Anniversary

This morning at breakfast I told Isaac that 10 years ago today something important happened for our family.  I told him that Daddy asked me to marry him and that I said yes, then we got married and we had Isaac and the girls.  He was very excited that Daddy married Mommy and Isaac.  I explained that he only married me and I told him that some day he would meet a wonderful girl who he would ask to be a part of our family forever and he would marry her.  He said, "Okay, I will ask her to marry me and be my family and she will say 'Yes, I will go the grocery store with you.'"  I am glad he has many years to understand that marriage is a whole lot more than going to the grocery store as a family.

Faces

When Hannah and Audrey were first born it was pretty easy to mix them up which made us feel terrible.  However, when people asked us how to tell them apart we were very quick to list off all of the tricks that we used to tell who was whom.  Lately, we have been feeling that Audrey and Hannah look much more distinct and we haven't mixed them up unless we saw them from behind or haven't really taken the time to really look at them.  So we were shocked this weekend when we were asked how to tell them apart.  The birthmarks have faded, weight has evened out and hair is closer in length.  Suddenly we have realized that we no longer use tricks to tell them apart.  Hannah looks like Hannah and Audrey looks like Audrey.  It is much easier for people who spend a lot of time with the girls to know who is whom, but it is increasingly difficult to tell others how to do the same.  How do you explain personality and expressions?  Now I am starting to wonder if the girls look more different from one another than they used to or if we just know them more.

On a related note, we recently had to purchase a new computer and it includes software that is supposed to recognize faces in photographs.  I love to use the function because it makes me laugh as it asks me if Audrey is Hannah, Isaac is Audrey, Hannah is Gavin, or Seth is Isaac.  We may have the most confused computer on the planet.  Evidently, our children and their cousins look exactly alike!

What a difference a year makes!

Last year at Easter we had our first family picture taken.  We had another taken this year.  It is crazy to think about how much the kids have grown in the past year.  You can definitely tell that we get a lot more sleep now!  It has been a wonderful year.  We feel very blessed.

Audrey, Isaac, and Hannah

Hannah, Isaac, and Audrey

More zoo pictures

Beccy and Hannah through the waterfall.

Isaac swings on a vine.  Seth waits for a turn.

Seth on the vine.

Isaac crosses the bridge.

Trip to the zoo

It was wonderful to go to the zoo in Omaha.  Audrey and Hannah really enjoyed being able to see the animals.  Audrey and Hannah especially loved the aquarium.  Isaac loved all the animals, but he had a special dance he did all the way to the gorilla exhibits.  

Audrey at the aquarium.

Seth, Audrey and Hannah enjoy the fish.

Hannah is so happy.

Gavin and Isaac climb on the lions.

Random cute pictures of the kids in Omaha

It was so much fun to have the cousins together.  When we were on the way home from Beccy's house, Audrey was crying and I tried to comfort her by telling her that we were on our way home to see Daddy and we love home.  Isaac decided to put in his two cents "We do not love home, we love Omaha, Nebraska!"  He spent the first several days home pretending that his toy cars and planes were traveling back to see Seth and Gavin.

The cute boys ready for another adventure.

Audrey and Hannah loved exploring at Aunt Beccy's house.  It took all of the adults to keep an eye on them while they explored a whole new house.

Omaha children's museum

We also went to the Omaha children's museum.  All of the kids had a blast, but I wasn't able to get any pictures of Audrey and Hannah because I was chasing after them so much.

Isaac drives the fire truck.

Gavin and Isaac really enjoyed playing at the water table.

Playzone on the base

We went to Omaha, Nebraska to visit Beccy.  Our first day there we went to the Playzone on base.  Isaac thought that was really fun to play there and was so excited to play with Seth and Gavin.

Seth and Isaac on the ledge at the playzone.

Isaac in the playhouse.

Seth poses for the camera.

Isaac on the play set.