SUCH a busy weekend, but filled with all kinds of good things.

First we got to go see my best friend's new house. She move way out to BFE, but their place is beautiful and they're so happy there.

Conveniently, BFE is also where S&R live. They like to celebrate all things with BBQs (beer and cigars are optional) and were kind enough to have compiled a photo album of the twins' first year as a gift for me.

DD had a fantastic time, reveling in her position as babysitter, reading to and watching over baby K to the point of smothering her.



The twins got a chance to have their first cake -- though poor baby K is allergic to so many things, I doubt her wheat/gluten/dairy-free cake tasted very good.



I got a chance to hold them both -- since they're not *quite* walking yet. I think my arm is still recovering from holding baby R. (note DS, the ham)



Followed up our super busy Saturday with our first attempt at taking the kids to a professional sporting event on Sunday. My big kids were so well behaved and we all had a great time watching DC United win. I feel like we're finally coming out of some sort of cloud that kept us from doing much when they were younger. They're turning into real humans! So great and so sad at the same time.

I can't believe it's been nearly a year since the twins were born. The whole process and experience sometimes feels as though it never really happened, but I guess here's the proof that it did:



They'll be a year old tomorrow. We're going to go see them for their birthday party on Saturday. I wonder what it will feel like to see them again? We haven't visited since October, but I see R often and he always has pictures for me.

DD barely remembers when I was pregnant. DS was clueless the whole time anyway. DH tries to pretend that none of it occurred at all. No wonder I feel like it was all a dream or something that happened to someone else.

All I know is that S & R will be celebrating the birth of their children this year and every year from now on, instead of just mourning the daughters they lost.

The line of thunderstorms/tornadoes that came through here on Wednesday knocked down SO many trees and powerlines that nearly 250,000 people were without power. I think today that number is down to 500 or so.

But I can tell you that our house was one of the LAST to regain electricity. It FINALLY came back on Friday evening. This was AFTER we tried to mitigate the effects of the power outage the best ways we knew:

WEDNESDAY: I grabbed the kids and headed to the local McDonald's for dinner. Me and about a hundred other people got there to find that they didn't have power, either. We ended up buying dinner at Safeway (the only place within 10 miles with a good enough generator) and ate dinner picnic-style in the back of the van as another line of showers came through.

THURSDAY: Put my hair up in a ponytail for work (oh, so professional!) and prayed we'd be getting back on the grid soon. No luck. Ran into a the dad of one of DD's friends and found out about a great kids' show at a local theater. Um, A/C and hot food? We were so there. What a reason to have the kids go to their first movie EVER.

FRIDAY: Supposed to be DD's preschool graduation and my parents were coming to spend the night. More prayers went unanswered as the navy showers we gave the kids didn't really work anymore. Stifling in the house, we took everyone to the mall (more A/C and hot food) and came home to see our front lights finally back on.

If we'd still been without power, I think we would have seriously looked at going to a hotel.

That shower Friday night felt SO good. Thank God the 101-degree weather waited until Saturday to arrive.

The whole reason I bought a videocamera:

I have no more babies. Despite my overly-optimistic previous post, DS had some PT set-backs since then. He is now definitively potty-trained and proved as much during our semiannual trip out to visit DH's family this weekend. He is now sleeping on the top bunk, wearing underwear, and doing any number of "big boy" things. He also turned three(!) on Monday.

I have no more babies.

But I have two fantastic kids.