weekend tidbits

i woke up this morning and thought to myself, 

"how on earth is it monday?"

i mean, most weekends fly by, 

but this one was crammed with so much, 

it left me wondering which way was up

we hit up a friend's garage sale

and welcomed a new vintage camera to our collection

plus we scored a giant bag of super cute "big girl" clothes for the girlies

we visited with family who just came back from holidays, 

and hosted a huge family dinner that night, 

complete with baseball steak, bacon wrapped scallops and shrimp

(go big or go home, right?)

we watched star wars, episode 2 

(this is my first time watching the series, 

we've been going through them, one by one, over the past couple of weeks after the girls go to bed

i had no choice in the matter - apparently it's an important step in my pop culture education!)

i edited a whackload of pictures, 

while listening to this fun song

...over and over and over again

then we topped it all off by going to a long-time friend's wedding yesterday

and as i sat there, enjoying the beautiful details that she thoughtfully put together for her special day

i realized that it was exactly six years ago, to the day,

that the bride and i were sitting in a starbucks, sipping on our coffees,

killing time between a mutual friend's wedding ceremony and reception

we talked about our own future weddings,

and wondered who we'd end up marrying, 

when we'd be engaged,

and what our special day would look like someday

and now, here we are - all "grown up" and married

i just couldn't help but think of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness

and how He's got such great things planned for us

how He demonstrates His love and provision

with each day that unfolds in our lives, 

in the little things as well as the big things

there's evidence of grace everywhere!

i was just so encouraged by that thought,

that i just had to share with you guys.

i hope it leaves you feeling blessed and grateful

as we kick off the week

p.s. congrats, #dallasandmeray!

gimme five!

high fives for five years of marriage!

that's right, today is Daniel and my five year wedding anniversary

we kicked off the celebration a little bit early
by welcoming Daniel to the cult of mac yesterday
and getting matching iPhones (!!!)
i was so excited, i almost did a happy dance right then and there in the store

those of you who know us personally
know that as long as we have been together
(almost 10 years)
he has proudly toted a flip phone around
and it has served us well
(until earlier this week, when it kicked the bucket, hence getting a new phone)

 anyway, we headed home, put the girlies to bed
and got his phone all set up
while watching one of our tv favorite shows together

i know it sounds lame,
but it was a nice night to kick off our pre-anniversary

today probably won't be too fancy of a celebration, either
because it's a weeknight
and we have kids
so we'll probably head out to dairy queen
since it's miracle treat day
and have a mini celebration over blizzards

then maybe tomorrow or saturday
we'll leave the kids with family
and go out for an official anniversary date

anyway, that was a lot of rambling

when all i really want to say
is how incredibly thankful i am
that the Lord orchestrated our lives
and brought together our two unlikely paths
that He has used us to encourage and build each other up
that He has changed us into who we are today
and that He continues to change us into who He wants us to be tomorrow

guys, it's not always rainbows and sunshine
but i get to do life holding my best friend's hand and being his helper
we get to hang out, serve each other and learn from each other along the way

come what may, i know two things:
1) it's in the Lord's hands
2) the love of my life is by my side, making life that much sweeter

now that's worth a happy dance - thank you, Jesus!


*wedding photos by James Moes*

excuse our absence, we've been summering

because around here, once it hits, 

you never know how long summer will stick around

so we've been taking full advantage 

of the long days and the hot sun

by spending as much time as we can outdoors, 

trusty iPhone in hand,
to document all the fun we've been having

aaaaaaaaaaaaand here's a teaser from our camping trip last weekend

--stay tuned for more where that came from!  

p.s. happy 4th of July and belated Canada day;
as duallies, we're grateful for BOTH countries!  :)

Monday Mustache Milkshake ...mmm!

happy Monday, peeps!

we had a SUPER fun, SUPER packed weekend:

successfully ran about a bazillion errands after Daniel came home on Friday,

did a pig roast all day Saturday, which, including travel and prep time was a 14+ hour day

went for a delicious lunch with family + did at least four loads of laundry on Sunday

it was probably the busiest weekend we've had since the girls were born

and you know what?

they were SUCH super stars about it!

despite missed naps and random mealtimes

they were really great about not melting down

we were impressed

way to go, girlies!

anyway, between all the time spent outdoors,

the sunshine,

the mosquitos (booooo...),

and all the sweet, juicy fruit we were munching on

(pretty sure i ate my weight in watermelon between the pig roast and dinner yesterday,

plus the girlies discovered they love grapes)

...it just felt like summer suddenly kicked into gear

and it's only gonna get better

because on Thursday we head off for our annual camping weekend

we look forward to this trip all year

there's not much better than 

getting to enjoy the outdoors,

with some of our best friends,

grilling all our meals,

soaking up the sunshine,

chatting by the fire,

cooking and eating together,

passing on our love of camping to our kids,

etc, etc, etc

so, with a great weekend behind us

and a great weekend before us

i thought it would be fitting to celebrate Monday

by sharing a delicious milkshake with you

it's superbly chocolatey, relatively healthy and cold...perfect for celebrating summer!
oh, and it's nice and thick, so expect a great milk mustache!

