Our Batty Family

Cotton

2010-12-24T10:15:00.001-08:00

Here are our little Seattle boys learning about cotton, first hand. We love the fall in Pima.

Hawaii

2010-12-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

Tommy and I went to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary. It was our first trip so we decided to see if Nette and Wayne wanted to join us. We also go to celebrate Nette's 29th birthday. We had such a great time. Here are some of my favorite pics.

I love this picture. We staying a bungelow right on the beach and this shot was taken right outside our door. Tommy was really smart to get out on the boogie board when we first arrived. I waited until right before we left and I never got any good waves.

This is the beach right where we were staying. The best part was, no other people!

These rocks were very close to where we were staying. I loved hearing the waves crash here every night while I slept!

Here is our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We didn't want this night Tongan guy to not get a picture with us...we are so nice.

Here we are right after we got layed at the luau.

We hiked to this beautiful waterfall. It was a little late in the day. By the time we made it back to the car we were hiking in the dark. The trail was very similar to the ones we have here in the spring (very muddy). Our flip flops and feet were all filthy!

We drove over to the Byodo Buddist Temple. The mountain we drove through was so beautiful. There were tons of waterfalls.

Family Pics

2010-12-24T09:28:00.001-08:00

My awesome brother Flint took our pictures on Thanksgiving. I can't believe how old we are all getting.

Happy Birthday Batty Boys!

2010-10-09T17:50:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that my babies are four years old! They are so fun and challenging all in one. The past 4 years have not been easy, but they are definitely worth it! We had a really fun birthday year at the Bouncy Place. We were glad that so many of our friends could join us!

What a nose!

2010-06-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Justin is a very special boy. He is so full of life and mischief. You can almost bet that when there is trouble in our house it can be traced right back to Justin. We had a little nose incident this week that is classic Justin. But, first let me tell you a story from a year or so ago.

One of our favorite dinners in garlic chicken pasta. This is a great frozen meal you can buy at Costco that cooks up quick and tastes good. We really like all of the yummy veggies. However, a year or so ago, the boys discovered they could shove the corn up their nose. (They love corn and don't do this when I serve it as a side dish.) There were several incidents of pulling corn out of little noses followed by a stern "don't do that again". One day Justin told us he had a piece of corn up his nose, but we could not locate it. A few days later, Justin got an obnoxious snotty nose, but just in one nostril. It took me a day to figure out that the boogers were corn related. So, we flushed Justin's nose in hopes of retrieving a piece of corn. No luck. Finally, more than a week after the corn became lodged the corn appeared. On a Saturday morning we loaded into Tommy's truck and Justin declared "look a piece of corn!" Sure enough, the corn had emerged.

So, back to this more recent story. We haven't had any issues with items up the nose since the corn ordeal over a year ago. On Wednesday evening Justin found a screw. A pretty small screw. He loves to hold and play with things and played with the little screw while he watched a show. Once the show ended Justin declared "There's a screw stuck in my nose!" What!?!?!? Sure enough, he had lodged the small screw in his nose.

Justin's nose was bleeding a little bit and I was completely grossed out. Tommy was very brave and began of task of screw retrieval. It took some pepper, a flashlight, two pair of tweezers and a vacuum cleaner for the task. (Weird, I know.) After 30 minutes of digging, the screw was extracted. Hopefully we have learned our lesson about foreign objects in our nose!

Super Heros

2010-05-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Well I couldn't pick which video I liked best, so I picked 5. The other night the boys decided they are now Super Heros. Just in the last few weeks they have really started to use their imaginations. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Rocks

2010-05-21T21:59:00.001-07:00

If there is one thing our boys love, it is throwing rocks. After the tulip festival we drove over to deception pass. Mason & Justin would have thrown rocks all day if I would have let them.

Tulip Festival

2010-05-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing really beats a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. We loved the tulip festival this year, even though we almost missed it because the flowers bloomed early this year. (Unlike last year when it snowed on us at the festival.) Here are some of my favorite shots.

Panama Cruise - part 3 (final)

2010-04-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

The last stop on our cruise was Aruba. This port had the beautiful water of the Caribbean. This was our chance to enjoy the water. Tommy decided to try to find a place to scuba dive and I went with Trent and Melissa on a submarine tour. This "hill" is the third highest point on the island of Aruba.Here are a few pictures I took on the submarine. The first one is a sunken ship.

We had a really great time on our cruise. We really failed at taking pictures on the ship, but here are a couple of pictures we took before leaving the port in Aruba. Hope we get to do another great vacation soon!

Panama Cruise - part 2

2010-04-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

After a day at sea, our next two stops were in Columbia. First we visited the city of Cartagena. This was our favorite stop. Cartagena is a beautiful city. We reserved a cab for the day and he took us on a tour of the city and showed us the big historical spots. First we went to look at the wall that was built around the city to keep out pirates. Here we are both under and on top of the wall.

We also visited a emerald shop/museum. We saw some amazing emeralds. Tommy even bought me a ring and some earrings.

After a delicious lunch that included amazing coconut limeade, we took a walk through the beautiful streets of the old city. I loved it. Everything was so OLD!

Tommy found a bakery that sold yummy, warm treats. Everyone enjoyed them!

Here is an old castle in the city. We didn't spend the money to take the tour, but it was pretty amazing from the outside.

Santa Marta was our second stop in Columbia. We didn't get many pictures in this port. However, we took a cab and found a really great beach. Melissa and I get massages on the beach and Tommy and Trent bought snorkeling gear. Santa Marta was very hot and very arid, but the ocean was beautiful!

Panama Cruise - part 1

2010-04-24T14:24:00.000-07:00

We just home from a really great vacation! We went on an 8 day cruise to central America and the Caribbean. Plus, it was a vacation without kids. Here are some of the highlights:

We flew to Panama City, Panama to start out the trip. Panama is really pretty, but it is a little scarier than I was expecting. There were a lot of armed police and security guards. I did like to see the country and the people. Outside of the hotel we stayed at where these huge trees. The trunk of the tree was also the root system.

We decided to take a taxi to see the Panama Canal before I cruise ship left. On the drive we saw this boat "washed up" in the port. The driver told us it was abandoned by drug runners. Pretty interesting.
In the same area we saw this great statue. It was huge.

Here are the pictures we took at the Panama Canal. It was like, oh, 20 times bigger than the locks in Ballard. We watched several large ships move through. We also got to see where they are clearing for the bigger canal that is being built. We asked our cab driver how much a boat like our cruise ship would pay to pass through the canal. He told us "oh, like $200,000.00". Whoa.Day two of our cruise was in Costa Rica. We decided to do a pineapple plantation tour and check out the city. Costa Rica is very beautiful, just as you would imagine. And the pineapple is delicious! Here are a couple of pictures of us as we are leaving the ship.

