Times with the Tims

Pssst... Santa Came

2012-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

There's just something wrong with waking up before your kids on Christmas morning. I thought for sure I'd be roused at the crack of dawn by two very excited little people this year, but it didn't happen. Since I was up before the kids, I was able to really catch their reaction though... so that was fun.

I was sitting on the couch feeding Rylan when I heard Tucker's door open very slowly. He can see the Christmas tree from his room so immediately he starts talking to himself in a quiet but excited little voice. Normally he comes storming out and announces to the whole house that he's awake. Ain't nobody sleeping in my house if Tucker's not sleeping. Anyway, he didn't come out of his room. He just tried to wake Reese with his best "whisper-yell". I hear, "Reese, Psssst... Santa Came!" Eventually she tiptoes out and together they come check out the loot. I think it probably took longer for them to finally come out than it did for them to rip into all their presents...

It was a fun morning for everyone... even Rylan.

Along with lots of other goodies, the kids each got their own tablet. No more fighting over my iPad.

Tucker sat looking at his new Tee forever! He got a real bat and glove too... he's all set to play t-ball this spring. We spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's and then headed to Grammy's house for a few days. Christmas was jam packed this year!

The Night Before Christmas

2012-01-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas seemed stressful this year... probably because I'm a procrastinator and didn't get my shopping, decorating or anthing done before school was out. The few days before Christmas I was busy shopping, sewing and wrapping like crazy. On Christmas Eve we stopped, went to church to remind us of what all the hustle was actually about...

Then we all made Santa cookies at Grandmas...

Tucker was done after about 2 minutes as usual... and then it was just the girls.

What a ~~mess~~ blast!

Holiday in the Park

2012-01-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

The kids were so excited to go back to Six Flags now that they can ride more than the carousel. Actually, I was excited to go back now that they can ride more than that. Thank you Six Flags, for building some new rides that parents can ride with their littles!

This was another Doyle Women/kids (oh and Andrew too) Christmas Outing....

They were still too little for the famous Holiday in the Park Snow Hill, but there were other fun Christmas things to do...
Sleigh Rides

Stories and Songs with Mrs. Claus

The kids got to see Santa too, but they wouldn't let us take our own pictures. Seriously, you pay 50 bucks a person to get in and you can't even take your own picture of Santa? Not happy! Okay... so maybe we got in free b/c Grandma got tickets at work, but still. I'm cheap and refused to pay a ridiculous amount for a Santa picture that Reese wouldn't even get in, so stay tuned for our annual Biker Santa pictures.

Even with all the new rides, the kids still love the carousel so we always make it our final ride of the night.

It was way too cold for Rylan so she spent some quality time with Daddy. It was just me and the rug rats this time.

Thanks for the tickets Grandma! We had a blast!

Christmas Pancakes fix Everything

2012-01-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

I knew we were in for a long two weeks when Reese came out of her room on the first day of our vacation looking like this...

It's a good thing this super mom has some tricks up her sleeve. Granny's famous pancake recipe, a christmas tree cookie cutter, way too much grease, and some sticky syrrup and viola...

Not just one happy kid... but two!

I'm addicted to my Granny's homemade pancakes so I make those all the time. So making them in the shape of Christmas trees was a sinch... and earned me major Mom of the Year points.

It didn't take much to get us in the Christmas spirit!

Twinkle Twinkle

2012-01-05T23:21:00.000-08:00

The day after thanksgiving, the Doyle women took all the kids to the Parade of Lights in downtown Fort Worth. We sat right by the announcer this year which was kinda fun and the kids loved the horses, lights and fire trucks. The weather was perfect too!

This is how I feel most of the time... like a crazy woman trying to wrangle three kids.

We had a great time and then Amber and I got stuck in the parking garage for well over an hour with 4 kids. Fun times. Don't you know we called the police to come direct traffic so we could get out of there!!

Lake House

2012-01-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it happened. Grammy and Grandpa moved to the lake. The kids are already having fun fishing and playing outside. No more Houston mosquitoes to worry about!

Even Rylan is enjoying the lake house already.

Smiln' Rylan

2012-01-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

I can hear her now... "There are way more pictures of Reese and Tucker than of me when I was a baby." And she'll be right. Gotta work harder people. Here are a few we've taken of Rylan in the last few months...

This girl continues to be happy, content, snuggly and always smilin'!!

Walmart Attitude Adjustment

2012-01-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

We all have those days. Days when we're discouraged, frustrated, and overwhelmed with the responsibilites of life. I had one of those days not too long ago so I took a trip to Walmart. I know it sounds weird, but Walmart gives me clarity and perspective. I guess some of the people in Walmart give me clarity and perspective. We all joke and pass around the Walmart emails, but every time I go in that place I'm reminded of how blessed I truly am. Blessed to have the job that requires me to work so hard, blessed to have the car that needs new tires, blessed to have the house that constantly needs to be cleaned, and blessed to have the husband and kids that always seem to need something from me.

Speaking of blessed... we had Thanksgiving dinner with my family this year. Talk about blessed...

Sisters, brothers, neices and nephews... all that get along and enjoy being together.

Parents that love my kids and spoil then (and us) like crazy! It was a great Thanksgiving. I had the whole week off this year and we got to see both sides of the family now that Chris' parents live close.

Just try it... the next time you're in a funk, go to Walmart for an attitude adjustment.

Oh Brother

2011-11-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

So, I'm in the kitchen making pancakes yesterday (at the crack of dawn I might add... because that's when Tucker gets up) and this is what Tucker is busy doing...

Rylan didn't seem to mind. Not that I'm surprised though. She also didn't mind when he sat on her back and yelled "Yaw, giddy-up horsey" or when he used her as a step stool to get on the couch.

We're working on the whole "Brothers are supposed to protect their sisters" thing. Hopefully it will sink in before he does some serious damage. Until then... he can't be left alone with her!

Everyday a Sunday

2011-11-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Can we please just play outside all the time!? Wouldn't it be nice if life was just a continuous cycle of Sunday afternoons? Where we could just relax and enjoy playing together? No stress, no responsibilities... just moments of pure joy, love and laughter.

I pray that we'll always find the time (and energy) to play together, to explore together, to just plain love life together!

Moments like these bring me pure joy and remind me to count my many blessings.

See what God has done!

Pumpkin Patch Panic Attack

2011-11-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

You gotta love Tucker. That boy will talk to ANYONE. He high fives and makes out with complete strangers (wait til you hear that story), but I can't get mad at him because he puts a huge smile on everyone's face that he comes in contact with. The boy fears nothing and NO ONE. All that being said, I can't take him to a public place without worrying that he's going to disappear. I wouldn't say that he wanders off... because he's intentional about where he's going. If he sees something or someone that's interesting, he's gone. I don't want to be one of those neurotic moms with her kids on a leash but after my near panic attack at the pumpkin patch this year, it may come to that.

The Pumpkin Patch.... hmmm. To sum it all up... Reese was uncooperative, Tucker was gone every time I turned around, and this random boy in a Karate Kid skeleton costume somehow ended up in half our photos. Good times. Thanks to photoshop though, there were a few blog-worthy prints...

Amber, Nick and Easton went with us this year so we got some cute shots of their family too.

Baby Connor brought is parents too...

This picture makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD.

Grandpa and Grandma joined in the fun this year too....

LOVE this face... Easton is a hoot!

Children of the Corn? And Grandpa too.

Look at these crazy kids... love that Amber and Nick have so much fun together.

My sweet little pumpkin.

Every year, I question why I torture myself... and then I look at the picture and decide it was worth it. The kids will look at these pictures one day and "remember" all the "fun" we had.

Sand in Unwanted Places

2011-11-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

While we were in Houston, we threw Grammy and Grandpa a little retirement party at Clay's... a family favorite. While the adults visit, the kids get to feed the animals, ride the ponies and play in the ginormous sand box.

The kids are so excited about getting horses of our own. Wonder if they'll be so excited when they're up at the crack of dawn feeding them before school starts??

Tucker loves animals... he's going to fit right in on the farm.

That girl Reese could have spent all day in the sand box. Have I mentioned how much I hate sand boxes? Not sure why, but they totally gross me out. Not Reese though... Miss Priss didn't mind all the sweat and sand.

All the fam there to celebrate with Grammy and Grandpa. The Fort Worth crew is excited to see them move to the lake!

5 Little Monkeys

2011-11-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

With Grammy and Grandpa moving to Granbury, we had to enjoy one last fun weekend in their infamous backyard. Lots of swinging, swimming, bubble-blowing and bouncing happened in this backyard. Love to see all the cousins playing together...

