A couple of things

PLEASE PRAY: My niece, Taylor, is still struggling and dealing with complications from several surgeries that she had this year. She turned 12 the other day and has cerebral palsy. Her most recent surgery was to place a pump into her spinal column that releases medicine on a daily basis to relieve muscles contractions and spasms. She was in constant pain from these spasms and they were the reason that she needed some of the surgeries. So, the medicine from the pump is helping but now there is fluid around her spine and they don't know what it is. She spent her 12th birthday in the hospital and that just plain sucks!!

Pray that the doctors will figure out what the fluid is and can fix the problem. Taylor is the bravest little girl you will ever meet, and I have learned a lot from her in the few years I have known her! She will amaze you and delight you all at the same time. Here she is at our wedding all dressed up!!

The second thing I want to talk about is my little brother...he turned 26 yesterday!! Yea! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATHAN!!!! Nate, Lilly and Lexi wanted you to know they loved you so they made you a sign. But then they tried to eat it...so, here are the pictures that we got before the sign was destroyed! I think it's the thought that counts!!

Not much going on over here. We spend a lot of time inside reading books and making "Moo" and "Baa" sounds....It's the best summer ever!! With the slightly nicer weather lately, we took a few walks too. The girls are growing so much. They seem to get taller, heavier, and smarter every single day. Lexi says a ton of words and says them very clearly. Lilly says a ton too, but mostly in fast, long sentences. She talks a LOT but it's hard to make out the stories she is telling you just yet. The latest word for both has been tree and Lilly said "again" last night when I finished reading a book she liked.

I'm working on some fun digital projects of the girls and might share some when I finish. But, for now, here are a couple of pictures of the funny little squirts. If we are friends on facebook, forgive the repeats. :)

Lexi loves me to lay her back and swish her around in the water.

Lexi and Daddy playing with their kissing frogs...

One of our walks...Lilly got excited about it and started clapping!

Lexi chilling in her wagon...

Lilly helped me take this picture of her in my lap...

Lilly and I playing chase...

Daddy and his girls...Lilly is on the left.

I Pledge Allegiance...

I actually used our front door this morning when coming into the house, I was struck, once again, by the door hanging..."I pledge allegiance to the flag!" Doesn't that say so much? :) For the rest of the day as I watched my children play in our air conditioned living room, with the oven baking our dinner, and my neighbors going about their lives, I thought about our freedom and how blessed we are...

Sam, if you read this...THANK YOU!!

TJ, if you read this...THANK YOU!!

Ben, if you ever read this...THANK YOU!!

Mr. Johnston, if you ever read this...THANK YOU!!

And to all of you other military men and women who give of your lives, time, and energy...THANK YOU!!!

I am so very grateful to live in this beautiful country and look at these little faces every morning! :)

First Step...

Lilly took her first step yesterday! Now both girls are going to be running all over the place before I know it! Way to go, Lilly bug!!

And is Lexi walking a lot now...Lexi will take no more than 1 to 2 steps at a time, look bored or frustrated and get down to crawl. She will get the hang of it eventually. :)

New Computer & Picture Editing

Well folks, my sweet husband bought me a new computer. The old one was beginning to get on our nerves a bit. The best part about the new one, is that I can now edit photos a little better. It really annoys me to have pictures that are too dark or have redeye in them. Now, I am not totally confined to using a downloadable internet program to fix the pictures...my computer has a great program on it already. It has some new features that I haven't used before, so I am having a blast editing the twins' photos. These pictures were cute to begin with, but now take a look at these....

The first picture is of Lexi....

Here is Daddy and his Lilly

Lexi again...

Lilly..this one makes me smile!

3 more of Lilly...

Lexi in her sunglasses...being glamorous! The last two are of Lexi...I am so excited to see what else I can do with pictures! I'll keep ya'll posted.

Prayer Request

I have a prayer request...I know of a couple living in the Dallas area. They are a friend of a friend and are grandparents. Their daughter apparently had severe drug use issues, and died from an overdose...all while her small child observed the whole lifestyle.

The grandparents now have custody. The huge issue is that the little boy has so many deep and severe mental problems that no mental hospital will keep him. I think he has been kicked out of several. He is a huge threat not only to himself, but to all others around him. I hear he is a smart kid.

So his grandparents had no other choice but to take him today to a mental facility in the Dallas area and basically turn him over to the State of Texas. They are heartbroken and wish they could help him.

I do not know all the problems he has, but he is only 11 years old. I know this couple wishes that they could help him since they were unable to help their daughter, but at this time, they are doing the only thing they can do. Please pray for peace for them and for their grandson to get the help he needs. Thanks!!

Lexi...

Lexi took her first step today...then did it again, and again, and again!! 1 step each time, but she seems to like it! Here we go...

We are proud of you, sweetie!! Now we wait for Miss Lilly....

13 Months Of Fun...

My girls are just so much fun. I know I say that all the time, but right now, they are saying new words every day and just blossoming into the coolest little kids I know. I am so proud to be their mom!! They turned 13 months old last week and in true "Sarah" form, I took some pictures. I also had 2 sweet videos of Lexi that I wanted to post. So to make it fair, I included more pictures of Lilly! :)

Here is the 1st video of Lex...

Lexi has learned to rock her horse on her own and likes doing it...

Lexi likes to blow into the legos and make noises...can you see the serious look on her face? :)

She had just ripped the bow out of Lilly's hair and was studying it...

What a sweet expression...the rest of the pictures are of Lilly.

Playing with her sister's doll...

Posing with her grandmother (on top)...she wanted to see if we could see the "Hermann girl" family resemblance. I think she is still ALL her Daddy's baby!!
I am enamored with their little feet and toes...
Her new thing...pull out all the books and climb into the basket. Then ask Mommy to read one of the books she threw on the floor.
I just love this picture of her...even if it is of the back of her head.

And here is the 2nd video of Lexi...All we have to say is, "Lexi, dance!! Dance, sweetie!!" And this is what she does...no music or anything!

Tonight Eric and I went on a date and had our babysitter over...I kissed the girls and got hugs from both, and then they went right back to playing with Kelia. Not at all sad to see us go...but we got hugs and kisses when we returned. They stayed up waiting for us in their cribs...see, such good and sweet little girls!!