my love for tunic's

I for real love tunic's.

Austin calls them "bed sheets."

I call them comfortable.

These are so easy to dress up with some cute skinny jeans and heels... or to throw on with some leggings and sandals. I also love that they aren't super tight... I literally lived in these after I had the twins... They hid my "I just had a baby (or babies) belly", they are way easy to nurse in, and they made me feel like I actually took time to get ready and look cute.

This tunic from PinkBlush is lightweight, comfy, and it just so happens to be my favorite color! Score!

tunic c/o PinkBlush

Dress Obsessed

dress: c/o PinkBlush

So really. I think I have a slight obsession with dresses. In the summer it's so easy to throw on a dress and be done! No tight pants, no layering, no super thick materials... I'm all about only having to put on one layer of clothing and being done!

This dress is also from PinkBlush and I love love love how comfy it is. It's super flowy and it long enough that I don't have to be worried about the wind catching it and ::whoops::. It's also super versatile... you can wear it as a cute maternity dress, after baby cause it's so comfy, or even as a swimsuit coverup! I've worn this dress with some cute wedges (as pictured) and I've also worn it with some sandals (since I'm usually chasing 3 kiddos around).

PinkBlush has a few different dresses like this and I am so tempted to get them all! Whether it's worn as a maternity dress, or non maternity, this dress is definitely one of my favorites for the summer!

Check back soon to see my last look from PinkBlush!

the transition

Okay let's be real for a sec.

Anyone else feel like the transition from being pregnant to not being pregnant is seriously the craziest thing?? I mean, not only are our bodies all like, "dude, what the heck just happened to me?!?" but we learn to function with little to no sleep, our hormones... I won't even go there, and... AND... we have a little human (or two) that we are in charge of feeding, changing, and keeping happy all. the. time.

Say WHAAA?!!?!

Yea. It's all just a crazy, happy, wonderful whirlwind of emotions. And honestly, the last thing I want to worry about is finding clothes that fit post baby and are flattering (y'all feel me? Insert "amen" hands emoji). The fact that we even get dressed at all after having a baby is a huge accomplishment, and comfort is key... so I was so super duper excited to find that everything at PinkBlush was just that! They have a line of cute maternity clothes that I wish I could've gotten my hands on while I was pregnant, and then super cute, comfy, affordable clothes for after baby (non-maternity).

Yes, you heard right. To find clothes for the bump, clothes for the after-bump, and clothes forever more all in one place is my kind of shop! So this maternity dress right here... I want to wear it to the grocery store, out to dinner, laying on my couch, running errands, to bed... you name it, you can do it all in this dress! Whether you're wearing it as a maternity maxi dress while pregnant, after baby to nurse in, or (like me) just cause it's the most comfortable thing you've ever put on, this dress is my jam. And cheetah?? Sold.

dress c/o PinkBlush

But you all just wait... cause I'm not done talking about PinkBlush yet... I've got a few more looks I can't wait to show you all... in the meantime, feel free to follow them on instagram @pinkblushmaternity for more cute maternity clothes, or @shoppinkblush for everything else!

the "P" word

Okay, I lied. It's two words.

Potty. Training.

a.k.a the days I've been d r e a d i n g for quite some time.

I was all about getting Chan out of diapers... However, I was NOT excited about the process. But within the last month of so, Chan threw the biggest fits when it came time to change her diaper. I mean, all out crying and kicking fits. So, one day I told her that if she didn't want me to change her diaper anymore, she needed to use the big girl potty.

She agreed.

So... as in Chan's words, "1, 2, here we go!"

I changed her out of her diaper and put some "undies" on her. (I seriously can't stand the "p" word... so, it won't be used in my house. Like, it literally makes my eyes water every time I hear it.) Of course, when she had to go, she just went on the carpet while she was watching tv... so I got her some new undies and had her sit on her Minnie Mouse potty with a cup of apple juice and had her drink her juice until she had to go. I told her that if she went potty in her Minnie potty I would give her 5 "nominees" (m&m's a.k.a her favorite thing in the whole wide world). So, about 20 minutes later she went! She was so excited that she went AND that she got some m&m's... So we ran with that for the rest of the day... Every time she went potty, she got 5 m&m's. ::I am not above bribing, obviously:: We went the rest of the day with no accidents. 

