A few random snapshots...

Grandma LeAnn got Lukie some Thomas PJ's and he LOVES them! Luke loves Thomas the train!!

Our little sweet peas sleeping in the cradle that Papa Jim made for Joseph when he was a baby

I am pretty sure that this is Lily, but I'm for sure that whoever she is she's stinkin' cute!

A daddy and a girl

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Our baby, Caleb, turned 5 today!! I can hardly believe that we have a 5 year old. The time has flown by so fast. It really does seem like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital. He was so little and we were so scared. We weren't sure that we knew what we were doing and I was so scared that everything that I did was going to ruin him for life. Well I don't know if I've ruined him for life, but so far he seems to be doing pretty well. He's smart, sensitive, funny, curious, imaginative and turning into a GREAT big brother. We are so proud of him and love him so much!!

Below are some pictures that we took of Caleb's first (of 3) birthday celebrations. While his Grandma and Grandpa were here from Alaska they had a little celebration fo him and we invited a couple of neighborhood kids.

Grandma LeAnn got Caleb a pinata and here is Caleb hitting it.

Here is Luke's turn and he was so excited! At first he was just watching all the other kids and then when we handed him the bat he was SO excited!

Caleb's turn again...

Now, Lukie's (doesn't he look scary with a huge stick??!!)

Lukie waiting paitently again..

Caleb's Chuck E Cheese birthday party!

Caleb also had a party at Chuck E Cheese this year. He wanted an army party and we were going to do one at the park and Daddy was going to make an obstacle course, but with the twins and Joseph finishing up a big exam we didn't have the time to get it together so Chuck's it was. Caleb wore his army gear and we had an army cake. We all had a good time!

Here is Caleb with is favorite neighborhood friend. She wears camo, loves to ride her bike and collects bugs with Caleb...what more could he want in a little girl friend?

Josiah and Bob the builder

We were so excited that the Ziggy's were able to make it from St. Louis for Caleb's party. Thrid year in a row that they made it to a party of his.

I thought this was a great action shot that Joseph took of Luke. This picture sums Luke up in a nut shell...constant motion!!!

Chuck E Cheese performing for Caleb. What you can't see is Caleb's rather overwhelmed face!

Here we all are with Chuck singing Happy Birthday to Caleb. One thing I am learning about my oldest child is that he doesn't like to have the attention of everyone one him. Definitely does NOT get that from mom!

The Birthday Boy blowing out the candles on his army cake that Daddy decorated for him!

Candid Camera

Here are a few shots of the girls that I took a couple of weeks ago and haven't had time to publish...they are so cute!

My peas in a pod

I told a joke and only Lily got it!

Lily Kate & Ella

? with Papa Jim's hat on

I *think* this is Ella trying to suck her thumb...go girl, GO!

After having our camera for 3 1/2 years I just figured out how to use other modes

super sweet sisters!

Check out my Slide Show!

Lots of arms to hold children!

We have been super blessed with help over these first couple of weeks of the girls lives. My mom was here, then after she left my stepmom and siblings all came to help out. It was awesome to have all these hands to hold babies, play with the boys and help around the house. We are also super blessed that while lovey is gone my sisters and stepmom will be coming back to help me out! Thanks guys for all your help and I can't wait until you come back...are you sure you don't want to move in??

Caleb "sleeping" peacefully with Ella...or is that Lily?

Grandma with the girls and a sweet smiling Caleb!

Grandma with her babies

Grandma with her daughters and grandbabies

Aunt Amy made these sweet hats for the girls

And here is Aunt Carami with Lily and Ella

Maddry's Traveling Circus

Well, I did it!

