And now you're lit up by the city

Last night Ryan and I went to the Iron & Wine/Glen Hansard private concert on campus. We had to immediately jump on these tickets, two of our all time favorite artists-- together?! We couldn't believe our luck.


Our waiting in line was also a great time for Ryan to give me a tour of campus.


(Wishing I'd dressed more like a hippie.)


It was a very intimate setting with a small crowd.


Admiring the scenery while we're waiting.
Dim the lights and--


Glen.
Can you believe he sounds even better in person? Pitch perfect, seriously guys. I love how he comes up with simple, beautiful melodies and then elaborates so elegantly.


He had me hanging on his every word.



My favorite part was hearing an explanation of what the song's about before he began. He has this charismatic personality and sense of humor yet is so humble.

And this guy--


Starts out with 'Trapeze Swinger'
One of the most emotional, compelling songs I can think of. I love how his songs are like poetry, weaving a delicate story that engulfs every listener into a different place. He is so effortless.



I totally forgot where I was for two hours. Funny how music can bring you back to periods in your life; happiness, transition, melancholy...it's all there. Thank goodness for the music that we love.

Cupcake Toes

So my doctor took me completely off sugar! We're not talking cutting back on the occasional dessert as I had previously thought. We are talking eliminate each and every form of anything that resembles, contains or mimics sugar, including fruit. My initial reaction was pretty much, 'be merciful, say death,' as I thought surely this was some kind of joke, but alas.
In the beginning, I received some solid advice from a health mentor and it is this: Life is sweeter than sugar.
Words to live by, literally. So I've spent the past 14.5 weeks trying to look for moments to replace what would originally be a dessert of the sugar coma variety. And here is today's:


just learned to scrunch her nose


first pedicure while everyone else was napping. just me and my livvy and her sweet cupcake toes.

Ok readers it's your turn...
What is sweeter than sugar?

Heat Wave

I love those days when we have the whole lake to ourselves.
The water is as refreshing as it looks.


Not a care in the world...


except when to catch the next wave.


The judges give her a ten.


And then look for some rocks to eat.


Row

Row


Row your boat

and we ring around the roses until dusk

How Do I Love Jocelyn?

19. I think she wakes up every morning and says, today will be an adventure.

18. Has the most gorgeous shade of hair in the entire world, breathtaking blue eyes, and will forever claim the title of Ariel in the twins' mind.

17. Last summer I was pregnant with Olivia, potty training the twins with a husband in school and a heat wave in Texas, she generously swooped in and applied her Supergirl organization skills in helping us move into our house.

16. Seems to have inside jokes with everyone on the planet.

15. The most dedicated student EVER. Seriously, the amount of homework and projects she takes on is unreal, but she follows through with every commitment she has ever made.

16. A sweet tooth through and through, but as worst nightmares sometimes come to pass, has joined me in eliminating that fair weathered friend sugar from her diet.

15. A trader of embarrassing moments.

14. Wisdom beyond her years, heck, wisdom beyond my years.


13. Has joined me in the crusade to eliminate technology from our lives, the only problem being, said feat cannot be accomplished without the use of technology.

12. Is a girl of profound integrity.

11. Has mastered the 'lateral lisp' even giving me lessons so we can be sisters with lisps and abstract health problems.

10. The girl with the killer sense of style; always put together, always effortless.

9. Has forgiven me for the time when at age two, a lapse in MY supervision led to one of the most interesting slash short haircuts of her entire life.

8. Continues to apologize profusely to this day for, during the same year, putting lipstick on my white cat and throwing him over the banister (don't worry, he lived).

7. "We love it when she colors with us." (L & M)

6. Injects enthusiasm and laughter into the most grim situations, for instance, a move in a heat wave while you're eight months pregnant and you find this under London's bed.


5. A genius at accessorizing. Not only do her snazzy toesocks, unique-flavored gum and lipgloss and jewlery show personality, but they never fail to brighten anyone's day.

4. Even with some pretty substantial health problems, never lets anything get in the way of living A Good Life, of which feat I think she should write a bestselling self-help book.

3. Is always careful to make sure she puts people in the best light, especially behind their back.

2. Taught me the Primary song that names all the Prophets in order, because it wasn't written yet when I was in Primary.

1. Since the day our doctor pronounced 'twins,' she has dedicated her life to aunt hood of our posterity, a calling she takes very seriously.


