The Hanna Family

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

Aurora
Madelynne

Abigail

Our Family

Wow! I can't believe that it's already 2012. Where did 2011 go? We had a really busy year this past year. There were so many new changes in our family. Some were amazing and some were sad, but here we are ready to start another year.

In April, we welcomed our precious third daughter, Madelynne Ranae Hanna! She is such a joy and blessing to our family! I can't imagine life without her. She is smart and very good-natured. I can't wait to see what surprises she has in store for us! She is learning so much every single day. Maddy is 8 1/2 months old and is starting to talk, crawl and learning to walk. She keeps us all on our toes!

Rory and Abby have grown so much over this past year, as well. They aren't little babies anymore, that's for sure. They are both growing into very independent and individual little girls! They started ballet this last year and finished up their first semester in December. They will have their first recital in just a few months. It's unbelievable how far they have come and how much they have learned! They practice their dances at home all the time and are genuinely excited about being able to remember their routines! It's exciting to watch them. This next semester, they will be taking both ballet and gymnastics. They have enjoyed ballet so much, but they missed being in gymnastics, so we are going to try letting them do both. I guess we'll see if Mommy can keep up with everything. LOL!

This past year also brought some sadness to our family. Michael lost two wonderful grandparents in April. We wish that we could have had more time with each of them and that they could have gotten a chance to get to know Madelynne and watch all three of our girls grow. We will never forget either of them and will work to make sure that our girls know what wonderful people they both were. They will always be loved and never forgotten!

We know that 2012 has a lot in store for our family. We are looking forward to all the excitement and joy that we hope this year has to offer.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-09-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Rory's blue, purple and pink spiked hair for "Crazy Hair Night" at AWANA

Abby's crazy hair

Our Little Ballerinas

Sweet dancers

Rory posing in her class

Abby's a pretty little ballerina

Rory posing in her ballet outfit

Abby showing off her ballet outfit

Daddy rocking his girls... he's got a lap full... LOL

Yummy Peas!!! :)

Maddy watching Rory and Abby ride their bikes. She loves to be outside!!

Abby riding her bike and taking her puppy for a ride

Rory is doing so good riding her bike. She is now riding it up and down the block (with Mommy close at hand... of course)

Maddy always wakes up with a smile on her face

Abby, Jonathan and Jacob

Rory snuggling Maddy in the morning

Rory showing off her new haircut

Jacob, Jonathan, Rory and Abby showing off their new haircuts. I gave 6 haircuts that day. LOL

All of my girls are fascinated with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse... :)

Maddy playing in her saucer. She's such a smart little girl!!

Maddy's ready for some food!!!

I wish that I had been able to keep up my blog over the last few months. When I found out that I was pregnant with our little Maddy, I remember thinking to myself "How much more work could it be to have three kids than it is to have two?" Well, the last few months have taught me the answer to that question. It's a lot more work, but I'm loving every single minute of it. I was meant to be the mother of three kids. I have no doubt about that at all. There is never a time of the day where I am bored... that's for sure. Our girls keep me on my toes every single second of every single day. LOL.

Madelynne is now 5 months old. I can't believe that it's possible that my baby girl is already that old. She's growing an learning new things every day. She started rolling over both ways a little over a month ago. She is sitting for short periods of time by herself. She is saying "ma" and "da" all the time (especially when she wants something). She is even starting to push herself up on her hands and legs. Maddy always wants to be a part of what the older girls are doing and it's fun to watch her get excited just watching them. When they aren't right in front of her or paying complete attention to her, she gets frustrated. The Little Princess believes that she needs the constant attention of her big sisters, and she usually gets it. I've never believed that it's possible to spoil a baby, but Maddy sure is particular about getting her way. :) Besides, as I've told many people, she is my last baby so I will spoil her as much as I want to.... thank you very much. :) Truthfully, Madelynne is the happiest and most easy-going baby that I have ever been around. She sleeps well at night. She eats well. She's constantly smiling and laughing. She is just a joy to be around! I honestly can't imagine my life without her. She's a wonderful blessing to our family!!

Rory and Abby are growing more and more every day. They are getting fiercely independent.... especially Rory (big surprise). Three has definitely been the most challenging age yet. There are days that I miss them being little where they needed me to do things for them instead of constantly hearing "I'll do it by myself!" Both girls started ballet on September 12. They are the cutest little ballerinas that I have ever seen (of course I may be a little biased)!! After class this last week, Rory proclaimed to me, "Mom, I think my class is cheap!" When I asked her why she thought that, her reply was, "'cause I've been to two classes already and I still don't know how to dance!" LOL. They will have a dance recital in the spring that we are all looking forward to. I just know it's going to be the cutest thing ever!! We have also started working on pre-school material at home. Michael and I looked into several of the programs around town for 3 yr olds and felt like many of them were simply baby-sitting programs. Since the girls won't be old enough to start a pre-school program at the schools for another year, I decided just to teach them at home. It's been a challenge juggling everything plus doing the pre-school material, but we are making it work. The girls are learning so much that it amazes me! They are already starting to write their letters. They know their letter sounds and are even starting to put the letter sounds together to make words. They can both count to twenty and can recognize their numbers. They are also learning many other things. It's wonderful to watch them so eager to learn!

Michael and I are busier than ever. Of course, our three little angels keep us on our toes all the time. Michael is busy with work a lot. He is teaching Latin and Texas History and has the more students in his classes than he has ever had before. It's crazy how many kiddos they cram into the classrooms now days. I am helping with a Bible study once a month at our church called "Manna for Moms." It's geared toward mothers who are busy and need to take a chance to fellowship with other busy mothers. It's actually a great group! I'm also teaching Sparks (K-2nd grade) in our AWANA group at our church. It's the largest group in the club. This last week, we had 21 kiddos in our class. It's crazy!! I love working with this group. They are a great bunch!!

I promise to try to do better with updating my blog. Maybe, one of these days, life at the Hanna house won't be so crazy, but I'm not holding my breath! :)

30th Anniversary Party

2011-07-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

The beautiful cake

Mimi and Maddy

Braxton and his Momma

Lesa and Shandra

Gary and Connie Beauchamp

Mimi and Braxton

Aunt Ann and Grandma Jeanie

Lesa is Maddy's best friend at this point in the evening.. LOL

Sweet sleeping angel

The kids loooooved all the balloons

My wonderful and handsome hubby

My grandmother and her sisters, Ann and Montie

My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this year. What an accomplishment!! We decided to through them a special surprise party with their friends and family. It was a fun filled evening with good food, friends and family. I am so happy for my parents and we all wish them many, many more years of happiness!!

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Rory and Abby are taking swimming lessons again this summer. They are having a blast!! This week will be their final week of the four weeks that they have been in lessons. It's amazing how much they have learned this summer. They took a class last summer where they learned basic water safety. This summer, though, they are actually learning to swim! Both girls graduated from the first level after the second week in lessons and are now in the second level class. They have learned to hold their breath for 15 seconds, bob up and down under the water 10 consecutive times, how to float, how to do a basic dive, how to do basic swimming techniques, how to enter the water, how to submerge completely in the water, how to open their eyes under water and how to do a sitting dive from the side of the pool. Michael and I are so proud of their progress!

Colorado 2011

2011-07-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Papa with all their grandkids

Michael and all the kiddos

Daddy with his girls

Daddy and Maddy

Maddy and Papa are pretty good pals. Maddy lights up whenever she sees her Papa. Talk about making his day!!

Love this outfit!!

There was a hail storm while we were there. There was so much hail that it looked like snow. A family down the mountain even built a snowman. LOL The kids had such a great time playing in the hail.

We came upon a huge herd of elk numbering somewhere around 300-350 animals. This is just part of the herd that we saw. It was amazing!!

Maddy in her sweet coveralls

Mimi and Maddy enjoying the nice evening together

Rory loves to hold her baby sister

The girls enjoying the afternoon outside

My big girls :)

Abby on one of her daily adventures with Daddy

Rory by the pond that she hiked to with Daddy and Abby

Sweet Adventurers

Rory and Daddy sitting with Maddy on the deck enjoying the morning sun

Maddy taking a bath in the sink. She was not a happy camper with Mommy.

Abby playing with Rory on the stairs

Rory pretending to be Rapunzel

Sweet sister snuggles

Daddy and Maddy in the morning sun

Silly Abby

Sweet Rory smiles

I just love her smiles

Abby watching her dvd player

We go to the mountains to enjoy the outdoors and our girls watch their dvd players. LOL

Rory playing a competitive game of slap-jack

We decided to take our annual family trip to our family cabin in Colorado. As usual, it was a wonderful trip. We were a little worried how our little Maddy would make the trip, but she did great. She slept most of the way up there and back. The girls, all three, loved exploring the cabin and the surrounding mountain. Each day, Michael took the girls (and Braxton after he arrived) on an "adventure." They would go exploring to see what they see what they could find. They also hiked to the local ponds/lakes to toss rocks in the water. They even found several snakes. YIKES!! Madelynne enjoyed sitting on the deck and watching the birds and squirrels. She also loved when the wind would blow through the trees. She would laugh and giggle. It was a lot of fun watching her experience the simplest things for the very first time. It was so nice to get away for a while. Not to mention, we didn't miss the heat either. :) We look forward to spending many more summer vacations in Colorado!!

Girls' Day Out

2011-07-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Before we left for our Colorado vacation, Rory, Abby and Mommy decided we needed a Girls' Day Out. Daddy took Braxton to see the new Transformers movie, so the girls did something special, too! We went to La Belle salon and had manicures and pedicures done!! It was a blast!! I've been waiting for the time when I could share this with my girls and it was as fun as I thought it would be. Rory ended up with bright orange nails with flowers. Abby ended up with neon green zebra striped nails. And, Mommy got bright pink nails! It was so much fun!! I can't wait to go again with the girls!!

Easter

2011-04-27T11:47:00.001-07:00

Maddy just watching the Easter morning craziness

Rory rushing to find what the Easter Bunny brought

Abby looking over what she got from the Easter Bunny

Abby showing off her purple Easter dress

Rory showing off her pretty pink Easter dress

Our Easter princesses all dressed to impress :)

Waiting patiently

Our little Easter gift

Abby got a special elephant from Mimi and Papa for Easter. She loves her elephants!!

