Visiting the Lloyds

Last Thursday, we went on our first big roadtrip as a family of five to go visit our precious friends the Lloyds in Pensacola. Whitney and I met in 5th grade and have been the dearest of friends ever since! Everyone did fabulously on the road, even our pottytrainer...

At the last minute, we decided we couldn't pass Auburn without making a stop for a very early lunch at Byron's...
And the world's most beautiful spot for a stretch break... before getting back on the road. Wish we had planned better and could have seen some of y'all- glad we get to in a few weeks!Meet Isabella, the world's smiliest four-month-old! She is such a bundle of delight, and we treasured getting to love on this young lady we all prayed for so much!

Abby Jane was enthralled, and just said this morning, "Can we go back to Isabella's house soon?"

Whit and Jeremy gave our girls lots of special attention, too! It's so precious to love on best friends' babies, isn't it?

It rained all weekend long, but that didn't stop us from going on an adventure for a beach picnic...

and making a dash out to the beach amongst storm clouds...
for a few minutes by the water we love so much!
We also did a trip to the park in the rain- see four swings for four girls...
Aunt Whit showed Abby Jane all the fun things to do...
while Blythe blew her first kisses ever to Jeremy!
We tried this photo shoot a few times- Isabella was much more patient with the process than the twins! Whitney got better shots than I did of this one...
One of the highlights of the trip was that Whit and I got to go on two runs together- in the rain! We've been running together since 9th grade, so it was so sweet to get that hangout time doing what we love to do! Isabella came along in her jogging stroller, covered in towels- she's learning young!

Right before saying goodbye early Sunday morning! What sweet memories we made- we sure love y'all!

One of the highlights of my parental life...

At dinner last night, Abby Jane said, "Dad, did you know it's almost football season?"

Yes, our work here is done. 2 1/2 years of brainwashing is paying off, and I couldn't be prouder.

Other quotables in the last 24 hours:

At Publix yesterday afternoon, we saw a Middle Eastern woman in the traditional headcoverings, etc. Abby Jane POINTS at her from about 30 feet away and said, "Look, Mom, she's being Mary!"

At dinner last night, she dropped a spaghetti noodle, and I said, "It's OK, Abby Jane, you didn't mean to. He was just a sneaky guy." A minute later, she pointed to her bib and said, "Help, Mom, it's another sneaky guy!" If only she'll have that discernment as a teenager...

Just now, before going down for her nap, for some reason she said she didn't want to be by herself. I told her that she wasn't by herself, that she has her babydolls for company and that Jesus is with her all the time. She said, "No, Mom, YOU'RE with me all the time." This is true, too.

Get your Game Face on!

Or at least a few gameday dresses out of these fun fabrics! All five of us are going to be in Auburn to tailgate for Clemson game (not going to attempt the actual game, which is at bedtime), and Jake and I are going to the Georgia game, sans little people. We can't wait to see lots of your precious faces those two weekends!

Also coming soon on a Gross girl near you...

How fun are these fabrics? I've got my work cut out for me!

Community Fun

This weekend was the Pigs and Peaches Festival, and our expectations were far exceeded.

We spent about 1 1/2 hours there, and came away with a free BBQ lunch, a free bottle of amazing BBQ marinade, the best (and free-est) Krispy Kreme donut I've ever had,

1/4 peck of peaches from our favorite Blue Ridge orchard (Mercier), one cheek painted,

about 1 hour and 15 min. of free jumping time in various bouncy houses, and three sweaty, happy girls.

Today was the first game of KSU's women's soccer team in their amazing new facility. Jake got free tickets, so we went to the first half with Mimi and Bop Bop.

Abby Jane paid close attention to the soccer, and the babies paid close attention to the free inaugural cups belonging to the people behind us that were in just the right range for grabbing and trying to teethe on...

I'm a big fan of fall, and fall festivities have begun!

Field Day and Visiting Daddy

Another lovely morning at our field yesterday...

We watch human nature acted out in front of us every day...

Today we visited Jake at work- casual Fridays are nice, relaxed days to show up over there with our crew! If we had no family nearby, I would kidnap Jake's office manager, Judy, and take her home with me. She is absolutely precious and loves on all three of our girls every time we visit!Blythe and Joy make themselves at home crawling all over Daddy...

and his office!

And look who was sitting up in her crib when I went in to get them up from their naps this morning! Her first time to go from lying down to sitting up on her own. Sweet Joy!

Tonight Jake and I are off to our biannual CPOMC (Cobb Parents of Multiples Club) consignment sale date! Get excited! Seriously.

Points of Reference

Sandy said I should blog this. I think I will, but don't make too much fun.

I believe there's no reason not to get your kids to eat really healthily from the start- the less junk you introduce, the less they know they're missing out on. For instance, if Abby Jane wants a treat, the way she usually asks for it is, "Can I have a _____ after my vegetables?" because she knows that's a non-negotiable every night.

Makes me feel like a veggie Nazi.

But she doesn't know that that's not how kids normally ask for treats.

