Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Woods family!

27th Birthday

My birthday was last week and and I couldn't have been happier sharing my cake with my wonderful husband and three beautiful kids! I still can't believe we're a family of FIVE!

Halloween Cupcakes

Last night, we frosted and decorated cupcakes for Halloween. I'm so glad the holidays are starting!

Elliot kept telling me it was "too sunny" when the camera flash went off.
 

October Updates

I am so happy that it's Fall and the weather is lovely!

Here's Jack's cute little soccer team getting ready for their Saturday morning game. Jack is the one with the yellow jersey already on. It's been fun for Ty to help coach his team. They're about halfway through the season.

We're putting in our winter garden and we needed a little more soil. Last night, Ty was hauling wheelbarrow loads of it from the truck in the driveway to the backyard. The last load of the night accidentally ended up in the pool. This is one of those times where you have to choose to laugh or cry. We laughed.

Ty had a boring day at work. He had to learn how to maneuver one of these things. I know. You do what you have to sometimes.

Stroller Kids

Thank goodness they're happy in the stroller!

Highlight & Lowlight

Elliot went #2 on the potty.

Audrey went #2 in the bathtub.

Bath Time

Family Bike Rides

With the weather being {somewhat} cooler, we've been able to spend more time outside. We pulled out the bike trailer this week and Audrey and Elliot have loved going for rides. They wave to me and Jack the whole time: "Hi Mom! Hi Jack! Hi Mom! Hi Jack! etc." They are almost too big to be in there together! Pretty soon we'll have to get them on their own bikes.

Week Two With Twins

We had a fun, busy, family-filled weekend at our house. Granna and Papa came down from Page to see us and meet Audrey and Elliot. We also got a surprise visit from Aunt Les, Madi, and Kenna.

On Friday, Jack's class had a fall party and I went to help out while Papa stayed with the twins. It's so fun to see him at school with all his cute little friends.

Audrey ("cheese!") & Papa

The twins looking at pictures with Aunt Les

 Why won't they both look at the same time?

 A (mostly) happy picture with the cousins! Madi, Audrey, Jack, Kenna, & Elliot

Elliot got his first hair cut from Aunt Les! Kenna was on cracker duty and he did great!

Big Brother

Jack is getting used to the role of being a big brother. He loves when the twins ask him to read to them. Here's a cute clip of them reading together.

Come what may and love it: Part II

Things have changed at our house...

Meet our two-year-old twins: Audrey and Elliot!

The morning after our "Come what may and love it" post, we got a very special email about an opportunity to adopt these twins. The morning after. We were both so overwhelmed by the timing of the email, that we really felt this was Heavenly Father's way of letting us know these twins were meant for our family. It has been so hard to keep this wonderful blessing quiet! After meeting them, we had them in our home within days. Last Thursday, we became their legal guardians. On Monday, their biological mother signed her parental rights over to us. All that's left is getting consent from the biological father. While the adoption is not official yet, we feel very optimistic that it will be soon.

Elliot is the calmer of the two. He loves to read books and blow bubbles outside. He plays really well on his own. Elliot is also the more sensitive of the two. He is Ty's little shadow and follows him around the house asking "What doin' Daddy?" Elliot also loves our dog Link. We were out back playing with bubbles and Audrey and I went inside to get something. When I came back out, Elliot had a large rake in one hand a pooper scooper in the other trying to clean up a freshly-dropped 'Link'n logs.' He looked up at me and said, "I'm getting poops, Mommy!"

Audrey is full of spunk. She is definitely the more dominant twin. She loves to tease Elliot and try to eat his food. She also wakes up a little cranky from her naps and needs to be rocked for awhile. Audrey loves to watch shows and insists on standing right in front of the TV. Elliot will use his fork and have a clean face and Audrey will have both hands into her meal and food in her pigtails. Her little scrunched-face smile makes us all laugh. She knows some funny sayings like "Oh my goodness sakes!" Her nickname is "Sissy."

Jack feels pretty lucky. He tells me so everyday. He prayed for a baby brother or sister and he got both instead! The first day we had the twins he told us that he was "so excited to teach them how to tell time on an analog clock." He's mostly just been working on letters and numbers with them, though. Every day he does better about being patient with the twins and sharing his toys. Every morning when everyone wakes up, it's a small reunion at our house. The kids all run up to each other and give each other a hug. The same thing happens when Jack gets out of school. And again after nap time. We are grateful that they are learning to get along.

Ty and I feel so blessed and grateful for the opportunity to adopt Audrey and Elliot. For us, this was one of those moments in life when suddenly everything was right. We feel so at peace about things. Some people have asked us what the twins call us. From the very first day we had them, they called us Mommy and Daddy. The other day, Elliot saw a picture on the computer of me, Ty and Jack when Jack was just a baby. He pointed to the picture and said, "Mommy, Daddy, Elliot!"

These little twins are such a blessing in our family. We could not be happier!