Dear City of Columbus

Dearest City of Columbus,
I think that you are beautiful. All of the large buildings are marvelous and just so amazing to look at. This weekend, my family (minus the kiddos) and I visited you for a wedding and reception. I bought a new dress, not even a mommy looking dress but a stylish type of dress, I bought stiletto heels to match my dress and didn't have to worry about carrying kiddos around and I bought cute matching jewelry - heck I even did my nails for the wedding! I was excited to come visit you City of Columbus. My cousin and his new wife had booked a wedding in a well known venue...the Columbus Athenaeum. This happens to be on the corner of 4th Street and Gay Avenue. You'll see further along in my nice letter, Dear City of Columbus, why I remember that so well.Anyways, the Athenaeum is, as you most likely know, a place that has been rated in the theknot.com, or a well known wedding website as one of the top wedding sites. The rooms in your Athenaeum were beautify painted to resemble marble and granite with very intricate detail.You have done a wonderful job preserving the historical aspect of this building - props to you City of Columbus. My cousin married a wonderful girl and I couldn't be happier for them. I told him that he almost made me cry, it was so beautiful. The priest was awesome, he was funny, told stories related to marriage and had a lot of useful advice that he shared with everyone. He even reminded my cousins new wife that there would actually come a day that she will wake up and he "won't be as cute as he is today". That gave everyone a chuckle. You have a funny group of people residing here, City of Columbus. The reception was fun, I spend time with my cousins and got to take time of from chasing the kids around to enjoy myself.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Haer

My cousin Meredith and I - pretty cute for mommies of kiddos 4 and under huh...
Marissa and I

My cousins Marissa and Meredith and Myself in the middle.

Finally, around 9ish, things were cooling down and it was time to leave. Rick and I decided that we needed to go b/c we werent exactly sure of how to get back to the hotel and we'd need sufficient time to find it while it was still light out. City of Columbus, you have way to many streets, think of downsizing....quit building more. So, before we walked ourselved out into your wonderful (cough, cough) city, we said our Congrats...

Mrs. Kristen Haer and Me!

Now, dearest City of Columbus, this is where I become a little frustrated with you. Okay, alot frustrated with you. Let me share with you some things I learned about your terrible city.
1) The City of Columbus Police DO NOT respond to vandalism calls, nor do they come out to write a report.
2) File aformentoned report online?! Yeah.
3.) 9pm seems prime time to be at a bar, in line for a bar or in line getting your car valet parked?! at a bar.
4) Columbs is NOT beautiful at night, infact it's quite annoying and a little bit on the drive me crazy side (especially when my GPS is no longer in my car, I'm lost and unable to find the highway, we have 1/16th of a tank of gas, and Ricks riding in the passenger seat shielding his eyes from flying pieces of glass - sitting with his feet in piles of glass mind you.)

What I'm getting at is this:

I don't like returning to the parking lot after a reception - after anything at that matter - to the passenger side window broken out of my van and my GPS missing.... That's all....so...dearest City of Columbus - I DO NOT LIKE YOU - not one bit... not at all.

Thanks - or not really.
Amanda

P.S. To the moron that broke my window and stole my GPS, is that all you wanted? I mean it's apparent that you missed my iPod and my iPod transmitter and my 30+ Disney/Kids movies and numerous other items that were sitting around there too... ugh

a mixture of things

What a time. We decided to go to the Akron Zoo with the kids for the boys birthday (after partyish b/c we went after their birthday). We also met up with the Canton Mothers of Multiples Club members there. I cant tell you how many times I head (both from me and others) "hey, get back here .... whichever one you are!" Anyways, here's some cute pics from then.



We got to see the new Jelly Fish Exhibit. The boys thought it was pretty neat to see them. I never realized how many types there were.


I'm still not done with their video - and it wont be done for a few. I have to send my computer back to dell to get my SD card reader fixed on it. It wont read my memory card :-( . Anyways, I also have to send my camera in to get it fixed - once again, wont read my memory card.

Today we went to my cousin Andreas house and got all our hair "did". I got mine trimmed and colored, Peyton got his cut for the first time and actually wanted to get it cut and Brenden and Landon got their hair trimmed. They had fun playing with her daughter Aniah and fell asleep within half an hour at bedtime.
So i borrowed Ricks laptop to finish this blog as mine has taken a small vacation and i forgot to upload the rest of Peyton getting his hair cut so more of that to come...

Happy third birthday to my babies...

Two faces to wash
And four dirty hands;
Two insistent voices
Making demands.

Twice as much crying
When things go wrong;
Then four eyes closing
With slumber song.

Twice as many garments
Blowing on the line.
Two cherubs in the go cart,
Soaking up sunshine.

Work I do for twins
Naturally comes double,
But four arms to hug me
Repay all my trouble!

Author: Azalete Bolger Wells

Well, It's finally here. Brenden and Landon are turning the Big...er uh....turning 3 today! That's right, at 12:59 p.m and 1:00 p.m. my beautiful baby boys will be turning three! In just three short years, we have had our ups and downs, our sideways and upsidedowns...and you get the point. Here's the rundown...

On November 13th, we found out that we were pregnant (eeks!!!). On December 27th, we found out that we were having twins! (Double Eeek!) Beginning in June, I started begging my doctors to deliver the boys. I had gained 90lbs and was testing the waters of 200 lbs. That's scary enough.
I started washing my car like 5 times a day...to see if i could get the Braxton Hicks to turn into something more. NO luck. After all of my doctors appointments, I BEGGED the doctors to let me wash their cars. No Luck. Once certain doctor even told me that if i slipped him a stack of unmarked bills under his office door, the he would do a c-section and deliver them. No such luck. So after spending a day of counting contractions, i went bed on the 19th of June. I woke up the following morning wondering just how close these damn contractions were supposed to be...and how strong? So i called, and went in around 10 or so and by 12:59 and 1:00, the boys were born!

