8 years and counting

Isabel and Annika

Not affraid to be a apart,
always thinking of the other.

Life would be boring without them!!!

Annika, very sweet and very mild.

Loves to read and color.

Content to be by herself.
A peacemaker.

Isabel is always full of energy.
She is like a bull in a china cabinet.

Fierce friend.
You always know where you stand with her.

Full of wonderful comments and advice.

Wait a minute, I thought 8 years ago, I'm late. I haven't started my period yet. Calm down, you did just stop nursing Hannah. But there was that month that I didn't have birth control. Panic now grips my entire body. I run and get a pregnancy test. I dip the stick and I have to leave the bathroom. There's no way I can be pregnant. NO WAY!!!! I am enjoying Jaren and Hannah too much right now. Sure I want to have more kids, just not right now. I am 6 weeks into Body for Life and I look amazing. I feel amazing. I slowly walk back into the bathroom and look at that stupid stick and there flashing before my eyes are two pink lines. I'm pregnant. Hannah is just 1 year old and Jaren is 2 and half. I phone Brent and begin to cry. How could this have happened. I'm not ready to have another baby. I cry and cry and cry and cry for months. Trying to come to terms with the fact that I will be having a 3 child. When people find out they are no help. Oh, the 3rd child is the hardest. You only have 2 hands. It's such a huge adjustment. Thanks, thanks a lot people. My belly begins to swell, and soon. I don't think anything of it since it is my 3rd pregnancy and my body is ready for the growth.

The day of the ultrasound comes, I am 21 weeks long. Brent and I decide to bring Jaren and Hannah along with us so they can see the baby on the screen. The technician swipes my belly, once, then backs away toward my file. She asks me why I am here. I reply the usual, to find out the sex of the baby and all that good stuff. " let me tell you why I ask. Here is one head and over here is another head." I literally scream bloody murder, the flood gates are opened and I begin to cry. Brent starts to cry. I think he cried out of joy, I cried out of complete and utter horror. I thought to myself, " What the heck am I going to do now? If 1 was going to be so diffult, what is 2 going to be like."

After finding out that we were having 2 baby girls we took the long walk to the Doctor's office with our two other children in hand for the "twin talk". As soon as we walk into the Doctor's office he begins to laugh. Ya, laugh it up big guy, this is SOOOOOOO FUNNY!!!!!

I had Isable Charlotte and Annika Patrice March 1, 2001 by c-section. Which is another story in and of itself.

Life was hard those first months. Thank goodness I was living with my Mom for the first 6 months. Life didn't get much easier. We then moved out and I was pretty much a single mother since Brent left in the mornings at 6am and didn't get home until 6pm. I was a machine, feeding, changing diapers (there were 3 in diapers), cleaning up, putting down for naps and starting all over again. Feeding, changing diapers, cleaning up. Not the life I had imagined for myself.

The only thing that got me through that rough time was the knowledge that Heavenly Father knew me better then I knew myself. He knew I could do it, I had the strength and he helped me through it.

Life is much different now. I have two vibrant very different, very unique little girls. I couldn't imagine my life without them. God has a plan for all of us, mine included having twins.