T-Ball Champs

Our 2008 T-ball season has come to an end. The kids really enjoyed learning how to throw, catch, field, and hit the ball. They also really enjoyed running the bases and playing with their friends. I am still in amazement that my sweet babies are now "KIDS" and they do things like T-Ball. Amazing how fast childhood goes, if not your own that of your child.I love the picture above. It really shows what 4 yr old t-ball is all about. You have one little boy going for the ball, you have one little girl playing in the sand. You have A who is not even paying attention to the game, and then E who is thrilled to be running the bases but has no fear of getting out because that just does not happen in 4 yr old T-ball. LOVE IT! KJ was a ball hog! He would run clear across the field to get a ball. He was really into playing T-ball.
A & E liked T-Ball too. They were just not as aggressive about it. That is probably just the difference between most boys and girls. The most important factor was that they all had fun. I would like to say that we were successful at that. They all got a medal and they were THRILLED! Oh what fun.

Wordless Wednesday-Winter in August

Lakehome Adventures 2008

We spent this past weekend at the Lake Home of the T family (Jon's sister and family). We all had a great time and the kids (and adults too) just love to be at the lake. We did some swimming, boating, Wii, camp fire, and we even took in a Rodeo (or a radio if you ask the kids). It was a great weekend and as always it is sad to see it end.
Below is a slide show of a few of the pictures Jon and I captured throughout the weekend. The rodeo was not only the kids but also my first time being at one. It was fun to watch and I am amazed at how brave those cowboys are!!!
I think we all enjoyed the Wii but the nice thing was that the "cousins" E & E helped to teach our kids how to play some of the games on the Wii. Jon and I tend to lose our patients when teaching them so that was nice.
The food was great and the quality time together was exceptional. Thanks T family for an awesome weekend!!

Look A Likes ~ Wordless Wednesday

He Feels Good

Jon is going to kill me BUT I could not resist....

Never A Dull Moment

Wow...this weekend was a whirlwind. We had a 12 year old guest with us again. C came back for a visit. We did not think this would happen again this year because C broke her leg in May and she has been recovering all summer.
However, we were lucky to have her come. The kids just love having her around and we all had a good time. Friday we headed to a beach to visit my cousin and her kids we stayed all day and she was even nice enough to make dinner for all of us. Saturday we went to another beach in the morning and then swimming at Sue's house in the afternoon. Sue was nice enough to feed us all lunch and snacks. Saturday night we all went out for dinner with our friend Jane and she treated all of us! Talk about being spoiled.
Sunday the kids were invited back over to Sue's to do some more swimming. It was a busy weekend but we all had a great time. Sadly, C had to go home on Sunday. We miss her and the kids are still talking about her.

On The Look Out

We were over at our friends house last night having some dinner and letting the kids have a play date. When we were outside, KJ announced that he had to go to the bathroom. I asked him if he had to pee or poop. He said he had to poop so Jon took him inside to use the toilet.

Here is what Jon reported when he came back outside.

KJ: "I'm all done daddy"
Jon: "KJ, you only went pee, I thought you had to poop?"
KJ: "No daddy, I guess my poop just wanted to look out my butt but it didn't want to come out"

