Christmas in Michigan

Before the girls were even born we told our family that we were going to spend both Thanksgiving and Christmas at home by ourselves. We didn't not want to travel with newborn babies. Thanksgiving we spent with my cousin and his family who live here in Atlanta. We had a fun time and still was able to celebrate with the family that we have close by.  But the closer Christmas got the harder it was to know that all of our family would be together except for us. So as a last minute decision (on December 23rd) we packed up the car and drove to Michigan. The kids did amazingly great on the 12 hr drive.  It was so nice to be there with family and enjoy the time together.

Christmas Eve we decided to try to have the grand kids act out the nativity. Grandma did a great job pulling together a few makeshift costumes and we read from the scriptures. The kids were darling. Andrew and Stephen were wisemen. Olivia was baby Jesus and Kathryn was the shining star. 

The Crew

Kathryn the "Shining Star" 

 Jasmine & Olivia playing Mary & baby Jesus

The Wise Men traveled from far

I appreciated all the extra help with the girls. There was always an extra pair of hands to hold or feed one of them.

This little girl was the best helper! She loved holding the babies....especially Kathryn and would just sit and hold them for literally hours. She was so content not even wanting to play with the other kids and they'd eventually fell asleep in her arms.  I needed to take bring her home with me. She is going to be the best little helper to her little baby brother who will be born this summer. 

I love Christmas time and it was hard to believe it came and went. Andrew was way into Christmas this year and understood the whole Santa thing! I think it helped to be around cousins and feed off of their excitement and energy! He loved opening presents and was very overwhelmed. He wanted to just stop and play with everything! Kids sure make Christmas magical!

Opening our stockings

 Kathryn slept through most of the crazy Christmas morning! But here's all of us who were awake!

 Opening Presents!

 Love the Christmas Chaos!!

Andrew playing with his cars and car rug that Santa brought!

First Christmas with these sweet girls in their Christmas Jammies

Andrew playing with Uncle Micah

I was finally able to meet a new brother and sister in law!! Both Stephen's little brother and sister got married this summer and while I was laying in a hospital bed, Stephen and Andrew flew out to Utah for a week of weddings! It was wonderful to finally meet and hang out with these guys. Between Christmas and New Years, we did more wedding celebrations and had a reception for both couples for all their Michigan friends. For some odd reason I didn't get any pictures at the receptions of the two couples.....Oh that's right, I was trying to keep three kids happy!

 James and his new bride Michelle holding Kathryn

I don't know how I never got a picture of Erin with her new hubby, But those two gave me the BEST christmas present EVER! It started out as a joke because Alex, her husband had never even changed a babies diaper and it ended up that they took both girls for an entire night! We moved the pack'n play into their room and I went to bed about 10:30 and woke up around 7am. Best nights sleep in I don't know how long! It was amazing!!  They seriously don't know how awesome that little gift of sleep was. 

Grandpa has been working hard at finishing some rooms in their basement and saved some of the big boxes to make a slide for the grand kids down the stairs. It took a few of the engineers in the family to figure out the best way to get it to turn around the corner.  All the kids had a blast and maybe even a few of us adults. 

We stayed the week and rang in the New Year with family too! It was an evening full of delicious food and games! 

Minute to Win It games were fun for both the adults and all the kids.

It went by all too quick. There's nothing like spending time with family during the holidays and that is what we realized both Stephen and I needed the most. It made the trip well worth it.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

We had a fun filled December here in a Georgia!

Andrew was way into Santa this year and it was so much fun! He'd find our Santa hat and walk around the whole house saying "Ho! Ho! Ho! I'm Santa" It was so funny and he never got bored of it! 

My parents came to visit us for a week. It was wonderful to see them and we loved having them visit this time of year. They sure gave us a boost and helped me finish up with Christmas.

Grandma Helping Olivia in the bathtub!

Grandpa & the Girls 

Cuddles with Grandpa! This kid LOVES his Grandpa Jerry!

Kathryn giving lots of smiles to Grandma Lyn

It's so fun to see my dad play the same games he did with me as a little girl with Andrew. Here's the famous "Take off My Shoes"  Game. 

Cuddles with Kathryn

This is the best we could get of Grandma & Grandpa with all three kids.

My mom became a pro at feeding both girls at the same time.

Andrew's preschool class had a Christmas program they performed with their 'buddies'. I knew they were practicing Christmas songs for a while because this kid LOVES to sing and would go around singing all the songs he learned at school. Jingle Bells was a favorite...especially after I got out the Christmas decorations and he found some bells he could shake and accompany himself with. Also 'Police Navidad' or Feliz Navidad was also sung a lot around our house during the month. 

I think Andrew was more excited that mommy, daddy, grandma & grandpa were at his school then anything else. He talked about it for days afterwards. 

We had an early Christmas with them and exchanged all of our gifts! It was perfect! Andrew got a few new toys halfway through the month which kept him happy. 

