tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14433407342771180742023-10-17T05:41:23.819-07:00From Two to FourBrittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-3747101858825791212012-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:002012-10-11T05:00:13.579-07:00Pumpkin Patch tripWe visited one of our local Pumpkin Patches this weekend! The kids had such a blast, a huge difference from last year when they were still mastering walking and had a hard time walking around looking for pumpkins!<br />
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They probably could have stayed out in that pumpkin patch for hours hunting for their perfect pumpkin, Ava found this one pumpkin (it's the ugliest little thing) but insisted on getting it so well it's sitting on our front porch. The loved getting to feed the goats and getting their little hands on a fresh apple fritter (don't worry we washed between the two ;)). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking advantage of our gorgeous weather</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is it mom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2rb31yYqQRY/UHMnFnYd9BI/AAAAAAAABRU/KBP4IW86Pw4/s1600/pp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2rb31yYqQRY/UHMnFnYd9BI/AAAAAAAABRU/KBP4IW86Pw4/s320/pp3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can carry it myself</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava and her ugly little pumpkin </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cheesin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare smile picture from this one</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun mom, again again</td></tr>
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We had so much fun we will probably go again before the season is over! Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-71310577247110690092012-10-09T05:00:00.000-07:002012-10-09T05:00:10.150-07:00Family Pictures 2012In September our good friend <a href="http://www.poppiphoto.com/">Kristina</a> took our family photos! I look forward to this every time we have her take pictures, we text back and forth and decide what colors are good, where the location should be and everything else! She is an amazing photographer and if you live here in the PNW I seriously recommend giving her a call for your pictures too, you can check out more of her work <a href="http://www.poppiphoto.com/">here</a>.<br />
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I have so many favorites that I can't even decide what to frame!<br />
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You see my problem! And this is only a few of the 100+ she took! She is truly amazing!<br /><br />Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-17868415303575464082012-10-08T12:04:00.003-07:002012-10-08T12:04:45.733-07:00Project Pinterest- Pumpkin Bread<center>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.iloveyoumorethancarrots.com">
<img border="0" src="http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv157/ametzl01/ProjectPinterest_zps3c8fda462_zpsad96a11b.jpg" /></a></center>
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So I don't have a crafty bone in my body but I am a good cook, so most of my pinterest projects are food related. It's my most popular board. I try a lot of things from there too.<br />
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This last week with the weather changing and fall being ushered in by the changing leaves I wanted to do some baking, so I went to Pinterest to find a yummy fall recipe that I could make with what I had on hand.<br />
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I found <a href="http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/09/pumpkin-bread/">this</a> recipe From <a href="http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/09/pumpkin-bread/">Sweet Pea's Kitchen</a> and decided it sounded yummy!<br />
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I followed the recipe except I did substitute the walnuts for pecans because it is what I had, also this would taste amazing with no nuts and with cream cheese frosting (which I am going to try next)<br />
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Ingredients:</h3>
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For the Pumpkin Bread:<br />
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree<br />
4 eggs<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted<br />
2/3 cup water<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
2 cups white sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice<br />
1 cup walnuts (optional)<br />
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For the Spiced Glaze:<br />
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1 pinch ground ginger<br />
1 pinch ground cloves<br />
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Directions:</h3>
<div class="instructions">
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.<br />
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, butter, water,
sugars and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk
together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger,
pumpkin spice and walnuts. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin
mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.<br />
Bake in preheated oven 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.<br />
While the pumpkin bread is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for
the spiced glaze. Drizzle over bread and allow the icing to dry before
serving (about an hour).<br />
Keep pumpkin bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to retain freshness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished product</td></tr>
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This one was a real winner, the kids loved it and hubs approved!</div>
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Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-32536388204291720892012-09-18T05:00:00.000-07:002012-09-18T05:00:09.828-07:00When Your Two Year Old Asks To Go To The ZooYou go, right?<br />
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Landon on Friday was reading an animal book and all of the sudden stated that he wanted to go to the zoo, well we didn't have any big plans for Saturday so we decided if he asks to go then we will go. Plus how can you say no to this face!<br />
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Landon could probably sit and watch the sharks all day long, he will look up and say "Whoa, look at big one", he loves the animals. Ava loves to look at the fish and tell us what colors they are. I really can't believe how big they are getting some days. The walruses were really active too, he loved how they would swim right past him.<br />
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We received our zoo membership for the twins' birthday and I am so glad that we mentioned it to my Grandma as something they would love. It helps because we can go first thing in the morning when they are happy and wide awake and we don't feel bad if we only stay for 1 or 2 hours and only go and see the animals that they are always talking about.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both Ava and Landon asked to take this little guy home</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We had a fun morning at the zoo and then finished the day with dinner at a friends home and a movie night for the kids! It was adorable!<br />
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<br />Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-49027154201088178882012-09-17T09:34:00.000-07:002012-09-17T09:39:02.759-07:00Project Pinterest-Linking up with AP<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv157/ametzl01/ButtonImage.jpg" /></div>
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Out of the 345 pins on my "Food I must make" board I have tried approximately 32 of them, most of them were great and I am glad I have tried them. This last week I made <a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/09/twice-baked-cauliflower-recipe.html?m=1">Twice Baked Cauliflower</a>, our family loves twice baked potatoes but lets face it, they aren't the healthiest thing in the world, when I came across replacing potatoes with cauliflower I thought it could be a great alternative.<br />
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I found this recipe from <a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/09/twice-baked-cauliflower-recipe.html?m=1">Kalyn's Kitchen</a> to give credit where credit is due. I have bolded the things I did differently than her recipe.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/09/twice-baked-cauliflower-recipe.html?m=1">source</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Twice Baked Cauliflower</span><br />