Lots of laughing too...

Simon Says is pretty much the only way to get all five of them to do the same thing at the same time.

I love how they pick up right where they left off each time they see each other. It doesn't matter how many weeks its been... they act like it was just yesterday. LOVE that!

Soccer Stars

2011-11-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

The last time we were in Houston we got to go see Kaylie and Drew play soccer. I've decided that we're totally torturing Tucker by taking him to baseball and soccer games because he's DYING to play. We're not going to make it through the year without signing him up for something.

It was fun that the whole gang could be there to cheer them on...

All Reese and Emmy needed were some pom poms.

Being silly with Grandpa.

After a little pep talk from Dad and a push or two from Kaylie. Drew was fired up and ready to go.

They were both beaming... so proud of themselves!

Put me in Coach! I'm ready to play!

The only way to keep Tucker off the field...

I think our weekends are about to get really busy.

Rollin' Rylan

2011-11-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

So - I'm about a month behind on blog posts. What can I say... full-time principal and mom of 3 barely has time to wash her hair, let alone post pictures on the blog.

Baby girl Rylan is so refreshing. She's by far the easiest baby I've had... with the biggest smile. Her accomplishments by month three included: sleeping through the night (8 hours baby), rolling over, saying "hi" (according to Tucker).

She is the snuggliest baby in the world - she just melts into your arms and will let you hold every piece of her. And when she gets to "talking" she sounds just like a Velosoraptor. Random, I know.

Her BIG (soon to be brown, I think) eyes just melt my heart!

She's our polka-dot princess...

She prefers to sleep on her side or stomach these days and has just learned out to turn over in her swaddle. Makes this mama nervous.

When we first introduced her to her new toy, she couldn't figure out how to get her arms out... a little frustrating for her. She's since mastered that and loves her froggie.

Two Percenter

2011-11-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

So... 98% of the world (or at least Texas) was all about the World Series. While I realize the Rangers have never won and it was a HUGE deal that they were in the Series, I didn't need to get 100 facebook feeds during each game. I was what the Aggies like to call a Two-Percenter. I didn't support the team... no t-shirts or late night game-watchin' for me.I wasn't against them or anything... just not a crazy, dye your hair blue kind of fan.

So it was a little ironic that my family had a Ranger-watchin' birthday party for me this year. I think I'd rather watch the history channel than watch baseball on tv. But it was fun because we were all together... just hanging out and enjoying time as a family.

I can't say I watched much of the game, but at least I knew who won before watching the news the next morning.

Roasting Smellows

2011-11-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

Grandma's are the best. And Reese, Tucker and Rylan have literally the best Grandmas in the world! They do crafts with them, take them for walks, host Cousin Camp, let them stay up late, play games with them, make them things, surprise them with treats on holidays and sometimes for no reason at all, and... the list goes on and on.

They are so blessed to have Grandmas close by that they can grow up knowing so well. Grandmas just make everything more fun.

This plain ol' Friday night turned into a smellow roastin' blast....

Reese looks like an 80's punk rocker with her rooster tail hairdo. love it.

Some of the smellows weren't edible as you can imagine... but they sure had fun burning them.

Freeze Bumps & Fruit Loops

2011-11-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I love it when the kids say something wrong and it sticks? The teacher in me doesn't even try to come out to correct them. We just change the name of whatever it is they're talking about...

Freeze Bumps = goose bumps
Stunk = skunk
Chicken Lake = Chick fil a
Candy Smarts = Smarties
Smellows = marshmallows
Fruit Loops = belt loops

My babies will officially not be babies anymore when they stop telling me they have freeze bumps when it's chilly in the morning.

Some days I can't wait for them to grow up so they can get dressed and make their own beds. But some days I want them to stay little forever!

Roaring 20's

2011-11-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'm ridiculously behind on posts, but have to jump ahead and post Halloween pictures... CUTENESS!!

Rylan made the cutest sack of money you've ever seen. And I have to say that her costume is totally appropriate... diapers, day care, medical bills... the money sign is right on target!

Chris was sure to note that this would be the only time in Tucker's life when he could wear liquid eyeliner. Daddy did a great job on his facial hair.

I'm pretty sure the kids had no idea what they were. When people asked them what they were going to be for Halloween, Reese said "A Princess Flapper" and Tucker said a "Monster" instead of a "Mobster."

Reese wouldn't wear her feather boa (imagine that... Reese being difficult). But she made a mean swing dance partner though.

I'm pretty sure this is the last year they're going to let me coordinate their costumes... so I had to go all out. They were adorable and had tons of fun Trick-or-Treating and playing at the Church Fall Festival. More pictures to come.

Two Planes and a Bus

2011-10-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Reese, Rylan and I took off for a long weekend with Grandma last month. We hadn't been back to Michigan to see the family in a couple years and this made for a great girls weekend. Reese was so excited to tell everyone that she got to go on two planes and a bus (a Hertz bus that is).

Reese was an unbelievably good flier... really unexpected since we took the red-eye on the way there. She was happy to sit and color/draw, read books, etc.

It was so fun to get to see everyone...

Mom & Aunt Rose

Aunt Vanessa and her beautiful daughter Brianna

The Dailey Men... Uncle Jeff, Cousins Justin and Brett

Me, Mom and Rose

Handsome little (but not so little anymore) Cousin Trevor

Granny, Vanessa and Mom

Reese being silly with Cousin Kelsey

Aunt Dee lovin' on Reese. She was totally spoiled by everyone! It was really fun to see Reese open up to everyone. She used to be so shy... not anymore. She worked her way through everyone on this trip, being careful to get each one to play with her. What can I say? She had to be fair.

Reese gettin' in some quality coloring with Granny.

Aunt Amy and sweet Cousin Ian lovin' on Rylan

Reese had so much fun playing with Ian, Brooke and Natalie!

All the kids love Cousin Kelsey... she and Justin and Brett were so sweet to come home from college to visit us.

Granny with the girls... love this one!

After spending a few days with Granny and all of Dad's side of the family, we drove a couple hours to see Mom's side...

Mom, Aunt Marianne and Aunt Pat

Reese loved playing with Uncle Curt... they had a really silly time together!

This was exactly what I needed after only being off for 6 weeks with Rylan. The family had a lot of adjustments to make with a new baby, the start of the school year, mom back to work and the kids in school. It was nice to take a long weekend to just get away and relax. We'll have to make these girls trips a regular thing!

Not this girl

2011-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

How can someone so beautiful...

And so funny...

And so smart...

And so spunky...

And so innocent...

And so sensitive...

Be so mean???

If you think she's being mean to the geese... just wait until you see how mean she is to her brother. And to me. And to Daddy. We are going through a rather challenging time with little Miss Priss right now. She's always been our more temperamental one, but she's totally out of control right now. She's so smart and I keep thinking that I can reason with her to get her to behave, but that's totally not working. Incentives aren't working. Time out and spankings aren't working either. Think I might have to call Super Nanny if we can't get this girl under control.

We're thinking that a lot of it has to do with sleep deprivation. She's in school all day now and isn't getting much of a nap. Plus, Tucker needs a freakishly small amount of sleep to function and he keeps waking the girl up. We're trying out separate rooms right now to see if it helps.

I want my sweet girl to look like this all the time...

without giving her everything she wants, the minute she wants it, regardless of how she asks for it, and whether or not it's what's best for her. Ugh... parenting.

2 Months

2011-09-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

How has it been two months already? Okay, actually it's been almost three... but it's hard to keep up these days. Rylan is growing and changing like crazy. She's still sweet, content and super easy... and now she loves to talk and smile. It's fun that's she's interacting with us now, but I totally want her to stop growing! She's the only one in my house that doesn't argue with me... so right now, she's totally my favorite. Ha!

She went for her two month check-up and was 10lbs, 11 oz (50th percentile) and 24 3/4 inches long (100th percentile). Never thought there would be a Tims baby in the 100th percentile for anything.

She's beautiful in every way....

