Tis the Season

Last week one of my greatest dreams came true.  I got to order Christmas cards with MY family on them.  I didn't go to the store and pick up two boxes of ho-hum cards like I have in the years past.  I got online, spent hours looking through templets and ordered cards with my gorgeous family on them.  The anticipation of waiting for the UPS man today, makes it almost feel like today is Christmas.

One of my dearest friends is a fabulous photographer and we were blessed with snow fall a few days before our pictures were taken.  I knew I wanted them taken at a tree farm and the snow was a total bonus that living on the coast, I never really thought would be possible.  I anxiously kept an eye on the weather the days leading up to the day we had our pictures done.  I honestly wasn't sure how the babies were going to handle being outside while it was 30 degrees. Luckily for us, they were total troopers!

We've come to expect this look from my little Moose, 

but I absolutely LOVE this photo of him.  

I sat next to Shannon as she edited this photo

 and she really didn't have to do much to it.  

She is that good and he is this cute!

I'm pretty sure his eyes get bluer every day

I searched and searched for something for Peyton to wear that was cute and girly but

nothing I found was warm enough for the conditions we were working with.

  I also could not find a headband for her that fit her head.  

They were either all too tight or too big.  

Oh well, she's cute no matter what!

This picture captures our family perfectly.

Since the day we brought the twins home, 

I've seen this true and honest smile on my husbands face 

more than I have in the 12 years before they were born.  

This man was destined to be a father and a husband.  He excels at both.

He is my best friend, my rock 

and gives me the strength I need to raise two rapidly growing babies.

I can't imagine a life without him and wake up every day thanking God for him.  

He works his butt off for us so I can stay home with the babies 

and attempt to be a stellar stay at home mom and wife.

I've been struggling a lot lately with grasping the fact that we won't be spending Christmas with my family back in California.  A friend of mine texted me this morning reminding me that THIS is my family now.  It's time to think about what traditions I want to carry on from my childhood and which ones we want to start with our kids.  For now, I know for sure I will carry on my grandma Marge's Swedish Meatballs and Chex Mix and overflowing stockings from grandma and grandpa Rasmusen.