Thanksgiving is on the horizon and only one snow so far! Yea! Well, we are still busy going to school and taking care of home and family. Emalyn just seems to get bigger by the day, at least intellectually. She is still our little pee-wee. So cute! We did get family pictures about a month ago. Enjoy!

Also have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Isn't it GREAT?!

Emalyn, since being in Utah, has been able to meet and spend some time with Great Grandma Simpson and Great Grandpa Packard. They just thought she was soooo adorable. Grandpa Packard spent a lot of the time just trying to get her to look at him but she was pretty focused on her mommy. Can you blame her? haha. just kidding! And Grandma Simpson had to deal with a little fussiness from her hungry tummy. Overall though they loved it!
We went to the Kaufman cabin a couple weeks ago and it was definitely needed, especially for Doug. The guys played golf and the girls went shopping. We went on some hikes and enjoyed time in the mountains. Emalyn got to meet some more of her cousins and somewhat play with the closest one, Phillip. They were so cute!

Busy, busy, busy! Part-time school, full-time baby, cleaning, cooking, rehearsing, managing, and so forth - we are just busy bees. Doug's play, "Houseboat Honeymoon", will run the week before Thanksgiving and the first week of December. He is rehearsing like crazy for his LEAD part in it. I am so proud! :) He let me know though that the next play he tries out for that I am trying out with him. That will be fun and funny.
School, though part-time, is keeping us busy. Doug goes in the mornings, and I go in the evenings. Hence, Emalyn gets good quality daddy time. yea! They are so cute together too.
Emalyn is still doing her growing thing. She will be 6 months on November 3rd! wow!! She rolls over from her tummy to her back sometimes but is still working on the back-to-tummy roll. She can almost sit-up all by herself. She is our little talker though. Goodness, can that girl talk! It's sooo funny, but Doug doesn't think so when it's 3 o'clock in the morning and we can hear her loud jabbers from across the house.

Our trek back from Florida was quite eventful and fun. We first went to Arkansas where the Simpson clan gathered together for some good quality time. It was fun in the sun out at my parents' pool and on the new, very bouncy trampoline mat (since some young women had previously decided to ALL jump on the old trampoline mat at the same time and it tore).
Doug and I took a trip up to the cemetary, Crestlawn cemetary, with Emalyn to visit Brinley's grave. We had not seen it since the granite stone had been layed. It was very nice. I bought a plant to put on it although by now it is probably destroyed, especially after hurricane Ike.
Also Doug and I actually got to go to the movie theatre on a triple date with Wyatt & Katie and McLane & Laura. Mom and Dad were brave enough to take their risks with Emalyn and 6 other little squirts. Good thing they all pretty much slept the whole time, except of course Emalyn woke up to eat. So FINALLY we saw the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight". What a good one! Needless to say we enjoyed ourselves even though I had to text my mom every 30 minutes or so. :)
The next day my family through a little birthday celebration for me, although a few complained that my birthday was still a week away. (You know who you are!) But there's nothin' like cake and song.
The major event by far for that weekend (August 31st) was Emalyn's baby blessing. She looked especially precious and the blessing was so perfect. Doug blessed her of course and my dad, my brothers, and Bishop McKinney all stood in the circle. They looked so stalwart and handsome. It was so cute when Doug lifted her way up for everyone to see her. Her eyes were wide open and looking out at everyone. Everything just went and was very nice.
Our trek continued as we headed down to Southlake, Texas to Doug's parents' house. It's always good times at the Kaufman's. I got to see some of Doug's old pictures, senior pics, and what a cute little boy. I also took Emalyn into the pool for the first time. Doug and I both held her in there for a minute or so, just enough time for pictures and then she was done. We'll try again next summer.
Labor day was fun. A lot of people, including those we didn't even know, attended the eatery and swim party at the Kaufman's. It was a short stay for Doug cause he had to leave the next day to go to his sister's, which was on the way to Utah. He enjoyed spending some time with her and the little nieces and nephew. Emalyn and I however got to stay a little longer since we were flying home. We in the meantime got spoiled until we left.
Our trek ended here in American Fork, Utah where we have our new townhome and LOVE IT! However, that's where a new adventure of furnishing and getting settled began and continues. Emalyn took a day or so to get used to her very own new room, but she likes the new surroundings now. She loves her new-found toys, especially her swing. The swing is heaven sent. (thanks Wy and Katie!) Like her room, our house is slowly coming together, and we love it more than we thought we would. Visitors welcome! Just call first okay?

Emalyn is our little outdoors baby. She likes being outside (most the time), which is really nice. We go to the pool and to the beach when we can and when the weather cooperates. We actually, FINALLY, got a little family picture when we were at the beach last Friday. And I must admit I think we are a pretty cute family.
It is so fun watching Doug at the beach. He turns into a playful boy - more so than usual that is. :) So happy and carefree. Emalyn is going to love playing with her daddy.
Doug is doing awesome with his summer sales. He had his best week last week with 15!
Emalyn gets bigger and bigger every day and that's the plan. She is our little noise maker - always grunting or whinnying. I couldn't ask for a more perfect baby or a cuter one.
I am trying to gear myself up to lose this last 15 pounds. If I could just lose 10 of it I would be fine. One day, one day.
Well, the count down has begun to the end of the summer. We are excited to go back to a home. Yes, we are finally homeowners!