Three Little Bumble Bees

2011-08-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Get ready for work - check
Feed Rylan - check
Get Reese and Tucker ready for school - check
Get everyone and everything in the car - check
Take Rylan to Nana's - check
Take Reese and Tucker to school - check
Arrive at school - check
Work all day - check
Pump 3 times - check
Go get Reese and Tucker from school - check
Go get Rylan from Nana's - check
Go home and cook dinner - check
Feed Rylan - check
Clean up from dinner - check
Make lunches for tomorrow - check
Give the kids a bath - check
Get them ready for bed - check
Play with kids or read book - check
Put kids to bed - check
Put kids back to bed - check
Put kids back to bed AGAIN - check
Get clothes ready for tomorrow - check
Take a shower - check
Give Rylan a bath - check
Feed Rylan - check
Go to bed - check
Then do it all again tomorrow - check

Are you feeling sorry for me yet? I don't know how single parents do it! I'm pretty sure I'd be in a straight jacket if I didn't have Chris tag-teamin' it with me. I've been just plain WORN out lately and needed someone to knock me out of this funk I've been in. I took a few pictures of the kids this weekend and was reminded of how truly blessed I am. Exhausted... but totally blessed!

Nappin' in Style

2011-08-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

The kids are going to pre-k this year and they're super excited. I'm excited for them too but am going to miss not having to get them dressed in the morning or worrying about lunches. We've been so spoiled by Nana these last 3 years.

You won't believe the list of school supplies I had to get... ridiculous. I love school supplies... used to play school as a child and still love the smell of crayons. But school supply shopping was SO NOT fun! I'm thinking that if you can't find your kids' school supplies at Walmart, you're not going to find them.
Since their school is all day, we had to get a nap mat. Maybe I'm a snob, but I didn't want my kids having to sleep on the vinyl nap mats - I could just see them waking up with their face stuck to the mat. I found an easy tutorial online to make a super-cute, roll-up mat with a pillow and blanket attached. Grammy was so great to help me make one for each of the kids this summer...

You can't see them in this picture, but they have a strap so you can throw them over your shoulder like a purse.

We closed one side with velcro so I can slip the pillow and foam mat out when I wash them. LOVE how these turned out! And the kids love them too. Thanks for all your help Grammy!

Backyard Fun in Houston

2011-08-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that I'm back to work now?! No time to blog, but I'll try to do better! Right before coming back to work, we went down and spent a long weekend at Grammy and Grandpa's house. Reese and Tucker enjoyed some backyard fun with their cousins...

The kids stayed the week and had a blast at Grammy Camp. They came home with all sorts of fun crafts and goodies and a t-shirt that said "Ringling Bros Aint Got Nothin' On Us" - which is totally accurate I'm sure. With 5 little ones all week, I bet it was a circus!

1 Month

2011-07-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

How has it already been a month since Rylan was born? Love this girl SO MUCH!! She's sweet and snuggleeee, easy to calm down when she's upset, and starting to get a little personality.

Most people haven't heard her cry much, so I threw this one in to prove that it does happen!

Sweetness...

Reese and Tucker are constantly making us laugh, but this girl might just be the comedian of the family... with all her crazy faces.

Mischievous

Silly

Giddy

Frustrated

A little surprised

Bored and really tired of taking pictures.

And some more sweetness!

Surviving the Summer Heat

2011-07-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's unbearably hot and we're avoiding the outdoors at all costs. The only way to tolerate it is to be totally soaking wet... and not in a sweaty kind of way.
Swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's is a family favorite this summer. The kids have turned into little fish... jumping off the diving board, swimming around all on their own. Being in the pool is so much more fun when you don't have two toddlers hanging all over you! I love that they're independent in the pool now.

The kids have also enjoyed their water table and playing in the sprinkler to stay cool. Uncle Brian was so sweet to get all this set up for the kids to play in the sprinkler at their house last week. They LOVED it!

Boo to the Texas Heat... but yeah for lots of summer water fun!

Brotherly & Sisterly Love

2011-07-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

We weren't exactly sure what to expect from Reese and Tucker when Rylan arrived. We'd been preparing them for her arrival for months. But you just never know what two 3-year olds will do when their world is completely turned upside down.

Tucker has seemed mostly unphased by the arrival of a new sister. Reese, on the other hand, is giving us a run for our money. She's been bullying Tucker, totally challenging us, and throwing some level 5 fits. Things are starting to settle down now that it's just the 5 of us at home and we're getting back into some sort of routine. But she's still our challenging one.

Thank goodness they both LOVE their baby sister though! They are so sweet to her and want to love on her and help mommy every chance they get.

They came and loved on her in the hospital each day...

The kids are so proud of their new baby sister... they even told the check out lady at Walmart all about her the other day!

Rub a Dub

2011-07-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

We gave Rylan her first official bath last week. Reese and Tucker were right there to help so it was a family affair!
She wasn't so sure at first, but then settled in and loved it...

Reese and Tucker wanted to jump into the sink with her... as you can tell by the chubby toes at the top of the picture...

After a few minutes, she decided it was pretty relaxing and decided to sit back and enjoy!

The kids totally love their baby sister and want to help with everything! They can't wait until Rylan can jump in the bathtub with them!

What's it Gonna BEE?

2011-07-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sisters, mom, sister-in-law, and best friend threw me the cutest baby shower in June. I made it a little difficult on them since we didn't know what we were having, but they came up with THE CUTEST THEME EVER!!
They totally went above and beyond throwing me a wonderful shower even though this is my third baby! Love those girls... and SO appreciate all they did to make this pregnancy as special as my first!

What's it Gonna Bee? So cute! Loved all the cute decorations!

Look at this amazing cake that my sister Amber made! She's becoming quite the pastry chef these days! It was adorable and tasted SOOO good!!

Loved these adorable party favors too.... and totally yummy!

Emma and Reese were big helpers and had fun checking out BaBee Tims' goodies. Thanks to all my family and friends for this special event!! It was so generous and tons of fun!

June Seventeen

2011-07-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

Being so pregnant and miserable during the month of June, I decided it would be wise to have Reese and Tuckers 3rd birthday party a little early this year. Three weeks early to be exact. I am SO glad I did! They didn't mind... although I think we thoroughly confused them because they learned that their birthday was on June SevenTEEN (as they would say) and that's not when we had their party. This way they got to celebrate twice though... they weren't complaining.

We hosted our 3rd Annual Splish Splash Birthday Bash. If I were more creative (and not so pregnant) I may have done something different this year. But let's face it... swim parties are easy and fun.

All the cousins came to swim, play, eat and celebrate with us.

According to Tucker, it's not a party without Watermelon! That boy can't get enough!

Grandpa bought Tucker a Louisville Slugger with his name engraved on it. He immediately wanted to go hit some balls. He didn't quite understand the whole "keepsake" idea.

How are they 3 years old already? We are definitely in the terrible three's! They are testing the limits, throwing fits, fighting with each other... the whole works. It's a good thing they are so stinkin' cute... otherwise we might be ready to send them back!

She's not sassy or anything. She starts every day asking for a pretty dress and a pretty bow. Rylan will have a bunch of brand new shorts and shirts to wear when she's 3. Reese refuses to wear anything but a dress these days.

The birthday was a start to a great summer... one filled with lots of swimming, time with family and the arrival of a new baby sister. We've been blessed in this blistering heat!

The Good Samaritan

2011-07-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all husbands get a little crazy when their wives say "It's time... let's go to the hospital" but I'm pretty sure no other husband has done what mine did at midnight last Tuesday.

Chris wheeled me into triage with my bag in tote and made sure I was settled in before going back out to park the car. He was gone for a long time and I remember everything going so quickly with the twins so I was starting to worry. Finally he showed back up about 30 minutes later... without the camera bag containing about $2000 worth of cameras and the diaper bag. I didn't notice at first until the nurse was telling him what his role was in the whole thing... the photographer. I asked where the bag was and he said he left it in the car and would go back out to get it. He was acting really weird and just dismissed me when I asked him to hurry and get it.

Finally, when the nurse left the room, he told me everything. It's never good when you're in labor and your husband starts a sentence with "Don't freak out". Really??? What happened?

My Good Samaritan husband took time out to help jump some one's car while I was in labor. He was thinking "It's midnight, this guy could be stranded in the garage all night, and it will only take a few minutes." Well... it probably would have if he hadn't locked his keys in the car with it running!! So, he came back in to tell me that the car was running in the parking garage with the cameras inside. Really?? I could just see it now... I'm forced to have the baby all alone (with no pictures) while my husband tries to break into his car in the garage. Or worse... someone breaks into the car and steals it while he's telling me the whole story. It's funny now... but totally not funny at the time.

Luckily, things took much longer than with the twins and my parents were on their way to the hospital so they could bring a key. Crazy husband almost (sort of) missed Rylan's birth. This picture probably explains why he was so crazy that night...

We still can't believe we have 3 kids!

Daddy and Rylan had some good snuggle time while in the hospital too!

Chris is one proud Papa! And such a great dad! He took Reese and Tucker to the lake today so I could get some rest and spend some time with Rylan. LOVE HIM!

