Chapter 99 1/2- A Year in Review

Wow- that was quick! Christmas has come and gone. 

As our year has come to an end, we look back and see such a fun and exciting time for our family of four. Yes, it technically was the "2nd" year of BOO's, turkey, and presents, yet, this was a FULL second year of holidays and that's what made this year one of the most memorable years for Michael and I.

 This was a year of many fun, exciting, family firsts. 

Last year, the girls were too little for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. They-ate-slept-pooped and called it a day! 

(& we did a little less sleeping) 

Therefore, with the girls a tad bit older, each of the holidays that came were a blast.

 In March, we traveled to Baton Rouge for the annual St. Patty's Day family gathering. {decorated floats, green beer & crawfish were enjoyed by all} We had a blast and the girls looked TOO cute in their tutus. Cousin Raylyn arrived in May and the twins will LOVE having a cousin to one day play with.  Over the summer we stayed at a lake home with the Tennison's and traveled on a beach trip with the Kees Fam. We ate a little (or a lot), played in the sand, and spent time with family. Throughout the summer, we spent many weekends at the Fox family lake home.  In August, we headed to Austin to visit with the Butler family on the Tennison side. We swam and enjoyed cousin time. Then Fall hit! In October, we celebrated L&H's first birthday! Pancakes and PJ's was the theme. They were blessed with gifts from our close family and friends. We visited two pumpkin patches in October. Hadley and Layton dressed as Pumpkins for Halloween. Fitting! Michael, Lynley, the twins, and I "wagoned" our way to our neighbors home for chili and then back to pass out candy. Next followed was Thanksgiving. Our little turkeys had a great time being loved on from both sides of the family and we thanked God for our many blessings. Christmas came and now has gone. The girls enjoyed playing with tissue paper and opening presents from family members. {thank you!} Santa was good to us all! We went to church together as a family and then traveled from home to home visiting with family! 

Happy Birthday, Jesus!  

This year went by fast, but was an absolute blast! These were just a few of our main highlights from the past year. There were many fun family outings to be had throughout the year. I hope you had a wonderful time with your family and friends. We are blessed to have pictures and videos that captured special moments throughout the year.

 Cheers to 2014! 

The Tennison Family

Michael, Ann Marie, Hadley and Layton 

(the pictures are in no certain order)

--Many blessings to you and yours--

Chapter 99: Thankful Thanksgiving 2013

We are 
{Thankful and Grateful} 
for too many blessings this year! Here is our list of Thankful's this year

God's Grace

Michael & Ann Marie 

Layton & Hadley

Food

Health

Parents

Siblings

Family

Friendships

Happiness

Life

Love

Laughter

Thanksgiving with one year olds was wonderful! Blessed is an understatement.  I could have cried numerous times on Thanksgiving just thinking about H&L. They are OURS! ALWAYS OURS! Thank you Lord for letting us keep them for you here on Earth.

The girls had a great time playing with all of our family members. They were loved on, held, kissed, and played with. Hadley walked everywhere and Layton is still content with just a few steps. The girls are STILL on a strict nap schedule, and have been since they were born. This strictness is wonderful yet, also not so great when you want to be "on the go!" Therefore, we work around naps. They are still taking two naps a day. 10:00-11:00am and then 2:00-4:00pm. We wished we could have traveled to Louisiana to visit with family, but traveling with TWO at this age is difficult. We hope to travel next year when one of their naps has dropped and "on the go" fits their little personalities better. We missed the Louisiana crew, yet, we will see you for the St. Patty's Weekend in a few months!

 Michael's Grandparents came over for Thanksgiving. It is so great to see them with H&L. Granddad made the girls their own little rocking chairs. They are precious! Such a gift. My Nanny (Dad's Mom) came in town for a LONG stay, which, we LOVED! Nanny was able to spend time with us and her great grandchildren. Memories that I know she cherishes, along with us! 
My Daddy was one happy camper to have his Mom in town for the length of time. Now... if we can only talk her into staying! 

