More Twinner Pics

We had the August/September birthday party on Saturday Evening. Surprisingly Ed didn't hand each of the guys a shovel and say HELP!! but he didn't. The weather was just perfect and we sat out in the backyard and just visited while the kids played. We had LOTS of good food, too.


after the party Saturday evening Kelly sat both the babies upright on our couch, leaning against the pillows. They looked so cute both Jamie and I ran for our cameras.


Here's daddy giving Brayden a kiss - it looks like Taylie is saying 'me next'
Taylie slipped way down and when Kelly scooted her back up he put Brayden's arm around her
Cute! Mouths and eyes open on both of them!! They were definitely the hit of the party!
Even Emma thought to imitate them as she started crying "waa-aah, waa-aah, waa-aah just like newborns cry.

The whole family came with the exception of Melinda and Makae - we missed you both. The food was delicious and we sang Happy Birthday to Jerod and Ben and Adrie Anna and Ethan and Dirk and of course, the babies as their birthday is in August also.

Saturday afternoon and Evening

Be sure and read the blog just before this one talking about our Zions market. It is always a fascinating endeavor and a lot of work but well worth it.

After I finished with Zions Market then I went to work on our back yard for the family party that is going to be held this afternoon. Ed has been hard at work leveling out and preparing the area next to the house for our hot tub. In the process he tracked mud from one end of the yard to the other and then we have been accumulating junk that we stuck behind the little shed next to our house - I was fed up with it all so I went to work cleaning it all up. I dug out our Black and Decker vacuum/blower thing a ma jobber and first vacuumed up leaves and mud and pits and all manner of crud. Then I switched it to a blower and cleaned off the whole basketball court. That all took hours and I was hot and sweaty and went in to take a quick shower so I would be presentable to go get some Subway sandwiches for supper. I decided a nice hot soak in the tub sounded much better and it only added 15 more minutes to dinner time. By the time I got back home with the sandwiches and started to climb out of the car I felt every muscle in my body. Sitting in the car and not moving around for 15 more minutes had allowed all those overworked muscles to tighten up and I wasn't even sure I could walk.

fter we ate I had Ed fire up the lawnmower for me. You need to realize i NEVER mow the lawn. Ed always does it but he is working so hard on the back yard I couldn't bear to have him have to do it too. So I mowed the whole lawn. Lemme tell you - although it did loosen up those muscles I could feel all of them aching as we finally headed into the house at dusk. I was heading for a hot soak in the tub again - with lots of sweet smelling skin so soft oil. The phone rang just then and it was Kelly wondering if we wanted a couple of babies for an hour or so while they went out to dinner - YES!! Forget the exhaustion, forget the aching muscles - babies to play with!!! I took a quick shower and was ready for them to show up.


The were both sound asleep when they came. Full tummies, dry bottoms and so comfortable
Instead of getting a close up of Brayden, I got a picture of the cute jammies he was in complete with puppy dog toes.
Here is an angel at sleep She woke up first and started fussing but I was able to hold and cuddle her until she went back to sleep - and then I held and cuddled her while she slept for about 45 minutes. :-) Then Brayden started fussing so I laid her back down and held Brayden. He continued to squirm and to fuss until I put his binky in his mouth and that settled him right down. He relaxed and slept so well in grandma's arms. I finally put him down after another 45 minutes. Shortly after mommy and daddy came home so cuddling time was over. Thanks for sharing, Kelly and Jamie.
She has finally grown into her preemie size jammies - yes, newborn sizes still drown her!
Here they are together -so precious

I thought it would be fun to post a picture of what they looked like when they were newly home. This was just a little over four weeks ago - they have changed from preemie s to a more softly rounded newborn look

my weekend

It's only Sunday morning and I feel like its been three weekends already. Yesterday was a tiring but good day - buts lets start at Friday.

As usual I made a trip to Roy to visit Kathy Heath. She had just found out the day before that the long awaited laser treatment wasn't going to be able to help her stenosis of the esophagus - that she is going to have to have another surgery to put in a stint and that they wouldn't do it until she was officially accepted by Medicaid. So that's another 5-6 weeks wait in the rehab for her. UGH.

I also got to buy the beads and stuff for next weeks Super Saturday - we are making illusion necklaces with a single crystal bead every 1 1/2 inches. It should be great fun.


we won't be making the earrrings except for special orders.

