The new boys in our lives!

That's right.

Their names are Arlo and Josiah. They are twin brothers, but they look very different from one another.

Arlo is very curious. He is always looking at everything around him. Josiah really likes to sleep. They both have big appetites.

They both weigh about 7 pounds. They're getting so big!

Meet Arlo Nathan Thompson:





Meet Josiah Weldon Thompson:



We're pretty much in love with these boys.

Look at how much they've grown from when they were in the hospital!




And guess what? There's a new boy back in P-town! After being away all summer, Caleb Manderino is back and cuter than ever.

There are so many boys in our lives right now! We're so lucky!

New (Old) Summer Project

Okay, ladies and gentlemen...

I've been home for (count 'em) TWO AND A HALF years from my mission and I'm determined to perform some unfinished business this week regarding that amazing time in my life.

I'm going to finish my mission albums.

I only have one area left to complete, but it was probably where I took the most pictures. I switched to a digital camera halfway through my mission and took hundreds of pictures towards the end. The idea of working on this project has intimidated me for so long that I've left it unfinished until now. I can guarantee that once school starts, there is no chance I'll be touching it. So, in order to avoid three and a half years without my albums finished, I've decided to tackle the project this entire week. I'm going to spread everything out on my bedroom floor and not move it until the album is done. So there.

Wish me luck.

Getting in Touch with the Child Within

My roommates and I have had a fun pioneer day weekend that has reminded me a lot of my childhood. Here are some of the activities we did together:

We played tennis on both Friday and Saturday mornings, which is something I have not done since I was probably 12 years old. It was actually a lot of fun, and I'm learning a little more about tennis terminology. We declared the court "a safe zone" (also reminiscent of elementary school) where we could make mistakes without feeling ashamed. That helped me be braver and take more chances, because it really is a whole new world for me.

We moved our mattresses down to the living room and have been having roommate sleepovers for the past couple nights. I know that's something guys probably just can't understand, but it has been such a blast!! Sleepovers were such a fun part of growing up.

We went swimming at a pool near our complex and Kate judged Tessa and I doing handstands. This was definitely a favorite childhood pool activity. I also swam a few laps, reminding me of my good old swim team days. Except this time, I collapsed after about 5 minutes and 45 seconds. I'm not as young and agile as I used to be!

We went to see Harry Potter, which, as you all know, is based on a series of books that are considered adolescent literature (although they are loved by all). What child never imagined herself possessing a magic wand? It was a fantastic movie, even though I've still only read book one!! I know, I know. Blasphemy to see the movies before reading the books!

We also have celebrated the weekend at Magelby's restaurant in the Riverwoods mall where they are having a special 30th anniversary. Along with their regular menu, they have amenu from 1979 with the original food items AND prices! We're talking cheap, delicious food. And, as always, the strawberry shortcake and chocolate cake are TDF (to die for). Strawberry shortcake was always a Houston family favorite dessert growing up, and my mom also makes a buttermilk chocolate cake with buttermilk frosting similar to the goodness of the Magelby's chocolate cake. It's the only thing comparable in deliciousocity that I've ever tasted.

Tomorrow, we go back to our normal routines, but thank goodness the child within will never die...

Driver's License Update

Some of you may be wondering if I've given up on my goal to reach the weight listed on my driver's license.

The answer is...

...no.

I'm still at it. My eating habits aren't perfect, but much improved from before. I have been attending the gym every weekday for 1/2 hour-40 minutes each time. I've been at this now for five and a half weeks. For the first four weeks, my weight remained constant. I was very frustrated. Recently, however, the pounds started slipping away, hopefully because the muscle I've gained is helping me burn fat faster. I am down about 7 pounds from my heaviest weight this year and about 15 pounds away from the weight I submitted for my driver's license.

It has been a really slow process this time around, because I've chosen to go the anti-starvation route. In the past, I'd eat almost nothing and the weight would go quickly. That hasn't happened this time. I've been striving to eat healthier, but still eating. I have increased the amount I exercise from no days a week to five. This is a much happier, healthier way to live, and I recommend it.

Here's a fun snack tip from my mom. Pickles are a healthy snack. They are even more tasty, however, when you purchase thinly shaved turkey or roast beef and wrap the meat around the pickle. I'm very excited to try this out.