Wii Are Family

After the long month we had with my Grandma and her passing, I told Jon that when we got home and settled, I wanted to get a Wii. I confirmed this when we were visiting Jon's Sister in July and we spent the afternoon playing Wii. It was so fun.
My wish came true last week when we found a Wii and bought it. Then for my Birthday last week, my dear parents gave me Wii Fit. It took me a few days to find the time to get it all set up but now that it is all I can say is "IT IS SOOOOO COOOL"!
The first day I spent 1.5 hours playing with it and I am still sore. Jon just roles his eyes at me but I am sore. That means that it is working. There are interactive games and also Yoga, Strength training exercises along with running paths (Personal Favorite) balance games, skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, soccer, oh and so much more. It weighs you and calculates what your BMI should be. It is like your own personal electronic trainer.
The first day I set it up, I did so as I could not get to the gym that morning. KJ came down stairs when he woke up and he sat in the chair and just watched as I played balance games, ran, and did some strength training. He then became my coach telling me that I did not do so well or that I should try harder next time. He would also give me the high fives when I did something well. It really is a lot of fun and I enjoy that the kids like it just as much as I do. They are still a little young for a lot of the games but one they really enjoy is the baseball. One morning, KJ hit 6 home runs in a row! He was bouncing off the walls with delight. He is always upset when the computer or his daddy beat him at Baseball but I think it teaches him to not only win but how to lose too.
We all really do enjoy the Wii and the Wii Fit. Jon and I are now playing each other in sports and fooling around with the Wii Fit at night. It sure beats sitting in our recliners watching TV!
(I have lost the cord to my camera but once I find it, I will download some fun pictures.)

303

This is the number of posts that I have written. First let me say that I love to BLOG. I know people think I am nuts for doing this but I like to document our daily (sometimes weekly) activities.
So in honor of my 303 post, I thought I would answer this questionnaire.


What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was living with my parents as I had just finished my undergrad degree and I had moved home to take my first corporate job. It paid decent for my first job out of college. My parents were in the middle of a full kitchen, family room, and dining room renovation/addition. We were eating all of our meals in the living room out of a very old microwave. We were doing the dishes in the bathroom sink! It was sure nice of them to start the project right as I moved home!!! Jon and I had been dating for about 9 months and things were going very well. I was also busy helping my friend prepare for her wedding. I was the maid of honor and we had a shower and bachlorette party to celebrate. It was a fun time. I was so far from a wedding and kids. It is hard to remember what life was like.

Favorite Snacks
I love nuts. I am into Almonds and I typically will eat a handful before lunch and/or dinner to help fill my tummy before the big meals. One of my favorite snacks is a cliff bar. I love the taste. I also like to munch on chex mix, baked Cheetos, chips with cheese sauce, and string cheese.
I used to love diet coke on ice but I have given up pop (most days) so now I settle on ice water with a slice of lemon.

To Do List
I have to confess that I write these lists but I am not sure I ever follow them. I seem to like to write the list but then that is where the action stops. I need to get my life more organized as I feel that things are a little hairy right now. I do use a Franklin Covey planner and that has been my life saver to document stuff for both home and the kids. Thank God for Franklin.

Jobs I Have Had:
First job aside from babysitting, was a concession stand "girl". I would sell hot dogs, pop, freeze pops and other stuff at the local pool/park. The next job was a Locker Room attendant at the local pool and I think this was the easiest job I have ever had. I just had to sit in the sun and direct people in the right direction. Once in awhile I had to take some money but it was a simple and boring job. I also worked at a dry cleaners, day care center, bagel shop, payless shoes, men's retail store, interior design firm, and an internship at Cargill. Now I am working in Health care as a Project Manager and I never thought I would be in a job like this.

Bad Habits
Snacking more than I should
Internet/Emailing
Not using sunscreen
Using way to many minutes on my cell phone
Impatience
People Pleasing
Caffeine
Impulse purchasing

5 Random Things People May Not Know

I had a lovey until I was 29 years old.

I am a water snob. If it tastes bad, I will NOT drink it.

I have the same exact feet as my Grandma and my dad. My girls have these feet too. Let's just say they are not are best quality.

I rarely "read" books anymore but I do listen to them on tape.

I am a DVR junkie! LOVE IT!


CDs I would want if stranded on an island:
Jack Johnson, Paul Simon, John Denver, Indigo Girls, Alison Kraus

What I'd Do if I Were a Billionaire:
Buy a bigger home for all of us and then pay someone to move us and get us organized. I would hire a personal chef, trainer, and massage therapist. I would buy my hubby that airplane that he has always wanted. I would take my entire extended family on a trip. I would give money to the MS Society to help those who live with MS and also help find a cure. I would also give money for cancer research so we could find a cure for that nasty disease.

