ferris wheel!

Amelia and her daddy.

Emma and Angela. Emma was supposed to be sitting opposite of Angela but her kung foo grip prevented that from happening. 

Big girl swings. 

That's my nose UB!

We ended the night playing on a playground that was perfect for the girls.

Favorite pic of the day: "CAUTION Do Not Climb"

In case you were wondering...

After about 6+ years of having not been on a roller coaster, this is how we decided to ease back into it. We opted to be wild and crazy and sit in the front row. As the ride started we were pulled backwards up the ramp on the left, see arrow. We watched the ground move further and further away. Once we came to a stop and all was silent, we both yelled out to each other... "What are we doing?? We have kids to think about?? We are so dumb!" And then without a further thought we were released and launched  through the ride at an incredible speed. At the end of the ride, we both agreed that we felt at least 5 years younger and we were ready for another!

The last ride of the night was our third roller coaster and the last thing I remember is screaming at the top of my lungs "OH MY GOD, MY LEGS ARE GOING TO GET CUT OFF." It was so much fun, thanks again for a great night!

Playing with Grandma Debi

While we were at Meghan and Tom's wedding, 

Grandma Debi came over and played with us! 

 Even Grandma thinks your silly!

Big girls swimming.

So much sass!

Mastering the double push!

Sitting with Grandma.

Thank you for watching us Grandma Debi, we love you!

Congratulations Meghan and Tom!

We spent a beautiful July afternoon celebrating the marriage of two great people, Meghan and Tom. It was a lovely day surrounded by great company. Congratulations Meghan and Tom, we wish you a lifetime of happiness!

The Bride being walked down the aisle by her father. 

Mr. and Mrs.

A day with no kids!

  We clean up nice :)

Table 1.

Sisters.

Cutest man ever.

Uncle John and Maureen dancing

Girl cousins with Uncle Joe

Boys with UJ 

The girls

And then everything changed after the photo booth...

Seven of us here... but we have another strip with 13 people. 

Here's some of the behind the scenes:

The Joe's in funny hats!

It's a good look JJ...

Sweet shades!

Nice hair UJ :)

Where's Waldo?

Breaking it down.

 Party in the USA!!

July 31st

For Amelia and Emma's actual birthday we celebrated with more cake and balloons!

 First we sang to baby A, Amelia.

 Then we sang to baby B, Emma B.

Emma was not shy about going face first into her cake.

Good thing we had ice cream cake for everyone else...

And a birthday wouldn't be complete without presents.

Two Doc McStuffin's doctor bags from AK!

And Jake's pirate ship!!

And they also got Loon's that sound just like the real thing that they love to cuddle!

I think they had a really great birthday. 

Thank you to everyone for making their 2nd birthday unforgettable! 

Another year in pictures

Auntie surprised us with one of her beautiful slideshows for the girls second birthday. Thank you so much! I know they will cherish it always... and will one day appreciate all the nights you stayed up working on it!

Two Year Stats

Amelia Jane
Weight: 25lbs 9oz, 35 %
Height: 2 feet 9 inches, 41%

Emma Jane
Weight: 26lbs 5oz, 46%
Height: 2 feet 10.5 inches, 69%

Here's a little look back:

Today

One Year Ago

Two Years Ago

Dear Amelia and Emma,

Happy second birthday little girls. Two years. Two amazing years. Two amazingly crazy years! This is a milestone for not only you but for your dad and I as well. We are very proud to say that we've survived two years of parenting you both. Every day you remind us why we chose to become parents. The smiles, the mommas and daddas, the funny faces, the giggles, and the melt your heart hugs that you give, just because. You give the best kisses in the world. You both walk around the house with your lips puckered up, just waiting to give a kiss. But before things get too sappy, there are also the moments when we think to ourselves..."what is going on here, how did we lose control, they are two, we are adults." But those moments fade too. We have survived two years together, and loved every second.

Amelia,

From day one, I knew you would be the goof ball. Always laughing and entertaining, you will do just about anything for a smile. Dance, make a silly noise, burp, fart, pour water over your head, pick your nose, you name it, and it's always followed up with a brush of the hair out of those wide silly eyes, and little smirk. You still make the funniest faces, your favorite right now is a "sad face", which you will do on command. It consists of sad, squinted eyes and a quivering lower lip. I have no idea where you come up with this stuff! You love playing hide and seek(but not really so much the seek part). I know the day is coming when you decide to play "hide" in a store - you keep me on my toes little girl! Your favorite places to hide are in the curtains, on the side of your bed, next to the television, in the dog cages, and on your dad's side of the bed. You wait very quietly and patiently, sometimes I don't even know it's a game until I find you and you scream out so excitedly. I love being with you everyday and watching how your imagination is expanding.

