Pictures of New England

Well, Its Midnight on Friday night, and I have just received the first pictures from my parents on their trip to New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine. I talked to them today, and they are in Kennebunkport, Maine. Their hotel is one mile away from George W. Bush's vacation compound. Cool huh? They're having a great time. Here are some pictures of New England:

Ha ha. My little joke. On you! It's Tom Brady of the New England Patriots! (Who is also my fantasy football quarterback, and the Hubby has him in his league as well; And he has won all three of my games for me this season!!!!) Yes, I am in an all female fantasy football league; more on that later...

This pic is actually from my dad. He is super high-tech now with his little iPhone.

And I love this: The power line lets you know that although you are in beautiful country, you are not far from indoor plumbing and wireless internet access. And probably a venti decaf mocha latte from Starbucks.

"Is there any felicity in the world superior to this? Look there is some blue sky; Let us chase it!" -Marianne Dashwood in Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility

Well, many thanks to mi Padre for the photos. However, I wouldn't be surprised if mi Madre actually took them.

I cannot finish my post without pictures or video of the twins. This was taken while eating in a Mexican restaurant. Enjoy!

Baby Love

Our children are really coming into their own unique, interesting personalities. Our daughter, Kensi, is a very affectionate and loving child. She has always been this way; she loves to sit in your lap and lay her head on your shoulder and suck her two middle fingers on her right hand. And she will sit there for a long time, too. Camden, on the other hand, is more independent; he will cuddle, but it has to be his idea. And it may last for 30 minutes...or just 30 seconds. You never know. While holding him there is a joy that comes by having him in your arms, but there is also this anticipation. With every move he makes you keep thinking that at any second he is going to jump down and run away to play. Knowing that the kids are like this, it is very interesting to watch them interact, with each other. As we saw on a previous post, Kensi loves to hug Camden and give him kisses. But he is now realizing he doesn't like it as much as she does. About 5 hugs and 7 kisses is enough for him. Then he usually ends up running from her.



Sometimes in her enthusiasm to hug her brother, she grabs him with more force than is necessary:

Here is a great little montage of pictures of Kensi and Camden hugging some more. I know there is a lot of this, but I just can't get enough of it.
Create Your Own

I hope you enjoyed those!

My parents left today on a trip to New Hampshire. They are going to take some time away to relax and take in the sights. It's going to be beautiful, too. The leaves will be changing and it will be crisp and cool. They're also going to visit Kennebunkport, Maine which is where U.S. Presidents past and present go to vacation sometimes, too. My parents got new iPhones and my dad says he will email me pictures. My hope is to post a "picture of the day" from photos of their trip. Keep checking back and hopefully we will have a fresh picture of New England every day this week.

Banana Bread and something sweet...

I don't know if you are ready for this newest video. I really don't think you are. It is the cutest, sweetest little thing and it is going to make your day! Now, prepare yourself for what's ahead; and that is all I'm going to say about it right now.

But before we get to the video, I want to share a delicious recipe with you for Banana Bread. I LOVE bananas, and anything made with them is tops in my book. I've never met with a banana bread I didn't like; but this recipe is so soft and moist and delicious, not dried out and definitely no nuts included. (The hubby doesn't like nuts in anything.) It is very simple and maybe one day when you have brown bananas, you will try this recipe. My dad and the Hubby can't get enough of this stuff. It's just good ole simple, man pleasin' food!

What you will need: a yellow cake mix, light brown sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, cinnamon, and of course: bananas. (the riper, the better.)

peel bananas and throw in a bowl, like so. I always get off those stringy things that try to stay on the banana but taste like cotton. Gross! Just peel them off and throw them away!

blend it until its mashed, but still has some yummy little lumps.

Then add eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, cake mix, oil and buttermilk. Yes, this recipe also happens to call for a cake mix. You'll never know it when it is baked. Why make it harder if you don't have to? What are you anyway? The cake mix Nazi? Why do I keep explaining myself?!

Mix it until it is kind of smooth, with the occasional delicious banana lump. This is one time when lumps are good. Not good in the thighs, but good in banana bread.

grease and flour two loaf pans and start pouring!

Ah yes; this picture was not the easiest to get, as I was pouring and taking the picture myself. (Hey, I have twins; I can multi-task when I need to.)

Divide batter evenly and bake in the oven. Tip #48: It is important to make this right before your husband comes home or company arrives, so they smell how wonderful it is while it's baking and think you are amazing.

It has to bake for 45 minutes; so while its in the oven do your nails, or take a bubble bath. Or even re-caulk the bathroom tile. Just stay close so you can enjoy the aromas coming from the kitchen.

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Now it is time for the video. I have left you waiting long enough, so I'll end the suspense. Check this out:

Banana Bread

1 yellow cake mix

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 very ripe bananas

3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup oil (I like canola, but vegetable is fine)

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 or 10 inch cake pans. Mix all ingredients together with a mixer and pour into pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool in pans for 20 minutes then invert on a plate or rack to finish cooling.