A Baby Story

2011-07-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. I did a TERRIBLE job of documenting my second pregnancy. I managed to get through 9 months with very few photos of myself and even deleted my pregnancy journal off my laptop by accident. I can just hear Rylan now... the second child with no photos, no memories, etc. etc. etc. I'm already driving Chris crazy taking pictures because I refuse to have 5 scrapbooks of the twins and none of her.

Here's her baby story (the short version) along with some more hospital pics of our newest little miracle.

I found out I was pregnant back in October... yes, I was pregnant pretty much all school year... which made it feel like the longest pregnancy ever! I was pretty sick during the first trimester (just like with the twins)... sick in the morning, sick at night, sick while riding in the car, sick all the stinkin' time.

Things got better during the second trimester but then the contractions started. At about 24 week, I began to show signs of early labor so my doctor put me to bed for a week, ran some tests to be extra careful and then gave me some restrictions... no vacuuming, no lifting, no long car rides, etc. Overall, I didn't complain... nobody wants to clean house or go grocery shopping when they're pregnant!

The third trimester actually brought a burst of energy (a short one) and lots of heartburn. Boo. Then I had a freak incident and landed in the hospital with crazy abdominal pain that ended up being totally unrelated to the baby... thank goodness. The doctor did put me back on Procardia to stop the contractions at about 30 weeks so the little one wouldn't come too early.

For months I was afraid the baby would come early or I'd have to go on bed rest, but when the doctor took me off the Procardia, nothing happened. Three weeks went by and I was then convinced that the baby wasn't going to come one minute before the scheduled c-section.

On Tuesday, June 28 at about 10:30 pm my water broke. It's kind of funny because I had a big bowl of ice cream early that night... which is exactly what I had before my water broke with the twins. My sister came to stay with Reese and Tucker and off we went to the hospital. Funny story about the hospital... but I'll share that later. Everything seemed to take forever this time around and Rylan was finally born at 3:09 am. At 7lbs 7oz, she seemed like a giant to us compared to the twins.

This girl was made to nurse... she knew exactly what to do and went to it. She also has a little built in alarm clock... instantly, she started on a 3 hour schedule! Praise the Lord!! I sooo needed her to be an easy baby... especially since Reese is giving us a run for our money. More on that later too. Mommy is pretty distressed about this girl.

Anyway... not sure I want to ever be pregnant again, but all the sickness, worry, etc was totally worth it. Maybe I'll only be able to remember the good stuff by the time we're considering doing this again. Yes, I know we're crazy... but we will consider doing this again.

Rylan had lots of visitors while in the hospital. Of course I'm sad now that we didn't get pictures with everyone. Grandma and Grandpa were great sports and spent most of the night at the hospital waiting so they could meet her.

Grammy and Grandpa wasted no time driving up from Houston. They were planning on being here for the scheduled c-section but Rylan surprised us a few days early.

Caden and Emma have been anxiously waiting to find out whether it was a boy or a girl. Emma was at camp so Dana surprised her when she got back and brought her to the hospital. She and Reese were so excited to find out that the baby was a girl!

I soaked up every minute of Rylan time while in the hospital... knowing what a challenge it would be when I got home to be torn between 3 kids. We did some great snuggling.

Stay tuned for some great Dad and Rylan pics as well as some of Reese and Tucker showing their brotherly and sisterly love!

Firecracker Day

2011-07-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Reese and Tucker got to spend this Independence Day with their cousins Kaylie, Drew and Emmy. With a new little one in the house, we stayed home and just enjoyed some good old fashioned backyard fun.

Rylan didn't get to play ball, eat cupcakes, get wet or wrestle with her cousins so we celebrated with her in a different way. Actually I tortured her for about 30 minutes to get some pictures. Don't worry, she got me back by soiling the white blanket she was laying on... not sure the stain will ever come out. The price you pay for cute pictures, I guess!

I know... she totally looks like a Who. But she's got to be the cutest stinkin' patriotic Who

you've ever seen!!

Finally... she's awake! Not sure anyone has seen those beautiful blue eyes yet. She's one sleepy girl. Not that I'm complaining! She's being SO good to her mama!

This is the Rylan that everyone knows... eyes closed and mouth open!

Reese and Tucker don't get to see the other Tims twins (plus Emmy) very often, so it's a special treat when they come to town. Five kids under the age of 4... it's always fun!

They decorated (and then devoured) some firecracker cupcakes.

Then out they went for some baseball-hittin, hammock-swingin', Popsicle-eatin', water table-splashin' fun!

They all do Silly really well! Oh... how stinkin' cute are the dresses that Grammy made for them?! Seriously... L.O.V.E them!!

Happy 4th of July from our rug rats to yours!

Introducing...

2011-06-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

Rylan Tate Tims!! We have lots to catch up on from this last month... but for now here are a few pictures of the new addition to the Tims Clan...

Rylan made her debut at 3:09am on Tuesday, June 28 weighing in at 7lbs 7oz and measuring 19 inches long. She's so sweet and really easy so far! Hoping that continues! :)

Lake Time

2011-05-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed some lake time with the family this weekend. Reese and Tucker loved riding in the boat, swimming in the lake and being pulled in the inner tube.

Since I'm almost 35 weeks pregnant, I stayed in the shade on land.... but the rest of the crew enjoyed some serious fun in the sun.

First Swim (of the season)

2011-05-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Before the monsoon hit this week and temperatures dropped a good 40 degrees, the kids enjoyed the first swim of the season. Nothing like a dip in the freezin' cold water to wrap up your Easter Weekend.

At what age do you lose that "it doesn't matter how cold the water is... this is stinkin' fun" attitude? Blue lips, goose bumps and uncontrollable shivers weren't enough to keep the kids from swimming last weekend.

Can you believe this girl?? Swimming in the middle of the pool "all by herself"... unbelievable. It makes me pray for the water to warm up so I can get in and play with her.

This one just makes me smile... safety first. Looks like we have a fun summer ahead of us!

Definitely Need a Tan

2011-04-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

It's never a good sign when people ask you all the time if you feel okay. On top of being 30 weeks pregnant, I am ghostly white from the winter... to the point where I evidently look sick. Boy do I need a tan!! Now I remember why I stopped taking pictures of myself during my first pregnancy at about 25 weeks. Everybody else looked pretty cute on Easter though!

Look at this cute little family... Easton is adorable and has the best serious face you've ever seen. It's like he's saying "Watchyou talkin' 'bout Willis". Love it!

No More Egg Hunts - Pleeeeease

2011-04-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

How many Easter Egg hunts can you cram into one Easter?? This year the kids had FOUR. Yep... that's a lot of plastic eggs and a whole lot of candy. Reese acted like each hunt was her first, running and cramming as many eggs in her basket as she could. Tucker started off that way... but was completely over the whole thing by the last hunt at my parents house on Sunday. It didn't matter that the little eggs were filled with money... he just wanted to go swimming.

Brian and Jen started them off with a surprise hunt in their backyard last weekend. So thoughtful... and the kids loved all their treats!

On Saturday, we took the kids to our Church's annual Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt. It shouldn't really be called a hunt, because there are literally thousands of eggs just thrown all over the yard, football field, etc. The kids had no problems filling their baskets and didn't need the pep talk that Chris gave them on the way to the hunt: Okay guys, you have to work together now. Tucker, be sure you set screens for Reese. Can you imagine how pre-game talks will go?

They both hit the jackpot... not sure what we'll do with all the candy. We still have some left from Halloween.

Caden and Emma anxiously awaited their hunt. They are pros by now and both found "prize eggs." They'll have to teach Reese and Tucker their strategy for next year.

We wrapped up our egg hunting this year at Grandma and Grandpa's on Sunday. More eggs... more candy... more treats from everyone.

This is where the boycott began. We were cheering him on, encouraging him to go get more eggs and he just collapsed on the ground. No tears or anything... just a silent protest that made it clear to us that he was officially over the whole egg hunting thing.

He perked up when he found a package of jelly beans on the ground. That's what we should do next year... forget the eggs and just throw candy all over the yard.

Reese was on a mission and enjoyed every minute of every egg hunt they went on. As you can see in this picture... her basket is full while Tucker's is pretty much empty.

I think we're all officially eggxausted. And Reese is 6 dollars richer thanks to the dollar bills neatly stashed in some of her eggs. That had Grandpa written all over it.

I'm happy to report that when we ask Reese and Tucker what Easter is all about, they reply "Jesus... he died on the cross and rosed up the grave." See... we're not doing a completely terrible job of parenting.

