C E L E B R A T E

Turning 30 is a Big Milestone, what better off way to cap off a Birthday Celebration than dinner at Eddie V's (thanks Casey - Awesome idea and dinner was Fabolous) with the Birthday Day Girl and Family?!

Natalie - Queen of the Night!

Casey & Natalie

Sisters - Love You Nat!

Dessert!

Jacqueline, Natalie, Mom, & Aunt Margie

All of Us after Dinner!

Sisters - Mom & Aunt Margie

Mom & Dad

Dad with his Son-in-laws!


Dinner was great but the company & conversation were even better!
Natalie, Happy 30th Birthday!
What a Great Night!

Paws and Claws

Back story: A few years ago, I worked with a girl who one day went out for a very long lunch. When she got back to the office a few of us proceed to ask Where have you been? She simply said "Girl, I was getting my Paws and Claws done"!  Since that day, my terminology for a Pedi and Mani has forever been changed.

So what does that story have to do with anything? Well, For Natalie's 30th Birthday Celebration a group of us Surprised Nat and Celebrated her Big 30th Birthday by doing something we all enjoyed...We all got Our "Paws and Claws" done! 

Natalie, I think you should turn 30 every weekend! 



Birthday Girl and Her Crown!  Surprise, Nat

Nat and Ashley getting their "Paws and Claws" done

Birthday Girl

All of Us, Happy 30th Nat!

CHEERS!!

Look whose 30!!!

This week mark's another big occasion, Natalie is 30!!

Natalie this one is for you!

First, Happy Birthday to the VERY BEST, Sister, Daughter, Sister In-Law, Aunt, Godmother, Grand-daughter, Mother, Niece, Wife and Friend that we could ever ask for!

So why is Natalie the Best? 

Here are 30 reasons (to name a few) on why we LOVE YOU, Natalie!

1. You have a heart of gold.

2. Glamour. (And no I am not talking about the Glamour shots from when you were a kid - Dad no need to bust out the pic in your wallet), I mean that You are truly Beautiful inside and out (some say you get your style from me - kidding Nat (kind of :)!)

3. Witty. You always keep us on our toes (you have been known for some of the best comebacks)!

4. You are a Wonderful Mom. Ashton, Reese, and TBD Baby #3 you all are beyond blessed to have Natalie as your Mother, we hope you always remember that!

5. Thoughtful. You always put others first before yourself.

6. Blunt. You tells it like it is - We can always count on you for an honest opinion

7. A Baker. You make a Dang good Cookie (Mark says keep trying to perfect them, so he can keep taste testing them)!

8. You are a Motivator. Your a cheerleader for your kids; your employees, and for us.  You love to see others succeed and help pave the way for success!

9. Creative. Whether it is making a new cookie design, making a cool "A to Z" picture book, or writing a blog, you have inventive thoughts

10. Funny. You are known for one liners, passing along a good joke, or pulling off a practical joke. You always know how to make us laugh!

11. Devoted. You take friendships seriously and can always be counted on when one of us needs you.

12. Smart. And I don't mean a Smart Alic (even though you have known to be this on a "rare" occasion) I mean you are truly a smart woman - business wise and life wise, people respect you and want you on their team!

13. Your FUN! Need I say more.

14. You walk the walk and talk the talk. You make your mind up to do something and you do it! Not 100%, 150%!

15. Loyal. We always know we can count on you!

16. Grounded. (No I am not referring to the times that Mom and Dad put you in your room when you were little for having to have that "last word" :)- you never?!); I am talking about you knowing who you are and being confident in You!

17. Godly - You are a woman of God and your faith.

18. A Fan. You cheer on your children, your teams (The Saints and The Aggie's) and those who are around you! We know who to call when we need a vote of confidence.

19. Accountable. You are dependable and always hold up to your end of the deal.  We know if we need someone or something you will be there for all of us.

20. A Stud. Your just a really cool chic!

21. Sweet.  This time I mean you love your "Sweets"!

22. Hardworking. You work hard day in and day to be a Super Mom and a provider.

23. A Problem Solver. Whether it is a puzzle that has 1000 pieces and you put together in a few hours, or a friend that needs a problem solved, you always find a Solution.