Rory showing off her special giraffe that Mimi and Papa gave her for Easter. She is absolutely crazy about giraffes!!

Off they go!!

Must get eggs...

A yard full of kiddos

Abby's scopin' out the eggs

Rory

Maddy's outfit says "I'm Wearing my Easter Best"

Even Maddy got an egg

Rory found an egg!!

Rory showing off her Easter treasure

Abby found a lot of eggs

Braxton found a bucket full

CHEESE!!

We had a wonderful Easter this year. With the birth of our little Madelynne so close to Easter, we didn't really know how it would go, but it was great!! Michael, Rory and Abby went to church Easter morning all dressed in their Easter best. At church, the girls got to participate in the big egg hunt and learn about Jesus' resurrection! After church, we packed up our crew and headed to my grandmother's house for Easter with the family. We had a nice lunch and then the kiddos hunted eggs, played with their new colored bubbles and just had some fun outside. It was a fun day!!

Madelynne Ranae Hanna

2011-04-27T10:24:00.001-07:00

"Hello World!!" ~Maddy

Our precious little angel

A very proud Daddy with is new little princess

Rory holding her baby sister for the first time. What a proud big sister!!

Abby holding Maddy for the first time. She was a little unsure about it, but she warmed up to her little sister pretty quick!

Rory admiring her baby sister

Grandad and Mimi Sue with Madelynne

What a proud Daddy

Braxton holding his new little cousin

We caught a little smile :)

So precious

Abby and Maddy

BIG SISTERS!!

Our precious girls

Perfection!!

Daddy and his Maddy

Maddy in her going home outfit

Headed home

Content

Our precious Madelynne Ranae Hanna made her appearance on April 12, 2011 at 10:30 am. She weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 19 1/2 in. long. She is perfect in every way! Michael and I don't know what we did without our littlest angel. She has changed our lives so completely, but all for the better. Rory and Abby have done well with the adjustment of sharing Mommy and Daddy with a new baby. Abby had the hardest time with the adjustment, but she has come around and enjoys helping with Maddy on a daily basis. Rory has been our little mommy from the very beginning. She loves to get diapers, throw away diapers, rock the baby (with a lot of help), sing to the baby... etc. It's so nice to be at home with our three little angels. Michael and I both feel like our family is now complete. We are beyond blessed!!

The Countdown

2011-04-06T06:46:00.001-07:00

With less than a week to go until Madelynne gets here, we have kicked everything into high-gear to get ready. I'm not sure there's any way that I will feel totally prepared for her arrival, but I'm sure going to get as much done as possible. The girls are also getting really excited! Every morning, they ask me, "Mommy is today when Madelynne comes out your tummy?" They are going to be shocked when I tell them "Yes." We still have a few finishing touches to put on her room, but Maddy has a sweet jungle room to come home to. I finally got her name put up on her wall yesterday. I waited for a while because I couldn't decide exactly how I wanted it to look. Yesterday, I decided just to get it done, so the girls "helped" me and we got it done. Everything is really coming together. I just can't believe that in less than a week, our little family will grow again. Michael and I have been joking that we feel like we are getting a promotion from a two-ring circus to a three-ring circus. :) I guess we'll see if we're ready for the big time. At times, I think we are all in a little bit of shock as to how fast this pregnancy has flown by. Other times, it seems like these last few weeks are just creeping slowly by. We all can't wait to meet our little angel and hold her in our arms. So, we're off on another great adventure!!

3 Years Old

2011-03-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Sisters
I love this picture!! We had a similar picture taken when the girls were 3 months old. It's amazing how big they are now!

There is A LOT of attitude in this picture

This is such a "Rory" look.

Sweet Rory

I think this is the best picture we have ever gotten of Abby. I love it!!

Sweet Abby

Our big 3 yr. old Abigail

Our big 3 yr. old Aurora

Our girls are 3!! I can't believe it!!

So sweet

Precious!!

This past Saturday, we had the girls' 3 yr. pictures made. They turned out amazing!! Of course, when you have such cute subjects to work with, it's hard to get bad pictures. I may be a little biased!! The girls did such a good job taking directions and giving them to the photographer. We are very proud of our big girls!!

Things are moving right along at the Hanna house. We are working very hard to get everything ready for the arrival of Miss Madelynne. She should be here in about 5 weeks. It's crazy to think that we will have another little one in the house in just a few short weeks. The girls are really handling all the change pretty good. I've been proud of them. They have even gotten into the spirit of helping us prepare for the new baby. I'm not entirely sure how much they understand about having a new baby, but they are rolling right along with the rest of us. Heck, there are times that I don't know if Michael and I know exactly what it's going to be like to have two 3 yr olds and a new baby, but we're always ready for an adventure!

Our big girls have decided that they are ready to be potty trained.... PRAISE THE LORD!! Rory has been pretty well done for a while now, but Abby has fought us every step of the way to getting trained. The other day, she informed me that she had decided not to be a baby anymore and that she would wear panties like a big girl. Since then, she hasn't had any problems or fits going to the bathroom. I guess she just had to decide on her own that is was time. There are no complaints from her Mommy, that's for sure. So, we have two big girls wearing big girl panties!! I've tried to convince my OBGYN that we would like to go ahead and get the upgrade on the new little baby where she will come already potty trained, but she seems to think that particular upgrade isn't available yet. Oh well. :) The girls are still enjoying their gymnastics class. The class year will be coming to an end before too long. It's hard to believe how fast it has gone by and how much the girls have both learned. Both have thrived in their class and we look forward to next year!

Michael and I are both doing well. We are usually running to keep up with the girls. This Friday, we will celebrate our 5th anniversary! Where has the time gone? It has been a wonderful 5 yrs. full of love and excitement!! Never could we have imagined the journey that we were headed on together, but I know neither of us would change a thing. We are planning a short stay away from home to celebrate our anniversary! It will be the first time that the girls have stayed the night without us. We thought it might be good to have a practice run before the new baby arrives. So, Mimi and Papa are going to keep the girls overnight for us. I know that all will go great and that they will probably be spoiled rotten when we come home. :) The girls are super excited about their first sleep-over!! It will be great!!

Rory and Abby's 3rd Birthday

2011-02-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

Rory painting her plate at her party

Abby decorating her plate at her party

Rory about to put her hand print on her plate. She wasn't too sure about painting her hand.

I was so proud of Abby putting her hand print on her plate. She usually has a meltdown when there is any paint on her hands. She didn't even cry. She just hyperventilated a little. :)

Rory blowing out her candles

Our big "3" old Aurora Lynn

Abby blowing out her candles

Our big "3" year old Abigail Lee

Jonathan Merriss acting silly for the camera!!

Jacob Merriss ready to eat cake!!

All the boys at the party.

The girls opening presents from Aunt Shannie and Braxton

Rory and Abby opening their doll house from Grandad and Mimi Sue

Rory and Abby opening their bikes from Papa and Mimi. Rory got a "Tangled" bike and Abby got a Disney Princess bike. They are so excited to get to go ride their bikes.

The Birthday girls

The girls' painters palate cakes.

Abby's cake

Rory's cake

We had the girls' 3rd birthday party this past Saturday. They are both very excited about drawing, coloring and painting, so we had the party at Brush with Art, a local art studio. The kiddos at the party each painted their own memory plate that was finished off with their hand print. All-in-all, the party was a huge success! The girls and their friends had a good time painting, eating cake and checking out the new presents. Hopefully, it will get warm enough soon so that the girls can ride their new bikes and jump on their new trampoline. They are itching to get outside. I hope that Mother Nature cooperates soon!! It's so hard to believe that our baby girls are 3 years old. They are growing up so fast! The girls had a wonderful birthday this year. Thank you to everyone who helped to make it a special day for them!!

Happy New Year... A Little Late

2011-01-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Rory is giving Daddy a pretend haircut. He's such a good sport!!

I'm not sure who is the most tired in this picture

My sweet Rory and I

Daddy and his precious Abby

Rory was very excited that she got to ride the blue horse on the carousel

Abby really loved the carousel!!

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family. 2011 is already shaping up to be a pretty busy year. We are in full-swing in planning a birthday party for the girls and planning for a new baby in April. Our calendar is already filling up and we haven't even made it through January yet.

The girls will be 3 years old in two weeks. How is that even possible? They have grown from tiny little babies that depended on their Daddy and I for everything into toddlers who don't want us to do anything for them. It is so much fun to watch them learn and grow every day. It's amazing the things that they pick up and learn. We have been working hard on their alphabet, colors, numbers, shapes and much, much more. Both girls are doing wonderful. They can both say their ABCs and count to 20 by ones and to 100 by tens. They both know all of their basic colors and shapes. They are starting to recognize letters by sight and sound. Rory has even started realizing that you can put letters together to make new sounds. Both girls are still enjoying their gymnastics class. They usually manage to scare me every week, but they are doing great! They have started doing flips in class. Of course, the instructors are right there, but it still scares me. They have mostly focused on somersaults, but this last week, they started front flips. The girls thought that was awesome! This last week, Abby decided to try diving off an 8 ft. tall mat to the couple of mats stacked on the floor. All the other kiddos climbed down, but not my daughter. Rory and Abby are both getting very excited about their birthday. Rory informed her Daddy and I that she didn't really think that it was fair that everyone else has gotten to have their birthday before she gets to have another one. We tried to explain to her that is how it works, but she was not happy about it all the same. The girls love to draw, paint and color, so we decided to have their birthday party at a local art studio. The kids at the party will get to paint little projects and then take them home. I think it will be a lot of fun!

We are getting ready for Madelynne to make her appearance. At my last check-up, the doctor said that our sweet baby looks to be very healthy and very active. She is estimated to be about 2 lbs. and 14 inches. She's growing well! The girls are starting to get really excited, too. Even Abby is starting to come around a little bit. She still doesn't like anyone mentioning Madelynne in connection with being "Daddy's girl," but she has started to talk to her some and has even told us that she "loves my siser." That is huge progress! Rory is excited beyond belief. She wants to know everything there is to know about babies, where they come from, how they get in Mommy's tummy, how they get out of Mommy's tummy... etc. Needless to say, we're having conversations that I won't be prepared to have for several more years. :)

It seems like we are running every day. We look forward to all the joys and adventures that 2011 has in store for us.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-12T16:19:00.001-08:00

The "Carter" Family
Isn't this a great looking bunch!?!?

