2010 Was a Blast!

A lot has happened in 2010. For me, there were a few things that stood out...(in no particular order)

My twins. It took us over a year to get pregnant and to our sweet surprise, we were twice blessed. It's been a rough road...the pregnancy was hard and having two babies & a 3 year old is super hard, but worth every sleepless night!

Hand-me-downs. I learned the fastest way to a tired mommy's heart is through her friend's old baby clothes. And I also realized how well my friend's kids dress :)...we've used every onesie, every jammie, every hat and every sockie. As you may have read below, I'm running out of boy clothes and am scrambling to find something for Tripp to wear before people think I have twin girls.

Preschool. I always thought that since I was a stay-at-home mom I'd keep my babies home with me till they were 4. Well, that was before I knew my second baby was twins, and before I experienced life with a 3 year old. Thank God for Preschool. I was that desperate, scary looking, huge, pregnant lady wobbling around (a month before my due date) begging to get Lu into school. Turns out she loves it, there was no separation anxiety (on both parts) and she is learning Spanish!

My Nikon. LOVE IT!!!! The best present my husband ever got me. Well, actually, he got it for himself but I don't know if he's ever even used it...I'm about to take a Photo 101 course online to better get to know my camera. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Next up...Photoshop!

The power of friends. Helping my friend Kim was definitely one of the highlights of my year. For those of you unfamiliar with her story, last year I was blessed to make a wonderful friend named Kim. Half-way into the year she was diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer and given less than a 2% survival rate. A group of us got together to help fund raise to help Kim so that she could focus on her son & her fight against cancer. We’ve raised over $20,000 & her tumor has shrunk 40%! Miracles do happen!!!!!

The squeeze-tube organic baby food. My friend Ashley introduced me to this great invention. While they may cost more and seem trivial, without them little Penny would probably weigh 10lbs. She desperately wanted to eat, but didn't want to open her mouth for the spoon. It's amazing how she'll just suck down the food out of these tubes! And it's super easy to feed them on the go!

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I didn't think reality TV could get any better than a RHNY, but watch out for the ladies in my city!!! It's the only show that I make a point to watch 10x (with the babies, I keep getting interrupted and have to start over). Camille is CRAZY!!!!

My iPad & iPhone 4. Both gadgets have drastically changed my day-to-day life. The iPad kept me busy in the hospital after having the twins and allows me to watch Netflix while on the treadmill (the only motivation to run). The iPhone allowed me to talk/see my brother’s family via FaceTime on Christmas Day – they live 400 miles away.

Viva Las Vegas. My husband and I went on a post-babymoon early this month and it was awesome! We've known each other 14 years, been married 8, but in Vegas, we acted like we were 21 again (minus the obnoxious). I was a little nervous that we'd have nothing to talk about without the kids, but it was so much fun. I highly recommend getting away with your husband if you can.

Blogging. What started out as a way to share my family with our in-laws in Cleveland turned into an obsession...in a good way. I love the community I've found in the blogisphere. I've found mommies just like me and mommies that i want to be just like. I've gotten a ton of great recipes and learned how to use a speedlight. I'm not very crafty and not really that great of a writer (though I try)...but everyday I'm inspired and encouraged. Thanks friends....see you next year!

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