The next day we did the same thing but without the m&m reward. But now it was time to tackle the other "P" word. She was super scared to do that... so again, I am not above bribing... I told her that if she went poo poo on the big girl potty that she could have ice cream for dinner (No, I'm not that bad of a parent... I meant have dinner and then get ice cream after... she wouldn't know the difference). That did it for her... later that day, she went #2 in the toilet! Easy peasy, yea??

Nope.

Then it came time to venture out into the world in her "undies". She actually did really well... until she discovered the automatic flushing toilets. You know, the kind that either flush while you're still sitting there (yea, and give you a mini heart attack as a bonus) or the second you stand up it starts to flush so your hurrying to get outta the way so you don't get sprayed. Anyway, I'm sure she thinks that the toilet is going to suck her right down into that hole... I get it. 2 year old fears. So, we battled her saying she has to go, taking her all the way to the front of the store to the bathroom, then crying and screaming while on the toilet thinking it's going to flush at any second, to carrying her back to the cart, only to have her pee all over the floor. Sorry 'bout it store-I-will-not-mention. So, I reverted back to the m&m's and ice cream for dinner bribes... which worked sometimes and sometimes not.

But... mom's got skills and worked out a sweet deal with those automatic scare-the-crap-outta-you toilets. I said, "When I'm done doin' my business... before I get up I'm going to say 'flush toilet!' and you're gonna listen, okay?" Toilet says, "Okay, deal." And ever since then, we've been friends. And Chan loves to scream at the top of her lungs, "FLUSH TOILET!!!" and then proceed to clap and say, "It yistened!!" every single time. I know, I know, I'm crazy for having her talk to the toilet, but whatever works to get her to go in the potty, and not anywhere else.

Now, I did try to work out the same deal with those automatic hand dryer thingies... They apparently don't want to be friends with me. Or Chan. So, we either A) hand dry. B) wipe our hands on our pants (bad parenting, I know) or C) whip out the hand sanitizer.

So there ya have it. Potty Training for Dummies... err The Hunt's.

Check back soon... I have some pretty nifty things coming up!!

but for real...

I am still alive.

Mother's Day - the twins were already asleep in the car so they didn't make the picture.

Just in case you all wondered.

L I F E happens. And when that happens, I should probably blog about it... or something.

But somehow, the days go by and my blog continues to sit.

NOT ANYMORE!!!

I'm back. For good. With p l e n t y of updates:

#1 - We all survived our first "busy season". Don't know what busy season is? Oh, let me tell you. Austin works for a pretty big public accounting firm and basically from January until May, he's pretty much home to sleep. Like for real, I have a man that I call my husband sleeping in my bed every night, but other then that, he's pretty much non-existant. He would leave for work around 7:30am and get home between 8:30 and 9pm... So pretty much he would leave before anyone was awake and come home after the twins had already gone to sleep and Chan was on her way to bed. Oh, and let's not forget Saturday's... 9am - 3pm. Efffff my life. Hashtag single mom life. But whatev. We lived. Yolo.

#2 - Chandler is potty trained. I repeat: Chandler is potty trained!!! Can you believe it?!? I actually think that she had been ready for a while, and I was the one who was stalling. Yes, we've had accidents here and there, and I do still put her in pull ups at night and during bed time, but she has done so well. I'll save my strategy for another post. But hallelujah for one out of diapers.

My sweet Chan and her friend Paige at swim lessons.

#3 - Chan also moved into a "big girl bed". Well, it' just a little toddler bed, but still. She still chooses to sleep in her crib about half the time, and that's fine with me. The first night she slept in her bed she came waltzing into my room at 4:56am. A.M.!!! I wanted to die. So, whenever she wants to sleep in her crib, I don't argue. Ha.