Celebrations

"Whatever the past has gone, the best is yet to come." Lucy Larcome

Last week, I turned 33! That is not old, not old at all but it is amazing to me that with each new year and Birthday, I am starting to notice the less excitement I have about them. I don't feel old but I have noticed that the last few times I have gone to buy a bottle of wine or some beer at the liquor store, I have not been carded. YIKES! Do I look old? I guess I haven't noticed.

Having a Birthday is so much more fun when you have kids around. They LOVE to sing Happy Birthday, Eat Cake, Open gifts, and have a party. They really enjoyed my balloons and of course the cake. It was a fun party we had over at Grandma's house. Jon and I also got to go out for dinner one night with some of our closest friends. Overall, this Birthday celebration was awesome, even if I did not feel like celebrating.

I was spoiled rotten and it was clear that everyone who knows me was not going to let me forget this Birthday.

Super Sliders

Today one of my good friends invited the kids and I over to play on her water slides that look like this. The kids had so much fun running around her yard and playing on this. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. Thanks E for having all of us over and feeding us lunch and treats.

I was also able to sneak away today for a much needed massage. That was really good for my soul. I felt refreshed after and hour of massage and good conversation with G. The best massage therapist around.

The best laughter for my soul was letting my kids play "Car Wash" tonight in the back yard. They washed every piece of outside play equipment that we owned. Ella would scrub it with soapy water, KJ would rinse, and Aimee would wipe dry. It was a hoot to watch all three of them in action. The best was spraying Aimee with the hose and watching her squeal with joy.

Tomorrow I am off to work. It was been a week and a half so I owe I owe it's off to work I go!!!

Back In Our Groove

We are home from the activities last week. At this point in time I do not want to go into details about how the last week went. I will say that our kids are so amazing and once again they handled a hard situation way better than expected. I will post on this experience when I feel a little more emotionally stable. I am still not feeling like myself so for now I am treading lightly through life and I do not want get to deep in my feelings for now.

Today I headed to the gym, took the kids to T-ball, went to the mall, and ended up at Pump It Up for a fun play-date with the multiples group. It was a great day and we are all tired tonight. It feels good to be getting back in our "grove" around here. We have about 5 weeks of summer left. I intend to fill those weeks up with lots of fun activities.

Thanks to all of you who have responded with thoughts and prayers for myself and my family as we say goodbye to GG Del. The funeral was beautiful. We really appreciate all the thoughts and prayers. More to come later...

My Little Magician

Wordless Wednesday-Lil Priate

In Memory of GG Del April 30th, 1922 - July21, 2008

Last night GG Del went home to meet my Grandfather in heaven. For us left behind we are frozen with grief. For GG Del she is now home.

A few weeks ago I found this story from this website. This story gave me a great perspective on life and death.

The Dragonfly Story

"In the bottom of an old pond lived some grubs who could not understand why none of their group ever came back after crawling up the lily stems to the top of the water. They promised each other that the next one who was called to make the upward climb would return and tell what had happened to him. Soon one of them felt an urgent impulse to seek the surface; he rested himself on the top of a lily pad and went through a glorious transformation which made him a dragonfly with beautiful wings. In vain he tried to keep his promise. Flying back and forth over the pond, he peered down at his friends below. Then he realized that even if they could see him they would not recognize such a radiant creature as one of their number.
The fact that we cannot see our friends or communicate with them after the transformation which we call death is no proof that they cease to exist."

by Walter Dudley Cavert

I miss GG Del so much already. I have a lot of healing to do. We all sat around last night talking about GG Del stories and we laughed and laughed. She was an amazing woman. As Jon said to me last night "She is the strongest woman I have ever met". I take comfort knowing that GG Del is with her husband of 52 years up in heaven.

