Adoration

I can't help but absolutely adore my two little ones...I absolutely eat up every single moment I have with them.

From Billy's sly grin when he climbs up on top of a toy for the tenth time (which he knows it is a no-no), to Brooklyn patting my back while giving me a hug.

From Billy's loud giggles as he barrels down the hallway chasing after a ball, to Brooklyn's sweet grin as she says kitty-kitty while looking out the front door.

From Brooklyn following me from room to room and sticking her fingers under the door while I'm in the bathroom, to Billy dancing up and down when one of his favorite Bubble Guppies episodes come on.

From Brooklyn wanting mommy, and only mommy at certain times, to Billy suddenly having the sweetest expression across his face and surprising me with a sugar.

Even when Brooklyn is kicking and huffing because she doesn't want to sit still in the church pew, or Billy gets his feelings hurt because he isn't allowed to climb to the highest point in the room, I love them so incredibly much.

These are the days.

Is it possible to adore your children too much? I think not.

Even when they are acting like little Indians and I have to discipline them, I love them that much more.

They are constantly filling my heart with so much tenderness, my actions with so much affection, my soul with so much fulfillment, my prayers with so much fervor.

I have never felt more loved or more counted on than I do now.

The stage the twins are in gets more and more fun each day. I am endlessly thrilled by each new word I hear and each new reaction I see as they explore the world around them. Children have a way of allowing us to break apart our busy lives into small segments, and they teach us to appreciate the smallest of things. Brooklyn got the biggest satisfaction out of carrying around an empty KFC box today. Billy adored the fact that he got to carry around a capri-sun drink.

With each new day, my eyes open a little more and I see just how much they are watching Billy and I, and sweetly, just how much they want to be like us and do the things we do. It gives way to a little self-examination. Exactly what am I showing them is important? How do I react when the going gets tough? What are the expressions I give? What am I showing them regarding how a husband/wife relationship should be? How often do I tell them about our Lord and His love for them? It is never too early to set a good example. Especially in the world we live in today.

Parenthood comes with some serious responsibilities.

It still amazes me to think about how far we have come over the last sixteen months. All the sleepless nights and fussy spells and sickness. It's hard to believe Brooklyn will sleep for ten hours at night and Billy gobbles up his food so well at mealtime.

I pray every night that God will give them long and fruitful lives in His Service.

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for the two biggest blessings and accomplishments of my life. Everything I did prior to November 18th 2010 carries so little comparison and meaning to the day my precious twins entered this world and became my life's work. Please be with Billy and I and give us the knowledge, patience, and know-how to lead them to You through our consistency, our gentleness, our love. I take time everyday to kiss Billy's short, chubby feet and to hold Brooklyn's small hand. I pray that one day they will meet strong Christian mates and that they will grow together in Christ and will have a happy, Christ-centered home. May we always remember James 1:17 and always give You the glory. Amen.

St Louis Trip and updates on the twins!

The twins are getting bigger and bigger these days! I still refer to them as babies, but I guess when Billy IV starts walking full-time I will have to own up and refer to them as toddlers. He is up to sixteen steps so far. He does things on his own time. He carries around his basketballs on the back of his legs and will crawl everywhere with them. It is quite the skill. And he is mad fast at crawling, so I suppose he sees no need to walk. Secretly, I think he knows it will be hard on mommy for Brooklyn and he to not offically be "babies" anymore so he is being kind and crawling for my benefit. ;)

A little over a week ago Netty and Big Daddy kept the twins Thursday night through Sunday night so Billy and I could go on a anniversary/Halloween convention trip. Ah yes, Halloween. My husband is obsessed. Every year in March, there is a huge Halloween convention in St Louis, MO. I think this year was it's 17th year running (my husband will correct me if I am wrong). They have hundreds of vendors there. Billy was literally like a kid in a candystore. When we got out of the car, I literally had to hold his hand tightly to keep him from sprinting off to it. For once in my life, I held the credit cards. :) There were so many scary creatures there! Apparently I must look sweet and innocent, because all the owners of the vendors would see me coming and as we passed by they would suddenly push a button and BOOM! Some scary creature would jump out. I could seriously feel them watching me as I strolled along and got closer. They would be in the middle of ringing up a purchase and ta-da! A mechanical dog would jump out of it's cage or a monster would come storming out of a coffin. I tried to contain myself but jumped at least twice. Several people thought it was funny. :)


(The B&B we stayed at- I LOVE homes like this!)