(Makes 6-8 servings; recipe adapted slightly from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=The%20Low%20Carb%20Gourmet&tag=kalynskitchen-20&index=books&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">The Low Carb Gourmet</a>.) <br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 large head cauliflower <b>(I bought the largest I could find)</b><br />
4 oz. low fat cream cheese (do not use fat free) <b>( I used a whole 8 oz)</b><br />
1/2 cup low fat sour cream (do not use fat free) <br />
1/4 cup minced green onions <b>( I didn't put in because I didn't have any)</b><br />
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (If you only have finely grated Parmesan, use a bit less)<br />
6 slices bacon, cooked until very crisp, fat blotted with paper towel and then crumbled <b>( I used about 9 slices)</b><br />
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese <b>( I used regular medium cheddar)</b><br />
(I used Kraft 2% milk sharp cheddar)<br />
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<b>I also added 1/2 t of garlic salt and a small bit of pepper </b><br />
<br />
<b>Instructions:<br />
</b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Cut out
stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in
large pot of boiling salted water until cauliflower is tender, but not
overly soft. <b>( I DIDN'T BOIL IN WATER, JUST STEAMED IT)</b> Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some
chunks. Mix in light cream cheese, light sour cream, green onion,
Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Spread evenly in a medium-sized glass
casserole dish. Sprinkle with low-fat cheddar cheese and reserved
bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.</div>
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<br />
The kids gobbled it down and everyone really liked it, I definitely plan on incorporating it into our normal menus.<br />
<br />
Head over to <a href="http://www.iloveyoumorethancarrots.com/">I Love You More Than Carrots</a> and link up your Pinterest Project!<br />
<br />
<br />Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-18615313920936566642012-09-10T08:48:00.004-07:002012-09-10T08:48:57.653-07:00Don't Tell Me You Haven't Thought of ItYou know, THE Christmas card. The one that will sit on someones fridge or pinterest inspired card holder for about a month with your smiling friendly face on it. It is one of my favorite things about the holidays, seeing all of the faces of my family and friends and their families in one place!<br />
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I love picking out a beautiful card to put our picture on so when <a href="http://www.minted.com/photo-christmas-cards">Minted</a> contacted me about hosting a giveaway it took me about 2 seconds to say yes! Have you checked out their <a href="http://www.minted.com/photo-christmas-cards">Holiday cards</a> yet! There are so many choices this year. Here are just a few of my favs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RcTqpd4WMjQ/UE4Hx93O0fI/AAAAAAAABNY/Jmheccy5SdE/s1600/ribbon+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RcTqpd4WMjQ/UE4Hx93O0fI/AAAAAAAABNY/Jmheccy5SdE/s320/ribbon+card.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.minted.com/product/christmas-photo-cards/MIN-G25-CHR/christmas-ribbon">found here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVRZZwaMRvo/UE4ILsl1DfI/AAAAAAAABNg/Io5mold05kk/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVRZZwaMRvo/UE4ILsl1DfI/AAAAAAAABNg/Io5mold05kk/s320/collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.minted.com/product/christmas-photo-cards/MIN-I83-CHR/bowtie">found here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RJi8IaAuAc4/UE4IgBeh9xI/AAAAAAAABNo/xQXgrEY_4Pg/s1600/contem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RJi8IaAuAc4/UE4IgBeh9xI/AAAAAAAABNo/xQXgrEY_4Pg/s320/contem.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.minted.com/product/christmas-photo-cards/MIN-G98-CHR/feliz">found here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These are just a few of the hundreds on their site, they have made it so easy to find a card that suites you as well, by offering ways to search for cards by number of pictures, religious, folded or flat, size and many other options. I have used them in the past for other products and have never been dissapointed!<br />
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Now here is the fun part! <a href="http://www.minted.com/">Minted</a> has generously offered to let one of my readers win a $50 credit + free shipping on their site. You can use this for Christmas cards, birthday invitations or whatever else your heart desires! This giveaway will start today and go until 9/18/2012! I will notify the winner via email! <br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/404dc11/" id="rc-404dc11" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">** I was provided with product from Minted for this giveaway, I really do love their products and would not be doing a giveaway if I didn't truly love their stuff**</span>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></div>
Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-31524885347911347752012-09-05T04:00:00.000-07:002012-09-05T04:00:01.756-07:00Blogging for a Good Cause- Lawyers Autism Awareness FoundationWhen I was approached to help with this great, I immediately said yes, this is a cause that as a mother this is something that I can not imagine hearing the diagnosis. Most everyone knows someone who has an autistic child now, there are many theories as to what can cause Autism, who knows if they will ever be able to pinpoint the cause, but now that the public is becoming more aware of the Autism spectrum the public is also learning how to help those children in need. <br />
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The LAAF (Lawyers Autism Awareness Foundation) is a foundation started by 2 dads both of whom had a child with Austism. Their mission was to make sure that families that couldn't afford special therapy for their children were provided with the means to do so. Please visit <a href="http://thelaaf.org/About_us.html">their site</a> to learn more about how they helping those children in need. <br />
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Here are some basic facts straight from their site<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>- Autism is a developmental disorder that is usually marked by impairments in communication, social skills<br />and repetitive motions<br /><br /> - </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Autism affects 1 in every <strike>110 </strike>88 Children<br /><br />- 1 in <strike>70</strike> 54 Boys</strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"><br /><strong>- Autism is the 3rd most common developmental disorder in the US</strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>- </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Autism is usually seen within the first 3 years of life<br /><br />- Some persons with Autism are gifted in certain areas like Math Art or Music</strong></span></span><br />
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That brings me to what we are trying to do.<br />
<br />
A group of bloggers got together to try and raise money for this cause, <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/sites/tracymeehan">Tracy Meehan, Independent Stylist for Stella and Dot</a> has donated a "Lucky Charm" Stella and Dot necklace for one of you "lucky" gals to win! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OQA_uLU8quI/UEbBTg2dbaI/AAAAAAAABNA/d61sD0oc2PY/s1600/lucky+charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OQA_uLU8quI/UEbBTg2dbaI/AAAAAAAABNA/d61sD0oc2PY/s1600/lucky+charm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Another way to help this cause is to shop the <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/ts/a01j5">Trunk Show</a> where a large portion of the proceeds going straight to the Lawyers Autism Awareness Fund. Together I know we can make a difference in these kids' lives!<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d1491e2/" id="rc-d1491e2" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-77326235937615135952012-08-27T08:37:00.000-07:002012-08-27T08:37:09.960-07:00From Mrs. to Mama Wedding Day Link Up<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I missed the last couple of link ups but I wanted to join in on the fun. </span><a href="http://www.frommrstomama.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Becky</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> always has the best link up ideas and her link ups are pretty much responsible for me being able to learn a lot from the other blogs I follow! So head over to </span><a href="http://www.frommrstomama.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Mrs. to Mama</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> and link up your wedding story!</span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">1. Are you married? If so when did you get married, and tell us about