Wordless Wednesday-Rockstar

2 Flower Girls and a Ring Bearer

Yup...that's right, my oldest friend K got engaged a few weeks ago. I am delighted that she asked A, E, and KJ to be in her wedding. They do not really get what it means to be in a wedding but when K told them that they will get to dress up, KJ replied that he had a batman costume at home he could wear! Probably not what K was thinking but it was cute.
I am also going to be in her wedding. It will be so much fun. We have a year to prepare for this big event but in this doom and gloom summer I am having, this is my ray of sunshine. Thanks K for asking all of us to be a part of your day. Love ya!

4 Year Check Up

Today the Erickson 5 headed over to the doctors office for the trio's 4 year check up. We had a great visit with the doctor and the kids all did an excellent job. We were there for an hour and a half and the kids were pleasant the whole time. The doctor asked them all kinds of questions about food, car seats, activities, and he even played games with them. The doctor is amazed at how healthy and bright these three kids are. It feels good to go to their appointments and get such positive feedback on them. As I mentioned last year, this doctor is incredible and both Jon and I are so pleased that we switched over to this new practice. You can find the statistics from last year here.
I am surprised that E weighs more than A but is shorter than her. I asked the nurse to re-weigh both of the girls because I was sure she had it wrong. However, she did not. Amazing. KJ gained 7 lbs over this past year! He is growing!


Here are the statics from today:



A

Height: 38 1/4" (15%)

Weight: 33 lb. (30%)



E

Height: 37 1/2" (7%)

Weight: 33 1/2 lb. (34%)



K

Height: 39 1/4" (22%)

Weight: 38 (65%)

Fun at the Little Beach

Last night we were invited to go over to our friends the L's for a party at their beach. We had a blast. They also had the C's over. All three families have triplets and the L family also has an older daughter too. There were six adults and 10 children.


The kids had so much fun swimming in the lake and making sand castles. We all brought picnic dinners and ate right there on the beach. Then at the end of the night after cleaning up the disaster that all of us made on the beach, we cleaned it all up and then the guys took the boat out for a ride and all us ladies took the kids back in the house and gave all 10 kids a bath and put PJ's on. Amazingly, it went well. The L's want us all to come back again so that is a good sign.

Story Telling

These short stories are brought to us by A, E, & K and the director is Sue! Enjoy!

They are all cute but KJ's really brought a smile to my face. I accused Jon of getting a speeding ticket and not telling me about it. I have no idea where KJ learned all about speeding tickets. So cute!

Home with a Heavy Heart

Yesterday, I reluctantly packed my suitcase and returned home from a 5 day visit with my Grandma (GG Del). As I have posted before, she was recently diagnosed with both bone and liver cancer. During my visit, she went from not so good to worse. I watched her physically and mentally change every single day I was there.
I honestly believe that nothing can prepare you for caring for a loved one that is in so much pain. It makes you want to rip your hair right out of your head as you can do nothing but watch them in pain. The kind of pain that it hurts so bad you can't breath, talk, or even focus. All Grandma could do was just sit and shake. This would happen on and off all day and night long. Poor thing. I bottled up all my emotions when I was there and just went into care mode. However, once I sat down on the airplane yesterday I started to unbottle all those emotions. I swallowed hard the whole way home as I did not want to start on the airplane or at the airport. I made it until I saw the van and Jon driving it (w/out the kids thanks goodness) and then I just lost it. I dropped my bags and lost all control. Jon just stood there and held me until I had enough sense to get in the van. This whole process hurts. My heart is heavy and my eyes are red. I was no good yesterday as I spent most of the day just laying around. Someone told me that the kids would be good medicine for my heart and that person was right. Yesterday, when I got home, Ella gave me so many bear hugs over and over again. Then she told me she had a surprise for me since I was such a good mommy. She then marched upstairs and brought down one of her stuffed animals. She told me that bears name was "Rock star" and that I got to keep her. Today as I was ready to leave for work she told me to hang on as she had another surprise for me. She marched off with her hands on her hips and then when she came back she out stretched her arms and said that she had lots of bear hugs just for me. So sweet.
Also today, as I was leaving for work, Ella asked me where I was going. After I told her that I was going to work, she then asked when we could have a day where I did not have to go anywhere. KJ told me today "You should try and be happy today mommy"! These kids can sense everything that is going on. Today when Aimee got up she crawled right up into my lap and snuggled with me for about 5 minutes. I think I was missed.
It is hard being here away from my Grandma but it is also hard being there. It is just hard being when someone you love has to go through something like this. Everyone goes through it, it is just my turn right now. GG Del landed in the hospital today so I hope that they can get her pain under control and help her to feel as good as she can right now. I just pray for peace for all of us.