Billy got several good ideas during the trip. He wants to have a haunted house/trail a few years from now. I definitely think it is something he can and will achieve. Every year he purchases a few props and builds several of his own. He is great with money and has some great plans so I am looking forward to scaring the people of Lawrenceburg and surrounding communities one day. :)

While we were in St Louis, we also enjoyed some amazing meals and I did a little shopping. I had been deathly sick the week before, and some of the sickness was still lingering but I made it through. It was nice to relax and to take it easy.

I definitely missed the twins though! When we got back to Biff and Penny's house to pick them up, I was out of the car in a flash and had them in my arms smothering them with kisses. Sorry kids. :) Billy and Brooklyn are my WORLD. Everything I do revolves around them. I am so thankful to have to a wonderful set of second parents like Biff and Penny. I don't even refer to or think of them as in-laws. They genuinely treat Adam and I like we are one of their own. That is a rarity and such a blessing. They have done so much for us, and we will have some huge shoes to fill one day when it comes our turn. And I will absolutely ensure we do the same. :)

It was nice for Billy and I to have some time to ourselves and to have the opportunity to "miss" the twins. I am of course with them 24/7 and I will admit that on those rare occasions, I do get a little exhausted and need a little time for mommy. I think the twins enjoyed having time with Netty and Big Daddy as well. When we all got home and I was helping Brooklyn get to sleep, she put her little hand on my face as she drifted off and I absolutely knew that I am right where I am supposed to be at this point in my life. I have never felt more loved or needed than I do right now. And it is such a blessing. Billy IV will often give me a big ole grin and start laughing and I can tell in his dark brown eyes how much he loves mommy. It melts my heart. :)

The twins are playing so well during the day and are saying more and more words. I am so proud of them. Brooklyn walks here, there and everywhere and I can tell she thinks she is at least 16. Billy climbs this, that, and everything. :) He is like his daddy! So thankful for these two little ones!

Easy Breezy

Every stage with the twins is new and fun, but I must say that at 15 months old, these are my most favorite days ever. I am not accustomed to how easy our days are now! I am so impressed with my sweeties! I think I have been so used to running around like a wild Indian grabbing bottles, changing diapers, feeding babies, and picking up toys that I forgot how to sit still and simply relax. And I actually get so much rest at night now that I don't even need to take a nap when they do during the day. WOW. Never thought that would happen. :) Billy typically sleeps for 11 hour stints and Brooklyn sleeps in at least 8 or more hour stints (she occasionally stirs about 30 minutes after bedtime but will then go back to sleep and stay asleep). I feel so blessed and do not take it one bit for granted.

We have officially made it over that hump of exhaustion that we (enjoyably of course) experienced over the first year. I feel quite accomplished. :)

These days, the twins are saying more and more words and they are playing so well during the day. There are times when Brooklyn will just come sit in my lap for fifteen minutes or more, or Billy will lay on his sleeping bag and just simply hang out, and it is so nice! They also understand me clearly. If I ask Brooklyn to bring me a book or her baby doll, she will go grab one or the other and bring it back. Or if I ask Billy if he is hungry or wants a bite-bite (food) he will come to me or go to his high chair. Easy breezy.

The only real struggle we have is getting them to sit still during worship service. Whew they hate being confined! And I understand. I have been trying to pull out all the stops though and it is getting easier. :)

Billy IV told me he loved me for the first time last night. Since the day they were born, I have told the twins I love them thousands of times (literally), and to see him make eye contact with me and say those words melted me into a puddle of mush. God is so good!

I am so thankful for these two amazing blessings!

14 months!!!

Well, one of my New Year's resolutions was to write on my blog three times a week....

Well, er, then we all got sick. Repeatedly.

I feel so sorry for the twins. One will get sick, have it a few days, and then the next one will get sick and have it for a while. I don't think they have went more than three weeks since November without getting sick....bless them. But mommy and daddy are taking extra good care of them and giving them lots of love and attention. :)

These days, it seems like the twins are growing SO fast. It used to be that I would seem to see changes week to week, and now it as though I am seeing them minute to minute.

