The Erickson Rodeo

Our horse Lucky and the kids were in the annual church parade this past weekend. I am happy to announce that we took 2nd place in the costume contest. We have been in this parade since the kids have been born. The First year we were three peas in a pod, the second year we were the three little pigs, the third year we were a monkey business, last year we were the funny farm and this year we were Rodeo.
This parade puts a lot of pressure on me every year to figure out what the kids are going to be. Every year the people watching the parade always admire the "triplets" and our theme. This year Jon helped me get the horse on wheels and he even dressed up with the kids. It was so refreshing to have him involved. K told him his job was to pick up the poop that lucky left behind. K also told the judges that they should "move over there is a new sheriff in town".
The kids had a blast walking in the parade and throwing all the candy out to the spectators. We had just enough candy until the end of the parade so that worked out great. I need to start thinking about our theme now for next year. If you have any great ideas please feel free to share.

Wordless Wednesday - Girly Camp

Camping Queen Returns

I made it back home after my glorious camping weekend with my brother and a bunch of our friends. I had a GREAT time as I do every year on this trip. This year was a little different for me though because I missed the kids and Jon a TON. I was very homesick for them this time. It was noticeable because I was asked more than once if I was "okay". It was my second weekend in a row away from all of them and that is just WAY to much. I told Jon that I do not plan to do that again.
It was beautiful weather this past weekend and we all had so much fun. I had some time to reflect on some things going on in my life and it is amazing how much clarity you can get when you slow down enough to pay attention. There are a few things that I have pondered about changing lately and I saw with much clarity that those changes need to happen around here. The kids had a great time when I was gone. They got to go to the fair again with Grandma and Grandpa and Jane, they also went out for dinner, and they got to spend some time with Sue and Denny. They were so busy I don't think they even had a chance to miss me. I was so happy to see them yesterday. I could not wait to get home and pick them up. I think they were happy to see me too.
Sue sent Jon and I an email last night of their adventures with her. Here is what she had to report:

We went to the park, I actually went with Mia and Luncinda and Lego. Lego of course is this very naughty child that takes a mother (Mia) and big sister (Lucinda) to control. At the park he ran away to the bakery, and Mia told me they have to go get him because he eats all the cakes. This happened several times.

Then we went on a big hike into the woods. K, E and A went with. The loved it. They liked the flowers and things they could find. They were thrilled to cross over a bridge that had water running underneath it.

A made lunch. She heated up the spaghetti noodles in a colander under the facet. She had enough spaghetti on each plate to feed 3 adults so we had to scale back a bit. At the hotel yesterday, I got several cartons of milk so she poured every one's milk into glasses. Now you all know she is Denny's pet, and he was bragging about her tonight at dinner how she poured the milk without spilling and everyone had an exact equal amount. He said she could be a Eucharistic minister and pour the wine just perfect. She then set the table and called everyone in. I put bibs on everyone since it was spaghetti. E was a little "naughty" at lunch, pretending she was a baby. I finally told A and K not to look at her because she was just doing it to make them laugh. K was very serious and told me he was trying very hard to not laugh, but his tummy couldn't help it.

After lunch we played water baseball and water Olympics for quite a while. Afterwards, when they were getting dressed, K told me " I don't want to be Lego for the rest of the day, please don't let them make me do it". (It must be a real effort to pretend you are a naughty two year old, which is how"Mia" always describes him to me).

Jon and I both laughed so hard when we read what K said about his tummy. Yesterday, Sue started a letter of the day with the kids. I thought I would continue that on this morning so I told the kids that the letter of the day was C. Ella replied to me, "but mommy, did you call Sue? How do you know what the letter of the day is?" I laughed at this. She already knows me as I usually would NOT think of letter of the day. So funny!

Camping

I am off to go camping. Wish the kids could come too but this trip is for adults only. I am looking forward to seeing the stars, sitting by the fire, and swimming in the lake! I will post more when I get back.

