Flashback Friday: Exploring the World
Loving the flowers and petals! Brina in the purple and Karlie in the pink.
Today’s Flashback Friday takes us back to when the girls were just over a year old. They loved exploring new things. Now that they were constantly on the move they were getting into all kinds of things around the house. Thankful for these little blessings and for the opportunity to watch them grow up.
Their smiles always brighten my days!
Love their cute little pinchable and kissable cheeks!
My little sweet peas are growing up too fast!
Flashback Friday: Happy 5th Birthday!
Karlie with her Rocket Cake and Brina with her Princess Castle Cake made by Aunt Kristen!
Today we flashback to February 2010 when the girls turned 5 years old! It was a fun birthday party at our house. We did a dual theme for the girls this year which was a lot more work than I initially realized! Karlie was really into space and rockets while Brina was into princesses.
Half of the house and party was about Space and the other half was about Princesses. The nice part about the theme is that it appealed to both the boys and girls who attended the party. We did a castle out of cardboard in Brina’s room and a rocket out of cardboard for Karlie that was put on the front porch.
Somehow we didn’t get a picture of Karlie’s room inside the house where we put black trash bags on all the walls, stuck glow in the dark planets and stars on them, and replaced the lights with black lights. It turned out really well, but it was darker so none of the pictures actually turned out which is a bummer.
Aunt Kristen made the beautiful and delicious cakes for the girls birthday, which they LOVED! The girls had a wonderful time celebrating their birthday and we are thankful for our family and friends who helped with the party and came out to make this day extra special for the girls. Thankful for the blessing of these two girls!
Checking out the cool rocket that Daddy, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Lee, and Uncle Josh stayed up after the kids went to bed to build.
They had no idea that the guys were building a rocket (and castle, see below) for them! As they were eating breakfast the guys rang the doorbell and “delivered” their special party props! They were so excited!
Karlie hugging her rocket (notice she is wearing her favorite rocket pjs)! Too cute! She was thrilled and kept going back outside to play with her rocket!
Had to check everything out!
After a few minutes of coming back into the house the back doorbell rang and the guys delivered the other party prop, a giant cardboard castle! Daddy, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Lee, and Uncle Josh worked on putting this together and painting it after the girls went to bed the night before the party. They were super excited!
The castle was huge! They are standing on chairs in order to peek through it! The castle was a big hit in the princess room!
Dad and Grandpa Russell putting the finishing touches on the castle! It had a tower, door, and even a roman numeral “V” flag on it!
Time for all the princesses and princes to come to the party! The castle was a big hit with all the kids!
Karlie all smiles as she sits by the easel. She loved coming outside to check on her rocket which was next to the easel!
Hanging out in her rocket as people started arriving. Very content to stay right there with her special rocket!
Brina’s princess cake turned out beautifully – thanks Aunt Kristen!
Karlie LOVED her rocket cake! Thank you Aunt Kristen!
Lighting the candles! Kristen put candles at the back of the rocket so it looked like it was taking off – so cool!
Getting something to eat and hanging out with cousins!
Grandma Penny and Brina putting a puzzle together! Super fun!
Flashback Friday: Giggles & Sweet Cheeks
Brina and Karlie all smiles!
Today’s flashback Friday takes us back a few years to 2005 when the girls were only 7 months old. They had the cutest pinchable and kissable cheeks during those early growing years. When they were not exploring, eating, or learning new activities they were giggling.
It was adorable when they would make each other laugh over something silly. After 12 weeks bedrest, a month in NICU, and 5 months on house arrest it was nice to get out and explore with the little ones. Although leaving the house with two infant carriers, diaper bag, purse, stroller, and all other little necessities at that age was quite an adventure in itself.
At that age they didn’t have much hair so we would use washable Elmer’s glue to stick their little bows to their heads, ha. When we gave them a bath it would come right off! It is difficult to believe that these giggling 7 month olds turned double digits last month! Time goes by quickly when your having fun.
Flashback Friday: Happy 3rd Birthday!
Happy 3rd Birthday Girls!
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to 2008 for the girls 3rd birthday! We did a Garden & Bug theme for this birthday party. It was neat seeing them getting excited as we decorated for the birthday party. They had a blast! It is amazing how quickly they are growing up.
The family is ready to celebrate at their 3rd birthday party! WooHoo!
Grandma Kay made the delicious birthday cakes for the girls. Brina had a bumble bee, Karlie had a ladybug, and the big cake was a flower garden. They looked adorable! Jake’s Mom makes some amazing cakes!