Brooklyn is a WALKER now. Ah yes, at 14 months. :) She has reached the point where she prefers walking over crawling and stands up like it is nothing. I can tell she thinks she is big to do, and she IS. Brooklyn looks eerily like me in my baby pictures, and I can't describe how good it makes me feel to see brown-eyed Brooklyn toddling around in her princess pj's with a doll in hand. There is something so special about that...sometimes I feel like I am watching myself from 25 years ago. Minus the "diva" aspect. Yes indeed. This is Brooklyn's world and we are living in it. ;) haha I am super laid-back about things, so most the time it just makes me giggle more than anything. But I can tell we are going to have to work with her a tad in the good ole discipline department. Patience grasshopper as Billy III would say! :) But she is just as loving too. She gives more hugs and kisses than any other toddler I have ever seen. And it is so precious to see her rock her babies and give them sugars. She is also developing into a "mama" for Billy IV, which I knew would happen eventually. She will bring him his pacifier if she sees it laying around and will put it in his mouth for him (He always smiles really big). Or during bathtime, if she sees that he is fussing (he suddenly isn't a fan of baths) she will pick up a water toy and hand it to him. But along with being a "mama" to him in that way, she is also attempting to be a mama in other ways too, lol. For instance, the other day Billy was standing up by the couch watching Bubble Guppies from the laptop and she decided it was best that he not be touching the couch, so she carefully (and softly) removed his hands from it. Um, no ma'am. :) haha I have an older sister, so just as much as I adore Brooklyn, I adore Billy just the same and am serious about making sure Billy doesn't experience the younger-child syndrome (yes, one minute makes a difference- I'm telling you). So it is a sweet dynamic. :) But they are both so precious and I can tell they genuinely love and appreciate each other.

Billy still prefers to speed crawl over walking. He sees Brooklyn walking around, and quickly speeds by on all fours. :) Oh, he says, whats the big deal? He will walk when he gets ready! He is so good with his vocabulary right now. I have come to believe he can repeat any word that he feels like repeating. The other day, Billy III asked him if he would like Lucky Charms cereal, and he said "Lucky Charms" like he had said it a million times before. He is also good at repeating animal sounds. He can say woof woof, moo moo, growl like a lion, etc. Right now his main words are Boo (our dog), bite bite (for more food), daddy (naturally-he is a daddy's boy), horse, kitty, and there are a slew of other words. He says them with such ease. He is such a sweetheart. He has a laid back demeanor and typically just goes with the flow these days. He rarely fusses and just plays and plays. I am so proud of him. He recently got some new toddler clothes (along with sis), and he looks so handsome in them! His hair still has a reddish tint, and I am SO hopeful that it will stay around. Please please please! :)

The twins typically play really well together (I would say around 85% of the time we are good to go) but we have just entered a "non-sharing" phase, or possessive stage, whatever you want to call it. I read through some of my books and it said the typically child doesn't genuinely understand what sharing means until around the age of 2.5-3. Okay, so we are roughly 1 year away. :) haha They do understand no-no though and that it is not appropriate to take things from one another. That is the interesting thing with two, we are going to experience phases much sooner than other singletons. And I completely understand. I wasn't a fan of sharing my toys all the time either. haha

I am so proud of my two little ones. They are growing, learning, and developing so quickly. I am soaking these moments in!!!

Made from scratch chocolate croissants- Recipe #1 of 52 new recipes for the new year.

Ever since seeing the movie It's Complicated, I have been obsessed with making chocolate croissants from scratch. Since one of my new year's resolutions is to make one new recipe a week for the full year, I thought why not start off 2012 with a bang! So I researched several recipes, picked one out, and went right to work.

Making croissants is a little bit time-consuming (you have breaks in between the dough chilling), but it is super easy and totally worth it. They are SO much better than store-bought crescent rolls and don't have that fake butter taste like the ones in the frozen foods section. Eek.

Here is the recipe I selected! It was borrowed from chickensintheroad.com.

Step 1
1 1/3 cups cold butter
3 cups all-purpose flour

Cut butter into 1/2-inch slices. Mix with 3 cups flour in a bowl and chill while preparing Step 2.

Step 2
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package yeast
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, heat milk, sugar and salt in a pan on the stove till warm. Add to yeast-flour mixture along with the egg. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low, then on high for 3 minutes.

Step 3
Stir in chilled butter-flour mixture. Flouring hands, knead dough very gently, punching about eight times. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out on a floured surface into a large rectangle (about 20 inches by 10 inches). Fold dough into thirds, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours or overnight (or freeze for 30 minutes).

Step 4
Take dough out of refrigerator. Using a floured rolling pin again, roll dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle as described in Step 3. Fold, wrap, and chill dough again, this time for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step 5
Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into fourths (*I did mine in thirds) by cutting the dough. Shape each piece into a ball. At this point, you can either use the dough right away, refrigerate it for up to a week, or freeze it for later use. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and store inside a Ziploc baggie. Thaw frozen dough to use. To use immediately, put on a floured surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle.

