"Just be yourself, everyone else is already taken." ~ Oscar Wilde

I'm going to warn you now, this will bore you to tears. I'm so sorry! You can skip right past this post and it won't hurt my feelings one bit. But I need to do this, it's been too long so I need to catch up. I am much faster at typing than writing, and I just don't want to get into all 4 baby books and write down the tidbits that make each of them

{who they are right now}

{Ella} The Bean, Girlfriend, Sis, Sister-friend, Ella Bella

You are still sassy, still overly dramatic, still a handful at times. But oh-my-goodness how you've come into your own and it's really made my heart sing watching you grow into this loving, caring, helpful, hard working, beautiful inside-and-out girl. I've finally worn you down and you've turned into a snuggler. You are very affectionate with your words, you are kind, you are a friend to anyone and everyone. You have such a tender heart and you are such a fantastic big sister ~ so nurturing. But boy are you wild at times, holy cow girl, you are a piece of work! Your antics still make me laugh and you light up my world with your zest for life.

Your best friends: Olivia, Gracie, Lindsey, Ethan, Djin, Ninny and Papa

Your favorite colors: Pink, chocolate brown

Your favorite things to eat: Mom's spaghetti, chicken enchiladas, chili and beer bread, mac n cheese, tomato and avocado salad, berries, milkshakes, cheesecake, Mommy's pink cake

What you love about school: Chapel, P.E., art, music, recess, lunch

What you like to do in your free time: pLaY oUtSiDe! Crafts (especially anything with glue and lots of it), practice jump-rope or basketball, puzzles, ride your bike, look through photo albums, read books, play piano as long as it isn't your assignment, sing & dance. You DO NOT play with toys, seriously, I have to twist your arm to get out your Barbies or Pet Shop or... You have an amazing imagination, which is probably why you don't play with toys, you'd rather make forts and rockets out of boxes and play dress-up. You are usually some sort of Queen with evil intentions (hmm...)
Talents: You have a natural musical ability, I'm so jealous of that. You are incredibly hard working at school and great at memorization, reading, and you're getting really good at math!
As your Mommy, who I see God making you to be: You have become so tenderhearted, I love that. You don't require a lot of sleep and you are incredibly energetic and charismatic so I can only imagine the plans He has for you. You are a kind friend, and your teachers say everyone likes being around you. Even in kindergarten all the teachers knew your name and would give you a hig-five in the hall or say hi, your repuatation preceeds you:) I think you could be one of those women that goes to a third world country and just gives her life away helping people and extracting every last bit out of every moment of this life. You wouldn't care if you slept on the ground outside, ate weird food, didn't shower for a few days. As long as you were with people, you would be happy. I'm hoping and praying you stay close to home, I have a feeling you won't.

{Dawson} Big D, Dawson-son, Lover, Buddy
You are sensitive and snuggly and sometimes timid. You love to be loved. Even though you're pretty mellow, once you go to the dark side, it's over. You love to talk, you are whiny, and you are clearly on the road to becoming something nerdy like an engineer. Even though there are 2 babies after you, you are still the baby of the family in my heart. I love your tenderness, your sensitivity, the fact that you are a Mama's Boy through and through. I love how affectionate you are, I think this is important for a boy, and eventually, when you become a man it will make your wife happy:) You are very articulate and tell me how you feel, which I love. You are inquisitive and ask the funniest questions, I love how your mind works. You have a good heart, and a sweet spirit. You are very, very slowly adjusting to big brotherhood and are becoming protective of your baby brothers. I love your long, thick lashes and your perfect little lips. I cherish every moment with you, you are so precious to me.

Your best friends: Mommy, Nolan, R.C., Rocky, Daddy, Papa
Favorite color: Green and yellow ("lemon yellow")
Favorite things to eat: Mom's spaghetti, bean burritos, enchiladas, chili, oranges, vanilla yogurt, spinach salad, carrots, ice cream sandwiches, lemon ice, chocolate chip cookies, SuGaR in any form
What you love to do: Help Mommy bake, help Daddy with anything involving tools, mow, shovel snow, work in the yard, dig, play dough, snuggle. You love to be a helper with just about anything. You love to Ruff house and are so rough that I'm usually covered with bruises
Things you love: The Grinch, Berenstain Bear books (especially Bringing Home Baby and Visit the Dentist) and Dr. Suess books, your Easy Bake oven, your erector set, Legos, trains, tools, your "work" gloves which are really gold, sequined ladies gloves from Ella's dress-up box (you love gloves in general), Bob the Builder, Polar Express movie

Talents: You are very good at building things, and you are incredibly hard working already, especially with physical things like yard work. You also have a great attention span for a boy:)
Who I see God making you to be: I think you will be an amazing husband and Daddy someday if you ever get brave enough to leave home. I see you becoming a man who shows His love for God by working hard and loving his family, and being someone that people feel like they can talk to when they need a listening ear. I hope you will be open to His leading even if the path looks scary and unstable and insecure ~ I hope you will throw caution to the wind and follow Him into the unknown when He asks you to.


