When I think about Christmas this year I am reminded of all the wonderful memories!

First visit to the James Island lights~train rides at Towne Center~visiting Santa~Carousel~hot chocolate~homemade cookies and sweet treats baked with little hands~gingerbread house~wrapped presents~frasier fir smell~jingle bells sung by the sweetest voices~homemade ornaments and placemats~advent calendars..each day filled with a chocolate treat~decorating cupcakes to celebrate Baby Jesus~hayrides~

You are my miracle read each night along with The Very First Christmas~

Kate and Wright had a great Christmas and were very excited about their gifts from Santa and all the family! They loved the hayride in Sumter with their Grannie, G Dad and cousins...in fact they ask to go on a hayride at least weekly!

On the Train

James Island Lights

We celebrated Christmas at our home and started our family traditions. Here are a few pictures of our day!

Wright was being chased by PaPa

Being silly before bed

Kate reading her version of You are my Miracle

Kate surrounded by new kitchen toys

Wright's first remote control train

Kate is talking on the phone to her cousins while Wright is baking one of his favorite foods

Sibling Love

We have recently taken the front of Kate and Wright's cribs off and added a toddler bar to start the transition to "big" beds. The first night Kate climbed in bed with her brother...they slept like this for most of the night. So sweet!

This morning we heard a soft thud and footsteps, I looked at the monitor and Kate had climbed out of her bed and gone to get in bed with Wright...he resisted at first, "No, sister this is my big bed," she looked at him and made a noise and then he laid down beside her.

If I could just bottle up those sweet moments!

Kate and Wright singing their ABC's. I love how they look at each other towards the end and how excited they are!

Visitor

2:30 AM Monday

tap, tap on my arm, I groggily open my eyes..."Hey Mommy," says Wright with a big grin.

He had crawled from his crib, quietly closed his door and snuck into our room....time for a big boy bed.

Our visit with Santa

Wright really enjoyed his visit with Santa. He asked him for a bike (even though he has one) and laughed when Santa tickled him.

Kate refused to sit with Santa....we did get a quick picture, but it was quick and she was not happy.

This morning she saw the below pictures and said, "I crying...no sit with Santa"

Comparison of 2010 and 2011

We'll try again next year!

After "Santa's Christmas Party' Puppet Show last week. They did great and enjoyed singing and clapping along! Wright loved pointing out Santa's hat on his shirt

Happy Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving this year in Georgia and we were able to see tons of family! We stayed at my parent's house with my sister and her family. It was so much fun seeing all the cousins playing together building forts, playing chase and giving hugs. Daddy's birthday was on Thanksgiving so we had even more to celebrate this year! We were able to see both sets of my grandparents as well as most of my Dad's siblings and their families.

They made their hats at school and were so proud of themselves...we were too!

First Family Photo in awhile, we were able to take this because Kate and Wright were so tired they were willing to sit in our laps longer than a few seconds.....

This age is so much fun as Kate and Wright continue to develop daily. This past week they have started to sing their prayer, "God our Father" at mealtimes and bedtime. Wright has been asking to "hold you" (hold him), but now insists on giving me a kiss and a hug before bed and delaying the process....They are stringing 3 and 4 words together to create sentences and are always telling us what the other is up to. They have definitely started the "Mines". My Mommy, My Daddy, My water, My book...my everything. Wright is a bit more vocal about the my's at this point, but is starting to understand that he shares with Kate. The other night as we were all snuggling reading our books before bed he said, "Kate Mommy...and my Mommy too."

They have so much fun playing together. One of their new games is to all fall down off the see saw...see below

Happy 2nd Birthday Kate & Wright

Kate & Wright are 2! What an amazing two years it has been and we CELEBRATED! We celebrated for weeks! We were able to see all grandparents, almost all great grandparents, lots of aunts and uncles, cousins and friends. Kate and Wright love to receive gifts, sing "Happy Day" and eat sweet treats. They have loved playing with all their new toys! Their favorites are the train table and their bikes.

Their doctor's appointment went very well. We addressed some major transitions and have a game plan...we will see how everything comes together.

