Alyssa Walking with Pushcar

Our Honeymoon Adventure

During our trip just happened to be Mexican Independence day. The Hotel threw a big celebration, as you can see below.

During the celebration, there were many different local artists. Here is one of their work. It was absolutly gorgeous.

At the hotel, it was also a wildlife preserve in some areas too. The animals were just amazing.

The first pictures are on the catamaran. As you can see, I may have had a little too much to drink.

Yes, Gary and I swam with a shark, seen below.

This was an unexpected site at the airport.

Well, I guess that is enough for now. Needless to say, we had much fun and was able to come back home well rested, and knowing that my dad and Anne, as well as their many visitors, had a great time getting to know the girls.

14 months and counting

It is kind of hard to believe that my girls are already almost 15 months old. Alyssa has taken her first few steps, and Sierra is learning to climb, as you can see in the video below.

It is amazing looking at where they have come from (just born at the hospital)

to where they are now. (Sierra & Alyssa on Grandpa Hall's (my dad's) lap before our honeymoon).They continue to grow as this year has passed very fast. Both girls are learning to walk, and earlier this week, Alyssa took her first step. As soon as I get a video of that, I will post it. I will also post the pictures of their birthday as soon as I get them from my inlaw's. (Hopefully Today.)

Gary and I finally got to go on our honeymoon. We went to Cancun. Actually, our hotel was at Playa del Carmen, a smaller, less populated resort area on the ocean. It was actually quite beautiful. While there, we took some risks. Our trip also happened to fall on Mexican Independence Day. Look at the next post to see photos of the trip and a few videos from the trip.

Almost 1 & new accomplishments

Goodness, I can not believe that almost 1 year has passed since my girls were born. It is hard to believe that that much time has passed. I just wanted to mainly share a couple new videos and a few more photos. They are growing so fast.

Above: Shannon and Sierra in Dallas at Shaun's House.

Below: Jessica and Alyssa in Dallas at Shaun's House.

Also, my mom loved her photos that we gave her for her wedding present. Congrats Mom & Robbie.

And here is the girls' new accomplishments.

New Thoughts on old phrases

I know it is strange, and many are wanting to know about how Sierra is doing, but that is not on my mind most nights. I sit and think about how much of a gift my girls are, how big they are getting, and how proud I am of them. In thinking about this tonight, I remember an old phrase that God does not give you what you can not handle.

I have started to think that I do not believe this. Now, just listen. If God gave us only what we could handle, would our limits be pushed? Would we discover just how much strength we have? How much we have to gain? To loose? Would he put special children like Kaden, Ava, and Sierra in the world knowing how much it hurts their parents in wanting to help them but knowing that in may ways they can't? For these reasons, I do not believe God only gives what we can handle. It is in those times that we have to turn to Him for strength. It is in those times that we lean on him and our faith in Him is renewed. I am not saying that any of the above is bad. I remember the Footprints poem, and how the story is that the man was walking on the beach looking at the sky of pictures of his life. When the man looked back, during the hard times, he sees that there are only one set of prints. In questioning God as to the one set, God responds that it was then He was carrying the man. If the man had not had those difficult times, he would not have turned to God because he would not have had a reason to.

I have come to believe that God pushes all of us beyond what we can handle, so he is capable of helping us through it the first time, leaving behind additional strength so we are capable of handling it as each time comes. I also believe, for parents like Amy and Nate, that they are on speed dial. Otherwise He would not leave such blessings in their care without providing support from Him. I honestly believe that He gives us these special children, not as a worry, or as a something to weaken us, but to give us our faith in Him again and remind us that Life is worth fighting for, because that is what these special children do every day, they fight.

Sierra has a problem. There, I said it. We do not know what it is, and the waiting on test results, and on the ability to take tests, is killing me a little each day. I just want to be able to have her have a normal babyhood, and childhood. I want her to develop and grow normally. Unfortunately this is not happening. I hurt for her. I don't know if she is hurting, because, no matter what, she is smiling. She lights up my world, and she when it becomes a little too much, she only lets out the pain and frustration for a minute, then she is back to smiling, cuddling, and playing. While her battles have been small in comparison to children like Kaden and Ava, she has had many, and I am now seeing her struggle to hold her food down. I know it hurts her when she just can not hold it down, and God knows that she tries so hard, but for some reason she is just not able to hold down all of her bottles everyday. In fact, she has an average of one bottle a day that she can not hold down. I am worried sick about her, but God has found a way to give me strength to give to her, and that is through her and her sister's joy in the little things. They are discovering the world, and I am lucky to be able to watch and re-experience it with them.