{Mitchell} Mitchy, Mitchell Yuke, Precious Child o' Jesus
Mitchy you are something else. So much like your Daddy it's crazy. Except...you are super chatty and you are a major Ham. You are (and have been since you were tiny) so aware of people's reactions to you, and vice-versa. You are smart, independent and quiet, but super stubborn. You don't love me more than Daddy, which is a major bone of contention. I should be your #1, but whatever, I'm slowly coming to terms with this. You tolerate but don't really appreciate my exuberant affection, ie: ear nibbling, baby talking, bottom pinching, face kissing, cheek squeezing... You are a Nervous Nelly and it takes you a long time to warm up to people and places. You were scared of Ella and cried off and on all day when she got her hair cut short. You just don't like change. You have this adorable swagger when you walk that cracks us up, you are the best dancer in the family (besides me of course) and you have the cutest way of pointing at things and asking about them in jibberish. You are so good at fine motor activities, you are patient and will play with one thing until you figure it out. Dawson's antics annoy you so we try to make him torture Charlie instead, because he actually enjoys it. You love to play outside and I usually have to drag you inside along with Ella. You have the cutest Snuffy lashes and the most perfect mouth. I love your belly laugh and your white, fuzzy hair.
Your best friends: Charlie, Ella, Ninny.
Your favorite things to eat: Spaghetti, chili, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese and crackers, oranges, sweet potatoes, peas, pot roast, ice cream.
What you love to do: Play cars! You have loved cars and have been making car sounds since you were 6 months old. You love anything with a motor so you are into the 4-wheeler, mower, and any toy that resembles a vehicle. You like to play blocks and climb on the table, the back of the couch, the slide, the chairs...You love being outside and bring me your boots as soon as you get done with breakfast, hoping I will get you ready to go out and play. You are an obsessive thumb-sucker. You love to play with Ella.
{Charlie} Charwee, Charwills, Honey Ham, Puppy, Tiny Lover

If Dawson is the resident snuggler, then Charlie you are the resident nurterer. You are just so sweet. You were such a high-maintenance baby (just like Dawson) but have grown into such a nurturing, sensitive, affectionate boy. I can't get enough of your lovey disposition. You are always thinking of other people, which I know sounds funny considering you're only 20 months old. But if someone's hurt, you rub their hair, if they cough, you pat their back. You make sure Mitchy has his sippy cup, and that everyone has their silky at bedtime. You have literally never turned me down when I've asked you for a kiss, you pucker up whenever and wherever, which is a great quality in a man:) You are very in tune with peoples emotions, which just makes you so dear. But you're also incredibly tough and have a disturbingly high tolerance for pain. When you get hurt you usually laugh, weird. Actually you laugh at just about anything, you're like your Mama and love to giggle. You now weigh less than Mitch and are a bit shorter, but your body is still more stocky and you have killer buns:) You have great hair, except where you're going bald from a strange hair-pulling habit. Your toes look like Tootsie Rolls, which just beg for nibbling. You love your silky.
Your best friends: Mommy, Mitchy, Papa and Ninny
Your favorite things to eat: Actually, the shorter list would be what you don't like, but I can't think of anything. You are more into treats than Mitchy, unfortunately he has a sweet tooth like me and Dawson

What you love to do: Read books, especially animal books, look at photo albums, play dress-up, play outside, snuggle, help clean and cook. You love bath time

{Team Terror}

I have to say a few things about the twins as a team. They really are yin and yang. Charlie says "this" when he wants something, Mitchy says "that." Charlie takes things from Mitch but quickly replaces it with something, all the while talking sweetly as if to say "yes, I'm stealing this from you but you'll thank me later because look how cool this other thing is!" Mitch is laid back, Charlie is agressive. Charlie is rambunctious and jovial, Mitch is serious and doesn't like to be roughed up. Charlie's hair is out of control and he's had 4 hair cuts, Mitch still has peach fuzz and has yet to have a hair cut. Mitchy's hair is white and straight, Charlie's is brown and wavy. Mitch is a pickier eater, Charlie will literally eat just about anything, and by the handful. Mitch has a full mouth full of teeth, Charlie has 2. They have to kiss each other before nap, they can't sleep until the other one is in the room with them. They feed each other food, or they put the food they don't want on the other one's tray. Mitchy has a pouty upper lip, Charlie has a pouty lower lip. Mitch eats so meticulously that he hardly makes a mess, he hold his utensils like he's 5 years old. Charlie just throws down the food as quickly as he can and creates major messes in the process. Charlie is super affectionate, Mitch can't be bothered by that nonsense. Mitchy sleeps more, Charlie plays more. But they both have one major thing in common, a Mama who is over the moon in love with them.