your special day. If not? How would you describe your dream wedding? </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />My hubs and I have been married for almost 7 years come November 11. We got married November 11th, 2005 in a medium sized ceremony. We got married in a small chapel and had the reception in a nearby home. It was perfect for us at the time. We started planning in July so we didn't have a lot of time to plan some HUGE fancy affair and I wouldn't really have wanted that anyways. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">2. Show us some wedding pictures. Either yours or of some that you love.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zzf84LWKtF4/UDuRA0Y_06I/AAAAAAAABMY/fR7qKpLXXgc/s1600/wedding+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zzf84LWKtF4/UDuRA0Y_06I/AAAAAAAABMY/fR7qKpLXXgc/s320/wedding+1.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yKDdx2Hx08c/UDuRBrCdySI/AAAAAAAABMg/5BzXErz7IBE/s1600/wedding+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yKDdx2Hx08c/UDuRBrCdySI/AAAAAAAABMg/5BzXErz7IBE/s320/wedding+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">3. How about the engagement? Tell us your story. If not engaged, what's your </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">dream</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> proposal?</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">It was a fairly simple proposal. I am not into big grand proposals, those in a restaurant are not for me, I would probably crawl under a table and cry. We went on a picnic for the 4th of July and under a big old tree on the grounds of our state capital he got down on one knee and proposed. It was perfect.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">4. Show us your wedding rings or an engagement photo! If not engaged/married ... show us your "dream" ring.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Since I can't find the "official" ring picture, I had to take a cell phone picture, believe it or not our photographer took the pictures on a film camera (digital wasn't as popular yet), which was a pain when I wanted to get them onto my computer, my mom had them all scanned and put onto discs, which I have yet to have time to organize. So here is my ring.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KRZSYQI712c/UDuSqkgZOKI/AAAAAAAABMo/VqQxdzmQLzY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KRZSYQI712c/UDuSqkgZOKI/AAAAAAAABMo/VqQxdzmQLzY/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: x-small;">5. Tell us why you think marriage doesn't work out for so many? What can we do to make things last </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I think that in todays society, marriage is just kind of not held as a high priority for a lot of people. We get busy, we have kids, we have jobs and we seem to forget the vows and promises we made how ever many years ago. People don't try hard enough, when the going gets tough people seem to just get going. In order to make things last, we need to learn to listen and actually hear the other person, communication is key and learning how to fight. I realize that statement sounds completely out of place (WHAT PEOPLE FIGHT WHEN THEY'RE MARRIED), but people don't realize that fighting, when done correctly can help and bring a new understanding of your spouse. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a border="0" href="http://www.frommrstomama.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6mMd6zuQzwI/UBKuogAfRcI/AAAAAAAAFIg/Gxgo77CRqDw/s280/Untitled%2B23.png" /></a>
Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-83803560356578094882012-08-15T04:00:00.000-07:002012-08-27T14:51:56.532-07:00Estrea Body Care Set Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2M--EnWfck/UCFYILLrLCI/AAAAAAAABLo/Nlh9h3mZUsI/s1600/logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v2M--EnWfck/UCFYILLrLCI/AAAAAAAABLo/Nlh9h3mZUsI/s200/logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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When I was contacted about reviewing Estrea's Body Care Set I jumped at the chance, I mean what girl doesn't like to try out new and exciting products. When the set arrived I opened it all up and immediately tried the body lotion. Summer tends to make my skin feel dry and I really hate lotions that feel thick and have a strong scent and this lotion was neither of those. The <a href="https://www.estreausa.com/productdetail.asp?eid=E104a">Hydrating Body Lotion</a> was light and the smell was fresh and easy on my nose. It absorbed quickly as well which is great because I hate feeling like I have something on my legs for a long time after applying it. The <a href="https://www.estreausa.com/productdetail.asp?eid=E304a">Hydrating Hand Cream</a> was another favorite and also absorbed quickly and didn't leave a greasy residue like many lotions I have tried in the past. I forced my husband to give me a foot rub with the <a href="https://www.estreausa.com/productdetail.asp?eid=E400b">Refreshing Foot Balm</a> and the minty smell was just that...refreshing. The <a href="https://www.estreausa.com/productdetail.asp?eid=E106b">Tightening and Replenishing Face and Neck Cream</a> is an anti-aging product which is a perfect thing to start now and stay ahead of wrinkles, the Mediterranean olive oil and Vitamin-E rejuvenates, protects and
nourishes your skin. The caffeine increases
microcirculation and helps skin that can be stressed by everyday environmental damage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DlipYZEWC9A/UCFYCx3QviI/AAAAAAAABLg/rdW4ogDE0ls/s1600/EST_package1_bag-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DlipYZEWC9A/UCFYCx3QviI/AAAAAAAABLg/rdW4ogDE0ls/s1600/EST_package1_bag-1.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Here is some general history of <a href="https://www.estreausa.com/Home.asp">Estrea</a>. Before now it has only been exclusively available in Europe and has been the number one choice of European women. Only recently has their skin care system been available here in the US. Estrea only has 12 products (face, hands, body and feet) available in their line but but those twelve products have been tried and tested and have proved themselves as a wonderful skin care regimen. Estrea uses natural ingredients which include aloe vera, collagen, coffee, olive oil, citrus extracts and Vitamins A, C, E and F. Their most popular product is their hand lotions and creams which have also been proven to promote fingernail growth (YAY for awesome nails). <br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Now onto the Giveaway, Estrea is giving you the chance to win your own Body Care Set, it will be the same one that I got to try and love! The giveaway will end on August 31st and the winner will be notified by email. You will receive a Body Care Set valued at over $65.00. </b></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/404dc10/" id="rc-404dc10" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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***I was provided with an Estrea Body Care set at no charge to review for this giveaway. All opinions are my own and had I not loved the product you wouldn't be seeing this post**
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-63509671293312333002012-08-08T04:00:00.000-07:002012-08-08T04:00:15.969-07:00Exciting NewsHi everyone! I know I've been a bit MIA, between work and the twinsies blogging seems to be the last thing I get to during the day.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MquOL8N48A0/UCHgPpOUJ8I/AAAAAAAABMA/8q6_sUFETtI/s1600/Thirty+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MquOL8N48A0/UCHgPpOUJ8I/AAAAAAAABMA/8q6_sUFETtI/s320/Thirty+one.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But I did want to let you all in on a fun bit of information that is new to my life! I have officially joined <a href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/Brittanye/">Thirty-One</a>. After hearing about Thirty-One for awhile I decided to take the plunge and sign up. I love the products and the versatility of their products, I love that you can choose fabrics that fit your personality instead of just getting a box item. I also love that you can personalize them which makes great gifts for anyone of any age! I decided that it would be a great fit for my family since I need some fun time away from the kids and I believe that Thirty-One will provide that opportunity for me!<br />