A Mess of Fun

2011-04-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure there's no meaningful reason behind the tradition of dyeing Easter eggs. I grew up before the plastic egg craze so we dyed eggs every year. I remember tie-dye eggs, glittery eggs, eggs with faces on them, eggs with wrappers that clung to them when you dropped them into the colored dye, etc. etc. etc. After creating our egg art each year, the Easter Bunny hid them in the house along with our Easter baskets full of chocolate, marshmallowy goodies and we had a blast searching for them on Easter morning. I look back at some of my family traditions now and they seem crazy... crazy fun. Sometimes it's good to do things that don't really make sense just for FUN, isn't it?

Friday night we colored eggs with Reese & Tucker for the first time at Grandma's house (because it's always good to do the messy projects at someone else's house).

You'll see that most of the pictures are of Reese. Tucker painted this one egg and said, "I'm done mommy. I want to get down." And off he went to play and do more manly things. Not at all surprising.

Reese LOVED it though and had a blast dipping the eggs and watching them change color. She didn't share her mom's OCDness though... the eggs must be vibrant and spend the same amount of time on all sides to even out the pantone. She wasn't at all concerned about that... one dip and she was ready to do another. Relax Angi - let her do it her way. Am I the only mom that struggles with this??

I highly recommend the whisk concept... makes it way easier for little ones to participate without making a huge disaster. Stole that idea from some super mom's blog.

Tucker made it back in time to do one last egg... filling his quota of two Easter eggs this year. I'm telling you, he has the attention span of a gnat. I'm dreading homework with this boy.

It was fun to include Grandma, Amber and Easton in our first egg-dying experience. Reese is totally in love with this boy... I love the way she's looking at him!

Not too shabby for our first attempt. And we didn't even ruin any clothes... now that's a miracle. I hope we're starting traditions that will leave lasting memories for Reese and Tucker. Even if the traditions make no sense at all!

No Girls Allowed

2011-04-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Chris and Tucker set out on their first camping trip last weekend. I used to camp... in a tent and everything. But now it just seems like a whole lot of work... so I was super excited when Chris suggested that he take Tucker camping while I went and enjoyed a pedicure. LOVE IT!

They packed up the truck and headed to the land for some tent-buildin', soccer ball-kickin', four wheeler-ridin', baseball hittin', kite-flying fun....

As you can tell from the pictures, Tucker was totally in his element. This boy loves all things outdoors and had a blast on their camp out. He came back stinky and totally wiped out.

My boys made some great memories and did some major male bonding on this trip!

Manly Mowing

2011-04-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

The kids argued for five minutes in the car yesterday about whether or not Tucker was BIG. Tucker of course said he was big, but Reese would not stop telling him that they were both little. How do you explain to toddlers that size is relative?

Just to prove how BIG is really is, Tucker helped daddy "mow" the yard. So cute... seeing him out there pushing the mower like his dad. I wonder if he'll be this excited to help when he's 12?

Unfortunately, Chris is teaching Tucker other "manly" things as well... as evidenced by the synchronized scratching.

And yes, Tucker is mowing the yard in his underwear. So embarrassing. I guess I should just be glad that Chris has shorts on.

Scoot Over Girl

2011-04-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

I usually go check on the kids before I go to bed... just to make sure everyone's snuggled in tight so their little toes don't get cold in the middle of the night.
I wasn't at all surprised when I found this tonight...

Tucker usually gets in big trouble when he gets out of his bed. But how can you get mad when he shows you how much he loves his sister? Sometimes its simply not enough to just be in the same room with her.

First Catch - Sort Of

2011-04-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Laundry needed to be folded and toilets needed to be cleaned but I didn't think twice when Chris suggested a picnic and an evening of fishing. And I don't even like to fish. Today was about family. About together. About putting aside the things that don't really matter and putting first things first.

I ditched housework this morning to take the kids to watch cousin Caden's baseball game, and then again tonight to spend some QT with the people I love most. And now, it feels good to just relax and talk about it... regardless of the stinky toilets and piles of laundry waiting for me. They'll be there tomorrow.

The kids were super excited when we packed up and headed to the pond around the corner. Reese immediately announced that she was going to catch a pink fish and I didn't have the heart to crush her dream. After our picnic, Chris showed them the ropes while I relaxed in my camping chair and captured it all on camera. He's a great dad!

Who'd have thought that a plastic, Cars fishing pole could catch such an impressive fish...

Reese and Tucker were both excited about their "first catch". Let's be honest... we all know that dad caught this fish. This kids were right there "helping" though... and anxious to touch the slimy sucker.

I don't think Tucker would have been any more excited had he caught the tiny crappie all by himself!

What a perfect night... cool breeze, beautiful sunset, and just the four of us doing what matters most... being together.

Free at Last

2011-04-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Tucker has been in a toddler bed for probably a year now... remember how that monkey used to climb out of his crib?? Reese, being our tentative, cautious child has never even thought about scaling the walls of her wooden cage. So... she's almost 3 and still sleeping in her baby bed. She doesn't mind though and believe me, neither do we. That's just one less kid that's able to come tip-toeing into my room at three in the morning.

Well... everything changed today. The kids called for us at their normal Sunday morning time today but what we found when we got to their room was far from normal...

Seriously? We don't have to worry about Reese climbing out, but we do have to worry about Tucker climbing in?? They were having a party and Tucker was so excited to tell us that he climbed in all by himself.

It happened again at nap time this afternoon, so Reese officially moved into her big girl bed tonight.

Hopefully she won't follow in her brother's footsteps (literally) and come calling on me at three o'clock like he used to. It's official... they aren't babies anymore. Guess this needed to happen to get read for chicken nugget to arrive.

Conversations with the Kids

2011-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight I asked Tucker what we he wanted to name the new baby. Without hesitation he looked at me with a smile and happy eyes and said, "Chicken Nugget." And to think that Chris and I have been debating about this for months. Why didn't we ask Tucker sooner... a first and a middle name. Done.

Man he makes me smile!

Fat Ducks and Playdough Ice Cream

2011-03-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Fort Worth had the same idea as us last week... Trinity Park Duck Pond. Poor ducks were F.A.T by the time we got there and weren't at all interested in the bread we had to offer. The kids pretty much chased them around the pond trying to peg them with bread pellets to get their attention. I think Caden especially enjoyed the challenge.

Tucker got bored pretty quickly and decided he'd rather jump in and swim with the ducks than feed them. The boy is quick, but we got to him just in time.

Emma and Caden are so great with the kids. They just love their big cousins and want to be just like them. I've said this before, but that Emma is the best helper! I need a couple of her around all the time.

Love this picture of Caden... he's growing up so fast. He's still not too cool to play with his cousins at the park though!

After feeding the ducks and playing at the park, we enjoyed some much needed ice cream at Sweet Sammies. There's nothing like cotton candy and play dough ice cream (gross) on a hot spring afternoon!

Boys boys boys... I see Tucker doing this to his little brother (if the peanut ends up being a boy) years down the road. At least he has Caden to wrestle with though if it ends up being a girl.

Reese and the Boys

2011-03-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Spring Break. I'm not sure what I would do if I weren't in education. I just feel plain sorry for people who don't get teacher holidays.

We laid pretty low this spring break and just spent some much needed time outdoors with family and friends. By mid-week, the weather was beautiful and we spent a perfect day riding the train, picnicking and playing at the park with the McDonalds. Reese has gotten used to hanging out with the boys...

Campbell and Tucker were totally wearing the same thing. I guess when you're best friends for 30 years, you start having the same great taste.

I'm loving the park even more now that they are getting older... it's nice that they don't need my help or coaxing anymore. The challenge now is keeping up with them though... crowded parks make me neurotic.

My babies still love to swing. How are they big enough to no longer need the baby swings? Stop Growing!

And little miss Reese has found a new love... the twisty slide. She finally conquered her fear of the twisty slide and is now obsessed.

Tucker still loves to climb... I can't believe we haven't had to frequent the ER with this boy.

A day at the park must be followed by one thing... a good ol' LONG nap for everyone. Mom included. And that's just what we did!

Welcome Baby E

2011-03-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Baby Easton is here! That girl Amber, knows how to have a baby... he came a week early and she was only in labor for like 5 minutes. He's beautiful and perfect and we were all thrilled that he came on Spring Break so we could be there to meet him.

He was born on Tuesday, March 15 at 1:43 pm weighing in at 8 lbs 9 oz and measuring 21 inches long (I think). He's got dark hair like his mom and dad and absolutely beautiful.