Brina and Karlie with Grandma Kay right before the birthday party!
Watching the candles as the guests sing Happy Birthday! So excited!
Checking out the candles and their cakes!
Karlie eating little bits while Brina digs right now!
Brina’s ready for clean up…I think it’s Jake turn to hose her down, ha!
Karlie eating her cake and enjoying the fun!
Snacking on their yummy party food!
When they were little we pulled the cooler up the counter so they could stand on it and “help” us cook. Food is ready now the party can begin!
Opening their birthday gifts!
Happy 10th Birthday Brina & Karlie! We Love You!
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!
Wishing our two beautiful daughters a very special 10th birthday! Today is a bitter sweet day. They now in the double digits which feels like such a big step in them growing up. We are so excited to be celebrating our twin daughters 10th birthday, but at the same time we are in shock that they could be turning 10 already. The time has gone by way too fast and our babies are growing up!
Thankful for these two amazing blessings in our life. There is not a day that goes by that we do not thank God for giving us these two precious gifts. God has richly blessed our lives with these sweethearts.
Brina and Karlie both fill our home with excitement, laughter, and a lot of fun activity. While they were born on the same day they could not be more different. Thankful for the gifts and talents God has given each one. Brina has a big heart for animals and Karlie has dreams of one day blasting off into space! We are proud of them and look forward to watching them grow up into beautiful young ladies.
Praying that God will continue to work in their hearts and lives this year as well as give us wisdom as parents in raising them. Wishing them a year packed for awesome memories, growth, good health, and so much more! Happy 1oth Birthday Brina and Karlie! We LOVE you more than you can imagine!!! Hope your birthday is truly OUT OF THIS WORLD!
We LOVE you!!!
Flashback Friday: Let’s Have a Ball – 2nd Birthday Party
Having a “ball” in the swimming pool ball pit!
Today’s Flashback Friday is about Brina and Karlie’s 2nd “Having A Ball” Birthday Party! In case you haven’t noticed for this month my flashback posts have primarily been about the girls early birthday parties. We had balls every where in the house! The kids loved it!!!
It is really cool to look back at the pictures and see how much they have grown. It has been a lot of fun seeing some of the great activities from the past. Thankful for the blessings of these two treasures in my life. They make me smile!
Look out here comes Brina, watch your toes!
Balls emptied out of the pool and filled with books. The girls are having a grand time.
Brina all smiles!
Karlie very concerned about her cake being on fire while Brina is digging in regardless of the candles.
Eating their birthday cakes – Karlie eventually ate her cake once the candles were removed.
Grandma Kay made two delicious birthday cakes for the rest of the group celebrating – a baseball one and beach ball!
What happened to our front door!?
Karlie having a grand time!
Our cousin Sam! So adorable!
Playing in the pool ball pit with Jack!
The only picture we shot of all four of us at this birthday party. Guess we got busy with the celebrations!
Loving their musical birthday cards from Grandpa Russell and Grandma Penny. They listened to them over and over again!
Jake looks like he is up to mischief…..wonder what he is planning to do with that big purple ball?!
Grateful for family and friends who joined us in celebrating the girls 2nd birthday!
Flashback Friday – Time Spent in the NICU
Karlie and Brina in their bed at the NICU!
Today’s flashback is to February 2005 when the two beautiful blessings were born – my daughters Brina and Karlie! After 12 weeks of permanent bed rest they came 7 weeks early and spent almost a month in the NICU. Thankfully, they spent the majority of their time in NICU sharing a crib. They looked so cute and all wrapped up together in their blanket. It is hard to imagine them being this tiny – Karlie was 3 pounds 15 ounces and Brina was 4 pounds 9 ounces when they were born.
At first they were not able to finish all their milk on their own so they had NG tubes. Jake had to hold up a syringe with the remaining milk and would drain directly into their little tummies! It wasn’t long before they were drinking their full portion on their own!
Sleeping beauties! Can you tell who is who?! Karlie is next to Mr. Duck and Brina is sleeping next to Miss Kitty
Heart Reflections: Raising My Girls
Sweet Brina Bee!
I am so thankful for my girls! They are growing up too quickly. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when they were little ones crawling around the house. God chose to bless us with these girls. It has been a fun adventure raising twins! Not everyday has been perfect, but we have so many reasons to be grateful for these two blessings. They have made me grow more as a person. They bring more love and laughter into my life than I ever realized was possible.
