7 Years and Counting...

Well, this weekend we spent the majority of it at home doing nothing!  We haven't had a laid back weekend in a while.  We did go out Saturday night to Lindsey's surprise 30th birthday party.  It was just at the Mexican restaurant in 96.  There were a ton of people there though.  Here is a picture of the 96 girls.

All I can say about this picture is it's proof I need to start exercising and dieting!! :)

Tomorrow Justin and I will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary.  It seriously seems like yesterday we were planning and getting everything ready for our big day. Well, I was planning and Justin was just agreeing to what I wanted!  He is such a laid back non-opinionated kind of guy!   There just aren't enough words to describe how thankful I am for having him in my life.  We have been through some pretty tough times but we've always come out stronger than before.  He has been such a helper with Emma & Evan...even from the beginning.  That day in the doctor's office when they told us it was twins and I started freaking out...he was calm and just kept reminding me that it would be okay.  We would survive.  On the days when I just couldn't take it anymore and felt like giving up...he was right there telling me we'd get through it.  He's done way more house chores than he probably should have because I was just exhausted.  He's done way more laundry than he probably should have.  Granted he just throws everything it at the same time and drys everything...but whose to complain when he's helping out???  He gets up almost every night when Emma or Evan cry and brings them to me.  I could go on an on.  There are so many things he has done over the past two years that most guys would never do and even though I am sure he doesn't want to do these things you never hear him complain!  Granted life for us drastically changed when we had twins...but I can't imagine having to have been through that without him.  Justin has always loved kids and I knew he would be a great Father one day but he is by far the best husband and helper out there!! He goes along with all of my crazy home improvement projects and even if he doesn't like them...he does whatever he thinks will make me happy!   So, although I know he isn't perfect and there are days he drives me absolutely crazy...there will never be another guy like this one who holds my heart!!  I knew 15 years ago that he was the one for me and I just pray we have many more years together!!  

We look like babies!!

One of my most memorable days!!

So, as we celebrate another year tomorrow, I just hope and pray that I daily show him just how important he is to me and our little family!  

A memory I don't want to forget...

When I started this blog the whole purpose was to document things going on in our life.  I know I share way more than most of you even care to know!  Sorry!!  Every 6 months, I try to remember to print my blog so anytime I want I can look back and remember Emma & Evan's childhood.  I also want them to be able to look at the books and remember things they did.  Evan has always loved music from day one.  I think playing Baby Einstein to them everyday highly influenced Evan.  Emma loves to sing but she is a lot like my dad and will just make up her own songs.  Evan can hear a song a couple of times and he will remember the tune, some of the words, and will try to sing along.  My most favorite song right now is "Keep Making Me", by Sidewalk Prophets.  If you haven't ever heard this song...please go listen to it!  It is one of the three songs I have actually downloaded to my phone.  Yes, I listen to it a lot and even sing it to Emma & Evan a lot.  They are the lucky ones who get to hear me sing and don't ever tell me how horrible I sound!! :)  This morning Evan was playing his games on my phone while I was getting Emma dressed.  He knows how to work my phone very well.  When I got him and started dressing him...he turned on the music and this was the song that started playing.  He started singing along with the song.  Don't get me wrong...he doesn't know every word to the song but you could definitely tell he knows the tune and certain words in the song.  I quickly carried him in the kitchen for Justin to listen too.  As soon as we walked in the room, Justin looked over and asked me "Is he singing that song??"  I just stood there holding him crying thinking what an awesome sound it was to hear my sweet boy singing or trying to sing a Christian song at age 2!!  I know how happy my heart was so I can only imagine how big God's smile was at that moment!  Evan had gotten a lot of negative attention lately with his misbehaving at school...but this definitely got his some good attention!  It was also a reminder to me just how much of an impact everyday things have on them.  I know they hear things we listen to and things we say...but to hear him repeat that song the way he did was a strong reminder that I am leading him & Emma! What a honor that is!! 

It's a....

Well, this weekend seems to have been just as busy as last weekend was.  We started our weekend by visiting one of my dad's friends house.  Tony has baby bunnies and my dad has been wanting to take Emma & Evan to see them.  Since we got out of school early Friday and it was so pretty we decided to go.  Only when we got there...these weren't baby bunnies anymore!  They were grown rabbits and have even had babies of their own now.  I didn't realize it had been that long that Daddy has been asking to take them.  Well, they loved them.  They didn't actually get in the pen.  Evan would run to whatever side the bunnies were on and of course they then ran to the other side.  And he followed!  So, now we are considering the baby rabbit for Easter.  I had told Justin no but after seeing those sweet bunnies...I think I have changed my mind!  Hopefully we will have better luck with those than we did the fish!