#4 - The twins m o v e. They move! Ava is an expert crawler. She is all over the place. up the stairs, on the tile... she pulls herself up on things to stand... We call her our little mighty mite. And sweet Indie, she tries so hard, but just rocks back and forth on her hands and knees. She would still rather be held and loved, but she'll be crawling in no time.

Just cause my twinners are so dang cute :)

#5 - The twins are also sitting up on their own and eating lots of baby food. Ava is a champion eater. She'll eat anything. Indie likes food, but prefers her bottle. She sticks her fingers in her mouth after every bite of food and tends to blow all of her food back out of her mouth all over the place. Super fun.

#6 - I signed up to run the Disney Half Marathon in September. Now, ask me if I'm a runner... my answer is no. No I am not a runner. Not at all. But I'm making progress. My legs, butt, and abs hurt every single day from running but I'm taking that as a good sign. I just ran a 5k (and all you expert runners out there pipe it down) and it was some serious business. Half marathon?? Yikes! I'm just hoping I can finish and now have to be carried off in the golf cart!

#7 - I finally renewed my cosmetology license so I can start working again. I let it expire while we were living in Utah and I was pregnant with the twins... but I'm so ready to be back at it! I haven't decided if I want to do hair or eyelashes yet... so that's my next step!

Okay, I'll stop there... But I will tell you all that I have some super fun things coming up so be sure to check back in or follow me on instagram @ashleyhunt5 

sister stats

I'm baaaaaaack.

I know you all missed me.

I can't even b e g i n to tell you everything that has been going on and why I've neglected all of you... okay fine I'll tell you:

We bought a house! 

Yay! 

That needed some work... not yay. 

But that's for another post. 

Pics to come. 

And since we bought a house, we had to pack. And unpack. With 3 kids. Enough said.

Anyway, onto what's more important... Sister Stats are back!

Chandler Kate

2 years 2 1/2 months

This is her "Mom, I'm at the park and I want to play" face... and she was looking right into the sun. My bad...

• This girl... ready for her newest sentences?

-"Okay fine!" This is her answer for everything... me: Chan, let's change your diaper. Okay fine. me: Chan, do you want to go play at the park? Okay fine. me: Do you want some fruit snack? Okay fine.

-"Daddy change the bypee" Bypee = Diaper. I'm glad she thinks daddy always does this. I get no credit. Whatev.

-"Look! Daddy in airpane!" Austin went on a work trip back in January, and when he was flying back home, I told Chan that Daddy was in an airplane. Ever since then, Daddy is in every. single. airplane we see. Doesn't matter if Austin is standing right there, he is in the airplane in the sky too.

-"I do it!" She has to do everything on her own. And I mean e v e r y t h i n g.

-Ask her what a cat says... Her reply: "Meow. I need food!" I guess our cat eats alot?

-"Too heavy." She tries to pick Austin up... "too heavy." She tries to carry all her stuffed animals down the stairs... "Too heavy."

-"I need peetail." Ponytail for her hair.

-"Daddy fix it." We play this matching game with cards and there is a picture of a bicycle and you can only see one of the handlebars and every time she picks that one up she gets this real concerned look on her face and says, "Uh oh, daddy fix it!"

-"Oh my goodness!" That's from me.

-"Oh NOOO!" Every time Elsa first shows her powers and throws icicles at the ball. You all know what I'm talking about.

"I coming!!" She follows Austin everywhere.

"I need yips!" Lips... meaning chapstick.

