2012 Recap!

What an AMAZING year we had! 2012 was filled with some of the most amazing memories to date! We kicked off the year with a New Years Eve party with friends and family! We took a trip to Cali in May which involved a very fun trip to Disney on Jeremy's birthday and camping in Nahna & Pappa's RV in Huntington Beach! We had our first REAL camping experience, tent and all, over Fathers Day weekend. We camped out at our Marina where we keep the boat. It went shockingly well, and the girls thought it was the coolest thing ever! Daddy was pretty happy waking up just steps away from his favorite activity..the boat(well one of his favorite activities anyway)! The girls started Pre-K in September and they are in the same class again this year. They like their teacher and they LOVE to learn! They are in the early stages of reading, and they are loving the process of figuring it out. Although I am very bias, I can't help but say how amazed I am with their smarts, and logic...they AMAZE me with the wisdom they have at such a young age. Kids are just so stinkin' smart these days! :) We had a couple visits from Uncle Aya, and Nahna and Pappa made it out just before Christmas, which was awesome! We also got a surprise visit from Aunt Christy, Uncle Roger and GG Reno in September which was a very fun surprise!! We spent Addyson & Kaydence's 5th birthday aboard the Disney Magic on a 7 day cruise to the Carribbean! It was truely amazing, and we cannot wait to go back! Addyson & Kaydence finished out the year learning how to ride their bikes with no training wheels; it took them a whole 5 minutes to get the hang of it before they were racing down the streets and trying to hop the curbs! We added a new member to the family; a very cuddly chocloate lab puppy, named Dude. He is absolutely adorable, and we couldn't love him any more. Sage wouldn't have anything to do with me for a couple days after we brought him home, but she loves him just as much as we do now. They are just like the girls; ALWAYS playing, and getting into trouble together! I think Sage has dropped a couple pounds since we brought him home because she is getting so much exercise playing and wrestling with him! When we brought him home on Christmas Eve, he was 13 pounds, and yesterday Jeremy weighed him and he was a whopping 23 pounds! He is going to be one big Dude!! We finished the year out with a trip to the Oklahoma mountains for New Years with the neighbors (and our very dear friends) the Rohrers! The kids had a blast playing in the snow, going on scavenger hunts and hanging out in the jacuzzi with the most awesome Daddy ever!!!!!! Kaydence particpated in a peanut program this year and can now tolerate peanuts without having an allergic reaction! We think that is a miracle in itself! We also found out this year that Addyson & Kaydence are IDENTICAL, which was a very fun and surpising (for us anyway) piece of information!! Now that we have a 2012 recap complete, I can start fresh with 2013 because I plan to stay on top of the blog much more this year!!! If 2013 turns out to be even half as great as 2012 was, we are in for a great year! I can't help but count our blessings on a daily basis and wonder how in the world we got so lucky! Don't get me wrong, it's not always gum drops and lollipops, but it's definitely the next best thing!!! Auntie Onya is coming to visit on Thursday, and we are THRILLED!!! This Saturday marks the 7 year annivesary of Gram's passing, and I am very grateful that we get to spend the day together. I plan to have plenty of fun to report after the weekend is over!!!

...and the results are in.....

After contemplating it for just a little over 4 years, we decided to bite the bullet and have the girls DNA tested. After the girls last dentist appointment we couldn't help but wonder (even more than we did before), if our little chickies, were identical. We were told by my very first doctor that there was no way to tell if they were identical or fraternal until either 1) it was confirmed that we had a boy and girl, or 2) we had the DNA tested. Then when we started to see the specialist every other week to get the girls measured and all that good stuff he said he believed they were fraternal, because of the fact that there was two of everything (you know all the gushy in the womb stuff). For this reason, even though we had our doubts we just assumed that even though they looked a lot alike, they were fraternal. We are thrilled to say that we are 99.9% sure,




Aunt Christy brought up a great point; we think it's good we waited this long to find out because Addyson & Kaydence were given the opportunity to develop and grow separately, and we didn't just lump them together because they were identical. This doesn't change anything except for the fact that we know they are identical twins and that they share the same DNA. They both have VERY different personalities, likes, and dislikes, but one thing is for sure....we have been more than blessed with these two little monkeys!