Children Experiencing Death

Yesterday, I was reminded about explaining death to children.
Through the local triplets group, one of my triplet mom friend
sent an email out asking for help as her father has just passed
away and she is not sure how to explain death to her children. 
I replied to her email and I was surprised at how much I had to
say. I have wanted to post about our experience this summer with
GG Del passing but I could never find the right words and the
wound in still to fresh. However, after I wrote this email, I
decided I wanted to post it to this blog so my kids can have
this someday.  I will warn you that this is long but something
that I have wanted to post about for awhile.

As you know, my Grandmother passed away this summer very quickly
from Liver/Bone Cancer. My kids were very close to her as was myself.
My husband and I were very concerned about how to handle this
situation with our children.  Jon did a lot of research on how to
handle death with young children and what we learned was that it
is important to be very honest with the kids.  When it was time to tell
the kids what happened to GG Del, I could not do the talking,
Jon did all the talking but I was present and there for hugs if needed.
A lot about death has to do with what your religious beliefs are but
for us we talked about going to heaven.  The kids seemed to grasp this
well and as someone pointed out to me later, Kids are closer to death
than adults because they accept that you can just "go right on up to
heaven" where as adults we question it more.  We told them that
GG Del wasin heaven now but that she would always live in our hearts.

Jon and I had a plan with how we were going to handle the kids with
the wake and the funeral.  However, as kids always do they switched
things up on us.  We were not even going to take them to the wake with
us but then my Dad has requested that they be there.  There was two
separate rooms at the funeral home so our intentions were to not allow
the kids to go into the room with the body.  Jon’s parents were there
for support as well as my entire family so we felt comfortable that there
would be enough people around to help us out.

However, they all wanted to view the body so after much thought we
took the kids down to the body.  I am amazed at how well it went
and how it did not seem to bother them at all.  E was a little spooked
but she just left the room.   Jon just explained that when someone dies,
there body stays here on earth but their souls go to heaven.  They were
okay with this and asked to get closer to the body.  It almost brought
more peace to my heart that day knowing that they were “okay” with
all of it.

The funeral was much harder.  The kids were so well behaved but they
certainly felt the sadness and cried right along with all of us. As
we were leaving the church after the funeral, K grabbed his heart and
said "Daddy, I can feel GG Del in my heart right now".

As I have said, death is a hard topic for kids but I do believe that
giving them the facts and your beliefs (go to heaven or another place)
and just being honest about the situation is so important.  I think
as parents we try so hard to protect our children from sadness and pain
but when you are dealing with death there is no way around it.  I know
that we should all celebrate that whoever has passed on has gone to a
better place but sometimes it is hard to get past the "never see
that person again".  I know that we are all still grieving around
our house as just this morning I was talking to a friend of mine who
went to a funeral yesterday and it surfaced all of those memories and
feelings like it had just happened yesterday.  I know that my kids
experiencing death at such a young age was a good life lesson but it
is hard.  I think the hardest thing I have dealt with yet with my kids.

One more thing I want to share with you, GG Del (Grandma) is still
talked about everyday in our house.  Please be prepared after the
funeral is over and you get back to your "everyday" life that Grandpa
will be talked about.  Sometimes when my kids bring her up it hurts or
reminds me of my grief but I do know that this is healthy for all of us.
Also, we read that death can temporally change children's personalities
and habits.  They might start to wet pants/bed, have mood swings, act up,
ect.. We did not see any of these changes with our kids but we were
warned it could happen.  K often asks me when I will go to heaven. He does
have some fear that I will go away like GG Del but I just tell him that
hopefully we all won’t go to heaven until we are older like GG Del. 
It is really important that I watch what I say too.  Just after a jog
a few days ago I was being sarcastic and I said “WOW, I am tired and
I feel like I am going to die” immediately K started to ask questions
about death and asked me if I would die when I was really OLD.  It was
a good lesson to be careful about what I say right now.

This is still very hard for me and I can only imagine how hard the
holidays will be for all of us this year as this is the times that
we usually spent with GG Del. I miss her as I am sure all of my family
does and will for a very long time.  I am so grateful that I was able to
have the relationship I had with her and I am also so very grateful that
my kids got to know her too.

