The Christmas Card Photo Quest

Mon Dieu! How many twins does it take to get a seven month old and a two-and-a half year old to look into the camera at the same time and smile?? Melissa and I thought we'd brave the task of capturing the ever important Christmas Card Photo ourselves. Ohhhh naive mommies! Once the perfectly planned Christmas outfits were donned our formerly shiny, happy little ones (who so often indulge their camera crazed moms) just couldn't get in the Christmas spirit, at least not at the same time. We still got a few chuckles out of the day and in the end, a card.

One of many photos where they are totally not looking or smiling at the same time despite any amount of coaxing or bribery!
What it is they are trying to get us to do???

Ohhhhh babies! No one is happy here!

Houston, we have a card! Teagan is not smiling in the larger picture. Do you know what her Daddy asked? "Why didn't you use one where they were BOTH smiling???" As if!

Teagan Meets Santa!!

We had a quiet family weekend where we focused on all things Christmas. Teagan got to meet the big guy himself!

Here's how it happened... We wondered how we would ever get this squirmy worm to sit on Santa's lap???

Jumping up and down on these gold posts helps pass the time. Thanks Dad for the help! And thanks Auntie Avril for the beautiful Christmas dress!!
Wow! The magic of Christmas!!

Christmas Treats

Thanks to Nana Mo I have THE perfect holiday treat for our girl's night at Nikki's. I bought cute little tins and will fill them with two types of bark. This one is white chocolate, hazlenut and cranberry. The other will be milk chocolate with peppermint. It took seconds to make and I loved the way it turned out!

It was rainy and cold here today so we hung out as a family and decorated for Christmas. Almost didn't make it out of our jammies but then around 3:00 we rallied and left the house! I had so much fun playing with Teagan who is definitely teething but still her happy, sweet self!

My Love

For me, the sweetest time I have as a mother is in the wee hours of the nursery when Teagan's diaper has been changed or she has had a bottle and is snuggling into my arms content and ready to drift back to sleep. Sometimes she takes a tiny hand and puts it to my cheek, our eyes meeting. With no words we tell each other, "You are my everything."

Today Brian and I can't stop marveling at how this little tiny being has come into our world...and become our world. We hardly believe how God blessed us via this little girl with the sweet spirit to cuddle, laugh and giggle with. We are so grateful this holiday season and hope yours is blessed as well.

So Much to Be Thankful For

The Guckenberger's were so nice to include us in their family Thanksgiving again this year. I loved how Alex and Olivia decorated the walls and table with art and chocolate turkey placecard holders. Teagan tried pumpkin and mashed potatoes for the first time and loved both which made her daddy very happy! There's some Irish in there somewhere if she's a spud lover!

We have so much to be thankful for this year including our family and friends, Gerry's recovery and release from the hospital in Ireland, Keith and Brian's new jobs, our little Pascaline in Rwanda, the fact that somehow Melissa and I made it to our 40th birthdays and with just a little worse for the wear...we are even grateful for Teagan's first tooth that popped up this week because it means our little girl is growing up, even if it is so very quickly. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving of their own!!!

Olivia and Teagan

Ze Artistes Alex and Olivia

Jon hamming it up!

Jen, Alex and Jean

I've so much to be thankful for!

I'm telling you pumpkin is DIVINE!!

Kade's Gotcha Day!

We had so much fun celebrating cousin Kade's Gotcha Day on November 13th which marks the day Melissa's adoption was finalized. At 2.5 years old he is alllllllllllll about Buzz Lightyear and friends so the night primarily focused on the merits of Good Buzz versus Bad Buzz!!

We love you SO much Kade. You are such a sweet, funny boy with tons of energy. And you are so very gentle with your new cousin who will grow up as if your sister. Big hugs from Uncle Brian (Bri-kan), Auntie Sooz and Teagan

So our thinking was, how cute is this? A Buzz Lightyear cake!

Two year old translation: You put Buzz in CAKE???!!?? That is so not cool.

He even introduced Teagan to his favorite toy.

They love each other!

Gotcha!!!

Pictures of Ireland

I wanted to share some of the pictures I captured while we were in Ireland. Brian spent too much time at the hospital in Dublin while Teagan and I spent most of our time in Co. Cork and I also finally got to see The Ring of Kerry (thanks Av!!). As a family we had a few nice days in Galway.

The Gap of Dunloe

Taking a yogurt break after the climb at the gap! Horse drawn carriages usually cart people up the steep hills but they were no match for two eager moms with super strollers!!

K&A's house in the countryside

Out for a walk at K&A's house.

Brian and Keith at Michael Collins' memorial and incidentally the place he was ambushed, Béal na mBláth

A castle that was built in 1035.

I am going to frame this one for my friend Brianne who loves Ireland as much as I do. We captured this on a walk around the farm in Galway.

Brian and Teagan walking on the farm.

Galway city. We went to eat fish and chips at a place Brian liked when he went to Galway University.

Teagan LOVES Ireland and can't wait to come back!!

Trip to Ireland

We spent the latter part of September and most of October in Ireland. Brian's father continues to recover and we are so looking forward to his first request which will no doubt be for some delicious sort of cake...or round of golf! While we were home it was great to catch up with friends and relatives. Teagan and I had a very special time with Shay and Avril. We filled our days with long walks, trips to the park, lots of laughter and I got completly hooked on The X Factor. A special hello to her family!

Cousin Shay shows Teagan the ropes at the local playground.

This is technically from the beach trip but I had to include it here. I will always remember this look as being so Teagan at age 5-6 months! Little Man is ready to go for a walk!

Ok, all I picture here is these two as teenagers and the amount of trouble they will get into on summer trips to see each other!!

He's a little Keith if I ever did meet one!

Baby Teagan sleeping so peacefully on a walk.

And waking up a few minutes later. This is one of my favorite pictures as it shows her sweet spirit.

Baby and Daddy waking up! No doubt SkySports is playing some form of footy on the telly.

Teagan's First Beach Trip

Hello everyone! You may be wondering where the heck we have been??? Sigh. I so wish I were as diligent in updating the blog given friends with two, three and more children, super busy careers and social lives who manage to make blog updating look - well, ever so easy. I even know one super dad who updates regularly with cool videos and a clever mom who changes the background of her blog daily....Alas, that would not be this blog. I had the very best intentions of posting our Florida scoop (mere weeks after the September trip) when an emergency in Ireland called us home. Thankfully all is well on the Emerald Isle and I am a dedicated picture taker, much to my husband's delight (um hm). We've much to catch up on then so here we go!

Teagan's First Beach Trip

First, in September Teagan and I went on a spur-of-the moment trip to Florida so she could meet my sister and her family. The look on her cousins faces as we surprised them was priceless! We have some great memories of our time with Uncle Ron, Auntie Angie and cousins Peyton, Kiersten and Zachary.

Teagan's first time touching sand! Here she is practicing the "Mmmmm" face her cousins taught her. Thanks auntie Angie for the great picture idea! Who needs a professional photographer with her around?
We took this one for daddy's desk.
Love this outfit from the R's. We thought this old piece of driftwood was a pretty cool backdrop.
Mom took this one. One of my favs.
We saw dolphins swimming just off the shore everyday.

Kiersten and Peyton snuggling up with little Mouse.

Poor Zachary. He'd had enough of the pictures already!! Z-Man, Uncle Brian says he knows just how you feel.

Thanks Uncle Ron and Auntie Angie for an awesome time!!