These are a few pictures of the drive to the plantation and some pictures of the grounds.

Ok, I know that I am just a dumb kid from Arizona, but how did I not know this is how pineapple grows. I was expecting trees.

Springtime

2010-03-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

Our little boys are growing up so quickly. I think they have sprung up 3 inches and have added hundreds of words to their vocabulary. We had a great time enjoying the great Spring weather yesterday. Justin is in orange and Mason is in green.

They are also learning lots of new tricks. Everyday brings new tricks and new songs. I am amazed that they can remember something I told them a week ago (and that they are already holding it against me)!

Apple = ?

2010-03-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while...we have had some issues with our camera. I will try to get some video clips loaded later this week.

Tommy has been teaching the boys some new tricks. The "secret" at our house is e=mc2. The newest trick we have learned is pi = 3.14. The boys love to repeat this little secrets to anyone who will ask.

Today, Tommy as Justin if he remembered pi. Justin said "3.14" and then followed it up with his own question...."what is apple?"

Broken Collarbone

2010-01-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

Well, we have our first official broken bone. Justin broke his collarbone on New Year's Eve. He and Mason we climbing on the play structure at the mall that they got tangled up in each other and fell. At first I didn't think anything was wrong. However, Justin would cry when I tried to pick him up under his arms. Other than that, he seemed fine.

After naptime we decided we better get him checked out (plus we have new, more expensive insurance starting 1/1). Tommy spent 4 hours at urgent care...and sure enough, it was a broken bone! Here is the x-ray. Poor Justin, there is nothing that they can do for him...they didn't even give him a sling. And, at this age, no good drugs.

So far, Justin is being a pretty good sport. Today has definitely been his most whiney. Guess we have to take it slow for a while!

Ice Skating

2010-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some pictures from a new activity we have been learning. ICE SKATING! We have gone 3 times in the last few weeks. The boys are starting to get the hang of it and even like it. Thanks Deidre for helping us out!

Merry Christmas - part 2

2010-01-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here is our attempt at a nice family picture for Christmas. Getting cooperation from all parties involved is lots of fun.

Here is my shot of the boys coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. By the time the camera had adjusted, Mason had already passed me by. (This is 4:30 AM.)

The boys were pretty happy with all of their gifts. We had to take their 3 year old helmets back and trade them from some 5 year old helmets...Mason's head is just too big!

Here is the boy's first attempts at the new bikes. They are pretty scary, but they are getting the hang of it!

Merry Christmas - part 1

2010-01-02T14:11:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year. The boys were so excited and for the most part, they understood what the season is about. It was a lot of fun to experience visiting Santa, going to Snowflake lane, looking at Christmas lights and making goodies. I look forward to many Merry Christmases to come! Here are some of the highlights!

Here are the boys visiting Santa at the Space Needle:

Mason & Justin made gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve. It was messy, but fun!

Here are our Christmas Eve pictures. It took about 50 tries to get a shot...we were so excited. It was all the boys could do to sit still!

Christmas at the Space Needle

2009-12-20T13:57:00.000-08:00

We took the boys to see Santa at the Space Needle. It was a beautiful, cold day. The boys got to make a chocolate cookie, which they promptly ate without sharing. I will try to scan their Santa picture and add it later. I will really proud that they took the picture even though they were afraid! And following the footsteps of their cousin Cooper, all they want for Christmas is a candy cane. Looks like we got off easy this year!

Big Boy Beds

2009-12-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

My baby boys are growing up. Their long legs had just about outgrown their cribs...so we got them big boy beds. However, we couldn't do plain old boring beds. Tommy bought the boys slide beds. They love them...and the boys have done a pretty good job sleeping in their beds at night.

I only cried a little bit to see my boys move out of their cribs. Only a few more years til they leave for college.

Catch Up

2009-11-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Moving and starting a new job has made our lives a little crazy. The boys are getting so big. They talk non-stop and have developed a new love for TV. I think they would stare at the TV for 8 hours straight if we let them. They also love to eat. I can imagine that our food bill in 10 years will be pretty scary.

A neat trick the boys have learned is spelling their names.

The boys love to sing songs, especially Justin. Here is a sampling of their new songs.

Hope you enjoyed the videos. I will try to post again before the boys turn 5.

Party Time!

2009-10-17T17:05:00.001-07:00

Today was the boys' birthday party. (It was a birthday costume party.) It was part chaos, part fun. The boys loved it and I guess that is what is important. It was very rainy this morning, so we got to do the pinata in the kitchen. Having an ingenius dad is great! Thanks to all of our friends who joined us for the fun!

Thanks to Michelle for the awesome birthday cake. She is an artist! (Especially because she made it with our little boys in tow!)

For those of you too far away to come....or those stuck at home with swine flu, here is the birthday song. We missed you!

A day at the farm

2009-10-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got to take the boys to Remlinger Farms. It was a lot of fun to go to a fall festival and enjoy the "country". The boys even got brave enough to take a pony ride! They also got to ride the train and several rides, feed sheep, go through the hay maze and eat kettle corn.

Happy Birthday Buds!

2009-10-17T16:43:00.001-07:00

Well, our boys are officially big! We have two of the most energetic and great little boys in the world. We are so glad they are 3! Just a few more years til they move out!

Trip to the fair

2009-09-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

We went to the fair this last weekend. It was the boy's first trip and they loved it. Not only did they enjoy the animals, it appears they are a couple of thrill seekers. (Wonder where they got that.) They went on a few rides and then when they ended up on a "slower" ride, Mason made sure we understood that it was not going fast enough. You can imagine the dread I felt when I thought of the teenage years ahead.

We are really enjoying the warm, sunny days we are still enjoying. Fall is inevitably going to be here soon...and along with it the rain we love so much.

Lake Washington Swim

2009-09-04T16:50:00.001-07:00

My husband is amazing! Last week he swam Lake Washington from Mercer Island to Seattle along the I90 floating bridge. The swim was just over 1.5 miles. This was something he has wanted to accomplish for several years and is one of his "bucket list" items.

This is a picture of our boat right before Tommy jumped in. He is looking across the expanse he was about to swim. He was probably wondering what he got himself into! (We are in our friends Andy and Wendys boat....thanks guys!)Here are the swimmers at the 3/4 point. I am amazed to look at how huge the lake is!

This is very close to the finish. I am sure at this point his arms were pretty tired.

Here is a picture of the swimmers after their successful venture.

After the swim we had a great time at a BBQ hosted by our friends the Hiltons. We had such a great time and we are grateful to have friends that are so generous!