Chocolate Banana Mustache Milkshake

1 cup organic brown rice milk

(or whatever milk you prefer)

1 frozen banana

1 tbsp cocoa

1 tbsp almond butter

1/2 cup ice

- blend ingredients together until smooth

- drink up!

trust me, this one's worth the mustache!

Booked!

the past couple of weeks have been booked solid for us

which i'm sure you've noticed if you are a regular follower of this blog
(read:  i've totally fallen off the radar, sorry!)
but rest assured, we are well, just living in fast forward:

we had a lovely visit with Daniel's mom
who came up from NC for a couple of weeks

Daniel went away for his annual "man weekend / fishing trip"

we made a couple trips to Trader Joes to stock up on our favorites
(yes, that is an event around here:
wrangling twin toddlers in a double stroller PLUS a shopping cart
through a super busy not-so-wide-aisled store
...you'll feel like you can do anything afterwards!)

my sister and uber cute nephew stayed with us for a week,
which meant entertaining three toddlers
(hectic, fun and a great opportunity to practice sharing / playing nice!)

i could keep listing things,
but i don't want to bore you
i have lots to share from our busy time though
so expect a few catch up posts

you know what else is booked?
our family trip to the beach!

i am beyond excited for this

if you know me at all, you know i would happily set up camp at the beach
and never leave
doesn't matter which beach
doesn't matter if i'm in a tent or a van or a house
just give me the salty air
the sand
the seashells
the fun little critters
the water
...i'm set

but this isn't just any trip to any beach
this is the girls' first trip
to the beach
we're staying at Daniel's parents' beach house
where he stayed countless times growing up,
where we spent part of our honeymon
and where we went for our first couple of anniversaries

i love this place
it holds so many great memories
including kayaking with wild dolphins
(possibly the craziest / coolest experience of my life!)
and talking about when we want to start a family
and now here we are, bringing our kids down
to make their own memories
which is special in its own right
but to me, it's more than just special
because both Daniel and i spent much of our childhood at the beach
him in Florida, me on the Persian Gulf
and i've always wanted to do the same with our kids
and now here we are, doing just that:
living out our dreams, together
this girl's heart is happy

so i'm a little behind...

i was supposed to post this on monday, 

but that didn't happen (obviously)

so let's just pretend it's monday (or at least that it's not already wednesday), deal?  

i wanted to share a bit of our weekend with you all

i was expecting it to be pretty low-key,

since the girlies and i are fighting another cold

but the sun came out and we couldn't help but head outside and enjoy it despite our sniffles

and we didn't need to go any further than the back yard for the adventures to begin!

little bare feet running around in the grass, 

little hands picking flowers for the very first time,

little tastebuds tasting said flowers (insert first time mama freak out moment here),

...we had a blast!

the girlies practiced their walking skills 

and their walking daddy skills

all the while exploring to their little hearts' delight

they had a great time and so did we 

i can't believe it never occurred to me to let them run around the back yard before!

they're here, they're here!!!

last week, i sent some test prints off 

to get a feel for the printer i want to use for client prints and canvases

i definitely got that kid on Christmas morning feeling when the package arrived

and it got even better once i opened it up

i've never actually printed my work, so it was pretty exciting to see and feel tangible, real product

and i've gotta say, the color quality is impressive - this girl's sold!

can't wait to give others the same feeling as they open up prints from their photo sessions with me!  :)

it's the little things

last week was a busy one for us,

my sister and nephew stayed over

and we all had a blast 

and took about a bazillion pictures of  B boy

(love that kid, by the way - see more of him here and here)

this week we have family visiting, 

and a big birthday party for two special someones on the weekend

so we hustle and bustle about, 

with to-do lists the size of montana

(is montana really that big? ...i actually don't know where i got that phrase from, or if i just made it up...?)

but we've also made sure to take a few minutes

to enjoy the little things

like celebrating my first newborn photoshoot being booked (hooray!)

and having surprise dance parties (the girls particularly enjoy jackson 5!)