Wordless Wednesday

When did my little Aimee get so big? Love this picture! So serious about T-Ball.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday America!

It has been a full day around here. The kids had fun and we ended our night watching some fireworks with the B triplets. The best part about today was that The Erickson Five was together all day!
Tomorrow I am off to visit GG Del. She was diagnosed with both Liver and Bone cancer last week. We since have learned that the cancer is basically everywhere and it has even reached up into her skull. She will start some radiation on Monday and we hope that will help with all the pain she is in. I spoke with her on the phone today and she sounded good. It will be good for me to visit. The blog might be quiet for a few days but please say some prayers for GG Del and all of us who love her. God Bless.

Slip'n and Slid'n

Tuesday was a perfect day. We did not leave the house at all. We hosted a play date for a majority of our day with some friends we have not seen in a few months. The kids had a blast running around the backyard, playing in the sandbox, on the swing set, in the pool, and also going down the slip'n Slide.
It was a hot day so after awhile, I decided to give the slip'n slide a try myself. The kids thought that was great. We would go down and then run back up the hill and do it all over again. We did this for a solid hour. It was a blast. I think the kids really enjoyed me sliding with them. After dinner that night we went outside again and did it all over.

I then decided it was time to take a short clip of them. Aimee is not in this as she was standing at the water faucet ready to turn it off. You will hear here shouting at the kids to get off the slip and slide. Also, I got a kick out of KJ's last slide down. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

(This is something new I am trying out on my blog. Pictures can speak so much sometimes.)

Florida Memories Day 4 & 5

This was our last full day of vacation down in Florida. We decided that it would be a great day to take the kids out on the boat and go fishing. We got everything all packed up and loaded the kids up on the boat to leave and then the boat would not start as the battery had died. We then let all the kids get in the pool for awhile so the battery could charge. It was at this time that the guys suggested I take off for the outlet mall again since we had to wait awhile for the battery to charge. I of course had no problem doing this.
I left the kids swimming with the dads and headed to the mall. A little later, Jon called and said they had got the boat started so he wanted to know if I had a problem if they took the kids fishing without me. Since I was hungry and still enjoying my shopping, I told them that it would be fine. However, now I do regret not being there for the big fishing adventure.
The kids had a blast. I don't really know all the details but I will post some pictures. They kept some of their fishes so they could show me when they got back. The fish did not make it though so we had to cook them up for dinner. The kids LOVED it. This in itself was amazing to me.
We did not do to much the night before we left as we had a lot to pack and an early morning. We did one last swim with everyone and it was a blast.
Thursday we got up and got all the kids dressed and fed for our big adventure home. The kids did an awesome job traveling. They listened well and behaved so good on the airplanes. It really makes Jon and I want to schedule our next trip with them. We have our thoughts on going somewhere this fall but we will have to see how that all works out.

Smile Making Stories

This is a story Sue sent to me from her visit with the kids the other day. I thought I would share as it made me smile.