Our boys weren't into taking pictures, therefore, the girls snapped a few! 

 I love my sisters!!! 

I think Lynley looks so beautiful in this picture! shhh.. don't tell her that I posted this....

 (side note: what's up with Laylay's bottom lip? ha! Silly girl)

We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Tennison Crew on Thursday and then the Kees Family on Saturday. We had a wonderful time with our families! 

 Tennison Family 

Kees Family 

This marks our 99th blog post! Yup.. 99! I am pretty shocked by that number. I can't wait to share with you our 100th family blog post! 
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Chapter 98: 13months

Dear H&L: 

You were just turning ONE, like yesterday! How did this month pass by so quickly? Your little personalities seemed to switch. Hadley, you are more chill, intrigued by new things, content and just a DOLL! Layton, you my sweet girl, want attention. You have become a little drama queen. Can you just learn to talk already and tell me your needs and wants? You are still such a precious little one, and I don't mind this sassy little self! {*I blame teething! Those big ones coming in look painful.} 

Time change is... UGH annoying! 

(insert any other word of frustration here!) ____ you sunshine. 

You two are waking up around 6:30am! (We let you hang out till 7am and listen to you talk to one another! We pray you'll fall back asleep. Nope, wishful thinking!)  Yet, we can't help but smile as we are blessed with the happiest, giggly, huge grinned, babies when we come to get you from your nursery! 

Food! YUM- you eat just about anything! You do randomly get picky about weird things that are too soggy or that have a weird texture. You both like to throw those items onto the floor. 

{Hondo and Sophie love this!}

You still take two wonderful naps! An hour/hour 1/2 in the morning and then a two hour nap in the afternoon. It's great! You are such wonderful little sleepers. You are STILL going to bed right at 7pm. You've done this since you were born and don't seem to be pushing it back anytime soon. 

You two are the light of our lives! You have filled our family with an enormous sense of purpose. Life is harder, crazier, busier, funnier, but OH so much BETTER! 

Happy 13 months to our precious Hadley and Layton.

 You are slowing turning into toddlers. Watching you grow up is our favorite thing to do. But, keeping you little would be nice, too! 

We love you two OH SO very much.

Love, 

Mommy and Daddy

*You're up from your nap. I hear you giggling and talking to one another. Precious! 

View the video here!

Chapter 97: Trick or Treating 2013

Our neighbors had a dinner before the evening of Trick or Treating began! Lynley came over to enjoy the twins on their first Halloween. At 6pm, our night started! Michael, Lynley and I brought the girls down for dinner with LOADS of other children in costume. What a fun holiday for children!! Hot dogs and chili were on the menu. The girls LOVE hotdogs. They also snacked on some beans. Yum, Yum! Michael hung by the grill with other Dads and Lynley and I strolled the girls around. They just stared and stared in awe of the children in their costumes. 

Our little ones were dressed to be pumpkins.  

We didn't go door to door this year for candy. Maybe next year! Here are a few pictures of our evening.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!! 

Walking down to the party!

Chapter 96: A Year of Memories

{A years worth of memories!} 

October 10, 2012- October 10, 2013

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy 

Chapter 95: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy first birthday, my baby girls.  
Today we celebrate you.  
But, I’m also celebrating getting to being your Mama for an entire year.
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!

Hadley McKee

10/10/13

Weight:  18lbs 3oz (9 %tile)

Height: 29 1/2in (65%tile)

Yum, Yum: 3 meals & 2 snacks 

Food: Picky little thing! If Momma spoon feeds it to you, you'll eat it! You don't want to get your hands messy. Silly girl! I have to hide your evening veggies in applesauce. 

Bottles: morning and evening 

We will be dropping the morning bottle this month 

Clothing: 12 months  

Sleeping: 7:00pm-7:00am 

Napping: 2 times a day 
Morning nap 9:30-10:30am and then an afternoon nap from 1:00-3:00pm or 2:00-4:00pm 

Size 3 diapers (still!)

