Sisters by Chance Friends by Choice

 Happy Birthday to my Twin Sister and my best friend!  For the past 39 years, or at lease the ones I can remember, I have LOVED sharing a birthday with you!  I think it is a privilege to share this day with you and I wouldn't want it any other way. The only way that could make it better is if we could always celebrate together.  You are so beautiful.... just look at that picture!  You sparkle!  How do you do that?  I am so blessed to have walked through the past 38 years with you by my side.  Being a twin is special.  It makes us unique, even though growing up we were often confused for one, rather than two individuals. 
It still seems funny to me when I think about all the times we were asked if "we could feel each other's pain"  The answer is of course no... but in all honesty the answer could be yes.  Not in the literal sense of course.  You can't hit me if you want Heather to feel it but we have grown up together.  Her hurts are my hurts.  I can empathize with  her like NO ONE else.  There is just a bond there.  As children when one of us would cry, so would the other.  There's a trait that hasn't faded.  So I guess the truth is when she hurts, I hurt.  Even though we are two very different individuals we can truly understand what the other one is going through.  I just love being a twin... to you, Heather!  I promise to always feel your pain and hope that cutting that pain in half helps!

 Do you love this picture?  I do!  I took this picture with a polaroid camera.  I embarrassed the daylights out of her that night.  This happened to be Heather and Grant's (husband) first official date.  I told her she would thank me one day.  (she did.... on her wedding day)  Maybe being a twin comes with some intuition.  I had the foresight to snap a shot that marks the beginning and I even guessed the weekend that she got engaged- much to Heather's SHOCK!!!

I included this picture to show you just how classy my twin sister is!  This was taken at the 80's dance at her son's school.  She told me she was going to wear an iron on of Michael Jackson.  This is NOT what I was expecting.   This is classy!  I have no idea how she does it.   But... I love it! 

Heather and I are really pretty different people.  Not like what you see on TV.  One of us isn't an athletic star while the other a diva but we still maintain very different personalities.  However, there is always that underlying "thing" that makes us very similar!  Even though we don't look nearly as much alike as we once did... we still get people tripped up.   My nephews poor gym teacher thought Heather had drastically changed her hair one afternoon when I made the after school pick up! 

I just wanted to take a little more space than a facebook status update to tell my best friend, my sister, Happy Birthday!   We are not perfect!  We are still siblings after all and we had our moments both when we were young and older where we fought but darn it.... I know that she always has my back.....and I have hers!  

So Happy Birthday Little Sister (by 24minutes) may this day be grand!  I know it will be for me because not only do I get to wake up tomorrow and remember it's my birthday... I also get to remember that it is your birthday too! 

The Mommy Card

Let me Introduce Myself!

To a whole new neighborhood.... to a whole new world!

Yesterday I was given a "mommy" card from a gal who will be our future neighbor!    I love mommy cards.  My sister, Heather, made me my own mommy cards a while back.  It's a great way to get your information to others.  I am taking my mommy cards to the bus stop today to hand out!   My mommy cards list my blog on it so I thought I would take a second ( and take advantage of the fact that my kids don't have to get up at 6:00 anymore because the new school starts later) I thought I would share a little bit about me and my family.  For the handful of people (and by people I pretty much mean family) who actually read my blog this information will not be new but hopefully I can throw out a new picture or two for everyone's entertainment.

This is me!  I had just had a haircut, color and style so it probably isn't the me that parades around most of the time but hey.... best foot forward and all that, right? 
I've been lucky enough to stay at home since the birth of our first daughter in December of 2006.  I was a second grade teacher in the Bettendorf School District.  I loved my job as a teacher but I always knew I wanted to stay home with kids one day.  I am VERY blessed to get to realize this dream!  My husband is Jim and is disguised as a Facilities Engineer at John Deere Davenport Works by day and becomes his true self in the evening, as the leader of three Weight Watchers meetings a week.    We now have three children, a second daughter born in April of 2009 and a son born in November of 2011.  Helaina, Breleigh and Easton are our miracles!

