This week has been off to a rocky start so I thought I'd post some happy pictures of the boys for a little pick me up. At the start of the week we found out that my grandparent's dog (and my dog from part of the time when I was in highschool) Maggie, had to be put to sleep due to stomach cancer. She lived a long and happy 14 years and we will miss our Mags very much. As if that wasn't sad enough, we found out this morning that one of Eric's co-workers passed away last night due to complications from a motorcycle accident this weekend. Things like this really make you appreciate every day you have a little bit more.

Now that I have gotten the depressing news out of the way, it's time to post some happier updates of the boys. We had such a fun weekend! The weather was fantastic so we decided to take everyone to the park on Saturday. Our builder, Pulte, threw a homeowner appreciation party with a bounce house and tons of food and games for the kids. We spent a couple of hours bouncing, eating, and swinging.

This picture doesn't really go along with our weekend but I finally decided to do away with the big highchairs and move to booster seats. The boys love them and it's less of a mess to clean up. Why didn't I do this earlier?? Live and learn I guess.

Mason was loving the swing on Saturday!

I saw a picture of Marcia Cross' (the actress from Desperate Housewives) twin girls both in a toddler swing together and thought it was a brilliant idea. It's such a nice thing to have them in there together. This way I can still push Ethan and he doesn't feel left out.

Mason equally loved the swing. They must have stayed in there for close to 45 minutes. Now that the twins can do a little more, going to the park with 3 little ones isn't such a hectic event!

This year we decided to join our friends at their church for an Easter egg hunt and pictures with the Easter Bunny. Ethan and Danielle had a blast this year hunting for eggs. He actually gave Danielle some eggs instead of grabbing each one and shouting, "Mine!" Yes, our little Ethan is growing up.

This was the best picture I got of the two of them. There was so much going on that it was hard to get their attention.

The twins did really well at the egg hunt. They sat in the stroller and watched all of the kids run around looking for eggs. They were both fascinated by the Easter bunny.

Here we are attempting to get a family photo taken. Even though none of the kids are looking at the camera, we had no tears in the photo and I consider that a successful snapshot! Happy Easter!

Carson's disposition has definitely changed in the past month or so now that he can pull himself up to a standing position. He has gone from easily irritated to quite the happy little baby. As long as he is standing up he has a smile on his face. The only problem with this new talent is that he wants to pull up and stand on everything including his brothers. This annoys them quite a bit but I think Ethan secretly enjoys the attention.

Carson's favorite toy right now is the Leap Frog learning table. He can stand there for the longest time. He hasn't quite figured out how to reach for the floor though, so he just falls backwards when he has had enough. This results in a huge screaming fit until he realizes he is okay.

Mason is not quite as stable on his feet as Carson yet (as you can see from the picture). He really could care less about pulling up and standing. If we place him there next Carson then he really enjoys it but he is probably happier doing the army crawl when he wants to get somewhere. This picture cracks me up because he looks as surprised as we were that he was standing up.

I think we only have a few pictures of Mason when he is not grinning from ear to ear. Nothing including Ethan hitting him on the head seems to bother him. That quality will come in handy growing up with two brothers!

I'm accepting the fact up front that I am no Martha Stewart. Not even close! This was my one attempt to get crafty for Easter. I saw this cute activity in a Parents magazine where you decorate eggs with sprinkles using corn syrup. I had a couple of my friends and their kids over to attempt this craft. It actually turned out pretty cute and of course the kids couldn't have been less interested. They played while we decorated. Oh well, I'll try again next year when Ethan is a little older.

This past week I took a break from updating the blog because we traveled to Texas for a wedding and to see family. I was gone a full week from the twins which was extremely difficult but it made it even more exciting to come home and hug them tight. So many wonderful memories were made and I cannot possibly start this blog with any other picture then me and Joe Simpson. Yes, I know many of you will think it is the dumbest thing ever to be so obsessed with Jessica Simpson's father. I must go ahead and state for the record that I'm prepared to be laughed at and I'm going ahead with it anyway.

Eric spotted him at the bar we were at after the wedding reception. After a few drinks I got up the nerve to ask him if he would take a picture with me. I get completely starstruck in situations like these but I just had to do it. He was extremely nice and I'm sure he loved the attention. I mean, really, what else does he have going on but to hang out at a bar with his daughters ex-boyfriends?

