Couponing Failure

I STINK!!! not literally but when it comes to couponing I am terrible, I started watching Extreme Couponing and decided HEY why not get a news paper subscription for 4 Sunday papers every week?!! WORST IDEA OF MY LIFE!! I tried to make it happen I price matched, I clipped coupons every week, I organized them and did EVERYTHING those crazy Lady's and that one weird guy with all the toothpaste did on that show and bottom line... If your store does not double.. IT IS NOT WORTH IT!! SO for all you lucky folk out there who have stores that double GOOD FOR YOU! (I'm highly jealous) but I am OFFICIALLY a FAILURE when it comes to coupons!!

I COOK?

Um.. It was good?!

I COOK??!!
so as some of you may already know, I LOVE to cook. Almost every good childhood memory (more than I can count) revolves around good food and cooking! My mother is the Queen of cooking and I have taken it upon myself to tackle some of her most notable recipes and incorporate them into my family traditions and new memories. I also like to try new things and re create some of my favorite dishes from some of my favorite restaurants!! So to kick it off here is an awesome recipe I stole from Jessica Hays featuring this AMAZING Cilantro Sauce ENJOY!!

the recipe by no means takes a genius but its DANG good and I doubt you'll ever make Mexican food without it!!

1cup ranch

1cup salsa Verde

1bunch cilantro

splash of lime

WARNING Bosch Snob Moment: Blend in Bosch Blender to perfection and WHA LA

MOST DELICIOUS.. seriously had to stop myself from drinking it straight!!!

this meal was super fast, I heated up some fajita chicken from Costco, made some rice added some lime, salt and cilantro, and put together all our favorite fixings as well as blended up some rather tasty Root beer floats in my Bosch and we ate until our hearts were content!!

Summer Lovin

Wiped out after all the Easter Festivites

Me and my little "Tristy Man"


Devin and his boys... aww aren't they all just so cute?!

Our Easter family! crazy to think that we went from 2-4 in 2 minuets.. we sure do love our new little family :)

Last Friday the 1st was my LAST DAY!!!! on top of my last day going um less than smooth I am so glad to be done!!! Devin also finished his last day at his security job and we kicked our celebration off by going to Phoenix! Saturday we spent at my little hottie Grandmother Bethanne's house where we had some awesome food and hung out with my family and my Aunt Lisa and her family, as well as my great Aunt Molly and Uncle Tony who came all the way from Tennessee.

Sunday we went to church with my brother Bryson and his wife Kassidy as well as my parents and brothers and sisters. After wards we were heathens and went to Peter Piper Pizza. It was a good day since we got to hang out with my family but our little boys were rather uncooperative to say the least. Lets just say no nap plus 100+ degree weather would make anyone cranky!!

We stayed the entire weekend with Matt and Jessica Hays. They have Four kids three boys and an adorable little girl who kept us laughing all weekend! Jessica is an incredible host, she cooked some incredible meals and it was fun to catch up and chat!! On Monday Bryson and Kassidy came over we had some awesome Mexican food and went swimming which the boys actually enjoyed this time. We then set off our own fireworks in their neighborhood that night. It was a great trip to say the least!


I also found our camera!!! so here are some over due photos from easter!!

5 Months Old?!!

Tristan and Grandma Laura
Atti boy and Devin



Tristan... poop face:)







Both The Boys Atti is helping a brother out and picking Tristans' nose

Our boys are FIVE MONTHS OLD!! I still am completley baffeled by this?!! Its so crazy to think that a year ago from this very moment I was pregnant with twins and completely oblivious!!! Its incredible how much your life can change in just one short year!!

Just a small update on the boys they are laughing which I love and they went to the dr. monday and Atticus weighed 11.1oz and Tristn weighed 9.0oz. man I love my boys!! Here are a few pictures from their first swim at Grandma Laura's house and some others as well:)!

Oh and Im down to only days of work left before I get to stay at home with my boys!!! I can hardly wait!!

family photo shoot by Ashlie Hilton

New Happenings

Its been far too long since I last posted but I've been rather busy. s I can officially stop working July 1st. AHH!!! I am soo excited. Its been a great blessing to have had my bank job, and even better that it was able to work with my schedule, but lets face it I would much rather be at home with my boys.
Our little boys are getting big but are still pretty little. They are going to be 5 months old this month!! its so crazy how the time has just flown by. Atticus is now 10 pounds and Tristan is now 8. Its crazy to think that they are still the size of some newborn babies at 5 months!! They are starting to smile a lot now and are so close to laughing. Its so cute when the smile and "talk" Atticus especially likes to jabber, he has a fondness for classical and church music and gets excited and talkative whenever he hears any. Tristan is a funny little guy he lays on one side of his head and no matter how many times I go in and turn him or put blankets behind him so she doesn't lay on it he finds a way around my contraptions and the back of his head is flat as a board... so He will most likely be getting a helmet..He already kicks his pants socks and anything near him off when he is mad.. so we will see how well he does with a big old helmet strapped to his head. I really cant express how wonderful being a mom is, it probably helps that I have really good babies, they have been sleeping through the night for about 2 months now (if you haven't read "baby wise" you should). which lets face it makes a huge difference and luckily even though I have been working I have still been able to keep breastfeeding them both without supplementing formula, this personally has been the greatest achievement because I know I am incredibly lucky to be able to provide for not only one but two babies. They both contiue to grow and learn and its so incredible to watch this amazing process I love them so much and couldn't be more grateful for the beautiful family and life that I have been blessed with.

