2013 Year in review...a month late. go figure.

THE end of 2013 happened a whole month ago! Geez. I tried to get photos for this post and never got around to it.  So if you only read my blogs for the pictures, I guess you can skip this one. Sorry, I know pictures are way better than ALL my words.  But oh well, it's for my journaling sake too.  Just follow me on instagram or facebook and you can see those pictures.  I will finally post this since I wrote it in December and wanted to post it near January 1 but didn't.  Happy January 31st instead.

WOW, what a year.  This is my year in review blog.  For the sake of anyone who reads this, I will TRY try try to make it short and sweet.  I think I will do some bullets, how's that sound.  Much easier to read.

• January - I was very pregnant, but not too pregnant to be on bed rest or anything.  I worked this whole month, getting ready for the twins to make their entrance into this world.  I loved being pregnant, yes, I'm one of those.  It wasn't uncomfortable, surprisingly (until February) and I really did feel great.  I say that now, but next time I'm pregnant, I'm sure I'll think differently.
• February - Wade finished the remodel and addition completely on our house in North Dakota, just in time for the birth of our baby girls!  I was all ready, just needed them to come, thought they would be Valentine's babies (I was 37 weeks that day), but they came a week later instead, which I was okay with. 
•  We went to the hospital on Feb. 21st at 5am, it was 10 degrees outside and we were not leaving til we had two baby girls in our arms.  I was ready, started Pitocin, then the doc did an ultrasound to find Delaney had flipped a complete 180 and was breech. I admit, I cried when she said we should prep for a c-section.  They left me and my husband alone and he gave me a blessing and it calmed my nerves and I knew Heavenly Father was involved in this decision and it was good and it was right. We all felt good about doing a C-section instead of trying to deliver Paisley (who was first) and then trying to flip Delaney or end up with a C-section after a normal delivery.  I'm sorry, but pain from TWO deliveries was not what I wanted.  What I wanted, was to give birth to two healthy babies by whatever means necessary.  And that I DID.  I gave birth (yes, by C-section) and yes I still experienced the most serene spiritual moment in child birth.  I have strong feelings about this, and I want anyone to know who hasn't delivered by C-section and has only delivered  naturally, that I still got to experience childbirth and even now I tear up about it because it was such an emotional and amazing experience. 
• These girls are my world.  SO incredibly grateful for them and for the love they have shown me, never knew how much you could love a tiny person until now.
• March- My parents visited ND to help with the twins when they were 2 weeks old.  It was SO much help, I was a zombie nursing fool and my mom and dad helped a ton.  They would bring me a child to feed, someone would bring me water and food, they would let me sleep while someone took care of the babies and then a week later they left and Wade went back to work and I was flying solo.  Which surprisingly worked out wonderful.  I loved being at home in bed all day with my babies just feeding and sleeping.  Loved those moments. They were fleeting moments. Autumn's birthday was great. She turned 11. Oh boy! The girls took their first trip to Minot, ND.  We took Autumn shopping for her birthday, she loved it and spent way too much money.  We also bought a mini van.  Toyota Sienna and I love it! 
• April- We took a trip to Idaho to visit family and to give the girls their baby blessings surrounded by many loved ones.  Wade gave them their blessings in my parents ward and it was beautiful.  He did such an amazing job.  I love my husband and his priesthood. And by the way, the twins did AWESOME traveling 2000 miles.  They slept most of the way thank goodness.  Good little 2 1/2 month olds!
• May - I went back to work for 2 weeks part time.  It was tricky.  I went back from maternity leave to give my two weeks notice that I was quitting.  I worked for a wonderful company and had amazing coworkers that were very helpful and accommodating to my circumstance.  I had to bring the girls a couple times and no one ever complained.
• June - We sold our home in North Dakota and moved back to Idaho.  Into our home we bought when we were married and we rented out while we were in ND.  It was sad leaving friends in ND but we were thrilled to be moving back by family. Girls traveled the 1000 miles great again!  My dad flew up to help drive us back (Uhaul, truck and minivan) and it was super helpful and great to have the company. This month also marked the girls rolling over! Getting big!
