The TWINS TURN 1

My heart and my thoughts were so tender on the twins' birthday (May 23rd).

Just thinking back to the day they were born I felt ALL the feels:

Probably the most magically, powerful and tender day I've ever had. My mind couldn't help but look at the clock and remember exactly what was going on at that time.

BUT of course these two don't care. In fact they don't even KNOW it's their birthday.

Which is WHY I wasn't going to go all out and buy crazy presents for them. I decided to get exactly what they wanted....... PHONES! (and "clickers"/remotes)

I asked a few friends if they had old remotes/phones hanging around that they don't need/use anymore and man, oh man, did they come through! Who knew people still had flip phones?!?! 

#jackpot

I don't even allow Bronson's phone in his room with him, but these TWINS?..... well, they get to NAP with their's!!!!

(Iley)

And eat with them!!!!

Speaking of eating...... well, I kinda forgot to plan for a cake! WHO FORGETS THAT ON A FIRST BIRTHDAY??!!? 

However, I had a new recipe I was going to try anyway for a cherry cheesecake, so that's what they got!

Wynn liked her's just fine. #herface 💓

Iley tried the cheesecake part and liked that, but then got a cherry on top....

She wasn't quiiiiiiiite sure what she thought about it.

Then she made up her mind. Definitely not a fan of cherries. Which is the VERY first thing I've EVER seen her NOT eat.

Meanwhile Wynn finished her's.

And enjoyed watching Iley complain. It was like a dinner-and-a-show deal for her.

It was funny for us to watch. Typically if someone is whining it's Wynn. To see the roles reversed all for cherries was pretty entertaining.

Here are their birthday dresses I HAD to buy (like two months ago since I ordered them off ebay from China. haha)

I tried to get them all cute walking together before church but it LITERALLY is like herding cats. Two cats that see mice in TWO different directions.

This is the best I got. haha. I still love these little poof-balls anyway.

They really are my sunshines. I still try to carry them both while I can since I know the time will come when they will just be too big!

A few funny things about these "baby-ladies". 

They LOVE Legos. Always have.

You see, they share a room with Royce and have watched him build stuff their whole lives. They don't even try to suck/eat them. It's like they try to build stuff but are really just moving around pieces. Twenty minutes later they might come out. :) 

That's a perk of being a twin I guess. It feels like you are never left alone so you are more content to sit longer.

They LOVE people! They will go to anyone. Even the guys at the car shop while we're waiting for it to be done.

Iley was whispering, "don't over charge us, don't over charge us". And it worked.

They also LOVE LOVE water.

This has been going on for MONTHS but whenever they see a puddle or any water on any surface they start sucking it. Like at the park here.

I HAD their water bottle and kept squirting it in their mouths to prevent this. I promise you they weren't thirst, they just BOTH drink off anything and it's so bad. I can't stop both of them either! When I grab one, I hear slurping from the other!

Even in a muddy puddle at a baseball game!!!!!! AH!

While I took that picture to send to Brooks, Wynn started doing the same thing in another puddle behind me!

BUT....with as much as they love water, splashing, etc. They were NOT fans of the neck float.

And LEEEEEEEEEET me hear it.

I also have to monitor the front door like crazy. Wynn and Iley have a magnetic pull to the road. They are just so cute wandering outside together.

Another funny pic. We were dog-sitting and I kept having to hide the dog's bone from Wynn because she LOVED it.

One of the BEST times of my day is when I sneak in at night and look at my angels sleeping. For naptime I put them in separate beds, but at night I've been letting them have a sleepover. I pathetically took a picture almost every night, but here are a few of my favorites....... because I think this sight will always give me warm fuzzies.

They were always touching each other somehow. 😍

Little tangled legs....

Wynn sucks her thumb and Iley sucks her two fingers. 

AHHHHHHHH! It's like my favorite view ever!

diaper bums

And the night Wynn learned how to take OFF her diaper. (or maybe Iley took it off for her?) To say I was shocked when I walked in and saw a naked bum was an understatement. hahaha

Playing footsies.

RUFFLE SLEEPING?!?!?!!? #viewofheaven

I LOVE these sweet 1-year old angel babies. 

What a FANTASTIC, busy, crazy, heart-melting and tender year with these girls.

Man, I'm so grateful for them.

Job Hunting

During April Brooks was traveling and interviewing for potential jobs. One of the jobs he went to was in Russellville, Arkansas. He loved the job/boss, etc but couldn't quite wrap his mind around the area/city......but honestly, I think it was the thought of the word "Arkansas" on our return address.

I decided that I would take a few kids down and inspect the area myself.

I took the kids I thought would have the most excited attitudes about it. I think I picked the right ones.... :)  #windowsdown

And Wynn came too. I was NOT going to bring Iley (who screams in the car) and it's easier at church with just one baby, so we split up the pair.

We got our "Kicks, on Route 66" all the way to Russellville.

My reason for going was just to explore the area and get a feel for it. However a few days before I went down there actually was a house that went on the market that I wanted to see. So we quickly walked through that house (I LOVED it) and drove down the road 3 miles to a huge lake with a visitor center/aquarium.