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I would love for you to check out my page <a href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/Brittanye/">HERE!</a> I'm hoping I can kick off my first month with a bang! It would make my day and I hope that you love the products as much as I do. Also if you are interested in hosting a Online party please let me know and I can let you know how being a hostess can benefit you. Just email me at <a href="mailto:brittanyechols@hotmail.com">brittanyechols@hotmail.com</a>! <br />
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For the month of August the special is for their new <a href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/content/specials.aspx">Spirit Line</a>! This line is great for anyone who love sports or has a favorite team! For every $31 you spend you get an item for 50% off! That is a great deal! W<br />
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Happy Shopping ;)<br />Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-41316597391673708192012-07-24T04:00:00.000-07:002012-07-24T04:00:02.358-07:00Surviving traveling with twin toddlersAt the end of June we traveled to Utah for a family reunion. Now while I was excited for the twins to get to ride on a plane and see family that hadn't seen them since they were 2 months old! So here are some of my tips for traveling with toddlers!<br />
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<u><b>Tip #1: Packing</b></u><br />
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I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to effectively pack for all<br />
4 of us while maintaining some sense of organized as well as not have a ton of luggage to pack around along with the toddlers. I ran across <a href="http://www.chasingtwinsinlouboutins.com/2012/06/get-packing.html">this idea</a> on <a href="http://www.chasingtwinsinlouboutins.com/">Amanda's blog</a>, I thought this was genius, I could make sure I have clothes for each toddler each day plus a couple of extra (just in case) outfits and it would all be orderly. This worked wonderfully for us. I packed the twins in one carry on size suitcase, including shoes, diapers and wipes. I packed my hubs and I in one regular size suitcase which I have become really good at doing, I kind of like to think of myself and the packing master! We did check both of our bags so that we would have our hands free to be able to handle both kids without having to worry about bags too. I had also made sure all important documents were within easy reach in my purse so when going through all check points I didn't have to mess around to find them including boarding passes/id's/birth certificates.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://kimmccrary.blogspot.com/2012/05/traveling-with-young-children-tip-1.html">Source (all things simple)</a></td></tr>
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<b><u>Tip #2: Carseats & Traveling</u></b><br />
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I had to decide if we wanted to lug our Britax Marathon 70's along for the ride, at first we thought it could be a lot of work to take 2 full size heavy carseats with us but after reading stories like <a href="http://www.blogher.com/think-twice-renting-car-seat-your-child">this</a>, I decided it was well worth the time and effort to bring our own carseats, my children's safety is not something I want to take a chance on. I purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006P05S2Y/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00">these</a> to protect them on the flight and I loved them, they were easy to carry/roll or to put on your back like a backpack. They also had extra space to put a few more things in there like a stuffed animal or doll or extra diapers, plus since carseats are free to check on most airlines you should take advantage of the extra space. By checking the carseats we had our hands free to handle the twins going through security and to the gate. The carseats were treated well during flight and I had no complaints. Our family had rented minivans for the ride and of course with the Britax easy latch system they were a breeze to install (even at 11 pm in 102 degree weather). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006P05S2Y/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00">Source</a></td></tr>
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<u><b>Tip #3: Entertaining your toddler</b></u><br />
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I had asked on twitter what were some good ideas for entertaining a toddler on the plane. One of my favorite twin mama <a href="http://stateiamin.com/">Erin</a> suggested I get a new toy or something for them to play with. I ran over to Target and picked up travel sized magnadoodle pads! They loved these, I didn't let them see them until after we took off and it occupied them for quite a while. Also I fit everything into the <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/7897309/">Pottery Barn Kids Preschool size backpack</a>, I first got these and wasn't sure how often I would use them, but we use them A LOT! I actual think that Ava and Landon love that they have a bag of their own to use. We had an iPad and a portable DVD player so that they could watch a movie or a show and snacks for the ride! All in all they did such a great job on the plane ride and I was pleasantly surprised! <br />
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<b><u>Tip #4: Maintaining your sanity</u></b><br />
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Luckily for us we had family along on the trip to help but I now can safely say I would travel with them on our own for an extended period of time. We maintained their normal schedule as much as we could including we would try to time any car ride that was longer to nap time so they would sleep. We kept bedtime as close as we could to normal and did our normal bath, brush your teeth and pj routine to keep them in check. I'm sure it helped that they were playing hard most of the day and were exhausted by the time bedtime rolled around. <br />
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Well I hope maybe some of my tips will help some of you who might be getting ready to travel with small ones this summer, if you have any great tips or something that has worked for you please let me know! I am always looking for better and more efficient ways to travel with toddlers!<br />
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Check back for my story about the time I was "that mom" in Vegas with her kids awake at 12:30 am in the lobby of the Palms Hotel...yeah that happened!<br />
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Happy Tuesday!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-30254315295977096422012-07-19T08:50:00.003-07:002012-07-19T08:50:40.299-07:00Blogger 411 Link UpBecause I am late to everything these days why would this be any different. Anyways, I have seen so many Blogger 411 and I have learned so much about a lot of bloggers that I really love that I thought it would be fun to join in the fun (even a couple days late). <a href="http://www.frommrstomama.com/2012/07/blogger-411-all-you-need-to-know-about.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FromMrsToMama+%28From+Mrs.+to+Mama%29">Becky</a> always has the greatest ideas for blogger link-ups, I used to love when she did Seriously Thursdays and her Meet this mama features! She is always a great host and one of my favorite daily reads!<br />
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1. How long have you been blogging?<br />
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I started blogging approximately 3 days before I got put in the hospital until the twins were born, in my head I had all these great ideas to go back and document my pregnancy while I was on bedrest at home and then things just got a little crazy. </div>
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2. Did you go to college?<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">I was all ready and planning with acceptance letter in hand to attend a state University but well I decided to follow my heart and get married to my high school sweetheart instead. ;)</span><br /><br />
3. Where have you traveled?<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">I have been to Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, California, Washington D.C, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and many of the states across the US since my parents dragged us on a train trip that took a few days and stopped all along the way to Washington D.C. I hated it at the time, now I think it was a cool trip</span>.<br />
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4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?<br />
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I would probably purchase my dream house on the water. I would also take care of my parents. Then I would take everyone on a big family vacation.</div>
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5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?<br />
