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!

Tribute To Ms. A

Yesterday was the kids last day of Gymnastics before the summer break. We have been in Gymnastics all year long and they just love their coach, Ms. A. She is such an awesome coach to 3-4 year olds.

Every week she always had some fun "theme" planned for the week and the kids really got into it. They never argued about going to Gymnastics. Honestly, I think KJ has a little crush on Ms. A. He is always first in line when it is time to line up and he always wants to show Ms. A his shirts, shorts, etc.. It is really funny to watch. The girls really enjoyed Ms. A too.

I am amazed at how much they improved over the year. They went from being afraid of being upside down to doing somersaults on the bars, hanging upside down like monkeys, walking the high beam, and jumping like stars on the trampolines. At first I was reluctant about spending the money on Gymnastics because I was not sure how it would go over but now I am so glad that we did. It has really helped to improve our kids coordination.

I am not sure what our schedule will be for the fall but I really hope that we will be able to join another class with Ms. A. After all, she is a superhero as it was not just my triplets in her class but two other sets. Yes, that is right, she had 9 3 year olds that she coached gymnastics too week after week. God Bless Ms. A!

Vacation Preperations

We are going on a family vacation soon. WOW! It is a lot of work to prepare for vacations. I am so excited to get out of town and have some fun. I did some research on the areas that we will be visiting and it looks like their is a lot of fun "Family" stuff to do. We are going to take all three kids to the beach for the first time. I am thrilled about this as it will be fun to watch all of their reactions.

The kids are excited to go on a big airplane. I just wish I loved to fly. I intend on being very brave in front of the kids but I can honestly say that I am not a big fan of flying. Jon doesn't get that at all but at least he will be with all of us and that will help to settle my fears. After all, there is nothing to be nervous about Right?!?

Thank God I have my mom to help me wash clothes and get everyone packed. Grandma Mary not only did my laundry for me yesterday she also had the kids all day while I was busy at work. One of the Women I work with asked me the other day if I knew how lucky I was to have my mom and all her help. I replied that I did know how lucky I was and that I am very very very grateful for my mom and all she does. She has made our triplet journey so much easier. Just last night she took all the kids out to eat with my brother and our friend Jane. She said that everyone sitting around them was so surprised that "they were triplets" and then they could not believe that my mom was brave enough to take them out. Honestly, it is all we know around here.

Also, I would like to mention our good friend "Auntie" Jane. She also helps with the kids a lot. She loves to come over and hang out, she loves to have them to her house, she even took them out to dinner just a few weeks ago all by herself. The kids LOVE it. She is probably on her way over right now as I have to run Aimee to the Dentist and she is going to play with the other two. Jane has saved the day many times for us.

I also learned yesterday that our friend Sue can come to the airport with me on Saturday and help me get the kids through security and to the gate. Jon is meeting me at the airport as he will just be returning to town that afternoon. This took some of the pressure off of me so I have a little support. Jon was thrilled when he heard this too.

Bottom line...going on vacation is a lot of work but so worth it. We are so blessed to have so much support around here. THANK YOU!

A Bouncy Birthday Blast!!!

Yesterday, was the big 4th Birthday celebration! I am happy to report that everyone had a great time and we the weather was AWESOME!
We were lucky enough to have both sets of Grand parents, Aunt, uncle and cousins here to help us enjoy the day. We also have many friends come over too. We had a great turn out and the kids really enjoyed spending the afternoon with so many family and friends.
We had a bouncy house again this year but in addition to the bouncy part there was also a slide off the side so that was a bonus feature. The kids (and sometimes the mommies too) bounced and bounced and bounced. We also had horse races and treasure hunts.
This year the kids each got their own cake and they thought that was really cool. Princesses for the girls and Spiderman for K.
They had a blast opening up their Birthday gifts. K was so thrilled with the gift that Grandma C and Grandpa R gave him that he exclaimed to everyone "This is just what I needed"!!! We all had a great laugh about that one.
Overall it was such a wonderful day. The kids had a blast with all of their friends. I was worried that we would get some bad weather but the sun shined throughout the whole party. What a thrill.

Last night as Jon and I reminisced on the day and their birthday party, we had many laughs and much discussion about how much they have changed these past 4 years. We both commented on how we can't believe it has been 4 years now and how much our lives have changed. Just 4 years ago we were racing to bed after the 8:30 feeding just so we could get a few hours of sleep until the midnight feeding. At that time I could not have imagined how much these kids would grow and how much joy they would bring to us.
As I have said many times before, my heart is full and it feels great to have my "family". I feel so blessed and humbled to have been given such awesome children. They told me just the other day that they are going to be 4 years old and 4 year olds are never naughty. I smiled and said "that sounds great"! Now if I catch them being naughty, then I get to remind them that 4 year olds are "never naughty". I am at peace and I feel full of love and happiness. Life is great and I look forward to all of the memories we are going to make this year with 3 - 4 year olds! Yahoooo! After all, I was told that the age between 1-101 that laughs the most is 4 years old. Here's to a year full of belly laughs and giggles.

This one is for Eric...

This was something I promised Eric I would post. However, I must apologize to Eric because I forgot that I cannot turn a movie so please turn your head to the side and enjoy the show.

Eric below is your 21 seconds of fame!

I have bikers!!!