I found an old intercom system so I put one end in the playhouse and the other in the kitchen. The kids got way too excited about it and didn't quite understand. I told them to go into the play house and I would call them on the intercom when lunch was ready, and then they could come up to the deck and pretend they were at a restaurant. Well I told them it was time on the intercom, and then they yelled out the door of the playhouse that they were coming, rather than tell me on the intercom. Soon came a whole big entourage. Apparently Ella decided her baby was coming so they needed a high chair, which Kendrick was carrying. They they had to bring the baby's food too. We got all settled and I said when people go out to dinner, they talk about their week. So Kendrick said he would go first. Apparently we have been doing too much pretend story telling because he launched into a big tale. Aimee said a little something pretend. Then Ella went and told us her name ( which was not Ella, but something else), she told us she was 31 and that Aimee was 20, and her baby was really a boy and ate all his food. She chatted just like she was someone who was 31. When she was done eating, she got money out of her purse to pay, and told everyone to come and for KJ get the high chair. Aimee of course stayed because she wanted to help with the dishes.

Devastation

So I posted a few days ago that GG Del needs some prayers. Today we finally got some news. GG Del has cancer in her bones and her liver. This is what has been causing her so much pain for six plus weeks. It is great to have some answers but I can't seem to stop crying as my heart is breaking for what is ahead for her. I always wished that when it was time for her to go she would she would pass quickly and in her sleep. That is still my wish for her but now I am just hoping that she can get to that point with little or no pain.

Above is a picture of GG Del with our family. This was taken at Easter time of this year. She is the one on the right.

GG Del means the world to me and our family. I posted this about her just a few months ago. She is still very sharp and has her mind so we can all be grateful for that. I am not sure what the next few weeks and months will bring for us but overall I hope that we can find comfort for her and that we can control the pain. I also hope that we can cherish the times we have left and we can find comfort in our heavy hearts!

Florida Memories Day 3

On the Third day of our vacation to Florida we decided it was time to take the kids to the beach. We have never had all three kids at the ocean at the same time. I was excited to see how they would react to the water and the sand. We packed all of the kids up, the beach towels, a picnic lunch, waters, sand toys, beach umbrella, water toys, and headed to the beach. It was a blast. The kids did no know what to think of the water at first because the waves were loud and they were crashing into the sand but eventually we got all of the kids out in the water and we did a little body surfing. They LOVED it.

Mike also brought a fishing net along so he waded out and brought back all these little fish and the kids had a blast picking them up and putting them in the buckets. This was so much fun and then the birds came! YIKES. Pretty soon we were surrounded by the birds as they all wanted the little fish. The kids thought it was cool and I was just praying that no one would get pooped on. At one point E and KJ were chasing the birds down the beach.

The kids also enjoyed being pulled on the boogie boards up and down the beach. This was some good exercise for Jon, Mike and myself. It was so much fun to be at the beach and let all the kids enjoy. We are not used to how hot the sun is down in Florida so we all got a little sun burn that day even with SPF 30 and SPF 50 on but we learned our lesson. We headed home from the beach and all 4 kids took a nap that day. They were wiped out.
While the kids and the dads were napping, I ran over to the outlet mall that is located near their house. Boy did I get some serious power shopping done. It was awesome. Every store had so much stuff on clearance. I did get some great deals and I was really happy that we had our car seat bags so I could get a lot of the stuff home.

When I returned from the outlet mall, it was time for dinner so we all headed out on the boat to go catch some dinner. While we were out on the boat we saw dolphins. I was thrilled as I remember paying a lot of money in Hawaii to go see some dolphins. As I watched my kids look at the dolphins, I wondered if they really knew what a treat it was to be on a boat, on the gulf, and watching dolphins. I am sure they don't but I am sure grateful that we were able to be there at that time and experience all the new things. We had an awesome meal and when we were heading home, there was a great sunset so we snapped some pictures. I think this night on the boat is my favorite memory of our trip. It was so relaxed and we all had so much fun. When we got back to M & H's house we all went swimming. What an awesome night.