• She LOVES books... her faves: Mickey Boat (Mickey Mouse and His Boat) Chicka Boom Boom Boom (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom) Monkey Jump on the Bed (Five Little Monkeys)
• She still loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Sofia the First.
• We tried potty training for a good 4 hours once. Hah. She doesn't like sitting on the potty and won't tell me when she has to go. So, when she peed in her underwear once she looked at me and said, "I put bypee on." Okay then. Better luck next time.
• She is OBSESSED with Frozen. And when I say obsessed, I'm not sure you all really understand... We watch it at least twice a day... if not more. Let it go... let it go.
• She can count to 13. Sometimes she skips 5 and 8... not sure why.

Ava Jean & Indie Mae

6 months

• We got some rollers on our hands. Both girls can roll from their back to their stomachs... and ver rarely from their stomachs to their backs. Ava rolled first, but Indie quickly followed about a week later.
• Ava has two teeth on the bottom. Poor Indie is quickly following, but is just gums for now.
• Both girls drink 6 oz of formula every 4ish hours... and have oatmeal cereal for dinner around 6:30 each night.
• Ava laughs and smiles and is very ticklish. She likes to play peek a boo and will giggle and laugh with you.
• Indie smiles the cutest little smile but no matter what I do, she just doesn't think I'm very funny. I've only gotten her to laugh a few times.
• Both girls babble on and on and on. Indie has this high pitch screech that she does... and she tries really hard to make the highest sound possible when she does it.
• They both take 2-3 naps a day. Indie still prefers to be swaddled. Ava likes to be in the swing.
• Ava loves anything soft. She loves to sit in the swing and have her blanket on her face. She likes her binkie too.
• Indie likes to suck on her middle and ring finger instead of the binkie.
• They are still about a pound different. Indie is 15 lbs and Ava is 14 lbs 1 oz. Indie is also a little longer. She is 26 inches and Ava is 24 1/2 inches.
• Both are in 3-6 month clothes and size 1 diapers.

That's my life in a nutshell. My girls are my greatest blessing. They get more and more fun every day. To see more of these cuties and my every day life, follow me on Instagram @ashleyhunt5

"my moccs!!"

Chan's newest phrase... "my moccs!!" as she runs for her freshlypicked moccs. And then, after she puts them on, she stands up, admires herself in her shoes and says, "pretty shoes!!"

We LOVE these cute little moccs... I'm always on the lookout for cute, stylish shoes for my littles. My husband on the other hand, hates spending a lot on shoes that our girls will grow out of in a month. Totally understandable... but they need to look cute... and fashionable, am I right!?! Yes. Yes I am. So when I finally convinced him that our girls needed these moccs, I was super excited! I had heard so many good things about them and I'll admit, once I knew they were on their way, I may or may not have been checking my mailbox like a crazy. And once they got here, I'm pretty sure my girls have been in them every day since. I tried to be practical and get a color they they could wear often, so I went with the traditional Ivory Moccs. They did not disappoint. I wish they came in my size! (And I wish I could actually pull off wearing them! Why is everything extra cute when it's mini?!?)

They are so super soft, which is a must for my twins... and super durable for Chan. We've been out for full days of running errands... and since I only have a double stroller for the twins, Chan has to walk everywhere. She even played around in the rocks in our yard and ran around at the park and never once complained about her shoes. Winning!!

I even ordered them a little big (by accident. whoops!) but it didn't even matter... and I'm actually kinda glad I did because now they can wear them even longer! Winning for Austin! I'm already trying to decide which colors I want for spring... and summer, and fall. Ha! It's safe to say I'm addicted!

So, after my rave about freshlypicked moccs, head on over to my instagram @ashleyhunt5 to enter to win a pair for yourself (well, for your little!) The giveaway runs through Friday, January 23rd.

Good luck!

I have a TWO year old

Yes... You read right... a TWO year old!

WHAT?!?

I can't even tell you where the time has gone. I look at the twins and remember when Chan was that small... and how there are so many milestones that I can barely remember... my baby is not a baby anymore!

Chan's 2nd birthday party in her "fia dress"

-Chandler is the happiest little girl... She is always bouncing (literally) around the house laughing. 

-She loves loves loves all stuffed animals and blankets.