This past weekend we decided it was time to get the bikes out of the rafters of the garage. I bought the kids bikes last year but then realized they were a little small for them since they did not know how to peddle a trike much less a bike. I got the bikes for a great deal from another triplet mom. She sold them to me for $18 for all three! What a deal.The kids LOVE them. Jon got them all fixed up with air in the tires and training wheels put on. We went down on the street last night and the kids spent about 2 hours riding their bikes around and around. We had a few accidents and the first time KJ fell off his bike both Jon and I were holding our breath until he jumped up and screamed "I no hurt Daddy, I okay" then he proceeded to get back on his bike and start riding it again.It was so much fun to watch the kids go around and around with their new bikes. By the end of the night they were cruising around so fast and every time they would pass me they would have these great big grins on their faces. It truly melted my heart!I stood out there and it was one of those moments that I am sure every mother experiences when you think to yourself...how did we get to this point. They are now bikers! I can still remember just 4 years ago and how uncomfortable I was. How much anticipation both Jon and I had for our babies to arrive. I had no idea at that point in time how much those babies would change our life! WOW, what a ride it has been so far and I am so excited for all the new adventures we still have ahead of us. We are quickly approaching the age of 4 and as I always reminisces at this time of year. I start to think about where we have been and where we are going. I love being Aimee, Ella, and Kendrick's mother, I love sharing this family with my best friend and soul mate, I love how blessed I am with all that God has given me.

Soccer Stars

We have started soccer. I was not sure what to expect when we showed up at the soccer fields the other day but much to my delight, all three of the kids had a blast playing. It was really fun to watch too. Their jersey's are huge on them but the good news is that they will fit for many years to come.
We start T-Ball in a month so I hope that goes over as well as soccer has. Ella told Grandpa Al on Sunday "we started soccer and we are really good at it"! She was right about starting soccer but they have some practice to do! I had to laugh when their first game was about to start and Aimee volunteered to be the goalie. She is usually shy and timid in new situations so I was amazed that she wanted to be the goalie. They all had a blast so I am really happy that we signed them up to start playing soccer.

Happy Mother's Day 2008

What a delightful day we had yesterday. I felt very blessed and it was so much fun to celebrate being a mom. We started the day with breakfast out and the kids did well until the end. Then they all feel apart at the grocery store after we got done with breakfast. We knew then that they would for sure need a nap. So Grandma Mary offered to have them over at her house so Jon and I could get some stuff done at our house. Thank you to Grandma Mary!!!
Jon and I spent the day getting the kids bed rooms reorganized. The girls both wanted their own bed (they have been sharing a queen) so we decided it was time. Aimee kicked Ella the other night while they were in bed so after that happened we really knew it was time. My only reservation with it was that I had already bought them all new bedding less than a year ago and now we had to go buy all new bedding for all three of them as KJ got the queen bed and the girls now each have a twin bed. Everyone is happy now so that is the good news.

The guys cooked my mom and I a wonderful meal last night. We had such a great time and the kids had fun too. The kids gave me a really cute card that had a rooster on the front of it and the inside said "you rule the roost" and it played chicken dance music. Sooo cute.

Today we were able to have a family day too as Jon has been home with us. We packed up a lunch and went to a park. It is cool here today but the sun is shining so it was fun.

I love being a mom. It is the hardest, most emotional job I have ever had but by far the most rewarding Job on earth. To all the moms out there...God Bless you all and keep up the good work!!!

Mother's Day Tea

Today the kids had a Mother Day Tea at their school. I took some time off of work so I could attend. I took the camera with me and I was able to capture them singing some of their songs on tape. Below are two different videos of them singing. As you will see KJ and Ella loved to sing to the crowd but Aimee was very shy about it. This surprises me as Aimee is always the one who is singing in the car and when she is playing.


The picture below is of all three kids when they were waiting to start singing. This picture really capture my heart because if you look closely they are all holding hands. This proves that they really count on each other when they are in situations that make them feel a little uncomfortable. They were uncomfortable because there was a handful of mothers that were waiting for their kids to come out and sing to them. It was a sweet program and it made me feel very loved as a mother. Grandma Mary came with me too and I know she really enjoyed it. They all made me a very special gift and I was very touched. What an awesome afternoon. Being the mother of these three special little souls is the best gift I have ever been given!!!

Changes to blog...

Due to some things that have been on my mind lately, I am thinking about password protecting my blog so that I have some control over who is looking at it. So if you are a faithful reader and you want to have access, please send me an email to babyblues900@yahoo.com and let me know who you are, if you have a blog page, and what your email is so I can include you.

THANKS!

MS Walk 2008

It was the PERFECT day for the walk. We had so much fun today and the best part about it was that I was able to raise $2555 for the MS Society. The even better part about it was that my team the Walkin Maniacs was able to raise over $5000. I am THRILLED to say the least. We always have so much fun on this day.My parents and my good friend Jane help out with watching kids, driving us to the walk, and feeding all of us after the walk. They go above and beyond to keep all of us walker happy. My team is Awesome too. It means so much to me to have so many of my family and friends get together to raise money to help find a cure to a disease that I suffer from. They do this walk for ME! That feels great.Just tonight as I was typing up an email to all of my contributors, I started to tear up. It feels great to have the support with this cause. I have no doubt that there will be a cure for MS in my lifetime. My doctor told me this the day he diagnosed me. With the money that myself and my team raised, we are that much closer to finding a cure. It is a small step for such a large cause but at least we helped!Next year we have decided it is time to bring the kids on this walk. I am sure they will not walk the whole walk but at least they can come to the park and be apart of the excitement of the day. I am going to bed tonight exhausted from such a busy day but my heart is full and I feel loved...very very loved! Oh and a big thanks to my awesome hubby for taking such awesome action filled pictures today.