It may not look like it, but I promise this kid was super excited to get a new camera. He's always stealing my phone and taking TONS of pictures with it! 

Our ward had a fun Christmas party and we were able to leave the girls with my parents and sneak away for a few hours. With them being preemies AND the fact that is is cold/flu season, we are pretty careful where we take them and who holds them. Andrew on the other hand was super excited to see that Santa came to the party too! I wasn't sure how he'd respond when it was time to sit on his lap...but he loved it! He was a little shy at first, but so excited. Much better then last year of tears! He told Santa he wanted him to bring him lots of cars. 

I was also able to spend one morning at the temple. While my parents were here. We literally live just down the street from the Atlanta Temple and with all the craziness of bed rest and having babies. I haven't been  able to go in a very long time. It was so wonderful to spend the morning there. I couldn't resist taking a picture! The sky was so blue that December day!

Craziness at the Holden's

Life is a bit crazy, but that is our life right now and we are enjoying the busyness of it all. I don't have much spare time these days, but I still want to keep up this blog/family journal. There may be fewer or shorter posts, but I'm going to try to still do a few here and there. 

With all the craziness, the number one question I get when we are out and about is...are they twins? Ummm YES! Yes, they are! But besides that silly question, I always get asked, how do you do it with newborn twins and a toddler?

Well, my answer is I don't do it alone and some days I don't do "it". Most of the time we're in survival mode. Showers for me are optional and naps are an absolute must. Housework is minimal and the crockpot is getting lots of use these days. We've gotten into a good routine and schedule and we are surviving! Honestly don't ask ask me what day it is...they all blend together. I'm good if I know what day of the week it is. 

I've had TONS of help from family. We are so incredibly blessed and I've been completely spoiled. 

I had someone here back to back for a whole month after the girls were born. First my sweet mother came just a day after the girls were born and was able to meet both girls and help us out a ton!

Then the day she left, Stephen's mom flew in a few hours later. She was a great help and we survived having a newborn home and the other still in the NICU with her here.

Only a day after she left, Stephen's sister Meghan drove down from Illinois to spend the week with us. She was such a wonderful help and I loved catching up with her and our late night chats! 

Then I was a week on my own and my sister came out with her sweet 7 year old daughter Megan.

It was a wonderful boost and I was so fun to "play" with these girls, as we'd each take one. Her little daughter was in heaven with TWO babies to play with.

Now 4 weeks later my parents returned and gave me a huge boost so I could get Christmas finished and helped out a ton.

I've also had TONS of help from the ward. For a whole week, they brought in meals AND had someone come in for three hours and help me with babies and cleaning etc. They threw me the most incredible shower. I seriously came home and cried. I've felt such an outpouring of love from the ladies in this ward. For hardly knowing any of them. They've bent over backwards to help my family and then to throw this huge shower for me and the girls. It was darling "Diapers and Doubles" Everyone brought me diapers and wipes. I am stocked....for a while. The pile is dwindling fast though I think we calculated in the last three months we've had these girls, we've gone through over 900 diapers. Yikes!

 I now have two sweet ladies from the ward that come once a week and help me for a few hours. Its usually on Tuesday afternoons because Andrew has therapy then, so they stay at the house and watch/feed the girls while I take Andrew to therapy for a few hours. I always come home to laundry folded or floors vacuumed or a dishwasher empty. Truly Blessed.

I've even had a friend here in the ward come and do a night feeding for me. Yes. Can you believe it? She has a little boy Andrew's age AND twin girls that are 15 months old. So she has just walked in our shoes. She came over one night and slept on our couch and fed the girls during the night. so I could have a full nights rest. It felt soooo good. 

The next question that is always asked, is are they on the same schedule? To that I answer a resounding YES!  I make them. When one wakes up to eat I wake the other one up. They have been on a four hour feeding schedule since they were six weeks old and within just the last month they been going 6-8 hours through the night which has been awesome.

Our life pretty much revolves around feeding time....

Andrew is catching on pretty quick.

He loves to help out too!

Because these girls were preemies, nursing has taken extra long for them to catch on to.  I've done a lot of pumping until then. Andrew told me one morning that he needed a turn and I needed to share. (Can you tell what we are working on around here?) Much to Stephen's dismay, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this.

Now all the visitors are gone.
We are on our own.
Just our family of five.

Last week I ventured out to Andrew's therapy, when I couldn't get a babysitter, by myself with all THREE kiddos. We survived. We did it. To be honest. I was prepared for a lot worse...it really wasn't too bad.

Having more children than arms has definitely been a challenge. I am grateful for wonderful family and friends. I am also very grateful for a loving and supportive husband. I'm especially grateful that I can be a stay at home mom and be able to spend all day with these three precious children on loan from our Heavenly Father.

Life is Crazy....but I am so incredibly blessed.