The cousins were lining up to meet him as soon as he arrived. Well, everyone but Tucker... he was running around climbing on everything. Surprised?

He wasn't sure what to think about Reese... she couldn't stay away from him.

Emma was instantly in love and will be a great babysitter. She spent the night with us this weekend and I think we're going to hire the girl to help with Reese and Tucker on a regular basis!

Amber will definitely have to keep an eye on these girls... they can't get enough of him.

Proud Daddy - Nick was beaming and can't wait to teach Easton how to play ball... and with a name like Easton, he'll be a natural of course.

I'm telling you... Reese would have held him for hours had we let her. She talks about him, prays for him, and can't wait for her baby brother or sister to arrive so she's got one of these at home!

She's going to be a great big sister. We're still working on Tucker though. He's been kicking Nana's dog so I'm feeling a little nervous about bringing a new baby home. Boys... gotta love them.

Congratulations Amber and Nick! We love you guys and are so happy for you! Welcome to the family Baby E!

Backyardigans

2011-03-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a quick trip to Houston to celebrate cousin Emmy's 2nd birthday. Reese and Tucker had a blast just playing in the backyard with the cousins at Grammy and Grandpa's house...

Reese and Tucker try to hog the swings when we visit... they finally gave the birthday girl a turn.

Cousin Drew is such a sweetheart. He and Reese snuggled for a while on the porch swing... too cute!

What's outdoor fun without a little "ring around the rosy?" The girls never get through the whole song... they just like the falling down part.

And then the races... they lined up and raced across the yard over and over again.

It's fun that the kids have cousins their age... a little crazy when we all get together and someone is pretty much always in time out. But they have a blast!

New Hobby is Taking Over My Life

2011-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

I've been a scrapbooker for years and have always loved being crafty (the good kind of crafty), but recently have taken on a new hobby. My sweet husband bought me a sewing machine and an embroidery machine last year and I'm having so much fun playing... especially with Amber's baby arriving in a just few weeks. We had a shower for her last weekend so I really had an excuse to sew up a storm...

Burp towels are sort of my staple... sew on some fabric and embroider the name and Viola! You've got a super cute, custom gift that only costs a buck-fifty to make. Seriously.

These pacifier holders are my new favorite thing. You don't have to sew anything and they literally take no more than 5 minutes to make. I bought a couple clips and made them to where you could just change out the ribbon. Love things you can switch out... I'm OCD and like for everything to match the baby's outfit. I know, I need help.

Hooded towels are super easy too and absorb way better than the ones they sell for babies in the store. I made this one to match Easton's nursery so she could hang it on a hook if she wanted.

These bibs were a first for me. I saw some on Etsy and thought they looked easy. I was wrong... they took a while (which is why there are only two) but I love how they turned out. I put Chenille fabric on the bottom side and just a cotton on top. They are thick and absorbent and snap on with a cute little pearl snap. Also very cheap to make... but definitely gave this beginner a run for her money.

The onesies doubled as a shower decoration. I especially love the one with the tie... little man will be so cute in it. I used Wonder Under to iron the appliques on and then used a zig-zag stitch to stitch around the outside... cute and easy.

I was really in the crafting mood so I made a couple other things for the shower... the E was just a couple bucks at Joann's and I just painted it, mod-podged cute scrapbook paper on it and then embellished. She'll be able to use it in the nursery if she wants.

Jennifer (my sis-in-law) designed these candy bar wrappers for me for a previous shower, so all I had to do was change the colors and info and re-print. They were a hit.

Amber had a fun shower... had such a great turn out. Nick's mom made the cute cake... it tasted AMAZING and Easton got all kinds of goodies! Look how cute Mama is...

It was fun to host the shower with Dana and Mom... still doesn't seem like Amber should be old enough to have a baby yet. The fact that I'm pregnant at the same time as my sister who's 9 years younger than me, make me feel REALLY old.

Baby Easton will be here in a few weeks. I can't wait to meet the little guy!

Conversations with the Kids

2011-02-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

Now that the kids are talking more than 6th grade girls, I want to document everything they say. Well, at least the funny things they say.   These posts won't always come with pictures and I realize things aren't nearly as funny when you read about them as when you hear them in person, but hopefully you'll get a little laugh out of some of our Conversations with the Kids...

Here's a conversation that happened at dinner when Reese leaned back like she was full as a tick (as Grandpa would say).

      Chris: "Are you comfortable?"
      Reese: "No, I'm Reese Taylor Tims."

Tucker and I have this same conversation at least once a week...
      Tucker: "I want cheese mommy."
      Me: "Okay, in a few minutes."
      Tucker: "I want to cut the cheese."

Lots more fun conversations to come. Gotta write them down before I forget them!

Yeehaw

2011-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

Before the blizzard hit, we enjoyed an absolutely beautiful weekend... I'm talkin' a 70 degree, picnic at the park, then go to the Stock Show kind of a beautiful weekend. We crammed way too much in but had a blast. Grandma and Grandpa went to the Stock Show with us and enjoyed looking at all the "amnimals" with the kids.

Since we decided to go on the same day as the rest of the Fort Worth wanna-be cowboys, it was pretty packed. We did manage to make it through the crazy crowded children's barn though. Ducklings, a newborn calf, baby pigs, the works...

The highlight of the day was the pony rides.... and yes, even Reese saddled up! The tent was red and I only had the point and shoot camera so unfortunately I got really crummy pictures. You know I haven't mastered photo shop yet... so black and white is what you get.

Yeehaw cowboys!

Snow Much Fun

2011-02-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy winter... we had 4 snow days last week and we're working on our first one this week. I remember loving them as a kid and rarely ever getting them. Now I dread them as a parent and we're getting them all the time. I know all you other moms out there totally understand when I say it is complete torture trying to entertain toddlers for 4 days when you are stuck inside. I was pullin' out all the stops. Luckily, it warmed up later in the week so we could finally go out and play. Its definitely no fun playing in the snow when it's 9 degrees outside.

The kids had been watching and waiting for days.

Most of us had fun. Tucker wasn't so sure. He's like his Daddy and totally HATES the cold. We did manage to get him to play and laugh a little, but he would have been much happier inside where it was warm. Reese surprised us all yet again... she loved the snow and could have spent all day outside!

Reese was a professional snow angel-maker by the end of the day.

We went to Grandma and Grandpa's for the day and the whole crew played outside together. The kids had a blast being pulled around by the four wheeler on an inner-tube.

Grandpa took the kids back to see the cows... one of Tucker's favorite things to do.

It was almost like riding a snow mobile. Almost. The boys got stuck in the snow a few times but, of course that didn't stop them from playing.

Even the big boys had fun throwing a few snowballs... Grandpa stirred up a little snowball fight with Chris.

I'm pretty sure Tucker would be miserable if we lived in a place that had this to deal with all winter. But for one day it was tolerable even for him. I could handle a few more days of snow much fun... but it won't be long until I'm longing for the hot, sunny days at the pool.

A Special Bond

2011-02-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

As we wrapped up 2010... took down all the Christmas decorations and "rang in" the new year, I realized that it would be the last year for Reese and Tucker to be the only Tims kids in our house. While I'm excited about the new baby, it makes me wonder if it will change the special bond that the two of them have had for the past 2 1/2 years....

Sometimes they enjoyed snuggling up to each other for a much needed (on Mommy's part) nap...

And other times they beat up on each other...

She could give Tucker the best "evil eye" ever!

They even went through the "no neck" phase at the same time.

I've always loved it when I've caught them being sweet to each other.

As they've grown, it's been fun to see them really start playing together.. they love to wrestle and get into all kinds of trouble. They've become more than twins... they've become friends.

They've shared everything... birthdays, toys, snacks, fun times, sweet times, "kill each other" times, and have pretty much gone everywhere together.

Last week, Tucker was sick and had to stay home. Reese probably asked me and Nana a hundred times where her brother was. Even though they have their mean moments, they really do love each other so much. I hope that they'll continue to have their special bond even after the new baby arrives.

Christmas with the Fam

2011-01-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Since we aren't blessed to have all our family nearby, we rotate holidays. This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Tims so we spent Christmas with my family. Sometimes we travel to Michigan to be with the whole fam, but this year we stayed in town. It was nice not traveling, but I have to admit I was pretty stinkin' sad when I heard how much snow they had up there this year. The kids would have loved it! Plus we wish we could have been with the whole family.

We spent Christmas Eve at Mom and Dad's eating and making cookies for Santa. Then went back on Christmas day for more eating, playing games, opening presents, etc. It was fun to be together...