• July - We went to Utah for 4th of July and Millarapalooza 2013.  What an AWESOME reunion that was to see all the cousins and just hang out.  I absolutely loved it, wishing we could do that every year.  SO fun.  I also turned 30 while I was there, wow, 30!  It was pretty awesome to have my birthday with ALL my family.  I was treated well and it was a lot of fun.
• We also decided to build a house and started the process in July.  Bought a lot, got permits and we were on our way.
• August - Autumn went back to school in Idaho.  She is in 6th grade which is middle school.  Wow, she is all grown up!  Crazy! She was excited to reconnect with old friends from two years ago.  Wade was busy framing the new house (which at the time we were planning on selling this home as a spec home). The girls started to sit up all on their own this month!
• September - Wade worked long hours building the house and then we decided we were going to move into it!  Exciting!!  A brand new house! We were thrilled! (I was...and I think Wade was).  He also started working for Coleman Homes as a superintendent and hit the ground running.  He works 2 minutes from our new house.
• October - Wade continued to get the new house finished while working 8 hours a day at Coleman, so he was busy busy and not getting home til late.  Luckily we got to see him on his lunch hour everyday. The girls had their first Halloween and were Thing 1 and Thing 2. They were so stinkin cute and I'm biased, but everyone thought so too.  Autumn was a prom queen for a party and at school she was a granny.  Yes, she dressed up for school!  Everyone at school said she was the best costume, complete with Grandma Donna's old apron and real wig.  She was the whole package. Delaney started crawling at 7 1/2 months.  Little cruiser, Paisley is close behind.
• November - We finally moved into our new home.  I was so eager that I moved in before wade could even finish the house.  He still had about 7 things on his list to get it finished (nothing huge, like put a door handle on one door, and power wash the garage, little things).  He now only has about 4 things left on that list.  But I was so thrilled I moved in the day they installed the carpet.  We love being home owners and are so grateful we were able to build this beautiful home and what a better month to feel grateful than this one! We had Thanksgiving in town because we had to work on the other house to get it ready to sell and to finish stuff at the new house.  It was nice to be with family and we were grateful for my sister and her hospitality. Paisley started crawling and is super fast, she is keeping up nicely.
• December - We loved the snow and the cold weather we got here.  It felt like North Dakota when we got down to some pretty low temps.  And we even got snow and it stuck around for Christmas! Love that!  Wade worked hard at Coleman and is really getting the hang of things there.  He still loves building houses and is always looking for another home for us to buy and move into and fix up.  That guy!  He's a builder, what can I say.  But I tell you what I married good, he is amazing and does so much for our family.  He makes it possible for me to financially stay home with the girls and that is my dream and he makes it come true!  Gosh I love him!  Delaney and Paisley are both standing up and walking around the furniture.  Delaney took 3 steps on Dec. 23 but nothing more since. Christmas was wonderful, the best part was probably taking Autumn and the girls to the store and telling her we are buying gifts for a family in need.  They had a girl her age and size and she picked things out that she would love to get and didn't even want to keep them for herself.  She said as we walked out to the parking lot, that just makes me feel all warm inside.  THAT is what this time of year is all about.  She was super grateful for everything she got for Christmas and truly felt the spirit of giving.  I have to give credit to my amazing husband for suggesting we do this and it certainly will be a Christmas we won't ever forget!
• Well, I did it again.....I WROTE A TON OF STUFF.  Sorry.....but not really because this is a great way for me personally to keep track of the things we have done. It was an exciting and eventful year for us.  One I have looked forward to since I was a little girl and "wanted to be a mom when I grow up with little babies".  I was the baby doll mom and fed and changed my dolls diapers often and now I have my own baby dolls and trust me I feed and change their diapers OFTEN! 
• I wanted to take a family picture in October and here we are in December and the only one I could get was Christmas day in front of my parents tree.  Maybe next year we will get with the program!
• We hope you all had a marvelous 2013 and that you will forgive me for being a little busy and not posting as often and for posting catch up posts that are SUPER long!  We love you all and count you, our friends and family, as some of our most precious blessings.