The Hanna Family
Our Precious Rory

Our Sweet Abby

Christmas Twins

(I love this picture!)

My wonderful hubby and I

(This is our first professional picture together since our wedding)

Christmas Cousins

Mom, Dad and their "big kids" :)

Mimi, Papa and their precious grandkiddos

We are having a wonderful time gearing up for Christmas this year! It's so fun having two little ones who are so excited about the upcoming festivities. We've already started all of the Christmas parties and fun traditions. The girls are so interested in understanding everything that is going on. They ask about the lights, the music, the decorations and about Jesus. It is just amazing to watch them enjoy everything about this season! We had some family pictures made with my family this last weekend. It is so nice to have pictures of our entire family together! The girls had fun showing off their princess dresses and Braxton had fun showing off his princesses!

Our New Little Girl

2010-11-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

A week ago, November 22, Michael and I went to my doctor to find out if we are expecting a little girl or a little boy. After chasing our little peanut around for a while, we found out that we are expecting another beautiful baby girl!! Michael and I couldn't be more excited!! The sonogram technician told us that she is healthy and VERY active. We actually thought that we weren't going to get to find out whether to decorate in pink or blue until our little bundle arrived because they had so much trouble getting a clear look at her. Imagine, Michael and I having an active child. LOL. All of her measurements looked wonderful and there is every indication that she is perfect in every way! Today, I hit the half-way point of my pregnancy. How on earth can that be possible? It just seems like yesterday that Michael and I found out that we were going to be adding to our family. Now, we only have a few more months until our newest bundle arrives!! The girls are so excited about having a baby sister. Rory makes a point to talk to her new sister every single day. Abby thinks it's a little weird to talk to Mommy's tummy, but she gives in every once in a while. As a family, we decided that our new little girl's name will be Madelynne Ranae. It's a name that all of us like... even the girls. So, in a few months, we will be welcoming our little Maddy into our family!!

It's been too Long

2010-10-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Abby and Daddy on the 30 ft. hay tower

Rory showing off how big she is this Fall

Headed into the corn maze

Rory searching for the perfect pumpkin

Headed back on the hay ride

Abby loved the hay ride

The girls are so proud of their pumpkins

Our Pumpkin Family

Rory was so proud of the sun that she made in Puggles

Abby painting her picture with an apple

Rory getting ready to paint. It's her favorite thing to do at church!!

"Puggles sit so very still,

When they bow their head to pray.

Amen"

(That's the girls' Puggles song that they sing in class each week)

The girls being silly in class

Abby showing off her carrot

Happy Rory

Big Abby smiles

The Puggles class

Miss Amber helping the kiddos make peanut butter bird feeders

We have been busy here lately at the Hanna house. Michael and I joke that we see each other as he runs out the door to work in the morning and as we fall in bed at night (both of us usually asleep before our heads can hit the pillow). The girls keep us busy, busy, busy. Between gymnastics and church, I feel like we never slow down, but it's been great!!

The girls are still super enthusiastic about gymnastics. They start asking about 4 days before gymnastics day if it's time to go or not. They absolutely love it!! One of their teachers came to me a few weeks ago and discussed with me the possibility of splitting the girls into two separate classes. She was concerned that Rory's "larger than life" personality might be overshadowing Abby just a little. I agreed to try it out for a few weeks to see how things went. Michael and I have been amazed at the changes in Abby. She usually relies so much on Rory to take the lead, but this has forced her into a situation where she has to make her own decisions and be her own person, not just Rory's shadow. She has become more outgoing in gymnastics, at home and at church. The teacher spoke to me again here recently and told me that she is so pleased with Abby's progress. She has started taking the lead on some activities and is one of the first to volunteer in new situations. Rory, of course, just wants to be the center of attention no matter who is in the class with her. LOL. I guess this solved the question that Michael and I had about whether or not to put them in the same class once they get to school. Both girls are flourishing in their gymnastics class. It makes me nervous when I see them doing flips, walking on the balance beam and swinging on bars hanging from the ceiling, but the instructors are always there and the girls love every single minute of it. Of course, every piece of furniture in our house has become a gymnastics station, but that's alright. At least they know how to properly fall now. LOL.

The girls are also doing wonderful at church. They go to their Sunday School class on Sunday mornings and to their Puggles class on Wednesday nights. Puggles is a group through the AWANA program at our church that helps kids learn about the Bible and memorize verses. They are both doing so well in both classes. Their teachers compliment them on how much they are able to retain from the lessons and stories. Michael and I love when they come home and teach us the newest songs that they have learned in class. It's amazing to us what vibrant little girls they are becoming. (One of their teachers took the pictures of them in class).

Last weekend, we took the girls to the local Pumpkin Patch with a group from our church. We went last year and the girls loved it so much. They had an even better time this year because they were big enough to participate in more of the activities. While we were there, a local new crew was doing a story on how to pick the perfect pumpkin. They thought the girls were too cute and followed them around for a bit to get some good shots of them picking out pumpkins. They were actually on the news that evening and were so excited to see themselves on tv. LOL. We had such a good time. Both girls loved the cow barrel train, the jumping pillow, the ducky derby races, the "Texas Sized" volleyball, the 75 ft. slides, the hayride, and the pumpkin patch. Abby even took a stab at climbing the 30 ft. hay tower. She took off and Michael had to climb as fast as he could to catch up with her. There's that confidence... LOL. The highlight of the day, however, was picking the pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. Michael and I were so tickled watching Rory and Abby go from pumpkin to pumpkin trying to find the very best one. We were in the patch for a good 30-45 minutes while they made their selections. It was a fun day, but we were all exhausted when we got home that afternoon. The next evening, we sat in the front yard and carved our pumpkins. Michael and I thought that they were too young last year to carve their pumpkins, but we decided to try it this year. We let them pick out the face that they wanted and draw the hair on the pumpkins and then Michael and I did the actual carving. The girls were so excited to have their very own pumpkins!! They go to our front porch every day and say hello to our "punkin family." We plan to take them trick-or-treating on Sunday. They are so much fun this year!!

Michael and I are starting to make some room for baby #3. This last summer, we converted our extra room (which had been used for Michael's office) into a playroom for the girls. Now, we are working to turn that room into a nursery. Nothing like redoing a room twice in the span of a year. LOL. The girls are a little nervous about what is happening to their toy room, but they have really taken the changes so far in stride. We are trying to do a little at a time so that they don't feel like we are just pushing them aside for the new baby. We have also enlisted their help in some things, so they can feel like they are part of the excitement of getting ready for baby, too. There are days that they seem very excited about having a baby brother or sister and then some days not so much. They have a ton of questions, but it's fun to watch them try to figure this whole thing out. One of my favorite questions so far has to be when Abby and I were talking about the baby one night. She said, "Mama, is that baby in your tummy?" I told her, "yes." She got a very confused look on her face and said, "Mama, why'd you eat that baby?" I just about couldn't keep a straight face as we discussed that God put the baby in Mommy's tummy. I didn't eat the baby. I think they are going to love being big sisters!! We will be able to find out in a little less than a month if we are expecting a boy or a girl. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy seems to be flying by. It's amazing!!

Well, I think that's all that's going on right now. Like I said before, we've been so busy here lately that it feels like we are running in circles sometimes. I'll try to do better on my blog posts, but I make no promises.

Gymnastics

2010-09-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

In this video, Abby is running and trying to hit the ball hanging from the ceiling with her head. It helps to teach them timing and coordination!!

Here's Rory's attempt at hitting the ball. I thought it was so funny that she has to "ready" herself each time before taking off running. LOL

In this video, Rory, Abby and another girl from their class are chasing a ball that is hanging from the ceiling. This helps with timing, coordination and teamwork. All of the kiddos loved this activity!!

Turn your head sideways.... Now you can see!! In this video, Abby is walking a "balance beam" that is made out of a pvc pipe. The rounded edges of the pipe make them have to correct their balance repeatedly. This will help them learn to correct their balance before they get on the taller beams.

Keep your head turned.... In this video, Rory is tackling the pvc balance beam, as well.

These videos were taken this morning at the girls' gymnastics class. In the first two videos, the girls are running and hitting a ball. This activity helps to teach them timing and rhythm. In the third video, the girls (along with another little girl from their class) are chasing a ball. This activity helps them to learn timing, coordination and team-work. In the last two videos, the girls are walking on a balance beam. It's a little hard to see and you have to turn your head sideways to see the video, but they are walking along a pvc pipe tube. This helps them to learn balance and how to correct if they start to fall. While in their class, they also do work on trampolines, climbing walls, mat work and flips. The girls are enjoying their gymnastics so much!! I really believe that this class is excellent for them!! This morning, they went into their class all by themselves and were not bothered at all that Mommy wasn't in there with them (there is a small room behind the class with a window so that the parents can watch). I think it bothered me more than it did them... LOL. We are so proud of the progress that they have already made in their class and know that they are going to do so well throughout the rest of the year!!

Exciting News

2010-08-20T12:20:00.001-07:00

Well, things have gotten very exciting in the Hanna household over the past couple of weeks. About two weeks ago, Michael and I found out that we expecting baby number three!! My official due date (as of right now) is April 18, 2011. Of course, we all know that the baby will come when he/she is good and ready. LOL. There is no way that we could be more excited!! We have tried to explain to the girls that in a few months they will both be big sisters. Rory has decided that she wants a sister. Abby has decided that there is no need for another sister since "I alweddy got a siser!" I don't know if that means she wants a brother or if she thinks we have plenty of kids around here already. There's just no telling with that little girl!! :)

The girls are both doing fabulous!! Abby hasn't had any health problems at all here lately. I think that we finally found the solution and that the sleep apnea medication is helping her more and more every day. We will go in for a weight check next week to check her out and see how she is doing. Rory is just going as strong as ever. There are days that I just stand in awe at how she can just keep going and going without stopping. She's a busy little girl. Both girls are learning more and more everyday. Sometimes, they shock me with the things that they have learned and understand. They can both count to ten by themselves. Yesterday, Rory counted to twelve and then laughed at me when my mouth was just hanging open. They can also count to 100 by tens. They can both sing their ABC's and looooove to read books with Mommy and Daddy. I bet we read 50 books a day!! Abby's favorite book in the whole world right now is "I Love You Stinky Face." We have read it so much that she can recite every word on each page and then turn the page at the right point. I know that she's reciting the story, but it's almost like she's reading it. LOL. On August 30, the girls will both start gymnastics. They are so excited!! Both girls are little monkeys and climb all over the place. I think they are going to do fantastic in gymnastics. I just can't believe that they are old enough to be in a class. Where does the time go?