If you don't know who Joe Simpson is then you really won't know who this guy is. Especially since he looks nothing like he used to. Not only did my friend Lindsay and I see Joe Simpson, we saw Ryan Cabrera. Ashley Simpson (Joe's daughter) used to date him. He has a couple of hit songs and although we were cracking up over his new look of the terrible v-neck shirt and Debbie Gibson Electric Youth 80's hat, he posed for a picture with us and I was just as excited nonetheless. My sister said he looks like a woman and I have to agree.

Me and my yummy niece Kaitlyn. After a few days of hanging out with her I have decided that it is possible for a 6 month old to be more fashionable than a grown woman.

One of the best T-shirts Ethan owns, courtesy of Uncle Ira from New York. Ethan wore his shirt proudly on the plane ride home. We can't wait for our next trip!

My little Ethan man swinging like a monkey!

Eric and I just absolutely adore our little niece and only little girl in the family, Miss Kaitlyn Elizabeth. She is in that cute chubby baby phase where every facial expression is worth getting on camera. We had more fun seeing what girly little outfit she would debut next.

Here is the crazy duo, Ryan and Ethan. They had a blast as usual, even when Ethan was constantly hitting him for who knows what. It was equally as fun to see the progress Ryan has made and the little person he is becoming. He kept me laughing, especially when he so candidly pointed out, "Aunt Cindy, every time Ethan comes to my house he makes a huge mess." Love that kid.

Eric, Jason and Ira got to enjoy a great afternoon at Hula Hut on Saturday afternoon before the wedding. Hula Hut has to be one of our all time favorite places and is a must when we were in Austin. I was only jealous for a second because I was having equally as much fun at the movies seeing 'Horton Hears a Who' with my sister and the kiddos. Buttery popcorn rates way up there with Hula Hut's yummy margaritas!

Ethan and I began our trip in Houston with my Nana and Papa. One of our activities included taking Ethan to a bounce house so he could burn off some energy. My Papa who is 83 years young decided to join in the fun. It was an absolute blast for Ethan to have his great grandfather bouncing around with him. It goes to show that age is only a number! I spoke with my Papa today and he said he is thinking about going back for some more exercise.

I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of my Papa going down the giant slide but this one will definitely do. We all went home and took a nap after this little adventure. Great fun!

I absolutely love this picture. It sums up exactly how I feel about my Papa. He has to be my number one hero without a doubt. I have absolutely no idea where he gets his energy but he is without question one of the most gentle and loving people I have ever known. He completely adores his great grandkids and they adore him right back. I feel so blessed that my children get to know him and will have lasting memories of my Papa and Nana.

I can also say the same thing about my Nana. When Ethan is around her he has her undivided attention. She dotes on him and brags about how Ethan Harrison Payne sounds like the name of our future President. I hope we can move back home soon so the twins will have the same opportunity that Ethan has had. We cherish our visits to Texas without a doubt!

This past weekend we had the pleasure of dogsitting for our friend Jason. Wilson or "Willy" as we like to call him is the most gentle and calm animal you will ever meet. Our mini weiner dogs had great fun barking at him nonstop so it was entertaining for all of us. Ethan took to him right away of course. I think he loved having a big dog around and by the end of the weekend, he didn't want to see him go.

Willy seemed a little depressed when Jason dropped him off so Ethan made sure he was not lonely. One funny thing I have to mention is that Ethan started calling him a walrus. I have no idea where this came from but it was so funny. So now whenever Jason comes over Ethan asks where Willy the walrus is.

Poor Wilson. I think he had given up by this point and accepted the fact that being in our house for the weekend meant being ridden around like a horse.

One of Ethan's latest pastimes includes burying his brothers with toys. This started a couple of weeks ago but instead of burying the twins, he would bury us with the massive pile of laundry that sat on our bedroom floor for 3 days. When we finally got around to putting it away, he transferred this "game" over to the toy room.

This started out to be a cute little game and the twins loved the attention at first. I managed to take the pictures while they were still enjoying it. As the pile grew bigger and you could no longer see them, they of course began screaming their heads off. Ethan didn't understand why they didn't want to be buried. Poor little guys!

Here they are after being recovered from the rubble. If you're wondering if the playroom always looks this messy, well, the answer is yes. I've had to resort to covering the carpet in blankets due to the constant spit up. Sweet potatoes and carrots don't go well with light carpet.