-Full sentences are in full swing in this house. Some of my faves:

"I play Chan Chan's room"

"I can't reach"

"I put socks and shoes on feet"

"More chicken please"

"You mama (points to me). You dada (points to Austin). Me Chan Chan"

"Ooo, pretty dress"

"I wear cute shoes"

"I help!" or "I do it!"

"And thennnnnnn..."

"Babies in carseat go see gramma"

She flat out stole Austin's breakfast burrito and then proceeded to finish the whole thing right in front of him :)

-She can count to eight.

-She is a master organizer. I find her in her room with all of her shoes spread out on the floor. Left and right shoes together and then she has all of her boots together, her tennis shoes, sandals, etc.

-We are officially binkie free! Hallelujah!

-Chan is still the best eater. She still loves tomatoes, mac n cheese, fruit snacks, and apples. She eats pretty much everything we eat: chicken, potatoes, green beans, oranges, broccoli, strawberries... and of course cookies, ice cream, chips, and any other junk food you could think of.

-She still loves Sofia the First and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

-She still takes 1 nap a day for 2-3 hours.

-She is really starting to interact and play with other kids her age. Before she would kind of just do her own thing, but now she'll run around and laugh and play with them. It's so fun to watch.

-Chan insists on having cereal every morning. She eats it all by herself in her highchair right in front of the TV so she can watch Sofia or Mickey.

-She goes to bed between 8:30-9pm and will wake up anytime between 7-8:30am.

-She's in 2T clothes, size 7 toddler shoes, and size 4 diapers.

-We've brought out the dreaded potty. But don't worry, she just takes in apart or will use it as a chair.

-Chan is the best helper for her sisters. She's always getting them binkies or blankets... and always wants to sit and talk to them.

Snapped this pic the other day when I went in to wake her up from a nap. That girl loves her Mickey.

Next up with this sweet girl is potty training. Yikes!! I'm super nervous... any tips would be greatly appreciated :)

And... I'm super excited to be having my very first giveaway soon! Be sure to check back and also follow me on instagram for details :)

so I forgot?!

So, guys, I'm pretty sure that whole "pregnancy brain" thing is a lie... I never got my brain back apparently, because remember how I told you that there was a "Maternity Pictures pt.3"?? Yea, I didn't lie about that, but I did totally forget to post it! Hashtag crazy lady with a 3 kid circus. So... I won't babble on anymore... and don't judge my bare belly mmmkay?

Photos by Adore You Photography

Do you see why I couldn't share these before? I mean, besides my oversized belly out there for all of you to see. When we were living up in Brian Head waiting for these girls to arrive, I wanted some way of putting their names in a picture... so one Sunday we were driving around in the mountains and I got the idea to carve their names in a tree... cause you know, I'm soo original. Hah. So, we did just that... And now their names will forever be in Brian Head :)

We had decided on our names pretty early on after finding out we were having two girls. And if you know Austin and I, you know that we are TERRIBLE at picking girls names... Boy names? No prob... if we had any of those. So, we actually liked Ava for Chandler, but I always hated growing up being "Ashley T." since Ashley was so common... and I know that Ava is pretty popular right now. So I was pretty adamant about not naming my girl Ava. So, Chandler it was. And I'm so glad because Chandler totally fits. So with these 2, I was certain we were having a boy and a girl, so I had all these little duo names for them... and then I found out that my husband only makes girls... so Kannon & Kenna, Jake & Jane, Porter & Paisley (don't steal my names!! ha ha jk) all went out the window with a super sad face. Back to square one.