24. Not a good friend, but a Great Friend.  You are the type of friend that a person is truly lucky to have.  We are all blessed to call you our friend!

25. An Athlete. You love a good jog or a good "Jillian Boot Camp". And for the record, You will always be My High School Hero!

26. Contagious. You bring out the best in people with your infectious personality and smile.

27. Memorable.  You know how to make a memory, create a memory, and you make memories last (and you are Dang good at the game Memory - one day I will beat you in it, one day!). You make your mark on all that you touch!

28. A Sister. Life would be unimaginable without you. You have been there for me in life's good and not so good times.  You are not just my sister, you are a Best Friend to me.

29. Loving. You love Life, live it to its fullest, and always recognize that Life is Good!

30. Proud. You make us ALL PROUD! Each and everyday we are proud to call you our Sister, Daughter, Sister In-Law, Aunt, Godmother, Grand-daughter, Mother, Niece, Wife and Friend!

Natalie, We wish you nothing but the best in your 30's and beyond! 

Happy Happy 30th Birthday!

We love You!

A few Random Pics to Celebrate Natalie through the years (in no particular order)!!



Easter 2011:
Jacqueline, Aunt Margie, Mom, Natalie, Reese and Nan



Natalie and Reese



 Sept 2011: Mom, Jacqueline and Nat



Reese's Arrival: Natalie, Casey and Reese

Natalie and Reese

Baptism 2012: Jacqueline and Walker, Natalie and Cash

OMG, My Favorite Aunt is 30!!!

Yeah, that's right Our Aunt is AWESOME!

Casey, Reese, Natalie and Ashton

Natalie

CHUBS!

Mom, Natalie, and Jacqueline

All of Us!

Mom and Natalie

Mom, Dad, Natalie and Reese

Natalie, Ashton and Mom

Did You Know...

Happy 8 Weeks, Boys!

I wanted to provide a few random pics, and a few "Did You Know" facts about Cash and Walker in honor of their 8 week Birthday....Can you believe these Boys are almost TWO MONTHS OLD?!  We Can't! Slow down Boys - y'all are Growing Up Way too Fast!!

Will start off with the Facts...Did You Know...

Cash William and Walker Kevin

You each have a total of 11 letters in your names.

Y'all were born at 11:11 am and 11:12 am

and

Y'all were born in the 11th Month of the year

Pretty Cool, eh?! (I will side bar here and say you are following in my footsteps with this "letter/time trend"; I was born April 14th, at 4 in the afternoon, and it was the 4th month of the year, and I have 14 letters in my maiden name Jacqueline Anne). Wild right?

Okay so a few more "facts" and then some pics.

As of January 19th, Cash you weighed in at a whooping 10 LBS! And Yes, You are starting to hold your head up!

and

 Walker you are right behind your brother, at 7lbs 9 ounces! You have found your tongue and your expressions are changing by the moment!

Seriously, that is some PHENOMENAL weight gain by both of you guys!  Recall, y'all were 4lbs 14 ounces and 4 lbs when y'all arrived!  I mean that is some AWESOME progress in 8 weeks!

Boys, your personalities are developing by the second.  I swear we put you to sleep at night and the next morning you wake up and your bigger and doing something new. 

We all know the phrase "This TWO Shall Pass"; Cash and Walker we don't want this time to pass too quickly! You make your Dad and I smile so big daily, you have made us so PROUD, and we are so beyond Blessed by God to call you our Sons.

Holy Cuteness...Need We say More?!

Cash 8 Weeks Old

Walker 8 Weeks Old

Walker and Cash

Walker

New Normal

So how will/does life change when you have Twins?  Mark and I asked ourselves this question often during the 33 weeks of my pregnancy and we tend to think we will ask this same question of ourselves from here on out...What will our "New Normal" be like?! 

Here's a brief glimpse (of what we have learned thus far):

Our Living Room.  Once a space to sit, relax, watch TV...now it has officially been deemed "BABY(ies) ZONE". 