Dentist visit success...but now to test or not to test, that is the question!

Addyson & Kaydence had their first dentist visit with cleaning on Wednseday!! I had a bit of anxiety (although I hid this from the girls), because I had heard many horror stories from friends about their kiddos first trip to the dentist. Turns out Kaydence and Addyson really are ROCKSTARS, because they were FANTASTIC! They did not whimper or whine in the slightest; in fact they actually giggled and laughed during the cleaning. The only thing was during X-rays Kaydence said "This makes me nervous Mama".

Now for the strange revelation.....Addyson & Kaydence, on the same exact tooth and in the same exact spot have an area where the enamel on the tooth never grew in or developed. It is so crazy, because the dentist said it is pretty rare, and the fact that they both have it in the same spot is even more rare..unless they are IDENTICAL. If they are identical it would explain this because teeth are genetic. So now, we are faced with the question to test or not to test for DNA so we can determine once and for all if they are or are not identical. I felt like we would know for sure if they were identical or fraternal as they got older because they would start to look different; but the exact opposite has happened. I feel like the older they get the more alike they look, which makes it harder and harder to determine the facts!

Other than that exciting piece of information, not much has changed around here. The girls continue to grow and continue to amaze us with their creativity! Four has been a pretty great age for us, because they are so much better at communicating and are SOOO much fun! They are still in Ballet/Tap and have started their routine for the Spring recital on June 9th! We are SOOO excited!! I just got news that my graduation ceremony for University of Phoenix will be held on July 7th at American Airlines Center, and I am over the moon! Everything feels more real now, and I am really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jeremy is doing great with work and staying very busy! Every year he grows the business a little more and we continue to pray this process/cycle continues for many more years!!

We haven't decided on the genetic zygosity test yet, but we will keep y'all informed! XoXoXo

Wow..almost a year! Where does the time go?!?

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since the last time I wrote! Crazy! Well better late than never!!

This year has been full of lots of awesome things, maybe the most notable is Kaydence's involvement in a peanut program to desensitize her of her allergic reaction to peanuts! If it was a success, this study would not only bring us peace of mind, but it would also allow us to indulge in one of our most favorite things....PEANUTS and PEANUT BUTTER!! It was a win-win situation! ;) On the serious side, it was a concerning to know that we would be feeding our precious baby the exact ingredient that puts her in so much danger, but after discussing it and weighing the options we felt it was in the best interest of our sweet little K, and the rest of our family to go with it. I am overjoyed to announce that after 5 months of weekly visits to the specialist, a jar of peanut powder, 2 jars of peanuts, and 3 bottles of Zyrtec allergy medicine; Kaydence can eat peanuts without an allergic reaction!!!!! Today was her first day eating the peanuts without a morning dose of allergy medicine and it went great!!!!

Other than that excitement Addyson & Kaydence are doing awesome! They still go to Mother's Day Out at First United Methodist. They allowed them to stay in the same class another year, and amazingly they are doing great together! No complaints as of yet on sibling rivalry or anything, so that is a great improvement from last year! They are in Dance/Tap class and they are doing great! They are the youngest in the class but are doing a great job keeping up with the others. They are both learning how to write their letters, and can both write their names without my assistance! They had a great 4th birthday party. It was my little pony themed, and it was INDOORS at a gymnastics place, so we stayed clear of thunderstorms and tornadoes this year! LoL

Jeremy is doing well at work and staying super busy! I am still doing school full time and should have my second degree in June of 2012!!!

Hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy!!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! xoxox

Tis the Season!

Since it has been three months since the last post, a recap is necessary!!

October was a big month for the Lewis Family! Not only did our little sweethearts turn THREE, Mommy turned 29 and received her first college degree!!!