Steal of a Deal

I'm excited to share some of the fun experiences I've been having over the past two days decorating my living room.

Yesterday, I went on a quest to TJ Max, Ross, and Bed Bath and Beyond in search of a cushion for our window seat. Turns out those are hard to come by! I returned home, however, with some other exciting purchases. I was thrilled with some of the deals I found, even though my dad always says, "The best kind of sale is the one where you don't buy anything at all."

At TJ Max, I found this awesome lamp for $20 (the little napkin underneath it I picked up at Bed, Bath, and Beyond). I also found a set of soft green pillows for my couch. Not pictured is a mini bedside table I found for $16.99. I realized that I should probably never shop anywhere else for home items. They have the coolest stuff at TJ Max and it's super affordable! Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I went two doors down to Ross and found two Burgandy pillos for $5.99 each! What a day.



Unfortunately, I did not find the window seat cushion I was looking for. Instead, I picked up a table runner at TJ Max that fit the window seat perfectly. I have since moved it to my table.



The center piece is one that my old roommate Dana Thompson suggested and my current roommate, Kate, helped me create from Dana's vision. We got a candle, glass bowl, and fake mini apples from Michael's and fake pears from Bed, Bath and Beyond to decorate. This was during the Priesthood session of general conference :-).

On day two, I was DETERMINED to find the one thing I was looking for the most. My other purchases couldn't be justified otherwise! After dropping by JC Penny, Sears, and Dillards, I finally called my mom for any kind of last suggestion. She mentioned that Lowe's might have something. Sure enough, I found four wicker chair cushions that fit perfectly when placed side by side. While the cushions aren't exactly made for a window seat, they definitely serve their purpose in our home.

And, since I was so close to Ross, I thought I'd go back and pick up a few of the baskets I'd seen the day before. We decided last night that we wanted to get something for the blankets we like to keep on hand and one for additional storage under our side table. I highly reccommend going to Ross! The smaller basket was $5.99 and the large basket was $9.99.



My original goal was to make the window seat cushion, so I feel somewhat sheepish that I buckled and bought something instead. The window seat has been cushionless for 6 month, however, and if I were responsible for making a cushion, it probably would have remained that way for 6 more!

Get me to the church on time!

Our brother Joe is a married man! Here are some of the highlights of the big day:

Christina took a floral arranging class at BYU and was put in charge of the bride's bouquet. She did a beautiful job!

Getting ready!

Hottie brother!

They got married in a little tiny chapel with 27 guests. I didn't expect to cry so much! It is so evident they love each other.

Above is one of my all-time favorite pictures from the wedding.

Shana's side of the family! Below are her nieces.

Above is Shana with her mom and siblings. Below are my siblings.

The reception was beautiful! The food was amazing and it was really nice to have an intimate group. It helped us get to know Shana's family better!

The toasts from the dads!

Shana's nieces gave a special toast and produced some charming hats they created for the bride and groom. That was a great moment.

As a surprise, Shana sang "Eternal Flame" to Joe. She has a beautiful voice. For those of you who don't know, she teaches middle school choir in Austin!

They were nice to each other, but Shana did make sure to give Joe a healthy serving of their tres leches wedding cake (which was INCREDIBLE!)

It was so fun to see Joe's best friends from when we were growing up. They were over at our house all the time and we just loved them. They are truly like family!

Shana's friend from college sang while they danced their first dance as a married couple!

So do you think my brother likes his wife at all?

Our mom looked so beautiful at the wedding.

The mom/son & daddy/daughter dance!

Our dad loved getting to dance with all of his girls! We sure love our dad!

The sisters got their own time on the dance floor with the groom!

Shana started a conga line with her nieces. It started with the five of them and ended with a few more (below).

Anna and I cut a rug with the nieces on the dance floor. Their preferred form of dancing was playing the human knot. We went with it!

This dude from the band played the piano and trumpet at the same time. I was enraptured.

Throughout the evening, we got some head shots of each of the party guests from the Houston side. See if you can guess which one's the bride, which one's the groom, and which ones are the crazy family members who attended the wedding.