The Crazy Life

2010-07-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

Abby cheesin' in her Tink towel

Rory getting warm after her swimming lesson

Rory and Abby got a chance to take their swimming lesson class with their cousin, Emma. The three girls had such a good time swimming together.

Abby climbing out of the pool all by herself. Note that her Daddy isn't too far behind her, though.

Big Abby Cheesy

That's one proud Daddy

I debated on whether or not to share this particular picture, but decided that it displays perfectly how Rory makes me feel around water. LOL

Rory was so excited that her Grandad got a chance to come watch her swim. She hasn't stopped talking about it yet. :)

Rory waving to her audience

Look at Abby swimming!!!

Daddy's ready for Rory to jump

The Hanna family waiting to get in the pool

Michael walking with Emma, Rory and Abby to the park. What a great guy!!

After swimming lessons, we took the girls (all three) to the park so that they could have time to play together. Each day, we had a picnic and then played until it was time to go home for naps. We all had such a great time!!

Abby Hanna, Rory Hanna and Emma Hassell.... Cousins

Emma is one month older than the girls. They love spending time together.

Abby riding the bumblebee

Rory riding a Toucan

Rory loved playing in the "FO" (UFO) at the park

One of our little monkeys

Sister Fun

Wow, I can't believe that it's been a month since my last post. Life has gotten so crazy around the Hanna house that I don't know where to begin.

The girls are doing wonderful. We took Abby in last week for a weight check and found out that she has gained almost 1 1/2 lb. in four weeks!! She now weighs 24.6 lbs!! We are so excited that she is doing better. The doctors have concluded that she has obstructive sleep apnea. Her adenoids are larger than normal and cause her trouble breathing when she is sleeping. Because she has trouble breathing, her body wakes her up so that she gets enough air. So, she hasn't been getting the proper amount of sleep and that has messed up the chemistry of her entire little body. Her pediatrician put her on a medication to help shrink her adenoids at night and it has worked wonders for her!! She is sleeping. She is eating better. She is gaining weight. She hasn't been sick. Her vocabulary has exploded. She is coming out of her shell. She's just a whole new Abby!! We can tell that she is feeling 100% better!! What a blessing!! Rory is doing well, as usual. She is a mess. We never quite know what she is going to do or say. She is a very impulsive child with so many ideas running through her head all at the same time. She keeps us on our toes.

For the past week, the girls have been attending swimming lessons at the local university. They have had a blast getting to go swimming every day. The class is intended to teach the kiddos (ages 6 months to 3 years) basic water safety and basic swimming techniques. The girls both quickly mastered getting in and out of the pool and were ready to move on to the task of learning to swim. Rory has picked up the basics so fast. Abby has discovered that she loves putting her face in the water. LOL. Many times, the instructors have just shaken their heads because they don't know exactly what to do with the girls. They are both ready to go every day. I think this was the perfect class for them. I know that they are both going to miss it, but it's been a good week. As a fun end to the swimming lessons, the swim instructors turned on the 20 ft. tall water slide today so that the kids (along with their parents) could try out the slide. The girls loved going down the slide!! Michael and I are so glad that the girls have picked up on the water safety aspect of the class so quickly. We want to ensure that the girls are as safe as possible around water and this is the best way we could do that.

Michael and I decided that it was about time to really hit the potty training hard at our house. Frankly, we're tired of changing diapers. It does get pretty old after a while. Especially with two. With all of Abby's health issues, we have been lax about potty training. Since Abby is doing so much better and Michael is still off for the summer, we decided that now would be the perfect time to really get serious about potty training. The girls have shown every sign of being ready, so, about a week ago, we got out the "big girl" panties and started training. We have been amazed at how fast they are picking it up. We have actually had a few days that were accident free!! Of course, we are not having them sleep in panties yet, but there have been mornings that they have woken up dry. We are so proud of the progress that both girls are making!! It won't be long until the Hanna house is a diaper free zone!!

Vacation Bible School 2010

2010-06-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

The girls with Papa and Mimi Cinda after their program

The girls with Grandad and Mimi Sue after the program

Abby was sooo glad her Gigi got a chance to come to her program

Rory, Jon-Jon and Jakie playing after Parents' Night was over

Abby and Jon-Jon giving each other a hug.

The Merriss Family

Rory leaping off the stage during their songs

Rory wasn't getting enough attention while she was on the stage with her class, so she jumped off the stage and stood in front of everyone. She's not our little performer at all.... LOL

Braxton got a chance to come to VBS with us, too. He had such a good time!!

Rory and Abby singing the "Bumble-Bee Song" with their VBS class

Rory and Abby during their music program

Last week, the girls attended Vacation Bible School at Lifeway Fellowship Baptist Church with their friends, Jonathan and Jacob Merriss. They had a blast!! The theme was the Saddle Ridge Ranch where they are "Roundin' up Questions and Drivin' Home Answers." It was a very cute western theme and we got to listen to a lot of "yee-haw" at our house. The girls even liked to show off their "Cowboy strut" around the house. During the week, the kiddos learned different Bible stories that helped them to answer different questions about God's plan for their life. The girls got a chance to participate in daily music time, as well. At the end of the week, the VBS kids put on a program to show their parents what they had learned at VBS. The girls' class sang "This Little Light of Mine" and the "Bumble-Bee Song." Abby wasn't too sure about the whole idea of singing in front of a large group of adults, but Rory ate up the attention. She was singing, doing the motions and, when she didn't feel like she had enough attention on herself, she jumped off the stage to stand in front of her entire class. She had no problem with the attention (big surprise there). It was a very cute program and all of the kids did a wonderful job!! The girls had a blast at their first Vacation Bible School ever. I know they will look forward to going again next summer!!

Summer Fun

2010-06-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Our puppy, Toby, watching the water fun far enough away that he won't get wet. I think he was nervous about the possibility of ending up in the pool. He didn't, though.

The girls have always enjoyed being in the water, but ever since they went swimming at my Aunt and Uncle's house in Arkansas, we can't keep them away from the water. So, in an attempt to keep everything in our bathroom from being ruined by the huge amounts of water leaving the tub during splash fights, Michael and I bought the girls their own pool for our backyard. It's not a huge pool (just one of those small snap-side pools), but the girls have a blast going "schlimmin" (swimming). I think they would sleep out there if we would let them. They are constantly asking if we can go outside and play in the pool. We have signed them up for swimming lessons next month and know that they are going to love it. I'm scared not to get lessons for Rory, especially, since she has no fear of the water whatsoever. She dives right in head first and has no problem going under the water and getting her face wet. Abby is a little more cautious, but not much. I think we have two little fish on our hands.

Our Trip

2010-06-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Rory and Abby breaking in the new hotel bed the first night we were in Plano. No, they are not allowed to jump on the bed, but they were having so much fun and they had been bouncing off the walls in the hotel rooms, so we let them have at it.

The pajamas that Rory is wearing are some that Shandra had when she was little. These are Rory's new favorite pajamas. She calls them her pretty princess jammies.

I don't volunteer to sleep with Abby because she takes her half of the bed right out of the middle. She does like her space when she sleeps. You wouldn't think such a small girl could take up so much of a bed. LOL

We took a trip to Arkansas/the Dallas area over the past two weeks. We were able to see family members that we haven't seen in a long time and to have some fun with our family and friends. The reason for the stop in the Dallas area, though, was to take Abby to Children's Medical Center to have more tests run. So far, we haven't gotten any of the results from those tests, but we are thankful that they are done and all we have to do now is wait. We had such a nice time visiting with our family and having fun. Even though we had a more serious purpose for our trip, our friends and family helped us turn it into a nice vacation that we were all able to enjoy a great deal!!! All I can say to everyone is "thank you more than you know."

Cowboy Stadium

2010-06-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Greatest Stadium in the World

Michael at the top of the stadium

The Ballpark at Arlington from the top of Cowboys Stadium

Felix Jones... Need I say more?

Helmets from the Cotton Bowl conference teams. The Cotton Bowl was hosted at Cowboys Stadium this past season. Michael was very excited to see Baylor's helmet at the top of the group. :)

Daddy enjoying his executive suite tour

The giant screen from the executive suite. They have a pretty nice view!!

The executive suite we got a chance to tour

Daddy and his little fans in the end zone

Mommy and her girls in the end zone!

Running for the end zone!!!!!!!!!!

Abby loved running up and down the field

Abby headed to tackle Daddy

Rory running a route... :)

Abby cheesin' for Mommy

Two big Dallas fans!!

Daddy and his girls on the field

Rory just taking it all in

Michael and the girls in the tunnel where the players come out onto the field

Michael at the Locker Room Star

Michael with Tony Romo's locker

Marion Barber is one of my very favorite players. This was too cool!!

I was very excited to get to see Tony's locker

Rory, Abby and Tony's Locker

Michael as close as he will ever be to being on the team... LOL

The tunnel to the Miller Lite Club

The Miller Lite Club

Rory doing her touchdown dance

The 50 yard line

Michael catching a ball at the 30 yard line

Michael throwing an actual football at Cowboys Stadium

Just me and Tom

Michael with Tom

The dedication sign on Tom Landry's statue

Dallas Cowboy Stadium... Isn't it beautiful!!!??!!

Rory is worn out

Abby is so tired after her tour of the stadium

I just liked this "lovers lane" sign. It made me laugh.