Brenden Lee and Landon Alan

These two boys are my life. I coudlnt ask for more. We have been in and out of the hospital due to Retnioblastoma, Landon falling down the whole entire flight of stairs, goofy colds that wont go away, almost RSV and things i'd never wish i'd heard of like Hand, Foot and Mouth. Mainly Retinoblastoma comsumes our life. I woudnt have it any other way thought. These two are wonderful (and their little brother too...)

So, their video will be done soon...but for now....

The day they were born:


1 Year Old



2 Years Old

and......you'll have to wait till they're up for the three year old ones! :-) Have a Good Day!

Dear Makers of Artificial Colors...

So, once again we've had a week...or two. While the boys have been enjoying the sunshine and great weather, I have been working on my finals for my masters classes. After this week they're done...well, this week and a 10 paged paper. Nice. Anyways, Ricks grandmother passed away on the 4th of this month. She hadn't been doing well and they had brought her home and kept her as comfortable as possible. For all you Trescotts, she had colon cancer - like Grandpa. They felt that she was too unstable for the treatment and had chosen not to proceed with it. I've been telling Rick for the past almost week now since she's passed that she has got to be much happier. Ever since I've met Rick, she's been blind. Blind and very unhappy about that fact, especially when grand chidlren and great grand children are brought around and she longed to see them. I told Rick, she's up in Heaven, front row watching all of her grandkids play now and thinking how beautiful they are. Anyways, yesterday after the funeral, there was a lunch/dinner at a family members house. Not much to drink there other than beer or carnival punch. Because of our little friend - carnival punch - i'd like to write a little letter....

Dear Makers of Artificial Colors (Red #40, Yellow #10, Blue Lake....the list goes on...),
How could you? What are you thinking!? Turning my absolutely wonderful and amazingly sweet almost 3 year old twin boys into blood sucking, finger biting, hair pulling, pinching, yelling, screaming, kicking, back talking monsters who are now on strike for sleeping!!!! How could you! What WERE YOU THINKING!!! My little sweet boys are gone and it no longer takes a "stay in bed, mommy will be back to check on you..." and maybe half an hour later, they're sleeping. Oh no!!!! It takes a "if you dont get in bed right now, i'm gonna......." - well you get my point.... add a little bit of laughing, running around the room and 2 hours later, we're still not asleep! Landon went to bed at 10:30 last night - compared to Brenden who was sleeping by maybe 8:30. Let me tell you how many times he cautiously slinked down the hallway.... 4....Four times! UGH!!!! And that's just bedtime, dont get me started on the rest of the day. AHGGGG!!!! So in closing, i'd like to say....WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!!!!!!

Thanks!
Amanda

Rick and Brenden Cheese for a picture - i was telling rick "No, a real smile" and Brenden cheesed even more - lol.

Peyton pointing (with his middle finger) at a worm that the boys found. The poor thing, i'm not sure what actually happened with it in the end but I know it wasnt pretty.

Okay, me and my baby Brenden. Arent they getting so big - they'll be 3!!!! Anyways, see, my hairs short and black too...i know i know, the black was on sale. LOL.
So...we begged and pleaded with all the cousins down there to get a picture together and this is what we ended up with. It's missing 3 I believe. Anyways, in attempt to get this picture, I caught Brendens true feelings about getting pictures taken in the following picture:
Yes, that's a water gun...but really it looks like he's thinking "If I have to get one more picture taken...."

So...that's what's been going on....time for class, good thing I get to school early so I can blog. LOL.

"I Spent A Day Out With Thomas!"

Just a quick update...I started school on the 11th and have been totally busy since then. I guess school was a little bit easier since I didn't have three kids going "Mom, here your book mom...you need your book?" Anyways...we spent this past weekend visiting a "very close friend" of the family. Some of you may recognize him...as....

THOMAS THE TRAIN!!!

There was a huge group of us that went. My Aunt and Uncle went with us along with my cousin and her husband and two kids and my parents. We had a blast! So, here's some cute pics of the kiddos.

The tents that they set up were red so the pictures that I got were kinda red crazy looking! But here's the kiddos in this pretend train that they had set up.

In the same building, they had a large model railroad set up and the middle train going around was Thomas.

Next, we walked over to where they were loading the trains. The sky looked gross and stormy and there was lightening in the distance. We were sure that we were going to get hit with the rain. When Thomas came around the bend, the boys faces lit up and they started smiling so big!

Rick and Brenden

Landon sitting on dads shoulders watching Thomas come around the corner with all the other kids.Brenden showing off his "A Day Out With Thomas" Tickets

12 Tickets for a Day Out With Thomas: $250.00
Gas to get to Cuyahoga Falls to see Thomas: $20.00
The smile on Brendens face when he saw Thomas coming around the corner: Priceless

My dad holding Peyton on his shoulders to see Thomas b/c he had done it to Landon and Peyton wanted to do what his brothers did.Rick and Brenden ~ Landon and I
My cousin Mere and Dere and their kiddos
The boys Standing infront of Thomas the train. Let me tell you how hard it was to get the kids to look at the camera. They were too interested in Thomas!
Before we left, we let the kids stand by the tracks. They were amazed at how big they were - they always point out "railroad tracks" when we're driving.
Anyways, that's about it for now. I have tons of other cute pics to post but no time right now. So...see ya!