First Cake and Hunter Christmas

Wow! We've been busy. I'm sure you all have been too, Christmas season is always busy, but so much fun. Especially when its the twins First Birthday as well! We have a LOT of pictures posted so I'll try to caption each one. We are going to Dallas tomorrow and will celebrate Christmas and Birthdays with my family as well. So get ready for more pictures again when we get back! Merry Christmas to all and Praise the Lord for the birth of Jesus!

Avery and Atley with their new activity table. This was their (early) birthday present from mommy and daddy.

This is a normal day at our house....they are into EVERYTHING now.
So needless to say, my house is a mess for the first time in my life! I'm learning not to pick up until they go to bed....then I can't help it:)
Their first time to touch snow!
brrrr!
Phillip and I had a little family birthday party for the girls. They had their first sugar!!! They ate their entire cupcakes and cried when I took the crums away.

Atley is almost 1 year old!
Avery loved her cupcake too!
We celebrated Christmas with Phillip's family last night. The girls enjoyed opening presents, but loved the bows most of all. Here is Avery eating her first bow.
Atley followed her lead and munched on the red one.
Yeah! The girls got big toys! We really needed these and the girls love them.
Opening more presents....
Aunt Julie and Uncle Josh got them Mizzou pacis!! Go Tigers!
Uncle Matt and (soon-to-be) Aunt Lauren helping the girls open presents.
Grammi and Mommy with the girls new baby dolls.

Christmas Pictures

Yesterday we took some Christmas pictures of the girls and as a family. (Thanks Ashley!) After taking 15 pictures, we got about 3-4 good ones. I guess that is how it is with babies. We'll post the family pictures later, but for now here are a few of the girls.

Atley being shy Avery not being shy

Atley with her sweet hair bow

Avery - little baby and a big tree

Atley was a little mad at me by this point

We've been really working on maintaining our nap schedule during the day in hopes that our nights are better. Both girls have realized that just because mom or dad are not in sight, they are still somewhere close. So they think if they cry we will come and get them out of bed. Therefore, they are waking up at 3-4am wanting to be held, and played with. Times two this can get a little out of control at night. Nonetheless, we are making tiny strides every day.
Phillip has got to be the best husband in the world. He is great at getting up with babies and helping me when I've had too much. He got both babies to sleep the other night (Atley at 3am and Avery at 5am) He even bathes the girls each night so that I can have a little time to get things cleaned up and diapers in the wash. We are working as a team :)
It is great.
We hope you enjoy the pictures!
Shelly

Brenley Ruth Buster

Brenley Ruth Buster arrived at 11:34pm on November 16th. Angie and Al are the proud parents, and are doing a wonderful job adjusting to their little bundle of joy. Phillip, the girls and I flew to Dallas last Tuesday and I was able to stay the whole week with my family. Here is a picture of Al, Angie, Brenley and Carlie.

Sweet Brenley

Avery kissing BrenleyPhillip holding Brenley for the first time

My dad and I with the girlsAvery and Atley in the airport - they did a great job on the air plane

All of the great grandkids from my dad's side of the family

At the park in a double swing

swinging with mom

Last night at the Christmas Tea

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Freezing Picture day on the beachPhillip and I on the balcony of our condo

The girls and I

It took her a little while to like the sand, but once she did she kept eating it!

Atley liked to walk in the sand

First beach trip!

Phillip and Avery. We took walks on the beach every morning before everyone else was up.

Atley in the bath getting all that sand off!

Avery making faces

We are going to Dallas on Tuesday to see our sweet neice, Brenley Ruth Buster. I'll post and add pictures as soon as we return.!
Shelly

It's been forever!

Sorry it has taken me weeks to update this blog. I usually update on Wednesday nights while Phillip is at ZOE. Last Wed. I was pureeing/steaming/freezing food for the girls for our vacation. We are leaving on Saturday morning at 3:45am to go to Gulf Shores, Alabama for Thanksgiving. Phillip's whole family is going too. We'll be gone from Saturday to Saturday and then by the next Wednesday after that I'll be in Dallas! ( My sister is having her baby girl this Friday! Please be praying for an easy, safe, quick delivery) So we have a lot of traveling ahead of us. Phillip and I have made a HUGE list of items we need for traveling with babies and the beach. We may or may not fit it all in our minivan....

Before we go I wanted to post a few pictures from this past week of the girls.
Avery is getting her third tooth! Top middle left tooth. Atley still has no teeth :)
Atley is army crawling and getting faster every day. Avery is beginning to scoot as well. Both jabber up a storm and LOVE bath time.

When I get back from the beach, I'll try to post a quick blog with pictures from our trip. Then when I get to Dallas I'll try to post some pictures of my first niece! Yeah, I'll be an auntie!

They love to stand up and hold onto things now.
Atley can crawl and pull up on furniture.

Avery eating apples out of her mesh feeder

Atley eating her apples while crawling around the floor

Dinner time!

Avery smiling!
Don't worry, that is not her third tooth on the left....it's a piece of chicken. :)

Atley is getting good at sipping from her sippy cup.
Yes...that is red/brown hair! Her daddy had the same thing :)

Avery is biting her sippy cup. teething....


That's all for now! See you in a week and 1/2!
Shelly

10 months old!

It seems crazy that in 2 months the girls will be one year old! We took a lot of pictures this weekend of them playing in their crib, and in their sweaters from the Schuster's with their initials on them. So fun to get out their new winter clothes. I also posted some pictures from when my mom was here, a cold walk outside, the girl's great grandma Hunter, the Mizzou vs. Texas Tech game, and more...

I have so much hair I can wear a bow!!

Look at my two teeth!

This is my clothes line in the basement. I hang all of the cloth diapers to dry each night.