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1.The toilet paper not being the correct way (comes over the top), I will change it even if I am at someone's house. 2. Dishes in the sink, this drives me nuts and my husband will tell you this, I can't stand the thought of them just sitting there getting all gross.3. Junk, junk mail, trinkets, whatever you want to call it, I keep very little, only things of significant meaning. My mother keeps everything and I just don't like "stuff" all over the place.</div>
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6. What is your favorite movie?<br />
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Hands down, Pretty Woman, I know it's a movie about a hooker but I love the love story and I have watched it probably a hundred times.</div>
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7. What is your drink of choice; <i>wine, beer, or liquor</i>. Or Water, Soda, Tea?<br />
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This is a fun one, honestly I love water, I drink so much water all day long.</div>
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8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have <i style="font-weight: bold;">me</i> time?<br />
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A good pedicure or a massage would be nice, hasn't happened in a long time though.</div>
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9. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?</span></span><br />
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O boy, well since I would try and stretch it as far as it could go it would probably be Target because you can buy anything there and well $10,000 would buy a whole lot of everything.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? <i>Or present.</i></span></span><br />
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O gez...where would I start, actually I think I must have blocked most of these out of my memory because I can't think of any right now.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">11. What <b>day</b> would you love to relive again?</span></span><br />
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The day the twins were born, I feel like everything was such a blur and really it was, but since I really couldn't relive that one, maybe my wedding day, I was young and now would do a lot differently.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?</span></span><br />
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hmmm...Maybe Jennifer Anniston, one I love her, two I feel like she is quirky and funny and well that's how I am most of the time.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?</span></span><br />
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In high school I worked at a toy store which was fun, then I went to work for my FIL and I have been here ever since.</div>
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14. Show us a picture from high school or college.<br />
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O gez, since I honestly have no idea where most of those are...hello digital cameras, you will get one from my early days of marriage (aka when I would have been in College) Deal...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zqx3YVJpAcM/UAgsLNt4LZI/AAAAAAAABKo/saElVbvnugs/s1600/old+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zqx3YVJpAcM/UAgsLNt4LZI/AAAAAAAABKo/saElVbvnugs/s320/old+pic.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honeymoon November 2005</td></tr>
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15. If you could travel <b>anywhere</b> in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?<br />
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Europe, a two month trip to Europe so I could go all over.</div>
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16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Utah Family Reunion from June</td></tr>
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17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now <br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Living in my forever house and my kids will be 7 (INSERT PANIC), working at a job I love and just living my little life here in the PNW.</span>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-17321021972613149892012-07-10T11:10:00.001-07:002012-07-10T11:11:55.864-07:00The 4th of July in iPhone picturesSo since I rarely seem to actually pull out my camera today my iPhone is responsible for about 90% of my pictures on a day to day basis, so 4th of July wasn't much different, I did take some real pictures but by the time I actually upload them at the rate I'm going it could be next July...<br />
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So here is our 4th of July. We went to our hometown parade, BBQ'd with some great friends which included the best ribs ever, potato salad, fresh pineapple, strawberry shortcake, and s'mores! Our summer here in the PNW has officially started and our weather has been BEAUTIFUL the last week or so, this is the time when we all stay outside ALL DAY! <br />
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Hope you guys all had an amazing 4th!</div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-9354160580721177972012-06-25T11:05:00.001-07:002012-06-25T11:05:58.322-07:00Awesome Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I would love to win this giveaway offered by <a href="http://www.groopdealz.com/index/giveaways">GroopDealz</a>. It is another deal website but tends to have more unique items unlike some of the other sites that I am subscribed to. Maybe if I had a camera like this one I would take more photos! A girl can dream can't she! Anyways go enter! Or don't, I have better chances if you don't. ;)</div>
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<br /></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-19645898518886641412012-06-07T11:59:00.000-07:002012-06-07T13:37:35.347-07:00What Maui looked like through my eye-PhoneGet it eye-phone (iPhone), well I thought it was funny...<br />
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We have been home for over a week now. We had such an amazing time just relaxing. It was good for us, our souls, our marriage, my mommy self. Our friends were ones we will surely travel with again which was such an amazing blessing because I know it can be hard if it doesn't work but it worked and well. We usually would just wake up early in the morning and play it by year for what to do that day. I did miss my kids dearly and was ready to come home and see them by the end of the week but they did great and didn't seem like it bothered them much that we were gone.<br />
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I will have a little better post late on because I feel like I know some good places to eat and things to do now that I have been there twice and definitely plan to go back again. Also because <a href="http://www.poppiphoto.com/index2.php#/home/">Kristina</a> who is the wifey half of the couple who we traveled with is an amazing photographer and got some really great photos of the trip. <br />
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For now, here is our trip through the eyes of my iPhone...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-46Rlw1GidUg/T9D4i8u2yxI/AAAAAAAABJM/hiOeTGEbgpw/s1600/PicMonkey+Collage6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-46Rlw1GidUg/T9D4i8u2yxI/AAAAAAAABJM/hiOeTGEbgpw/s400/PicMonkey+Collage6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-42206166417517724412012-06-06T15:36:00.001-07:002012-06-07T12:04:57.910-07:00Wordless WednesdayI haven't done one of these in a long time. But I have a feeling this girl is going to give me a run for my money. <br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NBPQluT7Rg8/T8_bd2dtMwI/AAAAAAAABIY/_gfCqvJtJs8/s640/blogger-image-1211187318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NBPQluT7Rg8/T8_bd2dtMwI/AAAAAAAABIY/_gfCqvJtJs8/s640/blogger-image-1211187318.jpg" /></a></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-47947495797276792432012-05-16T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-16T04:00:06.109-07:00The 12 Things I learned in the 2nd year of MommyhoodLast year after the twins turned one I wrote a whole post on the 12 things I learned from my first year of mommyhood, you can read it <a href="http://theecholsfour.blogspot.com/2011/05/12-things-i-learned-about-mommyhood-in.html">here</a>. I figured I should do another one because that one was kind of funny to look back on.<br />