I floured my working surface, rolled a third of the dough into a very thin pizza shape with a floured rolling pin, cut it into 12 pizza-slice shapes, and then put chocolate chips on the fat end of each slice of dough. Then I rolled them up, pinched the ends together, and placed them on a greased baking sheet.

Next, I whisked an egg white with one tablespoon of water and brushed each croissant with it.

Finally, I sprinkled each croissant with a little salt, preheated the oven to 375 and baked them for 10-15 minutes.

All done and super delicious!!!

There is something about making your own bread that makes you feel like a legitimate homemaker. Sure made me proud. Haha I was so worried that they wouldn't come out right but they were perfect. So if I can do it, then that means you can.

Letting Go and Letting God

As another year passes me by and a new one begins, I can't help but think of the importance of "Letting Go and Letting God." This quote has always been of significance to me. It is all to easy to become wrapped up in every-day worries and concerns and to lose focus on our Lord. I wish I had a "counter" of sorts so I could see just how much time I spend worrying about the health and future of our twins, the spiritual life of family members, finances, a clean house...

It is a tad bit tiring to even think about, but also a form of release just to be able to get my worries out in the open. What do you worry about? What is interfering with your ability to fully trust in God and to know that you are His child and that He loves you and will take care of you? What is it time to finally let go of?

Jim Elliot, a missionary that was martyred for his faith (not sure of his exact faith, but found significance in his quote), said the following a few months prior to his death: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

The Bible supplies us with numerous verses about worry, anxiety, and fear. Something tells me God knew it would be a problem for a lot of us. :) Especially us women.

Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When we spend time in worry and try to control our lives, we move further and further from Christ. And if we get jumbled up enough, it can take a significant event to get us back on track. Have you ever prayed about something over and over that worried you or made you anxious just to see it continue to not going your way? Maybe that is your answer.

So what to do with all this worry? Let Go and Let God. Pray about it. Talk to your spouse about it. Just simply vocalizing our worries to someone we love and trust is a release. Take action and make a change for the better!

To the New Year!

2011 brought a lot of good memories our way. And with two fresh faces in our home, a few lessons in parenthood as well. :) I learned when it is time to move up in diapers (eek), the perfect bottles to use, how important it is to nap when your sweeties do (if possible), the perfect rocking technique for each twin, their favorite foods, and LOTS more. I have also learned that having children makes you less selfish and more spiritual, less insecure and more comfortable in your own skin, and it fills gaps in your life that you never knew were there and makes you feel so fulfilled.

God has blessed us so much, and I can't help but feel a little undeserving. I still remember how excited I was to see Billy IV roll over for the first time at fourth months this year, and then how thrilled I was to hear Broooklyn say da-da on an afternoon stroll through the neighborhood at five months. I was so proud to see Billy IV army crawl (faster than you could imagine) for the first time at 8 months and then for Brooklyn to take slow, exaggerated crawls on her knees while she was still holding onto a little baby fat at nine months. haha I suppose we will see our first steps in 2012!

I feel so incredibly proud of the two individuals they are becoming.

We had our 12 month check-up this past Thursday, and I must say, it was HORRIBLE. Six shots and two foot pricks were just about enough to put this tough mommy under. Billy handled his shots pretty well, but poor Brooklyn cried and cried. I could tell her feelings were really hurt. I cried right along with her. As a mother, it is of course my natural instinct to protect my sweeties from any possible pain. And while I know the shots were necessary, it didn't make them any easier. But at least we went one for two regarding how they handled them. The nurses gave them suckers afterwards, and Billy immediately cheered up and gave the impression that he would take on another shot if it meant he got another sucker. It was so sweet. He is a tough cookie like his mama. I can tell he is going to have a high tolerance for pain.

The twins are coming along! Brooklyn weighed 19 lbs 15 oz and was 29.5 inches long. Billy weighed 18 lbs 12oz and was 29.5 inches. Brooklyn is headed towards the 50th percentile but Billy still has a ways to go. But he will get there! I was always a skinny minny growing up, and I think he has a little in common with mommy.

During 2012, I plan to make a few changes to my blog (if I can keep up). I am going to divide it in three sections and write three times a week. I am going to write about spiritual life on Mondays, new recipes that are tried and true on Wednesdays, and then I am going to do a general update on the Helton household on Fridays. It is mainly something I am doing for me so I have a little "project." :) Now let's see if I can stick to it!

Happy New Year! I hope this year brings many wonderful blessings your way!