So, Austin brought up Ava again... and we could NOT think of anything to go with it... I originially wanted their names to go together... I know what you all are thinking, and no, not rhyming... Bill & Jill, Bailey & Shailey, Kyle & Lyle (Vickie I know you're reading this!)... but maybe the same first initial? We didn't like any other "A" names so I kinda tossed Ava aside... I was trying really hard for Dillyn & Dru (cause I'm a sucker for boy names for my girls... hence Chandler. And I secretly wanted all boys... and look at me now!) But Austin was NOT having it... like wouldn't even talk about it. So, we went on... then I saw that one of his friends had named their baby girl Indiana Marie (Ash & Brian: if you're reading this, we LOVED it, obviously :) ... and your little girl is so stinkin' cute!) So I said, "Oh cute, they will probably call her Indie." And Austin totally ran with it. So next I'm thinking, what's another "I" name?? Yea, I got nothin'. So he said, "What about Ava & Indie?" And we never looked back.

Now. Middle names. Great... Not only did we have to come up with TWO first names... but TWO middle names. Girl names. We suck. Okay... so, we put our thinking caps on... and we thought what about our moms middle names? My mom's is Jeanette, my grandma's was Jean... and Austin's mom's middle name is Mae. Ava Jean & Indie Mae. Perfect. Aaannnnnddddddd... we're done! And I'm crazy and keep our names secret until the baby is born... and then also tell all of you that there is a part 3 to my maternity pictures and never post it. Or post it 3 months later. Whatev.

And I said I wouldn't ramble... Hah!

sister stats

It's that time again! I have to keep notes in my phone to keep up with all that these girls are doing!

Chandler Kate

23 months

• This girl... She keeps me on my toes! She is such a fireball... always going, going, going!
• Her vocabulary continues to grow every day. She is now on to 3 word sentences. She said things like, "Baby car seat buh-bye." or "uh oh TV off!"
• She's starting biting through all of her binkies. I keep telling her that when she bites through one that I'm going to throw it away and once she's out of binkies we aren't getting any more. Heaven help me when that really does happen. That girl looooves her bink.
• She's still obsessed with "Fia" (Sofia the First) and Mickey Mouse. She can name all of the characters for each as well. Fia, Mommy, Daddy, Ambuh, Jame... and Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Dono Duck, Gufy, Doggie (not so sure about Pluto yet)... she's getting there.
• She loves to look at herself once she is all dressed and her hair is done. Her hair is finally long enough to put into a ponytail so that's been an every day thing. She makes sure that I put a "ponytail" in her hair. Then she'll point to her pants and say, "cute pants!"
• She loves playing with a "bassetball." Any ball to her is a basketball. Unless I tell her, "no, that's a soccer ball." Then she'll say soccer ball. or baseball. or football.
• When she gets in trouble, she goes to timeout in her booster seat with no binky or toys. She actually asks to go to timeout but once she is there she hates it. And when I go to talk to her to get her out of timeout, she won't say sorry, but she'll give me the sweetest little hug. Good enough for me.
• We have been working on colors lately. So far, everything is "geeen" but if I tell her to pick up the purple crayon, she'll find the purple crayon and pick it up. She can say all the colors as well: geeen, boo, peeple, yeeooow, onge, whiiite, bak, wed. So cute.
• Chan loves to organize. The other night, I went into her room to pick up her toys for the night and she had organized all of her little toys by shape and color. So smart, that girl.
• Stuffed animals and babies are still her favorite to play with.
• Her Mickey, Minnie, blankie, and binky go everywhere with her. It's pretty crowded in her car seat.
• She is getting really good with a spoon. She can now eat applesauce and cereal all by herself. She still calls a spoon a "fok."
• She still takes 1 nap during the day for 2-3 hours.
• She's in 2T clothes and size 4 diapers.