      

Saturday we spent all day getting ready for the reveal party.  Katie got the bright idea that we would make the cake from scratch!  We did take the cake decorating class.  It took us forever...but it was worth it!  Katie even finally used my stand up mixer.  I had to take a picture to show Justin!  He thought it would never be used!

On to the party!  Here are so before pictures of how everything was set up.  We love a party and Katie always does a FANTASTIC job setting things up!!

     
Our goodies bags & dip, and the food table.  We thought it looked good!  I just realized I don't have a close up of the cake, after all that hard work!

                

We even decorated the outside with personalized garden flags...made by me!  

And of course we took some family pictures while we waitied on the other guest to arrive.  Each family was split half and half between boy and girl!  I think everyone though boy...they were just trying to scare Nick.  Except Emma....she really wanted a girl!! :)

      

And then the fun began!  We ate and headed outside for the big reveal!  Our original plans were for Alison to blow up the balloons herself.  Nick wasn't even going to know what the baby was.  The ultrasound lady sealed it in an envelope.  Well, Saturday night...Alison decided even she didn't want to know ahead of time.  So, Matt's mom came to the rescue and did it for us!  She delivered the sealed box just minuted before Alison arrived!  That was so much more fun with no one knowing.  Here are the pictures I snapped of the reveal!!

                

               

Nick was relieved to say the least!  He was scared it was a girl!! 

The "Reid" girls knew it was a boy the whole time!!

                 

Then the box became a toy and the cake was cut into to celebrate! We had a fun time celebrating the "big reveal".  While all this excitement was going on today...we had some work going on at our house!  My new door is in!  It isn't as big as the old doors were...but it is MUCH more usable and practical!  It still isn't finished but I had to share...

Before....(see how small they were???)

And after!  I am going to love it I know!! 

Anyway....that was our exciting weekend!  We aren't going to know what to do now that our life is settling back down!  Have a great week!! 

A whole new respect for Nascar drivers....

Well, this weekend was definitely an exciting one.  We all met at Bi-Lo in Coronaca at 8:00 Saturday morning and we were off to Charlotte!  It was me, Justin, the kiddos, Alison, Nick, Katie, Matt, Momma, Daddy, George, Jo Anne, & Waddy.  What a crew!  I am NOT a fan of interstate driving.  I think I am actually borderline having an anxiety attack when we have to get on the interstate.  It is awful...just ask Justin!  So, to add to my nervousness...as we were driving down the interstate, 8 lanes wide, let me remind you...what falls out of the truck ahead of us but a mattress and box springs!  People were swerving, swapping lanes trying to miss this.  That just did me in!  Thankfully this was near the end of our trip!  We headed for lunch at Sticky Fingers and then we were off to the race track.  We were only there about 2 hours.  Here are the pictures I took of Justin from our trip...

Here are the guys right after we arrive at the track!

Checking things out and the cute puppy we found while waiting for the guys to check in!

This is where we got to stand and watch them take off.   

                     

Emma & Evan did NOT like the loud noise.  They were fine until one of the cars took off.  You can tell here Emma is not excited!

                          

Justin all suited up and waiting to enter his car. And then him climbing in.  He was in the second car.  Matt was in the front red car.  They both went at the same time.  

                   

Another shot of him climbing in and them ready to take off!!

I know you can't tell but this is Justin in the car waiting to go.  They pulled up right beside where we were standing and I tried to get Emma & Evan to come up and wave bye to Daddy.  They didn't like Daddy being in this car!  What were Emma & Evan doing this entire time you might ask....

                      

They were pushing their strollers around the area we were standing in.  But hey...it kept them entertained and from crying when the cars would take off!! :)

                    

And here he is after the ride is over.  All the guys got out saying WOW.  They were clocked at doing about 168 miles per hour.  They all said they have a new respect for a Nascar driver.  How they can mentally drive a car at that high of a speed and he able to make last minute decisions like they have to do it amazing.  All of the guys had a great time and would love to do it again.  For quite a bit more money...you can go and actually drive the car yourself instead of having a professional driver drive you.  That may be our next trip!!  As we waited in line to pick up the pictures they take of you in the car...Evan found himself a little resting place!  