After many joys and tribulations, Doug and I are together again in Florida with our baby Emalyn. I had her and her sister in Arkansas on May 3rd after spending a week on hospital bedrest and blowing up to the size of a blimp. A few times through labor and a c-section later, we had two beautiful, breathing babies. Brinley struggled but was a little fighter for 11 days until she passed away. We will always cherish those 11 days. Emalyn did and is doing wonderfully. They are such miracles! After a month in the hospital, Emalyn came home to me and then we joined daddy 3 weeks later in Florida. Here we are!! Finally. And she is such a good baby.
We have ventured to the beach once and the pool a few times. It is nice being a true family again - together.
(And I have already begun to get some much needed sunlight.)
Happy 2 Month Birthday to Emalyn on July 3rd!
Happy Independence Day to everyone on the 4th.

Doug and I had a wonderfully fun-filled Easter trip to Arkansas. There were so many activities with family that we got there and blinked and it was time to come back home. We went on a picnic to Petit Jean National Park with my parents, visited both of my brothers' new homes, spent time with the family (minus Cristi, who is living it up in Alaska) in Shreveport at Wyatt's, and had some great Easter moments up on the land. Once again Doug proved himself in the outdoor arena. He caught the biggest bass of the day.
The little ones were so cute and always fun to play with and watch. Doug definitely fits right in! He is going to be the best daddy.
Only about 7 weeks to go, and then I will have to carry my babies in my arms instead of my belly.

Belly Fun! Marni and I had great fun dressing me up in all sorts of outfits and taking pictures. We used the pics for a game at the baby shower she through me on March 8th. It was hilarious! One, the Easter Egg Belly is especially festive with Easter coming soon. Doug and I are excited to go to Arkansas for Easter. Traveling isn't nearly that great being practically 6 months pregnant, but it will be so worth it.

VaCaTiOn!! The Caribbean was beautiful. Doug and I went on a 5 night cruise with a bunch of friends from Feb.16 - 21. We stopped at Jamaica and the Grand Caymans. Jamaica was more of a cultural experience for us. It was fun and tropical but still run-down and kind of nasty. The Caymans were absolutely beautiful, a little more Americanized, but really a great experience.
We climbed the falls in Jamaica and got our hair braided. Doug got his Bob Marley shirt, which made the whole day worth it. In Grand Cayman we swam with the string rays in the amazingly beautiful clear ocean water. It was so cool to feed the string rays and have them rub up next to you. All the boys from our office last year won the Dodge ball tournament. But of course, I found Doug in the casino the second night of the tournaments trusting a friend to lose his winnings from the game they just won. Boys!
I had a lot of fun hanging out with the wives and seeing "my boys" again. The warm sunny weather had to be one of the most appreciated parts of the trip (and spending time with Doug).
Well I went to the doctor again today (Feb. 25, 2008) and measured 29 weeks. I am just 22 weeks but with twins I am bigger. 29 weeks though!!! Geesh!

GIRLS!!! I had another ultrasound on the 7th of January, and the doctor told us the twins are identical girls. It was fun to see their little bodies (all of about 4 inches each). I am just over 4 months now but nobody believes me. One of these days I will probably just explode and be huge.
One twin was super active and all over the place (the picture of the one facing up). The other twin was just chillin' and probably wishing she had her own placenta (the picture of the one facing down).
We have boy names but now Doug and I are debating on girl names. Needless to say, he wasn't sure what to think when the doctor said "girls". :)
I still can't believe we're going to have two little babies in just a few months. Holy Moly!

Lumberjack in the Hat

The Christmas season officially began when we hired a lumberjack, or at least that's what he appeared to be, to get our tree. Although it only stood 4.5 feet tall, our tree was majestic! The Kaufman family had another hilarously true Christmas letter this year. The Simpson family had another remarkably beautiful Christmas picture. Neither one came at a surprise.
Doug and I had a great time in the mountains of northern New Mexico with his family. He got to ski a lot. I got to play Tiger Woods golf on X-Box and go sledding with all the "non-skiiers". ( I do like to ski, just not with two babies floating around inside me.)
We are officially an old married couple pregnant with twins because our New Year's Eve ended at about 10:45 p.m. A couple kisses, a "Happy New Year!", and a mutual motion of turning to our own sides of the bed. However, the New Year is already rolling on along and going well. This year will bring 2 new babies and who knows what else.

Duck Hunt Success

Thank you Thanksgiving. Back in Arkansas for the first time since December 2006! Doug and I had a good time visiting my family, watching football, playing nintendo (the original), and eating. Doug especially enjoyed duck hunting. He made us all proud and was officially inducted into the Simpson clan at last. :) He shot and brought home the only duck for the day (see the bottom of the page for the pic). It was definitely good times.