As many of you know, Michael and I are Dallas Cowboys fans through and through. We have already started grooming our girls to be huge Dallas fans, as well. We thought that since we were going to be in the area for a few days, we would take a day to tour the new Cowboys Stadium. It was amazing!!!! We took a VIP tour of the entire stadium. Our tour included the executive suites, the press box, the Dallas Cowboys locker room, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader locker room, the field, the Miller Lite Club and the post-game interview area. We got a chance to take pictures inside the locker room where our favorite players prepare for their games. The girls loved going out onto the actual football field. Rory had to run into the end zone to make a "touchdown!!" When she threw her hands in the air and screamed "touchdown," everyone around us couldn't help but laugh. Both girls had so much fun running up and down (and across) the field "playing football." It was amazing to get a chance to tour the stadium. I hope we get a chance to go to a game in the new stadium before too long!!

Ft. Worth Zoo

2010-06-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our Little explorers

Jon-Jon wanted his picture made with the girls. He's too cute!!

Rory and Jon-Jon of to explore the zoo hand-in-hand

Looking for turtles

This was a weird looking crocodile

Abby, Jon-Jon and Rory exploring the turtle tank

Rory (you can't really see her), Jon-Jon and Mike making a keepsake penny

A Komodo Dragon

Rory is not really sure she trusts the glass between her and the Komodo Dragon. I don't really blame her. :)

Rory would have really liked to take one of the penguins home with us

Jakie checking out the penguins

Rory and Jon-Jon seeing how deep a penguin can dive. Talk about teamwork... LOL

Jenny isn't much taller than an emperor penguin. LOL

Abby was adamant that she have her picture made with this cow statue. I don't know why, but here it is. Silly Abby!!

Zebra

This was Abby's favorite exhibit. She really wanted to pet the elephants.

Elephants

Rory's favorite exhibit was the giraffes. She looooves giraffes!!

Abby making a keepsake penny with her Daddy

Abby enjoyed watching the turtles. We had to visit this exhibit twice.

After we left Arkansas, we drove to Arlington, TX where we met up with our friends, John and Jennifer Merriss, and their two boys, Jonathan and Jacob. We had a weekend of fun with the Merriss group. Saturday morning, we loaded up the kiddos and headed to the Ft. Worth Zoo. It was so much fun to see the kids enjoy looking at all the different animals. Jacob Merriss seemed to really like the penguins. There was a little penguin that came up to the glass wall right next to Jacob. He thought that was really cool! Jonathan seemed to really like the reptile house. He was so cute trying to show the snakes to Rory, who really didn't want to get too close to the cases (she's definitely my girl..LOL). Abby loved the elephants and the turtles. She really didn't think that is was very nice that we wouldn't let her go pet the elephants. Rory loooooved the giraffes. She has always be a giraffe fan, but now that she's seen one in person, she's hooked for life. When we took the girls to the gift shop to pick out a souvenir, Abby picked out a bright pink elephant and Rory picked out a neon pink giraffe. LOL. They are all girl. :) The day was hot and the kids started to get tired as we got close to the end of the day, but it was still a fun trip... meltdowns and all.

Arkansas

2010-06-12T15:34:00.001-07:00

Abby trying to figure out why there is another set of twins

The "Sanger" twins.

Abigail Hanna, Brinley Truttman, Aurora Hanna and Brianna Truttman

Brianna

Brinley

Alivia Gano... isn't she adorable?!?!

Rory playing hard in Granny's back-yard

Checking out the neighbor's dog

I can't believe that he actually fit in the chair... :)

Rory showing off for the family

Rory got to be really good friends with Levi. She had to give him several kisses before he could leave for the evening. LOL

The girls were fascinated by the blue-bird gazebo

Abby running in the blue-bird gazebo

The girls loved the pretty plants and flowers

Daddy and Rory exploring at Terra Studios

Mommy is the queen... :)

Daddy sitting on the stone throne

The girls' silly faces

Abby found the moon

Abby on the stone throne

Rory on the stone throne

Rory "riding" on the motorcycle

Biker chicks

Yes... I wore a helmet for safety :)

Off we go!!!

Abby really wanted to drive our Jeep

Rory in her jammies

Abby's rainbow jammies

Levi playing in the bubbles with Abby

Daddy and Levi playing in the bubbles with the girls

The girls headed into the Nemo bouncer at Jump Zone

Daddy and Abby coming down the slide

Rory climbing in the bubble-gum jumper

Abby in the Sesame Street bouncer/slide. This was her favorite!!

Here comes trouble!! :)

Levi and Abby having tons of fun in the pool

Abby is very cautious about getting into the pool

Rory is not

Granny and Abby

Sister wrestling at Granny's house

Abby being cute

After the wedding, Michael and I decided that it would be fun to stay in Arkansas for a week to get a chance to visit with our family in that area and allow the girls to get a chance to let the girls get to know their great-Granny Sanger. We had such a wonderful time!! Granny took us to the Terra Studios close to where she lives. They make beautiful glass blue-birds. There is also several different paths surrounding the glass studio and pottery studio that are open to explore. We had so much fun exploring the Terra Studios. The girls were fascinated by the blue-bird gazebo. It was a fun day! Another day, the girls went to a place called Jump Zone with their Great-Aunt Rhonda, Granny, Levi (my cousin), Michael and I. They thought that was the best thing ever!! They had their Daddy and Levi jumping in the bouncers with them and going down slides. They haven't stopped talking about it. They also got a chance to go swimming at their Great-Aunt Jana and Great-Uncle Rex's house. The girls are just like little fish. They love the water. Rory has no fear of water whatsoever (which scares her Mommy to death). She has no problem jumping right off the side of the pool whether someone is there to catch her or not. That's one of the main reasons the girls will be taking swim lessons next month. Abby is a little more cautious of the water, but not much. While we were there, I even was brave enough to take a ride with my Uncle Bill on his motorcycle. I have to admit that I really enjoyed it and have been trying to talk Michael into one once the girls are grown. He's not convinced yet, but I have a while to work on him. :) All in all, we had a wonderful time in Arkansas and were shocked at how fast the week flew by. We hope to get a chance to visit again before too long.

Flower Girls

2010-06-12T15:13:00.001-07:00

Aren't they beautiful!?!?

Princess Rory

Princess Abby

Michael said that this better be the last time he walks his girls down the aisle in white for a long time. :)

Rory dancing on Daddy's feet

Daddy's girls

All of the girls in the wedding party

Michael snuggling his Rory

Mimi Cinda and Abby

They made it to the front of the church

Yes, that's Rory. She was very upset that her sister got out the wagon without her. LOL

The bride and her Daddy

Lyndzi and Josh saying their vows

Mr. and Mrs. Josh Brannan

My Granny with her five daughters

On May 29, my cousin, Lyndzi, was had her wedding. She asked the girls to be flower girls for the ceremony. So, we went to Arkansas for the wedding and to get a chance to see many of our relatives that we rarely get a chance to see. The wedding was absolutely beautiful!! Of course, we thought our girls looked like little angels. Their dresses (as you can see in the pictures above) were beautiful white, frilly dresses. Abby and Rory's job was to ride down the aisle in a decorated white wagon with the other little girls in the wedding. The wagon was escorted by the little boys in the wedding. What a neat idea!! All in all, there were 17 kiddos in the wedding and most of them made it down the aisle just fine. Lyndzi, of course, made a beautiful bride. We are so glad that we got a chance to be a part of this very special time in the lives of a very special couple.

Family Update

2010-04-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

Abby loved the tractor

Rory wanted to climb straight to the top of the tractor

Look at how high she climbed all by herself

Braxton wanted to have his picture made too!!

Braxton posing in the tractor wheel

The girls playing in the sand

Braxton and Mason Freeman climbing to the top of the sand hill

Abby didn't like the sand between her fingers

Daddy playing in the sand with the girls

Abby wanted to climb to the top like the big kids

Daddy helped Abby to the top of a smaller hill

Then, Daddy had to rescue her... LOL

Off Rory goes and off Daddy goes trying to catch her... :)

Daddy and Rory high on the hill

"I don't want to come down!!!" ~Rory

Ethan Freeman, Mason Freeman, Braxton, Abby and Rory all riding in the mule. They had so much fun together!

My handsome hubby

Abby off to explore

Off they go down the road

Always together

My Grandma Jeanie, Aunt Montie and Aunt Ann

Everything has been going pretty well at the Hanna house. We are really enjoying the warmer and rainy weather around here. It's nice to not have snow every other day. We were beginning to think we were going to have to dig out from the snow for the rest of our lives.

The girls are still growing by leaps and bounds and shocking us every single day with what they come up with. They are constantly telling us stories. It's too funny what they come up with sometimes. Michael and I laugh all the time. :) Abby is our little "witness for the state" (thank you John and Jenny for putting a name to it). She will tell me everything that happens while I am out. She does the same for Daddy. We get a run-down of everything. We have been working on getting the girls to dial my number if they need me while I'm gone and to dial Daddy's number if they need him while he's not at home. That way, they can get help if something happens while just one of us is at home with them. Rory called me one night during my Mothers of Multiples meeting to let me know that Daddy made her sit in time-out and she was not happy about it. I guess even the best laid plans can backfire from time to time. Both girls are doing really well with their alphabet and learning how to count. Rory thinks that it's so much fun to count backwards. When I ask her to count she says "five, four, three, two, one." She can count forward, but just prefers to do it backwards... silly girl. We have also been working on colors with the girls. They are both doing really well with telling us their different colors!! We have such smart little girls!!

Things with Abby have been going much better. The doctor had us give Abby melatonin at night before she goes to bed. It helps her relax and sleep better at night. Since then, Abby has gained almost a pound and is not getting sick as much. She still gets sick some nights, but not nearly as often. Praise the Lord!! We have an appointment to take her to a Pediatric Sleep Clinic in June. At that time, they will test her to see if a sleep disorder is causing her difficulties. We are also going to take her to see an ENT (ear, nose and throat doctor) to have her adenoids checked at the end of this month. There is a possibility that her enlarged adenoids are giving her problems and causing her not to get enough rest. We are hoping that we are close to an answer for our precious angel. She is one of the toughest little girls that I have ever known. She just faces each challenge and keeps on going. What a trooper!!

Michael and I are doing well. Michael is looking forward to the end of school. He has 8 more weeks and then he's off for the summer!! We are planning to do a little traveling and taking the girls to some different places we know that they will enjoy!! We are going to Arkansas at the end of May for my cousin's wedding. The girls are going to be flower-girls. We are looking forward to seeing our family and having time to catch up. We are planning a family trip with our good friends, the Merriss Family, to take the kids to the zoo and let the boys go to a Pro baseball game. Then in July, we are going to try to get our family to the mountains to enjoy some time away. All in all, I think we are going to have an exciting summer with many new adventures for the girls to enjoy!! We are so thankful that we are going to get to spend this fun time together!!

