Thriving and Surviving with Twins

Free Valentine Printables

2012-01-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun and simple valentine printable cards for you all. I made them today and thought I'd share them with you. Here's a quick glance at what they look like. To download them just go to my design site and click on the download link. Enjoy!

Blogging my personal life

2012-01-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

When I started writing this blog it was a helpful way to express my feelings on being a new mama to twins. It helped me to find solace in the fact that other moms out there could relate to my situation in life. Finding and connecting with other moms of multiples has also been such a great source of encouragment and comfort as well.

I'm pondering the purpose for this blog and whether I want to keep it going just for the sake of keeping it going. There have been times that when I post it's out of sheer obligation and times when I'm just not feeling it but I post anyways. Been there??? Anyone???

With the added on task of graphic design, which I LOVE and just trying to maintain a household and care for the kids I've been considering what I should do about this blog Thriving and Surviving with Twins.

I love relating and connecting with you all but my lack of posting here and commenting/relating with others like yourself has contributed to me feeling disconnected to this blog and to you all. Totally my doing of course!

I'm thinking of going private with this blog and just writing for me and maybe at a later date going back public. As my design business grows I also struggle with having info about my family out there and wonder if I should just keep my business and private life separate. What do you guys think?

There are alot of designers out there who have personal blogs and their business websites and they proudly let people into both areas of their lives. I just wonder sometimes how much is too much and whether I won't everyone to know the details of our comings and goings.

These are just thoughts right now friends. I haven't made any decisions. I'd love to hear your input. Hey if my DISQUS comments isn't working just contact me here (if you don't mind). Sorry, it's my business contact form! Sorry it's so impersonal.

Love you guys and so glad to have "met" so many of you.

Happy 2012 & Creative Shout Out!

2012-01-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Happy 2012! Hope you New Year has been great so far! Thought I'd a quick creative shout out over at
Anyone at the potty training stage yet??? We're getting there...I can just tell! Speaking of potty
training I wanted to share a cute idea from Mindy at Creative Juice. She has some awesome ideas for throwing a potty party that celebrates your little one giving up diapers! I thought it was a pretty fun idea. You've gotta go check out the pics and all the great ideas - Mindy's party ideas are featured today over at Kara's Party Ideas.

I have one son who for 2 or 3 weeks began showing beginning signs of interest in potty training....he's started taking off his diaper BEFORE he would go pee or poop. The only problem is he kept going on the floor! There was one time I found him squatting and going in small plastic bin. Lord have mercy... I think this kid is ready.
Anyways I'd love to hear how you got your little one started on potty training-

2012: Looking Forward

2011-12-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here's something I wrote as I look forward to this New Year!

2011: Looking Back

2011-12-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Source: flickr.com via Barbara on Pinterest

I have to say 2011 went by way too quick for me! Seems like just a few days ago the boys turned 2 years old and now in just 2 short months they will be having their 3rd Birthday.
So how did your year go? I know some years can be full of one challenge after another. For us this year seemed like one where we were able to breathe a lot easier in terms of overall life.
We're still learning how to be a mostly one income family- it's got it's definite challenges.
Here are a few things that have happened in 2011- just to note these things are good things & some areas I realize I need to grow in:

1. Our boys turned 2 years old- it's always great to celebrate another year making it as parents of twins.
2. Aaron's job has been a great blessing financially and he's been able to take on a new role in his company's research and development department.
3. My in-laws came to visit us from Arkansas and were here for about a month. So fun to see them and spend time with them!
4. I started doing Blog Designs and have truly enjoyed the creative outlet.
5. Made some new friends through blogging! I love being able to connect with awesome women who are encouraging and real.
6. Realize I really need to take time to invest in relationships with current friends and build new ones- this has been a hard one for me I've isolated myself to some degree (this is a whole other post I could write!).
7. More thankful than ever for family especially my parents!
8. Feel like I really slacked in my relationship with God this year. I hate admitting that but it's real and it's what has happened.
9. Got my husband to try cooking more meals on his own- Yay for pasta dishes!
10. Love the joy my husband expresses when he's able to play our piano and compose songs that are meaningful.
11. The boys started speech therapy in September- learning and improving but we are still waiting for breakthrough in their expressive speech. This one has been the hardest one for us this year. Trusting God but still wishing this breakthrough would come already.

Well there it is...a quick and real summary of the year. I so look forward to 2012 and all that God has for us and for you. My hearts clings to the verse in Romans 8:28 that says:
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Happy New Year Friends!

Family Christmas Pics- So hard to get a good pic!

2011-12-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

Anyone else have a hard time getting a good family pic??? I really want to save up to get some professional pics done it just seems like the money I save for that always has to go to some other expense we have.
Well for now I take the pics on my handy dandy Kodak camera.
Here's one we took today at church and had a friend of ours take (thanks Ricky!). As you can tell it's so not easy getting the boys to look at the camera at the same time! I love Caden's smile and the way he's holding his dad's face! Too cute! Dylan was just a little too distracted in this pic!

This is as close to family pic we came to last Christmas 2010. We were visiting our wonderful friends and really "second" family the weekend before Christmas.

In 2009 the boys were almost 10 months old and we took these pics of just them and then a few pics of either me and the boys or Aaron and the boys- no group family pic. What was I thinking?!?

I need to resolve to get those yearly Christmas Family Pics done each year regardless if the kids are looking at the camera or not. Man, I really need a tripod!!!

Our little family's Christmas traditions.

2011-12-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Ok so how many of you have some favorite Holiday traditions that you practice each year with your little families???

One of the traditions that I started when Aaron and I got married was to make an ornament each year together.
This tradition began with us buying some wood ornaments at our local craft store and painting them together each December. Since the boys have been born we've changed the tradition a little in that we buy a new ornament each year.
I'm hoping for next Christmas that we can get the boys interested in painting their own ornaments or at least maybe try making one out of dough.

A new Christmas tradition that I just started last year is watching the movie "Christmas Do-Over."

This movie stars Jay Mohr and Daphne Zuniga. It's kinda like the "Groundhog Day" premise with Bill Murray. Jay Mohr's character keeps reliving Christmas Day over and over again until he learns the lesson he needs to learn about life.

One tradition that I would like to start with our boys is to have an Advent Calendar. For those who don't know an Advent Calendar is kinda like a countdown to Christmas. Each day there is a new activity that the kids can do. There are a ton of Advent Calendar kits/ideas out there. I'm not too sure which we'll do. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear it. The idea pictured here is from Memory Makers.

What are some fun traditions that you guys have started?