I have lived in the Quad Cities since I tied the knot in 1999.  We lived first in East Moline, then in Port Byron and now moving back into town- Bettendorf ( as of Sept 20th anyway).  I married my high school sweetheart.   Usually when I tell people that we dated for eight years their eyes bug out of  their heads but when you review the facts it makes a lot of sense.  I was 16, he was 15 and we had high school and college to finish first!  In some ways we took the vow of "in sickness and in health" before we ever said our marriage vows.  High school saw me supporting Jim through a knee surgery and a back injury and at the end of our senior year in college it found Jim supporting me as I fought Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  A journey and a story I am passionate to tell so don't be surprised if it pops up on the blog soon.  (feel free to ask me anything also- I am an open book)  We married in the Fall of 1999 and have had a great life here in the Quad Cities.  Our four year streak of something negative happening in the medical department continued as Jim was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) a few years into our marriage.  He's an  open book about his MS too so feel free to ask questions!  He has had an AWESOME two years and I think we have a new course of drug therapy to thank for that!  All in all we are pretty blessed around here.  We broke that that four year medical curse by having our first child four years after  Jim was diagnosed with MS.  After 6 months of chemotherapy for me, while being treated for the Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, we were unsure if having children naturally would be possible.   Helaina, Breleigh and Easton defied the odds... just like me!!!   Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!

We are not originally from this area but instead grew up in the Cedar Rapids area.  My family has all moved away from the area now.  Most of my family is in Minnesota (living in pretty close proximity to one another).  My mom and dad, brother and twin sister all live up there and my eldest brother lives in Colorado.  I miss them and wish we could all live closer or have one of those "beam me up" Star Trek things so we could visit ALL the time!  My parents and my sister and her family show up on my blog from time to time so stay tuned!  

Well.... it's almost time to get the kids up so we can get ready for school.  I'm currently driving across the ( one lane closed) 80 bridge  each morning to get Helaina to her bus stop so she can start her school routine even before we move in.   I will sign off for now but hopefully anyone who chooses to use my "mommy" card to look me up now has a little better idea of " the new neighbors!"  We are VERY excited to be moving into Beaver Crossing in Bettendorf and so far all the people we have met have been wonderful!

                                                                      That's US!!!!  
                                                                The Moran Family
             

Nana and Papa Visit

 Yarn was very popular on Nana and Papa's most recent visit.   Nana was knitting and the girls both learned how to finger knit!  

 Papa spent several days putting together all the new Ikea pieces for the remodeled playroom.   (see pic below)

Helaina was pretty independent with her finger knitting.  I was impressed.  With some more practice I can see her making me all sorts of package ties this next Christmas!

 This is Easton's favorite book.  He could find it on the bookshelf very easily and enjoyed reading it to his NANA.  He likes to look at the book, point, and say "ieieieieieieieieieie"  Has he been listening to us read with Helaina or what?  hehehehehehe

Just a brief glimpse of our beautiful new playroom!   It is so loved.  Thanks to my mom and dad for their hard work.  I am thrilled with how the pain turned out and I love the decorations too.  The girls have been putting it to good use already.   They are not always thrilled that I ask them to clean up after themselves but they'll get over it!

Friendly Talents

Easton and his new buddy Cason.  They recently met again at Lowe's and spent the entire time copying each other and smiling.  It was super duper cute! 

 Oh Breleigh!   She has a real sense of her own.  If she wants to wear her tiger hat while visiting one of mommy's friends then darn it she is going to do it.  She doesn't care what someone might think.  It's an asset- one I don't have and I hope she keeps!!!!   Way to go Tiger girl!

 Spit and drool!  I don't want to sound like I am bragging and I sure don't want to make any too jealous but my boy is an advanced spitter!  So, sorry for you but if there was a gold medal for spitting... my boy would win it hands down!   I mean he can soak a coat in a matter of minutes if he sets his mind to spitting!

 I like this picture.  My hair is a little wonky but I like the look on my face.  I am in awe of my children and who they are becoming.  Unfortunately I sometimes feel like my face looks more like a frustrated dragon so it was nice to have someone capture this!

 Breleigh was very inquisitive about this globe.  "What's this?" "What's this?"  I do hope she has more of a grasp of geography that I do.  ( I did try to improve that in college and willingly took Geography only to be disappointed.  The professor decided to focus on the geography of people.  So, I can tell you all about people of the world but have no idea where they are!  HA!

See.... Spit King right there!!!   I mean how many of you can do that?    hehehehehehe

Aren't these pictures awesome.  I am seriously in AWE of my NEW friends talent.  She seriously pulled her camera from the bay window, opened her door for better light and this is what she got!  Seriously!!!!    I am SUPER lucky that she is so giving and shared them with me.   There's nothing I like better than pictures of my kids!  (This visit took place on a Friday morning while Helaina was at school!)\

Happy Halloween

 My three favorite little Halloweenies!!!!  Two American Girl Dolls (Kaya and Kit) and one Super Boy!