Then I headed over to the Stake House to spend the next 4 1/2 hours accepting donations for our annual Zions Market. The Zions' Market is like a giant garage sale, only no money is exhanged. You want it -- you take it!! This is the sixth year our stake has done this and I have helped set up for every year. It took a couple of years to train the members of our stake NOT to bring stained, ripped or broken items. We literally fill up every room in the church except for the chapel! Even the outside. Washers, dryers, dishwashers, foosball machines, lawnmowers, computer tables, even a hammock - these large items are accepted for donation and set outside the church but those that donate them are kept in a list and if the item doesn't go, then the people that brought them have to come and pick them up after the market is over.
This is the foyer inside the front doors of the church - livingroom furniture, book cases, tables, couches, baby cribs, mattresses, entertainment centers etc. It all went!

This is the relief society room and it has kitchen items of any and all kinds. Dishes, pots and pans, glasses,vases, decorations, canning bottles, etc. That is a cold pack canner sitting under the table to be given away. This picture was taken with still a couple hours worth of donations still to go. Each wall in the room was lined up several deep with frames and pictures and baskets and all sorts of prettiesThis is the tool and camping room - as you can see it has bikes - I think 17 of them. There was even a pocket bike~ exercise equipment, small tents, shade canopies, helmets, even a reloader!!


Shoes - need I say more?? Most of them went the next morning too!
this is the view of the cultural hall - tables and tables and tables full of clothes - girls, womens, mens and boys. The table in the foreground were just womens' jeans - and each of the tables held a lot of jeans too along with shirts, sweaters, socks, lingerie etc. Coats and nice dresses and shirts were hung at each side of the hall. Down at the other end of the hall were tables with fresh vegetables, seeds, handbags and purses (a separate room held suitcases, backpacks, and computer bags.
The toy room had six tables like this FULL of baby toys, puzzles, games, cars and truck, dolls, etc. The floor was covered with boxes with legos or bionics, or scooters etc. The lady that oversaw this room said it emptied out in 20 minutes Saturday morning - all except the babies toys (lots of fisher price, playschool, etc.) since the moms were busy in other areas of the church so it took them a while longer to get to the toy room.
This is in the cultural hall = lots of computer monitors and phones and dvd players etc.
this ws the appliace table - if it doesn't work it is not allowed in the market

This is one of four rooms of baby stuff - the other had strollers (nice ones) and then another two were filled with tables full of baby clothesBaby clothes - deep deeper and deepest! This is where I hit first thing on Saturday morning as Diana Smith had asked me to look for baby clothes for her granddaughter to be and I wanted to find stuff for my new twinners. As you can see, lots of girl stuff on this table - a few boy things but nothing I could find for Ben or Simon. As for the twinners I found baby clothes, shoes, socks, similac, jackets and lots and lots of adorable clothes. I had Jamie go through the girls clothes to share between Taylie and Diana's baby. Brayden got to keep all his stuff. I also found a pile of cute dresses for Emma between this room and the small girls area out in the cultural hall.

I also picked up a computer monitor for Jeff and a bathroom sink complete with fixtures for Kecia!! I got a humidifier for me. It was a fun morning and I think Mauri and Adrie were happy with their treasures too!

I was going to put my whole saturday on here but hate to have to move all of the pictures down to sequential order so I will close this blog and open another.

New camera = new pictures

Finally I can take some fun pictures again. The screen on my old camera had cracked and although I could still take pictures I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of. So Day before yesterday I broke down and bought me a new camera. It was not an expensive one but rather one that camera dummies like me can operate. I don't have to pull out my glasses to see what the setting is each time and it even has an 'easy' setting so I can't 'accidently' push the wrong button and wonder what my camera is doing!! Finally they are listening to us old folk and working within our 'limited' ;-) capabilities.

Of course the first place I went to try out the camera was over to see the new twinners

Here they are - age six weeks and doing fine. Mr Brayden Kelly Willden and Miss Taylie Grace Willden.

Taylie is a really good eater and you can see it in her face. The preemie look is fast disappearing behind the fat little cheeks and the beginning of a double chin.

Here I am playing grandma with Brayden - look at all that dark hair

You wouldn't believe he had an empty tummy waiting to be fed - he is the most mellow laid back kid. His big baby blue eyes are looking all around as he waits patiently for his bottle.

Miss Taylie Grace is NOT a patient child. I even suggested duct taping her binkie in her mouth (GRANDMA!!) She is constantly on the move and if they don't have her in her 'burrito' wrap then her little arms are out pulling out her binkie and brothers too if he is close enough!

They are so precious and I love to get to hold and cuddle and feed them. Thanks Kelly and Jamie for sharing!

And last but not least - a short video to see the twins in action!