Yes, that is him sitting in a tire! :)  I have to brag a little on them now.  They did excellent Saturday.  We got up Saturday morning at like 6:30.  They didn't sleep at all on the trip up there.  They sat in their seats and watched their movies the entire time.  Not once did they cry.  They were great while we ate at Sticky Fingers.  They entertained themselves at the race track.  After we left the race track...we headed to the hotel to check in.  It was now after 3:00 and they still had had no nap.  As soon as we loaded them up and headed to the hotel, they were both out!  The hotel wasn't even 5 minutes from the rack track.  Justin went inside with everyone else and got us all checked in.  He even carried all our bag inside and can back to help me get them in.  Our plans were to let them nap and then just meet up with the rest of the crew about 5:00 to do a little shopping. They all headed out as soon as they got checked in.  All the guys were going to the Bass Pro Shop and the Concord Mills mall is right there too.  However, Emma & Evan both woke up as we were carrying them inside the hotel. They had maybe been asleep 15 minutes.  So, needless to say, once we got in the room...they weren't going back to sleep.  After about 45 minutes of trying to get them to lay down...we gave up and headed to the Mall ourselves.  Evan stayed with Justin and the rest of the guys and Emma & I went to meet the girls.  We left the mall at about 6:30 and headed out for supper.  We had planned to eat at Texas Roadhouse but the wait there was over 2 hours.  It was 7:00 by this time. We decided to eat at Red Lobster because it was right at the hotel.  The wait there was supposed to be 45 minutes.  After 8:00 we were still waiting.  We considered taking Emma & Evan back to the hotel and just going through a drive-thru.  We waited it out though.  It was about 8:15 when they seated us.  Now...just remember they had been up since 6:30 that morning...going non-stop all day with only a 15 minute nap.  Even me & Justin were tired by now.  They did excellent at supper.  They sat in their high chairs and ate their supper.  They colored and played with our phones the rest of the time.  They even sang Old McDonald to us!  I was so proud of them because they were beyond exhausted!  We finally got back to the hotel and them in the bed about 10:30.  We got up about 8:00 Sunday morning.  After breakfast, chatting, & packing up...we left about 10:30 and headed home.  The rest of the crew decided we would take a different route home and let me just tell you this different route was interstate all the way back to Clinton.  Don't forget it was POURING down rain.  Going 70 miles per hour in the pouring rain with 18-wheeler flying past you...will make anyone have a nervous breakdown!  I am thinking before our Atlanta trip I will get me some sleeping pills or anxiety medicine! :)  So, that was our trip!  IT was a FUN time.   other Turner news...today was St. Patrick's Day.  Of course I took a picture of my cuties this morning!!  Who would ever pinch these sweet babies???

Also, our floors arrived last week and our new doors will either be in this Thursday or this Saturday.  Alison goes for her gender ultrasound on Friday and we will have her reveal party on Sunday!  I am so excited to see what Baby Romagnoli is!!  Stay tuned....  

Springtime Fever!!!

This past weekend has made me ReAdY for SpRiNg!!!  I was over winter after that last snow!  Sunday we celebrated my mom's 62nd birthday with a little gathering at my house.  We are taking both our parents out for a birthday supper this weekend while we are in Charlotte...but this get together was just to celebrate momma!!  She even let Emma & Evan help blow out her candles after she made her wish!

We are taking a couple weeks off from our weekly girls bible study.  We are starting a new study in April and some of the girls from St. Mark are going to join us.  But since we have a few Monday's off, I decided to try the Mommy & Me tumbling class at Balance Point Gymnastics.  Justin's cousin's wife and her sister run this place...so she has telling me we should come.  So, we went Monday night.  At first Emma wanted to part.  She didn't even want me sitting on the mat anywhere near the class.  They were stretching and playing a stop and go game.  Once Anna set out a tunnel for them to climb through and Mary Anne & Claire started crawling through...guess who joined in!!  She loved it then.  She followed them around the rest of the time jumping on the trampoline, jumping in the ball pit, and even swung on the bars a little.  Mary Anne & Claire are awesome little gymnast to only be 3 years old.  I was very impressed and you could tell Emma was too.  I guess that is what happens when your mom owns a gymnastic center!  So, we hope to maybe go back another time or two before bible study starts back.  I really think Emma will like gymnastics!  Tuesday, we decided to give the kite flying another chance!  It was such a beautiful afternoon.  This time Evan even took hold of the handle and ran with the kite and kept it in the air for a while.  Emma wanted no part other than occasionally looking to see where the kite was.  She went inside with MaMa and got m&m's & Pepsi!  My mother spoils these kids rotten!! :)

                     

Here is Evan running with the handle and the kite taking off!  He was proud of himself!!

 

And of course...my little side kick.  You can tell she is holding my hand!  Excuse the dirty face...we ate a granola bar on the way to MaMa's house!!

 

Daddy & Evan flying the kite one more time.  It is hard to see because it is right at the tree.  Right after this picture Evan let go and the kite thankfully hit the telephone pole near by.  It would have been a goner if it weren't for that telephone pole!  Today at Emma & Evan's preschool it was a day celebrating mom's.  We had lunch and then the classes sung little songs for us. The class my two are in didn't perform this year.  However, they did walk out on stage and blow us a kiss.  I tried to take a picture after the program was over but Emma was pitching a little fit so we just put them in the car.  So, the only picture I have of them is with Mrs. Melissa...while they were waiting on the 1 year olds and the babies to blow their momma's kisses.  

