Happy Birthday E & J

Our big 5 year olds.

We are officially the parents of 5 year old twin girls, for the second time. In case you missed that, the babies are FIVE YEARS OLD!! Turning 5 has been the buzz around here for a couple of months. I never realized what a huge deal it is to a 4 year old to turn 5. I don't recall the older kids being so excited to turn 5.

We've been hearing all about all the things that are going to happen when they turn 5. They will be as tall as their older sisters, they will be able to run faster, play soccer, participate in 4H projects,  start Kindergarten and of course learn how to tie shoes.  

Each and every morning for the last two weeks they have counted the days on the calendar to let me know how many more until they were 5. Their anticipation is adorable. It seemed the older ones were slightly annoyed with them, but we just had to remind them, they were just as silly when they were that age also. 

Their most desired gifts were Pillow Pets and girly Lego's , both of which they received. 

All last week we were very busy getting ready for the 5th birthday party. We had to finish painting the dining room and unpack the last couple of straggler boxes hanging around. There's nothing like an upcoming party to get you to finish a bunch of stuff around the house. 

Last Saturday we were surrounded by our family and friends and a ton of kids to help celebrate E and J's big milestone. We had a party at our house. It was our first gathering in our new home. It turned out great. It was so much easier to host a party here than it was at our old place. Our guests seemed to enjoy our backyard. Most of them stayed out there the whole time.

Emily and Julia picked out all of their own decorations and activities. We bought a bunch of bubbles at the dollar store along with noise makers (my husbands favorite, not!) and a pin the tail on the donkey game. They had a blast playing with all of the kids.

On their actual birthday, we let them choose most of the things they did all day. We took them out for breakfast and then we went to the store to spend some of the money they got. They were dying to get some tie up shoes. We had a bunch of free mini golf passes so we took them golfing for their first time. Instead of having cake again, we made root beer floats at home.

I'm working on (at my husbands suggestion) not being sad at the fact they are growing up, but just enjoying each stage as much as possible and looking forward to what is next. He's usually right and puts things into perspective so well.

Here are some pictures from the party:

Yay for Lego's

All 5 of our girlies

A few of our best friends and their babies

Pin the tail on the donkey

A, my mom and me

My dad and step-mom

My sister.
She's is now cancer free and on the road to recovery and very excited to be getting her hair back.

E and J!

Dessert and Cake Plates Tutorial

Sweetie Pie: Dessert and Cake Plates Tutorial: "This tutorial is for this lovely two tiered pedestal dessert plate and cake plates. This project is so easy it's almost embarrassing. ..."

Giraffe Diaper Cake and Frog Diaper Wreath

This post is linked to my craft blog.

Sweetie Pie: Giraffe Diaper Cake and Frog Diaper Wreath:

"This is my newest diaper cake and diaper wreath. Each one turns out different. I loved this one. My Diaper Cake tutorial can be found here..."

What's new?

We could escape the sickness no more. I have been hearing such horror stories from friends of mine who have been sick. Up until last week I could safely say that it had passed us by. And then..

Friday:

A week ago, Friday, Julia and Emily both came down with a stomach flu bug. The poor things got sick for over 12 hours. By the time they were feeling better, I was feeling sick and had a fever. I was down all day Sunday.

Monday:

By Monday, we were all better. It was a good thing too because, I had to drive my Mom out to San Francisco, to the airport. She and I had been taking care of my sisters dog and cats for the last 2 months. My sister and her husband were relocated by the military from Tucson to Hawaii (lucky ducks) and their pets weren't able to go yet. If they would have taken them, they would have had to be in quarantine for 8 weeks,and it would have cost a fortune. There hadn't been enough time since their last shots to be able to avoid quarantine. Once they were to that point, we sent them on a plane. That alone actually cost them a small fortune. We were all sad to see Buster (the dog) go. He was here nearly everyday and we all fell in love with him. Emily, especially. He had never been around kids before and he loved it. He is a fabulous kid dog.