Random Silliness

2009-08-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well, life back in Seattle has settled into our usual chaos. The boys really do love to play and sing and be big helpers. They have decided they are no longer babies, they are "big kids". Not big boys, but big kids. Here are some fun pictures from our last week or so.

Since I know you enjoyed the loud itsy bitsy, here is the encore loud ABCs. We almost have this song figured out, but get a little lost in the i - p range. Maybe someday we will figure it out.

This morning Justin wanted to be a big helper and assist daddy in closing his truck door. I totally saw it coming, but there was nothing I could do. His poor little hand got smashed. We took him inside and applied ice right away. We are worried that he might have really gotten hurt. After a few minutes of crying he calmed down and said "My thumb doesn't hurt". We couldn't help but laugh. If only we could look at all of life's trials with his outlook.

A few hours ago it got really quiet and I immediately assumed that the boys were up to some evil plan which involved make-up or yogurt or plant food or windex or ketchup or (you get the idea). I ran down the hall and found them doing this:

I know we buy these kids toys! I hope you all had a great week too!

Itsy Bitsy

2009-08-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Mason's newest rendition of the Itsy Bitsy Spider. It is quite the feat to sing at the top of your lungs, with very few breaths and all in one note. What a talented boy!

Our AZ Trip

2009-07-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, we are almost through week 2 of our trip to Arizona. We are having a great time. THANK YOU to everyone who has housed, fed, transported and entertained us. It is so great to spend time with the people we love. Somehow I have not taken as many pictures as I would have liked. So, if you have taken any of us, please email them to me.

Also, Tommy, we MISS YOU!!!! I am excited to be home in a week. The boys keep telling me, "No, daddy is the boss."

Here are some pics from our trip to Holbrook. The boys really liked the dinosaurs and four wheeler rides with grandpa.

I didn't take many fun pictures in the Gila Valley. Hmmm...guess I was having too much fun. We really enjoyed cousins, grandparents, swimming, celebrations and the sun. I wish I had taken some pictures. I did get a few shots of the boys after their pool adventure. I appoligize to Mason & Justin in advance...I didn't know I was buying princess swim diapers. Here they are playing in the dirt with cousins Matthew and Dean.

However, I did get some cool pictures of our ice blocking adventure last night. I had such a fun time...I almost felt 15 again! Thanks girls!!!

We are off to Colorado in a few days...let's hope for cooler weather!

More Summer Fun

2009-07-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th weekend! Here is a glimpse into our good times:

First, our Jayman is not a morning person. Here is a shot of him the other day...doing his best to wake up.

Yesterday, we had a great time BBQing, playing and watching fireworks. Here are the boys in the fun outfits. I also added a clip of the boys cracking each other up. There is rarely a dull moment in our lives.

We went to the lake with some friends today. (Thanks for the fun time Andy & Wendy.) We enjoyed the sun, the water and friends. Tommy got a chance to try out his knee board again. I was impressed with his mad skills.

Summer Fun

2009-06-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying living in the country (sort of, Target is only 10 minutes away) and this summer has been a lot of fun. We have garden, which is doing pretty well, in spite of our lack of gardening knowledge. We are regularly harvesting lettuce, spinich, green onion, cilantro, strawberries and oregano. We are waiting ever so impatiently for peas, broccoli, squach tomatoes and peppers.

Here are some pictures of us enjoying our back yard and garden. Most of all, we were enjoying our SONIC!!!!! We just got a Sonic in Puyallup (which is about a 30 minute drive each way) that we wish we could frequent a little more often.

I'm in love!

2009-06-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

We have cute boys. Ok, I said it, I think my kids are cute. We used to snicker at people who would tell us "My kid is so smart...he can do this (you fill in the blank)." or "My kid is so great....he did this ______."

We determined that we would not blindly think are kids were so great or so cute or so awesome. However, there is just something I can't resist about these two little boys. Guess my resolve to not become "one of those parents" is gone.

I do want to add my disclaimer....these boys are A LOT of work. I have now been a stay-at-home mom for just two months. Yikes, this is really hard. I love this job...but geeze...every mom should have a nanny, chef, personal trainer and housekeeper!

Family Fun

2009-05-24T22:31:00.001-07:00

We had a great time with Vernon & Tiana (and their boys) this week. They were visiting from Pima and we really enjoyed spending time with our cousins. Here are some of the highlights.

Rock Band...I think our boys are going to have a cool band (a real one) some day!

Our trip to Mt St Helens

The Mariners Game

A trip to the beach

The Aquarium

Here is my favorite picture of the week. I love that our boys got to spend time with their cousin Dean!

Thanks Vernon & Tiana for coming to visit us. We had a great time and you are welcome back anytime!

Slippery Fish (thanks Aunt Sarah)

2009-05-08T20:50:00.001-07:00

Sarah was so kind to post the Slippery Fish song on her blog for Mason & Justin. Here they are performing it for her!

Double (2 year old) Trouble

2009-05-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed our new "title picture" on our blog. A few weeks ago the boys woke up extra early (and we had a rough night) so we let the boys out of their room and went back to bed. Hmmm....this seemed like a good idea at the time. However, 30 minutes later, we rolled out of bed to find our little munchkins helping themselves to breakfast. Justin was eating strawberry lemonade mix (hence the scrunched up face) and Mason was eating Nesquick strawberry mix. Guess we won't be letting them out on their own again for a while.

Sometimes a fun activity for two year old boys is WWE style wrestling. The boys still sleep in cribs and use them as a wrestling ring. Here was a action last week. Don't worry, the biggest one doesn't always win.

Another funny thing that the boys do is take off their clothes during nap/bed time. (Thankfully, they seem to be past the "take off their diapers" during naptime stage.) The other day Justin took his pants off, but gave up on his shirt when it was lodged around his waist and fell asleep. It was so cute/funny.

Finally, here is a clip of the boys being goofy. They never cease to cause us laughter, joy, grief and entertainment (sometimes all at the same time). Guess we will have to keep them since we can't send them back now!

March of Dimes Walk

2009-05-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend we completed year 2 of the March of Dimes walk.

The March of Dimes educates the public about, researches cures for and supports families of premature babies. This organization was a great support to us when our boys were born so early. 10-15 years ago, children born as early as Mason and Justin had little chance to live and had huge chances of severe disabilities. The advances in neo-natology to improve care and outcomes has been greatly improved during this time, in part, by the March of Dimes. So, there is my plug. The March of Dimes is a great organization.

Every year the March of Dimes holds walks around the country to raise awareness (and funds) and show support for premature babies. We love to participate in the walk. We get to go to Seahawks Stadium (on the field) and walk on the viaduct. Here are the pictures from this year's walk.