Are you looking for our coffee table?  Ummm, don't look too hard because you won't find it.  Our coffee table has been upgraded.  Our "new" coffee table is a beautiful White Crib. Oh and if you want to sit on the couch or the ottoman, you may be interfering with our Changing Table depending on the time of day!

Our Stereo.  We rarely turn on the CD/Radio, we have now upgraded to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" via the Pottery Barn Mobile, or if we are feeling a bit crazy we go for the Graco Sound Machine - a lovely selection of Baby Beethoven and other "Womb Sounds" can be played by the click of one button, oh and you don't even have to hit a "repeat button" the songs and sounds play over and over again.

Bottles.  Mark and I have always loved our wine and yes on the Friday/Saturday nights of old we were known to have a Bottle (or two) with Friends and Family. And while we still have found time to squeeze in a glass or two here and there, our "Collection" of Bottles that now builds are no longer from a Specs; instead Dr. Brown (16 bottles a day) is our Bottles of Choice!

Cheers Boys!

Laptops and Ipads.  We are still managing to squeeze in some time to play a game of "Words with Friends", Blog, or aimlessly search the Internet but the time of putting the Ipad or laptop in our laps has somewhat dissipated.  Our new "laptops" look more like this...thing about Our new Laptops...they are PRICELESS! 

Our "New Normal" is definitely a change, but it is a Change that we are embracing and have been waiting for for a very long time.  Twins are twice the work, but it is twice the reward, every second of every day.  We wouldn't change one bit of our "New Normal" for anything! Cash and Walker we LOVE this New Normal!

Baptized...TWICE!

TWINS.  Means Double Everything, right?!  Yes.  The Boys are now Officially Baptized, Twice! You can never be blessed too many times!

We always planned to do a formal Baptism once the Boys got a bit bigger (and still plan to do another celebration in a few months), but under the circumstances we improvized a bit....

While Cash and Walker were in the NICU, Mark and I decided that we really wanted the boys baptized immediately.  So when Aunt Margie arrived from New Orleans, we asked her to Baptize Cash and Walker, and she graciously did. Aunt Margie, Natalie, and I were at the hospital for...Baptism 1. It was perfect.

Once the Boys arrived home we started dicussing the plans for a more "Formal Baptism" for Our Family and Friends to attend. Given that we are in "Bubble Land" (and will be for a bit longer) we knew that we may need to improvise a bit again, and so we did.

On Tuesday, January 10th the Boys were "offically" Baptised for their 2nd time by Deacon Chuck with Prince of Peace at our home.  We had a small gathering where Mark, Mimi, Mo, Nana, PopPop, Godmother Natalie, and Aunt Margie gathered along with me to celebrate Cash and Walker's Baptism!  It was a Wonderful Night!  The Boys were Perfect during the entire ceremony!  



A few things about the Baptismal Celebration we will never forget:

*It was simple and symbolic. Cash wore my Baptismal gown and Walker wore Mark's baptismal suit...it was memorable, symbolic, and extremely special to all of us.  

Walker

Cash

Cash and Walker

(Yes, Cash, you were in a dress - and you looked picture perfect (I promise this won't happen again...unless your cousin Reese gets a hold of you, if so...all bets are off!)

*"The Baptismal Bowl": Deacon Chuck arrived and he asked if I could get a "bowl" for the celebration.  My Response, "I can handle that no problem!"- I figured he was going to use his hands and the "bowl" was purely an "aide" - but oh no, Cash and Walker were baptised over a beautiful ziploc tupperbowl...lovely.

*"The Towel": Deacon Chuck's second request was for a Towel.  I figured "oh in case he spills he will want to wipe up the water"...oh but no, this was to wipe Cash and Walker's foreheads after the Baptismal water and oil were placed on their foreheads...So what did I provide for Deacon Chuck to use?  None other than, a Beautiful "Truck Printed" Burp cloth!

Cash and Walker you both have now been Baptized Twice.  Your Dad and I, alongside with your GodParents and the rest of the family promise to raise you and teach you about God and all the blessings he has bestowed on All of Us.  You are both Miracles from God, and we continue to Thank God daily for YOU!  

Here are a few pictures from the celebration!

Walker

Me and Cash

Cash