Conference Weekend

A nice brotherly conference nap

every now and then Atticus finds his thumb and goes to town!

Devin with the boys on their blessing day The Twin gravitational pull

I LOVE CONFERENCE WEEKEND!!! thinking about conference six months ago things were so different. I was living in a different appartment scattered all over our living room floor with string, needles, and fabric all over the place five months pregnant! sewing the crib bedding for the two beautiful boys I am now holding today. Life is good:)

our lives

atticus

blessing day

Tristan and Atticus

Tristan

Atticus

Life... I started back to work last week... Soo sooo sad, I had worked at Wells Fargo as a teller before I was put on "bed rest" 9 weeks into my pregnancy. Luckily my benefits covered me the entire pregnancy and when Devin lost his job at Wells Fargo in January and all the medical bills began to pile up my plans of being a stay at home mom changed. Unfortunately Tristan still has some lingering medical problems and we can not afford to be without benefits. I can't lie it is hard to walk out the door 4-5 days a week for several hours knowing my husband has worked all night and is tired or rely on one of our mothers to watch them, I know that they will be OK and the people taking care of them love them and that they are always well cared for. But when it comes to being a mother it really feels like no one could possibly do the same job that you do.. so it sucks.
They boys are growing like crazy! Tristan has finally reached six pounds which seems crazy for a 2 1/2 month old but when you start at 3.7 pounds its pretty excellent!! Atticus is also over 8 pounds.. it feels like every moment of their lives has flown past I wish I had a pause button!! Tristan had a dr. appt last week where he had a series of ultra sounds, and he has a pretty bad hernia and has some fluid in his right kidney, a hydroseal in his right testicle as well as some other plumbing problems he was born with that will require surgery when he is 8-12 months old. The hernia may be fixed at that that time or sooner depending on how bad it really is. The fluid in his kidney is from what the dr thinks is reflux, which means when he uriniates some of the urine is refluxing back into the kidney. The dr. said it did not look very serious if it was he would not be thriving, however it can cause greater chance of infection and could potentially damage his kidney if it gets any worse. They hydro seal is fluid trapped in the testicle/abdomen and should absolve on its own. Tristan will see a pediatric urologist here in town next Friday and they should be able to give us some time frame as to when the hernia needs to be fixed as well as his other issues, and they will run a test to see how much he is refluxing to determine how bad it is and if some intervention needs to take place.

The were also blessed this past Sunday it was wonderful!

That's pretty much it as far as our lives go.
oh and the boys are now sleeping 6-7 hours straight at night!

Picture Update

Life with the boys

So both of my boys are finally home!! Atticus was discharged Valentines day, it was wonderful to bring him home and just snuggle and hang out at home for a change instead of the hospital, it was also bitter sweet leaving Tristan behind, luckily he was able to come home only 2 days later on the 16th. Having just one baby home first was a nice little transition. Both of the boys have now been home two weeks and its crazy how fast the time has flown by. As much as I wish the boys could have come home with me right after they were born the three weeks they spent in the NICU were really beneficial for me as a new mother. The way the NICU is set up really caters to helping teach parents how to take care of your new baby, everything from CPR classes, to lactation specialists you name it I was taught so many valuable things while they were their that have made having two babies home so much easier. It was like having a three week trial run of being a mom, before I was on my own. Both of the boys are doing wonderful gaining weight and eating like little piglets, I spend most of my time nursing and have to say its such a special experience to share with my boys, although tandem nursing is more time effective, I prefer to do each one at a time, this gives me special one on one time with each of the boys that otherwise I would miss out on. They are so beautiful and sweet, and really are good babies. For having two babies at home I am surprised at the amount of sleep I am able to manage each day. I am able to get about six hours a night between feeding and burping them and a little nap during the day if I want so I really have nothing to complain about.

Because they are preemies I was told by several dr.'s not to take them out in public at all until RSV season is over so we have not been out and about and have been cautious about taking them around to show them off to family and such. We have had a few visits with family that were great, and it will be nice when they are a little bigger and this season is over and I don't have to hide out with them in my apartment. But for now keeping them healthy is much more important.

As far as personalities go they are both so different, Tristan is much more patient but has a little bit of a grumpy old man attitude at times its so hard not to laugh some times when he starts grunting and making his "angry" face this is probably horrible for me to say but he looks just like Uncle Arnold (Archie MacGregor) from how to lose a guy in 10 days when he gets upset, he even farts like Uncle Arnold too, so he has sort of earned himself the nick name. Atticus is much sassier and is not as patient, especially when he's hungry. They both are very fond of each other however, after months of them beating each other up while in my tummy I thought for sure they would come out punching and kicking, but this is NOT the case. Atticus will not sleep in his crib unless he sees Tristan laying next to him, Every time I lay him down he opens his eyes to peak and see if Tristan is there, more often than not once he as established Tristan is there he will fall right to sleep. I have them in the same crib right now and I put them on opposite ends but they gravitate towards each other and stretch their arms out to touch each other its the sweetest thing. I went in to check on them last night only to find Atticus holding in Tristan's pasfiar for him and their arms were inter locked, it was so cute. I am really taking in all these sweet moments before they get bigger and start beating on each other once more!

On a sad note, I must return to work... Its something I have gone back and forth with for a few months now and due to finances and the fact that our insurance is through my bank job I really have no choice. Luckily I will only have to work 2 or three days a week 20 hours max and Devin works nights so he will be with the boys during that time. Its sad but hopefully it will only be for a short time.