Chickens

2009-05-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

We have chickens. Yes, we have chickens. I never imagined myself typing these words, but it is true. And, I like the chickens and think they are cool.

The house we are renting has a very nice chicken coup. So, we decided we shouldn't let it go to waste. The boys LOVE the chickens. They go check on them several times each day. They say "Chickens say bok, bok. Chickens poop."

We have 4 chickens and each one is different. (We have a red one, black one, black & tan one and a crazy headed one.) Maybe some day I will know the breeds, but I am still too citified at this point!

Twin Intuition?

2009-05-03T13:18:00.001-07:00

I have heard many stories about twins feeling each others pain, etc., but that always seemed a little out there for me. However, we have had a new phenomenon going on this month. Maybe it is chance, maybe it is something more.

In the last two weeks, Mason has gotten sick (throw up) twice. Both times Justin came and told me "Mason throw up" several minutes before it happened. The first time I thought, hmmm this is wierd. Then, he did it again last night...and they weren't even in the same room. Both warnings were really great because I was able to get Mason to the sink and I didn't have to clean up a mess.

So, whatta think? Is it a fluke or not?

Our New Horse

2009-04-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Our new landlord came by on Saturday and brought Mason & Justin this cute rocking horse. It was really neat. The boys love to ride it...if only we had two!

"The New House"

2009-04-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, sorry we didn't tell you all that we were moving. Well, guess what, we moved. This is move # 7 in our 8+ years of marriage. Ouch.

We sold our house and had a very quick closing date. Since we are constantly dreaming about moving to China, or Russia, or the Cayman Islands we have decided we should rent for a while. So, we found a house about 10 miles south of our last house to rent. It was a great price and it is only a little quirky. The house has 4300 sq ft and sits on an acre. We really are living it up in the country (sort of). We have plans for a garden this summer.

Mason & Justin call this place "The New House" and they talk about it all day. Here are our new digs. Feel free to come visit us at our new place, we have lots of room for entertaining!

Here is the mondo kitchen. It has a full fridge, full freezer and a double oven.

The guest bathroom comes with a full jaccuzi tub. The boys are loving it.

Here is Mason against the gigantic windows in the front room. We turned it into the best play room ever, since we don't have enough furniture for this place.

Here is the back wall in the "playroom".

Here is the family room.

Here is the view of the back yard to the left and right from the back porch.

Brotherly Love

2009-04-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get any pictures this Easter weekend. You will have to forgive me...moving with 2 two year olds is pretty miserable. However, I have been trying to get some cute videos of the boys over the past few weeks (per Cooper's request). Unfortunately, all they want to do is say "cheese" with their eyes squeezed shut and run around to the back of the camera to watch.

However, this one video is pretty funny. (Not that I encourage my children to fight.) Sorry if you don't find it as funny as I do...but this is what our life is like every day!

Escape Artists

2009-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well, nothing is safe in our house anymore. Mason & Justin are getting too smart for our comfort. Tommy busted Justin boosting Mason onto the kitchen counter to get playdough a few days ago. So, just one more thing we now have to watch for. Here they are demonstrating their skills. (Sorry it is sideways...I am not technologically smart enough to fix it.)

Spring is here!

2009-04-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Spring finally decided to arrive this week. We are pretty happy about that...since we got snow last week. Here are some pictures of the boys enjoying the warm weather and the sun.

Twilight Weekend!

2009-03-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been wanting to do this trip for at least a year...and this weekend we finally did it. We took a roadtrip to Forks, WA (home of the Twilight books). It was AWESOME! It was so beautiful. I didn't realize how excited I was, but Tommy kept saying, "Wow, you are jumping a lot". I guess vampires are my thing.

The biggest shock to me was the HUGE tourist attraction that Twilight has brought to Forks. We stayed at the Three Rivers Resort, which normally caters to fishermen. I overheard the clerk at the desk telling a "regular" fishing guy that he nows has to make a reservation...because of all of the teenage visitors. We saw hundreds of teens and their parents everywhere we went. It was cool.

We started our trip on a ferry ride to Bremerton...so I am throwing in a picture from the boat of the Seattle skyline. I have been on dozens of these trips and I still LOVE this view.

On our way to Forks we passed a beautiful Lake Cresent. The weather was drizzly and foggy, very Twilightish. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Just as we rolled into a town a huge rainstorm came in. Sorry my picture is a little blurry.

Next we headed to our cabin. I was really excited to find the sign "No Vampires Beyond This Point" about 30 feet from where we were sleeping. So cool! (Our cabin was right near the border to the Quillute Indian Reservation, for those not familiar with the book.)

Our next stop was the beach at La Push. It was so incredible. The wind was blowing so strong & the swells were huge. I wish it wasn't so cold because Mason & Justin would have loved to play on the beach.

Here are some pictures we took around Forks of the local "Celebrity" locations.

The Cullen House (they wouldn't let me sneak into Edward's window.)

Jacob's House

Bella's House

Forks High School

Forks Hospital
Bella's truck

We also took a little trip to the Hoh Rain Forest about 30 miles outside Forks. The area receives 12 - 16 feet of rain every year, plus an extra 30 inches of rain just from the clouds/fog dripping on the trees. Everything was so green. (It was so sunny when we visited...go figure.) The pictures of Tommy and the boys is in front of the World's largest spruce tree.

Going to Forks was an awesome trip. Other than the throw-up, diarreha and no sleeping (thanks boys) it was perfect. If anyone wants to make the trek, let me know, I am up for another visit!

Computer Issues

2009-02-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry we haven't posted in a while...our computer is having serious issues. I am hoping to get a new laptop for my birthday, but until then I am a little stuck. Any recommendations on what I should get are appreciated.

Mason & Justin have learned 2 new phrases. They are so much fun. The first one is, "I'm too busy". What?!?!? I can assure you that a 2 year old is never too busy. However, when you ask the boys to help clean up or be helpful, this phrase comes out of their mouth! I will admit there is nothing cuter than listening to my two boys singing the clean up song..."Everybody doin' the share" while they pick up their blocks.

The second one is, "No say the words". This was first uttered by Mason on Sunday when Tommy asked him not to take off his shoes on the way to church. Mason yelled back "No Daddy! No say the words!" I couldn't believe it. Where did a 2 year old come up with this? Now, whenever we reprimand the boys, they ask us to keep our words to ourselves.

Catching Up

2009-02-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the things we have been up to lately.

First, Happy Birthday Tommy! We are so glad you are finally 25! Thanks to the Greenwoods & Skinners for having January birthdays and celebrating with us.

Second, We have two little boys that are full of energy and love each other. It is fun to watch them play (and sometimes fight). Our lives are never dull.