Thursday and Friday:

Things were going well until Thursday. Julia and I both started having a sore throat, then the body aches came, then the fevers and finally the torturous headache. Oh man. It was terrible. Julia started coughing. I made some of this Natural Cough Syrup that Zsuzsanna had posted on her blog last month. It surprisingly tasted pretty good, sort of like, teriyaki. Kiley and August helped out so much and cooked dinner for themselves, Emily and Daddy.  By the next morning, it was worse. Julia was running a really high fever. I don't like to give them medicine (but will if absolutely necessary), so I was searching for natural fever reducers. I didn't want to take her fever away completely because obviously it had a job to do. I was just a little stressed about it being 104. Julia, does tend to get fevers often and they can run high. I got two small wash cloths and soaked them in Apple Cider Vinegar and placed one on her chest and tummy and the other on her forehead. The smell is not very pleasant but she didn't seem to mind. Within an hour her fever was down to 100. I was actually quite surprised. After another half-hour she was down to 99 and up and playing with her sisters. I spent the entire rest of the day in bed with the worst headache ever. It had several migraine characteristics, which led me to take a migraine pill. It did absolutely nothing. I could hardly move it hurt so much. Again, Kiley and August were such a huge help. They took care of their sisters all day.. I'm not sure I physically could have done anything at all. Adam stopped and picked up dinner on the way home. By the next morning, Julia and I were much better.

Saturday:

Saturday afternoon we all went to Haley's two volleyball games. It was a fun time. She sure has a mean volleyball arm.

After the games, we took all of our girls to Adam's parents house for the night. My in-laws were having all of their grandkids over. I got to hold a sweet tiny baby while I was there. I love holding bitty babies. It is always amazing that a human being can be so teeny. I love baby smell and how soft their hair is. Ahhhhh.....

Adam and I took advantage of the "kid free" night and went out to dinner. It was so nice, and the food was so yummy. We got to just sit and talk for an hour. As we drove home we laughed about how "old" we were now. It was only 9:30 and we were ready to be at home sleeping. We had talked about maybe going bowling or something, but our oldness kicked in. Oh well.

Sunday:

Sunday morning I got up and headed to church. I picked up one of the teenage girls who attends and brought her with me. She lives right around the corner from us and doesn't drive yet, so she likes to ride in with us. I almost didn't go, since I didn't have the kids and didn't feel like going by myself. But, I'm glad I did. The message was for me. Funny how things happen like that.

After church Adam and I went shopping for Emily and Julia's birthday presents. It's hard to believe they are going to be 5. Time has sure flown by. We got them a box of "girl" Lego's and a new pair of earrings each. They had their ears pierced a year and a half ago and have only been able to wear their original earrings. We've tried cheaper ones but they make their ears bleed. We got them each a really nice little pair. Julia got sparkly dragonfly's and Emily got sparkly pink flowers, as she requested. I can't wait for their birthday now.

Adam and I spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning our house. I hadn't cleaned it in about a week because of all the sickness. It took us a couple of hours but boy did it look good when we were done. I was so grateful for his help. It would have taken me all day long by myself. It helped that the kids weren't home.

Late Sunday night my Pastors wife stopped by to give us a card. After she left I opened it and they had enclosed a gift card for gas for me to be able to drive to church. I've had to miss a few services because we moved about 30 minutes away and the gas is crazy expensive. That was so very sweet of them.

Bible:

I'm reading through the New Testament, first book to last book. So far I'm at Luke. I've never read it straight through from Matthew to Revelation. I love how I learn something new each time I read a part I've read before.

I also told the older girls I'd give them $20 upon their completion of  reading the NT.

Emily and Julia love their Bible reading time too. They will choose a story and I'll read it to them. I was listening a sermon by Pastor Anderson, and he was talking about how they have never read Bible stories to their kids from a book other than the Bible. Hmm what a concept huh? I really never thought of that, but it makes sense why people think that Bible stories are just fairy tales. The cartoonish colored pages were read to them as children just the same as their fiction books were. I began  to read E & J Bible stories ONLY from the Bible, and I was floored by how much they could understand, retain and recite back. Currently their favorite stories are "Daniel in the Den of Lions" (Daniel 6) "Jonah" (Jonah 1 & 2) and "David and Goliath" (1 Samuel 17).

Homeschool:

We are nearing the end of our school year. Kiley and August have about 7 weeks of school left and then we will break for summer. It's been a great 7th grade year. I was able to learn a lot too. Having to re-learn 7th grade math was exciting. It's more exciting to see them learning and understanding.

 Emily and Julia will be starting their Kindergarten year at the end of the summer. I am still trying to decide which curriculum to use for them. They are currently learning how to do letter sounds so that they will be able to read.

I really enjoy homeschooling them. I am just in love with this season of my life. Motherhood is the most wonderful blessing. Nothing can compare.

That's it for now.

Proverbs 6

**For some reason this chapter wasn't published with the rest of the Proverbs. Sorry about that**

We read the chapter in Proverbs that goes along with the day of the month. Since there are 31 chapters, this works out perfectly. Even with as many times as I've read Proverbs, I still learn something new each time.

Proverbs 6

1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.

27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

Thank you God for your wisdom.