The Birthday!

So, I am going to finally post some pictures from the third birthday party that happened on April 18th.  Jacob and Claire were SO excited for their birthday party and their birthday cake and their birthday presents.  They had a lot of fun with their friends and with their cake and all of their presents.  Jacob was so cute to enthusiastically say "THANK YOU" to anyone who told him Happy Birthday and Claire was very sure to make sure people were aware that it was her birthday and Jacob's birthday too!  Here are a few highlights:

Jacob with his new cowboy hat.
Claire checking out a new present.
Jacob modeling the Superman cape that Aunt Camie made (Claire got a supergirl one too, but if you want to see them both go to Camie's blog...her kids will stand still for a picture).
Jacob is still telling people that he got a lawnmower...he LOVES his lawnmower.
I loved these when I was young, so I had to get one for Claire, but she is still a little small for it, so Sarah had to help her out.
Her new trike and helmet!
His new trike and helmet.
The birthday cake...let it be known that frosting cakes may be the thing that I despise the very most!  I made one big cake with a boy side and a girl side.  The party was a colors and letters party so we had colored baloons pink and blue cake with giant colored sprinkles....
And rainbow colored cake...
Colored Jell-O jigglers letters and lots of colored wrapping papers and napkins.  

"I need to use my finger!"

Here's a conversation Jacob and Trisha Casper (one of our friends who babysat our kids) had hile we were out in Portland:

Jacob (in a panic): I can't get it out!!!

Trisha: you can't get what out?

Jacob: I can't get - the boogie

Trisha (holding a tissue): okay, blow

Jacob: It won't come out - I need to use my finger

Trisha: uh - okay

Jacob: I got it!  I got the boogie!!!

Holy Moly...3!

My sweet babies just turned 3 (yesterday)!  I cannot believe it.  Look how grown up they look!

It was really not that long ago that they looked like this!
and this...
Actually, it was 3 years ago!
They had such a fun birthday and we just love watching their excitement and seeing their big personalities come out of their little bodies!  Birthday party pictures to come...

Portland Trip

A couple of weeks ago Jared and I took a quick trip to Portland, OR without the kids (thanks again to all of you who watched them for us).  We had a really great time seeing Portland for the first time and visiting some of our best friends.  While we were there we went out for Thai food in the Pearl District, skied at Mount Hood Meadows, had a fun party with games and food with some old friends and some friends that we met for the first time, did some quick hikes and saw lots of waterfalls, and had a Monte Cristo sandwich party at Jim and Mel's house.  We packed in as much as possible!

There are lots of big waterfalls!
Here is Jared with Jim and their little boy Bridger...we got to meet Jim and Mel (you might remember them from our Mexico trip) anyway...we got to meet there 2 little kiddos for the first time, Kacy was only about 8 weeks old.  Bridger loved Jared (he seems to have the effect on young children).
Here I am...EVERYTHING is so green in Oregon, mostly because there is moss growing up and down everything.
We had a perfect ski day...see all the snow in the trees, that was the amount of fresh powder we were skiing on and it was a lovely sunny day.
There is Mount Hood (our proof that it exists).  It was a very fun trip and we were so glad to see our friends!

Mother of Twins Perks

I belong to a mother of twins club.  It is a great perk to being a mother of twins because twice a year (fall and spring) they have a big sale.  If you are a member of the club you get to shop the night before the sale is open to the public.  It is HUGE!!!!  I have been shopping at these sales since I was big and pregnant with Jacob and Claire and I really outfit them almost completely at the sales.  I have gotten better at shopping each sale, since it does take some strategy.  I bought all of this stuff and a tricycle for just over $100.  I also picked up a great wagon for a friend and a pair of shoes for another friend.  Such a great perk!

Aunt Kaci (aka Peepee) and Toby come to visit

Ok, I am behind again...surprise surprise.  Anyhow, I FINALLY convinced my sister to come visit and in March she and her youngest, Toby, came to visit.  Toby and Claire and Jacob had so much fun together.  While she was here we went to Ikea, we ate Mexican food, we went to Louisville for our friends' sealing and went to the children's museum there, we went to the outlet malls, to the zoo, and to the Gap clearance center.  We had a lot of fun in a few short days.  Here are some pictures (Kaci got more and better pictures).

This is the view Jared had from the driver's seat on the way home from Louisville.  I was asleep in the passengers seat.
Claire and Jacob playing in the water.  Toby had so much fun at this area and actually dumped a huge pitcher of water down the side of some unsuspecting little girl (on accident).
In the rocket ready for take off!
The kiddos checking out the giant disk of tiny mirrors on the way in.
Jacob and Toby taking care of each other on the way to Mexican food.