Derailed!

Once upon a time, Ryan and I found a cute white crib for our little twins to share. One year later, due to a Maddie's cornea having to be treated for London's fingernail scratch (ewwww, I know!) we bought an identical one. These cribs were appealing not only for their cuteness, but for how practical they were in converting to toddler beds, someday in the WAY distant future. The blink of an eye later, here we are. Ryan actually had to surprise me with this, because I have been putting it off for MONTHS. (Our girls are not big enough for toddler beds!) However, it has inspired me to finally get the finishing touches on the twins' garden ballerina inspired bedroom. So far, the result has been good! The girls usually stay in their beds when they're supposed to. Maddie will even go lie down in her bed and wait for me to tuck her in when I tell her it's naptime. I guess it wasn't as hard as I had anticipated. Let's hope I can say the same for potty training.

You Might Be a Redneck If...

You spent last Saturday at the Davis County Fair! So initially I was the only one gung-ho about this one (free petting zoo, come on Barlows!) but the rest of the family warmed up to the idea about the time we saw these ponies.





My photography skills did not capture the gleeful joy the girls had driving cars in the hay maze.


And touching a goat! (Emphasis on touching. We made the "one finger" rule after the kitties.) Not to mention, the entire family of pot-bellied pigs in the background.


Maddie hugged this goat when she thought nobody was watching. These animals must have been sedated because there were so many kids poking them in the eye with no reaction. I figured a little bear hug wouldn't hurt.


And lastly, London and her Daddy with the llama, or, as London called it, a "mama" (thanks a lot!). The llama moved just about the time Maddie was hugging the goat, but I still thought this shot was cute.

An American Vampire in London

I know it's only mid-August, but this little one came walking out of the house fully decked out for Halloween. Is it a coincidence this is the daughter that has bitten and drawn blood from every member of her family in the last week? Too bad her dad doesn't do horror movies, because I think one about Vampire Children would be quite unique, not to mention disturbing.








I think she may be on to something here. It seems Ryan and James have been perfecting the art of fake blood for at least two years. Who would have known a cherry grape popsicle would do the trick, not to mention stain the skin for days? And in case any of you are wondering, cherry grape popsicle drips do in fact make your porch look like the scene of a crime.

In the Name of Fashion

It takes a lot of concentration to walk in shoes 12 sizes too big for you, but L & M are up to that challenge. They know it sometimes takes a sacrifice to look good.


Londie has been known to circle the kitchen table in my heels, so flats are a piece of cake. Plus, they match her outfit.


Maddie's lucky bear gets to take the bus.


And a close up of London is what I got in an attempt for that second shot of Maddie. I guess it will do.

Hello Kitty!

Though these kittens are only six weeks old, they just had their first brush with death, and it came in the form of two two-year olds. L & M zeroed in on the kitties like two little tornados; grabbing their fur, picking them up by the necks and holding so tight it was close to strangling. Ryan and I were caught off guard by this little display of affection, and tried as hard as we could to get the girls to be gentle. In turn, they just squeezed the kitties harder. I hadn't realized a six week old "meow" could be so loud. Well, we ended up having cut our visit short, though we knew gettting back in the car would rip our girls' hearts to shreds. They cried the whole way home. Then they didn't want to visit with Patches because she is the "mama cat." London even made her way halfway across the street in an attempt to find the home of the kitties. I guess it wouldn't have been a good idea to bring one home as our pet. We will let them stay safe in Mount Pleasant. At least the kitties will have plenty of stories of how they cheated death for their posterity.

For the Journal

It seems like just yesterday we loaded up two babies into our car and drove home as carefully as we could. We took the scenic route not to admire the landscape but to avoid any bump or gravel that might disturb our little sleeping beauties. If only we had thought to spend the previous year stocking up on sleep, as the events that were to follow did not allow for any. While Ryan worked full-time and renovated our entire house on the side, I moved in with my parents to work on the other task at large. Though the thought had occurred to me it would take nothing short of superwoman to take care of twins, what I didn't realize was that superwoman would have to come in the form of four adults, working around the clock to preserve the sanity of one another. What I also hadn't predicted was that my babies, both babies, would suffer from acid refux. Day in, day out, morning, nightfall and dusk, I could not get my babies to stop crying. The days were aggravating, the nights were long, and my sanity was slowly leaking. My mom, my blessed mother, would help me every morning starting at four a.m, then she would go to work until evening, and then come home and give me a little afternoon night's sleep.
When I woke up from one such nap, here is the story I was told.


My brother A.J. and his friends had just started their senior year in high school. As seventeen year olds go, these boys seemed to migrate from one house to the next, draining each of its food reserves. Today was no different. But in the midst of their usual activities, playing guitar and eating, out of the crib next to them arose a little peep. A little one had woken up from her slumber. "Should I pick her up?" one of the boys asked. My mom proceeded to instruct this group of loud, enormous, awkward, adolescent boys how to pick the baby up, making sure to hold her head and be careful of her neck. This group of giants took on a softer tone that day; each step a tiptoe, each voice soft and comforting. They walked my impossible babies up and down the hallway, smooth and soothing, a little view from a very tall, very careful perch. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.
My brother and his friends are now serving missions all over the world. One of the mothers in this great group of missionaries sends out a monthly newsletter to track each friends' progress. Some of the details are funny: how much weight they have gained, an embarrassing language slip-up, or the classic near-death experience. As time marches on I am beginning to sense the softer side I witnessed two autumns ago with my newborns, it is the awe and the wonder of watching lives change as they bring their brothers and sisters closer to God. This last month A.J. wrote to us about his first baptism in Bulgaria, which took place in the black sea. For him it was a life changing experience, worth waiting an entire year in the field for. I savor the details of this young man's conversion, and of my brother's. Even though I have recently made it to the 'least letters received from' spot, which sadly is one step below the family dog, I think of you often, Elder, and of this story. I hope you remember it too.

The Pooh Chair

Let me clarify, that's Winnie the Pooh and friends on our chair, and they're here to stay. We're hoping the twins don't get the name of the character confused with the potty terminology, but so far so good. Here L & M are, trying their new potty out for size. Easy enough....What's the next step again? These things should come with instruction manuals. Oh wait, this potty actually did, however, it said nothing about potty training for multiples.



The girls took turns pretty well for several minutes until a brawl erupted. I told them they're going to have to get used to waiting in line for the ladies' room.
P.S. The stickers are a result of going to a ghetto place called Walmart and coming out looking like a walking advertisement for them. And the band-aid, well, Maddie likes to express her individuality through injuries, real and fake!