A lovely day at the beach...

Maybe it's the pregnancy, but I've been craving the coast. Despite the rain and cold, we packed up the family and headed for the beach on Monday. It was LOVELY. A bit cold, but such a sweet retreat. We let the kids run in the sand, made a little fire, and cuddled in blankets...

A day for Two...

I just realized as I began writing here that I have yet to share on the blog about my pregnancy. Yes, blog readers, we are expecting #3! With that said, I hope to get a blog up soon about that very announcement, but until then lets just say I've been one tired and sick Mama. Im utterly grateful that my sickness has not even grazed the surface of what I felt with S + S, however I am eager for the nights of throwing up to come to an end, and to regain some energy again. I just take these times of pregnancy to be huge opportunities for reflection...

So, as I was preparing for the twin's birthday, I set my sights pretty high. Thanks to the incredible help of my friends in deep cleaning and crafting, the day was more than I could have ever asked to give my two little ones. It was special in every way...

And though our house should only comfortably seat perhaps 15, we packed it out with over forty dear friends and family. I was blessed to have Ray's folks and brothers join us, as well as friends from all walks of life. I loved seeing our home bursting from the seams in love for our little Joys.

I was eager to do "rainbow fruit skewers"... they turned out great! Thank you for your help, Ros!!! Also, I must mention here that in some personally significant way, I was really honored to put out the quail dish that is shown below with the blueberries. Do you remember this dish, Judy? You gifted this beautiful item to us for our wedding and I cherish it...

"Sophie, what are you eating??"

Sophie could often be found in Grandpa's lap receiving all kinds of snacks...

The men pile up on the couch...

Our friend Kyli made some incredible lemon cupcakes for the party. We were blessed by her gift- they were DELICIOUS!

"Happy Birthday to you..."

A VERY full house of love...

Lots of laughs by kids and parents alike!

Gift time!!

Our friend Madeline made the most adorable and perfect aprons for the kids. Sol insisted on wearing his...

Sophie was especially grateful for her new library of books...

The wonder of balloons...

I dont know why we waited to take the traditional birthday photos until AFTER the party, but we did. Dirty and tired was the theme, but we still managed to capture a few of the birthday critters for posterity...

Welcome to "2" you two!!! We LOVE you!!!