Chris and Amber hanging out before the gift exchange. Yep... her belly's getting round. Baby Easton will be here in March and we can't wait to meet him.

Amber's pretty much the celebrity in the family. The kids just naturally gravitate towards her...want to spend the night at her house. I think it's because she buys them candy and lets them stay up all night. How can we compete with that?

Nick, Caden and Drew waiting to open their loot. Caden is getting ridiculously big. He's playing basketball right now. Of course, he's the best player on his team... takes after his Mama and his aunt. And he loves riding his dirt bike. He's practically a teenager.

Caden and Emma both play so well the Reese and Tucker even though they are several years older than them. The wrestle, give them pony rides, read to them... pretty much anything Reese and Tucker ask them to do.

Emma just finished her second year of cheerleading. She's sassy, loves to pretend and do all things girlie. Don't misunderstand though... she can drive a mean four-wheeler too! Oh... and she's brilliant.

Reese and Tucker are both really lovin' them some Dana these days. They ask about her and want to go to her house to play all the time. Tucker informed her the last time they were there, that it was too cold to go swimming though. They'll have to save that for this summer.

This pretty much wraps up the Christmas posts for 2010... I'm not sure the kids can wait another whole year for Santa to come back. They are still asking for him.

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas with your family this year.

More Than Excited

2011-01-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

I realize it's been a month since that magical Christmas morn, but now that I can post pictures again, I have to go back and catch everyone up. So... just pretend that I posted this three weeks ago.

Well, we weren't sure that Santa was actually going to come to the Tims' house this year... due to the time-out filled, defiant week before Christmas that the kids experienced. But I guess he decided to cut them a break since they were pretty good 99% of the year. After all, Christmas wouldn't have been fun for anyone if they didn't have any presents to open. And there were plenty of presents to open. Note to self: make sure the kids open the "non-exciting" presents like clothes, etc. first next year... it will eliminate a lot of "I want to play with _____, I want to play with _____ now, etc. etc. etc."

Santa brought the kids a Bounce House this year. The suspense was killing them as they waited for Daddy to get it set up. Santa knew they needed to open all their other presents first... otherwise Christmas would have been put on hold for hours of bouncing.

It was a huge hit... even with Dad. He enjoyed some good old fashioned bouncing with the kids. We love it because we can use in indoors or outdoors. And the kids love it because they can't get in trouble for jumping on this.

We really got a taste of what's to come these next few years. The kids were more than excited about Christmas this year which made it that much more fun for us. We've started some family Christmas traditions that we'll hopefully continue for years to come.

oh, and once again, I failed to get any family pictures on Christmas morning. I promise Chris and I were there. That's my New Year's resolution... to get pictures of the whole family. I know the kids will appreciate having pictures of themselves when they were little, but I also know they'll be dying to see what Mom and Dad used to look like!

Blasted Blogger

2011-01-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered how many people actually read my little blog, especially since I only have 12 lonely followers. But I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people wondering where in the world we've been for the last month.

Long story short... I was hit by the technology curse once again. I know just enough about Blogger to be dangerous and almost deleted all the pictures in my blog in one click. Yep, it's possible my friends. So... if you're a blogger, don't EVER consider deleting your Picasa Web Albums to free up more space for your online photos... even if you don't think you ever created a Picasa Web Album. I got a little hasty in an effort to figure out why in the world I couldn't post pictures to my blog all of a sudden, and almost destroyed 2 years worth of memories.

Anyway... it took me 2 weeks to figure out that all I needed to do was pay 5 bucks to get this baby up and running so that's exactly what I did. Now I have room for 10,000 photos... way more than you want to look through. So... we're back. And I'm not angry at my blog anymore, so I'll starting getting everyone caught up on the latest fun times with the Tims.

Biker Santa

2010-12-21T11:04:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd have biker parents, but I do. I never thought my mom would wear leather chaps and a dew rag, but she does. As crazy as I think it is sometimes, it is really great that they have something that they love to do together. I hope Chris and I still have things in common after 35 years.

Anyway, I also never thought we'd go see Santa Clause at a Harley Shop, but we did. Grandma was wrapping presents there and invited us up, so we went to see Santa with Caden and Emma. Tucker was more excited about the motorcycles than Santa and Reese was more excited about the popcorn, but we managed to get them both on his lap without any tears.

Caden and Emma went first to show Reese and Tucker how to be brave. Caden was a great sport... even though he's a little too cool for Santa these days.

Tucker jumped right up on his lap of course... the boy doesn't know a stranger. He was still more interested in all the bikes than telling him what he wanted for Christmas though.

Reese took a little more coaxing. She wanted to be in the picture, but stood as far away as she could. She got a little closer when I held her and then finally said she wanted to sit on his lap. She surprises me every day!

They were excited when Santa gave them each a candy cane and now tell us they want candy for Christmas every time we ask. I guess we should enjoy that while we can. In a couple years they'll be asking for Ipods and dirt bikes.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

I've felt like a total deadbeat mom these last few weeks. Instead of us going to see Santa and Christmas lights, we've been at home... not doing fun Christmas stuff. I sleep when the kids sleep, avoid cooking and laundry at all costs, and want to do nothing but lay on the couch most of the time. I really need to be through with the first trimester like TODAY.

This weekend, we did manage to have a little Christmas fun by getting all snuggly in Christmas jammies and decorating cookies...

We're not "sprinkle happy" or anything. Would you like some cookie with your sprinkles? Reese didn't mind it... she thought it was mmm mmm good.

Tucker only agreed to mess with the sprinkles because I told him he could eat a cookie when he was done. He would have been just as happy to let the girls do the decorating so he could just stuff his face.

Hopefully the teachers will enjoy these cookies for dessert at our tamale luncheon tomorrow. I don't think they'll mind that they were made with little fingers.

Next weekend I'm determined to get out of the house and really have some Christmas fun!

Christmas is Coming

2010-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

"Christmas is coming." I hear this from Tucker about 3 times a day. I'm not sure he really knows what it means, but he loves to say it. It's like he keeps reminding me that it's coming whether I'm ready or not. And I'm definitely not ready. By now I've usually done some shopping, gotten all the decorations up, made cookies, etc, etc, etc. But this year, I'm moving a little slow. We finally got the tree up on Sunday... the kids were excited and saying "it's about time" since grandma and Nana both already had their trees up.

Tucker was very busy trying to fit as many ornaments on the same branch as he could. I couldn't get the boy to smile or even look at me... he was concentrating on getting them all on there just right.

I've said this before, but the kids really do make everything more fun. Putting up the tree can be such a beat down, but this year it was really fun. We listened to Christmas music and danced around the living room. Speaking of Christmas music... Tucker is obsessed!! He'll throw a level five fit in the car if I can't find Christmas music for him. It's crazy - I've even tried to "pretend" that something is Christmas music to pacify him and he totally knows the difference. There's no fooling this boy.

Okay, so a couple hours after we finished decorating the tree, I came back and found this....

I guess Reese thought she made a nice addition. Crazy kid.

In the Belly

2010-12-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

You'll have to excuse Reese in this video... she's on toddler crack or something. If you can focus despite the two little wiggle worms, they have an announcement to make...

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Yes... it's true. I have a baby in my belly. That's the reason for my blogging slump. I've been pretty sick and extremely TIRED. Hopefully all that will come to an end pretty soon. Baby # 3 will be arriving at the beginning of July! It's a good thing we have months to prepare... after watching this video, I wonder how we can handle another one!

Abundantly Blessed

2010-12-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

Abundantly Blessed... that's how I feel right now. That's how I felt on Thanksgiving and that's the feeling I want to hold on to all year long. We've had our share of hard times... and its so easy to get bogged down by the "don't haves" and "didn't go as planneds" that I sometimes forget how abundantly blessed we truly are. This year I want to be blissfully grateful... the way Reese and Tucker were when we spent Thanksgiving morning on the playground...

Man I love these boys!!!!

And when we spent the day after Thanksgiving at the petting zoo...

Can you believe Reese?? I'm not sure what happened to this girl... she ran right up and couldn't wait to feed the horses. There's hope for her after all.

We spent Thanksgiving in Houston this year. The weather was beautiful so the kids got to do some fun outdoor stuff with all the cousins... we all enjoyed time on the playground and feeding the animals. Another thing that we're abundantly blessed with... lots of family and lots of love...

We were all amazed that we could get everyone on that staircase... and there weren't even any crying babies this time.

