Christmas 2013

We had a wonderful Christmas. We stayed in North Carolina this year and my family came up to spend Christmas with us. James and Jackson were so much fun this year no matter what they opened they said "Oh thank you just what I wanted" with just a much excitement as if everything was a toy. 5 days with my family was really short but we are so thankful they made the journey to be with us this holiday season. Santa was very good to the boys. James got his Thomas Christmas and Jackson got his Veggietales Christmas. We started the day off skyping Nana and face timing with Bob's family while we opened presents. Then Dad and I made Christmas lunch. The afternoon consisted of Kaitlyn and I putting together the boys new toddler beds while Dad and the boys played with their new "Polar Express" remote control train set (The boys were obsessed with The Polar Express this Christmas season). We really did have a great relaxed Christmas. It was fun to play host for the first time for family Christmas too mixing old and new traditions. I am so thankful it was possible for us all to be together though we missed Bobs family this year.

 Oh Christmas Tree

 My precious boys and their manger outfits

 

 Love my sister

Watching The Santa Claus

 Making Santa's Cookies

 Decorated with M&Ms of course

 MiMi reading the Night before Christmas, Daddy read the birth of Christ from Luke 2

 Jacksons very Veggie Christmas (He is Larry Boy)

 Kait and I building beds

Santa came

 Playing with what they call their Polar Express

 James trying out his new Thomas Trike

 Baking birthday cupcakes for Jesus with Aunt Kait

 The Aftermath

The boys new beds with Thomas bedding.

We hope you had a Merry Christmas too!

 

 

Annual July Trip to Georgia...

We just wrapped up our annual trip to Georgia to visit with our families. We started this tradition when the boys were just 4 months old. This year we jam packed 10 days with visits to friends and family. The trip down and back there was much longer than anticipated thank goodness for DVD players and LeapPads. Besides traveling in the car, the trip was fantastic. We spent the two weekends with my family. I was so great to spend time with everyone. James went fishing for the first time. It was too cute. Jackson was not interested in fishing at all. Monday we went to spend the week with Bob's family. The boys had a blast they went to Fun Park to play in the arcade, the mall (including a visit to the pet store), and went swimming. The boys loved every minute of playing with their aunts and uncles. Most of all the loved spending time with their Mimi, Pop, Gamma, Grandpa, Nana, Grandma Gooch and Granddaddy Lamb. We had such an amazing time with our families. I was also able to spend time quality with my sister Kaitlyn and best friend Erica. As you can tell from the photos below we had a wonderful time:


Playing in the sprinkler

The Sylvester Train

 

Mimi and Pop with their boys

 

My love and I

James going fishing



The boys and their Great-Grandma- Nana

Feeding the fish with Aunt Kait Kait



Jackson playing the piano

Hanging out with my best friend Erica

 



Playing with Aunt Ray Ray before bed



Jackson and Grandpa



Looking at scrapbooks with Aunt Say-ah (Sarah)



The family with Granddaddy



Reading Llama Llama with Gamma



Jackson being tickled by Uncle Ben



Jackson and I swimming



Pool Time with Aunt Sarah and Gamma

 


Mimi and Jackson
 



pool time with Aiden and Parker



Jackson 



James playing the ppool at Mimi and Pops



Grandma Gooch and Jackson

Gamma and Grandpa and their grandsons
 

 We really enjoyed our trip but the traveling is exhausting. I love when we are able to spend time with our families. It is so hard to live so far away from them but know that we are right where the Lord has us for this season.


Little Pop Stars...

The boys LOVE to sing.  They are quite the little performers. They have always had a love a for music but now that they sing along and can tell you what they want to sing.Our favorite songs are Jesus Loves Me, Deep and Wide, You are my Sunshine, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Wheels on the Bus, Thomas the Train Theme Song, and The Veggietales Theme Song. We also love to sing some of our favorite hymns and worship songs like: Great is Thy Faithfulness, The Garden, How Great Thou Art, There's Something about that Name, Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone, Jesus Messiah, and 10,000 Reasons to name a few.