Addyson & Kaydence's birthday weekend was quite an experience for us as well. We decided to have their third birthday party at the pumpkin patch! Turns out Mother Nature and Mommy and Daddy had much different plans in store for the weekend! Although we were advised by the news stations that thunderstorms were a large possibility the pumpkin patch informed us that they had not received any rain all year even though the rest of the city was pounded with rain in the weeks prior. So, we decided to push our luck and wait out the storms. BAD IDEA!!! We arrived to the pumpkin patch at noon, with an adorable set up for the girls and no rain! We had about 10 of Addyson & Kaydence's friends show up with their parents despite the large chance of storms, which really speaks of how great these friends are!! Within 15 minutes of being at the patch it started to rain. Within 20 minutes we were smack dab in the middle of a very severe storm. Not only were the winds blowing at around 75 MPH, it was raining sideways and we were stuck under a tarp with 20 of our friends. I felt so terrible and Addyson & Kaydence were very distraught. Addyson was so concerned with the table cloths blowing away, she sat right on top of one table and stretched out her legs as far as she could to save the other tables. Addyson to this day swears she was in a Tornado on her birthday. It took months before she was okay to be outside with even the slightest amount of wind and is still a bit uneasy with wind today. We feel so bad that she was so traumatized, and hope it goes away with time. Kaydence didn't really let it bother her, but she is also our very passive and easy going little girl.

November was also very eventful! We took a trip back to Cali with the girls. It had been almost 2 years since we took them back home and visited with many of our family members!! We had such a great time! We put together a surprise 50th birthday party for Mimi with Auntie Onya, and Aunt Margie so graciously allowed us to throw it at her house! It turned out fabulous! It was also a family reunion for the Peat/Toon/Atkinson Family! It had been 10 years since some of us had been together so it was really great! The girls had so much fun with their twin cousins who turned Two while we were visiting! Kaydence could not get enough hugs from Hunter! So sweet!We also got to spend Thanksgiving with the Lewis Family! It was so much fun seeing Addyson & Kaydence with their cousin Ryley for the first time! We stayed at Uncle Aya's for two nights and the girls took a trip to the mountains with Nahna, Pappa and Daddy! The trip was completed with 2 days at Disneyland and California adventure (with over 28 family members) and a week at a beach house in HB! We spent the week with cousins we had never met (well A & K had never met), and the girls also got to hang with cousins Easton and Mikayla, who they havent seen in over a year! My brother came down with his troop from Oregon, which was really nice since Addyson & Kaydence had never met any of their cousins or Uncle Ralphie yet! They got along great, and had a blast! Nahna and Pappa and Aunt Christy, Uncle Roger and Grandma Reno parked their RV's on the beach which made for a great location for sunsets and beach fun! Addyson and Kaydence loved it and had so much fun playing in the sand, building sand castles and finding seashells with everyone! We could not have asked for a more perfect family vacation!

December has slowed down a bit but not much! We had a great Christmas and the girls loved Santa (especially the things santa delivers!). We had a delicious Christmas Eve Prime Rib dinner with the Chuang family, Mimi, Auntie Yoyo and Brandon! Santa stopped by for a visit and the girls were in awe. I'm not sure how they didn't know but they had no idea it was Daddy! Christmas Day was celebrated with Mimi, Aunt Yoyo, Brandon, Uncle Andrew, Ashley and cousin Dominick. It was a great Christmas! The girls got lots of goodies....and so did Mommy! ;)

These little girls are growing so fast and we can't believe how fast time flies! They continue to amaze us with their imaginations and intelligence! The entire month of December Kaydence was Rudolph and only answered to Rudolph the majority of the time. Her favorite saying was "My name is Rudolph. I'm Rudolph. I got my nose so bright". I can still hear her sweet little voice as she was saying it. Too precious! Kids really do say the darnedest things! The other day Addyson said "Kaydence, do you want to be my friend?" and Kaydence responded with "Yes, best friends forever". I wish I could have a video camera on them all day to capture the adorable things they say. With threes has also come extreme independence, attitudes, and arguments. They are both very strong willed and although it can be very trying, we wouldn't have it any other way. We have been so blessed with such beautiful healthy girls and we cannot for a second take that for granted! A good friend said that "although the days can sometimes be very long, the years are short". This is so true and even on the most testing, trying and rough days we have to remind ourselves of this.

Hope the New Year brings health and happiness your way! We love you!
~The Lewis Family

A week of Firsts!

This was a very big week for the Lewis household!! Addyson and Kaydence had their very first day of preschool (its actually pre-preschool) and they rode their very first amusement park rides, all in one week!

