twin birthday's and bonding

December 21st was Gwenyth and Sarah's 6th birthday.

Not the most convenient day for a birthday party.

Much to their dismay we waited and had a party for them January 11.

 That was their actual due date and a much more practical day to be born and expect to have time for a party. 

I'm not that into throwing birthday parties. I figure it's a day for me to party and enjoy life too. 

I birthed them that day for goodness sake.

I'm more  a fan of going out to dinner at their favorite restaurant.

This isn't what kids think is the funnest idea though, so out of the goodness of my heart I throw my kids a friend birthday party every other year.

All 4 of my girls somehow came to earth with the Martha Stewart crafty gene.

They love to make things with their hands. They love to plan and decorate for parties.

I think they get it from their Grammy Caroline.

For their birthday party they planned to wear matching out fits. They are twins who like to be different and separate so this was a rare moment of cooperation and sameness.

I let them help make cupcakes, then we went to Dollar Tree and bought decorations and party favors.

Thank goodness for Dollar Tree.

We played games.

We danced to Taylor Swift and The Black Eyed Peas

We opened presents and that was that.

They thought it was great and it was pretty fun and painless for me too.

I'm growing up.

Something is changing in their heads and hearts.

This morning they were playing UNO together. Whispering and giggling.

Yesterday too, in fact all week they have been best friends 95% of the time.

They have even been planning matching outfits, laying them out on the floor.

Sleeping in the same bed so they can snuggle and talk?....What is up?

It's not that they never get along, it's just normally its 50% best friends and the other 50% worst enemies.

I hope and pray it continues. 

It has been a joy to eavesdrop. 

Silver Compass

Hey there.

I recorded 

Silver Compass.

If you want to hear it or download it for .99 cents go to my reverberation page.

 See the link up there at the top of my blog?

It was a fun and rewarding project.

It sounds a bit different than it did when I sang it live at Summerfest.

I love the new sound. 

My mom and my friend Kaytlin weren't so sure about the new version. 

They said it was really good but then so was the other way. 

I think it kind of morphed over time. When I wrote it I was mad. 

I'm not mad anymore, so singing it I sound more introspective and less "in your face!"

Have I told you of Ryan Miller?

He is the guitarist I have hired to help me record my songs.

I can play the guitar well enough to write but recording them is another story. Plus I am so limited in what I can play that I hear all these great things in my head, on the guitar, but my dear little fingers can't translate and produce the sounds! 

So that's when you hire a guitarist. 

So I did.

With my husband's hard earned cash.

Just kidding.

It's OUR money. 

We both work hard to create this life of ours. 

This Saturday I went to Ryan's studio. It was very fun. We wanted to practice some songs and 

play around with some ideas I've had knocking around in my head for a while now. 

I had to make that sentence bigger because that was the best part.

Can I tell you how satisfying it is to order up on the guitar the sounds and styles and rhythms I want to hear? 

It's very satisfying.

I'm very thankful for Ryan's skill and talent! 

Can I also tell you that I love to sing into a microphone? 

Even though I kept cracking and singing flat......

what is up with my voice?

Weakened from dis-use...... 

The lights and smoke machine were pretty ssssweeeeet.

Happy Valentines 

I love taking pictures of myself.

Even though it makes me wonder if I'm being weird for loving taking pictures of myself,

 and posting them. 

Happy Winter

Someday when my twins are school all day I will print my blog out into books as a record of our family. 

It certainly isn't a complete record and it's all from my point of view but it's better than nothing.

 I say this because I am posting a billion pictures tonight. What am I going to do with all my pictures ? All my blurry, grainy iPhone pictures? 

The only thing I seem to have time to want to do is instagram, Facebook and an occasional blog. 

That will have to to for the stage of life that I'm in now.

Christmas Morning

Waiting to come down to the living room to see what Santa brought.

Gwenyth has that look on her face because her throat was sore.

They all slept in the twins room together. What cuties.

Em chilling out on her new bean bag with her darling bunny Bambie

Sarah teaching her duck Wellington how to play on her new leap pad.

Christmas at Grammy and Pappa's.

What's a kid to do with all those cousins?

Party and have lots of fun!

This year was a special treat for me.

I went to visit my mom's side of the family in Georgia over Christmas break.

Nate has work off every year. He and the kids went with his side of the family up to our Hyrum house and had fun while I went down to the warm sunny south.

Just me and my sister! Can you imagine how fun and restful ?

They only live in one of the most beautiful places ever.

We would walk around the property and their horse Eli would follow us. What a good boy. He'd come galloping after us if we got to far ahead. 

 Tabitha's little sister Abigail.

She is literally half the size of my Tabby.

 Oh the Georgia winter wheat fields!

Chilling out in the beautiful Windsor Hotel.

I love old buildings.

My favorite old country church on the road home to my aunt and uncle's house.

With a very peaceful and slightly spooky cemetery behind it. 

I love the Spanish moss hanging front the trees.

My aunt and uncle have many darling doggies. 

Bryant doing his one and only trick. 

My sister was ready to put him in her carry on and take him home.

My beautiful cousin Taylor .

She is a talented and natural rider.

My auntie and sis.

And then I came home.

To my kids and mess and life and thank goodness my husband. 