It is even more fun when they find their microphones and put on a show. The LOVE to sing to people and cameras. These two are definitely little hams.

James Singing Deep and Wide:

J & J Singing

 I am so joyful for the boys love of music. Music has always been a part of our lives and I am glad to be able to share this with them. I hope this love of music will stay and there will be many concerts in our future. I am a big fan of our little pop stars current living room concert series :) They are far better than any performers I know, atleast to their daddy and I. 

 

2 years and 4 months old....

I wish I could capture this time in our life. The boys are so much fun. They are into everything and discovering so much about the worlds around them. They are growing so fast.

Playing in the Sprinkler at Mimi and Pops



James on the playground



Jackson playing the piano



James playing Thomas- He LOVES Thomas!!



James and his "blankie"

 They are learning so much. Their language skills  amaze me the are constantly chatting. The boys know all the letters in the alphabet, can name numbers 1-10 and sometimes (not consistently) count to 10.  They are in the stage where they repeat and mimic everything. Sometimes it is cute...it definitely reminds us to watch what we say. My favorite thing right now is the boys love of singing. They have always loved music but now they sing along.

Jackson playing guitar and singing Jesus love me

 The boys love going to church to learn about Jesus and play with their friends. They also love to go to the "Gym". We recently joined the gym and they have a daycare  the boys go to while we work out and they love it! The love to play trains and with the other kids. The other day I asked James what he did at daycare he said "play house, play trains and go fish". I am not sure about the go fish part but I know the older kids play so who knows :). You never know what will come out of their little mouths. Oh how I wish that I could have a constant recording of our lives these times are so precious. I am often reminded of how blessed we are to be parents to two wonderful boys. 

Blogging Fail...

I can not comprehend that I have to handsome, smart, hilarious and rambunctious two year olds. It has been almost 1 1/2 years since I have blogged. I am actually pretty sad about this because I know that I have probably forgotten so much by not writing it down but here we go again! :) If you are a first time reader left me fill you in my name is Whitney and I am a wife, mother, and ER nurse. I lead a pretty crazy life but wouldn't trade it for the world. I met my husband in high school and in the spring that I turned 16 he asked me to prom and the rest was history. Bob and I have been married for 4 years now. In 2011 after a complicated pregnancy I gave birth to our twin boys James and Jackson. They bring such joy to our lives. Since my blogging fail a lot has changed. We now have 3 pets yes you read that correctly 3: Izzy our toy poodle, Jonah our goldfish, and the most recent addition Norah our cat. This past October I took a promotion/management position at my job and now serve as a Clinical Team Leader for the Emergency Department at Duke Regional Hospital. Bob graduated in May with his M-Div from Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest. The Boys turned 2... yes .....2, I know it is crazy, this past March. They are full blown toddler boys into everything. We are taking each day one step at a time raising our family and pursuing what the Lord has in store for us. If you are just joining us welcome to our crazy life. If have been a follower we are so glad to be back!

Easter 2013

Almost One...

I can not believe in just a few short weeks my babies will turn one! That is crazy! Where has this year gone? We are gearing up for a Mickey Mouse 1st Birthday Party. I am so in love with all the ideas I have gotten from Pinterest (that site is addicting). I have been such a horrible blogger this past year. I wish I had written more about the boys at their different stages but I am thankful I kept notes for their baby book because it has been a whirlwind. Right now the both boys are walking, and saying a few words like dada, mama, daw-daw (dog)and bye-bye. They finally caught on to the sign for "more" when we are eating we are still working on "all done" but these boys love to eat! The are feeding themselves and get a little offended when you try to give them baby food. The eat everything and love new things. Today they had gyro meat and hummus and loved it! They are such sweethearts but snuggle time is rare as they are always on the go. The love to play but their favorite thing is to read. They pick up a book and open it and turn the pages babbling like they are reading aloud it is precious! Our favorite books are Guess How Much I Love You, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I am so beyond blessed to be mama to the these two amazing boys!! 

 Reading books

Family Picture after church 

 James Sidney

 Jackson Esker

 Swinging at the park

Party planning!

I can't believe they are going to be ONE!