Reese Taylor Tims

2010-11-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight at dinner Reese said, "Yummy, Mom. Thank you Angela." She had us rolling. She's learned all of our full names and has moved on to the extended family. How crazy smart is this girl??

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Wait till you hear her say "Dabid Alex Doyoyoyyoyle". Grandpa's real name is David Alan Doyle... and she thinks it's hilarious. Especially the Doyoyoyoyle part. Funny girl.

Three Days of Halloween

2010-11-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Halloween should always fall on a weekend. It just seems unfair to the holiday when it doesn't. This year, we took full advantage and celebrated 3 days of Halloween. They got more use out of their costumes this year than they did out of some of their baby clothes.

Friday night we went to the Fall Festival in Brock. They had food, games, prizes, bounce houses and all kinds of other fundraisers. The kids are way into bounce houses right now so that's pretty much what they wanted to do all night.

Saturday night, we went to Trunk-or-Treat at our church. Everyone decorated their "trunks" and really got into it this year. One family even brought a pony and some other animals and had a petting zoo. What people will do to win a gift card.

This crazy clown was giving away beanie babies instead of candy. Jackpot.

It didn't take long for them to really get into this whole I say "trick-or-treat" and you give me candy thing. It was a mad house, but we managed to play some games after trunk-or-treating.

They had so much fun and of course Mom and Dad were totally pooped after chasing them around all night. It was a good kind of pooped though. Totally worth it to see them having so much fun.

Sunday night we had dinner with Andrea and her family, followed by some good ol' fashioned trick-or-treating. It's hard to believe that 15 years ago, we were running around together collecting candy in our pillowcases. And now we're taking our kids...

Can you say Arranged Marriage? Reese says Campbell is her boyfriend. Chris was really excited to see his daughter kissing a boy at such a young age.

How cute are they? They held hands for much of the night. I know what you're thinking, but Andrea and I had nothing to do with this.

Nolan and Campbell were so cute... a scuba diver and a fish. So creative. Campbell did a great "Fish Face."

I really didn't know how the kids would do. Reese especially... you know how shy she can be. As soon as they saw the candy, they were good to go. They even went through a "haunted house"... who'd have thought?

It was a fun-filled weekend and for once, none of the activities fell into the "forced family fun" category.

Pumpkin Picasos

2010-11-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

This year I decided to let the kids paint pumpkins instead of carving one. Okay, call us lazy, but Chris and I just weren't excited about all that work. This way the kids got their own pumpkins and paintbrushes. They were more than excited and I didn't have to mess with pumpkin guts.

It looks like Reese is going to be a lefty. You know Chris was wishing Tucker would be the one to bat left, but no such luck. Okay, so I'm totally neurotic, but I'm already worried about teaching her to tie her shoes and having to buy left-handed scissors.

Luckily I only have one child that likes everything messy, so we managed to finish this project without ruining any clothes. Success.

Grease Lightnin'

2010-11-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

You know I'm a sucker for coordinating outfits... as evidenced by the Easter, Bluebonnet and Pumpkin Patch posts. Halloween is no different. I know there will come a day when Reese wants to be a princess and Tucker wants to be Spiderman, so I'm making them coordinate their costumes as long as I can. This year's theme was Grease Lightnin'...

Grammy made Reese's poodle skirt. So. Stinkin'. Cute. Reese absolutely loves to twirl around in it. Thanks Grammy! Everyone just went on and on about how adorable she looked. I'm pretty sure she would have been wearing a Walmart costume without her Grammy.

Tucker sort of got the short end of the costume stick this year. He didn't care though... jeans, a tattoo, and a Mohawk (because he hair just wouldn't slick back) and he was happy. Somehow we lost his sunglasses and his comb at Grandma's house right before picture time. But he still looks pretty cool.

Tucker said he'd coordinate with his sister one more time if he could get a pair of Chucks. Deal.

Stay tuned for more fun pics... we had 3 days of Halloween this year!

Thomas and Friends

2010-10-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Grammy and Grandpa gave the kids a ride on Thomas the Train for their birthday. This weekend we met the whole family in Rusk, TX to play and ride on Thomas. The kids were so excited... a slumber party in a hotel on Friday night and then a whole day of fun including a train ride on Saturday.

They all got little engineer caps to wear... blue for the boys and of course, pink for the girls. Too cute!

The kids had a blast on the train... dancing and clapping and being together.

In addition to the train ride, they had a day full of other fun stuff. They played with trains...

They colored and legoed it up...

They pet horses, rabbits, donkeys, etc. at the petting zoo. Well, some just looked instead of petting. Hmm... wonder who I'm talking about??

They enjoyed music and story time with Hobo Joe.

And they had fun just spending time with their cousins Kaylie, Andrew and Emmy. Surprisingly, we didn't have too many meltdowns. You never know what you'll get when you take 5 toddlers out for 6 hours of fun.

Thanks for such a fun birthday present... what a treat! The kids were totally spoiled... snow cones, hats, whistles, and a super fun-filled day! Reese and Tucker had a blast and were asleep before we left the parking lot.

Thanks again. We love you Grammy and Grandpa!

Pumpkin Patch - Take Two

2010-10-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Family pictures are going to be the death of me. The kids are 2 and we have yet to get a quality family picture. A couple times a year I decide to get us all coordinated and give it a go. There are usually tears and tantrums. Oh, and the kids usually get frustrated too. But despite many failed efforts, I'm determined to get a family picture that we can frame and hang on the wall. Last weekend we headed to Hall's Pumpkin Farm to try one more time. The kids (and Chris) were great sports even though they wished I would put the camera down and just let them play.

I'm not sure we got a frame worthy family portrait... but I must admit that some of these are pretty stinkin' cute...

Reese was really hammin' it up for the camera this time.... a huge change from last year's Pumpkin Patch Pandemonium.

Ok, seriously. Could they be any cuter? This one will definitely be edited and framed. Love that Tucker is totally cool and acting like it's his old truck.

Despite all the picture-taking, the kids did get to ride tractors, run around, eat kettle corn and have a little fun. Next time we're leaving the camera at home though. I can't help it. I think it's the fact that I have zero childhood pictures that makes me the neurotic, gotta capture every moment on camera, mother that I am.

Big thanks to Brian and Jen for coming with us and helping with the photo shoot!

Farmer Tuck

2010-10-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

Chris has been working out at the "Ranch" quite a bit lately... mowing, etc. The eight cows that are currently residing on it can't seem to keep things under control, so he's been out there wackin' everything down. The kids and I met him out there on Friday night for a picnic. Tucker was all about it... riding on the tractor, talking to the cows. But you know Miss Reese said, "I don't want to" as soon as the cows came running.
Tucker really is all boy... rough and tough and lovin' everything dirty. He helped Chris "mow" a little and had fun callin' the cows just like his grandpa taught him.

I got in trouble for bringing him out there in flip flops. I guess I'm gonna have to get the boy some boots and overalls.

Pink Faminko

2010-10-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Can I just tell you how much more fun it is to go to the zoo when it's not 100 degrees outside? We had today off for "Fall Break" so we spent the morning at the zoo. It was such a perfect day for it.

It's funny, we went to the zoo several times this summer, but today was different. It felt like I was hanging out with a couple 5 year olds instead of toddlers. They were talking up a storm and were way more into the animals than they were this summer. It's amazing the difference a few short months makes. Someone please make them stop growing.

Tucker was determined to see the "Cheetos".

Reese looks so motherly in this picture. That's a nice way of saying she's bossy. Poor Tucker has two moms. He's so gracious though and totally humors her. He's gonna make a great husband some day.

I'm not sure how we missed the flamingos in our first 5 trips to the zoo. But somehow we did. The kids saw them for the first time today and they were a huge hit. Reese even told our next door neighbor all about the pink faminkos when we got home this afternoon.

We love you Fort Worth Zoo.... see ya soon.

Hoops

2010-10-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

Baseball, football, wiffle ball... it doesn't matter what kind of ball it is. If Tucker sees it, Tucker wants to play with it. Caden and Emma introduced the kids to Basketball the last time we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I must admit that it's pretty hilarious watching toddlers try to dribble.

Hey, it's not easy handling a ball that's twice the size of your face.

It's only appropriate that Emma have a pink basketball. Reese refused to put it down for fear that someone would snatch it from her.

Grandma assisted them with their first slam dunk. And yes, that's pizza all over Tucker's face. The boy couldn't wait to get outside... there was no waitin' around for mom to clean his face.

Reese was a natural... she just might be a baller like her mama.

The kids can't get enough of being outside. It's a good thing we have lots of fun fall activities planned... I better go get an allergy shot.