Tuesday August 31st was their first day of school. They have been talking about going to school for months so the excitement they were feeling was so overwhelming, they decided to wake up at 4:30 that morning! When I explained to them that it was too early for school and it was still dark out, Kaydence went back to sleep but Addyson was way to excited to accept my answer! She finally fell back asleep at 5:45! I thought it was going to be miserable trying to wake her up but she had no problem with me waking her up at 7:30 to get ready for school (oh how that will change!)! Mommy and Daddy got them fed, dressed, lunches packed and we were off!

We walked them into their very first classroom for their very first day of school, in fact it was their very first day away from Mommy and Daddy (except with family)..... and not one tear was shed! In fact their exact words were "Bye Mom, Bye Dad, see you later"! They were way to excited to be sad or mad or scared! I think their excitement made it easier not to cry myself (at least not there anyway) and helped me feel good about our decision to wait until now to start pre-preschool!

The first day they both had a note saying they needed to work on listening and following directions, the second day Addyson got a "Super day" and Kaydence got the same report she had the day before but the third day they both got a "Super Day"! They ARE only two, and this is their first time in a classroom setting with a new authority figure so as long as we continue to make progress we will be moving in the right direction!

Monday we decided to celebrate labor day with a family day at the amusement park! Its just a little amusement park with carnival type rides. I was sure the girls would not ride anything or want to do much but boy was I wrong! They LOVED it! They rode ponies for the first time, they rode a boat ride and a race car ride! Kaydence went on her first roller coaster with Daddy by her side! We rode a train and had a FABULOUS time! It was a great ending to a great week!

Our "BIG" girls!

We officially have two potty trained 2 year olds!!! I thought I would wait until we were in the clear before I sent out a post because we have been down this road a few times but I'm pretty sure its safe to say we have conquered the quest! I am actually very surprised at how easy it has been! Here is how the process worked:

We took a trip with some friends to Lake Texoma. We rented a boat for Father's Day and after freaking out for the first 10 minutes of the boat ride our girls LOVED it! They were driving the boat by the end of the day! Since then the girls have been asking to go on a boat and go fishing EVERYDAY! So one night Jeremy said to the girls "Daddy might be able to buy a boat if he didn't have to spend money on diapers". I didn't think twice about it because I'm thinking, we have 2 year olds and they aren't going to grasp the concept of what Daddy just said. The next morning the first thing out of the girls mouths was "I'm wearing big girl underwear today because Daddy's going to buy me a boat". We were BLOWN away. How in the world did these two year olds put two and two together and grasp that concept? Needless to say, we are going on a month now wearing big girl underwear and they continue to ask when Daddy is going to buy them a boat! We still wear diapers at night but naptime and the rest of the day is diaper/pull up free!!!!

We went from about 20 diapers a day to 2 diapers a day!!! This is VERY exciting!! If the girls are still in the same underwear they started out with in the morning they get a special treat! So far, they have been getting LOTS of special treats!

It seems like they have grown up so much in the last couple weeks. Its exciting, scary and sad all at the same time. Our little baby girls are becoming just little girls now and its happening so fast! We started art class last week and the girls are loving it. They still have these amazing imaginations and LOVE to play pretend with each other. Its amazing how it is still so much fun to just sit and watch them interact and play together. They are both so aware and conscious of each other and what the other needs and wants. They certainly fight and argue over toys but for the most part they have fun together and are the bestest of friends!

They try to become more and more independent everyday and everything we do now is such a process and takes forever because they want to do everything themselves. We try to allow them to do this before offering our help but it is difficult sometimes. Addyson has NO problem correcting me if I call her Kaydence or sister(which seems to happen often), in fact her exact words are "No Mom, I'm Addyson". Kaydence is just fine with being called Addyson in fact sometimes she tells me "I'm Addyson Lewis". Right now everybody is _____ Lewis. They say Nahna Lewis, Pappa Lewis, Uncle Aya Lewis, Great Grandma Reno Lewis but even Mimi is Mimi Lewis, Onya is Onya Lewis and YoYo is YoYo Lewis. Its actually pretty cute!

Well I should probably cut off the novel here! Hopefully there is not as much time between our next post!

Hugs and Kisses to everyone!