1. Complete removal of the pacifier AKA Boppy. Currently they have them when sleeping and for long trips.

2. Transition to a big bed

Santa will be taking said Boppy's to the North Pole and leaving presents and we will tackle the beds after the new year. Very sad to think about for Mommy. The little rascals can climb out of their cribs though so we need to do something.

Stats:

Kate weighs 25 lbs (27%) and is 32.50 inches tall

Wright weighs 32.4 lbs (90%) and is 35 inches tall

They are getting harder to carry at the same time!

Kate loves to sing! Her latest hits are: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep, ABC's, some of Happy Birthday, Clean Up and she asks me to sing God our Father, but just hums along. She counts to 10 and sometimes leaves out 7...She is very good at telling us how much she loves us, what she wants to eat and telling her brother, No!

Wright also enjoys singing and reading and also sings Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and his ABC's. His favorite book right now is Bear On (Bear Snores On). He loves fruit bars and asks for one at least 4 times a day, he is extremely polite and loves to give big hugs and kisses!

They both love to jump, have great manners (say Please, Thank You and Excuse Me) and still love to be outside! They are doing great at the Learning Center and enjoy their new friends and loving teachers. They bring so much joy to our lives and we are so blessed!

Below pictures are from their birthday celebrations:

Cupcake Cake for birthday party with friends at the house

Whale See-Saw from Sunny and Harry! They don't both ride on the end...Kate always sits in the middle. It is so funny to watch because when I put her on the end her side stays up....see stats above....

Cake and party in Atlanta with family

Train Table built by Grandad with the Chuggington set. They are loving playing with the choo choos. Every night as we march upstairs for bath, Wright says, "Nite Nite choo choos"

Opening presents from Mommy and Daddy. I love their sleepy eyed (and hair) look

Trip to the Zoo on their special day with Grannie and Grandad! We had a great time! First ride on a carousel

They loved seeing all the animals at the zoo and Wright even let the giraffes eat lettuce from his hand.

Trick-or-Treat

Kate and Wright had such a fun Halloween! They did great with their costumes and for the most part stayed in character. They were Mickey and Minnie Mouse which is their favorite thing to watch (close second...Elmo). We had a neighborhood party prior to trick or treating and then headed to a few houses.

The "tear thief" (Kennedy Anne) came by to visit and see Mickey and Minnie

They both said Trick or Treat and were in awe at all the candy. Wright thought he had to give back a piece at each house to receive a new piece....it was really cute! Then he realized that he could pick what he wanted so he would dig through the candy until he found skittles.

We all had fun passing out candy to all the kids and Kate and Wright enjoyed a piece or two of their own!

I will always remember this day as....

the day I realized that Kate and Wright are truly leaving the baby stage. Kate climbed out of her crib today after her nap, I heard a thud and ran upstairs, opened the door and she is running up to me giggling. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt. Wright had one leg over the top and was working very hard to follow Kate's lead. So, we are now starting to think about big beds and the possibility of separate rooms....I am so not ready for that.

Wright is wearing one of his Daddy's outfits from when he was a little boy...so special!

Happy Fall....and Go TIGERS!

Pumpkin Patch

We had a great time at the Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch with Grannie and Grandad! Kate and Wright loved the tractors, all the pumpkins, the big slide and a fun hayride!

Go Clemson Tigers!

Go Tigers!

First Hair Cuts

If you had seen Kate and Wright in the last few weeks you may have thought it was time for a trim...well I finally did it this past Friday. I was hesitant because I am just not ready for them to look older yet, but it was time. They both did great, they were a bit timid at first, but quickly calmed down. Not from my soothing words, they were given their first suckers...yes, I caved!

The salon is called "Bangs and Bows" and they only serve children so all the chairs are fun (pink convertible, fire truck, airplane), they have a train table, books and lollipops!

"Before"

Wright watches me put Kate in the pink convertible hoping he isn't next

Amazing how quickly he comes over once he sees the lollipop!

Such a big boy

All Finished!

Kate was not so sure at first

but fine now....

She enjoyed showing off her new trim! When she saw the hairdryer she said, "Mommy dry hair"

Love these babies!!

Had to add this one of them "washing" the dishes (yes, Wright has on an apron and Kate is in her Clemson cheerleading uniform!)