EVEN STEVEN!

At birth...
Baby A (Bryce) weighed 6# 11oz.
Baby B (Drew) weighed 7# 2oz.
Throughout infancy and young toddler-age Bryce weighed the most.  However, Drew passed him in height and weight a few years ago and has worn a size bigger in clothing and shoes ever since. About a year ago, it became a huge topic of conversation and a source of competition...as is everything with twins!  Of course, both boys want to be "the biggest twin!" Drew loves to point out that he weighs the most...Rubbing it in so frequently that Bryce would get really upset and even cry!  When Drew topped the scale at 3# heavier about a month ago, I asked them to stop weighing!

This has prompted many conversations. "You are 2 completely different children - just born on the same day.  God made you exactly how he wanted you to be.  And, we do not judge someone on their size, looks, etc....."

SO...today when they pulled out my scale, you can imagine how thrilled Bryce was to see this number!

BRYCE

DREW

THEY WEIGH EXACTLY THE SAME.  What a happy day for my Bryce!

MY "Brown Thumb" is turning Green!

I have always LOVED the idea of having a garden, but HATED the idea of gardening!

There is nothing "green" about my thumb.  I kill all things living...plants, that is. Even the little plants Bryce & Drew gave me for Mother's Day....dead!

Until now...

Dad and Shari planted me a small garden back in May.  Several tomato, bell pepper and blueberry plants.  ALL I HAD TO DO IS WATER AND WEED.

And much to my surprise....it's working!

I am so proud of my little crop and definitely motivated to learn more about gardening.  Lesson learned...even brown thumbs can turn green!

SPRING VISITS

Nana & Papa Richardson flew to Georgia to help us move from our rental house into our new house.  Unfortunately, we had some delays so they graciously helped us work around the house.  Cleaning.  Working.  Cleaning and more working!  Not many pictures taken during that time! :(

We got to spend more time with the Richardsons later in May.  Unfortunately, it was for Jimmy's "Grandpa Frank's" funeral.  We were really glad we got to be there for Denise and her family.  It also gave us a rare opporunity to have the whole family together.

We just love Stacie, Jeff's girlfriend.  She makes a wonderful addition to our family!

The Richardson BOYS...

Later in May, Dad and Shari drove to see us and timed it just right to be our "first house guests" in our new home!

The boys got lots of attention and play time with Papa Rick & Gammie while we were still unpacking and getting settled in.

Jimmy and I are very blessed with 3 sets of loving parents and grandparents for our boys!

A New Chapter

Sharing a room is all Bryce & Drew have ever known...

This is how it all started...

When they were born, they shared a "twin crib" in the hospital for 4 days.

When they came home from the hospital, they shared one crib

but we had to split them up after a few days.  SOMEHOW, my little 7 pound Drew was able to "scooch" himself over to Bryce.  He would be practically on top of him or covering his face.  I had no idea 39 week old babies could move like that!  Now I know why.  Drew LOVES his brother and LOVES to be close to him.  I guess after 38 weeks of sharing a womb, that's all you know!
After squeezing 3 1/2 years out of their cribs, we finally said goodbye to them and gave Bryce & Drew our queen size bed.  I think Drew was thrilled to be able to sleep right next to his brother, again!

Soon it became clear that Bryce was needing his own space.  Drew was always encroaching upon his space.. holding his hand, kissing him, wrapping his arm around him, hogging the bed, etc.  And for a boy that is VERY SERIOUS about his sleep (like me!)...it's not fun! So, when we finally got moved into our new home, we decided it was time to split them into their own rooms.  BRYCE WAS THRILLED.  DREW WAS DEVASTATED! 
Drew LOVES his stuffed animals so to help him get excited about his new bedroom, we told him he could sleep with 10 babies every night!  THANK GOODNESS THAT WORKED!

Drew kept the queen size bed and Bryce got a whole new bedroom set.  He is very proud of his new room and keeps it very clean and organized. The smile says it all!

So far, it's working out pretty well.  Bryce is getting a lot more sleep.  Drew really misses Bryce and looks forward to having "sleep overs" with him!  The bond that twins share is TIGHT!

ONTO THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Who Needs an Ocean?

I JUST LOVE THESE CRAZY BOYS!

My Little Worker Boys

Life has been so crazy.  Moving.  Lots of visitors.  Home repairs.  Remodels.  Life with twins...etc! As a result, I have fallen behind on my blogging and desperately trying to get caught up...

Prior to moving into our new home, we spent almost 2 months cleaning and doing some home repairs/remodeling.  I was very proud of Bryce & Drew.  They always had a good attitude about going to the "new house" and helping out.  They both love to work...especially Bryce.

Today, I captured my quirky, little Drew helping Jimmy with some yard work!

I hope we can instill a good work ethic in our boys.  I think the key is TO MAKE IT FUN!

The Best Homemade Salsa

This salsa recipe rocks and goes really well with the Spicy Shredded Beef.  I could eat it right out the bowl...no chip necessary!

Source:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Restaurant Style Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin (I omitted for my boys' sake!)
• 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• 1/2 whole Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

Spicy Shredded Beef

Another AWESOME new recipe I just tried.  Just enough heat but not too much for little ones.  Perfect for a large crowd. 

Source:  Short Stop

Spicy Shredded Beef
3-4 pound chuck roast, trimmed
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 can Hot Rotel (you can use Original or Mild if you like less heat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chicken broth
3 bay leaves

Place roast in crockpot.
Combine all ingredients except the chicken broth and bay leaves into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Pour sauce over roast. Add chicken broth and bay leaves.
Cook on high for 6 hours or on low 8-10 hours. Once meat is tender, shred with two forks right into the sauce in the crockpot.

 Perfect for tacos, burritos, salad or nachos! 

Don't forget all the good stuff...cheese, sour cream, homemade salsa, lettuce, olives, etc!

 

Healthy Three Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake

IF YOU LOVE PASTA YOU MUST MAKE THIS RECIPE!  It is delicious and gets 20 thumbs up from my boys!
Thanks to The Girl Who Ate Everything blog!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves (I used 1/2tsp dried basil and ½ tsp dried oregano)
1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded 2% milk mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic, and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.

Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted

SILLY!

It's hard to believe that my silly, little boys will be starting Kindergarten in exactly ONE MONTH!  They are excited and so am I!!!