I took all 4 kids out to the grocery store and to Mc Donalds all by myself!!! Yep, it's true. So here is a little about our first adventure:


We were out of a few things at the house, so I decided that this would be a good time to take the kids out for a quick trip to the grocery store. After all the kids had been fed we loaded in the van and headed for the store. I talked to the boys about my expectations for their behavior and then bribed them with doughnuts if they were good and helped me out. :) When we got there I left all the kids in the car while I went and got a cart. After I got back I tried to fit all kids in/on the cart and immediately ran into issues getting the girls in. We stood there in the hot heat while I tried every which way to fit the 2 car seats in the cart. It wasn't happening. Meanwhile Luke was starting to get excited (translation: he was ready to get in the store for his doughnut), people are starting to watch me (possibly thinking that I'm crazy) and then this lady walks by looking all together with her ONE infant car seat in her cart and says, "Wow, twins?! You have your hands full!" To which I reply, "Better full than empty" with a forced smile on my face. I decide to take our traveling show to the store in an attempt to keep Luke from getting run over and keep trying to make car seats fit in a space they weren't going to fit in. After more struggling I decide that we are just going to need 2 carts and Caleb is going to have to drive one!!! So with strict instructions to Caleb (don't run into anyone or anything, stay behind mama, and don't run while pushing the cart) we were off. We definitely draw attention, but it wasn't that bad. Other than Caleb bruising my achillies tendon and running into a few displays we did it! The girls slept the whole time, every elderly person in the store stopped us to look at the girls and the big brothers were rewarded with 2 doughnuts each! It was a great first trip!

Since we had such a successful first trip I decided to take the kids to Mc Donalds to play while waiting to meet Joseph for dinner. I carried the carriers and the boys held hands across the parking lot. We got in, took up the whole counter and ordered 2 drinks and some fries. After much discussion about the twins, they hand me the drinks and fries on a tray. I hand the drinks to Caleb and then stare at the fries. Neither Caleb or I had a free hand to carry the fries and I didn't trust Luke carrying them so I was trying to decide what the best way was to do this. I must have been standing there staring at the fries for a while because the lady behind me
said, "Wow your hands are full, can I help you carry something?" Absolutely! I am all about taking help these days. After she helped us in the playland we did really well by ourselves. Another successful trip!

2 trips in one day and I learned a lot about traveling with all 4 kids by myself. Three big ones come to mind right now... patience, ask for help and don't tell Luke to "hurry up" because he will go slower!! Oh yeah, and that people love to comment on my situation!

2 and a half weeks with twins!

So the twins are 2 1/2 weeks old and they have their 2 week check-up today. I am so excited to find out how much weight they have gained. They are looking chunkier to me, but still so little. Their legs are so thin and long...perfect ballerina legs! I think they look particularly long and skinny to me because they are longer than either of my boys were and weigh less than the boys weighed.

Last night the girls had a 6 hour stretch between feeding and slept the whole time! That was more than fabulous!!! At this stage in the game though we aren't counting on that to happen every night, but it was nice last night. Typically they do 4-5 hour stretches at night which is better that hourly! And during the day they go every 3 hours (or later if I can't get to them at that minute!)

Here is a little on the personalities of Lily Kate and Ella Grace. Lily Kate is a better sleeper and fusses less than her little sister. She is much more dainty and even burps more daintily than Ella. Ella eats more, fusses more and burps like a sailor! She also looks at you with these wide eyes and acts like she is hanging on every word you are saying and looks ready to take on the world. Both girls like to be cuddled, bury their faces in their covers and be swaddled. They sleep best when they are close to each other, but when the pacifier falls out of their mouth they try to eat each others faces and grab whatever they can get their hands on - even if it is a sisters nose or hair bow!

People always ask me if twins are twice the work and really they are more like 1 1/2 times the work and DOUBLE the fun!!! If I had one baby I would already be feeding, changing, burping, ect. All those things do take twice the time though. Twins are also twice the diapers! We go through about 110 diapers a week. And that doesn't even count Luke Bear Maddry's diapers. I never thought that I would be as happy as I get when I get diapers for a gift! For sure though, twins are twice the fun and we are loving EVERY minute of this adventure!! At night when the house is quiet and I am feeding the girls I thank God for blessing us with the amazing children that we have.

Maddry Beauties!

There are more than a few things that I love about this picture... I love how their ballerina legs are intertwined together. I love their cute booties that Papa Jim & Grandma LeAnn got them. I love how they start higher up in their papasan chairs and then snuggle down together and get comfy. I love how cute they look in their outfits from Grandma LeAnn. Oh, how I love these girls!

Ella's hand on Lily's head looks so cute!

They are so hard to tell apart sometimes!

I got them their first hairbows yesterday at the store...SO GORGEOUS!!