Mason is under there somewhere. I just keep telling Ethan that one day it's going to be two against one and he will be the one buried underneath a pile of toys. Ha!

Things have been pretty quiet lately which is a good thing considering all of the craziness lately. It has given me some time to take some more pictures of the boys and update the blog. I cannot believe how fast the boys are growing! Ethan is so expressive these days. Some of his newest phrases are, "That is so cool Mom!" and "I fly to Texas on an airplane right now!" I now know to wait until the day before we are leaving to mention Texas, otherwise everytime we go anywhere, he thinks it's to the airport.

We have managed to get two in the tub at once and that's about it. Maybe we'll aim for three when the boys can sit up by themselves. Ethan loves taking baths with them and entertaining them by making funny faces and trying to shove bath toys in their mouths. This is definitely a two person job!

Mason (right) is now 18 pounds and Carson (left) is 18.5 pounds! They are both crawling now which has opened up a whole new world for them. We have to be fast on our feet these days. They are extremely efficient at getting across the room.

I love this picture because they basically have the same expression on their face which is rare. Although they are fraternal, I think they look a lot alike here.

Ethan has finally become interested in the large Legos we bought him. It only took a year and a half! He loves building towers that are taller than him. He's a pretty funny little guy and a total blast right now. Can't wait to see what else is in store!

One of the twins latest accomplishments is picking up Gerber fruit puffs and putting them in their mouths. We're one step closer to table food now! So exciting! Mason sure seems happy with his new found ability.

So Ethan's latest funny antics involve the dreaded time-out chair. Yes, I must admit that I have resorted to strapping him into his booster seat on the floor so he can't leave time-out. If I don't, I end up chasing him around the house which leads to him eventually forgetting why he was there in the first place. So...I got desperate and was positive that this was the solution. Wrong!

First he began scooting across the floor in the chair. It wasn't long before he figured out he could stand up and walk with the chair attached to him. Eric and I had to look the other way in order to hide the fact that we were cracking up. I was laughing so hard that tears were running down my face. So I guess I need to come up with another way to keep him in time-out. Any suggestions?

Evidently, Ethan has decided that just because the time-out chair doesn't work for him, that doesn't mean it won't work with Woody, his new favorite pal.

On another note, those of you wondering what happened with the car, they ended up totalling it. :( The rental car was only covered a few more days so we had to make a quick decision to get a replacement car. Introducing THE BEAST. It's a great car with a perfect amount of room for the boys. Although the circumstances weren't great, we really love the car. I had to explain to Ethan that the car is no longer at the "doctor." May the minivan rest in peace now.

Carson finally has two bottom teeth which makes munching on things a lot easier! Here he is giving his famous half smile.

I have most definitely seen better days than today! It started out as a normal day today. I took Ethan to school this morning, went running, and picked up lunch for my mother-in-law who was back at our house taking care of the twins. I was driving along when a car coming out of a neighborhood on the right pulls out in front of me. I instantly knew that we were going to crash into eachother, so I honked and before I knew it, my car slammed into his at 45 mph. After both of the airbags exploded I realized I was still going. I steered off to the left towards a brick wall and once the car stopped I sat their shaking, completely hysterical. Ambulances and police came and got the man out of his car which had flipped on it's side. Eric came 10 minutes later and helped calm me down. They gave the man a citation for failing to yield. Even though it was his fault I still kind of felt sorry for the old guy. I mean, he was trapped in his car probably scared out of his mind. Thank God for seatbelts and airbags and I'm so lucky the kids weren't in the car with me.

I escaped with only cuts, bruises, and burns from the airbag and seatbelt. We took pictures for insurance purposes. Above is a cartoonish looking knot that popped up on the outside of my arm.

Ouch! That's a burn from the airbag. That's really going to hurt tomorrow!

More airbag and seatbelt burns.

Me looking pathetic after my miserable afternoon! I forgot to mention that the wreck happened in Sun City, a retirement community. After it happened, it seemed like the whole neighborhood shuffled out with their canes to see the action. I told my Papa about this and he joked that this was probably the most excitement they've had in months! Thanks Papa for always making me laugh...especially in times of distress! I'll update later on the status of the poor car. I'm going to go slather myself in Neosporin now.