He makes life seem easy.

My Emmaline is growing up fast.

I'm usually too distracted to notice but sometimes it shocks me.

Tabitha is my Georgia born and raised puppy but she has become a snow dog.

 She digs in it and rolls in it with joy.

Our cozy house.

We were buried in 2 feet of snow by the end of the storm.

The best is the sunshine and blue skies after the snow storm.

 It didn't last long but  it was beautiful.

Now I understand where the term "snow bunnies" comes from.

I took Emmaline's bunny out in the snow to see what she would do.

She is a 6 month old domestic dwarf bunny who has never seen snow.

In minutes she was digging and pushing her face in it and digging some more.

She built herself a real live tunnel with 2 snow caves. She was completely hidden and warm and happy.

Wow. What a smart bunny!

Our chickens on the other hand are very opposed to snow. They stay in their coop and only peek out the window. Luke was nice enough to try and tamp down some of the powdery snow so they could come out for a drink of water. 

I want 10 more bunnies, she is so cute!

All right then. I am sort of caught up.

Happy winter.

We are now covered in a 2 inch sheet of ice. 

We had ourselves a real ice storm. You know the kind that usually happens in Illinois or Arkansas? 

I prefer snow over ice.

I don't even dare walk out my front door. 

So I didn't.

I hope I'm not going nuts tomorrow.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!

Sarah made a happy birthday sign for Nate on Dec 2 and we have left it up all month. 

The twins turned 6 on the 12/21/12 (you know, the end of the world)

 and I turn 39 on the 25th. 

I am choosing not to do a big long birthday post about Nate, the twins, or me. 

Finding the time to write about my life has been used up in actually living it.

Here is last year's post about the twins.

It's been a great month and I have had so many wonderful and fun days.

One way I have been living my life is spending some time in the recording studio!

Fun!

Sometimes I need a little nudge or even a push in the right direction. 

Last Christmas I sang Oh Holy Night at our Relief Society Christmas dinner. It was a wonderful experience. My dearest husband has wanted  me to record it. That takes time and money so I never did. This year he asked me to record it for his birthday. How could I say no?

I hired my friend Ryan Miller to play the guitar so it could sound  really nice. 

Nathan is pretty much the father of the year. He takes fatherhood seriously. He takes care of the kids often. Not like he is babysitting and doing me a favor, but like he is their father and wants to be with them! It is wonderful.  I find myself with the time I need to do other things. 

I'd be a depressed grouch if he wasn't such a great a dad. 

It was incredibly fun and satisfying to record it. It is a challenging song and one I love. What a joy it was to record it. 

If you want  to hear it go 

HERE

You can even buy it. 

There is also a link at the top of my blog page to Reverbnation where you can hear it or download it.

In January I hope to finish recording Silver Compass and have it up for sale.

One little song at a time.....keeps me sane. 

Gives me energy to conquer mountains of laundry, repetitive meal making, and teasing, fighting children!

I need to get a job to support my hobby......but then when would I find the time to do my hobby? 

Oh dear. 

I will say a few things about the twins birthday. 

They had very high expectations that day. 

A huge party at our house with all their friends! A day at Kangaroo Zoo with cousins! Making a cake with me! Piles of presents!

They were disappointed with what Nate and I were able to offer them that day.

A new out fit to wear to school, making cup cakes with mom, opening a few presents and going to their favorite restaurant for dinner. After a good lecture to all the kids about gratitude and not having un realistic expectations, we had fun at the restaurant. Sometimes my kids really tic me off.

I told them they could have a friend party on January 11. (their actual due date. A much more practical day for a birthday)

Tonight we went to Temple Square to see the lights. It was a balmy 46 degrees. Sarah had no need for a coat. I wouldn't either if I danced and pranced every where I went. 

It was beautiful.

I even ran into my beautiful friend Catherine and her family.

Tomorrow is Christmas eve. I love that day. We will have a feast at Nathan's parents. 

Oh dear turkey and gravy, how I love you. 

My house this morning.

 Quiet.

 My three older children fed and off to school.

 My two youngest asleep. 

Me, still in my robe, in a still house with just my canary quietly cheeping. 

keeping up

Didn't want to leave you hanging. 

Our first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner went well.

The turkey was great, so was the stuffing and gravy.

The only hiccup were the pumpkin pies.

Nate forgot the sugar.

We threw them away and the next day Nate redeemed himself with 3 replacement pies.

They were delicious.

We had a great time with my sister and her kids while they were in town. 

I love the life my kids have with so many cousins and aunts and uncles.

The 14 grandkids range in age from 18years old to 4 years old and everything in between.

Life is busy and good. 

I'm doing my best to keep up with it all.

Keeping up with my cute pack of boy scouts I'm in charge of once a week. 

 

Keeping up with all the Christmas recitals and plays.

My daughters had their vocal recitals.

I love my girls.

Poised, confident, Emmaline. She is 13

I filmed these with my iPhone from the back. Not the best picture but you can hear their pretty voices.

Passionate, lively AnnaKate. She is 11

Taking care of my marriage.

Here we are at 

The Killers

They are an awesome rock band with Brandon Flowers as the lead singer.

Taking care of myself.

That is a big job.