Well, I can not see the screen anymore though my tears, so I will say goodnight for now. Love and blessings to you all.

Tabby

New Picture

We had pictures done recently. Here is one of the poses that was done. I will post more later.

With time comes understanding... I hope

I first want to say that I am sorry that I have not posted in a while. I have been trying to finish many things, first of all my degree... YEAH I am FINALLY done. I know have my batchlor's in accounting. This is huge for me since I have been going to school while I am a mom and working. If that was not enough, we have been dealing with some more issues. (I have not participated in the ceremony, just have my cap and gown now).

Ok, that was the good news. For a while now, doctors, WIC, and the girl's SoonerStart nurse have all been concerned about Sierra. She is not gaining weight like she should. We have been trying many different things, and it has been determined that it is not in the lack of food that she eats. She is now being seen by a infant genelogist to see if it is something more serious. It is getting bad because as they do tests, they get harder on her. The first one was not so bad, they did some blood work to see if it was a hormonal imbalance. That came back negative. You would think that would make me happy, but it just makes me more scared. Because the test came back negative, she now has to undergo harder tests. I am so scared.

Sierra has two tests coming up, and I am so scared of them. I try not to let her know because I do not want her to pick them up, plus her smiles let me forget for a while. Anyway, she has to undergo a MRI. This is not scarry except for the fact that they have to put her under anesthia. This scares me so much. I do not want them to put my daughter to sleep, even for a little while. The MRI is also on her brain. Sierra has flat skull syndrome. This means that one part of her skull is flat. The main thing is that most babies that have this have a part that pertrudes out the front or top of the head on the same side due to pressure from the skull on the brain. Apparantly, the brain shapes the skull, and this indicates that she may have a brain abnormality.

The other test is not so harsh. She has to have a ultrasound of her chest and abdomen. This does not bother me at all because this does not require her to be put to sleep. It is also very fast, unless they find something.

Other than this, the girls are doing great. Alyssa is gaining weight, and is now over 16 pounds. Her sister is only 13 pounds. They are also both almost 10 months old. They can sit up on their own, support their own weight on their feet (but no balance yet), and roll over. Sierra is a little roly poly because she just rolls everywhere. If we are not watching her closely, she rolls under the tables.

Alyssa also has a new friend, our cat. Garfield just loves her. He is always by her.

Well, that is it for now. Here are some new pictures. Again, sorry it has been so long.

The power of One

Everyday I learn the power of one. I learn just how precious one second, one minute, one hour, one day can be. Each day is a new fight to fight, a new battle to win, and a new moment to share with my husband. My daughters are growing so much.
They bless my mornings with smiles. It gets me going in the mornings, and my parents can attest to how difficult that is. I am not a morning person, but I look forward to the little bit of time that I get with just them and me each morning as I get them ready for the sitters. I think they like it too. I get the biggest smiles, some giggles, and their optimism that they know today is going to be a great day.
I have always heard how having children changes your life, but you can never fully understand this until you are a parent. Each day becomes an adventure. What will my child, or in my case, children come up with today? What will they discover? What will they do that they may have never done before? Each day is a mystery that I can not wait to discover the experience of. They truly have touched my life more than anyone other than my husband. There they are tied. They have changed me. I am not afraid to speak out as much, and I am learning how to enjoy the power of one.
Each and every moment is precious. We never know just how many we have. I love my children more than anything. My girls and my husband are what keep me going many times. I just remember how very much they need me, and how I need them. They light my way when times get dark. I look at them and am amazed at how they are. They are truly happy, wonderful babies. I could not ask for more. I am so proud to be their mom, and my husband's wife.
Everyone, please remember, time is short. We think that we will always have all of the time in the world, but really, reflecting back, it is short. It seems like just yesterday we were bring the girls home, and now they are almost seven months old. I still remember being pregnant with them, feeling them move was I thought the greatest joy, but it just keeps growing.
I will be graduating soon, and so I will actually have my daughters present on the day that I graduate with my bachelor's degree. It is hectic going to school, and I hate the time away, but I look at them and know why I did it. It is for them and my husband, and me. I needed the experience and the knowledge that I completed one of my all time goals. I will have my bachelor's degree soon.
A final message before I go to bed, life is short. Embrace it and know the true power behind one minute, one hour, one moment, one day. Each is precious, and all should be treasured.