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1. I will say this now, my toddler twins are harder then my newborn twins were. These tantrum throwing, sibling fighting, independent humans have a mind of their own and they let that be known now. 99% of the time that are sweet, loving and considerate but that 1% well that 1% is a doozy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDiciiiY_QQ/T7LCX64943I/AAAAAAAABHI/6SXVPJSbQic/s1600/Landon+mad+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDiciiiY_QQ/T7LCX64943I/AAAAAAAABHI/6SXVPJSbQic/s320/Landon+mad+face.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See my mad face mom</td></tr>
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2. An endless supply of snacks is sometimes necessary. This one is true for me in the car, sometimes they love the car sometimes they hate it. If I have "nacks" they will ride along happily. Our favorites are the fruit pouches and animal crackers at the moment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zmMXmkM9WSE/T7LCYuc2cdI/AAAAAAAABHM/qpQXSsYsMPw/s1600/landon+reading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zmMXmkM9WSE/T7LCYuc2cdI/AAAAAAAABHM/qpQXSsYsMPw/s320/landon+reading.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of perfect car behavior</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liK9QIUYsQI/T7LCnkYZIjI/AAAAAAAABII/_0cYzSMAuJM/s1600/snacks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-liK9QIUYsQI/T7LCnkYZIjI/AAAAAAAABII/_0cYzSMAuJM/s320/snacks.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I promise he didn't eat all of those</td></tr>
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4. The outnumber me now. It used to be ok because they were running around, but now, now they run and fast at that. Usually I'm chasing one and the other thinks it is hilarious to run the other way (They must know I need to run). Man on man defense is our best method right now, at church we have a ratio of 2 adults to one child to keep them entertained... <br />
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5. Disney Junior is sometimes my best friend. (Don't judge unless you know), I may know the hot dog song by heart now and honestly never knew what MMCH was until we started watching and if you know what it means too I won't say anything. But during that "witching hour" as we call it, usually between the hours of 4-6 when they are starting to get hungry and cranky, it is all that will call them down. They ask for Mickey and Steins (Little Einsteins) now. ::hangs head in shame::<br />
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6. Where does their energy come from. I've told my husband if I had 1/8 of the energy they had I wouldn't be exhausted when 7 pm comes around. I mean is their baby crack in animal crackers....it is like an endless supply of craziness.<br />
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7. Toddlers are so very smart. People tend to underestimate the brain power of a toddler. Ava and Landon can remember things, like where they found a toy last (I mean I sometimes can't find my own keys). The other day Ava mocked my mom giving herself an insulin shot. I mean she has seen her do it maybe two times and she pulled her shirt up and tried to give herself a shot with a marker...Their brains truly are little sponges.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ISzuaazN7s0/T7LCVC2kK2I/AAAAAAAABGo/O2KpXW7zbfk/s1600/ava+shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ISzuaazN7s0/T7LCVC2kK2I/AAAAAAAABGo/O2KpXW7zbfk/s320/ava+shot.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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8. People still ask dumb questions about twins (like they've never seen them before)...I'm sure this will be on my list for a long time.<br />
Example of a typical conversation:<br />
Random Person: "are those twins"<br />
Me: yes<br />
Random Person: "WOW I bet you have your hands full"<br />
Me: yes<br />
Random Person: "They must keep you busy at that age"<br />
Me: yes<br />
(get the point)<br />
Yes my hands are full but so is my heart, yes they keep me busy but I wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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9. Sometimes it is necessary to loose your mind. My most favorite post on this is <a href="http://www.iloveyoumorethancarrots.com/2012/05/dont-confuse-cool-mom-with-crazy-mom.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ILoveYouMoreThanCarrots+%28I+Love+You+More+Than+Carrots%29">AP from I Love You More Than Carrots</a> where she talks about letter C paint in the bath tub. Sometimes it is just necessary to do something that you know will be a pain to clean up but you also know it will keep them entertained for a solid 30 minutes and time, my friends, is vaulable.<br />
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10. If I teach them young maybe they'll help. This applies to my little helper Ava who took an interest in all things cleaning. She love to "clean" with me, she will wipe and vacuum with her little vacuum, I'm not going to lie, it comes in handy sometimes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She insists on wearing Landon's shoes...</td></tr>
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11. The twitter and the blog world is full of awesome people. I joined twitter around the time the twins turned 1. I could never have imagined the amazing people I have met on there, really there are too many to list. Other moms who were going through similar things with kids around the same age. People to bounce ideas off of, to ask a quick mommying question. I have created some great friendships with these people. It is amazing when more people on Twitter wish your children Happy Birthday than those on Facebook who you know IRL.<br />
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12. Lastly, I could never love two little people as much as I love Landon and Ava. They may stretch my patience and it can be trying but at the end of the day I would lay down for those two. I would walk a thousand miles, I would do anything and everything to make sure that everyday they feel loved and taken care of, happy and healthy. I always have said I love this stage of life that they are in, then they hit the next stage and I love that one even more if possible.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This rarely happens any more</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-1969402043119218252012-05-15T11:36:00.004-07:002012-05-15T11:36:50.110-07:00I'm Leaving on a Jet PlaneNext Monday my hubs and I will be taking our first vacation sans kids since before we started IVF. Obviously, having never been away from my kids (except when they were <strike>held hostage </strike> learning to breath and eat in the NICU) I am a bit nervous and anxious which I'm sure is expected whenever a parent decides to go away on a vacation and leaves their heart(s) in someone elses perfectly capable hands.<br />
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The twins will be staying at <strike>our </strike>my parents house since we are already living there waiting out to build it is a perfect time as there will be minimal disruption from their day to day schedules and they'll have their own stuff. My sister is taking the week off from her job to come up and help as well. I know that they will be fine, I'm sure I'll be the only who is a mess in any of this. <br />
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I have put together presents/activities for them to open and do each day that we are gone. My sister and parents plan on taking them to Northwest Trek and the zoo possibly. I'm sure they will keep them plenty busy and occupied to not realize that we are gone much. <br />
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I know that this time away is good for us as a couple, to relax, to not think 24/7 about what they ate for breakfast, did they play enough, did I stimulate their little brains with numbers and the abc's, what's for dinner and all of the other things that run through our heads as moms. We will be able to sit back and relax which is something we haven't done in a very long time. <br />
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We are headed back to Maui with a couple of good friends, which is where we spent our honeymoon, we will be gone for a whole week. I'm excited for gorgeous weather, the beach, the atmosphere there. Basically I love Maui and am excited to go back. We are staying at the <a href="http://www.honuakai.com/">Honua Kai</a> which we have heard from our friends who we are going with is amazing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cMWR5ZyVk4/T7KhsPTi9jI/AAAAAAAABGc/5gGXrZGFjTQ/s1600/honua-kai-resort-spa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6cMWR5ZyVk4/T7KhsPTi9jI/AAAAAAAABGc/5gGXrZGFjTQ/s320/honua-kai-resort-spa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kaanapali-maui.com/HonuaKaiCafe/wp-content/gallery/honua-kai-outside/honua-kai-resort-spa.jpg">source</a></td></tr>