YOU'RE HAVING TWINS!!!

What did we do when we heard those words? Well, we were absolutely NOT expecting to hear them, so to say we were shocked is pretty accurate. I almost fell off the sonogram table and the hubby's jaw dropped straight to the floor. Did you say twins? As in two babies? Whah...? Then the tears came; tears of utter and absolute perfect happiness. At that moment we knew we were the two most blessed people on earth. God had given us not one, but two, precious lives to take care of. We couldn't wait to tell our parents and families. That was such a wonderful day. Nothing it seemed could be any better. But the day the babies were born surpassed the joy of that moment with so much more happiness.


It was a cold and rainy Saturday in February when I was wheeled into surgery. I had a c-section at 8:00 in the morning. I was Thirty-five weeks and 5 days pregnant when I delivered; normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, so the twins were early. Kensington was born at 8:48 and Camden at 8:49. She weighed 5 pounds and 7 ounces. Camden was smaller at 5 lb, 5 oz. That's almost 11 pounds of baby! Since they were early, they needed to go to the NICU (neo-natal intensive care unit) for specialized care. The babies were fine; they were perfect in fact; But they were early and small so we needed to be sure they were doing okay. The twins stayed in the NICU for weeks. About two for Kensi and three for Camden. We were so glad to get them home. Lets reminisce over some sweet pictures, huh? Oh, and a very special treat is below as well. I found some video clips The Hubby took of the babies when they were two days old! These have never been seen before!

Here I am with my Doctor, two days before a very unexpected delivery. Yeah, my due date was March 28th. (Hey, I know I'm big in this picture. I was preggars!)

Here is Kensington on her birthday.

And here is the sweetest little boy on earth, Camden.

The Hubby and I hold our little miracles. I was extremely swollen and not feeling very good in this picture. But I was so happy to have these babies out of my body!
Here my big brother David and the hubby's sister Jaymee hold the twins.

Here is the Hubby with Camden in the NICU.
And my mother watches over Kensi as she sleeps.
Here my Dad holds Kensi and tries to remember the day when he held me like this.
The twins were in this plastic bed for about one or two days.
After a few days, the babies started gaining weight and we were allowed to hold them. Here is Kensi as what I like to call a baby burrito.


And Camden was very very sleepy.
They got to stay together in this little bed until they came home.
Here we finally get to hold our babies and kiss their faces.

Well, all of that was a year and a half ago. These kids have totally and completely changed every aspect of our lives forever. And changed it for the better. I have never, for one second of my life, ever regretted having these babies. They are without question the best thing that has happened to us. Now, let's see the videos!

This first video is of Kensi. She is two days old, and has the hiccups:

This last video is of Camden. Notice how big the preemie diapers fit these little babies!

I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane!

Football Weekend

The sounds of indistinct cheering and the scent of grilling hot dogs and hamburgers in the air can only mean one thing: Football season is in full swing. From flags and pom-poms on fan's cars to the diverse array of jerseys and fantasy football leagues, I have learned to embrace the festivities as a natural part of life. I have always wondered at people who paint their face and even their bodies and drive for hours to a stadium; only to get caught in horrendous traffic, and then have to wait in line with thousands of people to sit in their seats that are hundreds of feet away from anything. And then they act like two year olds playing in the backyard in a sprinkler. To see grown men act like that! I truly don't understand it and I don't think I ever will. I just look at them in amazement; and hope and pray that my husband won't ever do it himself. Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine's boyfriend Putty dresses up for games and paints his face? She tells him, "I can't be with anyone who paints their face." He says "okay, I won't do it anymore." So for the next game he is dressed normally; until they get there and he rips of his shirt, only to reveal that he has painted his body. Funny stuff.


Anyway, this weekend my brother-in-law Garrett had a game which we attended. Garrett is a football coach for a DI-AA school in Georgia, so we made a trip of it. It was pretty fun. I took some pictures to share with you:

This was when we first arrived and the band was giving a show.

Here is my niece, Haley. She's so beautiful!

This particular school had a great cheerleading squad. There were more guys, than girls, and I was fascinated watching them. The guys just threw those little girls up in the air like they were lighter than feathers!

Here is Garrett in the booth wearing his headphones. Red 44; Blue 29...that kind of thing.

The cheerleaders doin' their thang.

Here is my Mother-in-law and her husband cheering for the team.

Okay, now this guy impressed me. Look at this! He just held her right here. His arms are not even in a full extension. Dude, doesn't that hurt? Well, he saw me take this picture and he seemed to really like that. I got embarrassed and had to ignore him for the rest of the game.

Here is Haley and a friend posing with the team mascot. (It's a wolf, by the way.)

So, I just realized I had no pictures of the actual football team so I added this one. Hey, you gotta remember this blog is done by a chick!

Last but not least, my Sister-in-law Jaymee and my nephew Trent. It was so great to see them and spend some time with them, short as it was.
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This first video is of our sweet and funny little girl Kensington. She has been trying to learn how to jump. Nothing difficult, just a simple jump up and down in the air like her daddy does. This clip is really funny; she just can't seem to get off the ground!

