Playing With Caitlyn

Caitlyn shows the bebe how Care Bear goes down.

I know, Caitlyn, that's how I feel about it, too.

Our apple tree is full of apples - like we've never seen before. The twins love to pick apples off the tree and eat them. They were fighting over this particular apple even though there were hundreds to choose from.

Our First Peach Harvest

We were so excited! We planted the tree last year, and I made them pick the buds off to establish the tree. And I realize we should have done it again this year, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to do it - so instead we got peaches! They were really good :)

Camping at Billy's . . .

The conditions were good anyway . . .

More From the Fair - 2008

Iowa State Fair - 2008 - Twins Day

Aug. 7, 2008


Shane and I with our babies. Please note, it looks almost as if the twins and I are in matching dresses, but I can assure you, we are not. They weren't even going to wear these dresses in the competition. The white halter numbers were being protected from wrinkles and . . . well, everything else.
Joni and Faith walking Josie up and down the bleachers.

Our friend, Jennifer, with TWO sets of twins, Mollie, Maddie, Tillie and Jack.


Twins, Triplets and More
Contest at the State Fair

I'll spare you most of the details. Because, frankly, there are just too many. And most of them are not pretty.

Long story short . . .freakin' nightmare.

We missed it. We were stuck in traffic for the better part of an entire morning. And I have to say, I was in complete control . . . until the moment hit me that, in fact . . . we were going to miss it. Then I probably lost it a little bit.

We almost made it. And that's where the details come in. Unless you were there, it is really hard to imagine the scene we must have caused. I'm totally serious. There were babies being thrown out of our car on University Ave. There was Missy throwing dirty diapers on the road as she tried to pull the double stroller out the the back of a moving suburban. There were cops on foot screaming obscenities at us. And there was a mad dash down the fair grounds to the stage. We missed it by like 30 seconds.

I was devastated. It took (Missy) two hours the night before to iron all the dresses. They had to be snatched out of bed near midnight in order for their toes and fingernails to be painted. (And for the record, there is now red fingernail polish on one of Shane's favorite shirts.) Entourage arrived at the house in the morning to help with hair and breakfast. God bless my family. We were all in it together. And God bless Missy's family and everyone else who came to watch the show that never happened.

You can't even imagine the traffic. Seriously, did the entire state HAVE to show up to try and break a corndog eating record?


So I stole some participation ribbons. I did. True story. They would have been the twins', anyway. In retrospect, I should have stolen the blues.

The rest of the day was fine. The girls loved the animals. As we walked through the sheep barn they were yelling “Moooo!!!” But it was hard to navigate eighty people through the crowds so slowly we broke up into more manageable numbers.

At the bitter end, it was just Missy, Joni, Shane, the girls and me.

There's always next year.

Hard to Leave on Days Like This . . .

Aug. 4, 2008
Almost 14 months
Jennifer Shayne

After an awesome week of vacation, I had to leave for work on this Monday morning, and it was really hard. Who would want to leave those eyes - and that hair - for anything??

Josh's 6th Birthday

Aug. 3, 2008





We spent a wonderful day up at Matt and Kim's beautiful new home to celebrate Josh's birthday. It's a girls' world. Josh is surrounded by all his girl cousins and Emma.

Happy Birthday, Buddy.

Hangin' Out at Cabella's

July 23, 2008

I wonder if other families spend HOURS on end at Cabella's - we love it.






The girls broke out into a dance outside. They really put on a good show. Wish I had video . . .

Great Wolf Lodge

July 23, 2008





We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kansas. It's the most wonderful indoor water park/ hotel known to man, or at least my children. We swam until our bodies protested. It was a blast. Grandma and Grandpa kept the twins at their place so we could focus on the older two. It was a wonderful time. We needed it.

Worlds of Fun

July 22, 2008





We took the kids down to Kansas City as a "reward" for being so incredibly awesome this year. And they have been. No better big sisters exist. First stop was Worlds of Fun. It was a cool, slightly rainy day, which was perfect.

Grace horrified me, as she was tall enough this year to tackle the real rides. And she did. The first one was the Detonator - it shoots you way too high way too fast. I took video but I was so shaken up I forgot to save it. Probably for the best. Then my camera battery died. And if you know me at all, that really pissed me off. Therefore, my pictures are limited.

Shane's Stint as a Race Car Driver . . .

July 25, 2008


...went too well, I think. He's in love. And god knows it is not with me.

One of his electrical suppliers took him on one of those "Petty Experiences" and he got to drive a race car around the Kansas Speedway. There is a great picture of him in his "suit" throwing horns, but that is wrapped up under his plaque. You'll just have to imagine . . .

The video below is not of him, but of the "experience." He drove the black car. He's not a race fan, per say, but he is a fan of speed. That love affair has gotten him into some trouble in the past, and I'm not sure this helped my cause for rehab much.

Happy Birthday to Missy!!

July 22, 2008


Missy's Daddy, Jack, trys to figure out how to play around the moving hazards.

Markie and Missy

Missy wanted to go mini-golfing for her birthday, and insane obviously in her old age, insisted the kids go, too. All of them. And since the sitter was busy, I agreed.

And wow, did we have a good time! Missy's whole family came, minus a sister. Becky, Missy's mom became Grandma for the night, and she was busy!

Happy Birthday, Missy. We love you!

Swimming Lessons

July 17th, 2008








For two weeks, the girls took lessons at the Clive Aquatic Center. They loved lessons and they did really awesome.

Camel Rides

Faith, Grace and Missy get some good times in at the zoo!

Des Moines Zoo

July 15th, 2008
Twins - 13 months





Missy and I overloaded the stroller, packed up the kids and took over the zoo. It was a really great day. All the girls did awesome. The twins are animal lover, they all are actually. If you ask Josie what Grandpa's cows say she says, "Mooo!" So she was really excited to see the cow Faith is milking. Although Grandpa's cows don't look exactly like that!

Catching Up

Ok, my dear readers, I've been a busy little girl lately and the blog has suffered. And I'm sorry, but we are back in business, Baby.