Here is a picture of Tommy's newest toy. The boys LOVE to go for a ride with daddy! Hopefully we will have years of fun with this one.

New Tricks

2009-02-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some of the new tricks that Mason & Justin can do. (Sorry, we don't have a dog...so our boys get to be the show.)

1. We know our names...finally!

2. We say our prayers.

3. We act like animals.

4. We sing.

I can see!!!

2009-02-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting in so long. It seems like life gets more crazy the older we get. I wanted to share that I had lasik surgery in January...and I love it! It is really great to be done with glasses and contacts. Now if only they can come up with a surgery to prevent insanity...

Here is my last photo with glasses!!!

More Snow !?!?

2009-01-13T20:59:00.001-08:00

Ok, this post is a little late. We got snow on January 4th. It started snowing around 6:30...and by 8:00 there was enough snow on the ground to build a snowman!!! It didn't last long, the rain had arrived by morning and our little snow miracle was gone. We loved it!

Christmas in Pima

2008-12-29T22:47:00.001-08:00

We got to spend Christmas in Pima this year! It was pretty great to be with family and friends. We were also very grateful to be missing all of the snow in Seattle. Here are some of the pictures we took to share.

There was a beautiful sunset on Christmas Eve. I really miss evenings like this!

Here are the boys in their cute jammies.

Right after sunrise on Christmas morning Tommy spotted 2 amazing rainbows out over the wash.

Thanks Grandma for the cool hoodies. We can barely get the boys to take them off!

Rogers Christmas

2008-12-29T22:38:00.000-08:00

We were so happy that we got to spend the Monday before Christmas with my family (minus Dale, who had to work). We took the kids to a park in Gilbert and everyone loved it. Here are some fun pics.

Road Trip!

2008-12-29T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, we survived! We decided to take a surprize road trip to Arizona for Christmas with our friends Justin and Tiffany. It was a pretty daunting idea...30+ hours (each way) in a car with 2 two year olds. The trip was definitely worth it! We had such a great time.

Here are some pictures we took in San Francisco. I was glad we took the detour!

The Golden Gate Bridge was so big!!!

Here is the crooked road. Thanks to Tommy's navigation skills we got to find this quirky land mark. Driving on it was pretty neat.

Here are our boys, carrying on the family tradition of loving In-N-Out! (Mason thinks if he squints his eyes closed you cant see him.)

Winter Fun

2008-12-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning with a few inches of snow on the ground! (For all of you Arizona people....snow is rare in Seattle.) Here is Mason & Justin's first encounter.

Justin was not so pleased when he tried to head out onto the ice coated street.

We didn't play for long...the wind is howling and it is very cold!

What's not to love?

2008-12-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Snowflake Lane

2008-12-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Mason, Justin & I went to "Snowflake Lane" to celebrate the holiday season. We went with our friends the Williams & Spears. The boys had a really great time watching the parade, which mostly consists of a drum line. They really loved catching the "snowflakes" as they fell from the sky. Too bad the characters (Rudolf & the snowman) scared them so bad...they definitely do not like creatures where they can't see their face.

Random Silliness

2008-11-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

The other day Mason & Justin were eating lunch. Justin always finished first and usually runs off to play. However, the other day, Justin decided to hang around and help Mason finish up. I realized they were being so nice to each other (something that has become a rare occurrence at the Batty house). I couldn't help but share this nice little video....it makes a mother proud.

New Trucks

2008-11-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite new birthday gifts were a pair of trucks from Tommy's aunt & uncle. They have both hammer and screw parts...which they love to play with. This is the first toy the boys have played with for more than 10 minutes. How great is that?

Halloween Pics

2008-11-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it is a little late...but here are our pictures from Halloween. We somehow managed to not have our camera with us, but our friends saved the day.

Two months ago the boys picked out their costumes at Costco. Justin picked out a lion and Mason picked out an aligator. They hugged their costumes the entire day. Then, about two weeks before Halloween they became deathly afraid of wearing their costumes. (They do still like to throw them on the floor and make a mess with them though.) Mason cries "bite, bite" everytime we try to put the costume on him. (The little aligator head has some felt teeth.)

So, we decided our Batman PJs would have to do this year. For our ward Halloween party the boys both agreed to wear their black dress shoes, which at least matched. Of course, on Halloween night Justin wanted his white sneakers and Mason wanted his fireman rain boots. It wasn't the most glamorous get up...but the boys were happy.

We trick-or-treated for about 20 minutes total. At the first house we were very confused about the process. The boys wanted to keep ringing the doorbell (they are obsessed with buttons) and then ran into the house as soon as the door was opened. Then, they got the hang of the process and did much better. Except, their vision seemed to fail as soon as they saw the candy bowl. At 1/2 the houses we went to, both guys would trip right over the doorway the instant the candy dish appeared. It was hilarious!!!

We had a great Halloween and we are glad we had great friends to share it with!

Anniversary Weekend

2008-11-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

We had a really, really great weekend! Thanks to Justin & Tiffany for watching the boys. We got to go to Oregon. We left Saturday morning and went to Portland to a "Dave Ramsey live event". If you have talked to us about money in the last 6 months, I am sure Dave's name has come up. You are probably sick of hearing us say, "Well, Dave says...". However, Dave Ramsey is THE MAN! We had a really great time. Listening to the radio show & following the Dave's plan as really made us smarter (and happier) about money. Here is a link to his site...if you want to change your life!

http://www.daveramsey.com/

We left the conference yesterday evening and headed out to the Oregon Coast. It was so beautiful! The forest is the dense & green. The fall colors were so pretty. We stayed in a small hotel right on the ocean. The was a small river that ran into the ocean...right outside our room! There were hundred of pelican and seagulls congregated at this spot and we watched them all morning. We also found the famous "Goonie Rocks". They were actually just on either side of our hotel...within walking distance. The whole experience was surreal. We loved it!

Our kids are geniuses...ok, maybe not!

2008-11-02T21:30:00.001-08:00

We love it how parents always think their kids are SO smart. We think are kids are great...but at this point, we aren't saving money for Harvard tuition!

Here is a fun video showing how smart & cute our boys are. They have quite a few of their books memorized.

Here is another video...showing just how special we are!

Birthday Fun

2008-11-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

We had a party this week at Chuck E Cheese for the boy's birthday. Everyone had a really fun time. Justin liked the rides...especially Bob the Builder. Mason's real passion was the "money". All he wanted to do was get more coins so he could load them into the games. Also, Mason is not a fan of the mouse. He was pretty much terrified. Thanks to all of our friends who came and celebrated with us.

Just a side note...the little girl next to Justin is Ava! She is our friend from the NICU. She was born 1 oz lighter and 1 week later than the boys. We are happy to report she is a happy, healthy two year old that our boys are infatuated with!!!