~The pictures were taken at Goodnight, TX when we went there for a funeral. The girls had a good time playing with their cousins and exploring the canyons.~

Easter Sunday

2010-04-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Aunt Shannie, Braxton, Abby and Rory at Church. Aren't they a good looking group? :)

The backs of the girls' dresses

Rory in her pretty pink Easter dress

Abby in her pretty purple Easter dress

Rory calls this dress her "Prance-Around dress" (Princess)

Abby with her mounds of tulle

Pretty Abby

Rory looooves her dress

Pretty Rory

Our precious Easter angels

Great-Grandpa, Abby, Memaw and Rory

Uncle Richard Rory, Michael, Abby, Memaw and Great-Grandpa

(Four Generations)

Rory and Abby posing on Grandad and Mimi Sue's stairs

Look how pretty we look!!!

Our family

(The girls were getting tired of pictures)

The Easter Bunny came to visit Rory while we were at church and left her goodies for her on her bed.

The Easter Bunny also came to visit Abby while we were at church. He left her goodies on her bed, too.

"Look what I got!!" ~Rory

Abby checking out her Easter basket full of fun stuff

Rory was so excited about her new goodies

"OOh, What's this?" ~Abby

Rory getting Easter goodies from Mimi Cinda, Papa, Aunt Shannie, Braxton and Gigi.

Braxton was excited about the transformers Uncle Mike found for him for Easter

Abby showing off her "Alice in Wonderland" movie from Mimi Cinda and Papa

Time to hunt some eggs!! Here they come!!

The girls hurrying to get eggs

Braxton is a master egg hunter

Gotta get the eggs

Yeah!! Abby found an egg!!

(And apparently some cheese balls that are all over her face)

Abby decided she needed to take a break from egg hunting to ride a bike

Rory was very serious about this egg hunting business

Another break for Abby

OOPS!! She slipped out the bottom of the car

Rory found more eggs

"This bucket is getting heavy, but I won't give up!!!" ~Rory

Daddy trying to get Abby back on the egg hunting track

Aunt Shannie

Me and my Mommy

Rory realized that if she dumped the eggs back and forth, she could break them open to get the candy out of the middle. She's too smart.

Braxton giving Abby a ride in the car

Daddy and his Rory

Uncle Mike and Braxton are great buds!!

I'm not sure this is supposed to be a two-seater

Michael

Daddy wuzzling his Abby

Ride like the Wind Rory

Off they go!!

Braxton practicing for T-Ball

Uncle Mike giving Braxton some T-ball lessons

A proud Uncle looking on

We had such a wonderful Easter Sunday this year. The girls looked so adorable in their poofy Easter dresses!! So many people stopped us at church to tell us how cute they looked and how they looked like little angels floating in their dresses. We were pretty proud of our beautiful little girls!! For one of their Easter presents, the girls got their very first "real" necklace. Rory got a silver cross necklace and Abby got a gold cross necklace. They were so proud of their necklaces!! They felt like big girls getting to wear their "big girl" jewelry to church. This Sunday was also a big day for the girls at church. They promoted up to the next Sunday School class. They had so much fun playing with their friends in their new class!! They are growing up way too fast!! Abby and Rory came home and told us that they learned about Jesus in their class. I just can't believe how big they are getting.

After church, we made the rounds to visit family in town so that they could all see the girls in their beautiful Easter dresses. We got a chance to see Great-Grandpa, Memaw, Uncle Richard, Grandad and Mimi Sue. The girls had fun twirling and showing off their dresses. When we got home from visiting, the girls discovered that the Easter bunny had come to visit them while they were at church (we thought this a better plan than before church so that we could actually get them out of the door... LOL). The girls were so excited that the Easter bunny had brought them all sorts of goodies and left them on their beds for them. After playing with their new toys and taking a much needed nap, we headed to my Grandmother's house for an evening of family and fun!! We had dinner together, hunted Easter eggs with Braxton, and just had a fun evening together. The girls got all sorts of goodies from Papa, Mimi Cinda, Aunt Shannie, Braxton and Gigi.

Braxton and Uncle Mike also spent a good chunk of the afternoon/evening practicing T-ball. Braxton is going to start playing T-ball in May. He's really excited and is Uncle Mike is having fun teaching him the basics. All in all, we had a wonderful Easter weekend!! We enjoyed sharing this special time with our family. We also enjoyed being able to be back at church and being able to praise our Lord for the wonderful gifts that He has given us!!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-05T07:55:00.001-07:00

Abby crawling through the tunnel

Rory loves to bounce!!

Abby had a lot of fun on this little fish rider. She's too funny!!

Grandad watching Rory jump

Bouncy Abby

It's time to have some fun!!

Rory caught with her mouth full... LOL

The girls checking out all the eggs they collected

Daddy and Abby hunting Easter Eggs

Abby found one all by herself!!

Rory has spotted and egg!!

Rory collecting eggs

Mimi Sue and Rory hunting eggs together

On Saturday, Grandad Hanna and Mimi Sue invited the girls to hunt Easter eggs at their church Easter egg hunt. Michael and I didn't know how the girls would do with hunting eggs, but they caught on really fast!! Within no time, Rory had her basket completely full and was still looking for more eggs. Abby had fun hunting eggs, but she was a little more laid back about it than Rory. She just walked around and picked up an egg every once in a while and she would either put it in her basket or try to give it to another kid. She's a sweetie. It was a very fun morning!! After the egg hunt, the girls got a chance to play in the playroom at the Family Life Center. They had a lot of fun in there, too!! They loved showing off for Grandad and Mimi Sue. All in all, it was a fun morning and they were ready to hunt eggs again on Easter Sunday.

2010-03-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Abby watching cartoons with Daddy

Rory's sweet good-morning smiles

Having dinner with the Merriss boys

Abby sleeps all over her bed at night...LOL

Sweet Rory

Rory, Abby & Toby

(The Three Musketeers)

Braxton being silly

Braxton and the girls watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks"

Look at those Curls.

Curly headed Abby

Daddy fell asleep comforting Abby. I love this picture. Michael is such a good daddy!!

My parents' new dog, Lady

Rory climbing the big slide

Down she goes

Wheeee!!

Abby swinging like a big girl

Rory loves to swing

Rory trying T-ball for the first time

Rory has learned to climb up the playhouse

Daddy with the girls in the playhouse

Look how high they are

Rory can slide by herself

Abby has matered the little slide!!! Go Abby!!

Uncle Mike teaching Braxton to play T-ball

Look at Braxton go!!

IT'S OUTTA HERE!!

We have had a few really pretty days here lately... finally! The girls love being outside and couldn't wait for Mommy and Daddy to set them free in the backyard. The first day that it was really nice outside, the girls played from about 10:00 in the morning until nap time and then headed back outside until it got too dark to be outside. The girls were worn out, but they had a blast!! I have a feeling that we are going to be spending a lot of time outside this spring and summer. I think it will be great for everyone!!

Everything is going well at the Hanna home. The girls are growing by leaps and bounds. It amazes me every day how much more they are doing and exploring. Both girls speak so clearly and can really let us know what they are thinking and feeling. Sometimes they just leave Michael and I speechless when they look at us and just say something out of the blue. It's crazy!! Both girls run and climb constantly. They are monkeys!! Both are working on learning their colors, numbers and ABC's. Rory desperately wants to learn how to write her name, so we have been working on that as well. She will ask me to write her name and then she will take the pen and try to copy the letters. She's not there yet, but she will get there. Both girls love to dance and sing. They have always loved doing both, but they are starting to really sing songs that we have taught them and to make up their own songs. They love to sing "Rock-a-Bye (Abby and Rory)," "Little Drops of Water" (a lullaby that Michael's mother and grandmother used to sing to him), "Jesus Loves the Little Children," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Deep and Wide" and several other songs. The girls love to watch the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie that was released a few years ago. We have to be careful to limit the number of times a day they can watch the movie because they would watch it over and over if we allowed them to. They have fallen in love with Alvin, Simon and Theodore. It's too funny!! They can even quote many of the lines from the movie. One of the main things that they love to do is have playdates with their friends, Jon-Jon and Jakie (Jonathan and Jacob Merriss). We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends with kiddos that are close in age to our kids and that our children all get along so well with one another. The interaction between the girls is also really starting to blossom even more so than before they turned two. Yesterday, Rory informed me that she could not take a nap unless she slept with Abby. I had fought with her for about 30 minutes to lay down in her own bed and finally gave in. As soon as she laid down with Abby, they cuddled up and both went straight to sleep. I was worried they would just play if they were in the same bed, but they genuinely wanted to take a nap together. There will be times that they will just look at each other and start giggling or take off to the other room together. It's amazing!! Sometimes they don't even have to say anything to each other to know what the other is wanting or thinking. I've read books about the relationship between twins, but nothing compares to watching the relationship blossom between my girls. What a blessing!!!

We have continued to search for something to help Abby gain weight and stop vomiting at night. The girls' doctor has worked tirelessly to find an answer and a treatment option that will help little Miss Abby. Two weeks ago, the doctor discontinued the medication that Abby has been on since December because she was still vomiting every night after she went to bed. The first few days that Abby was on the new medication, she still vomited at night. Last Friday night, though, things started to change a little. Abby slept through the night without getting sick!! We were excited, but still cautious about getting too excited. We are starting to get hopeful, though, because Abby has now gone 5 nights in a row without getting sick!! I can't wait to take her to the doctor this week and find out if she has gained weight, as well.

This Thursday, Michael and I will celebrate our 4th anniversary!! We are both so happy with the life that we have built together. We are so proud of our beautiful girls. It is amazing to be able to married to my best friend!! God has blessed us so much. It just doesn't seem possible that it's already been four years since we were married. I look forward to the many, many, many years that I will be blessed to share with Michael!!

2 yr. Pictures

2010-02-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

These are the girls' two year pictures. We are so excited about how they turned out!! The girls both did a fabulous job posing and smiling. The photographer was patient and worked to get the perfect shots!! It's so hard to believe how big our little girls are getting. Enjoy!!