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So here is where you can help me, if you have left your little ones for a vacation, what did you do to make sure that everyone is on the same page, what numbers/names should I leave. I;ve already gotten some great feedback from some and know that I need to leave something that gives my parents/sister authority to make medical decisions in the event that we can't reached or in an emergency. I know to leave their insurance cards with them just in case. But am I missing anything???Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-38052084306169372912012-05-14T10:35:00.003-07:002012-05-14T10:35:50.288-07:00For MOMS by MOMS: Pregnancy with Multiples (Link-up)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Linking up again for The MoM's linkup. Today the host is <a href="http://www.thevanzantfamily.blogspot.com/">Jennifer</a> from Blessed with Two, I started following Jennifer on twitter awhile back before she gave birth to her boy/girl twins and she is one of the sweetest people I "know". If you are a MoM and would like to link up head over <a href="http://www.thevanzantfamily.blogspot.com/2012/05/for-moms-by-moms-pregnancy-with.html">here</a>.</div>
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After 3 years of trying to get pregnant, we turned to IVF for our chance to start a family. We started our cycle in September of 2009, in October we had a positive pregnancy test. </div>
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My pregnancy was plagued from the get-go. I had terrible morning sickness, nothing helped. I lived on saltines and phenergan for 4 months. I missed so much work, I could hardly pry myself out of bed before 10 am (I found the only thing that kind of worked was getting up very slowly). Becuase of this I lost weight initally, which I tried my best to put back on after I started feeling better around 16 weeks. From 16-23 weeks I felt great, I had energy, I started putting the nursery together soon after finding out we were having a boy and a girl. We had hit the "jackpot".</div>
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At 23 weeks I was getting ready to go run an errand, when I felt pain, I had already experienced a few braxton hicks by this point, but THIS this was different. I called my hubby and told him I was sure I just had a real contraction. I started timing them, I was at one every 8ish minutes. We called the doctor who told us to go to L&D immediately. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">23 weeks<br />
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I was hooked up to all the machines, I knew that 24 weeks was viability. Sure enough I was regularly contracting. They gave me a shot of terbutaline and it seemed to help. I was sent home with a Rx to stop contractions and a strict, just take it easy now. I had a doctor appointment a few days later where they did an ultrasound, my cervix was thinning way too fast for their liking, now my take it easy had turned into, you are not to go anywhere or do anything. You can go to the bathroom and lay around. Okay...So my dream of an uneventful pregnancy flew out the window with those words. Only a few days later I was in L&D again contracting above my meds. They gave me the steriod shots as now I was past 24 weeks. They kept me overnight and sent me home under strict bedrest again. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">29.5 weeks</td></tr>
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I knew I would do whatever to keep my babies safe inside, our goal was now 36 weeks. I made it to 30.5 weeks until I had to visit the L&D again. This time was different, my contractions were officially making me dialate. I had stayed at 2 cm from 26 weeks on but now I was progressing. I was sent by ambulance to a bigger hospital that had a NICU. I was pumped full of magnisum sulfate (worst drug ever) and given pain meds for the contractions. If you want to read the full story you can read it <a href="http://theecholsfour.blogspot.com/2010/05/do-i-have-story-to-tell-now-part-1.html">here</a> and <a href="http://theecholsfour.blogspot.com/2010/05/do-i-have-story-to-tell-now-part-1.html">here</a>. They were able to keep my labor under control and I was officially on hospital bedrest until the babies came. If I made it to 34 weeks I could go home. <br />
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At 32 weeks and 2 days, they were unable to stop my contractions any longer and Landon James and Ava Louise made their dramatic entrance via vaginal delivery and c-section on May 13th, 2010 (you can read the full birth story <a href="http://theecholsfour.blogspot.com/2010/06/finally-birth-story.html">here</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPi546QOV5w/T7FBw4pqacI/AAAAAAAABGI/qd77Isz_gmc/s1600/ava+first+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JPi546QOV5w/T7FBw4pqacI/AAAAAAAABGI/qd77Isz_gmc/s320/ava+first+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sVtUNSr61IM/T7FBySYctJI/AAAAAAAABGQ/ImynQhj47QI/s1600/landon+first+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sVtUNSr61IM/T7FBySYctJI/AAAAAAAABGQ/ImynQhj47QI/s320/landon+first+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landon</td></tr>
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My pregnancy and delivery were a crazy roller coaster for me, yet I would still do it all over again for my two little miracles. <br />
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<br />Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-28231988852632943912012-05-07T08:50:00.002-07:002012-05-07T08:50:38.673-07:00Let me Introduce MyselfToday I am linking up with <a href="http://justwaittilyouhavekids.blogspot.com/2012/05/for-moms-by-moms-let-me-introduce.html">Heather</a> from <a href="http://justwaittilyouhavekids.blogspot.com/2012/05/for-moms-by-moms-let-me-introduce.html">Just Wait Til You Have Kids</a> for her MoM (moms of multiples) Monday link up. Today is all about introducing yourself. If you read this blog and are a MoM yourself head over to <a href="http://justwaittilyouhavekids.blogspot.com/2012/05/for-moms-by-moms-let-me-introduce.html">Heather's Blog</a> and link up and meet other MoM's just like yourself.<br />
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So Me, well my name is Brittany, I have been married to my high school sweetheart for almost 7 years now. After three years of unsuccessful tries at getting pregnant on our own we turned to a fertility doc. In September of 2009 we took our first shot at IVF, in October we found out we were pregnant, in November we found out we were blessed with twins! In February we found out we were expecting a boy (Landon James) and a girl (Ava Louise). After 8 weeks on bedrest after a few scares with pre-term labor we welcomed Landon and Ava born at 32 weeks into <strike>their incubators </strike>our arms. <br />
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Fast forward to now and those teeny tiny preemies are turning 2 in just a few days. I tend to talk about raising multiples on here and the trials and tribulations of being a working mama to two toddlers. Feel free to stroll around and find out more about us. I love meeting other MoM's since it really is something you only understand if you have been there. Anyways, thanks for visiting and hope to "met" some of you soon!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3zjRQumz6S0/T6fvL-6j2VI/AAAAAAAABFc/-Q5uokJbDUY/s1600/fam+pic+easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" mea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3zjRQumz6S0/T6fvL-6j2VI/AAAAAAAABFc/-Q5uokJbDUY/s320/fam+pic+easter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-34445434659038417402012-04-02T15:12:00.000-07:002012-04-02T15:12:01.593-07:00Disciplining TwinsO boy, we have reached some major terrible twos over here. Mind you most of the time the twins are well behaved, we have worked on please and thank you and they are very good about using their manners. But lately we have hit some serious twin fighting. Shoving, hitting, bitting, hair pulling, you name it one of them has done it. This has been one of my biggest fears of parenting multiples. It is so hard to explain to two children that are at the same developmental level which is really too young to understand sharing to start with and trying to get them to understand the concept. If one has a toy that the other decides they want there is no please there is just "I'm going to go grab it". Which usually results in tears on both sides. <br />
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Ava has an issue with biting which we curbed awhile back after biting her back (say what you must but nothing else worked), my parents did it to my sister and she is a perfectly functioning 23 year old professional. But now, now she shoves. Landon, who used to be very reserved has started fighting back by pushing back which I understand but he is 30+ lbs and Ava is like maybe 23 lbs. He is ALOT stronger than she is. <br />