SOO yesterday morning, Abby Jane's mid-morning snack was banana she dipped in toasted flaxseed (you can get it at Trader Joe's).

Then for lunch, another recipe from Deceptively Delicious, and definitely the most "out there" in the book... tofu nuggets. Now Jane LOVES tofu burgers, but the reason this whole thing is notable is that the binder from the tofu to the breading part is a PEA PUREE. It totally does not look pretty. But the kid eats them like they're her last meal. No, I will not post a photo.

So it all comes back to your kid's point of reference. She thinks this is normal eating.

Someday, she'll find out that it is not. But as long as I can keep her liking the healthy stuff, I will.

Now, to poke fun at myself, I will show the following pictures of my kids, courtesy of my sister. She says my kids are orange. I always thought Abby Jane was just tan in California, and I think that was part of it as we practically lived outdoors, but I asked the doctor about Blythe and Joy's coloring on Monday... and she said she noticed, too, and that it wasn't a bad thing.

She said their slightly orange tint is due to their vegetable intake- of all colors, not just yellows and oranges.

So these are so you can laugh at my orange, veggie-filled children (Abby Jane at her 10 month Christmas)

A pic from Jodi from 4th of July weekend- check out the twins' coloring in comparison to Maggie...

Now that I've written all that, I'm thinking that what Sandy wanted me to post was the tuna wrap I told her about. See, this is what happens when I should have gone to bed when Jake did two hours ago. Anywho, this tuna was easy and awesome- we skipped the olives b/c I had none on hand.

How's that for a random post?

9 months stats... I think

Blythe:

28 1/2 inches (75%)

19 lbs (50%)- discovered right after that her diaper was dirty... last week was 18 1/2 lbs

Joy:

28 inches (75%)

20 lbs 6 oz (75%)

Anyone else think the height measurements for babies are pretty much for the birds? How accurate can it be to draw a line on wiggling babies at their heads and toes, measure that, and call it a day?

The little ones did not sleep well last night due to some teething congested heads... so the check-up scheduled right at naptime was not a big hit with either of my young ladies. Bless our sweet pediatrician's and nurses' hearts! Bless my girls' hearts!

It was kind of classic, though- one of those times that I know are few and far between, but it was so stereotypical of what you would think is the norm that I'm sure all the staff were thinking, "Glad I don't have twins!" But of course we know they are edibly precious the vast, vast majority of the time...

Recipe Box

Yesterday was one of my favorite Saturdays ever as a family of five- in the morning we had a great little hike up Kennesaw Mtn in misty weather, followed by checking out a farmers market I haven't been to, followed by picking up a few cupcakes at a bakery I've been eyeing since we moved here. It was a sweet day from start to finish.

Sadly, my camera battery was dead, so I've got no photos to show for it. Instead, I'm passing on a few recent adventures in my kitchen.

1. Eggplant was on sale at Publix the other week, thus Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Melts with Granna's Not Really Fried Okra. The sandwiches were awesome- Jake was a big fan, so there's hope your husband might be, too.

2. I know I mentioned I'm into okra this summer- we also tried this Okra and Corn Maque Choux. I should have taken a picture because it is so colorful, but most dinnertimes hardly have time for eating, much less photographing!

3. Scarlotte asked for the recipe for Jake's cake at his surprise party. It's a long funny story that I'll tell at some point- but the cake itself is a dark chocolate box mix. The icing is Julie Boldt's recipe that she gave me when Jake and I were newlyweds- it is SO easy and absolutely amazing every time. I even used it on some cupcakes for Jake's office the other day, and it piped perfectly out of the bag.

Mocha Icing

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1 lb. box of powdered sugar

1 T instant coffee granules

Dissolve coffee into 1 T cool water. Cream butter, add sugar in small amounts, beating after each addition. When half the sugar has been added, mix in small amounts of coffee alternately with remaining sugar. *If you want an even stronger coffee taste, you can always add a little more coffee and thicken the icing with a tad more powdered sugar.

4. Sandy gave me that Deceptively Delicious book by Jessica Seinfeld a few years ago- the one that sneaks fruit and veggie purees into normal dishes. Since I am constantly pureeing fruits and veggies for the twins, I thought I might get into doing a little extra to try some of these recipes. My first one was a HUGE hit for the three of us old enough for peanut butter.

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

nonstick cooking spray

1 c firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup carrot or cauliflower puree (I used carrot)

1/2 cup banana puree

1 large egg white

1 cup whole wheat flower

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350, coat 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with baking cups.

2. In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix 1/2 c brown sugar with the peanut butter, vegetable and banana purees, and the egg white.

3. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl or ziploc and stir or shake to mix. Add to bowl with peanut butter mixture and stir just to combine (batter will be lumpy, do not overmix.) Add remaining 1/2 c brown sugar and stir once or twice.

4. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until muffins are lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean, 15-20 minutes (my oven's fast and took closer to 13 min). Turn muffins out on rack to cool.