Big Day and New Experiences

2010-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

The girls in their big girl beds
Sweet Abby sleeping like a big girl in her bed

Rory cuddled with her zebra

Belle (Rory's zebra)

Tink (Abby's Lamb)

Tink and Belle

The girls' special Family Day treats

Toby is growing big

Sister snuggles in Abby's bed

For the girls' 2nd birthday, Michael and I decided that it was time to get each girl their own "big girl" bed. So, after doing some research and shopping for the perfect beds, we bought two twin storage beds. We decided to skip the whole toddler bed idea because they don't stay in them long enough to really justify the price (in our opinion). We also didn't want to use the crib toddler beds because Rory had already been doing dangerous stunts on her crib. We received both beds before the girls' birthday, but one of the beds was missing the screws and attachments. So, for the first week, the girls both slept in Abby's bed. It actually worked really well, but they still like having their own beds now that both are set up. We have been so proud of how well they made the transition. They go to bed and usually sleep for a good 10-12 hours at night. They are also still taking a good nap in the afternoon. They are such big girls!!!

As some of you might remember, Feb. 15, 2008 was the day that we finally got to bring little Abby home from the NICU. It was a tough stretch having one baby at home and one in the hospital. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Last year, we made a point to celebrate the day that Abby got to come home and we were finally home together as a family. We call it our Family day and try to do something special. Last year, we all four went out to eat together. This year, Michael and I decided to do something that the girls would have fun doing. We decided to take them to the local Bear Mill and let them pick out and make their very own stuffed animals!! They had a really great time!! Abby picked a lamb. She really enjoyed getting to help stuff the lamb and then pick out clothes for her. She dressed the lamb in a fairy outfit. When they asked what she wanted to name it, she decided that "Tink" was the best name (that is one of her nicknames). Rory picked a zebra and decided to dress her in a pink princess outfit. She named her zebra "Belle." So, now we have two very special new stuffed toys in our family!! The girls love their new friends and sleep with them, play with them, take them with us in the car... etc. I think this year's Family Day was a success!! We look forward to celebrating it every year from now on!!

2 yrs. Old

2010-02-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

The big 2 yr. olds with their Gigi

Abby at her birthday dinner

Rory entertaining the family at her birthday dinner

Abby and Rory playing with their twin dolls from Aunt Ingrid and Uncle Jackson

Rory posing for the camera

Sweet Sister Hugs

Abby's pudding face

The girls sleeping together in the "big girl" bed

Rory's pudding face

Playing dress-up

(Look at that look on Abby's face... LOL)

Abby showing off her Barbie Dream Pony

Rory showing off her Barbie Dream Pony

Abby likes opening presents

Abby opening her birthday presents

Rory reading her birthday cards with Mommy

Ready for Presents

"We like cake!!"

Jennifer, Jacob and Jonathan Merriss

Rory blowing out her candle

"Where's the cake?"

Abby blowing out her candle

"We're ready for cake!!"

The Official Birthday Banner

Dora and Diego wish Abby and Rory a Happy 2nd Birthday

Rory's Dora the Explorer cake

Abby's Dora the Explorer cake

The girls turned 2 yrs. old this past Friday. I can't believe how fast these two years have flown by. It all seems like a blur at times. We had a big Dora the Explorer birthday party last Saturday for Rory and Abby with our friends and family. It was so much fun!! After finding out that a lot of the bakeries in town us egg whites in their filling, my mom and I decided we could make a decorate the girls' birthday cakes (Abby is allergic to eggs). The cakes actually turned out pretty good!! The girls were so excited to have a party and get to open presents!! They remembered Christmas and were ready for round-two. :) I think that they had a wonderful birthday party!!

We took the girls to see their pediatrician for their two year check-up this past Monday. Both girls got a pretty good clean bill of health. Rory is now 26 lbs. and is 34 in. tall. No surprise, the doctor was amazed at how much she is talking and carrying on full conversations. Her doctor told me that she has 5 yr. olds that she sees that can't speak as clearly and carry on complete conversations as well as Rory does. She's a chatterbox. Overall, she said that Rory is way above the developmental curve for someone her age. She walks, talks, sings, counts and can sing a good deal of her alphabet. She also gives and takes (when she wants to) directions with startling accuracy. Abby also received a pretty good report. She is now 21 lbs. 12.8 oz. and is 33 in. tall. The doctor is still not happy with her weight, but said that we will continue to search for treatments to help her put on the pounds. We will continue to monitor her weight every two weeks until the doctor is comfortable with her progress. As far as developmentally, Abby is apparently ahead of the curve, as well. She doesn't speak as much as Rory, but she is clear and concise when she does speak. Abby has always been a little on the shy side, so she doesn't feel the need to express herself quite as vocally as her sister. She, like Rory, can walk, talk, run, climb, sing, count and say part of her alphabet. The doctor said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Abby developmentally, either and that she is also a very smart little girl!! Her pediatrician said that Abby speaks and expresses herself more like a 3-4 yr. old than a 2 yr. old. Both girls love to dance and sing. They are constantly making up new songs and wanting to dance. It's too adorable!! They love to color and play dress-up. They will change into several different outfits (and sometimes just a pull-up) and accessorize with their beads (from our friend, Nikki, in Louisiana), purses, hats, etc and put on a show for their Daddy and I. I think maybe Mommy has watched a little too much "America's Next Top Model" around them. LOL. They received "big girl" beds for their 2nd birthday from Mommy and Daddy. We were a little anxious about moving them from their cribs to twin size beds, but it was time. Rory had started tight-rope walking along the top railing of her crib. It scared me to death!! I was so worried that she was going to hurt herself, so Michael and I decided that it was time. So far, the girls have done absolutely amazing in their new bed. They do sleep together, but that doesn't bother me at all. They don't try to get out of bed even when they wake up before I go into their room in the morning. They will just sit patiently and play with one another until I go in to their room. Today, they took their first solo nap in their bed. It took them about 5 minutes to fall asleep and they took a good two hour nap!! I don't know if it will last, but we are enjoying how well they are making the transition.

There are so many new things happening in the lives of our precious angels. They grow and learn every single day. Michael and I are enjoying being parents more and more every day. We can't even express how blessed we feel to have two beautiful, vibrant and intelligent little girls!! We look forward to what God has in store for our family over the next year!!

Welcome 2010

2010-01-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

Abby is such a pretty little princess!!
Twins in a Tub :)

Abby's ready for some Cowboys football!!

Rory's so sleepy after playing with Johnathan and Jacob Merriss all evening

"Mom... For real?" ~Abby

Abby's a big girl and can go down the slide all by herself!!

Rory loves to climb high on the playstructure at church

Abby playing peek-a-boo on the slide

Rory and Abby coloring like big girls at Jazzercise

"Look at my picture" ~Abby

Rory loves to color two-handed. She covers more area that way. :)

Ridem' Abby :)

2009 was definitely a trying year for our family. We had several trips to several different doctors with Abby to try to figure out her medical difficulties. Finally, after doctor trips, hospital stays and countless tests, we were able to get some answers in December. Now, thanks to the medicine that she is taking, things are looking up for 2010.

The girls are growing by leaps and bounds. It's so hard for me to believe that they will be 2 yrs. old next week. It doesn't seem possible. Both girls are growing from babies to little people with their own thoughts and opinions (that they have no problem sharing with anyone around them). It amazes me the new things they come up with every day. We recently subscribed to instant Netflix for our TV so that we could have instant access to movies and cartoons that are appropriate for the whole family to watch (Michael and I feel that many of the cartoons on television today are not appropriate for children of any age). The girls have developed a love for old Looney Tunes cartoons. The other day, Rory came in to tell me that she wanted "Rabbit Bug." I had no idea what she wanted. It took me a while to realize that she wanted Bugs Bunny cartoons. It was too cute!! Abby has started "pouting" when she wants something. We're not sure exactly where she got it, but it's hard to resist when she sticks her bottom lip out. People always say "oh that's so cute!" I told Abby the other day that pouting wasn't going to work on me. She looked at me, shocked, and said "I cute." I couldn't keep a straight face. Needless to say, she got her way. LOL. We are starting the whole potty training process over again. With all the medical issues with Abby, we had to put the process on hold. The girls are doing well and want to be successful. We still have accidents, but they will get there eventually. We are proud of the progress they have made so far. Another feat that both girls have mastered is climbing. Rory has successfully climbed out of her crib and has now taken to standing on the top rail of her crib and balancing on top. She even laid down to span between the two cribs (on the top rails) so that she could give Abby a kiss. She scares me so bad. She has no fear at all. Abby, following her sister's example, has started trying to climb out of her crib, as well. So, for the girls' 2nd birthday, they are getting "big girl" beds from Mommy and Daddy. I can't believe that they are already ready to sleep in their own big beds, but they are. We decided to skip the whole toddler bed and just get big beds for them. We ordered them in and are awaiting their arrival. We hope they get here before the girls' birthday next week. We are planning to have a big Dora the Explorer birthday party for the girls. We gave them several choices for party themes and both immediately gravitated toward the Dora theme. We are looking forward the sharing such a special day with our friends and family!!

Michael and I are doing well. Michael is still teaching at the same school. This is his sixth year there. I am still staying at home with the girls. I'm also still doing Jazzercise twice a week (when something doesn't prevent me going twice). It still makes me feel so good. I've lost 23 lbs. since last September when I first started going to Jazzercise. I hope that I can continue to lose the weight and keep it off.

We are looking forward to the excitement that 2010 will bring. We never know what new adventures our beautiful girls will lead us on, but we know it will be interesting, unexpected and exciting!! We appreciate all the love and support everyone has shown us over the last few months. We wouldn't have been able to make it without your thoughts and prayers!!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T19:52:00.001-08:00

Our Beautiful House

"For real, Mom?" ~Abby

The girls were big helpers this year!!

The girls helping Mimi Cinda crack the hard boiled eggs

What a beautiful bird!!

YUMMY!!!

The girls didn't wait to dig into all the yummy food!!

