Welcoming

 On Sunday we had a Welcoming for Emma and Carter like we did for Grace. We did our own little made up ceremony in our backyard this time. I will save you from the wordiness of the ceremony, but I'll just add it a few of the things here and there. Feel free to skip the words and just look at the pictures, I promise I won 't take offense!
Some of the decorations. 

 Chocolate covered marshmellows

 and pretzels

 Cake

 Dessert Table

 Carter before the party

 

Three and a half years ago, Cole and I shared our vows of marriage. These vows represented promises we made to each other in order to ensure happiness and dedication as we grow as a married couple for the rest of our lives. Today we are making promises to Carter and Emma with the same love and compassion we had when we made those vows to each other. We vow to keep these promises and exercise them throughout your entire lives.

• We promise to always love and respect you for who you are and not who we want you to be.
• We promise to give you space. Space to grow, to dream, to succeed, and even, sometimes, to fail.
  
  
  
• We promise to create a loving home environment and show you that you are loved, whenever and however we can.
• We promise when necessary to let you know we disapprove of what you do, not who you are.
  
  
  
• We promise to tickle your toes.
• We promise to set limits and help you find security in the knowledge of what is expected of you.
  
  
  
• We promise to make time for you and cherish our moments together, realizing how important, and fleeting, they are.
• We promise to not burden you with emotions and problems you're not equipped to deal with, remembering that we are the parents and you are the child.
  
• We promise to check for monsters.
• We promise to encourage you to experience the world and all its possibilities, guiding you and taking pains to leave you careful, but not fearful.
  
• We promise to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally so that we can be there for you when you need us.
• We promise to show you the stars and teach you how to reach them.
• We promise to hold your hand when you learn to walk.
• We promise to show you we love you every day through words and physical affection.
  
  
  
• We promise to listen to you and let you know we value what you say.
• We promise to praise your accomplishments and efforts towards those accomplishments.
• We promise to allow you to make your own mistakes and to learn from those experiences.
• We promise to try to be the kind of people we want you to grow up to be-loving, fair-minded, moral, giving, and hopeful.
  

 Grace was excited about the party but was so mad I wouldn't let her eat before everyone got there.

 Attempts at a family photo:

 Carter with his Godparents

 and Emma with her Godparents

 All the godparents!

 TO MY VERY SPECIAL GODPARENTS
IF EVERY HEART WAS JUST LIKE YOURS,
UNSELFISH, WARM AND DEAR
AND EVERY SMILE THE KIND THAT MADE,
A RAINBOW-SKY APPEAR,
IF EVERYONE WAS KIND, LIKE YOU,
AND TOOK THE TIME TO CARE
THEN WHAT A LOVELY WORLD THERE WOULD BE
FOR ALL OF US TO SHARE,
YOU ARE SUCH SPECIAL GODPARENTS
WITH KIND AND LOVING HEARTS
AND IF I NEED YOU,
I KNOW YOU'RE THERE TO PLAY YOUR PART...
AND IT DOSEN'T GO UNNOTICED-
IT'S WHY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR BEING VERY SPECIAL GODPARENTS

My parents with the twins

 Cole's parents.

 Emma hanging with her cousin Jackson

 Emma took a nap after the ceremony during the party.

 Grace had a blast playing with everyone.

 and she suckered Uncle Andy into pulling her around!

We would like to thank everyone for coming and helping us celebrate and welcome Carter and Emma into our lives.

Most of all I would like to thank the babies for all of the smiles and the laughs we’ve experienced with them so far and for the thousands that are yet to come. We love you babies and we can’t wait to watch you grow and mature into a beautiful, amazing children.

I want to leave you with a quote from Vincent Van Gogh about the amazement of having a child

“If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle."--- Carter and Emma that couldn’t be closer to the truth. We love you.