GG Del Needs Some Prayers

GG Del is my Dad's mother which makes her my Grandma and the kids Great Grandma. GG Del has not been feeling well. We are having a heck of a time figuring out what the problem is and she is scheduled to have some more tests soon. She had an MRI done a few weeks ago and from that they could tell that her shoulder is bad. Now that she has more pain that has come back, they want her to do another MRI and she refuses. She does NOT want to get back in that machine ever again! Now you can see where I get it from. I HATE the MRI machine. However, I wish she would do another test so we can figure out what is going on with her. Now we need to wait another week before she can have the CAT Scan done. Poor thing. I hate that she is in so much pain and that she lives so far away.
I spoke with her yesterday on my way home from work. She told me when we were hanging up that I need to pray to Jesus for her and ask him to help with the pain. This choked me up and the first thing I did when I hung up that phone was to pray. So my request to you is to pray for GG Del that she starts to feel better and that she can continue to live by herself, in her house, and be happy.

Florida Memories Day Two

It's about time that I get back to posting on our vacation to Florida. Everyone slept great the first night and everyone got to sleep in until about 8 AM so that was nice. Once everyone was up we decided that it would be fun to head to Tampa and go to the Florida Aquarium.This place was very cool. Their were birds all over along with tons of different kids of fish, sharks, sea lions, and there was even little stations where you could touch Sting Rays and some star fish. The kids loved it and Mike was an awesome Tour guide through out the aquarium so he had all the kids very interested in the exhibits. They LOVED it. There was a pink bird ( I can't remember the name of it as it is not a Flamingo) and it was just sitting on the rail looking at us. It then decided to take off and it just started walking down the path so KJ was chasing it to get it back in its "Cage". It was cute.
After lunch we went to check out the sharks and then we were going to stay and watch them feed the sharks but the kids all got restless so we decided it was time to let them get their swim suits on and go in the water park at the aquarium. It was the coolest water park we have been to yet with a big old ship, water that shot out of the ground, a covered sandbox and an area where you can shoot water back and forth at each other. It was HOT day so the adults ran around in the water too. After about 2 hours at the water park we told the kids that it was time to get Ice Cream so you can imagine that we did not have any problems when it was time to get dressed and leave the Aquarium.
All the kids got an ice cream treat which they enjoyed. We then decided to take a trolley ride. This was a huge highlight too and you can imagine the kids delight when the Trolley driver let all of them blow the horn. Lucky for us the Trolley Car was Air Conditioned as it did break down on us for about 30 minutes. Nonetheless, the kids had a great time riding the trolley after the trolley ride we headed back to M and E' s house. When we got there we were surprised with a Birthday party for all of the kids. It was the day after the trio's Birthday and it was E's birthday. The kids were thrilled as they got to have cake and balloons again. We then ended the night in the pool doing some swimming. It is safe to say that everyone was pooped out that night. What a fun day we all had.

Daddy is our King!

Today is Father's Day so I thought it would be appropriate to honor "daddy" on this blog. Lucky daddy has been on a four day fishing trip so he has had the ultimate treat of a little R & R for himself. We are all anxiously awaiting his arrival so we can honor him on this day for dads.

Jon is such and incredible father. He is so dedicated to A, E, & K even when he is bogged down with work or projects. He knows just how to speak their language and can entertain them for hours with his fun ideas like this and this. Jon is blessed with many things but one of his biggest blessings is his ability to connect with children. It has always amazed me, even before we had our own children, how Jon can relate to kids. He knows how to play and have a good time. Since I don't have this quality, I feel that this is such an awesome blessing. It really makes my heart swell to see him interacting with our kids. He teaches them so many things and they all adore him for this.

When we were headed home from Florida, we were getting on one of the airplanes to head home. The flight attendant asked us "who is in charge of this group?" In which KJ replied "Daddy is cause he is the KING" You can imagine how this had the entire first class section and all three flight attendants laughing.When Jon has to be away from all of us due to his work, it amazes me how these kids miss him so much. Out of the blue they will come up to me and say "I miss daddy" and I reply "so do I" and give them a big hug. Some nights KJ has a hard time sleeping because he misses daddy so much. This breaks my heart but I always reassure him that daddy will be home soon. I always love the mornings when Daddy has come home the night before but the kids were already in bed so they did not get to see him. They usually come into our room and expect to get me up and then Daddy is there. THEY ARE ALWAYS THRILLED! Those are such AWESOME moments.