Papa carving the turkey

Braxton's cheesy grin

Rory looking at the tree

The girls enjoying the Christmas tree

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. The girls and I really enjoyed having Michael home for five days straight. The girls didn't want him to go back to work. Rory even begged him saying " Daddy, no go work" the night before he had to go back. Michael was just about ready to melt. We spent the day before Thanksgiving at my Grandmother's house cooking. I got the honor of preparing a good portion of the dinner myself this year, so I made all of the deserts and other preparations the day before. On Thanksgiving morning, we all got up early to watch the parade together. The girls were mesmerized by the huge balloons! It was so neat to watch them get so excited!! Michael and I agreed that we would like to take them to an actual Macy's Day parade some day (but not soon). After the parade, we all jumped in and started cooking. My Dad and Michael prepared our turkey this year. They decided it would be fun to fry the turkey. It turned out beautiful and soooo yummy (and there was only one minor grass fire). The girls even got to help prepare the salad and deviled eggs. They were so excited to help!! Mimi Cinda let them sit on the table while she was preparing the eggs and she would hand them an egg to throw to crack it open. There were eggs flying against the wall, table, Mimi Cinda and each of the girls, but they had a blast helping crack the hard boiled eggs open. After our wonderful lunch, we spent the afternoon playing games, chasing kiddos and just having a good time.

On Friday, I decided to brave the crowds at the Black Friday sales. I always say that I'm not going shopping on that day and I always end up in the rush of things. This year, I came away with some interesting stories. At Wal-Mart, I had a woman hit me with her shopping cart 5 times in an attempt to get me to move out of her way. I would have moved if I could, but I was blocked. So, after a short discussion, she decided that hitting me again would be a bad plan. At Toys 'R' Us, there was an employee that continually yelled in a shrill voice at invisible people. After standing in line for 2 1/2 hours, I was ready to get away from her craziness!! Then at Sears, my dad was sitting in his van reading the flier and this women (at 4 a.m.) came up to his window wearing dark sunglasses and just stared at him. She stood there for a good 5 minutes before Dad rolled down the window and she wanted his flier. It was soooo funny!! Dad was really creeped out.

Last weekend, Michael and I decided it was time to decorate for Christmas. Michael got out and put up lights on our house. We really wanted the girls to be able to see all the pretty lights. We also put up a blow-up reindeer in the front yard. The girls are fascinated with all the decorations!! After the outside lights were hung, we put up our Christmas tree. The girls went crazy over the tree!! Michael and I bought each of the girls a special ornament to hang on the tree. Rory got a Mommy bear reading to a baby bear. Abby got a Tinkerbell ornament (my family calls her "Tink"). They love to look at their ornaments each day when they get up in the morning. We sing Christmas carols with the girls. We are all starting to enjoy the Christmas season. This year is so much fun because the girls are really old enough to enjoy everything!! Michael and I have enjoyed sharing everything with the girls and watching the wonder that the Christmas traditions have brought for the girls!!

Rory's First Haircut and Random pictures

2009-11-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

Rory ready for her haircut
Here we go....

Rory sat so still and turned her head when the stylist asked. She did so well!!

Rory showing off her certificate and her new haircut!!

Daddy and Rory with their new haircuts

Rory's new hairstyle

Rory's hair looks so cute!!

Rory's certificate for her first haircut

Braxton ready to rock!!

Uncle Mike and Braxton rockin' on Guitar Hero

Braxton wants to be just like Uncle

Abby in her hot pink sunglasses

Too Cool...
(Don't they look so much alike in this picture?)

Cool Rory

Toby cuddling with Shannie

Lazy puppy.. LOL

"It wasn't me!!" ~Braxton

Yummy!!!

That was some good cookie

Opening presents

She looks really mischevious

I think Braxton enjoyed the cookie

Cheese!!

Such a good picture of mom

My wonderful husband

Rory and Abby waiting for birthday sweets

Me with my Birthday Cookie

My Birthday Cookie

Rory loves on Toby any chance she can get

Braxton loves Toby. He really needs a puppy of his own.

Toby loves his belly rubbed... LOL

As always, this last week has been a busy one in the Hanna household. This last Saturday (Nov. 14) I celebrated my 27th birthday. My family and friends made it a very special day for me. I had a meeting that morning for Jazzercise. After the meeting, though, one of my very best friends, Jennifer Merriss, and I went shopping. We had a really great time!! We even found an awesome sale on kids' clothes and might have splurged just a little. :) That evening, my family took me out to eat and then had a small party (just our family). My wonderful husband bought me a birthday cookie (that he helped design himself) and we had an awesome time with family. The girls even tried to sing "Happy Birthday" to me. Both told me "Happy Day Mommy" several times!! Who could ask for a better present?!?

Today was a busy day. Rory and I were vaccinated for the H1N1 virus. That was interesting. We took Abby last Friday to be vaccinated. Michael and I debated for a while, but ultimately decided that vaccinating was the best option. So, when the vaccine finally became available, we jumped at the opportunity. After our trip to the doctor, Rory and I met Daddy at a local salon to get her very first haircut. I was a little nervous about how it would go because Rory is never still. She shocked me, though. Daddy got his haircut first and she watched what was going on with him. The women at the salon were wonderful and explained to her what they were doing. Then, it was her turn. She sat up on the little booster seat in the salon chair and waited for the woman to begin cutting her hair. She didn't move the whole time that we were discussing how much to cut off and what I wanted. She sat extremely still through the haircut, pictures and tears (from Mommy). The stylist was so impressed!! She said that she had never had a kid of any age sit so still for a haircut before. Because she did so well, the salon presented Rory with her very own certificate for "bravely completing" her first haircut!! She was so proud of her certificate that she had to show it to everyone!! Rory did so well. Michael and I are very proud of her!! And, her hair looks so adorable!!! We are planning to take Abby to get her first haircut as soon as it gets long enough. I am glad that we have the opportunity to take them separately for their first haircut. I think it was so special for Rory to go by herself and get all the praise for being such a big girl! I hope it will be a special experience for Abby as well.

Michael's Surprise 30th Party/ Our New Family Member

2009-11-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

Michael's 30th Birthday cake... Look at all those candles
The Birthday Boy

Michael blowing out his candles

The Merriss Clan

Braxton and Rory (I think she's done)

Abby chillin' with Gigi

Michael liked his XBOX 360

Rory helping pick up the trash. She's so helpful.

Toby and Rory snuggling in the morning

Fun puppy play time

Meet Toby Hanna

Rory's a little zoned out... LOL

Toby has claimed my blanket.

Abby and Toby playing together

Rory and Daddy snuggling

Everything is going well at the Hanna house. We have had an incredibly busy couple of weeks. Tomorrow, November 10, Michael will celebrate his 30th birthday!! This last Saturday, we threw him a surprise 30th birthday party. It was sooo hard to keep it a secret from him and I thought many different times that he must suspect something, but he promises that he didn't even begin to think anything was amiss until the day of the party. Whew!! It was especially hard to keep a secret with two little girls repeating things they would hear Mommy say on the phone like "party, cake, surprise." I had to be very careful around the girls. I could have never pulled it off without the extremely generous help of our friends and family. We had about 20 people at the party. I think that Michael was genuinely happy about the party and he thinks that it will make turning 30 a little easier!!

Also on Saturday, we welcomed the newest member of our family into our home. We have a precious little dachshund puppy. He is wonderful!! I went Saturday morning before the girls woke up to pick him up. When I got home, the girls were eating breakfast and drinking their morning milk. It took them a minute or two to register what was going on, but then the squealing began. They were soooo excited!!! We spent the morning figuring out a name for him. We settled on Toby. It's easy for the girls to say and it fits him. Rory calls him "Tubby," though. It's too cute!! He has been such a wonderful addition to our family so far. In the mornings, the girls will run in to see Toby and will lay on the floor to cuddle with him. He loves to cuddle with the girls. Abby and Rory have also been very gentle with him. It's amazing how fast the three of them have become attached to each other. It's so much fun to watch. The girls will go to another room and Toby is right behind them. They were all instant friends. We decided to start looking for a puppy when Abby's allergy specialist told us it would be good for her to be exposed to a short-haired dog on a regular basis to help her body build an immunity to pet hair. God provided the perfect puppy for our family from a loving and wonderful home. We are once again blessed!!

The girls are doing well. They have both been cutting teeth again. Luckily, they've just about got all of their baby teeth (except for all their molars) in. They are both changing and doing more and more every single day. I took them both to the doctor last Friday for a well-check. The doctor told me, once again, that both girls are amazingly above the developmental curve for their age group. She was shocked when Rory carried on a complete conversation with her about leaving and watching the fish in the waiting room before we left. She told us that she has 3 and 4 year old kids that she sees that don't carry on conversations like that. She is still a little concerned that Abby is still not gaining very much weight. She had gained about 1/2 pound since her 18 month check-up. The doctor wants us to take her to a GI specialist to make sure that her little tummy is absorbing the nutrients from her food. This is just a precaution, but she believes that it's a good idea. Since she hasn't steered us wrong yet, we agreed to see the specialist. We will be going sometime in the next month or so. We are praying that everything turns out alright.

Heavenly Trick-or-Treat

2009-10-31T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rory looking lovely in her angel costume!!

Our angelic little Abby

Abby posing for Halloween pictures

The girls looking for Liddy (their great-grandparents' dog)

Twin Angels

The girls playing the piano

Making beautiful music together

Our Future Musicians

Braxton in his Bumblebee costume

Braxton's fighting face... LOL

Gigi with a lap full of reading fun

We had such a fun Halloween this year. The girls dressed up like little angels (which, of course, isn't too much of a stretch) and looked totally adorable!! We went trick-or-treating at the grandparents' and great-grandparents' houses in town. This year was so fun because the girls were actually able to say "trick-or-treat" and really get into the fun of the evening!! When we went to Great-Grandpa and Meemaw's house, the girls got up and played the piano together. It was so adorable!! They really enjoyed playing music and Rory declared "I want pano" (piano) as we were leaving. I think I see music lessons in their future. :) At the end of the evening, we met up with my parents and grandmother. Braxton came over dressed up in his Bumblebee costume from Transformers. His mom painted his face all up like the character and he was ready to fight the evil Decepticons. All-in-all, it was a wonderful evening full of fun!! When we got home, the girls were so tired that they couldn't keep their eyes open. I think they had a good time!!