 My little Kit strikes a pose before trick or treating.  Thanks to Auntie Heather for the trick or treat bags.  They really upgraded the outfits.  It was a pretty chilly night so there were A LOT of layers under those costumes!  Breleigh actually looks like she has chubby legs.  hehehehehe  Anyone who knows her knows that this is not the usual case!  Let's see... now I just need to toot my own horn a little.  I made Breleigh's skirt but bought the rest.  I did however take a sweater that was too long and cut it shorter and then sew the band back on the bottom and I also added the ribbon to hat.  The hat was actually mine back in the days of "no hair" so it was large on Breleigh.  After two failed attempts to pull it together with dental floss to tighten it I finally ran some elastic on the inside.  Worked like a charm!!!!  I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!!! 

 Kaya- I have always thought that I should have a little girl who would dress up as a Native American.  Don't know why but I have just always felt that way.  Then last year in preschool they studied Native Americans and Helaina became VERY interested and connected their study to the American Girl Doll.  I knew I HAD to turn her into Kaya.  We knew VERY early that this would be her costume.  I am so proud of myself on this one.  After extensive discussion with my costume mentor (a.k.a. my mom) I made my own pattern using a night gown and some wrapping paper got the basic shape.  Then it was off into the world of "extras".  I loved putting it all together piece by piece.  The fabric was already fringed on the bottom so I just had to do the sides.  I literally made this entire dress.  My mom made the headband for Helaina.  It was important for her to have that since she couldn't have the "actual" braids that Kaya has.  I did manage to learn to french braid weeks before Halloween.  It wasn't a fantastic job but we got through it!!!!  Helaina already had the fun fringed boots so it was super easy to complete the look. 

 She's silly!   I don't always let her show her true silly side...  I need to more.  just saying!

Super Boy

 Originally I was going to have Easton be a frog.  Found the costume at Once Upon a Child for 8 bucks.  He was super cute as a frog.  But...... something changed my mind.  You'll have to keep reading to find out what that "something" was!!!!  I was so proud of myself on this one.  I actually used a sweatshirt and made my own pattern for this cape.  First time for that!!!!  I have been reading this blog that I love called Make it Love it and she does this kind of thing all the time.  It was so much fun to have it all come together.  I decided I wasn't even going to fight with an actual mask so I velcroed it to his hood.  All babies need hoods for midwestern Halloween's- don't you think?  The hard part of this was making it tight enough around the ears.    I thought he was so adorable.  Of course.... we learned a valuable lesson about Super Boy just after these photos were taken.  (stay tuned for that little tid bit too)

 Kit has freckles!!!!  Aren't they cute!?!  Don't they totally change her look.  I googled an image of Kit (no we do not have the doll but Breleigh has her on her Santa list) and tried to copy the placement of the freckles!!!

Super Daddy!!!!

 Yes.... I did turn my husband into Super Daddy!!!!!  I have always had a thing for a man in uniform!!!!  I love this picture of my two super dudes!  I think it looks like Easton is pointing out some injustice that Super Daddy must try to solve.  Perhaps one of his sisters was up to no good? 

 Doesn't duct tape rock?   Both my boys wore duct tape super hero belts.  I wasted a lot of tape making them because I didn't really know what I was doing but I think it turned out pretty cool. 

Super Baby Cannot Fly

While trying to instruct Jim on where to be to get his picture taken with the kids he looked away from Easton,  I looked away from Easton and the girls were not holding on to him (not that we told them to do so) and he leaned forward and fell from the top step to the bottom step on his face.  Jim lunged for him and caught his cape but since it fastened with velcro at the neck he was left cape and I was left with a rather sad and injured Super Baby.  He handled it with courage though.  He scraped his head and nose but no goose egg so that is a good thing.  Aye Yi Yi Yi!  Mother of Year..... here I come!!!

All in All we had a great time this year.  I wasn't sure what to be for Halloween so I went as the All American Mom.  (Pioneer Mom)   The girls liked it and I already had the costume.  My mom had made it for me while I was teaching second grade.  Thanks to Bre for taking our family picture.  Much easier than the tripod we had set up!  We got a couple of good shots which is a miracle when you have five people in the picture!  I am already looking forward to next year. 

Back to School Luau

Guess who won first place in the best dressed family contest at the Luau? We Did!

Breleigh's First Day of Preschool

 The before picture!  I asked her to look at me but was told the sun was too bright.  I guess she must have sensitive eyes like her mommy! 

 She is so proud to be carrying her own back ack!  (yes I left off the P on purpose-  that is the closest I can get to spelling it the way she says it!)  So cute!

 On our way!  She is thinking.... Finally!  She has been Super excited to go!

 Breleigh meets with Mrs. Webb for the first time as a preschooler!  She has been watching Helaina go to preschool in this same place for two years and it is finally her turn!

This was taken while walking out of the preschool room!  Do you think she had a good time?   The picture says it all!!!!