Family Pictures

2008-10-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the family pictures we had our friend Kevin take last weekend. While the pictures look great...I almost had a nervous breakdown! I was so stressed out that the boys are NOT into getting their pictures taken. I really did just want to cry. However, thanks to Tommy, JoLynn & Kevin...we got some great pictures! Guess I need to learn that it all works out in the end!

Which Twilight Character Are You?

2008-10-31T10:03:00.001-07:00

Only a few more weeks until the movie comes out. Yipee!!!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Oh no! Terrible 2's!

2008-10-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official. We now have 2 - 2 year olds! Yikes. Not sure how, but it is like someone flipped a switch and my sweet, kind boys are gone. However, we do love our fun, adventurous little boys too. We had a small family party for the boys (which included Justin & Tiffany). Here are some pictures.

As you can see, we love anything "Elmo" right now. He is pretty much the super hero of the world. The boys also love blocks...especially knocking them down.

We had our 2 year appointment with the doctor. It was GREAT! Mason is 27lbs & Justin is 25lbs. They both rank right around 50% for height, weight & head size. Can you say normal??? Whoo Hoo!!!!!!

Thank you!

2008-10-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Rogers for the beautiful quilts. Here are some picture of the boys enjoying them.

Let's see if I can get a video attached.

Fun with water

2008-09-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Mason & Justin discovered how much fun a sprinkler can be. I really enjoyed watching them play and got some great pictures to share.

Our Flowers

2008-09-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

There is something pretty cool about living in Washington. You can plant bulbs...and do nothing else....and end up with some beautiful flowers in your yard. Yep, even green-thumb illiterate people like us can grow really awesome plants. Tommy just planted these bulbs in early spring and now we have beautiful dahlias to enjoy. This really beats weeding, watering, fertilizing and babying flowers like we do back home!

Arizona Trip

2008-09-21T10:47:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from our Arizona trip. We had a really great time. The waterfall pictures really are from Arizona and not Washington.

We also had a great time hiking to McNary tunnel with our nieces, nephews & siblings. It was a fun hike and pretty adventurous hiking back down in the dark. The bats and crickets were also a great highlight!

Another use for duct tape

2008-08-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

Having two little boys is a lot of fun...but there are definitely moments when it is not so fun. We had just one such moment on Sunday. We put the boys down for a nap before church. They weren't quite tired enough, because they sat up talking to each other for over an hour. I was working on my lesson for church and I heard Mason saying "owee". So I decided to investigate.

Mason and Justin had both gotten their diapers unfastened...through their onesies. (We have to nap with onesies or else we have two naked boys who pee on everything!) That was pretty bad.

However, it gets worse. Both boys had pooped. It was gross dark poop which I would have sworn was mud, except I knew they had no access to mud.

However, it gets worse. Mason, aka "Baby Houdini" had magically pulled his diaper out the side of his onesie...with the onesie still on. This allowed him to throw, smear and smash his poo all over his crib.

This is the second time I have had the opportunity to clean smeared poo out of a crib. This, will be my last. My friend Tina recommended we try duct tape. Here are the pics. (There are some funny ones with their cowboy boots we couldn't resist posting. We are rednecks.)

Growing Boys

2008-08-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures from our summer.

Everyday when Tommy gets home from work the boys get to have a popsicle treat. They make a mess, but they really love it!

We are trying to get the boys to like their harnesses. They however, under no circumstances, want any adult leading them around. If you try to "direct them" they lay down on the ground and cry. However, they seem to like to lead each other around. Maybe someday they will be ready for mom to help them.

Since Tommy and all of the boy's uncles like to climb trees so much, we thought we would let the boys have a try. Tommy carefully placed them in our Madrona tree. They did pretty well, but the sun was in their eyes. I am afraid I am in for a lot of scares from boys climbing trees.

The boys love to play with rocks and balls. They are also very fond of frisbees. They have recently gotten ahold of a roll of painters tape, which they have converted into a frisbee. There is really nothing better than throwing all of these objects. The boys even have the sound effects down.

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, I can't believe I did this....but I did. I went to the Breaking Dawn book party at Barnes & Noble on Friday night. I wanted to hang out with Felicia (my nanny & friend, fresh home from college) so I suggested we run over there. I really had no intentions of waiting around until midnight to buy a book I wasn't going to start reading right away.

But...I did hang around a bookstore with a bunch of silly teenagers...and I got my copy right about 12:15 AM. I guess I am now officially a Stephanie Meyer junky. (What am I going to do for a fix now?)

Once I got home I vowed to not start reading it, since I knew the boys would be up bright and early. However, I got them down for an early nap yesterday and started to read. Then, once I got them to bed, I read a little more. I only had like 300 pages left this morning & fortunately Tommy didn't feel good and the boys took a stellar 3 hour nap.

So, I have officially read my copy of Breaking Dawn. Not exactly how I pictured it...but I was entranced the entire time. Hope you all enjoy it as much as me!

More Fun in the Sun

2008-07-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures we took the other evening in our backyard. As my previous post suggests, the boys love to be outside.

Here they are showing off their glowing white bellies with pride. (They are really very proud of their bellies and will show you them at your request.) We love the 80 degree days and wish there were a few more of them in our year!

Summer Fun!

2008-07-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

Summertime in Seattle is so much fun! We love the long, sunny days...especially after a dreary and wet winter. Mason & Justin have decided they also love summer because they can eat fresh fruit. Their favorite is Melon...any kind of melon. They especially love to eat it like big boys...right off the rind.

The boys also love to go outside. This summer is their first real experience being outside and they beg to go out whenever they can. We have a small table, basketball hoop, slide and pool set-up in the back yard. Of course, their favorite place to go is the park. They have discovered that parks have slides and everytime they see a park (or playground) they scream "SLIDE, SLIDE, SLIDE"! They love the slides.

I hope that summer lasts 5 more months!

Justin's first stitches

2008-07-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we knew it would happen eventually. Justin got his first stitches on Thursday. Just 2...but right on his forehead. I figure these will be the first of many stitches to come.

Our boys love to throw things down the stairs. They will throw just about anything they can get their hands on (shoes, boxes, blankets, toys, etc). So, on Friday Russell decided to chuck Tommy's Denver Broncos metal trash can down the stairs. I guess Justin tried to catch it!

I rushed home from work and decided we should have it looked at. I was afraid that a long 3 day weekend was not the time to be re-splitting a crack open. So, off to urgent care. We were one of the very first patients there as the facility just opened on Tuesday. Getting stitches is certainly not one of Justin's favorite things. However, once he was done being restrained he went right back to being a happy boy.