Easter, and an update on Sierra's health

OK, the results from the doctor's appointment are as follows:
Sierra's weight has plateaued, her lack of gaining weight is not from lack of food or calories, so it is completely out of my control. The doctor did agree that she does have a flat spot on her head, but that she does not qualify to be sent out of state to get the corrective helmet (No one in Oklahoma makes them anymore), so all we can do about this is keep her off of her head by not allowing her to lie down or sit in seats that support her head anymore, she has to primarily be on her tummy or sit in a Bumbo seat, along with her continuing and increasing physical therapy.
The doctor also believes that she may be suffering from a genetic disorder. They do not know what one, but we will be going to a geneticist to find out in about a month.

Now for the cute news. Easter was fun. The we all went up the weekend before to see my mom. The girls each got socks, small stuffed bunnies, and the cutest thing, sunglasses. They both like wearing their sunglasses, and did not remove them when we put them on, but have found that they do not like them when they are in their car seats.
On Easter, we took them over to my in laws for a visit, and when we got home I ran to the store to get them something for Easter. I came back 16" bunnies for each of them. They love them and would not let them go.

Well, got to get back to class. Have a good night all.

Sierra, I know that you have battled and won a lot of small battles as it is, but we will be there to help you continue fighting. You, Kaden, and Ava have taught us so much about life. You three are my heroes. I love you all.

Tabby.

Sierra's Health

OK, I know in my last post, I mentioned that Sierra is having a few issues.

The problem with her head is that she has hyper-tension in her neck causing her to consistently tilt her head to one side. This has caused her to have a flat spot that is worrying her nurse that is provided by Sooner Start. The nurse brought us a physical therapist to show us some exercises to try to loosen the muscle so the spot would eventually disappear. If this does not work, then she will have to be in a special helmet that will reshape her skull to a form that will not hinder her brain development.

She has another potential problem as well. Sierra did not gain enough weight this last month. In fact, she only gained 12 oz, and she should have gained more than that. She is under the 5Th percentile for her height to weight, and her age. She is going to be seen by a pediatrician tomorrow to see if it is a serious problem. If it is, she may have to have a GI tube put in to help her gain more weight. I hope she does not.

Anyway, that is a update, and I should hopefully know more tomorrow. I will let you all know.

Sierra, I love you very much, I know that you can pull through these just as well as you have through the previous issues that you have faced. Your sister and you are strong, beautiful girls that can accomplish anything you put your minds too. Mommy and Daddy love you very much. Hang in there, and keep fighting. I am praying that none of these problems really exist for you.
We love you very much,
Mommy and Daddy

Post Partum Depression

This is a topic that many people do not talk about. I did not know much about it until I was diagnosed just a few months ago. I was crying for no reason, and really just felt down all the time. I love my girls, and did not have thoughts of hurting them, which is why I did not believe that I had PPD.

I found out that you do not have to have these thoughts to have PPD. The simplest way that can describe PPD is a lack of control of your emotions up to the point of emotional breakdowns and uncontrollable crying. This is what was happening to me. I would have periods where I would cry for no reason, and times where I would be angry. Most episodes occur from excess anxiety, which is why anti-anxiety medication is the first type of treatment given.

The problem that I am starting to notice is that I am still having the emotional swings. I still have occasions where my anxiety and stress build up beyond what the medication can seem to handle, and I will loose control. The feeling of loosing control is extremely scary to me. It is why I sought help. I am not ashamed to have PPD. I understand that 1 of every 2 women that have children have PPD.

Having a child is a blessing. I love my children more than I can begin to express. Having PPD in control is very important to keep it from turning into more serious complications, and keep us from potentially causing unintential harm to our children. People are so afraid to talk about this problem, however, talking about the condition and accepting it is one of the first stages to overcoming it.

While I am on medication to help this, it is still hard to control my emotions at times. The recognition of these times is vital as well. In these times, people with any kind of depression generally turn inward. Being able to communicate with others about how the individual is feeling is also important in regaining control of emotions.

I can speak personally that during my low times, I tend to become withdrawn, lose focus on what I am trying to do, and can even start to feel like I just want to give up or give in to the depression.

It is hard for me to express the feeling of being low. It is like a lack of being able to achieve happiness. Seeing the bad is normal, but dwelling on it continuously and even trying to see the good but only seeing the bad even in the good is not normal. It is a lack of seeing any good or being able to be happy even when something would normally make you that way.

