Stories & Pictures

15 years ago...

We lived in Roswell.

We had a beautiful little girl who was not yet 16months old.

I was pregnant with twins and went into labor 8 weeks early.

We went to the hospital thinking it was a "false alarm" so we just had a neighbor stay with Kelly.

At 3:15 am we met David, who was all of 5 lbs and adorable with just a bit of brown hair.

I was shocked that he looked just like Kelly had when she was born.

At 3:36am we met Danny, who entered the world feet first and all of 4lbs 6oz but every bit as adorable as his brother.

We watched in shock and fear as the medical teams worked on our baby boys.

We waited to hear they were going to be just fine.

We were bewildered by all of the wires, tubes, and machines that they were connected to.

We worried.

We waited.

We worried some more, okay, lots more.

And then just after Christmas, we finally got to bring our babies home.

Since then...

They have been sweet, silly, naughty, loving, active and wonderful every day.

They have grown into amazing young men that we are SO proud to call our sons.

They have started high school, and worked hard for good grades in their honors classes.

They have run many miles before, during and after their cross country team season.

They have shown great gentleness with our pets.

They have shown mercy to each other and their sister many times.

They have taken a few opportunities to drive each other crazy as well.

They are best friends with each other and Kelly.

They are taller than their mom.

They talk late into the night, every night.

Their laughter fills that house at least once a day.

Their laundry and shoes adorn the floor constantly.

They are simply the best two teenage boys we could ever ask for.

We are so lucky to be their family and call them ours.

Happy 15th Birthday David and Danny!

We love you so very much, forever.

 

 

 

Tricky Business

Raising three teens is not a simple task. Don't get me wrong, I totally love every minute of it...well, except the part about how messy their rooms are.  But you may have noticed a post or two appear here over the past few months, only to have it disappear again. Seems, I have a few extra editors in the house. I totally want to respect their privacy but sometimes, what I think is okay to share, is not what they think is okay to share. But I've had some comments from folks who were regular readers saying they miss this little window into our adventures. 

So I'm going to try again (wish me luck!)

This summer was filled with fun and challenges. We spent lots of time relaxing and playing but we also spent (mostly me) lots of time travelling to and from NC because Mimi had back surgery. She is recovering well now, but it was quite the rocky road for a bit, and I know she's glad to be on the other side of that! 

Back to school, meant all three kiddos went to HIGH SCHOOL. What??? How can that be? Didn't I just have these babies? Never the less, they all were happy to see their friends and have a regular social structure again. Oh, and the classes are going okay too. Two out of three have straight A's and the other only has a few B's. Honestly, I wish I could have said the same for myself at that age! 

Kelly is still riding at the barn and enjoying her work there once a week. I think she could live at that place and be just fine! She is also now 16, and we had a huge party to prove it! She invited about 20 of her closest friends over for a campfire/swim/cookout party. It was so much fun, and it was good to see how funny and silly a bunch of really cool teenagers can be. It's even better to know that she has recovered fully from her surgery last year and is back to all her regular activities. 

The boys started cross country and were at the school at 6am every day this summer to train. (Not my favorite taxi duty!) But all the hard work paid off and they have had a wonderful season running with the team and enjoying the friends they have made. They have even competed in a few community 10K and 5K races. 

Bill is still flying a 767 at Delta and is almost always on call. At any moment he could leave for Europe, or Orlando or New York. It's not been too bad, and he has been able to stay mostly stateside, which is easier on the time zone body clock. He has been running with the boys and proudly displays the photo of Danny and him crossing the finish at the Peachtree Road Race. 

Meanwhile, my little business Butterfly Threads Quilting is keeping me super busy. I've had a dozen quilts either published in magazines, books, or calendars. Some are still in process, so there is much packing and shipping of boxes back and forth. I've been very pleased with my steady trickle of business at my ETSY store and my calendar is booking quickly with teaching and workshops! I have teaching contracts lined up for January through June and am so excited to be sharing my love of quilting with so many eager quilters! It is truly rewarding, even if it is exhausting. 

Luna continues to entertain us on a daily basis. She is so sweet and sassy and entirely too rude to the dogs. They still think she might play with them, and are sadly disappointed by indignant hisses each time they try. It's really kind of pitiful. But they get lots of love and belly rubs from the humans in the house, so they have a really good life in spite of the feline rejection.

For now, we are just maintaining the daily crazy that is our schedule, and still managing to sit down to dinner together every night to hear all about who's done what. It may be a bit crazy, but I wouldn't trade these days for anything! Living with three teens is far better than I ever could have imagined, and I know that these days will be gone all too soon. 

I will try to give you more regular updates (and hope that my editors will not delete them!)

Please know that we are doing well and would love to hear from you in the comments or by email. 

Take care,

Diane

14 x 2

On December 7th these boys turned 14 years old! It's hard to believe that they can be so grown up already. Where did the time go?

The gifts they wanted most this year...an iPad mini and a new iPhone. The cash they received as well was a bonus!! Mimi arrived in time for the party and brought TWO cakes! Oh my, it was fun. Friends, sleepovers, movies, big breakfast, what more could they ask for?

This year they started 8th grade, made lots of new friends, joined the weight training team at school, grew a LOT taller (passed me up!) and increased 4 shoe sizes each. They still have fun riding their bikes and jumping on the trampoline with friends, but they can most often be found shooting baskets in the driveway. They like video games that involve killing disgusting things, and they love the snuggle the new kitty and spoil the dogs.  They are still best friends but they know how to drive each other crazy! They are funny, wild, and too wonderful for words.

Hope this year is filled with many more amazing adventures for you two!

Like father, like son...

Boys really like building stuff.

The Boys

decided they needed to entertain themselves this weekend while Mom was busy at the quilt show and Kelly was busy at the barn. So Bill took them hiking up Sawnee Mountain. We feel so lucky to have this mountain so close to us. It's a great way to spend a few hours outside enjoying whatever season it happens to be.

Don't worry, they got haircuts on Monday.

Why?

Why did I wake up at 1:30am to the sound of two boys talking and laughing!?!

Their lives are a non stop party. Even on school nights.

Maybe that's why I am always so tired.

Oh, how I love them, but sometimes....

I just need a nap.

 

 

First Day of School 2012

So she's in High School now...

and they are in 8th grade (aka: seniors of middle school)...

And I am sitting here at home wondering how the time went so quickly? When did they grow up and if there is any way possible to make it all slow down. I cherish every moment with them. Yep, even the crazy, and challenging and eye-rolling moments. They are so entertaining and wonderful.

I have no idea how I got so lucky.

Recent conversation at our house...

We finally snagged the new sneakers that the boys had been wanting for weeks!

I asked David: are your feet happy?

David replied: not really, but my eyes are happy when they look at my feet!

Love that boy.

On a less funny note, this boy has a heel growth plate injury/fracture. He's out of commission for at least three weeks. If the first course of treatment doesn't work, he will be trading in one of those cool sneakers for a walking boot next week. Poor kid!

Basketball Anyone?

This is the crew that plays at our house most weekends.

Plus or minus a couple of boys.

It's never serious...

but always fun.

But beware of random attacks from this girl...

She licks without warning!!!

 

Zip Lining...

They say it was every bit as fun as it looks.

It was a very generous gift from Mimi and Popa.

We are thankful for a fun day of good memory making!