We like to sing and dance

2008-07-06T12:05:00.001-07:00

So, these pictures are not Tommy's favorites (go figure). However, I think it is really cute to see they tough little boys expressing their musical sides. Maybe some day they will be famous (and rich) little performers!

Grandma Rogers

2008-07-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

What an amazing woman Grandma Rogers was. She passed away on Friday, June 27th in Pima, AZ. Grandma Rogers was Tommy's only grandparent he ever knew. She lived just down the street and Tommy & siblings spent lots of time growing up at Grandma's house. We are so happy that Grandma is now with Grandpa, but we will miss her greatly.

Missing my guys

2008-06-18T15:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I have nothing new to post as I have been home alone for 6 days. I really miss my guys. The boys are having a fun time visiting with all of their cousins and especially Grandma Rogers. They love to share her ice chips with her (they are flavored). Ok, they don't really like to share with her, they just like to eat all of them without sharing. They also love to blow grandma kisses...which she loves as well. The boys are also enjoying playing with their cousin Dean. They are starting to treat him like a kitty, patting him whenever he crawls by. Here are a few new pics we took when Becca was here visiting.

Tagged...by Jan

2008-05-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have never responded to a tag before, and I never intended to. However, since Jan & Flint are letting me bum with them for a week I decided I will do my part.

Here I am blogging the 7 reasons I love Mason & Justin.

1. Who can resist the crazy little faces that little boys make.

2. They started out small...and they are fighters.

3. They love each other...even from the beginning!

4. They are so sweet...when they are asleep.

5. They will eat anything.

6. It is so fun to make them match...I am sure some day they will hate me for this!

7. They are popular wherever they go. Sometimes we get cuts in line. They get us out of Sacrament meeting everyweek. People feel very sorry for us. And, they bring home pictures from the nursery every week that they don't even color. (Thanks Tommy!)

Oh yeah, I tag JoLynn, Joie, Marlo,Tiana & Jacy

Mud!!!

2008-05-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how much mess two little boys can make in just a few seconds. Tommy was laying the sod in our back yard. Once he was done, he sprayed it all down with the hose. Mason & Justin took about two seconds to discover the small puddle of water that had pooled up under the connection. These pictures are a result of their little discovery.

I love my little guys!!!

Super Heros

2008-05-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Mason & Justin love bedtime. One of the things they usually don't love is putting on their jammies. (They REALLY like to run around in just a diaper, pouding their chests.) However, they really do like being super heros. We found these great Batman PJs and they are a hit.

Ok, so the first day they got the PJs, they just tried to run around and pull each other down by the cape, but now they love them. They also love to put their popped spikey ball on their heads. We think they look like fraggles.

The Seattle Aquarium

2008-04-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

We visited the Seattle Aquarium with Vernon & Tiana. The boys loved it so much more than just a few months ago. They wanted to touch everything...especially any water they could splash in. They get their love of water from their dad, just look at Tommy playing too. Justin called the fish "me" and Mason called the fish "wish". It was too cute. Dean was a great sport, but it just isn't as fun when you can't run around. He did like to fountain outside the aquarium a lot!

Tulip Festival

2008-04-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

We went to the tulip festival yesterday, hoping for a nice spring day with flowers in bloom. Instead, we got caught in several hail storms and got soaked. Plus, it has been too cold so most of the flowers weren't even in bloom yet. However, we had a good time with family and friends. Mason got some mud on his face when Tommy held him upside down over the tulips and then he tried to reinact it by himself. It was very cute.

Frisbee Golf

2008-04-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time playing frisbee golf with Vernon, Tiana & Dean and Justin & Tiffany this weekend. For those not familiar with this sport, you walk a course similar to golf, but you throw the frisbee at the intended target instead of whacking a ball with a stick. The boys enjoyed being out and offroading in their strollers. Plus, we got to go the Jimmy Mac's afterwards!

Winter Fun...in March

2008-04-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in March we met Trent (Tommy's brother) at a cabin in Cle Elum. It was supposed to be a nice easy trip...however, the weather did not cooperate. We were stuck driving over the pass for 4 hours. This is supposed to be a 90 minute drive. This was a first real snow we saw this winter...and there was a lot of it. Once we got there we had a great time and the boys enjoyed seeing and touching snow for the first time. We also had a great time watching them try to figure our mittens. Thanks for meeting us Trent!

quick note

2008-04-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

I would just like to formally announce that....
Vernon and Tiana are pretty much the coolest people ever.

Everyone have a wonderful day!

Thank you to our awesome babysitters!

2008-03-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who watched/transported our boys while we were on vacation. It seems that there were several reoccuring themes throughout the week.

1. Wow, your boys can really eat!!! (We told you so.)

2. Wow, your boys have a lot of energy. (We told you so.)

3. Wow, your boys have really different personalities. (Again, we told you so.)

The boys really did have a great time with everyone. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We LOVED having a week without diapers, naps, high chairs and boogers. Whenever you are ready for them again, just let us know.

By the way, does anyone know how to get babies to smile for pictures?

Cruise Fun!

2008-03-15T11:14:00.001-07:00

We took a Western Carribean cruise the first week of March. Without Mason & Justin!!!! We had a really great time. Thank you to everyone who took care of the boys. We got to relax, surf, scuba dive, snorkle, eat a ton of food, and play with friends. The ports of call we visited were Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Caymans & Cozumel. We wish we could be back there now. If you want to see some cool pictures and more commentary about our trip, visit our friend's The Greenwoods blog (they are in our favorites). Thanks Jolynn for such a cool post.

Update

2008-02-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are hanging in the balance, Mason just woke up crying....and he puked in his bed again. This has been a very rough week, let's hope next week is better.

What a day!

2008-02-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

Today was pretty crazy at the Batty house. Justin & Mason are very busy boys. They keep us busy all day. Here is a look at what today was like.

6:30 AM - Boys are up...no more sleeping in!

7:00 AM - Make breakfast. We started with pancakes, then scrambled eggs with ham & cheese, then german pancakes.

7:30 AM - Time to get dressed. This is a huge ordeal with lots of struggles...our boys like to be naked!

8:00 AM - Play, Play, Play. We read books, stack blocks, play with Elmo and pull all the tupperware out of the cupboard. Our new favorite thing is going bye-bye (outside) so we got our hats, shoes & coats on for a walk down the street.

9:30 AM - Naptime....phew!!!

11:00 AM - Time to go shopping with friends. We head to Kent, but on the way we are STARVING. Off to McDonalds drive-thru we go. It is amazing, they know what a drive-thru is and immediately stop whining when they see the order board.

11:30 AM - We go to JoAnn's. We are having a difficult time, no one wants to sit still. Uh oh, Mason is very stinky. Out to the car for a diaper change. (This is not a fun task in the passenger seat.)