Just wanted to share this.  It has been on my mind.  I guess you
never know when something you post will help someone else.  God Bless.

Wordless Wednesday - Farmers

Fair Going

Yesterday, the five of us headed to the Fair. The kids were so excited to go see all the animals, eat some yummy food and hang out. We spent about 6 hours at the fair and the time just FLEW by. It was very exciting. We pet a newborn pig, sheep, and cow. We also got to see a Lamb show (not very exciting but they were judging the best Lamb). We saw lots of roosters and chickens and the big pig but it was not all that big this year so not very impressive. We also met a horse named Sam. He was very handsome and the kids really enjoyed petting him. He sniffed KJ's hand and then he made some funny noises so KJ thought that was really funny.
We also met up with our friend the B Triplets and we hung out with them for awhile. Daddy J pulled them around in our wagon. After that we got the kids Icee's and they were kind enough to give us three small cups and charged us for one icee. Then it was Jon and I turn to get some food. We headed over to the food building where Jon got his cheese curds and I got my Deep Friend Pickles. YUMMMY!
After we ate it was then time to walk again. We headed down to the Little Farms Helping Hands. The kids really enjoyed this. First they planted seeds, then they got corn, then the drove mini tractors, fed the chickens, cows, and sheep, picked apples and the went to the market with all their food. In the end they get to pick one item from the grocery store. I tried to talk them into a can of green beans but they all picked a small box of cereal. Oh well.
After the little helping hands farm we met up with the S family and went to see a Dog show. The kids loved this. Lots of dogs would run through obstacle courses. We then headed over to a log show and watched that for awhile. After we walked around some more with the S family, we then decided it was time to go home. We did get the kids each a corn dog for supper and then some mini doughnuts for the ride home. We all ate well! It was a fun day at the fair.

Challenges

Once in awhile, a bad day comes your way. Today was one of those days for me. I got a call this morning from the Director at the Church that my children were to attend Preschool. He informed me that the Preschool would not be open this fall. I then asked him if he was kidding me? No this is for real. The Preschool that my THREE children were to attend has been closed. Yup...a week before school starts and they make that decision. He tried to comfort me by telling me that he could send me a list of Preschools in the area that still had openings. I then asked him if he realized that I had THREE children to find spots for? He was very apologetic and told me that he would not want to be in my shoes. Huh...Thanks I think?
Anyway, we are without preschool. Jon's response when I called him was "Good, we can teach them at home"! Then I called a handful of other people that are close to my children, along with some good friends that are teachers and they all said exactly what Jon said...you can teach them at home. Preschool is to socialize your children. Now, I need to pray to God to give me the gift of teaching. This does not come naturally for me and I am scared to death. However, no one ever said parenting would be easy and this is just something that I need to learn how to do. So now I am going to research what I need to teach my 3-4yr olds so I can make sure that they do not fall behind.
I was nervous today to tell the kids that they won't be going to school. I explained that they would not be going to the Preschool that we have talked about all summer. A said "Good I don't want to go to that school" and of course K said "Why did it close mommy?" and then continued with about twenty more why questions after that. Then I asked them if they wanted Mommy and Daddy to teach them at home. They all replied in a loud cheer "YEAH"! So they are not upset at all. Now I just need to get over my anger and move forward. I have a feeling that this is exactly how things are supposed to be. We will survive this road bump and who knows maybe I can learn to be a good teacher or at least a more patient person.
Also, when it rains it pours. When I was in the mist of figuring out all of this Preschool stuff today. My sweet baby K told me that his ear hurt and asked for an ice pack. I spent about 45 minutes laying on his bed with him and reading books. When he still was not feeling better I then decided it was time to call the doctor. We went in this afternoon and my little guy has a DOUBLE ear infection. Poor fella!! We now have our antibiotics and ear numbing drops and it seems as though he is feeling MUCH better.

Some days can be so challenging. However, after I heard the news about a triplet mom who lost all three of her babies. I hug my kids tight and know that even my challenging days could always be worse...way worse. God bless my family.

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.