5. Store in airtight container at room temp for 2 days or wrap individually and freeze up to a month.

Abandon

Each...

in...
her very own way. Joy's showing off her newest trick- clapping!

And the chances that Blythe ingested some form of a plant despite my best efforts: around 80%.

Circumstances

Today has been a day that included one difficult circumstance after another, including a trip to the doctor for one of the girls that resulted in a diagnosis that necessitated the delay of our long-planned trip this weekend to see our dear friends, the Lloyds, in Pensacola.

I tried to redeem the day with a post-nap front yard blanket of toys, easel and watercolors. After coating the girls in bug spray (they inherited not only Jake's good looks, but also his skin that mosquitos love) to fend off the dive-bombing predators, I ran inside to wash the poison off my hands. I moved this citronella candle I was using to assist in the mosquito defense 10 feet away from the blanket- everyone was distracted and happy, the candle a safe distance away.

After less than 20 seconds inside, I cleared the doorway in time to see Abby Jane dump her watercoloring water on the candle just as Blythe was one foot away from touching the flame.

I truly believe the Holy Spirit moved my child to do that. How would a two-year-old know to put out a flame with water? We cannot think of a single instance she has ever seen a fire put out with water. Much less to convert anything she might have read about to dumping her watercoloring water out.

I was dumbfounded and humbled by the miracle I had just seen. I just read this weekend in A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming, the phrase, "God is our only circumstance." (Highly, highly recommend the book, by the way.) In all the craziness of today, it just takes an instant to realize how "God towers above our circumstances."

That photo of the dirty old candle with a puddle of water in it will always be a reminder that our God is a God of miracles, Who is always working and moving and protecting us, even when we don't see the puddle of water to prove it.

A last thought. If I had only seen the flame put out with water, I might have missed the fact that Abby Jane saved her sister from being burned. I would have only seen her over by the candle making a mess. How often in life do we only focus on the bad side of an event that God allows, and not what He's saving us from, totally missing seeing the miracle?

Focusing

One of Blythe's favorite things to do is follow her big sister around- this was after church yesterday!

We're doing a parenting study by Chip Ingram in our small group at church, and Sunday's lesson was on building bonding relationships with your kids (in order for your values and beliefs to hold have any influence on them), and one part of that building is FOCUSING on your kids... not constantly multi-tasking or being distracted by other things when you are with them.

Sometimes getting OUT is the best way to do that! Here is some park time yesterday- we had the park to ourselves as it was another 90-something degree day!

Today, Jake blessed my socks off by letting me take Joy for a 2 for 1! It was Joy's turn, which was convenient as she is in such a delightful stage right now! As we played on a blanket under a shady tree at a park, I felt so overwhelmed with all the mama-love I could focus on JUST JOY. It was such a sweet time with that sweet girl, enjoying a beautiful summer morning almost as much as her smiles!

White Water

My sweet friend Kristin gave me a guest pass to join her, her sweet little ones, and a few other of our friends at White Water today! As of yesterday, my association with White Water was some crazy fun water slides, the Little Hooch (lazy river that goes around the park), the wave pool, and fat ladies in bikinis.

As of today, my association is OH SO much fun with my 2 year old!!

With Maddy...

Her first little water slide that warmed her up for some slightly bigger ones! She probably did this one 30 times, though.

I put away my camera so I could play more, but just picture pure delight and excitement at almost everything- her favorite slides were the ones coming off the ship pictured at the top.

They had a few different areas for little kids, and this one had a big slide that we could do together- she loved it.

The only down side was that the nature of a two year old and a water park is not conducive to me actually getting to hang out much with the other sweet mama friends, but hopefully we'll have more of that soon!

Big thanks also goes out to Sandy, who watched my youngest two while I had some sweet time with Jane! When we got there, my friend Ericka said, "I just want you to know that I am totally here for you if you need any help today!" I was puzzled at first, then realized she thought I had three in my backseat, not just one! Sweet friend...

Nine Months

I truly did not think this picture was going to happen. Blythe is busy and very on the move these days! This month, Blythe started crawling, pulling up, walking while holding onto fingers and actually took two little steps on her own this past weekend! We decided it didn't really count as there was no repeat performance. She is still a toothless wonder who can eat anything I offer.

This is my Joy. She remains my snuggly, contented child who doesn't seem to feel the need to crawl yet. She laughs, talks, and waves all the time. Although, "mamamama" is my personal favorite, she has several sounds she can make, including the most recent, "dadada!" She can stand holding onto our fingers or other objects, but is not pulling up. She still only has those two teeth and has only rejected one food so far- YOGURT! Who has ever heard of a child not like yogurt?

Strangely, crawling has seemed to make Blythe less contented, though she does follow us everywhere. I personally think she wants to go straight to running- that seems more her speed!

Joy's Go Go Gadget arms- her reach and flexibility compensates for her otherwise lack of mobility! She does seem to move various places a little while sitting on her bottom, but I haven't seen how it happens...
Activity table time
Abby Jane getting Joy's ticklish tummy!
Trouble. Just trouble.