The lake was beautiful and I probably could've sat there eating our Sonic food for hours. But the girls wanted to get back to the hotel so they could swim and "play with the phones".

(Note: the first thing I ALWAYS do when I walk in a hotel room is unplug the phones and BOOM, they become instead toys to play "house" or "friends" or "Teacher" with)

Wynn just played with the mirror.

I couldn't help but wonder if she thought I was Iley playing with her.....

We went to church in town and started our 6 hour drive home. But it actually took longer because we were going to stop and enjoy the scenery this time. Russellville is just outside of Ozark National Park and the views were breathtaking. 

I don't know WHAT I was thinking before, but I did NOT think Arkansas looked like THIS!!!!!

We stopped at every lookout, which helped with the carsickness with all the switch backs.

We stopped at the very top for lunch.... some of us in better moods than others.....

As I sat there, I couldn't help but breath in and out.....slowly......over and over. I felt like they were the first deep breaths I had taken in WELL over a year. I just felt so peaceful and calm. 

I got home and Brooks was SHOCKED I loved it so much. Which didn't help HIS perdicament since he TOO felt we needed to move there, but was fighting/denying it. Finally after enough promptings and more obvious feelings, Brooks (we) decided Arkansas it was!

Before we told the kids I of COURSE had to order them all Arkansas gear to announce it to them.

I was relieved a decision had been made and was REALLY looking forward to the slower-paced life in a smaller (30,000 people) town.

Arkansas ready or not, the Smiths are comin'!

April Smorgasbord

There are times I just pull out my phone to capture a moment.....because I want it kept forever.....

so whether or not these pictures have ANYTHING to do with each other, it doesn't matter. I wanted the moment remembered for April.

We dog-sat in April. Because my babies eat everything on the floor, I put the dog's food/water on the porch. Good idea right? Until Wynn goes outside, dumps it all out and has lunch!

(Hopefully the promise of the dog food will come through of thicker and shinier fur/hair)

My baby-ladies just woke up. Their sleepy faces make them look more alike.

These two....... are just full of it. Full of everything happy, fun and extreme.

(Pretty sure that was my LAST walk I went with them on. I was pushing the twins and Kellyn wanted to push Everly....that is until the way BACK. There was a LOT of whining, walking-through-quicksand that ended up with me pushing Everly with the twins while balancing the umbrella stroller on top going uphill. Like I said, last time.)

Aleeya and Iris like to choreograph dances. This happens to be their "Braids" dance and song they did for me.

Aleeya's artwork was in the county art show.

I think it's safe to say that NO one would ever consider us classy.

So to go along with that my kids just re-affirm that notion daily. This particular day Emerson decided he wanted a pool. And made a "deep end pool" in our recycling bin. (as opposed to the "shallow pool" they made out of one of my bins)

It doesn't quite fit the family. Two is the limit.

Since it's filled with cold hose water it is PERFECT for the cold-water-challenge game Emerson made up.

You see, the first step of the game is to challenge an unsuspecting younger sibling. Then you sit on the side where both players try to pysch themselves up for the shock.

On the count of three, you both have to get in. The person who stays in the longest wins!

Church is a place that I EXPECT the twins to be a handfull. I keep one eye on Everly for good measure. Everyone else I can count on. 

But for SOOOOOOOME reason there was a Sunday in April that this kid just couldn't keep his hiney on the bench. 

I guess he just needed extra practice when we got home.

He wasn't the ONLY one!!!!!!!!!

I heard a lot of action downstairs and peeked down to find the kid made a 4-square game out of Bronson's ties on the floor in his room. My kids can make fun anywhere!

Like in the mud during a HUGE rainstorm!

Another monumental experience.... the twins tried RedVines.... and approved.

Wynn

and Miss Iley-May

At Aleeya's elementary the 3rd and 4th graders are required to do strings. Here is Aleeya's strings concert.

Her little arched back is so cute.

Brooks couldn't make her concert which probably turns out to be a good thing since he thinks violins sounds like a whining cat anyway.

He was also out of town when Wynn (it's ALWAAAAAAYS Wynn who falls!!!!) cut above her eyebrow open and needed stitches. 

(what good is marrying a doc if he can't do the stitches?!?!?!)

Thankfully our friend let me bring Wynn over at 10:30pm and sewed her up nicely. 

She LOVED getting all the shots and being held down 3 hours past her bedtime.

On the PLUS side..... it helped the family tell the twins apart faster!

Spring is always the busiest time for my family because of baseball. And as crazy as our schedule gets there's NO way my boys aren't going to play baseball. There's something magical in the air watching baseball games!

And I will NEVER tire of seeing their cute name on the back of their jerseys.

More pointers from Dad. He actually ASKS Brooks for pointers. 

It sure made it easy to support Bronson's team since they were the Cardinals. We just got all our Cardinals gear out every game and looked like quite the fan-club.

Cutest little fan-club for Emerson's game.

(He's the kid that still waves to me from whatever position he is playing)

Royce....too polite to tell his buddy to SCRAM and get back in his position.

Good ol' Royce swung that bat with bad intentions every time he was up. He was also their best fielder too.