Looking at you today, nobody could ever tell that you were 8 weeks premature. Stayed in the hospital for a month and a half. Needed physical therapy to help you learn to sit, crawl, and walk. You amaze me every day. You run everywhere you go. You jump for the fun of it. You climb stairs. You love playing with other kids. You love food...especially ketchup (sorry, you get that from me.) You will try anything once and more often than not, will clean your entire plate. You have an increasing vocabulary. Not only can you say momma and dadda but now you can say Emma. (Sorry, I guess we weren't really thinking about Emma being easier to pronounce when we named you. But for now Emma calls you "Sis".)

Having a sister is hard, and having a sister that is the same age as you is even harder. From very early on you have been great at sharing. When Emma is upset because you have something she wants, you almost always share with her. When you run and get your blanket out of your bed, you will always come back with two. My favorite is when you sit down on the floor and pat the spot next you, waiting for her to join you. You love your sister so much and she loves you just as much. It makes my heart happy to see the friendship that has grown between you both. We love you Amelia Jane, you are our little ray of sunshine.

Emma,
From day one I knew you would be the cuddle bug. The other day, I was sitting in your room watching you play and for no reason you reached your arms around my back and leaned your head into me. It really doesn't get any better than that. You are sensitive, kind, love a cozy blanket, and can tear a room apart in 5 seconds flat. Although you are a bit more serious than your sister, you're not quiet by any means. You love to be heard with your squeals and laughs. When the tickle monster is on the loose, watch out cause your laughter will fill the house. You are the first to bring me a book and the first to go get another...and another. I love reading to you, and love it even more when you pretend to read back to me. You play for hours and hours. Your favorite things to do are building with legos, taking care of your babies, swinging on the swing set, making Mr. Potato head, coloring, and playing with stickers. I love to watch you with stickers because each time you peel off a new sticker, you place it right on top of the one you just put down. I love being with you everyday, watching the excitement on your face when you figure out something new.

I have watched you grow from a teeny newborn into an independent, determined, self-assured little girl who has her mind made up about absolutely everything. You are fearless and that makes me proud. Forget about walking - you run everywhere, jump all the time, secretly open the gate and climb the stairs. Climbing on everything, even when it gives everyone around you a heart attack. You love jumping off the couch. You love pulling the cushions off the couch and jumping on it like it's a trampoline. But at the end of the day, you love grabbing your blanket and paci and cuddling up on the couch. That alone makes the stress of day worth it!

You love Amelia, aka "Sis". You love when she copies you. You love to copy her. You love to toss your toys into her bed. You love to give her hugs, hold her hand, and even give her kisses. If she gets a "boo boo" you make sure she has her "boo boo bunny." You will insist on getting two of everything (banana's, hair bows, socks, you name it) and most of the time you will bring the second to your sister. You don't always give the second item to her, but it's the thought that counts... You are a bit of a hoarder (sorry you get that from your dad.) We love you Emma Jane, you are our little ray of sunshine.

Amelia and Emma,
You are so much more amazing than I could have ever dreamed. Sometimes when I look at your sweet faces I can't believe how lucky I am to be your mom. I love going back and reading past letters I've written to you and looking at old photos. As each day passes, it's hard to see the changes, but reading about where we were two years ago, a year ago, or even six months ago really shows how far we've come and how quickly you change. The last 365 days have been the most exciting, and exhausting, of our lives. We are so lucky to be the ones to hold you when you cry, kiss your boo boos, and snuggle you at night. We count our blessings that this year we only made one emergency room visit, haven't colored on any of Auntie's walls, and have only gone swimming in the toilet a handful of times.

Welcome to your third year. A year that will bring the joys of potty training, big girl beds, no more paci's, and the never ending question of "why?". I have a feeling that the next 365 days will be just as exciting, if not more, than the last 365! Thank you for giving us so much happiness and joy. We love you little girls.

Love, Mom

How old are you?

TWO!!

Today is a special day....

It's our Mom's birthday!  

Thank you for making all of our days happy ones - we love you momma!

~A&E