I am so thankful for...

my in-laws.  Two weeks ago they drove down from Missouri for a whole week just to help us move.  They helped with everything: packing, loading, driving, cleaning, unloading, and some unpacking.  It was really incredible, and I know things would not have gone nearly as smoothly without them.  The biggest thing that I take away from having them come help us, besides the joy of being in our own home, is the love that they showed us by helping us with this.  Thank you!

Enjoying brownies after our first meal in the new house.

The View from my Kitchen Window

One of the reasons that we chose to purchase this house is the kitchen.  It is fairly big, bright, and has lots of room for all of my kitchen things.  A favorite thing of mine though, is the view from the window above the sink.  It looks out on our brick patio and lots of bright green trees.  It really beats my last view from my kitchen sink at the apartment.  It just looked out onto our dining room.  Having something beautiful to look at really makes doing the dishes more pleasant.

We are in!!

We are finally in our new house!  We moved last week with the help of my husband's parents.

Here is the front.

This is the view from the front door.

These surprise lilies bloomed while we were moving in.

Here is my husband cleaning the cabinets the first night at the new house.

Here is what the kitchen looks like now that we are a little more settled.

And one last picture of the mountain of boxes we have yet to tackle.

It is very exciting to be in the new house, although I have to say that it has taken a little while for the feeling that it is our house to sink in.  I am looking forward to being able to put more things away and make it feel more like our home. 

We are Moving

We closed on our house Friday.  Let's just say that things are super busy and hectic and crazy at our house/apartment right now.  Unfortunately, it doesn't leave much time for blogging.  I have lots of things to write about, and will have a lot more time in about a week.  Please stay tuned.  I promise lots of updates and pictures once we are a little more settled.

Picture from this site

What Do You Say?

What do you say to honor daughters that left too soon?  What do you say to let others know how you are doing?  What do you say to commemorate lives you loved but never knew as people?

Here is what I chose to say at the memorial we had for our twin daughters a couple Saturdays ago.  It was really something I felt like I needed to say and to share with others.  I described it to one friend as like ripping a band-aid off.  Painful but very necessary for healing.

 First I would like to thank you for coming to honor and remember our daughters.  It means so much to use to have you here, and your support has really helped us to get through this hard time.  I can see that our daughters are remembered and loved. 

This has been such a hard thing to go through.  I think one reason it is so difficult is because there are so many dreams, hopes, and expectations that we will never see come to light.  We will never get to tuck them in at night, read them stories, enjoy their jokes, or get to see them become women.  However, through the privilege of being able to care for them for five and a half months, and the time that followed, they have taught me so much that has helped me become a better person and forever changed me. 

They taught me the importance of the relationships that I have with people, and that by sharing and communicating the truth of what I am feeling and the situation, I will have stronger relationships.  I feel like I have been able to connect on a deeper level with people.  My daughters also taught me the importance of choosing to do what is best, not always what is easiest.  It might feel easiest to just pretend this never happened or stay holed up in our apartment not facing the world, but these are not the best or healthiest choices.  I have a strength that I have never known before, and it is because of my daughters. 

They have also shown me the importance of loving and appreciating what is here right now.  We were only able to know them for five and a half months in this world, and I spent a fair amount of that time worried for their safety.  My worrying did not change the outcome, but I could have spent that time just in the moment.  I plan to work on trying to do that more and worry less. 

Finally, they helped me to deepen my faith and relationship with God.  While I will never understand why this happened and always feel sadness and grief towards this loss, I have found myself leaning not on my own strengths, but that of God, and trusting in his plan for me in a way I never have before. 

I really wanted to share with you how my daughters have touched and changed my life in meaningful ways.  While I will never forget and always miss them, I hope that because of my daughters and this experience, I can become a better wife, friend, family member, and mother, and that I will be able to support and encourage others the way I have been by those around me.  Thank you so much again for being here today to honor and remember our daughters.

 I will share more about the memorial in another post.  It was a really meaningful time to spend with family and friends.  I know that it has helped in my healing process.

What Happens to Fruits and Veggies at Our House

Today I found a peach looking like this.

This is not the first time we have found fruits and veggies come victim to tiny teeth.  Others include tomatoes, watermelon, and avocados.

Here is a picture of the sweet looking culprit.

Needless to say, we have to lock up our fruits and veggies to keep them safe.  It reminds me of another favorite children's book, Bunnicula.  Instead of a vampire bunny we have a vegetable loving cat.  Maybe that is how the author got the idea?

Whew!

Well, after an unexpectedly extended vacation, I am finally back and able to blog.  I have so many things to write about, it is almost overwhelming.  In the last week and a half we have had so many experiences, both happy and sad.  To give you a short run down:

• We started our vacation visiting my husband's grandfather in the hospital
• We spent the fourth of July with my husband's family and enjoy some time with his nieces and great fire works
• We went camping and floating with my parents and some very good friends
• We had a rain disaster with our tent flooding
• We had the memorial for our daughters
• My husband's Grandfather passed away so we stayed in Missouri for the visitation and funeral
• I unofficially started my new job today by going and getting books and seeing my classroom

So Whew!  We have been super busy and now I have lots to write about, as well as much catching up to do on others blogs.  Look for many posts coming soon.