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Sisters weekend in Sisters, Oregon

I got a call one evening from my best friend that lives in New York requesting a weekend away with our families to just hunker down under one roof and indulge in each others lives from dust to dawn for three whole days, and that’s just what we did. Small lives change so fast, especially when seeing them through photo’s, so it meant the absolute world to me that we were able to create our own memories, in the flesh, in nature, and with the ones I cherish the most.

Our weekend in pictures, shall we?

Thank you Sisters, Oregon. You’re beautiful.

Family

Family Photo’s | Home Edition

Photo’s by: Margaret Jacobsen

I found our photographer Margaret after gawking at photo’s from a friends family session eight months ago and tucked her name away. I loved her style, the way she captures moments in their natural state and her story. We shared champagne, banana bread and sweet conversation about life’s little pleasures; it was a beautiful day.

This shoot happened just before Macie and Marlowe’s first birthday. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to share them but having to chose which to share was difficult.

Travel

Turks & Caicos | Traveling with two 1 year olds

This family of four traveled 28 hours with four layovers and 6 flights for 1 week of luxurious beach family time and made it home in one piece. The past 3 months didn’t hold one day I didn’t think about how to entertain these two for that length of travel time. Window gel stickers, new interactive toys, movies on the iPad, stuffed animals, FOOD! Everything was a big fat capital “F” Fail, except the food! So what did we do you ask? We buckled our wiggle worm Marlowe in the one carseat we had while she fiddled with empty wine bottles I’d finished or Jeff’s plastic cup while Macie ripped every page out of every magazine in sight. We took a lot of naps and met handfuls of very understanding, patient fellow travelers. I’m proud of us, and happy the colds the girls caught from mom started only hours before we got home.
Already looking forward to 2016 with the Harells, same time, same place! Only difference, we’ll have two 2 year olds.

ps, the girls did not like the beautiful white sand.

Family

M&M Turn ONE | The birthday Party

What an amazing feeling to see all of our favorite people in one place loving our two big girls. It meant the world to us to have each and every one of you there to celebrate a huge milestone. I’d say see you next year but #2 will be much smaller and quieter.

Family

Macie Lou & Marlowe turn ONE | Wise words from Daddy

912a3611 1. Love. Love your family, love your blankie, love your bear-bear, love your pets, love your friends, love your boyfriend, love music, love art, love your wife. But please just love. It’s amazing, it’s horrible. It ruins things and makes everything better. It’s life.

2. Don’t take life too seriously. School is important, family is important, friendships are important, love is important, but it’s the totality of everything that defines your happiness. There are many paths in this life, and until you explore, experiment…create and fail..you won’t have a clue to what’s right for you.

3. You actually CAN enjoy what you do for a living. They never talked about this when I was in school. You took aptitude tests and were given career options. We didn’t discuss this at home either, and if done right, might be the most impactful focus of your middle through high school years.

4. Contrary to popular belief, we do not live in a “texting” society. Fat fingers and predictive text errors are only permissible while using your phone. If you misspell words and have terrible sentence structure while addressing clients or colleagues, you won’t look efficient, you’ll look uneducated. Command of a language is one of the biggest assets one can possess. Spelling, grammar, the ability to carry a conversation, these all matter. In fact, proficiency in these can make up for so many other shortfalls you may have.

5. Learn a second, third or fourth language. In so many cultures this is the norm. Americans are egotistical, lazy, and extremely ignorant. It will provide opportunities that 95% of your peers never knew existed and more than likely lead you to a happier life.

6. Have at least one job in the food/service industry. I have had a few great jobs and 30 shitty ones. Delivering pizzas and washing dishes had a profound impact on how I view this world. For the most part they’re thankless jobs but understanding how a simple smile, larger tip, or engaging conversation can turn one’s day around is truly a gift.

7. Be situationally aware. Know that your actions have consequences. This could be snapchatting, driving or standing in line for a movie. It all matters. No matter what utopian society your mother convinces you we live in.

8. Travel, travel, travel. I never really traveled before I met your mother. I drove across the country and back and lived in New Orleans and Seattle for short stints but that was about it. The majority of my close friends have been around the world several times and it really makes up a huge part of their character. Start traveling before you settle into a serious relationship, before you start your career, before you have a car payment or a mortgage or start paying down your student debt (we’ll do what we can)… There are so many things to learn and experience in this world. At the end of the day it’s your memories, not your belongings that really matter.

9. Be appreciative. For access to food, water, education, love, privilege. For quite literally being able to achieve ANYTHING that you want to. Most humans lack access to these basics of life. You are not owed anything. Understand this and find your lane whatever it may be, but don’t ever think you were shorted.

10. It’s OK to make mistakes. God knows your father’s made considerably more than one should ever be allowed. Almost everything that I know to be true in life has come from either catastrophically failing or going out on the thinnest limb.

The secret is to just be worldly, be conscious, be alive, be giving, have morals and treat others like you’d like to be treated. And most importantly, be happy.
-Daddy

Photography: Margaret Jacobsen

Color Coded

Color Coded | Indi-go-go

Top : Madewell

Jeans : Point Sur

Jacket : Asos

Shoes : Vintage

Bag : Etsy

Indigo. It’s everywhere and it’s not just for your favorite pair of jeans anymore. It’s great because it works from head to toe. So layer it to create dimension within a classic hue.

A fellow twin mom and friend of mine recently posted a blurb on a forum I follow, “Parents of Multiples” that touched me. She wrote about the time she’d spent that morning and expressed her frustrations. That morning was extra special to her because for the first time in 21 months she’d been able to sit and enjoy the morning with just one of her twin boys because the other had slept in. They had breakfast together, read the books he wanted to read and played outside while she enjoyed her coffee. It had solidified the fears she had when she’d found out she was carrying twins; something I feared as well. The inability to fully focus on one child during the most precious time. She wrote about the happiness she felt in that moment with one, but then expressed the sadness that soon followed realizing what she’d feared was true. I hear you friend!
I have separation anxiety and often fear leaving them, even for a quick trip to the grocery store. I stare at each one of them for so long I’ve probably given them a complex. I never wish time away or look forward to tomorrow even at our worst. And I am so thankful for each moment to a fault, it’s often a distraction. Just know fellow multiples mommies and daddies… There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared for: twins.

Sisters weekend in Sisters, Oregon

Family Photo’s | Home Edition

Turks & Caicos | Traveling with two 1 year olds

M&M Turn ONE | The birthday Party

Macie Lou & Marlowe turn ONE | Wise words from Daddy

Color Coded | Indi-go-go

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