Have you ever seen anything cuter than these two??  I sure haven't!!  One more thing and this will be the end of today's blog.  Emma & Evan's Sunday school teacher has started emailing us an activity to do at home each with that will go along with their Sunday School lesson the following week.  You all know I love some activities. This weeks activity is that we are supposed to talk with our preschooler about places where people work together to help others. Praise your child for times when he has helped someone. Say, “Working together shows love.” Involve your child in making a simple trail mix snack. Thank her/him for working with you to get a special task done. Ask your child to draw a picture or make a gift card to accompany the treat. Together deliver the treat to a neighbor.  So, of course since next week is St. Patrick's Day...I found this cute little snack that we are going to make.  

Plus, this is something Emma & Evan can definitely help with.  We just love Mrs. Kim and Granny for taking care of Emma & Evan every Sunday.  Feel free to use this little activity with your little ones.  I will be glad to share the bible story and memory verse with anyone who wants it!  That's it for tonight.  We have a busy weekend ahead with our race car experience in Charlotte this weekend!  Yikes!  I am already nervous!  Check back next week for an update on how that goes!! Good night!!

A Little Bit of Everything...

Today has been quite the busy day!  It was supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny and we had planned to take FULL advantage of that! Justin headed to the woods to cut some trees and we headed outside this morning at 9:00 and other than coming in for naps...we were out there pretty much all day!  I loved every second of it and I am pretty sure Emma & Evan did too. Alison was coming over this morning to help me pain the box for her reveal party, so until she got there they played on their cars and guess who finally let Evan drive her around and then actually drove by herself???  Yes...Emma!!

 

Back to the reveal party...We are all pretty sure it is a boy, however....Justin says he is wearing pink to the party because he thinks it is a girl.  I asked Emma & Evan both at different times what the baby was and they both said girl.  So, it looks like everyone in the Turner household except me will be wearing pink in two weeks!!  We are using balloons to reveal what Baby Romagnoli is...so this is our finished balloon box!!  

Since we were painting...I got out Emma & Evan's paint and let them paint along with us.  That was much easier than trying to keep them away from our little project!

After we finished with our painting...we headed over to my parents to fly our kites.  It had been windy all morning, so I thought it would be a good day to fly kites and we could get them up in the air...but they wouldn't stay.  Emma & Evan liked watching me & Justin running around trying to fly kites.  They ran around the field with us but that was about the extent of their kite flying!  I took lots of pictures but these are the only ones you can really tell what we are doing! :)

      

   

After lunch and nap time...we headed out to Connie Maxwell.  A girl in our bible study told me there were lots of baby goats born there within the past two weeks and that we needed to take E&E out there.   Evan loves any kind of animal and I told him if he was better at school after his couple of bad days that we could go.  Thankfully he was good Thursday & Friday, so he got a little treat!  They both loved all the animals.  Even Emma tried to pet the horse and goat that actually came near us.  However...she wasn't a fan of the little puppy out there.  She would run from him and he thought it was a game and chased her.  Needless to say...she did not like him!  Here are a couple pictures from that outing!!

                 

Daddy, Emma & Evan trying to get the horse to come close and Emma & Evan petting one of the goats!

              

They were just standing there looking at the llama.  Then, here he came.  Emma backed up but Evan just looked at him!

                      

                   Here is Miley and Emma trying to run from him.  It was too funny!!

                

We played a little while on the play set.  And this last picture I just love.  There were kneeling down talking to each other about the animals! How sweet are they??? After we left Connie Maxwell...headed out for supper and to Dairy Queen for ice cream.  Today is my mom's birthday and we were going to stop by there anyway to get her a cake for her party tomorrow so we figured we would go inside for a little treat ourselves!  So, that was our day.  Since we are losing an hour of sleep tonight...we are hoping it won't affect Emma & Evan too bad! They are already in the bed snoozing away and Justin & myself are heading that way soon!  Oh yeah..let me show a couple pictures of how our house updates are coming.  

                 

Doesn't it look better already??  Now...that other light has got to go!! And the painting in Emma's room is finished...but by me and not by the lady I had planned to do it.  I was proud of myself and the way it turned out!  I am crafty after all!! :) 

Our new flooring has shipped and should arrive this week.  Darnell is going to start on our doors probably the next week.  It's coming along!  That is it for our day...hope you got outside and enjoyed this beautiful day!!  Good night and don't forget to set your clock forward!!  Yay for daylight savings time!!