Bibs are for babies!

Charlotte has decided that she doesn't want to wear bibs any more and spent each meal ripping it off. This made things very messy. I think I will be shopping for bibs with snaps.

Our first trip to the zoo

During my in-laws visit a couple of weeks ago, we took the opportunity to go to the local zoo.  It was the first time any of us had been there.  I was really pleasantly surprised.  Of course, I have been spoiled by the St. Louis zoo, but this one was really nice.  I know we will go back again.  C and E liked being outside and really did look at the animals.  They even petted a goat.  E didn't mind, but it was scary for C.  The best thing was sharing the experience as a family.  It has been harder to get out and do things since the girls arrived, but I sure am glad that we made the effort.  Here are a few of the highlights from that trip.

At the entrance, ready to see some animals!

This orangutan was one of the first animals we saw.  He was very active and climbed out on that log to get a better look at us.  C was very interested in looking back.  It was a warm day for January, but cool enough that most of the animals were very active.

E and her dad checking out the panther exhibit.  He was hard to spot, but we found him.

Watching the beavers.

E and GG were clapping.

Grandma and Grandpa showing E and C the Kookaburras.  I was really excited to see some Australian animals and can't wait to share my memories and experiences of living there with the girls.

A shot with the flamingos.

GG giving C a ride.  As you can see, we were some of the only people at the zoo that day.  Wonderful!!

Looking at animals is exhausting!

Already a Mizzou fan.

Our first experience with a petting zoo.  The girls were a little apprehensive and the chickens scared C.  I am sure it will be more fun when they are older.

I like this picture because I think the dinosaur and E have the same expression.

Thank you pintrest!

This week I joined pintrest, the online site where you can collect ideas from around the web and organize them.  It is wonderful.  I knew I would love it, which is in part why I stayed away for so long.  But I have jumped on board and already reaped the benefit.  I found this recipe while looking at what others had pinned, and thought we would try it this weekend.  Oh, it was lick the plate clean, slap your mama good!  We have had three meals off of this and it was just as good every time.  Will be making this again.

The finished product, Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

Reflecting on loss and living

Two years ago today I delivered our first two daughters into the world at 21 weeks gestation.  I have been thinking about what I would do today to commemorate those precious girls that we lost.  I bought myself some tulips and plan to hang up a cross stitch someone made for us with their names and birth dates.  I still have an ache in my heart for those babies and what we lost.  Thinking about that day brings back pain and sorrow, but I now also have wonder and gratitude as I think about the time that has followed that day.  I will never understand why we had to lose them, but I do know that their lives were not in vain.  I know that I am changed by them, and look at life differently.  I am more conscious of appreciating where we are right now, and trying (sometimes not always succeeding, especially when I am up in the middle of the night) to live in the moment.  Emma and Charlotte will be in turn touched by them as well.  I have felt more acutely the connection of living and dieing.  How precious life is, and how it can be gone so quickly.   

Remembering Wilma Jane and Hannah Grace Hoemann

A Christmas to Remember

It was E and C's first Christmas, and one that I will always hold in my heart.  Yes, there was lots of sickness, and some sadness, but it was also magical to share it with my parents and watch E and C experience Christmas for the first time.  Here are some of my favorite moments from Christmas and Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve we wanted to take pictures of the girls in their dresses in front of the tree, so we let them play with the presents.

Here we are right before we went to Christmas Eve service at our church.  My mom made the girls' Christmas dresses.

Emma was so close to crawling that I told her if she started she could open a present early.  It wasn't enough motivation, but she sure tried.

They both really wanted the bow on that present.

Everyone was in good spirits as we got ready to go.

Christmas morning we all took turns opening stockings.  E and C went first.

It didn't take E long to figure out how to reach in and pull out what was inside.

Then we had breakfast.  The girls were ready and seemed to pick up on the excitement of the day.

Our breakfast table.

We had a country ham for Chrismas dinner.  Let me tell you, that was an experience.  It took two days to soak in water, changing the water every few hours.  Then it cooked for 5 hours in the oven in a bath of Dr. Pepper.  Then we had to cut all of the skin and fat off and carve it.  The end result was very tasty but I don't know if we will attempt one again any time soon.

The first present the girls opened.  They loved ripping the paper and were more interested in that then what was inside.  Christmas was pretty overwhelming for them and after a couple of presents they needed a break.

A neighbor gave the girls each a sock monkey.  C immediately hugged on it.

E helped her dad open one of his presents.  That paper was so fun!

We gave the girls a Zany Zoo bead maze as their present.  Here they are just after opening it.  It is a hit!

Our Christmas dinner table.  A great ending to a great day.

Swing with us!

My dad took these photos of the girls swinging.  I love how he captured what fun it is to swing through the air.

Grandparents (and Great Grandparents) are the best!