A Year Ago, Today ...

A year ago, today, I was in labor with Kira. That was when the challenges of motherhood doubled. But so did my blessings. Two little angels entered my life and have turned it upside down. I am not the same person I was 2 years ago, and I owe that to Tristan and Kira. I feel they have grown me up, taught me patience, taught me the true meaning of sacrifice, and continually they are teaching me how to be a mom. It is amazing! Through all the sleepless nights, poopie diapers, tooth aches, earaches, separation anxiety, temper tantrums, bumps and bruises ... at the end of the day, all I choose to remember is the sound of their laughter, the hugs, the kisses, the snuggle times, the rolling on the floor times, the funny moments, embarrassing moments, the times of reading in bed together, learning new things together ... and all that combined is what makes my life so wonderful and motherhood such a blessing.

Growing Up ...

These 2 kids 0f mine have both achieved something new this week ...

Tristan has learned to put on his own shoes all by himself!

Kira has learned to go from the crawling position to the sitting position all on her own!

It is so amazing to see them grow and develop into such smart little munchkins!

A Challenging Season

We've had a challenging past few weeks, with my grandma passing away, Drew losing a potential job opportunity, and the offer on a house we loved fell through. We've been relying on our joy in the Lord, since all the circumstances can be depressing if our eyes aren't on Him. Luckily, through all this, we have 2 little angels whose love and personalities are so innocent and precious. They brighten our days and give us hope for the future! It's amazing how children are medicine to the soul. Shyra was here for 5 days during my Grandma's Funeral week, and that was a breath of fresh air. She brings such joy everywhere she goes!

We've been keeping busy with more househunting, kids birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, etc... Drew has been busy preparing for Scott's wedding, as he is one of the Best Men and organizing the Bachelor Party and many other things.

Kira is turning one yr old this Saturday. Oh my! She is a little bundle of energy and always smiling. Her and Tristan play so well together and it's really cool to see their bond as brother and sister grow more and more each day.

Tristan is our "outdoor" little man, as he is always fascinated with drains, sprinklers, water pipes, mud, puddles, trash trucks, bugs ... the list goes on! He is all boy and we have a blast! Except when he carries Kira's toy purse around, while wearing my shoes, and talking on his toy cell phone - now THAT brings much laughter to our home.

I have made it my priority to take the kids and visit my Grandpa 2 or 3 times a week. My heart is heavy for him, now that he is all alone and our hope is that we can cheer him up and keep him company and bring a little joy to his life, if possible. I couldn't imagine being left alone after 55 years of marriage! Tristan and Kira love his house and we have a great time hanging out, eating lunch together, and seeing Papi (he joins us in our visits, too!).