Luckily for me, I have more highs than lows, but the lows really drag on me. The littlest things become larger than they really are, and the big things seem impossible. It feels like you are just bogged down, and because I will make more out of it than it really is, it breaks down my emotional barriers causing me to eventually lose control and start to cry for no reason. This is one of the major symptoms of PPD.

This is why I have tried to make positive postings. They are a way of me to look back and focus on the good that has happened by reading it over and over when I feel low. They are a way of lightening the stress that weighs me down, and makes me see that there is good. My girls are overall healthy, happy babies. Most moms couldn't ask for more than I get from them. When I hear of possible problems, like with Sierra's neck, I panick. I think what now, how can my daughter have another hurdle to jump, and forget that she is a fighter, that they are both fighters, and that it could be a whole lot worse.

So, I will continue to try to keep this upbeat, but do know that it is to help me as well. Until then, here are some new photos of my girls.

Sick Angels

My girls have been sick lately, and I have to say it is not fun. First, Alyssa was coughing so horribly that, after a week of it not changing, I took her to the doctor fearing the worst. It wound up being a viral infection in her bronchial tubes that took her almost 3 weeks to get over. She is finally doing ok, but after we took her to the doctor, I wound up having to go. I have the same thing and am just now getting over it. It is not fun, and add on top of that I have bronchial asthma, so I always fear when I get sick in my bronchial tubes because it SO dangerous for me.

I guess I am just a mom, because everytime that I see my daughter's cough I fear that they are going to develop it, or that they have it and I just don't know. It seems silly to some, but I have to go about 2 to 3 times a year to the emergency room just for treatment because I can not breathe and I do not want my daughters to have to go through it too.

Well, needless to say, I am getting better, but now Sierra has it. It scares me the most with her because when she was born she had problems with her lungs. Poor kid has had the most problems out of our two. Her lungs would not fully inflate when she was born, she had club feet, she has problems holding down food to the point that she looses interest in eating afterwards. And now, she gets what her sister had, making me stir crazy because I can tell she is miserable.

Unfortuately with this going on, they both just want me. Now that Alyssa is over it, she is fine with her daddy, but Sierra fusses non-stop due to her coughing and not feeling well. Gary, of course, never did have much patience, so I have to be up all night calming her and that leaves me with little sleep. I am so tired.

SoonerStart is going to come by the house to look in on the girls on Monday. They try to come once a month to check up and see how they are doing. Alyssa is doing so well she may not need it much longer, but I fear that Sierra is going to need it for quite some time yet. On Monday, they are going to bring a physical therapist to start working with Sierra. She is not locking her legs when she is not in her shoes, so she is developing much slower than her sister and it is causing the nurse to be worried a bit. She also is sitting funny. She cocks her head to one side as she sits, lays, and is held in what would be a standing position. They are worried about it.

Hang in there girls, I love you both so much that cry when I talk about it.

Love always,
Mommy

It wont be like this for long...

I have added a new song to my play list on this blog, and I can not believe how true it is.

The words of the song include feelings about how things are in the beginning, where you have lack of sleep and constant worrying that keep you up all night, to a toddler holding on afraid of the unknown, to a teenager who hates their parents, to a father finally walking their girl down the aisle. The overall impact is that time is short.

While living in the moment, we often take for granted the moment. With a crying child, or in my case children, we are trying to rush past that stage and look forward to the day when we can look back and laugh over it. We look forward to the first word, first smile, first steps, and tend to miss all the little accomplishments in between.

I picked this song as a reminder to myself, my husband, and my family about how precious time is. You start by trying to hurry up the hard times, but miss the precious minutes that you are given in that persons life. Being the parent of an infant is hard. Often times we do not know what our child (children :)) need, want, or the important decisions that we have to make for them. We can not get their input and just have to try the best that we can to meet the demands and hope that we do the right thing. We tend to focus so much on the problems that we forget to enjoy the time we do have. How precious it is to just hold your child to your heart and know that no matter what that child loves you. It is truly a gift from GOD.

I look back on the struggle we have had for the past 6 months, then I look at people who do not know the joy that came with it. Who may never experience it, and you know what. It was not that bad. Sure, caring for twins is difficult, I will never state different, but I get to experience their joys and sorrows, their exploration of the world, and in a way get to revisit my own childhood and make the changes that my parents were unable to. I get to be the one that they confide in, and trust in, and right now, for just this brief instant, their world. How much more could anyone ask for?

I believe that at all times people are just looking for that one chance to be everything for someone, but when it occurs it is overwhelming. The only true time you can be someones everything is during their infant stage. Before you know it, they need you less and less as they become more independent.