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We have tried timeouts, but they are still a little young to really grasp the concept of them, and usually they think it is funny. We have just taken away whichever toy is causing them to fight which results in tears from both. I am looking for any and all ideas to try and teach them that it is not ok to hit or shove each other. I am not anti spanking as I was spanked as a child but very very few times and I remember why I was spanked to this day, so I don't really believe it spanking them at this age. I just need help from my fellow mamas who have dealt with disciplining two or more children. Even if those children weren't twins, what worked for you with your two year olds?? HELP!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-28402505612667723632012-03-30T07:50:00.002-07:002012-03-30T08:00:08.275-07:00SUYL-Moms of Multiples over at Kelly' KornerToday over at <a href="http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2012/03/show-us-your-life-moms-of-multiples.html">Kelly's Korner</a> she is hosting an awesome link up for all the mom of multiples. So head over and link up if you have twins, triplets, or even more. I know I'll be going through to find new moms to connect with. I love finding other moms of twins since hardly any of my friends have a baby let alone two. <br />
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And if you are here visiting from Kelly's Korner welcome! We have 22 month almost 23 month boy/girl twins born at 32 weeks after ivf. They are crazy toddlers and I would change any of it. Please check out our stories above and some of our recent adventures! <br />
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Thanks for stopping by!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-16724731720730221182012-03-26T09:53:00.000-07:002012-03-26T09:53:32.507-07:00Zoo TripSaturday we packed up the twins and their wagon and headed up to the zoo! We had some passes that needed to be used by April so we have been waiting for a semi nice weekend to go. Seeing as our weather here was 50 but sunny it is considered Spring and you go outside! The twins were much more into the zoo this trip than the last time that we went. They were so excited to see all of the animals and wanted to walk around all by themselves. <br />
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We got there just after the park opened before the huge crowds arrived (remember it is Washington and over 50 degrees, everyone goes outside). We made the whole round by a little after noon and headed home. The rest of the day we went on a family walk and played outside, good thing too since today it is raining... :( . We are considering getting the family membership so we can go whenever we want all year and not feel bad if we only spend a couple hours there. <br />
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Here are a few pictures from our zoo trip!<br />
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Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-29896181933332120682012-03-20T08:10:00.000-07:002012-03-20T08:10:12.094-07:00Telling our storyToday I am over <a href="http://www.twinkietotmom.com/2012/03/marching-for-our-preemies-the-echols-family.html">here</a> at Life as we Know It with two twinkies and a Tater Tot. Heather is hosting a series on preemies and ask for volunteers to tell their stories. Please head over today and take a peak around. She will be featuring a family a week as we all prepare for the March of Dimes.<br />
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<center><a href="http://twinkietotmom.com/"><img alt="Life as we know it with two twinkies and a tot" src="http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i35/bullsbabe84/Custom%20Blog%20Design/button-3.png" /></a></center>Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1443340734277118074.post-18119739135383064572012-03-15T09:34:00.000-07:002012-03-15T09:34:18.242-07:00O Hi ThereWow so I basically disappeared. Life has been, well, crazy! We have been going non-stop since December. I could say sorry for not writing but it took the back burner while we just lived our crazy life. Things are finally dare I say calming down for the moment.<br />
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After my last post we enjoyed our family vacation to Whistler, BC for Christmas which was so fun this year with the twins, they played in the snow and on the playground they have there which is awesome. We had dinner out and the hubs and I actually had a date night since we had 8 babysitters. We relaxed and had an awesome Christmas with our two toddlers.<br />
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In January our part of the state got hit with a massive snow/ice/wind storm. We had over 18+ inches of snow which we rarely have seen in the past. But not only did it snow, the next day is ALL froze and turned into a slippery winter wonderland. But wait thats not all, then the trees started snapping and the power went out. Not just a few people lost power but pretty much our whole county was out of power. We only lost power for a little over 24 hours but enough to book it to the inlaws who have a generator. O and in January the twins turned 20 months old and both had their first ear infection!<br />
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February brought some serious life changes, we decided in order to fullfill our dream of building our forever house we would need to sell or rent our current home. Considering we bought our house at the literal peak of the market we figured out we would be more likely to just keep it rented for basically our mortgage which to me doesn't sound like a bad idea. So we ask my parents if they would mind 2 adults, 2 kids and 2 dogs moving in. To my surprise, they said yes no problem. So we moved all of our stuff into my parents house, sold some of our living room/family room furniture and the moved the rest into storage and my husband's parents house. We found a renter within 2 weeks and they moved in 3 days later. So now we are landlords. We are paying off a little bit of credit card debt that accumlated over the past few years with the twins medical bills and while my hubs wasn't working and saving the rest to purchase land and build.<br />
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Also in Febrauary our beloved 3.5 yr old Great Dane suddenly got sick and we couldn't figure out was wrong until the vet took an xray and said that his stomach had flipped and that it was basically a death sentence unless we decided to pay 5,000+ for a surgery that may or may not work, so we had to say goodbye. While I am still very sad over it we both knew it wasn't fair to our children to sink that much money into our dog who may or may not make it out of surgery and even then the life expectancy of a Great Dane is really only 5-8 years on average. We miss him but when we build a house with a big yard we will probably get another big dog who will have room to run.<br />
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That brings us to March. The twins just turned 22 months old, we only have 2 more months until they turn 2. I feel like I need a time machine to go back and hold a teeny tiny 4 lb baby in my arms again just to remember what it was like. They are independent, funny, smart and so energetic. They can be exhausting and trying and well...a toddler, but they are so fun. They are talking up a storm these days, small phrases are being put together, we can communicate with them better and I am just loving this age. <br />
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I like a crazy women already have their party planned and it will be taking place at a local zoo. The twins love animals and since I don't have my house to throw a party in I figure we will just bring everything in and have a fun day at the zoo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTsE1RrRWNM/T2IZ3ASF7GI/AAAAAAAABCk/AofBU6xy_vs/s1600/blackmickeyhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="313" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTsE1RrRWNM/T2IZ3ASF7GI/AAAAAAAABCk/AofBU6xy_vs/s320/blackmickeyhead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which will feature lots of Mickey </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LLTY0LjvsC4/T2IZ4BthmdI/AAAAAAAABCs/3LANk-4rMyI/s1600/2535711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LLTY0LjvsC4/T2IZ4BthmdI/AAAAAAAABCs/3LANk-4rMyI/s320/2535711.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And will be held here</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Anyways, that brings us to today. Hopefully I will begin to blog more. I became almost embarrassed at how long it had been since I last posted, but o well. All I can do is try and be better.Brittanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03642621364063949245noreply@blogger.com4