Surprise of a Lifetime...

Amazing! Awesome! Astonishing! Astounding! Crazy! Excellent! Extrordinary! Fabulous! Grand! Incredible! Inconceivable...apparently not! Inspiring! Marvelous! Miraculous! Outstanding! Remarkable! Spectectular! Splendid! Startling...to say the least! Stunning! Stupendous! Superb! Terrific! Terrifying...slightly...also in the least! Whoa! Wow! Wonderful!

And, the greatest blessing imaginable! In the words of Garth Brooks, "Sometimes I thank God for unaswered prayers. Remember when your talking to the Man upstairs that just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care. Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers".

On occassion, you think that you have a plan. You have thought it out thoroughly. You have painstakingly planned it out to a T. You have thought of every little detail and you "think" you are content with that plan. And, in a moment, it all changes. In that moment, you may not know how to handle it. You may be hit with a bit of shock. You may feel overwhlemed. You may panic. Or, you may feel peace in a situation in which you never thought you would. Whatever your reaction, it depends on how you decide to handle the "AFTERMATH". Do you run and hide? Do you pout? Or, do you suck it up and handle your business? The way you handle God's curveballs throughout life determines who you are and what you will become in eternity!

That is some of the best advice I can give you. I haven't always known how to handle the ultimate pitchers best curve...and...no...I am not talking about Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th! God is the master of the curve and he throws it whenever he feels it is necessary to help us grow and develop. At the time, we may not understand it or even know what to do with it. But, he has a plan for us and whatever that plan is...it will make us stronger in the end as long as we do our best.

With that in mind...let me begin with our story!

Today, Mommy and Daddy went to the doctor for Mommy's first ultrasound. An ultrasound is a special machine that helps see inside Mommy's tummy. This machine makes it possible for Mommy and Daddy to see you. We were VERY excited for our first ultrasound. We could hardly contain our excitement. As we sat in the waiting room, our hearts were pounding in anticipation of seeing our little baby. When we went into the ultrasound room, a sense of peace came over me. I am not sure why. I think maybe Jesus was there with me as I was about to see my little baby from God. When the nice lady started the ultrasound, I immediately saw two round circles inside momma's belly. My heart began to beat wildly as the ultrasound technician said, "How many were we expecting?". Mommy half laughed and said "One!".

But, at that moment, we both knew one thing...we were having TWINS! TWINS! TWINS! Yes, I said it three times. It is like Bettlejuice...if you say it three times then it is real. We were having TWINS! Talk about the SUPRISE OF A LIFETIME! And, in that moment, when I thought I would stress or be scared, or lose my mind...the most incredible thing happened to me. An indescrible feeling of love and peace overcame me. I felt as if I were just drawn into the warmest, most comforting, peaceful embrace. In that moment, Jesus pulled me in to let me know that it would be alright. He has a plan for me and it included your momma and the two of you. Just when I feel too inadequate for one, he blesses me with two!

Mommy and Daddy had planned to have one baby! But, Heavenly Father knew that your mommy would be TOO GOOD of a mom to only send her one child of God. So, he sent us TWO VERY SPECIAL BOYS to help make our family complete. And, even when God threw us one of his best curve balls, he was still there to help comfort me, reassure me, and make me feel loved and blessed. After all, he doesn't just let everyone be TWINS. And, he doesn't just let anyone raise TWINS!

God is sending me two boys and I couldn't be happier. Sure, it is going to be hard. I know it is going to be difficult. There will be a lot of sleepless nights followed by broke days, but when I hold you boys and see your mommy smile...it will all be worth it. The four of us were meant to be together, and God was going to stick to that plan even if it meant changing the plans that Mommy and Daddy had. And, we wouldn't have it any other way.

We went in expecting one bundle of joy, and we left knowing that God was blessing us with two special boys!

I believe that the bond you two boys shared in Heaven while living with your Heavenly Father was so incredibly strong that he knew he had to send you to this Earth together. You two will forever have a bond that not many others can understand. You have been blessed by your Father in Heaven as he sent you here with your best friend. What an incredible blessing that is!

Hearts pounded, tears were shed, and smiles were from ear to ear as Mommy and Daddy saw pictures of our two baby boys inside her tummy.

You two boys were already playing with each other. Wrestling for space, kicking each other, and having a good ole time. The picture above shows you both. I know it is not the best picture. It is a picture of a picture until we can scan them. But, it still shows the two of you nestled inside your mommy's tummy growing big and strong.

Mommy and Daddy went and told Grandpa Parker and he smiled happily. He is excited to meet you two. Mommy told Mema and Tutu. They cried with happiness and began buying you whatever they could. At first, they couldn't even believe that there were two of you. Mommy brought some blue flowers to Mema to announce that you were boys and that there were two!

That night, we went to announce to Nana and Papi that we were having a boy. We brought them a cake that said "It's a..." on the top. Nana's job was to cut the cake and inside the color of frosting would tell her if we were having a girl or a boy. As Nana was cutting, Papi joked that maybe it would be mixed for twins (a boy and a girl). Little did he know, part of his joke was true. As they saw the blue frosting, they were so excited. Papi wanted another grandson. He had the biggest smile on his face as he looked at the cake.

I asked Papi if he wanted to see a picture of "you". Of course he did. He went by the lamp to look at the picture of his new grandson or so he thought. He looked at it funny at first. He thougt we might be playing a joke on him. He looked up at Mommy and Daddy and saw the biggest grins on our faces. His eyes filled with tears and he smiled as he handed the picture to Nani. She looked at it just as confused at first. Then, she looked up and asked "Is it TWINS?!!" You mommy smiled so big and said, "It is TWO boys!" She was so excited to announce that you two were coming. Nani and Papi were so happy. They were so proud to hear that their fourth and fifth grandchildren were on their way. Again, the surprise of a lifetime.

Mommy and Daddy didn't know when they hung the "Children Playing" sign on the wall in the nursury just how true that sign would be.

I cannot wait for that room to be filled with laughter. Your Mommy has to deal with three children now. She is a lucky lady! And, we are lucky to have her.

I called to let Grandpa and Grandma know that there were two of you that were going to be joining the family and they have never sounded so happy. I told your Aunt Riss and she said "I knew it". She had a feeling that something special was going to happen with this pregnancy and she was right. Your Aunt Ashlee was super stoked too. But, when I told your cousin Raiden he didn't quite feel the same.

He wasn't impressed when I told him that I planned to name you two Sub-Zero and Scorpion. I am not sure why he wasn't a fan. But, he will be excited to battle with you two when you boys get here.

We also announced to everyone on Facebook that you guys were coming and everyone is so excited. Everyone was loving your Mommy's annoucement!

You guys aren't even here yet and you are already the most popular guys on Facebook. Step aside Blue Ivey...the Barrow Boys are on their way!

We feel so blessed to have two children of God coming to us at once. We love you two so much already. And, in no time, we will be holding you in our arms. I love you guys so much.