At 6 months of age, my daughters are progressing. They are starting to need me less. Currently, Alyssa can hold her bottle, and fully support her weight standing (she just needs us for balance), and roll onto her stomach (she just can't roll back). Sierra can untie her shoes, comfort her sister, and roll over (but again can't roll back).

So, for all of you struggling parents, myself included, here is a little reminder. It won't be like this for long...

New Pictures

Well, I know that it has been a while since I posted photos. So here are some new ones. Alyssa likes to play cards with mommy (above). And as you can tell by below, they are now liking eachother.

Alyssa likes to cuddle. As long as she has her blankie, she is happy.

And these are the most recent photos. Look at how big they are. 6 months old. I can not believe how the time has passed.

Congratulations, and welcome to the family

There is no greater joy in the world than seeing it through the eyes of a child. My cousin Amy, her husband Nate, and their son Kaden yesterday experienced a wonderful joy. They had a big, beautiful, HEALTHY, baby boy. I just wanted to extend my congratulations to them, wish them all the best. They deserve it. Welcome to the family Brody Jace Boeckman. Know that you have the love of two of the greatest parents that I have the joy of calling family.

To tell you a little about Amy and Nate. They have had a lot happen in their family. In summary, they became pregnant first with Kaden. Kaden is a very special little boy. He is one of the sweetest, kindest and most loving little man that I have ever met. While he is still a child, he has inspired so many to push beyond anything they thought that they could not face, and do it with a smile. You see, Kaden was born with a problem, many that children do not live through. He has a hernia in his diaphram. His parent were told several times that he may not make it, but Kaden is one determined little man. He has shown that with love, determination, and strength, you can accomplish anything, for this living, breathing miracle is now 4 year old. He has beaten odds that most of us would give up on, and has become my inspiration. When I get to thinking that it is just too hard, I look at the picture that I have of him, hit myself in the head for complaining, and truck on. That is his power. He makes all of us see the joy of living.

A little over a year ago, a repeat happened, but this one did not turn out so well. Nate and Amy gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Ava. Unfortunately, she did not make it, but again proved the power of the spirit. She fought for several months, and passed away this last May. And while she will always be missed, she gave us all the gift of seeing life as it is. A precious minute, a precious hour, a precious day, every day that you have. She is a constant reminder to her family, friends, and all who knew her that life can be brief, so you have to do the best to enjoy each day to the fullest. She is another of my inspirations, and I know that this little angel is looking out for her big brother, her parents, and now her new brother with a smile on her face that would light up the room when others saw it. I unfortunately was unable to meet her while she was living, but through her pictures, I was able to see just how special she truely is. There will never be a was with her, because she lives on in their hearts.

While suffering over the loss of their baby girl, Nate and Amy unexpectadly conceived again. This time, they have a happy, healthy, robust baby boy. I am so happy for you guys. I can not think of more deserving parents of the children that you have. They are extremely lucky to have you. Congratulations from ALL of us in Oklahoma.

P.S. Amy, I have told many of my coworkers about you and your amazing family, and they all wanted me to tell you a hearty, CONGRATS. Know that you are blessed, loved, and never alone.

Love Always,

Gary, Tabby, Alyssa and Sierra

I have preemie toddlers..

Ok, I know that they are not toddlers, but I am thinking that they are about the size of them. Gary went to WIC today for their checkups and called me at work to tell me this...

Alyssa is now 23 1/2" tall and 11.1 pounds. She scored in the 25th percentile for her age to weight and the 10th percentile for her weight to length.

Sierra is now 22 1/4" tall and 10 pounds. She scored in the 25th percentile for her age to weight and in the bottom 5th percentile for her weight to length.

A background on the percentile is this is how they score their weight. When looking at their age, they look at their gestational age in comparison to their weight. In this area they are both doing well. They then make a comparison in regards to their weight to length. The 10th percentile is borderline to malnutrition. The 5th percentile and below is dangerously low weights and need extra care to help them gain weight. Children in th 5th percentile or below generally suffer from either malnutrition, had a low birth weight, and can suffer from "failure to thrive".

Alyssa has improve so much that she is no longer in the 5th percentile like she was when she was at her first charting, but she still needs to get up into the 25th percentile.

Sierra is not doing as bad as it sounds. She is very active and has not hit the growth spurts that Alyssa has. She still looks bigger than her sister, but the charting lets us know that we need to focus on making her eat more on a schedule to ensure that she eats enough. She has only started to eat a 6 oz bottle where her sister has now started to eat 7 and sometimes an 8 oz bottle. We just have to make sure that she is eating enough throughout the day.