and dressing up as leopards, just to giggle and be silly

what about you?  do you do anything to brighten up / get through busy seasons?  i'd love to hear

ONE

today, we have two little one year olds

which means we survived the first year of twins

from what we've been told, we're past the toughest part

there were moments when i didn't think we'd see it through

but, by grace (and a ton of prayers, i'm sure!),

He sustained us, like He promised he would

thank you, Jesus, for everything

january 15, 2012

january 15, 2013

dear beautiful baby girls,

today is your birthday.  we have had so many firsts over this past year, starting with the first time we laid eyes on each other and now, your first birthday.  i really can't believe we're actually here, one year later - wow!  you've grown up so much in just these past couple months - it's hard to believe how fast it all happens.  

you're very much into feeding yourselves now, reaching out sticky, food covered fingers to grab my legs when i walk by, or smacking your tray when i don't notice you've emptied it.  and you make the cutest little eating noises - it actually kind of sounds like you're muttering "nom, nom, nom" under your breath!  it's always a challenge to come up with food ideas for those tiny little fingers of yours; recently, bojangles chicken and deer sausage seem to be a big hit - your daddy couldn't be more proud.  

you've also changed a lot in how you play.  i love how you love playing peek-a-boo.  Aria, you especially like scaring people, then giggle up a storm when they jump back.  Ives, you're more into being scared - all we have to do is say "boo" and you flash those pearly whites (all seven of them!).  you also laugh along with us when we're having funny conversations - it really is too cute.  sometimes, we catch the two of you caught up in conversation and cracking each other up - listening to you babble and giggle back and forth just melts my heart.  you know what else melts my heart? the way you've started laying your little heads on our shoulders when you're tired or just need an extra cuddle - a surefire way to turn this mama (and daddy) into one giant puddle.  nevermind the way you're just starting to wave (with both hands at once) and blow kisses - i know i'm biased, but your cuteness factor is through the roof!

but seriously, girls, you light up our lives in a way i never anticipated - you are so full of energy and joy, and when one of those those contagious smiles spreads across your faces, your whole face lights up right along with it!  you've brightened our days in more ways than i can count, but what i am most thankful for is how you have taught us to look to the Lord more and more.  you've made us aware of just how much we are blessed, how good our Lord is to us and the beauty and value found in the grace He offers.  

it's only fitting, really, since your shared middle name is grace (Naima means Grace in Arabic).
we are continually amazed by and immensely grateful for the gift of grace - and it is our prayer that you girlies (and our whole family, for that matter) live lives marked by grace, that we may glorify Him and do the good works which He has prepared for us to do; because when it's all said and done, it's all about Him.  i truly hope you come to understand that truth as you grow up, girlies - it sometimes feels tough, but i promise you, it is the best way to live.  and when the going gets tough, lean on Him:  His grace is sufficient and is made perfect in our weakness - can it get any better? 

anyway, i picked these verses out for you when you were still brand new; they have served as a theme over our family in your first year of life - i hope they continue to ring true as we move forward into year two:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:4-10 

happy birthday girlies, mama and daddy love you to the moon and back!

love, 
your mom

Down on the Farm

happy new year, guys!

i actually can't believe it's 2013
it's going to be a good year
i know it

we've got a few exciting things going on
like a simple a committment to eating better again
(we got a little sloppy this last year)
and two little somebodys who are turning one in a couple of weeks
(ahhhh! guess i should start planning that...)
and there's something else in the works, but i'm not quite ready to share it on here yet
...soon, though!

what i can tell you is that i'm excited for all this year holds
for whatever the Lord has for us

but before we delve into the new year, i wanted to rewind a little bit
and share some of our Christmas memories with you

like i mentioned before, this year was a North Carolina Christmas
one of my favorite things about NC Christmases 

is getting to spend a few nights out in the country while staying over at Daniel's grandparents' place

i remember my first Christmas there: 

running around with my camera, 

taking pictures of the open fields, 

black walnut trees,
little baby goats,
not so little cows,

rows upon rows of collards, strawberries, etc 

it is absolutely gorgeous there

this year, we got to show the girls around the farm, safari-style
with their great grandad as our tour guide,
their auntie as our impromptu photographer,
and their uncle as our chauffeur / second impromptu photographer
(thanks, guys!)

they were beyond thrilled:
hanging out the windows,
growling at the cows,
sticking their tongues out to the wind,
meeting the animals,
discovering all kinds of critters and plants
all the while, giggling up a storm

they love being outdoors
and i must admit, that makes me one proud mama

lets just say, they were really ready for their nap after all the excitement
(p.s. get ready for some serious photo vomit - i had a hard time choosing!)