My sweet Karlie Kool Kat is always game for a road trip!
Both girls are very different, yet perfect and gifted in their own special ways. I pray that God will give us as parents the wisdom to raise them into amazing young women. I know I will make mistakes as their Mom along the way, but hopefully they will overlook those mistakes and know that I love them despite those not-so-good-moments. It is my prayer that they will seek God’s wisdom and direction in their lives.
I want to go through life focusing more on the good memories and letting go of the little things that get my feathers ruffled. Life is too short to not have fun, smile, and enjoy the blessings God gives us everyday. For those of you who are new to my blog these two girls were the inspiration for my blog, Blessings Multiplied. They continue to amaze me with their creativity, learning, talents, and their love for life! I look forward to many more awesome memories with these two sweet girls and seeing how God uses them to make an impact in the lives around them.
You Never Know….What You Might Find!
You never know what you may find in the clearance section at a store. During a quick trip to BiLo (a local grocery store) to grab a gallon of milk I noticed these two chairs sitting up in the front of the store. As I was speed walking past them to get the milk and I thought to myself that’s an odd place for two chairs and the second thought was those chairs are pretty cute! While standing in line waiting to check out they caught my attention again so I got out of line, went over to them and found out they were marked down to $2 (originally priced over $20). They were the last two chairs and the store was trying to move the final pieces of their seasonal stock. These are the only 2 chairs I have ever bought in a grocery store but it goes to show you never know what you may find when you go out to get a gallon of milk!
When the girls got home from school that day I had the two chairs set up in their room. They were excited and gushing over how “cute” the chairs were. I didn’t have to ask or tell them which chair was for who they knew instantly, that’s one of the joys of having twins with two very different personalities. Since then the chairs have been used for reading, watching TV, playing school and many other fun activities. Each girl has their own chair so their is no disagreements on who got the chair first or who has been sitting in it the longest…..do those types of conversations take place at your house too?!
The chairs are big enough the girls are comfortable, but small enough they can carry them from room to room. I love that they have so much personality with the smiling frog and cheerful ladybug! Sometimes it is worth it to take the extra minute to glance at the clearance section, you might find a something you need or a fun treasure. Although their favorite place to sit when we read a book together is still on our laps, which is fine with me because someday soon these precious days of them being little girls will be a thing of the past!
Raising Twins: Multiples Party at Shipwreck Cove
As I was going back through some of the pictures the last several months I realized I never posted anything about this great event (better late than never right!?). I have the privilege of being a part of the Upstate Mother’s of Multiples Club. It is a great group of Moms and families that have been supportive from the days when I was on bedrest and beyond. Once a season we get together with the families (Moms, Dads, and all the kids) and enjoy some fun activities. Here is a little taste of our adventure at Shipwreck Cove in Duncan, South Carolina:
Karlie ready to go down the slide. The girls love pools, water parks, and the beach (really anything with water, including splashing around in the tub). They had a blast swimming, sliding and tubing at Shipwreck Cove.
Mommy had a blast too! Honestly I am not sure had more fun….the little kids or the big kids! I enjoyed the many trips down the big slides, catching up with friends, floating along on the lazy river and swimming just as much as the girls did.
View from the top of the big slides (part of Shipwreck Cove Waterpark). When we first arrived at the water park it was pretty quiet other than our groups munchkins running and swimming around. As the day got later more people arrived, but we still had a blast.
Karlie going down the big slide all by herself. So proud of the girls for going down the big kid slides. I had a mixture of excitement and sadness to see how much they had grown up over the last few years. It was a wonderful day of memories for the whole family.
Brina going down the red slide again. Glad to see them having a blast at the water park! Brina’s favorite slide was the big red one that was open at the top, but she did try both slides.
Karlie getting sprayed by a water canon while floating on the lazy river. Karlie thought it was hilarious when she got sprayed by the canons as she was floating by. We went around the lazy river several times that day.
Brina waiting to go down the slide. This slide was on the “palm tree island” and a favorite to play on in between going down the big slides and floating along on the lazy river.
Karlie waiting for another turn on the big slides. The slides were a HUGE hit with Karlie girl! She didn’t mind standing in line to go down the slides again and again and again and again.
Brina enjoying the water jets. The water park was really nice. It did surprise us to find out the that water was “salt” water not fresh water.
Having fun in the water. Brina enjoying her time at the water park.
Pausing for a moment to let me take a picture. Glad for those quick pauses to take pictures.
Thankful for a great time playing with my family!