Teeth: 10 (6 on top- 4 on bottom) 2 of your top molars are coming in! OUCH!

Walking- ALMOST!

Sickness count for the year: You had your second fever this month... but, it only lasted a few hours. {teething?} You are a healthy little girl! Nothing besides a fever sweet girl. Your doctor is impressed by you.

Layton Aaron

10/10/13

Weight: 19lbs 13.5oz (30 %tile)

Height: 29in (45 %tile)

Yum, Yum: 3 meals and 2 snacks 

Food: Anything and everything! You are a great eater! I have yet to find something you don't like! 

Bottles: morning and evening 

We will be dropping the morning bottle this month 

Clothing: 12 months  

Sleeping: 7:00pm-7:00am 

Napping: 2 times a day 
Morning nap 9:30-10:30am and then an afternoon nap from 1:00-3:00pm or 2:00-4:00pm 

Size 3 diapers (still!)

Teeth: 8 (4 on top and 4 on bottom) 
You had your top 4 teeth come in this month. OUCH! 

Walking: Baby steps little one! You are in no hurry.

Sickness: 0. Knock on wood... you are a healthy little girl! You made it 1 year without one fever, cough, ear ache.. anything!! A++ in Dr Dollin's book of health! 

 H&L

{LOVE}

-bath time

-watching Daddy come home from work

-swinging at the park

-runs with Mom in the morning

-walks in the evening

-snack time! 

-talking to one another from crib to crib (most precious thing EVER) 

-tickles and belly blows from Daddy

-Sophie's tail 

-to read books yourself

-to listen to books being read

-any toy that lights up

-door stoppers 

-pulling neatly stacked* diapers out of the diaper basket

-taking each others toys

-knocking down stacked blocks

-walking along the side of...anything!

I didn't give you the gift of life,

God gave me the gift of you! 

Chapter 94: Happy Birthday Eve!

This time last year I was laying in a hospital bed. {scared}

I was actively praying for patience for your arrival. 

I was praying for strength as I was scared to death of a c-section.

 I was praying for your health as I was nervous about the idea of you having to go to the NICU. 

I was praying for our family as we were about to go from Michael and Me to Michael and his 3! 

Your Daddy and I have continued to keep prayer at the center of your life. From the day you were born, until now, you have been loved on and prayed over. As I sit here while you are sleeping, I have tears in my eyes.  

We are blessed to have been given such amazing gifts. Tomorrow is your first birthday. You will open many gifts! I am excited to see your excitement! (or lack there of.. do one year olds understand gifts?)

But, what you don't realized is that you are the 

biggest and best

gifts to us.  

Happy Birthday Eve, 

Layton & Hadley

{WE LOVE YOU}

Mommy and Daddy

Chapter 93: Summer Fun 2013

We had a great summer with Layton and Hadley! Our summer fun included many pool trips and splash pads. We also enjoyed vacations with our families! 

We traveled to the lake and to the beach with the twins.

The girls were wonderful when it came to the new transition of dinner and snacks being in a new place.  They slept well in their pack-n-plays and traveled great in the car. We are excited for Fall to arrive as pictures with pumpkins and Halloween costumes will be a blast! Here are a few pictures from our lake trip with the Tennison family and beach trip with the Kees/Fox family! I also added pictures of our summer fun!

Lake Trip 2013

Summer Beach Trip 2013

HELLO SAND

Lynley and I made a sand car for the girls to sit in. 

My Dad would make these for us each summer that we would go to the beach. Fun, memories!  

It's blurry- phone picture!

{just a few other OUTDOOR fun activities}

Summer Pool Days 2013

Hadley 

Layton 

Oh, the legs! Layton is in the middle! The other precious legs are friends!

Don't forget your shades!!  

Splash Pads! How fun are these? We didn't have these gems growing up. The girls sat and splashed this year. But, oh the fun they will have next Spring and Summer. 

Swing, Swing! We traveled to many play-dates at the park!

Walks with Mom and Dad around the neighborhood! This twin jogging stroller has been great for the girls. :)