We are all so blessed to have Jon as our "Daddy" and "Husband"! He is such an incredible Father to the kids and best friend to me. So on this day to Honor Dads, Jon I hope you know how much we love and appreciate you and all you do for us! Happy Father's Day Babe!

Florida Memories Day One

It is time now to post about our vacation to Florida. I have decided that I am going to do posts on our vacation in parts. This is Part one. I have discovered that going on vacation causes me a lot of anxiety but once we are there it is so worth it. Besides, as Jon always tells me, "If we forget something, they have stores in Florida"!

We started our travel day on the kids 4th Birthday. Grandma Mary made the kids special Mickey Mouse pancakes and put candles in them. This was a hit and it ensured that the kids had a good breakfast before we headed to the Airport. Although, I think it is the getting there and back that makes me the most anxious. As I have mentioned before, I hate to fly. Here is what I have to report on the flying. The kids LOVED it. One way to get over your fear on flying is to take three 4 year olds on an airplane. Tell them that seat recliner button is the turbo button and that they have to push it so the plane will take off. All three of the kids got so into it that they were shrieking with delight. It was very funny. Everyone around us was laughing right along with us. Especially after Aimee yelled out "Mommy, it tickles my tummy" and then proceeded to belly laugh very loudly. The girls shared the window for the trip out and KJ sat next to Daddy (his best buddy) and learned all about airplanes. I do feel sorry for the man that was sitting in between Jon and I as I kept passing things past him and talking over him but he did not seem to mind. I think he got a kick out of the kids and their excitement. I am convinced that the way to get over your fear of flying is to take three very excited 4 year olds with you and to watch their innocence and delight on the airplane. I know this helped me relax.
Once we got to Florida we then proceeded to the baggage claim where Jon left me and KJ to fetch all 6 bags. He then proceeded to the rental car place to get our van. A very kind man with a cart came over and loaded all our bags up and told me he would bring us to the Car Rental and wait until we got our van and then bring all of our bags to the van. This guy was awesome as he not only waited for us, he entertained the kids, and then proceeded to follow us to the van where he unbagged all of our car seats and prepared them so Jon could install. I proceeded to keep the kids by me and load some of the bags in the back. Overall the whole process took about 15 minutes and then we were out of there and on our way.
We arrived at our friends house about an hour later. They have a little boy E who is exactly one year and one day younger than our kids. He was very excited for us to arrive. The kids were very excited to meet him and get to his house.
All of the kids had a great time getting to know each other and Jon and I were able to relax and have a cocktail. The friends we went to visit are some good friends of ours that we do not get to see very often. We always have a great time together and we wished we lived closer so we could see them more often.
After an evening of swimming in the pool and playing with all the toys it was time to go to bed. The kids were thrilled that they all got to have a sleep over together. It really worked out well. Jon and I were thrilled that we actually made it to Florida and we had three days ahead of us to make some memories with the kids.

Funnies

Today while we were at Vocation Bible School the kids were having a snack. I asked KJ if he was done eating and he replied "Yeah, I am done eating but I am not done thirsting so don't throw my Lemonade away"

Tonight as I was tucking Aimee into bed we said prayers. When she finished I asked her if she wanted to pray for anybody and she said "I want to pray for everybody" then after a pause she said "except for monsters and dinosaurs".

We're Back!

Gasp....It has been well over a week since I have posted anything here! I have a good excuse but I feel way behind with the blog. We returned home from vacation a few days ago and I am happy to report that we all had a great time. I don't have time to post now about it but it was so much fun to get on an airplane, fly to Florida, go to the beach and out on a boat, eat fish, see fish and other ocean life, IT WAS A BLAST! I will post about the trip soon. Here is a picture of all five of us on the trolley ride!

Today we are off to Vacation Bible School and then I am off to work! Yikes...the vacation is over!