We gave the kids a bath tonight and they were loving the water. More than usual. Camden actually cried when we took him out because he wanted to keep playing! But, I still got a cute video of them splashing in the tub. I hope you enjoy.

Big shoes to fill

Next weekend the Hubby and I are going white water rafting with a group from our church. I have never been white water rafting, but the Hubby has. He told me we needed some shoes to wear while in the raft; something that will protect our feet and can get wet at the same time. So, we head to Wal-mart. We came up with a couple of interesting pairs of uber cool water shoes. Yeah, I'm talking about the kind of shoes I made fun of other people wearing when I was a teenager. Now, I have a pair. I am probably going to wear them, too. Here is a picture of our new shoes:



Yes, Cosmo and Vanity Fair have both called and want to do a photo shoot: ASAP. They begged us; they said they would even bump Brad and Angelina for us. But, we are just too busy to be bothered. The Hubby has a dentist appointment one day next week, and I have to get my roots done. All that and our upcoming rafting trip; we are just booked, I told em! So, while our agent notifies the press of our schedule, our son Camden finds the shoes. We are in the process of dressing them in their pajamas as it is bedtime, so they are half dressed. But he will not leave those shoes alone. He insists on wearing them around the house. Of course with camera handy I step in to document the cuteness. (Coincidentally, after the release of this video, three networks called and want Camden to do his own reality show):

Did you notice Camden's shirt? And yes, that's Kensi in her diaper. When she becomes an adult she will probably love that video and want it played at her wedding. She will probably be so proud of how skinny she is and love her facial structure. (ah come on. who am I kidding?) She will inevitably roll her eyes and call it some new, weird word for lame. Then she will make fun of US for buying such unattractive shoes.

Editors Note: If you want to mute the music playing on this page it's very easy to do; On the right side of the screen scroll down right under the blog archive, to where you see the word IMEEM. Just click the pause button. You will probably have to hit it twice, but it will mute the song and you can watch videos, music free.

Baking with Nana: Double Chocolate Pound Cake

Well, Nana came by yesterday to spend time with her favorite daughter-in-law (yes, that's me) and her favorite twin grand babies (Kensi and Camden). And while she was here, we decided to bake. We made a most delicious double chocolate pound cake. It is so rich and delicious and fills the whole house with the most wonderful smell of chocolate. Unfortunately for the hubby, this one wasn't for us. We made it as a gift and actually gave it away! It was a little easier for me to do, as I am watching the waistline right now. But the hubby gets all kinds of delicious delicacies in his home so he really can't say much over one cake, right? Well, you really can't, honey. Look, I'm sorry, okay? Let's get started on our pictorial tour of culinary artistry, shall we? (Complete recipe to follow below.)

The cast of characters: Devil's food cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, semi-sweet chocolate chips, oil and water.

Add cake mix, pudding, oil, water, sour cream, beaten eggs, and mix it up.

As Nana demonstrates, beat the eggs before you add them to the bowl. Okay, so yeah. This cake starts with a cake mix. Big deal! It's stinkin delicious! You gotta problem with delicious?

Add semi-sweet chocolate chips, then mix it all up gently.
Put your grandson on the counter so that he can supervise.
This next step is crucial. Take the batter covered beaters and put them in your grand children's mouths. They will follow you around for hours afterwards.
Make sure you get some on your fingers for them to lick.
When their faces look like this, you have done it right.
Ah, perfection! You may now continue in making your cake.
Pour the batter into a greased pan and spread evenly.
Get your baby granddaughter handy so she can learn how to do it, too.
Spread it around in the pan nice and pretty, and pop it into the oven!
After the torture of smelling it bake for over an hour, you must leave it in the pan to cool for another hour and a half. You see, this is not just a post on baking, it is also a study, focused on an ancient method of teaching your body self-control through olfactorial stimulation.

Once your cake is done, turn it out on a plate and serve it to your family. This cake is guaranteed to get you a back rub and a week's worth of not having to do the dishes. Okay, we have two featured videos for this post as well. This first one is of the kids getting their faces covered in chocolate, and of course, LOVING IT!

Our next video is of Nana giving the kids some water to "cleanse their palate." They find this quite hilarious. I know what you are thinking. Why is she wearing all white to make a double chocolate pound cake? Because she didn't know we were making it until she got to my house, that's why. And I will have you know she came out of this whole adventure with minimal damage. Only one spot of chocolate and the Tide-to-go stick took care of it beautifully, thank you very much. Now watch this last video and come back and see us.

Double Chocolate Pound Cake:

1 devils food cake mix (I always use Pillsbury)

1 - 5.9 oz pkg instant chocolate pudding mix

8 0z sour cream

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup warm water

1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and mix well. Then add semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir gently. Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake for at least an hour. I usually cook for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. (Test with a knife or toothpick.) Let it cool in pan for at least an hour and a half; turn out on a plate and enjoy.