Girls,

Daddy and I love you so much. Keep eating and fighting your way. We are proud of all that you have accomplished and look forward to so much more. We love you very much.

Tabby

Giggles and Grins

The girls are starting to get motor skills that we have been worried about. Thursday they turned 5 months old. They can now sit up against things when placed there, they smile a lot, but I still have not heard the best sound, a belly laugh. That baby laugh that just makes the hardship seem worth it. The sound that makes everyone smile and many laugh just at the brightness of it. I am anticipating that sound more than any I think.

They are also finally starting to acknowledge eachother. For the last 2 weeks, the girls have been looking at eachother, and cooing at eachother. It is adorable. Gary and I joke around that they are discussing how they are going to make our lives crazy, and the pranks that they are going to pull. We do not understand what they are trying to say, but the are both talking to eachother so we can only assume that they know what they are saying to eachother. It is rather interesting to watch. And then they do their little laughs, just kind of a coo that has a big smile attached. So we know they are planning something, it will be interesting to see what.

I have read some articles that are rather interesting. It states that many kids are labled by their parents in the beginning. There is the "smart" one, and the "pretty" one. The "slow eater" etc. Mostly the labels are ways of parents describing their children to others, but those tend to stick and the children tend to try to meet the labels that they have. For example, the "pretty" child focuses on his or her appearance as they see that as their place. "Daddy's" girl bonds mostly with their father and loose their selfworth with inattention of male figures. This is why I am trying not to label my daughters. I try only to describe them, but always tell them that they are beautiful and smart.

Sierra has a few new tricks up her sleave as well. Even though she has to wear shoes that immoblize her feet, she has figured out how to use them to her advantage, and remove them when she is tired of them (which is most of the time). She can now untie her shoes, and she can use the weight of the shoes to roll onto her belly. It is really funny to watch. She lifts her feet and tosses them to the side. She then turns her upper body to the side. The last part happens so fast it is hard to catch, but she streightens her legs and turns onto her belly all at once. It is really cool to watch and you realize just how clever she is.

To untie her shoes, she lifts her feet in the air up to her head and pulls on the strings until they untie. How smart is she. It then creates enough of a gap that she slips her feet out like she use to by hooking them at the edge of things and sliding her feet out.

Her roll to her belly caused her to do something that has us boggled. We recognized that it was time to put in a sleep positioner so she would not roll and suffocate at night. We bought a memory foam inclined sleep positioner to help her with her colic nights as well as keep her in place, or so we thought. She somehow managed to go over the top (the most inclined part), do a 180, and roll onto her belly one night. We went in to check up on her and found her in this position. Don't know how it happened, and we still can not quite figure it out. This happened about 2 weeks ago. She was fine, but it sure did scare us a little bit.

Christmas photos from Grandma & Grandpa Carter

OK, I know it is a bit late to be posting these, but so what, I liked them and thought that you might also. Did I mention that the Girls had 3 Christmas celebrations? One at our house, one at Grandma & Grandpa Carters (Gary's Parents), and one with Grammy and Gippy (My mom and her fiance). They also got some great things in the mail from Grandpa Hall and Grandma Anne (My Dad and Step mom).

Also, Here are the photos that I promised to post from their horseback riding experience.



As you can tell, they had to put me in a certain saddle so I could ride with Sierra, however, I generally have to use a youth saddle, so I could not reach the stirrups. In the bottom picture is Our sitter and friend Amanda and our daughter Alyssa. Gary does not ride horses, he is not fond of large animals, and horses fit in that category. The girls really enjoyed horseback riding, in fact, they enjoyed it so much they fell asleep in their papoose sacks.

Christmas Photos... Finally

The first two are from when she came to my house to watch the girls while Gary and I went to the bed and breakfast.

These photos are from when we went to my moms. The girls got to open a few gifts.

Then, as a kind of tradition, I put bows on their heads so they would have a photo that was simular to one that I have of my first christmas.

As you can tell from the photos, they are both getting bigger, and are finally acknowledging eachother. I am just not sure they were happy about the bows. :)

Here is a current photo of them now. This was taken today with their Uncle Jimmy in the photo. So, Here is Uncle Jimmy and Alyssa.

Also, Sorry that some of them are sideways. I am able to transfer them, but am unable to make any changes to them.

Sorry that I took so long to post these.