Ava Jean

3 months

• Ava is still our sassy girl. Her nicknames are Sassy Pants or Miss Ava.
• She's growing out her "crazy eyes" phase. It was pretty funny while it lasted but I'm glad we don't have to worry about her cross eyes being a problem.
• She will usually sleep through the night. She goes down around 9:30pm and will get up between 6 and 7am.
• Ava has to perfect little outie belly button. It's the perfect little circle. I'm sure she'll hate it when she is older but right now it's so darn cute.
• She eats 4-4 1/2 oz. every 3-3 1/2 hours every day.
• Ava has rolled over from her tummy to her back twice now. I'm pretty sure it's just a fluke, cause she first did it when she was about 2 weeks old... what?!?
• She's got a quirky little smile and loves to be talked to. She'll "ohh" and "ahh" right back at you like she's having a conversation.
• She's almost out of newborn clothes and almost out of newborn diapers as well.
• Ava is our little go getter. She's always kicking and squirming around. She loves tummy time and perks her little head up like a turtle to look around.
• She is still a little smaller then Indie but her face is starting to fill out making it a little tougher to tell them apart.

Indie Mae

3 months

• Indie is still our sweet little girl. Everyone calls her Sweet Indie.
• When she looks at you, she has the sincerest look in her eyes. She loves to be snuggled and just stare at you.
• She also loves to be talked to. She gets the biggest open mouth smile on her face and the minute you turn away, she knows it. The smile is gone and she'll usually start to whimper. That girl loves to have all your attention.
• Indie usually will wake up once at night to eat between 3 and 4am.
• She eats 4-5oz every 3-4 hours.
• Indie has the fastest growing fingernails I've ever seen. I swear I cut them and 2 days later, they are so long again.
• She is still a tad bigger then Ava but Indie will often sleep through feedings so Ava is catching up quick.
• She is still super laid back. We put her on her tummy and she'll fight for a few minutes and then just lay her head down and stare.
• She is also about grown out of her newborn clothes and newborn diapers.

To see more of these precious faces, and some of what's going on in our daily lives, follow me on instagram: @ashleyhunt5

November Recap

Every time I think I'm going to do really good with keeping this blog up to date... Life happens. Someone needs to be fed. Or spits up. Or needs their diaper changed. Or maybe... just maybe, I need to shower. And then after I do all of that (x3) I have a mound of laundry needing to be done. Or maybe I should actually empty the dishwasher instead of just grabbing things out of it when I need it. And then before I know it, it's time to start the process all. over. again.

And then, just like that, another month is gone.

So... November was full of birthday dinners, dr's appointments (and shots. yuck.), and yummy Thanksgiving!

• My mom's birthday was on the 7th... and every year she likes to shop til we drop (literally) and eat at all her favorite spots. So, Austin stepped up for all-star dad duty (all 3 girls all day. yikes!) and off we went. We only made it to 2 of the 3 malls we wanted to get to, but we had fun and found some good deals. 

• Both girls started sleeping through the night! Hallelujah! And then both got sick. Not hallelujah. Can I just tell you that having sick babies is  the worst. The "friggin' worst" as Austin would say it.
• Both girls also started smiling. Be still my heart.

• We started house shopping... Yay! and Yikes! As exciting as it is, it's also super scary... hello hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. But it's got to be done at some point, right?
• We celebrated Thanksgiving with both families. Ah the perks of having both sides of the family right here next to us. The day was filled with football, the turkey bowl, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, omelets, prepping Thanksgiving dinner, eating waaaay too much, then eating pie cause of course we weren't that full, and ended the night with some shopping. My mom and I discovered that the new mall that opened right by our house was open. Score! Only I was a party pooper and needed to go to bed. Ha... I'm lame.
• Austin's birthday was the day after Thanksgiving... he went golfing in the morning (his only birthday request... and no, I did not go with him. Golf isn't my thing.) and then we went to lunch and did some black friday shopping and ended the night with pizza, presents, bundt cake (because... duh) and then went to see The Hunger Games.

Oh. I forgot to mention... Austin got into a car accident on his way to work last week. It was a small one and everyone was okay... But the person who hit him #1 didn't have a drivers license. Great. And #2 put a good amount of damage to his front right side of his truck. So... his truck has been in the repair shop for the last week and a half. He also managed to drop his phone in the toilet (TMI I know) the day after his birthday... so we've been dealing with that mess too... his phone is unfixable. Also great.

