Happy 6th Anniversary

Today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary. I can't believe how much being married has taught me. I have learned alot in the past 6 years and I am ready to learn more for the many years we have to come. Darin is a hard worker, he loves his family, and he is always thinking (just a few things I admire about him). We will go on our anniversary date tomorrow, so more to post about that later. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SWEETHEART!

Fun Filled Saturday

First, the twins put their overalls on and tromped in the mud puddles.

Then, Ariana and Abigail took a ride in the Barbie Jeep

The kids were filthy from a fun day, so they all took a bath. (You should have seen the water when they got out! Yuck!)

Then, they passed out from sheer exhaustion.

What a fun way to spend a Saturday!

Mr. Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat Ralphs

Mr. O'Malley found the perfect hiding spot away from Albert. I had to take this picture cause I thought he looked so important up there.

Laundry Helper

Today, I discovered that Abigail loves to help with the laundry when it involves a clothesline. She was such a good little helper. When she couldn't reach the clothesline, she would stand on a tree stump. It's times like this, that I love being a mom.

Well-Babies

The twins had their 15-month-old check up last week, so I wanted to post their stats. They are growing well and beginning to say a few words (mama, dada, baby, kitty, woof, moo, cookie, Abi). Both twins love to run everywhere they go and Emily has decided she is part monkey. She can climb on chairs, tables, countertops, etc. I have to keep a constant eye on her. This morning she pushed a chair over to the kitchen counter, climbed up on it and decided to style her hair with the butter that was sitting on the counter from breakfast. Emily has learned to climb on anything, but she hasn't learned how to get down safely. Scary!

Emily Celia - 16 months
Height: 31 inches
Weight: 23 lbs 8 oz

Elizabeth Claire - 16 months
Height: 30 1/2 inches
Weight: 21 lbs 10 oz

The twins are only up 1 pound from their last check-up, I guess they are burning more calories now that walking and running are their choice for mode of transportation.

Missing-In-Action

Abigail and Ariana have had so much fun playing together since Ariana's family moved here last week. On Monday, I was watching Ariana and Abigail play outside. They each had a bucket and were picking leaves off the bush by our driveway. The phone rang, so I answered it and probably spoke to the other person on the line for three minutes tops. When I hung up the phone I looked outside and didn't see the girls. So, I walked outside to locate them thinking that they were probably in Abigail's playhouse. No Abi and Ari. I went back to the house and called inside the house for them. No answer. I walked up to Ariana's house and knocked on the door and asked Kim (Ariana's mom & Darin's sister) if she had seen the girls. She said, "No I thought they were playing outside at your house." I then told her that I couldn't find them, so she walked around calling for them and I walked around calling for them. No Response. By this time 10 minutes had gone by and Kim said she would go get Jeff (her husband) and Del (grandpa) to help us look. I went back in the house and called our three neighbors to see if the girls had gone over to their houses. No one had seen Abigail and Ariana. By this time I was beginning to panic. 15 minutes had gone by with no sight of Abigail or Ariana and I was starting to let my imagination get to me as to what happened to them. No one has been kidnapped in Rockland before, but there is a first time for everything. More likely, was that the girls were trapped in some old building, old car, old appliance, or had fallen in an old well. There are a lot of dangerous things like that around a farm, which is why I had set boundaries for Abigail as soon as I moved here. I called Darin and asked him to come home from work and help us look. Two of my three neighbors were looking out in their properties for the girls. We were starting to form quite the little search party. After looking for about 25 minutes, with everyone screaming their names at the top of their lungs, I decided to go in the house and call the sheriff. Right at that time, Abigail and Ariana came down stairs and said, "Why is everyone calling our names?" I burst into tears. That was probably one of the scariest 20-25 minutes of my life. The girls had been upstairs in my craft room, where they knew they were not supposed to be and were hiding because they were afraid to come down. They heard everyone calling for them, but figured they were in trouble and better wait out the storm. Needless, to say they are safe, I aged about 10 years from that whole experience and both girls got quite the lecture from their parents after the whole ordeal.

Mother's Day 2009

Happy Mother's Day to all of the women out there that make the world go around. I am so greatful that my Heavenly Father has trusted me with three beautiful children and that I have the responsibility of raising them and making sure they have the knowledge of His gospel so that they may return to him again. Sometimes, I can't believe I have this awesome responsibility, but I know God is watching over me and and if I will be in tune with the spirit he will guide me throughout this life. Below the pictures of my three precious girls is a poem dedicated to mothers on this wonderful day.


Elizabeth

Emily

Abigail

Before I Was A Mom

Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom .

New Neighbors

Darin's sister Kim and her family moved to Rockland on May 5th. They will be living right next door to us. We hope they like peaceful Rockland.

Abigail can't contain her excitement now that she has a friend and cousin to play with. She is so happy Ariana is here.

The Bowes Family outside their humble home: Jeff, Kim, Ariana, and Jacob