11:40 AM - Off to Target. Uh oh, Mason has pooied again. Gross!

12:00 PM - Mason has now pooped through his clothes. Time to go home...this boy is sick.

1:00 PM Home at last. Mason runs around in his diaper for we can only clean so many poopy pants.

1:30 PM - Let's play some more. This time we will pull all of our toys out...and then start pulling books off the shelf as the toys are not so fun.

2:00 PM - Two poopy diapers. This stinks. Time for a bath.

2:30 PM - Time for a photo shoot. Let's avoid being anywhere near each other so that mommy cannot get a good shot of us together. He he!

3:30 PM - Naptime again...Halleluiah. Mommy runs to the store.

4:30 PM - Naptime is over. Mason has thrown up all over himself and his bed. This must be the 10th time I have washed these sheets this week. Justin is very upset he was awaked by Mason's gagging...and now Mason gets all the attention.

5:00 PM - Another trip outside. Let's go see what daddy is doing in the garage. Look, lets put our mouths on every dirty, gross thing in site. Let's eat rocks. Mommy loves this. (Daddy did put in a really great shelf today...way to go.)

5:30 PM - Let's try some dinner. Keep your fingers crossed this stays down. Chicken nuggets and quesadilla. Yummy. Let's throw some food on the floor and then whine when we don't have any more on our plate.

6:00 PM - Change the 15th poopy diaper of the day. I am gagging.

6:30 PM - Play, play, play. Mommy and daddy are both laying on the couch just wishing this day would end. Hey, let's climb in the dryer. There is a light in it and I am pretty sure we can get those clean clothes dirty.

7:45 PM - Time for jammies...is that a smile on Mommy's face?

8:00 PM (exactly) - Make a few bottles and off to bed. Sleep tight.

Will they stay asleep? We are praying for it!!!!

We have big boys!

2008-02-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

We recently had the boys 15 month (12 month adjusted) check-up. The doctor was pretty pleased with the boy's progression and we are no longer charting them on the preemie growth chart. Both Justin & Mason are in the 50% for height and head size...for 15 month olds!!! Mason is in the 25% and Justin in the 5% for weight. (Mason weighs 22.5 lbs and Justin weighs 20.7 lbs.)

We also reached the 12 month anniversary of coming home from the hospital. The last year has been crazy and amazing all rolled into one. We love our little boys. They are growing so quickly. They say a few words...ball, hi, by by. Justin is very good at signing "eat" when he is hungry (which is every 20 minutes). They are also walking pretty well. On Monday (28th) Mason decided he could walk...and now he just walks everywhere. Justin is not so steady on his feet, but he attempts to walk everywhere he goes.

We recently visited with Dawn, Eric & Ava. (They are our friends from the NICU.) It was such a miracle to see our little 1 lb babies thriving together. We hope the next few years are equally fun...and maybe a little less sleepless.

Christmas Day

2008-02-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while...life gets a little busy. Here are some pictures from Christmas Day. Mason & Justin got tickle me elmo and spiderman. They were pretty afraid at first, but now they love their toys. As you can see from the pictures, the highlight of the day was eating the paper. They will eat any paper they can get their hands on, but their favorite is toilet paper. I am afraid of the day they learn to open the bathroom door. Not only will they eat all the paper, they will splash in the toilet...gross! But, I digress. Christmas was a lot of fun, quiet without family, but we loved having Justin & Tiffany to celebrate with us.

Case Closed

2007-12-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty funny moment this evening. Justin found that he could crawl in and out of this drawer in our family room. Then, he got stuck in the back of the drawer. Mason decided this was a good opportunity to practice his opening/closing skills (don't worry, he is very good at this). I was laughing so hard I couldn't even save poor Justin. Fortunately, Tommy came to Justin's rescue right before Mason completely closed the drawer.

We feel so blessed this holiday season. Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Elves

2007-12-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

Check out our elves:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1380572170

Bad to the Bone

2007-12-13T20:38:00.001-08:00

Tonight we went out & when we got home we found that cousin Steve took the boys for a trip to Miami Ink. So, for all of you who have been complaining you can't tell the boys apart, Mason has a spider and Justin has a scorpion tat. Pretty tough.

Sick Again ?!?

2007-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

We have had a very rough winter. I have lost count, but I think this is round #5 of the sickness at our house. We are pretty tired of feeling lousy...we keep praying for an early spring. Mason is really looking rough (he is in grey) but I assure you he has not eaten any shell fish lately. We are going to ask Santa for a germ free New Year at the Batty house.

Our trip to the aquarium

2007-12-13T20:20:00.001-08:00

This Saturday we went to the aquarium with Justin & Tiffany. It was a lot of fun. The boys loved to watch the fish and especially liked to touch the water in the

hands on display. We got an annual pass so we will got visit a few more times this year.

Hair Cuts

2007-12-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

Well, we decided it had become to obvious to strangers when we hadn't bathed our kids in a few days, so we gave them a buzz cut. I think it turned out pretty cute, but maybe it is just a look that only a mother could love. The side-by-side picture in jackets is the before. The clapping PJ picture is the after. (Oh yeah, the boys learned how to clap...it is pretty cute.)

Arizona Trip

2007-12-06T18:14:00.001-08:00

Well, we had a great time in Arizona. Mason & Justin spent a lot of time getting to know their cousins. They were the center of attention every where they went. Here are a few pics.

We got wheels

2007-11-23T20:40:00.001-08:00

Today we had some sunny, but cold, weather. Mason & Justin decided to take advantage of the dry spell and they took their walkers for a spin around the driveway. The boys love to be able to move around and chase Mommy & Daddy. Justin is in yellow and Mason is in blue.

Look who's climbing!

2007-11-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, our little men have figured out how to navigate the stairs. This is mostly thanks to our friend Russell, who climbs like a mountain goat. Today was the first day Justin climbed all the way to the top and he did it in high fashion, his birthday suit. Mobile babies add a whole new element to the game...I am not sure we are ready for it. At least they aren't walking yet (I hope they crawl til they are 5). The boys are still not feeling great, we hope the next week is better than the last. In case it wasn't clear, Mason is the one in clothes.

Recovery time

2007-11-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

Well, we hope the worst is over. This weekend was pretty miserable with a house full of sick people. Everyone had a full service round of the stomach bug. Today Mason & Justin were on the mend...starting to eat and getting into mischief. One of the boys favorite activities is to pull all the shoes off the shelf...and eat them. Hopefully they will learn the concept of "tastes good" soon and will give up on shoes. Not only is it a mess to find shoes everywhere...who knows what mess those shoes have been in. Sorry we have nothing better to post about this week, we hope next week fairs better.