mix-n-match

One of the perks of being a twin is mixing and matching your jammies. They love to wear the tops of one set and the bottoms of the other. This way no one gets left out!
Hugs before bed
This picture amazes me. N looks JUST like me at this same age. Crazy!

Providence

I was so lucky to get to take a little trip away with 2 of my roommates from college. It's been 16 years since we met my freshman year. I will never forget the day that Taryn and Sarrah showed up at my dorm door clear across campus from where they lived with a card to wish me luck on a big engineering exam I had the next day! That was just the beginning of our friendship! We had many fun and crazy times while roommates and we still have a blast hanging out. This trip was a nice little escape from raising, twins, working, and running a household. Don't get me wrong, I love all those things to, but I do love some alone time! I am glad I got to see Providence while Sarrah is still living there. It is a very cute, quaint and historic city.

Newport RI

Friday morning we drove to the coast to see the cute and historic town of Newport. We strolled along the cliff walk taking in the ocean and all the mansions along the route (Note the Breaker's Mansion, a Vanderbilt Mansion below). Amazing! Being near the ocean was so refreshing. It makes me SO happy!

a chilly day in boston

I arrived Thursday evening in Providence and Taryn, Sarrah, and I went to a fabulous dinner at Farmstead. We had some amazing cheese, wine, a Saint Germain (drink with elderberry liqueur), sea bass, and the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted! (Recipe) Wow! What a treat! Friday morning we took the train to Boston and toured around with our tour guide Sarrah! I loved the mix of modern and historic in this gorgeous city. We walked a lot, shopped, saw many sights of Boston, and had some very tasty clam chowder at Amerca's oldest tavern.

chris and molly

The Ebbers. Chris and Matt worked at Eagle Lake camp way back when and have remained good friends over the years and miles. Chris and Molly just got married and we so enjoyed meeting her for the 1st time. We were so lucky to see them before they head to Japan to do college ministry. We think you guys are great and wish you an amazing adventure!

Valentime's Day!

So apparently I didn't get very good pictures on "Valentime's Day." We woke up and Matt had made us a fantastic breakfast of heart chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon ( a rarity in our house!) I thought we were going somewhere as a family, so we got in the car and headed out. I didn't know where we were going. Matt dropped me off at the square by our house and told me I had an appointment for a massage at the spa. It was absolutely wonderful. This was my measly attempt at a present for Matt. He really did need a new water bottle. Inside were 20 little hearts that I wrote on.

trains, trains, trains

The boys are SO into Thomas the Tank Engine right now. These trains have occupied them for hours on end. Last night as I went in the bathroom to get ready for bed, this is what I found!

National Western

I absolutely love the stock show. It takes me back to my ranch days. This was the boy's first time to visit and we just took them to see the sights, but didn't watch a rodeo. They were so excited to be able to get up close to the animals and feeding and petting them. N kept wanting to put straw on their backs or to feed them, but they weren't very hungry as you can imagine! Next year I think we'll be ready for the big rodeo and I can't wait.