So... we're hoping December brings us some good news!
Up next: Sister Stats :)

Ava & Indie: a double blessing

These sweet girls.

I just can't get enough of them. Ava and Indie were blessed in church at the beginning of November. I've never been to a "twin blessing" and I don't give the blessings... but I couldn't help but wonder if both the girls would get similar blessings... you know, one going right after another. But I was so wrong. Both girls blessings were very different. Ava's was short but sweet, and Indie's was a little more lengthy but both fit them and their personality's so well. 

I still find myself a little in shock that we have twin girls in our family... and yet I wouldn't have it any other way. I wish I could tell everyone how fun having twins is... and on top of that, having 3 little girls. I often get the sympathy looks, the "are you crazy?" stares, the "oo you've got your hands full" comments... and yes, I do have my hands full (literally), I may be a little crazy (only because you caught me in public with 2 car seats and a toddler by myself), and I'll take all the sympathy looks I can get... Not because I want sympathy (cause I don't need it) but because it really is so fun. These 3 girls are the biggest blessing to me. They are constantly teaching me something new and I love that I am able to be their mother.

October Recap

This whole family of 5 thing is really throwing me for a loop! I'm still trying to adjust to having 3 kiddos at home... and simple things like showering or making lunch... or heaven forbid leaving the house takes us for-e-ver. Hence why it's half way through November and I'm just now getting around to posting October/Halloween pictures.

We don't get out of the house much these days (que awkward stares and even worse comments. Do people really think about what they say before they say it? I don't think so.) so when we do, it needs to be documented. There is a cute little pumpkin patch right around the corner from our house and some of our friends invited us to go with them (they also have 3 girls... not quite 3 under 2 but pretty close). They have little rides and things for kids so we knew Chan would love it. I'm pretty sure she made Austin go down the slide with her oh maybe 50 times... Poor Austin always gets talked into this kind of stuff... and then there is me, "Hey babe, Chandler wants to go on that slide... you go with her and I'll stay with the twins." And I'm pretty sure Chandler prefers going with her daddy anyway. Dad's are just more fun like that.

We also decided to be brave and go check out the new mall that just opened right by our house. We decided to let Chan walk instead of bringing 2 strollers. She was super good and held on to the cup holder on the twins' stroller.

Have I also mentioned that my child is a hoarder? When we are at home, she'll seriously grab all the toys and/or stuffed animals she can hold in her little arms and she will carry them all around the house. And if we're at a store, she does the same thing with anything she can grab... and then it's a fight to put it all back.

She had that ball too, but wasn't quite talented enough to hold it and top for the picture.

We also went to Disneyland with Austin's family. Call us crazy but the twinners went too. And I'm a super good mom and got 2 pictures... of Chan only... at the end of the night. Mom of the Year right here. She has a current obsession with Mickey Mouse right now so at the end of the night we bought her her very own Mickey... and she hasn't let him go since. He goes everywhere with us and has to go to bed with her.

that's Disneyland success right there.

And the next day we took Chan to the beach... A girl after my own heart... she loved the beach. She played around, got into the water, ran from the waves, dug holes in the sand, and cried when we had to leave.

Aaaannnnnddddd Halloween. 

If you know me, you know that I love love love Halloween. It's my favorite. And every year I dictate what costumes we will be wearing... but have any of you tried to find coordinating costumes for you, your husband, and three girls?!? Impossible I tell ya! So, we went with Grease. Austin and I were Danny and Sandy...

and my girls were the Pink Ladies.

We took Chan trick or treating... I don't think she really knew what was going on, but that girls knows her candy. After a few houses, she realized what was going on and would reach her hand right into their buckets of candy and pick out what she wanted... sometimes going back in for seconds. And then of course she wanted to hoard all the candy in her hands as she walked from house to house.

I'm so excited for next Halloween... Chan will probably know more of what she's doing and the twins will most likely be walking (yikes!). I love love love these girls. So much fun!

Up next: Ava & Indie's blessing.