Ever since the day she was born and I hopped my nine-year old self around the neighborhood and announced -door to door- at eight in the am that I had a new sister with red hair and blue eyes with a striking resemblance to Ariel, I have been proud to call her sister. A very happy birthday darling Jocelyn...I hope your wish of being a teenage bride comes true this year! :)

Godzilla

Not even the Apple remote is safe.






All too soon, Livvy has added mobility to her list of tricks. The resulting mayhem that has been created in the lives of L & M is to be expected. What playing previously would migrate from room to room has now become--being stalked by an overeager third wheel. Baby Liv always seems to discover their whereabouts right after the finishing touches are added to say, the baby ponies castle and picnic surprise birthday party. In order to avoid imminent destruction, L & M hastily pick up and move to the next undisclosed location, leaving no tracks. As expected, the twins have attempted to distract Liv from their activities, and when fruitless, resorted to whining, tattling, and as a last effort, building a small tent behind the couch which I assume was to function as a cloak of invisibility. The soft pitter patter of baby mobility always looms in the background, akin to footsteps in a horror film which emerge from dark corners.

Every day this week my lectures about moving to higher ground have fallen on four deaf ears. It appears the twins' toys rather enjoy being the victims of a mauling...Until approximately 11:26 today, upon finishing her lunch of Butternut Squash and Corn, Apricot and Mixed Fruit, Liv shed the high chair and moved onto her real dessert. A moment later, there is a whine, and then a squeal of distress, as she vicariously cries and crawls back to The Curer of All Ailments. It appears more than twins can tattle. Together at the bottom of the stairs we view the grim sight of blankets and pillows, stuffed animals and tea parties and makeovers and Barbies and games, all delicately placed up on the landing, eight steps beyond reach. What I hadn't predicted was the flood L & M were preparing for would be one of Liv's tears.

Breaking all the rules, I lift up Liv's tiny body and ascent the stairs to arrive as the ever present, fashionably late guest to Barbie's tea party. With each step I remind myself this is not the way the world works. It was too late; by then our transient hosts were already preparing for the emerging natural disaster, a tornado, judging by the weather patterns. Next stop: Daddy's office. And so continues the cycle until Liv's nap time, when we've all been granted immunity from the elements. There is a peace now which can only translate to the calm before the storm.

It appears it is time to baby proof.


Fully clothed and standing up. So non-chalant.

Acrophobia

As promised, the next phobia in line.
So Ryan and I both have a mild fear of heights. I figured we had almost fully extinguished our fears, judging by the fact that the last tropical vacations we took involved: para sailing, sky diving, and one frightening helicopter ride in a rainstorm. However, when it was time to pull out the twenty five foot ladder and let the olive wood do its transformation...



Ryan came down from about here, trembling. Can you blame him?


Okay I said, I will give it a shot. Made my ascent, noticing that some of my recent medications have tricked my nervous system into being more phobic of snakes, and less phobic of heights. (At least that is my theory.) And this is how I spent my afternoon.


Meanwhile, Baby Liv stays on the ground thinking what it's like to have a...

(Duplicate.)


Mirror images, without the mirrors? I love it Ry.


Once again, we have proven that my vanity reigns supreme...


One third of the paint job, the kids, and the furniture...how's that for a glimpse at the finished product? (And oh, I wish we were finished.)

O Canada

Thinking I was being so clever slash witty, I spent the entire morning orchestrating a 4th of July-themed shrine to Ryan, because since we first met he has announced his birthday, July 1st, as Canada Day.
(apparently the irony was lost on that one).


But Maddie caught on, and even dressed appropriately.
By the way, I rearranged the girls' drawers so they can now dress themselves...


And this is what we get! Twins that don't match...yes, that is a Monk moment for me. How will we ever get things even again?
A mis-matched L & M sit on the cow at the beloved Phil's Icehouse, which is cleverly painted like the sock monkeys today.


Make a wish.





On second thought, our 4th theme sort of took on a 'where's waldo' reminiscence. I don't blame anyone for getting confused. And here are the twins helping dad open his new -what else- bowling set, which they kept a secret from him all day (probably because I kept it a secret from them all day).





Every night I try to ask the twins what their favorite part of the day was. Even though the current trend leans toward food and animals, the answers always surprise me. Today was nothing short of a belly laugh when they, and by they I mean London, Madelyn and Ryan all independently said that the best part of the day was--


the Wall*E cupcake tree.
Happy Birthday Tiger.